《The Max Level Hero Has Returned!》 Chapter 1 Episode 1
    1. A Cominer.
A great hero, or an unbeatable person. There was a time when strong people dominated an era only through their presence and their names. There was an emperor who established his empire and the leaders of many men. There were medical clinics that saved countless patients, there were strong people who didn¡¯t seem like they belonged anywhere, and there were people who were praised by many others. There were warriors who defeated the devil, and there was a man named ¡®Cheonma¡¯ who unified the continent with his power, increasing the noble¡¯s influence. However, when Davey heard about them, he spoke both confidently and firmly. ¡°Heroes? Ah, they take ten-year-old kids and push them around as far as they can, and if they don¡¯t like it, they¡¯ll start beating them like a dog.¡± ¡°When they¡¯re forced to be stronger and reach a certain ground, they¡¯ll hand out another task and start pushing them again.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll throw humans intova, hang them off a cliff, and right into a fire pit. And they¡¯ll tell you, ¡°It¡¯s for your own good!¡± You¡¯re talking about those nobles, right?¡± Whether they were a hero or an outstanding human being, most of them certainly had some screws missing! It felt like a thousand years to the soul! It was already six yearster when the powerless chamber prince, Davey, returned to his original body.
    1. The frigging Corridor.
[Half a day after arriving at the Hall of Heroes.] The Corridor of Heroes, or Hall of Heroes. It looked like a ce where the souls of legendary heroes and great men who remained in legends and myth lingered. Apparently, it was an underworld space designed to elevate the pride of those who aplished great achievements. Nobody knew who had built this ce. Everyone seemed to have curious expectations for me, but the truth was, there were no outstanding factors that made me a hero. [Third day after arriving at the Hall of Heroes] Even the heroes who had been sleeping woke up after hearing that a new kid had arrived. Apparently, there weren¡¯t a lot of new recruits because there weren¡¯t many qualified people. Of course, they must¡¯ve had thought I had some sort of great achievement to end up here. A child who was only about ten years old was amazed and danced excitedly around. I felt guilty because I didn¡¯t have much of anything, but I might get fired back if I told them, so I instinctively shut my mouth. [A week after arriving at the Hall of Heroes] He patted me on the back and gave cringypliments every time we met. Ignorant man. He was so strong that it honestly felt like he was trying to break my shoulders. Sometimes I saw them doing some y fighting, but they were ying on a continental scale¡­ I was getting even more scared. If they find out that I¡¯m an ordinary person that has nothing¡­ [Two weeks after arriving at the Hall of Heroes] I got caught¡­ [A month after arriving at the Hall of Heroes] It was cold. A dagger then flew out and pierced my heart. But no worries¡­no, not this. I was an ordinary human being that had nothing, so I shouldn¡¯t get a ticket to a ce like this. I seemed to have scratched their pride. [A month and fifteen days after arriving at the Hall of Heroes] They were noblemen in their own way, and they didn¡¯t bother me anymore, but I still didn¡¯t feelfortable with their stares. I couldn¡¯t even swallow my food anymore because they treated me like a useless person. Those who are already dead and left with only their souls and heroes who once enjoyed their era. Why were they so cheap with their food? [Two months after arriving at the Hall of Heroes] There wasn¡¯t much happening, but I still felt bothered by the way they looked at me like I was a useless person, so I ended up yelling and getting upset, which had soon be the source of more trouble. I should¡¯ve just kept my mouth shut¡­ [Two months and three days after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] They had ongoing meetings the past few days to figure out why I hade here without any power or achievement. It was already the third day of quiet meetings. You could hear them fighting and shouting at each other if you moved close to the door of the huge hall. I began to worry that they might blow my head off, for the reason that I deceived them. After a long time, the meeting ended. I couldn¡¯t say anything as I watched them return with a grim face. [Two months and fifteen days after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] Finally, someone came to me. It was the big man who brought a bag full of delicious snacks and urged me to eat them when I first came here. ¡°I decided toply with your request. It¡¯s not even your fault in the first ce, but it¡¯s funny that we¡¯re getting upset about it. It has been so boring until now, so this is fun? You¡¯re our family now, so I¡¯ll take responsibility for you, follow me.¡± That was how it started. [It had been a year after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] [If the new kid who arrived at the corridor isn¡¯t a hero, he can be raised to be a hero no matter what the situation is!] The big guy¡¯s name was Hercules. He said that he would give me survival training. I thought that I heard a simr name somewhere, but¡­ I was afraid this wasn¡¯t the same. I followed his words to just believe in him, that he would make me perfect, and I regretted it exactly half a dayter. One year. There was the time he threw me into a forest full of unidentified monsters and left me unattended! Poisoned food¡­water¡­predators attacking day and night are all over the ce¡­they were all terrible. They wanted to help before I was nearly dead. [Two years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] I was surviving in the desert. [Three years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] It looked like I was in a tunnel this time. The sharp teeth of a medium-sized sandworm that broke through the wall yesterday to chew on my body were still vivid in my mind. I didn¡¯t know what it had picked up and eaten, but even though its body was strong, its teeth were all ruined. [Seven years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] God damn Hercules! [Twelve years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] During the survival training over thest ten years, my body hadn¡¯t grown a centimeter or aged one bit. What should I do with that giant who¡¯s dancing and saying that I¡¯ve grown more than he expected? He patted my exhausted back and said something scary to me as if it was nothing. ¡°Alright! This is enough for my training! I won¡¯t be embarrassed to call you my disciple with those skills! Pahahahaha! Then let¡¯s go to the next training with the old sword god!¡± I should have put my fist in the man¡¯s face¡­ [Twelve years and a day after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] He told me that it would be an older man, but he was quite young and outgoing. I wasn¡¯t saying it because I had a 10-year-old kid¡¯s body, but my past life, present life, and life at the Hall of Heroesbined weren¡¯t really very short. Guided only by Hercules, who only liked doing whatever he wanted, the man was like a loose cannon who didn¡¯t look serious at all. The man seemed to be a legendary figure who remained in the ancient books of the continent of Tionis, where I was reborn. He used to be an average person, but the gentleman held a sword and soon became the sword god. Haris was a lot more fun and sharper than the stern image I was expecting. Haris, I was sure I had heard the name before. He was a great man who had some considerable achievements, so I had some fantasies, but it took less than a day for them to break down. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t the sword god, but the god ofziness instead. [Fifteen years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] A near-disaster talent. That was what Hercules had said, so I guess I had some pretty good talent. What he offered to teach me were his now forgotten sword skills. Thanks to Hercules, it wouldn¡¯t be as hard as the first time, but¡­in a different sense, it fit well with the expression ¡°hell.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have caught the wooden sword and metal bag he threw me¡­ [Twenty-five years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] That damn sword! The sword alone made me want to vomit! I never wanted to hear the sound of a sword swing again! [Forty years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] Sure, I had my own talent, but it still took some time to surprise him. He seemed to be appalled, but I¡¯d still have to invest decades of training to beat him at this rate. [Sixty years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] I met a man who called himself the spirit of archery. He had a cheesy face and voice. Even his personality was the same. He kept calling out to a woman named Daphne, a saint whom he loved. I think I got a hard one in store this time. Why wasn¡¯t I running away? If dozens of people came looking for me with their eyes lit up, I would just be a flea in a bottle. [Eighty years after causing trouble at the Hall of Heroes.] P¡­Please! Sa-save me¡­ [One-hundred-and-twenty years since I fell into this shit.] My dream came true. Yeah, I survived for a long time, but I didn¡¯t feel alive here. [One-hundred-and-seventy years since I fell into this shit.] Except for the heroes who had lost interest and fell asleep again, most of them weremitted to training, which was actually just torture in disguise. Magic, spears, swordy, chains. Fighting¡­work! Among them, there was an absolute psycho called the revolutionary wizard, a woman named Odin. It was a ce where only the exceptionally crazy gathered¡­ [Two-hundred years since I fell into this shit.] I met Hercules during my training. I tried to pierce a hole in his stomach with a bamboo spear, but when I finally came to my senses, I was already in a deserted field. Apparently, his powers as a survival expert were the highest among the heroes in this ce. [Three-hundred years since I fell into this shit.] I was getting tired of trying to master martial arts with my ignorant head. That must¡¯ve been why I got a psychosomatic disease. One of the heroes who was observing my condition had said there might be a solution and brought someone who was asleep. She was called the god of medicine. Her name was Hippocrates¡­ which also seemed to be a strangely familiar. However, it did sound like it had been changed. What conversation did she have with Hercules? She said it¡¯s time for my medicine. While undergoing her new acupuncture treatment, she asked if I was interested in learning medicine. [Three-hundred-and-fifty years.] Acupuncture, surgical medicine, blood vessels. Completely curing different symptoms of diseases. I was learning whatever she threw at me. She told me this time that there would be some scary training. My talent was shining through! Ohhhhhhh! Chapter 2 [Year 500] Time went by so fast. Before I knew it, 500 years had already gone by. However, the funny thing was, the memories of both my past and present were all so vivid. I spent more time idly staring at the sky. Although the nights at the Hall of Heroes were dark, the morning skies were so beautiful. I came to question why I worked so tirelessly only to get beaten up, learning these things, when I couldn¡¯t even leave this ce. Apparently, heroes could create something new with their own knowledge, but couldn''t pass on their existing knowledge. However, I seem to be the only exception. Maybe that¡¯s why¡­all they did was overwork me all day! [Year 700] I¡¯m slowly starting to see why they said that time was the best medicine. As I spent more time alone, counting the days passing by, I felt like I¡¯m returning to my old self again. I guess acting all serious never really suited me. Perhaps, living amongst these people, who have lived as souls for thousands of years, has rubbed off on me. I wondered why all these old fes were so frivolous, and it turned out that time was at fault. Saintess Daphne, who was casting and reversing hundreds of curses to teach about holy power and curses, came to see me. She seemed strangely happy; maybe she gave Apollo, the fe who kept hitting on her, a kick in the balls. It seemed like she got her hands on a bottle of quality liquor, and wanted to have a drink. But¡­oddly, I had a weird feeling that she was possibly hiding something¡­ [Year 950] Most of the heroes who taught me came to see me. Dokgo Jun, the old man who was toozy to show up most of the time, was here, and so was the mister who always boasted about his time as a great emperor and the conquests he made whenever he drank. Most of them were heroes whom I had some sort of connection with, and they all ¡®trained¡¯ me, which was just torture in disguise. I¡¯ve lost count of the number of times I¡¯ve been beaten half to death for talking back about how useful this training would be when I couldn¡¯t even leave. As I greeted the heroes with a grumpy attitude, Hypocria, the God of Medicine who took care of me the most, approached me with a mncholic smile. She never had an interest in me since my arrival, but from some point on, she started taking care of me like a real sister. An unintentional but boisterous banquet went on for days and days. The banquet came to an end as Hypocria, who was quietly sipping her drink, gently spoke, ¡°Our little one. We found a way for you to go back.¡± I was speechless for a while. I had this strange feeling. [Year 999] Firstly, they remembered that it was my birthday. I stopped keeping track of my age because I was so old, but it was still a small anniversary nheless. They began to unite. They didn¡¯t tell me why, and for some reason, they didn¡¯t even tell me how. They were beings that could no longer meddle in the world, after all. They would never unite even if the world wasing to an end and yet, they had decided toe together behind one idea. I knew that this day woulde when¨Call of a sudden¨Cthey started treating me well and showering me with blessings instead of their usual nagging and scolding. It was like they were high or something. And when they asked me, ¡®What have you always wanted to do?¡¯, I told them it was to live the remainder of my life happily ever after. It seemed like this was the first step to achieving that dream. I was safe here as long as I had power, but I didn''t feel like I was living. They also asked me if I had anyst words. Master Elementalist Yuriana in the back corner was starting to get teary. Once, she dropped me into the deep sea and tried to throw me into the magma pool to strengthen my connection to nature. And yet¡­ Aw, my heart ached for some unknown reason. As they asked theirst question, a bright light began to surround my body regardless of my answer. It was really the end, wasn''t it? With that thought, I smiled at them. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s never see each other again! And also, how long are you grannies going to act like youngdies?¡± Theirst expressions that I saw were certainly a pretty sight. The most outraged of them all was Saintess Daphne. ¡°Hey! You fxxking little sh¡­¡± Some people said nothing, as if they knew how sad I was. I didn¡¯t want to say goodbye like a crybaby. At longst, I just smiled instead of waving back at them. Then, the world changed. * * * p!! ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­¡± He nced around at his surroundings in a daze; it was as if he had woken from a long dream. His blurry eyes felt like they were burning from seeing light for the first time in a while. Through his hazy view, he noticed a strange liquid hanging from his IV with a mana stone. [Restore.] He mumbled for a bit. But to his surprise, he couldn¡¯t feel anything at his fingertips. That was when it sank in; he had returned from the Hall of Heroes into his body as Prince Davey. 3. The Prince who has Returned Davey couldn¡¯t think of what to exin or where to even begin. He rxed his entire body and closed his eyes as feelings of bitterness flooded him. He was so exhausted; all he wanted to do was stare into space for the time being. The rough butforting nket also made it tempting to stay in bed all day. But the God honest truth was that¡­Davey just couldn¡¯t even lift a finger right now. As he stared into space while lying in bed, his eyes slowly began to adjust to the ring light. Although his vision hadn¡¯tpletely returned yet and was still out of focus, it was enough to see with more rity now. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Davey groaned softly, the only sound to escape when he opened his mouth. His memories were hazy but distinct. Thinking it strange that his memories had such rity even after a thousand years, a bitter smile appeared on his face. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah ah ah. Ah ah ah~¡± As Davey began to vocalize like he was in vocal training, his crackly voice slowly started to change. ¡°Hem hem..¡± Davey spoke again and again. After being able to enunciate properly, a familiar, soft voice finally tickled his ears. Those guys thought his voice had a mellow tone, but it just felt alright to him. ¡°Restore.¡± Davey tried again. Still, there wasn¡¯t any meaningful change, but he didn¡¯t really feel anxious. Davey had experienced all kinds of things during the thousand years ofbor disguised as ¡®training¡¯ and has had situations like this happen before. ¡®Hia said that when someone bes unconscious, their mana and holy power bes inactive and hardens. It¡¯s just like how muscles atrophy.¡¯ Davey was probably the only one who called Hypocria, the God of Medicine, that. Whatever, she wanted me to call her that. It¡¯s not my problem. Hia, the God of Medicine who taught Davey the art, had him heal various patients using her unique abilities. Among them, there most certainly was a patient in the same situation. The solution was¡­ ¡®Time¡¯. Trying to heal muscles damaged from long-term malnutrition andck of exercise in a short period of time would only make things worse. After all, haste would make waste. Davey had to build up enough strength to be able to move. At least he had a mana stone IV that was supplying him with adequate nutrition. Otherwise, not being able to move and having no visitors would be the perfect recipe for starvation. I don¡¯t think I would be too fond of a situation like that. Yet,Davey felt so at ease. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. With a soft chuckle, he began to focus on moving his fingers. Rehab starts with the fingertips, does it not? Right now, Davey just wanted to enjoy the feeling of being back home. * * * The past few days went by without anyone entering this room, which remained silent. In fact, anyone entering this entire pce would be a rare asion. If anyone did, it would be a couple of maids responsible for Davey¡¯s nutrition. It was like that before he became unconscious and went to the Hall of Heroes, so he guessed it was still the same. Trembling, Davey reached out and read the wooden calendar. [Valdis Calendar Year 278]. The huntingpetition, where he was shot with an arrow, was definitely held in Year 272. He arrived at the Hall right away after that, so around six years had passed while Davey''s physical body was in this state. That meant that Davey was now 16, legally an adult in thisnd. A thousand years in the Hall was only six years here. Was this due to the Hall being a different dimension? Or was it some other unknown reason? Whatever it was, distorted time wasn¡¯t unfamiliar. Time became all wonky in spacepared to Earth, right? Davey wasn¡¯t on Earth, but the Tionis Continent. This was a different dimension than Earth, and was also the home to Davey¡¯s second life. It was a hell of a ce, but people still lived here. ¡°Guess lying in bed all day is harder than you think.¡± Even while grumbling, Davey closed his eyes and started to concentrate as always. Other than rehab training, Davey has been following this routine for the past few days. And thanks to his painstaking effort, he could now lift his entire upper body when he could barely lift a finger at first. Of course, the amount of work it took was unimaginable, and being used to pain didn¡¯t make him immune to it. ¡°Restore.¡± Davey closed his eyes and concentrated on awakening the light inside him. It was the holy power. As Saintess Daphne remarked, it was impossible to contain more holy power than those who were born gifted, but no one could surpass him in terms of mastery except her. No one, not even the high priest or any saintess. That wasn¡¯t to say that Davey had little holy power. Daphne was a legendary hero who was said to have received God, so obviously Davey couldn¡¯tpete with her, but the fact that he was second to her showed how much effort he had put in. People typically strengthen their holy power by praying and hoping for the best. Thus, it was natural for Davey to be stronger than them, as he was the paragon of growth. Holy power was a type of strength. It was impossible to fully master it with just blind prayers. As a matter of fact, that devil of a woman hardly praised God when she taught Davey. Tut tut, what an ungrateful saintess. ¡­ Davey reminisced about his first step to training his holy power. It was to clean the entire Passage. Calmly, he tried to control his holy power by poking around here and there, but it didn''t budge. ¡°God, you¡¯re stubborn.¡± Chapter 3 Episode 3 I felt worried about losing all my mana, divine power, and ability tomand it. I had gotten used to using magic, but it was useless without its main source, which was mana. Fortunately, most of my powers arrived safely with my soul. The problem was that it was hard as a rock, and it would take a long time until I could use it. I had clearly heard that it would take some time to loosen these hardened things. ¡®Move.¡¯ I uttered basic divine magic to express my strong will. ¡°Restore.¡± However, there was still no change. ¡®Move.¡¯ At this point, I thought it would be time for even a small amount toe out, but it was too stubborn. Once it started to flow, it would elerate and wake up on its own, but the start wasn¡¯t at all easy. They say that the beginning was half the battle. It would be a lie if it weren¡¯t this difficult. If it were stubborn, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. The stubborn power was shameless. However, I kept asking for it to awaken. ¡®Move.¡¯ Once again, when I spoke with a strong will, I felt as if my hardened divine power flinched very weakly. It was very weak, but I wouldn¡¯t miss out on the opportunity. I held back myughter and tried it once again. I asked the stubborn divine power politely. ¡®Get a move on before I really explode.¡¯ Whoooosh!!! sh!! I heard something crack in my body. At the same time, my eyes opened wide. I couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. ¡°Restore!¡± After shouting fiercely, the divine power, which had currently been moving weakly, finally began to move more powerfully. The warm white energy slowly escaped from the hardened divine mass and began to wrap around my body. I was delighted as I finally seeded in moving the divine power. ¡°Nice!¡± If others saw me, they would think that I was lying in bed talking nonsense like a crazy person. But it was whatever. There was no one watching anyway. The Restore magic, which wrapped around the entire body as if it were a warm nket, was a basic form of divine magic that healed inner wounds. The structure itself was simple, so it was magic that most priests who epted divine power could use. But of course, if you ignore basic magic, you would see little efficiency. The characteristic of divine magic was unlike other magic in that it could increase the level of lower magic and amplify the effect. That¡¯s why there was a difference between the ¡®restore¡¯ of the high-ranking priest and the ¡®restore¡¯ of new priests. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Did they say it was an equivalent exchange? Even though a lot of physical strength was used to boost recovery, this power couldn¡¯t be regarded as fraudulent magic. Increasing recovery by consuming physical strength could be a dangerous act that might be harmful to patients like me. However, I didn¡¯t stop. Whoo¡­whoo! As the white light slowly dissipated, my senses slowly began to return to the side of my leg. And when itpletely disappeared, I was satisfied that my toes could finally move. The first was my toes. The second was my ankles, and the third was my knees. I slowly lifted myself up while trying not to overdo it. I desperately felt like I was in danger, like I was going to copse right away if I wasn¡¯t holding on to anything. ¡°Restore.¡± Of course, I wouldn¡¯t just stop here. After using restore once again, I was starting to feel hungry. However, if I suddenly increased the number of fluids that provided me nutrition, it would only be a matter of time before my body started to break down. The effect of the restoration was remarkably beginning to heal the body and show noticeable changes. When I raised my body very slowly, I started to feel a strange joy. This was how parents probably felt when they saw their baby crawling around and slowly standing up! Although, considering it, this was my body. As I raised my body by supporting myself with one hand on the wall, my view slowly widened. ¡°Hmm, the air above is better.¡± I was saying useless things as I tried to move slowly and softly. Then, I looked out the window. Although I couldn¡¯t see any signs of people, the sun in the sky was shining brightly as if it were showing off its presence. ¡°Oh, I really wanted to try this.¡± I stood upright with my legs. Then I raised my hands at a 45-degree angle towards the sky and opened my palms. It looked like the letter ¡°Y¡± of the alphabet. ¡°Pr¡­¡± Strongly! ¡°Praise the sun! Rattle. Shatter! At the same time, there was the sound of the door opening from behind me and ss shattering on the ground. ¡°Ahhhh?!¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Great timing. As I turned my head slowly and stiffly, I saw a small girl with a frightened look. She looked like she was in her mid-teens. Given that she worked as a maid, she must be the daughter of a poor man. It was weird to say this since I was a mid-teen myself, but I thought she was still a little too young to work as a maid. Perhaps it was because of the unexpected and embarrassing situation, but the strength in my legs gave way, and my body copsed. I could see the girl running with a scream. ¡°Prince! Wake up!¡± I lowered my head without even thinking about responding. I wished she hadn¡¯t seen me like this¡­ ¡°Ha, just put me back into aa¡­¡± * * * ¡°Hmm¡­.¡± An older man with a suspicious look on his face swept a hand through his beard. The older man¡¯s name was Ramdas. He was a man from the royal court. He had the position of examining the king¡¯s personal safety and preventing the king from getting sick. ¡°You¡¯re quite a strange one; the condition of your body is surprisingly better. Are you experiencing any pain you¡¯re not telling me about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay, just a little tired.¡± When I answered calmly, he nodded with satisfaction. If I were living in my previous life, I wouldn¡¯t have thought of treating an older man so rude. However, this life was different. I didn¡¯t like it, but I understood my current status. Davey Al Rown. It was the full name given to me since birth. I am a ¡®Rown,¡¯ a member of the royal family of the most insignificant kingdom. As you may have noticed, those who used the surname ¡®Rown¡¯ in the Kingdom had one thing inmon: We were royals. Among them, I was the first son of the king. It felt weird to say it myself, but I was the first prince of the nation. ¡°Hmmm¡­ How tenacious.¡± I heard a sharp voice while I was lying in bed nkly, and my eyes turned. What I saw at the end of my gaze was a woman with a fancy look and a fierce impression. Behind her were two boys that looked as if they wereughing at me. The current queen, Liness Varietta. And her sons, the second prince Carlos and third prince Benedict. ¡°I agree. I didn¡¯t know that my body was this strong either.¡± ¡°Right, did you see the ungrateful man who shot the arrow at you?¡± ¡°Not really. The arrow came flying out of nowhere. Oh, did you capture him? Because he¡¯s a big sinner.¡± ¡°No.¡± She answered with a lot of meaning, and she spread her fan to cover half of her face. She was trying to hide her frown. Queen Liness. Her name was Liness Varietta before she became queen, and she was the eldest daughter of the ¡°We¡¯re all done. I¡¯ve done the basic treatment. You can call the priest regrly for treatment, and you will recover in a few years. From tomorrow morning, you can start giving meals to Prince Davey. I¡¯ll send you a special fluid diet so that it¡¯s easy on his stomach.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± When he answered calmly, Ramdas bowed his head and got up from his seat with a stern face. ¡°I shall take my leave.¡± When the maid followed him, there were only Queen Liness, Prince Carlos, and Prince Benedict left in the room. Silence hung heavy in the room because we didn¡¯t have a good rtionship. ¡°You should¡¯ve just died like that¡­¡± ¡°Are you disappointed that an eyesore came back to life?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± The light voice then caused Queen Liness¡¯s eyebrows to wriggle. However, I was still the prince, and she was the queen. Originally, it was a mother-son rtionship, but everyone knew that my rtionship with Queen Liness wasn¡¯t sofortable. m! When Queen Liness stormed out, Carlos and Benedict, who looked like they wereughing, quietly followed. ¡°It¡¯s a disgrace that the first prince will never be in the kingdom again when he was attacked and put into aa. Let¡¯s go, Benedict.¡± With repeated provocations. The room suddenly calmed down. It was so calm that I thought it was too much for the room of a person who woke up after sleeping for nearly six years, but I didn¡¯t say it because it was almost too sad. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t the scene I was used to before I fell into aa. To be cool-headed, this was far better. ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace to the kingdom.¡± As I slowly controlled by divine power with my eyes closed and with a smirk, I could feel the warmth of my body again. Although I was openly using divine magic, it was safe to say that there was no person who could notice the divine power in this imperial pce. It was the same logic that it is difficult to see through the essence of the opponent if there was too much of a difference in the level of power. Was it because I had put all my attention into recovering my body right after I woke up? Even if it weren¡¯t easy to move right now, it would be possible to walk around within a few days. Mana would gradually elerate the speed and regain its original form alongside the divine power. It was clear that my recovery would gradually elerate. * * * I spent about two weeks bedridden without being able to go anywhere. Perhaps it was because I had been focusing on recovering, but it felt like time was rapidly flying. Chapter 4 Episode 4 ¡°Hmph¡­¡± I felt lighter when I moved my body with short breaths. Everyone would be shocked when they heard that a prince lying in bed for more than six years in aa could now move like this. Of course, my bones were damaged, and my muscles were almost gone, so I wouldn¡¯t be able to recover easily, even with the priest¡¯s continued healing magic. Moreover, most of the priests who hade for treatment were Queen Liness¡¯s people. And so, they didn¡¯t perform proper healing. Yeah, to put it bluntly, this castle was a very indecent ce. As the queen wanted to kill the prince, there was no such thing as family affection. We used to be family in the past because we proved to be partners that had to spend our whole lives together. Because of this, I approached them personally and believed in them. It didn¡¯t take much time to understand that was a stupid judgment. The first life on earth and the second life at this ce were different. There was no such thing as family love in this country, where people sold their children for the sake of instant sess and used them as tools for a political marriage. They didn¡¯t give a shit. Of course, not all nobles were like that. In fact, Queen Liness was a woman who cared so much for her own sons. But what if they weren¡¯t blood-rted? What if he was the one who was standing in the way of her biological son? Queen Liness wasn¡¯t my biological mother. She was a person with distinctly different blood than I. My mother, who used to be the queen, was killed by someone who poisoned her about five years after I was born. They failed to catch the criminal, and my mother¡¯s death ended in grief. It was Queen Liness who took over my mother¡¯s position afterward. She was an ambitious woman that wanted to get rid of me, the son of the former queen, and push her son to be the next king. Of course, she was also a woman that had power. In the Kingdom of Rown, the maternal rtives had the strongest power, with the Duke of Liness¡¯s direct family was none other than the Duke of Varietta. Unless you were an idiot, you would understand that they were in cahoots. In the meantime, my life had been quite monotonous. Mana, divine power, andmand mana used to increase my recovery. I had exercised in my spare time to restore my body¡¯s muscles. In addition to this, I quickly sought recovery by eating all the meals that the chambermaid Amy brought. Recovery magic used immediate divine power and showed a tremendous pace of recovery. For me, who had learned the knowledge of Hippocrate and studied extremely hard about the human body and the medicine directly under them, this recovery wasn¡¯t a very difficult challenge. In the process, my appetite had improved so much that I was excitedly forgetting the budget allocated to the prince¡¯s castle, but who could say anything about it when it was my money anyway? ¡°Still, they probably took more than half of the money that was supposed toe in.¡± You could tell by looking at the condition of the castle. Who would think of this ce as the first Prince¡¯s castle? There was a lot of split marble on the floor, and weeds were sticking out. Compared to other ces in the royal castle, it was as good as a deserted house. The appearance of the royal castle was a great disadvantage to the prince¡¯s reputation, that was, to my image and position. However, it wouldn¡¯t change unless I reced the people who were taking half of my money. Therefore, recovery was important. No matter what I wanted, my body needed to be healthy. Revenge on the useless second Prince and third Prince, who were believed to have caused me to fall into aa, and Queen Liness, who was believed to have caused the death of my mother. I had the freedom to because I had be quite a strong man. ¡°Ha¡­¡± When sweat poured out of my body like rain because of the exercise, I raised my hand without saying a word and chanted. ¡°Clean.¡± With a short murmur, droplets of water appeared in the air, covering my whole body, and soon my body was washed clean and turned cool. Magic was a fairly convenient power. Wasn¡¯t there a saying thatziness was the key to scientific development? Odin, who taught me magic, told me that, but I believed in it very much. ¡°Prince. It¡¯s me, Amy.¡± ¡°Come on in.¡± After organizing the messy clothes and lying on the bed, Amy, a girl with a very stern face, came in with her head down. In this royal castle, I was more known as the ck sheep instead of the prince. Both nobles and servants ignored me behind my back, so Amy was quite faithful in that sense. ¡°I brought you a meal.¡± Her calm words made me smile. ¡°Thank you.¡± I didn¡¯t reject courtesy. Amy, at least not this long after she came to this castle, was the only one who didn¡¯t get involved in dirty politics. For now, anyway. Apparently, she had been demoted to this ce because she was sent out of the queen¡¯s sight while working at the castle. ¡°The first prince¡¯s castle is a ce where servants get demoted to¡­ this is a mess.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You did a good job. Go back and rest for today.¡± ¡°But Prince, today¡¯s rehabilitation training¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that, so go back and rest.¡± She looked up at me with a tremble as if she weren¡¯t going to listen. Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. If you look up with that puppy-dog expression, you will make me feel guilty for no reason. She swallowed her words, and when I patted her head, she blushed, and then she bowed her head. ¡°So¡­sorry!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Go back now.¡± ¡°Ye-yes!¡± A handsome face was helpful in situations like this. ¡°Hmmm~¡± I felt good and hummed while looking down at the meal Amy prepared for me. ¡°They¡¯re treating me like an old man because I¡¯m a patient.¡± Considering my mental age, I wasn¡¯t an old man by human standards, but an actual living fossil. Sadly, I wasn¡¯t mentally mature enough to be such an upright person either. Most people or heroes who lived for thousands of years or tens of thousands of years were still giggling, as if they were in their teens or early twenties. Are you confused? It meant that people go around and around. It would be a natural change for those who had already epted death once. Some people kept their seriousness, but others eventually returned to their childhood personalities. The worst of them was the saint Daphne, and the self-proimed survival king Hercules. They were both mad. While silently eating the meal on the table, I didn¡¯t forget to use mana and divine power at the same time. The mana would recover on its own even if I didn¡¯t do anything, so that meant I just needed to use the rest of them. What you could do with the divine power was the basic magic of healing, restoring, and curing. Magic was all about simple lights, magic missiles, and other life magic that could be used easily, but that was only the case for me, who hadn¡¯t recovered fully. Even though it felt like my stomach was about to burst, once I used the restore magic, my digestion became better, and I could eat endlessly. What I ate was roughly more than three times the average amount eaten by an ordinary person. That was too much? If you forced it in, it¡¯ll eventually all go in. Amy looked surprised at the amount of food I ate, but I¡¯m also a stubborn person. After pushing in so hard that my cheeks were about burst, I felt like my soul was about to return to my body. Oh, of course. ¡°Oh¡­the damn bathroom.¡± The disadvantage was that I needed to go to the bathroom frequently because I digested everything too fast. If Haris, thezy god, saw me, he would have made fun of me. An old man that doesn¡¯t act like his age¡­
        1. We don¡¯t have enough food!
The recovery process proved to be smooth. However, soon problems began to arise elsewhere. The problem finally revealed itself about a month after I woke up, and it threatened me. ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I experienced a stomachache, and I groaned loud enough that the sound flowed out of the castle. Amy¡¯s expression naturally turned to a frown, and there was a shadow over her face. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± I consoled her and read the document she gave me and let out augh. The royal budget allocated to the royal castle was extremely small, so the ingredients for food seemed to have run out. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the first prince would have to worry about eating.¡± Although, it was quite obvious where the issue stemmed from. ¡°Amy.¡± ¡°Yes, Prince.¡± ¡°Currently, how many maids and servants are working in this castle?¡± She looked embarrassed by my question. Seeing her expression, I didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Is it just you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I have sinned!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but sigh at her bowing. It wasn¡¯t a very wide ce, but it was still a castle that the prince used. Originally, it wasn¡¯t a castle used by the royal princes who were chosen as the next king, but it was quite wide as it was a castle where the royal family once lived. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re taking care of this castle by yourself?¡± ¡°That¡­that¡­¡± After returning from aa, the situation was very unusual. However, in the past, it was a ce where people lived, and I never felt that there was a severe shortage. But it changed to this just in six years. It wasn¡¯t a short time. Listening to Amy, I got a rough idea of what she said. Davey Al Rown, the first prince of the royal family, was the ck sheep in the queen¡¯s eyes. A royal prince couldn¡¯t even enter the Parondas castle because hecked the power to do so. Was it my fault? It was my fault. Couldn¡¯t they have just treated me as a family and embraced me, even if my brothers weren¡¯t blood-rted? ¡°No wonder the castle is in a mess.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just kill me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯m not cold-hearted to kill innocent people.¡± Compared to the beginning, it was now getting easier to move. Was this the body of a weak prince? I slowly got out of bed, sat on a chair, and wore magnifying sses. My blurred vision gradually became clear. My original body had very bad eyesight. That was why I was naturally weak, and¡­ I also had a memory that I didn¡¯t want to think about. ¡°Let¡¯s see. What¡¯s the original budget for the castle?¡± ¡°It¡­it¡¯s 5,000 gold a year.¡± ¡°But only 10 gold is left in the castle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the prince¡¯s castle isn¡¯t in charge of it.¡± Having ack of food in the castle was an error. ¡°How much did we earn this month? We could still work around that budget so that we have enough food to eat.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, so tell me.¡± ¡°It says 500 gold on paper, but the actual amount we receive is 100 gold¡­¡± I sighed deeply after hearing her words. Chapter 5 Episode 5 ¡°What about your sry?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s your sry?¡± ¡°Just a third of what I¡¯m supposed to receive¡­¡± She bowed her head in tears as if she were sorry for receiving it. She was such an innocent fool. This meant that she was the only person who protected me even when everyone ran away from the castle, not worrying whether I¡¯d die or not. I felt strange gratitude and formed a bitter smile. ¡°Take what you didn¡¯t receive from my ie.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I told you not to make me say it twice, remember? ¡°Sorry! But¡­!¡± ¡°So there isn¡¯t anything for food tomorrow?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. Prince.¡± ¡°You can stop calling me that. It just sounds too uptight.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°It makes me feel quite detached from you when I¡¯m being called prince.¡± All sses had their own responsibilities. Having a position wasn¡¯t about showing off your excellent pedigree and suppressing themon people but aboutpleting aplicated responsibility. However, the position of the prince wasn¡¯t at all satisfactory for a country that was like this. An external force was messing with state affairs and nobility. A father who didn¡¯t care about his son, and a queen who was in a hurry to put her own son on the throne. Even the wicked aristocrats manipted themon people. If I still had my powers from the hall of heroes, I might have erased the country Rown from the map. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry¡­Prince Davey. Please withdraw your order. I¡¯ve turned this castle into¡­¡± ¡°You had no power to stop them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°You need to be paid for your work. I can¡¯t continue eating after what I¡¯ve heard.¡± Ha! I shouted, then clicked my tongue and looked straight at her. ¡°Take all your overdue sry from the remaining funds.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­ept your offer.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll take care of the ingredients for food, so let¡¯s go to the financial department.¡± So now, the prince was managing his own finances? My ancestors would flip out if they knew. However, what else could I do? There was a problem with food for tomorrow. As the weather grew cooler, we had to get firewood and repair some ces in the castle that were damaged. In that sense, the current castle of the first prince seemed to look pretty bad. If I hadn¡¯t woken up for another year or two, the castle might¡¯ve taken a turn for the worst. ¡°My father had never shown up even in a situation like this¡­¡± Amy¡¯s eyes now looked as wide as a tray. What I just said would¡¯ve likely caused a lot of problems. If my words entered the queen¡¯s ears, it wouldn¡¯t be strange even if the royal guards came to pick me up tomorrow. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that I was withdrawing. As a light-hearted human being, I am well-liked and well-expressed, but I¡¯m also a reckless person who doesn¡¯t do what I am told when people act hostile. ¡°Guide me.¡± ¡°Oh¡­okay!¡± I remembered the geography of the castle, but some things might¡¯ve changed. And it would look pretty funny if a prince were walking around without any assistance. * * * ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince. To use additional funds that are already ounted for is impossible¡­¡± The aristocrat didn¡¯t even sound sorry. He just bowed his head and expressed his intention to refuse what I had asked. Rather, he acted like I was bothering him bying here. This was a weak prince. The perception that arose in the incident didn¡¯t disappear easily. Watching him without saying a word, he looked straight at me as if he was sorry. His mustache that looked like rat whiskers made him look mean¡ªthat little bastard. I smiled as I dragged over a nearby chair, then sat down to face him. He seemed a little surprised by my unprincely behavior, but soon showed a subtle contempt. You think I¡¯m a weak and tactless prince because you don¡¯t know me yet. ¡°Are you trying to fool me?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± His face looked stunned by what I had just said. ¡°The castle¡¯s funds for this month are supposed to be 500 gold. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°But the actual amount we received was less than 100 golds¡­¡± ¡°Prince! That¡¯s¡­the amount of gold left after we deducted the costs spent repairing and maintaining the castle! The other royal family members of the caste are also following that economical¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, you¡¯re starting to really piss me off.¡± I gave him a look that forced a bitter pill upon him. ¡°So. Is that why the maintained castle has cracked floors and weeds growing from it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°The garden is on the verge of copsing because of the weeds. Even an idiot can tell that not one penny was spent on that haunted house.¡± He shut his mouth at my words. ¡°Yeah, it doesn¡¯t make sense, doesn¡¯t it? What kind of prince looks over his own finances.¡± He didn¡¯t express agreement, but he must¡¯ve felt that I was right because he stopped talking. My chambermaid Amy, who was helping me, now looked pale. ¡°Well¡­Prince. However, the use of the maintenance funds is not supervised by our department. All we do here is¡­¡± I tapped my knees at his words. ¡°Ah! I didn¡¯t know about that.¡± I made an exaggerated reaction and grabbed the cane next to me. His face turned pale at sight. No matter what happened tomorrow, I was still a prince who could beat this damn rat mustache to death. Of course, I would be punished ordingly, but I wouldn¡¯t be punished as much as others. However, I wouldn¡¯t do that. It was easy to kill a man, but the roots would just hide deeper. ¡°Whether it¡¯s here or on earth. They¡¯ll just pass the me.¡± I got up from my seat. ¡°Never mind. You can go use the money you stashed into your pockets.¡± Perhaps it was because of my grim expression. Or perhaps he was embarrassed by his outspoken remarks. I was unlike others who were weak and nice. He looked up at me hesitatingly. ¡°But we¡¯ll see.¡± He spoke calmly and turned away. The men who were responsible were all looking for a way out. The maintenance department would try to me someone else, so I would just end up tiring myself after trying to dig up everything. All the employees who worked at the first prince¡¯s castle were running away and stealing sries. Amy, who was actually working, knew the situation. Because of this. she kept her mouth shut and reduced her own sry. It seemed that those who didn¡¯t even show their faces were taking extra pay. Turning around without hesitation, I nced at Amy, who was scared, and followed carefully. ¡°Amy.¡± ¡°Yes¡­yes?¡± ¡°Would you like to get a sword from the warehouse?¡± Amy¡¯s face turned pale at the word sword. She must be worried that I might be nning to stab someone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, and I¡¯m not going to hurt anyone.¡± Her cute behavior made me feel reassured. Yeah, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt people. I was just going to hurt the ones who aren¡¯t even human. How long that standard will be maintained¡­was something I wasn¡¯t sure of just yet. * * * What would happen if I cut down the employees and nobles who worked in my castle for no reason? The answer was simple. The prince was crazy. The tower of the outer castle must be locked up immediately. I was just a fish in a pond. I was in the perfect position to be cut off by the aristocrats that had a higher power. The sword was worn out, but it could still be used. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince¡­that¡¯s all the swords we have left¡­¡± No wonder thest guards in the castle were in a state of disrepair. Iughed because I thought it was her habit to keep saying sorry every time, and she lowered her head once more. ¡°A master does not me his equipment.¡± At this, I pulled out half the sword from the cover without saying a word. It was originally a sword used by knights who protected the inner castle. The knight¡¯s equipment used for protecting the castle was one of the faces of the castle. Such an item was already out because of the maintenance, and there was also a shortage. The sword, which lost its shine, had piled up so much dust during its time of disuse. ¡°Management, huh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± What a dirty sword. If a certain swordmaster saw it, his mouth would¡¯ve been foaming. A great master wouldn¡¯t even me his equipment. ¡°Amy, how many animals are loose on the hunting grounds inside the castle?¡± ¡°Pardon? That¡­that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be enough for the time being.¡± With this thought in mind, I put the sword back inside its cover. * * * The next day, Amy looked surprised when she saw the body of a wild boar lying in front of her. ¡°Good to see you.¡± ¡°Prince? Tha, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Someone left it in front of the castle, so I brought it in. I was thinking about what to do with it. Maybe a righteous man brought it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­?¡± This was a lie. I caught it myself, but I couldn¡¯t help but lie to her face. Amy, who didn¡¯t understand what I said, saw the body of the boar I brought carelessly and shook with her eyes wide. ¡°Go to the warehouse and get me a bowl and some more waterproof cloth. We still have some supplies left, right?¡± ¡°Pri¡­Prince Davey! Just kill me instead!¡± ¡°Huh, what now?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let the blood of an animal touch the hands of a prince! And to say that you¡¯ll butcher and cook the animal yourself! You¡¯ll end up hurting yourself!¡± Iughed in vain at her desperate cry. ¡°It¡¯s okay because no one¡¯s watching.¡± Even if I wanted to see the king, he would deny seeing me and say that he was busy. How could I meet a king who never showed his face when his son was sick? Of course, it was a pass. It was a pass for the other departments too because there was nothing I could do about them. Queen Liness seemed to be doing everything in her power to kill me, but I¡¯ve be somewhat of a specialist in survival since I was trained by Hercules for decades. ¡°It¡¯s a boar. But now it¡¯s my dinner.¡± While spouting nonsense, I skillfully used hot water, and the sword to peel off its skin and remove the guts. It looked like it was taking a lot of effort, but its leather and flesh were cut out easily. The de was saturated in mana, so it would¡¯ve been even more strange if it wasn¡¯t easy. It was fun, even for me, secretly catching a wild boar raised in the hunting grounds of the castle and trying to butcher and cook myself¡­ Chapter 6 Episode 6 Amy looked stunned as she watched me butcher the boar. I threatened to kick her out if she kept trying to stop me, and so she cried herself tired. She would let out a scream every time the sword sliced the boar¡¯s flesh. How could she possibly say that she wanted to protect me like that? Was she just too loyal or too cute? Both weren¡¯t all that bad. For nearly decades, I had learned how to survive by being pushed around by Hercules, the self-proimed survival king. The ability to catch such wild animals and butcher them was as easy as chewing a piece of gum. Of course, this kind of behavior would be very troublesome if it had been seen by the eyes of others. Who would believe that the prince, who had just got out of bed and started to move, crawled into the hunting grounds and caught a boar? It wasn¡¯t normal that the first prince would be ying a survival game inside the castle in the first ce. Even if we couldn¡¯t leave any risk factors behind, there was no other way to do so if I wanted to make ends meet. Queen Liness had assigned a watchman¡­but it had been a long time since I bothered that watchman. How could I be sure? This was because I usedmand magic. Unlike other mana and sacred power,mand mana showed remarkable growth, and the foundation ofmand mana was to confuse the opponent. Your eyes and ears would be useless from the moment you failed to identify your opponent. Looking at Queen Liness¡¯s castle from far away, I smiled, sliced the meat appropriately, and sprinkled herbs and salt that had promptly been prepared in advance. ¡°The smell will be gone by evening. Amy, please run some errands.¡± ¡°Pr¡­Prince¡­¡± Now, she was crying and asking me to stop. ¡°Tell the chambein Vespers that I want to meet the King.¡± ¡°B¡­but¡­¡± ¡°Just tell him even if you know it won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She bowed and walked away. Her footsteps seemed very heavy. There seemed to be a misunderstanding. Honestly, even if we shared the same blood, I had no intention of reuniting with my father. I didn¡¯t know why he left me unattended and why he didn¡¯t get to the bottom of this. And he did nothing when my mother died¡­ ¡®You¡¯re just not family anymore.¡¯ They said that when your head was hardened, your thoughts would be hardened too. Even if someone were to say that I was immature, this was my choice right now. So you were asking why couldn¡¯t I go visit him at night? All I wanted was a proper face-to-face conversation. I didn¡¯t want to sneak in like an assassin and grab him by the cor and yell, ¡®Why did you do that?!¡¯ He once said that he was a man who only loved my mother. In my mother¡¯s diary, there was affection and love for him, and there was a belief that he would never forget it even if she died. However, he was different. His love for her was only this much. My father, who was the only trace linked to my mother, was this kind of human being. That was why I was just watching him for my own judgment. In the past, I thought that my half-brothers would approach me sincerely one day. However, when I was 10 years old, I had been betrayed by them, and I fell into aa. It was a miracle that I survived after being hit by a random arrow. No, I knew best that it wasn¡¯t random at all. When a hunting contest was held at the hunting ground inside the castle where I had caught the wild boar, the event was held to promote friendship between royalty and aristocrats. There, I was hit by an arrow shot by the second Prince, Carlos. It was none other than my half-brother, who was one year younger than me. I had told Queen Liness that I hadn¡¯t seen the criminal, but I would never forget the sneer Carlos had after shooting me with an arrow. Even if he was my half-brother, he tried to shoot me to death. Wasn¡¯t that funny? Nevertheless, there was no evidence, and Queen Liness¡¯s power was extremely high. Because I didn¡¯t wake up, Carlos didn¡¯t receive any punishment. That was why Queen Liness, the second Prince Carlos, and the third Prince Benedict came as soon as I woke up, even though they were busy. She pretended that she didn¡¯t know because she wasn¡¯t going to risk her life. The clever woman wouldn¡¯t have simply believed in me anyway. That was probably why she was monitoring me. Perhaps she was the reason why I couldn¡¯t meet the king. Perhaps she was so worried that I might tell him that I saw Carlos shoot the arrow. ¡°No¡­I¡¯m 100 percent sure that¡¯s the truth.¡± The blood had been washed away with cleaning magic after heavily seasoning the meat. Then I burned all the rugged clothes I had been wearing. Just a little bit. In others¡¯ eyes, I needed to be seen as a weak, powerless, and lucky prince who lived a difficult life¡ªa prince who would cook the meat that someone hunted every day. * * * ¡°Prince Davey, I brought you a meal.¡± Her face turned red when I smiled at her. ¡°Do you want to eat together?¡± ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Just eat.¡± So that the rumors would spread faster. They would think that I was stupid and that I didn¡¯t have any awareness of my position. The more the opponent looked down on me, the less they would check on me. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I think I told you not to make me say it twice.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Come sit down.¡± When I spoke calmly, she crouched down and sat on the opposite side of the table. Now she was the only ally in this castle. So she should be receiving this kind of treatment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not normal for you to manage this castle by yourself.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s my job.¡± ¡°No one in this castle works as much as you do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right! I¡¯m just¡­doing what you ask me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot, too.¡± It was hard for her to manage most of the things by herself. Because of that, I boldly gave up managing this castle. It would be better if there were more rumors. If there was a rumor that I was ipetent, I would be far safer. It wasn¡¯t like I could press charges against Queen Liness right now anyway. She would only be criticized. And she wasn¡¯t weak enough to be scared by that. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. You¡¯re so meticulous. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be loved even when you get married.¡± ¡°Tha¡­thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to repay youter.¡± A chambermaid didn¡¯t usually do chores; it was the maid¡¯s responsibility. Even if she was a dessed noble, it wasn¡¯t her job. Nevertheless, she was in charge of the chores because of the bloody people that ran away. I could see some of them trying toe back because they were afraid of future trouble, but I was confident that it would be theirst time in this castle if they returned. I might be affectionate, but I was not stupid. Since they all had their own backs, they must be making excuses not to return. ¡°What¡¯s the update for my requested to meet the king?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I see. They refused again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince¡­¡± She bowed her head carefully with a mncholic voice. ¡°That¡¯s enough. What about the other thing?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve already found out about that¡­but why would you¡­¡± She bowed her head again when he sat there without saying a word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How dare I ask¡­¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± I spoke calmly and chewed. As I continued to recover from the restored magic, my appetite was growing bigger. Of course. ¡®Oh¡­my stomach¡­¡¯ The problem was that my digestive system proved to be faster. Clearly, unless I found a way to turn bodily waste into nutrients, my digestive system would continue to cause a disturbance. I felt bitter when I thought of that. * * * ¡°What the hell are you thinking?¡± Queen Liness made a face while sitting at a table quietly drinking her ck tea. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a possibility that he¡¯s acting?¡± ¡°Even the priests examining Prince Davey said that his body still has limitations in moving. Considering the current rate of treatment, he needs to recuperate for at least a year.¡± A woman in a chambermaid¡¯s uniform answered quietly. She looked like an ordinary chambermaid, but she was a little different from a normal chambermaid. She was a level-A secret agent of the ck Moon guild of assassins from the capital of the Rown Kingdom. The presence brought by the position of a level-A secret agent was truly amazing. Liness watched the woman in front of her, savoring the tea without saying a word. She looked cool and calm, the very image of a skilled chambermaid. The arrogance and murder in the eyes of a woman with an icy face answered silently. Her ability to grapple with life that wasn¡¯t directed at a particr object proved to be great. Still, she had been both very perceptive and ambitious since she was young. She was a recognized secret agent on the continent, and she was capable of assassinating high-ranking nobles in a single day. Therefore, shemissioned the ck Moon Guild to keep her at their side for the long term. There might be better assassins on the continent than her, but it was clear that her skills top-notch within the kingdom at least. At least she had the power to protect herself. There was nothing to be greedy about because she could get rid of any annoying things that came her way. In fact, if you put someone¡¯s life in her hands, she had a record of taking that person down within a few days. This was a machine made for murder. That was what Liness felt when she had seen her. If she was the person speaking, it was most likely to be true. And if the target were set, that person would be found dead the next day. However, why did she feel qualms? ¡°Maybe there¡¯s information that the secret agent wasn¡¯t able to catch?¡± It was very surprising when the first prince, Davey Al Rown, had woken up after six years ofpsing into aa. However, she calmly grasped the situation and soon recalled that there was nothing he could do. It didn¡¯t matter if Davey knew that he was almost killed by an arrow shot by Carlos at the huntingpetition. The truth could be easily buried if they threatened him. The king wasn¡¯t interested in his son anyway. As such, Davey¡¯s leash was always in her own hands. She was just looking for a good reason to get rid of him. When Liness asked her a question, the level-A ck Moon secret agent¡¯s, Shary¡¯s, eyes turned cold. Chapter 7 Episode 7 ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My men are highly skilled.¡± ¡°But your men are ranked C in the ck Moon Guild.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rank C. It sounded like a low rank, but that was by no means the case. However, her anxiety didn¡¯t go away. ¡°They have secret weapons that have nothing to do with ranking. If you¡¯re going to mock my men any further¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just concerned. If you¡¯re really confident¡­¡± She smiled a little when she stopped talking, proving her to be just as dreary as Shari. ¡°Davey, you can block any of if that¡¯s not the case, you¡¯ll have to pay for it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± She smiled at my words and savored the tea as if there was nothing else to say. ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± Liness, murmuring quietly, handed the teacup to Shari. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll have to get rid of the disobedient dog.¡± ¡°When the timees, just let me know.¡± There was no emotion in Shari¡¯s face as she answered quietly.
    1. Unique Rehabilitation Training
¡°Are you¡­ Prince Davey? Why in the world are you here?¡± I stood at the ce with the most weeds inside the pce. Amy inquired carefully after following me to one side of the garden. A maid wasn¡¯t supposed to ask such questions haphazardly, but it meant that my efforts were worth it, considering she asked such a question. A person could and should ask questions. That was how I thought. She undeniably thought that way as well because she wasn¡¯t familiar with the world. Of course, I asked her to do it because she knew her boundaries. I cleared the grass, cleaned it up, and went inside despite her question, leaving the abandoned garden as wild as I found it. It was funny. Nobody was bothered to do anything despite there being a space like that inside the pce. ¡°You should go back. Let me know if anyone looks for me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone that I¡¯m here.¡± Amy nodded several times, implying she knew what I meant. ¡°Now¡­ Let¡¯s get started.¡± I pulled at the uniform that I was wearing and slowly sat cross-leggedfortably in the middle of the grassy field. It didn¡¯t matter if Iy down, but I didn¡¯t want to lie on overgrown weeds. It was a pretty messy ce, after all. It wasn¡¯t until one couldn¡¯t move for a while that they could steadily see the world surrounding them. I closed my eyes and put down my sses without saying anything. I then uttered the magic words quietly. ¡°Operation Field.¡± Consequently, my mana began to assimte slowly with the surroundings, all in conjunction with my will. The particr mana around me was a bit tricky, unlike the sacred power carved in my soul and mymand mana, which had grown well. I took special measures since we wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from mana shortage for several years if I didn¡¯t take any action against it. Mana naturally gathered the most at that ce. Wandering around me, it slowly flocked into my body when I conjured my weak mana and created a unique locus for it connected to the surrounding area. Mana entered my body and circted out again, leaving behind only the pure version of it that I needed. It was a groundbreaking breathing method for collecting mana, or, to be exact, a miracle. There were a lot of benefits to having a body without mana that disrupted magic applications, considering it ultimately left the pure mana that maximized magic in the body. Considering the skill of the continental wizards I knew, they would be surprised and ready to kill to understand the principle when they saw the mana breathing method invented by Odin, an ancient hero called the revolutionary wizard. It would only take me a few days to gather the mana others would take months to collect. Of course, although I had no intention of revealing the method to the public, very few people could use it even if I told them. Consequently, it meant that it was a breathing method only talented people could utilize. ¡®You think I¡¯m being cocky? If you think it¡¯s unfair, you should have been born with talent! Hm!¡¯ I felt Odin¡¯s aftermath a great deal when it came to magic, which surprised me in turn. While reflecting on myself, I repeatedly inhaled and exhaled mana. Even though it seemed extremely slowpared to the way one would just take and stack mana, it built up at a tremendous speed since there was little waste. Trying to catch all the mana that came in when breathing was what basic magicmon sense was. The ability to break up such knowledge and create a breathing method in reverse was frankly admirable, regardless of personality. It was so slow that no one would have thought such an excellent oue would follow. I couldn¡¯t ask her if she created this method by researching about it for a long time without doing anything else or if she was just a genius in her lifetime. If I asked the question, she would have hit me on my head with her cane, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t be distracted.¡± I began to concentrate again by shaking off small memories from the past. Obviously, the time needed to umte the mana in my body would be worthwhile. I wasn¡¯t only building it up but waking up my sleeping mana as well, after all. * * * The results were quick! There was a certain amount of mana, divine power, andmand mana that had already begun to flow in my body in the past few days. Those who knew the concept of mana might call me a nut who was going to die, considering divine power and mana were separate energy that opposed each other. That was why priests couldn¡¯t use arcane magic and wizards couldn¡¯t use sacred magic. However, I had done all three. How did I do that? I inherited the work of two maniacs and two nerds who studied head-to-head. The foul-mouthed, alcohol-loving saint, [Daphne]. The bad-tempered wizard who swung her cane like a blunt instrument and went nuts, burning everything when you made fun of her, [Odin]. The necromancer called Deathlord, a woman with a kind heart who often made me wonder if she was actually a real saint, [Rs]. Lastly, the god known for her work on dissecting almost every part of the human body, [Hippocrates]. I was the oue of the miracle created by those four crazy women. We all spent time together at the Hall of Heroes, a ce where many heroes arrived, and only the best in each field remained. Even if they were enemies in life, they became close after spending a lot of time together. Perhaps they interacted with each other because they were lonely. In fact, the saint, Daphne, and the archer, Apollo, were just like that. The two were heroes of the same century. Still, Apollo was the sworn nemesis of Daphne, who often roared to kill Apollo. Perhaps the two grew affection from hatred over time even though they argued and fought a lot. Of course, I didn¡¯t want to be involved with Apollo, who was annoying. Daphne used to tell stories about her life when I drank with her, which made me think that their rtionship was ridiculous. One day, while learningmand magic and curses from Rs, I remembered the day when I was drinking with Daphne because she visited my ce in the middle of the night and attacked Apollo, trampling on his middle leg. ¡°What? Did you touch Rs? What the fuck! I told you that you¡¯re dead if you act like a slut. Isn¡¯t it enough that you screwed me in your life, you fucking bastard?!¡± All I knew was that Daphne had a very foul mouth. Ironically, however, she didn¡¯t evoke the sense of being offended. She was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. As a matter of fact, although Daphne used to curse at me like that, she bought me drinks often. Of course, Apollo was an exception. ¡®Ha.¡¯ Myughter had disrupted the process, but I went back to concentrating on absorbing mana immediately. The resisting mana escaped from my body after wandering through, leaving only pure mana behind once more. * * * As soon as I gathered all the mana, the circle began to be made, and the growth rate began to elerate. Time flew by instantly once I began focusing on making the circle. As opposed to novels, circles couldn¡¯t bepleted in a short time. Oh, of course, most wizards would rush it. However, in their case, growth was bound to be very slow. ¡°Whoa¡­¡± I took a deep breath as I slowly moved the pure mana with my eyes closed. Mediocre wizards made circles in the heart and rotated them. However, in that way, it was impossible to endure a sh between the divine power and themanding mana. I would be lucky if I didn¡¯t explode right away if I used such a method. In that sense, my body was currently in a pretty dangerous state. If the amount increased a little, I would die because I wouldn¡¯t withstand my strength. Such a method was called Blood-Point Circling. What did I mean by that? Within the whole body, the blood point circted. With that, they created an intricate circle following its way around the blood. Even though it was insanely dangerous because it would instantly kill anyone if something were off even a tiny bit, it was just a matter of reopening its process after seeding through the same method before. I was still worried even though I told Amy not toe near me even if someone approached me. For the time being, I had someone who was after me. They would hide and watch me because they couldn¡¯t observe openly. They, unfortunately, wouldn¡¯t be able to know what I was doing exactly because of the weeds around me. That alone gave me plenty of room for suspicions. When I slowly applied the ultimate Qigong technique to the mana, my whole body began to be filled with subtle vibrations. Since I was able to make simple movements, I held my body firmly, trying not to let myself be distracted from it. Chapter 8 Episode 8 Whoooooo! As the mild vibration spread throughout my body, I began to spread and rotate the mana throughout it. The most difficult parts were the quadriplegic and cerebral fluid. The head was as dangerous as touching mana or circting it through blood. Anyone would go crazy in no time if it went wrong. In that sense, Hippocrates¡¯s knowledge was extremely helpful. The knowledge about blood that I learned while being scolded proved invaluable. As it began to move extremely slowly and weakly, the tightly blocked blood points slowly began to vibrate and shake. Cold sweat began to flow out of me. I was forced to gather as much focus as possible since it was quite delicate, just like putting a needle into hundreds of holes and then removing them. Even though I had a safety, I would better off without failure. ¡®Drop it!¡¯ There came the sound of something breaking. The blood point, which had been tightly blocked, was punctured by mana and slowly began to flow correctly. ¡®Slow down.¡¯ I knew I should proceed slowly to avoid my brain bleeding. ¡®I just need to pierce it once. Just once.¡¯ It was so difficult to set up the first circle that it required all of my concentration. I lost all strength in my body, but I had never lost focus. I precisely controlled the mana while watching the conditions inside myself cautiously. Thud thud! Thud thud thud thud thud thud! As I began to pierce through the tightly closed blood point like piercing a nerve from neck to tailbone, I felt the mana elerating. I caught it not forcefully but naturally, anchored its direction firmly so that it wouldn¡¯t wander off, and pushed it steadily as if I were knocking on the gate with a battering ram. ¡®Drop it!¡¯ ¡°Ugh!¡± Unimaginable pain came at that moment. I felt dizzy, almost as if I had been hit in the head with a sledgehammer. Unlike in the Hall, my body was in poor conditions, making the difficulty clearly greater. Of course, if I had been frightened and avoided pain, I wouldn¡¯t have revived. ¡®There¡¯s no failure.¡¯ As I thought to myself, mana began to push into the cerebral blood, boasting a tremendous amount of pressure, like water that began to pour out of a dam. And then¡­ Poof! With the sound of something exploding, my mind became clear for a moment, and a mix of cold and warmth began to circte in my head. ¡°Phew.¡± A sigh of relief left me unbidden. If one said that I had only seeded in establishing only one perfect circle, albeit not a sloppy circle, they should try it for themselves. To be honest, it was more difficult to establish one circle than establishing eight or nine circles with the bizarre establishment method I used. I finished the crazy process by myself this time, unlike when those four women helped me to see whether the result of their experiment, me, turned out to be a masterpiece. The bnce of my body was entirely deformed because there was mana, divine power, andmand mana existing simultaneously in me, which waspletely back to normal. After checking the mana, which began to rotate around my body in an instant, I opened my eyes slowly. I saw the scenery outside. It had already be dark. I began to think about it. I sat down around lunch, but it was already dark. Outside, I saw Amy standing restlessly with a worried look. It seemed that she was there the whole time. Her legs must be in pain after standing up for almost 7 or 8 hours. Still, that went to show she had a lot of patience. I felt so sorry for her. I wiggled my fingers around carefully. Circles that moved along the blood allowed the forces of different properties to rotate without colliding. With the road paved with mana, it was time to circte the sacred power and themand mana. This bizarre circle establishment method, which had the advantage of allowing different forces to coexist with each other, had many advantages. It was the best. Whooooooo. It was a silent magic chant. It sounded like something that only happened in fiction. When I chanted it, it produced better results because the effect doubled. Just by flicking my fingers to help me express my will, I could conjure a simple ability. It was as expected of a Master-ss Wizard. Amy¡¯s eyes were filled with curiosity when she felt her body warming up as the Restore magic started to work. ¡®Don¡¯t be surprised yet. You¡¯ll be surprised again and again.¡¯ I was attempting to surprise her again for the sake of my own gentle sadism. * * * Five months passed. All I had done was hold my breath and roll my mana away from others¡¯ eyes. Of course, nothing was as difficult as the first time. There was undoubtedly an incredible increase in my growth as the basically hardened mana and sacred power slowly picked up momentum. Four circles. Considering that the average wizard didn¡¯t exceed three circles, it was really a tremendous recovery speed. It was enough to sneak out and catch wild animals whenever I needed food. Of course, I started to have financial leeway slowly thanks to the well-rolled dividends that came in during those five months, which I only spent on necessities. It was impossible to be extravagant like any other member of the royal family, anyway. ¡°Majesty. It¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°Come on in.¡± The olden door opened, and Amy slowly came in after I permitted her. ¡°Someone brought a live animal again today as well as vegetables.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It was exactly three months ago. Someone had started to bring me meat and vegetables in the courtyard of this quiet pce. I was cautious because I thought Queen Liness had brought them to assassinate me initially. However, it turned out they were pretty good meat and vegetables. Even though I felt like someone was helping me, I didn¡¯t know who they exactly were. ¡®There was someone who stopped by the day before.¡¯ It was just one. If I used my mana, which was widely spread inside the pce, I could easily find out who was there. I learned of Amy¡¯s private life unintentionally, so I retrieved the mana around her to calm my conscience. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry about food for now.¡± ¡°Good. Well done.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Have you considered repairing the pce? Like getting rid of weeds in the garden.¡± ¡°Leave it alone.¡± ¡°But the appearance of the pce¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to let it remain this wake for the sake of my life.¡± She turned her head down with a tearful expression after my words. Since she had a good nature and a great sense of responsibility, she looked sad because she knew what it meant. ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. You can leave now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Looking at her retreating with her head down, I closed my eyes again and began to move slowly. Externally, I wasn¡¯t supposed to make such violent action. Despite that, however, I elerated my training whenever I was able to avoid surveince. What caught my eye was the few iron swords in the pce. They were too dull and old to use immediately, but I didn¡¯t have the luxury to be picky. No matter how good the sword was, my skills would worsen as soon as I neglected training. Practice was essential, even if it was simple. Whoooo! The mana around me then changed themselves to suit my movements. It wasn¡¯t Haris who taught me swordsmanship at first. To be honest, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to its word origin that was supposed to hold meaning. In fact, there was no doubt that his swordsmanship was as powerful as Haris. It was called the Sword of The Water-Flowing Demon. It was a swordsmanship style that even Haris, a well-known swordsman, epted, saying, ¡°I admit that it is actually pretty good.¡± Its movements were persistent and gentlepared to Haris¡¯ swordsmanship style, which was oppressive and destructive. [Dok Go-jun, the Heavenly Horse] He was once an unknown man who broke down a corrupt political faction and became a master of martial arts. Hercules, who taught me swordsmanship for the first time, made me learn from him after Haris, as he also dug into swordsmanship to its limit in the Hall of Heroes. At first, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to teach anyone. I don¡¯t know why I should teach him,¡± but he was a quirky guy who suddenly changed his mind with a bottle of unusual rice wine. When heid down Cheongju, he bowed down and served almost as if he were serving a god, though I couldn¡¯t see him withoutughing. He was a notorious drinker in the corridor. Even saint Daphne, who loved drinking, said he was pathetic. Usually, if one learned a swordsmanship style, it became challenging to learn from others. ept different techniques into the style that they learned intensely would feel alienating. That was why I decided to use abination of different swordsmanship styles. Ibined the tenacity and elegance of the Heavenly Horse, Dok Go-jun, with the overwhelming power of Haris. The techniques that two crazy swordsmen created were honestly remarkably close to perfection. To be more precise, I could say that I was the final weapon that the heroes had determined to create. I knew I was strong, and even they said I was amazing. I thought of an imaginary hidden enemy before me as I moved nonstop. My body, which had almost recovered, didn¡¯tin of pain despite the slight movements. ¡°Sigh¡­sigh. I¡¯m still around level 30.¡± However, it was surprising that I recovered this much in just five months. The Knight Commander of the Royal Guard, who was called the Master, would be defeated by me if I considered our swordsmanship skills. ¡°Whoa¡­ Whoa¡­¡± As Iy down my tired physique, the ceiling of the old yet clean hall came into view. It seemed like it would copse at any moment, but it was holding on so well thanks to the minimum management required by it. ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s here?¡± ¡°The priests are.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± I used cleaning magic to wipe off my sweat, enjoying the refreshing feeling. With a suspiciously refreshed face, the person who was training a while ago moved slowly and held a cane toward the room. I wasn¡¯t capable of walking yet, as far as those outsiders knew. Chapter 9 Episode 9 ¡°Hmm, how are you feeling?¡± A priest questioned me with a cold expression, all while holding my wrist. ¡°Not bad. How much longer do you think I will need to recover?¡± ¡°Your energy is low because you¡¯ve been lying down for a long time. It¡¯s dangerous to overdo the divine magic.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Iughed because I found it perfectly ridiculous. They didn¡¯t even apply proper recovery magic in the first ce. Even if they did, they made excuses and reluctantly did so. Since they were Queen Liness¡¯s people, they would¡¯ve been told to dy my recovery as much as possible. However, it was still quite disgusting to see them act so corrupted. They were supposed to be priests. The basics of being a doctor started with knowing the importance of life. It was the first lesson that Hippocrates taught me. She was a genuine doctor, so she didn¡¯t discriminate between enemies and allies. I was an exception, though. Since they heard what happened to my life, they knew the thorny path ahead of me. I should thank them for not going any further. As a person who made a conscious deration, I couldn¡¯t stand what they were doing. As a matter of fact, they were practicing medicine, whether they were doctors or priests. It wasn¡¯t true that I was unable to recover. I wasn¡¯t even trying, yet my body was healing by itself. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that divine magic is quite amazing.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°I thought this injury would heal quicker with the power of grace from Lord Freya.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you probably think that simply because you¡¯re not familiar with this.¡± They might have forgotten that the 16-year-old boy in front of them who they were mocking and looking down on was a prince. ¡°I don¡¯t know much?¡± ¡°Yes, the knowledge of divine power is an authority unique to our priests.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I was looking at him as if I was interested. He smiled slyly and continued to murmur to himself. ¡°Of course, I know you are different from the brilliant prince Carlos.¡± ¡°Bort! How dare you say that in front of a prince! Be careful with what you say!¡± The problem was that this idiot didn¡¯t have a brain to think with. ¡°How dare a mere maid talk back to me?¡± I sighed when I saw him turning his head away from me and scolding Amy. p! Even though I was standing right there, he didn¡¯t stop but suddenly stood up and walked up to Amy and pped her cheek. It was too rough for a priest who was supposed to be loving, but it wasn¡¯t all that surprising. Queen Liness had already corrupted him with materialism. ¡®That¡¯s why you can¡¯t go further than being a lower-ranked official in your life.¡¯ Even a junior official would gain significant power the moment they had Queen Liness behind them. That was probably why he was sitting here, filling up his lust. I was confident he didn¡¯t think before he spoke. ¡°What are you doing?¡± When I asked him calmly, he coughed in vain and slowly came up to me and held my hand again. ¡°If you let a maid with a big mouth work for you, you¡¯ll be in trouble someday.¡± In the corner, Amy was crying with her lips closed tightly. She looked angry. Considering her personality, the maid was probably angry at the fact that I was humiliated, not herself. She was one of the few people who were on my side in the pce. ¡°The treatment is over. See you in fifteen days.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When I nodded calmly, he arrogantly got up from his seat. He then passed Amy and went to the door before stopping abruptly. ¡°That bitch has beauty.¡± His insidious smile caused me to frown. ¡°Amy.¡± I got up from my seat and leaned on my cane as if I knew nothing about it. ¡°They are important priests. Escort them to the way out of the pce.¡± ¡°As you wish, your Majesty.¡± With her head down, she followed the priest. She had to be angry. Furious, even. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that way. Looking at the priest¡¯s back without saying a word, I slowly took out the old sword sitting next to the pillow. He was just asking for trouble. There was no reason to endure it. I calmed myself down and moved slowly. * * * I felt strangely cooled down. Was I angry? Not really, I guessed. For a long time, I had been waiting for this moment. Daphne, the saint, said, ¡°If you can¡¯t control your anger, you¡¯re no different from a dog or a pig,¡± but I disagreed with her. Moderate anger was a source of life and a milestone of purpose. If annoyance was the key to development, then anger was the driving force. The sound of my footstepspletely disappeared. Slowly walking down the pce hall, I saw Bort, the priest, pushing Amy into a corner and saying something. It looked like he was talking, but I couldn¡¯t hear much because he was too far away. ¡°Oh, prince¡­¡± ¡°Shut your mouth.¡± Puck! Perhaps he was watching me nearby. When an apprentice, standing nearby, found me, he tried to shout with his eyes wide open, but I was faster than his voice. As soon as my sword struck him, I walked away with a cold expression. Even though my abilities hadn¡¯t fully recovered, it still wouldn¡¯t be easy to spot me for a lower-ranked official like him. Bort was smiling menacingly at Amy, not expecting me toe here. ¡°Remember, you¡¯ll have toe to my room alone. Also, keep in mind that Prince Davey¡¯s life is in my hands.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Royal Persecution? What do you know? He is a puppet. I didn¡¯t kill him, not because I couldn¡¯t. If you don¡¯t listen to what I say, I¡¯ll end his life without mercy. The Queen would say that I did a good job. No one is on Prince Davey¡¯s side in this pce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As you know, there¡¯s no one to punish me, the sheep of Freya, the son of Queen Liness and the holy shepherd. No, there isn¡¯t. Hahaha!¡± Everyone knew the power of Queen Liness in the royal pce. I couldn¡¯t stopughing. Soon enough, I made some noise as I appeared. ¡°That¡¯s great. I needed an excuse, Amy.¡± ¡°Booch?! Majesty!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the punishment for insulting me?¡± My sudden appearance caused Bort¡¯s eyes to widen, who couldn¡¯t detect my presence earlier. At the same time, I picked up the sword I was holding and pulled it out like I was throwing it. A sh! The action was quick, and that was my creed.
  1. Put your head against the fire.
Apparently, he had been harassing her. I was sharp enough to know what happened so far without looking. I needed a proper justification, but could there be anything better than this? ¡°Oh, my God!¡± In a second, the sound of metal rang out, and hot blood sshed everywhere. Amy¡¯s eyes were filled with shock as she began to shudder. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ W-why¡­¡± Bort, the low-ranking official, copsed on the floor and looked up at me, showing a shocked expression. ording to what he knew, he didn¡¯t think I was able to appear without any noise. He would have thought that even if I could move a little, I still needed someone to support me. With that, I crept up toward him silently and swung my sword. He was one of Queen Liness¡¯s limbs inside the pce, not anyone else¡¯s, after all. He had a look ofplete iprehension. I spoke while keeping my face nk. ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice.¡± ¡°Immediate execution.¡± I shook my sword clean and smiled coldly at Amy, who answered my questions even though her body was shaking with fear. It was thew, but he didn¡¯t expect what wasing to him because no one ever died for it before. His expression was filled with confusion. ¡°Did you hear?¡± ¡°The Queen will not stand for this. In fact, even in the Maind¡­¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice, but I assure you, there is no one on your side.¡± I pulled out the sword quickly after inserting it into his heart again as he coughed up blood. His body flinched and fell t. He was dead. When I sheathed the sword back after I killed him, I nced over at Amy. ¡°Ma¡­ Majesty¡­ Why¡­¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s just as you said. The crime of defamation of the royal family and attempted murder is immediate execution.¡± She burst into tears at my words. I patted her back without saying anything, and she cried there for a while. No matter how naive she was, she was most likely familiar with watching people die. This pce was a ce where so many people had died behind my back. In the past, I was so foolish that I didn¡¯t even know it. ¡°Are you calming down now?¡± She realized her mistake and bowed her head after I teased her for crying. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Good job for holding on for so long. Call the guards to clean up since there are no knights here.¡± Amy looked at Bort while her body shook at my instructions. ¡°But, your Majesty¡­¡± She was so brilliant that she had immediately figured out what would happen to me after what I did. Bort was an official from the Maind serving the god Freya, and he served Queen Liness. That meant he was sent here to monitor and slow down my recovery process. Externally, Queen Liness was a benevolent Queen who sent an official to a new pce for the safety of her stepson, but she was just a cheap woman full of dirty tricks inside. Whatever the reason was, it wouldn¡¯t be presented that I killed him under the right circumstances. Regardless of himmitting a crime against the royal family, killing him without due process clearly had enough room for gigantic troubles. I wasn¡¯t certain, but rumors would most likely spread in the pce that the first prince, Davey Al Rown, had gone crazy. It was going to make my position worse. In the worst-case scenario, I would be confined to the outskirts of the pce because they would im that I was a maniac. Furthermore, if there wereints from the Maind, I might be taken to the Maind under the pretext of being a pawn. Whatever it was, Queen Liness would toast to it. She regarded me as a thorn in her side, after all. Of course, I was aware of all of that when I did it. Chapter 10 Episode 10 They said a horse without feet could go to heaven. Word about my actions spread through the pce quickly. As was widely rumored, Amy asked the guards for help, so there was nothing more to see. ¡®That hurt!¡¯ My head then turned away from the sudden p. When I calmly looked up, I saw a furious woman standing before me. Queen Liness, the woman whomanded the low-ranking priest I killed. She currently held most of the power in the royal pce. ¡°Are you insane?!¡± ¡°Do you think I am?¡± ¡°How dare you kill a priest who was sent from the Maind!¡± I smirked at her. ¡°Bort threatened my life with his greed. I punished him ording to thew in return. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± She raised her hand again, throwing away her usually graceful mien. I quickly opened my mouth before she could continue. ¡°Isn¡¯t that funny?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The royalw wasn¡¯t as chaotic until I fell into aa.¡± She fell silent at my words. ¡°The Majesty is silent about thisplete disorder. I just cut down a traitor who defamed the royal family, and now I¡¯m getting med for it. It is funny, after all, the fact that the royal family¡¯s status is now lower than that of a priest.¡± I smiled, making eye contact with her. I wasn¡¯t the same person as before who used to avoid her gaze out of difort. I would¡¯ve been silent in the past, but I didn¡¯t spend three months recovering and training my body while avoiding others¡¯ eyes for no reason. I simply needed the power to protect my body. ¡°How dare you bring up the authority of the Majesty and the Royal Family¡­ You¡¯re insane.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m the one going crazy or if the royal pce is.¡± I continued to look at her with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no evidence. No matter what reason you cut him down for, this situation isn¡¯t simple enough for your little, stupid mind to judge. There will beints from the Maind!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ve always known you¡¯re as stupid as your mother, but I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re also this impulsive.¡± Her words only served to deepen myughter. ¡°It is quite true that I inherited my mother¡¯s traits.¡± ¡°Very shallow. You¡¯re like a clone of your mother.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to belittle parents in front of their children, your Majesty.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Her murderous spirit red with those words. Such emotions were impossible to utilize if let out of control. However, when controlled, a spirit of jealousy and murder could be a powerful weapon. She looked at me with a face that turned pale in an instant and then slowly retreated. The maids flinched, sensing the abnormality in Queen Liness¡¯s behavior. I couldn¡¯t see their hands, which meant they stopped pulling out their sword when they felt the bloodthirsty outrage. It wasn¡¯t proper behavior for a maid. One of them was even peculiarly creepy. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡°Great loyalty. It would¡¯ve been fun if they pulled it out a little more¡­¡± I brushed off the murderous spirit and smiled as if nothing happened. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous when people rush their decisions. Not just for you, Queen Liness, but others as well. They won¡¯t tolerate any murder within the royal family.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Please be mindful of your choice. I am not the same boy I used to be.¡± I got up from my seat without hesitation and grabbed my cane. I then walked away, limping past her. ¡°Could you leave now? I¡¯m tired. As you can see, the pce itself is out of control and shabby. You are too good to be here.¡± ¡°You punk!¡± ¡°I ask you to be quiet in my pce. As you can see, the pce is a mess thanks to a certain someone.¡± As I turned around as if there was nothing more to say, I witnessed her confused expression. I had clearly conveyed my intention. It wasn¡¯t my personality to go into battle with a hidden knife since I had a reckless and hot temperament that could explode at any moment. She wasn¡¯t that stupid to not know what I meant. Hence, she stared at me with fury in her eyes but soon turned around. The choices that I had definitely wouldn¡¯t be avable forever. If I didn¡¯t take action when I could, I might never be able to use it. That was the reason why I didn¡¯t hesitate to give her a heads-up. I implied that I knew Carlos shot an arrow at me at the hunting contest six years ago. She wasn¡¯t sure if I knew about it before, but she must¡¯ve known now that I was aware of everything. Sooner orter, she would try to stop me. ¡°Oh, by the way, all the servants in the pce have been sent somewhere else. It¡¯s not good to be sneaking around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Queen has been taking care of the royal family. I¡¯d like you to see all of them again as soon as possible. If this continues, there may be some bizarre rumors.¡± Her eyes filled with even more rage as I made myself clear. I wasn¡¯t elegant enough to battle with a knife wrapped in fabric. ¡°It¡¯s a serious crime to steal money from the royal funds, as far as I know.¡± I grinned and murmured. ¡°Anyone caught would be beheaded. Haha, you¡¯re not stupid enough to not know that.¡± She snorted at my words and walked away. That was enough. When Iy down on the bed with satisfaction, I lifted my mana and saw four circles rotating inside my body. It was magic that moved along the blood points. Search Eye. Just like themand mana, which symbolized secrecy, a ck air stream, invisible to others¡¯ eyes, stretched out and followed Queen Liness. It wouldn¡¯tst long, but I had an eye on her. It was quite a satisfying result in return for getting pped in the face. * * * ¡°¡­¡± Queen Liness, who returned to her room without saying a word, remained silent with an expression of rage. ¡°Queen Majesty.¡± p! When the maid quietly tried to speak, she was hit by the queen. ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. Do you really want to die?¡± At her shouting, the women bowed their heads with their mouths shut. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her face showed no emotion as if she weren¡¯t even human. ¡°Grrr!!¡± Angered even more by her dull expression, Queen Liness began to throw everything in her reach hysterically. Most of the people in the Queen¡¯s Pce knew that she had a bad temper. Nobody stopped her, even if she shattered sses and smashed wood tables. At that point, they were just waiting for her to stop. ¡°Sigh¡­ Sigh¡­¡± After the long disturbance, she put her hand on the smashed table with a grim face, clenched her fist, and growled. ¡°He is stupidly clueless about where he belongs.¡± He didn¡¯t do that in the past. He was as dumb as his shallow mother back then. In fact, she could¡¯ve killed him if she really wanted to. However, he became different after he woke up from aa. It was as if he had be apletely different person. ¡°Come on. If you really want to die, there is no reason to hesitate.¡± Breathing heavily, she murmured lowly, ¡°Keep it up. Your rude behavior will tighten the noose around your neck.¡± She didn¡¯t know that Davey was humming as he listened to her hysterical shouts. * * * The result went as expected. Rumors began to spread inside the pce. Prince David Al Rown was crazy. He was mad and killed the innocent people around him without any care, losing his royal pride. Since most people inside the pce were her people, my reputation plummeted. In the past, they thought I was too weak to be king, a kind prince with a lot of affection. Now, however, I was treated like a maniac. ¡°Majesty! The medicine is here today!¡± When I was quietly reading a book, Amy came in and began to make a fuss. She still seemed quite shocked by the time I wielded my sword. Still, she showed me a smile because she knew I was trying to save her, not anyone else, and that I was generally nice most of the time. I thought she was cute. No one had been younger than me in the Hall. I was currently sixteen years old, and she was a little younger than me. In that regard, she was like my little sister, although the status between us had an enormous gap. I had to protect my people. ¡°Who brought the medicine?¡± At first, they only brought me food, but medicine then started showing up after I ended priest Bort¡¯s life. The gifts arrived secretly, so no one could really tell. In fact, it had been quite helpful to me. I didn¡¯t need any medical herbs as of the moment, though, so I just kept them in storage. Clearly, my body had finished recovering. After five months of dedication to recovery and training, the effects began to appear. Once my body started to heal, it didn¡¯t take long to be healthy again. She smiled at me when I asked her a question, pretending that I didn¡¯t know that someone came in the middle of the night. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe someone who knows your kind nature is helping.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m kind?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She smiled brightly as she nodded, which made meugh. Even though she had seen me kill a man, she still had quite the character. ¡°Take good care of the medicine and keep it safe.¡± ¡°I was going to get them ready for you.¡± ¡°I know my body well enough. The medicine I¡¯m taking is enough.¡± She looked disappointed when I refused but didn¡¯t argue further. I was a man of my own. ¡°David, your Majesty, are you here?¡± While I was talking to Amy, gently teasing her, I heard someone calling my name. Slowly, I got up from my seat and went outside, and an old butler dressed in neat clothes bowed to me. ¡°I see the little sun of the kingdom.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to act fancy. What¡¯s going on?¡± I knew the old man. Vespers. He served as the king¡¯s servant and the head of the royal court¡¯s inner servants. He was an old man who had worked here since I was born. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who stole money from the First Prince¡¯s Pce and escaped from their duties under themand of Queen Liness.¡± I squinted at his determined words and let out a small sigh. When I looked behind him, I saw a little more than ten people kneeling on the floor, all having frightened expressions. Chapter 11 Episode 11 ¡°So, it was you.¡± The group consisted of a gardener, two maids, a deacon, and some other lower-ss aristocrats. There were all kinds of people like them. If I tried to chase them by myself, half of them would¡¯ve fled sessfully, so my n worked out in the end. Except for the maid Amy, they all ran away when I was in aa. They were embezzlers who took their sries without working. Their face turned pale as soon as they looked into my eyes, hearing the ongoing rumors that I went crazy. ¡°Vespers.¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the punishment for them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re heinous. Technically, they should be beheaded alongside their immediate family.¡± He answered without hesitation, and the faces of those tied up turned blue. ¡°Your M-Majesty! I¡¯ve sinned terribly, but spare my life, please!¡± As one of them started begging for forgiveness by holding my leg, most others followed suit and bowed their heads. Even if I were crazy, they probably thought I¡¯d forgive them because I was supposed to be weak-minded. Or they could have done that to survive, taking any chance they could. ¡°Recently, interesting rumors are circting around the pce.¡± ¡°What rumors are they?¡± I asked Vespers, the Lord Chambein while ignoring their pleas. ¡°That I¡¯m obsessed with blood?¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± He replied so firmly, almost as if he never spoke indirectly. There was nothing strange about the rumor because the priest who came to give me treatment was stabbed to death in my pce. It was an immediate execution without a detailed investigation. No justification for punishing me existed at that moment, however. Even though Queen Liness put me on probation, which was almost a joke, she was just watching me quietly. If my reputation grew worse and more violent, I would be in a different situation. Hence, I decided to only punish those who broke thew for the time being. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to keep up with the rumor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At my words, Vespers bowed his head without saying a word. He then told the soldiers who had brought them to put them down on their knees. ¡°Did you hear Majesty¡¯s order?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Take them. They dared embezzle the precious treasury of the kingdom. Don¡¯t give them a sip of water and lock them up. Behead them in four days!¡± ¡°Please, god, no¡­ Lord Chambein!¡± ¡°Save me!¡± One of them shouted sternly, ignoring those who were crying and hanging on. ¡°They have filled their stomachs by sucking up the taxpayer¡¯s money. What are you waiting for? Take them now!¡± The soldiers took the people who were crying away. ¡°I will leave now, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Did you say it was the Queen Majesty¡¯s order?¡± ¡°Yes, she said she had been trying to capture those who had stolen from the treasury.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous.¡± I saw a little shock in Vespers¡¯ expression. However, he carefully smoothed over his face as if he hade to his senses. ¡°Your Majesty, you¡¯re not supposed to be disrespectful to the Queen. You should be careful with yournguage.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Lord Chambein, but I¡¯ve already seen everything.¡¯ When I was young, he used to smile at me and often gave me snacks. ¡°I¡¯ll hire new people and arrange them in the afternoon.¡± ¡°I want Amy to be my maid. Since she has been through a lot, I want to promote her to Chief Maid. Did you say it should be from different funding if I want to reward her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Give her a big bonus.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± He bowed politely. ¡°Also.¡± I caught him on his way back. ¡°Is it still impossible to see the King?¡± He went silent at my words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Is it my father¡¯s order or the Queen¡¯s?¡± He smiled in vain at the fact that I had already figured out the situation. ¡°I am just deliveringmand.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Thank you. You may head back.¡± He turned silently at my words. Then, he stopped again. ¡°Majesty, patience is crucial in the pce.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I know what you¡¯re trying to say, though. I¡¯ll keep your words in mind.¡± With a grin on my face, he stepped back, seemingly unconcerned. Vespers was one of those who didn¡¯t belong to Queen Liness. I knew what he was saying wasn¡¯t a warning but advice from his experience. Surely I was in a precarious situation in his perspective as well. The prince with nothing was too fearless. Except what he didn¡¯t know was that I wasn¡¯t without anything. * * * ¡®Cut the tail.¡¯ Queen Liness got rid of everything that could be dangerous to her in the name of her business with me. If she removed existences that could be evidence one by one, she would have nothing to be afraid of someday. She had to be aiming for that time. I thought she¡¯d act right away, but she was being quite careful for some reason. While reading silently, Amy came in. ¡°Majesty, I brought some snacks.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She blushed at my smile. ¡°Your Majesty. The fourth prince and the second princess have returned to the pce.¡± ¡°Barris and Winley?¡± It was surprisingly good news. I looked up, and she nodded quietly. ¡°Yes, he must havee straight from the country when he heard that you had woken up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty good news.¡± ¡°He said he would stop by here immediately after he meets the King.¡± ¡°Then can we just let it go? Please prepare some refreshments as well as good tea.¡± She grinned and heeded my words. * * * The current king, Crianes Al Rown, had a wife and two concubines. The first wife was the current Queen Liness. His first concubine was Anisha, and his second was Alice. My mother was supposed to be the queen, but she died when I was a child. Since then, some political tricks must¡¯ve been used in removing the records of my mother. Eventually, The only traces of her existence left were the ones in the first Prince¡¯s Pce where I stayed. When I looked at the picture without saying a word, I saw a ck-haired beauty holding a little me and smiling kindly. It felt narcissistic, but I thought my face was quite gentle and handsome. Just as I received quite a few of my mother¡¯s genes, she was also a beautiful woman who looked really beautiful. ¡°Thanks to the good genes you passed onto me, your handsome son is doing well.¡± I tried to talk to her, but of course, no answer came. ¡°Is it worth living there?¡± Perhaps she reincarnated and had been living well somewhere in this world or another. There was no way to see her again, considering I could never find her. ¡°Please wait a little longer. I can¡¯t just let the people who killed my mother die without first paying the price.¡± ¡°Davey, brother!¡± ¡°Big brother! It¡¯s Winley! I¡¯m here!¡± I had been quietly waiting for them with cookies and tea when I heard two urgent voices. ¡°I¡¯m here. Come on in, you two.¡± It felt amazing to hear the voices that I missed so much. As soon as I let them in, the door burst open, and a little boy and girl jumped in. They were cute mid-teens who looked good with their green hair. Fourteen years old. Fourth Prince Barris and his fraternal twin Winley, the second princess. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Brother! I heard that you woke up, and I ran straight to see you. What a relief!¡± I stroked Barris¡¯s head, who was shouting adorably, as Winley came up to me. ¡°Are you guys doing well?¡± When I asked them with a smile, they nodded vigorously. ¡°You know who I am! I¡¯m your little brother. There is nothing hard about living in the countryside.¡± ¡°Huh! You always whine about it, though.¡± ¡°What? Hey! I¡¯m your older brother. You¡¯ve beenining about the robbers too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous! You were born five minutes earlier than me.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± I smiled as they chatted loudly. They were some of the few people who weren¡¯t my enemies, and I trusted them as always.
  1. Attack.
Unlike the stupid, thoughtless second Prince Carlos and the grim, twisted-minded Benedict, they turned out to be unbelievably delightful. They looked just like a normal twin brother and sister who squabbled a lot instead of royal family members. The two wild kids busied themselves with rambling at each other. I felt that I was really looking at the kids in their early teens. They were only fourteen years old, an age when they should still be ying around. That was how I saw it. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re doing well. Let¡¯s see. You little ones grew up so well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been six years. When you got sick, we were sent straight to the countryside.¡± I smiled at Barris, who murmured angrily. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about the gist of it.¡± It was definitely Queen Liness who got rid of any candidates to be the next king. Queen Liness was so cold that she sent Tanya away, the first daughter of the King¡¯s concubine. She sold her to another country for her reputation. Hence, it wasn¡¯t that strange that she got rid of Barris and Winley, who liked to wander around. ¡°Have you seen father?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How is he doing?¡± ¡°He looked a little tired, and¡­¡± Barris paused for a moment. At the same time, Winley seemed puzzled. ¡°Davey, have you not seen father?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± It made Winley¡¯s face crumple, showing her dissatisfaction. ¡°Oh, my God.¡± His son woke up from aa after six years. It had been five months since then, but I hadn¡¯t seen him once. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll see him soon.¡± ¡°Brother¡­¡± Unlike Carlos and Benedict, they had been good to me even though our mothers were different. They were so affectionate to me, though they had a strong will. That was why I trusted them. ¡°The Queen was too harsh¡­¡± Winley came up to me in tears, so I patted her on the back without saying a word. ¡°How is your body? I saw it on the way here. The condition of the pce¡­¡± I nodded at Barris, who couldn¡¯t finish the sentence without tearing up as well. ¡°There were people who have embezzled royal funding. I¡¯ve taken them all away before you guys. The pce should look good again soon.¡± Barris gritted his teeth. ¡°Howe they left the garden like this? They must have taken advantage of you being in bed.¡± Chapter 12 Episode 12 Just like me, Barris hated Queen Liness. Even though she wasn¡¯t their birth mother, he didn¡¯t expect to be left without care at all. ¡°I am going to meet father and tell him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Like I said, I can take care of myself. Let¡¯s talk about you guys. I heard you two are chasing a herd of local pirates.¡± ¡°We are.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I was surprised that even princess Winley was involved in chasing the thieves with Barris. However, I had no power to do anything about it. Winley used to hate life in the pce, just like Barris, and it was all because of her wild character. She was incredibly talented in magic and was just a different breed who enjoyed her life like a spring sprout, unlike other aristocraticdies. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you¡¯ve already seen blood. I wish you only saw pretty and good things.¡± ¡°This idiot would be badly hurt without me.¡± Barris, sitting right next to her, frowned and grumbled when she pinched his cheek. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong? You charge in like a battering ram!¡± Queen Liness sent kids to the battlefield, who were only fourteen years olds. It was such a terrible act. If they weren¡¯t talented, their lives would¡¯ve ended in tragedy. I began tough in vain. ¡°So when are you going toe back?¡± ¡°Honestly, I feel at ease there. Even though I hate fighting, at least I don¡¯t have to stay in the suffocating pce.¡± It seemed like that was what they wanted as well. ¡°But Anisha is here. Wait, you guys went to see Anisha, right? They seemed diforted by my question. ¡°Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t believe it. You should see her right now. What are you two still doing here?¡± Their face turned pale as I waved and spoke. ¡°Hi-Hi-Hih! Yes, your Majesty.¡± ¡°Brother! We¡¯ll be back in the evening!¡± I smiled at them as I watched them run. Amy also smiled at them slightly with her head down, waiting in the distance to serve us. * * * In the pce, there was a queen and two concubines. the eldest daughter of Duke Varietta, had reced the queen after my mother died. The two concubines were Anisha, the first concubine, and Alice, the second concubine. Barris and Winley were the children of Anisha. Queen Liness didn¡¯t favor the first concubine. Unlike Alice, Queen Liness¡¯s favorite, Anisha had a good friendship with my mother back when she was alive. Consequently, Anisha, the first concubine, was unfavored by Queen Liness, who hated any of my mother¡¯s traces. Well, Anisha¡¯s hatred was stronger, who sent her kids to somewhere remote from the pce. It was best for her children to be in a safe area that her family had power over. At least Barris and Winley had been guarded by the local soldiers who were loyal to her household. Barris and Winley, in return, were furious about the fact that their mother was being frightened by the queen. It waste at night when the twins came back to see me. Amy got emotional when she saw the pce was regaining its original appearance as new servants started working in the ce. Did I overload her with work? When I asked her, she shook her head. She seemed happy, almost as if she was a child. Barris asked, ¡°Brother, now that you¡¯re awake, does that mean that you¡¯re going to be the crowned prince now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, brother! I¡¯m sure you will be the Sage King!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As you know, the Crowned Prince¡¯s seat is empty in the Rown Kingdom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Then you will be one.¡± Flick! I flicked his head with my finger, implying I didn¡¯t want to hear more. He yelled and stepped back in reply. ¡°Ow!¡± I wanted to live for a long time enjoying my life. Being king was an unfortunate upation where most people died from overwork. It wasn¡¯t surprising that his head was in great pain, simply because my physical ability had exceeded normal human beings. He looked shocked. ¡°Come on, get another drink.¡± ¡°Brother, I¡¯m considered underage for drinking.¡± ¡°Huh! Don¡¯t be a prude, Barris. I¡¯m ready for a drink, Davey.¡± Winley asked for her ss to be filled with wine as she handed it over. She was such a cutie. ¡°He is way better than our underaged brothers who party all the time-wasting money in the pce. He smiled at me as if he agreed with me. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get a drink!¡± He gulped down the wine I poured. ¡°Aaah¡­ it tastes good.¡± ¡°It¡¯s left by my mother.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we save it?¡± ¡°Why the hell would you save the alcohol that she left for drinking?¡± Barris looked at me curiously. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot, brother.¡± ¡°Do I look different?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You used to keep your mother¡¯s traces.¡± These little kids remembered everything. ¡°Well, tell me why you came here in the middle of the night.¡± After being silent for a few minutes, I asked them when I noticed that they were hesitating about something. Then, instead of Barris, Winley pulled a small letter from the pouch in her hand. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a continental swordpetition held every five years! It¡¯s going to take ce in the Duchy of Felicity.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± There was an Olympic-like concept on this continent. continentalpetitions. Swordsmanship, magic, archery. Even academic. Thepetition, which covered various fields, revolved around each country, and it was also an excellent opportunity for those who won the prize. Of course, the spectacle was definitely worth seeing because all the future notables and strong individuals would be there. Even aristocrats scalped tickets for the swordsmanshippetition. ¡°Brother, you row when the wateres in. You¡¯ve rarely been out of the pce, have you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­ So I asked father!¡± Proudly shouting, Barris puffed his chest out. Winley poked his ribs with her elbow. ¡°I¡¯ve already told him. The only muscles you have are for standing and smiling.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± I looked at the notice without saying a word as they grumbled again. It was definitely one of the best contests for spectators. The Continental Sword Contest was attended by many promising talents to make a name for themselves continually. As it was apetition to promote the continent¡¯s harmony, anyone, from mercenaries to royalty, could participate if they had the required skill. ¡°Ahem! Brother, I got a ticket to the qualifying round!¡± Barris said proudly with a throbbing heart. ¡°Oh, really? You must¡¯ve improved a lot.¡± I pretended to be surprised, but I could see Mana umting in his body. He was an expert intermediate, which meant that he was on a tremendous levelpared to his age. His talent was by no means average. ¡°I¡¯m participating, and I¡¯m asking you to watch me. Why don¡¯t we all go together?¡± ¡°My brother and I will also see the capital of Winley and the Duchy of Felicity! Hehe! The city of water must be lovely!¡± I was thankful that it was clearly revealed that I hadn¡¯t been anywhere else since I woke up from mya. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you suffer, I¡¯ll carry you on my back!¡± ¡°I heard from Lord Ramdas of the Royal Court. My brother¡¯s body is recovering at a tremendous rate.¡± ¡°Lucky little ones.¡± The words made meugh. Well, life had be full of leisure. The reason for being tied up like in the past had long since disappeared. It wasn¡¯t detrimental for me to watch such apetition at least once, as Barris said. And then, wait, we could join, right? * * * ¡°It wasn¡¯t a good opportunity.¡± A woman¡¯s eerie eyes shone into the darkroom. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d crawl into the dragon¡¯s mouth.¡± The woman, who was talking coldly and looking down at the cold cup of tea, was Queen Liness. She didn¡¯t even look at her, who was bowing her head in silence. ¡°Shari.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason to save the man who wants to die.¡± ¡°There is only one chance of a raid on the way to the Duchy of Felicity. I¡¯ll scatter their blood in it.¡± ¡°If you fail, it¡¯s going to be a huge blow.¡± ¡°They have no chance of survival.¡± Even if his bloodline hadn¡¯t continued, he was still a member of the same royal family. Liness Varietta seemed to feel no guilt about making her do it. ¡°Yes, but you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen, so you better finish it yourself.¡± ¡°¡­ As contracted.¡± When she said that, the woman-inw, Shari, answered coldly, grasping at her coldly subsiding life. * * * In most countries, thepetition where promising young people participated was truly remarkable. Of course, it was safe to say that the royal family didn¡¯t oppose Barris¡¯ participation in the continental swordpetition. What was a little surprising was that Queen Liness, who had never looked at anyone else¡¯s children with kindness, readily agreed to let him participate in thepetition and to me apanying him. If Barris were to win a prize in thepetition, his position would soarpletely different from Carlos, who only believed in himself. Of course, Queen Liness, who didn¡¯t want such a situation, would have to oppose his participation, but she was willing to allow it for some unknown reason. In addition, she expressed her willingness to ept me joining the ranks under the pretext of nursing care. A series of groups approached us, kneeling on one knee on the altar of the Mana Gate, which led to the estate nearest the Duchy of Felicity. ¡°Raise your head.¡± It was a stern voice, but on the other hand, it also sounded tired. At the end of the silent raise, a middle-aged man came out and looked at the procession to the Duchy of Felicity, including Barris and Winley. He was Crianes Al Rown, King of the Rown Kingdom. He was the king of this country and my father. That was the first time I saw my father in nearly half a year after I woke up. ¡®You¡¯ve been avoiding me.¡¯ I peered at him closely. His former cheerful and imposing figure was hard to find in his current appearance. For six years, or a little longer than that, my father had been transformed into apletely different person. He had now be a weary old lion. Chapter 13 Episode 13 Behind King Crianes, who looked at us with a tired expression, were Queen Liness, who were smiling brightly on the outside while hiding what she was up to, and Anisha. Behind them was the the Marquis of Faytris, the Swordmaster and the Knights of the inner pce, and several other nobles. ¡°I see the sun of the kingdom.¡± ¡°I see the sun of the kingdom.¡± ¡°The sun of the kingdom¡­¡± When I spoke quietly with my head down, Barris and Winley promptly followed after me. ¡°Well, are you confident?¡± He seemed indifferent, judging from the simple question he asked. It was as if he wasn¡¯t really interested in the conversation at hand. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty! I will surely win the prize and elevate the status of the kingdom.¡± When asked such a question, Barris answered it as vigorously as he had always done. I wasn¡¯t sure if the answer itself quite satisfactory. Regardless, King Crianes soon brushed his beard off, nodded, and sighed briefly. ¡°Be safe.¡± After tapping Barris on the shoulder and smiling at him, he immediately turned his head away. Then, his gaze rested upon me. A look of mixed emotions was visible on his face. I was pretty good at reading people, but his expression was hard to discern. He was, after all, a man of dignity. Even old and tired lions never lost their dignity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He didn¡¯t say anymore. I had no intention of being sentimental with him at that moment, so I just looked down. ¡°Listen! Fourth Prince Barris¡¯s participation in the Continental Sword Contest is the bliss of the kingdom! As of this day, I will release extra funds to celebrate a festival in our territory!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The nobles all answered at the shout of Crianes. ¡°Give special amnesty to those who have sinned small!¡± There were some odd faces of disapproval with the King¡¯s order since it only happened when there was a big national event, but no one dared disobey his order. Still, special amnesty was one of the most iprehensiblews. ¡°Go on and boost the status of the kingdom!¡± At the end of his remark, Barris noded, slowly lifting his head. ¡°Open the gate!¡± Pssssszzzzzz! When the wizard who was manipting the mana gate shouted, a vast blue circr structure built behind me began to emit light. The bizarre wave of power slowly created a whirlpool with a considerable gap. It began to shine as if the light wouldpletely cover the raised podium where the procession to the Duchy of Felicity was standing. Ssssssshh! Soon after, the wizard¡¯s incantation came out, causing a huge wave to devour all the processions. King Crianes¡¯ expressionless face nced beyond as we disappeared into the light. I closed my eyes, remaining silent, as Queen Liness maintained her own mysterious air. * * * The procession to the Duchy of Felicity was small. Fourth Prince Barris led the way to participate, and Winley and I apanied him to support him. In addition to that, there were only five butlers, five or six maids, and five knights for escort. Of course, four of them were the best in swordsmanship. Considering that every one of them was a strategic-weapon-level talent, they could guarantee our safety. Their expertise would eventually defeat any hostility. Perhaps because of that, it was such a tedious journey. There weren¡¯t even any animals on the way, much more mountain thieves. ¡°Oh¡­ boring.¡± Barris, who had lived wildly, seemed unable to endure such uneventfulness. ¡°You idiot! Boring is the best thing!¡± ¡°Do you like this extreme boredom?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t! But do you want to be attacked by somebody when Davey is here with us, you idiot?¡± Barris cringed at Winley¡¯s criticism before he went and looked at me. I was supposed to go on a horse carriage because I had been sick not that long ago. Barris realized that and put me in the horse-drawn carriage. Thanks to him, it became more tedious, but I was thankful for his thoughtfulness. ¡°We should camp here today.¡± Sir Blcano, the knight who was leading the way, promptly suggested. It was going to take another day to get to the Duchy of Felicity on horseback. We could¡¯ve been gone through the Mana Gate, but unfortunately, the Duchy of Felicity was one of the smallest countries. As a result, there was no Mana Gate. To move, we had to travel through one of ours to a nearby state and then walk directly bynd. Fortunately, the territory of the Duchy of Felicity was quite close to the Rown. The servants and maids taking care of us were experienced for camps, and our knights were scattered to guard the site. Barris then began to ask, throwing branches into the bonfire, ¡°How do you feel, Davey?¡± ¡°Right, do you like the gift we¡¯ve got for you? In the past, you said you wanted to go camping like this on an adventure. We thought you wouldn¡¯t like a big group of people with us, so I minimized the size.¡± They were smiling at me as if they were waiting forpliments from me, which made meugh in turn. ¡°Yes, thank you, you two.¡± They could¡¯ve cared less about me because we were only half-rted, but their warm-hearted care touched me. Barris sat down and excitedly talked about how we used to y together when we were little. Meanwhile, Winley was making fun of Barris but seemed just as excited, seeing as she was smiling the whole time. ¡°Davey?¡± However, despite their conversation, my eyes were fixated on the other side of the forest. ¡°Hey, Davey.¡± Winley called out to me, carefully sensing the unusual look on my face. ¡°Oh¡­ uh¡­¡± ¡°Try some of this.¡± ¡°Sure, thanks.¡± ¡°What were you looking at so closely?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Davey. Is there something over there?¡± I ignored his question. Upon seeing my movements, the two seemed to feel concerned for me. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯ste, so I¡¯ll go in and rest first. Will you rest in the carriage with me?¡± The two shook their heads at my suggestion. ¡°I¡¯mfortable with tents, sir.¡± ¡°Me, too.¡± Who would think that they were noble royalty? Barris was fine, but I was a little worried about Winley for being too wild. ¡°Hmm. I guess camping just fits your wild nature. I¡¯m a little worried about how you¡¯re going to find a husband, though.¡± ¡°Pfft. I¡¯m not going to be married but live with Davey instead. Mind your own business, Barris.¡± Winley stuck out her tongue at Barris and hugged my arm. When I went to stroke her head silently, Barris clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s enough, you punk.¡± ¡°Phooey!¡± They went to their tent set by servants, both sporting sad expressions. Silence then dawned at the campsite. The conversation had been cut off, after all. The two, who were mainly leading the talks, had already gone to rest. As I sat silently and looked at the sky, Amy approached me carefully and asked, ¡°Your Majesty, would you like to go in and rest?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful day for a walk.¡± ¡°What?¡± I then got up without answering her question. * * * While everyone was already asleep, I sat on a tree branch nearby the campsite, slowly moving my gaze to the sky from a book. Although they would¡¯ve been in chaos if anyone noticed that I had disappeared, I reced myself with Ghost magic that I had saved for a time like this. The book I had been reading was about the continent¡¯s political situation when I was in aa and medical practice. I shouldn¡¯t neglect my physical training, but I should take care of my medical expertise as well. My medical technique proficiency was considered to be quite excellent, and I was still the best student in a master of the Divine Hippocrates¡¯s ss. ¡°It is a beautiful night sky.¡± I just talked to myself. The night sky was lit up by red and blue moons showing off their power. Cyrus, the moon that illuminated the beginning, and Krias, the moon that illuminated the end. The moon that brightened the night of the first and the moon that brightened the night of thest had quite a few stories, but most of them proved to be too exaggerated to keep me interested. Meanwhile, I just thought that the moons looked beautiful. They filled the night sky along with numerous stars and gxies that spread out, illuminating the evening brightly, making me wonder if it was really nighttime. Nothing was the same in the night sky of the Earth or the Corridor. I found myself suddenly wondering if Barris and Winley had brought me here to show such a view to me. The dark sky I saw here waspletely different from the one I saw in the pce, though they were both beautiful. Ssssss! All I could hear was the sound of insects and owls. I casually put down the book in my hand and swung a nearby branch in the air lightly. Whip! Whip! Each swing tore through the air with a faint sound. Well, it was still satisfying. ¡°Now that I¡¯m done watching the night, I should try my evening exercise.¡± My eyes were fixed on a single spot without moving. I then saw a movement of a group of men dressed in ck. After all,manders generally had good night vision. There were about 20 people, and they had professionally hidden their murderous spirits. They were assassins with extraordinary abilities, able to safely aplish their duties despite all the unfavorable conditions. If I were an ordinary person without any physical strength, the consequences that would follow my ignorance would¡¯ve been a brutal murder. The whole story was obvious. The only opportunity to take us three children¡¯s lives had finallye. Queen Liness seemed to have chosen to send murderers to assassinate us rather than leave potential sources of trouble for nothing. To be honest, I wasn¡¯t happy about the situation where I might look suspicious if I were to show my ability. Hence, I quickly let go of my thoughts without much regret. I didn¡¯t have to worry about it in the first ce. ¡°They are too slow to make ends meet as assassins.¡± The people who could see me running wild in the first ce¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± [Mountain Pressure] They didn¡¯t exist. A slender branch suddenly became an enormous mountain and, in doing so, sliced the highly-trained assassins¡¯ bodies in half. Dark red blood sshed over the night sky, warming up the atmosphere. Chapter 14 Episode 14 The Duchy of Felicity The quiet incident managed to silence the surroundingspletely. Ssssslit! Without even knowing how he died, the man was split in half and fell, his blood spilling profusely. Sssssss! Red fluids that couldn¡¯t withstand the pressure had begun to ssh all over the ce. Still, I calmly brushed off the dust on the branch in my hand. If one didn¡¯t have a tooth, they had to chew with gums. Since I didn¡¯t have a sword with me, I had to use a branch instead. That was what Thousand Horse Dok Go-jun said, and I considered him my second teacher of swordsmanship. -Everything bes a weapon when you hold it in your hand. Don¡¯t forget: there¡¯s now in a fight. Weapons are an extension of physical attacks. Depending on how you think, a piece of cloth could be a rare high-ss sword. My sudden attack seemed to make the people moving in secrecy stumble, for they apparently couldn¡¯t handle the shock I had created. Even if it was just a branch in my hand, the skill of the assassins proved to be insultingly poorpared to Hermes, who had taught me the art of killing. That was the light Stroke of Bell. However, when the Thousand-Force Hammer technique, invented by Thousand Horse Dokgojun, and Haris¡¯ sword technique, shared subversive, destructive power, branches would inevitably turn into a mountain. No assassin would be able to withstand the pressure, no matter how good of a team they were. ¡°As soon as you got the chance, you tried to raid, you durds.¡± It definitely seemed that the injury made it difficult for them to scatter back into the forest. The assassins stared at me with intense eyes, all without moving their bodies. ¡°Just for rification, did Queen liness send you here?¡± I asked a question, but no answer came forth. I didn¡¯t think they would answer my question anyway. Hence, I wasn¡¯t all too disappointed. The tension had undeniably gone a little higher, considering I had only started to warm up after such a long time withoutbat. ¡°I know you¡¯ve been waiting for your chance. You crawled here without knowing it was a trap.¡± I clicked my tongue as I swung the branch in lightly, making some of the assassins gasp and copse at the sight. ¡°I wonder what she¡¯s nning to do now.¡± I was genuinely curious. After all, there were only three royal families. If we were assassinated on the way to another country, the entire royal family would be shaken. It was going to be hard to handle the aftermath, even for Queen Liness. There were only two factors to think about. She was either confident that she would never leave a trace or nned to pin the me on someone else. Either way, from her perspective, it was definitely worth a try. She must¡¯ve done something simr in the past to shake the real power of this country. ¡°Hmm? Are you still here?¡± They all looked confused by my question. ording to the information they received, their target was but a mere sick prince who could barely travel alone. They wouldn¡¯t have expected that I could dominate them in their own field: attacking without anyone noticing. They wouldn¡¯t even think that I was able to find them since they had just been watching me at the campsite from a distance while waiting for their chance. Either way, they probably didn¡¯t see thising. What astonished them most was probably the worthless-looking branch in my hand. It wasn¡¯t a strong, sharp sword but a thin branch that could be found anywhere in the forest. Regardless, a single Stroke of Bell could weigh down the surrounding area and instantly split my target¡¯s physique in half. Unless they were a bunch of morons, they must¡¯ve already noticed that the force wasn¡¯t from brute strength. ¡°Patience is the key in assassinations. Keep that in mind.¡± I could feel the invisible expressions of the assassins cooling down. Their faces morphed into aggression. When I collected the unidentified pressure pressing them even though I wasn¡¯t attacking them anymore, they began to look at each other¡¯s eyes. I could read their expressions even without using the Mind-Reading technique. They had received the wrong information. The mission could now be considered a total failure. ¡°Go tell her. She¡¯ll be destroyed eventually, even if she doesn¡¯t ask for it.¡± When I stopped and stayed still, they looked at each other and squinted at me in an attempt to understand my intentions. Was I really trying to let them go? I was sure they were all wondering about that. ¡®Yeah, go ahead.¡¯ I put the branch down and stood still. They soon realized that I wasn¡¯t kidding at all. Soon enough, the assassins turned around and began to run away. ¡®I was kidding, you bunch of stupid jackasses.¡¯ [Rupture] Poof! In an instant, a sh of ck light prated their bodies as if something thick hadpletely pierced through them. In shock, they couldn¡¯t believe what just happened despite not feeling any pressure on their physiques. ¡°Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk.¡± One of the assassins who had been prated began to tremble and tried to get up again. He stared at me with his bloodshot eyes. ¡®You said you¡¯d let me go, you fucking bastard!¡¯ His re screamed those words out. Upon seeing such a sight, I instinctively spoke out. ¡°Did you believe my words? You stupid bastard. I just said that assassination is patience. I guess you forgot.¡± ¡°This is¡­ what assassination¡­¡± How absurd it must¡¯ve been to see the person who had been silent until now answering back, all while throwing up blood excessively. It was hard to understand him, however, for he had lost all strength in his voice. ¡°If no one¡¯s watching, then it¡¯s considered an assassination. That¡¯s also a long-standing quote, so keep that in mind.¡± I took a step forward. Instinctively feeling danger, the remaining guys scattered, dashing away in an attempt to escape. Some of them had lost their judgment and came at me. I wasn¡¯t sure what they were thinking. Obviously, the raid failed, and they had zero chance of winning in a frontal assault against me. Their speed was definitely fast and sharp. I could give them that. The attack was threatening enough that it felt a little different from the first time. However, all I had to do was quietly swing the branch in my hand against them. Whoo! Whoo! As the stubby and thin branch shed once, a ck me with white brilliance rose along its trajectory. As the men rushed at me, they were cut in two simultaneously. The durability was strong enough. For a human being, that was. As they fell like chopped logs, I immediately called forth mymand mana, putting one hand on the ground while holding the branch with the other. ck magic andmand magic was the most efficient way to track down, stop, and break down opponents. That was the case at the Halls of Heroes. Ro Aias was the best at finding me when I didn¡¯t want to attend the training. She was called Death Road in the Pesquisa Continent, apletely different world from this ce. She had managed to trick people with a tearful face, blocking the retreating road of her enemy in the back. Her tracking skills proved to be excellent. Was she too nice? It wasn¡¯t all that surprising if I considered how Daphne, the first saint, turned to violence when she started drinking. Ro Aias used to be an entric ck wizard who worked her whole life trying to help ck wizards live with people. I didn¡¯t even want to recall what happened to me after I was caught. [Chase] [Blind] Whoo! I saw ck whipsing out of their fingertips. It was the ck magic of the first circle system, which took away the opponent¡¯s vision and worked stronger against those who were living in extreme fear. They could¡¯ve easily ovee it if only they had a little more resistance. ¡°Kkkk!¡± ¡°Buck!¡± I had already locked on when I ran into them. Unless they traveled to the other side of the continent, there would be no way out. The magical effects soon appeared, and its intensity started to increase. Those who lost their sight began to struggle to get away from me, forgetting their original goal of silently moving through the night. Was I enjoying this? Now, I could see why Ro Aias looked sorry yet simultaneously happy for some reason. In extreme fear, they struggled to escape from me. Unfortunately, I had no intention of keeping them alive once I already had them in my hand. It was up to me whether I would kill or save them. If one wanted to kill someone, they should be prepared against the risk of their own deaths. I put a string to the assassins that crawled away with ck magic and to those that fell against themand mana. I conjured more ck-huedmand mana, which I then caused to explode and spread. [Confusion] [Low Resistance] [Soul Explosion] It was all a little harsh, but I was taught by my masters how to clean a scene properly. Don¡¯t show mercy to those who try to kill you. Tooowooo! Intangible, odorless, and colorless spirits scattered, spreading light waves around. More than half of their souls burst out and disappeared immediately without any chance of rehabilitation. They had all gone silent. The quiet forest turned into a terrible murder scene. ¡°That¡¯s a neat assassination.¡± I wondered if it was necessary to make such a big scene, to which I shook my head. I then moved on without regret. Whatever it was, it was a sessful assassination for as long as no one found out. * * * ¡°Queen Majesty.¡± The ck shadow slowly appeared in the quiet room like a mirage. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°The attempt failed.¡± p! As soon as she finished her sentence, Shari¡¯s face, who brought the bad news, was forced to turn sideways. She had hit her so hard that her white cheek turned red, and her lips were about to burst. ¡°What are you going to do now?!¡± It was a hysterical shout. The cmitous temperament of Queen Liness wasn¡¯t new to those who were always around her. ¡°All the mana stones were designed to lose its glow when the assassins died.¡± ¡°Failure¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t figured it out yet. However, I think someone is helping him.¡± p! Once again, Shari¡¯s cheek turned with a loud noise. Meanwhile, Queen Liness continued to throw everything around her to release her anger. ng! A small flowerpot hit Shari¡¯s forehead. She gasped, staring at Shari with a venomous look. ¡°Huh! That¡¯s all that the ck Moon Guild can do after all!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Howe they were all wiped out against only four old knights and three little kids? Twenty assassins being unable to handle a few knights? Pathetic!¡± Although Shari was mad as the Queen shouted, she simply stood silently with her head down. ¡°Find out who¡¯s helping him! Show me the obstacles in my way!¡± ¡°Yes, Queen Majesty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget. I didn¡¯t look after your ck Moon Guild to see you fail. You need to take their lives. If you fail again this time¡­¡± She stared at Shari with a cold gaze and continued. ¡°I will no longer have any more dealings with you. I will end the ck Moon Guild by using the Duke of Varietta and the power of this country.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Shari, bowed down, closed her eyes slowly, and smiled as the Queen stopped talking and poured tea into her mouth. Her eyes were lit up by a faint blood-like glow. Chapter 15 Episode 15 The Duchy of Felicity was a very small country on the continent. Very, very small. It was about the size of a small city-state like Singapore. The size of the city was a littlerger than the cities in other countries, however. ¡°Wow, Davey! Look! It¡¯s the Duchy of Felicity!¡± ¡°Ho!¡± Winley shouted while jumping, admiration evident in her voice. Her eyes were filled with excitement as she looked at the vast and beautiful water surrounding the whole city. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± It was pure and without a single lie. As a small country, the Duchy of Felicity had a distinctive charm. It had a magnificent view that was no less beautiful than any other empire. Large waterways surrounding the capital were connected to various parts of the city, almost like a beautiful painting on a canvas. ¡°The Duchy of Felicity is a small city-state, but as a city-state built over ancient ruins, it has an outstanding view even whenpared to most countries.¡± Barris, who had gotten off his horse, boasted at the city¡¯s excellence as I was looking around. ¡°Look at your face. You must quite like it.¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± As I expressed my honest impression, he proudly puffed his chest. ¡°Hahaha! I¡¯m d you like the view. It was worthing here. Thepetition willst for four days. That means you have plenty of time to enjoy our trip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Davey, why don¡¯t you go on a tour of the city tomorrow? For now, you should go and see the round stadium with us. It is the pride of the Duchy of Felicity.¡± ¡°Round stadium?¡± ¡°Yes! I heard it¡¯s a wonderful stadium with a beautiful waterway. It¡¯ll be crowded tomorrow, so let¡¯s go and see it today instead!¡± ¡°Shall we do that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t steal my words!¡± ¡°Heng! It would be best if you met the management administrator. I¡¯m going to show Davey around.¡± Winley couldn¡¯t participate in thepetition because she was never taught swordsmanship. Nevertheless, she came to the trip for me, as well as to support her twin brother. Even though it looked like they were alwayspeting against each other, they cared about the other in reality. * * * The main revenue of the Duchy of Felicity was tourism. The architectural style and various sculptures inside were quite mysterious and beautiful, while the city¡¯s exterior was immensely beautiful. One of the tourist spots was the arena that a lot of nobles from other countries visited at least once in their lifetime. ¡°This is going to be where thebat happens. There will be diators, monsters, orpetitors whoe here topete, Davey.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless and barbaric.¡± Barris grumbled at myment for some reason. ¡°I guess the peace-stricken public wants something more stimting.¡± Barris smiled bitterly at my words afterward. ¡°The human rights sector is slowly getting better, though. One day, the Kingdom of Rown¡­¡± He began to murmur hopefully. ¡°How many people are going to be there?¡± I looked around the stadium, and Winley pushed him forward at my question and smiled. ¡°I heard that eight countries would participate in thebat this year. Surprisingly, Barris will represent the Rown Kingdom.¡± ¡°Hey! Did you just say it¡¯s surprising?!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Winley giggled before she gave off a weird sneer. ¡°Starting with the first host country, Pn Empire, representatives will be selected from various countries, including the Rown Kingdom, Flip Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Shodan.¡± The purpose of the continental swordsmanshippetition was to discover the talents of young people. Still, it was basically nothing but a battle of pride between countries. ¡°Since it¡¯s for young people, only men and women under the age of twenty can participate.¡± ¡°What about the people who aren¡¯t selected?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a nationalpetition for new talents. It¡¯s not considered as the main swordfight season for top talents.¡± Winley grumbled as if she didn¡¯t like it. ¡°The opportunity to participate should be given to any talented people from all sses.¡± ¡°There will be too many participants if they did that.¡± The statement was true. In other words, it was just a show. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve heard that the Sword Princess of the Pn Empire is also participating in thispetition.¡± ¡°Sword Princess?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know? She¡¯s pretty famous. Even the little kids in the Rown Kingdom would know who she is.¡± Barris asked me in surprise. However, nothing came to mind. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I had a pretty good memory, though. I guessed she became famous while I was in aa. ¡°Hey! Davey was in aa!¡± When Barris tilted his head curiously, Winley became furious and kicked him on the shin. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Huh! What a sight!¡± ¡°You punk.¡± I stared nkly at them while they were fighting. Barris soon made a groaning voice. ¡°[Ileana de Pn]. She is the precious daughter of the Pn Empire¡¯s King. As you know, they have eight princes and only one princess.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Their nation is definitely a great powerhouse.¡± ¡°Of course, they¡¯re famous. However, she¡¯s renowned not just because the Pn is in great power, and she is the only princess. She is famous because she is the owner of the New Sword.¡± ¡°New Sword?¡± The word ¡°New Sword¡± instantly intrigued me. ¡°Yes, the owner of Calderas, an ancient hero known for his sword, the sword of the sword god Haris. It¡¯s one of the greatest works of his life.¡± Calderas. It had been a while since Ist heard that name. The swordsman had excellent swordsmanship, even though he had a bad temper. I had also heard a lot about the sword that he had used. The sword could cut down the devil. ¡°Calderas¡­¡± Two people had taught me swordsmanship. Haris, the God of Swords in the ancient history of the Tionis Continent, and another was Dok Go-jun, the Thousand Horse of Devil Creed. Thinking about it, I realized Haris was from here, so it wouldn¡¯t be that strange to find his traces. ¡°It¡¯s called a new sword since it hasn¡¯t rusted even after thousands of years. I¡¯ve heard that it has an ego that expresses magic on its own.¡± ¡°Ego¡­¡± The sword contained the spirit of the master craftsman and thepassion of the user; that was the ego. ¡°The sword had been searching for its owner for hundreds of years and finally chosen its owner recently. That¡¯s Princess Ileana.¡± Barris smiled and added an exnation. ¡°There¡¯s another reason why she¡¯s famous, Davey.¡± ¡°Another one?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­¡± He smiled insidiously. ¡°She¡¯s breathtakingly beautiful.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s interesting.¡± ¡°She¡¯s even so-called one of the top five beauties on the continent in full bloom.¡± I wasn¡¯t interested in who the owner of Calderas, the favorite sword of Haris. The most interesting subject so far was what Barris had just said. * * * The physiology of the aristocracy was quite simple. All of the participants in the continental swordsmanshippetition were representatives that the state had chosen. They were also expected to lead the nation in the future. Should we just have them fight? Of course not. Consequently, they had arranged a dinner party to promote friendship among those expected to be leaders in the future. It made sense that Barris had been invited to the dinner. However, it was a little surprising that Winley and I were invited as well. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Amy asked me carefully when I looked at myself, swallowing a groan. ¡°Isn¡¯t this too shy? Do you have more modest clothes?¡± ¡°No, this is modest enough, Your Majesty!¡± She shouted firmly with a sad face as if she didn¡¯t want to yield. My conscience told me that I might¡¯ve given Amy a hard time, based on her sorrowful expression. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Majesty, your dignity is the Rown Kingdom¡¯s dignity. Even if you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯ve done enough. Let¡¯s go now.¡± ¡°As you wish!¡± She looked down a few minutes ago as if she would immediately burst into tears. Now, however, she looked excited. I was busy getting ready for the dinner party. Of course, it was fortunate that men did less. Winley said it was hundreds of times worse for women. ¡°Eh, you can¡¯t put lipstick on a pig. Even if you do, it¡¯s still a pig!¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Puck! I could see the twins grumbling about whether or not they were ready to go to the banquet. ¡°Oh! Davey, my older brother!¡± While snarling at Barris, Winley found me first and ran towards me with her eyes shining brightly. Barris, who just got kicked on the shin, seemed to have no time to find regard for it. ¡°Wow! You look great!¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Unlike the yboy over there!¡± ¡°Hey! Why am I a yboy?¡± ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡± I knew they were on good terms, but what if someone else were to see them grumbling and fighting again? ¡°You look pretty. I thought a fairy came down.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± It was lip service, but it turned out to be partially true. The green dress matched the color of her green hair. She was a prettydy for her age, where most people had yet excessive mour or unbing maturity. Perhaps, in a few more years, she would turn out to be extraordinarily beautiful. Winley reached out to me, holding the hem of the dress and twirling around. ¡°Well, then, wonderful prince. Would you be honored to escort me today?¡± ¡°It looks like our positions have switched. There¡¯s no reason for me to refuse.¡± When I lightly held her hand, I heard Barris clicking his tongue. ¡°She¡¯s irritating.¡± Of course, Winley was still happy, considering how used she was to suchments from him. Chapter 16 Episode 16 When we arrived at the nders Hall, the grand banquet hall of the Duchy of Felicity, they were already ying music, and many people had arrived already. ¡°Wee, Prince Davey, Prince Barris, and Princess Winley. I¡¯m Kram, the Head Chambein of the Duchy of Felicity.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Kram.¡± As we entered the ce, I saw servants and maids waiting for the guests with their heads down. Barris smiled kindly. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± ¡°I wonder if we¡¯re toote.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Responding politely, he quietly pointed to the entrance of the banquet hall. ¡°Pleasee in. Most of the VIPs are already here.¡± ¡°I shall ask your favor.¡± ¡°Please leave it to me.¡± When he sent a signal to the other servants, they quietly opened the door, revealing a colorful and spacious room. When we entered, people inside the hall immediately turned their heads towards us. Combat The age limit for participants in the continental swordsmanshippetition was under twenty. Due to that condition, most of the party attendees looked young. for the people who came along with thepetitors like Winley, most of them were quite young. The attention we got from them was intense. However, Barris didn¡¯t seem to be bothered by it. Instead, he kept walking in with a smile. ¡°Davey, shall we go?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± With Winley¡¯s beautiful smile and her quiet voice, we entered slowly, following after Barris. Having a lot of people¡¯s attention was weirding me out. Our arrival seemed to make them tremendously curious. A lot of people were interested in Barris. His skill was a little higher than an intermediate level, which was already above his age. Their knowledge of him might not have been urate, but they must¡¯ve heard about him all the same. As apetitor, they were interested in him. At least, in the uingpetition, they were opponents. ¡°Damn, I¡¯ve heard he is talented, but he is good-looking as well.¡± ¡°By the way, is she Princess Winley?¡± ¡°She is beautiful.¡± I heard some people murmuring in the distance. They probably didn¡¯t think I could hear them. However, I happened to have excellent ears. However, Barris and Winley, smiling awkwardly, didn¡¯t seem to hear their voice. ¡°Nice to meet you, Prince Barris. I am the Duke of Perdisha Kingdom¡¯s Koldium.¡± ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you. I am the Duke of Voltis of the Hushan Kingdom.¡± Naturally, there were boundaries betweenpetitors. On the other hand, they seemed to think it was worth getting to know each other. Barris looked at me for help as a lot of people approached him with a smile on their faces. Sometimes¡­ ¡°Winley, Would you like to dance with me?¡± It was good to ignore someone¡¯s plea for help. ¡°Hey, Davey¡­¡± In the end, I just decided to ignore his annoyed tone of voice. * * * People started to dance with their partners as the music changed in the hall. ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve danced together, Davey, isn¡¯t it?¡± Winley smiled and put her hands down elegantly after the music. ¡°It is.¡± ¡°I was eight years old when you becameatose. I hadn¡¯t even made my social debut yet.¡± In most of the countries in the Tionis continent, the aristocratic and royal family encouraged fourteen and fifteen-year-old girls to begin their social life. It happened a little early for royal families. Winley made her social debut when I was still in aa. I still couldn¡¯t believe they sent her to chase the local criminals. As she recalled the past, Winley smiled with her eyes fixed on the banquet hall. ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re recovering now. They will learn of your true value someday.¡± Her genuine smile made me smile as well. They were one of the few affectionate people in the royal pce. Most people in the royal pce of the Rown Kingdom were coldblooded. Hence, I wondered how these guys came out so warm-hearted. ¡°You were very talented in swordsmanship.¡± She reminded me as if I had forgotten about it. ¡°I have no use for the sword now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re still young.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little too young to say that?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± She smiled and drank a ss of grape juice. ¡°Princess Winley.¡± It was a gentle voice but quite cheesy at the same time. While Barris had the most attention, Winley was also in the center of attention among the aristocratic males and females. Considering the male-to-female ratio, there was nothing weird about Winley getting a lot of attention, who was admittedly pretty cute. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Winley seemed to know who he was. ¡°I¡¯m d to see you again.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, Prince Baltian de Voltiz.¡± She spoke awkwardly with a stiff expression, taking a step back unintentionally. However, he held out a hand to her as if he didn¡¯t notice her bodynguage. ¡°Can you spend some time talking to me?¡± It was rare to see Winley, who wasn¡¯t picky about people, retreating with a dark expression. A sudden curiosity arose. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Prince Baltian, but I was talking to my brother.¡± He turned to me at her words. Although he was aware of my presence right from the beginning, he pretended that he just took notice of me. He clicked his tongue and soon burst intoughter. Even if the aristocrats wanted to beat someone to death, they had to smile externally. ¡°Oh, I apologize. I¡¯m Baltian de Voltiz, the seventh prince of the Voltiz Kingdom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Davey Al Rown.¡± His eyebrows wiggled with my short answer. I felt sorry, but it was toote to give a good impression anyway. I looked at his eyes, immediately feeling his contempt. No matter who he was, it was disrespectful to look at the royal family of another country in such a way. However, he didn¡¯t seem to care at all. ¡°What brought you here, Prince Davey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to watch my brother¡¯s game.¡± ¡°I see. Please enjoy your trip.¡± He turned to Winley again, with a creepy smile on his face. ¡°I will give you the honor if I win the Continental Sword Competition, Princess Winley. You are my inspiration.¡± Winley looked disgusted by the way he spoke in a cheesy tone. Although she was pretty good at presenting herself in public, she couldn¡¯t hide her difort at his remarks. ¡°You should know that it is disrespectful to say that for the people who gathered here.¡± ¡°Yes, but it wouldn¡¯t be rude if it was true.¡± ¡°My twin brother is also participating in thispetition. It is quite disrespectful to my brother.¡± Winnie looked up at me as if she didn¡¯t want to hear any more of his nonsense. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Davey.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t hard to step out, but I didn¡¯t mean to burden Winley or Barris. However, when we were just about to leave¡­ ¡°How dare you ignore me?! Princess Winley!¡± Prince Baltian quickly reached his arm out to her, who turned her back against him, seemingly unable to stand him anymore. That was it. ¡®I¡¯ve had enough. I can¡¯t take more bullshit.¡¯ Poof! Ukhhh! ¡°Kkkkh?¡± ¡®When the chancees, don¡¯t hesitate.¡¯ As I always said, I wasn¡¯t the kind who battled with the knife wrapped in cloth. It also wasn¡¯t like me to put up with rudeness that had gone way too far. * * * It was essential to keep public and private matters separate for royalty and aristocrats. We had to hide our emotions, no matter if we were upset or happy. Such was the life and responsibility of the noble blood. Sometimes I thought it was unfair. No one lived a perfect life, even if they seemed that way on the outside. ¡°Oh, my gosh!¡± Baltian, who fell on one knee, gave out a painful scream, which brought everyone¡¯s attention to us. ¡°Hey, Davey.¡± ¡°You are not supposed to touch someone else¡¯s precious sister.¡± I spoke calmly and softly with a smile, which aggravated Prince Baltian even more. ¡°Loud¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky I saved your bone.¡± ¡°Kkkh!¡± I released his wrist, which I was holding tightly, and he immediately gasped and grabbed at it. I could¡¯ve broken his bone simply by twisting his arm, but I didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble. The worst thing that could happen was Barris getting disqualified. Whatever it was, it was okay if there was no evidence left. He was furious now, but his body would still heal after a while, so he would have nothing toin about. He stared at me with spiteful eyes, but he took a step back from me. The rxed and cheesy impression he had a while ago was no longer present. Only a boy with a bad temper was in front of us. He took off his gloves and threw them at me. ¡°I challenge you to a duel!¡± Everyone in the banquet hall was now looking at us, from the young aristocrats and royal families who came here for thepetition to the small number of people who apanied them. I nced at the gloves on the floor and looked at him coldly. Winley then began to shout furiously. Chapter 17 ¡°Prince Baltian! Enough with your impertinence!¡± Winley shouted. ¡°Stay out of this, Princess Winley! This has to do with my honor as a knight!¡± ¡°If you were really finding your honor, you would understand the magnitude of your impertinence right now!¡± At Winley¡¯s retaliation, Prince Baltian clenched his jaw. Then, he shouted while vigorously shaking his head, ¡°Dammit! Shut up!¡± After being severely humiliated, it seemed like he was going to stop at nothing. Someone else who was initially enjoying the banquet agreed with Winley, finding this situation absurd and ridiculous. She decided to take this matter into her own hands. ¡°I think Princess Winley is right.¡± It was neither Winley, Davey, or Baris, who was walking towards them with anger, that interrupted the enraged Prince Baltian. Prince Baltian¡¯s face turned pale at the girl¡¯s elegant and pure voice. ¡°Pri¡­ Princess Illyna¡­¡± ¡°Prince Baltian de Boltis.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I will ask again. Do you think you have the right to find your honor?¡± Princess Illyna¡¯s voice was elegant and beautiful, but as cold as the snowy wind of the north. Davey, when ncing over at the trembling Baltian who was slowly backing away, saw a petite girl ring at Baltian indifferently. The girl had waist-length blond hair, which was a brilliant honey-like color. Her beauty was blinding. She looked like a goddess or angel, but Davey could only feel a strangeness from her¡­ It was the Sword Lord Ares. Princess Illyna looked so simr to the hero who taught Davey about swordsmanship thousands of years ago. ¡°Ares?¡± Davey blurted out the name upon looking at Princess Illyna, who heard him and looked up in surprise. Davey strongly felt that he had caused trouble. ¡®This damned mouth¡­¡¯ * * * The Sword Lord Ares was the creator of the destructive swordsmanship [Heavy Sword]. The attacks using his sword technique became therge mountain and the sea. However, his nickname in the Hall was different from these great names¡ªThe Elderly Lazybones. He had the appearance of a young man, but because he was one of the older heroes in the Hall, he was frequently treated as an old man. However, he was a man. He was quite pretty, but he definitely wasn¡¯t a woman. In that sense, the girl in front of Davey resembled him but with subtle differences¡­ It felt like Ares would look like this if he became a really beautiful woman. With wide eyes, Princess Illyna asked, ¡°What¡­did you just say?¡± Davey felt strange as he saw Princess Illyna¡¯s surprised expression, but quickly shook his head. ¡°Never mind. I must have been mistaken.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± After exchanging strange nces with Davey, Princess Illyna retracted the suspicion in her eyes. She turned back to Prince Baltian with indifference. ¡°I was watching. I will ask again, Prince Baltian.¡± ¡°Grunt.¡± ¡°Do you think you have the right to talk about honor right now?¡± Because of Princess Illyna¡¯s intervention, many people watched the situation while holding their breaths. Those who have gathered were mostly here as the promising representatives of each country. ¡°Not only did you treat ady with impertinence, but you also mocked everyone here. And you tried toy your hands on ady who declined because she already had a partner.¡± Princess Illyna seemed to have observed the situation in detail. Listening to Princess Illyna¡¯s cold voice, Baltian turned pale and frowned. He was panicking, feeling greatly troubled. This was especially true since the princess had quite a great position in her kingdom. It was somewhat true that everyone at the banquet hade as representatives of their country. However, the person who would probably cause the biggest headache out of everyone if they were rubbed the wrong way was the girl in front of Davey, Princess Illyna. The Pan Empire was one of the three strongest empires in the continent, and she was the apple of the emperor¡¯s eye. She was the daughter of someone who loved her so much that they supposedly cleared out an entire pce to build a garden just because she said so. ¡°Hmph. If you really were a knight of honor, I think it would be right for you to sincerely apologize to them.¡± Everyone else started to join in. Some nodded, while others began to murmur their opinions. Mob mentality was a scary thing. Baltian trembled with a red-hot face, as if he was going to run away at any minute. But Davey couldn¡¯t just let him go like this. Once this opportunity was lost, that would be the end of it. ¡°I will ept the duel.¡± ¡°What did¡­¡± Winley looked up at Davey with surprise. Princess Illyna also stared at Davey with a puzzled look, as he was making all her hard work go to waste. Well, she could think that, but Davey was quite firm in his decision. He asked again, ¡°Prince Baltian. Did you say that you challenge me to a duel?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ept it.¡± ¡°Big brother!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± Horrified, Winley and Baris shouted at the same time. No wonder they were twins. ¡°Grunt¡­ Gr¡­ Great! If I win, apologize to me on your knees in front of everyone!¡± ¡°Hey Prince Baltian!¡± Furious, Baris grabbed Baltian by the cor while huffing. Baris shouted sharply with a murderous expression, ¡°You are aware that your absurd actions can be a problem between countries, right?¡± He looked like he could nt the prince¡¯s face into the ground at any moment if no one was watching. ¡°Ha¡­ What is there to be afraid of if it is a fair duel? Ha! Right! I¡¯ve heard it before¡­ Prince Davey. God-given talent, but the half-cripple who can¡¯t even hold a sword!¡± ¡°You!!!¡± Davey stopped the furious Baris who raised his fist. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Baris.¡± ¡°Big brother!¡± As Davey brightly smiled and patted his head, Baris grit his teeth and lowered his head. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since you woke up¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Davey looked at Prince Baltian while speaking calmly, ¡°One must judge the weight of their words themselves.¡± ¡°Sure. It won¡¯t happen, but if I lose, I will apologize on my knees in front of everyone!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At Davey¡¯s response, Baltian¡¯s insidious smile deepened. He probably thought that he could never lose. It was natural, since they were all boys and girls in their mid-teens. Everyone gathered here were skilled enough to be selected as the nation¡¯s future leaders, since reaching the ¡®Expert¡¯ realm during early and mid-teenage years was difficult unless they were very talented. And Baltian was one of them too. Davey turned his gaze while walking toward the center of the ball, spotting the worried looks on both his younger siblings. They looked like they wanted to stop him, and they didn¡¯t understand why Davey was being obstinate. The crowd also looked at Davey, some with curiosity and others with worry. Then, there was a single person staring at him with a cold expression that suggested she had different thoughts on the matter. Prince Baltian, who confidently raised his wooden sword toward Davey, shouted, ¡°Raise your sword! I will engrave the depth of swordsmanship here today!¡± Davey also picked up a wooden sword and smiled with ease. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, this kind of thing.¡± * * * The banquet, which was held for the building of friendship and harmony, instantly turned into a battle. The crowd was mostly made up of young rising stars representing their countries, so there probably were some battles of pride among them. And for some reason, the nobility, who should be preventing conflict between countries, were keeping quiet and observing the situation. ¡®They probably just want to avoid the trouble that might arise if they interfere.¡¯ The Duchy of Felicity wasn¡¯t really intervening either. They were just watching from afar, so everyone who came to enjoy the banquet was soon silently watching the battle. ¡°A master yields the first attack to the novice!¡± Prince Baltian shouted arrogantly toward Davey, who was swinging his sword to see if maybe there was an iron rod in it. Baltian had a wooden sword with a sturdy bastard sword design. He stood arrogantly and bobbed the end of his sword while pointing it at Davey. Enraged by Baltian¡¯s actions, Baris shouted, ¡°That rude guy!¡± There were many who looked strangely annoyed other than Baris, even though they were not showing it. Being impertinent, and being young and feisty, werepletely different. Besides, they all knew just who was the rude and brazen one in this situation. The one giving Prince Baltian the coldest expression possible was none other than the Imperial Princess Illyna, the apple of the Pan Empire¡¯s emperor¡¯s eye. ring at Baltian with a strangely irritated face, she soon turned her gaze to Davey and shook her head, as if she couldn¡¯t understand him. After mumbling nonsense, Davey took a look at his thin wooden sword and looked at Baltian, who was a greenhorn in his eyes. ¡°Really, I don¡¯t know what to do with your kindness.¡± Davey was yet to transform, but he had done some things during his recovery. ¡®For someone who has just stepped foot in the ¡®Expert¡¯ realm to challenge me¡­ I¡¯m experienced in crushing assassins of intermediate and advanced levels¡­¡¯ Normally, Davey wouldpletely destroy his enemy so that he could never hold a sword again. However, Davey was still supposed to be a weak prince who had only left his sickbed less than a year ago. ¡®Is there a good way¡­ There is. Just one.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re noting at me? Ha, as expected. It¡¯s natural that you are scared.¡± As if he had already won, Baltian coldly sneered. ¡°However, the duel has already begun! What are you doing? Come at me already!¡± With Baltian¡¯s demeaning shouts and ridiculing sneer, Davey was reminded that the rtion between the Boltis Kingdom and the Rowane Kingdom was really quite bad. ¡°Well, how could I refuse such a considerate gesture?¡± There were many thoughts that went through Davey¡¯s head, but he simply ignored them. There was one way to beat the opponent whilepletely hiding his skills, and still lead to his enemy having a meltdown. Davey could faintly hear Winley¡¯s worrying voice. ¡°Brother¡­¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll go in.¡± With a mumble, Davey held up his hefty wooden sword before slowly advancing towards Baltian. One step at a time, he approached, then rushed forwards upon crossing a certain distance. Whoosh!! With a heavy piercing sound, Davey pushed his wooden sword forward and rushed towards Baltian. Baltian easily dodged Davey¡¯s sword with just a light step backwards, as if he already predicted that. ¡°Ohhh?¡± Thud!! As the sword missed its target, it hit the ground. At the same time, it twisted Davey¡¯s center of gravity and he wobbled. ¡°Stupi¡­¡± Thwack!! It was right then. Chapter 18 Episode 18 My wooden sword staggered and swung randomly toward the air and hit his chin. ¡°KKKKkkhh!¡± Naturally, his body was knocked up in the air, shoved away, and rolled on the floor. On the contrary, I had already lost my bnce, but I managed to use the sword as a support to avoid falling. ¡°What happened?¡± Silence quickly lurked around because of the hit. ¡°Ugh?!¡± I pointed the disproportionately shaken wooden sword at Baltian, who stood up with a perplexed look on his face, unable to understand the situation. The foundation for the sword technique I used was to show one¡¯s weak point, and it was about tricking the opponent thoroughly. ¡°Pfft.¡± Unlike him, who was angry,ughter poured out from the audience. He didn¡¯t expect the blow. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!!¡± Perhaps it was because he got smashed by someone to whom he yielded the lead to. The guy staring at me with an eerie expression came in quickly, his sword pointed at me. An old eagle was definitely better than a young crow. His swordsmanship was definitely sharper than the kids his age, as he participated on behalf of the Voltiz Kingdom. His postures were well established, and his sword¡¯s movements were quite urate. However, because of hisck of experience, his actions were too predictable. That applied not only to Baltian but also to most people. Whoooong! With the sword down, I took a step toward him and raised my weapon. From the axis of the legs to the shoulders and the waist, it seemed almost impossible to restrain him because it was a sloppy posture that was swung without being properly supported. In an instant, my sword was deflected away from my body by the de he swung up, and I heard the sound of gasps from all sides. There was also a worrying cry from Winley, who was surprised. Even those who were proud of knowing the situation seemed to think that I just identally struck Valtian¡¯s sword and that such a coincidence would never happen again. Well. Paang! Seemingly unable to let it slide, he lifted his wooden sword towards me. In retaliation, I straightened my legs and distracted my bnce. ¡°Eek.¡± At the same time, my body followed his weapon¡¯s flow of momentum, spinning, copsing, and avoiding his attack. Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Simultaneously, my sword swung away directionlessly as it dodged his. I hit his forehead that time. * * * ¡°Kkkh!¡± The same situation happened again. People were surprised by the jaw-dropping moment. Baltian was one of the brightest to participate in the uingpetition, even though he had a bad temper. On the contrary, I was known as a weak prince who just recovered from a six-year-longa. I couldn¡¯t have relearned the way of the sword properly. In fact, the careless attitude I showed would¡¯ve instilled more confidence in his mind. However, the results were different from their expectations. Unlike their prediction that I would be defeated, losing the duel in a second, I knocked down Baltian with my sloppy swordsmanship twice. If it were a real fight, not a duel, he would¡¯ve been killed twice already. ¡°That stupid trick!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m winning. Your skill must be worse than I thought.¡± Baltian, who jumped up at my words, had his face red full of shame. Pffftt! As someone burst intoughter as if they couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore, he got madder, almost as if that added more fuel to the fire. ¡°That¡¯s terrible.¡± ¡°To a beginner who doesn¡¯t know how to swing a sword.¡± ¡°Who said Prince Baltian is one of the most skillfulpetitors?¡± ¡°Argh!!!¡± He couldn¡¯t argue with them, so he red at me with his teeth clenched instead. Just like how he had already suffered twice, his defeat was a fixed fact, but he refused to admit it. Now was the time to give him a little stimtion. Unlike the beginning, his senses became cautious. Reflexively, he was afraid of being hit by nonsense coincidences. I could bet he thought that if he became extra careful, he could never lose. With that logic, he observed me from a distance. If he didn¡¯te, I would have to go. Hence, I came after him in a sloppy manner. Then, I swung my sword wildly. I was disying a messy technique that was no different than a child swinging a branch recklessly. It had no distance, no distribution of power, and no formalization of direction. Smack! I couldn¡¯t bnce my bodyweight properly. Hence, I couldn¡¯t put a lot of strength on my sword. Smack! Smack! As I watched the guy calmly stopping the attacks I delivered, the people inside the banquet hall seemed to think his weapon would soon hit me. However¡­ Paaah!! The blindly-swung sword struck him on the temple, and everyone opened their mouths in astonishment. * * * ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I gave off a flurry of seemingly random swordsmanship. My attacks were so slow and weak that any person who had learned how to fight properly could easily avoid them. Everyone could see that. If so, then why did he get hit again? Baltian looked confused and was soon staggering after sustaining three blows to the head. ¡°Hmm, did you get hit?¡± I jokingly asked such a ridiculous question. Laughter came from the audience again. ¡°What happened? I thought he was an expert?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s here. Howe he got beaten by swordsmanship like that?¡± ¡°Maybe he really is nothing¡­¡± ¡°Since he did it three times, not once or twice, then I¡¯m sure¡­¡± Nobody thought that I wasn¡¯t making it happen on purpose anymore. ¡°Oh, no! No! That is not it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ame excuse.¡± ¡°Tut-tut-tut-tut.¡± By that time, Baltian¡¯s expression looked really mad enough to jump. It was as if he was being treated unfairly. He stopped, recollecting his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t block the first hit, and the same could be said for the second attack. Despite my seemingly poor skills, he had gotten hit. Baltian knew there was something more to what other people could see. Of course, making excuses for him wouldn¡¯t change anything. I grinned at him, who was currently huffing. This was why I had learned this sword technique. It was called, The [Drunken Swordsmanship.] It was literally swinging a sword like a drunk man. It was a swordsmanship style invented by the heavy drinker Dok Go-jun at the Hall of Heroes and waspleted by Haris, the Sword God. ¡®Damn it, even though I made it, this is such an evil technique!¡¯ This technique made the bad-tempered Dokgo-jun click his tongue. -Don¡¯t use it unless you really want to bury someone socially. If you have a conscience for the same person, that is. Haris, who was organizing the structure of thepleted sword style, also frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t use this technique unless absolutely necessary.¡± Was it because they were heavy? Sharp? It wasn¡¯t. It was because of the deceptiveness and yfulness that embodied the entire swordsmanship style. It was so full of malice that even the two swordsmen belonging to an entirely different league felt that it shouldn¡¯t be used. Its objective wasn¡¯t something grand like achieving something, protecting someone, or killing a target. No, its objective was to shame a bastard in front of everyone. What could describe it better than evil swordsmanship? I was staggering as if I was drunk, avoiding or offsetting the opponent¡¯s attacks and delivering a sudden and unexpected attack. To be honest, it was quite an efficient sword technique since it frustrated the hell out of the opponent. If it was used in a situation where people were watching, its effect became even greater. Just like now. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure whether I was lucky or my opponent is weaker than I thought.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Since it was almost a style made for entertainment purposes, I actually gave it the ridiculous name of Entertainment Swordsmanship rather than Drunken Swordsmanship. Even if it was called the entertainment meta itself, it was no exception. Of course, it would be meaningless if it was just fun and weak. Even if it was made for entertainment in the first ce, would the swordsmanship created by those swordsmen be weak? An unexpected result unfolded. Baltian, embarrassed by the situation, eventually began to summon Mana, emitting sword energy. ¡°Prince Baltian! I can¡¯t believe you are using your sword energy at someone who¡¯s not a knight in a duel! Are you out of your mind?¡± Princess Ileana shouted faster than Barris, who looked just as enraged as her. However, Baltian ignored her and came at me with spiteful eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± I took a step back at the very moment he attacked with the sword energy, acting as if I was scared. ¡°It¡¯s toote to dodge!¡± ¡°Brother!¡± The moment Barris, who shouted in despair, ran out to protect me¡­. ¡°If the coincidence persists, I will be suspicious.¡± There was a person who seemed to be unable to understand the situation ever since it started. Eventually, I stopped fooling around, took a step back, and copsed as if my legs lost strength. Paang! At the same time, the weapon containing the sword energy sliced through the air where my head was supposed to be, scattering in the air aimlessly. What a moron. ¡°Huh?!¡± Right before it hit me, I fell backward and avoided the offensive, and as I did so, I saw his eyes widen. I murmured, speaking in a hushed voice, having no intention to be heard, making his eyes fill with even more anger. He soon realized something went wrong and tried to run away. It was a little toote to go back. There was nothing I could do now except continue executing my Entertainment Swordsmanship technique. ¡°Ugh!¡± My staggering feet tripped his legs, which made him lose his bnce and fall toward me. Thump! Thump! We got entangled as we rolled over the floor. Those who watched our miserable and unsightly battle were silent as if they were at a loss for words. Whoooong! And, by the time the cloud of the moment was over¡­ Miraculously, I preempted the position of pressing him down from above and reflexively hacked my sword down, hitting the floor inches away from his head. It looked as if my sword, which I used for nothing but supporting my body, had delivered a clean hit. ¡°¡­¡± Baltian was on the floor. I sat on him and purposely missed his head. As the winner of the match was determined by a coincidence, astonishment and cold silence surrounded the banquet hall. I felt everyone¡¯s eyes on me, surprised by the ridiculous situation. As I looked up, Baltian, who had rolled on the ground with me, looked up at me with a disbelieving expression. There were a lot of surprises. Lightly, casually and slowly, I lifted the sword that struck the space right next to his ear and smiled. Immediately afterward, I heard the sound of him breathing in deeply. ¡°I think I won.¡± ¡®Pretend you don¡¯t know anything,¡¯ The silencested way longer than I thought. Chapter 19 Episode 19 The duel was a mess. It was simply a sloppy fight between children who had just learned how to use a sword. The problem was that Prince Baltian, who came here to represent the Voltiz Kingdom, showed that childlike fight. Everyone already heard that I was a weak prince who just woke up from aa; that topicsted a long time in the flow of conversation. At this point, everyone would know my situation, even the royalty from other countries who had no interest in me. Baltian was well-known for his talent in swords. However, he fell to the floor under my sloppy attacks. No one in the banquet hall seemed to want to break the silence in this ridiculous situation. The advantage of the drunken, or entertainment, sword was that my level couldn¡¯t be grasped in the eyes of others. It was a randomly wielded sword, one that could be avoided easily. However, it was said that giving a lesson was different from doing it yourself. It seemed like they could easily avoid it, but they still couldn¡¯t. It was one of the strongest aspects of the entertainment sword. Originally, it was a sword technique that could distract the opponent¡¯s attention, but it wasn¡¯t just left to spontaneous luck. ¡°Oh, my arms and legs are sore.¡± When I stumbled weakly, dropping my sword, Winley rushed over to help me. ¡°Davey! Are you alright?!¡± She shouted in dismay, looking up at me as she checked if I was hurt. ¡°Brother!¡± At the same time, Barris, who had been sporting a nk expression this entire time, followed a moment after her. ¡°Why were you so reckless?¡± ¡°I was lucky. Haha.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± He let out a short sigh when I smiled awkwardly at him. ¡°The game is over,¡± Ileana said quietly, breaking the silence. ¡°Princess Ileana! This was a mistake.¡± In response, Baltian hurried to get up and tried to find an excuse, but the cold beauty only gave him a colder look. ¡°Does one of the knight¡¯s vows intend to reverse the oue?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a fair game!¡± ¡°Yes, it was a very dirty game, far from justification that the Prince Baltian promised. Do you think you have the right toin about it after you lost?¡± It was a straightforward way of speaking that one could rarely see among thedies in the social life. She stared at Baltian, standing by with a dumb expression, and soon turned to me. Then, she looked momentarily puzzled before she turned away. ¡°Huh, I¡¯d better go.¡± At that, she walked away as if she lost her interest. Oh, she was indeed an ice queen. I appreciated her beauty and her favor, but that stern look wasn¡¯t my cup of tea. Except a few who were leaving behind her, the remaining soon turned to Prince Baltian. ¡°You have to keep your promise no matter what.¡± His face flushed red with shame and anger as I spoke. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°It is toote to say no.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He frowned at my words. ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± ¡°Are you saying that you would go against what you said as the representative of the Kingdom of Voltiz?¡± His body flinched at the calm words. The young aristocrats who followed Baltian from the Voltiz Kingdom looked growingly concerned since they could not stop the situation. ¡°I deserve an apology from you.¡± He clenched his teeth as I said this. He looked like he was holding back his anger to kill me right away. ¡°Keep your promise! Prince Baltian.¡± Barris shot back with a stern look on his face, which made Baltian clench his teeth and put his head down after he looked around. Then, he slowly knelt. ¡°I was disrespectful to Princess Winley and Prince David¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Losing face, he ground his teeth so hard that it wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to kill a single person right away. But what could he do? A deal was a deal. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to apologize to me, who had humiliated him in front of so many people. There was an unbearable humiliation at the sight of his mumbling. Winley, who would normally have epted the apology, grabbed my hand in anger. ¡°Huh, let¡¯s go back, Davey.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, brother.¡± It seemed difficult to stay in the banquet hall any longer because of the discord. I had no patience when it came to my precious sister, especially if anyone treated her disrespectfully. Turning around with a soft smile inside, I left the banquet hall, ignoring him with a clenched fist. I didn¡¯t know what kind of spite he might have against me, but it was beyond my interest.
  1. A monster.
¡°Brother! You were reckless!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Did you know you could¡¯ve been in big trouble?¡± Watching the two twins made me smile as they voiced theirints as soon as we got to the carriage. ¡°It is all good now.¡± He was a guy with that kind of personality, but he was still famous in the Voltiz kingdom for his talent. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen him before during a joint event.¡± Feeling offended, Winley swept her arm. ¡°Since then, he has constantly been pushing for marriage. He isn¡¯t just stupid, but bad-sighted as well.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± I didn¡¯t know that he had harassed her before. If I knew, I would have broken his arm. It wasn¡¯t easy for a sword trainer to feel Mana without talent. But it was also not easy to train and enter the expert rank. It was like saying that most knights couldn¡¯t reach the master rank, even if they tried during their entire lives. There were three Sword Masters in the kingdom of Al Rown, but even if the entire continent werebined, the number of Sword Masters would amount to less than 50. Despite this, the continent had a bigger poption than expected. ¡°David, did you get hurt anywhere? Are you alright? With a tearful face, Winley held her tightly and asked. ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t get hurt for sure.¡± He couldn¡¯t hurt me; he was dancing to my tune the entire time. However, I would have seemed to be in danger to the audience. It was the entertainment sword that I chose to humiliate the opponent without revealing my presence. The results were a little childish but quite satisfactory. It was possible that the conflict with him could worsen the cold war between the Voltiz and the Al Rown Kingdom. ¡°My stomach dropped! If you got hurt, how was I supposed to see you again?¡± As Barris spoke wildly, I flicked his forehead without hesitation. I then smiled at him when he began shrieking in pain. I was thankful that they cared about me; that was probably why I cared more about these two. ¡°Brother, where the hell does your powere from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a trick. And I¡¯m not that patient, so I just did it without thinking.¡± ¡°Hum¡­that isn¡¯t true.¡± Barris¡¯s gaze was the look of someone who knew me to some extent. That was how he looked. ¡°As long as it worked. It¡¯s all right, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Whoa¡­well, since you¡¯re not hurt, I won¡¯t say anything anymore. But please don¡¯t do this again. I¡¯ll do it for you. Brother. ¡°God helped you. You stumbled because you couldn¡¯t bear the weight of the sword, which let down his guard.¡± Winley murmured in curiosity. ¡°Sure. He probably didn¡¯t see what wasing.¡± ¡°Ha! To tell you the truth, I was grateful. You were amazing!¡± Barris didn¡¯t add anything to Winley¡¯s remark, but his mouth was twitching, so perhaps he felt the same. * * * ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!¡± A furious boy threw everything in his room, breaking everything into pieces. ¡°Prince Majesty, please calm down!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± The boy shouted coldly as if he were going to cut down the man right away. ¡°How dare he! I am the next Emperor of Voltiz Kingdom.¡± ¡°Prince Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Prince!¡± The boy¡¯s shout made the aristocrat who had been blocking him tremble. ¡°Get out of here before I kill you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one could stop him anymore. The aristocrats went outside with their heads down without another word, leaving the boy to his rage. ¡°I¡¯ll kill him. I¡¯ll kill him!!¡± His anger was aimed towards Davey, who mortified him in a great deal. ¡°Sigh¡­sigh¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to kill him?¡± It was then¡­ He stopped, unquenchable anger burning in his eyes. The boy, frowning reflexively, turned his head, and a red-eyed woman was sitting by the window. She looked like she was in her early 20s. The woman¡¯s red hair and red eyes were the only things shining in the darkroom in the night. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Do you want to kill him?¡± It was an alluring voice, perhaps meant to prey on those who gave into its charm. ¡°I asked who you are!¡± Baltian, shouting furiously, pulled out the long-sword that was beside him. However, she didn¡¯t seem to care. The woman simply lifted herself and walked towards him from the window. ¡°I can help you.¡± Like a mother whoforted a child, or a sister who took care of her little brother¡­like a woman whispering love¡­ Baltian didn¡¯t say anything as he saw hering toward him. ¡°I can help you, baby.¡± His trembling hands slowly began to stop with the seductive voice. At the same time, his eyes began to turn nk. ¡°Kill¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, your anger called me out. I¡¯ll help you rip his flesh and take his bones.¡± ¡°Your¡­name is??¡± ¡°Sharis. Please remember my name.¡± Baltian, who was looking at her with nk eyes, nodded unconsciously. Looking at him, the woman, her eyes shining red, gradually showed a cold smile. Then she moved closer, hugging Baltian and murmuring as she buried her face in his neck. ¡°Good boy. Leave it all to me. You just have to do what your heart tells you.¡± Simultaneously, her mouth slowly opened, and her canines sank relentlessly into his neck within the darkroom. Chapter 20 Episode 20 If there were any wounds, Amy would have insisted on treating them. However, there weren¡¯t any, so Amy stayed quiet with a puzzled expression fixed on the three of us, settling into the strange atmosphere. In this way, she felt like a nanny, not a maid. It was weird to say this about a girl younger than me, but the way Amy took care of me was over the top. Meanwhile, Barris continued with his sword training. Silent Night. Despite what happened in the banquet hall, the Duchy of Felicity maintained a festive atmosphere. The story didn¡¯t spread wide. Even if it did, people would have considered it as amon fight between some aristocrats. ¡°Will it be okay?¡± I read a book silently when Barris, who stopped swinging his sword, turned to me carefully. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Prince Baltian is the most promising candidate for the Crown Prince of the Voltiz Kingdom. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible for him to hold resentment over this incident?¡± ¡°Let him do whatever he wants.¡± When I calmly moved my gaze back in the book, Barrisughed bluntly. Then he put his sword down and plunged into the seat. ¡°How is Winley?¡± ¡°I think she was so stressed that she fell asleep a while ago.¡± ¡°You should sleep soon because your tournament starts tomorrow. Your match is in the first round in the draw.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± He closed his eyes quietly as if there was some kind of fire burning in his mind. ¡°Although it looked weird, you destroyed him once. But I¡¯m not satisfied yet.¡± ¡°Then? ¡°I will smash Prince Baltian with my own hands.¡± With this, I saw his determination. Barris was an expert intermediate. Prince Baltian of the Voltiz Kingdom, whom I faced, was a beginner. Although Barris¡¯s skill was slightly above his level, you still couldn¡¯t guarantee anything if you were on the same level with them unless there was a distinctive difference. He probably knew this. A bitter smile came out. I would love to teach him the swordsmanship I learned, but a one-day lesson wouldn¡¯t make a big difference. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be great.¡± He was choosing mana with his eyes closed and smiled at my words. ¡°Of course. Whose brother am I?¡± ¡°Are you trying to tter me?.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± His smile disappeared quickly in his face. He seemed serious in his way. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Out of my curiosity, I immediately focused my eyes on the mana as I sat on a branch and watched Barris sitting on the floor of the garden, whirring about. His rotating mana soon came into view and spread out evenly and wide. Clean. That was the first thought I felt when I saw his mana. Honest and gentle. It wasn¡¯t a bad move. However, I felt like there was a part that was a little blocked. ¡®Should I help him just a little bit?¡¯ If this method were known, wouldn¡¯t it cause an uproar? It was apletely different method, destroying the concept of the mostmon training method. There was a reason why so manyrge groups of martial arts people worked hard to implement casting off one¡¯s old self. I often didn¡¯t use this trick, but I didn¡¯t want to be stingy with my brother¡¯s matters. Besides, a vindictive Baltian could do something stupid to Barris. ¡°Barris.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let me give you a massage.¡± As I calmly stepped down from the branch and walked close to him sitting, he closed his eyes and waited for my hand. It would hurt a little. ¡°Ouch?! Brother?!¡± ¡°Well, you must have been a little tense in your muscles.¡± ¡°Well, wait for a second!¡± ¡°It seems to be too stiff.¡± As if massaging his shoulders, he clenched his teeth and gasped under my touch. Although he probably wanted to writhe, he couldn¡¯t even properly resist the pain because he lost all his strength. ¡°What the¡­heck!¡± ¡°Whoa, it is pretty bad.¡± ¡®He is just massaging me, but why is my whole body sore?¡¯ He was probably thinking this. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not just a massage, boy.¡¯ I spread the mana by stimting his shoulders with my hand, which would shake it up to be active without his awareness. With this simple exnation, it was obvious how much difference it would make. I had heard a Thai massage was one of the best. ¡°Y Pongtai!¡± ¡°Hey! Oh! What are you talking about¡­ahhh?!¡± The massage took me a while to make his body flexible, in which mana was hardened in his shaking, writhing body. I smiled as I was satisfied with the mana¡¯s flow in his body, which changed slightly. ¡®Ah, I forgot the insurance.¡¯ Disregarding Barris catching his breath, I collected mana in my right palm. Then, mana began to shine in the form of a small, borate magic square with my will, and I hit his back as soon as I finished it. ¡°Ouch!!¡± ¡°Boy, you need to get some rest. Just go and sleep.¡± His scream resonated out when I hit him on his back once more. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t forget to check if the small golden magic square engraved on his back was fixed. He was also giving me a strangely dissatisfied look. He probably had no clue how some of his body structure changed as I twisted with the massage that I gave him a little while ago. * * * The day was bright, and the Continental Swordsmanshippetition officially began. Although the tradition itself was quite old, it was also an important game in its way, which had maintained peace between nations without any idents. The discord that urred here would soon spread to disputes between countries. Although the war wasn¡¯t eradicated on the continent, it would be true that such a harmoniouspetition was suppressing the war as much as possible. I remained in the dorm on the pretext of being unwell, sitting on the bed, condensing mana with my fingertips, and repeating to release it. ¡°I feel there is enough manas for Aura de, but why am I still not able to recast?¡± While supporting everyone else, I couldn¡¯t check my body properly. To be clear, I knew that my body was moving a lot differently from its normal orbit, but it was too far off from what I expected. Bone metamorphosis. The heroes of the corridor all spoke together and expressed it that way. It was self-evolution that changed itself when the body was to hit the limit of growth. Humans had the only advantage, who didn¡¯t have spirit affinities like elves and long lifespan, toughness and delicacy like dwarves, and powerful magic power like demons. If you embraced everything, it would make the bone metamorphosis happen. Ordinary bone metamorphosis happened with humans that had too much mana or other strength that couldn¡¯t be held in their body. So, when the expert reached the level of Sword Master, the mana that had grown to the limit would gather rapidly based on certain enlightenment and evolve by itself. Stronger muscle strength, a strong body, and a younger appearance were one thing, and one¡¯s longevity would also be extended. It was like a tremendous reward for your efforts. If so, how should I exin my case? Most of them were still asleep, but I had returned with an unbelievable amount of mana in my body. It was like the mana that needed to be umted slowly was filled in at once. ¡®It wasn¡¯t normal to go there while I was in aa in the first ce.¡¯ There was no effect without a cause. There must be a reason why I fell into the Corridor, but that wasn¡¯t what I cared about now. All I wanted now was my well-being and longevity. My life was too short in my past or present life, so I had a little obsession with life. The goal of my life was to eat well and live well for a long time. I wasn¡¯t going just to watch and let people ruin my n. In terms of safety, a prince¡¯s status was safe enough to be iparable with ordinarymoners, but in a different sense, it was more dangerous. As there was no power, I had to protect myself. However, I felt lost since the bone metamorphosis hadn¡¯t yet urred. ¡°It changed well in the corridor.¡± I worried while suppressing theints that popped in my head. ¡®Shall I just force to change it?¡¯ If the knights, who look forward to pioneering thend, heard me, they would have a stroke. There were many possible solutions, but the effect wasn¡¯t worth trying. Eventually, after contemting, the conclusion I made was to hold. The metamorphosis of the bone structure happened naturally when a direct load or trigger was given to the body. No matter how many experiences you had, the realm of the human body and mana was unknown. What if I tried and failed? It would be like forcing something that had less than one percent chance of sess and pushing it into the reinforcing machine. It wasn¡¯t worth considering my priceless body as a piece of data. ¡°Majesty, it¡¯s time for Prince Barris¡¯s match to begin soon.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°If you¡¯rete, you might miss the game¡­¡± When I focused on training mana in silence for a long time, Amy suddenly peaked out her head and reported with an anxious look. She looked worried at the possibility that I might do something absurd again. What did I do? Although I often did weird things in front of her, was it quite disrespectful? ¡°Amy.¡± ¡°Yes, Yes?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hah. Yep!¡± As she looked at me with an anxious expression, she bowed her head in surprise. There was a lot to find out, but for now, we had to stick to reality. Didn¡¯t I learn enough in the corridor that I shouldn¡¯t be impatient? I slowly changed intofortable activity attire and left. * * * The arena of the Duchy of Felicity was a truly beautiful stadium. The maximum age limit for the participants of thepetition was 20 years old. It was apetition among young boys, but it wasn¡¯t such a low-level game considering their talent. All of these were talented sons representing their respective countries. It wasn¡¯t easy to enter into the expert level even if the average knights were recognized for their skills and status as knights. When it came to royal knights, most of them were experts, but ordinary knights could deal with mana only a little bit. In that sense, Barris¡¯s talent was quite outstanding. I headed to the special audience seats of the nobles above the normal audience seats that filled the stadium. It looked like they could have amodated more people without these special seats, but I wouldn¡¯t protest against this. Soon, the crowd began to cheer. I saw a boy above the stadium posturing for victory. ¡°Oh, Davey!¡± Winley, looking out of the ss and chewing cookiesbatively, was delighted to find me. ¡°Hey, how is your body? ¡°Not bad.¡± Even if I died, I wouldn¡¯t tell her that I couldn¡¯t go because I had to go to the bathroom. Stupid bowel movement! If I couldn¡¯t solve it with the bone metamorphosis, I might have to use divine power. ¡°Where is Barris?¡± ¡°He will start his match soon.¡± Chapter 21 Episode 21 Barris¡¯s game was none other than a match against Baltian, the prince of the Voltiz kingdom. I thought of how funny it was to have this match right away, but it was better than not being able to have it at all. Barris was standing on the martial arts field with a determined face, showing no fear whatsoever. I felt the excitement in the entire stadium was heated up from the previous game. Since most participants had outstanding skills, it must have been markedly different from the usual scuffles. Barris had a ymore, simr to his body size, but the sword¡¯s de was quite blunt for a non-lethal battle. Wizards and priests with outstanding skills were on standby, but if you were hit with a sharp-edged weapon, you would still likely die before any treatment could ur. ¡°I am so worried if he gets injured while running like an angry foal.¡± ¡°Barris has a lot of experience. He will be fine.¡± ¡°I know, but¡­¡± Winley was a rear assistant, but Barris used to take the lead when clearing up the many mountain thieves in the country, perhaps because of his personality. Because of that, I felt sorry for the knights who were busy trying to protect him. Before long, Baltian slowly appeared with a long sword from the other side. I expected that he wouldn¡¯t look good because of the embarrassment he had at the banquet yesterday, but his face was scarily expressionless. ¡°Even though the de of the sword is dull, killing is forbidden. Do not attack each other with direct qi.¡± A wizard in a robe quietly spoke and then installed a barrier in front of the battlefield. It was to prevent the fight from flying to the audience seats. He had a gaze filled with hostility, but Barris stared at Baltian without saying anything. On the contrary, Baltian simply pulled out his sword silently. ¡°Start!¡± Before long, the two men collided as soon as the start signal went off. Barris, who learned deadly swordsmanship using power, and Baltian, who uses a variable sword technique to fool his opponent with a long sword. Barris was dominant when it came to proficiency and stability in swordsmanship. Besides, the atmosphere was turning toward him because of the misbehavior that Baltian showed before. Those who saw him at the banquet didn¡¯t seem to have any expectations from Baltian. However¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Unlike everyone¡¯s expectations, Baltian fought head-to-head against Barris¡¯s sword. Did his skill improve? Not really. It was like a strange sh of D¨¦j¨¤ vu. ng! ng! They both had expert-level skills, reinforcing their bodies with mana. Even though the swords didn¡¯t have sharp des, I could see sparks when they collided. ng!! ng!! The wild audience had now gone silent, surprised by the close encounter between the two. Without even screaming, they squeezed their hands tightly and swallowed their breath. Abandoning deadly swordsmanship of unknown origin to me, was far beyond the physical abilities that he showed yesterday. It was impossible that him improved his skill in that short time. As if he had changedpletely, his swordsmanship was alien to me. If I hadn¡¯t awakened Barris¡¯s mana yesterday, it would have been a big mess. ng!! The two men, who were pushing each other in a strengthpetition, spread apart simultaneously. ¡°Wow¡­it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Barris move that fast¡­¡± Winley was right. Barris, who was catching his breath, seemed surprised that his physical ability increased sharply from yesterday and once again surprised that sword technique, struck him with the same sword technique as himself. ¡°His skill has significantly improved.¡± Barris, who used to say that he would be a knight, wielding a wooden sword at random, had indeed grown a lot. Baltian was acting weird, but I felt proud of Barris at the same time. ¡°I never thought he¡¯d be so good at using the power sword like this.¡± Catching his breath, Barris quietly asked Baltian. However, Baltian remained quiet, just raising his longsword and pushing toward him. Once again, I felt a sense of D¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Davey, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± While speaking calmly, I immediately focused themand mana on my eyes. The Silent magic trick was activated, and I started to see things slowly in the dark. This was ck magic that could read the opponent¡¯s mind. At the same time¡­ I frowned at Baltian when I saw the air current flowing through his body. ¡°What the heck?¡± I jumped up, realizing something wasn¡¯t right. Then, the battle between the two was over at the same time. As if making a final decision, Baltian pushed himself toward Barris¡¯s sword. Reflexively turning the sword¡¯s trajectory and trying to attack again, Baltian didn¡¯t miss the short gap and swung his sword. And, momentarily, a red air current in his sword appeared, and he thrust his sword into the heart of Barris without hesitation. Bhaha!!!! Simultaneously, a blue veil around his body prevented Baltian¡¯s attack and disappeared as if crushed.
    1. Let me borrow a sword.
The Continental Swordsmanship Competition was apetition in which outstanding peoplepeted. Functionally, it was a sports game with the principle of not killing your opponents. However, he relentlessly vited two of the biggest rules: not to use murderous techniques and not to apply qi to his weapon. The inside of the stadium, full of surprise, began to sway. Blue air veil. Anyone who knew swordsmanship wouldn¡¯t miss it. This was of expert-intermediate level or higher. Because of this, it was a self-barrier that more advanced professionals used. When he inflicted a dangerous attack, the mana would then wake up to protect the owner. It was of an advanced expert level or higher¡­ Most swordsmen were often frustrated because they couldn¡¯t break through this situation, but Barris pioneered the technique at the age of fourteen. All I did was to slightly stimte his mana, which had been hardened to his body, but even with that, his condition had already taken a big step forward. Of course, Baltian¡¯s sword qi wasn¡¯t ordinary; it was an ominous dark red qi. Since he entered the upper ranks, Barris couldn¡¯t mitigate all the shock. (Cough) As a small amount of blood flowed out of Barris¡¯s mouth, Barris slowly raised himself with a pale face. ¡°Duel is stopped! Prince Baltian! You have vited two rules, so I dere your disqualification!¡± With the wizard¡¯s furious shout, the knights quickly climbed up the battlefield, surrounded, and suppressed him. However, Baltian only turned his head to a bizarre angle with an expressionless face despite this situation. Then, he puffed his lips as he opened his mouth for the first time. ¡°Kkkkrr!¡± However, the voice that flowed out of his mouth was so strange that he didn¡¯t sound like a human at all. ¡°Prince Baltian de Voltiz! At a convention held for the Confederation of Nations¡¯ unity, this rude behavior can only be regarded as the intention of the Voltiz nation.¡± Officials of the host country, the Duchy of Felicity, shouted angrily. If Barris were killed here, it wouldn¡¯t be a normal problem. That wasn¡¯t only true for Barris, but for everyone who participated. Those who came here were representatives of each country. Among them were the royal family and the sons of famous military nobility. Any country that valued ??them would certainly not be happy and make a im. If so, of course, unity, which was the national coalition¡¯s purpose, would be over. They all knew that once two small nations dered war, all the neighboring countries would jump in since they¡¯ve waited for this very reason to do so. However, even at the words of the official of the Principality of Felicity, he just tilted his head and didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°From our perspective, the prince¡¯s action was malicious and deliberate actions to revenge! If you do not give any rification, I will formally report a im against the Voltiz Kingdom as the current host of the Continental Swordsmanship Contest organized by the Confederation of Nations!¡± As if throwing an injunction, the official shouted. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Please wait! The prince¡¯s action wasn¡¯t intended to cause discord!¡± A formal im would never be what the Voltiz Kingdom would hope for. The Voltiz Kingdom¡¯s nobles who jumped up over the battlefield were sweating to ease the situation. ¡°Prince! Please, say something..!¡± It was then. Baltian, who was still silent, turned his head to a bizarre angle and grabbed the head of a nobleman who approached him. (Gnarl) (Crackling) In an instant, the head of the nobleman burst like a watermelon hit by a baseball bat. At the same time, the blood disappeared from the faces of everyone watching the situation at the stadium. * * * With his mouth wide open, Baltian began to shed a bizarre sound and a red air veil, not only from his sword, but also from his empty hand formed. As if a sticky liquid was flowing over, the appearance of the red air veil that enclosed his entire body gave the viewers goosebumps. ¡°Ahhhhhh!!!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh!!¡± Then, after a brief silence, screams began to erupt from all over the stadium. Again, the game was supposed to be a friendly match with a strong sports concept. If an athlete grabbed a person¡¯s head and burst it during the Earth¡¯s Olympic Games, it would surely cause chaos like this. Baltian¡¯s eyes, which looked as if they were smiling, were moving quickly, and the white part of his eyes began to turn red. Simultaneously, unidentified veins sprouted all over the skin, and the fangs visible in his open mouth began to lengthen, much like a vampire from a ghost story. ¡®Infection.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a normal vampire that could create an infectious agent that could shed Dark qi. Instinctively realizing it, I narrowed my eyes. I noticed that he wasn¡¯t the same as I knew just by looking at the flow of mana from a little while ago. The flow of mana that creatures should have wasn¡¯t there, and only a bizarre flow remained. As I approached, Barris, ignoring Baltian, who was standing overwhelmed by the knights, looked up at me with a half-pale expression. Chapter 22 Episode 22 ¡°Davey¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Good job.¡± ¡°Cough! Did you see that? I made that air veil, brother.¡± He smiled, and I knew he was trying to make me not worry. He was, after all, only a 14-year-old boy. He had matured rather quicklypared to others. Meanwhile, I felt like I was stuck to the ground. If I hadn¡¯t set up a protection yesterday, Barris would have lost his life in this match. No one else, but my brother, who was the only one on my side in the stark pce, almost died. ¡°Go in and take some rest.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Baltian.¡± I sent Barris away on a stretcher and headed to the field. My dream was to eat well and live peacefully, just like everyone else. It was a simple dream for me, who hadn¡¯t lived in such a way in the previous and present lifebined. Life in the corridor wasn¡¯t a living form. That was why I couldn¡¯t stand out that much. No matter how brilliant a human could be, they could never survive by turning everyone into an enemy. Did they say that a cornered stone meets the mason¡¯s chisel? When judged objectively, I had a range of diversity that ordinary people could never understand. That meant that I could be considered a dangerous molecule. Especially now, when enemies in the Al Rown pce surrounded me. As I approached Baltian in anger, the knights hurriedly blocked me. Baltian, bizarrely changed, didn¡¯t look like a human being but a monster now. Of course, the knights, pulling out their swords, didn¡¯t let me get close to him. ¡°If you get any closer than this, it is too dangerous. Please step back!¡± He said firmly, but I, ignoring the knights, turned around and stared at him. I wondered what the use of these words would be to a man who lost consciousness. It was annoying. What should I do? Should I pull out all of his limbs even if it would end in a war with Voltiz? Or should I take another way? As I mulled this over, Baltian started to move. ¡°Uggghh! Ugggghhhh!!¡± He began to shed bloody tears from his red eyes, looking at me, and then he ran towards me. ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let Prince Baltian close to Prince Davey!¡± Even so, he continued to rush powerfully. ¡°Huh?!¡± His power was too strong to be stopped by the skilled knights. Slice! He cut the knights in front of him with a red sword to reach me. ¡°Davey!!!¡± Winley, who had followed me, screamed. Everyone thought that it was toote to stop him. ¡°Move.¡± A blonde-haired girl stormed over the field, grabbed my shoulder, and pulled me backward, swinging a sword at Baltian. [Heavy sword. Splitting the Mountain.] The girl, who looked only about 150cm-tall and holding a huge sword as tall as her, struck at him,pletely changing from someone with a cold face to an insane monster. Kuwoong!!! Tremendous vibrations resonated out, and the stone floor, protected by magic, shook and cracked lightly. It was just one strike. However, with it, he was thrown to the ground on one knee by the girl¡¯s overwhelmingly heavy attack. ¡°Raauugh! Raaaaaugh!!¡± Her attack made him shriek. Ileana de Pn, called the Princess of Swords, appeared with a blue air veil all over her body, staring coldly at Baltian with tightly constricted pupils. ¡°Vampire¡­¡± As if there she held a grudge against vampires, she kicked him in the head. She was so fast and intense that even the knights who kept their distance to counterattack Baltian couldn¡¯t stop her. Rather, she was way more powerful than most of the knights here, so it would be more practical to help her defeat him rather than stop her. ¡°Raauughhh!!¡± He screamed and fought back, but Princess Ileana pushed him away like a beast. ¡°The prince is more powerful! Help her defeat him!¡± Baltian was no longer a prince, but a monster was running wild. The knights followed her and raised their swords. The wizards who were supervising the battlefield applied attack magic quickly, and the priests who were waiting for the wounded squeezed out their divine power and increased the momentum to press him down. He wouldn¡¯t run wild anymore. Everyone thought so. ¡°Raaugghh!¡± He pulled out a bizarre gem from his heart when she pushed him to the far end of the field. ¡®Blood Polis?¡¯ It was a sanctuary for vampires. No matter what it was or what it did, my body reacted instantly. Even though Barris went out of the stadium on a stretcher, Winley was still here. As I pulled Winley reflexively toward me and focused my energy, the frightening red gem pulled out of his heart emitted a big light. It turned into a living fog and soon swallowed up its surroundings. * * * It didn¡¯t take much time for the wave of bloody fog to cover the entire arena. As if volcanic ash was flying from a volcanic eruption, wait a minute! At that moment, it was filled with red fog on all sides, promptly covering everything. Only two were shining in that space where you couldn¡¯t normally even see one inch ahead. Ileana was sitting down while scattering light from her body, and I, holding Winley in my arm, made an air veil to block the fog. In other words, only the three of us were awake. If there were swordmasters, they might have been fine as well, but the Duchy of Felicity didn¡¯t have any swordmasters. If so, what about the sword-masters in other countries? ording to the agreement of the Union of Nations, the swordmasters were considered as human weapons and weren¡¯t allowed to leave their country unless it was quite a matter of affairs. The swordmasters here were treated like knights who had mediocre proficiency that was below Princess Ileana¡¯s level. In the first ce, it was unlikely that swordmasters came here since there weren¡¯t many on the continent. ¡°Cough, Davey?¡± Winley, who was painfully breathing, looked exhausted like a person who hadn¡¯t slept for several days. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Winley. Everything is okay.¡± ¡°Davey¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t even think of herself and eventually closed her eyes. ¡°Get some sleep, and everything will be fine after you wake up from a good dream.¡± I spoke calmly, carefullyying her in a corner. Then, I frowned as I stretched out my hands. ¡®Hurry up and move. If you¡¯rezy, you¡¯ll be mixed up with themand mana.¡¯ Whooooshh! As if shrieking, a pale white light moved through my fingertips. There were three energies in me: Mana,mand mana, and divine power. Each had its characteristics. Only those who had reached a certain level tomunicate with mana were able to sense the change. Not only did it increase efficiency, but it also eliminated recoil and raised more power than I currently had. This was the state of enlightenment at the very highest master level. My body currently maintained a slightly abnormal bnce, though. It had been a little weird since the beginning. The word ¡°psycho¡± would suit themand mana. ¡®Use me right now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll scream!!¡¯ Themand mana had this kind of mindset. It had the fastest resilience and was also the most efficient for this reason. The other mana, in a sense, was like a sassy girl. She was difficult, but when I expressed my will, she reluctantly but elegantly moved. And, the divine power showed the worst dullness. It had azy nature that didn¡¯t listen to whatever I would say. Even now, if I didn¡¯t force it to move, it wouldn¡¯t have moved. It was simr to giving a dog a treat for tricks; it only moved when there was special motivation. This was level 4 divine magic, the Shining bright protection. The impact of the Blood Polis wouldn¡¯t reach her for a while. However, I wasn¡¯t satisfied with it yet and kept using different divine magic. ¡°Whew¡­¡± A sigh of relief flowed out only after a great deal of divine power escaped, and intense light covered Winley. She wasn¡¯t in pain anymore and looked healthier. Too many people in the stadium were suffering from the Blood Polis, but I didn¡¯t have time to take care of them. It was a crazy idea to apply protective magic one by one with my divine power in the first ce. My divine magic was, after all, only at level 4. Level 1 was the best, so Level 4 was not the lowest. It was quite simr to the fourth circle magic. As I looked at the two people silently, I got up slowly. Then, I looked at the blonde-hair girl grasping for her sword on one side. Her blond hair, which was bright as honey, was scattered weakly, and her face, which was beautiful enough to take away one¡¯s eyes, looked pale. Nevertheless, the original beauty remained the same. After all, appearance mattered when it came to someone¡¯s first impression. Unfortunately, we all tended to judge a person by appearance. ¡°Sigh¡­sigh¡­¡± I could barely endure the airflow from my body. I didn¡¯t expect her to have a stronger power beyond this. Of course, I didn¡¯t need her help. When I approached her silently and put my hand on her back, she cringed away. She was barely holding on with a half-broken giant sword, and as the mana gradually flowed in through my hand, she stopped gasping and began to breathe slowly and evenly. ¡°Once you feel better, step back.¡± ¡°Hold on! You?!¡± She realized my existence, looking up at me in amazement. There was a puzzled expression on her face. ¡°You¡­howe you are unaffected?!¡± The bloody fog covering their surroundings weakened and copsed everyone who inhaled. That included the knights with excellent skills who could manage a certain amount of mana. However, I was fine. She wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to know my situation. The fact that I was the prince of misfortune, who fell into aa in an ident and was unable to wake up for six years¡­she had probably heard about me after she came here. Still, she seemed to believe that I was a weak prince with no power after watching the whole thing at the banquet yesterday. ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Cough! I don¡¯t know what happened, but you should step back. It¡¯s not something that you can solve.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I can solve the situation.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t resolve the situation with luck like the duel at the banquet!¡± She shouted urgently. ¡°They are the nobles of the night, the demons that remained in old books. You¡¯ve probably heard of vampires.¡± It was more than that I heard of them. I had hundreds of thousands of fights against vampires. As I was silently listening to her, I found that she couldn¡¯t control her body. Because of this, she forced herself to lift her sword in an attempt to block me. Chapter 23 Episode 23 ¡°You can¡¯t solve the situation by luck this time. You¡¯ll be torn right away since you hardly feel the mana. I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re normal, but go run away.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like he is going to stop.¡± ¡°I will stop him!¡± She was someone who didn¡¯t easily show her emotions. The position of the princess would have changed her in that way. However, now, she was showing excessive obsession. It seemed that vampires were her deadly enemy. I pulled her shoulder as she was trying hard to activate mana with a bitter smile inside. It was a little revenge for interfering in the situation. ¡°What?!¡± I gently poked the back of her neck with my index and middle finger. ¡°Ouch!!¡± The moment she looked back at me with a shocked expression, I poked her corbone urately and quickly one more time. ¡°Huh?!¡± Her body thusly copsed like a broken doll. ¡°What¡­what is this?!¡± She looked puzzled, trying to understand the situation that happened to her body. I felt so guilty looking at her eyes, asking for an exnation in which I didn¡¯t turn away without a word. ¡°I am not sure why you have such a grudge against vampires, but it¡¯s my job, so don¡¯t get in the way of my work.¡± Her eyes were wide open in astonishment with my dire warning. ¡°What, what are you¡­?¡± I left her behind. I closed my fists, and stretched out with my left hand measuring the distance. Then, I took a short breath as I pulled my left foot back. ¡°Ugghh! Ughghhhh!!¡± Baltian, who was passionately breathing the bloody mist, ran into me with the speed of a bullet. The bloody mist was the best circumstance to him. He proved to be faster and more powerful after inhaling a lot of mist. Dark qi was working within him, and he was immune to magic. He was a type of undead monster who had considerable resistance except for one thing. ¡°Ughhh!¡± He was more furious and violent toward me than when attacking the others. Even if he lost his consciousness, he still had the instinct of deep hatred against me. As he struck down his big fist with great force, I hit his wrist to the side with my left hand to measure the distance. It was such tremendous power. Yet, I had the muscle strength that I had trained since I learned swordsmanship for the first time. I knew exactly what his weakness was. I could easily get rid of his force just by twisting his bnce off a little. Should I destroy him in the same way? [Cheonmagong Thousand Bloody Horse Detonation] As the ck destructive magical spirit began to overflow, I prated his heart without hesitation with my fingers and thrust my palm as I rotated. Pop!!! A ck silhouette, extending from my hand to his heart, swallowed him with a huge vibration and disappeared, leaving a huge mark on the wall behind him. * * * The blonde girl was watching the whole thing in astonishment. It all felt like a giant demon destroying a small being. The strange and terrifying feeling made her tremble. ¡°..What is that?¡± She, barely holding herself against the huge vibration, had gone silent as she watched Baltian, a monster boasting a huge body, copse in vain. It was obvious that Baltian was far stronger than before. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t attack carefully. I just punched a hole in his body just by pushing his palm with a little force. It was unbelievable to see him exploding instantly, who had reached the highest level of expert swords. She didn¡¯t even feel a single drop of mana in his body. Was it possible to do that as a human? Was it realistically possible for a human without a handful of mana to blow up a monster with a ck and white current? She couldn¡¯t believe what she had seen. ¡°Phew.¡± I walked towards her, brushing my hands off in relief and ignoring Baltian¡¯s ck blood. It might have been my violence a while ago, or it may be because of the unexpected power I showed, but she looked a little scared of me. As I walked silently and towards her, she was stepping backward without realizing it. Tttt! ¡°Ah!¡± Her feet were twisted because of her sudden movement, and she screamed cutely as she fell to the ground. She looked up at me with a frightened expression, losing her usual imperturbable attitude. Meanwhile, I stayed quiet, thinking about something and smiling at her as she stared at my ck hair. Her cold attitude from a while ago had now disappeared. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m feeling a little better now.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Let me borrow your sword.¡± She tilted her head at my sudden words. The only sword she had was that huge, half-broken sword. Although people said, she was the master of the divine sword Calderas¡­ She didn¡¯t quite master the sword. ¡°This is already broken¡­¡± ¡°Not that one.¡± I pointed to her chest with a smile. It was a little brooch on her outfit. ¡°This.¡± Rip!! Her eyes opened wider as I tore off the brooch without her permission. She couldn¡¯t just seem to understand the situation. ¡°A boss needs a special tool, so let¡¯s borrow your strength. Divine swordmaster.¡±
        1. 9 Hierarchical castle magic, change.
Thousand Nightmaster Surt had been promoted as a hero thanks to his life of making numerous weapons, including swords that would save the world. He had given this name to one of the masterpieces of his life: Calderas. It meant white guardian in an ancient spirit world. He could create a master¡¯s sword from the same material as others; even old swords turned into master swords with his hand. This was a magical cksmith with the blessing of the spirit. He was well known throughout the continent for his ability to smelt a sword by controlling mana. There were two masterpieces in his life, and the other ten swords remained somewhere in the continent as national treasures. All of them were great magic swords, but Calderas was exceptionally superior among them. He made Calderas for his best friend, Haris, by sacrificing his life to give it ego. What was the ego? It was self-esteem. A sword usually emitted power on its own with an ego. Honestly, if I just listened, I had no choice but to feel great, but I knew the truth, and I knew what kind of guy he was. What kind of guy was he? -Hey! Who do you think you are holding me? Put me down!! Wouldn¡¯t you be able to tell just by listening to this crackling and whining from the sword? ¡®Noisy.¡¯ Of course, I had heard of his notorious temper from his master. -What, what?! ¡®Please cooperate with me. If youe out uncooperatively, your master will also die.¡¯ The sword vibrated lightly as if he was startled at my words. ¡°A sword with a vibration function. As I heard, he¡¯s a real pervert.¡± If Surt heard what I said, as the sword maker, he would try to beat me to death right away, whether I was once his student or not. Of course, he was in the corridor so that he wouldn¡¯t hear me. What did it matter if anyone swore when the king didn¡¯t listen? -Hey!! How dare are you treating me like this?! The voice of the screaming sword was inaudible to anyone else. ¡°This¡­hey¡­¡± She was no longer keeping her mind clear without the power of the divine sword. It seemed like she was at her limit. It would be difficult to even stay awake. Her talent was excellent, but she faced a difficult opponent. Whoo¡­ As I concentrated on the energy and lowered the hand holding the brooch, an intense white light burst. The sword was made bypressing an Orichalcum ingot that had been cast for a thousand years. That was why it was a divine sword. As I calmly focused my energy in, a huge storm surrounded my body, and soon the light of the sword turned into a huge giant sword. The length was approximately 120 cm, and the width of the sword was over 10 cm. Considering the current owner, the sword was as tall as Princess Ileana, who was only around 150cm tall, and it ended up being pure white. It had a surprisingly smooth surface and a dangerously sharp de. I could feel the warm divine power radiating so intensely that my head was ringing. Was it obvious because the only magic cksmith on this continent forged this sword? I lifted the sword silently and swept the surface with my fingertips. ¡°It¡¯s superior.¡± Did people say opportunity made a thief? When one saw good things, isn¡¯t it natural to want them? However, I got rid of the thought immediately. It wasn¡¯t mine in the first ce, and it was a sword that didn¡¯t match my personality that much. -I haven¡¯t been awoken by the contractor yet, but uh¡­how did you raise my power?! I swung the sword cutting through the air, ignoring the screaming Calderas, and¡­ Boom!! A great wave of power wrapped around me and slowly scattered. Baltian, the monster wandering around in the red mist, just burst out in a bloody st under my Thousand Bloody Horse Detonation. It wasn¡¯t that there wasn¡¯t an enemy. Baltian, a monster who lost his mind, must have not led the situation. It was the high-ranking vampire who infected him that led to this situation. I silently pulled my hand, holding the grip, pointing the tip of the sword in the air. Then I put the tip of the sword down and sliced it upwards. Chapter 24 [The budget was slightly tighter and we could not do our usual process. However, the quality will pick up after 10 chapters of Community Unlock, since we will be bootstraping an extra editor.] Episode 24 ¡®Please cooperate. Just let me borrow your strength. I¡¯ll do the rest.¡¯ -You¡­what the hell¡­ [Divine Sword Unity] [Super Heavy Sword Thunder] Crack!! Enlightenment was such a convenient system. Muscle strength would build up in the body but bing a pioneer of something and growing enlightened was engraved in my soul. This was a new change to me, who had already been through enlightenment once. It was only that the frozen Mana had now returned to its original state. Although the recovery had been slowed down considerably, it wasn¡¯t ack of enlightenment but rather the sudden release of arge amount of Mana, which caused a gap. The heavy sword, Haris¡® swordsmanship, which could be regarded as the foundation of the technique I used, cleaved the air with enormous power. Even though Mana¡¯s power wasn¡¯t strong enough, the divine sword supplemented the insufficient power of Mana with enormous divine power. As the pure white sh passed through the air, the red smoke disappeared for an instant, leaving a terrible sword¡¯s image instead. ¡°How long are you going to hide? Come out.¡± There was no answer to my words. However, I felt that something wasing closer. ¡°I knew it was a vampire, but I never thought it was a high-ranking vampire.¡± The ck bats united together and broke apart but then slowly began to unite again in the torn air. They then formed the silhouette of a person as they united into a single mass. ¡°Do you remember me? Miss maid.¡± The silhouette turned into a woman who opened her eyes with terrifyingly cold red pupils as she recovered her form. * * * One thing was certain, looking back at my memory, ording to what I¡¯ve heard about the vampire tribe, they were so prideful that their nose was tilted as high as the sky. They referred to themselves as nobles and acted like they had ss inside them. Of course, they certainly had such great power. They were the only creatures who could use blood magic. Vampires instinctively had strong control over blood, simr to the dragon¡¯s unique ability. Blood polis was a power that granted vampires sanctuary. ¡°I thought there was someone secretly helping you when my men were attacked, but I guess it was just you.¡± It was a high-handed tone. She looked down at me silently, looking unsurprised. ¡°As you know, I¡¯m kind of awesome,¡± I responded to her in an attempt to hurt her pride. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe down a little bit? My throat hurts because I keep looking up.¡± ¡°Huh, how dare you¡­¡± ¡°If you wear such a dress and float there, I can see your underwear. It¡¯s ck like your personality.¡± I said calmly, removing the smile on my face. ¡°So,e down right now.¡± Crack!! Then there came a streak of lightning, splitting the space where she was. Of course, the amount of mana I recovered was too small to reach the ability to tear the entire space apart, so what I tore down was a part of this red mist. However, it didn¡¯t matter. The giant sword Calderas was a sword with an ego that possessed great divine power. Sadly, to those infected by vampires or vampires themselves, they were vulnerable against divine power. As my repeated blows hit much harder than before, she frowned and slowly came down to the other side of the field. ¡°With such a catastrophe like this, Queen Liness would never have to cover up her actions even if I, Barris, and Whitney were killed. The rtionship with the Voltiz Kingdom may get worse, but there is no way that the Voltiz Kingdom would wage war against the kingdom of Al Rown, given how targeted they are by the other nations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I smiled at her, who was staring at me as if her pride had been wounded. ¡°Can I assume that you showed up in front of me because you are confident enough to kill me, right? You rolled your head quite well, but what should I do? It¡¯s closing time, fool.¡± ¡°You snobby¡­¡± As she spoke coldly and opened her arms, drops of blood gathered in her hand. A red whip then materialized, and she relentlessly swung it at me. Whip! Whip!! The whip struck the ground, and my body,pletely smashing the hardened floor, was treated with magic. ¡®Ouch. You¡¯re pissed off.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the end yet. The part of my body where the whip touched turned red, and sharp thorns rushed in towards me. Shiiiiing!! Of course, I wasn¡¯t going to keep getting hit, so when I lightly swung the sword, the thorns were scattered away. ¡°It¡¯s different from what I expected, but you¡¯re just a poor human being.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you working for a human now?¡± ¡°Hold your stupid tongue!!¡± The whip, which had been swung strongly, tore through the air again. She seemed quite angry, but that was to be expected. The most efficient way of attacking vampires was with a quick wit. -Vampire Lord? He was strong; he was stupidly strong. First of all, he¡¯s the strongest among the species. They are crazy from birth, and one of them bes a lord after holding a session ceremony. They don¡¯t die easily without a high elf, the natural enemy of vampires. -Then how did I get him? I made him mad enough to go crazy with my three-inch tongue and beat him up. Making any creature sufficiently mad simplifies their action. Vampires are particrly prideful, so if you tenaciously point out their birth or appearance to higher-ranking aristocrats, there are many greenhorns who burst out in anger. This was what the noble had said, who was lying on a wooden podium because he waszy. Come to think of it; it seemed that the Pn Empire was quite the believer in swordsmanship. I wondered what would happen if everyone found out who he was. Whip!! Whip!! The whip continued tosh out, causing a sonic boom as it persistently aimed at me. If someone got hit once precisely, it would be difficult to withstand even if you had a trained body. At that, a whip wasn¡¯t a weapon that could easily be blocked. At this, a whip with bloody thorns came in again, as if cutting off my retreat. There was a limit to avoiding it. However, if I retreated further, it could affect the humans who were lying on the floor. ¡°The only result left to you is death!¡± She shouted coldly, avoiding the sword I was wielding. ¡°Even if it has the power of a divine sword, that woman, who was said to have inherited the swordsmanship of the god of swords, eventually copsed.¡± At that arrogant tone, I swung my sword again, but the red blood drops covering her body blocked me. ¡°It¡¯s a blood clot¡­¡± -A Vampire Count or higher! Although they are rtively young, they are purebloods who can challenge the lord if only the lineage is concerned. As I saw the blood veil, I quietly nodded my head at Calderas¡¯s words. ¡®I have to deal with it now.¡¯ -Is it possible? ¡®Why, you think it¡¯s impossible?¡¯ Despite the enormous force of the whip that was pushing me away, as if I were finished, I gently lifted my sword and twisted my body lightly. The red whip struck near me, missing by the width of a piece of paper. It wasn¡¯t easy to learned how to, you would be able to counterattack as you wish. Shari¡¯s expression momentarily stiffened. And, without missing the short chance, I attacked the red thornsing towards me, almost crumbling them. There was only a very short chance. However, there was enough time for an attack. The predictable trajectory of the sword wasn¡¯t efficient at all, but I applied stronger force to it. I aimed for both her and the huge jewels floating in the air that emitted this damn red smoke. ¡°You said she inherited swordsmanship from the god of swords? Do not be mistaken for only seeing a little girl who just scratched the surface.¡± -This¡­this swordsmanship?! The light cut that I swung tens or hundreds of thousands of times in the name of training. It was a little faded to match me, but it was the same technique of splitting the mountain that Princess Ileana used on Baltian. [Super heavy sword splitting mountain] However, the power was remarkably different from what she showed. ¡°What?!¡± Her eyes became wide-open, and she reflexively created a blood clot¡­ However, it was far toote to block my attack. Crack! Crack! ¡°What?!¡± A sh of lightning, the condensation of the enormous power, created a huge pure white light, tearing the space through her body. * * * The aftermath of the huge blow was truly enormous. It was because the battlefield, which had maintained a certain shape even with her attack, copsed as if it was smashed under the vibrations, even though it had been treated with magic. I was surprised to see that the floor was turned to powder by a single weapon because I thought it would be fine even if it were bombarded. Hercules, a hero who called himself the King of Survival, said so. -What? Isn¡¯t it better to use whatever¡¯s at hand? Dangeres unintentionally at any time! Do you think you will have good artifacts or objects all the time? Haris, azy swordsman, and Dok Go-jun, a drunkard, had said so. -This kid is still immature. -Think simple! Listen, kid, which one would be strong? A strong guy with a strong sword¡­Oh! I¡¯m drunk. What did I say¡­oh yeah. Or a guy who doesn¡¯t know anything about swords holding a greatsword? Ugh¡­oh, how far did I say it? Wizard Odin said so. -If so, what is the use of learning magic? Just grab a great magic staff and wield it. By the way, this kid is trying to change the subject as he made fun of me being a midget?! When did I do that? Lastly, the divine Hippocras pinched my cheek and smiled. -Isn¡¯t he asking the question because he got yelled at by the others? I can¡¯t give you great advice because I¡¯m not an expert inbat skills. However, don¡¯t forget to return what you borrowed eventually. The difference between what you¡¯ve built up and borrowing something that was already built up is big. Even though the Corridor was where various humans gathered, everyone said the same thing in the end. Don¡¯t be dependent on items. However¡­once you experienced the synergy that the item brought, you couldn¡¯t just say that easily. ¡°Hey¡­it¡¯s amazing; that¡¯s why people seek rare items.¡± -I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Back in my days! Uh?! ¡°Hey, you snot.¡± The divine sword, Calderas, sounded refreshed. It was a guy who had been kept loftily without an owner for thousands of years. It found the owner, but because the master¡¯s skills were still imperfect, its body couldn¡¯t be manifested and was maintained in the form of a brooch, so it seemed quite frustrated. -By the way. What the hell are you? How did you get my power out? And how do you know about me? Your swordsmanship too! It was his technique, Mountain Split, that you showed me just now. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± -Plus, it¡¯s as if you¡¯ve known me from before¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s just follow our contract. Do we need to dig up unnecessary facts from each other?¡± -What is it¡­? Chapter 25 Episode 25 As I cut in on him to bury his words, I sensed a confused feeling, almost as if he couldn¡¯t understand. However, even if I told him that I was a student of his original master, there was no way he would choose to believe it. Rather, it would be fortunate if he didn¡¯t freak out, saying that I had just insulted the deceased. The existence of the Corridor was kind of a secret in some sense. It was also a story that was hard to believe. I stared at the huge red jewel that slightly cracked and split in half. The power of the blow properly borrowed from the divine sword was amazing. It wasn¡¯tpletely smashed, but that was still enough for me. Shari was a vampire with great power, but she didn¡¯t threaten me. She never thought she would be defeated. Whether she was dead, alive, or had fled, it wasn¡¯t a good time for me to chase her. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to find her with the current power I held. Besides, there was a more important thing now than Sharis, who seemed to have run away. The source of this red mist was the vitality of all living things, except the vampires inside there. Once a fire was lit, it was left burning with only oxygen andbustion. If I waited any longer, an irreversible catastrophe would ur. -Blood Polis¡­Ah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen this air¡­ It makes me nauseous. I heard the murmur of the divine sword in annoyance. -You know that? This red mist won¡¯t get any bigger thanks to destroying the nucleus, but it won¡¯t stop until everyone here dies if you leave it this way. ¡°Okay.¡± -Because of its somewhat weakened strength, you can use purifying magic that is at least level 6 or higher for several months, but it still won¡¯t save the humans who have already lost their vitality. Most of the people will die in there. ¡°You are right. Even worse, if people were exposed to this damn mist for a long time, they would be infected.¡± -The humans outside must be wondering if it is safe to enter the mysterious mist. I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s probably already turned upside down around here. He was quite quick-witted since his ego had lived for a long time. -Because human beings are scared easily. ¡°It¡¯s the same for any living creature. Because the desire to survive advances the species.¡± -In that sense, you were really lucky. You look young, but you are very strong at the master level, right? You seem to have a high tolerance against Blood Polis. Iughed at him. Was it just master? I had already reached the level of Sword Master or higher. ¡°Master¡­you¡¯re not wrong, but I still need more time to pull out the Aura de.¡± I wasn¡¯t strong because I used pure mana like everyone else. I had reached the Master or a higher level because of the doping created by my enlightenment and mana proficiency. Thanks to this, the phantom metamorphosis seemedpletely impossible. -What? What does that mean¡­wait, who are you? I heard the murmur of the divine sword Calderas, astonished. He seemed to notice it now. -You¡­you¡¯re a freak! Who are you?! His trembling voice soon turned to a scream. -What is this ridiculous mana! Besides,mand mana and divine power?! The Calderas had the power to look inside of the person who held the sword with his ego. It could control its strength by interlocking with the owner¡¯s power. The sword protected the owner, and this wasn¡¯t just for physical reasons. The excessive dependence on items would eventually ruin the owner. Why did you think there was a limit in games with item levels? Anyway, I guess I was just talking nonsense. Ignoring his astonishment, I frowned at the mana andmand mana which weren¡¯t moving even though they were awake. It seemed that I had to give them a little stimtion, but there weren¡¯t many chances. -Three forces coexist; I haven¡¯t even heard of this case¡­are you human? You¡¯re not some sort of bizarre creature who just came out to get a taste of this world? ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Talking calmly, I walked forward slowly with the sword in my hand. All the heroes of the Corridor told me that I had insanely outstanding talent. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that I was extremely talented. Otherwise, I would not have been able to achieve so many things. -It can¡¯t be¡­the mana and the divine energy are conflicting with each other! Maybe one but not two. If you have such a tremendous amount, your body will explode andpletely blow up the surrounding area¡­ ¡°Here is a human who breaksmon sense.¡± -Is it possible?! You, you¡¯re crazy!! ¡°You said crazy, don¡¯t be disrespectful to the new method that has been researched for hundreds of years.¡± Talking calmly, I pushed him back to the ground. Calderas were, of course, a giant sword with a straight shape. Because of that, when it was held upside down, it turned into a shape of a cross that had enormous divine power. ¡°Let me borrow you until I finish. I can¡¯t handle this with my current power.¡± -What do you mean? ¡°Let¡¯s clear up this situation.¡± I had no reason to sacrifice myself to save them, but I would be willing to use my power if it helped my recovery. ¡®It would be like greasing the cogs to smooth the recovery process. I don¡¯t do freebor.¡¯ The more you use the basis of energy, the more you likely improve them, whether that was mana, divine power, ormand mana. So, some wizards used mana up and built it up again while they were recovering. The speed would be extremely slow whether you meditated, used this method, or used the usual method. On the contrary, just stimting them to move would already increase the total amount since I already had a lot of energy. And the greater the amount of stimtion, the faster the recovery rate would be. Without further exnation, I knelt in front of him. Then, I closed my eyes like a praying priest. ¡°Oh, this is not my cup of tea.¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°The Lord Priyasi, who looks down on us. Yourmb here is wandering on a dark road. He can¡¯t see an inch ahead. Could you please hand him a shlight? I¡¯d like to take care of it myself, but you know that I can¡¯t¡­¡± -What, what kind of prayer is that!? Calderas were further frightened by my prayer. It didn¡¯t sound like a prayer with faith in God. Rather, it was a profane prayer that might be subject to some divine punishment. The source of my divine power was a little different, thanks to St. Daphne¡¯s training. The source of my strength was knowledge and faith, not the faith that sustained God. God did not love me, but rather I was a subject of curiosity. ¡°Themb of the Lord God is groaning in pain and tempted by the Devil. Your disrespectfulmb believes only in the rare items. Please save¡­oh, I don¡¯t know! I know you are watching everything. I am just going to use it; allow me to do so!¡± The priests had no idea. The fact that God didn¡¯t love a devout believer who chatted a lot, but those who practiced it. The truth was that I was nowhere near what I was trying to do with my divine power. However, it was possible if I gathered all of the divine power from Calderas. Again, this was the first sword called the divine sword. If he realized my intentions, he would surely be frightened. It was possible to clean up the fog with the purifying magic, but you couldn¡¯t fix the ones that had already been drained of their vitality. If you tried to suppress it with a strong force, you would have to press it with a stronger force than it possessed. The highest-ranking miracle created by Daphne, the highest-ranking holy magic that I learned and used with the permission of God, had the greatest power ever. -Hmm! Something like God¡­who would listen to such a nonsense prayer¡­ ¡°You don¡¯t know much about God either.¡± He noticed something wrong with my smile. Just like the vampire maid, he was also quite slow to notice things. ¡®God likes crazy guys. Especially extremely crazy guys.¡¯ [9th Tier of the Last Holy Magic.] [Saint Sanctuary] -9th, 9th tier?! What, what are you doing! Are you trying to kill me?! ¡°Don¡¯t overreact. You are not going to die. You are not going to die. Don¡¯t worry.¡± -Hey¡­hey, you crazy ahhhhhh!! Calderas, who had noticed what I was going to do, screamed out, but it was toote. Whooo!!! A burning sensation fell behind my back as if the prayer had been delivered even with that bizarre plea. It almost felt like getting burned by an iron. It was an unusual wound, or trace, that could never be created in this world. Was God a pervert who enjoyed hurting his believer¡¯s body? I felt like vomiting, but I scattered all of the divine powers that ran wild without releasing my hands. Whooo!! Crack! An enormous light spread out as if covering the field, and white feathers began to flutter. It was like an angel was descending from heaven. The warm white light, invisible to the eye, began to swallow away the red mist, and the light began to permeate the bodies of the people whose vitality was being sucked away,forting them. Crack! Crack! Crack!!!! And the red bloodstone, which sucked people¡¯s vitality and emitted red mist, finally disappeared as it waspletely broken. Boom! A huge wave of divine power soundlessly rocked the arena. Beyond the slowly scattering light, only a piece of light that looked like a white feather remained. ¡°Kah¡­hak.¡± Was it because I used most of my power? Calderas were silent, trembling, as he forgot to scream. Of course, the recoil of super high divine magic didn¡¯t go only to him. At the same time, a sense of incredible fatigue fell over me. ¡®Did you work a little too hard?¡¯ When I called in power for a moment, it seemed that the divine power that had been solidified was torn apart, causing this sense of exhaustion. ¡°Phew¡­sigh¡­¡± I took a short breath and shook away my blurred vision. Although there was a lot of energy, it would be okay as Calderas was a treasure trove of living divine power. A sigh came out of me for the remaining amount of the divine power hadpletely disappeared without leaving even dust. The red mist that maintained the Blood Polis hadpletely disappeared as I sat down breathlessly and turned my gaze away. It was then¡­ Beep. With that bizarre mechanical sound, I began to see strange things in my eyes, which were clouded by fatigue. -Name: Davey Al Rown. -Age: 1 -Gender: male -Tribe: human -Title: The pupil of the insane heroes in the Corridor. -Symptom: Divine power exhaustion -Specialment : A half-crazy freak without anymon sense(?). -Grant merit, you can briefly check the status of the target. ¡°Hey, Lord Priyasi, I¡¯m not crazy,¡± I muttered angrily. Chapter 26 [3-5 per day will be added for a few days¡­] Episode 26 The area of light had nowpletely disappeared and created an afterimage of fluttering pure white feathers. Simultaneously, I had a tremendous feeling of exhaustion throbbing through my whole body. There was no mercy on the rebound. ¡°Phew¡­¡± As I slowly blinked, the Blood Polis, the red mist created by the vampire, seemed to have disappeared. Great. It shouldn¡¯t leave a trace after a ninth rank spell. This was transcendental magic that brought God¡¯s will to the earth. At this, I burst intoughter. After I checked the people who were slowly opening their eyes and raising their heads, I turned my body and looked at Calderas, which was currently stuck upside down. I thought I had to go back, but all I could manage was to lean on the sword and copse. Calderas went quiet after most of his divine power had been taken away. It may have been deeply shocked by the sudden sense of loss since it was a sword with an ego. There was a huge difference when you knew that you had been exploited or not. I felt sorry for no reason whatsoever. I knew I needed to be nice to Calderas the next time I saw him. I was slowly closing my eyes as I was thinking like that. I was also thinking of the unidentified bizarre status window that popped up in front of my eyes, but now I just wanted to forget everything and fall asleep. While checking the energy that began to recover at an unparalleled speed, I fell asleepfortably, hardly noticing the blonde girl approaching me. * * * How long had it been since I had slept without any worries or stress? Even though the sleep was much shorter than when I was training, it would have been nice to describe it as a very satisfying sleep for me, who hadn¡¯t slept well for nearly half a year. ¡°¡­For Bernie¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± While sleeping, I heard someone talking. When I opened my eyes half-awake, I could see the ceiling of the cleaning room. The small mansion that I stayed in the first time when we arrived at the Duchy of Felicity. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling refreshed. ¡°Oh! Davey!¡± As Winley, who looked upset about something, found me awake, she ran to me quickly. ¡°Davey! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Winley.¡± ¡°How is your body?! Is there any problem with it?¡± She looked extremely worried, as if she was going to burst into tears. ¡°How long was I asleep?¡± What happened to make you so upset? As I asked her, Winley burst into tears and hugged me. ¡°You haven¡¯t woken up for two days. I was¡­I was scared that you wouldn¡¯t be able to get up again¡­ugh.¡± Ah. Since I had done that, it was a natural reaction that she was worried. As I patted Winley on her back, I heard a soft sobbing from her. I tried tofort her without saying anything as her body trembled in my arms. ¡°I¡­I had a dream.¡± ¡°Dream?¡± ¡°Yes, when the red mist crept on us, you protected me against it in my dream.¡± She didn¡¯t seem to remember much of what happened then. I thought it was better for her that she didn¡¯t see that cruel scene. ¡°Where is Barris?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± She frowned with a familiar, anxious look on her face. ¡°Oh Davey, my brother, please tell me the truth. Did¡­did you get rid of the red mist?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°I saw something while checking your body. I saw a mark. Is it a stigmata? God¡¯s mark.¡± She slurred her words as she spoke, overwhelmed by emotion. The problem was the presence of therge stigmata on my back. In terms of size, it was about three spans. Considering that the size ofmon stigmata was wrist-sized, it could be considered unusuallyrge. A sign engraved with the power of God. It was a peculiar wound that couldn¡¯t be created by any means that existed in this world. It was a trace of God, and it was also a testament to a noble being loved by God. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Are¡­you okay?¡± ¡°Is it obvious?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know at first nce because it just looked like a in wound on your back. But when I looked closer, I knew it was a stigmata.¡± I had a feeling that nothing other than divine power had been detected. ¡°I heard from the priest who visited this ce. It seems that all those red mists had been purified. I couldn¡¯t quite figure out who had done that, so I was wondering if you were involved.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes, but if you don¡¯t remember anything, maybe not.¡± Princess Ileana, who may be the only one who had seen everything, seemed to keep everything to herself. Honestly, I thought she¡¯de and nag me right away, but I guess she just wasn¡¯t that kind of person. ¡°A senior priest who was healing your body found the stigmata. They are making a big deal out of this. They think that you, who fainted in the ce where the divine energy was circling, received the stigmata¡­.¡± Rumors were bound to spread; the situation certainly deserved it. Unlike most devout priests, having the stigmata meant God showed its love first. ¡°Oh, my brother, are you feeling sick?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything bad.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Feeling bad? ¡®Rather, the situation has gotten better.¡¯ Evidence of a saint: that was the stigmata. Nine Hierarchy, the purpose of expressing the realm of the Holy Magic God, was to deal with the red mist. However, there was also my calcted strategy hidden in it. The precisely calcted strategy was essential to eat and live well. Using arge amount of mana at once to reveal the foundation would spur the growth rate. It was a small attempt, but the result was anything but. ¡®The mana capacity has increased dramatically.¡¯ The mana responded to the divine power, and mymand mana had already risen inrge amounts. Compared to the amount I had previously, it was quite noticeable. There was enough to make the Aura de now. I hadn¡¯t gone through a round of metamorphosis, but I had alreadye to the level where I could pull out the master¡¯s exclusive Aura de. In the past, I was barely maintaining my power due to my enlightenment and experience. However, now I have recovered enough to pull out the Aura de. Laughter came out. Among them, the biggest change in growth was the divine power with itszy nature. People were obsessed with the stigmata for a reason. I felt that the amount of holy power living inside me had increased enormously because I could get therge stigmata that I couldn¡¯t get by existing in the form of a spirit when I was in the Corridor. Eventually, the divine power, which was the slowest in growth, had risen to the highest of the three energies. ¡®It is a power that grows when there is a reason. What a difficult divine power.¡¯ As I leaned against the bed, I roughly patted Winley¡¯s head. ¡°Go in and take some rest. I want to think about something for a moment. You must be tired after taking care of me¡­you should get some rest.¡± ¡°It was chaos after you passed out.¡± She looked angry with her puffed cheeks. ¡°Besides, Princess Ileana suddenly insisted on taking you to her ce.¡± ¡°Did she?¡± ¡°Yes, she said she had excellent medical staff. She came back a while ago saying that you wouldn¡¯t wake up here. I had to send her away again. Huh!¡± The reason she showed such behavior was obvious. Unless she was a fool, she must have seen everything and remembered them. The things that happened then¡­ What was weird was that Winley acted a little sensitive to her. I was curious, but it wasn¡¯t like I needed to ask her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. I¡¯m awake now.¡± ¡°The games stopped on that day. Because of the incident, the entire country is chaotic right now.¡± It was an understandable reaction since it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary monster. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back to my room. Then, take some rest, brother.¡± Winley left the room with short steps after she smiled and hugged me tightly. I quietly stretched my arm toward her as she opened the door and left. ¡®Well¡­is it right? Information confirmation.¡¯ Beep! As if I wasn¡¯t mistaken, a translucent ck box revealed itself to me again. -Name: Winley Al Rown. -Age: 14 -Gender: female -Tribe: Human -Title: Nothing -Symptom: Fatigue. -Specialments: Three Circle Wizard. -Current psychology: Worrying about the viewer. Surprised. Fragile. ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± It didn¡¯t show much. However, this status window contained information that couldn¡¯t generally be found. ¡°It¡¯s simr to a game?¡± However, the ability to gain insight into a person was of great merit when dealing with people. ¡®Why did this happen all of a sudden?¡¯ Was it because I prayed to the Lord? Or was there a problem since I used the same method as when I was a spiritual body? ¡®Let¡¯s not worry; it¡¯s not bad anyway.¡¯ I would use it if it helped my life in the future. At least there would be no misunderstandings. As I thought so, I looked out of the darkened window, and I could see the bright night view of the Duchy of Felicity. I wasn¡¯t able to easily decide whether or not I should hide my identity. There were too many factors to consider. If I were to make a big scene, the people around me might suffer. ¡®Is there any reason that I should hide my identity?¡¯ Looking at the current situation, it seemed that people already knew about my stigmata. However, no one knew a single detail about it yet. This was an arena filled with sacred energy and the stigmata engraved on me when they found me there. The story of the stigmata was circting, thanks to the sleazy senior priest who healed me. In other words, no one had seen me running wild. People might misunderstand that I did all that, given the situation. I mean, I knew it wasn¡¯t a misunderstanding. I was silent with suchplicated thoughts. -It¡¯s just one side, but I guess they liked your ability to see through the other person¡¯s psychology. By the way, what are you thinking? It was then¡­a strange voice came into the quiet room. He spoke like an elderly person, but the voice I heard was a boy my age. The voice sounded to be passed from a will in someone¡¯s head, not through sound. ¡°Who are you?¡± I muttered and frowned at the voice that came from nowhere. How did he sneak up on me? I was nervous because I knew that it was impossible to do so. Therefore, it was probably not a normal creature. As I was sitting nkly, I narrowed my eyes and slowly started to boost my power. Chapter 27 [Further discounting this along with few more chapters due to dys-] 27 -Down, down. Then I heard the voice again. This time around, I felt which direction it wasing from. I reflexively turned to the ce where the voice had beening from. There, a palm-sized girl was looking up at me and sitting down on my leg. ¡°This is my first time seeing you, I was a little bewildered when I identally released the seal, but I guess it was meant to be God¡¯s will.¡± There was an evident pair of pure white horns sprouting from the head. Its eyes were engraved with red patterns that had a strange glow; it could not possibly bepared to me or the vampire maid, Sharis. In short? An overwhelming beauty. As I looked at her, I opened my eyes wide to the memory of a time that suddenly came to mind. -You look perplexed with that strange window in front of your eyes. Am I wrong? * * * [Hmm? Why are you up? Who are you drawing? I didn¡¯t know you were good at painting.] -Hmm, what does it look like to you? [It has ergonomic handles on its head and fierce red eyes like a rebellious teenager. Isn¡¯t that a demon? If I look at that beautiful face, it almost looks like a high-ranking demon.] -You¡¯re the only one who says the horns of the head are handles. Yes, as you said, this one is a demon. [Why the heck did you draw a portrait of a demon? Besides, the detailed illustration looks like a beautiful girl.] -Is she pretty? Of course, she¡¯s overwhelmingly beautifulpared to those crazy girls partying over there. I¡¯ve drawn this hundreds of times. Her name is Perserk. Haris, thezy swordsman,ughed bitterly, pointing to the appearance of a girl who seemed to be about eighteen years old. -She was my daughter, whom I adopted and taught swords back when she was still human. [Wait, Perserk?] -Yeah, as you know, this is the Demon King of the Abyss who I cut with Calderas and sealed in the sword to end the Great War. * * * ¡°¡­¡± I only thought it was amazing. One of the two regrets he had was right in front of me. ¡°Demon¡­Perserk.¡± -Whoa¡­you know very well about me. After all, my eyes weren¡¯t wrong¡­ugh?! I releasedmand mana to tie her as she was talking casually. Knowing who she was, there would be no reason to be confused anymore. Themand mana quickly became lighter, spreading like a rope to restrain her and lift her into the air. -Oh, you¡­ you¡¯re a man with rough hands. I don¡¯t know about you, but I am not a fan of being bound. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re close enough to make that kind of joke.¡± -Isn¡¯t this the first time you and I have faced each other? There is no reason to be on bad terms. At her words, Iughed bitterly without lowering my guard. ¡°I want you to exin this situation now.¡± In my eyes, she looked like she was in trouble. -Were you going to build a symbiotic rtionship with me even if I say not to? My eyes twitched a little at her words. ¡°Symbiotic rtionship?¡± -The stigmata engraved on your back. It has be a vessel that holds my soul, so that is why the size is unusual. ¡°It¡¯s funny to say that the stigmata were a vessel that seals the Demon King. To be honest, I don¡¯t understand that situation at all.¡± At my words, she was trapped by themand mana and shed a light groan, avoiding my gaze. -Would¡­would you perhaps like to loosen this up? Again, I don¡¯t have a fetish of being constrained so much¡­ besides, if it¡¯s such a terrible position¡­ She had a slightly reddened face, avoiding my gaze. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± -A, little¡­it¡¯s such a shame. As if I was naked, I began to feel ashamed, and the blood that had cooled down was returning to its original state. As she shook her hand lightly, the mana that was restraining her gradually became loose. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but it looked like she was bizarrely tied up while trying to resist. Of course, depending on the viewer, this perception might not be strange at all. -Wow¡­ I think I will buy it. It was indeed a big problem to free the Demon King, but I boldly released the mana that was holding her. She was, after all, already a dead person. As she was dead, she couldn¡¯t possibly do more harm to me. ¡°Okay. Can you exin it neatly and briefly so that you can convince me?¡± -Hmm¡­you have a twisted personality. ¡°They said that my temper was a little bit grotesque.¡± -Hmm¡­ She smiled emptily up at me. I felt a light reflection of myself in the red blood that was engraved in the patterns. ¡°Yes, what should I do for the Demon King that was sealed in a divine sword?¡± -Since you know my true identity, it is meaningless to persuade you. She smiled bitterly and sighed. Then, she looked up at me and quietly bowed her head, raising the ends of her dress. -Greetings, formally, my name is Perserk von Pn. I am the Demon King who looks at you from the abyss. The cause of the great war between ancient Middle-earth and the demons was in front of me. When someone looked into the abyss, that abyss also looked at them. It was her who was in that phrase. In that respect, she was a little different from a typical Demon King. She then looked up at me with a pleasant smile¡­ -The situation is simple. You seem to have already known that I was sealed with a divine sword. The divine sword was the sword that Haris, the sword god, used to cut down the devil to end the Great War. What was known outside was that the demon king¡¯s soul had been sealed in the sword. I heard it from him, so this one was not a lie. ¡°Right. I never thought I would be the one to awaken you.¡± -It¡¯s not that Calderas is bad enough to stop his friend¡¯s will. Her words gave me pause. ¡°Friend?¡± -Well, does this mean the personal situation means nothing? I will tell you exactly; I was only transferred from Calderas to you at the will of God. ¡°¡­¡± At her words, I went silent, almost as if I had lost the ability to speak entirely. Why should I care about a God who had nevere down? However, the will of God certainly existed. Because of that, sanctuary magic was possible. The starting point was also the divine magic I used to undo the Blood Polis. The question was, why did shee to me from Calderas? ¡°Why are you here?¡± I was really curious, and when I asked her, she merelyughed. -Because of you, we have entered an unintended symbiotic rtionship, so shouldn¡¯t you be responsible? As if raising a small child, she continued to speak in the same condescending tone. -I¡¯m quite interested in you. You are the second person to bear the traces of the sword. ¡°Haris¡¯ swordsmanship?¡± -It sounds like you know him well. ¡°Of course, he talked about you all the time.¡± -I see¡­ my story. The status window appeared in front of my eyes. Lies were useless, given it was her power. No matter who it was, she would eventually see through the truth and find the essence. At my words, she nodded. -I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t hide it. ¡°I¡¯m still going to have to selectively keep things secret. But, what good is a lie if you are a Demon King who has the power to see through people?¡± She smiled bitterly at my question. -It¡¯s the Hero¡¯s Corridor¡­I didn¡¯t know there would be such a ce. It¡¯s amazing. However, I¡¯m correcting one thing. ¡°Which one?¡± -I am not looking through you. I¡¯m just borrowing the power of higher beings. The status window that will express you. The slightly nasty way of expressing it is not my taste. ¡°A higher power?¡± -Don¡¯t humans call them Gods? Iughed at the expression, the higher beings, who are in such a great position, gave the power to a half-mad man like me. The god granted divine power out of curiosity to a guy like me in the first ce, so why should I expect more? She began to mutter in regret. From what I heard from Haris, she could read a person¡¯s thoughts. Her value of existence was the abyss that looked into the person staring in. That was why she was called the strongest Demon King ever. ¡°So, because of the holy magic I used, you came from Calderas to me?¡± -When you used the ninth tier magic, arge amount of divine power was released, and I came with it. My soul, which lost a ce to go, seems to have settled in your stigmata like that. Originally, it was impossible¡­ Clucking her tongue briefly, she had a pitiful look on her face. -There are no eternal seals. If I knew it, I would¡¯ve bid goodbye to the ego of Calderas¡­ ¡°Where is Calderas? Do you know?¡± -Instinctively, you might already know. Don¡¯t you know that Calderas has fallen asleep in the aftermath of the ninth-tier holy magic you used? ¡°Ah.¡± -He¡¯ll sleep for about three more days. Listening to that talker may hurt my ears, but I wasn¡¯t bored. He¡¯ll probably yell and swear at you when he wakes up, hehe. Unlike the way she talked, she sounded like a child when sheughed. This was the Demon King, which became the cause of the Great War, or the origin of the Continental War. Her appearance was a little different from what was known in public. I knew she wasn¡¯t acting, not because of how she acted but because I had already heard. She was a scapegoat for war. And, he was a bad father who was taken advantage of at the moment. Haris, the swordsman, used to me himself for what had happened¡­ -I felt weird when I first saw you. No way, I didn¡¯t think you would use some of the perfect prototypes of swordsmanship left by my father. To be precise, my swordsmanship was more like a coboration between him and another. At first, I learned the unique swordsmanship of the sword, but it then began to change afterward. -If you evaluate it soberly, it looks like a modified sword style that best suits you. ¡°Right. The two old men who were crazy about swords made this. ¡° She smiled bitterly and slowly flew up. She approached me, with small cute wings pping behind her, and then she reached out to me. -Well, we havee this far. It is not so bad to move together, and the symbiosis isn¡¯t bad either. I look forward to your kind cooperation. From what she said, it was clear that even if she had a bad heart, there was no way to do anything now. Chapter 28 [More will be up tonight.] 28 It was obvious that her ability to read people was brilliant. The text on the status window had been altered as she adapted to me. As a result, she entered a parasitic rtionship with me, which allowed me to borrow her power. ¡®It isn¡¯t that bad.¡¯ The power she lent was pretty attractive. When I stretched out my index finger, she smiled cutely, grabbed the fingertip with her small hands, and shook it. -At least, you can show me more of the world than the current contractor who was unable to manifest Calderas. Can I expect more from you? Her question made me curious. ¡°Show the world?¡± -If you live this long, the only thing you care about is to see the world. ¡°Then what will I get in return?¡± -Of course, you will have my ability. That is the only thing I can give you. However, there is nothing weird about acquiring new skills as you have the will of the Gods. ¡°What do you mean by new skills?¡± -Didn¡¯t you say that you see a status window? Maybe like a game in your previous life¡­the concept of ¡®skills¡¯ may follow. ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Is there more?¡± -Unfortunately, that¡¯s all I have. I can¡¯t satisfy you like a Subus with my body right now. ¡°Nothing is impossible in the world.¡± -Whoa¡­I don¡¯t want you to say something like that, even if it¡¯s a joke; I¡¯m not interested in a little boy who is thousands of years younger than me. As she said this yfully, she began to disappear like scattering particles. It seemed like I unintentionally made the only person with who I shared my secrets leave. -Call me whenever you need me. I am going to catch some sleep inside of you. After that, she disappearedpletely without making any noise. Because there were many things all at once, I couldn¡¯t help but feel so perplexed. * * * The capital of the Duchy of Felicity. Originally, this ce should have been excited by the Continental Swordsmanship Competition. However, it was destroyedpletely the day before by Baltian de Voltiz, who became a monster. The raid was big, aiming at the entire stadium hosted by numerous national coalitions. It was a huge raid that almost caused countless casualties. If I were a little bitte, the entire continent would have been engulfed in chaos, but it didn¡¯t go so badly. It was because I turned over the situation before it grew worse. The divine sword Calderas was the only one who saw me running wild. There was also Princess Ileana, who was called the princess of the sword and the owner of the divine sword. I couldn¡¯t determine whether she was awake or not, however. She might not have a clear memory even if she was awake. ¡®Now the priests believe that I had cleared the situation based on the Stigmata on my back and the remaining divine power in the stadium.¡¯ It was detailed spection. Besides, after they heard the priest, who checked my physical condition, they were frightened by the huge Stigmata on my body. What should I do to deal with this situation? Now, I couldn¡¯t hide what had been revealed, and there was no need for anything further. The fact that the traces of God had already been engraved on me would have spread everywhere. Why were they making a big deal out of the Stigmata? Only three saints or candidates for saints had them in the past three to four hundred years. There were very few people who could bear the stigmata. The trace was so precious that even if it were found in the Maind, people would run just to see it. It wasn¡¯t just a gic trait or something that could be achieved through effort. In short, it would be impossible not to attract attention, no matter how much I wanted to avoid it. Damn Stigmata. It might cause less attention if I just said I was a Swordmaster because the priests showed a maniacal obsession with the stigmata. Many humans would shout and rush without thinking, as if they abandoned logic and custom, unlike the nobles, who usually hid their true intentions. -Whoo whoo, it is true that the Stigmata is the evidence of God¡¯s love, but it¡¯s not a trace worthy of obsession in my eyes. ¡®You don¡¯t have to remind me bitterly.¡¯ Muttering, I wondered how I could turn this unweed attention away. There was only one way to solve this. The problem was that the size of the Stigmata was so big that it had destroyed the existingmon sense. -W¡­What are you thinking? ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve decided.¡± The decision itself was clear. And, what should I do with such a decision? Take action right away! ¡°Barris! Winley!¡± I made a decision and called the two of them as the chaotic day continued. ¡°Did you call us, Davey?¡± They turned their eyes to me simultaneously as they were shivering in front of the wood-burning stove as the weather grew cold. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest. We are all annoyed by this situation, right?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Honestly, we haven¡¯tmitted any crime, but I don¡¯t know why the priests keep wanting to see you, brother.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like it is some kind of Holy Land.¡± Though, technically, more than half of this city was the Holy Land. That was right. Chambeins and maids sent most of them back, while Barris and Whitney sent the rest of them away without any mercy. Those crazy priests. Most of the priests, who were eager to meet me, seemed to be more interested in my Stigmata, which was unprecedentedly bigger than the incident itself. As I watched Barris murmuring, I began tough, revealing my teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s pack! It¡¯s best to run away when it¡¯splicated.¡± There was no reason to remain and exin it in the first ce. I no longer cared as long as I was alive. Right? I had no obligation to remain and exin the whole story. If I stayed here, I would have to deal with all those obsessed priests. Because of this, it might not be a bad idea to leave some bait that could distract them. * * * Trembling. There was a loud trembling sound. A finely trembling finger holding a small teacup repeatedly hit the teacup like a machine vibrating. ¡°He dipped?¡± ¡°P¡­Princess Majesty! Dipped¡­ How could you say such a¡­!¡± ¡°Just answer the question, Linda.¡± ¡°Eep.¡± Princess Ileana looked at Linda with her eerie eyes. ¡°D¡­ Did you just say he ran away? Did you? He used me of causing a strange misunderstanding because he couldn¡¯t cover it all up, and he ran away with his brother and sister, right?!¡± ¡°That¡­that is. When a person went there to request your visit, their lodge was already empty¡­¡± Her voice was low, so why was she so scary? Her golden hair trembled as if she was moving it by her will alone. ¡°She smashed the enemy with the divine sword in the moment of crisis? Besides, the manifestation of the Stigmata was caused by the hidden power of the divine sword?¡± The truth was that she had passed out without any attempt to resist, and there was no hidden power within the sword. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Bullshit, that was ridiculous! Baltian, who had already turned into a monster, was destroyed by an unorthodox method, and the red woman was cut down with that overwhelming swordsmanship! Everyone else seemed to believe this was true, but she knew it; she had seen it all. He seemed to believe that she had lost her mind or some sort of equivalent state, but she saw it. What he said, and even what he showed. ¡°Linda, tell the knights to get ready.¡± ¡°Princess Majesty! Please calm down!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhh!! Find him! Find that snooty bastard! I¡¯m going to pull all of his hair out!¡± Did people know? The true face of the Pn Empire¡¯s princess, which was known for her stiffness and coldness, had a wilder temperament than even Winley. Crack. ¡°You got me wrong, Prince Davey. I¡¯m going to pull out everything on his head, so be prepared.¡± Her growling eyes shed like a ferocious beast.
    1. Night guests.
The way back to the kingdom of Al Rown was very quiet. However, the priests who showed a maniacal obsession with the Stigmata weren¡¯t animals who couldn¡¯t distinguish between professional and private matters. They might have thought it was their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Stigmata with their eyes. Barris and Winley, who were previously moving ahead with excitement, were sleeping, leaning against each other in the carriage corner, as they were too exhausted. ¡®Looking at them like this, they seem to have a tight sibling bond.¡¯ Their bond was certainly special. Considering the brother and sisters¡¯ reality, only a few cared about each other while shing a lot. -Hey you, the corner of your mouth is up a lot. ¡®Well, they look good.¡¯ Perserk had woken up from sleep and slowly settled on myp, sittingfortably as she radiated light. Her existence was real, but she was still invisible to others. Because of this, there was no way her identity could be revealed, even if the guys were to wake up suddenly. -Actually, I thought you were interested in Calderas. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ -You are the only one who can manifest Calderas other than the current master of the divine sword. In fact, in the current situation, it is urate to say that you are the only one who is capable of manifesting Calderas. ¡®Ah.¡¯ -Rather, you are the perfect candidate for the owner of Calderas. I chuckled at her because I knew what she meant. Calderas. It was an excellent sword. Because of this, it was quite hard to see a sword with arge amount of divine power, enough even, to use 9th tier holy magic just by adding a little to its divine power. However¡­ ¡®It¡¯s still not mine.¡¯ -I thought you would want to take ownership by any means. ¡®It¡¯s a tempting offer, but I can¡¯t steal things from kids. Besides, Calderas isn¡¯t a good fit to me.¡¯ -What do you mean that the sword is not a good fit for you? Strictly speaking, I didn¡¯t use a greatsword. I looked out of the window, leaving her in her silent worry. However, I had a different sword in mind. It wasn¡¯t avable yet, but I should have the twin sword in my hand at Surt¡¯s request. The sword had been produced simultaneously as Calderas, and the material was also the same. However, the sword couldn¡¯t show its true value because it hadn¡¯t beenpleted in time. -I made a room in the basement of the house where I lived, which no one could open. You will be able to open the door after learning my skills. There are two swords, like my children, that I couldn¡¯t finish before I died. If you find them,plete them with your own hands. I don¡¯t care if you be the owner of the twin swords, tell people that you made them, or sell them. Do whatever you¡¯d like. Chapter 29 29 [How can you trust me? What if I screw up?] -Hey, what you¡¯re talking about? How are you going to mess it up? You have more grit than me. You will know once you get there. He was ming his short life for why he couldn¡¯t finish them. When I go back now, what should I do? I didn¡¯t have to worry for long. ¡®I need to get rid of something.¡¯ -Getting rid of something. It sounds like you hold resentment against someone. ¡®Don¡¯t you already know that?¡¯ -You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t always know everything, though. There are some parts inside your mind that I don¡¯t even have ess to. There was something that even the Demon King of the Abyss couldn¡¯t see. It seemed that she was aware that I wasn¡¯t feeling well in the first ce. -By the way, how are you going to manage it? You might not want to just take the upfront approach. ¡®Yes, I can¡¯t just act before the preparations are done. I can probably handle Queen Liness without too much trouble. However, it will cause many problems that would put the entire Al Rown Kingdom in danger if I remove the nobles led by Duke Barrieta too quickly. Even if we start purging right away, we can¡¯t stop the Al Rown Kingdom from staggering.¡¯ It would take too much time to remove one by one. Queen Liness would maintain such an arrogant attitude, and the royal family couldn¡¯t even punish the nobles. ¡®I have an idea.¡¯ -Can I ask you one thing? ¡®What is it?¡¯ -What do you want? The voice was sweet, like a demon seducing someone. But she was fair; I knew she wasn¡¯t going to do everything that I asked for. When she asked the question, she probably already knew the answer in the first ce. ¡®I want to make a family, eat well in a warm house, and live a long, long life without too much stress.¡¯ She burst intoughter. -It sounds far from the life of the royal family. Though, aren¡¯t you already living like that? ¡®Do you think I do?¡¯ -Not at all. ¡®Then all right, I¡¯m going to leave the pce. Fortunately, the royal family members ownnd on a small scale, as I do, although it is barren.¡¯ I said calmly with a smile. -You¡­ ¡®It should have character if possible. How about the only high-tech city on the continent?¡¯ -It is a huge dream. It would be faster to be the king of Al Rown Kingdom and change the country. ¡®Once you be king, you can¡¯t have afortable life.¡¯ -Did you think it would be different if you be andowner? ¡®It is possible as andowner. I¡¯m going to make lots of money, retire, and enjoy my hobby.¡¯ I will try my best if it¡¯s possible. If there were a technical issue, I would rece it with something else. The advancement was a bit slow in science globally, but it was pretty good in other areas. Maybe it would be safer and better in the future. ¡®I will make my city when I return.¡¯ * * * There were no more attacks on the way back to the Al Rown Kingdom; perhaps they had no more energy left to attack me anymore. Sharis, who seemed to be a close maid to Queen Liness, even failed, then who would dare to try another raid? I don¡¯t know if she knew the truth, but at least she would have noticed that she wasn¡¯t in a situation where she could tamper with me. ¡°You did a great job.¡± It was a small encouragement. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s just a problem of the Voltiz Kingdom, having done such a shameless thing against the Confederation of Nations.¡± Barris, bowing his head down on one knee, was silent. Because Baltian turned into a monster, public opinion on the continent was overwhelmingly unfavorable to the Voltiz Kingdom. If the Voltiz Kingdom was an Al Rown Kingdom¡¯s ally, we might find a way to help them, but unfortunately, Voltiz and Al Rown were locked in a cold war. ¡°I am d that you came back safe despite such trouble.¡± King Crianes spoke calmly with a weary face. ¡°And¡­¡± He looks at me at the end of the faint words. I said nothing to that strangely mixed expression. ¡°I heard about your Stigmata.¡± ¡°I received too much blessing from God.¡± ¡°We should celebrate that blessing.¡± He muttered and turned his head. ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, Queen Liness?¡± ¡°Yes¡­we should celebrate.¡± She had a worried look on her face, full of confusion andplexity. She probably expected that I would have been dead, yet I came back with the Stigmata. Whoever they were, the ones with the Stigmata became the center of attention. If she were caught attacking me, it was likely that the Maind would intervene. I wasn¡¯t trying to get support from the Maind, but it seems like I did anyway. Of course, I had no intention of epting any help. ¡°Queen Majesty doesn¡¯t seem to be excited that I have the Stigmata.¡± As I responded with a smile, she opened her fan to cover her mouth. Then she curled her eyes and smiled. My eyes trembled; this woman was something else. ¡°What are you talking about? The child¡¯s happiness is the mother¡¯s happiness.¡± ¡°If so, I am d.¡± I saw her clenching her teeth. Even though she covered her mouth with a fan, it wasn¡¯t hard to notice her difort. ¡°How is your body? Did you get hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Fine, I came back without any scars, perhaps because I was blessed.¡± When he answered calmly, he turned his head as if it were satisfactory. ¡°Duke Barrieta.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°We cannot pass this matter without any action, and we will have to file a petition to the Confederation of Nations and stronglyin against the Voltiz State.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Even though it wasn¡¯t as obvious as Queen Liness, King Crianes had a strangely grumpy look. His unfavorable child came back with the Stigmata, so it caused him a headache. ¡°You must be tired from the long trip, so go back to your room and rx.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± As I stood up, bowing my head calmly, Barris and Whitney turned around after me. ¡°Davey.¡± It was then. Crianes, after a moment of silence, quietly called my name. ¡®It¡¯s been freaking long that you called my name.¡¯ My voice clung to my throat, but I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Will you stay for a minute?¡± Understanding what he meant, I quietly bowed my head; everyone else got up and slowly left. Queen Liness was looking at King Crianes and me but soon bowed her head silently under the gaze of Crianes and left the office. It was quiet. It was the first meeting alone with him, who had ignored my request to visit since I recovered from thea. ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been almost half a year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty hasn¡¯t talked to me alone since I recovered from thea.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything at my words. He looked like a lost, powerless lion without any ambition. ¡°Are you ming me?¡± ¡°There is no reason to lie. Yes, I am. You don¡¯t have to say when it started.¡± He sighed bitterly at the thorns in my words. Do you think I came back for a short-term issue? ¡°I¡¯m d you look healthy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯ve been paying some attention to me.¡± ¡°Did you know?¡± ¡°I feel good.¡± At my words, he smiled bitterly. ¡°Of course, my prediction was right.¡± ¡°Can I ask what you mean?¡± ¡°No parents are stupid enough to not notice their son¡¯s change. When you woke up from aa, you were a little different.¡± Talking calmly, he stood up slowly. Then he sat down by the table that chambein set up and quietly offered me tea. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have some?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He smiled bitterly once again at the short answer. ¡°Are you not going to call me father?¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± He was silent at my words. ¡°The word father is a word for your parent.¡± He just kept smiling bitterly and didn¡¯t say anything at my rude answer. ¡°Should I call you father?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t deserve to be your father as one who left you alone in those difficult times.¡± I didn¡¯t say anything after him; I guess he already knew. ¡°You wanted to meet me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it for a little while. And I just wanted to ask you one question.¡± It was a different question this time. It was just a moment, but it reminded me of a memory. [Father! Please save my mother!] [Aren¡¯t you already aware of her health condition?] [It¡¯s not a disease! It is poison!] [Stop that nonsense!] He was so cold that he forced me to stop talking about my mother. Four yearster, at the age of nine, I asked him again when I found out that Queen Liness was behind my mother¡¯s death, and he said. [The former queen, Lenny Alisha, had a chronic illness. No one was able to cure her disease, even the exceptional doctors and powerful priests!] [Do you still believe it? The timing doesn¡¯t make sense! Do you think that makes sense?!] [Davey! I won¡¯t tolerate it if you talk about it once more! Go back!] ¡°How did you feel when you abandoned my mother, whom you once loved so much?¡± His face turned bitter at my words. ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°The King Majesty chose the country over my mother. For the sake of the nation¡¯s security, you let go of my poisoned mother¡¯s hand, and for the sake of the nation, you remarried with the enemy.¡± ¡°Do not me her too much. It was my fault, my karma.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I have no interest in your romantic history. It doesn¡¯t matter whether Queen Liness and mother were friends a long time ago, or her jealousy had caused the catastrophe.¡± ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°I wanted to ask you, were you really fine? My mother said she wanted to see King Majesty before she died. Even though she was throwing up blood, she was only looking for you, Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say anything while I continued. ¡°You did that. Mother shed tears in front of me and said that she was sorry and left-¡° ¡°Be the king.¡± He continued his speech before I answered. ¡°I was not an excellent king nor a caring father. I had ack of knowledge and strength.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you will be different. You may be able to fix everything. However, you are not ready yet. The world is not as green as you might think. Dangers are lurking everywhere, and some people are dangerously smart enough to manipte you as easily as they bake and boil food.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°A king isn¡¯t in a ce where you can do everything as you think, but rather, a king has to make decisions that may look iprehensible to others. So hold your breath and build your strength so that no one can stop what you want to do.¡± Iughed at his words. Chapter 30 Episode 30 As expected, father must not havepletely forgotten you, mother. However, you have been holding on to the wound for too long. Do you know why I want to leave this damn kingdom alone without destroying it? I smiled at him, thinking to myself. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already toote. Anyone would know that the nobles, led by Duke Barrieta, hold a strong power unless they are stupid. When someone¡¯s life is in danger, they cut their rescue rope to survive.¡± ¡°Davey¡­¡± ¡°They say that children resemble their parents. However, I will be different. If you are the king and a father who abandons your family for the sake of the country, then I am willing to take a different path.¡± He went silent at my firm answer. ¡°You said the throne is the brightest spot that numerous people want to sit.¡± At my words, his eyes lowered quietly. ¡°You should polish the seat and give it to Barris. I am not interested in it even if it is given to me.¡± * * * -You tend to be a little harsh. ¡®It was necessary to do this.¡¯ -Tch. Tch, you said he isn¡¯t your family, but you have too much affection for him. As I returned to the pce, muttering bitterly, I looked at Perserk. -You¡¯ve already seen my powerful insight and¡­ ¡®Whatever I saw, does it change my decision? Besides, even you can¡¯t see everything.¡¯ -That is true. ¡°Amy.¡± ¡°Yes! Your Majesty!¡± She raised her head, responding to my call with a cheerful face. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep, so don¡¯t let anyone in.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Amy could have asked a question, which she did at first. But now, she quietly obeyed my order without any questions. Was it because she trusts me, or was she just obedient? -Where are you going? ¡®The rabbit digs several ways to escape.¡¯ -Yes. ¡®Did you say it was the ck Moon? Duke Barrieta would have hidden a lot of information in case his people betray him.¡¯ If I find all the information there, I could tear the limbs off of the nobles. -Then a bloody wind will blow. ¡®I told you, I can¡¯t solve any problem by killing everyone. At least I have to be innocent.¡¯ -That means¡­oh, dear. She smiled when she realized what I meant. ¡®Because people sometimes cut their rescue rope to survive.¡¯ Duke Barrieta would be strangled by the hands of those who served him. I had the evidence of his collusion with the vampire so that I could destroy him right away without any trouble. ¡®Then let¡¯s go.¡¯ After I created a double of myself sleeping with simple ghost magic, I opened the window. [ Invisibility ] Fifth-tier stealth magic. The mana that was stopped at the 4th tier grew and entered the 5th, making it possible to use this spell. I stepped out of the window without hesitation when I found myself slowly assimting and disappearing into my surroundings. * * * Secret information guild, ck Moon. There were numerous guilds that specialized in assassination or information in the Al Rown Kingdom. Among the information guilds, ck Moon had overwhelming power and scale that couldn¡¯t be challenged at any time. Unlike other information guilds, the range of the ck Moon Guild was widely spread throughout many countries as well as in the Al Rown Kingdom. The guild leader of the Information Guild frowned at the report in front of him. ¡°Sharis is missing?¡± ¡°Yes, she disappeared without a trace.¡± ¡°Many of Sharis¡¯s assassins have disappeared before.¡± ¡°Yes, ording to the information, it appears that the attempt to assassinate Prince Davey, Prince Barris, and Princess Whitney has failed.¡± He closed his eyes as his assistant replied with an expressionless face and left. Sharis, who was disguised as Queen Liness¡¯s maid, was an A-ss intelligent agent. Ostensibly. Moreover, she was an agent from the dispatched headquarters of the ck Moon Guild. Unknown name, unknown address, and possessing an alluring beauty and a sense of intimidation. The ck Moon Guild could be said to be a big guild. The exact origin of the Guild was so deep that even the Guild leader of the Al Rown Kingdom branch couldn¡¯t fathom it. Therefore, he had no way to prove whether Sharis was an A-ss agent. She could have been just a member of the headquarters disguised as an A-ss. Was it possible to defeat someone like her? Even though her skill was known as A-ss, and it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she had a higher ss based on her performance. It just didn¡¯t make sense that such a person like her failed in her assassination and was now missing, presumably due to the weak prince who was known to have neither physical strength nor political power. ¡®It seems like things are going erratically. I will have to leave this ce after burning all the information except for what¡¯s necessary.¡¯ The choice had to be made boldly. If you sense something strange, you have to get out of the ce quickly to survive. With these kinds of thoughts in mind, the leader of the ck Moon Guild quietly pressed the button that was attached to the bottom of the desk. The button would call his assistant. Click¡­click, click. However, he didn¡¯t hear anyoneing even after pressing the button a few more times. The moment he pressed the button, someone was supposed toe into his room, but no one showed up. What did this mean? It was like an rm ringing, driving his instincts. ¡®Oh shit!¡¯ ¡°Stop, don¡¯t move.¡± Then, he heard a quiet voiceing from thin air. The voice was soft but eerie at the same time. ¡°Huh?!¡± Bang! The moment he pulled his sword from the sheath when he heard the voice, a ck figure appeared and broke his arm, quickly pressing him into his desk. ¡°Well¡­it¡¯s human. Are you not a vampire?¡± The voice that muttered was that of a boy, who was probably mid-tote teens at most. ¡°I don¡¯t mind you screaming, no one ising, no matter how much you shout.¡± The boy, squeezing him and whispering, stretched out his finger. Simultaneously, the tightly closed door opened slowly. A strong smell of blood stabbed him in his nose. ¡®Oh my god, dear god!¡¯ His eyes opened in astonishment. When it came to secrecy, the ck Moon Guild was one of the best guilds. It was where the best assassins in the kingdom gathered, and dozens of people who were perfect assassins were hidden there. But not a single person noticed when he entered. If anyone had noticed, he would have received the report. But not now. As if everyone didn¡¯t even know how they died, there was no sign of resistance. ¡®He is strong! If things are going this way, I can¡¯t even resist for a second and will die!¡¯ He instantly thought he would die at the hands of the boy who overpowered him; it didn¡¯t matter where he came from. He had many talented people in his Guild capable of killing anything without being spotted. But none of that mattered; this boy was capable of attacking the best information guild in the Al Rown Kingdom. And, he held no mercy in his hands. ¡°Huh¡­who sent you? Are you from the Luxo Guild, Karsha guild, or not¡­did the headquarter send you?¡± Although he was the guild leader of the ck Moon Guild in the Al Rown Kingdom, the headquarters of the ck Moon Guild was an unreliable organization. That¡¯s why it was a very secret and dangerous ce. The Karsha Guild and the Luxo Guild, who were theirpetitors, were great but not significant enough to destroy the ck Moon Guild overnight like this. If so, was the headquarters trying to exit this ce? There were thoughts in his head, but he remained silent. ¡°Do you want to live?¡± In the dark, his red eyes curled eerie and strangely. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°If you want to live, I want you to give me some information.¡± He heard him giggle, causing goosebumps to rise on his arms. ¡°If you¡­if you wanted some information¡­ I hope you followed the proper process¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something that could be bought with just money.¡± At the boy¡¯s words, he clenched his teeth and thought calmly. If he went against the boy¡¯s will, he was going to die. Although he had excellent assassination skills, the boy had exceptional talent. If so, he shouldn¡¯t bother him as much as possible.¡¯ ¡°I¡­I will tell you everything. I¡¯ll give you the information you want.¡± ¡°Really? Well, I¡¯ll take it if you¡¯re offering.¡± ¡®Stupid bastard! You are the one who threatened to steal the information.¡¯ He agreed, but he didn¡¯t resist. If he said something wrong, he was going to die. That was what his instincts screamed. Phew! When the restraining force holding his body disappeared instantly, he fell and took a deep breath. It was a very harsh and dull reaction, unlike his usual self. ¡°Huff¡­huff¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a lot. Give me the list of the nobles who are the limbs of Duke Barrieta, who are shaking the country, and the notes on the corruption theymitted.¡± ¡°What¡­what?¡± ¡°There will be information that Duke Barrieta has collected secretly to take their lives. And he¡¯ll keep them here, right?¡± At that, the guild leader quickly turned his gaze to confirm the boy¡¯s identity in front of him. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± However, his actions were quickly blocked. The boy¡¯s hand was slightly bent, and eerie energy suppressed his whole body. ¡®Master Assassin!¡¯ Realizing what the eerie energy was, his expression turned to fright. Very few assassins reached the master level, which was extremely difficult. It may be possible to beat a master, but very few people broke through the barrier of self-enlightenment. So it didn¡¯t take much time to realize how absurd the boy in front of him was. ¡®A Master Assassin in a small country like this?! Nonsense!¡¯ He was the prince who has been in aa for six years. He couldn¡¯t understand frommon sense that the prince, who had been awakened for less than half a year, had such skills. He smiled at the boy, Davey. ¡°Just to let you know, detecting lies is my specialty. No need to bluff. The choice is up to you.¡± Because of his terrifying energy, the guild leader trembled quietly. * * * ¡°H¡­Here you are.¡± As soon as I received the scroll from the shuddering man, I immediately checked the contents and put it quietly in my arms as if to save it. ¡°I¡­I gave everything you wanted. S¡­so please step back now.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± As if he was worried, his expression was wrinkled. What else do you want from me?! His face was saying something like that. Chapter 31 -In an objective view, it could be both helpful and not helpful. If you decided, it¡¯s better to clean up everything. ¡®Do you think it is better that way?¡¯ -Please avoid killing as much as possible. ¡®Are you supposed to say that as the Demon King?¡¯ -I am not sure where the belief that demons love blood came from. It wasn¡¯t surprising to hear her saying something like that since she had insisted on anti-war from the start. ¡°Well, now. I think this is enough.¡± ¡°So¡­if¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like unnecessary killing that much.¡± As I stood up, talking calmly, he looked perplexed. ¡°Forget everything you saw today. And you¡¯d better keep your mouth shut if you don¡¯t want to find yourself in trouble.¡± At my words, he nodded quietly, trembling. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Ttaak! When I flicked my finger lightly, he fell. -You should know that they mighte at youter. ¡®Didn¡¯t you just say that I shouldn¡¯t kill him?¡¯ -Still, your life is an important matter. I crossed my arms and smiled at the silver-haired girl who was giggling. ¡°Sometimes, there are things scarier than death.¡± When I took out the documents inside and unfolded them, it quickly printed text lightly on the paper. It was confidential information that needed a password to ess. They could have used magical artifacts. The information essible with the guild leader¡¯s authority was more extensive and detailed than I thought. There were reasons why they were the best guild in the kingdom. But I didn¡¯t stop there. -As you said, a rabbit wouldn¡¯t have dug only one burrow. ¡°There must be missing information. It must have been hidden in other information guilds.¡± The ck Moon Guild was thergest Information guild in the Al Rown Kingdom, without a doubt. However, even if it was arge Information guild, having all the information in one ce was dangerous. If you put all the information in one ce, there would be a higher liability. Duke Barrieta was no fool, so he must have prepared several alternatives. I was going to put them in an irreversible situation. Even though it was a fragment of information, there was content about Duke Barrieta¡¯s attempt to seek the position of King through Carlos. If you think about it, this country¡­the Al Rown kingdom hadn¡¯t appointed the next king, the crowned prince. -Are you going to handle them yourself? ¡°Why would I do that? There is someone else who can do that for me.¡± -There is someone else¡­ ¡°No matter how high-ranking as aristocrats they are, they still have political rivals.¡± -But, will they move ording to your will? ¡°A beast, who is starved to death, can¡¯t pass by its victim. I have one person in mind who will jump in without a second thought.¡± And he would turn the situation in my favor. As I talked calmly, I used the stealth magic again. ¡°Today¡¯s theme is ¡®night guest¡¯. Let¡¯s sneak in without being noticed.¡± -What if you get caught? ¡°Why do you think I said the word ¡°sneak¡±? When the viewer disappears, it still works out.¡± Assassination or stealth¡­what was I afraid of? I destroyed the so-called top-notch guild, the ck Moon. ¡°There are six more guilds. Let¡¯s get going.¡± -As you wish. 15. Land? For this barrennd? ¡°Your Majesty, Prince Davey¡¯s Stigmata is our country¡¯s treasure and delight. It would be great if you recognize his contribution by rewarding him.¡± ¡°Rewarding him?¡± ¡°I heard that Prince Davey has already been given a manor. I heard it¡¯s the region of Hines.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Each member of royalty had their own manor. The criterion was that the royal family member who came of age would receive one. Of course, when he became of age, a manor was granted by the kingdom for Davey. It was the eastern part of the kingdom, Hines, a province facing the Maind. However, while it was a massive area ofnd, it was alsorgely barren. It would be a waste to abandon, but had too few resources or specialties to develop. It was Queen Liness¡¯s idea that thend should be handed down to David. ¡°Now, Prince Davey seems to be almost recovered, so why don¡¯t you let him go down and develop thend so that he can benefit the kingdom.¡± Queen Liness suggested with a pretty smile. She didn¡¯t think it would be sessful at once, as he was constantly deviating from her intentions. It would have been perfect for her if he had died in aa. He¡¯d been a thorn in Liness¡¯s eyes since he got up. She didn¡¯t like it. The assassination failed not once but twice. Moreover, one of her biggest secrets, Sharis, had gone missing. Someone was protecting him. Was it the king or someone else? The Marquis Patelis could have been within the radar of suspects, but it still couldn¡¯t exin the situation unless he was directly engaged. It wasplicated. The assassins couldn¡¯t defeat him, and the Stigmata made it difficult to me him as a madman and put him in confinement as a disqualified prince. There was only one way left; legally remove him from the royal pce. There were lots of methods, whether it is through an arranged marriage or independence. The reason she made that decision was that she couldn¡¯t keep an eye on him anymore. The day before, someone robbed all the information guilds. Not one or two, but seven information guilds in this country were robbed in a single day. She couldn¡¯t figure out who did it, but her instinct was yelling at her that it was the same person who had been helping the prince. The backer seemed so vicious that she thought she had no means to win. The only answer was that she didn¡¯t want to fight such a monster. If the information from the information guilds went to the Marquis of Patelis, known as a political rival of the nobles¡­ The aftermath that would arise was that the nobles, led by Duke Barrieta, who had stood firmly, could be shaken at once. She had to be careful dealing with her opponent because the information was dangerously valuable. She had to even consider a rebellion in such a problematic situation, which was herst resort. That was why she made the suggestion. Now that she wasn¡¯t in a situation to care for Davey, she has no choice but to put the troubling child on hold for a while. She was uncertain if King Crianes would approve it, but she had to try it first. She smiled at King Crianes, looking at her as if examining her intention. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not good education for a grown-up prince who isn¡¯t the crowned prince to continue to stay in the royal pce.¡± Queen Liness looked surprised at his calm reply. Why all of a sudden? His surprising decision caused her eyes to widen. ¡®What the hell is this guy thinking?¡¯ King Crianes thwarted all of the strategies she had put in ce to cut Davey¡¯s breath short. She couldn¡¯t understand, but it wasn¡¯t bad either. If she could get rid of him, she no longer needed to worry about the problem right now. If Hines¡¯ Manor developed, it would be a tremendous strength for him, but she was convinced it would never be. Hines¡¯ province was a barrennd that could practically be called cursed. ¡°Speaking of which, why don¡¯t we get ready, chambein!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Call Davey.¡± Seeing him speaking boldly, Queen Liness looked like she didn¡¯t know whether tough or frown. * * * ¡°Prince Majesty, the King Majesty is looking for you.¡± ¡°The King?¡± ¡°Yes, you should change into your formal outfit and visit his Majesty¡¯s pce.¡± ¡°Well¡­okay.¡± When Vespers, the chief of staff, came to me, I watched his back with narrow eyes. What brings you here? Suddenly I thought about it, and when I woke up, I saw Perserk lying in bed and sleeping. ¡®Wake up.¡¯ -Hmm¡­let me sleep a little bit more¡­ She mumbled and rolled up in the sheet that was a dozen timesrger than her body. She was invisible to others, but she was real, so if someone were watching, it would look like a ghost was rolling about. ¡®Wake up. I¡¯ll let you sleep as long as you wantter.¡¯ Of course, I had no intention of indulging this naughty Demon King¡¯s grievance. -You have no mercy on me. I hardly ever get good sleep because you wake me up all the time. You have to guarantee me more sleep. ¡®We have a big age difference, but let¡¯s not say something that could mislead others.¡¯ -Hmm¡­you¡¯re a mess. As she slowly got up, she yawned and sat on my head. ¡°Let me help you get dressed, your Majesty. ¡°Please.¡± At my words, Amy smiled, looking to be in a good mood. * * * I expected this. Since he realized that my existence was like a strange bomb, he would have decided that he couldn¡¯t leave me here anymore. ¡°Go and cultivate the assigned Hinesnd. Brighten your existence more and more.¡± He acted like a father who tossed pains on his son to motivate him. However, I had already learned that the meaning behind his speech was different because of Perserk¡¯s whispering. -Hmm¡­he is afraid that you¡¯ll take things too far here, so he is going to relocate us somewhere else. ¡®Don¡¯t remind me for no reason.¡¯ -Haven¡¯t you noticed anyway? Perserk shrugged. -Your father doesn¡¯t seem to fully believe in your abilities yet. ¡®If he didn¡¯t do this, I would have left on my own.¡¯ No mines had been discovered, and since it was a wastnd, clearing it to make farnd wouldn¡¯t be easy. The monster¡¯s habitat was also not too far away. The only good thing I found was its potential as a transportation hub, but that was only if the roads were paved properly. Oh, there was one more. Thend of Baron Alisha, the home of my mother, was right there. There was nothing left of Baron Alisha now, who became a low-ranking nobleman after having been quietly dismantled. My mother¡¯s parents, my maternal grandfather and maternal grandmother, had already passed away. Although my mother had a younger brother, who was the only blood rtive left, he was missing. I thought my face would have frowned automatically, but when I remained unexpectedly calm, King Crianes had a little doubt in his eyes. Chapter 32 [ording to themunity¡¯s interaction so far, it¡¯s estimated that this series will be in the top 5-6 on the site. We¡¯ve only prepared a team that can handle 2-3 chapters per day or 14-20 a week. Even though we have them stockpiled, we¡¯ve kept the actual upload pace the same for this past week in case we needed to move the team around. Depending on how the viewership + unlock speed turns out over the next week, we will increase the upload rate. This chapter was tranted and edited months ago and the editing quality isn¡¯t up to par with thetest chapters. We¡¯ll get future chapters skimmed by a proofreader, but only briefly. The full-priced chapters are much better¡­ In the meantime, we¡¯ve released this chapter for 150 ATC.] Episode 32 Even though they had their own reasons for removing me from the pce, everything was going as I nned. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty. Even if I am gone, I have someone who will rece my role.¡¯ Right now, we are just keeping an eye on the aristocrats. However, when they see the gift I prepared, the royal pce would be a sea of blood from the endless purges. It would be hard to stop the power dynamics that aristocrats had because they were a cause-oriented group. Barris and Winley, who were highly likely to be affected by the consequences, would soon return to their original provinces to remain safe from the incident. ¡°I will follow your order.¡± ¡°Good, when will you be able to leave?¡± ¡°There is no need to wait. I will leave as soon as I get ready.¡± The sooner I made the decision, the better it was. It might have been better to say that I would leave right now, but I needed time to prepare myself before I move. -You, you are dangerous. Thousands of people might die based on your decision. ¡®If the kingdom remains the same even after Barris bes king, we would be better off without the kingdom. So, before that happens, the changes are for the better.¡¯ I had no intention of handing over the messy reality to my younger brother. It would be better if I get a chance to get rid of the enemies with a bit of effort. This fight wouldn¡¯t cause the doom of Queen Liness or Duke Barrieta at once. However, with my perfect preparation, I was sure that they would gradually lose their power. Would that be all? Their rtionship, which had been tightly tied up, would fall apart instantly. Consequently, severe turmoil will follow. What was going to happen next? Civil war. I didn¡¯t want to be involved in theplicated political scene. If I were here, the chances were more likely that I would get involved. So, before Queen Liness initiates her sly ns, I was thinking of leaving this ce. The next time I show up would be when they made an irreversible choice. At that time, I will slice their necks. ¡°If that is what you want to do, we will follow your decision. We have high expectations for you, so make sure to bring good news to the kingdom soon.¡± ¡°I will keep it in mind, Majesty.¡± As I said so, I had to hold myself back fromughing. * * * When I left the room and returned to the first Prince¡¯s pce, I saw a clean wall greeting me. The first Prince¡¯s pce, which used to look like a haunted house, was now immacte to this level. Unfortunately, It was now time to leave it behind. ¡°Amy, go to the Treasury and the Land Department to retrieve all the documents for thend in Hines.¡± ¡°Documents? Which ones should I ask for?¡± ¡°Everything without missing anything. If you say I sent you, they¡¯ll give the documents to you.¡± It may be challenging to understand everything quickly due to therge volume, but it didn¡¯t matter. I was confident I could read a few hundred documents to store in my head. ¡®Know your enemy¡­¡¯ -and know yourself. You will win every single battle. It¡¯s a pretty impressive proverb. Did ite from your previous life? ¡®There is a simr phrase here.¡¯ -We had a simr one back in my day. As for the proverb, it was interesting where they all came from. Perserk, giggling as she found it funny, had a look of excitement on her face. -Don¡¯t you think it is funny? ¡°What do you mean?¡± After Amy left quietly, bowing her head, I no longer had to have a conversation with my inside voice. At my question, she jumped over my legs. Then, with both legs folded outward, she sat down and looked up. -I like it when things get interesting, don¡¯t you have a lot of strength and skill? ¡°Hmm.¡± -Nevertheless, you never try to cross the line of arrogance that you set for yourself. This is quite interesting. I couldn¡¯t understand her taste. ¡°Vicarious satisfaction? Isn¡¯t it something like that?¡± -My life was kind of boring, so maybe I am feeling satisfaction through watching your life. ¡°I had never thought that I was going to be the subject of somebody¡¯s vicarious satisfaction.¡± -Be proud of yourself because I am about to be your fan as a former Demon King. She grinned and bowed. Then she put her cheeks on my thighs and closed her eyes as if she was going to sleep. -I am getting a little sleepy¡­ The phrase ¡®beauty sleep¡¯ best suited this woman. It seemed like she spent a lot of time sleeping to maintain her overwhelming beauty. From a positive perspective, it was ultimately her way of taking care of herself. On the contrary, it was just her beingzy since she¡¯s got a lot of free time. -Hmm¡­you seem to have a strangely unpleasant thought. She was excessively bright. It must have been because of her life, where she had analyzed countless people without using the power of detection. -I¡­I¡¯ll sleep a little¡­don¡¯t move¡­ ¡°My thighs are expensive.¡± -You¡­um¡­your legs are firm and fluffy, so it feels good to fall asleep¡­ She fell asleep after saying that. She didn¡¯t disappear like before, and I didn¡¯t want to wake her up, so I let her sleep. ¡°Majesty! I brought what you asked!¡± It was then. I thought it would take longer, but it didn¡¯t. ¡°Is this all?¡± ¡°Yes, they said this is all the information about thend.¡± ¡°I guess this is it since it¡¯s only a remote area of the countryside¡­.¡± Iughed at the surprisinglycking amount of information. I knew it wasn¡¯t going to be a lot, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this little. ¡°Great.¡± As soon as I took the papers and skimmed them, an irresistible sigh flowed out of my mouth. ¡°A cursednd? I guess this what I have.¡± It was an unbiased evaluation. * * * Cursednd. A barren wastnd. And where the drought never stops. The dyingnd. There were many ways of expressing it, but I could simplify the evaluation of the Hines manor. At first, I thought Queen Liness had blocked information about where I was going, but that wasn¡¯t true. The state of thend was so terrible that it wasn¡¯t worth hiding. ¡°Except for ten percent of thend, all thend dried up due to drought.¡± -Hmm¡­whether it is mine or not is terrible. However, particr areas need some additional research. Since there is no adjacent sea, it seems impossible to have a fishing industry or any sea trade. Without my attention, Perserk, lying asleep on my leg, yawned and muttered. She was a pretty smart Demon King. She was once the king of an entire species, and she had lived for thousands of years even if she was sealed. My experience wasn¡¯t nearly enough to evaluate her. ¡°From five years ago, the provinces couldn¡¯t afford to pay taxes, so the country has given them a tax reduction.¡± The policy of reducing taxes for poor estates was a bill that my father, King Crianes, promoted when he was young. The reason behind this was that there were no benefits toward the kingdom when he tried to impose excessive taxes on a poor manor that couldn¡¯t even afford to pay it. It was previously aggravating the publics¡¯ sentiment. That was precisely what the current situation of Hines was. Ten years ago, it had served its purpose asnd. However, at present, there were no elements that could be advocated except for it having a significant transportation advantage as a checkpoint on the way to the Maind. ¡°It might be better to throw me in the middle of the desert.¡± It wasn¡¯t really to that extent, though. -There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll ever get anything back from such a barend. How much support can the kingdom provide? ¡°Looking at it, a handful of ves and material resources seem to be everything. I refused everything because they could use it as a tool against me.¡± -That doesn¡¯t seem enough anyway. We won¡¯t be able to figure out the situation until we re-examine everything first. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± -Can you see it here? It says it¡¯s a cursednd. It was five years ago that it stopped raining in the estate. ording to the rumor, the specific reason was unknown; it seemed that an unknown curse was ced on thend. It was said that it was caused by the alien races living in the forest, but honestly, the chances of that being true were low. If the curse is limited to just drought and it rained again, a considerable amount ofnd could be used as farnd. ¡°The keeper must have died already.¡± -You underestimate my potential. What is the use of spiritualism and alchemy? ¡°That is right, thanks for the advice.¡± Perserk was a pretty good talker and consultant. At least she knew what I had to do. I had learned a lot in the Corridor, but I never studied geography. Knowing what to do to survive was different from the knowledge that changed the world. Even in areas that I wasn¡¯t aware of, she had quite an in-depth knowledge. Moreover, the fact that she was someone with whom I could have goodmunication with also yed a part. -Whatever it is, it¡¯s hard to judge at will unless we actually see it for ourselves. Well, even if it¡¯s not enough, I can lend you a certain amount of foolish wisdom as you have a symbiotic friendship with me. ¡°Is my leg yourpensation?¡± -There aren¡¯t many beds that are asfortable to sleep on as your legs, for sure. She was smiling cutely. * * * A few days passed. The speed at which we processed information together had be so quick that there was no longer a need to confirm with each other. As we talked about the development of the manor, we often ended up staying up all night. She often fell into a deep sleep from which she could not wake up from. Perhaps the reason was that the longer she uses her powers to materialize, the faster she grew tired. As soon as the sun came up, the royal castle was crowded with processions leaving for Hines. There weren¡¯t that many leaving: me, who would be inaugurated as the lord, and my exclusive maid, Amy, who would assist me, followed by a few attendants and maids. In addition to this, some of the knights would stay with me for a while. I was a bit poor¡­ -You must have too much time since you are acting silly. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ I had no knights or nobles who pledged allegiance to me. Therefore, this modest procession was also a natural result in some way. When Barris and Winley heard that I was leaving, they immediately came to me andined. It was apparently because they knew what the Hinesnd was like. Barris shouted, ¡®We¡¯ll go to the Majesty and petition against it!¡¯ ¡°Just believe in your brother.¡± Then he became so upset that he left the room immediately. Afterward, Winley, who had wiped her tears with a handkerchief, quietly hugged me. ¡°Davey, if you have any trouble, don¡¯t hesitate to contact us. We wille and get you no matter what.¡± Who were these 14-year-old kids taking care of? Still, I was grateful for them being so thoughtful, so I just stroked Winley¡¯s head, which made her cry out loud even louder. Chapter 33 Episode 33 Barris and Winley seemed upset because they had to return to their ce soon, even though they wanted to follow me. ¡®I guess I am finally leaving this damn pce.¡¯ -I don¡¯t think I¡¯m leaving here forever, but I¡¯m pretty excited for the future. ¡®How miserable will it be?¡¯ At my thoughts, she, sitting on my thigh as if riding a horse, turned her head and smiled. -Isn¡¯t it fun? I am curious about what you¡¯re going to do. I don¡¯t know what to do with your high expectations. ¡°Majesty.¡± I was quietly getting ready to leave the pce. As I lifted my head to the unanticipated voice, an elderly man slowly walked in under the guidance of Amy. His age was around 70 years old. However,pared to ordinary people of his age in this continent, he looked strong and gave an imposing appearance. ¡°I am Marquis Patelis, and it is an honor to see the little sun of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Please get up, Marquis of Patelis.¡± Usually, I wouldn¡¯t have said that, but he was different. There were only three swordmasters in the Al Rown kingdom, and among them, he had the best skills and experience. He was well respected by the knights of the Al Rown Kingdom, and countless knights on the continent showed their respect just upon hearing his name. It wasn¡¯t just that. He was also the most crucial candidate with who I chose to destroy the nobility. The swordmaster was a kind of strategic weapon. Although he didn¡¯t have arge number of troops, he became a central pir of the country only by his strength and the power of his long-established family. Usually, he held a neutral stance and kept a distance from the nobles, but now he wouldn¡¯t stay neutral anymore. A few days after stealing all the information from the information guilds, I snuck into Patelis¡¯ bedroom and left him all the information the nobles wanted to hide. Since he was a man of enormous loyalty and self-discipline, he would soon begin to investigate the aristocracy as soon as he vetted the authenticity of the information. ¡°I heard you¡¯re leaving.¡± ¡°It happened to be that way. Any adult royal family members must leave the pce unless they are the crowned prince.¡± ¡°In the future, you might be the crowned prince.¡± ¡°That is a matter of the future.¡± As I smiled, he adjusted his monocle and smiled vainly. ¡°You have grown a lot. If the former queen were here, she would have been so proud of you.¡± ¡°To my mother, I am just a terrible son.¡± He shook his head at my reply. ¡°If you say so, this old man who couldn¡¯t protect the queen majesty should have already bitten his tongue and died.¡± I smiled at his words. Unlike my father, who gave up everything after my mother¡¯s death, he, who volunteered as my mother¡¯s knight in the past, seemed to have secretly searched for evidence behind my mother¡¯s assassination. I found it out when I snuck into his house, which made me feel grateful towards him. ¡®So please, shake all the nobles who are eating up the country.¡¯ When I saw him without speaking, he looked at me as if I was his grandson. ¡®I will deliver the final blow.¡¯ ¡°If you are in trouble, please feel free to contact me. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡± ¡°As a person keeping a neutral stance, if you look after me, the nobles will be outraged. You don¡¯t want this little boy to die, right?¡± When I said jokingly, heughed. ¡°If I don¡¯t do that, the life and oath of this sinful old man will be a lie.¡± He said bitterly as if whipping the guilt he held. ¡°I¡¯m going to turn thend into a ce where people live. It¡¯s not difficult.¡± ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°So please do your job well here, Marquis.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I smiled at him. ¡°You will be busy soon.¡± As if he didn¡¯t understand what I was saying, he remained silent for a long time. * * * After flying up to the neighboring province with the mana gate, I was on the move all day. It wasn¡¯t that bad because Hines was quite close to the capital. If it were elsewhere, it would have taken a few more days. -I thought you were the only one who had enemies in the pce, but that wasn¡¯t true. When did she wake up? Perserk floated in front of me as I read a book in the carriage. She, lightly dressed like a demon, looked down and giggled at me from a height where I could see her underwear if she moved a little by mistake. -There are some vital people like that. ¡°Because Marquis Patelis was my mother¡¯s knight. However, it is only recently that I got to know about him. So I don¡¯t know him that well.¡± -By the way, you handled the information well. ¡°At least it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s the only loyal person in this country.¡± She giggled at my words, waving her hand in the air. Then the window of the carriage opened smoothly, and the dried-upnds began to appear. -It feels like something is blocking the atmosphere here. ¡°Right, I feel the same.¡± The Hines territory itself was pretty big. Nevertheless, this manor became abandoned because more than ny percent of thendmass was suffering from drought as if it were cursed. There was no way to know the exact reason yet, but everything would weather and turn into a desert if it continued a little longer. Among the ind regions, fewnds were so barren like this. It was the onlynd in the Al Rown kingdom that was suffering from drought. The wastnd, which was seen outside the window, was initially agricultural, but the soil dried up and cracked as the drought continued. Fortunately, the government had hired some wizards to conjure water several times. If not, it would have been much worse. Hiring wizards to spray water over arge amount ofnd wouldn¡¯t solve the problem with a small budget such as ours, though. ¡°Majesty, I am sorry, but we should stop and stay somewhere around here for tonight.¡± I nodded quietly at chambein Ferrum¡¯s suggestion. ¡°We have no other choice because there is no private lodging nearby. Get ready for camping.¡± ¡°Yes, Majesty.¡± After watching the chambeins, maids, and escort knights move busily, I left the carriage, leaving Amy behind. -Dry air. Sandy wind. I strolled while looking at the block ofnd that looked like a desert. Although it was arge amount ofnd, not much of it was useful. When I walked far away from the carriage on the only paved road, all I could see was dried-up earth all over the ce. I silently reached out my hand and touched the cracked ground. Then I closed my eyes and whispered. -Checking Information. Perserk¡¯s insight was a unique ability infused with the will of God, and the subject wasn¡¯t limited to living creatures. Beep! There was a faint light in her eyes as a simultaneous mechanical sound flowed out in the air. At this moment, a strange transparent status window began to appear out of the air. -Region: Hines Manor. -Earth condition: Lowest -Specialments: Due to a prolonged drought and a strange power, the earth is dead, and the ground is dried up. It is showing signs of a curse (?): dead earth, climate change. It seems possible to remove the curse (?). -Was it a curse? ¡°I have to get rid of it. Rather, why do you have so many question marks like this in the status window of God¡¯s will?¡± I felt strange. 16. The lord is cleaning. -I can¡¯t answer your question. ¡°But it¡¯s your ability.¡± -I am only able to show. You probably know that the contents in the window aren¡¯t mine but the will of a God with a cheap taste. As a Demon King, she had no faith in God. -So you don¡¯t like them? ¡°Well¡­I am not in a position to say since I am borrowing the divine power of God, but I cannot deny that she is a God with a little peculiar taste.¡± -By the way, as expected, it¡¯s a curse, not something worse. Ignoring Perserk¡¯s joke, I quietly swept the cracked ground with my hands. This was the current situation shown in most of the Hines territory. Except for ten percent of thend, most areas were in the same situation as stated previously by the status window. ¡®The curse that spread out the entirend¡­¡¯ -I¡¯m saying this because you might not understand. There is something called a spread-type curse in the curse tree, a vicious curse activated by an insignificant medium that spreads endlessly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were still remnants of ck magic left here.¡± -Looks like one of the residents touched the medium. It seemed that someone among the residents had triggered an unexploded mine. The Hines Manor had gone through that unfortunate event. [Purification] Iid my hand on the ground silently and raised my divine power. It was cleaning magic that was raised to the third rank. Paaching!! Even though it said removing the curse was possible in the status window, it seemedplicated. ¡°Look at this.¡± A smile caught on the corner of my mouth. If I used the purification magic without any intention, it might seem that I wasn¡¯t able to absorb the powerful repulsive force, which repelled my divine magic. Fifth Tier [Purification] The characteristic of purification magic, which boasted one axis of divine magic, could be used by first-ss priests. And, depending on the individual¡¯s capacity, they could rise to the eighth tier. If it didn¡¯t work with the third-tier purification magic, I had to raise it a few steps. Kaaching!! Once again, you could hear the sound of something breaking. It seemed that the magic bounced back again, but the result was a little different. Pushhkkk¡­ The colorless, odorless smoke slowly began to flow out of the area I had touched. The curse was scattered for a moment but recovered again. -A curse that has been around for a long time cannot be removed so easily. ¡°That is true.¡± I have to find the medium and destroy it; otherwise, I couldn¡¯t remove the curse. Without doing that, it was like shoveling snow in the middle of heavy snowfall. I quietly returned to the carriage and leaned on the fluffy sofa, closing my eyes. ¡°This is how most of thend is like.¡± ck magic, especiallyrge-scale curses like this, mainly went extinct a long time ago. To be precise, we had very little information about the different species on the continent now, and it was safe to assume that a few ck wizards once shook the continent. -As it was in the past, the world has remained essentially unchanged. As I listened to Perserk¡¯s voice, I slowly closed my eyes. Chapter 34 34 * * * The scale of the Hines manor was more extensive than the average manor. As such, it was impossible to surround everything with a wall, so basically, only some areas surrounding the Lord¡¯s manor house were surrounded by a wall, and the rest were maintained as opennd. ¡°It is a great manor.¡± -It was poorly maintained, though. Was it because it was an old and underdeveloped manor? Some of the fortress walls surrounding the inner manor were weathered, making it impossible to recognize their original shape, and the grass was growing rampant over it. The gate, which should have been firmly closed, had already been long battered beyond usefulness. -You should be d that at least there is someone who keeps the gate closed. ¡°It¡¯s an area adjacent to therge forest where monsters live, and the manor wouldn¡¯t have survived without volunteer watchmen.¡± ¡°Stop! From here and forward, it¡¯s the Hines manor! Please show your ID card!¡± ¡°This is Prince Davey, who was appointed to be the Lord of this manor! Open the gate!¡± The old gentleman, who took the lead on a horse, shouted sternly before anyone came forward. It seemed that they soon noticed that it wasn¡¯t a precious procession that had graced them. ¡°P¡­Please wait a moment. I should get Director¡­¡± ¡°Hey! Are you going to make the Prince Majesty wait?!¡± ¡°Stop, we have to go through the process. I am not officially delegated the authority of the manor yet.¡± It was true that the royal order delegates the authority of the province, but when the Lord was absent, the deputy manor manager took over. In this system, a nobleman, and appointed lord, had to take over from the manor manager to be inaugurated as an official lord. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too uptight. We¡¯ll all be family.¡± As I got off the carriage, he nodded. ¡°P¡­Please forgive me for being rude. Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I¡­I see the sun of the kingdom.¡± I¡¯m not sure how he knew I was the prince, maybe because of my fabulous appearance? When the guards realized I was the prince who would be the Lord described by the old gentleman, theyid down on the ground. ¡°You should get up. If youy down on the ground, who is going to keep the gate?¡± As I spoke, the two guards were taken aback. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°The volunteers are good. However, why is the manor house in this state?¡± They exchanged nces when I asked calmly. It was that moment a middle-aged man wearing light gloves was running from the inside wall. ¡°D¡­Director!¡± ¡°W¡­Wee, Prince Majesty! I received the message, but I apologize for beingte. Please kill me!¡± I focused my gaze on the guy, who was lying t on his stomach and trembling. Now I saw the strange traces. Monster attack. There were signs that there was a monster attack within thest day. Somehow the atmosphere was cluttered. ¡°When did the messenger arrive here?¡± ¡°It¡­It was two days ago.¡± ¡°When did the monster attack happen after that?¡± ¡°W¡­well¡­ H¡­How did you know that¡­?¡± I smiled at him, who looked at me in surprise. ¡°Looking at the traces of blood, it must be a recent attack. If it was an urgent situation, your judgment was right.¡± ¡°Y¡­Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°What is the point of this dreary procedure? First of all, I¡¯ll go in and hear more details.¡± He looked up at me as if surprised by my words. ¡°Also, please bring the internal affairs deputy manor manager.¡± He, who had been frightened, sighed and lowered his head as though his life had been cut short by ten years. * * * When Hercules taught me the art of survival, the ability to observe was the first lesson he imparted. I didn¡¯t realize it from afar, but I noticed bloodstains on the walls and some weapons which had been broken and couldn¡¯t be retrieved in time. Despite the absence of bodies, the dark bloodstains were visible. I could even smell it. How did I smell it? I could amplify my senses even though I hadn¡¯t undergone a metamorphosis. It was because I acquired a master-ss body after the manifestation of God. They seem shocked that I found the remnants. What was wrong with them? It was a simple ability that everyone at my level had. -At times, you tend to forget how ridiculous your talent is. I¡¯m sorry, but you sound like a jerk to me. Those whock talent, even at your rank, would miss such a hint. ¡®Did I say anything like that?¡¯ -Even if you didn¡¯t say, I knew. I wonder if hitting your head once is okay. ¡°I, Montmort, was in charge of the province¡¯s military force by acting as the volunteermander in the absence of the lord.¡± ¡°Where is the manor manager?¡± ¡°That¡­is¡­¡± He hesitated and then lowered his head again. ¡°S-someone else was in charge before the recent assault, but since then¡­I¡¯ve been in charge.¡± He was the only one in charge of both internal affairs and the volunteers. He didn¡¯t seem to be overly selfish, but he was a man of exceptional talent. -If you hire that kind of person, it will undoubtedly benefit you. ¡®I can trust his abilities since he has kept the dying manor over the past five years.¡¯ He rolled his eyes back and forth with an anxious face as I sat quietly; he was scared. He looked worried if I would be mad due to the condition of the manor, or the manor house, which was all worn out. I, on the other hand, maintained a dignified demeanor while appearing worried. ¡°I know you¡¯ve had a difficult time.¡± As I entered this town, I saw the broken houses and their inhabitants. To be clear, they didn¡¯t seem to be excited at the arrival of the new Lord. It was, in some ways, a natural reaction. It wasmon for the nobles to bully themoners in the current state of the Al Rown kingdom. Maybe he was scared for that reason, but it was no good if he was already scared. As I pondered this, I looked at Montmort, the middle-aged man who stood in front of me. ¡°To manage the manor, you would have to know how to read?¡± ¡°Even though I¡¯m a lowly guy, I learned to write by looking over other¡¯s shoulders a little.¡± ¡®It seems that I have discovered a talent.¡¯ I was quite impressed. ¡°So¡­now, since your majesty is here¡­¡± ¡°I want you to keep working.¡± ¡°P-pardon me?¡± ¡°Not as a volunteer corps. I¡¯ll promote it to the manor¡¯s official guard and establish a formal organization. Sir Berman, who used to be a guard here, will assist with the training.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll do what you say.¡± ¡°Y¡­you want me to do that?!¡± He looked up at me, shocked. ¡°Then who else is going to do that? I¡¯ll employ you as a knight and give you a title if your ability improves. I have the power to do so.¡± As I replied, I flung my ear wax into the air in response to his question. ¡°B¡­but I am a lowly man¡­¡± ¡°If someone is skilled, I hire them. That¡¯s my philosophy.¡± He seemed surprised by myments. * * * It was an assault by goblins. There were about a hundred of them. Their bodies were the size of a child¡¯s, their intelligence was poor, and their physique was small, so they had only child-like strength. The only thing they had in their favor was their prodigious fertility. Regardless of the species, even if you killed indefinitely, the number of them didn¡¯t decrease. That¡¯s why a goblin-infested manor was so irritating. It was challenging to adapt to them since they were nocturnal monsters. They were previously known for living in the mountains and sometimes appearing to steal animals, children, or women from people¡¯s homes, but this was the first time such arge group appeared. With this size, he couldn¡¯t understand why they hadn¡¯t been conquered by the orcs who lived in the same mountain, who refer to themselves as warriors. As the range of destion of the manor spread to the forest, their attack cycle became more frequent. The elders in the manor said that this was due to the earth¡¯s curse, but Montmort didn¡¯t believe them. Meanwhile, someone from the royal pce arrived. In a somewhat arrogant manner, an official from the royal pce came down and told him, who managed the volunteers and the estate, that the first prince of the Kingdom would be named Lord here, and then he left immediately. He didn¡¯t seem to want to remain in this remote area any longer. Montmort was amoner who despised the aristocracy. He learned to write at a beginner level from his father, but he despised all nobles except Baron Alisha, who had previously ruled the manor. To him, nobles were arrogant and were overly maniptive. Now what? There was going to be a royal prince. If it¡¯s a prince of the damn Kingdom, what else was there to say? That¡¯s what he was thinking. It¡¯s a good thing he didn¡¯t break his neck in anger over this manor¡¯s predicament. He was scared, but he didn¡¯t want to be overwhelmed. The more troubling aspect was that he couldn¡¯t imagine such a man abusing his authority in his hometown, which was in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the goblins attacked again. This time, there were almost a hundred fifty goblins in the raid. It¡¯s impossible to say where this influx of heads came from, but it seemed as if all the goblins in the vicinity of the Hines manor had gathered. No matter how well-trained the volunteers were, they would eventually incur fatigue from the constant battles. In reality, it was a known fact that some residents were abducted by fleeing goblins. Defeat was obvious, and they piged their possessions. The gloomy residents seemed dissatisfied that the government didn¡¯t intervene to defend them. It had been ten years since the Kingdom¡¯s assistance was withdrawn. The previous Lord, Baron Alisha, died a long time ago. On top of that, now they had to deal with a prince. The prince seemed to be a small child who hadn¡¯t yet seen half of what they had. ording to the kingdom¡¯sws, citizens became adults at the age of sixteen, but maturity generally urred at twenty or older. In other words, he was much too young. Young nobles were very arrogant. Furthermore, as a prince who has spent his whole life in the royal house, he couldn¡¯t have a wide range of experiences. Montmort¡¯s head felt dizzy just thinking about how the prince was going to annoy him. However, instead, he casually found the traces of their war and praised them for their effort. Montmort thought he was lying at first, but he looked confident. As if he knew what he was doing. With a nk expression on Montmort¡¯s face, he looked up at the prince. For some reason, his eyes and mannerisms gave the impression that he already knew everything. It was an odd instinct not to lie in front of him. Even though the journey would have been exhausting, he summoned the workers to verify the manor¡¯s condition, so we confessed the truth. He stood up and responded casually after hearing out the entire story. ¡°First, let¡¯s clean up the goblins until I remove the curse of the wastnd.¡± Although he had been told there were hundreds of goblins, he sounded like he was dusting a kitchen. Chapter 35 35 Beep. -Name: Montmort -Age: 42 -Gender: Male -Species: Human -Title: The Volunteer Leader of Hines Manor, The Hines Manor Deputy Manager. -Current condition: Extreme fatigue. -Specialments: A skilled swordsman. Knight¡¯s talent. -Current psychology: Confused. Surprised. Distrustful of the viewer. Worried about the residents, who were kidnapped by goblins. Worried about the increasingly drying manor. He worries and worries. He may only have learned an elementary education, but he has led this pitiful manor utilizing his years of experience. He is qualified enough to be hired. ¡°On the way, I saw goblin traces. Is this to imply that the goblins entered the manor house?¡± ¡°Y-you are right.¡± ¡°Why was the defense broken?¡± Even though there were many goblins, we had a fortress. So how did they break through? It was just a concern, not an attempt to criticize him. However, he seemed to grow awkward at my question for some reason. ¡°I am not criticizing you. We will solve the problems of this manor one by one in the future, based on your experiences and memories. He was taken aback by my words. It was true for those newly named lords to assign vital roles to their loyal servants. asionally, there were cases like his, but, overall, it wasmon for those in his position to find themselves in a dangerous situation when the management changed. ¡°That¡­that is¡­the volunteers were tired and wounded as a result of the ongoing attack¡­¡± ¡°How bad is the damage?¡± ¡°Dozens of residential houses were burned. A lot of people were kidnapped¡­¡± As he was muttering resentfully, I rubbed my chin. ¡°How are the manor¡¯s internal affairs?¡± The most important thing was this. I would have paid more attention to this if it hadn¡¯t been for the goblin assaults rather than the reinforcement of the units. Any manors in jeopardy must be dealt with caution. ¡°That is, there is enough food tost until the end of the winter¡­to tell you the truth, this year¡¯s farming was a failure¡­¡± -Even if you don¡¯t count all the repairs to the walls and the manor house and services, the wealth received from the royal pce will barelyst two years. Perserk grinned as soon as she realized which part I was looking for. Whoa, you have a beautiful smile. Is it possible for you to be my secretary? -I refuse. Sheughed peacefully andid down on my thighs in the chair. -It is already time to go to bed¡­hmm¡­ As she dozed off, I chuckled. ¡°It would be better if you get them.¡± Montmort stared at me as I muttered and pondered. He looked doubtful at me, as his name implied. I took small bags from my clothing and gave them to him. After I handed over three fist-sized sacks, he opened his eyes wide. And he was once again amazed by the contents. ¡°t-tinum coins!!¡± tinum coins. It was the highest currency with the value of fifty gold coins. Although the number of coins was small, the size of the coins was much greater than that of ordinary gold. ¡°Sir Pallis and Sir Horton should apany him. If you want, you can take a volunteer member. Put my name on the receipt and buy food and supplies. That way, we can buy enough food and supplies that willst for a while.¡± Since there were only two hundred residents at most, it was possible. ¡°Your Majesty, how could you give such a¡­.¡± Not only Montmort but also the others who were here to assist me looked astonished. As far as they saw it, I wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could afford such arge sum of money. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me where I got them. Because I earned that money fairly.¡± Yes, I earned them. It was the money I earned as a good thief by robbing the Information Guild. -There is no such thing as a good thief in the first ce¡­ ¡®You are too noisy.¡¯ She had a knack for responding while she was supposedly sleeping. They must have been furious when theyter discovered they had been robbed of both money and information. Well, it was toote to do anything about it now anyway. They looked perplexed as I spoke but then looked down as if their doubts had been disappeared. ¡°If you ask me, I will follow him.¡± It was Chambein Bernil, who was in charge of the First Prince¡¯s Pce. He was rted to Vespers, the royal pce¡¯s head butler, and King Crianes¡¯ right-hand man. Their appearances were strikingly simr. ¡°Yes, it would be better if Chambein Bernil followed.¡± ¡°In three days, we will return with the items that you requested.¡± At those words, I got up from my seat. ¡°Then, let¡¯s sort things out right away. The faster lives are saved, the better. Summon all the remaining knights and volunteers except for the minimum number of people who will protect the manor. Amy, lead the maids to clean the manor house.¡± I will be back after taking care of the outside business. They stared at me nkly for a moment as I stood up, as if I wouldn¡¯t listen to their opinions, then followed me as they realized the situation. * * * As expected, they were full of distrust. Excluding the minimum number of defense personnel, the number of volunteers in the province was only twenty. It was even surprising that there were still close to thirty volunteers in the territory where most young people had already left. There were eight knights, which was a significant strength against the goblins, but given the level of the volunteers, who were pawns of the rabble, it was simr to suicide. There were precisely one hundred and fifty goblins to deal with. With conventional tactics, the power gap was much toorge and risky. -Hmm¡­you want to make life as simple as possible; however, the numbers will change. If you look at the current situation, it is more than one hundred fifty. If it reaches two hundred¡­ ¡®No, one hundred fifty goblins is right.¡¯ I would block any goblins above them. Berserk, who was making a sleepy expression, shut her mouth as if she realized what I was saying. -Sometimes I like you because you¡¯re wild. ¡°Thank you, everyone, for gathering. Everyone is probably seeing me for the first time. I am Davey Al Rown. I was appointed as the lord of this manor.¡± I stepped up on the tform and looked at them. Their information was listed before me, but no one seemed to have the same outstanding potential as Montmort. ¡°As you may already know, some residents were kidnapped by goblinsst night.¡± As I said, they were upset, and I could hear them muttering in the crowd. ¡°I know there are some people who may want to find them right away. Or some people may be too scared and want to hide.¡± The silence continued. ¡°But whatever it is, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that they will continue to attack the manor if we leave it as it is.¡± Everyone was silent at my calm voice. They looked full of disbelief, but no one opened their mouth easily. I was giving them a lot of pressure in the first ce. ¡°Although I just arrived here, I don¡¯t think the fact that I¡¯m a lord has changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but I have no intention of tolerating intruders entering my property. I don¡¯t have the patience to wait for those who believe they can stick their swords in my manor and walk away with their limbs intact.¡± At my words, they looked troubled. They knew. Even if they want to bring back their family and avenge them, they would be in danger if they pursued. It would be difficult to find them in the forest, which was like their front yard. Even goblins held an advantage on home ground. ¡°B¡­but dealing with them with our force is like¡­¡± ¡°Suicide!¡± Of course, I could hear the volunteers¡¯ shouts full of disbelief at me as they thought the same thing. There were young boys and old men who seemed to be in danger just holding their swords. The age group wasn¡¯t consistent, which hinted at ack of people. ¡°So, should we let them keep invading?¡± At my words, they went silent. Then, they looked into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°We do understand what the Lord is trying to say¡­but we are thest volunteers left in this manor¡­if we die, who is going to protect the manor?¡± ¡°That is right! Goblins are very hostile to their enemies! If we fail, they will attack this ce again!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± At my words, their expressions dropped. Some of them gave me scoffing looks. Of course, it was normal to think of me as a prince whocked experience, only believing in his young blood as he acts recklessly. They didn¡¯t have to say anything since it was visible in their status windows that appeared in front of me. I sensed the reality when they looked at each other, muttering, ¡®Now we¡¯re all dead.¡¯ The knights tried to stop their rude behavior right away, but I restrained them with my arm. ¡°I know what you are worried about, but I¡¯d like to correct one thing.¡± They, who were confused by my words, stared at me. ¡°I am not here as a prince but as the appointed Lord of Hines manor. And you guys are my residents, whether you like it or not. Now, we have be one family. Do you think I¡¯ll let my family be killed?¡± At my words, the crowd quieted once more. ¡°I swear with my Stigmata. Believe and follow me. I¡¯ll make sure that no one dies and to eradicate them.¡± If I had wanted to, I could have gone alone and gotten rid of them. But I didn¡¯t want to do that. I wanted to see their determination and skills. ¡°Is it hard to believe me? If so, believe in God¡¯s mark, the Stigmata that God gave me. If you still don¡¯t believe me, follow me as if I were a lord oppressing you.¡± Everyone was silent at my words. No matter how blinded from the outside world they were, it seemed that they had understood by this point that I was the prince with the Stigmata. ¡°My life is the most important thing to me. And yours is important too because your job is to protect me. Don¡¯t ever think about dying without my permission. The room was momentarily frozen when I unleashed an overwhelming fighting spirit. People tend to misunderstand the air that pressures the whole body as charisma. They looked surprised at my decisive voice. * * * The massive forest near the Hines manor was originally a quiet forest where only wild animals lived. It was the forest where the residents frequently came to hunt. Although a few orcs had been found in the past, they had little interest in humans. But what happened this time was that the goblins began to be discovered more frequently, and the situation had grown worse. As a result, hunting in the forest became impossible. ¡°We¡¯ve already tracked down the goblins¡¯ home vige.¡± The eldest volunteer, Corris, spoke on behalf of the volunteer leader, Montmort, bowing his head to me. ¡°There are a lot of goblins if we travel across this ridge in front of us.¡± It was exactly as he had said. A small vige started to appear not far away as we moved silently. Chapter 36 Episode 36 ¡°A vige of orcs?¡± At first, I couldn¡¯t believe my eyes. It was the orcs¡¯ construction technology and design. To the orcs, those who called themselves warriors, goblins were their enemies. But howe there were goblins in the orc¡¯s vige?¡± ¡°It was a vige without an owner. A watchman told me that they were gathering here recently.¡± It wasn¡¯t clear, but fortunately, it seemed to be true. The number was about one hundred fifty as expected. Even though many were killed in the raid, it seemed that their numbers had been replenished. In other words, it means that they weren¡¯t just here but also exist somewhere else. The people who were kidnapped by goblins weren¡¯t in sight. Maybe they were being held in the dpidated buildings of the vige. ¡°They kidnapped Lini¡­¡± When I turned my head to the sound of the muttering, one of the volunteers was glowering with bloody eyes as if he were going to shed red tears right away. He was trying so hard to push down his urge to jump in right now because of the atmosphere. ¡°Are you angry?¡± So, when I looked at him calmly, he clenched his teeth and nodded vigorously. This time, I looked at the entire volunteer squad. ¡°Do you want to kill them?¡± My calm voice spreads to everyone like a wave. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I want revenge!¡± The other volunteers nodded and loudly responded. They seemed to be on the verge of swinging the shabby weapons they armed themselves with. I felt that the people here had good spirits. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be angry with those who weren¡¯t their family members. ¡°I guess I chose a good manor.¡± I smiled. After that, I lifted the bow in my hand and put an arrow on the bowstring. Then I closed my eyes and raised my mana. My first actual battle as a lord came quicker than expected. * * * ¡®Strengthened shot.¡¯ By the appearance, it just looked like I was pulling an arrow in a twisted position. It looked sloppy on the outside, but it was a skilled shot. I was the one who absorbed all the skills of Apollo, the god of archery. Despite his cheesy personality, he possessed exceptional archery skills. As a result, the technique that I learned wasn¡¯t at all typical. The knights¡¯ eyes widened as they were taken aback when I unexpectedly pulled the bow. What I was trying to do was the standard tactic. It must have looked like that in their eyes. ¡°L¡­Lord?!¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t work with standard tactics!¡± They probably thought that it was ridiculous. If goblins trapped you in such a wide area, it would result in a lot of casualties. Given the number of goblins in the vige and the volunteer¡¯s current state, significant losses or annihtion were more probable. They would have initially thought I would reduce their numbers by setting up appropriate traps or guerri warfare. I even promised that no one would die with my leadership. However, I had no intention of using such a slow method in cleaning them up. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if I couldn¡¯t sleep because I was afraid of dust. ¡°Do not forget. I mean not for a single person to be killed.¡± With a smile, I gently twisted the bow and released it. Bam!! With the sound of air bouncing, a sharp arrow flew into the air. Thud! -Kieeek!! -Ahhh!! The arrow that flew instantly broke the bones of a goblin holding a bent club. As they learned of their colleague¡¯s death, the goblins let out strange cries that shook the whole vige as well as the surrounding forest. It was a peculiar cry, no matter how I heard it. When they discovered me standing leisurely with arrows by my side, the goblins gathered and exploded in rage with a violent scream. It looked like a swarm of bees popping out of a beehive when someone touched it. The volunteers looked overwhelmed by the air of their menace, their faces turning pale. What the hell was this kid doing?! They didn¡¯t say that, but I¡¯m sure that was what they were probably thinking now. I immediately pull an arrow on the bowstring and raised my divine power. Then I put strength in my throat. Watch your lord and see how amazing he is. ¡°I willmend you for the first time as your lord and family.¡± I looked back at them in breathtaking silence. ¡°Everyone!!!¡± I grabbed their attention. With that word, the Stigmata in my back began to glow. [Hard Skin] [Strength] [Agility] [Vital Pump] [Mana Shield] [High Blessing] Strengthening the skin, strengthening their muscles, increasing agility, increasing stamina, magic defense, and enhancing overall capability. The pure white light that spread out in a circle starting from where I was standing became various buff spells and began to wrap them. Not just one or two, but to everyone who gathered here. Although it was just light buff magic, the effectiveness was incredible when someone could forcibly raise other¡¯s levels. Suddenly, countless buff spells flew around my body, and then wrapped around them as well. They were amazed. Along with a strange light, their body started overflowing with power. Were they already surprised? I wasn¡¯t finished yet. As I spread the continuous white light, my will, whichprised of divine power, was further manifested. -You. Are you going to use all of it? Since I already started, let me finish my cosy as a genius saint because they don¡¯t even know what kind of magic this is anyway. [Divine Protection] [Renovathio] [Reinforce the Mind] Upper-level defense, increasing health recovery rate, and strengthening mentality. This might have been enough, but I gave them an even bigger service. [Saint Gloria] Buff efficiency amplification area spell. When [Saint Gloria], a buff-amplifying magic of the sixth tier, appeared, the golden glow of light encircled us, and their bodies began to grow even lighter. With this spell, even the general public could perform expert-level skills under certain conditions. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± ¡°Oh my gosh¡­¡± Currently, the divine magic that I could cast was of the upper sixth tier, considering the case of artifacts. It was a divine enhancement buff from level one to level two and even level three, but the effect was iparable when you raised the levels. Even pdins in Valshas, the headquarters of God¡¯s order in the maind, wouldn¡¯tvishly use it like this. Unlike other magic or ck magic, divine magic was the most challenging magic to acquire. It would be enough to bring out the seventh tier if they were a saint or a pope. The volunteers and knights who instinctively realized that they had be something more from the buffs looked astonished by the strange power overflowing within their bodies. They seemed to feel the sensation gradually swelling up inside. Those who previously seemed enraged by my reckless behavior looked at me with impressed eyes. I responded with a silent smile and inhaled a quick breath again in response to their reaction. Belief, or something like that, was essential to boost morale. ¡°I will let you release all the anger umted in yourself!!¡± This fight was important to them, who were exhausted from the continuous raids. For those who were exhausted, nothing was better than confidence as a stimnt. ¡®Oh, I wanted to do this at least once in my lifetime.¡¯ ¨C What are you talking about? You became stronger! Charge in! -¡­ The volunteers of the manor have been looking for chances to avenge the goblins¡¯ attack that happened previously. They regarded the buffs I gave them as just mysterious magic, but the power overflowing from their body was strong enough to give them the confidence to relish the moment. -Shriek! -Scream! Otherwise, there¡¯s no way they could make expressions filled with excitement even when they saw the group of deadly goblins. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Sweep them away!!¡± Our headcount was only a third of theirs. It seemed to be a significant difference on the surface. Still, on the contrary, it was possible to handle the goblins without difficulty if each person handled three. Did they say that in martialw? If the number was more than three times as many, you should never use the standard tactics. In a way, it didn¡¯t matter because this wasn¡¯t a standard tactic. It was a fight between a human and a goblin with a different specification. The fight between the injured volunteers and goblins was tied at first, but the bnce of the fight soon copsed because of the divine magic I used. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhh!¡± I pulled my bow again as I watched them screaming with crude weapons. Then I briefly blinked. As the mana was circting inside my eyes, the goblins¡¯ heads from beyond appeared in my sights instantly. [Lock-on] While muttering lightly, I prepared another strengthened shot. I aimed my arrowhead and immediately released the bowstring. It hit the nape of the goblin¡¯s neck, who was screaming wild. Boom! With the sound of the bowstring cutting through the air, another goblin screamed and fell. Bam! The goblins collided with the knights and volunteers running in the front row. ¡°You beasts!¡± -Shriek! They had a faster body than imagined, as well as improved muscle strength and boundless confidence. The aftermath began to spread out of control after a volunteer lightly struck his sword and blew a goblin¡¯s head off. ¡°Oh my god.¡± ¡°Oh, oh¡­¡± It was usually impossible to cleave through a neck with a single sword so neatly, even though they were goblins with weaker physical strength than humans. Only knights could do so with professional training as they had physical and technical skills, but certainly not these poorly trained volunteers. Yet, such a phenomenon was happening. ¡°We can win!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared!¡± ¡°The Lord is with us!¡± The confidence showed on their faces when they realized the change in their body; the war situation quickly turned into a one-sided attack rather than a battle. Of course, there was always someone who overdid it with extreme confidence. ¡°Ouch!¡± When they acted hastily, it could cancel the mana shield and instantly damage the volunteer. If I ignore the situation, it might cause one or two serious injuries. Of course, I had no intention of leaving it like that. [Heal] Level one simple recovery magic. However, the higher the level, the more effective it would be. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The wound¡­¡± As the wounds on his body were engulfed in warm light and healed in an instant, he looked up at me with a surprised face. Instead of responding to his stare, I shot another arrow. Chapter 37 37 ¡°Divine magic isn¡¯t invincible. I said I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to die, so you¡¯d better focus!¡± At my words, they took a deep breath as if they shook off their unnecessary worries. They seemed to finally recognize that the frail-looking boy who hade to their town as their lord. ¡°Keep in mind. I will give you a hard time if you get injured once we return to the manor.¡± Even though my threatening voice could have made them rebellious¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s live up to the expectations of the lord!¡± ¡°Sweep them away!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t miss this opportunity! Destroy their heads!¡± The volunteers seemed like they weren¡¯t interested in such a thing. Do they know that their amplified morale, like a berserker¡¯s madness, turned the goblins¡¯ faces pale in fear? It was a standard tactic that seemed unfavorable at first, but the number of goblins quickly decreased. It must have driven the goblins crazy. They might not have ever seen humans with strange lights on their bodies in their lifetime. It made them hard to fight because of their light. Even if they stabbed them and made a scar somehow, the white light healed their foe¡¯s body. Their instincts may already be yelling to them that something was wrong. What was the point now? It was already toote. -Graahhghaa! -Shriek! The goblins, feeling the fear of death, began to run away one by one, but the volunteers who were already on a roll didn¡¯t leave the fleeing ones alone. The one-sided attack didn¡¯tst long. The volunteers umted a lot of resentment, wielding weapons like crazy without giving them a chance to run away. Eventually, one of thest goblins who had fled got shot by my arrow and fell to the floor, dering the end of the ughter. Momentarily, silence descended upon the killing fields. However, one of the volunteers, who had forgotten to breathe, shuddered and held both his hands up. ¡°We¡­we won!¡± ¡°We won!¡± ¡°Whooaahhhhhh!¡± The contagious atmosphere quickly spread as if they saved the world. ¡°Hooray for the lord!¡± ¡°The saint is with us!¡± I couldn¡¯t get used to it when I heard someone throwing around cheesyments without hesitation. -Expression management isn¡¯t working. ¡®Look at my fingers if they are fine.¡¯ -Your fingers and toes won¡¯t shrink by thews of physics. While Perserk said that, she also looked a little ufortable, as her facial expression was uneasy. As I watched them continuously cheering my name, I didn¡¯t feel like the awkward feeling would go away. Therefore, I had to disperse the atmosphere by reminding them of something they had forgotten. ¡°What the hell are you guys doing? There are residents still locked up!! Move fast!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°Go!¡± Even with my high-handed voice, the blind faith had already been engraved on their faces. They looked fanatic. A carrot and a stick¡­ all I wanted to do was instill a sense of repulsion and awe in moderation, but they were only shouting for their lord. I felt anxious that I had made the wrong choice. 17. It¡¯s raining outside! The number of residents was around two hundred. With the number of volunteers and knightsbined, there were about thirty to forty people. Considering the number of residents, the ratio of volunteers was rtively high. From a young boy to a middle-aged man, everyone took up weapons to protect the manor. They had not trained correctly, and their equipment wasn¡¯t satisfactory due to ack of skills and funds. On top of that, the goblins started looting. It was impressive that they had held on so far. ¡°I found them!¡± As I walked into the vige while checking the bodies of the goblins, a volunteer rushed to my side. It was the boy who showed furious anger towards the goblins. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yep!¡± His nce filled with disbelief at first had already disappeared. I think my trick worked, but it wasn¡¯t good if they became addicted. I got up calmly and went into the artificial cave where he guided me. It seemed to have been used as a food storehouse for the orcs. As I entered the sloppy cave, I saw the volunteers holding weapons and standing in front of some goblins. ¡°Are there more?¡¯ -No matter how stupid they are, they could learn a little. There were about ten goblins left. The number was small enough to handle quickly, but they hid behind the residents as hostages and held rusted weapons. They probably stole the weapons when they attacked the manor. Since the weapons weren¡¯t well-maintained, they were rusted, but they looked dangerous enough to hurt. On the contrary, the residents who became hostages were loosely tied up, but they were so injured and exhausted that they couldn¡¯t properly fight back. Fortunately, no one had yet been hurt by the goblins. Regardless of species, these goblins aimed to r*pe female hostages after exhausting them. The kidnap happened the previous night, so they hadn¡¯t assaulted them yet. It was a relief. -It¡¯s unfair. Even if the woman returned safely, they could be shunned by people. ¡°The mother fuckers¡­¡± No matter how much they were buffed, the volunteers and knights wouldn¡¯t get through fast enough to keep them from hurting the hostages. Because of that, they weren¡¯t able to approach the goblins. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± As I watched the situation, I groaned briefly. ¡°Gordon and Freeman, if I signal, cut all of them down.¡± ¡°Lord?¡± At my words, two volunteers and everyone else were surprised. The reason we came here and attacked goblins was to save the residents in the first ce. However, they were shocked when I said it like hostages didn¡¯t matter. All I did was shrug at those who looked at me in shock. ¡°What are you doing? Are you going to stay here all night?¡± ¡°Lord! They are sly, and they have hostages, so we can¡¯t rush in a hurry¡­¡± -Huh, huh, theyck faith¡ªunfaithful folks. ¡°I think you misunderstand something.¡± At the end of my words, my hand shined again. Hostage? ¡°Where are the hostages?¡± At the end of my words, a pure white light touched the bodies of the weary and injured people and began to protect them like a shell. The goblins who escaped from the deadly battle took hostages here and harassed them, so they must have realized what the light shining from the body of the hostages meant right now. You could tell just by looking at the expressions of those green monsters, whose faces turned blue in fear after realizing. -Ahhhaaa! -Kieeek! I shouted instinctively at the screaming goblins trying to run away. ¡°How long are you going to wait? Jump in!¡± ¡°Huh?! Die, you damn bastards!¡± ¡°I am gonna kill you, fucking rapist!¡± At the same time, the volunteers and knights, realizing what I had done, sted through and stabbed their swords at the goblins. Even if they tried to run away, we were blocking the exit, so eventually, they were forced to flock to the corners and be ughtered. Thest one cried madly as it was in. It was a very sessful ending for rushing in a vige of more than a hundred goblins, considering they never made a n. I calmly took out the nkets that I had prepared, and I approached the people who were being held captive. It would be the first time they saw me. They had severe bruises on their bodies from being beaten up by the goblins, and their expressions revealed they were perplexed as if they didn¡¯t understand what had happened to their bodies, but the bruises were gradually healing under the faint light. Among those, there was a little girl who looked up at me with a nk face. I smiled at her, and I wrapped a nket around her shoulders. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. We¡¯re here to save you.¡± [Sobbing.] Tears began to drip from the eyes of the girl, who had a semi-empty expression with a calm smile. As the girl was so scared, she soon started crying in my arms, making the other residents cry out loud as they realized they were safe now. ¡°All of them are rescued!¡± A volunteer approached me with a modest salute as I silently patted the girl¡¯s back. ¡°Is that so? Then what are you doing? Let¡¯s go home. Don¡¯t you want to go home?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When I held the crying girl in my arms silently, the faces of everyone, including the volunteers, turned bright with relief. * * * Was it because it was me, who was newly appointed, that led the volunteers? The volunteers, who were guarding the old fortress with faces full of distrust and anxiety, looked puzzled at the appearance of the punitive expedition, which returned faster than their expectations. ¡°Hey! What are you doing? Get rid of the barriers right now!¡± ¡°The lord is entering!¡± ¡°Move fast, you dawdler!¡± Soon after, at the shout of the volunteers who followed me, they ran out and cleared the barrier, still looking puzzled. They were probably wondering what the hell happened, why they were showing this nonsensical blind faith towards me. I couldn¡¯t tell them anything with my own words, so I kept silent and walked past them. ¡°There may still be a few more Goblin viges. We¡¯ll clean them up regrly.¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± Disbelief had now disappeared. As I yelled, the volunteers replied, shouting as if they were doing something for granted. The remaining volunteers who didn¡¯t know the situation only sent confused gazes at the others. ¡°Dismissed! We¡¯ll be swamped starting from tomorrow, so I¡¯ll let you regret it if you get caught overdoing things.¡± ¡°Hooray for Lord!¡± ¡°Hooray for the saint!!¡± At my cry, the volunteers immediately screamed while holding their arms up, which made the manor residents look at me with a strange gaze. They seemed to think that I was doing some kind of hypnosis, but I did nothing of the sort. -To be honest, what¡¯s the difference between taking drugs and what you did? ¡®You¡¯re too noisy.¡¯ Ignoring Perserk giggling at herments, I quickly left the podium. I was concerned that they were going to make a real pseudo-religion if it stayed like this. It would be okay after a few days; it¡¯s just that they¡¯re unique. It didn¡¯t take long to realize that I was foolish to think that way. * * * So¡­ it continued when I led the remaining volunteers to erase the lingering distrust within the territory. As soon as the day broke, Amy was asked to investigate the rest of the territory. Only 10 volunteers and three knights were to climb the mountain with me. Chapter 38 38 The number was very smallpared to the beginning, but the remaining people couldn¡¯t be taken because they had to repair the houses destroyed by the fight against the Goblins. ¡°Ten people? The lord must be crazy!¡± ¡°Even if the number of goblins decreases¡­¡± The volunteers that were not there from the day before looked like they couldn¡¯t believe what was going on. It wouldn¡¯t be weird to shout out that it was a vain bluff if one heard it without context. And that¡¯s what they did. ¡°We found a goblin vige ahead. There are about 50 of them.¡± After listening to the report, I turned to the ten volunteers standing behind me. All of their facial expressions were full of distrust and fear. The volunteers, who swept away arge-scale vige with me the day before, weren¡¯t here, so the others didn¡¯t seem to trust me easily. ¡°Are you guys scared?¡± They were silent at my question. It was hard to believe this. Honestly, if I were in their position, I would have thought that the others had taken a bowl of medicine as a group. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all scared. You¡¯re probably thinking, ¡®Only ten people came to clear up the Goblin¡¯s vige. I think it¡¯s right to kill this crazy bastard and run away.¡¯¡± I didn¡¯t hear an answer, but they all seemed to be thinking the same thing. If it was hard to believe, I had to show them myself. ¡°As I have said before, I have never allowed anyone to die.¡± Light begins to flow out with my words. Unlike the knights who realized what I was going to do, the other people¡¯s faces looked surprised. Light started to flow out of my body. Then, after the buff magic settled on them, their distrust disappeared. * * * ¡°Wahahahaha! Die, you bastards!¡± ¡°The Lord is with us!¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t seem to believe me until a little while ago¡­¡± It felt absurd, but I maintained myposure because I had already seen it once before. ¡°You bastards! Stick your necks out!¡± ¡°The saint is with us!¡± Yeah, since I was cosying as a saint, I understood. ¡°God is with us!¡± ¡°Ha! Take God¡¯s wrath!¡± ¡°Hey, you crazy shits!¡± It was absurd when they even uttered remarks that would be considered sphemy. Were they the ones who looked at me with disbelief because they couldn¡¯t believe me? I felt sorry for Goblins, who ran away and trembled in fear because of the crazy followers. And those followers were the ten volunteers who didn¡¯t even receive systematic training or proper weapons. The time it took to ughter more than 50 goblins wasn¡¯t that long. If a weapon broke while using it, they could just break their bones with their bare hands. Every one of them was as brave as an extremely fortified warrior! This time, it was hard to kill all of them because I didn¡¯t raise my bow, but since most of them were dead, I didn¡¯t need to catch those that ran away. Rather, it would be better to have them confuse themselves because they would realize how dangerous humans had be. After finishing the vige instantly, I felt a sense of fear for a moment as they gathered to me in unison. I think it was worse than before. ¡°Lord! Some of them are running away!¡± ¡°Haha! They¡¯ll never cross Hines again!¡± ¡°Hahahaha! Those losers!¡± The scene of them talking made me smile awkwardly. Well, I guess it was a shallow distrust. ¡°Well¡­well done.¡± Yes, as a volunteer who has to protect your home, it¡¯s good to be loyal. At least they won¡¯t be unhappy with what I¡¯m trying to do. It¡¯s a little shaky, but it¡¯s not bad! I thought so. It¡¯s not bad to take care of your image. So, exactly two dayster, as I was inspecting the changes taking ce in my estate¡­ ¡°Oh¡­Holy Saint!¡± ¡°The saint is here! Clear the way, you bastards!¡± The rumors spread fast. Whether these are volunteers or missionary priests¡­I was beginning to regret the first decision I made. * * * As a lord, it was a sess to win the trust of the people who resided in thisnd. It didn¡¯t matter since it was my estate, and I was in the highest position anyway. Astrea, the conquering king of the Borde, the Pdian Empire, told me every time. [Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s not livestock that you lead, but free-willed men. You have to make them follow you with their own will. You shouldn¡¯t lead them forcefully.] He taught me harmony and not politics, so I didn¡¯t learn politics as a king in depth, but at least I sympathized with what he said from time to time. It was a small estate with only 200 people, but everything starts from poverty. ¡°From a nearbymercial city, Bernille sent me a charter. I heard that the leader of volunteers did a good job, so he had prepared a lot of supplies. That could dy the return date a little¡­¡± Amy, who was waiting for my return, was also working as my secretary. It was unusual for a woman to be in this position in the kingdom of Al Rown, but I hired men, women, children, and old people alike as long as they were talented. Amy seemed moved by my appreciation of her worth. ¡°The rest of the estate documents are here. What else do you need?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte; I want to clean up. Go take a break, stop working.¡± ¡°Stop¡­working?¡± She looked at me with surprise. ¡°Well, how long are you going to wait for me? You can¡¯t even sleep properly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± She tilted her head as if she were a puppy abandoned by her master. ¡°Don¡¯t want to go home?¡± -You know a lot, but you don¡¯t know how a girl feels. ¡®She had feelings for me?¡¯ Perserk sighed as if she found something ridiculous. -It¡¯s not that she has feelings, but it¡¯s hard to exin. Anyway, it¡¯s not right to throw away a child¡¯s heart that wants to help you. Perserk was experienced and wise. After she said that, Amy¡¯s gaze got on her nerves. ¡°Well¡­Si.. Davey¡­I can do well! I mean¡­¡± I sighed briefly as I watched her fumble her words. I didn¡¯t know that it woulde out like this, even though I took care of it in my own way. ¡°Yeah, well, there¡¯s nothing we can do now. Instead, I¡¯ll need a lot of your help, so be prepared.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. So take a break for now.¡± I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± As soon as she regained her energy, she left the office. I let out a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯ve never really paid close attention to her, though.¡± -Well, it seems that the girl feels quite responsible for you since you saved her life. Ah, that corrupt, low priest¡¯s business. I indeed saved her, but I couldn¡¯t forget that it was only half my intention. I felt guilty for no reason for thinking so. Nodding without a word, Perserk sat lightly on the old desk. Then she squinted, peering through the papers under her butt. ¡°By the way, you¡¯re thousands of years old, but you still know how to write well.¡± -I didn¡¯t just y and eat that whole time. She said so and reached out to a document that was muchrger than her body and swept it away. ¡°What do you think?¡± -Do you want a cold assessment? ¡°For now.¡± -If you lift the curse right now, the territory will be back to normal in at least five years. And it¡¯s about 20 years before you make it into thend you want. Her judgment was quite urate. Lifting the curse on the dyingnd wouldn¡¯t immediately change everything. ¡°So that¡¯s just based on your judgment?¡± -No way. Will you listen to what I think about thend? ¡°I¡¯ll listen.¡± Sheughed with satisfaction. As she sat down, she reached for a small document and pointed to one across from her. Then the small document came up lightly with a light wind and flew in front of me. ¡°Are you able to deal with physical force?¡± -It¡¯s possible if I¡¯m controlling just a small force. That¡¯s enough to lift a bit of light stuff like this. Nevertheless, she looked satisfied. -This estate doesn¡¯t have essible water, so the water supply is a mess. Is that all? The livestock industry has shrunk rapidly in the past few years, while the food stockpile of crops has led to a low deposit of food. She kept going. ¨C Thanks to arge amount of tinum you got from robbing the capital¡¯s Information Guild, you can endure it for the time being, but it¡¯s a temporary solution. The most serious is also the issue of funding. It was as she said. ¡°Thisnd has almost no profit.¡± It is inevitable to feel extremely underdevelopedpared to other territories. ¡°But there¡¯s a lot of ways.¡± -I¡¯ll tell me what you think. Her eyes, smiling beautifully, seemed to be full of expectations. I¡¯m sure she wasn¡¯t checking what was on my mind either. After thousands of years of living, life would be as boring as it gets. It was understandable. ¡°The good news is that, despite my expectations, the region has quite a few able young people. The first way is to use them by hunting monsters or animals.¡± ¨C That¡¯s the worst-case scenario. Even if the government called for the reform of the territory tomorrow, the people¡¯s trust in the territory is not great enough. If you use them for hunting monsters, you could hold out right away, but that¡¯s where growth ends. ¡°The second option is to produce specialties, but it¡¯s hard unless you solve the situation with thend.¡± -I¡¯m sure you¡¯re right about that. ¡°Finally, trade. How do we get diamonds with corn?¡± She tilted her head at my words. -There¡¯s no reason for another city to trade from here, and there are no items that we can trade anyway. ¡°If we can¡¯t trade with people, we can trade with the other races. But just in case, let¡¯s look into the territory first.¡± We had to try anything we could for now. Chapter 39 39 It seemed that it was worthwhile to have this conversation with Perserk all night. As soon as it dawned, I left the citadel and came to arge, abandoned field nearby. I felt a little burdened because I saw the eyes and expectations of the volunteers who saw me on the way out. Even though the air was dry, I felt calm as I looked over the open ins. The chilly air hit my whole body. Although my cold and fire resistance had rarely risen due to theck of transformation, it wasn¡¯t a problem if I raised my divine power lightly. Have you ever heard of divine fire? ¡°In the past, this was all farnd.¡± It was now a tnd. How useless thend became, as the original owners all gave up ownership and left thend. What do I mean? I mean, this whole ce wasnd without an owner. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve always wanted to ownnd, but it looks like I¡¯m going to be a hugendowner.¡± Perserk looked ridiculous as sheughed in vain. She had a unique direction of greed, and if my purpose were to livefortably, there was a good way of exploiting her. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. People have to live with a conscience.¡± Even if I couldn¡¯t be proud of the people who taught me, at least I shouldn¡¯t curse them out. Like it or not, one day, many people would know that I inherited their skills. It didn¡¯t matter if it was the skills of heroes who weren¡¯t from Theonis, but some of the heroes who taught me were from this continent. The Sword God, Haris, was a very good example. Above all¡­ ¡°My purpose is to live as a human being for a long time.¡± She remained silent as if she understood the meaning. -You¡¯re¡­ She blurred her words and asked cautiously. ¨C Was your past life short? ¡°I died before I could do anything.¡± -That¡¯s a sad life. ¡°That¡¯s not wrong. On the contrary, I¡¯ve lived in the Corridor for a very long time.¡± -You¡¯re alive, but you didn¡¯t feel alive. The life you want to see is to share affection with people and live like a human being. She hit the nail on the head harder than I thought. -I wanted the same as you. Her life, which had been at the center of war because of her birth, wouldn¡¯t have been a very good one either. Maybe all she wanted was to live with her stepfather, Haris, in peace. I shook my head because I felt like I was too sentimental. ¡°We don¡¯t know how long it will take to find the medium with normal methods.¡± It wasn¡¯tnd that was neglected without reason. I had considerable knowledge of curses, so I knew how cumbersome this line of curses was for me now. ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry about it if we¡¯re going to fix up the sanctuary¡­.¡± Purification magic of at least the eighth tier, if not the sanctuary of the ninth tier, was necessary. The level of the curse was considerable, and I didn¡¯t think it would be easy to do it with 5th and 6th tier spells. The problem was that with my current level of divine magic, it would be difficult to reach the 8th tier. It wouldn¡¯t matter if there was a lot of divine power around, but honestly, there couldn¡¯t be another object that had divine power stored on par with Calderas. ¡®I¡¯ll just ask Princess Ileana.¡¯ Maybe she¡¯ll take the bait. I think she was very proud of Haris¡¯ sword skills, but if I borrow Calderas with a little help¡­ ¨C I don¡¯t rmend it. Perserk shook her head, apparently aware of my thoughts. -So, what brings you here? ¡°I need to see more information about the curse.¡± After using information verification on the ground, the only information she could check with her power now was that there was a curse. Then I had no choice but to grasp it on my own. ¡°I was whining about why you haven¡¯t been using ittely.¡± -Whining? ¡°You know, a child who screams if he can¡¯t use something.¡± Speaking calmly, I kneeled on one knee and put my hand on the dry ground. Then I quietly closed my eyes and expressed my will. ¡®When you have a chance, go wild.¡¯ Thanks to the circle that rotated through my blood, I didn¡¯t have to express the power by throwing spells out of my mouth. [Re Fix Curse] Curse rearrangement. -Oh? I¡¯ve never seen this before. That was a matter of course. My ck magic teacher [Lo Ayas], the founder of this magic, wasn¡¯t from this continent. It was known as the ¡®C¡¯nguage of curse spells! A curse is a high level of magic created by numerous modalities and mana arrangements. That¡¯s why even ck magicians had to borrow the power of many artifacts or spend a lot of time on their curses. Then what if I could decipher and interfere with the arrangement? We could figure out the terms of the curse, or if we do well, we could find the medium of the curse. A curse of this level wouldn¡¯t be possible with the modern knowledge of the dark magic on this continent. What I expected was a trace from the days when Daphne and Apollo, who were called the first saints in the past, were alive. I heard that the ck wizards tried to overthrow the continent, and there was a big fight; perhaps this curse that spread over the Hines estate was a curse of this was created to decipher and solve a vicious curse, so it wasn¡¯t fair to say that the purpose waspletely wrong. In an instant, themanding mana began to flutter around me and released power, and I began to feel the ringing of a great force. I didn¡¯t want to use it even after I came here because of this. It was at the level of a 5th tier curse spell, and mymand mana was a bit of a nutcase with great pride in trying to show off. Anyone who knew how to use or feel mana would quickly notice this cold, dark mana. It was for this reason that I came alone on this deserted field. The hardest power I had ever learned was high-level ck magic. Whoo-hoo¡­ Before long, ck and white magic began to spread widely over my hands. The curse structure would be the same, so there was no need to find other samples. The size of the widely spread magic circle was about 3-4 meters. In time, the figure changed and began to print out bizarre characters as if they were carved on a huge stone te. It was as if the programingnguage was being printed out. The code-like contents were patterns that no one could understand, but they were familiar letters to me. ¡°Hmm?¡± My eyes darted back and forth, trying to decipher the sequence of curses. ¡°Perserk.¡± -You must have found something. ¡°Is this even a curse?¡± My words put a question in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s more like a fully automatic greenhouse than a curse.¡± I had a feeling that there was no more urate expression than that. * * * Curse magic, which was well-known for itsplexity among ck magic, was like a sophisticated program. It was magic that maintained a sophisticated arrangement ofplexmands. Therefore, it was also the only type of ck magic that worked with the Re-Fix Curse spell. Although [Lo Ayas] wasn¡¯t a ck wizard from the Theonis continent, the basis of ck magic usingmand mana was the same, so it was still effective. It was a good decision to use the Re-Fix Curse spell to investigate the unidentified phenomenon. Although the traces of ck magic remained so severe that thend couldn¡¯t be used for a long time, what did it matter if I revived a corpse or called out the devil if there was no one in the deand to witness it? ¡°¡­¡± Perserk pulled my hair in frustration at my agonizing silence. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me know? I can¡¯t crack that code.¡± It took 30 years to learn and apply this decryption method. After getting used to it, I reached the point where I could quickly decipher the content as I saw it, but not Perserk. No matter how much of a genius you were, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to read an unknown block of text. This block of texting, being a programingnguage. -You mean it¡¯s not a curse? ¡°Technically, it is a curse; it¡¯s a very vicious one. But from another point of view, it¡¯s also ambiguous.¡± Saying so, I gently twisted my palm on the ground. Whoosh! At the same time, the window mixed with ck and white disappeared, and the remaining lights began to turn intorge arrows. ¡°It looks like there¡¯s one nearby, so let¡¯s check the medium for ourselves.¡± The Fortress was located in the eastern part of the vast Hines estate. So I chose one that was ced in the east closest to our position. ¡®No wonder the outer boundaries of the estate were so obvious. They¡¯ve arranged the mediums so that only Hines is covered.¡¯ From a quick scan, I sessfully found a total of seven ces that are believed to have mediums. East, west, north, south, southwest, northwest, and southeast, respectively. Each one sits narrowly on the border of the estate. Since it was a curse spread out in such a huge area, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if there were more than seven mediums. Rather, it was quite sophisticated and efficiently arranged considering the conditions of the terrain. What about other ces? I thought it would be better to mobilize volunteer members to check the others, but I couldn¡¯t send people since they might have prepared preventative measures to protect the mediums. If a big ident happened, it could lead to a disaster. ¡®That¡¯s a no-brainer.¡¯ It may not be possible, but even if there were a small chance that I met the heroes of the Corridor again, even the slightest chance, how could I tell them that their disciple lived like this. I want to proudly tell them what I¡¯ve done in my life over a drink. I had no intention of sacrificing my followers for any purpose. -I don¡¯t know what¡¯s awaiting us; I rmend you be more prepared. ¡°There won¡¯t be a problem.¡± If things get messed up, we¡¯ll have to take out the hidden moves. * * * Following the arrow that guided me, the ce I was headed to was a rocky area east of the estate. The dry rocks had a strangely inadequate structure to make their quarries. The only thing there was a magnificent view. It was a good idea to enjoy a pic while appreciating the scenery. But I didn¡¯te here to y, so I jumped into a rocky area without any regrets. Chapter 40 40 ¡°Did they hide it in the rocks? They did a pretty good job.¡± -You¡¯re good at keeping me in suspense. ¡°It was designed to forcibly fix most of the natural phenomena rted to climate and geology throughout thisnd.¡± -Oh? ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s an unthinkable idea.¡± Perserk touched her chin as if she thought my words were interesting. -Is the curse the reason why it doesn¡¯t rain here? ¡°Something like that. The only thing I¡¯ve found in my decoding is the effectiveness of the curse. It maintains certain circumstances.¡± The word ¡®maintaining certain circumstances¡¯ came off a little strange, but if it unfolded in a certain area for a long time, it became a very scary and very dangerous curse. Not to mention if it was a particr situation set in malice. Thanks to the fact that everything except temperature remained constant for a long time, the drought continued, and thend was consumed due to theck of cirction. If it was a function of the curse, it was already doing its job. The creator of this curse probably intended to slowly desate the Hines estate here. Now I wonder if the owner was even alive. What if it could be controlled, rearranged, or modified? The earth, climate, temperature. What if we change it so that we can adjust it ording to our will? It wouldn¡¯t be strange to call it paradise magic, not a curse. If you maintained warm temperatures and certain precipitation in certain areas, it wasn¡¯t a matter of growing special crops ordingly. Thanks to the medium that controlled the surroundings, I could find mines that hadn¡¯t yet been discovered. Was that all? The temperature is as low as it was now, so even if winter arrived when everyone had to wrap up to stay warm, they would be able to maintain warm and quiet temperatures like spring and summer. There was also ample potential as a tourist resort. The moisture in the air could also be changed as it pleased. For now, all of these were just hypotheses and not certain, but one could expect this to happen. I stood in front of a rock that looked tens of meters long after I stopped walking calmly. The arrow guiding me pointed to this huge rock. ¡°Hmmm¡­is it here?¡± It was a dead-end, but I wasn¡¯t disappointed as I reach out to the surface of the rock. Then, I slowly pulled up themanding mana as if it moved in a certain pattern. Whoo-hoo¡­ At the same time, themand mana stretching out of my hand began to resonate with the wall as if it had be a key, and the hard rock began to pull me in as if it had be a ck hole. If I opened this door without knowing it, I would be quite shocked, but this felt more familiar to me, having seen simr things. * * * The interior of the rock led to a huge space. To describe the form in a word¡­ ¡°Ruins?¡± The interior of the huge rocky mountain was an unexpected space. The height of the huge hallway looked 5 meters high, and borate patterns carved on the wall conveyed an antique feeling. In addition, even though it was a hallway that should be dark because no light coulde in, a glowing blue stone on the ceiling shone softly inside the hall of the ruins. I never thought there was such a huge space in these rocky mountains. ¨C If you look at the architectural style, it¡¯s not the style that came out after the Great War. She was now as small as my palm, but her original identity was the leader of the Demons who fought against the humans¡¯ thousands of years ago. She was like a living witness of history, so if she said it was an architectural style she had never seen, it could be regarded as a historical site. If the alchemists or wizards heard about this, they would drool and go crazy. I couldn¡¯t believe this space hadn¡¯t been discovered before. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know how to get in here if I hadn¡¯t used the Re-Fix Curse.¡± Aside from its location, it may have taken months to find a way to break through this defensive spell. In a sense, it was quite thoroughly hidden because there might be some side effects if the passage was broken with determination. -It could be dangerous. ¡°But we can¡¯t just let it go; let¡¯s go in.¡± On the continent, civilizations that existed too far in the past to be preserved in records, were considered to be from the Ancient Age. The period is so distant that it could be at least 10,000 years in the past. Sadly, it couldn¡¯t be identified in the corridor because there were no figures from that time. However, its existence was well known due to the few ancient relics that had survived throughout the world. It didn¡¯t feel like anyone was around, but I felt a lot of mana around me. Contrary to what we expected, where the curse was manifested, themand mana was a little different. Most of the power dissolved in the atmosphere was mana. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not the work of the ck Wizards.¡± -Maybe they didn¡¯t realize that this ce existed here. However, it was worth questioning why the long-lost curse had recently been activated. At first, I thought it was just a mine-type curse set up by the ck Wizards to destroy the entire territory. However, given the current situation, it was concluded that the unbnced curse wasn¡¯t only one to two thousand years old but was stuck in the ground for at least 10,000 years, but somehow it became a hugendmine. ¡°It¡¯s awfully quiet.¡± Perserk murmured mysteriously as she was walked forward without light magic. -Common sense suggests that there is no Guardian at this site¡­ Squeak! Thump! -Oh, my mouth is a source of trouble. She pped her mouth with her small hands. At the same time, the hallway, which was still a little while ago, began to be noisy for a moment, and before I could move, the stone wall of the ceiling twisted, and something huge fell toward me. Whoosh!!! With a huge sound, what struck me was a fist made of huge ck stone. Waaaaaaaah! It was a matter of seconds. If the response were a littlete, or if I were a little too slow, I would have been seriously hurt by the attack. Oveing a sigh of relief, I looked at the owner of the giant fist that attacked me with a frown. He was a blue-eyed monster with a human figure, about 4 meters tall, with angled ck stones attached to it. On its forehead, a small blue jewel the size of a human palm was embedded like a nucleus, and I could realize what it was just by looking at its shape and the amount of mana contained within. Formed of hundreds of mana stones, it was a Magic Stone. One this big, was worth its size in tinum. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that a Magic Stone? That¡¯s crazy.¡± I was shocked. -Golem¡­I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a magic golem. And, it¡¯s amazing that it¡¯s using a Magic Stone as its nucleus. The number of golems in front of me was roughly a dozen. All of them were using a palm-sized rock on their foreheads as a nucleus. Unlike regr golems, which usually used mana stones to move, these guys were hewn from raw materials. ¡°It smells.¡± The sight made me think. My expression frowned. -It must be strong, agile, and firm beyondparison to the mass-production golem that the Alchemist Society boasts, and there is a possibility that it has a special ability, so you must not overdo it. Perserk¡¯s advice came nervously, but I had already quickly dug into it. Boom. At the same time, a ck spark popped under my rolled fist¡­if the opponent is made of solid rock, not flesh, a half-hearted attack would put me in danger. Besides, since it had a Magic Stone, I didn¡¯t know what kind of functions it had. It started attacking me again, moving at great speed, but I wasn¡¯t one to back down. Rather, I ducked under its fist as I stepped forward, swinging wildly. [Heavenly Explosive Attack ] Bang! Boom! Intense sounds and ck sparks scattered all over the ce as the giant golem lifted in the air. It was an attack that would normally have destroyed the body of a regr golem, but these survived. Without hesitation, I reached out to the golem¡¯s head and forcibly snatched the Magic Stone and ripped it apart. Riiiip! A half-broken rock was caught in my hand and was pulled out of the golem¡¯s head. ¡°I can smell it!¡± -Your power is amazing every time I see it. By the way, what the hell does it smell like? I shouted proudly at her tilting her head as if she couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°The smell of money! It¡¯s the signs of a big hit!¡± My statement was mindful of the possibility that the ancient ruins could control the weather conditions of the Hines estate. There were many golems here that had a Magic Stone. I didn¡¯t know for sure, but what¡¯s hidden here seemed to be a big hit. It¡¯s not an abandoned and dyingnd; it¡¯s unlimited gold! * * * Boooom! With a refreshing sound of destruction, the hard rock stuck in thest Golem¡¯s head was torn apart by my bare hands. ¡°Whoa¡­that was intense.¡± Perserk was wiping off her sweat in a refreshing mood. ¨C Intense? You need to re-learn the word intense. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a little intense, though?¡± I just smiled while showing her my torn, burnt sleeves. -Who¡¯s to me for your ck and torn sleeves? If you look at yourself, you¡¯ll realize how dense that statement sounds. Her words quieted me. ¡°By the way, how much is this worth?¡± A Magic Stone was pulled out and was ced inside of the bag on my back. I found some of the golems that gave up and tried to get away quickly and took their Magic Stones too. My previously empty bag was now full, and it was all thanks to the meticulous dissection of the golems. Chapter 41 Since mana stones could be mined from ces around the continent, they were obtainable, although expensive. However, magic stones were different. They were natural masses of extremely concentrated and refined mana. If used well, they could even make someone who had never felt mana before into a mage. As such, the uses of a magic stone were iparably vastpared to mana stones. Davey had not one, but 20 magic stones. Since they were pretty big, the continent¡¯s mages would probably do anything to get their hands on them as soon as he put them on the market. It was no wonder people said that being a mage required a lot of money. Davey would be able to obtain arge amount of money from selling even one of these magic stones. ¡°But I can¡¯t sell them now.¡± The problem was that nothing like this had ever been discovered on the continent. The only magic stones known in the continent were the very small amounts found in ancient ruins, and even those were worth hundreds of tinum coins. If he put these magic stones on the market now, Davey would be involved in all kinds of problems. -All that glitters is not gold. ¡°No, now we have to think about what we can do with these.¡± Davey looked at the golem bodies on the floor. They were high-performance golems made using highly advanced skills, so the bodies could make Davey money too. They could even be worth more than the magic stones. It was unbelievable that there were seven of these sites hidden in such a deserted countryside, since nobody wanted to visit this abandoned and cursednd. Going down the stairs to the end of the passage, Davey saw a huge hall. ¡°Wow.¡± He spoke in astonishment as he saw the inside of the hall. It was also a magic stone, but everything about it was different, even the size. -It¡¯s the core of the curse. It was just as Perserque pointed out. The magic stones Davey had extracted from the golems¡¯ forehead were all around the size of his fist, but this gigantic magic stone was iparably bigger. It was about three meters tall and a meter wide, meaning that the entire rock was a magic stone itself. Davey didn¡¯t know how that had been done, but it also had strange letters engraved on the surface. ¡°This would be a really big deal if it was discovered.¡± It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that this magic stone was so big and pure that several countries would go to war for possession of this stone as soon as it was discovered. ¡°I can run wild with 9-circle magic spells if I¡¯m able to use the concentrated mana in here.¡± Davey scoffed at the unrealistic size and intricacy of the stone. However, thinking about it now, the size of this magic stone made sense. It could control the climate of this vast territory because it was sorge. It was a relief that the curse had only been in effect for five years; if Davey didn¡¯t find this ce, this ce would¡¯ve been a living hell for hundreds¡ªno¡ªthousands of years. Usually, high-ranking mages had a couple spells that could control nature, like bringing about rainfall. However, the curse on this territory was on a much grander scale. As Davey silently walked up to the magic stone, ced his hand on it, and released his devil mana to use [Re-fix Curse], arge amount of code began floating up. It was much more than when he had used [Re-fix Curse] on the ground. -It seems like an awful lot of effort to dry out just one province. ¡°I guess there was something to thisnd.¡± Even as he spoke, Davey was busy reading the numerous letters flowing out. He was worried that there was onest guardian protecting this ce, because this was thest hall and he could feel a strange flow of mana from one of its wide walls. However, since a long time had passed, it seemed that thest defense mechanism wasn¡¯t activated. ¡°Huh¡­ It¡¯s made using this kind of system.¡± This setup was interesting even for Davey, who had learned all kinds of magic theories. As a mage, he wanted to take on this challenging assignment. -Can you rework it? ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult¡­but I can alter it if I just find the pattern. Hm, is it this?¡± Davey grabbed a part of the mana arrangementid out from the [Re-fix Curse] and twisted it, and a faint light began surrounding them. As the shaking mana arrangement equation started emitting a strange light, Perserque¡¯s expression changed slightly. However, Davey could not take his eyes off the bright lights in front of him. Whoosh!!! The shaking letters gradually calmed down and started glowing with a green light. Perserque let out a sigh of relief at the stabilized letters, then nced at Davey. -What did you change? ¡°Something¡­¡± Davey trailed off, quietly chuckling. ¡°The drought went on for a few years, right? So, I watered the ce first. It seems that it has be a rainstorm from being blocked for so long.¡± The territory was probably crazy right now. * * * Two militia members, Gordon and Freeman, stared outside the pce from the sloppily repaired watchtower with a rxed expression. ¡°Yawn¡­ Having peace feels really nice.¡± ¡°Mister Gordon, why isn¡¯t the seigneur ughtering the rest of the goblins?¡± They were granted this sweet feeling of ease only recently. At Gordon¡¯s question, Freeman just chuckled and stared at the barren wastnd lying past the citadel walls. He said, ¡°Hey, the seigneur has a n. And there¡¯s no rush, since all the goblins around here have been ughtered.¡± At first, they couldn¡¯t trust Davey. It was natural; the exploitation ofmoners by the nobles had gotten even worse after the nobility got hold of the power in the Rowane Kingdom. There weren¡¯t any nobles that woulde down to this countryside to pick on the residents, but they still kept in touch with those who had left this territory to find a better life. Although they weremoners, they were royal subjects, not serfs. All the kingdom gave them was a tax exemption benefit when the territory was falling apart. The kingdom saw the territory as nothing much than a countryside, but the residents saw this region as home ever since Baron Alishad had managed the province. And as this territory was dying, the kingdom, which had abandoned this ce for years, had sent a greenhorn as the seigneur. The knowledgeable elders all said that the First Prince Davey, the newly appointed seigneur, was probably demoted and sent here after losing the battle for power. If that was the case, they also said that there was a high chance he woulde here and take out his anger on the residents. Obviously, the residents were anxious and worried. However, they couldn¡¯t do much about it. There were also many goblin attacks at the time, so it was difficult for them to focus on anything else. Then, the goblins hade over the citadel wall and even kidnapped some of the residents. It was difficult for the militia to attack the goblin vige and rescue the residents, and just when everyone had given up, Davey hade to the province. The boy, who had a charming smile, seemed a little different from everyone¡¯s expectations. Some thought that he might beat the militia members in anger after hearing about the state of the province. If he were to really do that, some had even pledged that they would stand up against him with their lives. However, Prince Davey just silently looked around the territory, and he quickly noticed that the goblins had attacked the citadel. He didn¡¯t look mad at all. With a terribly calm face, he dropped a bombshell on the militia members. ¡®I will not let anyone die. ¡®Charge in at will and let your anger drive your de!¡¯ Then, when Prince Davey pierced a goblin¡¯s head with an arrow, the militia saw a miracle. They couldn¡¯t describe the reality he was showing them as anything but a miracle. The holy light from his hands had strengthened them and had encouraged the militia members, who had been on the verge of giving up, to rescue the kidnapped residents. Perhaps that young boy had read their minds. He had ignited the passion and motivation in the militia members, who were growing tired of the continued battle with the goblins. ¡®We are one family as long as I¡¯m the seigneur of this ce. And I have no intention of letting my family members die in vain,¡¯ Prince Davey had stated while leading the militia members. Prince Davey, the seigneur who aplished miraculous things, had taken small groups of militia members and ughtered goblins again, as if he was showing them that it wasn¡¯t just luck. Although Davey grumbled that he wasn¡¯t a saint, little did he know that the residents now trusted the newly-appointed young seigneur even more than God. Their thoughts could get them imprisoned for sphemy, but the residents had no intention to change their minds. It was natural for the person who performed miracles in front of their eyes to be considered more reliable than the God who did nothing but watch over them. ¡°Mister Freeman.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice that we got rid of the goblins thanks to the seigneur, but does this territory have a future?¡± It was something that would¡¯ve normally made him angry, but Freeman couldn¡¯t easily answer Gordon. Even an idiot knew that this territory was dying. The ongoing, never-ending drought was transforming everything into a deadnd, except for the citadel, which the residents were living in. They were sure that even Davey, who showed up with a God-like presence, couldn¡¯t do anything about this. ¡°Even if the seigneur is a saint, he can¡¯t do anything about the heavens being angry and not allowing rain to fall here.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Do we really have to leave the territory if this ce dries up because of the drought?¡± If the territory had been wealthy, they would¡¯ve bought water; however, they were poor, and their practice of farming, which was their only pride, wasing to an end because of the drought. Freeman closed his eyes after hearing Gordon¡¯s bitter sigh. This was enough for them. Not even the most exceptional beings could do anything about the continued drought and the dyingnd. The effects of the drought were now affecting the surroundings, which had been the only ce that still had rainfall. They could tell that the nasty curse was closing in on the citadel¡ªtheir only ce to call home¡ªfrom seeing the drying ins nearby, which had been grassy just the year before. And the effects of the curse were starting to spread in the citadel as well. Chapter 42 ¡®This can¡¯t be solved with human powers.¡¯ Even after the priests, mages, and alchemists poked around the territory for research purposes, they all shook their heads and left, only saying that there was a nasty, uncrackable curse cast upon this ce. Most residents had probably lost hope for the territory to return to its past condition. ¡°Haha. But you never know, maybe the seigneur will please the heavens and they will shower us with rain.¡± ¡°Mister.¡± Gordon froze. He called Freeman, who was joking about how that would never happen. ¡°Mister!!!¡± ¡°Hey, you! I¡¯m going to go deaf because of you!¡± ¡°Was¡­ Was that a raindrop just now?¡± Freeman frowned at Gordon. ¡°What kind of cock-and-bull story¡­¡± As Freeman lifted his sore body and peeked out the wooden watchtower¡­ Drip¡­ Something cold dropped from the sky and scattered after hitting his head. ¡°Huh?¡± They both froze simultaneously. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± They were silent for a while. Drip. As the cold water droplets fell from the sky, Gordon rubbed his eyes in disbelief and opened them wide. At the same time, both Freeman and himself kneeled and bowed down with their hands up, as if they were worshiping a god. ¡°Please forgive these two foolish idiots, who did not have faith in the saint!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Seigneur, I believe. Amen¡­¡± As the men shouted their prayers, rain began pouring down from the sky, like the heavens were waiting for this moment. It was like they were putting a stop to this horrible drought that was killing thisnd. Drip¡­ Drip¡­ Pitter-patter!!! It was an intenserainstorm with thunder that seemed like the sky was letting out all its sorrow. 18. Just Plow! Then! nt! ¡°These are dangerous times.¡± ¡°This is the worst possible situation. The information got into the hands of none other than Marquis Peiltris. If we don¡¯t do something, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the solid bond of the nobility breaks and vanishes into thin air.¡± In the drawing room of Duke Bariatta, the chancellor of the Rowane Kingdom and the actual power holder, four or five men sat deep in thought with frowns on their faces. ¡°Ha¡­ It just had to be Marquis Peiltris¡­¡± Marquis Peiltris was someone even the nobility couldn¡¯t easily mess with. Even though he stood alone in opposition to the nobility, he never backed down. He was one of the few people still loyal to the kingdom. However, since he publicly maintained a neutral stance, the nobility was just watching him closely. One side would surely disappear if they were to fight, but the winning side would suffer a huge loss. This was the current state of affairs, but if Marquis Peiltris had something that would put the lives of the nobility in his hand¡­ ¡°Would there be a way to make the evidence unusable?¡± As Count Proom, the entourage of Duke Bariatta, asked with worry, the long-bearded noble beside him sighed and replied, ¡°To be honest, there probably isn¡¯t a way.¡± ¡°He is putting pressure on us, as if he was waiting for this moment. He has already begun purging some low-ranking nobilities as an example.¡± ¡°And our enemies are starting toe out of hiding because of that.¡± Since there wasn''t a clear justification, the nobility couldn¡¯t stop Marquis Peiltris; the fact that they couldn¡¯t do anything was driving them crazy. The low-ranking nobilities that supported them were an important source of funding and power. Not even the most outstanding individuals could do everything alone. ¡°I don¡¯t know who it was, but it¡¯s true that they took all of our secrets.¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to Duke Bariatta, who broke his long silence and spoke. Everyone had believed that leaving the information with the intelligence guilds would be safest. The intelligence guilds¡¯ ability to conceal was quite incredible, and that information wasn¡¯t something that could be concealed in someone¡¯s mansion or secret hiding ce. Starting with the Dark Moon, the most exceptionally skilled intelligence guild, all of them were robbed in one night, without anyone noticing. Some were destroyed to the point they could no longer operate, and some were just barely holding on. Not only that, their information was given to Marquis Peiltris in an organized and coherent fashion, excluding the fake information they had kept along with the real evidence. ¡®Was it Marquis Peiltris¡¯ doing?¡¯ Most likely not. Although Duke Bariatta knew that the Marquis was an outstanding ¡®Swordmaster¡¯, he knew that the Marquis did not have the skills to go through all the intelligence guilds in one night without anyone noticing. That¡¯s why he was at ease, but¡­ ¡°We have to find that insolent fellow. We have to find them and punish them.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ We¡¯re stuck like this because we can¡¯t do that! It¡¯s frustrating!¡± ¡°The intelligence guilds sent word that they wish to not be involved in this matter any longer. The guilds have been totally destroyed and they can no longer operate. Do you think that the Marquis will bat an eye even if wee down on them? If anything, it will just give him more reason toe after us.¡± As everyone was debating, one noble frowned. ¡°So, what is Her Majesty going to do?¡± ¡°Her Majesty the Queen?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t understand her, to be honest. Prince Davey was given a stigmata? He¡¯s still a greenhorn who cannot properly use holy power. Since his stigmata is unstable and different from the usual stigmata on the wrist, it¡¯s nothing but a defective scar.¡± ¡°Marquis Raultis.¡± ¡°So what if he received a stigmata? The Sacred Land is already in cahoots with us. Will they even acknowledge him? Of course, they won¡¯t. He has no power, either. Her Majesty was too focused on that half-wit prince.¡± ¡°The people we should¡¯ve been focusing on were His Majesty and Marquis Peiltris.¡± The others silently agreed with Marquis Raultis. No one acted like it, but everyone was starting to be a little irritated with Queen Lynesse¡¯s preupation with Davey. Their bond, which had been solid for years, was beginning to crumble because of one prince. To them, Davey was just a weak and powerless prince that even the king had given up on. ¡°Watch your words, Marquis Raultis.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Ha¡­¡± Duke Bariatta took a short breath as he nced at Raultis, who was holding his head in frustration. He then said, ¡°Even Marquis Peiltris won¡¯t be able to break our bond instantly. We must fight back, even if we suffer some injuries.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. However, we must try to find a way to retrieve the top-secret information.¡± Marquis Peiltris was waiting to strike the nobility with a lethal attack, so it was too dangerous for them to act recklessly. There was only one thing they could do, since the secrets that kept all the nobility safe were now threatening their lives. ¡°We must be willing to go to war, Marquis Raultis,¡± Duke Bariatta said. ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°How is the preparation going?¡± ¡°We can be ready right away at yourmand.¡± ¡°Please prepare in secret. We cannot give them a reason to do anything until we are perfect.¡± Marquis Raultis nodded silently at Duke Bariatta. ¡®You are underestimating that prince too much.¡¯ Duke Bariatta frowned as he watched the noblese together hand in hand. Prince Davey had surprisingly changed since he had woken from hisa. It was difficult for Duke Bariatta to put his finger on it, but his instincts, from his years of experience as the chancellor, were telling him something was fishy. Also, the assassins of the Dark Moon, sent to kill Prince Davey, disappeared without a trace¡ªno, it was more like they were taken care of, rather than running away. If he was right, Prince Davey would immediately show his ws as soon as he gained support or power. ¡®Still, he probably can¡¯t do anything about the Heins Territory.¡¯ The Heins Territory was transforming into thend of death, and not even the continent¡¯s mages, alchemists, or priests, could find the reason behind its disease. Even Davey, whom Duke Bariatta suspected of hiding something, probably could not do anything about it. ¡®What is he going to do in a countryside like that, where it doesn¡¯t even rain?¡¯ Since he couldn¡¯t send someone down due to the circumstances, Duke Bariatta remained oblivious as to what Davey was doing in the territory. * * * It began raining. All the residents, who knew what this meant, stopped what they were doing, ran out and stared at the sky in disbelief. As they realized that the water droplets hitting them was really rain, they all cheered in joy. Although most of the residents were elderly, with a few children and a very small number of young adults, the rainfall that had returned in a few years made everyone shout in joy like children. To them, the rain wasn¡¯t just the supply of water, but hope that the dyingnd coulde back alive, since thend was dying because of the prolonged drought. The rain poured down for many days and stopped after it had wet all of the drynd. Unlike the residents, who were celebrating, Davey was going through a busy week since he had to take care of other regions. Pitter-patter!! Davey was satisfied by the rain only after he finished changing the code at the ancient ruin in the northwest region. -So, you fixed it all. Perserque spoke while she was almost half-asleep. Davey nodded silently and stood in the rain. He looked weird just standing in the rain, but after being in the dry wind for so long, he had sort of missed the coolness. A few dayster, Royal Attendant Bernile and Militia Leader Monmider, returned to the territory from themercial city of Hellium. Since Bernile always had the same expression, he didn¡¯t seem too interested in the current situation, but Monmider was different. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at the fact that it had actually rained in the dying territory, and that Davey had ughtered all the nearby goblins with a small group of the militia after he had left. ¡®No, he probably returned back here as fast as he could after hearing news about the rainfall.¡¯ Even sessfully ughtering the goblins was an amazing oue since the territory wasn¡¯t in good condition, but Militia Leader Monmider was seemingly more surprised at the fact that Davey had rescued all the residents without any injuries or casualties. Of course, Monmider still couldn¡¯t fully trust Davey, but that was natural, since he had supported this territory for so long by himself. To be honest, it was probably difficult for Davey, who was on Monmider¡¯s bad side, to fully get on his good side in just a week. ¡®Though, he¡¯ll probably be in even more shock after he hears about what I did.¡¯ After Davey seeded in changing the climate of thest region, he kept silent for about a week. Did he just sit around and rest? Not really. Chapter 43 Whoosh¡­ It had taken a week for Davey to monitor the changes in the fist-sized stones that were shining in his hand.. -This¡­is astonishing. ¡°How concentrated is this power?¡± It was the curse cast from the enormous magic stone that killed thend. However, it was nearly impossible to get rid of something that already existed. As such, the magic stone wasn¡¯t causing the moisture to disappear from the ground, but it was actually concentrating the curse in one ce so that it could not escape. Since most of the natural power in the territory gathered deep underground, everything would be solved if it was brought up to the surface. ¡®And where could I find a power like that?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like the power that had been umting for tens of thousands of years was of no use. Although there were still some cracks in the dry and sandy ground, it had be healthy enough for the people to nt simple crops in just a week. The ground had to be plowed, since it was still pretty tough, but that wasn¡¯t a difficult task. The magic stone Davey had was essentially a status board; it was a tool that connected him to the embedded magic stones in the ground of each region. It allowed him to use the connection to see the conditions of the ground or climate whenever he wanted with [Check Information]. Although it was still a little unstable, he could also change the weather conditions of the territory by remotely altering the mana arrangement of each stone. Humans evolved and found new discoveries because ofziness; since it was too tiresome to go to the ancient ruin every time, Davey had to find a way to change it with a flick of his finger. -The strength of the magic stone is astonishing, but so are you, the one creating this system. ¡°Well, magic stones have an incredibly wide range.¡± The bigger they were, the more power they held. Since Davey had one about the size of his fist, its power would still be rather significant. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to use my expanded pocket for the time being.¡± From the engraved magic circle and the power from the magic stone in it, the small pouch, which was about the size of Davey¡¯s hand, had gained a space that was asrge as a few acres. -You are probably the only person who uses these valuable magic stones so recklessly. I couldn¡¯t think of a better way to waste resources. As Perserque mentioned, this was a huge waste of resources, but Davey couldn¡¯t sell the magic stones right now anyways. He shrugged. ¡°Think of it as an investment. We can sell it off when we find a reasonable excuse.¡± It was actually a good thing, since this system required magic stones and couldn¡¯t be reced with mana stones. It wasn¡¯t right to sell off things likend or stocks right away just because it made money. If Davey suddenly became sessful, he would be at the center of attention and jealousy, and that wasn¡¯t what he wanted right now. ¡°Your Highness, I have the results from the temperature measurement¡­¡± As Davey shoved the magic stone into his expanded pouch and stood up, Amy immediately opened the door and peeked in. ¡°So, what¡¯s the number?¡± Amy cautiously looked down at the documents she was holding. Normally, Davey should be the one checking over the results, but he was nning to put Amy in charge of the administration of this estate instead of being his personaldy-in-waiting. How could apany, this healthy and innovative, let a bright mind like hers just go to waste? ¡°ording to the report from the militia members, the average temperature is about 13 degrees¡­¡± Amy could hardly believe it even as she was reading the report, since a part of the territory, which had temperatures below zero not too long ago, had begun to warm up as if it were apletely different ce. ¡°It¡¯s just right.¡± Davey smiled widely. If they couldn¡¯t farm because the ground was still frozen from the remaining cold weather, all he had to do was change the temperature. ¡®See? It¡¯s that easy.¡¯ ¡°Okay, how many volunteers?¡± ¡°A few residents and all of the militia members, excluding the minimum needed for protection. In total, about sixty people have gathered.¡± ¡®They¡¯re all maniacs blinded by faith.¡¯ Even as Davey was secretly clicking his tongue, he began moving immediately. Right now, he could alter the temperature, water, and even ground conditions however he wanted. There was no way he was going to farm normal crops and let such a sweet system go to waste. Whatever the business was, there were only two ways to get rich quickly. ¡°Tell them toe here with the prepared equipment. We¡¯re going to start right away.¡± Scarcity, and an overwhelming abundance of supply. -You are thinking of doing both. It was exactly as Perserque said. * * * Rain started to fall onto the drynd, and in just a few days, the fiercely cold wind disappeared, and warm air began circting the fields. It didn¡¯t just feel like the temperature of spring, but it really was that warm. The sudden change in the territory could¡¯ve made the residents doubtful, but everyone, except for Monmider, seemed to believe the absurd rumor that Davey must¡¯ve pleased the heavens. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of you,¡± Davey said. Some of the residents giggled. ¡°Sir, how could we just sit back and watch when it¡¯s your n?!¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t give back in return of your amazing grace, that would be rude of us!¡± Davey awkwardly smiled at the elders. ¡®It¡¯s going to be some hardbor¡­ I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be okay.¡¯ As he looked around silently, Davey saw a familiar face. ¡®It was Lynnie, right?¡¯ She was the little girl who had been taken by the goblins. ¡®She still came along, even though I told her to rest and get treated.¡¯ All the militia members were in work overalls and hadrge hoes in their hands instead of their usual armor and weapons. ¡°Well, since our territory has the healthiest work environment, there won¡¯t be anything like unpaidbor.¡± The ones who didn¡¯t understand Davey just stared around, while the othersughed. ¡°Don¡¯tugh. You¡¯re going to make me get attached to you guys.¡± ¡®Maybe I should¡¯ve said nothing.¡¯ After staring up at the sky, Davey nced at the vast, barrennd. Its appearance before had made him doubt whether nts could even grow from this ground, but it looked a lot better now. ¡®It recovered this much in just a week? I guess the power of the magic stone and the level of the curse of the ancient civilization are quite great.¡¯ ¡°What I¡¯m nning to do is simple. Yesterday, the knights created a border around the nearbynd. We are going to cultivate all of it.¡± Thinking that was ridiculous, Monmider stood beside Davey with his eyes wide open as he heard Davey¡¯s n. ¡°It¡¯s okay to give up if you can¡¯t do it. I calcte precisely.¡± There was a way it could be done even if no residents showed up, but Davey had no choice but to use them since they all showed up. ¡°I will give you four days.¡± As Davey stated the deadline, Monmider was even more shocked. ¡°I will guarantee your time to get off work, but it all depends on how well you do.¡± At Davey¡¯s speech, Monmider quickly bolted in front of him. ¡°S¡­ Sir!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°With all due respect, even if the frozen ground has melted from the sudden change in temperature, to cultivate this vastnd in four days is¡­¡± ¡°This ce used to be farnd before, right? Don¡¯t you have some basic guidelines?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± What Monmider was trying to say was simple: it required too muchbor. ¡°Haha! I swear on my balls that the seigneur will show us a miracle again.¡± ¡°Ew, you can¡¯t even use that dirty thing.¡± However, unlike Monmider¡¯s concerns, the militia members were just contently joking around. ¡°Se¡­ Seigneur, please reconsider¡­ It¡¯s not that I have forgotten the fact that we were able to rescue our residents with your grace¡­but it¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s too much? You really think that?¡± Monmider looked stunned as Davey asked him again. Since he knew that Davey wasn¡¯t asking because he truly didn¡¯t know, so it was even harder for him to understand. Ignoring Monmider, who was standing there in stunned silence, Davey called upon a few of the residents. ¡°Group leaders, make sure to look over everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s get started.¡± Davey closed his eyes, and a light slowly began surrounding him. ¡°Wow¡­ Our seigneur¡­¡± ¡°Our savior¡­¡± ¡°Sniffle, I am yours!¡± Davey thought he heard something that made him a little ufortable¡­ ¡®This guy is sleeping again.¡¯ Davey awoke his holy power, who was whining and trying to stay asleep, with a beating. Then, he raised his hand toward the sixty residents and cast two simple spells on them: muscle enhancement and stamina enhancement. However, as the task required intensebor, he didn¡¯t stop there. [Strength] [Strength] [Strength] ¡­ If one needed more power, it could be improved by casting multiple muscle enhancement spells, and if one needed more stamina, all they needed were multiple stamina enhancement spells. However, it was unbelievably difficult to stack multiple spells, even if they were simple. If the difficulty level of the casting of the spell once was one, the difficulty of the second time would be two, three times would be four, and four times would be eight, meaning that the difficulty level increased exponentially. As such, it was nearly impossible to stack a spell more than three times, but Davey had experience and knowledge. Since his storage of holy power was quiterge now, it was doable. ¡®All I have left is experience¡­ You won¡¯t be able to get buffs like this anywhere else, you know.¡¯ If Davey could, he wanted to cast a domain reinforcement spell like before, but if he did that on thisrgend, he might copse from exhausting all his holy power. ¡®Hm¡­ It would¡¯ve been nice if Caldeiras was here.¡¯ -You think of a divine sword as a holy power storage¡­ Davey simply ignored Perserque¡¯s displeased and fed-up mumbling. ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°I feel the strength!¡± Monmider looked shocked as the residents roared, as if they had be supercharged batteries. ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s get started. Your wage gets cut if you get caught cking off,¡± Davey said indifferently. * * * Monmider¡¯s jaw dropped at what was going on in front of his eyes. Crack!! Crack!! Crack!! ¡°Haaa!! I feel the power!!¡± Thud! Thud! Thud! ¡°I should¡¯ve plowed the soil like this when I was young!¡± Monmider kept rubbing his eyes in disbelief. If stacked about ten times, a light muscle enhancement spell could give an old man the strength to swing a heavy man like a twig. As for a light stamina enhancement spell, it could give a weak kid, who would start wheezing after running for a little while, the stamina to sprint a 42-kilometer marathon. ¡®It¡¯s too OP? Try it, then.¡¯ ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Davey asked Monmider. Startled, Monmider nced at Davey with a nk expression. ¡°I told you, our territory operates under a healthy work environment. Did you think I would really give them such an absurdly difficult job? The welfare of one¡¯s employees is the honor of thepany.¡± Although Daveypared the estate to apany, it wasn¡¯t really one. ¡°Ho¡­ How is this¡­¡± Monmider should¡¯ve heard that Davey was the prince, who had received a stigmata. He should¡¯ve also heard that Davey had strengthened the residents with a fascinating power and killed the goblins. However, there was a difference between hearing about it and actually seeing it. He probably thought that it was exaggerated, but it truthfully wasn¡¯t. One of the elderly volunteers was even running around and plowing thend, as if he had be a master of the hoe. Smiling, Davey pped the stunned Monmider on the back. ¡°See? Don¡¯t you think they¡¯ll be done in four days?¡± ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Monmider couldn¡¯t lift his jaw up from the ground as the reality in front of him sank in. Chapter 44 ¡°Monmider.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?!¡± When Davey called Monmider, who was staring into space, the man looked back at him with a startled expression. ¡°I¡¯m counting on you to manage and supervise the work.¡± ¡°Leave¡­ Leave it to me!¡± Monmider wasn¡¯t stupid, just vignt. No matter how ridiculous the situation seemed, he had a clear head to make good judgments. ¡°You will probably be better at managing them than me.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Sir.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°So, what are you nning to nt here¡­?¡± As the residents were cultivating arge area at once, Monmider probably thought that there weren''t enough wheat seedlings for the entire field. He seemingly wondered why Davey acted like he was going to yield crops right away when he also knew this for a fact. ¡°What do you think a poor territory needs to do in order to get rich fast?¡± Monmider thought hard. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to nt moon grass. On this entire field.¡± ¡°Moon¡­grass?¡± Monmider couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He looked at Davey in bewilderment, but Davey didn¡¯t bother exining any further. Moon grass required particr weather and ground conditions, so it couldn¡¯t possibly grow in the continent¡¯s eastern region because of the temperature changes. Since it was used in the wizard towers, school of alchemy, and potion-making temples, the eastern region imported moon grass from the western region even though it was costly. Not only was moon grass expensive, but it was also in high demand; it was the blue ocean market of the agricultural sector! Normally, no one would ever imagine harvesting moon grass here in the east¡­ But all Davey had to do was change the climate to a condition where moon grass could thrive, and that would be it. Monmider was worrisome because he didn¡¯t know that Davey could control the climate and conditions of the province however he wanted. In fact, no one knew except for Davey himself. ¡°Sir, with all due respect, moon grass cannot grow in ces with distinct seasons.¡± ¡®Of course, since it only grows in the tropical areas of the western region.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s okay. Since the heavens were pleased, it¡¯ll be tropical here for a while.¡± Monmider thought that was ridiculous, but Davey didn¡¯t exin any further. ¡°So, I guess all that¡¯s left to do is find where the vegetarians of this forest live.¡± -Those long-ears are unbelievably stubborn. I¡¯m not too fond of that picky species. It¡¯s best not to get involved with them. ¡°I agree with you.¡± Of course, the problem was Bow Lord Apollo, who was also an elf. ¡°That guy humiliated the species all by himself.¡± -From his actions left in your memory, I don¡¯t really want him around me, either. Perserque¡¯s shudder was real. Davey didn¡¯t know if Apollo had the same effect on men, but he had a way of making women feel a strong sense of repulsion. Davey got on his horse right away and started heading toward the goblin-filled forest. * * * Someone had entered the forest, which had a serene atmosphere and unrivaled beauty. The forest had seemingly been blessed by the spirits. ¡°May the blessing of nature be with you. I heard of your visit from the spirit¡¯s calling, Madis.¡± ¡°May the blessing of nature be with you. Miss Yuria, please forgive my rudeness for visiting without sending word beforehand.¡± The girl smiled weakly at the old, blond man. ¡°I always wee a teacher¡¯s visit. Come in. I have just received some quality tea leaves.¡± At Yuria¡¯s offer, the man called Madis quietly sat on the tree stump chair and stared at the girl in front of him. The girl, who had glimmering sky-blue hair and sparkling emerald-green eyes, was stunningly beautiful. She appeared to be in herte teens, but her species didn¡¯t age after bing adults, so their age couldn¡¯t be determined by their appearance. In fact, the rxed girl in front of Madis was actually the leader of the inhabitants of this forest. They were elves: the ones who believed in the spirit¡¯s blessing and called the forest their home. They were the forest¡¯s kind with long ears, which were distinct from humans. ¡°Yuria, my friend. I had a dream.¡± Seemingly frustrated, Madis, who was staring into his teacup, cut to the chase. ¡°My teacher, a dream, you say? What kind of dream did you have that made youe all this way in such a hurry?¡± As Yuria asked with ease, Madis bit his lip and said, ¡°I had a dream that this forest was cursed by the spirits, Yuria, my friend.¡± Yuria stayed silent, then said, ¡°Teacher, you said a long time ago, that the spirit¡¯s workings are the course of nature. You said that it is a natural phenomenon.¡± ¡°Yuria¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Yuria looked like she was about to cry as she nced at Madis with a depressed expression. ¡°The forest is drying up. It cannot live any longer. Let¡¯s all go back to the divine tree, our home,¡± Madis offered. ¡°Madis, my teacher.¡± Yuria smiled. ¡°This ce is now our home. That ce no longer wants me.¡± ¡°Yuria¡­¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s probably a good idea to take the others there. At least they won¡¯t be affected by the spirit¡¯s curse.¡± ¡°Everyone might die if they stay here,¡± Madis exined. He was keeping hisposure until just a moment ago. ¡°That, too, is the course of nature.¡± At Yuria¡¯s frustratingly easygoing attitude, Madis let out a deep sigh. All she did was stare out into the forest and quietly mumble, saying, ¡°You never know, someone might save us. The winds are energetic today; it¡¯s a sign that we will meet someone good.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, how is the cricket wing tea? I was pretty confident in the recipe.¡± ¡°Sputter!!¡± As Madis heard Yuria, he threw his dignity out the window and spat out what was in his mouth. Then, he looked up at her with a deadpan look on his face. He had forgotten why the elves called Yuria a psycho or the ck sheep. There was not a hint of malice in Yuria¡¯s bright smile. ¡°The winds are energetic today. It must be a precious visitor.¡± 19. Harvesting Stacks of Money! Crunch¡­ Crunch¡­ There was no presence of anyone on the quiet forest trail. Wild animals used to live in this forest, but they had been mostly eradicated as the goblins settled here. Since Davey had cleared the goblins from this forest with the militia, the forest was nothing but silent now. -It definitely isn¡¯t a small forest, but it¡¯s surprising that elves live here. Elves were an extremely rare species because there weren¡¯t many left in the continent to begin with. Furthermore, since most elves went into hiding following a certain incident about three hundred years ago, most people had never seen an elf in their lives. Some probably didn¡¯t even know that elves existed. It was a little better for beastfolk, orcs, and dwarves. There weren¡¯t a lot of beastfolk, but some kingdoms secretly hired them as warriors because of their outstanding natural physical abilities. In addition, dwarves interacted with humans the most, because of their exceptional skills and talents. However, it wasn¡¯t the same for the fairies of the forest. ¡®Being too outstanding at something isn¡¯t that great either.¡¯ Elves were a species of beauty, and they were targeted by many because of their beautiful appearance. The reason was as simple as that, and that was why they were so difficult to find. However, Davey noticed their presence not long after arriving here. ¡°Hm¡­ I think it was here somewhere.¡± Davey stared into the quiet forest and picked up a pebble. After looking around attentively, he threw it into the air. The pebble wasn¡¯t fast or powerful since he threw it lightly, but the mana surrounding it was quite bizarre. Buzz! The pebble flew into the air and disappeared with a small spark. At the same time, an eerie wind began blowing in the pebble¡¯s direction like it was sending an alert. Davey could feel the spirit¡¯s power in the wind. ¡®I guess that¡¯s normal for the forest of the elves, since they live among the spirits.¡¯ -I¡¯m hoping we don¡¯t meet any elves, but we could encounter some while trying to find seedlings of moon grass. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll just have to keep going even if we do.¡± An arrow could fly toward him at any time, but Davey wasn¡¯t going to back out in fear. He lightly stepped over the forcefield, which was letting out a faint wave. * * * The forest of elves had apletely different ecosystem from regr forests; perhaps it was because the concentration of the spirit¡¯s power was overwhelmingly different from other ces. ¡°It really is an amazing forest.¡± The forest was filled with fascinating nts and trees that could not be seen in the human realm. The ce seemed normal at first, but the surroundings turned starry and bright once Davey stepped into the forcefield. The blue, greenery-filled forest sky glittered with mystical specks of purple light, and between them, Davey could see faint and blurry figures of some kind. He couldn¡¯t clearly see the spirits since he wasn¡¯t bonded to them, but he was able to find this ce because he could still feel their presence. The spirits were free and highly curious beings. Thanks to Davey catching a glimpse of some of them when they hade to watch him and the militia ughter the goblins, Davey had already figured out that elves lived in this forest as well. And piecing together Perserque¡¯s memories and the stories about the forest of elves that he had heard from the Bow Lord Apollo, Davey believed that what he wanted was here. -But do you think you will be able to recognize the moon flower, which has the moon grass seed? I don¡¯t know about it that well. ¡°I should be able to, since Apollo would say anything once he had a drink.¡± Although Davey did say that Apollo ruined the name of elves, he didn¡¯t detest him. The anger Davey felt while talking to him was also a mere memory. As Davey walked with silent footsteps and looked around, he began to see animals that were not hostile toward humans. There were elkdeers, which had gigantic antlerspared to normal deers, and fairy dragons, which were herbivores that coexisted with the spirits. ¡°I guess that means that it has everything it needs even though it¡¯s a small forest.¡± Davey reached out to the elkdeers that were staring at him with innocent eyes, and they began gathering and rubbing against his hand. They were quite friendly; perhaps it was because they had interacted with elves before. -But they should know the difference between humans and elves. Chapter 45 ¡°Most organisms in the elves¡¯ forest are heavily affected by spirit affinity, and I¡¯m probably more advanced than any elf in terms of affinity.¡± Davey had a higher affinity to spirits than the ones born with them. As he lived in a firepit for years, with increased fire resistance to strengthen his affinity to fire, the elves could notpare to him. This was the world-ss training of the heroes that transcended species. In fact, the Spirit Goddess Yuriana, the hero that bonded with all the spirits and also Davey¡¯s spirit magic teacher, was also human. As she bonded with 13 Spirit Lords, the beings that even the Elf Priest, the highest rank of the High Elves, could not reach in their lifetime, she was probably exceptionally talented. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Do you understand me?¡± Davey asked while lightly patting the elkdeer¡¯s back, but it just stared at him with its head tilted in confusion. -It¡¯s not clever enough to understand words. ¡°Maybe I expected too much from you.¡± As he was petting the elkdeer¡­ Crunch¡­ Bristle¡­ A few elkdeers and fairy dragons began gathering toward Davey from inside the forest. -How are the spirit beasts being so friendly to you when you haven¡¯t even bonded with the spirits¡­? ¡®You look envious.¡¯ -Honestly, I am. Perserque blushed. It seemed like she wanted to pet them, but perhaps it was because of her faint demonic aura that the animals instinctively ran away when she reached out to them. -Why is it just me? You have devil mana, too. ¡®Well, demonic aura and devil mana are simr¡­¡¯ Squeak! From far away, a fairy dragon flew toward Davey and gave him an object it was holding in its mouth. ¡°Wow! How nice is this?¡± Davey widened his eyes when he realized what it was. -Moon flower. ¡°Aw, thank you. Where did you get this?¡± Squeak! The fairy dragon squeaked at Davey with glistening eyes, waiting for apliment. ¡°Okay.¡± Davey understood what the fairy dragon wanted and petted it on the back. As it squeaked with joy, it flew around Davey before flying somewhere. Daveymented, ¡°It seems like it¡¯s going to show us the directions.¡± -That¡¯s a relief. The forest of elves is a lot bigger than it seems. We¡¯d definitely be seen by elves if we just wandered around. Davey did say he was going to cajole those long-ears, but frankly, he didn¡¯t want to really encounter them. The fairy dragon that was leading him soon formed a herd with other dragons, and began flying somewhere at once to guide Davey to a vast field filled with flowers. -Wow¡­ Perserque¡¯s face was filled with awe, and a smile appeared on Davey¡¯s face as he embraced the view in front of his eyes. ¡°Squeak!¡± ¡°Squeak squeak!¡± The flower field, where the fairy dragons danced around, was a blue-colored masterpiece. -It¡¯s all moon flowers¡­ The flower, which bloomed with the blessing of the Moon Goddess, was only found in the forest of the elves. It was exactly what Davey was looking for: the ones that only grew with special cultivation methods in the human realm. ¡°There¡¯s quite a lot of them. This looks like it¡¯s enough to nt on the entire territory.¡± One flower had enough seeds to nt a one hundred square feet plot ofnd. It could be a problem if the elves, who considered the moon flowers to be sacred, saw Davey, but it should be fine, since he was just taking a little few. ¡°But first.¡± Davey stopped mid-sentence, then stood in front of the flower field with his eyes closed and raised his hands. At the same time, the weak aura of the spirit gradually started getting stronger. The base of spirit power was mana, holy power, or devil mana, so it was convenient for people who had powers to call upon spirits if they needed to. Ultimately, how advanced one¡¯s spiritual power was all came down to the level of affinity; since Davey had already reached the max level for affinity, it was safe to say that he would have no problem summoning spirits. ¡®It would probably be too difficult to summon the Spirit Lord now.¡¯ When Davey was training his spirit magic, he often borrowed Yuriana¡¯s spirits to do so. Since no other spirits existed in the Hall except for the ones that had already bonded, he couldn¡¯t create a new bond with any. -Spirit mana? Are you trying to bond with the spirits? ¡°Everyone seems to get it wrong, but the Moon Goddess is also just a part of the spirits. So, it would be problematic if I picked these flowers, which have the power of the spirits, without permission.¡± As Davey exined this to Perserque, he released his spirit mana and slowly opened his eyes. Then, he let out a mystical voice in anguage different from anything he had spoken before. [Can you hear me?] [Hm? A human?] [A human!] [It¡¯s a human!] Davey called the spirits, who were roaming around the field of moon flowers. The spirits, which were just faint lights in the air, began gathering near him one by one. They all had unique appearances: one was a pebble, the other was a water droplet, and one took the form of an ice crystal. The appearance of a spirit changed depending on the desire of the bonded individual, but natural spirits usually took on the form of the elements of nature. And so, the nature spirits here were like that as well. [Woah! You can see us?] [I think he can even hear us!] Davey couldn¡¯t help butugh at the spirits, who were chattering nonstop. Spirits were innately good and pure, and they made people feel at ease just with their presence alone. [Yes, I can see you and hear you clearly.] Perserque had a grumpy expression because she couldn¡¯t understand what Davey was saying, but the spirits understood him exactly. [Wow wow!] [How is a human speaking the spiritnguage?] [It¡¯s so cool! I want to talk to him!] It would take forever to reply to everything the spirits were saying; they were chattering so much that Davey¡¯s ears were starting to hurt. He interrupted them nicely and asked for a favor. [I need some flowers. Can you lend me some?] [Yes, of course! Take some! We can trust humans that are able to see us!] [You have a nice aura to you! The flowers will bloom, no problem!] [Take as many as you want!] There was no need to hold back since Davey had the permission of these chattering spirits. All that was left to do was for him to take a good amount and leave this ce before the elves found out. Since it wouldplicate things if he were to be noticed, it was best not to be seen. However, it seemed like at that time, Davey did not notice that someone was watching him from afar. * * * ¡®Amazing.¡¯ It was a soft and rxed voice. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ When the high-ranking elves spoke of the garden where moon flowers grew, they referred to it as the Garden of the Moon Goddess. It was arge field of moon flowers, which began growing as the spirits, which were attracted to the highly concentrated spirit power, naturally gathered. Since it was a very sacred ce for elves, it was difficult to believe the situation in front of her eyes. In the elves¡¯ sanctuary, a human was speaking to the spirits to pick some moon flowers. If she were to send word of this to Elvenheim, thest standing city of elves, she would beughed at. Even the elf priests, the most valuable ones of the High Elves, who had now closed themselves in, certainly could not easilymunicate with the spirits of nature. Her affinity was outstanding. She would have no problem bonding with spirits if she wanted to. Since she was of noble blood and had inherited the Helishana family name, she was born with enough affinity to be able to bond with the highest-ranking spirits. However, it was impossible even for her to see,municate, and be granted a favor from the spirits of nature without any preparation. Even when it was that difficult for her, a human, who seemed like he wasn¡¯t even 20 years old, was doing that. Her eyes were filled with curiosity. He was a boy, who had easily deceived the eyes of the elf guards that protected the forests and entered the hidden Garden of the Moon Goddess with the favor of the spirit beasts. It was so natural that she wouldn¡¯t have known if she didn¡¯t happen to stop by. Since this forest had a forcefield that would make the other beings that entered this ce wander and eventually leave, the boy sparked a strong curiosity in her. ¡°I want to find out more about him.¡± ¡°Yuria, my friend. What do you want to know?¡± Yuria, who was mumbling long and hard, was woken from her thoughts by the male elf¡¯s voice. She whipped her head over, her sky-blue hair fluttering. She smiled. The man in front of Yuria was definitely not an elf from this vige. He was one of the highest-ranking elf priests of Elvenheim, thest city of the elves, and also Yuria¡¯s teacher, who had the most expertise in the elves¡¯ spirit magic than anyone else. Yuria wondered how he would respond if she told him what she saw. ¡®I think even Madis, who isn¡¯t easily surprised, would be shocked by this.¡¯ She began wondering, and so¡­ Yuria decided to ask. "Madis, my teacher.¡± ¡°What is on your mind?¡± Yuria smiled brightly at Madis¡¯ soft, questioning voice. It was an elegant and beautiful smile that would make the elves, who had a high standard of beauty, blush. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you drinking your tea?¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, the most concerning thing to Yuria was not about telling Madis about the human boy, but the fact that her teacher was not drinking the tea she sincerely brewed for him. Yuria had found fat and nice carcasses of crickets, removed their wings, and brewed it after letting them dry for over a week, and yet her teacher was ignoring her thoughtfulness! ¡°Groan¡­ Yuria, I¡¯m actually not feeling well¡­¡± At Madis¡¯ grunting, Yuria¡¯s eyes flew wide open. The expression was exaggerated, but it felt elegant and cute. ¡°Oh, then that¡¯s a big problem. I happen to have invented a new recipe while roaming around the forest. It helps with digestion¡­¡± ¡°N¡­ No, that¡¯s okay!¡± ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s quite effective, though.¡± Madis backed away in shock. He sometimes forgot his student¡¯s nasty habits and was tricked by her, but Yuria¡¯s taste and desire for health was quite bizarre for an elf, who sought harmony. She was an oddball elf who would eat anything if it was good for her health and tasted good. That was Madis¡¯ student and the girl with glistening sky-blue hair in front of his eyes. ¡°My teacher.¡± As Madis was panicking, he realized that Yuria Helishana¡¯s tone had changed slightly. He stated, ¡°There is something that¡¯s bothering you.¡± ¡°What if¡­ Do you think there¡¯s a higher possibility for a human, who entered the Garden of the Moon Goddess by deceiving the elves, to be able tomunicate with the spirits of nature?¡± ¡°Yuria, what¡¯s that¡­¡± ¡°Or is there a higher possibility that a great being has woken from a long sleep?¡± Yuria had a smile on her face, but there wasn¡¯t a hint of yfulness in her expression. Madis, who remained silent at Yuria¡¯s question, met her gaze and slowly rose from his seat. Chapter 46 ¡°Thetter is more probable. It¡¯s been a long time since the dragon has disappeared. It has just be a legend in human history, but they do exist,¡± Madis said calmly. He reached out for his teacup, but suddenly twitched and retracted his hand. ¡°However, that is impossible for humans. Their affinity to nature is not that great. There are some oddballs, but they cannot see the spirits of nature.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Since their disposition tends to lie closer to chaos, it is much more difficult for them to increase their affinity to nature than elves,¡± Madis noted. Yuria Helishana smiled brightly at Madis. ¡°I n to leave the vige for a little while soon.¡± ¡°Yuria, my friend. What is¡­¡± ¡°I think I have found a way to save the vige. Don¡¯t worry, I will leave after reassuring the vige.¡± Madis was left momentarily speechless at Yuria¡¯s words. * * * The residents had done far more than what Davey had imagined. ¡®They say the more passionate employees, the more thepany grows.¡¯ That seemed to be the same on Earth and the Tionis continent. ¡°Exin to me why a four-day¡¯s job is being wrapped up in half a day?¡± Davey asked. Monmider awkwardly smiled at Davey. ¡°That is¡­ They said that they were making it up to you¡­¡± Davey knew how people, who couldn¡¯t control their power, acted when they were given too much of it. However, the timeline had been shortened because they had worked at a speed that exceeded Davey¡¯s expectations. It wasn¡¯t bad regarding the immediate gain, but in the long run¡­ ¡®It¡¯s actually a loss.¡¯ As Davey pulled out a small pouch from his chest and gave it to Monmider, he looked at Davey in confusion. Davey instructed, ¡°nt these exactly one week from now. Don¡¯t just sprinkle them, but it should be fine if you nt them with adequate space in between.¡± When Davey handed him a small pouch, Monmider wondered if this was really everything. He opened the pouch, checked the inside, and his eyes flew wide open at the storage-expanding magic on the inside. ¡°S¡­ Sir, this is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s moon grass. No, it¡¯s actually the seedlings of the flowers. It should be of better quality since it¡¯s from the origin.¡± ¡°Se¡­ Seedlings?!¡± Of course, seedlings were more difficult to obtain than leaves. Monmider seemed quite surprised at how Davey had just acquired them. ¡°How¡­ However, we do not know how to cultivate moon grass¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s right here.¡± Davey wasn¡¯t ying around with the magic stone for a week, just doing nothing. ¡°Is this¡­really enough? In the human realm, this is¡­¡± Monmider was surprised as he read the documents Davey handed him, since there were detailed instructions on how to maintain and manage moon grass. He stuttered, ¡°Forgive me. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, sir, but¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I would have a hard time believing it as well. This is a dying territory anyways; just take a leap of faith and bet your money on it. The heavens will help us with anything if they are pleased.¡± Davey smiled. Although Monmider didn¡¯t understand Davey, he didn¡¯t really distrust Davey. A guarded person was a careful person; Davey knew that these kinds of people offered quite a lot of faith once they began to trust. * * * As Davey began nting moon flower seedlings along with the militia, they began voicing their confusion about what exactly they were nting and if it would really grow. That seemed to be what they were thinking. Unlike other flowers, moon flowers took four to five months to fully blossom. This was also Davey¡¯s first attempt, which was why he had prepared for everything. One relief was that the residents had noints about this unusual business proposal because they showed a maniac-like faith toward Davey and his ns, since he hadn¡¯t been taking anything from them. Tax was something to be collected only when the residents had enough to live on. ording to what Davey could remember, there was one thing necessary to sessfully grow moon flowers: to create the most optimal conditions for its growth by altering the temperature, weather, and ground conditions. Originally, the flower had to be budded by spiritual powers, but it wasn¡¯t really necessary since the leaves, and not flowers, were being sold. Of course, Davey didn¡¯t forget to surround the cultivated area with a wooden fence; it would be problematic if external factors were carelessly let in. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Is this going well? Since I don¡¯t have the skills to harvest moon grass¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your question?¡± ¡°That is¡­ The leaves are slowly drying¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to rain soon, as the heavens are pleased.¡± Monmider looked stunned by Davey¡¯s words. However, his dumbfounded expression quickly transformed into one of shock. His jaw dropped at the light rainfall that happened on the very next day. ¡°Your Highness, the temperature is getting hotter than expected¡­¡± A cool breeze came over the entire moon flower field the next day. ¡°¡­¡± As if Monmider had nothing more to say, he did not worry anymore and only reported what was necessary. Four months had passed as this uneasy situation was maintained. * * * For four months, Davey had ughtered the goblins, which had a high chance of invading the territory again, or focused on cultivating new farnd for the residents. Since the goblins were pretty stupid, they would most likely attack the territory again for food, even after they had suffered that much. -They are what people call dumbasses. ¡°Where did you learn that kind ofnguage?¡± -I learnt it from you. ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± Davey felt a little guilty as Perserque looked up at him with a smirk. It didn¡¯t change the fact that she had the appearance of a little girl, although she was a being who had lived far longer than him. In a short period of time, the barren wastnd had be farnd. It was now a field of moon flowers, which were very valuable in the eastern continent. But of course, since there weren¡¯t ones healthy enough to take seedlings from, Davey had just broken even, but he had harvested many leaves that could be sold. ¡°100 gold for one of those flowers.¡± Due to their rarity, moon flowers were much more expensive in the eastern continent than the west. It was also very time-consuming to grow and harvest them. ¡®The market of the eastern continent is going to changepletely.¡¯ Seeing dozens of carts filled with moon grass, which could be sold for ten times the original cost because of how scarce and valuable it was, Davey felt at ease. -Interesting things will happen if you sell all of that. ¡°Yes.¡± This time, Davey didn¡¯t intend to hide the harvest like he did the magic stones. He didn¡¯t cultivate them for no reason. In the process, he had also strongly blocked any information about the growth process of the moon flowers from getting out. News about Davey growing moon flowers in this continent had probably already spread, but the people all scoffed that it could not be cultivated in the eastern continent, where there were distinct seasons. They probably mocked that the First Prince, who had been demoted to a wastnd, had finally gone mad. Frankly, Davey also couldn¡¯t have made money this easily if it wasn¡¯t for the great curse on the territory. As he nned, rumors spread that the First Prince Davey was a stubborn greenhorn who was betting on the impossible. It was all going ording to n for now. ¡°Well then, time to switch it up.¡± If he pushed forward with this business without letting any news get out, some people might have tried to obstruct him. However, from the moment it spread that Davey was trying to harvest moon grass without any n or preparation, he had be an idiot who wasn¡¯t even worth their time. -This kind of thing only works once. ¡°So we¡¯ll have to make the most of it at once.¡± Davey nced at the pile of documents in front of him. The moon flowers were sessfully harvested, wlessly packaged, and stored in the seigneur¡¯s pce. ¡°Now, let¡¯s turn the continent upside down.¡± Davey could practically smell the money. As if hisment had ignited it, surprising news started spreading around the continent just a few dayster. It was news that the Heins Territory, the dying wastnd that would take ten to twenty years to recover even if was starting to rain, had sessfully harvestedrge amounts of scarce and rare moon grass. It¡¯s a shame that Davey couldn¡¯t see the faces of those who adamantly believed that he would fail. 20. Dispatched! Turn it Upside-down! It was difficult to densely cultivate this damn greedy moon flower if the spirit¡¯s aura wasn¡¯t strong. But it didn¡¯t matter since Davey had an abundance ofnd. ¡°There are about 20,000 moon grass leaves deposited in storage,¡± Amy reported with a frown on her face, as if the multiple things she had to learn were giving her a headache. Well, this was expected of her since she had followed Davey here without anyint. One moon flower yielded four leaves, and one seed grew into five or six stems and multiple flowers. About ten thousand flowers had budded, but there was always trial and error. To be more exact, it was because there was an absence of technique and skill. Davey had heard all sorts of tales from Bow Lord Apollo, the only elf at the Hall, but it wasn¡¯t like he was growing flowers there. As a result, only 5000 flowers had survived, which was about half the number. It didn¡¯t change the fact that this alone was still an astounding number. The current market price for the four leaves was a hundred gold. And since about half of the 20,000 leaves would probably be good enough to sell, he could sell about 10,000 leaves. With a single leaf being priced at 25 gold, it would be 250,000 gold if he sold all of them at that price. That would be about 5,000 tinum coins. To put that into perspective, one gold was enough for amoner family to live for two weeks on a tight budget. For the wealthier families, they could use about four or five gold for the same length of time. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ It was truly an astounding amount. There were about two seasons in a year when the moon grass leaves became avable in the continent. It wasn¡¯t a small amount, but it wasn¡¯t enough for the continent to use generously, either. -The main catalytic ingredient in magic and alchemy. It is also used in potions in the temple. They¡¯re going to drool all over it, holding bunches of money. Chapter 47 ¡®Those hyenas are going to pounce.¡¯ -And are you someone to flinch at that? ¡®Of course not.¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re going to be very busy with customers, now that the news has spread,¡± Davey said. He could predict that much, since he was the one who had spread the news. ¡°Pardon?¡± Amy asked. ¡°However, I can¡¯t really greet them¡­ Tell them I¡¯m in bed from overworking.¡± Yawn, You¡­are a money-grubber¡­ Amy didn¡¯t quite understand Davey and tilted her head in confusion. However, Perserque understood what he meant and giggled while half-asleep on the old desk in the office. * * * Davey had seen many instances where the price of items in high demand drastically decreased as the supply increased. If he were to release the moon grass into the market without any restrictions, the price would surely go down. ¡®And what good would that be?¡¯ Davey had absolutely no intention of sacrificing himself to contribute to this world. Hisfort and his future were the most important things, and everything else ranked below that. Everything changed just a few days after word had spread about the moon grass; perhaps it was inevitable. The deserted territory became crowded with merchants and people who wanted to see the moon grass leaves in person. Excluding the living space for about 200 residents, the rest of the Heins Territory was all abandonednd that could not be used. And since hundreds of people came into a space meant for 200, it became jam-packed. ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness! There are people waiting to meet you outside¡­!¡± Even as Amy hurried over and reported to Davey, he didn¡¯t take his eyes off his book. He muttered, ¡°Man, they¡¯re fast.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What should we do?¡± ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m still sick. Tell them I can¡¯te down and meet them since I haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡± ¡°That¡­ That is¡­ I already told them, but they are asking if there¡¯s any way for them to see it¡­¡± The demand for moon grass was much higher than Davey expected. As soon as word had spread, people from all over had gathered here: merchantpanies of nearby kingdoms, wizard towers, and the school of alchemy. Since Davey also saw some people from the temple, he could see just how popr moon grass was. ¡®Let¡¯s tantalize them even more.¡¯ Moon grass was usually imported into the eastern continent from the western region in small batches. If it became certain that it was sessfully harvested here in the east, it would drive these people wild; they were people who would try buying and obtaining moon grass, which was already expensive, for twice the price. Of course, Davey hadn¡¯t hidden the moon grass awaypletely; if he did, it could raise suspicion that he was lying, and that wouldn¡¯t be good. ¡°Amy, get me Monmider and Royal Attendant Bernile.¡± At Davey¡¯smand, Amy went right away. Both Monmider, who was promoted from the Militia Leader to the Captain of the Royal Guards, and Royal Attendant Bernile looked exhausted from the sudden influx of people. He thanked them. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work. Keep it up for just a little longer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is what we ought to do.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s been such a long time since the territory was filled with people; it reminds me of the past.¡± Davey smiled at them. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of things one by one. The militia members¡ªno, they are the royal guardsman now. How are they doing, keeping public safety?¡± ¡°They are working hard, but honestly, they are very short of people. It¡¯s difficult maintaining public safety due to the sudden high volume of people,¡± Monmider reported to Davey. ¡°It¡¯s the same for the documents as well. There are times when we don¡¯t know what to do, because there isn¡¯t a proper manual,¡± Bernile added. ¡°Get rid of anyone that seems even a little bit suspicious,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°It¡¯s safer than something happening because of some bad people.¡± Unless moon grass was an item that was only enjoyed by a small group of people, Davey would always have the upper hand. Honestly, he had no reason to cut these people any ck. He would have to courteously abuse his power rather than act petty to win their favor; that way, he could still be on their good side. ¡°What about the lodging problem?¡± ¡°We are using the cleaned and renovated buildings that the past residents abandoned as lodging, but it¡¯s not enough,¡± Bernile replied. ¡°What about the tents that I gave you money for? Just put those up and sell those as temporary lodgings. It¡¯s okay if you sell them really cheap,¡± Davey suggested. ¡°Oh¡­ We¡¯ll set those up right away,¡± Bernile responded and left immediately. ¡°Monmider,¡± Davey called. ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely that a lot of people will try to reach out to you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Just take the bribes. Since they will be from the wizard towers or the school of alchemy, they will be rich. It¡¯ll add up to be quite a lot if you take them all.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Davey had to jump at the opportunity to get rich. He said, ¡°But act like you can¡¯t help yourself while showing them this. You can do that, right?¡± Davey then showed Monmider a luxuriously packaged ss case. Inside, there were moon grass leaves that Davey had selected himself. The moon grass leaves glowed with a faint light that was enough to shine in a dark room. ¡°They¡¯ve all been treated with magic. One case has four leaves.¡± Monmider gulped as Davey exined, ¡°It¡¯s 100 gold each.¡± It was tempting for Monmider, who knew how valuable that amount of money was, but he quickly got rid of the greediness from his gaze. He was very careful, and was as smart as he was cautious. ¡°I¡¯m not giving it to you to sell. Just show them this so that the news can spread on its own. Our goal is to make them stay here for as long as possible while increasing the value of our product.¡± ¡®Increase the number of residents while earning money. It¡¯s about killing two birds with one stone.¡¯ A division of the temple, wizard towers, the school of alchemy, or a merchantpany, might be built here. Whatever it was, it would be a good oue for Davey¡¯s territory. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but smile. As Perserque watched him giggle, she just sighed quietly. * * * Monmider, who initially questioned the new seigneur Davey¡¯s n, frowned at the pain from the migraine caused by the sudden surge of work. The territory used to be quiet; since there were only about 200 people at best, they all knew each other, and there weren¡¯t many incidents. There were goblin attacks, but he defended the area with the militia. However, they were all so busy now! There were only about forty royal guardsmen, the former militia members. With this number, it was difficult to maintain public safety with the amount of people visiting the territory right now. In addition to this, Sir Bernile, who used to train royal guardsmen as Captain back in the day, continued on with his intense training. If this was all, it wouldn¡¯t be that big of a problem¡­ However, Prince Davey didn¡¯t stop there. He sent Monmider along with Amy, his formerdy-in-waiting, to Royal Attendant Bernile, and made them take sses to professionally learn about administrative work. Davey, the newly appointed seigneur, was an extremely capable person, but he also gave people a lot of work. ¡®I¡¯m not going to teach you everything. Understand it and learn it yourself. I will give you advice if you need it.¡¯ It was better than taking care of everything alone, but right now, Monmider wanted to just let go of everything and rest. He wasining, without being thankful for what he had. ¡°Leader¡ªoh, you¡¯re Captain now, right? There¡¯s a guest waiting for you.¡± ¡°A guest?¡± ¡°Yes, they are from the Green Tower¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Let¡¯s go meet them.¡± Monmider was amoner, but he was given the title of a knight, thanks to Davey¡¯s authority. The lowest title a knight could be given was a bar and the highest was a viscount. He was given the bar title, but considering that he was born amoner, he could be seen as rather sessful now. ¡®Keep up the good work. I¡¯ll promote you if I get the chance to.¡¯ The seigneur¡¯s words kept ringing in Monmider¡¯s ears. Of course, his skills were a littlecking to be a knight, but his experience and wit were far superior. Monmider stretched his body, which was freezing up from anxiety, and took a deep breath. It was an old and run-down building, the militia¡¯s precious home that had protected the territory. As Monmider nervously headed to the drawing room, he saw a man wearing an old-fashioned robe waiting for him. The man was quite old, and looked to be in his mid tote forties. Monmider greeted, ¡°Thank you for waiting. I am Monmider, the newly titled knight and captain of the royal guard.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Has, the ss-4 ¡®Expert¡¯ of the Green Tower.¡± ss 4 ¡®Expert¡¯ was how 4th circle mages were referred to in the wizard towers. Mages were ssified from ss 1 to ss 9, and of course, there were ¡®Beginner¡¯, ¡®Expert¡¯ and ¡®Master¡¯ in the sses as well. A ss 4 ¡®Expert¡¯ was neither a low nor high ss in the wizard towers; to be frank, his rank seemed too high for him toe to this boondock himself. This was especially since mages were probably quite a valuable being to the continent. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the many unexpected guests might have made you ufortable, but¡­¡± ¡°No problem. There were no guests other than you, Has.¡± ¡°Is that so!¡± Perhaps Monmider¡¯s response was to Has¡¯ liking, as Has showed a satisfied smile. He then said, ¡°Public safety is being maintained well, even though the sudden influx of people must be chaotic. I heard that you had taken care of the territory alone before the seigneur was appointed.¡± Public safety was being maintained well because the visitors were being careful, but there was no need for Monmider to point that out. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the seigneur¡¯s grace.¡± Monmider was quite a clever fellow. Has quickly understood what he was trying to say and let out a hollowugh. ¡°Haha¡­ Seigneur Prince Davey must be d that he has such a brave person as the captain of the royal guards.¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m ttered, but I am just a mere knight.¡± The rank of a knight would be enough for Monmider to be treated with respect anywhere else, but it probably wasn¡¯t worth anything to someone of ss 4 ¡®Expert¡¯. Wizard towers were a separate entity to the kingdom, and the rtionship between knights and mages wasn¡¯t all that friendly, either. ¡°I¡¯m worried that I have caused a nuisance bying to meet you when you are busy.¡± ¡°No problem. I have handed over most of the work, but I am also managing the state of affairs as ordered by the seigneur. If it¡¯s anything rted to that, I should be the one taking care of it.¡± ¡°Haha. You are managing both public safety and the state of affairs! How amazing!¡± Has was buttering Monmider up without batting an eye. Chapter 48 Monmider frowned slightly as he felt his stomach begin to hurt. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± ¡°Ah. Actually, I have an urgent matter to discuss with the seigneur.¡± Has cleared his throat before continuing, ¡°The gates to the seigneur¡¯s house are shut right now¡­ Is there any way that I can see him?¡± It was just like Davey had mentioned to Monmider; people were going to try every possibility to make contact with him. And in such a scenario, Monmider knew exactly what he had to say. ¡°That is¡­ I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s going to be difficult. The seigneur isn¡¯t well due to overwork. You dide all this way to see him, but¡­¡± ¡°Ha¡­ What a shame¡­¡± ¡°I am very sorry. The territory¡¯s business is important, but the seigneur¡¯s wellbeing is of paramount importance to us.¡± ¡°I understand. A leader¡¯s health is always important.¡± Chuckling, Has stroked his beard. ¡°However, the Green Tower isn¡¯t in a very good situation either¡­ Would there be any way?¡± He pulled out a small pouch from his chest and ced it in Monmider¡¯s hand. Monmider could tell that the pouch was filled with gold nuggets, just by looking at it. ¡®These wizard towers are on another level. They¡¯re filthy rich.¡¯ ¡°Ahem! What is this?! We don¡¯t take bribes!¡± For a second, Monmider wanted to take it for himself and pretend like nothing happened, but he shook his head in the end. Davey, his master, was the one who ordered him to take the bribes. It was money that woulde to him eventually; he didn¡¯t have to do anything that could catch up with himter. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s just my way of showing gratitude. Consider it a gift, since it¡¯s not that much anyways. I prepared it so that I could get closer with you, Captain Monmider.¡± ¡°Haha!¡± Monmider looked around and let out a sigh, as if Has¡¯ actions put him in a difficult position. Has simply shoved the pouch into Monmider¡¯s pocket, forcing him to take it. ¡°It¡¯s just a little sign of gratitude. A little sign. Ahem! I don¡¯t expect anything in return.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ I usually don¡¯t take these kinds of gifts¡­¡± ¡°How could I just disregard all the hard work an exceptional knight like you has done for us?¡± Has chuckled and spoke insincerely. His expression truly looked like he had no hidden intentions, but¡­ ¡®Everything that the seigneur said is true¡­¡¯ Unlike Has, Monmider chuckled while thinking of what Seigneur Davey, his new master, had told him. ¡®Several organizations are going to reach out to you, and they are going to be desperately wanting to meet me. You will most likely get to you first, since you are my entourage and someone they can meet easily.¡¯ Davey had told Monmider. ¡®They might hand you bribes or scream at you. Sort them out wisely. Give me the list of names of the authoritative ones that scream at you, and just take anything the bribers give. That¡¯s how life works.¡¯ Everything was just a part of the bigger picture. As everything Davey predicted was happening, Monmider grew suspicious of whether the boy, who had just turned seventeen, was really only that old. * * * ¡°Ha¡­ I really shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Looking around, Monmider cleared his throat and hid the pouch as he looked around him. ¡°Ahem! I will take it, since you say it¡¯s a gift¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I want. I expect nothing from you, Captain.¡± Although Has said he wanted nothing in return, his eyes were full of yearning. The Captain of the Royal Guards of a single territory was a low-rank position, and usually wasn¡¯t good enough to meet a mid-level mage such as Has, but this situation was different. ¡°Haha¡­ But how could I just ept this? Anyway, you said that you wanted to see the seigneur for something rted to the moon grass, right?¡± Monmider asked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about it,¡± Has replied. ¡°Sigh¡­ Well, I can¡¯t let you see him because he is sick, but¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a bit of a problem. It¡¯d be nice if I could at least get some information about the product and its avability.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± As Monmider started to be persuaded, Has said with a grin, ¡°Actually, the Tower is also looking forward to the business of the Heins Territory. Isn¡¯t this the first and only attempt to harvest moon grass in the eastern continent? Perhaps the Tower will provide an appropriate gift¡­¡± As he heard that, Monmider slurred the end of his words while pretending to contemte. Then, he slightly widened his eyes. ¡°I am only the vassal of the seigneur. I do not desire any individual gain.¡± ¡°I believe that, since I have a pretty good judgment of character. I simply did not say anything because I can see that you are a brave and honorable person, Captain Monmider.¡± ¡°Haha, you tter me too much. Hm, right. Take a look at this.¡± Chuckling, Monmider pulled out a small case as if he had prepared it in advance. ¡°Actually¡­ We have finished harvesting and packaging the product. Well, since the seigneur is going to sell it anyway, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem for him if I just show it to you.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ This is it.¡± Has¡¯ eyes sparkled, and then, he started to think to himself, ¡®This is top notch! It¡¯s a high-quality product that is extremely rare in the east! This would be far more efficient than the ones from the western region!¡¯ Moon grass wasn¡¯t harvested that much in the west either. It was alreadymon knowledge that even the same product could vary in the number of uses, depending on the quality. Since moon grass leaves were valuable in both the east and west, the western region had no reason to export good quality leaves to the east. ¡®It¡¯s high-quality. If it¡¯s this good, I must gain priority ess to it even if I have to bribe him!¡¯ Has thought. ¡°Ahem!¡± However, Has couldn¡¯t let his true intentions show. ¡°It¡¯s emitting a faint light. It¡¯s amazing how high-quality this is!¡± As if ttered by Has¡¯ honest astonishment, Monmider began chattering. ¡°That¡¯s right. It was cultivated with the seigneur¡¯s care. Most of the ones we have are simr in quality to this one. Those in worse condition¡­¡± As Monmider trailed off, Has looked at him in confusion. Monmider added, ¡°¡­Unfortunately, were all thrown away andposted.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ Something that valuable¡­¡± ¡°We have prepared around ten thousand leaves to sell.¡± Has thought that that was unfortunate. The amount Monmider told him about was also quite a lot, but the seigneur had boldly decided to throw away half of it. It was shocking how decisive Davey, the 17-year-old seigneur of this territory, was. After all, the product was moon grass, which could still be quite expensive at a poorer quality. Since no one knew that moon grass was the bestpost for growing moon grass, they could only think that Davey was quite bold in his decision-making. ¡°As the seigneur¡¯s entourage, I¡¯ve heard a few things, such as how he is nning to put these up for auction.¡± ¡®An onsite auction,¡¯ Has thought. Such auctions weremon in produce and seafood markets, and it meant that the moon grass was going to be sold to the highest bidder. ¡°A¡­ An onsite auction, you say.¡± Moon grass was a luxurious product, being sold like items from a ssy brand. It was bizarre to sell off something this exquisite like a fish at a seafood market. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know all of the details, but his intentions are to minimize the costs incurred from the distribution process. It also means that he is going to sell it in the future as well.¡± ¡°Is¡­ Is that so? Then¡­ There must be something like priority ess.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything about that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. How could I expect more when you have already given me such valuable information? The Green Tower will most definitely thank you.¡± ¡°I appreciate that.¡± ¡®What¡¯s Has thinking?¡¯ As Has, the ss 4 mage of the Green Tower, stood up looking satisfied and offered him a handshake, Monmider awkwardly smiled and shook the offered hand. As soon as Has left, Monmider let out a deep sigh. Then, hepletely erased the look of greed and na?vety he previously had on his face. ¡°Wow¡­ I can¡¯t believe that actually worked.¡± * * * There were several different types of wizard towers; there was the Red Tower, which studied fire, and the Blue Tower, which dealt with water-rted magic. There was also the Green Tower, which studied wind power, and this was the tower that Has, the mage who tried to bribe Monmider, was part of. It could be said that there were quite a few wizard towers known to the public. Starting with Has from the Green Tower, Monmider had met with many other people. Of course, none of these organizations woulde down to this boondock without any confirmation, even if the moon grass leaves were said to be high-quality. A total of three wizard towers and four schools of alchemy had reached out. In addition, sevenrge merchantpanies and a few other small organizations had contacted Monmider as well. Since they all had an unimaginable amount of money, he had also received a huge number of bribes from them. ¡°That¡¯s how life works,¡± Davey said simply. Monmider, who was resting with an exhausted face, smiled awkwardly. ¡°How did you know, seigneur?¡± ¡°Know what?¡± ¡°That they would act like that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. That¡¯s how it works. There¡¯s nothing that money can¡¯t solve here.¡± ¡®Worship money, which prevails regardless of generation or dimension.¡¯ What Davey had done wasn¡¯t anything astonishing at all. By putting an item that the people couldn¡¯t obtain by temptation or interference in any way, he just naturally made the situation happen. ¡®They say to strike when the iron is hot, right? There was no way a cksmith wouldn¡¯t know how to maximize such a strike, then.¡¯ ¡°What are you thinking so hard about? Where are the bribes you received from them?¡± Monmider looked puzzled. ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of taking it all by yourself, right?¡± ¡°Of¡­ Of course not!¡± As Davey red at him, Monmider gave him the box of bribes with a terrified expression. He said, ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Split it and take it as a bonus.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°All the hard work was done by the royal guardsman and the captain. Split it fairly and keep your share,¡± Davey replied. ¡°You¡¯re not going to take it?¡± It was a huge amount of money. Considering the financial situation of the people who gave it to Monmider, each small pouch was probably pretty valuable, even if it was a small bribe. Monmider looked bewildered as Davey just willingly gave it to him. ¡°It would be a good use of that money if I could win the favor of the residents.¡± ¡°You¡­ Your Highness!¡± Davey felt a little ufortable as Monmider seemed very touched by his gesture. It wasn¡¯t really necessary for Davey to do this, since the residents blindly trusted him already, but he didn¡¯t need the money; most of the profits from selling the moon grass were his anyway. Hemented, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be moved about. You¡¯re just being rewarded for your hard work.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it all for yourself but split it fairly, so that everyone¡¯s happy.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± As Davey saw Monmider bow his head and leave the room, he smiled and then stretched. It would be nice if he collected all the bribe money, but he wasn¡¯t in desperate need of the money. ¡®If I don¡¯t win their favors with money now, when can I do so then?¡¯ Chapter 49 ¡°Well, we¡¯re off to a good start.¡± -Maybe this is too good of a start. However, do you think you can handle the pressure of your business partners? They¡¯re quite massive organizations. ¡°Well, they¡¯ll keep each other in check anyways.¡± -Your biggest concern is probably the royal pce. ¡°Ah.¡± Perserque¡¯sment reminded Davey of something bothersome. In the past few months, Marquis Peiltris was eliminating members of the nobility one by one after confirming the information that Davey had left him. Thanks to that, an unprecedented purge was now happening in the royal pce. ¡°I don¡¯t think the royal pce can afford to pay any attention to us right now. The heat is on for those fes, and they¡¯re probably too busy picking sides to focus on us¡­ Marquis Peiltris sure is capable.¡± Marquis Peiltris was basically taking care of the countless nobilities by himself. For now, Davey was only watching from afar, but he wasn¡¯t going to let anything happen to Marquis Peiltris, who was going to be one of his few allies. Although, it wasn¡¯t something he really had to worry about. Honestly, if he chose to seek asylum in another kingdom, many people would dly let him leave. ¡°Now that the news has spread, we are going to be very busy again. People are going to stay long-term to set up their divisions.¡± Several divisions of the wizard towers, school of alchemy, and merchantpanies were being built in this tiny territory. This was rare even in the capital of a small kingdom, but moon grass had made this possible. The ancient curse that was meant to dry out and kill thend had actually made things so much easier; Davey was starting to feel a little grateful for it. -And selling it is going to take ce after? ¡°The market will get bigger once more people get more riled up. Those who are currently here are only errand boys; I can¡¯t just stop at a price that they decide to be able to afford, now can I?¡± -You are one foul merchant. ¡°I¡¯m not a merchant.¡± * * * The news that Davey wanted to spread through Monmider began circting, and more people started staying in the territory for long-term residence. Exactly as Davey predicted, requests for long-term stays began rushing in and he granted them without hesitation. Unsurprisingly, there were several merchants who wanted to buy thend in his possession; since it now had rainfall and the ground conditions were improving, arge territory like this was filled with opportunities for development. Although this territory didn¡¯t have any quarries and only had their farming industry, it was still highly sought after, since it was no regr farming industry. The only area that Davey allowed for sale was the residential area. They were here to develop themerce of this territory; he couldn¡¯t let them take interest in the farnd. If he did, it would be putting the cart before the horse. However, they began moving actively to buy the residential areas as if they saw thising, and that seemed good enough for them. There waspetition and conflict during the process, but that was unsurprising. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Auction it off. Tell them we¡¯ll sell it to the highest bidder.¡± ¡°Then how should we decide on the upper and lower limits? ¡°No limits.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡®Watch the estate prices skyrocket.¡¯ Since ancient times, the ancestors had said that real wealth came from being rich innd. Stocks and cash were nice, but nothingsted as long asnd. Since the Heins Territory had a good and central location, by the time they could no longer harvest moon grass, this ce would have developed into a huge city or transport hub. Davey wasn¡¯t just going to let this opportunity go to waste. His decision could¡¯ve raised someints, but there wasn¡¯t anything major, as these people were pretty wealthy. Afterward, Davey dered that he had recovered and began working. He knew that people were waiting to participate in the moon grass auction, so he announced a condition: arge amount would be sold to the highest bidder, but a certain amount would be set aside and sold evenly to everyone else. Right now, allowing one ce to monopolize the moon grass would be a foolish decision; he had no reason to be dependent on one ce. Davey couldn¡¯t help but put on a great big smile, because everything was going ording to n. -You should really try to keep a poker face. ¡°You have to smile when you¡¯re in a good mood.¡± As Davey¡¯s smile grew wider and wider, Perserque sighed. Then, she grabbed his lips and pulled them down. -I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to your evil smile. ¡°Then don¡¯t look at it.¡± Groan¡­ You really want to make me the bad guy here? Perserque puffed up her cheeks and pouted. When Davey ignored her as she beat him with her little arms, her frown only deepened. 21. Retrieval of the Sword All the wizard towers and schools of alchemy throughout the continent were a part of their respective countries, but they acted autonomously, as if they were an independent organization. There was Redria, the Red Tower, which studied fire magic, Coloned, the Blue Tower, which studied water magic, Bariod, the Green Tower, which studied wind, and Luminiad, the Grey Tower, which studied nature magic. The colors were associated with other aspects, but in this case, each color was somewhat rted to each tower¡¯s field of study. Hellison, the Master of Redria, silently gazed at the young mage who was in front of him. The young mage was ss 5 Yulis, the genius of the Red Tower. He had reached the astonishing level of the 5th circle at the age of 28 and was also Hellison¡¯s student. ¡°Teacher, did you hear?¡± Yulis asked. Hellison sipped his tea with a gentle expression. ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°The story about the prince from a small country called the Rowane Kingdom. I heard that he went down to a boondock and sessfully cultivated moon grass.¡± ¡°Yes, I did hear about that.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we engage as well? From what I hear, it seems to be of better quality than the ones imported from the west.¡± ¡°It has to be, since the west has no reason to export good quality leaves to the east.¡± As Hellison nodded while stroking his long, white beard, Yulis felt a little frustrated. And slightly frowned. He said, ¡°That¡¯s why I am telling you this news. I hear that they are selling it at the onsite auction price. Other wizard towers are already discussing how much they should invest in it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Maybe if we set up a division of the Red Tower there¡­¡± As Hellison heard Yulis¡¯ worried voice, he chuckled. ¡°Haha, that makes sense. Moon grass leaves are highly valuable.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°You take care of it.¡± ¡°M¡ªMe?¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± Yulis felt something from Hellison¡¯s puzzled gaze. Feeling put on the spot, Yulis nced at Hellison. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s stopping you? You are now an elder of the Red Tower. You know, you are too cautious about everything.¡± ¡°Ye¡­ Yes, sir! I will do my best. I will not disappoint you.¡± Yulis, who was staying silent as if he had a lot on his mind, quickly bowed toward Hellison. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t seed. The bold prince of the Rowane Kingdom has sparkedpetition in the continent.¡± ¡°It is surprising that he was sessful in harvesting moon grass leaves, but Teacher¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why do you think he is choosing to do an onsite auction? It¡¯s like¡­¡± ¡°Like depreciating his value?¡± Hellison asked. ¡°Yes. It might be expensive to invest in the distribution process, but it would be much more profitable if he sold the moon grass leaves himself. And selling them off like it¡¯s a rummage sale¡­¡± ¡°Like a rummage sale?¡± Hellison tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°It feels like it¡¯s actually depreciating the product¡¯s value. In fact, he could sell it at a much higher price, since the quality is that much better than the western imports.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Hellison agreed. ¡°But selling it onsite has limitations. It might sell at a high price at first¡­ But if there is no set price, it could be sold for much less than the west, if the bidders decide to fix the price.¡± That was true. The price might skyrocket and be really high at first, but after a certain quantity was secured, the price was bound to go down. This was the reason why the west continent distributed the moon grass leaves rather than selling them in an onsite auction. ¡°Chuckle. I think that boy, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom, is pretty clever.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± As Yulis looked over in confusion, Hellisonughed. ¡°You said the Heins Territory, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How many residents are in that territory?¡± ¡°About 200¡­ Oh!¡± Yulis suddenly widened his eyes in realization. ¡°It can only be bought at that territory because it is an onside auction. It is an opportunity to save a lot of investment funds and grow the territory. Not only that, but aside from ours, many wizard towers, schools of alchemy, and merchantpanies will set up divisions there to secure the product. Now, let me ask you: is there a city in the Rowane Kingdom with that manyrge organizations?¡± When Yulis¡¯ jaw dropped at Hellison¡¯s question, Hellison continued, ¡°No, there isn¡¯t. In fact, it¡¯s difficult to see that kind of thing anywhere. As thoserge organizations start gathering in one ce, amercial district will naturally form. Since transportation is the territory¡¯s only advantage, it¡¯s a perfect fit.¡± ¡°Amazing¡­ But if the merchants resell the product¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why they are not increasing the quantity.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a 17-year-old boy to think so far ahead. Not only that, the territory, which is seriously poor, needs more money to develop thend now that it¡¯s raining.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°He is bringing in a huge amount of money right now, and he¡¯s even nned ahead. And one more thing.¡± With his jaw still hanging, Yulis looked at Hellison. ¡°There¡¯s more?¡± ¡°That prince is acting like he has nothing to lose even if something were to go wrong. He has basically dered that the harvest of moon grass is just the beginning.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Is he saying that he¡¯s got other things to show?¡± ¡°Seems that way. I suspect the people who have an eye for finances have already noticed, since even I can tell. Even if this was false, he doesn¡¯t suffer any losses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s surprising¡­ Really¡­¡± As if his initial doubts had gone out the window, Yulis nodded in astonishment. He couldn¡¯t believe that everything was so thought out. He wondered if this was really nned out by a boy in his teens. Although royalty received advanced education, he knew that this was a dangerous and bold way of operating the estate, even for professional managers of territories. ¡°Now do you know what kind of rtionship you must maintain with the boy?¡± ¡°Yes. Aside from anything, I would really like to have a conversation with him.¡± ¡°Well, then set up a meeting. I want to meet that courageous and wise boy once.¡± At Hellison¡¯sment, Yulis¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. Chapter 50 Hellison, the Master of the Red Tower and a 7th circle archmage, was the big hitter who did not easily show his face, even when the emperor asked for him. He was acknowledged and respected by the other unfriendly wizard towers because he was one of the greatest mages in the continent. Yet, he took an interest in Davey. Davey was the prince of a kingdom, but this was still astonishing. ¡°Perhaps it might be good for our Red Tower¡¯s future to maintain a friendly rtionship with him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way!¡± Yulis hastily stood up with a somewhat excited expression, then he bowed to Hellison and hurried out. Hellisonughed. Someone as advanced as Yulis was bound to be arrogant, but he was the only student of his who was still kind-hearted and cautious. Then, Hellison stopped smiling and squinted. ¡®Sage, is it possible for a teenage boy, who seemingly has no mana, to sh a high-ranking vampire in one strike? He even used Caldeiras without a contract.¡¯ Hellison remembered a question from a girl who had visited him not too long ago. She was also a fierce girl who had Hellison as her advisor. He told her that anything could have happened at that time, but¡­he didn¡¯t think that was possible either. Hellison knew best that high-ranking vampires were very powerful. In addition to that, someone who wasn¡¯t contracted with the divine sword, had woken up Caldeiras, which even the original contractor wasn¡¯t able to wake. ¡°It is impossible, unless they are the student of the Sword Lord who inherited everything about him, or the Sword Lord himself.¡± Since she wasn¡¯t the kind of girl to make up a story about vampires, Hellison believed her story to be true. If he were to ask those who were training in swordsmanship, most of them would simply shake their heads and say that it was impossible, but¡­ ¡°There must be a reason why these entric people are beginning to show up in the world¡­¡± Hellison was mistaken. * * * ¡°All the empty sections of the residential area have been sold.¡± Since there were only a small number of residents in this vast territory, most of thend was empty. Thend that had been given up and had no ownership were all returned to the seigneur, Davey still hadnd left over. ¡°How much did we bring in?¡± ¡°We will get the exact number once we sign the contracts, but the fiercepetition to get goodnd made it as expensive as the capital city¡¯s downtown area.¡± As Davey heard Royal Attendant Bernile¡¯s report, he nodded in satisfaction and cackled. ¡°Whoo! Nice!¡± Bernile¡¯s expression grew cold. ¡°Your Highness, even if we are not in the royal pce¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Can¡¯t a personugh?¡± ¡°You take this old man¡¯s advice too lightly.¡± Bernile sighed deeply. As Royal Attendant Bernile was rted to Sir Bespard, the Royal Attendant of the entire royal pce, he also had a meticulous and strict personality. And that was actually why Davey trusted him. Since Davey had left behind most of the servants hired by Queen Lynesse, most of the servants here were quite friendly. ¡°How is Amy doing in her studies?¡± Davey asked Bernile. ¡°She is such an intelligent girl. It is rare for a baron¡¯s child to be this witty and open-minded, even if she is nobility.¡± Women¡¯s rights weren¡¯tpletely in the gutter here like the olden days. However, since it was still very much a patriarchal society, women seldom received education aspared to men. Women also preferred studies that rted to being a wife, rather than demanding subjects like sociology or politics. And even so, Amy had the wit and judgment that even properly educated children of nobility didn¡¯t possess. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s quite entertaining. It feels like I¡¯m teaching my granddaughter.¡± Although he was the one who told Davey not tough, Bernile chuckled for the first time. ¡®From what I can see, it seems like he¡¯s just watching his granddaughter¡¯s cute tricks rather than teaching her.¡¯ ¡°You know, Amy is about to die from the amount of work.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s because you overwork her, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Do you know how to joke?¡± Feeling a little ufortable, Bernile cleared his throat and stepped back. ¡°Ahem!¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t feel like I have the right to act all serious in front of you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Just a feeling.¡± Davey didn¡¯t ask what Bernile felt; Bernile didn¡¯t look at him like he was a child whom he had to teach. ¡®I guess this is a side effect.¡¯ ¡°Should we proceed with the auction of the moon grass leaves, ording to the manual?¡± ¡°Could you please take care of it yourself? I think you should be able to gain the most profits from it without a problem. Anyway, I saw that the pce sent a letter.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile nodded at Davey. ¡°It seems like you already have an idea of what it¡¯s about.¡± ¡°How could I not? Since they are fighting and locking horns with Marquis Peiltris, they probably needed time to take a breather.¡± It was obvious what they would do and what demands they would make, but Davey didn¡¯t have a good enough excuse to deny them. He said, ¡°What can we do? Let¡¯s stop by. Please take care of most of the auction and the sales process until Ie back. I don¡¯t know if Amy can handle this yet.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Davey usually wouldn¡¯t leave such a task to someone else, but he didn¡¯t have a problem with leaving things to Bernile. As Davey silently opened the envelope with a letter opener, he saw a neatly written letter on old-fashioned parchment. The contents of the letter were simple: it praised him for his new unprecedented achievements in the eastern region and asked him toe to the pce for a while, so that they could pay tribute to his hard work and great aplishments. They told him toe as soon as he received the royal letter. Although their apparent purpose was to celebrate him, there were probably hidden intentions and thoughts. Davey wasn¡¯t all too surprised, as the contents were obvious and predictable. ¡°They kicked me out and now they¡¯re asking me toe back. Ordering me toe and go¡­ They¡¯re not going to be here for long¡­¡± Royal Attendant Bernile looked surprised as Davey threw the letter into the firece in exasperation, but he soon put on a calm expression and sighed. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Bernile said nothing more; perhaps it was because he felt Davey fuming with irritation. ¡°It¡¯s funny. They¡¯re not even the king, and yet they shamelessly send the seal as if they were.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Davey smiled as he tapped the wooden desk with his fingers. ¡®I wonder if the dungeon that Surtr mentioned is located on the road to the pce.¡¯ Davey remembered that Surtr¡¯s homnd was near here. It probably wasn¡¯t called the Rowane Kingdom then, but it was still the samend. -Surtr? Are you talking about Surtr? Perserque looked up at Davey in surprise after reading his thoughts. Surtr, the thousand-day cksmith, was Sword Lord Ares¡¯ friend and aide. As such, he was familiar to Perserque, who was Ares¡¯ foster daughter. Above anything else, he was the craftsman who made the sword that killed her. ¡®That grandpop¡¯s legacy is still lying dormant around here. I¡¯ll do him the favor; I need a new weapon anyways.¡¯ -Hm¡­ The final works of the cksmith who crafted the divine sword¡­ I¡¯m curious. Even as she expressed interest in his works, Perserque¡¯s expression turned somewhat bitter, as if she was reminded of a bad memory. ¡°I have to go somewhere for a little bit. Tell the stable keeper to prepare a horse that can run for a long time.¡± Upon his request to Royal Attendant Bernile, Davey looked worried at what he was nning to do. After all, his actions after arriving here had been beyond reasonable bounds. If his ns were revealed, it was clear that it would cause a big fuss. * * * The bloody¡­ No, the fierce auction went as expected. ¡°All ten thousand moon grass leaves up for auction were all sold. The highest bidder was the Alioui Merchant Company, who offered 150 gold for each case.¡± It was 100 gold for four low-quality moon grass leaves imported from the west continent, and 150 gold for the leaves from the Heins Territory. ¡°So, how many were sold?¡± ¡°With their priority ess, the Alioui Merchant Company bought five thousand leaves.¡± It was huge. It must have been a pretty hefty sum for them, even if they were a majorpany that traveled all around the continent. ¡®Or not.¡¯ ¡°And the rest?¡± ¡°The rest were sold to the remaining organizations at 130 gold each. Each organization was sold between five hundred to a thousand leaves.¡± Five thousand leaves were sold at 150 gold each, and the other five thousand at 130 gold each. It seemed like the Alioui Merchant Company was suffering a huge loss, but securing the product was much more important than the price being paid. That was why all the organizations hadpeted so fiercely. The sale was sessful¡ªno, it was a huge sess. Davey had brought in 350 thousand gold, equivalent to seven thousand tinum coins. One hundred thousand more gold had been earned than the amount calcted with the market price of the low-quality leaves from the west continent. The annual funds allocated for the royal pce¡¯s management was about one hundred thousand gold. With other sources of procuring funds, a total of 150 thousand to 200 thousand gold were collected before being entirely used up. ¡®But what if it was three hundred fifty thousand gold in four months?¡¯ The cultivation of moon grass took about three to four months, and it could be harvested all year round since the ground conditions here were stable. If it took four months to harvest it, the annual ie of the Heins Territory would be about a million and fifty thousand gold. ¡°Gasp¡­ Wheeze¡­¡± ¡°What are you so surprised about?¡± Amy¡¯s breath seemed to stop when she checked the total profits. Even if the ie was to drop to less than one hundred thousand gold, their business was undoubtedly a huge sess. To be frank, it was impossible for almost any territory in this kingdom to earn this much money. ¡°We have drafted an invoice for the organizations that cannot transfer the funds right away.¡± ¡°Only allow that for the ces I checked off on. Credit is the most important thing. It¡¯s going to be a problem if they try to abuse that.¡± Most of these people were willing to pay double the price to obtain the moon grass leaves, which were a scarce resource. Moon grass was extremely vital, and also very low in supply. The price could go down from the current one, but it would always remain more expensive than the leaves from the western continent. Since there was a clear difference in quality, Davey couldn¡¯t just sell it at a bargain price. He was clearly a prepared phnthropist. ¡®A sponsoring organization also requires money.¡¯ -Do you intend to make a sponsoring organization? ¡®It¡¯s a promise. Well, I had forgotten about it since it was made such a long time ago, but it¡¯s not a bad idea when I have the means to.¡¯ It was the condition for learning holy magic and curse-cracking magic from Saintess Daphne. Since there was no deadline to the condition, Davey had just kept it at the back of his mind. Chapter 51 ¡°But Your Highness, wasn¡¯t this sess closer to a coincidence? This territory has fluctuating climate conditions and four distinct seasons; there is no way the territory is going to stay warm all year-round¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that and keep going. And we are not going to expand for the time being. I will cultivate a differentnd and give it to you as farnd.¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh¡­ Yes, sir!¡± Amy and the others nodded. They said nothing more at Davey¡¯s orders. ¡®Bing greedy isn¡¯t a good thing.¡¯ Davey knew that the bnce between supply and demand was important. ¡°Monmider, discuss with Royal Attendant Bernile and fix some of the buildings in the territory. Just repair them so that they are usable. We will do major reforms once I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡°Since I can¡¯t ignore the summon from the royal pce, let¡¯s go.¡± Davey immediately rose from his desk and tied his travel pouch around his waist. ¡°Who would you like to bring with you, Your Highness?¡± Royal Attendant Bernile asked Davey. ¡°I¡¯m going alone.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Bernile was about to respond to Davey¡¯s ridiculous response before staying silent. This was an odd situation, but there wasn¡¯t anything that he could do. * * * Davey thought back to the memories Surtr, the thousand-day cksmith, left him. He knew Surtr¡¯s dungeon was definitely located somewhere between the Heins Territory and the capital. However, it couldn¡¯t be pinpointed exactly since Surtr lived thousands of years ago. Ten years was an epoch; there was no way of knowing whether his legacy was still remaining thousands of yearster. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if someone had already robbed the ancient ruins and had taken everything. Even the most extraordinary seals were bound to weaken over time. ¡®An example of a weakened seal is right in front of my eyes.¡¯ -You. You¡¯re looking at me with a weird gaze. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Hm¡­¡± Feeling a little difort from Davey¡¯s gaze, Perserque squinted and red at him. -You didn¡¯t think of anything weird, did you? ¡®I see you as the living proof of the broken seal.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± -¡­¡­ Perserque kept looking at Davey with distrust, but he just chuckled and looked around. Hemented, ¡°We¡¯re here. -Isn¡¯t this Valhshad? ¡°It is.¡± Davey had stopped at Valhshad before going to the pce. It was pretty famous in the continent, being one of the few tourist destinations of the Rowane Kingdom. The territory was also meticulously researched and conserved by the Continental Union. And¡­it was the family home of Queen Lynesse, Davey¡¯s enemy. The territory was under the jurisdiction of Duke Bariatta. -You probably aren¡¯t too fond of this ce. ¡°I guess the nobility were pretty shaken up. The atmosphere does feel quite serious.¡± No one recognized Davey, because he was visiting under the guise of a mercenary. The situation would bepletely different if the nobles recognized him, but there wasn¡¯t anyone. As a result, he could sense just how grave the entire territory¡¯s atmosphere was upon entering. ¡°ID.¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Davey.¡± He was Davey, the ss F free mercenary. This was the identity he had prepared toe here. It was the same name, but it wasn¡¯t like this name was exclusive to him as the First Prince. The royal guard red at Davey without a word, then nced at his ss. He was ss F, the ss given to newbie mercenaries. As he read the ss, he smirked slightly. ¡°Ha! No. Go back.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It seems like you are here to explore the newly discoveredbyrinth. Don¡¯t even think about exploring this area. Get lost!¡± The royal guard roughly shoved Davey and shouted. Surprisingly, no one thought that the guard¡¯s actions were strange; it was as if this was a normal urrence. Feeling rather annoyed, Davey scoffed at the absurd situation. ¡°Ha. What is this?¡± The royal guard just leered at Davey and shouted. He was seemingly done with Davey. ¡°Next!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Even if this is thend of Duke Bariatta¡­¡¯ Davey knew the kingdom was crumbling to the point where serious reformation was needed because of how strong the nobility¡¯s influence was, but it was far worse than he had thought. ¡°Excuse me.¡± As Davey vacantly stared at the pce gate, an elderly man approached him and said, ¡°Did youe from far away?¡± ¡°Well, yeah.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. You don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°Is there a problem in the territory?¡± ¡°No, not really.¡± The elderly man sighed and shook his head. ¡°Look at that.¡± As Davey nced over to where the elderly man said¡­ -That¡¯s crooked. Davey could see the people going past the gates handing the guards money, as if they were paying a toll fee. It wasn¡¯t a huge amount, but it was definitely against thew. It had been a while since thew rted to toll fees was amended. As he just silently watched the guards, the elderly man patted Davey on the shoulder and gave him a small pouch from his pocket. ¡°Ha¡­ You are terrifyingly emotionless.¡± The elderly man clicked his tongue. ¡°Well, what can you do? Give them this and go in.¡± ¡°Mister?¡± ¡°It might be a little less than what they want, but they¡¯ll still let you in. Don¡¯t get beat trying to fight them and just take it.¡± Davey currently had a fake identity as amoner; if he were to enter as the prince, Duke Bariatta would keep an eye on him. He wanted to just take care of it without attracting any attention, but he thought this was utter nonsense. ¡°Why the money¡­?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Haha. It¡¯s just because you remind me of my grandson back home. Don¡¯t cause a problem and just take it.¡± The elderly man wasn¡¯t lying, since his sincerity could be seen by [Check Information], which Davey had used almost reflexively. As much as he felt gratitude, Davey felt a strong anger consume him. ¡®Wow, this¡­¡¯ -Do as you please. Davey could hear Perserque¡¯s devil-like whispers. Well, it really was a devilish whisper because she was a demon. Either way, Davey dly epted her proposal. -Yes, the person I am contracted to is someone who cuts to the chase. Ignoring Perserque¡¯s whispering, Davey gave the pouch of money back to the elderly man. He said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, but keep this money and buy your grandson a present or something.¡± The elderly man was confused. ¡°You¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be needing it.¡± Davey slowly stood up. Then, he dusted off the dirt on his body and walked over to the guards. ¡°Hm? You¡¯re still here?¡± As Davey stood in front of him, the royal guard put his hand out with an irritated expression. ¡°Give it.¡± He was asking Davey for the toll fee. It looked like second nature to him. ¡°Unless they are from another nation or arge party moving for trade, a toll fee is not epted.¡± ¡°What?¡± The royal guard slightly frowned at Davey, who simply continued saying, ¡°epting a toll fee from an individual is a vition of thew and is strictly controlled by the nationalw.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ What is this ass saying?¡± As the royal guard beganughing at Davey, the others who stood nearby beganughing as well. It made sense for them tough because all they saw was a newbie mercenary acting all serious and talking nonsense. ¡°So.¡± The guard standing in front of Davey threatened, ¡°What do you want us to do? Should we have a funeral right he¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you before I take care of this by thew. Return all the money you have collected so far and plead guilty. If you do, I¡¯ll take that into consideration.¡± Davey used intimidation. He sounded like he was in a y, but it didn¡¯t matter. None of that mattered since this was just like the [Miranda Warning]. ¡®It¡¯s just that famous, ¡°You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to an attorney¡­¡± thing that detectives say.¡¯ ¡°Hahahahaha!!¡± ¡°This guy! Hahaha!¡± The guards all burst intoughter. At the same time, those who realized that something was wrong began panicking. Among them, the elderly man who had tried to help Davey looked as pale as a ghost since Davey could be struck by the guards¡¯ swords at any given moment. Shing!! And, as the others expected, one of the guards pulled out their sword and held it at Davey¡¯s throat. ¡°Hey, newbie. Why don¡¯t you mind your own business? You think you dying will change anything?¡± ¡°You have no intention of abiding by thew?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Ha! We are thew here! And in this territory, Duke Bariatta is thew!¡± The guards shouted shamelessly. ¡®That¡¯s enough for me.¡¯ ¡°Yeah, I thought so.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You asshole!¡± The surroundings suddenly became rowdy as the guards, ticked off by Davey¡¯sment, raised their voice. The elderly man quickly tried to step up and ease the situation, but Davey reached out his hand and acted first; he didn¡¯t want toplicate things by letting the elderly man get involved. Whack! As soon as the guard finished his sentence, Davey forcefully hit the hand of the guard who was holding a sword. The guard lost his grip on the sword, which Davey quickly seized. ¡®This sword¡¯s center of gravity is really off. The material is absolutely awful.¡¯ Davey¡¯s actions were impossible without a certain amount of technique or strength, but he had the strength to pull someone¡¯s head and body apart with his bare hands. ¡®Swordmasters¡¯ were said to be non-human for a reason. ¡°Huh?¡± Slice!!! As soon as Davey caught the longsword with the worst grip he had ever felt, a ze of white light shed and something circr cut through the air. The action wasn¡¯t fast because Davey swung the heavy de without bringing out [Aura] or [Aura de], but that alone was already fast enough for regr people to miss it. Everyone suddenly fell silent. After staring at the circr object that fell on the ground, Davey nced over at the other guards and dered, ¡°The crime of forcibly collecting a harsh fee on the subjects of the kingdom is directly rted to the embezzlement of kingdom funds, and the punishment is an immediate beheading. This responsibility falls on those who condoned the situation and on everyone who knew about it.¡± The guards¡¯ trial would be under the jurisdiction of Duke Bariatta, to be exact, but l¨¨se-majest¨¦ was already unfairly established. Even if it wasn¡¯t, Davey wasn¡¯t one to care. Rather, all he wanted to do was see the face of the nobility under Duke Bariatta who was managing the territory on behalf of him. ¡°Thesemoners are already having a hard time, and you guys, who receive a stipend as the employees of this kingdom, do this kind of shit?¡± As Davey spoke, the atmosphere of the pce gate at Valhshad Territory grew cold. Davey then demanded fiercely, ¡°Get me the administrator of the territory, you worthless assholes.¡± Chapter 52 22. Retrieval of the Sword. (2) All things certainly had cause and effect, and everything happened when the rights and wrongs were established. However, if a crime was caught at the scene, that was undeniably grounds for immediate execution. Of course, that was limited to the person who had the right to act this way; since most of these guards were Duke Bariatta¡¯s personal guards, only he had the right to punish them. However, that wasn¡¯t to say that Davey was at a rank where he couldn¡¯t sh them. ¡°Hup¡­¡± Everyone fell into a deadly silence. Thump¡­ As something round and ck went up in the air before falling onto the ground, everyone¡¯s gaze was slowly drawn to the object. They soon realized it wasn¡¯t a round object at all. ¡°Huh¡­ Huh? Ackkkk!!!!¡± As the guard realized what the ¡®round object¡¯ was, he copsed onto the ground and screamed. At the same time, hot red blood began spewing everywhere like a fountain. ¡°You¡­ You lunatic!¡± ¡°Surround him!¡± The guardsmanded. ¡°It was expected, but¡­¡± Davey murmured quietly and shook off the blood from his sword. In this world, it sometimes seemed like a human life was less important than a fly¡¯s. At least on Earth, or in South Korea, murder was considered a very heinous crime to the public. However, someone could die from just ruffling the feathers of a nobility, and war was rampant in the continent not too long ago. War had only been eradicated in thest fifty years to some extent as the Continental Union emerged. And it was obvious how long that wouldst. ¡°How dare you?!¡± As the guards aimed their weapons and charged at Davey, the situation began to worsen. Davey wondered if the guards knew that they were trying to attack the First Prince of this kingdom and that their actions amounted to treason, a grave offense that could destroy their three future generations. Of course, this happened because he didn¡¯t provide proper identification, but their crime had already been proved from the moment they tried to kill the person rebelling against them to hide their disgrace. ¡®Duke Bariatta won¡¯t even care about this little territory.¡¯ The Valhshad Territory was just one of Duke Bariatta¡¯s territory. He wasn¡¯t someone to care about this, since he had now be involved in a political fight with Marquis Peiltris. As Davey dodged the swift deing at him, the guards persistently charged at him and swung their weapons. The other people ran away. They were shocked at the sudden sword fight and disruption, leaving only Davey and the hostile guards in the vicinity. ¡°The first virtue that a kingdom¡¯s nobles must learn is the protection of their kingdom¡¯s subjects.¡± Davey calmly spoke as he deflected the sharp deing at him. ¡°What nonsense!¡± ¡°Die!!¡± One of the guards cut Davey off and charged toward him, swinging a halberd. However, his halberd went up in the air before it could even reach Davey. Slice! The guard¡¯s hand, which gripped the halberd, was easily cut off. After swinging his weapon, he suddenly realized that something was missing and he flinched. When he finally noticed that his hand was missing, he went pale and screamed. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaackkk!!!¡± The guard¡¯s hand gruesomely rolled across the ground. Davey trampled the panicking guard who lost his hand, then pointed his sword at the guard¡¯s neck while releasing his killing aura. ¡°Next, it¡¯ll be your neck. Don¡¯t make me say it twice; get me the administrator of the estate.¡± Everyone silently shuddered in terror. The guards probably felt like they had to immediately attack Davey to take him down, but they feared the possibility of losing a limb like the guard who had been trampled to the ground. A few of the guards stared at Davey in confusion since the blow he justnded wasn¡¯t that of a ss F newbie mercenary. Davey had ignored the attacks of a trained and armored knight, precisely cutting off their hands and feet at the speed of light; however, he was only a ss F mercenary, the symbol of a newbie. Realizing that something wasn¡¯t right, the guards stiffened up. ¡°Hey.¡± Davey spoke to thest guard while pointing his sword at him. ¡°Shriek!!¡± The guard instinctively stepped back, horrified. ¡°Are you going to make me say it twice?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°Who is the one causing a ruckus here?!¡± This was exactly a ¡®speak of the devil¡¯ situation. The guards all turned to the fat man, who was proudly stroking his strangely twirled mustache, and bowed their heads. Well, except for the ones who were screaming on the floor. The rest of the guards shouted, ¡°Viscount Guerta!¡± ¡°What is all this noise?¡± Viscount Guerta looked around with an arrogant expression, as if he didn¡¯t care about Davey¡¯s existence. As he looked at the guards on the floor and Davey holding a bloody sword, he squinted and silently looked Davey up and down. Viscount Guerta asked, ¡°Is this your doing?¡± Davey calmly nodded. ¡°Right¡­ It is you¡­¡± Viscount Guerta murmured as if in thought, then turned his head like this was trivial. He ordered the guards, ¡°What are you all doing? Your opponent is a lunatic. Kill him.¡± ¡°Sir, how¡­ However! He¡¯s danger¡­!¡± ¡°Ahem! You dare to not listen to me?¡± The guards looked helpless at Viscount Guerta¡¯s words and pointed their weapons at Davey again. It seemed like things were going to getplicated if Davey let things go on. ¡®It alles down to social status.¡¯ Davey pulled out an object from his chest and lightly threw it at the viscount. ¡°Hm? What is¡­¡± Viscount Guerta naturally became speechless. He seemingly couldn¡¯t believe his eyes for a second, then his face expressed his shock. He was looking at a mithril ID card that represented high-ranking nobility or royalty status. Even if Davey was an overlooked prince, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was still a prince of this kingdom. ¡°As I said before, the nobility¡¯s responsibility is to protect the kingdom¡¯s subjects.¡± Viscount Guerta nced at Davey in disbelief. ¡®Well, it¡¯s definitely a territory pretty far out in the countryside for royalty toe visit.¡¯ ¡°Th¡ªThis is¡­¡± ¡°How could such a noble try tomit a crime and enjoy the privileges without taking responsibility?¡± As Davey stared at Viscount Guerta, who was deep in thought, he could almost read the viscount¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Think wisely. Don¡¯t try to do something because my escorting knight isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Viscount Guerta opened his eyes wide and trembled, as if Davey had hit the nail on the head. Most high-ranking nobility or inspection officers didn¡¯te here often. This was the territory of Duke Bariatta; they were able to shamelesslymit these acts because it was his. Viscount Guerta evaded Davey¡¯s nce as if in contemtion, then kneeled in front of Davey and shouted, ¡°I am in the presence of Prince Davey! M¡ªMy name is Viscount Guerta!¡± ¡°Well, at least you recognize me.¡± Viscount Guerta bowed his head and trembled as he heard Davey. ¡°Pl¡­ Please have mercy¡­ Because the territory was in such bad shape¡­¡± Viscount Guerta made excuses that obviously wouldn¡¯t work, because everyone knew that the historic site of the thousand-day cksmith was a tourist attraction and a designated national treasure by the Continental Union. For this reason, the Continental Union was sending a considerable amount of money to this territory as administrative fees. ¡°And you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t have money?¡± Viscount Guerta trembled. He probably thought that it was nonsense, too. He began thinking hard, then even shouted at Davey, ¡°Th¡­ This is unjust! A disguise! In no kingdom can royaltye to a territory like this and punish someone!¡± ¡°What kind of bullshit is that? There¡¯s no ce in the kingdom that royalty can¡¯t go to.¡± Davey dragged his sword on the ground. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have the proper documents, this is tyranny!!¡± ¡°So. You want official documents?¡± Trusting that Duke Bariatta was watching his back, Viscount Guerta recklessly pushed back against Davey. ¡°Th¡­ That¡¯s right. Duke Bariatta will not just take this lying down!¡± Well, this was definitely something an inspections officer would overlook in fear of the consequences, since most of the territories were probably openly viting thew. In fact, as Davey was staying quiet, Viscount Guerta smiled victoriously, thinking that the prince had faltered at Duke Bariatta¡¯s name. He dered, ¡°We¡­ We can take care of this. I will not disappoint you¡­¡± ¡°Viscount, however¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Does a crime disappear because there are no official documents?¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± Slice! Those were Viscount Guerta¡¯sst words. -Those are some briefst words. Even Perserque, who believed that life should be treasured, seemed like she had nothing more to say. ¡®You think the Duke Bariatta, the one who holds the most power in the kingdom, is going to watch your back? He¡¯s too busy taking care of himself.¡¯ The decapitated body went limp and copsed onto the ground. ¡°It¡¯s absolute bullshit.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but swear. As he did, he heard gasps from his surroundings. He clicked his tongue. ¡°What are you doing? This is a criminal¡¯s corpse. Clean it up.¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Davey could disy Viscount Guerta¡¯s head on a gibbet. The exploited residents of this territory would probably enjoy that, but unfortunately, this was a tourist destination. He didn¡¯t want to show his kingdom¡¯s disgrace to other countries. The guards silently and expressionlessly stared at Davey¡¯s back. * * * -Viscount Guerta¡¯s crimes are clear, but the people under him aren¡¯t totally innocent, either. ¡°Any more than this, and I¡¯m overstepping.¡± Too much interference could actually create a difficult situation, so Davey simply added, ¡°Duke Bariatta will take care of the rest of these nasty guys on his own.¡± Duke Bariatta was probably in no position to leave even a hint of something that could cause trouble. Therefore, once he realized that Davey had done something like this here, he would hunt down everyone involved and cut off their heads to cover up the evidence. The guards, who were vacantly staring at Davey, would eventually be linked together like sausages and be harshly punished, since they were in cahoots with Viscount Guerta. Davey had no reason to have more blood on his hands. The inside of the territory peacefully carried on without any knowledge of what had happened outside. Chapter 53 -I see that this is the ancient ruin of Surtr¡­ But hasn¡¯t everything already been discovered? ¡°It looks like everything was dug up, but¡­¡± Surtr had said that he had left something that Davey would surely recognize. It was probably because the detector and key to the secret dungeon was part of Surtr¡¯s teachings. The problem was that Davey could not see any traces of Surtr, no matter how hard he looked. -Hm¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should say this, but¡­ Perserque was asking whether someone had already found it. However, Davey continued silently looking around the ancient ruins. Then, he climbed up to a ce where he could look down on the entire ruin and squinted at the sight before him. -It¡¯s nice and quiet considering that it¡¯s a tourist attraction. It was quite a famous attraction, but there weren¡¯t many people here, since the tourism business wasn¡¯t very developed in this world. Davey could not feel anything, not even traces of Surtr¡¯s power. As the ruin became a difficult puzzle to solve, Davey couldn¡¯t help but frown. -The ancient ruin of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯ is mostly made out of stone and a special metal, and that¡¯s the reason why it is still maintaining its shape. Perserque presented Davey with the little knowledge she had, but he didn¡¯t respond. Instead, Davey mumbled something, as if he was writing something in the air. If Surtr, who had never been sure of anything, had absolute confidence that Davey would be able to find it, then Davey could only think that the task was crazy difficult. And if Surtr had been who Davey thought he was, Surtr would have hidden it using this one method. ¡°Number 7 at number 1¡­ 11 at 23¡­¡± -What are you saying? ¡°A passcode,¡± Davey mumbled and chuckled. ¡°Got it.¡± Confused by Davey¡¯s confidence, Perserque tilted her head. If it was hidden in such a manner, surely no one would find anything here but Davey. Davey came down and entered the ruins without hesitation. He climbed up to a ce where he could see the entire workshop and put his hands on the anvil attached to the ground. The ancient ruins appeared to be Surtr¡¯s home and his shop. However, it was much bigger than ordinary workshops and it still contained traces of Surtr himself. It was now just a pile of rocks with no pirs or a ceiling, but his dungeon was still intact. ¡®How am I so sure? If this is the only way to enter, it¡¯s impossible for anyone else to find this ce.¡¯ Davey looked around him, then he took his hand off the anvil and released his mana. He concentrated his mana on the tip of his finger before tapping the surface of the anvil, as if he was tapping a morse code. -How could you tell? ¡°The entire ruin is made of passcodes. You can see that it¡¯s made from a few codes if you look at it from up above.¡± Perserque gasped in shock when she understood what Davey said. The code of the ancient ruin was pointing to one thing: the entrance that was with the anvil in the center, and that a certain passcode was needed to enter. ¡®You said you would give me all of it if I were able to find it, and you hid the door with this kind of passcode?¡¯ Davey¡¯s seemingly meaningless actions carried on for a while. As Perserque silently watched him, her eyes widened slightly at the change. [Grrr¡­] As Davey heard a low-pitched growling of a beast, Perserque and himself disappeared with a sh of light. As if no one was ever there, the ancient ruins fell silent. * * * It was a space deep underground. It would be wrong to assume that this space was right beneath the surface of the ruin. -It¡¯s an underground dungeon. My, what a nasty way to enter. ¡°That¡¯s why he said that I could take all of it if I could get in. I heard that those were hisst words, but they seem to have been long forgotten.¡± At that time, many people had probably racked their brains trying to take what Surtr had left behind. However, this ce wouldn¡¯t have been left like this if they had been sessful. ¡®I wonder how deep this underground space is.¡¯ -Surtr did put a lot of effort into this ce; he created a magic circle that blocked the underground pressure and made it possible for air to be supplied here. The mages at the time must¡¯ve had a lot of trouble with this. ¡°How far down do you think we are?¡± -Well, there¡¯s no way to tell. From what I remember of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if we are about one hundred or two hundred meters deep right now. This was why this particr space hadn¡¯t been discovered for thousands of years; anyone could fulfill the conditions to find the entrance, but not everyone could enter. To enter, one needed the code that Surtr had created. In the past, there were probably a few people who had known about it, but now, Davey was the only person who had knowledge of it. Since no one would have known it near Surtr¡¯s death, this dungeon might have never been discovered if Davey hadn¡¯t met him. -It¡¯s more¡­like a living space rather than a dungeon¡­ Just as Perserque said, the structure of the underground dungeon looked like someone had lived here while hiding from the outside world. The space was quiterge for one person, but as spacious as it was, it was filled with everyday things. And the only things that still had their shape were the ones that had a weak scent of mana on them. There was a dull anvil, a burnt-out furnace, some tools Surtr had used, as well as research journals and handwritten notes. Surtr had been a madman who had dedicated his entire life to being a cksmith although he didn¡¯t act like that at the Hall of Heroes. ¡®Since even he admitted it, what more is there to say?¡¯ After finishing Caldeiras, the divine sword, Surtr hade to this ce following Ares¡¯ death. He had spent the remainder of his life on one project before passing on. Although he had died on ground level, everything up to his death was still here. Davey slowly walked into a room, spotting a pile of books that seemed to have been written by Surtr himself. It contained his techniques, ones that no other cksmith on the continent could mimic. Surtr was called the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯ by humans, but he was called the ¡®Devil''s cksmith¡¯ among the dwarves, which was the n of talented craftsmen. It was a little cringe-worthy, but to them, it might have been a perfect name for him. He had great talent in forging regr swords, but had the exceptional technique of making something by incorporating mana. Ordinary craftsmen took pride in creating something by purely hammering metal, but there was a limit to doing that. Surtr had touched on mana to break that limit, eventually crafting effective weapons. Ultimately, what he had made was Caldeiras, the divine sword, which every craftsman on the continent wished to see at least once in their lifetime. Surtr had been the great cksmith who had conquered both the conventional and deviant path, and that was why he was called the ¡®Devil''s cksmith¡¯. But despite him beingpared to the devil, apparently, there were many who would dly sell their souls to craft something with him just once. After all, he was the first human being to have made a great piece of armory called the divine sword; though it wasn¡¯t made by God, it was a legendary sword made by a human. There was no way to describe a sword that possessed an ego and ss 9 holy power other than divine. Humans called Surtr the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯ because he had crafted Caldeiras by hammering for a thousand days, but to the dwarves, he was the deviant cksmith who had been able to incorporate the power of mana into it. And even so, they couldn¡¯t help but respect him. This was who Surtr had been. -There are traces of Surtr everywhere¡­ Perserque let out a small moan, as if she had remembered a painful memory. ¡®Is it yearning, or perhaps sadness?¡¯ Leaving Perserque behind, Davey quietly pulled out a book from the bookshelf and opened it. As he did, the faint scent of mana dispersed, and he saw the old pages. There was an ancientnguage, which was no longer used, written on the pages, but it was familiar to him. He quietly turned the pages and thought how important this book, which contained a record of Surtr¡¯s life from the first time he had held a hammer, was. [Preserve] Davey cast another preservation magic spell as the old one scattered from the book. He ced the book back and walked away. -You¡¯re not taking all of it? ¡°It¡¯s right to leave the remnants of Surtr here. I cane back when I need it.¡± ¡®While I¡¯m here, it might be nice to set up a transportation magic circle.¡¯ Keeping his silence, Davey looked around the workshop and fiddled with some of Surtr¡¯s tools. Then, he took the dull hammer that Surtr had used and went into arge chamber. -This¡­is like an altar. There were many types of rooms in the chamber: an office full of bookshelves, a bedroom, a kitchen made for dining, a food storage, and thest being an enormous altar-like room. ¡°Ugh, this cultist¡­¡± Perhaps it was an altar to worship the nonexistent God of cksmiths. As Davey walked in without a word, he could see arge safe on the altar boasting its dignity. It actually seemed like the safe was being worshiped rather than a god. Boom!! At the same time, Davey heard an evil, low-pitched growling. It was as if it had heard his footsteps. [Grrr¡­] -Someone¡¯s here. It seemed that Davey wasn¡¯t the only one who heard the beast. Intrigued, Perserque excitedly looked around, but Davey kept his focus on the safe. The sound was simr to what he had heard beforeing in here. ¡®Was it just a sound or an echo of evil desires?¡¯ Whatever it was, the sound wasing from the safe. -It¡¯s the first time an evil desire hase to life this strongly. It had no life, but it growled as if a living thing was manifesting its will. Its desire was simple: caution. It seemed like the safe itself was alive, but even an idiot would see that the sound wasing from inside the safe. It was obvious that the object in the safe was thest work of Surtr. There should be a set of twin swords that Surtr did not finish, and that was what Davey was here for. The low growl warned Davey not toe any closer, but he unlocked the safe without hesitation. It could threaten him to try and keep him away, but it couldn¡¯t physically stop him. Atst, the safe door opened on its own and he could see what exactly was within it. Caldeiras, the divine sword, was the best sword Surtr, the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯, had crafted in his lifetime. However, would that have changed if he had finished these two swords? Would it have been only one of the great swords, or maybe the second-best? Whatever it was, it was inevitable that there would be at least a slight difference in the quality between a sword made with responsibility and a sword made out of passion. Chapter 54 Whenever Surtr had gotten drunk, he had always said that he regretted not being able to finish the two swords. That had been hisst work. -It looks finished to me¡­ ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Davey calmly reached into the safe and squinted at the two swords, which were ced on top of an antique cloth which lined the bottom of the inside of the safe. These guys were probably the ones that warned him to note any closer a little while ago. In fact, an evil desire of strong rejection flowed out when he touched the sword¡¯s surface, but perhaps because of the long period of time that had passed or because it wasn¡¯t finished, it couldn¡¯t push him away and just became silent. ¡°The finishing touches aren¡¯t done.¡± It was exactly as Davey had said. Surtr had imbued will in each of the two swords. ¡®A cksmith who could make a soul enter a sword by creating a sword with a will. If craftsmen who had pride in their skills heard this, it would have put them all to shame.¡¯ Weirdly, the design of the twin swords looked simr to the ring pommel sword that Davey used to use. It was an enormous sword with a rtively unknown design in the Tionis continent, where long swords weren¡¯t very popr. These two swords didn¡¯t even have a properly constructed grip and looked like an iplete de made of iron, but Davey felt like he could see the power and Surtr¡¯s desires contained within the sword. [The Unnamed Red Sword that Cuts the Living] [The Unnamed Blue Sword that Cuts the Dead] That¡¯s what Surtr had called the two twin swords. They did not have a name, since he had been the type to only name a piece after he was finished with it. As a result, he hadn¡¯t been able to name them, and the swords probably spent thousands of years trapped inside this safe being nameless. Caldeiras was the best sword Surtr had made in his entire life, but he had confessed that he had crafted it for Ares while keeping his swordsmanship and physique in mind. However, these two swords were different; they were the only pieces of Surtr that were created solely for his own enjoyment. These were the only pieces of the genius craftsman, who had been able to make a weapon with ¡®Ego¡¯ by using his soul, that had been made for no one else but himself. They weren¡¯t crafted for one specific person, but were made so that they could find their master¡­ Perhaps it was a coincidence, but it was surprising that the two swords were a perfect fit for Davey. It was one of Surtr¡¯s best works; it had been crafted however he had wanted without anyone¡¯s influence. He had crafted numerous pieces of armor in the Hall of Heroes as well, but he had often remarked that he had never crafted a sword as outstanding as Caldeiras or these twin swords. Although the in efficacy of these swords wasn¡¯t as exceptional as Caldeiras due to the difference in material¡­ ¡®That alone shows that these are about the same level as a divine sword.¡¯ These were definitely a different type of sword than Caldeiras. Just like when numerous countries had attacked the Pan Empire to obtain Caldeiras, the divine sword which gave one power just by possessing it, people would probably go nuts at these swords, too. It might even be more than that because it was two swords. The swords were eighty centimeters long and six centimeters wide. They seemed morepatible for a flowy and delicate swordsmanship rather than a destructive one. Without a word, Davey took the cloth-wrapped swords out from the safe and held them. The evil desires, which were watchful of him until a little while ago, slowly became quiet and fully disappeared as they felt his delicate touch. However, their sharpness remained. ¡®I guess they are still weapons.¡¯ With this sword, one wrong move could cut Davey or even sever his finger without him noticing. It wasn¡¯t a sharpness that just came from sharpening the de, but the sword itself had an inherent acuity to it. It was enough for the sword to be used as a weapon right now, but from the eyes of a craftsman, these two swords were still clearly iplete. ¡°We have to find fire,¡± Davey murmured in a quiet voice as he stared at the de, which he had picked up with the cloth. -Fire? ¡°Yeah. Not a regr furnace, but a dwarves¡¯ furnace that can heat up to a much higher temperature.¡± -To put a de that has already been sharpened into fire¡­ ¡°I told you. It¡¯s unfinished.¡± Davey brushed the side of the de as if he was holding a precious treasure. He could feel the de¡¯s rather dull surface. Surtr hadn¡¯t been able to finish this because he had passed while waiting for the right time. When he had worked, hisst step had probably been to incorporate mana into the surface of the sword: a mana that would be more concentrated as time passed. There was no way of telling what kind of mana that was just by hearing the name, but as it had been thousands of years after Surtr¡¯s death, it was safe to say that the sword absorbed the highest concentration of mana. ¡®It should have been plenty of time, right?¡¯ As a sword got better with time, these might be far greater than Surtr would have imagined. This was thest unfinished work of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯. Although it was something that normal craftsmen wouldn¡¯t dare to fix because of the pressure, all Davey wanted to do was hammer it. ¡®Failure? How could I fail afterying my eyes on something like this?¡¯ Surtr had been confident that Davey would not mess up, and at this point, Davey slowly began to understand why Surtr had thought that way. 23. Take This! ¡°What a catch!¡± It was more of a retrieval than an idental gain, since Surtr had actually given Davey ownership of the two swords. Since these were undiscovered swords, no one could say anything to him for having them. Davey quickly got out of Surtr¡¯s underground workshop and went back to the territory, which was in a state of disorder. He borrowed a horse and went straight to the path leading to the royal pce. Although he had killed Viscount Guerta, the man¡¯s crimes were clear, and no one really had the right to condemn Davey for it. At times like this, he felt that the system of rank and status was unjustly convenient. This was probably why the nobility enjoyed it so much. Bleep! The description of the sword, which Surtr had called [The Unnamed Red Sword that Cuts the Living], came up. -Name: Currently none. -Status: Unfinished. -Completion Level: 90% -Details: The first sword of the final work created by the great cksmith, who had used mana in refining his crafts, by pouring out all his strength before passing; power has not yet manifested due to its ipletion; ego exists, but is still asleep. Because of thatst 10%, the sword had been sealed for thousands of years without a name. It also wasn¡¯t surprising that it had an ego, since the low, watchful growl of a beast was heard even before entering the underground workshop and opening the safe. That was probably part of the subconscious of the ego within the sword. ¡°The other one is the same as well¡­¡± Davey had taken two swords from the underground workshop. As they were called twin swords, they had the same design but different colors. Also¡­ Their current situation andpletion level were the same. [The Unnamed Red Sword that Cuts the Living] was first, and [The Unnamed Blue Sword that Cuts the Dead] was second; after all, one of them had to be made first even if they were twins. And as it had been Surtr¡¯s own weapon and had been made with more effort than Caldeiras, there was affection and passion in the way he had crafted the sword. ¡°You have arrived. I hope you enjoy your time at the capital.¡± Davey arrived at therge city near the capital and entered the mana gate, which quickly brought him to the capital of the kingdom. As Davey was still disguised as amoner, the low-rank mage managing the mana gate did not recognize him. This was normal, since the media hadn¡¯t developed that well here. He should have arrived a littleter with a carriage and his party, but he had no reason to stay at the royal pce for a long time now that his territory was up and running. ¡°Why do you think the royal pce summoned me?¡± -Well, publicly, you aplished a great achievement. It¡¯s probably to reward you for your outstanding service. ¡°Though, it¡¯s money that I earned.¡± -Ie tax isn¡¯t for nothing. You have a bad habit of asking questions when you already know the answer. It was an outstanding service. Most countries, including the Rowane Kingdom, asked for a portion of an individual or group¡¯s ie as an ie tax. Currently, the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s ie tax ranged from 5% to 30%; it seemed like a high percentage, but it wasn¡¯t any different from Earth. Of course, most of the ruling nobility easily evaded this ie tax and lived luxuriously. However, seeing those who chose to do that getting their heads cut off because of it, it didn¡¯t really seem like a wise choice. -That¡¯s probably what the normal expectation is. ¡°And the real reason?¡± -Isn¡¯t it obvious? The moon grass you are growing is the golden egg; did you not earn far more than the kingdom¡¯s annual budget in just one quarter? Since the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s annual budget was 100 thousand to 150 thousand gold, Davey had earned a lot. -If they were to nationalize your business and make you act as they want, the Rowane Kingdom would be far richer. ¡®Well, to be exact, the nobility would be the ones getting richer.¡¯ The Heins Territory had be the only territory in the entire eastern continent that could ship out moon grass. To be honest, Davey was a little surprised that he had received the continent¡¯s attention. It also meant that what he had done was a big deal. The harvesting of moon grass was something deemed impossible, even if one tried their best, after all. After checking a few things while roaming the capital¡¯s streets, Davey quickly headed into the royal pce. He was greeted with an unusual disorder in the pce. As many of the servants were killed after being swept up in the fight between the political enemies, it seemed like the entire group of servants waspletely switched up. Perhaps because of that, most of the servants who looked down on him weren¡¯t here anymore. Of course, even if they were, they couldn¡¯t mistreat him since he wasn¡¯t regarded the same as before. ¡°Wee, Your Highness.¡± It was none other than Royal Attendant Bespard who greeted Davey. He was the older brother of Royal Attendant Bernile, the attendant that had followed Davey to the Heins Territory, and also the right hand of the king who the nobility couldn¡¯t mess with. As such, Bespard was a person Davey could trust. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Royal Attendant Bespard.¡± ¡°You look much stronger now, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still stick-like on the outside.¡± ¡°It seems you are joking more thanst year.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile sometimes showed a smile, but his expression never changed. He seemed almost like the Terminator. Because of that, a younger Davey had used to joke around, calling him the Terminator and asking him where John Connor was. ¡°I see that you have made a very sessful business in your territory.¡± It wasn¡¯t something that a royal attendant should ask, but Bespard was capable of asking even more. ¡°Well¡­ It seems that the heavens were pleased. I was just given a nice gift, that¡¯s all.¡± As Davey grinned while shrugging it off as a joke, Bespard quietly closed his eyes like he was satisfied with that. Chapter 55 ¡°Anyway, the royal pce¡¯s atmosphere is quite troubling¡­¡± Daveymented to Royal Attendant Bespard while pretending to know nothing, when he was actually the one who had caused this chaos. ¡°Yes, apparently a secret ledger was revealed. His Majesty the King was furious, so all the servants and nobility who were involved have been stripped of their title and were all sentenced to death by a beheading.¡± ¡°And where¡¯s His Majesty the King?¡± ¡°He has just gone to his bedroom after finishing a heavy load of work.¡± As if he was venting everything he had endured, King Krianes was merciless. Even if Marquis Peiltris, along with the small number of royalists, had received arge amount of intel, it would have been impossible to get rid of the nobility this quickly without King Krianes¡¯ involvement. ¡®That¡¯s why I can¡¯t discern him.¡¯ -Davey¡­ Perserque called Davey as if she had more to say, but she just sighed in the end. -You are very stubborn. The nobility was also falling apart after passing around the buck. ¡°I will escort you to the First Prince¡¯s pce,¡± Royal Attendant Bespard said. ¡°Thanks.¡± It would be right for Davey to see King Krianes as soon as he arrived, but he should wait for another day since the king had already gone to bed. When Davey was silently following Bespard, he heard a haughty voice. ¡°Well, look who it is.¡± ¡°Carlus,¡± Davey said. He turned and nced at the dark hallway, where he saw a normal yet familiar-looking face of a boy staring at him arrogantly. ¡°It¡¯s you, Big brother Davey.¡± When Davey saw the boy walk toward him with a chuckle, he nodded to Royal Attendant Bespard. ¡°Then, I will take my leave.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± After letting Bespard leave, Davey nced at the boy. He asked, ¡°Yes, have you been well?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been doing well.¡± Carlus put on a cheesy smile and walked haughtily toward Davey. Then, he nced around and mumbled irritably with a frown, ¡°You lowly thing, being all proud because you had sess in your business.¡± ¡°Yes, well. You¡¯re so envious that you came all this way to see me, even though we don¡¯t like each other?¡± Davey grinned. Carlus returned a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a business that even someone as ignoble as you has seeded in, so anyone can probably do it too. Don¡¯t be arrogant; you were just lucky. Your inferior blood isn¡¯t going anywhere.¡± ¡°You ass. You really say anything to your older brother, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ha! Older brother? Who?¡± Carlus scoffed. He didn¡¯t seem to realize how big of a deal Davey¡¯s aplishment was. ¡°Tsk. That¡¯s why you¡¯re an idiot who will never be able to be independent from Queen Lynesse.¡± ¡°What?¡± Carlus¡¯ expression immediately turned dark. He looked like he would punch Davey if he said anything more. ¡°You¡¯re out of your min¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who is out of your mind.¡± Davey lightly flicked off Carlus¡¯ hand that was grabbing his cor. At that moment, Carlus¡¯ frown deepened. ¡°Wh¡­ What?¡± ¡°It seems like you think you¡¯re all that because everyone pampers you. You know, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a dumber dumbass than you.¡± ¡°Du¡­ Dumbass¡­¡± ¡°You only know how to piggy-back on someone else. If you¡¯re stupid, you should at least be conscious of what¡¯s going on around you.¡± ¡°You dare insult me?!¡± As if he didn¡¯t care that Davey was his older brother, Carlus hit the roof and threw his fist toward Davey. ¡®Yeah, he wouldn¡¯t have shot an arrow at me at the huntingpetition if he wasn¡¯t this big of a dumbass. Ah, now that I think about it, it¡¯s pissing me off.¡¯ Pak! ¡°Woah?!¡± Thud! In just mere moments, Davey grabbed Carlus¡¯ fist and mmed him on the ground. Upon hitting the floor, Carlus looked both confused and in pain. ¡°Do you know what you say so habitually is actually an insult to His Majesty?¡± Even though Davey''s mother was from a baron family on the outskirts of the kingdom, his father was the king of this kingdom. If Davey were of ignoble blood as Carlus had said, then he would also be insulting King Krianes. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Davey asked. Carlus tried to move, but he soon began choking and twisting his body. He got red and began to wheeze when Davey pressed on his veins. ¡°It hurts because you¡¯re young.¡±[1] -What is that fascinating nonsense? If you¡¯re in pain, you should go to the doctor or the priest. ¡®There was such a saying in my past life.¡¯ -What an astounding way of thinking. Thinking that it was pathetic, Perserque clicked her tongue. Carlus, who also seemed to think that it was ridiculous, stared up at Davey with a frown of hostility and humiliation. He seemed to not understand the pain he was feeling. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Davey nced at Carlus, who was staring up at him while moaning in pain, and wondered what he could do to fuck him over really nicely. Then, after contemting shortly, he just let Carlus go. ¡°Keugh¡­ What did you¡­¡± Carlus groaned. He looked like he wanted to charge at Davey right now, but he stepped back; perhaps it was because he had suffered an injury. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see! The work you are so confident of right now will be taken away from you!¡± As Carlus shouted and ran away, Perserque stared at Davey. -You. You have quite an intense anger toward him. Why did you let him go? ¡°I didn¡¯t just let him go.¡± In his past life, before hisa, Davey had trusted that lost cause because they were family or whatnot, but he finally had enough of that. As he chuckled, Perserque closed her mouth. He then added, ¡°I messed with him a little.¡± Seeing Davey grin widely, Perserque frowned. -You¡­ I don¡¯t really want to say this, but you shouldn¡¯t smile like that often. ¡°Why?¡± -It¡¯s scary, to be honest¡­ Perserque murmured with an indiscernible gaze. ¡®Is it that bad? I guess this is also a bad habit,¡¯ Davey thought, but soon shook the thought off. Then, he let go of whatever he held onto and walked away. ¡°Hair loss, which can¡¯t even be solved with magic, is a universal sin. Among them, the worst is?¡± -P¡ªPatchy hair loss! You didn¡¯t¡­ ¡°And I gave him another gift. We should be able to see it in the conference room tomorrow.¡± Hup! Realizing what Davey had done to the escaping Carlus, the life drained out of Perserque¡¯s face and she began hupping. ¡®I can¡¯t kill you that easily.¡¯ Davey hated when people said that young kids could do no wrong. If theymitted a wrongdoing, knowing what would happen, they should be punished. This was especially so when they were old enough to know better. * * * ¡®What¡¯s yours won¡¯t be yours anymore.¡¯ That¡¯s what Carlus had said to Davey as he ran away. Since Carlus was¡ªat best¡ªa dumbass, most of what he had said could be disregarded, but¡­ ¡°Even if he is an idiot, he¡¯s not dumb enough to think that a tantrum will make everything go his way¡­¡± -You never know. Maybe that boy named Carlus is now in worse shape than you thought. ¡°What if¡­¡± Davey¡¯s worst nightmares came true. ¡°It¡¯s amazing. Of course! This is a joyous event of the Rowane Kingdom!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It takes about four months for moon grass to be harvested. However, the quarterly profit is more than double the kingdom¡¯s annual expenditure.¡± ¡°With this money, the kingdom can grow and develop!¡± ¡°Defense spending could be increased right away. It could also be used to fund other territories so that they could expand their businesses!¡± The nobility shouted so passionately that they were practically spitting apart. Davey didn¡¯t understand why these people were getting ahead of themselves, when he, the owner of the business, wasn¡¯t saying a single word. ¡®Hm¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll dabble in the food industry after I repair the facilities in the territory.¡¯ Davey spoke in his mind to Perserque. -Food industry? ¡®People say the best business to run to get rich is to sell water and food.¡¯ -Do you have something in mind? ¡®Um¡­ I want to try Korean food, but I¡¯mpletely new to that cuisine.¡¯ It was a shame that there were no chefs among the heroes. This was the royal court. In the midst of the bullshitting members of the nobility, Davey was the only one lost in thought. m! ¡°What I¡¯m saying is! We should fund the moon grass business for the sake of our kingdom!¡± ¡°Haha, you are frustrating. Count Bellis! Do you think that the moon grass business will just expand if we spend money on it? From what I hear, there¡¯s only a certain part of thend in the Heins Territory that can grow it!¡± ¡°So! We should nationalize the business. Then, after studying it and expanding it, we can put it out there¡­¡± Davey¡¯s head was starting to hurt. King Krianes, who was sitting on the throne, put his hand on his forehead, as if his head was also hurting. ¡®What is this chaos?¡¯ Davey¡¯s head began throbbing at the nonsensical argument between the nobility and the royalists. Since Marquis Peiltris who continuously beheaded the members of the nobility was absent, those present were unable to resist the opportunity and revealed their greed. In the end, both sides showed a desire for power, whether they were royalists or nobility; however, there was a slight difference in the direction of their desires. ¡°Enough,¡± King Krianes said, finally fed up. ¡°First, we should reward Prince Davey, who has brought celebration unto the kingdom.¡± It was unclear as to what he was thinking, but he asked Davey as if he was examining him. ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Davey, who was thinking about his next business idea, stopped and turned his head. ¡°You did well. You aplished a great thing without any help,¡± King Krianes said. ¡°I am honored, Your Majesty,¡± Davey replied. ¡°The kingdom was able to escape a major crisis because of the ie tax you sent from your territory. Tell me; I will grant you any reward you want.¡± As King Krianes spoke, everyone¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to Davey. The king was acting like he would grant Davey anything that he asked for. Although, there was a high probability that Davey¡¯s request would get set aside with a bunch of excuses and then disappear as if it was never asked for. ¡°I just did my part, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Davey, your contribution is greater than any other in thest decade. Do not hesitate to ask.¡± King Krianes spoke to Davey like he was testing him, so Davey suddenly felt irritated. However, he didn¡¯t show it and just put on a na?ve expression. He said, ¡°Your Majesty, I currently do not have anything in mind for such a big reward. Would you grant me some time to think about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll grant it.¡± Once King Krianes stopped speaking, everyone else began talking. They mostly talked about how the sessful moon grass business in the Heins Territory must be expanded and supported, and also about how the business should be nationalized and managed by the kingdom. Of course, it was all bullshit that would nearly be impossible to bring to life. The situation even worsened when Duke Bariatta came along. Everyone went silent as he spoke up. It seemed like, although his power was faltering, he still had authority. ¡°There¡¯s something that we should check first¡­ The amount His Highness paid as ie tax from the sessful moon grass business¡¯ profits was about seventy thousand gold.¡± Duke Bariatta paused for a second, then continued after ncing around the room emotionlessly. 1. The name of a famous book in Korea. It means that growing up is painful, and that the pain one feels while growing up is the sign of youth. ? Chapter 56 ¡°It¡¯s more than half of the kingdom¡¯s annual expenditure. It is true that the ie tax Prince Davey has paid has rescued the Rowane Kingdom out of a financial crisis and brought hope for our recovery. You all seem to be getting ahead of yourselves. Shouldn¡¯t we discuss the root of this matter first?¡± Duke Bariatta maintained a tone that made it seem like he had no other intentions, and spoke as if he was trying to help Davey. ¡°Discuss the root of the matter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What you are debating about is how to make the moon grass business beneficial to the kingdom, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Yes. This is a revolutionary business. If we utilize it well¡­¡± ¡°However, why are you trying to give the business rights to the kingdom and make decisions about it without the opinion of Prince Davey, the biggest contributor?¡± Everyone went silent as Duke Bariatta spoke, and so he went on. ¡°Are your statuses greater than the royalty of this kingdom?¡± No one seemed to be thinking clearly because of the sudden sess of this business; in reality, there was really no reason to nationalize the moon grass business. ¡°Also, isn¡¯t Prince Davey already independent from the pce?¡± Duke Bariatta pointed out. ¡°B¡ªBut¡­¡± ¡°Marquis Farondis.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°If you were told to give all your wealth to the kingdom for its well being, would you do it?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­¡± Everyone remained silent. -Why do you think he is helping you? ¡®Does it look like he¡¯s helping me? To me, it looks like he¡¯s ying a trivial trick.¡¯ Perserque nodded. Unfortunately, Davey could already sort of see what Duke Bariatta was trying to do. ¡°Ahem!¡± The conference room was filled with silence and a few awkward coughs. Most of the people were trying to gain some profit from the business by not allowing it to be monopolized. Some were probably trying to find a way to use the money earned by the territory to fill their own pockets. ¡°As such, everything is up to Prince Davey. This is not something for you people to argue about.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Of¡­ Of course.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking straight.¡± The atmosphere started to settle down, and it seemed like the end of the conversation. However, there was no reason for Duke Bariatta to take Davey¡¯s side without any insidious intentions. ¡°Let the Heins Territory take care of their own business. That¡¯s what is beneficial to the kingdom, is that not right, Your Majesty? If this business were forced to be nationalized, that would be oppression. Then, no one would want to start a business in the future.¡± Duke Bariatta stared at Davey with indifference. Davey just silently nodded. Then, hemented with such sarcasm, ¡°There¡¯s an old saying: give them an inch and they¡¯ll take a mile.¡± The faces of the nobility and royalists turned red with embarrassment. ¡°So, Duke. That¡¯s not all you had to say, am I wrong?¡± Davey spoke to Duke Bariatta. ¡°Did it seem that way? But yes, there¡¯s something more important. I just felt that the situation needed some intervention.¡± If anyone else saw this, it would seem like Duke Bariatta was looking out for Davey despite being aloof. As Duke Bariatta spoke, he pulled out a small bunch of papers from his chest pocket. It was a properly wrapped parchment, which looked like amand paper from an emperor. ¡°It is correspondence from the High Priest of the Valchas Empire.¡± ¡°Correspondence?¡± King Krianes asked. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Duke Bariatta handed the letter to King Krianes. He continued, ¡°They are asking to examine the stigmata of Prince Davey, and if it is confirmed, they are proposing that he be moved to the empire so that he could be given the title of a saint.¡± Duke Bariatta had checked the correspondence from another country¡¯s High Senate, the people right under the Pope, who was themander of the entire empire, without the king¡¯s permission. -What a selfish man. And this kingdom is a mess. From just this act alone, Davey could tell how unbelievably powerful the duke was, and how weak the authority of royalty had be. Perhaps this was how powerful the Kim family had been near the end of Joseon.[1] ¡®No matter what world I¡¯m in, it¡¯s obvious what would happen when the country¡¯s situation bes difficult.¡¯ ¡°Prince Davey has been given a stigmata at an early age. However, no one is asking for the saint¡¯s title to be given to His Highness. This cannot happen,¡± Duke Bariatta said. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! Prince Davey is the First Prince of this kingdom! We cannot send him to the Holy Empire because of a stigmata!¡± A young count, who was silently frowning, quickly shouted. "Haha. Count Rhonda. It is the Valchas Empire. Do you not know of them?¡± ¡°Of course, I do! I know them too well! The Valchas Empire! Their national power is greater than any kingdom and is clearly that of an empire! The country that serves Freyja, the Goddess of Wine!¡± ¡°Ha¡­ How can you act like this when you know about them?!¡± ¡°But this is unfair treatment! It is not just anyone, but the First Prince! How is this different from paying tribute to the empire?!¡± ¡°Ahem! Watch your words! Someone might hear!¡± ¡°This is the Rowane Kingdom, not the Valchas Empire! Since when did the Rowane Kingdom be a vassal state of the empire?!¡± ¡°Haha! Have you ever seen a man so blind to the vision of the future?!¡± Even as Count Rhonda shouted, most of the nobility seemed to be hushing one another and staying quiet. ¡°Okay, you are going to send me off after checking the existence of my stigmata?¡± Davey, who was fed up with the situation, finally asked Duke Bariatta in a slow and calm voice. Duke Bariatta nodded. ¡°This will be helpful to you as well, Your Highness. And this is something that should be fulfilled as royalty¡­¡± ¡°Sure, you all know that I was given a stigmata, right?¡± ¡°Your Highness, look at the entire forest and not the individual trees. The Valchas Empire is the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s brother nation and a friendly ally.¡± ¡°So, you think the empire will better protect this kingdom if I go and receive the title of the saint?¡± Duke Bariatta paused for a second, then said, ¡°Royalty all bear that much responsibility. Remember, no goodes from ruffling the feathers of the Holy Empire.¡± Duke Bariatta seemingly spoke of an inevitable oue. Davey remained silent for a moment. Then, one of the nobles, who couldn¡¯t read the room, shouted with frustration, ¡°Then!! What happens to the territory?! I¡¯m talking about the Heins Territory that Prince Davey is the seigneur of! And what happens to the moon grass business?!¡± ¡°Unfortunately, ording to thew, the prince can no longer manage the territory after receiving the saint¡¯s title and bing part of the empire.¡± As if the nobles realized what Duke Bariatta was getting at, their eyes shone with greed. Before, the Heins Territory was a cursednd that no one had paid any attention to, but now, they could be swimming in a pool of gold upon possessing it. -They¡¯re trying to y a dirty trick. ¡®Wow, this is getting interesting.¡¯ Davey chuckled, feeling intrigued by how the situation was progressing. He stared at the nobles as they began to debate once again, like it had already been decided that he was going to go. ¡°Then we must quickly appoint a new seigneur!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If he receives the title of the saint, we have no choice but to find and appoint a capable person as seigneur.¡± ¡°Ahem! My son happens to have reached adulthood recently¡­¡± It seemed that everyone was trying to involve themselves, their family, or their associates. However, Duke Bariatta wasn¡¯t one to just watch from the sidelines since this was why he had been so adamant about the business remaining independent. ¡°About that matter, I dare speak a word.¡± Duke Bariatta spoke directly to King Krianes. ¡°Currently, the Heins Territory has be the most important territory in the kingdom. The seigneur of that kind of ce cannot be filled just by anyone.¡± ¡°Go on,¡± King Krianes said. ¡°Since Prince Davey will not be able to manage the territory after he goes to the Valchas Empire and receives the title of the saint, someone else must do it in his ce. God knows that the only person capable of that is the Second Prince Carlus.¡± Duke Bariatta was simply saying that they should make the Second Prince Carlus, Queen Lynesse¡¯s son, the seigneur. His suggestion was to leave the business independent, then hand it over to Carlus so that his family could take all the profit. He had just spun it differently, but he was also getting ahead of himself and bullshitting exactly like the others. As soon as Duke Bariatta stopped speaking, a boy who kept silent until now finally stood up. It was as if he had been waiting for this very moment. It was the Second Prince Carlus; he attracted even more attention because he was wearing a weird hat unlike before. He gave Davey a big smirk, then stood up. He bowed to King Krianes and confidently opened his mouth. As everyone was waiting for his speech¡­. ¡°Ribbit!¡± A strange frog-like croak came out of Carlus¡¯ mouth. Giggle! At the same time, Davey shook as he held in hisughter and Perserque, who couldn¡¯t hold it in, covered her mouth with her small hands. It was only right for a present to be opened at an important ce, right? 24. How to Get in Touch with Dwarves. ¡°Th¡­ This is¡­¡± As if even he was bewildered by the sounding from his mouth, Carlus frowned. However, unlike his intentions, his voice just kept proudly boasting its presence. ¡°Caw! Cock-a-doodle-doo!¡± When the nobles saw Carlus making all kinds of weird bird noises, their jaws dropped. This was even enough for theposed Duke Bariatta to lose his cool. He asked, ¡°Carlus. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­ Squeak!¡± Carlus stuttered. He looked so confused by how he couldn¡¯t control the sounds from his mouth, even though he was making them. ¡°Y¡ªYour Majesty! Growl¡­ Woof woof!¡± It just seemed like Carlus was goofing off. -Y¡­ You. This is a little¡­ Hup! Ahahahaha!!! Perserque, the former Demon Lord, couldn¡¯t hold it in and burst out inughter. ¡°Snicker!¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t just Perserque who couldn¡¯t hold in herughter. Everyone else was in the same situation. Some of the noblesughed at how ridiculous Carlus looked, then covered their mouths and tried to keep theirposure. Among them, Davey was barely holding it in too. ¡°How dare you try and joke around in the royal court! Get out!¡± As King Krianes shouted angrily, Carlus tried to express how this wasn¡¯t his doing. ¡°Your Majesty, please believe me! Quack quack!¡± ¡°Guard! Lock him up in a room! Leave him there to think about his wrongdoings, and don¡¯t let him out until I say so!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doo!¡± As the guard pulled him out of the room, Carlus, who was desperately shouting, began to il so hard that his hat was tipped off of his head. 1. The Andong Kim family was a family of nobility that had be extremely powerful near the end of Joseon, thest dynastic kingdom of Korea, and had been the ones who held the power in the country. ? Chapter 57 ¡°Giggle!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Oh my!¡± Carlus¡¯ hat flew off and the thing he had wanted to hide was revealed in front of everyone¡¯s eyes. -Oh my¡­ In just one day¡­ The top part of Carlus¡¯ head was shiny and glossy, as if he was wearing a bowl on his head. ¡®Skinhead! The Sun is shining! A nasty, patchy baldness!¡¯ The size of thebald patch was almost the size of Davey¡¯s hand. As if more hair had fallen out while Carlus had kept his hat on, his blond hair floated in the air like electrons flying around. -Ahahahahahaha!!!! Perserqueughed so hard that she shook. Davey ignored her and stared at Carlus with a smirk. Carlus met Davey¡¯s gaze and tried to shout furiously, but only unintelligible animal noises came out of his mouth. Thud!! He was rushed out of the conference room and the doors closed. Davey stood up from his seat. The nobles, who were dumbfounded by Carlus¡¯ strange actions, returned to their senses. They didn¡¯t know what to do, and King Krianes coughed in difort. ¡°He is still too immature to manage the Heins Territory,¡± Davey said calmly, then nced at Duke Bariatta. As the confused nobles all gathered toward him, he continued, ¡°Now, I will speak. Duke Bariatta.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Davey smiled at Duke Bariatta¡¯sposed response. ¡°Since when were you above the king?¡± ¡°Your Highness?¡± It was highly disrespectful, but Davey¡¯s question was piercing. Instead of Duke Bariatta answering, it was another noble who yelled, ¡°What?!¡± ¡°I will ask again, Duke. Is this kingdom yours?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Duke Bariatta spoke emotionlessly, but Davey could feel his hostility; in the end, he was a human being with emotions and intentions. ¡°Your Highness, my actions were all for the Rowane Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°Then why are you reiterating the same bullshit as those people?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness! How could you?!¡± ¡°What? I just said the same thing that you did, Duke. Also, why wasn¡¯t His Majesty informed about the correspondence regarding a highly important matter of the kingdom? Did you think it wasn¡¯t worth reporting? You really are the king, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Your Highness! That is not true!¡± Duke Bariatta shouted. ¡°It¡¯s not? I thought it was since you announced it so confidently.¡± Duke Bariatta was stunned at Davey¡¯s words. Looking him dead in the eyes, Davey said with a grin, ¡°From what I can tell, I don¡¯t think you understand the situation¡­. You give them an inch, and they want to take a mile.¡± ¡°Your Highness, this is the royal cou¡­¡± Duke Bariatta spoke. ¡°So, what did you resolve about this matter in this conference? To sell off royalty as per the Holy Empire¡¯s wishes? To take this opportunity and gain sole control over the territory and its business?¡± For just a second, Davey saw confusion appear in Duke Bariatta¡¯s eyes. Even if he was royalty, it was extremely dangerous for him to act like this, especially when the Bariatta family had overwhelming power in the kingdom. Davey remained calm, simply grinning before bowing toward King Krianes. ¡°The main idea is that everything will be solved if we can appease the Holy Empire.¡± ¡°So you have a way to settle their request?¡± At King Krianes¡¯ mysterious question, Davey chuckled. ¡°The Holy Empire¡¯s inhabitants are people, too. Perhaps the High Priest might be a problem, but that¡¯s about it.¡± * * * The meeting of the royal court fizzled out. Well, that was probably how the nobility felt, but it was quite a valuable time for Davey, who had a lot to benefit from it. As soon as he got back to the First Prince¡¯s pce, Davey pulled out amunication crystal that had a mana stone attached to it. Then, he contacted a ce by entering a number he had prepared in advance. The crystal emitted a faint light before a young priest showed up. This magicmunication device was made by connecting a mana stone to amunication crystal; it wasn¡¯t a difficult system to make, but it was something only the wealthy could enjoy because of how expensive the mana stone was. Appropriate skills were also needed to make things happen. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a problem for Davey, because he was sitting on a big pile of money right now. ¡®This is why you need to choose your business item well.¡¯ The territory¡¯s curse, which had been going on for over ten thousand years, had actually be the springboard for sess. [Hup! I have received your call, Prince Davey! I am Archdeacon Belliam, the Treasurer of the Valchas Empire.] ¡°I apologize for the sudden call, Archdeacon Belliam.¡± [Oh, please don¡¯t say that. This was already discussed, right?] ¡°Haha. So, may I ask what the Pope has decided to do?¡± Davey asked the young priest in the crystal ball, and the priest chattered and chuckled. [Yes, I did get a call from the empire, and the Pope is willing to ept your offer. He also said not to worry; this was High Priest Muless¡¯ independent decision and it will never happen again.] Of course, even if the Valchas Empire was built on sacrednd, people still lived there, and they had to run their business as well. Davey had told the Pope one thing: moon grass would not be able to be harvested if anything happened to either the Heins Territory or himself. Someone like the Pope should¡¯ve understood the implications from thatment alone. [Anyway, I didn¡¯t imagine that the Rowane Kingdom would think to send you to the Valchas Empire. Well, it isn¡¯t a bad offer, but we believe that it would be a loss to us in the long run. Haha!] The young priest slurred the end of his words and giggled. As he was still young, he was more friendly than serious. ¡°Then, please keep an eye on it.¡± [As you wish. Haha! If the product is supplied to us on time, it is definitely not a bad thing for the Valchas Empire as well. However¡­] ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that part. I will set aside a certain amount for the empire¡¯s purchase in the next quarter.¡± [Oh! Thank you for going out of your way and doing that! Haha, the Pope said that he would be satisfied if all went well, and he personally asked for you to sell more high-quality leaves in the future.] ¡°I will cultivate some of the remainingnd and harvest some additional leaves to sell to the empire.¡± Perhaps this deal was very worldly and materialistic, but Davey didn¡¯t care about that. The Valchas Empire had basically announced that if one wanted special treatment, they would have to bring them something. Even though he had released a certain amount to the market, it was true that Davey hadn¡¯t beenpletely satisfied with the amount. ¡®It¡¯s a dirty deal? I didn¡¯t sell only part of the supply for no reason.¡¯ In fact, Davey didn¡¯t even have to ask; the Valchas Empire would¡¯ve probably judged that it was more beneficial to maintain a continuous supply of moon grass rather than taking him from the Rowane Kingdom. Of course, they had to know that moon grass could not be harvested without Davey and the Heins Territory. Even if other organizations found out about their deal, they probably could notin; they would probably try to profit from it by offering something like the Valchas Empire. By then, Davey could slowly expand his business. And if everyone got into deep water all at once, they could not me each other. ¡®Let everyone fall in deep! It¡¯s a business based on everyone pulling each other down.¡¯ ¡°Running a business is easy.¡± -Liar. Davey bitterly smiled at Perserque¡¯s criticism. ¡°Well, the matter with the Valchas Empire is taken care of.¡± The person who had tried to transfer Davey to the Valchas Empire was High Priest Muless. Since he was at the high ranks of the High Senate, his influence was even greater than some small kingdoms. However, Davey had made a deal with the Pope, themander of the Valchas Empire. In the end, people lived there as well. And since a political fight was a matter to be dealt with on their own, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem any longer. If the empire were to remain silent because of internal issues, the nobility of the Rowane Kingdom would not be able to touch Davey any longer. It was a pretty good oue. Davey quickly ended the call with Archdeacon Belliam, pulled out another crystal ball, and tapped on its mana stone. Just like before, it began shining and showed a man¡ªno, it was two people this time. [Sob¡­ Sir Bernile¡­ It¡¯s too much¡­] [Ahem! You have received the honor of assisting the First Prince¡¯s work by his side! How could you be sozy¡­ Hup! Your Highness.] It was Amy, buried in a pile of papers with tears in her eyes, and Royal Attendant Bernile, who was taking care of the state of affairs at the territory in Davey¡¯s ce. One was a royal attendant, and the other was Davey¡¯s personaldy-in-waiting who had looked after him for a long time, but the work they were doing was closer to a personal assistant and a proxy than their actual jobs. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Royal Attendant Bernile.¡± [I¡¯m just doing what I ought to do.] ¡°And Amy?¡± [Y¡­ Your Highness? Is it really you?! Your Highness! Please help me!] [Hey! I told you: no dinner if you don¡¯t finish the task I assigned to you! Ahem! Your Highness, I apologize for showing this ugly side of me.] ¡°Haha¡­ Don¡¯t work her too much,¡± Davey said. Amy was quite bright for ady-in-waiting, and so, Davey was investing in her future. ¡®This is what a healthypany environment looks like, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Right now, Amy was still young and na?ve, but she was going to be exceptionally capable in a few years. ¡°Anyway, how is the restoration work going?¡± It had just begun raining in the territory, and the ground was starting toe back to life; however, because it had been abandoned and undeveloped for a long time, there were too many problems to just develop it right away. The biggest concern was theck of skills and time. The foundation had to be stable and strong for any building; if the territory was built on a weak foundation, there was a high chance that it would cause problems in the blueprint that Davey had designed for his future city. ¡®I have to do something now, when I have the money. It¡¯ll make things much easier in the future.¡¯ [Sigh¡­ I did inspect it as you said, Your Highness, but¡­] ¡°Time is the problem?¡± [Yes. To rebuild everything ording to the design you left, it is going to take a while.] The estimated timeframe to rebuild the Heins Territory was about ten to twenty years. This was the time needed to build a strong foundation for the Heins Territory, which hadn¡¯t been developed in a long time and was crumbling, and to fix the water system, and cultivate the farnd. Those things wouldn¡¯t be magically fixed, and not everything could be done with money. ¡°What about the wizard towers, schools of alchemy, and the merchantpanies?¡± [They are staying at the temporary lodgings for now, because the materials haven¡¯t arrived yet. But they have all received the permit to build on thend as soon as it arrives. Everything is proceeding ordingly.] ¡°Okay. They can do what they want, but they can¡¯t vite the rules I have set.¡± [Your wish is mymand.] Royal Attendant Bernile, the old gentleman, bowed his head with a satisfied expression. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about the problems regarding theck of skills; I¡¯ll return with the best-skilled technicians in the continent. We have to start our second business, don¡¯t we?¡± [The best technicians on the continent?] Royal Attendant Bernile looked puzzled. He was probably wondering what Davey meant. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re really stubborn and not willing to do business a lot of the time, but I know a species that will never turn down my offer.¡± It was trading diamonds with corn; there was no better business idea than something that was low-risk and high-returns. Realizing who Davey was referring to when he said, ¡®the best technicians of the continent¡¯, Royal Attendant Bernile widened his eyes. Chapter 58 [Your Highness? Are you talking about the dwarves? But it is difficult to get in touch with them without His Majesty¡¯smand¡­ Also, they are an unfriendly species, and they do not easily cooperate even with high-status people.] After listening to Royal Attendant Bernile¡¯s concerns, Davey replied, ¡°I will take care of that, so just prepare the materials as I said. If possible, from a merchantpany with good credit.¡± [Ah¡­ Yes, I will make sure to prepare it. The Alioui Merchant Company has already offered to provide all the supplies as quickly as possible.] The Alioui Merchant Company was arge, continent-widepany that had taken over half the supply of moon grass at the auction with their overwhelming amount of funds. ¡®Man, they sniff out money-making opportunities like dogs.¡¯ Well, that was probably why they were a major merchantpany. [I will say nothing more since it is your n, Your Highness, but¡­] As prideful as they were, the dwarves had a strong passion for their crafts and skills. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but Davey had two things that would definitely grab their attention; although, they were two nameless and iplete works. * * * The dwarves used to be referred to as midgets or subterranean people in the past. They were about 100 to 130 centimeters tall; although they were short, they could grow impossibly long beards and had bulky muscles, and they had an amazing level of heat resistance. Because of their characteristics, they had once been called the ¡®iron race¡¯. Unlike elves, who had be legendary beings due to hiding for over three hundred years, dwarves had some interactions with humans. There weren¡¯t many of them, but they formed tribes with a certain number and lived near mountains or volcanoes. ¡®They were born as talented craftsmen.¡¯ The dwarves were quite a bit smallerpared to humans, but their strength was far superior, and their level of precisionpletely outstripped ordinary craftsmen. -Well, people say that no species is as meticulous as the fairies, but¡­ ¡®The fairies have already gone extinct.¡¯ -That¡¯s right. However, you never know; they might be hiding out somewhere like the elves. As long as the fairies, the only speciesparable to dwarves, were known to be extinct, it was safe to say that the dwarves were the best craftsmen in the entire Tionis continent. Due to Davey¡¯s sess in the harvesting of moon grass, King Krianes would grant him one request. Most of the nobles were probably expecting him to ask for the position of the Crown Prince of the Rowane Kingdom, since it was vacant and no one had been selected yet. However, as Davey had no interest in that kind of position, he had boldly decided to ask for something different: to allow him into the dwarf tribe¡¯s vige located in the southern region of the Rowane Kingdom. Befitting for the dwarves, who did not enjoy interactions with other species, the first condition they presented when interacting with humans was that only high-ranking people could enter the vige. That mostly referred to the king or his proxy. To put it nicely, they were respectfully declining any visitation, but it really was no different from telling humans to keep out. Of course, most of the continent¡¯s dwarves traded items that they crafted for a few basic necessities from the kingdom under that very condition. The Rowane Kingdom had made a deal with the Yellowstone Tribe of dwarves located in the southern region and traded them quite arge amount of meat and liquor for crafted items every year. In fact, the sword on King Krianes¡¯ waist and all the crowns he wore were outstanding works made by the dwarves. Even the same iron sword differed greatly in terms of durability, sharpness, and the ability to conserve energy if it was made by the dwarves, which showed how extraordinary their skills were. Furthermore, since they were highly skilled in subjects like architecture, they were absolutely necessary to the Heins Territory, which wascking in time, skills, and manpower. -But they would have to be insane to follow you into the Heins Territory. Davey nodded at Perserque¡¯sment while staring at the line of carriages. Since the pce knew that he was trying to get in touch with the dwarf vige, they couldn¡¯t send him off on his own. He was going as King Krianes¡¯ proxy, so it was inevitable for arge group of servants to travel with him. As a result, he couldn¡¯t do as he wanted and make the journey to find the Yellowstone Tribe with only a small party. Of course, he had to be satisfied with this, since this was the smallest party he could get. ¡°Your Highness, we are soon entering the region of the Yellowstone Tribe.¡± A high-ranking knight reported to Davey, who was reading a book while traveling on a horse. ¡°Sure.¡± As they went through the mana gate and traveled for an entire day after that, thendscape became one of gigantic yellow rocks. Davey suddenly remembered how people responded when he had said that he wanted to meet the dwarves. Because he had already done something that stirred waves throughout the continent, the nobles had wondered what he was up to, and King Krianes had stared at him silently. ¡®Can I ask why?¡¯ King Krianes had asked. ¡®I need their help to repair the facilities in the territory,¡¯ Davey had replied. ¡®Hm¡­¡¯ ¡®Y¡ªYour Majesty! The dwarves are picky people! If we were to rub them the wrong way¡­¡¯ The nobles had been worried that Davey might cause trouble there, so they had shouted and strongly opposed Davey¡¯s request. However, Davey had simply ignored them all. It was natural that the nobles felt this way, since if Davey were to ruffle the dwarves¡¯ feathers and they left to another kingdom, it would be a huge loss. ¡®They are not humans. Davey, if you are trying to provoke them without thinking thoroughly¡­ Even if it is a reward¡­¡¯ ¡®Do not worry; I will prepare a proposal that will make them unable to m the door in my face, at the very least.¡¯ Perhaps the knights who were traveling with Davey knew about this too, since they seemed to be watching him so that he didn¡¯t cause any trouble. He felt bad for them, since they were clearly anxious. But¡­he was going to cause trouble. -The smell of iron and ck smoke. It¡¯s quite a nostalgic scent. ¡®You¡¯ve had encounters with dwarves before?¡¯ -Do you know how old I am? Of course I¡¯ve seen dwarves before. Perserque, who was floating up in the air and appreciating the view, looked intrigued as she smelled the metallic scent of iron and saw the ck smoke. Davey didn¡¯t know how long she had been trapped in the sword for, but her expression of delight suggested that everything around her was new and fresh. The party stopped when they reached therge door made of wood and iron. It sat in between the gigantic rocks on the rocky terrain. ¡°Stop! Who is it?!¡± As soon as Davey¡¯s party passed the rocky terrain, someone stopped them and peeked out from the top of a watchtower. It was the dwarves; they were about a meter tall, with inhumanlyrge muscles and a beard almost as long as their height. The dwarves located here were from the Yellowstone Tribe. They had huge battle-axes in their hands and wore durable armor; it seemed like they were the guards protecting the tribe. ¡°We are from the royal pce of the Rowane Kingdom! Give us permission to enter the vige of the Yellowstone Tribe!¡± One of the high-ranking knights slowly pulled up on his horse and shouted. ¡°You want permission to enter the vige? We didn¡¯t hear anything about it.¡± Since Davey had suddenlye here without sending word prior to his arrival, the dwarves looked like they were in a predicament. ¡°I have a proposal I think you¡¯d like to hear.¡± Davey offered a friendly smile. The dwarf who had the shiest armor and battle-axe among the guards stared at Davey as if he was deliberating. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I am Davey, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°Ahem! I am Gerrit, the captain of the guards.¡± Gerrit awkwardly coughed and nodded. ¡°Well, a promise is a promise. However, we cannot do business with your human kingdom because there is a big problem in the tribe right now.¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t do business with us?!¡± One of the guards yelled. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know! Since a promise is a promise,e in! But leave the horses there; we are not that friendly with horses.¡± Captain Gerrit said. The guards seemed annoyed, but Davey silently got off his horse and slowly walked toward the opening huge iron doors. * * * The Yellowstone Tribe¡¯s vige was quiterge. There were about two thousand dwarves living in this vige; considering that dwarves generally lived in small tribes, the Yellowstone Tribe could be considered quite big. ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s moving on its own.¡± ¡°How is it moving like that?¡± The people in Davey¡¯s party followed him inside, and they couldn¡¯t hide their admiration as they were astonished by the automatic door and the various mechanical devices. It was rare for humans to enter a vige of dwarves, unless there was something important. Even if Davey¡¯s entourage had seen dwarves before, it was their first time entering the vige. Not only did the humans feel this way, but the dwarves did as well. The dwarves, who had been chattering lively and walking around, were now alert as Davey and his party showed up. ¡°Humans? How could humanse in here?¡± ¡°Are they trying to attack us?¡± The dwarves stared at the party with various emotions in their eyes: anxiety, caution, and curiosity. The party was under the spotlight as everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to them. ¡°Y¡­ Your Highness, do you really think it will be okay?¡± One of the guards asked Davey. Davey looked calm and said nothing. The guards were all afraid because their heads would be the ones sent flying if Davey were to provoke the dwarves. In the end, Davey simply said, ¡°Don¡¯t try to do anything, just stay here. I¡¯ll protect you guys no matter what happens.¡± The party seemed somewhat relieved by Davey¡¯s words, but they still looked a little anxious. Davey left most of the party outside and entered the building with gigantic mechanical devices only with a couple of knights following him. As he went in, he saw an old dwarf quietly waiting for him at a round table. The old dwarf had an unusually long beard and was distinctlyrgepared to the other dwarves. He seemed quite old, from the looks of his wrinkles, but appeared still sprightly, and the axe on his waist gave off an incredibly sharp energy. Chapter 59 -Hm, his expression already shows that he thinks this is bothersome. This is unsurprising for such a proud species. It was expected of a species so stubborn that they didn¡¯t care about being threatened with a knife to their neck. They simply wouldn¡¯t budge in any sort of situation. Just as Perserque said, the old dwarf seemed like he had just let Davey in because Davey was a guest and they had a promise, but the old dwarf didn¡¯t seem too enthusiastic about the situation. ¡®Normally, dwarves have many tribe leaders, but it seems that everyone else is absent. He¡¯s the only one here.¡¯ -It¡¯s rare for the leaders to leave the tribe unless it¡¯s for something important. After Perserque spoke, Davey silently stood in front of the old dwarf and then bowed to him with a distinct hand and body gesture. It was a unique greeting to dwarves and was often used among them. ¡®First impressions go a long way, right?¡¯ Davey did have a proposal that would make the dwarves go nuts, but he decided to think it through for a bit more. He thought, ¡®Nothing good cane out from creating conflict, since there will be some dwarves who¡¯d be my territory¡¯s residents.¡¯ ¡°May the blessing of the God of Iron be with you. My name is Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom.¡± Perhaps Davey¡¯s greeting waspletely unexpected; the eyes of the dwarf elder, who was sitting at the table looking bored, suddenly sparkled. He spoke up. ¡°Huh? Ahem! I¡¯m Goulda, the Eighth Elder of the Yellowstone Tribe. I¡¯m surprised a human knows the greeting used by dwarves.¡± ¡°Dwarves are a species of outstanding craftsmen. One would be foolish to not treat those skills with respect.¡± As Davey buttered him up without batting an eye, it seemed like Goulda¡¯s expression softened a little. He replied, ¡°Ahem! It¡¯s rare for me to like any human, but I like you. Well, the other grandpa elders are all busy, so I came here instead.¡± ¡°Thank you for your time.¡± ¡°Since the Rowane Kingdom has done business with our Yellowstone Tribe for a long time, this is the least that I could do.¡± Currently, the kingdom was starting to crumble from the nobles¡¯ tyranny, but the Rowane Kingdom had been a pretty good ce to live in the past. There didn¡¯t use to be much discrimination based on social status or species, and everyone had shown respect for one another. It was only recently that the nobility, who were led by Duke Bariatta, was running wilder¡­ But they had no reason to provoke the dwarves unless they were idiots. So, thanks to the pleasant impression of the past, Davey was able to enter the dwarf vige rather easily. ¡°Sure. So, what brings a greenhorn prince like you to the vige? As you know, most deals happen outside the vige,¡± Goulda stated. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Davey replied. ¡°In fact, I believe that the business period between our tribe and your kingdom hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Davey quietly nodded at Goulda. ¡°That¡¯s right. ording to the contract, the business period isn¡¯t for a few months.¡± ¡°Then, what is it?¡± ¡°Actually, I havee here to ask for your cooperation on a few different things. The beer and meat in the carts outside are just to show my appreciation.¡± Goulda stroked his thick beard, which was tied up. He soon appeared to be bored. ¡°Ahem! I don¡¯t dislike humans that know their manners. And I also don¡¯t dislike your human beer made of barley. However, we, the Yellowstone Tribe, cannot give you the thing that you want.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Goulda didn¡¯t bother exining any further. ¡°I can¡¯t discuss any more details with an outsider.¡± He paused slightly and sighed. Then, he went on. ¡°All I¡¯m trying to say is this: since you havee a long way, I won¡¯t expel you right away. You can stay here for a few days, but I¡¯m warning the others that you will be kicked out immediately if you cause any problems.¡± As Goulda stood up like he had nothing more to say, the knights seemed a little angered. They felt that they had been disrespected alongside Davey, whom they had escorted here. Davey silently raised his hand and stopped the knights from doing anything. He nced at Goulda, then brought out his authority. ¡®[Check Information].¡¯ Beep! ¡®Even dwarves can¡¯t escape the authority of the Demon Lord.¡¯ -Name: Goulda. -Age: 180. -Sex: Male. -Species: Dwarf. -Title: None. -Status Effects: Tired; annoyed; contemting. -Notes: The Eighth Elder of the Yellowstone Tribe, and the youngest. -Current Emotion: Wants to focus on refining the Primordial Inferno, the divine sword of dwarves; annoyed by the fact he was forced out here to face humans because he is the youngest; a little curious and interested as it had been a long time since humans had entered the vige; feeling somewhat friendly to the castor, who knows his manners; thinking that having to host them is bothersome. Dwarves generally had a lifespan of 250 years, so Goulda¡¯s age wasn¡¯t particrly surprising. As the bothered Goulda silently nced over at him, Davey focused on one thing written on the translucent box in front of him: [Primordial Inferno]. He found it familiar, since he had heard it from the crazy cksmith who had been married to his hammer. [There is one thing I made with those guys, but it was a long time ago and I made it when I wasn¡¯t as skilled¡­ Honestly, the quality isn¡¯t so good. Back then, those midgets and I celebrated for days, because we were so proud.] [Are you asking how outstanding it is? Bring me something that you made.] [Well, I think it¡¯s about this good. You think it¡¯s funny? There¡¯s no one who masters a craft right from the beginning! Whatever. Hammer already!] ¡°Then we¡¯ll stay here for a few days. Thank you.¡± Davey instantly understood what was going on and smiled. 25. Uh, Give Me A Hammer. The vige of dwarves was usually pretty loud. Perhaps topensate for their small height and size, their rowdy, chattering voices were as loud as a foghorn. And unlike elves, they had lively and vigorous personalities. Most of their days were boisterous. There were two things that dwarves couldn¡¯t live without: alcohol and gambling. There were some who would gamble everything and be ruined, but these dwarves were a strange species that stopped gambling after reaching a certain limit. ¡®That¡¯s probably why they¡¯ve lived for so long.¡¯ Davey, who was being treated rtively well by the dwarves, spent his time rxing as if he had no regrets. The dwarves seemed troubled by the problem in the vige, but he didn¡¯t involve himself and simply gathered information from the outside. Not everything would go the way he had thought; there wouldn¡¯t be anything funnier than if he failed after confidently stepping up. -Is the Primordial Inferno an extraordinary sword? ¡°To be honest, it is an exceptional sword bymon standards.¡± -But to your standards? ¡°It is something I could make if I had the time.¡± The Primordial Inferno wasn¡¯t a sword made for attacking; it was simply the sword that the dwarves worshiped. Surtr, the ancient hero, and a few dwarf craftsmen had forged this sword, giving it a few abilities, such as harmony, development, and the blessing of the God of cksmiths, to make it a significant symbol. There were probably many more abilities aside from these, but Surtr hadn¡¯t gone into the details, and Davey hadn¡¯t taken interest in it either. To be honest, from the moment the Primordial Inferno had broken apart, it was safe to say that its significance and meaning was already gone. It might¡¯ve been different if Surtr¡¯s techniques had been passed down, but without that, it was simply difficult to mimic his distinct techniques even with a considerable amount of effort. ¡°I guess the Primordial Inferno is closer to a prototype.¡± -Prototype? ¡°So like¡­ How should I exin this? Ah, I should say that this is the start of Caldeiras. Although the usages are different, the crafting method used is simr.¡± That was probably why the dwarves were racking their brains to fix the sword. It was a special method of crafting with mana, and most craftsmen didn¡¯t even think to try it because of their pride and fear of failure. However, this world revolved around both thews of physics and anti-physics: thews of physics operated with physical power, and thews of anti-physics operated with mana, a huge mass of energy. This world consisted of those twows, and that probably wasn¡¯t any different on Earth. -It¡¯s the basic theory for mages. ¡°Whether it be the divine sword or the Primordial Inferno, the challenge is to harmonize those twows well. Most craftsmen don¡¯t even attempt it because they want to see the limit by purely working with metals.¡± ¡®Of course, there were some oddballs.¡¯ ¡°From hammering to handling ingots, everything about the traditional way had to be turned upside down. Only a sliver of the mana crafting method would be understood even after abandoning all existing knowledge. You think those narrow-minded dwarves would invent it? No way.¡± The dwarves weren¡¯t able to do that because they weren¡¯t human, and because their pride was too great and their skills were too excellent. -Then why is an object as great as that doing here? ¡°The Primordial Inferno is the first work of the humans and dwarves. It¡¯s made to promote harmony between them. Well, I haven¡¯t heard any details either,¡± Davey calmly exined, then got up. -Where are you going? ¡°We¡¯ve had quite a bit of fun, right? Now, I have to do my job.¡± Taking the dwarves back to the Heins Territory was a minor problem; Davey¡¯s main goal was to borrow the Great Furnace that had a concentration of highly advanced skills. -If that¡¯s what you wereining about, you could¡¯ve just made it yourself¡­ ¡°It¡¯d take a long time to make it with the current technology. I will borrow the furnace and the skills, and that will be a pretty good selling point for the dwarves.¡± Davey chuckled and left the room without hesitation. When Davey suddenly appeared, the curious dwarf children peeked at him from afar before quickly disappearing. It seemed like humans were pretty unfamiliar to them, since only a few dwarves had actuallye into contact with humans before¡­ -So? I don¡¯t think those stubborn people will easily let you borrow the Great Furnace. ¡°First¡­¡± Davey looked around rather thoughtfully, then started moving after having found something. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to the tavern first?¡± -Alcohol? Chapter 60 It was important to have a n. Dwarves mostly enjoyed gambling and indulging in alcohol. Not all dwarves were like this, but because most dwarves were surprisingly good at self-control, they do enjoy gambling in moderation. In fact, those that were stressed and frustrated from work usually relieved their stress by drinking and gambling, since even the most extraordinary craftsman experienced stress. Davey stepped into the tavern and the Eighth Elder Goulda recognized him immediately. The old dwarf asked, ¡°Hm? What are you doing here?¡± ¡®I thought he was too busy to do business, but he¡¯s drinking here?¡¯ It seemed like the old dwarf had been drinking here for a while, since the number of sses in front of him were enough to leave any human speechless. As Davey sat in front of Goulda with aid-back attitude, Davey scoffed and said, ¡°I thought you were quite busy, but it seems that you have some time to rx. Let¡¯s have a drink together.¡± ¡°Hmph! Even the most important matters need to be slept on. To rush into dealing with the matter is, in fact, worse than doing nothing at all. And right now, Big Brother Goulda has kicked us all out, so¡­ But you said you want to have a drink?¡± ¡°I heard the dwarf-made spirit is quite strong.¡± It was not the Eighth Elder Goulda who responded, but Gerrit, the captain of the dwarf guards, who was nearby. ¡°What? Spirit?¡± ¡®I thought he¡¯d be watching the door, but he¡¯s here drinking, too. Alright.¡¯ ¡°Hey Malcolm! This human here wants to drink the dwarf-made spirit!¡± Gerrit shouted. ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone suddenly perked up. The dwarves, who were too drunk to even realize that Davey had entered the tavern, looked at him in fascination. It was as if they were looking at a mystical animal. ¡°Phahahaha!¡± ¡°You want to drink the spirit? You¡¯re out of your mind! And the person you¡¯re drinking with is Elder Goulda?¡± People began chattering from all over, as if they had understood what Davey had meant. ¡°Hey, human. You said your name was Davey?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m warning you, but the alcohol content in dwarf-made spirit is no joke. It¡¯s too strong for a human to drink.¡± ¡°Well, this is nothing.¡± Davey grinned and chugged down a ss of spirit that was right in front of Goulda. He felt a strong yet clean scent of alcohol punch his nose. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± At the same time, the dwarves, who were chattering andughing nearby, looked surprised. ¡°Whew! This is what alcohol should be like.¡± Davey chuckled and clicked his tongue. -I don¡¯t understand why people drink alcohol¡­ ¡®To be honest, it¡¯s just super strong and doesn¡¯t taste good at all.¡¯ ¡°It feels a little weak, but it doesn¡¯t matter. So, Eighth Elder. Would you care for a battle?¡± Davey asked. Goulda squinted at Davey. He still looked a little bothered when he gradually widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Hey, are you really okay? You chugged that down in one shot. Can you tell how many fingers I am holding up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Pahahaha!!!¡± Goulda burst out inughter, but he soon mmed his ss on the table and stared at Davey intensely. ¡°Alright. We dwarves don¡¯t treat good drinks poorly! Let¡¯s do it! Hey, Malcolm! I¡¯ll pay for everything, so bring this greenhorn prince all the drinks that he wants!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not responsible for anything!¡± The muscr dwarf wearing an apron walked into the kitchen while shaking his head. Then, he put down several sses filled with the same amount of spirit as Goulda had. ¡°Dwarves love a good bet. On the off chance that you win, what do you what? Although, I¡¯m not in the position to grant whatever your request is because of the important matters at hand.¡± ¡°I just want to hear your story.¡± ¡®Approach them slowly.¡¯ As if he liked Davey¡¯s response, Goulda let out a heartyugh. Then, they simultaneously grabbed the handles of their wooden sses and red at each other. Goulda warned, ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you. If I win, you will leave this ce. Although it¡¯s been a long time since a human I like hase here, the timing isn¡¯t good right now.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± * * * ¡°Groan¡­ Hey, I¡¯m totally fine. Why don¡¯t you give up?¡± Goulda asked Davey. ¡°I think you¡¯re at your limit.¡± ¡°Damn¡­ You are one nasty human¡­¡± Davey had thought that Goulda would be more stubborn, but Goulda was fair and honorable. To Davey, who had a master-level abundance of mana, being drunk meant nothing to him in the first ce. Well, he was sort of holding out with his willpower, but even though his physical strength wasn¡¯t like the past, his willpower still was. -A true fraud. ¡®I can win against him even without mana.¡¯ -What did you have to do to get like this? Davey reminisced about his past since Perserque asked him in amazement. He remembered one of his swordsmanship teachers: the man who had instantly united the World of Martial Arts as soon as he appeared. At first, he wondered how a man who was remembered as a terrifying being could have be a hero. However, the man had been a human being with feelings. The other heroes of the Hall called Dokgo Jun, the Heavenly Destroyer, ¡®The Hero of One Person¡¯. -The Hero of One Person¡­ ¡®Well, I¡¯ve only kind of heard tales of that world, so¡­¡¯ Whatever it was, Dokgo Jun was the reason why Davey could drink a crazy amount of alcohol. The man had been the greatest drunkard to have ever lived. Since even Daphne, the immoral saintess who liked to drink, had warned Davey to never have a drink with him, it was clear how much of a heavy drinker the man had been. The problem was that because Davey had learned swordsmanship from him, he had often had drinks with him. Thinking back, Davey thought that maybe the most difficult thing he had to endure while training at the Hall was having had to have that damn drink. Since Dokgo Jun¡¯s usual spirits could even wipe out transcendent beings who handled mana, it had been difficult for Davey to bear it. ¡®Compared to his, dwarf spirit is nothing.¡¯ [Hup! You want to learn more? Hup! Then get me another bottle. I¡¯ll teach you if you can tolerate it. Just so you know, if you pass out, I¡¯m going to work you hard.] The image of Dokgo Jun worshiping alcohol as a god and working as the missionary was still fresh in Davey¡¯s memory. ¡°Hup! I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever see a human better at drinking than a dwarf¡­¡± ¡°There are many kinds of people in the world, right?¡± ¡°Pahahaha! Hup! Everything looks like¡­it¡¯s spinning¡­¡± Thud! Finally, Goulda gave in to his intoxication and slept with his head mmed against the table. It was clear who the winner was. ¡°Wow! Grandpop Goulda fell!¡± ¡°What a rare sight!¡± ¡°Pahahaha!!!¡± As Goulda fell asleep, the surroundings became rowdy again. Even the dwarves, who were shocked at how much Davey was able to drink,ughed and chattered. ¡®A few seconds ago, he couldn¡¯t even hold himself up properly from being so drunk. Now, he has good judgment.¡¯ ¡°Hey, you human! Amazing!¡± ¡°My, how did you drink all that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe the drunkard of our tribe passed out like that!¡± ¡®The best?¡¯ Davey chuckled and stared at Goulda, but the old dwarf had already passed out from all the alcohol. -You¡¯re going to have to wait a day. ¡®I think so, too.¡¯ Watching Goulda be carried out by other dwarves, Davey turned his nce over to the remaining dwarves and smiled. ¡°Who wants to be my nextpetitor?¡± ¡®I¡¯ve ignited theirpetitive spirit, so I should at least make a campfire with it.¡¯ * * * ¡°Well, a bet is a bet. Okay, what are you so curious about?¡± Goulda asked. ¡°Did you say the Primordial Inferno has been causing the vige to be so disorderly?¡± Davey threw a question back. After hearing Davey¡¯s question, Goulda suddenly went stiff from going all limp from the alcohol. Then, with a chuckle, he slumped onto the table. ¡°Well, what can be done? The problem is the old sword that had been protecting our Yellowstone Tribe has broken.¡± ¡°It broke?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s strange.¡± Goulda seemed dissatisfied by something and let out a sigh. ¡°Then, can¡¯t you just give up on it?¡± Davey asked. Goulda stared at Davey as if he was trying to figure out the intentions behind Davey¡¯s honest question. ¡°Even though it¡¯s old and not made for attacking, it¡¯s kind of like our spiritual anchor, in a way.¡± ¡°Is that so? I apologize.¡± ¡°Usually, the tribes take turns taking care of the sword. The tribe that receives the sword must take care of the sword for a certain amount of time; that is the promise and the rule. It¡¯s been under the care of my father¡­ But my brother and I are in charge of it now, because my father returned to the earth much earlier than we had expected.¡± After hearing Goulda¡¯s exnation, Davey managed to figure out the current situation. It was the Yellowstone Tribe¡¯s turn to take care of the dwarves¡¯ sacred weapon, but after Goulda¡¯s father, who had been the only one fit to manage the sword, had passed so early, Goulda and his brother were hurried into taking over the role. Then, now that the sword itself had broken apart¡­ Davey could sort of understand the situation. As Davey nodded his head slowly, Goulda stared at him silently. Goulda asked Davey, ¡°Okay, since I like you, I will ask this question: is that all you wish to know?¡± Davey smiled. Dwarves had a strong sense of pride, but they were kind to species they found friendly and likable. All he did was have a drink with Goulda, but of course, he didn¡¯t try to maintain a good impression for nothing. He said, ¡°Actually, I am a little skilled in cksmithing, so¡­ Would I be able to watch you do your work as ate learner?¡± Goulda flinched as he heard Davey¡¯s question. * * * As soon as the sun came up, Goulda quickly headed to the Central Workshop, the best workshop of the Yellowstone Tribe, as if he was never drunk. Davey quietly followed along. Although magic existed in this world, scientific technology was less developed than Earth because magic was much more advanced. In fact, when the people on Earth used technology to raise the temperature of a st furnace, most kingdoms and empires required the help of magic or alchemy. All that the furnaces of a smithy in a territory or city could do were tasks like melting iron and such, but¡­ The Great Furnace of the dwarves was different. This enormous furnace, the pinnacle of the dwarves¡¯ skills and crafts, was their pride. Hundreds of spinning wheels spun to automatically operate bellows, and it withstood extremely high temperatures because it was made out of a special material. As such, the temperature the Great Furnace could go up to was about 3000 degrees celsius. Of course, even this Great Furnace would start to crumble if the temperature was raised higher than that. -I can¡¯t believe that all this was made without any magic or alchemy and just by their craft. Intrigued by Davey¡¯s exnation, Perserque flew beside Davey while nodding. Even though she had lived for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t have seen something like this. This was unsurprising since she had mostly lived in spirit form. ¡°Oh, Gol¡­ Hey, who did you bring in here?¡± Chapter 61 Dozens of dwarf craftsmen were already at the Great Furnace hammering away. A few of the oldest dwarves frowned when they saw Goulda leading Davey inside. Addressing them, Goulda said, ¡°Can¡¯t you see? It¡¯s the human who hase to visit the vige.¡± ¡°Goulda, you¡¯ve gone mad!¡± ¡°How dare you bring a human into this ce?!¡± The old dwarves responded just as Davey had expected. Goulda was the Eighth Elder, meaning that there were other elders, and the other elders had refused to meet Davey because of their work in the Great Furnace. Among them, he could see an old dwarf who looked very simr to Goulda. ¡°Goulda,¡± the dwarf said. ¡°Big brother.¡± ¡°Exin this nonsense.¡± As the dwarves red at Davey with cold eyes, Goulda let out a deep sigh. He exined to his brother, ¡°It was a bet. Apparently, this greenhorn prince from the Rowane Kingdom knows cksmithing.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to let him shadow our work here for a little while.¡± ¡°So, you brought a human into this Central Workshop? Goulda! Are you insane?! You¡¯re still drunk, aren¡¯t you?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve met a human that I like. As one of the elders, please trust my judgment and have faith in this greenhorn prince.¡± ¡°Goulda, you¡­!¡± Goulda was unexpectedly brave. He did initially find Davey bothersome at first, as did the other elders, but he was a man who kept his promise. At that moment, he addressed Davey, ¡°Hey, you greenhorn prince.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Davey.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Davey. This is all I can do for you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A promise is a promise. I am helping you today, but don¡¯t think I will do this again.¡± ¡°This is enough for me.¡± Davey smiled. As if he didn¡¯t like how Davey was smiling, Goulda scoffed and turned away. He said to the other dwarves, ¡°What are you all doing?! I told you we have important work to do today!¡± ¡°Damn it! What is this nonsense?!¡± A dwarf even threw his hammer on the ground. They were probably infuriated that Davey, a human, had entered the Great Furnace. -They¡¯re overreacting. ¡®Even time doesn¡¯t change the stubbornness of craftsmen. Since I¡¯m the one doing somethingpletely impudent right now, don¡¯t get too angry.¡¯ Perserque puffed up her cheeks in discontent. -You¡¯re just going to let them talk to you like that? ¡®I would react in the same way, too.¡¯ The weapon being worked on here was a legacy of Davey¡¯s teacher, Surtr. Davey had seen the divine sword, and he was in possession of his teacher¡¯sst work, the two twin swords. All that was left to see was one of his teacher¡¯s past works, which was in the Great Furnace. ¡°Damn it! You learned cksmithing? Do you even know what we¡¯re doing here?¡± One of the dwarves shouted at Goulda. ¡°God, it¡¯s not just any weapon; it¡¯s the thousand-year-old sacred object!¡± Another added. ¡°I know! Everyone, I am asking for a favor on behalf of my position as an elder.¡± The infuriated dwarves closed their mouths once Goulda shouted with determination. However, their hostility toward Davey did not subside easily. -Is there a reason to help these people? ¡®Who said anything about helping them? I¡¯m just here to trade diamonds for corn.¡¯ Davey was just taking a look around before he could make a trade. ¡°Have a little mercy on thete learner,¡± Goulda pleaded. ¡°What are you all doing? Goulda is an elder, too! If he has decided so, we must respect it!¡± Right then, the old dwarf who looked exactly like Goulda helped him out. He was Golgouda, Goulda¡¯s older brother and the First Elder who was taking care of the Primordial Inferno in this generation. As the First Elder, he was the highest-ranking one, so it was safe to assume that he was themander of the entire Yellowstone Tribe. ¡°Ahem¡­ I will allow it since Elder Golgouda has spoken.¡± ¡°However, this mustn¡¯t happen again!¡± Perhaps Elder Golgouda had a much stronger influence than expected. The dwarves who initiallyined simply picked up their hammers from the floor and began to focus on their work again. ¡°Human.¡± Elder Golgouda nced at Davey. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I gave you permission on ount of my younger brother. But if you get caught doing any funny business, I will crush your skull with my battle-axe.¡± When Davey smiled at his threat, Golgouda just turned and walked away. It was as if he didn¡¯t like Davey¡¯s response. * * * The Primordial Inferno was a gigantic sword with an antique design. It was about two meters in length and had a de that was easily over 30 centimeters in width. Although it was called a sword, it looked closer to being a structure with many parts attached to it. It wasn¡¯t a weapon made for attacking, but maybe that was because it couldn¡¯t sh. The sword, a sacred item of the dwarf vige, was ced in the center of the ck workshop. It looked half-broken but still magnificent. Davey just stared at the Primordial Inferno without a word. -What are you looking at so closely? ¡®That can¡¯t be fixed.¡¯ Davey, who was silently looking at the sword, decided boldly. He said to Perserque, ¡®Fix it? Fixing it is as disrespectful and stupid as trying to revive an old man who died after living a good life. They¡¯re better off making a new one. That sword is too old.¡¯ The Primordial Inferno was crafted using the same method that was used to make Caldeiras, but unlike the divine sword, it was neverpleted. That was why it wasn¡¯t able to withstand the long period of time. ¡°What are you all doing?! Pull it!!¡± ¡°Hey! Where¡¯s the iron you made?!¡± ¡°You damn people! Hammer properly?! Do you all want to die?!¡± The workshop was like a battlefield. All the dwarves were highly skilled, but they would never be able to fix the Primordial Inferno even if they all worked on it. There was no reason for the dwarves to work this hard on any regr sword, but the Primordial Inferno was a sword imbued with many blessings. It was more of a magical instrument than a regr sword. That was why the dwarves were carefully taking it apart piece by piece and working on it delicately. -They have a nasty personality, but they are surprisingly hard workers. As Davey watched the dwarves discuss their next steps and then cautiously work on the sword, Perserque mumbled as if feeling surprised. ¡®Did you just realize that dwarves have a hot temper?¡¯ -I know they do. Even if they had a nasty personality, the dwarves were extremely polite to those that they respected. This was the first time Davey had met a dwarf, but he had heard about them before. The sun was starting toe down, but the dwarves continued on with the restoration work that had started early in the morning. Davey was impressed by how they were grinding their souls into their hammering and how hard they were studying the sword. Davey got lost in his thoughts as he satfortably and observed the dwarves, like a lion watching its prey. ¡®With that passion and skills, they would be perfect for the development of the territory.¡¯ The dwarves were much more talented than Davey had thought. Although, there was no way they woulde to his territory and fix the facilities even if he asked, since they weren¡¯t focusing on anything else other than that sword right now. The most hardworking and fastest dwarf among them was First Elder Golgouda, the older brother of Goulda who had brought Davey here. He was silently hammering away, not thinking about his health. It was as if he hadmitted a sin. ¡°Damn! Golgouda, you¡¯re going to copse if you keep working like that! Get some rest!¡± One of the dwarves shouted to Golgouda. ¡°I¡¯m fine! Where are the pliers? Get me the next piece!¡± ¡°Damn it!!¡± Golgouda was pushing himself so much that the other dwarves went pale just from watching him. He probably felt the most responsible for the Primordial Inferno breaking, since he was supposed to take good care of it. And since the sword broke as soon as Golgouda and Goulda had inherited the management of the sword from their father who had passed, it seemed inevitable for him to feel guilty. Davey clicked his tongue at Golgouda, who was fiercely working while clenching his jaw. ¡®Working like that isn¡¯t going to solve anything.¡¯ To be frank, Davey could see that Golgouda didn¡¯t have a clear judgment right now, but he could also see that Golgouda¡¯s outstanding skills were the only thing allowing Golgouda to hold on to the sword. The old dwarf was desperately working on the sword even though he wasn¡¯t skilled enough to fix it. He was basically taking one step forward and one step back, making no progress. Whatever it was, all the dwarves did was just hold on to a glimmer of hope. Davey was silently watching the dwarves work when an opportunity for him to step up appeared unexpectedly. A dwarf wearing ck barged into the workshop and said, ¡°Ha! These damn Yellowstone Tribe folks. You guys managed to break the sword.¡± ¡°Torrs?¡± ¡°Why did the ckstone Tribe show up here?¡± The other dwarves murmured. The ckstone Tribe was a tribe of dwarves who were located in the southern part of the continent. ¡®When did theye here? The ckstone Tribe is pretty far from this ce.¡¯ The workshop went silent at Torrs'' sudden appearance, except for one person. Torrsmented, ¡°You all speak so shamelessly when you have destroyed the sacred item.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth, Torrs!¡± Goulda shouted, incapable of containing his anger. Torrs, the dwarf in ck, just shrugged his shoulders and came into the Central Workshop. ¡®This is getting interesting!¡¯ Torrs watched the other dwarves and smirked at Golgouda, who was ignoring his approach. He said provocatively, ¡°What do you think, Elder Golgouda? I didn¡¯t really like the fact that the sword was in your possession in the first ce.¡± ¡°You!!¡± ¡°Give the sword to the ckstone Tribe now. Our craftsmen are probably better than this. Ptui!¡± The other dwarves frowned in anger as they saw Torrs spit on the ground and provoke their First Elder. ¡°That¡¯s not true! We have the finest elder in our tribe!¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s funny. Not even the best elder of the ckstone Tribe will be able to fix this!¡± ¡°Even though you say that, you have struggled to fix this sword for a while,¡± Torrs remarked. Perhaps it was because Torrs spoke the truth. The other dwarves clenched their jaws in fury. However, Golgouda silently hammered at a piece of the Primordial Inferno. ng!! ng!! He ignored Torrs and desperately swung his hammer over and over again, like he was praying. ¡°Hand it over now. Don¡¯t insult the sacred sword any longer!¡± Torrs shouted, and the frowns of the other dwarves deepened. At the same time, Golgouda¡¯s hammering intensified. It rang out. Some dwarves were so enraged that their jaws were clenched and their eyes were red. Davey could practically feel their anger just by looking at them. ¡°This has been discussed and agreed upon by all the elders of the other tribes. We can¡¯t leave the sword in the hands of the least skilled tribe. Well, I would¡¯ve been able to trust you if Great Elder Gould was here.¡± As everything was based on abilities and skills for dwarves, no one could say anything to Torrs. ng!! ng!! The intense hammering sound rang throughout the entire workshop, and that was when it happened. Chapter 62 Clutter! Elder Golgouda, who was continuously hammering the sword, threw his hammer on the ground. He had a hopeless gaze, as if he was looking at a terminal patient. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Everyone let out a shameful sigh and frowned. Then, Elder Golgouda also red at the Primordial Inferno and ground his teeth. He seemed so infuriated that tears were forming in his eyes. ¡°I guess there¡¯s nothing more to see here! The men of our tribe are here! Don¡¯t be stubborn and hand it over now!¡± Torres yelled in anger. While Golgouda copsed onto his knees with a dejected expression, a few young dwarf men followed Torres into the workshop and began taking the parts of the Primordial Inferno. They wrapped the separate pieces in the cloth they had prepared. -You? Davey was done organizing his thoughts. He knew that not everything in the world would go his way, but he felt this situation had be moreplicated than he had expected. ¡°Huh?¡± Davey silently stood up and went into the Central Workshop, grabbing a small hammer near him as he headed in. The dwarves looked at him with puzzled expressions, but he walked past them and reached the Primordial Inferno. Then, he stared at Golgouda, who was sitting hopelessly near the sword. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°May I ask you something?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Elder, are you really a true craftsman?¡± Davey¡¯s voice was far colder than anyone had imagined. 26. Let¡¯s Call You Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon. The heated atmosphere of the Central Workshop grew cold in seconds. At first, Elder Golgouda did not understand what Davey was saying; however, as realization dawned upon him, he red at Davey with bulging eyes. His gaze was one of intense anger, and he looked like he wanted to grab his hammer and hit Davey with it right this second. Golgouda asked quietly, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°A true craftsman feels the soul of what they are making and respects it. But you, Elder, threw it away from the beginning.¡± Golgouda flinched at Davey¡¯s reply. [Although it¡¯s very faint, a soul enters everything that a craftsman creates. A person who disrespects this fact has no right to be called a craftsman. Crush their heads!] There was one thing that Davey had mastered at a simr level to his teacher at the Hall, and that was cksmithing. Out of all the heroes who had taught Davey, Surtr had been most devoted to teaching him and the fastest to improve him. It wasn¡¯t because he had been an exceptional teacher, but because Davey was unique in that he had learned many other skills, such as magic, swordsmanship, alchemy, holy power, and more. Normally, one¡¯s lifetime was too short and people didn¡¯t have the capacity to master all these subjects. In that sense, the skills Surtr had taught Davey coincidentally suited him well. Although, he couldn¡¯t catch up to the delicate handwork of that crazy talented cksmith. ¡°A human?¡± Torres, the dwarf of the ckstone Tribe, frowned when he noticed that Davey was here. He shouted, ¡°Hey, Grandpops Golgouda. Now you¡¯re bringing humans into the Central Workshop? Since when did the Central Workshop be a ce where anyone could enter?!¡± ¡°Davey! Stand back! You¡¯re not part of this!!¡± Eighth Elder Goulda, who brought Davey here, quickly tried to stop Davey as soon as Torrs spoke. Still, he kept his eyes on Golgouda. ¡°Let me change the question. Do you really want to fix this?¡± Davey asked Golgouda. ¡°What are you saying? Of course, I¡­¡± Golgouda replied with a frown. However, Davey cut him off before he could finish. ¡°Then why did you do it?¡± Golgouda¡¯s eyes widened at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Does pride sustain you?¡± After speaking, Davey walked over to where a piece of the Primordial Inferno was located. Then, he tapped on its surface with a small hammer. ng¡­ ng¡­ He could hear a clear ring that sounded nothing like hammering metal. It resonated through the workshop. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s long gone. It can¡¯t be used.¡± Davey clicked his tongue. The mana cirction system of the Primordial Inferno hade to an end. A regr lump of metal couldst for tens of thousands of years if properly maintained, but it was impossible for an artifact mixed with mana tost that long since the metal itself would be weathered by the mana. ¡°Hey, human! What are you doing?! How dare you get near that! Get away!¡± A few dwarves came to their senses and ran over to Davey to stop him. ¡°What are you thinking? How dare you interfere here.¡± ¡°Get lost right now!¡± The atmosphere began heating up again as the dwarves scowled, looking like they were going to smash Davey¡¯s head in with their hammers if he did something. ¡°This exceeds his authority! We must formally make aint to the Rowane Kingdom!¡± ¡°Elder Goulda! How are you going to take responsibility for this?¡± The voices of the livid dwarves were getting louder, and some dwarves wereing at Davey to try and pull Davey away. ¡°Elder Golgouda.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have an answer?¡± Golgouda squinted at Davey, as if trying to figure Davey out. ¡°You. What kind of nonsense is¡­¡± ¡°Do you not want to fix it? Or are you trying to escape reality by giving an already dead artifact misced significance?¡± Some of the dwarves flinched at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Three thousand years, right? I think it¡¯s been that long since the Primordial Inferno has been made, and it has tirelessly protected this vige for that time.¡± As Golgouda clenched his jaw, Davey continued, ¡°You¡¯re trying to revive a sword that has passed its natural lifespan? You call yourselves craftsmen? This precious sword has been your spiritual anchor, and yet you treat it like this?¡± Regardless of pride, this sword was a work of Davey¡¯s teacher, meaning that this matter somewhat concerned Davey too. Thud!! As soon as Davey stopped speaking, he roughly moved his arms, and the couple of dwarves who held him simply fell onto the floor. ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°Since when did dwarves be this shameless?¡± Davey remarked. Dwarves were a race of craftsmen; they were skilled and deserved to be called the best in the continent. So how could they not know the condition of an item that had died and could no longer be revived? ¡®That¡¯s bullshit.¡¯ Davey shrugged off the dwarves who were holding him back and took a quick look at the sword part in his hand. Then, he threw it into the nearby furnace without hesitation. ¡°No!!¡± Some of the dwarves screamed, but Davey walked over to another sword part and did the same thing. The dwarves swarmed him, but he kept throwing the parts into the furnace without a word. ¡°You damn human!¡± ¡°Do you want to die?!¡± With menacing, bloodshot eyes, the dwarves swung their hammers at Davey like they were trying to kill him. Even if it was broken, the Primordial Inferno was probably still the symbol of their species. However, some dwarves, including Elder Golgouda and Torres, the dwarf from the ckstone Tribe, just vacantly stared at Davey. ¡°N¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s it¡­¡± Atst, the dwarves copsed onto their knees with nk expressions. They looked at the sword parts that were thrown into the furnace. There were looks of anger, emptiness, and extreme confusion. Some dwarves were even shedding tears in frustration. ¡®Man, I really look like the asshole here.¡¯ -I¡¯ve never seen those stubborn bulls be that dismal. Ignoring Perserque¡¯s chatter, Davey coldly criticized the dwarves, ¡°The sword is already dead, but you just don¡¯t know if you can make a new one.¡± ¡°Shut up! You don¡¯t know anything! Stop speaking as if you do!¡± ¡°I should beat you to death!¡± Some of the dwarves threateningly red at Davey. ¡°You didn¡¯t even try because you thought it was impossible? You guys are supposed to be the greatest craftsmen!!¡± Crash!! As Davey roughly kicked the anvil near him, the anvil crumpled as if it had been hit with arge metal ball. ¡°Stop it! How miserable are you going to make us?!¡± One of the bitter-looking elders shouted in sorrow. The dwarves probably knew that it was pointless trying to fix this sword, which had already reached the end of its life, and that they weren¡¯t skilled enough to create a new one. They couldn¡¯t admit it because of their strong sense of pride, and it led them to self-rationalize and believe that nothing could ever rece this sword. It was the worst thing a craftsman could do. ¡°We are the most skilled among the craftsmen in this continent, and even we couldn¡¯t restore it!¡± The dwarves shouted, ¡°Then, are you saying that you can create this damn sacred sword?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Davey replied calmly. ¡°You must be joking! Even the best craftsmen cannot handle the metal refined with that strange arrangement, and you think you can do it?! A greenhorn human prince?¡± ¡°It is none other than the work of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯! It¡¯s not something that can be made with your trivial skills!¡± ¡°Then just ept it and learn, you people,¡± Davey said. -Think of it in this way. Your n is useless if you can¡¯t win them over¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s think of it as a warm-up.¡¯ As soon as Davey made his decision, he began to move. He quickly gathered a few things in the workshop and started his work. He ssified the reagents by smelling them and neatly organized the tools he needed in one ce. ¡®This should be good for the materials.¡¯ It was befitting to be called the Central Workshop, the ce where the best of the best craftsmen gathered; this was the dwarves¡¯ pride and dignity. Davey immediately turned to face the enormous Great Furnace that could reach up to 3000 degrees Celsius. It was the dwarves¡¯ pride, the pinnacle of their skills. A red fire was still wavering inside from its earlier use. He could feel the intense heat that prevented any regr person from approaching it. However, releasing his mana, Davey stuck his hand inside the furnace without hesitation and cast a spell with his hands. A strange unfamiliarity followed, since this method used mana in apletely different way. It was the mana crafting method: the method that most craftsmen didn¡¯t dare to try, and the specialty and vision of Surtr, the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯. It was a method that was created by a bizarre way of thinking. ¡°Hup?!¡± ¡°Th¡­ The color of the me¡­¡± Chapter 63 The transformation was instant. The red me in the furnace merged with Davey¡¯s mana to be a brilliant blue me. The temperature hadn¡¯t changed, but it was as if something fundamental had transformed. ¡°Hm¡­ This should be good enough for the temperature.¡± Davey didn¡¯t care about the dwarves¡¯ shock or confusion. He just silently waited for the furnace¡¯s temperature to rise. Once it reached his desired temperature, Davey immediately stuck in the metal he had prepared and only pulled it out after it had be bright red from the heat. Then, he ced it on the anvil with a practiced gesture and secured it in ce using a few clips. He could hold it if it were small enough, but the base of it was quite big. ¡°What are you doing? Combining cadmium and mithril into an alloy is forbidden! It¡¯smon knowledge!¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have let that damn human in!¡± Feeling stupid for hoping for some kind of miracle, the dwarves expressed their displeasure out loud. However, their great unhappiness went as quickly as it came when they heard Davey speak. ¡°Who said that methods beyondmon knowledge can¡¯t be used?¡± Davey asked. ng! The dwarves went silent as they heard the resonating sound of a hollow echo. ¡°Did your ancestors say that? Or the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯?¡± ng! It was unusually clear for the sound of a dull hammer hitting a piece of hot iron. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just binding yourselves to the rules that you have made?¡± With every hit from Davey¡¯s hammer, arge ripple seemingly traveled across the piece of metal. The transformation was taking ce. As the hammer hit the surface, a blue wave enveloped the metal, then scattered away. There was no such thing asmon sense; everything depended on how a technique was utilized. Cadmium and mithril could bebined, depending on the crafting method. One example would be the method that the dwarves called deviant. First, Davey mixed the forbidden reagents when mixing types of metals. He then allowed the reagent to be absorbed by the steady me fused with mana and twisted the metallicyers. Among the acts that were not to be done during crafting, some new methods existed. It was kind of like a difference in perspective. ¡®Anyway, mithril is a pretty expensive metal¡­¡¯ Davey thought that this workshop was quite high ss. ng! ng!! A blue wave spread out, rippling with each strike of the hammer. The metal began changing. Since it was difficult for ordinary craftsmen to find theyers of iron and strike them, it was quite surprising that Davey was able to find theyers that changed with every strike and hit them with precision. Perhaps the transformation of the shape of the metal was so rapid, or because Davey hadn¡¯t hammered in a long time, but he was engrossed by the task for a long time. When he finally snapped out of his work, he saw that the metal in front of him had roughly be the shape of arge sword. The sword was so sloppy and dull that it would seemingly take a long time to bepleted, but its waves of mana were simr to what the dwarves had been desperately trying to hold on to. Actually, the mana seemed much stronger than that, but that was unsurprising since it was made by Davey, Surtr¡¯s student. ¡®Hm, was I too focused?¡¯ Davey realized that quite a long time had passed, but no one had stopped him. He acknowledged the fact that he was able to be this focused because no one was bothering him. As he lightly tapped the iplete sword-shaped metal that was on top of the anvil, a faint light shone to reveal its existence. The mana that he had arranged into a pattern were interacting with each other and reacting. Davey gently turned his head before holding up part of his work to the dwarves who were staring at him in shock. Then, he said with a smile, ¡°How easy is that?¡± Even he thought what he said was ridiculous. * * * Ordinary magic swords were made by engraving a magic circle on thepleted weapon, then either embedding a mana stone in a regr sword or getting help from a mage. However, instilling a will in a sword required a different process. ¡°H¡­ How did this¡­¡± The dwarves looked extremely shocked, staring at a weapon thatpletely broke themonly epted knowledge. No one ever imagined that Davey would show them something like this. To them, he was a boy who had suddenly visited from the Rowane Kingdom. It was a little misleading to call Davey a boy, since he was an adult by human standards, but he was still a mere child to the dwarves. They didn¡¯t know what his ultimate request was, but he had entered the vige by borrowing the king¡¯s authority; however, he didn¡¯t show any of his intentions at first. Of course, the dwarves looked down on him; although there was a promise, Davey was an unwee guest who hade without sending word beforehand. On top of that, they were busy with their own troubles. The Eighth Elder Goulda looked out for Davey, since he saw Davey as an amiable human who knew the manners and etiquette of dwarves quite well. However, the other dwarves could care less about him. But now¡­ ¡°H¡­ How¡­ Without a mana stone, the sword¡­¡± Incapable ofpleting his sentence, the Sixth Elder Perdom¡¯s gaze shook in disbelief. He probably expressed what the others also felt. A magic sword was powered by an intricately attached mana stone; it produced multiple types of mana from connecting to the stone¡¯s mana. But there was a problem. A sword that used a mana stone for power could only be used for a certain number of times, since it couldn¡¯t continuously produce mana like the Primordial Inferno or the divine sword. As such, the dwarves who had lost most of their ancient skills were unable to do anything; even if it was the same power, a power that replenished itself and one that had a certain number of usages were fundamentally different. It was sort of simr to how a magic stone was much more advanced than a mana stone. To the dwarves, the Primordial Inferno was probably the ultimate symbol of the pure skills of a craftsman. However, a magic artifact without a mana stone, something that they believed couldn¡¯t be crafted anymore, was made in front of their eyes, and it only took a craftsman¡¯s hammer and anvil. The dwarves stared at Davey, the human boy who was hammering as if he had forgotten about his surroundings. As he picked up part of the enormous sword and showed it to the dwarves, their jaws dropped. ¡°So? Now do you understand?¡± How could they understand when something unbelievable was happening right in front of their eyes? * * * -I think I saw mana thinly spread every time you hammered it, but¡­ ¡®Spreading mana can easily be done with the power of a mana stone. I¡¯m talking about theyers.¡¯ -Layers? ¡®The sword absorbs mana on its o¡­ Simply put, it circtes mana through itself.¡¯ ¡°Elder Golgouda.¡± ¡°Hu¡­ Huh?!¡± Startled by Davey, Golgouda ran over toward Davey with his eyes wide open. ¡°Can you tell what I did?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­¡± As Golgouda struggled to exin, Davey grabbed his hammer and lightly tapped the surface of the sword. ng! ng! The sound was as clear as a bell. It definitely sounded hollow, but the sword was strangely sturdy. ¡°Like the divine sword, there are extremely rare objects that replenish their own power without a mana stone, and they have a nucleus made from metal,¡± Davey exined. ¡°Y¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Most magic artifacts die when the mana stone runs out of stored mana. So, for something to release a strong power while enduring a long period of time like the Primordial Inferno, it must be able to circte mana on its own.¡± A mana arrangement and magic circle could be used to make something circte mana on its own, but these people were craftsmen, not mages; they didn¡¯t craft objects based on magic. ¡°Do you see theseyers?¡± Davey asked Golgouda. ¡°Layers?¡± ¡°Yes. Whether it be the Primordial Inferno, the divine sword, it absorbs mana, devil mana, or holy power on its own. The exact details might be different, but the point is that the crafted item itself must have the shape of a magic circle.¡± ¡°B¡ªbut then it can¡¯t be a weapon! The shape of a magic circle is¡­¡± Golgouda was flustered and tried to exin, but Davey just grinned. ¡°So, we change theyers of the inside of the metal. We delicately create hundreds ofyers and change them to take on the form of a magic circle.¡± As far as Davey knew, the only thing that could constantly store and release power like a mana¡ªno¡ªmagic stone, was Caldeiras, the divine sword, possessed by Illyna de Pan, the imperial princess of the Pan Empire. When he first saw Caldeiras, he couldn¡¯t even dare analyze it because of how advanced it was. ¡°Then¡­ If you randomly change theyers of the inside, the sword won¡¯t be able tost; it¡¯ll break even at the slightest impact.¡± Golgouda argued. ¡®Of course, the durability won¡¯t be strong if it¡¯s hollow.¡¯ ¡°So, that¡¯s why the craftsman envelops it in a thinyer of mana using an artifact or his own power and makes a buffer. That is the main point of the mana crafting method.¡± Davey answered. ¡°Buffer?¡± -But you were quite aloof when you first saw Caldeiras and me. ¡®A man who maintains their poker face when seeing a pretty girl is much more attractive than one who drools at her.¡¯ -For me, it doesn¡¯t matter if they drool or not if they are my type. ¡®What about me?¡¯ -You are too much of a stick. How do you feel about bulking up? Davey was pretty muscr; since he ate and worked out a lot during his spare time, he had gained a lot of muscle. As heined, Perserque giggled. ¡°Most skills disappeared with time. As war changed from life and death between species to war between humans, the skills probably degenerated inevitably.¡± It was honestly disrespectful topare this time to the past when all humans had to unite to match them. ¡°Let me ask you a question: are the dwarves now less skilled than the ones before?¡± Davey asked Golgouda. ¡°That is¡­ Sigh, yes. Our skills are nothingpared to our ancestors.¡± ¡°Is it impossible by your nature?¡± ¡°Definitely not!!¡± Davey nced over at the other dwarves as Golgouda shouted loudly. Their hostility was long gone, and their eyes were filled with vitality. It was like they had discovered something new, some newfound hope. Chapter 64 ¡°This is all I can do for you. Its state is exactly like before, right when the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯ first handed it over to the dwarves. The rest is up to you,¡± Davey said. ¡°But¡­ We can¡¯t even work on the finishing touches with our current level of skill,¡± Golgouda replied. ¡°Then, you have to learn.¡± Davey smiled. Golgouda had an eager expression on his face. ¡°C¡­ Can you teach us those skills?¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to do that for a trade. You¡¯re okay with that, right?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Of course! I would sell my soul to the devil if I could catch up to our ancestors¡¯ skills!¡± ¡°T¡­ Teach me! I will do anything you say!¡± ¡°Teach me! N¡ªNo, please teach me, wise teacher!¡± The other dwarves were eager to learn as well. ¡®Man, look at the change in attitude.¡¯ ¡°Alright. Then¡­¡± No one regarded Davey as a mere greenhorn prince anymore, since the dwarves had seen what he could do with their very own eyes. They¡¯d probably still struggle to believe it without first-hand experience, because it was hard to believe that a young human who was barely an adult was an expert cksmith. The dwarves stared at Davey nervously as he was thinking. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll start after we finish my work.¡± The dwarves felt relieved, their knees almost buckling. Davey felt bad, but he had his own priorities. He dide here to ask for the dwarves¡¯ help with repairing the territory¡¯s facilities, but there was still something with far more importance than that. ¡°Your work?¡± ¡°Actually, I havee to this vige to borrow the Great Furnace.¡± ¡°The Great Furnace?¡± ¡°I have to finish these weapons because I was kind of asked to do so.¡± Davey pulled out two cloth-wrapped weapons from his backpack. ¡°Is that a sword?¡± As Davey unwrapped the objects, the dwarves¡¯ eyes sparkled; they had instinctively felt that the weapons weren¡¯t finished. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± The dwarves were known to be the craftsmen of the century, despite being less skilled than their ancestors. Looking at the iplete swords, they widened their eyes in shock and surprise. They looked on as Davey unwrapped the two dull swords and pulled them out. *** -Why does everyone give you such a look whenever you show them something? One day, I think you¡¯re going to get arrested for sphemy. It was really starting to seem like a bad omen, but Davey wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡®Do you think I¡¯d be afraid of God¡¯s punishment, especially when I have a stigmata?¡¯ Tsk tsk. The real punishment doesn¡¯te from God, but people. The dwarves stared at Davey because of the amazing talent he had shown, but they were now only staring at the two iplete swords in his hands. The two swords were too long to be daggers and too short to be called longswords; they weren¡¯t designed like themon swords in this continent. Still, the craftsmen had already recognized what they were. ¡°H¡­ Hey¡­ W¡ªWhat is that sword?!¡± Out of all the surprised dwarves, it was none other than First Elder Golgouda, the best craftsman in the Yellowstone Tribe, who asked Davey. ¡°How does it look?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Are you kidding? What is¡­ No way, did you make this?!¡± ¡°Hm, I didn¡¯t make it, but I will be the one finishing it.¡± It was just a fact of the matter. Even if he had the materials, Davey wasn¡¯t skilled enough to make something like this; after all, these twin swords had been made by Surtr, the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯, near the end of his life. ¡°T¡­Then, the craftsman who made this sword¡­¡± Golgouda asked. ¡°He died. A long time ago.¡± ¡°Ahem! I¡ªI apologize.¡± Perhaps Golgouda jumped to conclusions, but he nodded with a bitter expression and backed away after listening to Davey¡¯s reply. Davey had no need to feel guilty, since it was true that Surtr was dead. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, seeing an old dwarf get flustered after thinking he had hit a nerve. Davey said, ¡°He¡¯s been dead a long time. It¡¯s already been thousands of years.¡± Perhaps Golgouda understood what Davey was implying. He widened his eyes. ¡°Thousands of years ago? N¡ªNo way, are you¡­!¡± The problem was that the sword¡¯s potential exceeded its initial design due to the long period of aging from abandonment. -Aging? It¡¯s not even alcohol. ¡®All things created with the mana crafting method need a certain time to age. The Primordial Inferno¡­ No, the sword that will be newly crafted needs a few months to settle down before it can be worked on again. And it¡¯ll have to be meticulously maintained during that time.¡¯ -Is that so? ¡®Well, there is a clear difference in the difficulty of maintenance and crafting.¡¯ Wondering about how he should finish the swords, Davey squinted and slid his fingers down the side of the de. To be honest, he needed some time to think about it, because the swords had a lot more potential than he had expected. Even if the swords only retained 10% of their original condition, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous about working on something so great. He didn¡¯t have a lot of time to work on them, so the swords¡¯ quality would ultimately depend on how much effort and skill he could put into them in a short amount of time. ¡°H¡ªHey! Do you have the materials to finish them?¡± Golgouda asked. ¡°Hm? No, I don¡¯t. I¡¯m nning to use an alloy with mithril, so I was going to borrow some from here.¡± Davey didn¡¯t expect to be given any exquisite materials, but since this was a dwarf vige, he would probably be able to get some high-quality mithril. He wanted something like orichalcum or adamantium to finish the swords off, but it was difficult to obtain something that luxurious. However, that problem was solved unexpectedly. ¡®How lucky.¡¯ ¡°W¡ªWait! I¡¯ll lend you my workshop! Although I am not very skilled aspared to you, I have maintained it meticulously! There are plenty of tools for you to use your full abilities!¡± Golgouda offered. ¡°Hm?¡± Davey was puzzled, since a personal workshop was a sacred space to a craftsman. Golgouda shouted passionately, ¡°And I have something that you can use for the finishing material!¡± Golgouda wasn¡¯t cooperating just because Davey was going to teach him; his eyes were filled with the desire to see the finished work of Surtr, the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯. The Primordial Inferno didn¡¯t seem to concern him any longer. ¡®Excuse me. Out of everyone, you shouldn¡¯t be the one to act like that.¡¯ The dwarves stared at Davey, curious as to what he was going to show next. They were almost like dogs excitedly wagging their tails. ¡°If it¡¯s you¡­ You might be able to make a sword that matches up to the divine sword! Just wait!¡± The dwarves stared at Golgouda in shock as he ran off somewhere as fast as he could. ¡°No way, Grandpops Golgouda!¡± ¡°Is he going to bring that out?¡± ¡°He¡¯s crazy! He¡¯s going to bring the thing that he even hid away from the elders?!¡± Davey looked puzzled as he heard the dwarves shout in shock. ¡®How great is it that they are making that big of a fuss over it?¡¯ Davey¡¯s question was answered as soon as Golgouda ran over and handed him a small object. He could feel the mana, which was intensely unique and different from the usual kind. ¡°What¡­is this?¡± Feeling the unfamiliar kind of mana, Davey squinted and unwrapped the cloth to see something white. Although it was for a mere second, he realized what the object was almost instinctively. -Bones? ¡®What the hell.¡¯ ¡°These are the bones of a dragon that my ancestors have left me. It seems that it has absorbed mana for quite some time.¡± Davey was dumbfounded at the unexpected finishing material he had received. It had been a long time since he was this shocked. ¡°Yes, it is my family¡¯s treasure that has been passed down from generation to generation. I have looked after it because there wasn¡¯t anyone who could use it, but¡­ You¡­¡± Golgouda looked at Davey with twinkling eyes. He knew the dragon bones were absolutely perfect for the iplete swords, which had been circting mana and aging for thousands of years. ¡°Wow.¡± Davey was truly astonished. He wasn¡¯t as good a craftsman as Surtr, but that didn¡¯t mean that Davey couldn¡¯t do what Surtr had been able to do; it wasmon for the student to outperform the master in the craftsman¡¯s path. He felt that this could very well create an extremely great weapon. *** ¡°Ahem! W¡ªWise teacher! Let¡¯s have a talk!¡± One of the dwarf elders, who was awkwardly ncing around, approached Davey hesitantly. ¡°Uh¡­ Hm. I understand that Grandpops Golgouda has helped you with a lot of things¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am honored to have received many gifts from him.¡± ¡°Right. Don¡¯t you think that he would feel a little ufortable if you were to use his workshop when you already got the finest material out there? So¡­why don¡¯t you use my¡­¡± ¡°Y¡ªYou grandpa!¡± Golgouda shouted. ¡°Shriek!¡± ¡°Get lost! I already called dibs on him!¡± ¡°Hmph! How could you take all the honor for yourself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! This is tyranny!¡± ¡°Our workshops can match up to yours! This is up to the wise teacher to decide!¡± ¡°W¡ªWhat?!¡± Golgouda shouted. The atmosphere got riled up in seconds, and the dwarves looked like they could start a fight at any minute. Dwarves were known to be hot-tempered, so they would really end up in a fistfight if Davey just left them to keep bickering. It seemed like progress wouldn¡¯t be made unless he put a stop to these dwarves, who were fiercely arguing as if they had a death wish. ¡°Now, now. Everyone stop,¡± Davey said. ¡°Ahem!¡± ¡°Since Elder Golgouda offered his ce first, it would be right to use it.¡± ¡°Ahem! If you say so¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything you need, don¡¯t hesitate to ask! I will get it to you!¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s a very small amount, but I have orichalcum!¡± ¡°What! You grandpa?! T¡ªThen, I will use my family treasure, too! I will give you the 100-year-old Torcilim reagent!¡± Sixth Elder Perdom shouted as if he was in arge auction. ¡°Hmph! 100 grams of adamantium! It is our family treasure! I could boast about it for decades if it were to be used in thest work of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯!¡± ¡°Look at this guy! You think that¡¯s important?! It¡¯s the family treasure! Family treasure!¡± ¡°Hey, you grandpa! It¡¯s better to invest it and raise the prestige of our family, rather than letting it rot somewhere! And is that the reagent in your hand? You always threw your hammer at me whenever I asked to see it!¡± Seventh Elder Ranselle shouted, not backing down. The elders kept yelling. It became apetition of who could offer the best thing; now, everyone hopped on the bandwagon and began shouting, presenting Davey with what they had. Individually, the materials offered weren¡¯t as notable as the ancient dragon bones that Golgouda had offered, but they all added up into a significant haul. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t help but let out a gasp of astonishment as the dwarves went on. Even if they were dwarves, it was still difficult for them to umte fine materials. Extremely rare metals such as orichalcum or adamantium were very valuable; few craftsmen could even see these materials in their entire lifetime. Only tiny amounts could be found at once, so it only became a sizable amount over the umtion of generations. It was truly something that deserved the title of a family treasure. Chapter 65 ¡°Hey, you people. How could you give up your family treasure that easily?¡± Davey spoke to the dwarves. ¡°It¡¯s fine! We can¡¯t use it anyways! I think our ancestors would be happy if you used it in thest work of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯, wise teacher!!¡± Davey was afraid that the dwarves¡¯ ancestors would really feel that way. The ancestors were also dwarves, after all. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Davey let out a deep sigh and looked at all the materialsid out in front of him. -You don¡¯t have enough? ¡®All these materials are also going to disappear, too.¡¯Davey thought as he looked at the orichalcum, adamantium, and various aged reagents. Not only that, but there were also the dragon bones that were going to be the finishing material. ¡®I think I¡¯m going to have to tweak my design a little.¡¯ Davey was going to use what he was given; he decided to look at the bright side. * * * ¡°I will issue my authority as the highest-ranking elder! I cannot give up anymore!¡± Golgouda shouted. ¡°You cheap grandpa!¡± ¡°Hmph! Tsk tsk!¡± Atst, the dwarves¡¯ fight about whose workshop Davey was going to use came to an end with Golgouda¡¯s dirty trick. It could be seen as a cheap trick, but it could also be seen as realistic and practical. ¡°H¡ªHow do you like it? Wise teacher! Is it just right?¡± Golgouda asked. ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s very nice!¡± Davey was truly in awe when he saw Golgouda¡¯s workshop. The old dwarf wasn¡¯t called the best craftsman in the tribe for nothing; the workshop was neat and tidy, and had a furnace directly connected to the Great Furnace, along with various tools and anvils. ¡°Ahem! As much as I want to assist you on the final work¡­¡± Golgouda¡¯s voice trailed off. He nced at the two swords on the anvil with a strong yearning in his eyes, but soon shook his head as if he had decided. ¡°I can¡¯t do that, since there are rules I must keep as a craftsman. Like you said, we will think about it while you work.¡± Davey watched Golgouda, who walked away after speaking gantly, and mumbled quietly, ¡°Hm¡­ He could¡¯ve watched if he wanted.¡± -What are you going to do if someone steals your techniques? ¡°They won¡¯t know how to do it even if they watch.¡± Davey wasn¡¯t exactly wrong to say so. He then added, ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s get started.¡± Davey stared at the furnace that was burning with a bright blue me, then immediately pushed the two swords in. He spread his hands and closed his eyes. Whoosh!!! Blue energy began escaping from his body, creating a giant magic circle in the air. ¡®If you don¡¯t have something, improvise with the next best thing. There¡¯s more than one way to skin a cat.¡¯ Davey wasn¡¯t enlightened enough to be a craftsman as outstanding as Surtr, but he was getting there in his own way. Even though Davey had trained for about a thousand years, he still couldn¡¯t catch up to the aplishments that one human had achieved in a lifetime; Surtr wasn¡¯t called monstrously talented for nothing. ¡®Now that I think about it this way, maybe I wasn¡¯t really that gifted,¡¯ Davey thought, but he soon shook the thought off. He believed that the things hecked inparison to Surtr could be improved by doing something else. He took the shiny swords that were surrounded in a blue me out of the furnace. Then, he grabbed his hammer and took a deep breath. * * * The workshop was quiet aside from the constant sound of hammering. Davey felt like it had been so long since he had used his abilities to make something. ng!! sh!! Every time he hit the burning sword, a blue me rose up and disappeared. The swords were almost finished, but Davey heated them up in the furnace and hammered them again. If the only avable material for the finishing touch was mithril, he was going to just te a few parts and be done with it. However, his ns all changed because of the family treasures like orichalcum, adamantium, and the dragon bones the dwarves had brought him. Living things were eventually bound to break and decay over time. However, dragon bones were different; the bones of dragons were the only mana-infused remains of an enormous being. As such, the bones only got stronger with time. It wouldn¡¯t even decay over ten thousand years if there was a sufficient source of mana. Davey knew that the ancient dragon bones were valuable and rare, but he didn¡¯t expect any to be left in the continent. He squinted at the dragon bones that were ced separately from the other materials. ¡®I know how to work with it.¡¯ He smiled as he remembered something from his time at the Hall of Heroes. [Eh! You puny girl! Give it!] [Who are you calling a t-chested puny girl, you jackass?!] [What¡¯s with you, girl? I didn¡¯t say you are t-chested!] [Shut up! I¡¯m going to burn Davey alive!] [What¡¯s wrong with you, bitch?! Why are you trying to burn a perfectly normal boy?] Davey didn¡¯t know why he had been punished when Surtr had been the one who teased her¡­ The Hall of Heroes, the gathering ce for the heroes¡¯ souls, was created by the heroes¡¯ minds. It was very simr to paradise in a way; it seemed to be like a reward for the heroes who had worked so hard in their lives. Thanks to that, Surtr had once given Davey dragon bones by borrowing the power of Odin, the God of Mages. Of course, an appropriate amount of effort was needed to create something very high-quality. Since Surtr couldn¡¯t just whip up something like dragon bones, he had pushed and nagged Odin who had experience in materializing a small amount of dragon bones. Davey could still see the image of the little mage sobbing as she handed Surtr the bones. [That¡¯s it. That¡¯s one of the main materials of the divine sword. It¡¯s difficult to obtain, but you should know how to use it if you ever encountered it, right?] At that time, Davey was annoyed at how Surtr had been making him use an ancient relic that he didn¡¯t think really existed. But that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Davey became lost in his cksmithing as he started to concentrate, and nothing could bother him. Every one of his brain cells was focused on polishing the two swords, and he hammered away and forgot that time even existed. The swords¡¯ natural color deepened with every hit of Davey¡¯s hammer. As the blue me scattered away, the blue and red sheen of the swords intensified and brightened. ng!! ng!! The sound was much louder and clearer than the sound of hitting regr metal. It resonated through the workshop, but Davey didn¡¯t plug his ears; he took in the entire sound and sped up the process. -It¡¯s beautiful¡­ Even Perserque was infatuated with the shine of the swords. She quietly watched Davey as he worked. Atst, the dark maroon-colored sword absorbed light and transformed into a clear ruby color. The blue sword transformed into a mystical sapphire color that looked like a supernova in the night sky. And finally, Davey finished building the grip and pommel of the swords, which shone on their own, and began sanding the des on a sharpening stone. It would have been nice if these swords were themon ones that could be sharpened using a machine, but because of their quality and material, they couldn¡¯t be affected by regr stones. Thankfully, Davey was able to sharpen and envelop the swords in mana since he had the sharpening stone, another family treasure, that one of the dwarves had given him. Whoosh¡­ Whoosh!! The two swords vibrated while intensely releasing mana like a newborn baby crying from its birth into the world. Davey wiped off the sweat from his forehead. The workshop was like a sauna from the heat of the endlessly burning furnace, but he didn¡¯t cast any fire resistance spells and simply endured the heat. This was a risky job that would fail if the temperature was even a little off. Whoosh¡­ Whoosh!! Running his fingers down the shining red and blue swords, Davey felt that the dull, rough texture had been reced with smoothness. ¡°I should give you a name now.¡± Davey already had names in mind, ever sinceying eyes on them for the first time. ¡°You guys are now Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon!¡± Whoosh!!!! The swords vibrated like crazy, as if aware of their own existence. It would take time for their ego to awaken, but this was a sign that they had instinctively epted the name. -Those are awful names¡­ Davey could hear Perserque¡¯s tiredmenting from behind him, but he was eager to examine the status of the swords first. ¡®[Check Information].¡¯ Since he didn¡¯t have a reason to wait, Davey reached out toward the swords. He didn¡¯t hide his excitement and used Perserque¡¯s authority. Bleep!! -Name: Red Ribbon. -Status: Finishing up. -Shape: A wide, two-ded Ring Pommel Sword. -Length: 88 centimeters. -Width: 6 centimeters. -Contractor: Davey O¡¯Rowane. -Completion Level: 99.9%. -Details: The first sword of the final work created by the great cksmith, who had used mana in his crafts, by pouring out all his strength before passing; sword repaired andpleted by the student of the great cksmith to execute his teacher¡¯s final wishes; stats are out of this world; not at 100%pletion level because the ego has not woken up;rge amounts of elemental and devil mana circting; has the absolute authority to cut the living; cuts and ignores all physical attacks on the sword; all abilities amplified when held together with twin sword. Bleep! -Name: Blue Ribbon. -Status: Finishing up. -Shape: A wide, two-ded Ring Pommel Sword. -Length: 88 centimeters. -Width: 6 centimeters. -Contractor: Davey O¡¯Rowane. -Completion Level: 99.9%. -Details: Second sword with stats that are out of this world; second of the twin swords;rge amounts of the power of the spirits and holy power circting; has the authority to cut the dead; cuts everything that does not exist in the physical world; destroys authority of immortality; lethal to demon-type beings; all abilities amplified when held together with the first sword. ¡°¡­¡± Without a word, Davey raised the Red Ribbon and lightly shed down on a mithril anvil. The swing was light and had no mana on it. However¡­ ¡®sh it.¡¯ Shwing! As soon as Davey wished for it to be cut, the mithril anvil was divided into two without the slightest resistance. The greatest dwarf-made anvil that didn¡¯t even dent when struck multiple times with the Aura de had been cut into two by a single swing. ¡°¡­¡± -¡­ There was a moment of silence. Then, Davey picked up the Blue Ribbon and shed the air. Crack! He heard the sound of something being sliced in the air. ¡°Wow¡­¡± -What kind of sword cuts mana with a swing?! The Blue Ribbon wasn¡¯t able to cut the anvil as easily as the Red Ribbon, but the mana floating in the path of the Blue Ribbon had stopped flowing and disappeared. It was the sword¡¯s authority to cut things that didn¡¯t exist in the physical world, and since mana was an energy that was part of thew of anti-physics, it had been shed apart. It seemed like Davey had created something insane. Chapter 66 27. Fearless Vampires. ¡®How long was I here for?¡¯ Davey wondered. It didn¡¯t feel like a long time, but he wasn¡¯t sure. He often lost track of time and worked for days when he was very focused. -It has finallye to an end. ¡°Thanks for waiting.¡± -No, it¡¯s fine. It was quite fascinating, so it was worth it, I guess. Davey tilted his head in confusion as Perserque giggled. He asked, ¡°Fascinating?¡± -Well, it¡¯s nothing! ¡°Ah, what is it? Tell me.¡± Feeling anxious, Davey scolded Perserque, but she just stuck her tongue out and scattered away. He felt goosebumpsing along as it seemed like she was never going to tell him, but he shook that thought off. Nothing would change even if he kept thinking about it. Creak! Thud!! Davey slowly opened the workshop¡¯s heavy doors to see a few of the young dwarves dozing off while standing in front of the workshop. They were obviously craftsmen, but it seemed that they stood guard here to keep the ce quiet while he worked. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey initially thought that maybe he should leave them be, but he immediately woke them. ¡°Snore¡­ Drool¡­ Huh?¡± The dwarf woke up as soon as Davey shook him. He opened his eyes in a daze, but quickly widened his eyes to stare right at Davey. He shouted, ¡°Huk!!¡± ¡°Did you see a ghost or something?¡± Davey asked. ¡°T¡ªTeacher! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Well, there isn¡¯t anything to be sorry about. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Hey you! Stop sleeping and wake up!¡± Feeling flustered, the dwarf who was talking to Davey beat the other snoozing dwarf to wake him up. ¡°Hup! Teacher! Have you finished?¡± The other dwarf asked. ¡°We were guarding this ce in case anyone tried to disturb you!¡± The first dwarf exined. ¡°How long was I in there?¡± Davey asked. ¡°About four days¡­ Are you okay?¡± ¡°Four days?¡± ¡°Yes, we were worried since you wouldn¡¯te out to eat even if we knocked¡­ Ah! I will go and send word to the elders.¡± As the dwarves quickly ran off, Davey stood still and stared into space. He had worked through the night before, but he couldn¡¯t believe that he had just hammered for four days straight without eating or sleeping. -Your determination was simr to that of a madman¡­ Davey felt strangely nervous, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ask Perserque for more details. For four days, or 96 hours, he had focused on his work with no food or sleep. He had survived on just water. If he had stayed a little longer, he probably would¡¯ve copsed from working too hard. Now that he realized that, he strangely felt more tired than before. -You should get some sleep. ¡°I¡¯m still good,¡± Davey said, but he was pretty tired from pouring all of his energy out for an extended period of time. ¡°Wow! Wise teacher!¡± ¡°You are back!¡± The elders had been discussing matters, but dropped everything toe running to Davey. They were like little children running toward a snack. ¡°Did you make progress?¡± Davey asked the elders. ¡°Yes! We made some progress because of the hints you left us!¡± Like a child, Elder Golgouda proudly showed Davey arge object. It definitely needed some improvements, but it had the potential to be pretty good if some parts were fixed. ¡°S¡­. So, teacher. Is it finished?¡± One of the old dwarf elders asked with caution. No one stopped him from asking; perhaps the others were curious, too. ¡°Ah, this. It turned out way better than I imagined.¡± Davey put down the two cloth bundles that were in his arms The dwarves gasped. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°This is the final product of thest work of the ¡®Thousand-Day cksmith¡¯!¡± ¡°It¡¯s finally done!¡± Before, they looked worn out from studying how to create a new sacred object. But now, they lookedpletely rejuvenated. ¡°T¡ªTeacher! Please show us!¡± ¡°Ah, man¡­¡± As Davey unwrapped the cloth and the dwarves gasped in surprise, the two swords, which didn¡¯t even have a sheath yet, emitted a faint light and boasted their presence. ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°No way! A sword shining on its own¡­¡± ¡°Is this the armory created by a true craftsman?¡± The dwarves were on their knees while they let out astonished gasps. It was as if they were praying to a God. Among them, some had tears in their eyes, as if a devoted person had encountered God. ¡°To see a work as great as this¡­ For something this great to be created with the material I offered! I have no regrets!¡± ¡°Me neither!¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Look at that beautiful figure!¡± Well, the swords were extraordinary. They were rare and unique, so knights would most likely dly die for them. The dwarves instinctively noticed the strange power within the swords and wanted to ask Davey about it, but he didn¡¯t give them a chance to. ¡°I think I need to get some rest. I am human, after all.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± ¡°I¡­ I apologize.¡± Still, the dwarves couldn¡¯t easily let go of their desires to examine the swords in detail. * * * Davey waspletely knocked out after his four days of endless work. He only woke up after one entire day had passed, even though he was strong enough to not feel tired very easily. Perhaps because he had put all his strength and energy into making the swords, he had fallen into an incredibly deep sleep. But after a proper rest, Davey felt super refreshed. He woke up and spent his time rxing and sharing his wisdom with the dwarves who were racking their brains trying to make a new sacred item. ¡°W¡ªWise teacher! Wouldn¡¯t the sturdiness be significantly decreased?¡± ¡°Ah, you have to alter the temperature of the me. You need to adjust the temperature as you work with the tougher metals that also have more mana-affinity than mithril. That way, you won¡¯t risk breaking it.¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°And Elder Romdhi, don¡¯t try to forceyers just by hammering. You have to do it naturally.¡± ¡°L¡ªLike this?¡± ¡°A little lighter.¡± ¡°Ah! Okay! Thank you, Wise teacher! Wahaha!¡± They were dwarves skilled enough to be the leaders of a dwarf vige. Even though there were some that could not be elders, everyone here was craftsman with highly acknowledged skills. They were all proud of that fact. Only the most extraordinary craftsmen could be elders, but if someone other than dwarves saw them right now, they looked more like newbies who were beginning to learn cksmithing. They were just much more passionate. These dwarves had let go of their pride and were now purely filled with passion. They yearned to learn more; it was as if they had gone back to the time they first held their hammer. And so, teaching them was also quite an interesting and rewarding job. Dwarves were as stubborn as bulls, but they always repaid their debts. For better or for worse. To them, they owed Davey a huge debt of gratitude. And the more they were indebted to him, the more he could gain from them; it wasn¡¯t a bad trade. -That¡¯s not how you really feel. ¡®I have an excuse to rx and enjoy my life. How nice is that?¡¯ -You are quite easygoing. ¡®You have to rest when you have the chance. After all, we¡¯re all doing this to livefortably, right?¡¯ -I wish I had a body. Strangely, Davey felt that Perserque wouldy around all day and sip juice if she was given a physical body. As for the situation in the Heins territory, Davey had nothing to worry about since he was getting daily reports from Royal Attendant Bernile through themunication crystal. Since the territory needed another month to really get up and going, all he could do was idly stare at the sky even if he was at the territory right now. Thanks to the techniques Davey was teaching them, the dwarves were sessfully crafting their second sacred item. Everything was going ording to n, so the enormous sword that was the mainponent of the sacred item began showing its greatness. The dwarves made everything other than the nucleus and the skeletal structure with their own skills and techniques, so they were extremely proud and delighted. The sacred item might just be a trivial tool to Davey, but it was a new spiritual anchor to the dwarves. They were probably overjoyed at the fact that they were able to recreate the sacred item with their own hands. There was a high rock cliff that overlooked the entire area from just outside the vige. This was where the elders of the Yellowstone Tribe, which was surrounded by rocky terrain, came to grab firewood. It was also a nice ce to enjoy the view, perfect for rxing with a hammock or something. ¡°Thank you, wise teacher. We dwarves are known to be hot-tempered, but we always repay our debt. We are forever indebted to you.¡± As Davey was enjoying the view while munching on a coconut-like fruit, someone approached him and handed him a unique-looking ceramic. It was Golgouda, the highest elder in the Yellowstone Tribe. He greeted the dwarf, ¡°Oh, Elder Golgouda.¡± ¡°This is, um¡­ This is a liquor that my brother really cherishes. I heard that you like to drink.¡± Quite a long time had passed with Davey sharing his wisdom with the dwarves after he had finished the Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon. In the meantime, he taught them new skills during the day and had drinks with them at night. The dwarves were very friendly to Davey, a human who knew the etiquette of dwarves and the person who gave them a glimmer of hope. Of course, they probably liked him more because he won the Eighth Elder Goulda, the best drinker in the tribe, in a drinkingpetition. Chapter 67 ¡°Thank you. I like the aroma. It¡¯s not too strong, either,¡± Daveymented. Golgouda nodded. ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. Not all dwarves like strong liquor. Actually, I have something I want to talk to you about too.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± ¡®Is he going toe at me forcutting his mithril anvil?¡¯ Davey began to think of an excuse. As a joke, he thought that maybe he should hand over one of the twin swords as coteral. Whoosh! Of course, Davey had to think of something else. The two swords, which didn¡¯t even have conscious egos yet, vibrated in strong opposition to his idea. ¡°The truth is¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry about the anvil. At ater time, I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Hm? What are you talking about?¡± As Golgouda looked at him with a puzzled expression, Davey quickly shut his mouth. ¡°Nothing. Anyway, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ahem! I may be old, but my ears are still fine. Other than finishing thest work of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith,¡¯ I did hear that you wanted to bring us dwarves over to repair the facilities in your territory,¡± Golgouda said. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Davey had intended to bring the matter upter, but things were now made easier with Golgouda mentioning it first. ¡°We dwarves never forget a favor. Although our skills are nothingpared to yours, we will help you with anything.¡± ¡°Are you sure? It might take a long time.¡± ¡°We have received a huge favor from you, wise teacher. We are no longer going to be remembered as ipetent ancestors to the next generation, and we have also regained our pride. Also, you have allowed us to discover the skills our ancestors had studied,¡± Golgouda said. Davey said nothing. The sacred item held a lot more significance than he had expected. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say a proper thank you. You set us on the right path when we were caught up in our stubborn ways, tainting the name of the dwarves.¡± Golgouda spoke calmly and chuckled, as if he was a grandpa talking to his grandson. It was an honest and friendly smile that came from the heart. He then made a pledge. ¡°Although we arecking, we will follow you, teacher. We swear on the God of Iron that we will always stand with you when you have any problems. The Yellowstone Tribe will always follow you, even if all the other tribe viges are hostile.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°We should be the ones thanking you.¡± There wasn¡¯t a hint of regret in Golgouda¡¯s smile. ¡°Then, please be my territory¡¯s residents,¡± Davey offered. ¡°Residents?¡± ¡°I want to make the Heins Territory, which I am managing, into a unique territory.¡± Currently, there were many species living in the continent, but each had their own exclusive region. There wasn¡¯t any ce where various species lived in harmony. ¡°So, can I assume that you are asking us to consider leaving this ce and moving there?¡± Golgouda asked. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not right away. And to be exact, I am not requesting the dwarves of the Yellowstone Tribe to move.¡± Golgouda tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I will tell you the detailster. All I need right now is your cooperation.¡± Golgouda looked puzzled, trying to figure out Davey¡¯s intentions. But he soon shook away that thought. He opened his mouth to say something when¡­ ¡°Elder!! Elder Golgouda!!¡± Someone hurriedly ran toward them and called for Gologuda. ¡°What is it?¡± Golgouda¡¯s smile vanished from his face. He asked in a solemn tone, because the approaching dwarf was one of the attack dwarves guarding the vige. ¡°There¡¯s a big problem! I think an intruder has hidden in our vige!¡± ¡°Intruder?¡± Golgouda frowned. Whip!! Crash!! A sharp red object flew toward the two dwarves when Golgouda had just heard the news. Davey got off his hammock and swung his arms. The object that bounced off his arm was a red knife, but it wasn¡¯t made out of metal. It was made out of blood. * * * ¡°Ahhhhh!! Goddamn Davey!!¡± The scream was one of insanity. Thedies-in-waiting turned pale as the boy hadpletely lost his cool and was flipping out. He just kept screaming without any thought; he was too angry to think straight. ¡°Davey!!! Davey!!!¡± As he was breaking, kicking, and destroying everything around him while screaming Davey¡¯s name, he didn¡¯t seem to be in good shape. First of all, not a strand of hair could be seen on the top of his head; it was as if he had shaved only the crown of his head for some kind of surgery. It was what people called arge bald patch! What enraged the boy more was that he wasn¡¯t evenpletely bald. He just had a patch of baldness about the size of a palm at the very top of his head. However, Davey¡¯s curse didn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Yo¡­ Your Highness¡­ Please calm¡­¡± ¡°What?! Ribbit!!¡± There was a strange animal sound that he kept blurting out at the end of his sentences. It didn¡¯t happen all the time, only emerging when he had something to say during important moments. It also urred regardless of his intentions; it was as if it waited for the perfect timing. Because the animal sounds happened just some of the time, it looked like Carlus was joking around. It was so bewildering that even Queen Lynesse, his biological mother, couldn¡¯t figure out what was wrong with him. Since it wasn¡¯t a disease, the examination of Ramdas, the pce doctor, yielded no answers either. The only people who could recognize some mischief were the priests. However, the curse guing Carlus was made by the dark mages who were constantly oppressed and persecuted, meaning that the traces of the curse couldn¡¯t be easily found even if the low-ranking priests examined him. As wild and destructive as dark magic was, it was developed in secret. And so, the details about Carlus¡¯ symptoms, which were simr to madness, were hard to find. However, Carlus was fully aware that his weird symptoms started to happen after he had encountered Davey, the First Prince of this kingdom and the idiot that he thought to be inferior to him. ¡°Gahh!!!!¡± ¡°Please calm down, Your Highness!¡± Of course, others assumed that Carlus had gone mad and was oddly obsessing over Davey. ¡°Cacaw!! Cock-a-doodle-doo!!¡± Carlus frowned in extreme anger and confusion. He was hiding it as best as he could, but news about his hair was already spreading. The rumor turned even more strange because of his weird animal cries. He was flipping out since he wasn¡¯t used to things not going his way. ¡°Giggle!¡± Then, one of thedies-in-waiting could no longer hold in herughter. She giggled at Carlus¡¯ strange voice. She instinctively covered her mouth, but he had already heard her. She cried out, ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness!¡± ¡°Yes, you are all mocking me too! How dare you lowly beings!!!¡± Carlus lost his cool and was blinded by anger. Trembling in fear, thedy-in-waiting copsed onto the floor from Carlus¡¯ menacing attitude. However, he simply walked over to her and strangled her without hesitation. ¡°How dare you insult me?! Die!! Die!!!¡± ¡°Gasp!! Wheeze!¡± Thedy-in-waiting iled around, but a little girl couldn¡¯t beat the strength of Carlus, who had insisted on getting swordsmanship training. Watching her go limp after iling around and even pissing on the floor, the otherdies-in-waiting went pale. It was an insane situation, but no one could say anything; there was no one who could stop Carlus. ¡°You¡­ Are you guys mocking me too?!¡± Carlus shouted. ¡°N¡ªNo, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Please have mercy!¡± As his anger shifted toward the otherdies-in-waiting, they simultaneously began trembling and got on the floor to beg for forgiveness. If they didn¡¯t do so, they were convinced that they would die just like the first girl did. ¡°No¡­ No! You are mocking me as well, right? Ehehehe¡­ Ribbit ribbit!¡± Laughing strangely, Carlus¡¯ eyes shone with malice, and it looked like he was going to kill everyone here immediately. Thedies-in-waiting had to calm him down somehow, but they couldn¡¯t say a word as they trembled in fear. That was when a rxed and easygoing voice was heard. ¡°Hm, I haven¡¯t seen anything this interesting in a while.¡± Carlus, who was walking toward thedies-in-waiting, opened his eyes wide and turned toward the voice. Then, he stopped for a second as someone entered the room through a window that had opened on its own. He was surprised that someone had broken in, but that wasn¡¯t his concern. ¡°Kyakk!¡± ¡°Shriek!¡± The intruder was holding onto a human head. It was still bleeding, as if it had been freshly ripped off of someone. Thedies-in-waiting fainted, foaming at the mouth, as they watched the horrendous situation. But Carlus, who had lost his mind, growled at the intruder with a threatening scowl. ¡°Who are you? Do you have any idea where this is?!¡± ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet. My name is Pace.¡± The man with icy blond hair and eerily red eyes had a cunning handsomeness. However, his extremely pale skin made Carlus question if he was really human. Unphased by the situation, Pace calmly greeted Carlus with a sly smile. ¡°Actually, I heard that you were disappointed by one of our people.¡± ¡°Your people?¡± Pace smiled eerily and snapped his fingers. Whoosh¡­ A space opened up near him and someone was pulled out from it. It was a battered-up woman hanging on a cross; she was in a shape so bad that it was difficult to tell whether she was alive or not. However, Carlus was familiar with the woman. ¡°You¡¯re Mother¡¯s¡­¡± It was Shari, the quietdy-in-waiting who used to be under Queen Lynesse. Carlus thought that she had disappeared at some point. ¡°You¡­ What are you? Growl¡­¡± Chapter 68 Carlus grit his teeth, because strange animal sounds were escaping from his mouth again. It truly was a curse. Listening to his weird sounds, Paceughed his head off and lightly flicked his hand. He chuckled, ¡°Kekeke. Someone yed a funny trick on you.¡± Paching! As soon as Pace spoke, something shattered from within Carlus¡¯ body. ¡°I can easily break that. Consider this on the house.¡± ¡°Who are you¡­ Hup! The weird animal noises¡­¡± Carlus muttered. ¡°That won¡¯t happen anymore since I just broke the curse. Is that important, though?¡± Pace asked. ¡°What?¡± This time, no strange animal noise followed his sentence. Carlus realized that the weird cries that were bothering him had disappeared. ¡°Sign a contract with me. We will take care of the person you despise,¡± Pace said. ¡°Hup?!¡± Realizing that Pace wasn¡¯t offering empty promises, Carlus gulped. He flinched, feeling a pressure pressing down on him. He frowned menacingly and turned pale. ¡°How is that?¡± Pace asked. ¡°You¡­can kill him? Davey has a stigmata, and someone else is also protecting him. He¡¯s not that easy a target.¡± Pace should have been surprised at Carlus revealing information that should be disclosed with caution, but he just shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s nothing but a human.¡± ¡°You speak as if you aren¡¯t one.¡± ¡°Well, it should be settled soon. I have already sent my subordinates that way.¡± Pace slowly stood up and as he did, Shari, thedy-in-waiting who was hanging from the cross, disappeared into the air. Pace¡¯s red, bloody eyes shone. ¡°They should have his head by now.¡± * * * Only one authority allowed for blood-rted abilities, such as making blood stronger than metal. It came from an unknown power. It was the power of blood, the authority of vampires. However, the thing that appeared before Davey¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t exactly a vampire. ¡°Who are you?! How dare youe in here!¡± ¡°Show your¡­ Gasp! Elder! Look!¡± The dwarves, who were flustered at the sudden attack, ran all over the ce. It was only after an unexpected discovery did their jaws drop. -A demonic beast¡­ And a high-level one at that. ¡®The power of blood is unique to vampires, but a demonic beast has it too.¡¯ The beast was about the size of a house, and it had huge ws and spiky thorn-like fur. Its appearance was threatening. ¡®The blood-made knife probably came from that.¡¯ The beast looked down at the vige as if eyeing its prey, then it fixed its gaze onto Davey. Grr¡­ The beast smiled eerily, took a deep breath, and let out a loud roar. Roar!!! The volume was astonishing. ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°Agh!¡± The aftermath was quite severe; as soon as Davey reflexively released his holy power and cast a protection spell on the two dwarves who were in front of him, an intense vibration resonated through the vige and began breaking the surrounding rocks apart. Thud!! The two dwarves couldn¡¯t endure the bestial roar even with Davey¡¯s protection spell and copsed onto the ground. The beast came down, looking satisfied. It never cared about the dwarves anyway, since its target was Davey in the first ce. ¡°Would you look at that?¡± Davey scoffed at the absurdity of the situation. The beast slowly circled around Davey. To Davey, its thoughts of ying with him before killing him were in as day. Demonic beasts were animals that acted on instinct. The beast using the power of blood, which was the vampires¡¯ unique power, was unexpected, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was an idiot. ¡®And this beast has such thoughts? It¡¯s not even funny.¡¯ ¡°You think you¡¯re the predator?¡± As if it understood Davey, the beast, which was putting pressure on the surroundings with an eerie strength, became extremely furious. -Grr¡­ Roar!!! Davey¡¯s gentle provocation had gotten the beast ferocious in seconds. -Blood aura? Perserque sounded surprised as she noticed the red energy current that was surrounding the beast¡¯s ws. The power of blood was a unique power that vampires of a certain rank could release, and some high-ranking ones could even release a red de energy. Even if it was the same aura, a blood aura was sharper and stronger than a regr one. This particr beast had the power of an ¡®Expert¡¯ level. Normally, it took a person of the highest level in ¡®Expert¡¯ to easily kill any demonic beast that wasn¡¯t a high-ranking one. However, this red beast in front of Davey was iparably more dangerous than regr demonic beasts. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Crack!! Davey didn¡¯t have to care about someone watching him go wild because no one was conscious. He put his hand into a void as he stomped and smashed the ground. It was helpful that he had forcibly created a subspace because he didn¡¯t have a good space to store them separately. The spell to create a subspace purely from a mage¡¯s powers and without any tools was a high-ranking seven-circle spell, and it was difficult to cast with the mana circles Davey had now, since he hadn¡¯t reached the seventh circle yet. All he could do was create a very small space that was enough to store two swords. The best way to deal with the beast was to use high-level holy magic or borrow the power of the divine sword, but Davey had two tools that were much better than that. Roar!! Even the Aura de of a ¡®Master¡¯ would have a hard time shing the beast¡¯s body, which was like a huge lump of metal. However, Davey didn¡¯t cast Aura de, the symbol of the ¡®Master¡¯ level, or Aura, the symbol of the ¡®Expert¡¯ level. All he did was swing what was in his hand. ¡°People have to use tools.¡± Since he now had the best weapon, Davey had to try it out. One could only truly appreciate a new car after taking it for a ride. [Demon Sword Art 24th Form] [Majestic sh] It was a slow and gentle sh that seemingly couldn¡¯t even cut the beast. However, as soon as the de came close to its body, a red afterimage instantly elerated and split into a dozen strands that covered the sky. 28. An Omen The World of Martial Arts hit its prime when Davey¡¯s swordsmanship teacher, Dokgo Jun, the Heavenly Destroyer, had been alive. From what Davey had heard, there was a time when people grew tired of the extremely corrupt Orthodox partisan dignitaries and those who trained in martial arts found it increasingly difficult to do anything. [So, what I did! Hup! So¡­ Um, what did I say? Hup!] To be honest, Dokgo Jun had been nothing but a drunkard who couldn¡¯t really be believed. But Davey had heard numerous times that he had united the entire World of Martial Arts with one sword. There were 88 moves that Dokgo Jun had made, and each one had been like a finishing move; his destructive and extremely powerful swordsmanshipbined with Sword Lord Ares¡¯ and became the most optimal form for Davey. Split!!! With a momentary vibration of the air, the beast was shredded. ¡°Woah, this is nice.¡± Davey¡¯s expectations were exceeded. He had made these swords for himself and no one else; as such, there was no way the swords wouldn¡¯t bepatible with him. Davey shook off the blood on the sword as soon as the chargingrge, red demonic beast fell onto the ground. The blood slowly began evaporating, as if burning away as steam. ¡°I think this is enough for the Red Ribbon.¡± As Davey spoke calmly, Perserque poked his cheek. -You. That thing isn¡¯t dead yet. ¡°I know.¡± Shshshsh¡­ ¡®Be careful of what you wish for.¡¯ Thanks to the Red Ribbon, the beast had been cut into several pieces. As its blood began moving andbining with each other, as if it had its own will, Davey put his hand into the void again. He pulled out a sapphire-colored sword. ¡°Perserque. Do you know anything about a demonic beast having qualities of immortality when it¡¯s not even a high-ranking vampire?¡± -A beast using the power of blood isn¡¯t normal in the first ce. Grr¡­ Roar!! Showing an unbelievable recovery speed, the beast¡¯s shreds of flesh clumped together before it came back alive. The insane beast came at Davey in extreme anger, charging as if it was going to rip him into shreds with its sharp ws. Its speed was no different than before. Split!! As the red sh of light cut its body once again, its attacks lost strength and it flew into the air. ¡°Well then¡­ Let¡¯s see the authority of destroying immortality.¡± High-ranking vampires had a survival skill simr to ¡®Reach,¡¯ which hid the source of immortality somewhere away from the physical body. Breaking the source would kill it, but without breaking that, the physical body could revive again and again. Death was possible if the physical body was shredded into very small pieces, out of power, or exposed to arge amount of holy power. However, it was difficult for that to actually happen. Simply put, it meant that this fight was going to be an annoying one. As much as it was an OP ability, there were still some limitations; the physical body would be extremely weakened if the source were attacked or if it was struck with high-level holy magic. It would also be less powerful if the body were separated from the source of immortality. It was kind of like a bnce patch from God, the divine will¡­ But it was clearly still a dangerous power when fighting with an unprepared opponent. Unlike ¡®Reach,¡¯ the source of immortality, the survival skill of vampires, couldn¡¯t be hidden far away from the physical body. That was because immortality was quite a high-level authority. It was only given to the high-ranking vampires who were strong enough to be the Lords. ¡®But why¡¯s that kind of power given to a demonic beast?¡¯ Davey momentarily thought that maybe he should capture the demonic beast and investigate this, but it was unfortunate that the current situation wasn¡¯t that great. As the demonic beast, that kept reviving when shed with the Red Ribbon, copsed onto the ground with one strike from the Blue Ribbon, it felt strangely exhausted. The Red Ribbon was far superior to the Blue Ribbon in terms of precision and sharpness, but the Blue Ribbon was highly effective on demon-type and immortal beings. Chapter 69 ¡°Hm¡­ Did I destroy the source of immortality itself?¡± Davey wondered. -It¡¯s a little different. I think that the system itself is broken. ¡°What did Surtr put in this sword?¡± The sword Surtr had made could very well be a weapon that would allow a human to kill God. Since Davey wasn¡¯t the one who put the authority to destroy immortality in the sword, he couldn¡¯t understand the mechanism of it; he did learn a lot of things from Surtr, but there were still some important things that he didn¡¯t know. -Other than that, the long aging process and the OP finishing material are probably aspects that amplified the power. Still, it doesn¡¯t affect everything just because it can destroy immortality. Davey knew that these swords would turn out absolutely amazing, but he did feel a little bitter for some reason. ¡°Let¡¯s think about theplicated thingster.¡± Davey calmly nced somewhere else. Then, he smiled at the empty space. ¡°Ready or not¡­¡± Crash!! The air momentarily vibrated before the red de energy Davey had released cut through it. ¡°Here Ie, you ass.¡± * * * Boom!! It was an enormous crash. Pedkhid, the vampire, quickly ran away without looking back. His instincts of fear overtook him entirely. ¡®I¡¯ll die if I get caught! I¡¯m going to die! I¡¯ll really die if I get caught!¡¯ Pedkhid couldn¡¯t even think about why a powerful and dignified noble like himself had to be running away so disgracefully; he was consumed with the thought that he had to run away from that lunatic of a human. ¡®He¡¯s not easy!¡¯ Pedkhid had thrown his dignity out the window, running away once the human suddenly found him. He had seen how the human easily shed the demonic beast that was sent to provoke him. Boom!!! Boom!! ¡°I can see you.¡± Feeling a chill in the air, Pedkhid reflexively rolled onto the floor. He then saw frightening red energy slice the space where his neck had just been. ¡°Shriek!!¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t paid yet, sir.¡± The human teased Pedkhid in exactly the same way he had done with the demonic beast. He also didn¡¯t look tired at all, even though he had run quite a long distance. ¡°D¡ªDamn human!!¡± Pedkhid swore and threw himself down on the ground once again. He didn¡¯t expect this at first¡ªno, he had underestimated his opponent, thinking him to be like all other humans. When Pedkhid had first been given the assignment, he didn¡¯t understand why Pace, the high-ranking vampire who was his master and superior, had given such orders. They were dignified nobles, so they had no need to be this cautious in killing a human. Furthermore, Pace was a transcendental being who ranked above regr vampires. Pedkhid was also a mid-rank vampire, but he could proudly say that his powers were close to that of a high-rank vampire since he had received the grace of Pace. In fact, as the demonic beast he had controlled had also received Pace¡¯s grace, it was also a powerful being that even strong Swordmasters couldn¡¯t easily kill. ording to Pedkhid¡¯s n, he was going to scare the human with the demonic beast and toy around with him. But now, everything was clearly a mere delusion on his part. He had misunderstood the severity of the situation. Crash!! ¡°Keugh!¡± As the monstrous human instantly flew up and pinned him on the ground, Pedkhid¡¯s survival instincts began to ring like an emergency rm. ¡°S¡­ Seriously, what are you?! Shriek! What are you doing?! Stop it!!¡± Pedkhid yelled. ¡°What do you mean?! This is an act of love!¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the sudden silence, Pedkhid could tell that this human was absolutely crazy. ¡°Man, you need to make these kinds of jokes to enjoy life. Do you really believe that gays do this to express affection?¡± The humanined, still pinning Pedkhid down so that he couldn¡¯t move. Then he pierced through Pedkhid with two fingers. ¡°Kuk!!¡± Feeling an intense pain, Pedkhid went as stiff as a nk. The human smiled with satisfaction. ¡°Now you¡¯re calm.¡± ¡°W¡­ What did you do to my body, human?! You inferior species¡­ Do you want to die? Get rid of this now!¡± Pedkhid shouted without thinking. The human just shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll let you goter, but there¡¯s something I want to make sure of first.¡± ¡®Sorry, but I¡¯m famous for being good at keeping secrets among the vampires!¡¯ Pedkhid thought. He was sure that he would never reveal anything to the human, but he was soon dumbfounded by what the human said next. ¡°Oh, really? Sorry, but I know a perfect spell that can read all of your thoughts.¡± Pedkhid thought something like that couldn¡¯t exist; however, all he could do was scream as a strange dark purple me zed from the human¡¯s hand. * * * The strange me, which seemed to be alive, burned. It threatened to burn Pedkhid¡¯s legs. [Mind Subjugation] [Dark magic ¡®Curse Mark¡¯] [Spell Merger] [Fire of Interrogation] However, the scorching dark purple me left no burn wounds. It only gave him a nasty pain. ¡°Kaaaah!!! It¡¯s hot! Hot! Put it out! Please put it out!!¡± Pedkhid squirmed around, screaming with snot and spit all over his face. Perserque frowned. -You. He is the enemy, but this is¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s not going to die,¡± Davey said. -You know that I¡¯m not worried about him dying! ¡°Demon Lord, do I have to consider the situation of someone who is after my life?¡± Perserque frowned at Davey¡¯s rhetorical question. -You are right, but¡­ As Perserque struggled for an answer, Davey dulled the me that was hurting Pedkhid. He said calmly, ¡°Well, okay. We don¡¯t have to be barbaric when we can do something else.¡± -I won¡¯t stop you if you are aware of it. Davey wondered if this awfully sweet little girl was really the cause of a world war between species. He then watched the trembling vampire before stepping on him. ¡°Keugh!¡± Perhaps due to the mental shock, Pedkhid¡¯s pupils dted. It looked like he had been ripped apart despite not having a single scratch on him. ¡°I don¡¯t need a lot from you, so let¡¯s keep this short.¡± ¡°Groan¡­ Moan¡­¡± ¡°First, what are you?¡± ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­ Human! You think I¡¯d¡­ Shriek!¡± Pedkhid trembled and squirmed at the sight of the dark purple me in Davey¡¯s hands. ¡®This isn¡¯t an ordinary me, but a type of curse made to cause pain. It makes sense that he is afraid.¡¯ Davey knew that such a curse was made to cause the victim a nasty pain, like they were burning alive, but the curse wouldn¡¯t kill or injure them. ¡®It might be foul and wicked, but what more could you expect from a curse that has malicious intent in the first ce?¡¯ Rho Aias, Davey¡¯s dark magic teacher, hadn¡¯t taught Davey this so that he could use it like this; she had taught him this curse so that he could learn how to counter it. However, Davey was the kind of person who had to use everything he had. ¡°You want more?¡± ¡°P¡ªPedkhid! I¡¯m a count!¡± ¡°Hm¡­ How does a mid-rank trash like you have the power of immortality?¡± Davey asked, knowing that the power of immortality was the source of pride for the vampire nobles. Pedkhid knew exactly what would happen if he stayed silent. He had seen the demonic beast that had the power of immortality be ughtered in one blow. ¡°You could actually die if I sh you right now. So, next question. Your target is me, and it¡¯s because of that vampiredy-in-waiting, right?¡± Davey asked. ¡°T¡ªThat¡¯s right!¡± Pedkhid probably didn¡¯t want to tell Davey, and it was true that he was better at keeping secrets than most; however, he had answered almost reflexively because he was in such severe pain. He even struggled to stay conscious. ¡°Then, answer me this: why do you and that demonic beast from earlier have the power of immortality?¡± Pedkhid stared at Davey while trembling. He looked like a million thoughts were running through his mind; he couldn¡¯t tell Davey even if he wanted to, but he was scared of the pain. He was in a predicament. Davey thought that maybe he should pressure Pedkhid a little more, but he couldn¡¯t. As Pedkhid began squirming around in pain, Davey simply asked, ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather choose death!¡± With thosest words, Pedkhid began puffing up like a balloon before bursting apart. Boom!! -A taboo¡­ And it¡¯splete death. What a cruel curse¡­ Pedkhid¡¯sst words might have not been his, but a message of the person who had inflicted him with the curse. The fact that he wasn¡¯t granted the use of immortality meant that he wasn¡¯t that valuable. Hisplete death was so cut and dry that it was almost meaningless. ¡°I did expect that to happen.¡± Davey nodded. He put distance between him and Pedkhid¡¯s exploded body, then squinted. ¡°I guess this is all I can get for now.¡± -Davey¡­ After Perserque lowered her head and mumbled apologetically, Davey answered calmly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to be sorry about. I asked him for small bits of information at a time because I knew this would happen. I¡¯ll have to get the rest from the others I capture.¡± Perserque tightened her lips as if she was somewhat leery. * * * Once a curse was broken, it would be made known to the one who cast it. This meant that Davey knew that one of the curses he had inflicted on Carlus had been undone. It had be dormant, to be exact, but Davey was nheless surprised. It would have been pretty difficult to find it, and yet they did. Seeing the dwarves working day and night on the restoration of the sacred item, Davey felt a little bitter. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t suspected it since vampires never forgive those who had hurt their prestige. Davey had guessed that this situation was inevitable as Shari, the vampiredy-in-waiting whom he had shed, definitely seemed to be from quite a prominent family. Chapter 70 -The demonic beast ran wild for just a few moments, but¡­ Dozens of houses burned down, leaving dozens of severely injured people. Davey hadn¡¯t heard about the details of the damage, but it was a miracle that there were no casualties. ¡°Oh, wise teacher! You¡¯re here!¡± Elder Golgouda and Goulda greeted Davey. The incident with the demonic beast had caused them a lot of trouble, on top of the headache-inducing restoration of the sacred sword. ¡°Wise teacher, I am ashamed to have shown you this ugly sight,¡± Golgouda said regretfully. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m fine. The beast¡¯s attacks were less severe than I thought. Although, dozens of houses burned down and some dwarves were injured.¡± ¡°Do you usually have demonic beast attacks here?¡± At Davey¡¯s question, Golgouda bitterly smiled and shook his head. Then, he opened his cupboard and brought out a huge bottle as if he had been waiting to do this. He simply said, ¡°I think there¡¯s something you want to say, wise teacher. Let¡¯s have a drink.¡± * * * ¡°I cherished this liquor for a long time, but I can bring it out for you!¡± Lightly swirling the aromatic liquor in his cup, Davey quietly closed his eyes. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll show you what the liquor of other continents tastes like.¡± ¡°Other continents? Is it liquor from the eastern or southern continents?¡± ¡°It¡¯s simr.¡± Davey was talking about the hard liquor from the World of Martial Arts, to be exact. He thought it would be perfect for these dwarves since it was as potent as the notorious dwarf-made liquor. Then, he said, ¡°Actually, I came here to give you this.¡± ¡°And this is?¡± Golgouda asked. ¡°It¡¯s a notebook with the information you need to restore the sacred item. It¡¯ll take you a while to finish it, and I have to start heading back.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The dwarves looked disappointed, but they still held onto the notebook dearly. Golgouda spoke up, ¡°I really don¡¯t know how we¡¯ll ever repay this debt¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect anything. Actually, I should be the one thanking you.¡± Davey had obtained the bones of the ancient dragon, orichalcum, adamantium, and many other valuable materials, so it actually seemed like he should be the one repaying them. It was true that the dwarves had greatly contributed to the creation of the twin swords, which were currently half-dormant. ¡°That¡¯s a different matter. We did that because we wanted to,¡± Golgouda said. ¡°So did I; I had my own reasons as well.¡± Davey felt a little thankful to these dwarves who had taken care of his teacher¡¯s work and had held onto it however they could. Although, this was different from what Davey had to do. ¡°Anyway, the dwarf guards were quite busy.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Goulda.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Goulda coughed awkwardly when Golgouda stopped him from talking. ¡°What is it?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Brother, is the wise teacher an outsider? How are you going to gain any trust when you hide something like this?¡± Goulda criticized. ¡°Ahem!¡± Golgouda cleared his throat as if he was in thought, then he slowly opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. They say that a child has gone missing from the orphanage. We are trying to get the guards to find evidence of the child, but¡­¡± Demonic beasts were evil. There seemed to be nothing left behind, even though some kind of evidence should have been left if a child was involved in an incident where the demonic beast had run that wild. ¡°We have a problem now, because nothing is being confirmed and there¡¯s huge confusion¡­ I think that it might be dangerous for you to keep staying here, wise teacher.¡± ¡°Speaking of, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m going to head back.¡± As the two dwarves stayed silent, Davey added, ¡°I think that the demonic beast hid here not because it was after the vige, but me. The problem should go away if I leave.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I apologize for not telling you.¡± ¡°N¡ªNonsense! How is that your fault?¡± It all depended on perception; any person who was hostile toward Davey would have dly pointed their fingers at him. Afterwards, Davey just made an excuse that his stigmata had stimted the demonic beast, leading to the beast attacking the vige. After all, it was true that he was the target. He was only apprehensive that the vampires might take their anger out on this vige after he left, but he didn¡¯t have the power to care about that right now. Atst, the two elders said nothing. Perhaps they also thought it would be safer if Davey went back. * * * There was something about Davey that had inspired the dwarves to focus on more than just their business. There were probably a multitude of reasons behind the sudden change, but there was no need to bring that up. ¡°S-Stop! Show your identification!¡± The first thing Davey did as soon as he sold the moon flower leaves was to buy equipment from the merchantpanies to resupply the militia, which had now be the royal guards. He believed that the guards who protected the territory¡¯s pce were the face of the territory itself. The royal guards wore leather armor and used worn spears or swords. Perhaps it was because of the several dwarves who had followed Davey in, but the royal guards watching them from the run-down watchtower came down and stopped them. They were terrified. ¡°Your seigneur,¡± Davey said. As both he and his party were pretty tired from the long journey, Davey had gone straight to the point and skipped theplicated, formal process. ¡°S¡ªSaint, sir!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a saint. Was everything okay while I was gone?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!!¡± As if he was a private meeting the divisionmander, the royal guard gave a stiff answer with a voice as loud as a foghorn. His response amused the dwarves. ¡°The territory feels exceptionally quiet today.¡± ¡°T-That is¡­ The merchantpanies and mercenaries already went by today, sir!¡± ¡°Alright. Keep up the hard work. I¡¯ll hear the detailed report once I get in.¡± Perhaps it was because Davey had just returned to the territory after a few weeks. Monmider, who was the captain of the royal guards, Royal Attendant Bernile, and the other servants greeted him in a straight line as soon as he entered the run-down pce. He had said before that he wanted to skip the formalities, but they were forced to do this because of Bernile¡¯s strong opinion that Davey¡¯s authority as the seigneur and the prince of this country would weaken if they didn¡¯t do this. ¡°The people behind you¡­¡± Royal Attendant Bernile¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°They havee here from the Yellowstone Tribe to help repair the territory¡¯s facilities. We should be grateful for them. Please bring them drinks and meat since they¡¯re probably tired from traveling. What about lodgings?¡± ¡°I have prepared it in advance as you ordered, but it is not great due to theck of time,¡± Royal Attendant Bernile said. ¡°That¡¯s alright; I heard everything about the territory on the way here. That¡¯s what we¡¯re here for, is it not?¡± Eighth Elder Goulda, the only elder who followed Davey here, spoke confidently on behalf of all the dwarves. ¡°Yes¡­ I am Royal Attendant Bernile. Please call me whatever you arefortable with.¡± ¡°I am Goulda, the eighth elder of the Yellowstone Tribe.¡± Dwarves rarely left their vige, even if they were doing business with humans, so many humans had never actually seen dwarves in person despite having heard about them. As such, the servants of the pce couldn¡¯t help but be fascinated by the dwarves. ¡°Wise teacher, you don¡¯t have to do all this for us,¡± Goulda said. ¡°How could I not? You are all my precious guests,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Haha, dwarves are meant to live with fire and stone. And your problems are ours as well.¡± Hearing Goulda¡¯sment, Captain Monmider¡¯s gaze slightly changed. He seemed to wonder what he had done to make these dwarves, who seldom left their vige, act like this. ¡®Man, you really don¡¯t trust anyone.¡¯ ¡°I think the captain is going to need to have some faith.¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s not like I constantly stab you in the back or something.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°The Heins Territory was my mother¡¯s territory; I¡¯m from here as well.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Now realizing his mistake, Monmider backed away while bowing his head apologetically. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside; I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°I will get the bath running.¡± ¡°First, let¡¯s do a quick briefing.¡± Davey had heard most of the territory¡¯s matters through themunication crystal. He knew that the preparation to harvest moon grass was going smoothly, but he hadn¡¯t been in a good situation to receive reports on the little details. ¡°There are seventeen merchantpanies in total that have currently boughtnd in the territory and are building.¡± ¡°The total number of people?¡± ¡°With the wizard towers, the schools of alchemy, the temple, the merchantpanies, and the small number of guards, it¡¯s about three thousand people.¡± ¡®Wow.¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s about three thousand people requesting to immigrate here, and our current number of residents is only about two hundred¡­¡± ¡°It is still increasing. The people who have predicted that this ce will be profitable are thinking of making amercial district here. Since this territory¡¯s location made it quite good in terms of transportation, it seems they want to make a middle point between the Holy Empire and the Empire.¡± ¡°The estimated number of people?¡± ¡°It seems that about four thousand people will request to immigrate here after the second quarter.¡± Davey was surprised by the numbers now that he was hearing them for himself. ¡®Two hundred to four thousand¡­ That¡¯s about twenty times more.¡¯ ¡°Everything is going well.¡± Any city needed a poption to prosper. They would face many problems if the number of residents increased all of a sudden, but Davey wouldn¡¯t be able to run this territory if he was afraid of that. Nothing really bothered him right now. ¡°Wise teacher, I see that the conditions of the territory are abysmal.¡± ¡°I am ashamed.¡± ¡°More than that, I am horrified by the condition of this pce you live in,¡± Goulda said sternly and tapped the tools on his belt. ¡°This is a good chance for us to repay the debt. Although our skills are nothingpared to yours, we will make a new space for you to live in as the best craftsmen in the continent.¡± Dwarf-made pces and castles were famous continent-wide, because dwarves normally didn¡¯t leave their viges a lot, and their skills, unique design, and finish were iparable to anyone on the continent. ¡°Don¡¯t say that you¡¯re fine or something. No one follows a leader that does not take care of themselves, no matter how outstanding the leader is.¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t going to say anything.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± ¡®Was I too transparent?¡¯ ¡°However, I was wondering if I could ask you to add a few things I would like. It¡¯s probably something that you will like, too.¡± As Monmider quietly lowered his head, Gouldaughed heartily and said, ¡°Great! Hey, you people! It¡¯s time to show them what we¡¯ve got! Is there anyone tired from walking for just a few days?!¡± ¡°Of course not! If we were tired, we wouldn¡¯t live up to the name of ¡®the best craftsmen in the continent¡¯! Alright! Let¡¯s get to it!¡± As Davey vacantly stared at the eager dwarves who were rushing inside, Royal Attendant asked cautiously, ¡°Pardon me, Your Highness, but¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡­didn¡¯t brainwash them or something, right?¡± Royal Attendant Bernile looked embarrassed as Davey stared at him with a t expression. Chapter 71 The quarter flew by quickly, because everyone was extremely busy and working hard. Since Goulda was very skilled, he was the one assigning people to the appropriate areas. The dwarves¡¯ main goal was to repair the territory¡¯s facilities. After hearing about the current situation in the territory, Goulda used his unique expertise as a dwarf and ced the appropriate technicians and young men in areas the way Davey would have done too. Of course, Davey generously provided artifacts or alchemy tools to boost the dwarves¡¯ efficiency to the extreme, and manpower, as it would be difficult for them to do everything alone. He was able to obtain all these resources, since the territory was packed with wizard towers, schools of alchemy, temples, and merchantpanies. And since the territory had more than enough money and all the organizations were handing him small bribes, there were no shortages of any resource. ¡°Let¡¯s do that here¡­¡± ¡°I have a good idea for that.¡± For days, Davey discussed the development of the territory multiple times with the dwarves. The better the foundation, the more the territory would benefit. If they were to create a space or facility that everyone would want to live in, the merchants nearby would be desperate to build things of simr quality to prevent their sales from decreasing. Then, the wizard towers and the schools of alchemy would be forced to match that quality as well, since they were proud organizations. Davey was trying to rapidly improve the condition of the territory while preventing the organizations¡¯ power y of establishing their branches here. To him, this was worth a shot. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter if they acted out of his expectations, because he had nothing to lose. Perhaps it was because of the dwarves¡¯ special skills, but most of the shabby portable lodgings made out of wooden panels were reced with temporary houses. However, problems began arising from the sudden increase in the territory¡¯s poption. There was conflict from the friction between a growing group of people in the territory. No resident was allowed to discriminate against another, and Davey always made thoughtful and fair decisions, but life didn¡¯t always go as nned. Davey only managed to solve the immediate problems after pulling several all-nighters. Now, all he wanted to do was sleep. He groaned, ¡°Damn it. I think fighting would be much easier than this.¡± -Being a leader isn¡¯t easy. ¡°Now I know why kings lived such short lives,¡± Davey said to Perserque as he plopped down onto hisrge bed. The coziness and warmth of this new ergonomic bed by the School of Alchemy surrounded his entire body. Befitting for royalty, the bed was huge. It would also be considered a pretty high-quality bed on Earth as well. ¡®I want to rx.¡¯ Davey covered his eyes and let out a deep breath whileying silent in the dark room. ¡°Groan¡­¡± Then, for some reason, there was a little girl¡¯s voice in the supposedly empty room. Davey got up almost reflexively and noticed that there was something curled up inside the nket, which was at the center of the bed. ¡°¡­¡± Remaining calm, all Davey could do was stare at the small squirming thing with mixed feelings. 29. You Have to Take Responsibility for Your Child. It was human, but the lumpy shape was too small to be an adult human. ¡°Did I get the wrong room?¡± -There¡¯s no way. Davey squinted and quickly lit a mana stonentern, despite still being in disbelief. Once the dark room was lit, the shape was revealed to be¡­definitely someone wiggling in the middle of the massive bed, which seemed like it could fit seven or eight people! It wasn¡¯t umon for someone to enter Davey¡¯s room. Bribes didn¡¯t alwayse in the form of money. Sometimes, it came in the form of offering sexual services. It had been about two months since Davey had returned from the dwarf vige. It seemed that the organizations saw Davey as an incredibly important business partner after confirming that moon grass was consistently harvested. And so, this was one of their ways of offering bribes. This wasn¡¯t rare or a big deal in a world where monarchy was deeply rooted in society, but it was different for Davey; he wasn¡¯t interested in sleeping with a woman he didn¡¯t love. He wasn¡¯t impotent, but he had learned different values from his time in the Hall. [Davey! If you use your dick thoughtlessly, I will rip it off even if I have to leave the Hall. Do you understand me? You know I always keep my word.] The warning of the immoral saintess had sunk deeper than Davey had thought. ¡®For the first ever saintess to have no filter¡­¡¯ It first started with sex workers from different territories, since the Heins Territory didn¡¯t really have such businesses. Several different people were responsible for bringing these young and beautiful girls into Davey¡¯s room, but Davey never bothered to find out who they were before sending the girls back. However, people from noble families and students of mages or schrs¡ªpeople with some social status¡ªbegan showing up. Of course, Davey sent them all away. But this was a regr urrence when he wanted to take a rest, so he dered one thing: whatever business they had would be thrown out the window if they sent someone to his room one more time. The deration caused a pretty big fuss, but it was quite effective. No one came to see him afterwards, and he was able to enjoy his time rxing, but¡­ ¡°Do you think those guys assume I¡¯m a pedophile just because I don¡¯t want to fool around with women?¡± Giggle. As Perserque smiled mysteriously, Davey flipped over the nket and the shape finally revealed itself. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Unsurprisingly, it was a cute girl with glistening red hair. She was dressed in a white dress that made her look pure and innocent. She seemed to only be about five or six and looked quite well off. With chubby cheeks and small hands, her cute appearance was enough to turn heads on the street. Davey did expect it to be a child since the figure was too small to be an adult. He believed that those guys mistook him to be impotent or a pedophile since he didn¡¯t sleep with any of the previous women. ¡°Hm¡­¡± The small child groaned while waking up, then slowly opened her eyes. Her bright and clear red eyes had a deep gaze, as if staring at them would get you lost in their depths. ¡°Hi, little girl. Who are you?¡± Davey asked cautiously. He already nned to beat those damn peopleter. ¡®She¡¯s a child. She doesn¡¯t know anything.¡¯ ¡°Hm¡­¡± The girl rubbed her eyes with her small hands before nkly staring up at Davey for a while. She looked up at him with indiscernible eyes and soon opened her eyes wide as if she definitely recognized him. Then, she smiled brightly. ¡°Giggle!¡± ¡°Hup!¡± -That¡¯s too cute¡­ It hurts my heart¡­ The girl¡¯s cute smile made Davey stumble. Even Perserque copsed in the air andnded on his shoulder. Davey shouted angrily, ¡°These damn people put this innocent child in here as a mistress?! Amy!¡± ¡®Amy just abandoned this child here when I specifically told her not to let anyone in?¡¯ Amy immediately came running when she heard Davey, as if she had been waiting. Her eyebags seemed less severe now that Davey hade back, since she had less work to do. ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness! What is¡­¡± Amy widened her eyes when she saw a little girl on the bed while Davey was standing with a menacing frown. ¡°Your Highness! Did you?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Did I not specifically tell you not to let anyone in?¡± Amy, who was staring at Davey with a suspicious gaze, blinked. ¡°I¡ªI didn¡¯t let anyone in! Did you¡­not bring her here, Your Highness?¡± She genuinely didn¡¯t seem to know anything about this. Most of the pce¡¯s happenings would be reported to her, but if she didn¡¯t know, then the only possibility was that one of the servants had taken a bribe to sneak the little girl in here. Otherwise, the little girl had wandered in here all by herself; either way, it wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone take me seriously?¡± As Davey looked at the giggling girl with a severe expression, Amy quickly ran over and took the girl into her arms. She backed away with a pale face. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness¡­ I should¡¯ve made sure to keep this ce in order¡­ There definitely wasn¡¯t anyone in here before you came¡­¡± They took advantage of the slightest opportunity. The girl smiled brightly at Davey and reached out to him. She pped her hands and giggled. ¡°Dada!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Heh?¡± Everyone froze. The little girl didn¡¯t speak very clearly, but Davey wasn¡¯t an idiot; he knew what the girl had said. Clutter¡­ Suddenly, the cupboard leaning against the wall slowly opened up while everyone was still frozen in ce. A blue-eyed little girl, who looked exactly like this girl on the bed, peeked out. ¡°¡­¡± Davey¡¯s silence went on for longer than expected. * * * The sun rose after the night with two moons passed. ¡°Scream! Miss! You can¡¯t run around like that!¡± ¡°Giggle!¡± Davey was woken up by someone¡¯s excitedughter. He stared nkly at the ceiling and covered his eyes while taking a deep breath. ¡°Wow, I really didn¡¯t expect this.¡± He could only me his own stupidity; if he had just used [Check Information] on the little girl in the first ce, things wouldn¡¯t have gone this chaotically. -I don¡¯t know. I think I did want you to feel a little guilty. Perserque said as she flew toward Davey, who was vacantly staring into space. ¡°How do I change a name that I¡¯ve already chosen?¡± As soon as Daveyined, the door of the silent bedroom burst open, and a cute girl with long, red hair came running in. She was still wearing a white dress, but it looked more luxurious than before. She looked around the room, and when she found Davey, she came running toward him with a terribly cute smile. Chapter 72 ¡°Giggle! Dada!¡± ¡°Y¡ªYes¡­¡± Davey held the girl in his arms with an awkward and forced smile. He asked, ¡°Why are you so cheerful in the morning?¡± ¡°Hehehe! Dada! Dada!¡± Nobody knew that a sword could have the authority to materialize into a human. Davey was aware that Caldeiras, the divine sword, could materialize and show her ego, but it made no sense for a sword to be a blob of energy and adopt the human form all by itself. -Name: Red Ribbon. -Status: Complete. -Shape: A wide, two-ded Ring Pommel Sword. -Length: 88 centimeters. -Width: 6 centimeters. -Contractor: Davey O¡¯Rowane. -Completion Level: 100% -Details: Ego has awakened; consciousness of ego is quite young since the ego has awakened earlier than expected due to an unknown reason; although the original creator is different, it sees Davey O¡¯Rowane, the person who finished the sword with everything he had, as her father; ego develops with time; caution: extremely cute. ¡°¡­¡± -I¡ªIt¡¯s not me! As Perserque shouted with a bright red face, Davey quietly nodded. Honestly, Davey had thought that he had seen everything; he had survived being thrown into an extreme wastnd and multiple battles that should have killed him. He had changed a curse into a blessing and had also created a springboard for the territory¡¯s sess. However, he had never expected nor experienced a sword of his making that took on the form of a human and saw him as her father. ¡°Hehe. Hehehe.¡± As the little girl giggled happily in Davey¡¯s arms, he looked up at Amy who was wheezing. Amy tried to catch her breath. ¡°Wheeze¡­ Wheeze¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness¡­ She is¡­ Wheeze¡­ Very active¡­¡± Davey could tell that the little girl had incredible stamina despite being young; after all, she was simr to the divine sword. Although she took on the form of a little girl, she was probably a huge ball of energy that had been umting for over thousands of years on the inside. ¡°Thanks for working so hard in the morning¡­¡± ¡°It¡ªIt¡¯s fine¡­¡± Amy backed away, looking at Davey and Red Ribbon like she couldn¡¯t understand this situation. She usually didn¡¯t doubt Davey, but if even she was looking at him like that, everyone else would definitely be bewildered. Perhaps it was because of the red-haired girl ying in his arms, but Davey soon saw the blue-haired girl looking up at him. She had her arms out, tugging on his shirt. ¡°Blue Ribbon¡­¡± ¡°D¡­ Dada.¡± ¡®When did shee in here?¡¯ Blue Ribbon sounded simr to Red Ribbon. In fact, they had such simr appearances that it would be difficult to tell them apart if it wasn¡¯t for their differently colored hair and eyes. Davey could also tell them apart by the slight nuances in their voice and impression. Maybe it was because he had made them, but he could strangely distinguish them rather easily. ¡®Maybe I have really be their dad.¡¯ When Davey suppressed a deep sigh from escaping his lips and picked up Blue Ribbon, he heard a gurgle. Red Ribbon wasn¡¯t hiding her happiness, and Blue Ribbon blushed while hugging him tightly. He nced at them and thought, ¡®They are so cute that it hurts my heart.¡¯ ¡°Miss, your hair isn¡¯t done yet,¡± Amy said. ¡°Noo!¡± The girls stuck their tongues out to Amy and buried their faces into Davey¡¯s chest. Looking at Amy¡¯s helpless expression, Davey said, ¡°Red Ribbon, you have to be a good girl and listen to her.¡± He persuaded Red Ribbon, since she listened to him rtively well. Red Ribbon pouted and held Amy¡¯s hand. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Amy, who was wheezing a couple of minutes before, now blushed. ¡°Y¡­ Your Highness, the girls are so cute! Where did you find them?¡± It was a relief that she didn¡¯t think Davey was actually their father, although to be exact, he did create them. ¡°Who knows about these girls?¡± Davey asked. Amy yed with her fingers, then answered hesitantly, ¡°For now, only a few of the servants in the pce. Since Lady Red Ribbon is very active¡­¡± She meant that Red Ribbon had been running around the pce as soon as morning came, having stayed quiet for the entire night. ¡°They don¡¯t yet know that the girls are associated with me, right?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. Keep this a secret until I¡¯m done organizing my thoughts. And make sure to keep everyone quiet.¡± Although Amy seemed like she couldn¡¯t understand Davey¡¯s actions, she nodded. Davey wouldn¡¯t need to do any contemtion if these girls were really normal children. Feeling like he was going to get an ulcer, he forced a smile and quietly told Amy, ¡°Let them do whatever they want, except for going outside.¡± Amy vigorously nodded like she would absolutely make sure of it. * * * ¡°Okay, let¡¯s see.¡± As Davey spoke in a determined tone, the eyes of two girls who were sitting on the bed glistened. He added, ¡°First, do you want to try this? It¡¯s called a cookie.¡± ¡°Cwookie?¡± ¡°Yes, a cookie. Do you want to try it? It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Giggle!¡± ¡°bber!¡± When Davey handed each of them a cookie, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon smelled it with shining eyes, then simultaneously shoved it in their mouths. There was no way to tell how swords like them could eat, but it seemed like they could. Inconveniently, Davey had to find out the details himself since Perserque¡¯s [Check Information] only provided him with basic information. -How can it be possible for a sword to eat? ¡°They sleep and they eat. I know that they have emotions because they are egos, but¡­¡± The children reached out with spreadout palms after already gobbling down the cookies. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Dada¡­¡± ¡°Cooooookie.¡± ¡®Do they want more?¡¯ Davey found the situation weird since it felt like he was really teaching his children. He said, ¡°You can¡¯t. Your teeth will rot if you have too many.¡± ¡°Aww¡­¡± Red Ribbon didn¡¯t hide her disappointment. Blue Ribbon looked at Davey in sadness even though she didn¡¯t explicitly show it. Sob¡­ Sob. Both girls soon looked up at Davey in tears, the best weapon of children. ¡°No.¡± Sob¡­ ¡°N¡­ No.¡± Weep¡­ Sob¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ You can¡¯t¡­ You can¡­ Okay! I¡¯ll allow it. You can have one more!¡± ¡®Oh, disciplining them is hard already.¡¯ ¡°Yay!¡± The two girls excitedly ran into Davey¡¯s arms and smiled. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but frown. Still, he made sure to hide that expression from the children. -They¡¯re not going to listen to you if you do whatever they want. ¡®No way. I mean, they¡¯re swords.¡¯ -From the looks of it, they are simr to real children. They might change depending on how you teach and discipline them. ¡°Hm¡­.¡± Giggle, isn¡¯t it funny? They might be saint swords or demon swords depending on how you teach them. Well, although the standard for whether a sword was a saint or demon depended on the user and not the sword itself, Perserque had a point. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s check out the most important thing.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t just let go of his suspicions so easily. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem to think of them as innocent children if they were left like that, but¡­ Davey asked, ¡°Okay, then. Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. Do you think you can go back to your original form?¡± The children understoodnguage rather well. Their speech wasn¡¯t fully developed yet, but that might be due to them not having materialized for long yet. The two kids initially tilted their heads in confusion, but soon went into Davey¡¯s arms as if they understood. Davey smiled at the children¡¯s warmth for a moment. Very quickly, the two kids emitted a bright light from their bodies as they fully transformed into two swords. Cute, red-haired Red Ribbon transformed into a red sword, and shy Blue Ribbon turned into a blue sword. The children did not protest the transformation, perhaps because that was their original form. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey lightly swung the swords after making sure the children had fully transformed. It was a relief that the swords hadn¡¯t weakened or anything from the egos¡¯ awakening. It actually seemed like the power within them had be denser. ¡®Transformation is natural as well.¡¯ Davey realized that the girls could change their forms quite naturally as if they relied on instincts. ¡°That¡¯s good. You cane back now.¡± As Davey spoke with a cookie in his hand, the swords soon changed back into two girls and ran toward him excitedly. It was as if they were never swords in the first ce. ¡°Dada!¡± ¡°C¡ªCooookie, p¡ªplease!¡± They were trying so hard to speak even when they couldn¡¯t pronounce words properly. As Davey handed them a cookie with an insuppressible smile, the girls began nibbling their cookie with a serious face; they were trying to savor it. ¡°Since I can¡¯t just leave them, I should still dere that they are under my care.¡± -Aren¡¯t they your daughters? Well, foster daughters might be more like it. ¡°Are you trying to make me ineligible for marriage?¡± -Wasn¡¯t that your intention in the first ce? Davey clicked his tongue at Perserque¡¯s question and stared at the girls. He could¡¯ve just said that he was taking care of them if they were just children, but they were still his first pieces of work that had an ego. Even if they were swords, it didn¡¯t seem too bad to live up to their expectations and act as their father. It was right to take responsibility for them since he had created them in the first ce, but¡­ -Royalty must be cautious with adoption. ¡°Right.¡± It would cause quite amotion if an unmarried man were to adopt two children with an unknown bloodline. His reputation would be damaged instantly, and trivial rumors would spread. Everyone else would raise a fuss even when the man in question wouldn¡¯t care at all; some nobles just have their noses stuck in everyone¡¯s business. ¡°Whatever. They can talk crap about me if they want. I¡¯m not going to care about that when I have a million other things to do.¡± Davey needed to develop a territory and regain his strength. To Davey, who had unexpectedlye back to another life after spending nearly a thousand years in the Hall, there was no clear goal. The only thing he could think of was to live a long life since he had never led a long life in both his past and current lifebined. Chapter 73 ¡°Dada!¡± The girls, who were giggling and ying with each other, handed Davey a half-eaten cookie. ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me?¡± Davey asked. ¡°It¡¯s tasty!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± Realizing what Red Ribbon was trying to say, Davey took the cookie. She iled about excitedly, and the girls stared up at him with sparkling eyes. They wanted to see when he was going to eat it. ¡°You girls are so sweet,¡± Davey praised. As he unhesitantly munched on the cookie because he found them to be so adorably thoughtful, Red Ribbon happily giggled and hugged his neck to give him kisses all over. Knock knock. ¡°Your Highness, it is Amy.¡± Davey stopped himself from squirming at Red Ribbon¡¯s adorable nature, which he could never get tired of. He then heard a knock at the door. He coughed awkwardly and wiped the smile from his face. ¡°Ahem, what is it?¡± ¡°You have a visitor.¡± ¡°Without a message? Did they throw their manners out the window?¡± ¡°That is¡­ It is Princess Winley.¡± ¡°What? Where is she right now? Lead the way!¡± There were always exceptions. Amy didn¡¯t say anything for a while, as if she was a little bewildered by Davey¡¯s confident shout. * * * ¡°Big brother!¡± The green-haired girl, who was admiring the small but elegant garden, ran into Davey¡¯s arms as soon as she saw him. ¡°Have you been well?¡± Davey asked. It had been almost six months since they hadst seen each other. Thest time they had met was just as Davey was leaving for the territory. ¡°I really missed you, Big brother.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Are you hurt anywhere?¡± Davey patted Winley on the back and stroked her head. As she blushed and looked up at him, she slightly pushed him away. She said, ¡°You¡¯re mean. How could you not even send a letter?¡± ¡°Haha, sorry. I was a little busy.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ I¡¯m letting it slide because of the territory¡¯s situation, so consider yourself lucky,¡± Winley said. ¡°Anyway, where¡¯s Baris?¡± ¡°He is¡­¡± Winley slightly frowned and squinted. Then, she gasped with sparkling eyes, as if she had found something interesting. ¡°However, Big brother, who are those children¡­?¡± Winley had just now noticed Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who were clinging onto Davey¡¯s back and hiding behind him. She couldn¡¯t help but smile at the two girls, who peeked out from behind Davey with nervous faces. Winley eximed, ¡°T¡ªThey¡¯re so cute!¡± ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Kyak!¡± Winley immediately ran over and hugged them, so Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon iled around in surprise. But they couldn¡¯t escape from Winley¡¯s arms as she screamed about how cute they were. Winley also rubbed her cheeks against theirs. ¡°Dada!¡± ¡°Nooo!¡± The girls seemed to like it only when Davey did it; he guessed that there was a difference between a parent and a stranger. ¡°Let¡¯s go in now.¡± Davey stopped Winley after seeing the girls¡¯ look for help. Regaining control, Winley backed up from the children. ¡°Hm¡­ I must¡¯ve gone crazy for a second.¡± She kept ncing over at them like she would hug them for days without letting go if she got the chance. As she put aside her desires and followed Davey into the drawing room, her eyes sparkled as she saw the children cautiously reach for the cookies. She asked, ¡°My! So cute! Big brother, who are these children? Residents?¡± ¡°They are under my care,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Yours?¡± ¡°They are my daughters.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Winley shook her head in disbelief. ¡°You are doing something new every time I see you, Big brother. Really¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason I have to take care of these kids.¡± ¡°Then, I don¡¯t have anything to say¡­¡± Winley was soon distracted by the nervous nces of the children, who were ying with each other in such a cute way. She opened her arms while panting. ¡°H¡ªHey kids, do you want toe into my arms?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± There was no way the children would go. Winley couldn¡¯t help but frown as the girls hid inside Davey¡¯s arms. ¡°Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, you have to be nice to your sister.¡± As Davey stroked their heads while smiling, the children hesitantly went to Winley and handed her the cookie they were holding. It was as if they were trying to make Davey happy. ¡°Coookieee¡­¡± ¡°This is for me? Really? Kyak!¡± ¡®Does she like it so much that she has to scream?¡¯ ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Eeh¡­¡± Unable to hold back, Winley hugged them and rubbed her cheek against theirs. Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon squirmed with a faint frown on their faces. Winley cooed, ¡°You guys are so cute! Hey, do you want to follow me home?¡± ¡°Noo!¡± ¡°Dada!¡± The children declined Winley¡¯s offer instantly. They were explicitly showing their unhappiness. Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh at Winley, who was still screaming about how cute the children were despite their refusal. He soon asked Winley while swirling his teacup, which was filled with the ck tea that thedies-in-waiting had served them. ¡°Anyway, how did youe here? I know you¡¯re busy in your territory.¡± ¡°Big brother, you¡­ The territory has be pretty quiet now, since the barbarians haven¡¯t been too rowdy recently. Keep up with the news, would you?¡± ¡°Haha, sorry.¡± Davey wouldn¡¯t have been this slow if they had exchanged letters or something, but he had been pretty busy. ¡°My, I was so shocked. I was so worried when you said you wereing to this wastnd¡­ I never expected your business to seed so much¡­ And I also saw dwarves in the vige.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting some help from them.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ Aren¡¯t dwarves known for noting out to the outside world? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a dwarf in my life.¡± Aside from Winley, the people on the territory were also constantly looking at the dwarves as if they were fascinating creatures. They were all taken by surprise. Of course, they¡¯ll get used to it since the dwarves were going to live here for a while. ¡°I would like to host you, but the territory¡¯s current state still isn¡¯t great¡­ It¡¯s going to take a few more months until everything is settled.¡± ¡°I can¡¯tin; I¡¯m the one who suddenly came. To be honest with you, the reason I¡¯m here is¡­¡± Winley trailed off with a bitter face. Her happiness from before was nowhere to be seen. She now looked worried and solemn about some kind of secret. ¡°Big brother.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Davey replied. ¡°The power of the stigmata¡­ Can you use it?¡± ¡°The power of the stigmata?¡± Davey calmly asked. Winley began speaking with mixed feelings. ¡°I know that I shouldn¡¯t ask this of you when you are really busy¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Tell me.¡± Davey had only been in possession of the stigmata for a short while, since he only got it after waking up from hisa. But he was confident that he could make the impossible possible for his younger sister. ¡®What¡¯s stopping me from helping?¡¯ As Davey urged her to speak, Winley brought it up reluctantly. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Big brother¡­¡± ¡°Man, don¡¯t be so hesitant and just tell me. I¡¯ll help you even if it¡¯s impossible.¡± Perhaps Winley was assured by Davey¡¯s words, because she began weeping in his arms. She let out all of the sorrow that she had been keeping to herself. ¡°Big brother¡­ Someone I¡¯m fond of is struggling with their life¡­ Even the priests and doctors have given up¡­¡± A weird sensation came over Davey as he heard Winley¡¯s teary voice. He asked, ¡°Even the priests and the doctors gave up?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ So, I thought maybe something could be done with the power of the stigmata¡­¡± ¡®This feeling.¡¯ Davey felt like something serious had happened. 30. The Signs of a gue Winley, who burst into tears in Davey¡¯s arms, only stopped crying after she waspletely exhausted. Comforted by Davey¡¯s presence after being so emotionally distressed for a long time, she eventually copsed from dehydration and fell asleep, and Davey had no choice but toy her down. Davey would have to learn about the details some other time. He murmured to himself, ¡°She¡¯s probably worn out. She must have been struggling with this for a long time¡­ Leave her be. It seemed like it was a long journey here.¡± The Ordem Territory, the territory where Winley and Baris were from, was pretty far from here. She must have been pretty tired if she had traveled here for days without rest. That was probably how much she treasured the person. Davey felt a slight fever as he stroked her forehead while she was asleep. [Restore] Winley looked much morefortable than before after Davey cast a healing spell with his leftover strength. ¡°Hwoo¡­¡± ¡°Is Sister sick?¡± Perhaps Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon instinctively felt that Winley was sick from looking at Winley asleep. They followed Davey in and asked with a frown, like they had already forgotten that they had rejected her affection just a few moments ago. ¡°She should be fine after a good rest. Let¡¯s leave her be so that she can sleep well, okay?¡± Davey spoke to the girls. ¡°It¡¯s not good to be sick. Red Ribbon is going to stay beside her!¡± Red Ribbon climbed onto the bed and fell asleep while holding Winley close. Blue Ribbon also climbed into the opposite side of the bed carefully, and closed her eyes while hugging Winley. Davey normally wouldn¡¯t have allowed it, but the girls were balls of energy that naturally released spirit power, holy power, or mana. It seemed that their presence would undeniably help Winley regain her strength. He watched Winley sleep, then left the room after Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbonpletely fell asleep too. Chapter 74 ¡°Dada!¡± ¡°Giggle!¡± Winley only got up when it was alreadyte evening. Looking at her with concern, Davey asked, ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°Of course, Big brother. Your younger sister is quite healthy.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°Me! Red Ribbon slept, too!¡± ¡°Bl¡­ Blue Ribbon, too!¡± It was still shocking to hear that swords could sleep. Davey didn¡¯t know what the children wereughing about, but the children ran around the room, giggling joyfully. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because of those children, but¡­ I feel a lot better than usual.¡± Aside from feeling well rested, Winley¡¯s amount of mana had probably increased too. She was also a mage, so she would¡¯ve absorbed some of the power the two children, who were balls of energy, had released. ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Hey kids, do you want to go y outside for a bit?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± After the children answered simultaneously and scuttled out of the room, Davey turned to look back at Winley. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°How long did it take you to travel here? I would¡¯ve gone instead, if you had contacted me.¡± ¡°H¡ªHow could I? You¡¯re busy, too¡­¡± Looking like she was going to cry, Winley lowered her head. ¡°Okay. Exin it to me.¡± Winley nodded with tears in her eyes, and she finally revealed the severity of the situation. ¡°We first brought priests, but they said that it was an illness incurable with holy power¡­ So, we called the doctor, and they said that they couldn¡¯t cure it either¡­¡± ¡°They couldn¡¯t cure it?¡± Comforted by Davey¡¯s presence, Winley began sharing her concerns. She revealed that Portna, her bodyguard and close friend, had been shot with a poison arrow by the thieves instead of herself. Because Winley had fallen into a trap after chasing the thieves too far, she would¡¯ve been severely injured or maybe dead if Portna hadn¡¯t taken the shot for her. ¡°What about an antidote?¡± ¡°The priest did remove the poison with an antidote spell, but blue-ck spots began showing up after that¡­ And she keeps coughing up blood¡­ Sob¡­ Weep¡­¡± The real problem only showed up after Portna had returned to the camp after being detoxified. She began suffering from a high fever, and blue-ck spots started showing up on her body. From then on, she began coughing up blood and gradually losing a lot of weight. It seemed that the priest who was treating Portna had mentioned that an extremely high-ranking priest with a stigmata might be able to fix her while they were trying to find a way to deal with this disease, which wasn¡¯t treatable with the power of a regr priest or the art of medicine. That was probably what had brought Winley here to the Heins Territory in a hurry. ¡°¡­¡± -Davey? Perserque called out in puzzlement, since Davey was just quietly listening to Winley. -Why do you look like that? ¡®Nothing. It¡¯s just that the symptoms are familiar.¡¯ When Davey couldn¡¯t think of any words tofort Winley, who began crying from emotional distress again, all he could do was just silently stroke her vibrant green hair. He murmured, ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard for you. No one¡¯s perfect from the beginning. Take this mistake to heart and make sure that it doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Weep¡­ Big brother, what do¡­ What should I do? Because of me, Portna¡­ Weep¡­ Sob!¡± Davey patted Winley on the back as she sobbed in his arms. The symptoms manifested about two weeks ago. This unknown poison, which first made Portna lethargic, began to continuously harm her even after it hadpletely left the body after detoxification. It was a disease. Blue-ck spots began showing up on her body, she was coughing up blood, and she constantly feltnguid. Winley had heard from the priest that this disease couldn¡¯t be treated with holy power, so she had turned to the art of medicine. Unfortunately, even the doctors hadn¡¯t been able to find out just what the disease was. Feeling sorry for Winley as she was falling apart, one of the priests had said that maybe the power of the stigmata could cure Portna. Of course, Davey was the only person with a stigmata that Winley could ask for help from. Like she was grasping at straws, she hade to the Heins Territory straight away without rest, since the only person who had a stigmata she could possibly ask was Davey. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take a look at her,¡± Davey said. ¡°R¡ªReally?!¡± Winley did want to hear that Davey was going to treat Portna. It probably pained her so much that the person she was fond of was dying because of her mistake. Davey had no choice but tofort Winley until she calmed down. Then, he called out, ¡°Royal Attendant Bernile.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± In the quiet office, Davey, who was organizing documents that had records of the various matters of the territory, spoke quietly. ¡°There should be an intelligence guild in the territory. Find the most trustworthy and informative one, and get me the branch leader.¡± ¡°Your¡­wish is mymand.¡± Although Bernile could¡¯ve found Davey¡¯s orders to be ridiculous, Bernile just bowed his head silently to carry out his orders. * * * ¡®There¡¯s this thing called intuition. In life, there are times when people suddenly feel a premonition even without any clues or evidence.¡¯ This thought popped into Davey¡¯s head, because he did get that feeling from the moment he heard Winley¡¯s story. ¡°Ah¡­ I keep feeling like something big is going to happen.¡± -Don¡¯t you always manage to turn it into a huge gain? ¡°That is true, but¡­¡± Davey answered bitterly and sighed. He calmly rose from his seat. ¡°The increase in the number of patients isn¡¯t something to be appreciated¡­ There¡¯s one illness that I know fits the symptoms.¡± -There¡¯s really¡­an illness like that? ¡°The problem is that there¡¯s no way that specific disease would be on this continent.¡± -Hmm? What does that have to do with getting the intelligence guild? Confused by Davey¡¯s words, Perserque tilted her head. ¡°There¡¯s something called causality; there¡¯s no such thing as a result without a cause. Portna was shot with a poisonous arrow, and she received an antidote spell, but she became sick the next day. She seems to be suffering from an unknown illness, one that not even the priests and doctors know of¡­ It makes no sense.¡± There was no way that the barbarians, who had to live off of thieving and attacking the outskirts of the kingdom because they didn¡¯t have their own territory, could get their hands on that kind of poison. And it couldn¡¯t be just any ordinary poison if the priests and doctors had given up. -Then, in that case¡­ ¡°Someone gave the barbarians a poison with a special kind of virus¡­¡± Davey, who trailed off, sighed and then continued, ¡°Or there¡¯s a possible cause of the illness that Winley didn¡¯t mention.¡± ¡®Although, I feel that it¡¯s the first one.¡¯ Whatever the illness was, Davey needed to know the cause to discover an appropriate treatment. This was one of the first things he had learned when he had been taught the art of medicine: understanding the overall situation. ¡°Come in if you¡¯re here.¡± Davey threw the documents that he was reading while standing onto his desk. ¡°And don¡¯t try to discern me.¡± If someone else saw Davey, they wouldn¡¯t know who he was talking to. As he mumbled into the emptiness, a man wearing a ck mask soon appeared in front of him with a faint presence. Looking over, Davey thought to himself, ¡®He seems quite skilled.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± The man who silently bowed to Davey was wearing a ck uniform and mask. The only body parts that Davey could see were the man¡¯s strong,rge hands and sharp eyes. Regr people would probably instinctively freeze up at the man¡¯s hidden killing aura, but Davey wasn¡¯t really tense at all. After all, he wasn¡¯t particrly impressed by the man¡¯s concealment skills. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s something you need,¡± the man said after a short silence. ¡°Yes, I apologize for making youe and go when you¡¯re busy.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s an honor that you have asked for me.¡± ¡°Sit.¡± Davey offered the man the seat that was in front of him. He sat down, but the man chose to remain standing. The man¡¯s gaze seemed to suggest¡­nervousness. It was probably inevitable that he felt that way, since Davey had found him right away despite his usage of concealment skills to hide his presence. By nature, assassins were extremely wary of people who could find their location. ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward with you. I want to buy some information. How much can you offer?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Everything¡­¡± The man answered without an ounce of hesitation. ¡°Has a price.¡± ¡®Of course. Nothing is free.¡¯ ¡°Then, you can get me anything if I pay the right price?¡± ¡°If you pay appropriately, we can get you information about the underwear color of the kingdom¡¯s princesses. If you want, we can also get you the underwear itself¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, what would I do with such a dirty thing?¡± Davey chuckled hollowly at the man¡¯s calm but confident voice. The man did promote his guild¡¯s information gathering ability and drive, but¡­ ¡®What a weird way to express it.¡¯ As Davey looked at the man in shock, Perserque crossed her arms and pouted as if displeased. A short silence surrounded the office. A lot of intelligence guilds in the Rowane Kingdom were exceptional, but they were still just minor intelligence guilds of a small kingdom. However, Davey could strongly feel that this man¡¯s guild was a part of something bigger; it seemed like they worked continent-wide. Of course, Davey wasn¡¯t surprised since his territory was getting the spotlight and bing a site of exchange as several merchantpanies, wizard towers, and schools of alchemy were gathering. However, it was inevitable that the shadows grew alongside the light; intelligence guilds were known to sniff out money better than merchants. It was safe to say that Davey¡¯s territory had new information to be discovered every single day, so it wasn¡¯t weird that an intelligence guild that worked on a continental scale had an eye on this ce. That pretty much meant that they probably had the ability to get Davey what he wanted fast. Davey could see the man''s serious gaze when they made eye contact. The man would¡¯ve heard about him if he wasn¡¯t an idiot, and so, the man probably knew that he wasn¡¯t going to say anything lighthearted. Furthermore, Davey wasn¡¯t a well-known person, but had seen through his concealment skills. Davey kind of felt bad. He could see how tense the man had be, but he still had to ask for what he wanted. Chapter 75 ¡°Then, what about the ones of the imperial princess of the Pan Empire? Would it be difficult to get some of hers?¡± Davey asked the man. ¡°¡­¡± -¡­You pervert. For a second, Davey felt like he heard Perserque genuinelyin in irritation. But still, he thought to himself, ¡®Well, I could be roused if it was a girl as pretty as her.¡¯ Although the Pan Empire¡¯s imperial princess was still quite young, both Davey and her hade of age and were independent adults. Since Davey didn¡¯t bother to make any excuses and simply stared at him, the man silently closed his eyes. His eyshes quivered. He was trying to figure out the true meaning of Davey¡¯s words: was he serious, or was there a different meaning to his words? After some contemtion, he gave the best answer that he could provide. ¡°I¡­am fond of my life.¡± There was a hint of tiredness in his sighing voice. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough for me,¡± Davey replied calmly and lightly threw a pouch of gold coins toward the man. ¡°It¡¯s payment in advance.¡± The man looked shocked as he caught the unexpectedly heavy pouch of gold coins. ¡°It¡¯s one hundred and fifty gold coins. There should be a female mage named Portna under Winley, my younger sister. Investigate her recent whereabouts.¡± ¡°Secretly trail the woman?¡± The man asked. ¡°Could you say it¡¯s for medical purposes? Do you see me as some kind of perverted stalker?¡± Davey replied. He felt like the man looked a little less interested in the task. -You¡¯re not a perverted stalker, and yet you mentioned the underwear of the Pan Empire¡¯s imperial princess? The man in front of Davey couldn¡¯t converse with Perserque, but he also looked suspicious of Davey. ¡®[Check Information]¡¯ Beep! -Name: Jack (Aina Helishana). -Age: 124. -Sex: Male (Female). -Species: Human (Dark Elf). -Title: Lethal. -Status Effects: None. -Notes: Possesses assassination skills of entry-level ¡®Master¡¯; leader of fourth division of the Echo Guild, a continent-wide intelligence guild; known as Jack in the guild. -Current Emotion: Confusion. ¡®Hm? She was a woman? And a dark elf?¡¯ Davey stared at the man after reading his information. He noticed that the man didn¡¯t have particrly dark skin or long ears. -Dark elves don¡¯t have dark skin in the first ce. They are just different types of elves and they look the same, just like how mages and dark mages don¡¯t look different from each other. ¡®It might get ugly if we provoke her too much.¡¯ -And are you one to be troubled by that? ¡®Of course, not.¡¯ Davey chuckled secretly and went on. He asked the dark elf, ¡°Can you do it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t take the payment.¡± After some careful consideration, the dark elf quietly handed back the pouch of money to Davey. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I won¡¯t take the money.¡± The dark elf replied. ¡°You¡¯re going to do it for free?¡± ¡°Not that, either.¡± The dark elf calmly answered and lowered her head. ¡°I will¡­calcte the payment afterwards.¡± ¡°What if I rip you off?¡± With a chuckle, Davey lowered his head further. ¡°This is my proposal since, although you seem to be more perverted than I thought, you don¡¯t seem like the kind of person to not keep a promise. You are not cheap, and you have integrity.¡± The dark elf wanted to see how Davey would act, then build a friendly rtionship with him if he was to her liking. The probing was a little disrespectful, but it didn¡¯t feel terrible. Davey was just a bit surprised that she was a dark elf, but it probably wasn¡¯t anything too extraordinary since she could even change her sex. She seemed to have a sturdy, muscr figure, but that was actually fake. As Davey used his power to nce into the darkness for a bit longer, he began to see an image of a thin and short girl. ¡®No wonder. This was the power from a piece of the will of God.¡¯ ¡°Is that your organization¡¯s offer?¡± Davey asked. ¡°No, my personal one,¡± the dark elf answered. ¡°Sure. Do whatever you want.¡± ¡°Okay, then¡­¡± The dark elf bowed her head for a short goodbye, then disappeared into the air. ¡°You¡¯re going to focus more on your concealment abilities? What a sense of pride you have.¡± As he chuckled, Davey thought about the information that he had read about her. ¡®She¡¯s a dark elf and had also hidden her sex¡­ And isn¡¯t the Echo Guild one of the most famous guilds in the continent?¡¯ -It is not only merchants who can quickly notice a cash cow. Besides¡­ Perserque trailed off and quietly asked. -Do you know anything about the family name, ¡®Helishana¡¯? ¡°Helishana?¡± -You don¡¯t know? ¡°It¡¯s the dark elf¡¯s family name, right? Is there something about her?¡± Perserque smiled softly and shook her head. -It doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t know. Forget about it. ¡°What a bummer.¡± Their conversation didn¡¯t go on for long. * * * Winley must have been tired from traveling for a long time, but she followed Davey as if she couldn¡¯t wait even a moment longer. However, she didn¡¯t have enough strength to endure another long journey since she hade all the way here without rest. As if she had fought in a battlefield while being emotionally drained, Winley was currently a mage whocked strength. ¡°I know your physical condition the best. Stay here,¡± Davey told Winley. ¡°No! I¡¯m going with you!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡± Davey sounded serious, but Winley refused to budge. ¡®I wonder if she knows how bad of a physical state she is in right now.¡¯ Horseback riding was quite a physically draining activity. Davey wondered what Baris was doing in a situation like this, but he thought that Baris must have his reasons, since Baris cherished his twin sister more than anything in the world. Baris just didn¡¯t act like it. ¡°We have to travel for days to get to the Orden Territory. A carriage will slow us down, and from the symptoms you have described, we don¡¯t have that kind of time. You might even slow us down.¡± Davey intentionally criticized Winley so that she would change her mind, but she kept saying that she could travel by horse in a teary voice. -I don¡¯t know why you are so weak against that sister of yours. ¡°Big brother, I can go! I¡¯m not weak!¡± Technically, Winley could; traveling wouldn¡¯t be a problem since she could just hold onto her consciousness with her mental strength. However, Davey just didn¡¯t want her to do that. Wondering about how to solve this problem, an unexpected solution simply presented itself. * * * ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Yulis, a ss-5 ¡®Master¡¯. I am humbly a part of the Red Tower.¡± Mages usually excluded their gender, but included their ss and proficiency when introducing themselves. ¡®ss-5 ¡®Master¡¯.¡¯ People who took the oath of mana found faking their sses very distasteful, so the red-haired mage who appeared to be in his twenties in front of Davey was almost a 5-circle ¡®Master¡¯-level mage. A 5-circle mage; considering this mage¡¯s age and that his skills were almost that of an entry-level ¡®Master¡¯, he had reached an incredible level. After all, it required an exceptional amount of effort and talent that went beyond the level of a ¡®Swordmaster¡¯. If swordsmanship trained the physical body, then magic strengthened the mind. Unlike the few people who became masters in their forties and fifties after devoting their entire life to magic, this mage was already at the entry level of ¡®Master¡¯ before the age of thirty, and was working his way up to the higher levels. Davey was a special case, since his standard of time was a little different. ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane. I have heard great things about you, ss-5 Yulis. It¡¯s an honor to have someone as respected as you toe to this shabby territory.¡± ¡®Heard things about him? I don¡¯t even care about him. And I have no reason to converse with him.¡¯ Regardless of his continental fame, Yulis was from the Central Tower in the central continent. Any involvement with him would only result in trouble. ¡°Shabby? Nonsense. This territory is the shining star of the eastern continent right now. And I¡¯ve wanted to meet you since Princess Winley had spoken so highly of you,¡± Yulis said with a smile, showing no hint of sarcasm. Looking at his impression, he was a righteous young man who might be a little too hardworking. However, Davey had already ssified Yulis as a highly dangerous individual. ¡®He¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ -You shouldn¡¯t be so quick to judge. Is there a reason for you to be so wary of him just because he traveled with your younger sister? ¡®Of course there is. That¡¯s a good enough reason. How dare he touch her with his dirty hand?¡¯ Aside from being kind-hearted, Yulis was also a genius that even the wizard towers acknowledged. On top of that, he was from a good family. There was nothing second-rate about ss-5 Yulis, including his status, wealth, personality, looks, and abilities; he was the golden boy. Furthermore, bing a ¡®Master¡¯ at such a young age held more merit than one would imagine. ¡®Man, you¡¯re tall, too.¡¯ The problem was why Yulis was involved with Winley, so Davey simply asked, ¡°But how does someone like you, ss-5 Yulis, know my sister?¡± He squinted suspiciously. Winley nudged Davey in shock. She eximed, ¡°B¡ªBig brother!¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s alright. I would also be wary in such a situation. I was actually on the way to the Heins Territory to take care of business, but then I ran into Princess Winley, and we happened to travel here together,¡± Yulis exined. Blushing, Winley lowered head. ¡®People say there¡¯s no use in working hard to raise a daughter. Ah, I can¡¯t do it. Let¡¯s get rid of him right now.¡¯ -You have to be patient. And besides, Winley isn¡¯t even your daughter! If Perserque didn¡¯t shout and hold back his arms with an invisible power, Davey would have swung his sword. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ Davey bitterly smiled as he made his sword disappear without Yulis noticing. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I should thank you for helping my sister,¡± Davey said. ¡°No, that¡¯s okay. Princess Winley was actually the one who helped me,¡± Yulis replied. It seemed that Winley had used her magic to chase away the fearless bandits whom Yulis had encountered on the way here. He added, ¡°So, I came to see you. I was wondering how to repay you.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°Although I amcking, I think I may be able to help you. I am familiar with spatial magic, other than me magic.¡± ¡°Te¡ªTeleportation magic!¡± As Winley eximed in surprise, Davey secretly let out a gasp. Mages usually studied one subject of magic for their entire lives; it wasn¡¯t because they were interested in that one subject, but because life was too short for them to learn other types. ¡°I happen to have a small mana gate with me. I was going to use it to move some essential products,¡± Yulis revealed. ¡°A¡ªA small mana gate!¡± Davey stared at Winley who shouted in shock. He asked, ¡°Is that something great?¡± ¡°B¡ªBig brother, of course! Unlike instation-typerge mana gates, small mana gates are extremely luxurious artifacts. They are rare even among the mages of the wizard towers!¡± Winley exined. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°It is a secret treasure of the continent, so only mages who are knowledgeable in spatial theory above the ss-5 level and those who possess mana simr to the High Wizard could have it. I never expected someone like that to be at the Red Tower,¡± Winley said. Apparently, Yulis had been on his way to get the wizard tower¡¯s important supply himself to prevent it from getting damaged in the process. And since Winley was also a mage, she had lots of curiosity and an eagerness for knowledge. Davey decided to hold off on getting rid of Yulis for now. A mana gate would allow them to move without a lot of strain. In addition, Winley was still a mage, so she wouldn¡¯t react adversely to the teleportation magic even if she wasn¡¯t a spatial-rted mage. It was difficult for Davey to use a long-distance teleportation spell since it could only be done above the 6-circle level. Davey nodded gratefully. ¡°Then, I owe you.¡± As Davey smiled and offered a handshake, Yulisughed and grabbed his hand. But Yulis turned slightly pale when he felt Davey¡¯s firm grip. Chapter 76 Zip zip zip!! Tzzz!! With an enormous spark, a light appeared above the territory¡¯s town square. Then, the surroundings changed once the light went away. This was the Ordem Territory. It was rather far from the Heins, and it was a region where tribes of the Thieves¡¯ Guild, who looted ins and forests without settling anywhere, began operating. It had metal mines andrge amounts of farnd, so it was also the familynd of a venerable count. Although the territory was currently unstable due to the Thieves¡¯ Guild turning the ce upside down, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was quite a big and developed territory. Of course, the atmosphere was more depressing than what Davey had expected. ¡°Haha¡­ It¡¯s not pretty, is it, Big brother?¡± Winley said. ¡°Was there another attack?¡± Davey asked. He smelled the nasty scent of burning flesh once he amplified his senses. This odor of protein burning away was very simr to that of burnt human flesh. The territory looked normal and quiet, but it had a strange gloominess. Looking around, Davey was starting to feel grateful that Baris and Winley had grown up so bright despite being in this kind of an atmosphere. Winley frowned slightly. ¡°This makes no sense¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be an attack from the Thieves¡¯ Guild for a while¡­¡± Thinking that something had happened again in the territory, which had burning corpses, Winley mumbled in confusion. She thought that another incident where arge number of people had to be cremated had taken ce. ¡°Unless these people died of an internal conflict, there¡¯s only one thing that could¡¯ve caused a mass burning.¡± With a cold gaze, Davey pointed to a group of people who were dressed in red cloth and red armor. Looking at the red armored men who were using wagons to move the corpses of the residents, Winley widened her eyes. ¡°W¡ªWhat is this¡­¡± Her voice quavered, because she didn¡¯t understand what exactly was going on. ¡°My, my, isn¡¯t this Princess Winley? You¡¯ve returned.¡± A man wearing a monocle emerged from among the knights and bowed to Winley. He wore a kind smile, but it looked odd for some reason. ¡°My name is Count Lington. I was dispatched here from the Coalition for Disease Control¡­ You are more beautiful than what I have heard. It seems that rumors don¡¯t do you justice at all.¡± ¡°My apologies, but there is an important matter at hand. I think we may have to converseter.¡± ¡°Haha, I would like to as well, but the current situation is quite unfortunate.¡± Lington smiled awkwardly but still seemed friendly. His outward appearance was like an old-fashioned schr. ¡°First¡­ I apologize foring to the territory without notifying you, and for allowing the knights to roam freely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lington squinted at Winley, who stayed silent with aplicated look on her face. He then said, ¡°First,e in. We have just finished quarantining the royal pce that you will reside in with a magic artifact from the Holy Empire.¡± His words made Winley frown. * * * Baris wasn¡¯t at the territory; it seemed that he was absent for whatever reason, meaning that the armored men were upying the seigneur¡¯s castle when he wasn¡¯t present. This was quite a shitty situation, but there was a separate reason as to why Winley couldn¡¯t formallyin any further. ¡°Sigh¡­ I know that the situation may be ufortable, but please try to understand. Please have some tea. This is a tea brewed from beneficial herbs,¡± Lington offered. ¡°¡­To my knowledge, I don¡¯t think I handed over the authority of the seigneur to you, Count Lington,¡± Winley replied. ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°Baris is the seigneur of the Ordem Territory. However, those rights belong to me when he is absent.¡± Winley looked displeased as she expressed her thoughts. ¡°I am aware. I know that it is brazen of us toe here and request for whatever we want.¡± This was honestly no different from a robber acting as the owner of the house when the actual owner hade back. But Lington was unperturbed. ¡°However, as I told you before, we are from the Coalition of Disease Control.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey had heard about the Coalition of Disease Control before. They were a multinational organization that had special rights, since they had been acknowledged with the seals of the three empires¡¯ emperors who had conquered the continent. ¡°It is true that the Coalition of Disease Control¡¯s main purpose is to provide free medical attention all around the continent. It is an organization founded by the three wise emperors with good intentions.¡± ¡°I have heard of it, yes. However, what are the people of the coalition doing here in the territory?¡± Winley asked. Davey could tell that she couldn¡¯t shake away her anxiety. -How can you know without using [Check Information]? ¡®Winley has a habit of grasping her skirt with her right hand whenever she¡¯s anxious.¡¯ -Your love for your younger sister is almost like a disease. ¡®Why do you care that I cherish my sister this much? She is so cute.¡¯ Winley was clearly prettier than most nobles, who were already known to mostly be quite good-looking. Her big, round eyes and cute facial features caught the attention of many sons of the nobility in the Rowane Kingdom. Rumor had it that she had rejected the marriage proposal of a foreign prince who had fallen in love with her at first sight when he had visited the kingdom for an international visit. But Davey didn¡¯t know for what reason she had declined. Tsk tsk. Perserque stared at Davey pathetically as he exined, but he ignored her to pay attention to Count Lington. ¡°As you know, Your Highness, there is a wicked disease going around in the territory. The coalition is currently calling the disease, ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯.¡± ¡°The¡­ ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯.¡± ¡°Yes. This nasty disease causes blue-ck spots to appear on the affected and makes them cough up blood. It is fatal. This wicked illness is also known to be extremely contagious.¡± Life drained out of Winley¡¯s face, because Lington had mentioned symptoms that were the same as what Portna was experiencing. Winey hurriedly cried for help with teary eyes, ¡°N¡ªNow is not the time! Big brother! We have to hurry for Portna!¡± ¡°My, I have yet to greet Prince Davey. I have wanted to meet you ever since hearing about you. I heard that you have received a stigmata and that you have sessfully harvested moon grass in your territory.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fortunate that the conditions are favorable.¡± Lingtonughed exaggeratedly. ¡°There is no result without a cause. It is probably because you are so extraordinary, Your Highness. Haha, I see that the shining individuals of our continent are gathered here.¡± ¡°My apologies, Count Lington, but I must leave. I have an urgent matter to take care of. Lindy!¡± Winley quickly shouted for Lindy, who was herdy-in-waiting, but Lindy didn¡¯t show up at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the servants of the seigneur¡¯s pce and the knights are all under quarantine right now,¡± Lington exined. ¡°What?¡± Infuriated, Winley red at Lington. Lington answered while wiping the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. ¡°It¡¯s inevitable. The ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯ is a highly contagious disease. It can be avoided if managed well, but it bes uncontroble if a single infected person roams free. Please understand.¡± Not knowing what to do, Winley stared at Lington who bowed his head with a pale face. ¡°B¡ªBut this is clearly an overreach of power¡­¡± ¡°I am aware. It is also true that we are shameless. However, Your Highness, I hope you understand that we acted ording to the agreement of the Alliance of Nations. There were precedents set in the past for us to be given the authority of the territory in emergency situations,¡± Lington exined. ¡°And, unfortunately, this disease is incurable, regardless of the level of holy power. It doesn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t¡­be¡­¡± ¡°That is why we have stepped up, so please leave it to us. We will make sure to carry out an effective treatment method and give you good news.¡± Lington¡¯s words were like a falsemitment of good will. * * * There was nothing Davey could check for himself even if he spoke to Lington, because he had to go and see it for himself. He walked into the treatment center with an adequate excuse, quickly picking up the foul odor that blew toward him. Groan¡­ ¡°It¡­ It hurts¡­¡± The center looked horrid. There were gruesome moans and groans of pain. There were also the bodies of residents who had already died from the disease. Portna, who was Winley¡¯s knight, had been the only one suffering from the unknown disease at first. But numerous residents began suffering from the same thing in a matter of days. The red armored knights were loading the bodies onto a wagon and continuously burning them. -The smell of burning corpses is sickening. My head aches. ¡®Me too.¡¯ Davey calmly walked into the center. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t have been allowed, but he hade because he knew how to use holy magic and because Winley had pleaded so desperately. The treatment center was a confined space made byyering several pieces of fabric. Here, people were treating quarantined patients who all had different symptoms. ¡®No, instead of treatment¡­ This is more like quarantining to prevent the worst-case scenario.¡¯ The solution was horrendous, but also realistic in a way. -¡­ Perserque covered her mouth and looked around in shock. -I¡¯ve never seen a disease this terrible in my lifetime¡­ ¡°This disease shouldn¡¯t exist.¡± -What are you saying? And there¡¯s a weird smell wafting through the air. As Perserque mumbled, Davey walked into the special quarantining space where Portna was. Immediately, the strange odor intensified and assailed his sense of smell. -Ugh¡­ Unlike Perserque, who immediately frowned, Davey calmly and somewhat stiffly went inside to see a woman who was tied to her bed. The woman was Portna, the escort knight whom Winley pleaded for Davey to save. Looking at the corpse-like woman, Davey said, ¡°It smells like Blue Death Blossom.¡± -Blue¡­ What? ¡°Blue Death Blossom. It¡¯s probably called the Tostart flower here.¡± -I¡¯ve never heard of it. ¡°It¡¯s a rare flower that grows in extreme conditions. It¡¯s difficult to see now.¡± The smell was strangely unpleasant, but was also strangely addictive. Taking it in, Davey continued to exin, ¡°The Tostart flower is extremely poisonous.¡± A drop of the flower¡¯s essence was enough to kill hundreds of people. It was a flower loved by assassins, but it couldn¡¯t be used if it was this difficult to obtain or harvest despite its high effectiveness. Davey approached Portna silently and put his hand on her wrist to feel her pulse. Thud¡­ Thud Thud¡­ Thud thud thud. Thud¡­ He could feel a weak pulse through his fingertips. Then, he released his mana to surround Portna to see through her. Since he didn¡¯t have some high-tech equipment like a CT or an MRI avable, he had no choice but to check her by using mana. This required an extremely delicate control of mana, but Davey was someone who had learned everything from Odin, the God of Mages. Portna was so pale that she almost looked dead, but her prominent pulse indicated otherwise. She was said to have been exposed to the disease far sooner than the residents, but she was still alive when others were already dying. ¡°39.7 degrees Celsius. Her brain cells are going to cook,¡± Daveymented. Portna¡¯s skin was as cold as a corpse, but her organs were extremely hot; her state waspletely out of bnce, and it was almost miraculous that she was still alive. The disease had horrendous symptoms, oues, and deaths. Davey had expected this when he first heard it from Winley, but he couldn¡¯t help but sigh at theplicated situation. ¡®If Portna was a normal human, she would¡¯ve already died by the time I got here.¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t understand. There¡¯s no way this disease exists in this world¡­¡± -What do you mean? Tell me, too. ¡°This disease was rampant in a different world. Since it¡¯s a virus that was made in special circumstances, it¡¯s not something like a cold, cancer, leukemia, or like the ck gue.¡± This was certainly a virus made from gene modification, meaning that this disease wasn¡¯t natural. One could even call it a bioterror attack. ¡®Even the people who made this virus died because of it.¡¯ -It was made? ¡°Melting eleration Virus.¡± -M¡ªMelting¡­ What? ¡°Melting eleration Virus. The method that the virus kills its host is wicked, but it is also quite contagious. It has a history of killing millions of people with one outbreak in a short amount of time. And¡­¡± Davey closed his eyes. ¡°It took ten years to develop a cure for it. Two hundred million eight thousand people died before the cure was developed, and eighteen thousand people were saved from it. I think we¡¯re going to have to make an antibody fast.¡± Davey quickly grabbed a knife, tube, and a ss test tube that was nearby. He put holy power into the knife. ¡®It¡¯s important to disinfect.¡¯ That was when¡­ ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Someone¡¯s wary voice stopped Davey. Chapter 77 31. Participating in the Frontline of Medicine! ¡°What are you doing?!¡± It was an angry shout that was both formal and cold. The person who shouted also grabbed Davey¡¯s knife-wielding hand. ¡°I asked what you are doing to a dying patient.¡± The man who stopped Davey was wearing a red uniform. He looked quite meticulous and picky. He also had his nose and mouth covered with a red cloth, so he wondered why Davey was here without any kind of protection. With a harsh tone, he asked again, ¡°This is a restricted area that¡¯s for authorized personnel only. Who are you, and why are you in here?¡± Davey pulled out a small token from his chest. Showing the status of royalty during such a situation would be quite helpful. ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ My apologies. I am Baron Gorneo. Although I am stillcking, I am a member of the Coalition of Disease Control.¡± As Davey examined the man¡¯s uniform, he could see that the man was wearing the same red uniform as Count Lington and had a brooch with a strange symbol. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°However, I cannot let you in here even if you are a prince. I¡¯m sorry, but you must leave!¡± Gorneo shouted. Seeing his unwavering attitude, Davey put down his knife and asked, ¡°Am I not allowed to be here?¡± ¡°The disease that has spread in this territory is transmitted through the air under special circumstances¡­ Oh no! Use this to cover your nose and mouth! Hurry!¡± Realizing that Davey didn¡¯t have anything covering his face, Gorneo quickly pulled out a piece of cloth. He pushed Davey out. ¡°There is a low chance of catching the disease outside, but there are several infected patients here! Hurry!¡± When Davey silently epted the cloth, Gorneo yelled with urgency, ¡°I heard that you came to this territory because of this outbreak, Your Highness! I heard that you have a stigmata; however, this can¡¯t be cured, even with the power of the stigmata!¡± Davey stopped Gorneo as he spoke firmly. ¡°Did you check that it couldn¡¯t be cured?¡± ¡°No, not really, since it is difficult to encounter anyone with a stigmata. However, a High Priest with a simr level of holy power has told us that, so¡­¡± ¡°Aghhhh!!!¡± That was when Davey and Gorneo heard a desperate cry of help. As they both hurried over, they saw a man screaming and struggling while tied to his bed. ¡°Damn it!!¡± Baron Gorneo immediately ran over to the patient to do an examination. It seemed like he hadpletely forgotten about keeping Davey out. He then yelled, ¡°Since when was he like this?!¡± ¡°Th¡ªThat is¡­¡± ¡°Get me a painkiller! Calm him down first!!¡± Davey ignored the fact that Gorneo was treating the patient with both urgency and determination. He simply stared at the patient. -It¡¯s horrible¡­ ¡°Blood foam, pus from the eyes that resemble bloody tears, and the spots on his body are moving around irregrly.¡± -Davey? Perserque called upon Davey with her eyes open wide as she heard him murmur. Davey boldly stopped the person who was bringing the tube and the medicine. ¡°Wh¡­ What are you¡­¡± ¡°That patient is going to die if you give that to him right now,¡± Davey said. ¡°Pardon¡­ Pardon?!¡± ¡°Give me the tube.¡± Davey snatched the sterilized tube away and promptly walked toward the screaming patient. Then, he covered the screaming man¡¯s mouth and wiped away all the bloody foam that was spewing out of the man¡¯s mouth. It was dangerous, since his finger could very well be bitten off, but his body was durable enough to withstand the bite of a human. ¡°H¡ªHey, what are you¡­?!¡± Gorneo, surprised by Davey¡¯s sudden intrusion, was about to shout when Davey ripped off the patient¡¯s top. Then, Gorneo¡¯s eyes flew wide open in surprise. ¡®I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re doing when they¡¯ve got an emergency patient. Time is of the essence. There are two lumps¡­ No, another one is forming.¡¯ Davey squinted at the presence of the air bubbles. He could tell that a clot of the virus-infected blood was building up in the man¡¯s lungs. The patient was surely going to die if it wasn¡¯t extracted immediately. ¡®Eight millimeters from the bottom, and three millimeters from the right. This human is going to die if I¡¯m even a little bit off.¡¯ Taking a breath, Davey felt the area with his fingertips and concentrated. He touched the patient¡¯s ribs with two fingers and then courageously raised the tube with a sharp end. Ching! A faint light began emitting from his hands as he held onto the patient and the tube. [Pain Alleviation] [Holy Coating] Whoosh¡­ Holy magic was just a different type of magic, but casting two spells simultaneously was pretty difficult. The two holy magic spells began activating, then Davey pierced the sharp tube past the patient¡¯s ribs and into his lungs. Stab! Davey expected the patient to squirm in pain, but the man only screamed and spewed even more bloody foam. He was struggling to breathe properly. ¡®A little more!¡¯ Davey, who was moving his fingertips along the tube that he pushed slowly and precisely, pierced the tube in much more boldly. Shocked by Davey¡¯s actions, Gorneo came at him and grabbed him by the cor. Davey didn¡¯t even have the time to take his hands off the tube. ¡°You!! What are you doing with this human¡¯s life?!...¡± Davey could feel Gorneo¡¯s intense fury in his voice. It probably wasn¡¯t because someone was doing his work, but because Davey was being reckless with a patient. To someone else, Davey¡¯s actions carried a stronger intention to kill than to save. All Davey did when Gorneo shouted in anger was to point at the patient with his chin. ¡°Say someth¡­¡± Davey¡¯s actions only infuriated Gorneo even more. He looked like he was going to hit Davey, not caring that Davey was a prince. But he soon froze as he turned his nce over to where Davey was pointing at. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± Before, the patient was in so much pain that he couldn¡¯t breathe. Now, he actually calmed down and was only coughing a little. Squirt¡­ A blue-ck liquid quickly came flowing into the tube that Davey had inserted. ¡®He¡¯s going to have trouble breathing again if it doesn¡¯t drain for a while.¡¯ ¡°Give that to me.¡± Davey brushed off Gorneo, who was stunned into stillness. He took a test tube from the nearby doctor. He poured the liquid from the patient into the test tube without hesitation and closed the lid. ¡°Stop the bleeding and then stitch him up. Just so you know, the patient will die of shock if you give them painkillers within 24 hours of those symptoms showing up, so don¡¯t. And,¡± Davey said rather unwillingly, then stared at the surprised Gorneo. ¡°Someone with a stigmata is immune to almost everything.¡± ¡®The power of God isn¡¯t nothing.¡¯ Ignoring the dumbfounded stares all around him, Davey took the test tube with the blue-ck liquid and left. The people inside the treatment center were frozen in ce until he left. * * * Putting the incident at the treatment center behind him, Davey returned to the seigneur¡¯s pce to see Winley, who was probably devastated. ¡°Oh, Big brother!¡± As soon as Davey entered the room, Winley, who was holding her face with a teary frown, stood up with wide eyes. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± Beside her was Yulis, who had a soft smile on his face. It definitely seemed like Winley was hiding something as she was flustered and red. She asked, ¡°B¡ªBig brother, did you¡­hear?¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°N¡ªNothing!!¡± Jumping at Davey¡¯s question, Winley vigorously shook her head. Davey nced over at Yulis, since he could sense the strange atmosphere in the room. Yulis said nothing and just smiled, while Winley blushed and seemed to not know what to do. Yulis was also considered to be the best person for marriage¡­ A girl of Winley¡¯s age was bound to have some interest in a person who looked like that, and since Winley was a girl¡­ ¡®There¡¯s no use in raising a daughter!!¡¯ -She is not your daughter! Davey chose not to hear Perserque¡¯s shouting. ¡°I got some information about a few things. There are two people from the Coalition of Disease Control here: Count Lington and Baron Gorneo. Ah, their titles were from their past. They are members of the coalition,¡± Yulis exined. ¡°Members?¡± Winley, who was staring at her herbal tea with tired eyes, looked at Yulis in puzzlement. ¡°Yes, I should first tell you about the Coalition of Disease Control. Would that be okay?¡± ¡°I was just wondering the same thing.¡± ¡°Ahaha. It¡¯s a good thing I found something.¡± Yulisughed and put his quill on paper. Then, he drew a pyramid of circles: one on top, three below that, and then fifteen below those. He continued, ¡°First, this is the hierarchy of the Coalition of Disease Control. It¡¯s probably best that I exin the big picture.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°You all know that the Coalition of Disease Control is an organization founded by the three emperors for treatment purposes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my impression of it.¡± Davey nodded. No matter what it was, the Coalition of Disease Control was still thergest official medical organization of the continent. ¡°In terms of hierarchy, there is one leader, three chairmen, and fifteen council members. There are numerous knights and people rted to medicine, but these people are the important ones.¡± ¡°Are the three chairmen the three emperors?¡± ¡°You are quick. And the leader is none other than His Excellency, the Pope of the Valchas Empire. I heard that he participated in this good cause to support it.¡± External trauma could easily be fixed with a recovery spell, but diseases wereplicated. Therefore, the coalition¡¯s purpose was quite transparent and easy to understand. ¡°And there are fifteen council members below them. Most of the members have great aplishments or are skilled enough in the art of medicine to have been acknowledged. However, all their personal information has been erased to prevent them from carrying out any personal business.¡± These people had erased everything about them for one cause¡­ ¡®I can practically see that they are crazy.¡¯ ¡°There are two council members on the continent right now: Count Lington and Baron Gorneo. Well, the ranks are just titles since they hold no meaning now.¡± Yulis slurred the end of his words and smiled bitterly. ¡°The important thing is that they have been given the power of not only the three emperors, but the Alliance of Nations. Count Lington¡¯s words are actually valid.¡± This meant that the actions the men had taken to stop the outbreak of the disease in this territory were justified. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they were allowed to kill all the residents recklessly. Chapter 78 ¡°The Rowane Kingdom is also a part of the Alliance of Nations. If we were to protest against this, not only would we be making enemies with the three empires, but it could be considered treason against our kingdom and the countries in the alliance,¡± Yulis exined. Simply put, he was saying that the repercussions would be like an atomic explosion if they were to rub the coalition the wrong way. ¡°But the residents are afraid,¡± Winley pointed out. ¡°Well, it hasn¡¯t been long since they¡¯ve arrived here. All we can do right now is wait¡­ Prince Davey?¡± Yulis called upon Davey, who kept silent. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Davey snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. Yulis chuckled. ¡°And the order protecting the ce is the Knights of Destruction, and I have heard that the captain dispatched here is Count Collio.¡± ¡°Count Collio? Um¡­ From the Lyndis Empire, the most powerful empire in the eastern continent¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he is one of the royal knightage¡¯s captains. I heard that he retired a few years ago, but it seems that he¡¯s here.¡± Yulis added with a sigh, ¡°Well¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to leave it to them for now¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad decision to leave it to the coalition, since they were the continent¡¯s best medical organization. However, it seemed like Davey¡¯s worries weren¡¯t going away. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have brought the two of you here if I knew how dangerous it was¡­¡± Winley med herself. When Davey just hugged her and patted her on the back, she murmured, ¡°Bro¡­ther?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Comforted by Davey¡¯s voice, Winley gradually stopped trembling. At least they had gotten off on the right foot. What they nned to do from now on was more important, and it was meaningless to dwell on what had happened. Davey was determined to keep his promise; Winley was his precious younger sister who brought him joy andughter, after all. Then, turning to Yulis, Davey said, ¡°Anyways, never mind me, but we caused a huge inconvenience to you, ss-5 Yulis.¡± Yulis shook his head andughed. ¡°No, not at all. I forgot to tell you, but Portna is part of the Red Tower.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Since one of the mages of the Red Tower is severely ill, I must stay and monitor the situation as an elder.¡± It looked to Davey that Yulis was being genuine since he was someone of a virtuous character. In fact, it said that Yulis truly did want to help when he checked with [Check Information]. ¡®But why does it look like he has another reason?¡¯ -Don¡¯t blindly trust the power of [Check Information]. The power couldn¡¯t be perfect even if the authority was a fragment of the power of God. * * * -Why didn¡¯t you stay there and treat people? ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have helped even if I was there.¡± When she heard Davey¡¯s aloof answer, Perserque tilted her head in confusion. She wondered why he left without any hesitation when he had seen the patients and knew what the disease was. -And all you did was take some weird pus. ¡°This is key.¡± Davey smiled bitterly as he lightly shook the liquid in the test tube. ¡°I told you that it¡¯s a virus. We can treat the disease right away by finding the cause.¡± -But if we do that¡­ ¡°There¡¯s a fifty-fifty chance: you either get to live or you die on the spot. Acupuncture could also work, but only for certain cases.¡± To Davey, it made no sense to make such a rash and extreme decision. He continued, ¡°If the coalition is at least suppressing the number of dying residents as best as they can, I have to find a cure when I have the time right now.¡± What Davey was trying to do was simple: to make an antivirus or an antibody. This disease didn¡¯t exist in this world, but it was strong enough to remain and wreck the human body, so Davey¡¯s method was the only way to find a cure. Hypocria, the Goddess of Medicine who previously cured this disease, had said that she had to watch numerous people die while she developed an antibody. The process of developing a cure for a nasty disease was incredibly arduous. Candidly put, the history of medicine was stained with blood; as such, it was crucial for those who practiced medicine to learn the importance of life while learning the art of medicine. Even Davey, who hadn¡¯t personally experienced the bloodstained history did understand the magnitude of life. -An antibody¡­ ¡°When something bad enters the human body, the human body secretes something to destroy it. And it remembers the information of the intruder and makes an antibody for it.¡± Perserque nodded in understanding. Antigens and antibodies; the human body was truly fascinating. -It¡¯smon in the medical field, right? The Coalition of Disease Control probably tried several different ways to create an antibody as well. Of course, they most likely didn¡¯t seed since the method to create this antibody waspletely beyondmon knowledge. -But¡­how are you going to make an antibody with just that? Davey was just staring at the tube, but he suddenly raised his head. ¡°Come in if you¡¯ve arrived. Don¡¯t just stand there.¡± There was no one other than Davey and Perserque, who was floating, in the room, but his words were clearly for someone else. Shshshsh¡­ Just then, a presence could be felt. The empty space began distorting, and someone started appearing in the air. ¡°¡­¡± Davey could only see the eyes of the man in the ck uniform and mask, just like before. The man looked slightly shocked, his emotions showing through his eyes. It seemed like Jack had tried to hide as best as he could, but Davey¡¯s skills as an assassin were probably more than ten times better than Jack¡¯s; honing a craft for close to a thousand years was nearly impossible for ordinary people. Time was probably the most valuable resource that the heroes who couldn¡¯t reach the end in their lifetime could have in the Hall. ¡°You found me again,¡± Jack said. ¡°I found you because I can see you,¡± Davey replied. ¡°That makes¡­¡± ¡°Sense.¡± ¡®You should look at who you¡¯re talking to before teaching a fish how to swim.¡¯ Although Davey¡¯s physical body wasn¡¯t that experienced yet, his inner self was another story altogether. Davey cut Jack off and nced over in irritation. Then, Jack approached slowly. ¡°This is the information you were looking for.¡± ¡°Good work. And are you going to receive thepensation?¡± ¡°Not yet. And take this as well.¡± Jack calmly handed Davey a capsule that contained two different piles of documents. Well, Jack was actually Aina Helishana, the dark elf. ¡°This is?¡± ¡°I brought it because I thought that it would be useful.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to get fired if you keep doing this kind of charity work.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. We calcte everything.¡± Offering the extra documents wasn¡¯t the intention of the Echo Guild, the enormous intelligence guild, but of Jack¡¯s own ord. Since Jack was offering them, Davey epted the documents. He went on to read and squint at the documents. ¡°Hm¡­ Are you sure this is urate?¡± Jack silently nodded. The information was probably true since anybody who sold information as their livelihood had to be known as reliable. ¡°Okay, then. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to ask for one more thing.¡± When Jack quietly nodded, Davey made his request. ¡°I needrge quantities of the products listed here. Put it under the name¡­ Coalition of Disease Control.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°What would be wrong with that? You already know that the coalition is here. Just tell them that Baron Gorneo ordered it. You have to get it as soon as possible. I don¡¯t know how many more will die each day that we don¡¯t have the items.¡± Puzzled, Jack tilted his head, but it was good for both of them to have a win-win situation. ¡°The quantity of each medicinal herb should be more than enough to fill up one carriage. I think you should be able to obtain it faster and more urately than mercenaries.¡± ¡°I will get it to you as soon as possible¡­¡± Jack slightly bowed and disappeared into thin air. Watching him, Davey just shook the test tube in his hand. * * * As soon as the sun came up, Davey headed to the headquarters where the Coalition of Disease Control¡¯s doctors and administrative members were having a meeting. The knights who normally blocked his entrance into the headquarters no longer did that; perhaps they were given different orders from the members. ¡°Ah! Prince Davey, you¡¯re here,¡± Count Lington said. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work,¡± Davey replied. Lington chuckled. ¡°Haha, what is there to call hard work? It is you who¡¯s done the hard work, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°I heard that you saved an emergency patient at the treatment center yesterday.¡± ¡°It just happened, so I dealt with it.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I was really surprised. I didn¡¯t know you were versed in the art of medicine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough to be proud of.¡± Lington shook his head vigorously. ¡°Not something to be proud of?! The treatment method you tried yesterday, Your Highness, was something that was new and bold to all of us. Isn¡¯t that right, Baron Gorneo?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gorneo lowered his head. Lington said, ¡°Thank you for your help yesterday, but¡­¡± ¡°Enough with the formalities.¡± Davey cut Gorneo off and stared at Lington. He said, ¡°Thank you for stopping the territory from getting into worse shape. It has been a huge help.¡± Lington shook his hands in dismissal. ¡°That is the very reason we are here.¡± ¡°However, it is not that I cannot trust the two of you, but looking at the disease, we cannot afford to waste any time.¡± ¡°Then, you are saying¡­¡± ¡°I will treat them. So please give me the right to participate in treatment activities.¡± m!! Gorneo bolted up from his seat, eximing, ¡°Absolutely not!¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Does this situation look like a joke to you?! Do you think they will be fine if we leave them to someone else for a few days like you want?!¡± Gorneo shouted. Davey squinted. ¡°That patient. Do you know that he would¡¯ve died if I was two or three minuteste?¡± Gorneo flinched at Davey¡¯s question. Normally, he would¡¯ve given them carrots and used his stick moderately, but he didn¡¯t have the luxury, nor did he think to do that since the patients would have to be treated as soon as it was prepared. ¡°Let me ask again: do either of you have a way to cure this disease?¡± Davey asked. ¡°T¡ªThen! Are you saying that you have a way, Your Highness?¡± ¡°You should at least hold onto any chance if there is one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am not trying to take away your jobs or anything. This is a territory of my kingdom, and the territory of my younger sister.¡± As Gorneo red at Davey as his tightly held fists trembled, the atmosphere soon turned extremely hostile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good idea?¡± Lington just fixed his monocle, which made his sharp eyes pop, and calmly wiped the cold sweat off. It seemed like he had no intention of acknowledging the threatening atmosphere. ¡°Count Lington!¡± Gorneo shouted. ¡°We must face reality. It hasn¡¯t been long since the ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯ has spread in the Ordem Territory. It¡¯s a relief that we acted quickly and not all the residents were affected. However¡­¡± Lington trailed off before his next question. Chapter 79 ¡°What happened in the Contas Empire¡¯s territory in the west? All the residents ended up dying, and dozens of doctors and knights died as well,¡± Lington said. ¡°That is¡­¡± Before Gorneo could finish his sentence, Lington went on. ¡°Baron Gorneo, you were also there. So, are you trying to maintain your pride in this situation? If there is even a sliver of hope¡­ It might be right for us to hold onto it.¡± ¡°That damn pride! Sigh¡­ Well, alright.¡± Gorneo let out a deep breath, as if he was holding back something that he wanted to say, Then, he nced at Davey and lowered his head. ¡°You seem to be quite confident, Your Highness. Can you really show us something?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright. I am agreeing because you are the First Prince of this kingdom, and you possess a stigmata with special authority. If you think lightly about human life, I will make sure to hold the royal pce ountable!¡± Even though the patients weren¡¯t from Gorneo¡¯s country, neither were they his responsibility, Gorneo still treated them as his top priority. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t hand over part of my rights to someone I couldn¡¯t trust, either.¡¯ ¡°I won¡¯t let you down at least¡­¡± Davey smiled. Gorneo left the room as if he had nothing more to say. On the other hand, Lington spoke while maintaining his calm gaze. ¡°I will put my faith in you, Your Highness. Haha, although this is unbelievable.¡± ¡°I am grateful for your consideration.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°No, that¡¯s alright. I was surprised that you have a better knowledge of medicine than I had expected. In fact, such cases do appear rarely, but¡­ If it¡¯s alright, can I ask who you learned that kind of knowledge from?¡± Davey didn¡¯t answer the question. He could say that he had learned it from Hypocria, the Goddess of Medicine from a different world, but he didn¡¯t really have a reason to tell them. * * * Although she was anxious, Winley couldn¡¯t hide her happiness when she heard that Davey was officially participating in medical activities. It seemed like she only relied on him and not the Coalition of Disease Control. Winley and Yulis were surprised at the fact that Davey possessed medical knowledge, but they soon expressed that Davey should tell them if there was anything he needed, and that he should unhesitantly ask them for support if anything came up. ¡°The Red Tower will provide support, since I have quite arge amount of funds I can use with my personal authority. If there¡¯s anything you need that requires magic¡­¡± Yulis offered. Davey appreciated Yulis¡¯ good intentions, but he didn¡¯t really need them. Afterwards, Davey went into the individual treatment tents and obtained a few more test tubes with the blue-ck liquid. Then, he divided them into the tubes he had prepared. The Artmite ore was a hard, solid ore that became sticky and tough after being melted at a certain temperature over a long period of time. It was the material of the test tubes, and that was probably why sswork wasn¡¯t necessary in the Tionis continent. Count Lington provided Davey with a lot of information to show his full support, especially since Davey had decided to participate. The little pieces of information allowed Davey to put forward quite a few hypotheses. ¡°I guess they are still the best medical organization in the continent,¡± Davey murmured as he nced over the data and progress reports in the pile of documents. He had toplete this task perfectly now that he had started. Baron Gorneo, one of the council members, wasn¡¯t happy about this, but Davey had no reason to care about his situation. As Davey was observing the changes in the test tubes, two of the doctors in the administration came to Davey and reported their progress. ¡°Your Highness, we have finished ssifying the patients that you talked about.¡± ¡°Well, then. Let¡¯s try to buy some time.¡± Thepletion of the antibody was estimated to be four days. During this period of time, Davey was determined to keep each and every one of the residents alive. * * * ¡°Do you think it will be okay?¡± The elderly man asked. He looked quite old, but his unusually massive physique for his age and the sharpness of his gaze clearly showed that he was no ordinary being. ¡°For what, Count Colio?¡± Count Lington replied. Count Colio was the former captain of the royal pce of Lyndis¡¯ knights and was currently one of the Knights of Destruction¡¯s captains under the Coalition for Disease Control. He was a ¡®Swordmaster¡¯ who used to be famous in the Lyndis Empire. ¡°The thing with the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom. If he¡¯s really doing something¡­¡± ¡°Yes, then the face of the coalition would be damaged.¡± Davey, a teenager, had stepped up to solve what the people of the so-called ¡°best medical organization of the continent¡± had been struggling with for years. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if this was all. However, even to Lington, Davey really seemed to have something. The stigmata was a holy power, not something that gave him knowledge. That meant Davey either picked it up on his own or he learned the art of medicine from someone else. ¡°It could potentially make people doubt our qualifications. They wouldn¡¯t have been able to protest if we declined like Baron Gorneo.¡± Lington just coolly nodded in agreement. ¡°That is also true.¡± ¡°Then, why¡­¡± ¡°However, Count Colio¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be good if the disease could be cured?¡± Lington smiled. Count Colio¡¯s face stiffened slightly. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Since it hase to this, so what if Prince Davey is sessful in curing the disease?¡± Lington smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a win-win situation for him and for us. It will push the field of medicine forward, and the ones who deserve honor will be given it. It¡¯s a win-win situation, is it not?¡± Count Colio did not speak about who would be the one being given the honor. 32. The Antibody, and Movement. ¡°As Count Lington mentioned, the Coalition for Disease Control is changing all treatment measures to yours like you wanted,¡± Baron Gorneo said. ¡°Thank you for making such a huge decision.¡± ¡°But you must keep in mind. I will go so far as to watch you. I will at least have to be the line in the sand.¡± Davey was recing Gorneo; since Davey was nothing but an imposter to him, there was no way Gorneo was going to go down easily. ¡°To be honest, there are some who are saying that we should not ept your ideas.¡± ¡°Baron Gorneo.¡± ¡°Remember that the art of medicine isn¡¯t a stepping stone for prestige.¡± Gorneo, right now, was simply stating the obvious. ¡°I know it sounds crazy and it¡¯s hard to believe, but have some faith. I have no intention of letting Winley and Baris¡¯ residents die.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This disease¡ªno, this variant of a virus¡ªcauses high fevers, randomly alters body temperatures, and melts the entire body by the minute.¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± There was no significant difference between the Melting eleration Virus and a regr virus during its initial stages, but¡­ ¡°A virus remains dormant for a certain period of time when it first enters the human body. Only after a period of time does it be active.¡± Speaking calmly, Davey grabbed the arm of a patient who was moaning in pain. He pressed on their entire body, and the bedridden patient began frowning from the pain. Groan¡­ ¡°Just endure a little bit. The pain will subside soon.¡± Davey spoke to the patient, then kept listing the symptoms. ¡°First, the muscles start to melt. Then, the bones begin to melt, starting with the joints and cartge.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It would actually be a relief if it ended there. Next, it¡¯s the organs. It begins with the rectal area and the gonads, then it travels up to the kidneys,rge and small intestines, and then the pancreas, liver, and stomach.¡± Gorneo¡¯s face was filled with surprise. Then, he expressed shock when Davey kept exining and listing out the symptoms of a patient from the beginning stages to the end. His shock was understandable, since this disease was rarely known in this world. ¡°By then, the fluid of liquified internal body parts begins flowing out of the holes. Since it looks like blue-ck spots on the skin as it leaks out, that¡¯s probably how it gets the name, ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯.¡± ¡®Do you know why I am exining this to you?¡¯ ¡°Prince Davey, don¡¯t tell me that¡­¡± ¡°Well, it is officially called ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯ here, but it is also called the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯ in a different ce.¡± ¡°A different ce¡­ ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯¡­¡± ¡°This is the important part. Doctors who encounter this disease try the same thing and thene to one conclusion: they have to find the source and remove it, since it cannot be treated with drugs.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That is true¡­¡± ¡°So, what happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m right, most of them have died during the procedure, and the remaining few have beenpletely destroyed by the virus that grew inside their bodies.¡± ¡®Am I wrong?¡¯ Baron Gorneo trembled, feeling nervous. ¡®What a sight.¡¯ ¡°I feel a little morefortable, sir¡­¡± The patient said in between groans. ¡°Yes, try to endure the pain a little bit more even if it hurts. I will definitely keep you alive if you want to live.¡± ¡°Th¡­ Thank you¡­¡± The patient was just amoner, one of the underprivileged members that this damn monarchal continent paid no attention to. Nobody would really care if people like that died. However, they were all just human beings and patients to Davey. Davey had no intention ofpromising anything rted to the art of medicine, even if it¡¯s because of the promise he had made with the person who had taught him the art of medicine. ¡°What about the items I asked for?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I have prepared them at the location you have specified.¡± ¡°Shriek!!¡± Gorneo widened his eyes in surprise when he heard a man responding to Davey. It was natural since someone had suddenly appeared when there wasn¡¯t any presence before. ¡°Alright. Put it on the tab and let¡¯s finish it in four days.¡± Gorneo nkly stared at the man disappearing into thin air, then followed Davey with mixed emotions. * * * Four days went by. Gorneo honestly couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment. ¡°My, the color is changing.¡± ¡°How is the blue-ck color changing back to red?¡± Gorneo couldn¡¯t even hear the little girl and the man with square sses who were speaking in fascination. ¡°How is this¡­¡± That was all Gorneo could say. If he never witnessed this with his own eyes, he would never have believed it. ¡°What did I say? I told you I was going to finish this in four days.¡± ¡°Big brother!!¡± ¡°Now all you have to do is monitor the situation and administer it.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Weep¡­ Thank you, Big brother¡­¡± Watching Winley, the little girl, weep as she ran into Prince Davey¡¯s arms, Baron Gorneo just flopped onto his chair dejectedly. Chapter 80 ¡°Oh my¡­ I can¡¯t believe it!¡± The man automatically shouted in awe when he saw the red liquid. ¡°Did you really¡­make an antidote?! No way¡­ No kind of medicine worked!¡± Something like this had never happened. ¡°I wish I had a microscope¡­but there¡¯s nothing like that here.¡± The man didn¡¯t even know what a microscope was, but the important thing was that¡­ ¡°An antibody¡­ An antibody! The first thing that the doctors, who were the best of the best in this field, gave up on was making an antibody!¡± The man, Baron Gorneo, gasped in astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s not easy.¡± Davey just grinned. The human body had a system that prepared for the next viral attack by remembering its initial attack; this was the rtionship between antigens and antibodies. However, Gorneo had thought that an antibody couldn¡¯t be developed for this nasty disease. Since he was also an exceptional doctor, he had attempted to make an antibody numerous times, but had failed time and time again. Yet, right in front of his eyes now was the oue he had been searching for over thest three years. ¡°B¡ªBut this isn¡¯t something that could be made this easily¡­¡± Gorneo stammered. ¡°It¡¯s because I used something that isn¡¯t usually used in medicine. Baron Gorneo, can I tell you something funny?¡± As he stopped stroking Winley¡¯s head, Davey spoke with a smile. Then, he filled a thin needle with the transparent liquid he had made and injected it into the blue-ck blood. Just then, something fascinating began to happen; the blue-ck fluid started to gather in one ce, as if it was running away from the needle. Then, the blue-ck color subsided and all that was left was a red fluid, normal human blood. ¡°You know, the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯ should actually be thought of as an organism that strategically targets the human body, which has strong survival instincts. It is a parasite, and an extremely malicious one at that.¡± Baron Gorneo anxiously looked at Davey, who went on to exin, ¡°So, I needed to break the spirits of this damn parasite to do something.¡± No one had ever thought about such an approach. This method needed a few kinds of medicinal herbs and a few kinds of poisonous nts that people believed could not be used for medicine. ¡°Haha, I had some trouble with finding the medicinal herbs because the names are different.¡± Everyone, including ss-5 Yulis, Baron Gorneo, and Princess Winley, shared the same thought. ¡®Where did he find that out?¡¯ * * * ¡®How much do you know, and what more do you know?¡¯ Baron Gorneo parted his lips to speak, but promptly shut his mouth. He was deep in thought. Right now, it seemed like Gorneo was interrogating Davey. But Davey just calmly handed him the test tubes he had prepared, as if he had already expected such a reaction. Davey said, ¡°The dosage per person is one over fifty. Give it to them. Exactly fifty people can be treated with one tube. Since there are markings on the tube, can I leave this to you?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°One dose won¡¯tpletely cure them, so they can¡¯t be up and about. The dose has to be given somewhat regrly. Well, the prescription of the drug is as written. I have obtained the ingredients and left it in the back, so use it however you¡¯d like.¡± ¡®Since it¡¯s not even my money, and it¡¯s charged to the Coalition for Disease Control.¡¯ Gorneo couldn¡¯tugh even when Davey was speaking yfully, because Davey was acting like this wasn¡¯t a big deal. Countless doctors had given up on this disease, but this young boy in front of him had solved it in four days. Baron Gorneo felt like he didn¡¯t know what to do, but he could also feel his long-forgotten passion as a schr of medicine returning. Then, he just bowed to Davey with wide eyes, abandoning his initial objective and the petty pride he had as a doctor. ¡°L¡ªLeave it to me!¡± That¡¯s all Gorneo could say. Afterwards, word began spreading all over the territory that Prince Davey had finallypleted the cure for this nasty disease. * * * ¡°Did you hear?¡± ¡°Ah, are you talking about that piece of news?¡± Lington answered as he was rxing and sipping on a ss of wine. ¡°Yes, themoners are going crazy over it, saying that he¡¯s the saint who has driven out the demon. Haha, I guess it¡¯s not weird that he is being called a saint since he has a stigmata.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And aren¡¯t I right? The prince of the Rowane Kingdom actually cracked the problem that the coalition had left unsolved for all this time,¡± Lington said. Then, he murmured to himself, sounding intrigued, ¡°And in just four days.¡± ¡°What are you thinking of doing?¡¯ ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if it¡¯s okay to just leave it like this.¡± There wasn¡¯t anything that would cause any problems, at least in principle. Prince Davey was given the authority through negotiations with Lington and was sessful in curing patients. Of course, Lington could have declined the prince¡¯s help, but he was confident that he had seen all kinds of people; it was clear that Davey had a bold character that constantly pushed him forward despite any setbacks. ¡°This is how medicine will advance again.¡± Lington smiled. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°This was a task that the continent¡¯s greatest doctors have racked their brains about, and they couldn¡¯te up with an answer. It¡¯s a nasty disease that could have been forever left as an unsolved problem.¡± Holy power didn¡¯t work on this disease. Normal drugs became poisonous and caused the patient to die if administered incorrectly. In addition, the course of death was absolutely horrendous. ¡°This teenage boy has rescued humanity from a huge crisis. Thankfully, this disease hadn¡¯t caused any problems in the past because it¡¯s extremely rare, but now, the ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯¡­ It was called ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯, right? Anyways, this disease has now lost its power.¡± The problem was that a teenage boy was the one who had developed a cure for it. If this were to be known, not only would Count Lington¡¯s reputation be damaged, but the reputation of everyone who was involved. It wasn¡¯t really their fault, but it was just that an outsider had done their work for them. Thud!! ¡°Who is it?!¡± Count Colio shouted angrily. A knight quickly ran into the room. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry! But it is urgent news!¡± ¡°Now now, don¡¯t be so mad, Count Colio,¡± Lington said to Colio. ¡°So, tell us. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Count Colio frowned. He didn¡¯t like the fact that Lington was remaining calm even in a situation like this. ¡°Th¡ªThat is¡­ The patients who were given the new cure developed by Prince Davey¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Has something gone wrong?¡± ¡°No! Apparently, they are making a rapid recovery¡­¡± Shwing¡­ Stter!!! The knight who was wearing a strange, hooded cape that only had holes for the eyes fell. Blood sttered everywhere and he copsed onto the ground. Count Colio¡¯s sword glistened. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Lington, who was smiling, murmured in a quiet voice, ¡°Count Colio. I am¡­¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°I am a doctor. I am a doctor who fixes people and politics.¡± Then, Lington put his hands behind his back and stared out the window. ¡°Let¡¯s perform a little bit of a procedure. Our funding is going to get cut off if we leave the situation as is, right?¡± With an eerie smile, Lington¡¯s eyes sparkled with a hint of madness. Lington had received quite a lot of funding for the treatment of the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯. And part of that money had been used to achieve his other precious goal. Count Colio had joined forces with him for the same goal as well. ¡°So, let¡¯s do it quietly and secretly. Now that it hase to this, let¡¯s get rid of that wary Baron Gorneo who is digging up dirt on us. Ah, and the person who has the stigmata and the talented mage of the wizard tower¡­ They are quite interesting. Don¡¯t kill them.¡± The eerie smile on Lington¡¯s face deepened as he said thoughtfully, ¡°I guess there will be some resistance, but a ¡®Swordmaster¡¯ should be able to do it. Just subdue them. We can just tell the public that the Ordem Territory has beenpletely destroyed by monsters. It has to be a win-win situation, right?¡± * * * ¡°Big brother, do you know what the residents are calling you? They are calling you a saint. A saint¡­! Yes. I knew you were extraordinary, but I didn¡¯t know you were well-versed in the art of medicine as well.¡± Davey lightly pinched Winley on the cheek because her sparkling eyes were so cute, so she groaned quietly. Yulis, who had his gaze fixed on her,ughed. ¡°Your Highness, you are more fascinating the more I get to know you. But how did you know?¡± Yulis asked. ¡°Know what?¡± Davey asked while he organized some documents and divided the medicine into separate tubes. ¡°Um¡­ The ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯. You already seemed to know about that disease.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Big brother! Does that mean we can save Portna?¡± Winley eximed. ¡°Of course. She actually needs to be the first one to be treated because she is in the worst situation.¡± Baron Gorneo, who was absent because he had to go administer the cure, seemed very wary and meticulous. Looking at him, Davey respected the man¡¯s integrity and determination. ¡®That kind of good will is hard to see.¡¯ -Good will¡­ Count Lington seemed like a person who could embrace anything on the outside. Davey wouldn¡¯t have doubted him if he didn¡¯t catch the familiar feeling in his smile. However, the man seemed more like a researcher rather than a doctor. On the other hand, Baron Gorneo was stubborn, but Davey respected his dedication to medicine. Perhaps that was why Davey was able to treat Gorneo with kindness even though Gorneo had been nothing but snippy. -Well, you rarely had a chance to meet someone new. You can meet new people and start growing from now on. Perserque was the only person who could truly understand Davey, and she was the only person he could truly understand. Davey smiled at her warm words. ¡°Anyways, I wonder where Baris went. I heard that he left the territory with some knights.¡± ¡°He also has his work to do.¡± Winley puffed up her cheeks andined, as if she didn¡¯t like the fact that Baris was absent. ¡°Anyway, Your Highness, is there anything I can do to help?¡± Yulis asked. ¡°That¡¯s right, big brother! All I¡¯ve done up until now was just watch you. So please let me do something to help you.¡± Davey thought about what they were saying, then nodded. ¡°Then could you alter the temperatures of those fluids that are being heated?¡± ¡°The¡­temperature?¡± This shouldn¡¯t be a difficult task for them, since they knew magic from the Red Tower. Chapter 81 ¡°It should be easy to manage with a heater spell. I¡¯m going to go see if the treatment is going well, so please maintain the current temperature,¡± Davey said to Winley, who nodded with determination. * * * The atmosphere of the tent turned awkward after Davey followed Baron Gorneo out. ¡°You seem to really like Prince Davey, Princess Winley.¡± A simple magic spell for temperature change was easy for both Yulis and Winley, both of whom had learned the Red Tower¡¯s magic. Yulis, who was familiarly handling the heat with mana, asked the question with a faint smile on his face, so Winley¡¯s expression softened. Winley smiled. ¡°Right? Big brother has always been such an amazing person, even in the past.¡± ¡°In the past¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s always kind to us. He stayed by our sides, saying that we¡¯re family even though we have different mothers. He¡¯s a little feisty¡­ But we will never be able to forget the warmth he shows us.¡± Winley couldn¡¯t even remember when it was, but she smiled while rubbing her red cheeks. ¡°That¡¯s why I like Big brother so much. I still remember the old story called ¡®The Three Little Pigs¡¯ that he told us when we were younger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m envious,¡± Yulis mumbled without a hint of insincerity and smiled softly. ¡°Then, Princess Winley, if I¡­¡± Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­ Whoosh¡­ Feeling a vibration, Yulis stopped talking and pulled out a small object from his chest pocket. ¡°Amunication artifact?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ My apologies. I must get this.¡± Winley just smiled brightly and nodded. Yulis quickly got up and left the room with a pale face. ¡°Hehe. Maybe I¡¯ll bake some delicious cookies for Big Brother.¡± Winley started to think about what she should do after this whole incident came to an end and the coalition finally left. Since Davey was here anyway, she wanted to show him the specialties of the territory and make him delicious food with the baking skills she had acquired. She smiled, thinking of all those happy thoughts. It could seem like she had romantic feelings for Davey, but she was just unfortunately obsessed with her older brother. Tap¡­ Tap¡­ ¡°Oh, are you already back?¡± It had been about five minutes since Yulis had left. Winley, who was releasing mana from her fingers, turned around and smiled when she heard footsteps behind her. No, she was going to turn around if it wasn¡¯t for something hitting the back of her neck. Thwack! ¡°Ah¡­ Oh?¡± Winley copsed without being able to fight back. She only saw a blurry image of an old knight wearing a red uniform with a scarf instead of a hood before passing out. * * * ¡°Teacher,¡± Yulis greeted. ¡°Well, has everything gone well?¡± Hellison asked. ¡°Yes. Prince Davey is extraordinary. I didn¡¯t know that he¡¯s knowledgeable in the art of medicine.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The most outstanding thing about him is his confidence.¡± ¡°Hm, confidence, you say?¡± Hellison appeared to be satisfied, stroking his white beard. Yulis nodded. ¡°What do I say¡­ He disys the confidence of someone who has a lot of experience. The fact that he has that kind of confidence at such a young age probably means that there could be something I don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°If you feel that way, then that probably is the case.¡± ¡°Yes, there is a lot to learn from being by Prince Davey¡¯s side. But honestly, I have some personal desires.¡± ¡°Desires?¡± ¡°Yes. Perhaps he could be a close friend regardless of age or group interests.¡± Apart from his capabilities, Davey was strangely kind and warm. He was slightly different from the members of royalty or nobility who lived a nned life from the moment they were born; if Yulis had to describe him, he seemed like a free person. ¡°Chuckle! I see that you¡¯ve met a good person. There are things that cannot be judged by age. Remember that there are things to learn, even from a three-year-old.¡± ¡°Yes, Teacher.¡± Hellison contently stroked his beard. ¡°And I did some research on the thing you asked me about.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Did you find anything?¡± ¡°Yes. Baron Gorneo and Count Lington, the two people in charge of the Coalition for Disease Control¡¯s special project. Most of their information has been lost, but I managed to find something.¡± Hellison sighed, then went on. ¡°Yes, Baron Gorneo is indeed a good person. It¡¯s rare to see a person that good-willed and dedicated. However¡­ That guy named Lington is a little different.¡± Yulis quietly listened to what Hellison had to say, even forgetting the fact that his face was stiffening up as his teacher¡¯s exnation went on. And when that story came to an end¡­ Boom!!!! Yulis widened his eyes, witnessing how the tent with Davey¡¯s cure went up in mes with arge exploding sound. ¡°N¡ªNo!!!¡± Yulis lost his usual smile, crying out loud. He hurried away. * * * ¡°Princess Winley!¡± Yulis hurried over, screaming while looking at the burning tent dejectedly. He and Winley were taking care of the cure that Davey had left them not too long ago. But this had happened in the few moments he was gone. [Listen! Communicate!] [Water Cyclone!] As he reflexively released his mana, a staff burst out of his Yulis and shone. At the same time, arge amount of water came flowing from the empty space and swirled around to extinguish the fire. Shhhh¡­ ¡°P¡ªPrincess Winley!!¡± Yulis had reflexively used an advanced 4th circle magic spell. He lost a substantial amount of mana because he had suddenly used magic, and quite a high circle one at that. But ignoring the feeling of life draining out of him, he ran into the remains of the tent without noticing that his robe was bing a mess. However, all he could see was the cure that had been entirely destroyed. ¡°What in¡­¡± Yulis couldn¡¯t see Winley anywhere. He froze up before he widened his eyes, remembering something. He didn¡¯t think this would be the case, but what his teacher had just told him definitely made it a possibility. Although Yulis knew that this person didn¡¯t have a normal past, he didn¡¯t think that this person would cause a scene here. With a pale face, Yulis immediately began to move without hesitation. ¡®Prince Davey has an exceptional knowledge about medicine and has a stigmata, but he doesn¡¯t have power. I cannot get him involved in this. Then¡­¡¯ Yulis knew that only he could do something about this. Uponing to that conclusion, he immediately cast a 5th circle flying magic spell and quickly followed the traces. His full name was Lington Bornithiad, and he was a genius who had shown talent in medical knowledge from a young age. He was born in the Ryuthis Kingdom, a medicinal kingdom that existed in the eastern continent and waster subjugated to the Lyndis Empire, the superpower of the east. However, Lington had once been punished and banned from medical activity in the Ryuthis Empire because of his strange nature. That had happened when a cure for a disease had to be developed but not many patients had been inflicted with the rare disease. At that time, 15-year-old Lington had kidnapped about two hundred of his territory¡¯s residents and had carried out hundreds of experiments on them after injecting them with the virus. He did end up sessfully developing the cure¡­but it was said that only ten of the two hundred residents had survived at the end of the experimentation phase. The survivors were all disabled, dying less than three monthster. It was obvious that Lington would do anything to achieve his goal. A person who killed someone else was called a murderer, and one who killed more than a single person was called a serial killer. A person who killed a hundred people was called a ughterer, but killing ten thousand people could earn someone the title of hero. However, Lington¡¯s strange ideology only made him look like a demon who had killed ten thousand people. ¡°You must be well!!¡± Yulis quietly ground his teeth. * * * Meanwhile, Davey, who was examining and treating patients in the treatment center that Baron Gorneo had led him to, frowned at the red armored knights. They were surrounding him with their swords out. He called out, ¡°Hey, Baron Gorneo.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Well, is there a problem?¡± Baron Gorneo shook his head vigorously. ¡°Absolutely not! Hey you, what are you all doing?! How dare you take your swords out in the sacred treatment center!!¡± Gorneo was a superior of the knightly order, and so, they should be following his orders, but no one put their swords down at hismand. The knights, who were all wearing strange-looking hoods with only the eye holes cut out, released ¡®Aura¡¯ from the tip of their des. They were seemingly boasting that their power was higher than ¡®Expert.¡¯ The knights dered, ¡°We have no grudge against you, but an order is an order.¡± ¡°Order?¡± ¡°Following the order of Count Lington, you must die here, Baron Gorneo. Your Highness, please follow us.¡± Baron Gorneo widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Why would he do such a thing?!¡± Of course, the knights disregarded Gorneo¡¯s protests. They said, ¡°Do not fight back. It will just be more painful if you do.¡± ng!!! One of the knights swung his sword at Gorneo. ¡°Oh, really?¡± At the same time, a pale hand easily grabbed the end¡ªthe de¡ªof the sword without blinking an eye. 33. The Chase ¡°Groan¡­¡± The probability was very low for an ordinary person, who was now aging and getting old, to block the blow of a knight who was more skilled than the ¡®Expert¡¯ level. Gorneo had no doubts that he would have been beheaded by the sudden attack. He did have Davey, a young man, by his side, but he had heard nothing about Davey having power. He just knew that Davey possessed an unstable stigmata¡­ He was so certain that he had no choice but to die from that attack, so what was this? Cling¡­ Cling! The knight who held onto that sword was trembling. He looked at Davey, who held onto the de with his bare hands, with mixed emotions. ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness?¡± Gorneo called out. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh, yes.¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± The knight groaned, using all of his strength to yank the sword out of Davey¡¯s grip. But the sword just wouldn¡¯t budge no matter how hard he tried. ¡°Did you say that Lington sent you?¡± Davey asked the knights. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, that politician guy bothered me a little, but I didn¡¯t think that he was stupid enough to do something like this.¡± Davey¡¯s eyes shone dangerously. At the same time, he tugged the sword toward him. The sword-wielding knight followed the sword, falling toward Davey. Chapter 82 * * * Swish!! The knight who was trying with all his strength to retrieve his sword from Davey lost his bnce and fell toward the prince instead. Once the knight fell, Davey immediately let go of the sword. He then ced his hand on the knight¡¯s stomach. [5th Circle] [Zero-charge Thunder] Boom!! ¡°Keuhuk!!¡± With a sudden sound, a magnificent blinding light momentarily engulfed the surroundings before disappearing. Sizzle¡­ The knight now looked like a piece of burnt meat. Davey nced at the stiffened knight with boredom, then his expression hardened. He said, ¡°So, they told you to kill us.¡± Realizing that something was off, the knights tried to move. ¡°Don¡¯t cause a ruckus in a hospital room, you asses.¡± ¡°Kuk!!!¡± Davey could see confusion arising in the knights, all of whom he mmed to the ground with ease. ¡®They are being pressed to the ground by an unknown pressure. Of course they are in disbelief.¡¯ For the knights, this mission should have been an easy sess, since the assassination target wasn¡¯t someone to be cautious about. Obviously, the knights were now baffled, because the situation wasn¡¯t what they expected. ¡°Well, you should know that your death is also a possibility during an assassination,¡± Davey spoke calmly. He felt one of the knights flinch as he stepped on them. -Davey, if you shed blood here¡­ ¡®That¡¯s why I¡¯m not using my sword.¡¯ Davey had no intentions of shedding blood here. [5th Circle] [Zero-charge Thunder] This was a proximal-type 5th-circle magic spell that caused a high-voltage shock. Its force was so strong that it could knock out a troll, who had an incredible recovery speed, in just about two hits. It was also the most advanced magic spell Davey could currently use with the highest circle level he could employ. This was also the best way to get rid of the knights without causing a scene. ¡°Keuhuk¡­ W¡­ What is¡­¡± The knights all turned pale, realizing just who had caused theirrade to fall to the ground. At the same time, the knights who had barely escaped from Davey charged at him. Thump¡­ Of course they were surprised that Davey was using magic, but there was no way they could have known that his main weapon of choice was a sword. ¡°Kuk?!¡± Boom!! Davey took another step forward as another knight fell to the ground. ¡°W¡ªWait!¡± Boom!!! Shriek!! Realizing that something was wrong and that they had to escape, the knights who were still standing quickly turned away to run. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯ming. Let me see your backs.¡± Boom!! [Fast-traveling Teleportation] [sh] ¡®You shouldn¡¯t show your back so easily.¡¯ Leaving an afterimage of himself, Davey instantly charged toward the knights. He was soon ahead of them, burning them all into a crisp. With the intense smell of burning flesh wafting through the air, Davey called out, ¡°Jack.¡± ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°Get rid of the bodies. And kill any enemies thate in here.¡± ¡°I will calcte this into my finalpensation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how big of apensation you are going to ask for, but sure.¡± Jack¡ªno, Aina Helishana, who stood beside Davey like she had never left, nodded quietly. Then. she vanished into thin air. ¡°Baron Gorneo.¡± Leaving the tent, Davey could see Gorneo¡¯s eyes grow wide when he called out. Gorneo seemed to have a hard time believing what had happened in front of his eyes. ¡®Man, a lot of things surprise you.¡¯ ¡°Please stay back and keep treating them,¡± Davey told Gorneo. ¡°T¡ªThen, Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°I wille back after exterminating those worthless humans.¡± Gorneo stood in front of the tent with no words. * * * After leaving the treatment center, Davey could see the knights in red uniformse out from his surroundings. ¡°The target uses a strange electricity! Capture him carefully!¡± There were about twenty or thirty knights, all of whom weren¡¯t ordinary. They were all skilled above the ¡®Expert¡¯ level. Davey didn¡¯t have Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon as weapons. The only person he could think of as a suitable fighting partner was Aina Helishana, but he had already given her the order to stop anyone froming to this area. -Davey. ¡°The tracking magic spell I put on Winley has begun to move,¡± Davey muttered with irritation. Davey put his hand in the air. Whoosh!! His mana, which was circting in his body, spread throughout the territory as a very thin andrge wavelength. Since he didn¡¯t have a weapon¡­ ¡°Everyone! Eliminate the target!¡± Stab!!! ¡°Keugh?!¡± Davey had no choice but to bring one. One of the attacking knights fell to the ground, bisected. A red light rapidly dived through the sky and left an afterimage. Shwing¡­ At the same time, a Ring Pommel Sword that scattered a red light resonated with a creepy metallic sound. Red Ribbon fell into Davey¡¯s hand as it emitted a dangerously red light. Whee¡­ Stab!! Something blue fell into Davey¡¯s hands after flying through the air. During its flight, it shed another two knights. [Telekic de Control] [Divine Sword Art: Ego de] [Cosmic Sword Dance] The skill was a simple de Control that used Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, steering the swords while they remained in the air. To outsiders, the swords had seeminglye to life and were shing the enemy themselves¡­ But that was technically true since both swords had egos. Davey immediately pointed Red Ribbon down and twisted Blue Ribbon so that it faced the sky. Without hesitation, he stepped out with his left foot and saluted before taking on a fighting stance. If he remained caught up with these meddlesome knights, Davey would be wasting his time. So he decided that his best option was to get rid of them now, so that they wouldn¡¯t end up slowing him down. Davey applied an explosive force to his left foot, and he put pressure on the ground. His sword shed in the air as he used the rebound from his foot to jump up. ¡®They were all ¡®Expert¡¯? I think the assassins I met while traveling to the Felicity Territory were stronger than this.¡¯ * * * ¡°Kyaa!! W¡ªWait! Wait, stop¡­!¡± The knight who screamed and crawled on the floor¡­was beheaded. His head flew up in the air. Davey shed multiple knights as he quickly moved through them. They were all positioned strategically to hold him up for as long as they could. He could practically feel their malicious intent. Davey thought that he would have had a hard time with them if he was just some mediocre ¡®Master¡¯. -Why did they target Yulis and Winley? ¡°Probably an excuse.¡± ¡°Shriek! P¡ªPlease!¡± Stter! Davey was in a quiet forest; he unhesitantly beheaded the knight, since he had nothing to watch out for. ¡°There are only two council members, so some of them should listen to Baron Gorneo, right?¡± After pondering for a moment, Davey realized that they were all subordinates of Count Lington. -Excuses? ¡°It¡¯s kind of funny because I honestly just thought of it, but they can¡¯t just kill us and act like nothing happened. There¡¯s still rank to think about.¡± Davey had ced a protection spell on Winley, but it was too draining to keep it up. Because he could only use magic at about the 5th circle, he had switched the protection spell to a tracking spell, which he could maintain for longer. But now this had happened. Well, a protection spell was probably useless if the opponent was a ¡®Swordmaster¡¯. ¡°Yulis is an elder of the Red Tower, and Winley and I are royal members of the Rowane Kingdom.¡± -Right. As he walked past the cold bodies on the ground, Davey approached an ajar iron door that was under a gigantic tree. Someone had arrived before he did, and the only person he could think of was Yulis. ¡°If we died, the Orden Territory would be examined to determine what happened. The best excuse would be us being attacked by barbarians or monsters, and both cases are possible in the Ordem Territory. What could the royal pce or the Red Tower do if they just said that we died while defending the territory from invaders?¡± -What does that have to do with kidnapping Winley? ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know for sure, but it seems to just be an excuse forter on.¡± After speaking calmly, Davey quickly headed underground, one that was carefully made to be rather sturdy. However, he cut through all the walls blocking him with Red Ribbon and marched on. ¡°Winley went missing. So, the Knights of Destruction, Count Colio, the captain of the order, left the territory to find her. Then, there was an attack.¡± ¡®This would be enough for them to avoid responsibility.¡¯ ¡°A¡ªAn intrud¡­ Keugh!¡± One of the Knights of Destruction shouted upon noticing Davey¡¯s presence. Davey pierced his fingers into the knight¡¯s neck, causing a sharp stab into the flesh. He kicked the fallen knight who was spewing blood, then shed the wall once more to reveal arge space. The area was too big for a thorough search, but Davey was unfazed. He already knew of Winley¡¯s approximate location. If the path was blocked by a tough wall, Davey was going to break it with Red Ribbon. If there were someone getting in the way, he would simply sh them. -But then, did they really have to do that to Winley¡­ They could¡¯ve just said that it happened¡­ Davey could hear Perserque¡¯s confused mumbling, but he just focused on the bottom of the void. The situation was so unspeakably atrocious that it couldn¡¯t be described in any other way. -Oh my¡­ Davey and Perserque could see hundreds of people, who were tied to a bed with strange cells transnted to them. ¡°Did the knights try to capture me alive?¡± Perserque thought about it for a second, then nodded. -The only possibility is that they were trying to obtain a high-level mage or a person with stigmata, since these people are hard toe by. ¡®How dare they.¡¯ * * * ¡°What is¡­¡± Gorneo, left behind at the treatment center, was still in panic. He couldn¡¯tprehend just what had happened in front of his eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± But then, Gorneo heard a manly, emotionless voice that snapped him out of it. When he turned around, he saw a man wearing a ck uniform with a ck mask covering his entire face. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°I will make sure to carry out my part of the deal. You do your job.¡± Baron Gorneo flinched. ¡°You are fine with this situation?!¡± ¡°So what if I am not?¡± Gorneo¡¯s eyes opened wide as Jack continued, ¡°Are you going to abandon the patients in front of you because the knights caused a problem?¡± ¡°O¡ªOf course not!¡± ¡°Then why are you stopping? You should do your job if Prince Davey trusted you to.¡± ¡°B¡ªBut if the entire Knights of Destruction! And if it is true that Count Colio¡¯s involved in this matter!¡± ¡°If it is?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Prince Davey also in danger?! Do you not have to help?!¡± Gorneo¡¯s concerns were valid; all of the knights in Knights of Destruction were above the ¡®Expert¡¯ level, and their captain, Count Colio, was once a famous ¡®Swordmaster¡¯. However, Davey was left alone and without a weapon to face enemies as powerful as these. It was true that Davey had some strange, unexpected power, but Gorneo didn¡¯t think that it was a magic bullet. However, Jack didn¡¯t seem to agree with Gorneo. He asked, ¡°Who is worrying about who right now?¡± ¡°What?¡± Gorneo asked. ¡°You¡¯re worrying about Prince Davey? Ha¡­¡± For the first time, Gorneo could feel emotion from Jack: bafflement. ¡°Frankly, there¡¯s nothing more useless in the world than worrying about him,¡± Jack stated as though it was the most obvious fact in the world. ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 83 Gorneo just couldn¡¯tprehend what kind of person Prince Davey was for a dangerous assassin like Jack to fully trust and obey him. However, if Jack spoke the truth, then Gorneo¡¯s work had already been nned out for him. Gorneo wondered aloud, ¡°Seriously¡­ Who is Prince Davey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I would like to know that as well¡­ But it¡¯s against policy for a merchant of information to give out that piece of information so easily.¡± ¡°P¡ªPut it on my bill!¡± ¡°That human¡­ I can¡¯t tell anything about him. All I know is that he was practically dying from aa not too long ago, but he¡¯s be a totally different person in just these few months,¡± Jack revealed. Gorneo, who was dumbfounded by the ridiculous piece of information, strongly shook his head. He hoped that he had misheard Jack. Then, he simply said, ¡°Alright. Then, please keep me safe so that no one can bother me while I treat these patients!¡± Each of them had their job to do; Gorneo acknowledged that fact, and he began preparing to treat patients straightaway. * * * ¡°[Demi-Hellfire]!¡± A 5th circle magic bombed the entire hall, which went up in mes. Although the power of [Demi-Hellfire] was probably iparable to the power of a legendary 9th circle spell, [Hellfire], this attack was powerful enough against ¡®Expert¡¯ level people. ¡°Gahhh!!!¡± The knights were swept up by the mes. They rolled on the floor while screaming, then copsed miserably. ¡°Cough cough!¡± Staggering with a pale face, Yulis coughed hard and frowned. Normally, he would have never used this kind of magic on humans. ¡®Magic can easily end a life, so be careful when using it.¡¯ This is what Yulis had learned from his teacher. However, why would he have learned magic if he couldn¡¯t even use it when he needed to? Yulis had learned magic to protect people and to study. He wouldn¡¯t be worthy of being an elder if he couldn¡¯t even protect the person who was in his heart. Yulis followed the trail and left the territory as soon as Winley went missing. Since he was the only one who could do it, he had made a bold decision. After following the knights who were keeping him in check and entering this unknown facility, he felt the life drain out of him upon seeing the horrifying situation through therge ss. It seemed that Count Lington was more of a psychopath than Yulis had imagined. ¡°Keugh!¡± Crash!! Burnt to a crisp, one of the knights copsed onto the floor and instantly broke the thick door apart. Yulis waspletely exhausted from using mana extensively and could barely hold himself up with his staff. He looked past the door while supporting himself on the staff. As expected, he saw dozens of the red-uniformed Knights of Destruction who were holding out their swords, and the captain standing in the middle. Yulis yelled, ¡°Count Colio¡­ Where is Princess Winley?!¡± Count Colio silently pointed his chin. Yulis looked over. He could see Count Lington standing right by Winley, who was unconscious and tied up. Lington wiped the sweat off his forehead like usual and spoke rather unwillingly. ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to be lured this easily.¡± ¡°Count Lington! Do you know what you are doing?!¡± Lington just shrugged at Yulis¡¯ yelling. He cooed, ¡°Well, it¡¯s a win-win situation for both of us. Don¡¯t be so mad; it¡¯s good for us both.¡± ¡°How is this damn situation a win-win?¡± After Yulis shouted in fury, Lington tilted his head as if he truly didn¡¯t understand. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s good? Prince Davey has died and progressed human medicine one step further. And I have gained prestige from that aplishment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And for you, ss-5 Yulis¡­ You will help humanity by bing an exceptional experiment subject. There isn¡¯t a more perfect win-win situation than this, right?¡± Yulis automatically clenched his jaw as Lington continued speaking yfully, ¡°What do you think? I think it¡¯s quite perfect, so why don¡¯t you stop fighting back and start cooperating¡­?¡± Boom!!! Lington wasn¡¯t able to finish his sentence; he was interrupted by a red ball of fire exploding right in front of him. Perhaps it was because the knights had blocked the attack as if they were ready for it, but the explosion did not even leave a scratch on Lington. ¡°Oh no¡­ You don¡¯t like the idea?¡± ¡°I refuse to listen to your bullshit!¡± Enraged by the situation, Yulis¡¯ eyes shone with hostility. At the same time, he released a threatening mana from his body. ¡°Tsk¡­ Fighting back until the very end¡­ Count Colio, subdue him with the least amount of violence. A living subject is much more useful than a dead one.¡± Count Colio silently raised his sword and pointed it toward Yulis. At the same time, the knights who stood in a line all charged toward Yulis at once. * * * Yulis burned so many people alive that he couldn¡¯t remember exactly how many. ¡°Cough.¡± He coughed up blood and copsed to the ground, since he couldn¡¯t support himself from the countless sword wounds he had sustained. He had run out of mana, and his favorite staff was all dented and cracked from the excessive mana use and blocking too many attacks. The mana stone on his staff had lost its shine as well. ¡°You held up for quite a while.¡± Even though Yulis had fought back desperately, he hadn¡¯t been able to sessfullynd an attack on Lington once. To be exact, he couldn¡¯t even get rid of all the knights who hade at him. Each knight was above Expert, and most of them were advanced; perhaps he had gathered only the best among the order. Yulis¡¯ skills were far superior to the knights since he was a Master, but the problem was that his endurance had a limit, since his physical body hadn''t reached the 6th circle yet. ¡°Cough! Hack!¡± Coughing up arge amount of blood, Yulis copsed. He kept wheezing on the ground. Count Colio slowly approached Yulis. He hadn¡¯t taken a single step after taking out his sword; Yulis¡¯ attacks had all been blocked by the tag-teaming from the Expert level knights. Colio asked Yulis in a scolding manner, ¡°Why did youe all the way here?¡± Yulis chuckled weakly and replied, ¡°I came to protect.¡± ¡°Who? That princess? Or the residents who are dead? Or Prince Davey, who is probably being dragged here right about now?¡± Colio asked. Yulis¡¯ eyes grew wide. ¡°Wh¡ªWhat¡­are you¡­¡± ¡°Elder Yulis. Did you really think we were stupid enough toe here without a n? All the residents are probably killed by the remaining knights on the territory by now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­.¡± The veins in Yulis¡¯ eyes popped as he shouted in rage, ¡°Ahhhh!!!¡± Then, he screamed with everything he had and tried to help himself up. sh!! However, he was forced back onto the floor with a terrifying slicing sound. ¡°Keugh¡­¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve run away if you wanted to save someone. You should¡¯ve escaped the territory with as many people as you could have gathered and run somewhere far away.¡± Count Colio bitterly said to Yulis, but he seemed to be directing his words elsewhere. Yulis stared at Colio in anger while he was on the ground. Then, he heard Lington mocking him while he was trying to hold onto his consciousness. ¡°ss-5 Yulis, did you think that you had to step up and rescue everyone? Or¡­ Do you have feelings for this princess?¡± Lington mocked Yulis. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then you really are a fool! Ahahaha!¡± As Lingtonughed at Yulis, the knights who were standing in line began smirking as well. Lington then tapped Winley¡¯s cheek. ¡°It seems to be thetter¡­ Well, she does have a pretty face.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh¡­ Ahhh!!!!¡± Yulis tried to get up at once, but that was impossible to do. Count Colio had cut the tendon in his leg. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I think I like her. I will definitely use her well as a subject.¡± ¡°Lington!!!¡± Yulis clenched his jaw with bloodshot eyes. All he could do was scream on the ground. Mages didn¡¯t believe in God, but if Yulis¡¯ belief or faith could do something right now, he wanted to pray to be able to stand up, or maybe¡­ ¡°Get rid of him, Count Colio. He cannot just die, so don¡¯t kill him,¡± Lington instructed. ¡°¡­As you wish.¡± Yulis stared vacantly at Count Colio, raising the sword in his blurry view. Swish¡­ His ears rang, and that was when he heard a faint sound of something being cut through. No one else had seemed to notice, but it was strange how loud and clear it sounded to Yulis. He realized that the source of the sound was right behind him. Count Colio¡¯s sword was struck with Lington¡¯s heartyughter. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything alone in life! You have figured that out far toote. Hahahaha!¡± Thud!!! However, even before Colio¡¯s swordnded, something ck interfered so swiftly and naturally. It sounded like something heavy had been cut. ¡°You¡¯re wrong, you worthless piece of garbage. There are strong enemies that one can¡¯t face alone, but you guys are not them.¡± [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Exploding Fist] [Immediately Transforming Ball of Pration] [Piercing Strike] Crack. With a bone-cracking sound, a ck fist struck Count Colio right in the stomach. A deep red me shed for a moment. 34. Where Are You Going? It was said that most of a human¡¯s vulnerable spots were gathered in the center of the body: the head, forehead, philtrum, chest, stomach, dantian, and gonads. One would be knocked out no matter where they were hit. Boom!!! With a heavy explosion, the surrounding was aze with a deep red me. The me gradually went away to reveal a figure on the ground. ¡°D¡ªDavey¡­¡± Yulis sounded like he was dying. Perserque clicked her tongue. -He¡¯s almost dead. Feeling bad for Yulis, Davey immediately put his hand on him and began to quietly mumble a prayer. [This is your littlemb asking. I am going to borrow your amazing grace.] Davey¡¯s prayers were still as disrespectful as ever. However, the power that followed was no joke. [7th Level Holy Magic] [Sanctuary] It was a wide field of constant recovery. Whoosh!!!! A white energy flowed out of Davey¡¯s body with a dense sound and surrounded Yulis, creating a separate area. The miracle of the 7th level was that it reverted humans back to their inherent state. There were some injuries that regr recovery magic that used holy power couldn¡¯t heal, leaving behind a scar even if one had poured their power out. Chapter 84 However, there was a type of grace in highly advanced holy magic above the 7th level. It disregarded the notion that recovery magic with holy power couldn¡¯tpletely heal everything. Davey had three types of power right now: holy power, devil mana, and normal mana. Ironically, the most developed power among the three was holy power; although, it was thanks to using his damn 9th level holy power. Yulis, who was losing consciousness, slowly looked up at Davey with wide eyes. Feeling a warmth surrounding him, he murmured, ¡°P¡­Prince Davey?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still going to call me by my title?¡± Davey replied. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Yulis looked dumbfounded by Davey¡¯s short thank you. ¡°I don¡¯t forget favors.¡± Then, Davey slowly pulled out Blue Ribbon with one hand. ¡°Nor do I forget enemies.¡± Yulis seemed to be surprised by Davey¡¯s unexpectedly low voice. * * * [Even if it¡¯s a single strike, it¡¯s best to hit wherever causes the most damage.] ¡®Did you say that you created these skills here?¡¯ [Ah, right. You know that thing that Eva always makes¡­ That thing. A stickman! That gave me inspiration for this.] It was just shocking that this unbelievable fighting skill had been created by a stickman. Davey calmly stared at the silent Count Colio, who had been thrown into the wall by his attack. He then walked past the frozen knights and headed straight toward Count Lington. ¡°Prince Davey? How did you¡­¡± Count Lington asked. ¡°Seriously. You are foolishly brave,¡± Daveymented. Slice! ¡°Hm? Kuh?!¡± Crash!! ¡°Get out of the way. You¡¯re going to stter blood on Winley.¡± Lington¡¯s eyes almost popped out when one of his arms was cut off in an instant. And even before a panicked scream could escape from his mouth, a strong, invisible wind blew him away and sent him crashing into the back wall. ¡°Don¡¯t die. Live,¡± Daveymanded Lington. ¡®Live so that I can cut you into pieces myself.¡¯ Choosing not to say more, Davey stared at the knights in front of him. ¡°How many people ganged up on one person?¡± Although Mencius had said that no one could win against a group ganging up on them¡­ -I don¡¯t know who Mencius is, but I don¡¯t think he said something like that¡­ Perserque pouted when Davey ignored her. ¡°Ahhh!! Ha¡­ Groan!!¡± Lington was stuck in the back wall, screaming in panic. Count Colio couldn¡¯t get up after being mmed against the wall, and the knights were staring at him, dumbfounded. ¡®What a sight.¡¯ ¡°Sir, how did you¡­ Never mind! You have to get out of here! These people are dangerous!¡± Yulis urgently shouted. Davey calmly stared at the knights. He replied, ¡°You should take care of yourself first.¡± ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°W¡ªWhat are you all doing?! Kill that damn guy!! Kill him!!¡± Lington furiously shouted while squirming on the ground. Upon Lington¡¯smand, the knights who had been ncing at one another finally held up their swords anxiously. ¡°Sir!! These people are all experts in tag-teaming! Be care¡­¡± Yulis urgently warned. ¡°Keugh¡­¡± ¡°Keh¡­¡± The knights were only at the Expert level at best; Davey was far more enlightened in swordsmanship than them. The job of a sword-wielding knight didn¡¯t require a lot of mana; Davey had to keep in mind the difference in basic physical abilities, but it wasn¡¯t like he did nothing in the meantime. ¡®Hm, three of my strength buffs ended.¡¯ Furthermore, the multiple buff spells that Davey was casting over and over again, and the precision of Red Ribbon, were making up for what Daveycked. The knights came at Davey, sticking to a hit-and-run tactic; it seemed that they were going to charge in at him and then retreat after blocking his attack. However, they could only get away from him after a beheading from Davey¡¯s [Aura] and sword. ¡°Has the tag-team strategy changed to a parade of suicides nowadays?¡± Once Davey asked mockingly, the life drained out of the knights¡¯ faces. They were probably afraid to charge at him recklessly, because their colleagues had sttered blood and died every time Davey¡¯s red eyes and a red energy shed. ¡°W¡ªWhat is this¡­¡± Yulis was also in disbelief at this situation. ¡°Prince Davey¡­ How did you¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t believe what he had witnessed, so he struggled to understand what was going on. ¡°Moan¡­ What are you all doing?! Hurry up and kill him!¡± Although Lington was screaming at the knights, Davey could see that the knights couldn¡¯t approach him as easily as before. He thought, ¡®What good would tag-teaming be when a third of them died from just two attacks?¡¯ Tag-teaming was a tactic that drained the enemy, taking turns to attack and retreat until the enemy grew tired. But since the knights all died when it was their turn to attack, this wasn¡¯t a tag-teaming battle¡­ It was more like moths to a me. ¡°Hup¡­¡± ¡°Something¡¯s weird, right?¡± The knights all flinched at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± Davey firmly held onto Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, then put all his weight on his foot and shot up into the air. ¡°Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, it¡¯s time to y.¡± [Red Ribbon is going to y!!] [B¡ªBlue Ribbon, too! I¡¯m going to help!] [Transcendental Longsword] [Double Sword Technique] [Mountain Crush] Crack!! Thebination of the [Landing Technique of a Thousand Weights] and [Mountain Crush], which contained all of Davey¡¯s strength, traveled down his swords and struck down on the knights as tworge waves. The Knights of Destruction were shocked by the sudden expansion of Davey¡¯s [Aura de] and released their own [Aura] to block it. If one person couldn¡¯t, two people would work together. If two people couldn¡¯t, then more people would help out. Instinctively realizing that the attack was dangerous, everyone of the order rushed in, but they overlooked one thing. ¡®Cut them.¡¯ Slice¡­ The knights had disregarded the fact that they weren¡¯t going to be shed because they were weaker, but because the sword would cut through them along with their [Aura] like paper. When they realized that, their heads were already up in the air and their bodies were on the ground. Stter!!! A terrifying sound echoed throughout, and the white wall and ground turned red. It was a horrendous ughter scene, but no one was sickened by the sight. Slice. As soon as Davey took care of the surroundings, he approached Winley and cut the ropes that were binding her with Red Ribbon. He held her in his arms before walking over to Yulis. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Perhaps the slight disturbance had nudged Winley awake. Her eyelids trembled before she slowly regained her consciousness. With a faint gasp, she looked up at Davey in surprise. ¡°Oh¡­ B¡­ Brother?¡± ¡°And you¡¯re not hurt anywhere?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Pardon? Oh¡­ Yes.¡± Winley mumbled, not knowing what had happened. However, she widened her eyes at the intense scent of blood. Her face went pale when she saw the room. ¡°B¡ªBrother! What is¡­ Scream! Brother!!¡± WInley, who was looking around in shock, suddenly screamed. With bulging eyes, she had nced behind Davey to see Count Colio, who had been unconscious until a little while ago, swinging his sword with a nasty killing aura. ng!!!! Davey blocked Count Colio¡¯s attack with his sword, but he was still knocked back by quite a distance. It was as if the buff magic spells he used weren¡¯t enough for him to match up to Colio¡¯s strength. ¡°B¡ªBrother! Are you alright?!¡± Winley widened her eyes, looking like she would shed tears at any minute if there was even a scratch on Davey. ¡°Yulis.¡± Davey quietly called out to Yulis, then he sat Winley down beside Yulis. ¡°Please keep Winley safe.¡± ¡°L¡­ Leave it to me.¡± Davey nodded to Yulis, who stuttered as he answered, and lightly stretched his neck. Crack¡­ Crack. He cracked his neck, then said, ¡°How could a Swordmaster be so shameless and attack me from the back?¡± ¡°You. Is that a demon sword?¡± Colio asked. He didn¡¯t think that Davey could be a Master. Hemented, ¡°It is a sword too dangerous for a greenhorn like you.¡± ¡°Who are you calling a greenhorn?¡± ¡°I will be taking that sword.¡± After such determined words, Colio charged at Davey again with a terrifying killing aura. Although Davey had blocked Colio¡¯s surprise attack, Colio was still a Swordmaster; his specialty was fighting head-to-head. And Davey¡¯s specialty was going head-to-head as well. ¡®He¡¯ll die too fast if I just sh him.¡¯ Davey nodded as he nced at the swords in his hands, then threw Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon behind Count Colio, which was where Count Lington was. Stab!! ¡°Kahh!!!¡± Lington, who was scuttling away, mmed against the wall again. When Count Colio slightly staggered at Lington¡¯s scream, Davey didn¡¯t miss his chance and rushed in. Then, he pushed down on the ground with all his strength and shot up into the air. Crash!!! He made another hit on Colio¡¯s unguarded gut. ¡°Keugh!! Groan!¡± Davey was astonished at how Colio still managed to get back up from the ground even though he had breathlessly rolled on the ground. However, Davey would dly choose to have him as a sandbag. Boom!! ¡°Ugh!¡± Colio was pushed back once again. He couldn¡¯t even scream. He simply rolled on the floor after being hit by Davey¡¯s fist, which had struck him precisely in his gut, without even being able to defend himself. ¡®How could you defend yourself when you can barely breathe?¡¯ And the moment Count Colio stumbled without holding a proper stance, Davey¡¯s fist immediately hit his gut again. ¡°Groan¡­ Kah!!¡± When Davey¡¯s fist struck his gut once more, Count Colio stumbled and fell onto his knees with bulging, red eyes and a clenched jaw. ¡°Y¡­You bastard!!! Groan¡­ Kah!!¡± He shouted angrily, ¡°Stop aiming for my gut, you cheap bastard!¡± Davey pushed himself up from the ground and charged at Colio, who was almost kneeling on the ground and shouting furiously. Count Colio instinctively let go of his sword and protected his gut with his hands, but¡­ This time, Davey broke Colio¡¯s guard with his knee instead of his fist, and he rushed in. ¡°There are no dirty and cheap tricks in fighting.¡± He struck Count Colio¡¯s gut again. * * * Perhaps Colio was able to tolerate the continuous attacks on his vulnerable spots because he was a Swordmaster. He endured the attacks quite well, but he was disappointingly weak. He didn¡¯tck skill, since he used to be a soldier of the powerful Lyndis Empire and was the royal pce¡¯s captain after that. However, Colio didn¡¯t have half of his former strength and Davey had noticed this very early on. -It¡¯s all the same ording to someone that had failed after trying too hard to raise his level. They had been given their life sentence of swordsmanship. It was a burn-out that people experienced when they tried to raise their level to the extreme without sufficient preparation. The word ¡®burn-out¡¯ didn¡¯t exist in this world, but the phenomena was simr. Chapter 85 ¡°Even if I asked, I assume you won¡¯t tell me why you are working with that man, right?¡± Davey asked and calmly walked toward Count Colio. Count Colio backed away from Davey to put space between them. He initially thought that Davey was being strengthened by the demon sword, but he was still being bombarded by strong attacks after Davey had abandoned the swords. Only now did he realize that Davey needed no external help for strength. ¡°Who are you¡­¡± Humans weren¡¯t perfect. Davey was able to use advanced holy magic and was at a Master level in swordsmanship. He also had the physical abilities of a Fist Master. It made no sense how Davey was able to reach this level at his age. ¡®Well, a genius of the century might be able to achieve one of those things.¡¯ ¡°I saw, on the way here, that you transnted monster cells on a human body.¡± Yulis widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Hmm, did you get involved to recover your broken body?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Shut up!!¡± Colio screamed in fury. He would normally attack by now, but he reflexively raised his trembling hand to protect his gut instead. He was being extremely cautious. ¡°Now I¡¯m beginning to think of something crazy. The ones who gave the barbarians the poison containing the virus to spread disease in this territory¡­¡± Davey nced at Lington. ¡°It was you guys, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Shriek! ¡°I guess I¡¯m right. You guys are pieces of human garbage.¡± These people had unleashed bioterror on apletely regr territory to find the disease¡¯s cure. And with the funding they had received, they were conducting secret experiments. Understanding the situation, Daveymented, ¡°If this gets out, I don¡¯t think it will just end with the organization being destroyed.¡± The medical organization, which was founded with good intentions, had intentionally infected people with a virus. They had kidnapped people to conduct secret human experiments. This was a world where amoner¡¯s life was valued simrly to a fly¡¯s, and it was the nobility who enforced such beliefs. But there was still something called human virtue. Davey found it funny that the nobility would trying for him, especially when he had caught them doing such atrocious acts. ¡°Groan¡­ Ugh¡­ C¡­ Count Colio!¡± Lington desperately called for Count Colio while moaning in pain. ¡°Be quiet!!¡± However, Count Colio looked tense; he seemed very nervous and wasn''t able to approach Davey easily. -Enough, Davey. ¡®Hm, I guess so.¡¯ Davey chuckled and rxed his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s stop going for the gut, then.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Count Colio remained silent at Davey¡¯s mocking. Boom!! Keeping his guard up, Colio suddenly took a step forward and came at Davey. He didn¡¯t give up, making an [Aura de] with his sword by using everyst drop of mana left inside him. This was seemingly his final attack. ¡®I guess an old eagle is still better than a young crow.¡¯ Even though Colio was a ruined Swordmaster, his power was too strong for Davey, who had an abnormal bnce of power, to block. Davey was only overwhelmingly superior to Colio when it came to the experience of, and the observation of, sudden opportunities in battle. ¡°Hup.¡± Davey precisely measured the distance between himself and Colio, who was charging at him like a cannonball, in millimeters. The advantage of martial arts was that one could move more freely and faster in close proximity than using a sword. When Colio¡¯s movement was off¡­ Crack! Cracking the ground beneath him, Davey shot up and directly nted his fist on Colio¡¯s face. ¡°Hup!!¡± The moment Colio let down his guard to instinctively protect his face using his sword, Davey forcibly changed the direction of his fist. ¡®Haha! You were tricked again, youngling!¡¯ [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Exploding Fist] [Unwavering Body] [Gut Crusher] Once again¡­ Boom! ¡°Kuk!?!¡± Both fists mmed right into Count Colio¡¯s gut another time. Davey could hear someone murmur that he was cheap and dirty, but he still kept his gaze focused on Count Colio. Thud!! The shock wave from Davey¡¯s attack sent Count Colio flying. He hit the floor and rolled around in pain. Coughing up blood, he stared at Davey with empty eyes. ¡°You¡­ cheap¡­¡± ¡°Are you one to say something when you couldn¡¯t even block the attack?¡± Count Colio widened his eyes at Davey¡¯s murmur. Colio faced the simplest fact that he had forgotten about due to the absurdity of this battle: he waspletely outmatched by Davey in terms of basicpetency. He was filled with jealousy, envy, and anger about the unknown level Davey had reached. Colio¡¯s eyes looked nothing but empty, especially after a mix of emotions flickered through them, and his old yet strong body slowly lost its power. He fell to the ground. -He¡¯s still alive¡­ Maybe you weakened your blow too much. ¡®No, that guy is just tough.¡¯ The difference between the overall power of an Expert and a Master was almost indescribable, since it was too nuanced and detailed. Furthermore, Count Colio was someone who had an outstanding level of power, which made him the Captain of the Royal Pce Knights; he wouldn¡¯t have let go of his sword if he waspletely fine. -Then, you should at least stop his breathing. ¡®He¡¯s bound to die anyway.¡¯ ¡°Bro¡­ther,¡± Winley whispered. Davey approached Yulis and Winley; she didn¡¯t know the exact details, and Yulis didn¡¯t understand the situation that took ce right before his eyes. ¡°Sir,¡± Yulis called out. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Davey asked calmly. Yulis smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡­ I really caused a nuisance. Anyway¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Count Colio ambushed the tent while I was away, and the medication¡­¡± Yulis trailed off, and he spoke as if he was responsible for what had happened. He seemed to think that all of the medication, which was the only thing keeping the dying patients alive, had been destroyed by the fire. Everyone couldn¡¯t be cured by the amount of medication that Davey had given to Baron Gorneo in the beginning. The medication would never be enough, because it had to be administered to all patients continually. ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s my fault for not setting up a proper defense.¡± Yulis widened his eyes, surprised that Davey made it seem like it was no big deal. He asked, ¡°Pardon? What do you mean?¡± ¡°If I died, the treatment method would¡¯ve just disappeared. Lington wouldn¡¯t have just abandoned it.¡± Yulis nodded in understanding. Davey smiled. ¡°So, head back. I¡¯m leaving Winley to you.¡± ¡°Sir, what about¡­¡± ¡°I will join you once I take care of the remaining men.¡± ¡°Oh! C¡ªCount Lington has¡­!¡± As if she had just remembered, Winley shouted in surprise. Count Lington, who had been pinned up against the wall from Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon prating his shoulder, was nowhere to be seen. The two swords had been thrown onto the ground, and a trail of what seemed to be his blood left a trail leading outside of the room. ¡°Oh no! He has run away¡­!¡± Yulis eximed. ¡°So, head back first,¡± Davey urged. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry. With the state my mana is in right now¡­¡± ¡°Just stay still.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Yulis, who looked confused and surprised, opened his eyes wide. Mages at the 5th circle could use a type of teleportation magic. However, the range was only about five to eight kilometers. Davey had also contemted whether he should use it when traveling from the Heins Territory to the Ordem Territory, since the 5th circle was the highest level of mana he could use right now. ¡°W¡ªWhat?! Sir, you can even use magic?!¡± ¡°Well, then¡­¡± Davey then snapped his fingers with a smile. When Winley and Yulis, who both looked utterly shocked, instantly vanished, Davey picked up Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon from the ground. He only did so after making sure that Winley and Yulis, who had disappeared without a trace, were no longer under the influence of magic. ¡°He treated someone else¡¯s daughter like crap.¡± Davey joked around, but his face was strangely tense, and it didn¡¯t seem like his facial expression was going to rx anytime soon. The fact that they had used Winley in this ruse angered him more than this damn situation itself. * * * ¡°Groan¡­ Hup¡­ Shriek!¡± Lington¡¯s escape was just a desperate struggle. Davey followed the trail of blood to see Lington standing beside a huge control facility. The man¡¯s left arm was cut beneath his elbow, and both his shoulders were ripped apart. Davey could tell his desire to live was quite great from how he was enduring the excruciating pain. ¡°You monster¡­¡± Lington stammered. ¡°Who is calling who a monster?¡± Swish!!! ng!!! In an instant, Davey¡¯s whip-like [Aura de] flew toward Lington like it was going to cut him, leaving a red afterimage. However, his [Aura de] went nowhere near Lington and was shattered by a pink energy that suddenly appeared in front of him. The pink energy had seemingly been waiting for an attack. ¡°He¡­ Hehe. This is why people should have one final trick up their sleeve.¡± Davey silently looked down at his trembling hand. He thought about the pink energy barrier that couldn¡¯t be shed by the [Aura de], which could cut through most magic. ¡®It¡¯s pretty durable.¡¯ It felt like the air was blocking his attack more so than a physical barrier. ¡®A barrier made from forcing a lot of mana together¡­ This must¡¯ve been expensive.¡± After putting away Red Ribbon, Davey stared at Lington calmly. Lington pulled out a remote-control device and began using it; at the same time, his body started fading away. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough, you monster.¡± Lington was disappearing slowly, but how he was vanishing seemed simr to what would happen when one used a mana gate, a well-known ancient remain. -He¡¯s trying to run away! Perserque shouted at Davey in surprise. ¡°What are you going to do now? Going to sh me? Ahahaha! Sure! Try shing me if you want!¡± Lington threw his disfigured monocle onto the ground in irritation and shouted with his chest puffed up. Then, he put on a crazy smile and red at Davey. ¡°I never let off someone who bothered my work. Just wait. One day I will throw you into an experiment room alive.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± ¡°Kehehe¡­ Kehehe¡­ Kahahaha!!¡± With a smirk on his face, Lington beganughing at Davey and looking down on him. ¡®Perhaps this situation is funny to him.¡¯ ¡°No matter how extraordinary you are, you are still nothing but a human! I have all the medicine you made, and you did not save anyone in the end! You can¡¯t save anyone now, and you won¡¯t be able to after I¡¯m gone!¡± Lington¡¯sughter was filled with insanity, echoing throughout the entire control facility. ¡°Kehehehe! Well, alright. Do you have anyst words?¡± Seeing Lington speak as if he was granting Davey a favor, Davey pulled out Blue Ribbon without hesitation. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°What?¡± An activated mana gate excluded the activator from thews of physics; this meant that Lington¡¯s blurry, faded body was already on the other side of the second dimension. Chapter 86 In this situation, it would usually be toote even if Davey swung his [Aura] or [Aura de]. However¡­ -It can sh everything, even things that don¡¯t exist in the physical world. The thing was, Davey still had a way of catching Lington, who had nned to escape by running past the second dimension. Slice!! With an eerie sound of skin being sliced, the mana that was being emitted powerfully stopped at once. Then, Count Lington felt a strange touch on his skin; his eyes widened in shock as he saw the shining de on his neck. ¡°How is this¡­¡± ¡°You want to know? It¡¯ll cost 500 gold coins.¡± Stter!! Hot, red blood sshed all across the control room. 35. I¡¯ve Always Wanted to Try This Clop clop clop clop clop!!! About two hundred cavalries quickly ran past Ordem Territory¡¯s gates and entered the territory. ¡°Your Highness! There are bodies!¡± ¡°Damn it! What happened in the meantime¡­ Baron Gorneo!!!¡± The boy who was leading the calvaries took off his armor and shouted urgently. The boy was Baris, the actual seigneur of the Ordem Territory, Winley¡¯s twin brother, and Davey¡¯s younger brother. His return was muchter than expected. He shouted again, ¡°Search the ce! The First and Third Order, hurry and take Count Lington and Count Colio into custody! Don¡¯t overdo it, and back away if they resist! Second Order, search for Baron Gorneo! All the others, protect the residents!¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± ¡°Remember! We are not fighting to the death! Rescue as many as you can!¡± After the knights gave an affirmative and scattered, Baris quickly got on his horse and rode fast. Most of the residents had stopped working and were taken to a quarantine facility after the outbreak of this disease. As such, the territory¡¯s former liveliness had disappeared in a few days, and it was now just filled with destion. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Baris could tell that someone had ughtered the Knights of Destruction from the blood stains and the bodies that were everywhere. ¡®Did Baron Gorneo¡¯s and Lington¡¯s knights fight because Lington did something while I was gone?¡¯ Baris, who was ruffling his hair in irritation from theplicated situation, could see more bodies as he rode further into the territory. When he arrived at the treatment center with a pale face, he widened his eyes in shock at the pile of corpses in front of the center. ¡°Th¡ªThey¡¯re all part of the Knights of Destruction?!¡± It wasn¡¯t just one or two bodies, but dozens of them. There were enough corpses to assume that all of the Knights of Destruction in the territory had died. Without hesitation, Baris entered the treatment center as if he was possessed by something. Even though there was an air-borne disease running rampant, it didn¡¯t seem to be a big deal to him. When he entered the center, he could see Baron Gorneo quietly treating patients as if the outside situation didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Baron Gorneo!¡± ¡°Hm? Oh! Your Highness, have you returned?¡± Baris¡¯ eye twitched at Gorneo¡¯s peaceful tone of voice. He said, ¡°Yes, we searched the barbarians¡¯ base and found evidence, just like you said we would. I understand that we sent a messenger pigeon, but what happened?¡± Baris was full of questions about the current situation and the pile of dead knights outside. Baron Gorneo had joined the territory¡¯s coalitionter than the other people. Because of the territory¡¯s terrible state, Baris had transferred most of the coalition¡¯s rights and had just been waiting anxiously. However, after Baron Gorneo had arrived at the territory, he had heard something from Baron Gorneo that was hard to believe: someone could¡¯ve intentionally spread this disease because of Count Lington¡¯s trickery. Baris had left the territory with an excuse that he was leaving to prevent exposure to the disease. Winley, who was the only family he had to protect, had left the territory. He had felt a sense of relief that she wouldn¡¯t return until after his return. Then, he had found a few potion bottles with the coalition¡¯s symbol buried in the ground after searching for a few days. He hade right back after finding them, so he didn¡¯t understand the situation right now, since he hadn¡¯t been away for too long. Trying his best to soothe his overwhelming surprise, Baris asked out of frustration, ¡°What¡­ What happened here?¡± ¡°Prince Davey came,¡± Baron Gorneo replied. ¡°Big Brother?!¡± ¡°And he developed a cure as if it was nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Baris¡¯ eyes widened at the surprising news. ¡°Yes, to be honest, I waspletely astonished as well. The doctors of the coalition couldn¡¯t discover anything about this disease, even though they have studied it for years; however, His Highness figured out the disease in just three days.¡± ¡°Then, what about the bodies of the knights¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s where the problem began. It seemed that Count Lington had something else in mind, and he nned to kill us all with his knights.¡± ¡°Wh¡ªWhat about Big brother?! Then, what happened to Winley?!¡± Baron Gorneo answered calmly, ¡°Now now, calm down. It¡¯s nothing to be worried ab¡­¡± ¡°Nothing to be worried about?! The cure for the disease is important, but Big Brother and Winley are more important to me! What happened to Big Brother?! And what about Winley?!¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°They are safe, right? Tell me!! If something has happened to the two¡­ Especially if anything happened to that fool of a Winley, who blindly trusts people!!¡± Baris shouted angrily as a question sounded behind him. ¡°If something happened?¡± ¡°I will get my revenge, even if it means going to war with the Empire¡­¡± Baris, who was shouting in anger with bloodshot eyes, stopped for a moment. Then, he turned his head awkwardly. It was as if he was a broken robot. ¡°Hm¡­ It seems that Prince Baris cares for you, Lady Winley, much more than you have said.¡± Yulis remarked. ¡°Hey¡­ Why aren¡¯t you acting like your usual self¡­¡± Silence filled the treatment center. * * * Lington froze up, his eyes still wide open in shock. He didn¡¯t know how he had been shed or how the magic, which had already been activated, had been canceled. His gaze was fixed on Davey with sorrow and confusion, but Davey had no obligation to tell the dead of Blue Ribbon¡¯s OP abilities. -He became a gruesome body in the end. ¡°He should¡¯ve thought about this before doing something so inhumane. Anyway, I didn¡¯t want to kill him this easily.¡± Davey found six liquid-filled bottles while searching through Lington¡¯s tattered up and limp body. They were the cure for the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯ that he had made in the past three days. The only people who knew how to make this were himself and Baron Gorneo. It seemed like Lington had kept all the samples, since he didn¡¯t know what the medicine was exactly made of. After all, this particr cure was worth quite a high value right now. -What are you going to do with this ce? ¡°We should destroy it a¡­¡± Boom!!! It seemed that there was no need for that. -What is this?! Davey pulled out [Aura de] with Red Ribbon when he suddenly saw the buildings shaking. Then, he cut through the ceiling without hesitation and shot up. ¡°Just destroy all of it. There¡¯s no need to clean them up one by one.¡± It was just as Davey said; it seemed like Lington had nned to blow this ce up before he left to destroy all the evidence. And as Lington had intended, the explosions came from the basement and were blowing up the ce to leave absolutely no trace. -Davey, look. Davey heard Perserque¡¯s voice from his shoulder as he was dodging the falling pieces and jumping off of them. He asked, ¡°What is that?¡± -Chimera Davey¡¯s face was filled with shock as Perserque mumbled. He instantly recognized what it was. ¡®I guess the dark mage was here.¡¯ Half of the chimeras were being killed by the splintering building. The only ones who could escape were those with the ability to fly and therger size. Grrr!! Roar!! The chimeras¡¯ small number multiplied in seconds to be hundreds, and they all simultaneously began heading in one direction. -The Ordem Territory! Instantly realizing where the chimeras were going, Perserque shouted with big blinking eyes. Davey immediately stopped the strange-looking chimera that was closest to him. The chimeras wererge monsters that were about four to five meters tall. They had muscles simr to ogres, a skin color simr to trolls, and their strange appearance made it difficult to think that they were living things. -Their heads and body parts are all over the ce. The chimeras had their heads attached to their chests and their eyes to their shoulders. Aside from that, they had mouths all over their bodies. Their appearance was so horrendous that anyone with a weak stomach would vomit. Roar!!! The monster rushed straight toward Davey upon discovering his presence. It roared, warning him to get out of its way. ¡°It¡¯s fast, and it¡¯s pretty strong, too.¡± Boom!! Davey instantly charged at the monster and crushed what seemed to be its head, then ttened the rest of its body. The monster wasn¡¯tpletely destroyed, but it still fell to the ground from the fatal blow. However, Davey¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t at all pleased. ¡°It¡¯s tough. Was its performance extremely maximized by shortening its lifespan?¡± -If they were used in a short war¡­ ¡°Some of them could¡¯ve already gotten in their hands.¡± To be honest, it wasn¡¯t any of Davey¡¯s concern if there wasn¡¯t any direct rtion; however, the monsters that had shown up and had spread all over the ce were all heading to the Ordem Territory, using the forest to shield them. He sighed. ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s going to be difficult to catch every single one of them in thisrge forest.¡± -Why don¡¯t you just quickly return and defend the territory? There were some chimeras that breathed fireballs like Wyverns. And there would be a substantial level of damage if Davey just left them alone. Davey didn¡¯t think about this for long. As he looked up at the sky, he saw that it was filled with heavy, dark clouds. ¡°Humidity is good.¡± A light spark popped as he reached his hand out into the air and stimted his mana. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this.¡± If there was no way to stop the chimeras, Davey was going to create his own way to do so; he needed to keep his promise. [5th Circle] [Fly] This magic cost a lot of mana, but Davey still used it. As he lightly stimted his mana and released it, he floated up in the air by an invisible force. At the same time, he pulled out Red Ribbon and slid his fingers down the de. ¡°Okay, Red Ribbon. Sorry, but I¡¯m going to have to borrow your mana.¡± It wasmonly known that a mere 5th circle mage could not castrge-scale magic. However, Davey¡¯s mana was around the level of a 5th circle mage, and Red Ribbon¡¯s mana was at the 7th circle. It was possible for him to summon what was already in existence. Davey quickly flew past the chimeras and stopped them in their tracks. Then, he floated Red Ribbon up in the air and pped his hands together. Chapter 87 ¡°Hup¡­¡± Buzz¡­ At the same time, magic circles began appearing with a purple light and surrounded Davey. There was one in front, one behind, and one on his left, and they came together to form onerge magic array. -I¡¯ve never seen thatnguage before¡­ Is that a runenguage? In this world where magic was extremely advanced, there werenguages known as ¡®inherent magic¡¯ that could only be used by certain geniuses. Each magic circle was engraved with rune words, which each had its own purpose. Shining individually, they began revolving around the entire magic array. Buzz¡­ Buzz!! The magic circles revolved like a motor, then slowly moved away from Davey and went as far as ten meters before multiplying. The circles were being produced continually, but they all differed in shape. They vibrated with each other ording to their unique arrangement of mana. Magic was a study in the anti-physics realm. It was essential to control the natural, intangible forces. Even if lightning were to be made another way, it would be much more efficient to forcibly induce lighting from an existing thundercloud rather than creating one by chance. There was a huge difference between changing the direction of an existing waterway and recreating a waterway by making water and creating a path. The entire area behind Davey was made into the boundary. [Range Lock] [Boundary Expansion] [Formation Rearrangement] All Davey had to do was get rid of the chimeras running behind him; there really was no need for him to find all of them. Watching the chimeras go into his controlled area without noticing him, he quickly grabbed Red Ribbon that was floating in the air. At the same time, Red Ribbon¡¯srge amount of mana and his mana resonated together and turned on the switch, like a ma attracting a piece of metal. The mark of a unique runenguage began showing up on top of the monsters¡¯ heads. ¡°Man. I really wanted to try this, too.¡± -What is this¡­? ¡°Die, you nasty bugs!¡± ¡®It¡¯s a lightning bolt and not a rain of fire, but it shouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡¯ [Catastrophe Spell] [Bolt from the Blue] Rumble¡­ Boom!!! Hundreds of lightning bolts fell from the sky and onto the marked chimeras as Davey lightly swung Red Ribbon in the air. * * * Every one of the chimeras turned to ashes from the lightning bolts that fell from the sky like a merciless barrage. The lightning bolts, which were dormant inside the enormous thundercloud, devoured Davey¡¯s weak trace of mana and shot intense shes of light that were about 27,000 degrees Celsius toward the monsters. Various types of magic could be shown to the world, but this type of magic was considered too dangerous to ever be taken lightly. If people knew that Davey was using it¡­ Davey felt like life was being drained out of his body from his intense concentration, but he ground his teeth and maintained the boundaries. It would seem like hundreds of lightning bolts were raining on the entire forest from afar. -This was theoretically possible, but¡­ Perserque trailed off and was now staring at Davey like he wasn¡¯t human. -Is this an amount of control that one human being can endure¡­ Shaking her head in disbelief, Perserque stopped when she saw Davey¡¯s pale face. -It would¡¯ve been nice if you told me about the hurt you¡¯ve been trying to endure¡­ Davey couldn¡¯t hear Perserque¡¯s bitter mumbling. He had to maintain the boundaries, even if his brain felt like it was burning with each additional second. * * * Perhaps the monsters¡¯ intelligence was lower to bnce out their extremely elevated physical abilities. Like moths to a me, all the monsters, which seemed to be Lington¡¯s creation, ran into Davey¡¯s controlled area and burned to ashes. -Davey! ¡°Wheeze¡­ Wheeze, I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m okay.¡± -Do you know how pale you are right now?! ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to ascend to the 9th circle if I was going to die from this.¡± Davey didn¡¯t use a lot of mana, but it took a toll on his mental strength. The moment a panting Davey was about to deactivate the magic as thest monster turned to ashes, he saw something strange. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m feeling sick¡­ This is driving me crazy. I think I might die if I don¡¯t go back and res¡­¡± Davey stopped mid-sentence when he saw a carriage boldly enter his unidentifiable boundary. ¡®A carriage? Why is a carriage in a ce like this?¡¯ Although it was deep in the forest, it wasn¡¯tpletely out of the ordinary for a carriage toe in here. The forest wasn¡¯t a particrly rough area. However, on usual days, a carriage would have stopped or turned back if they saw lightning bolts falling from the sky abnormally. ¡®Either they wish to die, or they have a way to dodge my lightning bolts.¡¯ However, it didn¡¯t take long for Davey to shake off those thoughts. He saw a hidden group of people following the escaping carriage and killing the escorting knights in quick session. -That is¡­ Perserque¡¯s eyes sparkled; perhaps she realized what that carriage was at the same time as Davey. -Davey, that¡¯s the symbol of royalty. There was a symbol engraved on the carriage door. This symbol usually represented a family or their affiliate; the problem was that it was of a tinum color. The only people who could have a tinum-colored symbol on this continent were royalty. It wasn¡¯t the Contas Empire, since they were thousands of kilometers to the west, so Davey could only think of two empires: the Pan Empire and the Lyndis Empire, which were both located in the east. Davey couldn¡¯t recognize the symbol, but it was clear that the carriage was royalty, and that the royalty was being chased by an unknown group of assassins. -Ignore it, Davey. They are not ordinary beings if they are assassins chasing after royalty. If you provoke them for no reason, you might encounter a different type of danger¡­ Even though Perserque expressed her worries, Davey¡¯s gaze was fixed on the carriage since he saw someone looking out from the window with a tense expression. She only looked to be in herte teens, and she was quite tiny. Although she was wearing in clothing, she had glittering blue hair, and was wearing a strange mask that covered her entire face. Not only that, but she was also wearing white gloves on her hands; it seemed like she was hiding her presence. And this fresh energy that weirdly cleared Davey¡¯s ringing head¡­ ¡®Hm, this scent is that of an elementalist.¡¯ ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey didn¡¯t think for long. -Davey? Keeeee!!!! The magic circles began rotating with speed and resonating again. Davey gathered as much of the thundercloud¡¯s power as possible and left a mark on the assassins who were chasing the carriage. He exhausted all of his mana and created an inducing magic circle. Boom!!!!! A lightning bolt that was iparablyrger than before fell onto the assassins. They probably didn¡¯t know what killed them, but even if they did, they probably wouldn¡¯t think that this ridiculous natural disaster was intentionally caused by someone. Well, at least for now. ¡°Oh no! My hand slipped.¡± -¡­ ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know! I didn¡¯t see anything!¡± Davey did think that he had met thedy¡¯s gaze through her mask, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a big problem. Then, he quietly called Perserque as he stared at the carriage riding off into the distance. ¡°Perserque.¡± -Why are you¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s¡­rest.¡± -Davey!! With those words, Davey began falling to the ground as his vision blurred. ¡®I get extremely sleepy every time I do something huge¡­¡¯ Unfortunately, he felt that he couldn¡¯t expect his level to increase as it did before when he had also used the holy magic spell. Sometimes, he couldn¡¯t shake off the thought that he was also stupid. * * * Simply put, Davey slept extremely well. What was he talking about when he always had a good night¡¯s rest? After his sixth sense had improved, there were times he had woken up from a bug crawling on the floor. ¡®There are advantages to having sharp senses¡­ But¡­ Sigh¡­¡¯ Sometimes he couldn¡¯t restfortably when he wanted to because of those senses. It was like his body reacted first, even when he just wanted to do nothing. As he slowly raised his head after letting out a tired sigh, Davey saw a quiet forest in front of his eyes. ¡°Perserque?¡± -Oh! Are you awake, Davey? As Davey woke up in a daze, Perserque, who was holding up arge leaf with water, approached him with a bright expression. She couldn¡¯t affect anything in the physical world other than energy forms or Davey, herpanion, but she could use her demon power and cause something like a poltergeist phenomenon from time to time. At first, she could only move a piece of paper, but it was clear that her power had be stronger with time. -Have some water first. ¡°Oh¡­ Thank you. I feel better now, after a good rest. How long was I asleep for?¡± -Only a couple of hours, but¡­ Perserque trailed off with a bitter smile. -I think the Ordem Territory is probably in chaos right now. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Davey calmly got up from where he was sitting and climbed up onto a tall tree. It might¡¯ve been a relief, but it seemed that the territory didn¡¯t send a search group out for him. Well, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to utilize the army since Baris was gone. With a giggle, Davey said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. They¡¯re probably worried.¡± Perserque seemed displeased, but she said nothing. * * * ¡°Big Brother!!¡± It was a little unexpected that the person who greeted Davey first wasn¡¯t a resident or the royal guards, but Baris. Davey wondered to himself, ¡®He was absent when I arrived at the territory. When did he get back?¡¯ ¡°Baris? When did you return?¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since I got back! But are¡­ Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Examining Davey¡¯s body in a hurry, Baris let out a sigh of relief when he found nothing wrong. There were no huge issues with Davey aside from the blood stains. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that you¡¯re not hurt anywhere. You don¡¯t know how surprised I was when I heard that Winley and ss-5 Yulis told me that you were left alone at Count Lington¡¯s hidden facility in the forest¡­¡± Trailing off, Baris grit his teeth. ¡°Then, I heard that you stayed back after rescuing the two. I was going to form a rescue group and head there, but¡­¡± ¡®You wouldn¡¯t have been able toe.¡¯ Chapter 88 It would¡¯ve been difficult for Baris to predict what would happen if he had stepped into the forest that was being showered with lightning bolts. Considering his character, it was actually amazing that Baris had waited around for three hours. Yulis and Winley ran out after him. ¡°Big Brother!!¡± Winley quickly came out with a surprised look on her pale face. She ran into Davey¡¯s arms, burying her small physique into his. She asked worriedly, ¡°Big Brother¡­ Are you hurt anywhere?! Do you know how worried I was?!¡± Of course, Davey was still over 180 centimeters tall and was pretty muscr. The problem was that everyone else was around 190 centimeters tall or had a huge physique. Because of that, Davey could only be considered to be ordinary, since men with rather small physiques were all around 180 centimeters tall. ¡°Hey! I told you not toe out!¡± Baris shouted at Winley. ¡°Shut up! How could I have just sat back and rxed when Big Brother wasn¡¯t back yet?¡± Winley shouted after Baris criticized her. She stroked Davey¡¯s cheek and looked like she was going to cry. ¡°Big Brother! Are you hurt anywhere? You¡¯re okay? Right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, Winley.¡± Davey chuckled and patted Winley¡¯s head like usual. As tears began forming in Winley¡¯s eyes, Davey nced at Yulis and asked, ¡°Did anything happen after you came back?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, sir. Youpletely destroyed the ce.¡± Yulis bitterly smiled, as if he was a little sick of it. ¡°Honestly, I should¡¯ve told you this when I first saw you,¡± Davey told Yulis his exact thoughts. Then, he nodded gratefully. ¡°Thank you for keeping my dear sister safe. I will never forget this.¡± Yulis may not have been helpful, but he had gone to the facility to find Winley without considering his own life. And he had done so only after having met Winley a few days ago. ¡°I did nothing. All I know is something bad would¡¯ve happened if you weren¡¯t there, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t even protect Lady Winley when I was by her side, and I am an elder of the Red Tower. It is a shameful reality. Also¡­ The cure¡­¡± Yulis said. ¡°Oh, that?¡± Chuckling, Davey pulled out a pouch from his chest and lightly shook it. ¡°That guy, Lington, kept most of it safe. I guess it was too valuable to throw away.¡± Yulis nodded in relief. ¡°Let Winley and Yulis stay here for treatment. I did already do some basic treatments, but you never know.¡± Davey just wanted to let Winley and Yulis rest. Baris then pushed the two inside, not willing to ept any arguments or retorts. Winley, who looked displeased, had no choice but to go inside with a sigh. ¡°Anyway, when did ss-5 Yulis start calling Winley that? Big Brother, do you think he has bad intentions for Winley?¡± Baris, clearly, was still very worried about his sister. Davey chuckled. He could see Baris showing his wariness of Yulis as soon as Yulis was gone. Then, Davey answered very seriously, ¡°I actually think it¡¯s the opposite¡­¡± ¡°Huh? No¡­ That makes no sense. How can Winley, that tomboy¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Baris stared at Davey in disbelief. Then, he shook his head. ¡°I guess you might be right¡­¡± Baris kept sighing as if he thought this situation was ridiculous. However, Perserque began joking around and suddenly pulled on Davey¡¯s cheek in this solemn atmosphere. He winced. ¡®Ow, what is it this time?¡¯ -You are nothing but an idiot! ¡®What¡¯s the problem?¡¯ -¡­You are usually pretty smart, but you¡¯ve got this situation wrong. It¡¯s the other way around¡­ Perserque sighed when Davey still didn¡¯t understand. He then muttered to her, ¡®Are you saying that it was Yulis who fell in love with Winley at first sight? That¡¯s nonsense. Then, how do you exin how she acted?¡¯ Winley had blushed when she first saw Yulis, and she had been like that sinceing to the Ordem Territory. As soon as Davey entered a ce where she and Yulis had been alone together, Winley was startled and tried to suppress her embarrassment. She did look like a child hiding something. -I don¡¯t know! Just live without knowing forever! ¡®Man¡­¡¯ Davey just shrugged. He thought that Perserque turning away after snapping at him was ridiculous. * * * Baris brought Davey to the seigneur¡¯s pce while telling thetter a part of the situation that had caused this situation. Just like Davey had expected, Count Lington had intentionally spread this disease in the territory by using the barbarians. Davey listened like it was nothing new, but Baris was still fuming. The entire situation wasical. It was like a robber who got caught pretending to be the homeowner after breaking in. The funny thing was that Baron Gorneo had been the one to hint about this fact. At first, he had been strongly against Davey doing anything in this territory; perhaps it had been his way of telling Davey to get out without getting too involved and shedding unnecessary blood. ¡°You are quick,¡± Baron Gorneomented. It seemed that Davey was right. -That¡¯s the truth. Perserque mumbled to Davey as she examined the thoughts in Gorneo¡¯s mind. ¡°To be honest, I knew that Lington was dangerous, but I couldn¡¯t do anything since I didn¡¯t have any evidence nor was anything revealed. However, now that this kind of thing has happened, it wouldn¡¯t cause any problems for you, right?¡± Baron Gorneo exined as he administered the medicine that Davey had handed to him. ¡°That would make no sense. It would be tyrannous of the Empire to protest about this,¡± Baris pointed out. Baron Gorneo nodded. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s funny how the world works. A small, weak kingdom would have no choice but to keep quiet if someone were to nitpick on them. However¡­¡± Baron Gorneo trailed off, then spoke with determination. ¡°I will make sure that this incident causes no problems. Your Highness, your aplishments aren¡¯t small, and they shouldn¡¯t be zed over because of this.¡± Although he was one of the weakest council members, Baron Gorneo was determined to notpromise on this. * * * The state of the territory greatly improved once the medicine was replicated and distributed. There was more than that too. A cured patient couldn¡¯t get reinfected, so Davey made Baris introduce a vination system to the entire territory. A newborn baby couldn¡¯t have an antibody to this disease. The best possible thing to do was to try to vinate people regrly to get rid of this problem. Not only that, but since there were a lot of mercenaries who entered the territory, he made Baris vinate them as well topletely get rid of this ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯. However, he couldn¡¯t do anything about the remaining virus yet. ¡°Over three hundred people of the Ordem Territory have died from this.¡± ¡°At least that¡¯s the only casualty count.¡± ¡°Does that not even phase you?¡± Jack threw out a question. ¡®Now he knows how toe up and talk. Since it¡¯se to this, let¡¯s have a chat.¡¯ Davey thought as he sat in his chair, ying around with his mana. He then asked, ¡°It¡¯s a relief that the disease only caused this much damage. How many residents do you think the Ordem Territory has?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°The best thing to do in medicine is prevention. What do you think the next best thing is?¡± Jack, or Aina Helishana, answered Davey after some pondering. ¡°Fast¡­recovery and prevention afterward.¡± ¡°And the next thing?¡± ¡°Quarantine¡­¡± ¡°This damn disease is a mad invader that has no intention of cooperating with an intellectual being. Humans have been at war with these invaders for a long time, and they will keep battling,¡± Davey pointed out. Jack kept quiet, then said, ¡°You knew about the disease, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°How much did you know about it?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Does this have a cost as well?¡± ¡°I am also an information merchant. I am calcting the precise cost with a point system.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help butugh at Jack¡¯s unexpected response. He answered, ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re going to ask for an organ or something, because of all the points I¡¯ve umted.¡± ¡°I value my life, so¡­¡± ¡°From someone who practices medicine, this damn invader is so dangerous that it¡¯s a relief that the disease has been stopped.¡± Jack said nothing. This disease had killed millions of people in another continent. It was dangerous to try treating it as a doctor, so it really was a relief that it had only taken a few hundred people this time; although, Davey did feel a little sorry for the ones who had died. If Davey wasn¡¯t here and this disease had spread outside the territory, half of the eastern continent would¡¯ve been wiped out, starting with the Ordem Territory. No, it could¡¯ve spread to the mid-continent and even created chaos in the entire Tionis continent. Considering that, Lington was truly fearless since this ridiculous virus would¡¯ve spread throughout the continent if even one thing had gone wrong. ¡°You are very peculiar, Your Highness.¡± ¡°So, hurry up and tell me. I think that it¡¯s time to say what you want.¡± ¡°I need to collect more points. I will serve you with everything I have.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning to ask for that requires you to serve me with everything you have¡­ Why don¡¯t you juste and work for me?¡± ¡°Are you going to take me in?¡± Davey chuckled at Jack¡¯s question before saying, ¡°Am I crazy?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t care where you¡¯re from or what your past is, but at least take off your disguise if you want to say that.¡¯ It was unsure what Jack, or Aina Helishana, felt from Davey¡¯s gaze. But he just stayed silent. * * * Rumble!!! Crash!! The carriage, which was moving roughly, didn¡¯t slow down even after getting out of the forest. ¡°Sir Belross! Our pursuers are no longer following us!¡± ¡°The horses will not be able to tolerate the journey for much longer!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ Slow down! Balter! Rock! Keep guarding the surroundings and prepare in case there¡¯s a surprise attack!¡± There were seven knights who currently escorted the carriage, but there were far more before. ¡°Damn it, those assassins!¡± The old knight clenched his jaw in a disy of anger. Even if he was a Swordmaster, there was no way he could have avoided sustaining any injuries if assassins attacked them day and night. There was a monstrous being on this continent who was an exception to that rule, but they didn¡¯t know about that. ¡°Your Highness, this is Belross! Are you hurt anywhere?!¡± After the old knight shouted, a coughing sound could be heard from inside the silent carriage. Then, the soft voice of a girl could be heard. ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m fine¡­¡± Chapter 89 Creak¡­ ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness! You mustn''te out yet!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Cough¡­ Cough.¡± The girl emerged from the carriage. Feeling dizzy from the fast ride, she stumbled a little. At the same time, women who seemed to be the girl¡¯sdies-in-waiting came out from the carriage. They quickly helped to support her. ¡°Your Highness!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ Mary.¡± Shorter than most people her age, the girl also had a small, thin physique. She had a soft yet distinct aura to her, and she looked frail enough to break at any moment. However, she was clearly not human, since she had the beastfolks¡¯ characteristic long ears above her blue ponytail. And seeing her ears sagging from exhaustion or sadness would make anyone feel bad for her¡­ The girl was a fox with strangely sharp ears. Her tail was hidden beneath herrge evening dress. Still, it was clear that she was a fox and not human like her knights. But what was truly strange about the girl¡­was her face beingpletely covered by an odd-looking white mask. Coupled with her dress, the girl was entirely covered from head to toe, and not an inch of her bare skin could be seen. Looking at her, one could only tell that she was a young beastfolk. ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡± The girl directly looked at the knights even though her vision should have been obstructed by her mask. The knights simultaneously bowed toward the girl. ¡°Do not worry, Your Highness. We are ready to put our life on the line for your safety.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see Sir Harlus, or Sir Luxa, or Dame Hivena¡­¡± The girl mumbled quietly. All the knights flinched. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ The attack¡­¡± The girl lowered her head as if she was choking up. Although the mask hid her expression, it was clear from her choked-up voice that she was quite depressed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry everyone¡­ Because of a beastfolk like me¡­¡± ¡°Y¡ªYour Highness!¡± Thedies-in-waiting bowed toward the girl in shock. ¡°Your Highness! I humbly beg you, please stop your tears!¡± ¡°What do you mean that it is because Your Highness is a beastfolk?! That ispletely untrue and ridiculous!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How could anyone say that Your Highness is a lowly presence!¡± Then, all the knights lined up and kneeled toward the girl. ¡°The power of the gods was not enough¡­ And it has caused you sorrow! Please kill us!¡± ¡°Stop it! I¡­ I don¡¯t want any more people getting hurt because of me.¡± The girl¡¯s voice grew more teary. She murmured, ¡°Yes¡­ I must regain my strength for Father¡­ No, for His Majesty.¡± ¡°They are insolent assassins who dared to attack the royalty of Lyndis, the great empire of the east. Your Highness, I will definitely get to the bottom of this and kill all of the schemers!¡± ¡°Sir Belross¡­¡± The girl spoke in a choked-up voice. The old knight spoke with determination. ¡°I swear on the name of Dark Cloud Sword Belross, Swordmaster of the royal pce. I will¡­avenge the undeserved deaths of Your Highness¡¯ subordinates.¡± The girl definitely wasn¡¯t an altruist; she actually was quite a greedy person. But the knights served her so loyally because she cherished and loved her people with everything that she had. As such, she had the vassals¡¯ love even though she was part beast and was the least powerful among her siblings due to theck of support. Furthermore, Belross became part of her personal order, which only had about 20 people, even though he had the extraordinary title of a Swordmaster. ¡°Thank you... Sir Belross, thank you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness¡­ I know it¡¯s hard, but please hold on for a little longer. We are almost at the empire¡¯s border.¡± The girl, who was sobbing on the ground, soon calmed down. The trembling in her shoulders slowly went away, and she nodded. Then, she stepped back onto the carriage with the help from herdies-in-waiting. Her strange but adorable ears twitched. ¡°But Sir Belross, what do you think that thunder was?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but it was hard for me to tell.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°However, it is difficult to think that it was a natural thunderstorm. I have never heard of a natural phenomenon where hundreds of lightning bolts fall from the sky.¡± ¡°What if it was caused by someone?¡± ¡°I think that it might be worth a shot to gather all the sages of the continent.¡± The knights began whispering as the carriage started moving along. Everyone, including the people in the carriage and those who were guarding it, saw the thunderstorm. If someone told this story to people at a bar over drinks, they would just think that it was drunk nonsense. ¡°Captain, what do you think it was?¡± One of the knights asked Belross. ¡°We can¡¯t know for sure. But¡­¡± The old knight, Belross, stopped mid-sentence, then continued in a quiet voice, ¡°It seemed like those lightning bolts were aimed at the assassins.¡± ¡°The lightning bolts chased someone who was running in panic and turned them into ashes. I¡¯ve never seen a lightning bolt turn someone into ashes. It¡¯s definitely abnormal,¡± one of the knights pointed out. ¡°The important thing is that we survived. There are a lot of things to think about, but it can¡¯t be understood withmon knowledge. If it is true that a human created that¡­¡± Closing his eyes, Belross paused before saying, ¡°I think the ranking for the best mages in the continent will immediately change. Well, a human couldn¡¯t have possibly done this anyways.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They wouldn¡¯t be human, but a dragon, the original possessor of magic, from fairy tales if they could cause this kind of catastrophe,¡± one of the knights said. The knights¡¯ lighthearted conversation went on for a little while. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The girl, who was listening to the conversation, let out a short, fatigued sigh on the pillowy sofa. None of the other people seemed to have seen it, so she was the only one who had caught a glimpse; her sense of sight, smell, and hearing were exceptionally goodpared to humans and even other beastfolks. ¡®¡­He had ck hair¡­¡¯ The girl had seen a man floating in the sky with many purple magic circles around him. ¡®And¡­he saved us for some reason.¡¯ It was true that they had made eye contact for a second. Of course, the girl had kept her mask on, but for some reason it felt like the man had looked her straight in the eyes. It had only been for a second, but that was enough to burn that image of him onto her brain. For a moment, the girl¡¯s keen sense of smell caught the man¡¯s scent after the lightning went away. ¡®The scent of dogwood¡­ It¡¯s faint, but natural and reliable¡­¡¯ She squeezed her hand like she was never going to forget this scent, and silently stared at the forest of thunder that she had just escaped from. 36. Things That Will Eventually Be Revealed ¡°Would you like to have a drink, Davey, sir?¡± Davey didn¡¯t know where Yulis was getting all these expensive bottles of liquor from. When Yulis offered a drink with a smile, Davey stared at him with cold eyes. ¡®This guy. I didn¡¯t expect him to like alcohol this much.¡¯ They had gone through many bottles the day before, and yet Yulis was asking again. ¡®How could he ask again? This isn¡¯t okay.¡¯ Despite having such thoughts, Davey said firmly, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s shabby, but pleasee in.¡± He could never resist a bottle of liquor that wasn¡¯t bitter and had a nice, deep taste to it. -You should be thankful for not getting intoxicated to the point where you can¡¯t hold yourself up. If that happens, I¡¯ll kick your butt and wake you up¡­ When Davey invited Yulis in while trying to ignore thest part of Perserque¡¯s mumbling, Winley and Baris, who had been patiently waiting behind him, peeked out and giggled. They had been pretty busy with settling the territory¡¯s remaining business, but had taken a break and showed up. ¡°Where is Baron Gorneo?¡± Davey asked. ¡°He feels ufortable with such a gathering. He might be feeling a little responsible for this incident, which was clearly the fault of the Coalition for Disease Control, and he was part of it.¡± Davey didn¡¯t ask further. ¡®I should respect his wishes if that is what he wants.¡¯ Baris had made a big decision to ept the remaining people of the coalition, even though they were nothing but criminals who had killed more than three hundred innocent residents. ¡°They are victims, too. And I¡¯m quite interested about Baron Gorneo¡¯s dedication.¡± Baris spoke calmly. Winley scoffed. ¡°Heh! How are you going to live life if you¡¯re that kind?¡± ¡°What about you? I wish you would just shut your mouth.¡± ¡°What? Hey!!¡± Winley screamed, but soon lowered her head because of Davey and Yulis. She avoided their gaze and carefully took a sip of her wine. ¡®You guys are drinking now that you are adults.¡¯ ¡°Now that you are adults, you¡¯ll be going to the royal pce after this birthday,¡± Davey said. ¡°Looking at how things are going at the capital, I¡¯d like to stay silent about that for a while.¡± Baris chuckled, then stared at Davey. ¡°Big Brother.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°May I ask you a question?¡± The trio looked like they wanted the answer to their questions. Davey had stayed quiet about it for too long. It was possible that he had done something rted to magic or swordsmanship, but Yulis, Winley, and Baris probably couldn¡¯t wrap their heads around it. He was a Swordmaster who could use [Aura de], and he had the fighting skills to face a Swordmaster head-on without his sword. Not only that, but he also had a stigmata and possessed knowledge of medicine that he had learned from God knows where. Finally, he had also used magic above the 5th circle that transported Winley and Yulis to the Ordem Territory. Was this a power that someone this young could have? Davey could confidently say ¡®NO¡¯ since he had gone down that road before. It would be difficult to possess these powers if he hadn¡¯t spent a twisted thousand years in the Hall. Even Illyna, the genius of the century who had learned swordsmanship when she had begun learning how to read and write, hadn¡¯t even been close to reaching Swordmaster at the age of seventeen. The fact that Davey, who was only seventeen and had spent a third of his life in aa, could easily reach this level when even Yulis, who was called the greatest prodigy of the continent, barely reached the Master level[1] in his thirties¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be strange if they asked if a monster was wearing the husk of Davey. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey let out a hum. ¡°Stop it, stupid! You¡¯re being rude to Big Brother. Are you interrogating him or something?¡± Winley shouted at Baris. ¡°Hey! You were curious, too.¡± It seemed that Winley was equally curious, but she just kept that to herself. ¡°Actually¡­ If it¡¯s not a nuisance, may I ask as well?¡± Yulis nced at Davey with a wide smile. 1. Just a recap, Yulis is at the Entry-master level. ? Chapter 90 ¡°Honestly, I canprehend everything else, but¡­¡± With a faint smile, Yulis fixed his horn-rimmed sses, which exaggerated his soft features. He added, ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time believing the nonverbal casting, even after seeing it with my own eyes. Also¡­ I can only feel the mana of an ordinary person or less from you, sir.¡± Yulis was most curious about the nonverbal casting, which was a theoretically impossible system. Davey thought it was at least a relief that they didn¡¯t think the hundreds of lightning bolts that fell on the forest were his doing, since that was just a different level of power entirely. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey hummed, then chuckled. He stared at his ss, swirling his wine. ¡°I worked hard.¡± Winley, Baris, and Yulis were dumbfounded. ¡°Pardon?¡± Yulis asked. ¡°I worked incredibly hard in that short time.¡± Davey was not lying to the bewildered trio. His time in the Hall had been short; to be honest, even a thousand years were not enough for him to train and understand everything. He had trained from morning to night without rest, and he would even wake up in the middle of the night thinking about his progress. A goblin wouldugh at how much effort Davey had put in when he was someone that had detested the heroes¡¯ harsh training. However, the three people seemed to have taken his words in apletely different way. ¡°Oh¡­ Haha! For you to have achieved all that in less than a year is imposs¡­¡± Baris teased. He and the others thought that Davey had gotten to this standard from training after he had woken from hisa. ¡°There are a lot of things that haven¡¯t been proven in the world, Baris.¡± ¡°Big Brother¡­¡± ¡°And I never said that I did it in a year.¡± Baris went silent after realizing that Davey had finally given him a serious answer from years of knowing him. ¡®Man, darn these quick-witted kids!¡¯ -You know that the quick-witted kid is one of the only people you truly trust, right? ¡®Be quiet.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t tell them anything about the Hall. All he could tell them was that he worked hard, even if others protested in disbelief; he could only do the same even when answering his significant other. The only person that knew the truth¡­ Yawn¡­ ¡­Was this cute student of Ares. Perserqueid down on Davey¡¯s knee like she was in bed and yawned. ¡°You can only feel the mana of an ordinary person or less from me,¡± Davey said to Baris. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, how am I using a highly dense [Aura de]?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°I will tell you everything when it bes possible.¡± ¡°It must be that way if you say so, Big Brother.¡± Barisughed heartily, as if hisplicated thoughts had been resolved. ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sorry ss-5 Yulis, but I am just going to believe what he is saying.¡± ¡°Well, I have no reason to dig up what Sir Davey doesn¡¯t want to speak about, nor do I have the right to.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration.¡± Davey thanked Yulis. ¡°But can you tell me one thing?¡± Yulis looked motivated. At the same time, Winley put down her ss and stared at Davey. She realized what Yulis was going to ask. ¡°Do you think that¡­ I can also cast nonverbally?¡± Nonverbal casting was a dream to most mages. Asking someone about their training and achievements was rude, but Yulis still couldn¡¯t help himself. He wanted to know how it was possible with a mage who had a simr circle level, and not someone with an extremely high circle. ¡®Since I am indebted to him, I guess it wouldn¡¯t hurt to tell him. It¡¯s not anything rted to the Hall as well.¡¯ ¡°If you are willing to throw away all the mana circles you have,¡± Davey told Yulis. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The chances of sess are about 10%. There will be a rebound if you fail.¡± ¡°Rebound?¡± ¡°Your brain will burn. Turn to ashes.¡± Davey had never seen it happen, but he just believed it to be true. He had heard about this conclusion from the four women who had created it. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you an assignment. Try casting a buff magic spell that you can currently use, like [Strength], five times over.¡± Life drained out of Yulis¡¯ face as he heard Davey. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t think I can do that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a 1 in 10 chance that you will seed if you can do that.¡± One should at least be able to cast a spell eight times over if they wanted to give it a try. -What kind of lunatic casts a spell eight times over? I¡¯m telling you that you are the abnormal one. Yulis smiled. It wasn¡¯t easy; from the beginning, Davey thought that creating the type of mana circle that he had was actually harder than making a mana loop of the 9th circle. ¡°I guess everything has a price.¡± One¡¯s life would always be more valuable, no matter what. * * * When one problem went away, another appeared. ¡°Hmph!¡± Hearing a pouty voice, Davey smiled bitterly. ¡°Red Ribbon, are you still mad?¡± ¡°Pip!!¡± The adorable red-haired little girl who was pouting and disying her anger was none other than Red Ribbon. She was already cute, but she was now puffing up her cheeks, which made her look even more adorable. If Davey could, he would¡­ ¡°Red Ribbon, peekaboo!¡± Davey teased. ¡°Giggle!... H¡ªHmph!¡± However, Davey couldn¡¯t do this because he had to maintain his face. Just like what had happened with Caldeiras, weapons with an ego that had their own mana would be quite exhausted when their powers were used rapidly. Although Caldeiras was able to handle it since he had grown stronger from being alive for quite a long time, it seemed Red Ribbon, who was only about a month old, couldn¡¯t tolerate the level of exhaustion caused by the amount of mana Davey had used. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Blue Ribbon rubbed her head against Red Ribbon¡¯s back as she hugged thetter, and groaned for Red Ribbon to stop. However, Red Ribbon didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It¡¯s really good. You¡¯re not going to have some?¡± Red Ribbon, who had her eyes shut, slightly opened her eyes and nced at the cookie Davey was quietly shaking in front of her face. But she turned away. She slightly opened her eyes again to nce at the cookie but turned away once more. It was exactly how children acted to show that they were mad: she wanted to eat the cookie, but she wouldn¡¯t because she was mad. Davey felt lightheaded from how cute Red Ribbon looked while she was trying to decide between her desire to eat the cookie and the anger that she felt. The problem was that he wasn¡¯t good with children. Davey put on a bright smile as he shook the cookie. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, then I should eat it all, right?¡± ¡°Ooh¡­ Hm¡­¡± As expected, Red Ribbon, who was trying to disregard the cookie, looked at the cookie with desire in her eyes. However, she still wasn¡¯t willing to budge. ¡°Ee¡­ Woo¡­¡± Not knowing what to do, Red Ribbon groaned, and then¡­ ¡°Wahh!!!¡± She began crying from anger as well as sadness. -You idiot. What are you doing with a child? ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Perserque hugged Red Ribbon andforted her. The little girl trembled and began crying even harder. Unlike her usual soft expression, Perserque looked at Davey from the corner of her eye. ¡°You¡­¡± Davey stared at Perserque, dumbfounded. Even though she squinted and red at him, he asked, ¡°You¡¯re able to get bigger?¡± Usually, Perserque was small enough to be able to sit on Davey¡¯s head or shoulder, but she wasn¡¯t that small anymore; she was short and frail, but she definitely looked like a normal girl. -How difficult did you think it was to transform a nonexistent body made only of demonic force? Perhaps energy forms were able to interact with each other. It seemed like Red Ribbon was able to see and hear Perserque since her own body was also made of energy. -It¡¯s okay. Red Ribbon looked up at Perserque, who was patting her back andforting her, with teary eyes. ¡°Mama¡­¡± -M¡ªMom?! A faint light began spreading as Red Ribbon hugged Perserque, who was shouting in shock. Red Ribbon wasn¡¯t going to let go, yelling, ¡°Wahh!! Mama! Mama! I don¡¯t like Dada!¡± It was said that crying was contagious in children; perhaps that was why Blue Ribbon started crying and hugging Perserque once Red Ribbon burst into tears again. ¡°Wahh!!¡± ¡°Hwahh!!¡± ¡°I made them cry,¡± Davey said yfully. Perserque red at Davey from the corner of her eye. -It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s alright! Don¡¯t worry, Mom¡¯s here! Perserque was the former Demon Lord¡­ She was quite quick. Demons were known as extremely evil beings in ancient books, but to be honest, one would see that the debate betweenplete good and evil waspletely useless. This was especially true when the person, creature, or demon had emotions. ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­ I have more cookies,¡± Davey teased. ¡°Hmph!¡± -I think you would be so amazing if you sometimes just shut your mouth, which only brings about disaster, Davey. Poor Davey¡­ The nutty aroma of the cookie in his mouth felt bitter, since he was left speechless. 37. From A ce That Couldn¡¯t Be Seen This luxurious and grand pce was greater than most kingdoms, and it was known as the Dragon¡¯s Pce. This was the enormous royal pce where the emperor of the Lyndis Empire, the most powerful kingdom in the east, resided. In the Tionis continent, there were threerge empires and one Holy Empire. There was the Contas Empire, thergest kingdom in the west, which was symbolized by a scorpion with three tails, and the Pan Empire, the continent¡¯s strongest and long-standing empire that was founded by the Sword Lord¡¯s descendants. Finally, there was the Valchas Empire, the Holy Empire in the east that served the Goddess of Wine Freyja, and the Lyndis Empire, which was symbolized by a two-headed dragon. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration to say that the continent¡¯s power was in the hands of these four kingdoms. Furthermore, the Lyndis Empire was no different from an alliance that epassed the many countries that existed in the east. And Deorte El Lyndis, the current emperor of the Lyndis Empire, was silently shooting arrows in the pce¡¯s garden that only royalty could enter. Shh¡­. Crack!! The target was a few hundred meters away, but he kept pulling his bowstring. Every time his hand left the string, his arrow cut through the wind and struck the thick, wooden target without fail. ¡°Your Majesty, you are going to tire yourself. Why don¡¯t you go rest for the rest of the day?¡± Deorte, the emperor of the Lyndis Empire, heard a voice calling out to him. He put down his bow for a moment and coldly smiled at the man who approached him. ¡°Would you like topete?¡± ¡°Haha, I would never be able to recover from shame if I were topete with you in bowmanship, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°You are quite a crybaby for someone who is to lead the Lyndis Empire as the future emperor.¡± There was a strong sense of boredom and weariness in Emperor Deorte, who spoke calmly. Although he looked like an elderly man over the age of seventy, his physique was as tough and muscr as someone who had been training for a long time. Chapter 91 ¡°Haha, I am not very talented in bowmanship.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ If you keep acting like that, your siblings are going to take your ce someday.¡± ¡°Haha, if they have the guts to take it from me fair and square¡­¡± The man in his forties chuckled. ¡°Well, is the crown princess doing well?¡± Emperor Deorte asked. ¡°Yes, she is doing well thanks to His Majesty¡¯s generosity.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ A true man should be able to support his family before setting his sights on the world.¡± ¡°I will take that to heart.¡± ¡°But some idiots abandon those they should be protecting for honor and a mere title.¡± Deorte sighed as if he was sick of it and pulled his bowstring. Shee¡­ Boom!!! At the same time, a huge amount of mana became concentrated onto the arrow. It cut through the air and was lodged in the ground after destroying the sturdy target. ¡°Amazing as always, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Tsk. Did you think I became a master from fooling around?¡± ¡°It is difficult even for regr masters to leave an [Aura de] on a projectile that easily.¡± He was the crown prince, and the eldest son who had been by Deorte¡¯s side for a long time. The man knew very well that Emperor Deorte El Lyndis, themander of the Lyndis Empire, was one of the strongest among the Swordmasters. ¡°Alright. I don¡¯t think you came to me for small talk. Is there something you want to say?¡± Deorte asked, never taking his eyes off the destroyed target. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The crown prince raised his bow. Then, he familiarly loaded his bow and said quietly, ¡°A member of the Echo Guild came to me with information.¡± ¡°Was there any progress?¡± ¡°There is good news and mediocre news; which would you like to hear first?¡± ¡°Ha, you know how to tease your father.¡± The crown prince giggled at Deorte. He replied, ¡°At least it¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s not bad news.¡± ¡°Well, then tell me the mediocre news first.¡± ¡°Count Lington and Count Colio have died. Apparently, they were beheaded on the spot after their clear inhuman acts were revealed.¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Count Lington was part of the Coalition for Disease Control, and Count Colio was Deorte¡¯s subordinate whom he had allowed into the coalition by using Colio¡¯s physical disabilities as an excuse. ¡°After deliberately spreading a disease in the Ordem Territory, a territory on the outskirts of the Rowane Kingdom, they independently carried out unvalidated human experiments for treatment purposes.¡± To be honest, themoners¡¯ lives weren''t valued by the nobility and royalty in this world. It meant that no one could say anything even if an ill-tempered noble were to cut off amoner¡¯s head because they were in his way. However, this was different. ¡°It is the same for a man who left his desires to madness. Alright, who did they say killed them?¡± ¡°The First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°Ah, the newly emerging adept greenhorn.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Of course, Emperor Deorte was sharp enough to know that Count Lington was dangerous, but he had still supported him despite knowing that fact. ¡°I am just saying, but there is no need for His Majesty to feel any guilt about¡­¡± ¡°Ha, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to be the emperor if I was scared so easily,¡± Deorte said. The crown prince understood this fact very well, so Deorte just went on to ask, ¡°Well, then what is the good news?¡± ¡°ording to the report sent by Baron Gorneo, who studied ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯ with Count Lington, a cure¡­has been developed. And it was developed not by Baron Gorneo or Count Lington, but the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Deorte¡¯s eyebrow twitched slightly. ¡°That is not just any good news.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Without much reaction, Deorte asked, ¡°There is no false information about the treatment, yes?¡± ¡°They say that it has been confirmed, and some of the Ordem Territory¡¯s residents are beginning to recover,¡± the crown prince replied. ¡°The prince of the Rowane Kingdom¡­ How very interesting. There may be some people who will try and pick on the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s greenhorn because of this.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°We cannot disregard someone that has brought such great news. Do as you wish with the ones who try to do something.¡± ¡°Should we formally invite him to the royal pce sometime?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ That¡¯s not a terrible idea. If he has achieved such an aplishment, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to set up a marriage with one of the members of the royal pce.¡± When the crown prince silently lowered his head as he listened to Deorte, they could see a few knights anddies-in-waiting moving through the quiet garden with a little girl. The girl¡¯s glittering blue hair was down, but the rest of her was strangely covered up. With a full-face mask and a pair of gloves, she was covering every inch of her skin. The girl, who was cautiously looking around as if being chased by something, carefully approached the two after seeing them. Then, she spoke in a quavering voice, ¡°I¡­ I meet the two-headed dragon of the empire¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. Stop.¡± Deorte interrupted the girl, who flinched in response. A heavy silence surrounded the garden. If someone saw them, it would almost seem like Deorte absolutely despised her. There were certainly such rumors. The Lyndis Empire still tended to ostracize beastfolks, but the youngest princess was part beastfolk. She still received res and looks of despise, but her royal status shielded her from most. Of course, that was the public¡¯s perception. The truth was actually a little different¡­ ¡°Why are you not calling me Father again?¡± Deorte asked. ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­¡± In truth, the Emperor of Lyndis didn¡¯t like having his youngest daughter leave the pce because he adored her too much. However, rumors about the emperor detesting Aeria had also spread in the royal pce; perhaps it was because Deorte¡¯s love was over the top. Aeria carefully backed away. ¡°Others are looking, and if someone were to see that you are talking to a lowly beastfolk like me¡­¡± ¡°What? Lowly?¡± Deorte¡¯s expression turned serious as he cut her off. ¡°Th¡­ That is¡­¡± Aeria stuttered. ¡°Alberth.¡± ¡°Should I get rid of them?¡± Alberth spoke with a creepy smile, as if he had thrown his poise and solemnity out of the window. ¡°Make sure to find them,¡± Deortemanded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You may crush them into pieces so that they can never recover. How dare they say something like this to royalty? They are quite brave.¡± ¡°F¡ªFather!¡± Aeria iled in surprise. She grabbed Deorte¡¯s clothes while blurting out ¡®Father¡¯ instead of ¡®Your Majesty¡¯. She cried out, ¡°You cannot do that¡­ Because of me¡­¡± When Alberth and Deorte turned to her, Aeria desperately shook her head and rambled on. Even her ears kept twitching from the panic she felt. Looking at her response, Deorte only said firmly, ¡°You are my beloved daughter. It¡¯s unsurprising to destroy the entire family of someone who dares to speak about this empire¡¯s daughter like that.¡± ¡°I... It¡¯s fine. It will only damage your reputation if you act because of me¡­¡± Aeria let out a short sigh. She couldn¡¯t hide her bewilderment. She then said to Deorte, ¡°So, please pretend you didn¡¯t hear anything. Will you¡­promise me?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ Okay, I promise. Alberth.¡± ¡°I will take care of them quietly.¡± ¡°F¡ªFather!¡± Despite Aeria¡¯s shocked response, Deorte¡¯s expression was more determined than ever. ¡°Aeria, you are my daughter; the daughter of Deorte El Lyndis, the emperor of the Lyndis Empire. No one can call you lowly!¡± ¡°B¡ªBut¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me, you don¡¯t have to. It seems like you became worrisome while you were at the Holy Empire. Now, I have no intention of forgiving anyone who looks down on you.¡± Aeria nced at Alberth, her much older brother, when she saw Deorte being unwilling to back down. However, she realized that Alberth had no intention of taking her side. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± In the end, she was the one who had to give up, since she had something more important than that. Deorte stared at Aeria in confusion, because she had backed down easier than expected. He quickly asked, ¡°Do you have something you want to say?¡± ¡°Um¡­ That is, actually¡­¡± Aeria had a hard time forming a sentence, since she was preupied with her thoughts. Alberth and Deorte¡¯s expressions softened slightly, since they figured that Aeria was going to ask for something. However, they froze like statues when they heard what she had to say next. ¡°The promise that you will help me be with the person I love¡­ When my disease is healed¡­ Is that still v¡ªvalid?¡± Although they couldn¡¯t see Aeria¡¯s face, they knew exactly what she was talking about, since they had grown used to her appearance and dressing by now. The first to snap out of it was Alberth, who said, ¡°A¡ªAeria? Are you saying¡­¡± ¡°He saved me on the way back to the empire. Although I don¡¯t even know his name¡­¡± Then, Deorte made a bold decision after observing Aeria¡¯s demeanor. He said, ¡°Alberth. What is the most important piece of knowledge of the royalty of the Lyndis Empire?¡± ¡°It is that¡­a person who cannot protect their own will not seed in anything else.¡± ¡°I think a bug hastched onto our flower.¡± ¡°N¡ªNo!!¡± Aeria shouted loudly, almost as if she was screaming. Of course, the two didn¡¯t know that the man whom Aeria El Lyndis was talking about was the same person who had developed the disease¡¯s cure. * * * About a week had passed. Most of the patients were able to beat the disease, since the Ordem Territory had elerated the eradication of the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯ in the meantime. Of course, there were some patients who had died, but it was a relief that the numbers were curbed. Although, it seemed like a lot of people were calling Davey by the cringey title of ¡®saint¡¯. Known as a small mana gate, this was the continent¡¯s secret treasure that could transport a small number of people for a fixed distance. Unlike a regr one, this was portable and had its own charging function. A problem was that it took about a week to recharge once it was used, but being able to instantly teleport to a ce that would take days to travel by foot was a huge advantage. ¡°Haha¡­ My apologies. It¡¯s not done charging yet,¡± Yulis apologized. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem; we can just travel slowly while we take in the surroundings. Especially since the view around the Ordem Territory is nice.¡± The idea wasn¡¯t too bad; Davey had hit it big in his huge business, but he didn¡¯t want to live a busy life. He desired a leisurely life, so a life of being overloaded with work was not the kind of life he wanted. Chapter 92 ¡°Big Brother! It¡¯s ready!¡± Davey saw Winley wave from inside a carriage, which wasn¡¯t luxurious, butrge enough for them to travelfortably. Normally, it would be right for only Yulis and Davey to return to the Red Tower branch in the Heins Territory, since they had business to take care of. But with Baris¡¯ request, they had decided that it would be best for Winley to be under Davey¡¯s protection for the time being. Of course, Winley¡¯s absence should have stressed Baris out, since he would have to take care of the territory all by himself. However, he had strongly encouraged her to go with Davey for some reason. ¡°We won¡¯t be moving fast, but we should arrive in about three days,¡± Winley said. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°The scenery is really beautiful on the way there! So, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Winley trailed off. She widened her eyes when she spotted someone standing behind her. She eximed, ¡°Portna?!¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­ Thank¡­you, really,¡± Portna said gratefully. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Not just me, but everyone who was exposed to the disease will be forever grateful.¡± Portna came across as rather severe, but she tried her best to express her gratitude as much as possible. ¡°I will use my life that His Highness has saved to protect Princess Winley.¡± Davey patted Portna on the shoulder as she bowed and expressed her gratitude. He said with a nod, ¡°All that matters is that you lived. Value your life dearly if you want to thank me.¡± ¡°I will take that to heart.¡± ¡°Your Highness, it is time to go.¡± The moment Yulis was about to speak after examining the carriage¡­ Bzz¡­ Buzz¡­ Themunication crystal in Davey¡¯s pocket buzzed from an iing call. ¡°Amy?¡± Davey raised the crystal to see Amy, who was formerly his personaldy-in-waiting and was now learning to manage the territory in his ce. -Y¡ªYour Highness!!... T¡ªThe territory! Davey stared at Amy nkly as he listened to what she had to say. He muttered, ¡°What?¡± 38. A Petty Encounter. Witnessing Amy¡¯s big fuss, Davey was lost in thought. ¡°Big Brother?¡± No one else could hear Amy, because the crystal functioned like Davey was on headphones. Still, it made his thoughts needlesslyplicated. ¡°Why do you think Baris sent me too?¡± Winley asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Prince Baris is wise and honest, just like Sir Davey. I cannot discern everything with my narrow opinion, but¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s just for you to rx for a while?¡± Yulis gave a soft smile. Winley slowly nodded. However, that was not the case. [I¡¯m sorry, Big Brother, but can I leave Winley to you for the time being? I think you will be able to protect her better than someone like me.] [I didn¡¯t tell her, and the story hasn¡¯t spread in the territory yet, either. However¡­the whereabouts of some children at the orphanage are unclear. This definitely happened after this incident.] Apart from understanding the situation, Baris had the worry of an older brother to keep his younger sister safe. This was not rted to Count Lington, either. -I think that incident is rted to it somehow. While Davey was just thinking, Perserque floated up to his face with a cute smile. She dusted off her light, twirling in front of him with elegant clothes. -Something simr happened at the dwarf vige of the Yellowstone Tribe. ¡®And at the Heins Territory as well.¡¯ Davey was just investigating at this point, so he couldn¡¯t say anything for sure. But it could be said that whoever was doing this was intentionally targeting children and taking them away. There was definitely something fishy about this. ¡®Should I be considering dark mages who take kids to use as sacrifices?¡¯ Well, there were some cult-like branches of dark magic that required a young child¡¯s fresh blood in order to summon the Demon Lord. -That¡¯s probably not the case. Dark mages are violent but not stupid. As such, they would be extremely cautious if they were to kidnap a child to use as a sacrifice. They wouldn¡¯t act this visibly. Dark mages wouldn¡¯t be called the continent¡¯s legendary beings if they were people who would act so publicly. Thinking about this fact, Davey pondered, ¡®So, either the rumor is false, or something else is going on. It hasn¡¯t been proven that the children have gone missing. It¡¯s just a suspicion right now.¡¯ As a result, Baris thought that Winley would only bother him in this investigation and what was going on outside the territory. Winley wasn¡¯t bothersome, but Baris couldn¡¯t stop worrying about his sister who was a walking disaster. Ultimately, he had chosen to send her with Davey, the safer option, so there wouldn¡¯t be any problems. Baris could¡¯ve just asked Davey for help regarding the investigation, but he showed a desperate effort to solve things on his own. He was doing the same with Count Lington¡¯s incident too. Lions dropped their babies off from cliffs; it didn¡¯t really resonate with Davey all that much, but it wouldn''t be right for him to overprotect Baris who was trying to seed on his own. And there was also a need to investigate other perspectives, since this situation hadn¡¯t only happened in the Ordem Territory. It was happening in other ces like the Yellowstone Tribe and the Heins Territory too. ¡°I want to go aste as possible,¡± Davey mumbled. ¡°Is there a problem at the territory?¡± Yulis, who was silently looking at Winley, asked when he heard Davey. ¡°Apparently, someone that I don¡¯t really want to see is there.¡± Although he appreciated their aesthetic appearance, Davey definitely wasn¡¯t too fond of their presence. His intuition told him that they hade to see him with the full knowledge of what had happened. It wasn¡¯t difficult to get rid of them, but he had a feeling that that wasn¡¯t their only goal. However, above all else¡­ ¡®I really don¡¯t want to see Caldeiras again.¡¯ -She is the type of person to grab you by the neck as soon as she sees you. Caldeiras, the divine sword, was probably so mad at Davey that she was gritting her teeth and waiting for the chance to jump at him. Like Davey did with Red Ribbon, Davey had also drained Caldeiras of all her holy power to use the final 9th level holy magic. Davey¡¯s bitter smile didn¡¯t go away. * * * Time crawled at the pace of their carriage, which was traveling like a snail. ¡°It¡¯s true! At that time, Big brother was climbing a tree when¡­¡± ¡°Haha, Sir Davey was quite peculiar from a young age.¡± ¡°Right? Hehe.¡± Davey didn¡¯t know what made Winley so delighted, but she was cutely chattering about the time she and Davey used to y together as children. Davey simply stayed silent. -Hm¡­ You also had a time where you roamed around that freely? Davey was carefree, and everything in the world seemed so wonderful at that time. He then asked Perserque, ¡®How am I like now, then?¡¯ -You seem like the owner of an arcade, staring at little children who are trying their best at the games with the little pocket money they have. You aren¡¯t helping, even though you have a master key that can endlessly restart the games. Perserque should just say that Davey looked like he had a dark secret. ¡®What is that?¡¯ Perserque¡¯sparison was quite something, as she had read part of Davey¡¯s memory. -Honestly, you are not normal. ¡®Do I seem that way?¡¯ Davey asked the question, but it was one that even Davey himself found it hard to answer. -There is a clear difference when youpare your way of life to someone who only has one shot at life and is afraid of the unknown afterlife. Perserque clearly pointed out what was off about Davey. He felt slightly attacked, thinking, ¡®Have you ever heard that you shouldn¡¯t criticize people?¡¯ -Sometimes blunt words are the only way to wake someone up. Perserque roamed around,ughing as if she was mocking Davey. He wanted to grab her from the air, but he just swallowed his anger. He didn¡¯t want to attract any attention. Neigh!! That was when their horse suddenly stopped in its tracks just when the rest of them were admiring the view from the quiet carriage. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Winley slowly opened the window, since she was surprised by the sudden jolt. She saw the baffled coachman not knowing what to do. ¡°W¡ªWho are you? How dare you block the path? Do you know who is on this carriage?!¡± The coachman shouted nervously at the people who were standing in the way. They didn¡¯t seem like bandits, who usually appeared deep in the forest. The men had a high-quality horse with a glistening coat, and they were wearing strong and distinguished pieces of armor. Davey could tell that they were a formal knight order. They didn¡¯t seem like any knight order from a small territory, but looked to be knights of great power. Thud¡­ One of the knights got off his horse and slowly approached the carriage. Then, he quietly bowed his head. The man looked to be in his thirties or forties. He had a short, neat beard, and quietly introduced himself as he took off his helmet. ¡°Please forgive our insolence. My name is Duris, the Captain of the Red Dragon Knights.¡± ¡°The Red Dragon Knights¡­ No way!¡± The first to recognize them, Yulis widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Why is Princess Illyna¡¯s escort here?¡± Winley asked. Both Yulis and herself had such reactions because they didn¡¯t know who was waiting for Davey here at the Heins Territory. ¡°We havee out to escort you so that nothing goes wrong on your way back. Please forgive our insolence if you were offended,¡± Duris exined. He was nothing but respectful. Davey was actually a little surprised by Duris¡¯ ufortably respectful manners. ¡®I find people like that very ufortable. Royal Attendant Bernile looks cold, but he¡¯s actually a cheesy grandpa too.¡¯ Davey was already sick of their attitude of setting such clear hierarchical boundaries. ¡°To be honest, we don¡¯t really need any escort¡­ But the Red Dragon Knights are too strong for us to ignore your consideration.¡± Yulis asked for Davey¡¯s opinion as he chuckled. Davey was nning to use this time to rx so that he would arrive aste as possible, but it seemed like this woman had read his mind. He groaned inwardly. ¡®This is why I don¡¯t like quick-witted kids.¡¯ -The contractor of Caldeiras is the same age as you. ¡®Still a kid.¡¯ Princess Illyna was the most desired bride in the entire continent and was absolutely beautiful, but Davey¡¯s judgment about her was unfortunate. -What a bummer. I really did enjoy rxing and taking in the view. Perserque¡¯s voice seemed too bright to think that she was really bummed. * * * To be honest, Davey had run away from the Duchy of Felicity and had left all the bothersome details to Princess Illyna. If it had been the other way around, he probably would¡¯ve gone to find her right away and shake her in the air. It seemed that she had tolerated it for quite a while, since they were only meeting now. ¡°Princess Illyna of the Pan Empire is requesting to see you.¡± Simply put, Princess Illyna could only be described as a big shot. Chapter 93 Although the Heins Territory was an up-anding territory, it was too early for the territory to hold a value great enough for someone from an empire, especially the apple of the Pan Empire¡¯s eye, to visit. After all, the Pan Empire was the most powerful empire in the continent. To be exact, there were various merchantpanies, wizard towers, and schools of alchemy who had set up divisions in the Heins Territory, but that was it. No one of great standing hade to the territory. Of course, Yulis could be considered an exception, but the visit of Illyna de Pan in the territory was certainly enough for news to spread. She was none other than the doted daughter of the strongest empire¡¯s emperor. Most other nobles and royalty of other kingdoms would¡¯ve made a big fuss and gotten ready to greet her right away. Her visit was like the divisionmander suddenlying to the ordinary soldiers¡¯ tents. In fact, people were saying that Davey had no choice but to agree to Princess Illyna¡¯s sudden visit. Thinking about this, Davey nodded to himself. ¡®It might not be a bad idea to jump on the bandwagon if that¡¯s how it¡¯s going.¡¯ ¡°A request¡­¡± ¡°What should I do? Should I lead her into the drawing room?¡± There was a hint of anxiety in Amy¡¯s question. Davey wasn¡¯t sure why Amy was nervous, but he had already made his decision. While pushing up her red horn-rimmed sses, Amy just waited for his order as if she knew what he was going to say. Davey then said, ¡°Decline.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Pardon?¡± Amy looked dumbfounded for a moment. ¡®What. Why?¡¯ Davey knew how signifcant it was that Princess Illyna hade all the way here, and he knew how great her presence was; however, that wasn¡¯t a reason for him to meet her unconditionally. Looking confused, Amy silently bowed her head and left the room; it seemed like she still remembered that Davey didn¡¯t like to say things twice. * * * -You. Are you not afraid of the consequences? Princess Illyna was triggered when Davey had refused her request. Davey declined once more, then declined again and again. They kept requesting and declining back and forth, like they were trying to see who was the more stubborn one. Both sides had thrown their courtesy towards each other out the window and were justpeting to see who was more persistent. Although Davey was the one who started it, Princess Illyna was also being petty and had chosen to y dirty. Thanks to that, the people who were suffering weren¡¯t them, but the people stuck in the middle. Davey did hear that the Red Dragon Knights, Illyna¡¯s personal knight order, were fuming because he had refused Princess Illyna¡¯s request to visit. Regardless, he chose to ignore them. ¡®They aren¡¯t causing trouble since they aren¡¯t idiots.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not denying her for no reason,¡± Davey told Perserque. -No way¡­ Are you increasing the territory¡¯s value even in a situation like this? Perserque looked sick of it. ¡°Let¡¯s act hard to get while we¡¯re at it.¡± There was something called noise marketing. The visitor was none other than the precious princess of the most powerful empire in the continent; there was no better for the territory than this. It was even better in the Heins Territory, since lots of information circted from therge number of intelligence guilds and merchantpanies based here. -Life is not a game. You are not scared of anything, really¡­ How are you so unafraid when there¡¯s no way the other person will act as you think? It wasn¡¯t like Davey didn¡¯t know what Perserque was trying to say. He shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay because it¡¯s that Princess.¡± ¡®Although it¡¯s just my guess for now.¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t worry about the consequences or aftermath when he chose to do something; he was just cautious before making up his mind. Actually, this trait of his may cause the people around him to dislike him. It was the worst possible decision to make in this world where everyone conspired against everyone, but he chose to move forward rather than retreat. Thepetition between persistence and stubbornness went on for a few days; it didn¡¯t be a huge problem, just like Davey had expected, since Princess Illyna probably didn¡¯t want that either. Atst, Princess Illyna was the first to wave the white g. Did she just go back? Well, not exactly. Growing impatient from the continuous rejection, Princess Illyna chose to¡­ ¡°Hey, Prince Davey.¡± ¡°Do princesses of empires learn how to jump over the wall nowadays?¡± Princess Illyna chose to jump over the wall. She put on a bright smile when Davey asked in bewilderment. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t we have a lot to talk about with each other?¡± Her smile was dazzling, since she was one of the most beautiful women on the continent. But strangely, it seemed slightly off this time. ¡°Don¡¯t we?¡± Princess Illyna asked again. The princess of the most powerful country had persistently requested to meet an ordinary prince of a small, insignificant kingdom, and the prince had been tantly denying her request for no reason. It had been a pettypetition of stubbornness that would make people think that they were joking around with each other. Princess Illyna hadn¡¯t been able to hide her shock, so she ended up waving the white g and then following through in the most outstanding way possible. ¡°Hm, a lot to talk about¡­¡± Davey pretended to think about it, as if clueless about what Princess Illyna was talking about. The princess smiled cutely as she stood on the windowsill. Her rich blond hair and hairpin, which was pinned on the back of her head, stood out against the night sky. They shone so brightly. She asked, ¡°We don¡¯t? Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°Come down from there first. The wind is cold.¡± Princess Illyna quickly looked around before entering the room. She was in an elegant and refined short dress, blushing with a slight frown on her face. It was as if she had remembered something as soon as she heard Davey. Then, she slowly came down from the windowsill while trying to pull down her dress. ¡°Someone¡¯s going to think that we are having a rendezvous,¡± Davey teased. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to even hear that in my dreams.¡± Illyna snapped with a bright smile. ¡®Ouch, a scratch! It seems like she¡¯s quite mad.¡¯ Davey appreciated the smile of a beautiful woman, but he didn¡¯t really want Princess Illyna¡¯s anger. Of course, aside from being selfishly beautiful, he felt like he was dealing with a cute younger sister rather than a possible romantic interest. Princess Illyna had a young face, and she was also short, after all. ¡°Seriously, I didn¡¯t know how difficult it would be to get a moment of your time, right, Prince Davey? It¡¯s funny that I¡¯m saying this, but it wouldn''t even be this difficult to meet a king,¡± Illyna pointed out. ¡°Haha, it¡¯s give and take, right?¡± Davey responded. ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around the territory that I¡¯m doing anything and everything to meet you.¡± ¡°I was aiming for that,¡± Davey said yfully. Illyna picked up her teacup with a straight face. ¡°Did you do that to raise the value of the territory¡­¡± She looked sick of Davey, now realizing why he had constantly refused her request. ¡°I know that it¡¯s a little arrogant for me to say this, but don¡¯t you think you are too fearless?¡± ¡°I am quite courageous.¡± Davey smiled. Princess Illyna clicked her tongue. ¡®She clicked her tongue?¡¯ -That Illyna girl can be quite rude at times¡­ Princess Illyna did not know of Perserque¡¯s existence; however, Perserque had observed Princess Illyna for a long time through Caldeiras. -Don¡¯t tease her too much, Davey. She has a kind heart. Perserque pulled Davey¡¯s ear and whispered. It seemed that she had some affection toward the princess. ¡®It¡¯s ticklish, man.¡¯ Giggle. Davey red at Perserque, who was backing away with a soft smile. He then nced at Illyna. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here as both of us have done wrong. It seems like you have a lot you want to talk about if you jumped the wall in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°I grew impatient because of someone. First, I want to thank you.¡± Princess Illyna put her hand on her chest and bowed. ¡°I am indebted to you for my life. I thought that I should make that clear.¡± Davey hadn¡¯t really taken action to save Princess Illyna, since he had only thought about Winley at that time. But he did end up saving the princess too, so he didn¡¯t exin himself to Princess Illyna. ¡°And I was able to awaken Caldeiras thanks to you.¡± Although she was the contractor, Princess Illyna was just Caldeiras¡¯s master. She hadn¡¯t been able to materialize her into a sword yet. However, she was able to do that after the swordsmanship tournament at the Duchy of Felicity. There were probably a few reasons, but either it was because her level had increased after that incident, or¡­ [Davey!!! Damn you!!] ¡®Or it became less difficult as Caldeiras¡¯s power became weaker.¡¯ -You¡¯re quick. Princess Illyna¡¯s brooch began to shine even before she could say anything; the light took on the form of a little girl and charged toward Davey. She looked to be around six years old; her appearance was a mix of green and silver like Perserque, but they were different in many ways. If Perserque had a soft and cheeky cuteness, this girl had the cuteness like a young child. With an angry face, the small girl grabbed Davey¡¯s neck and shook it, ignoring the fact that she was an energy form. [Because of you! Do you know that all of this is because of you?!] ¡°Caldeiras.¡± Illyna tried to stop the figure of Caldeiras who was screaming with tears in her eyes by pulling her back, but Caldeiras held onto Davey¡¯s neck for a long time and didn¡¯t think about letting go. Although he normally would¡¯ve plucked Caldeiras off, Davey just silently put up with her tantrum. Besides, it was true that Davey had stabbed her in the back. [Do you know how long I was unconscious?!] ¡°Sure, did you sleep well?¡± As Davey patted and stroked her head, Caldeiras clenched her jaw. [You should¡¯ve at least told me before you were going to use my mana!!] How could there be time to tell her when people were dying by the minute? Caldeiras probably knew this as well; however, the reason she wanted to see Davey was probably not because of the holy magic. It was true that she took a hit from the loss, but she was a divine sword that had been through a lot. [Per¡­ Where is Per¡­] Unsurprisingly, Caldeiras couldn¡¯t see Perserque. The only beings who could see Perserque were Davey, and Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who were contracted to his soul. ¡°You can¡¯t see her?¡± [¡­] ¡°She¡¯s doing well. Perserque came to me when the stigmata formed unexpectedly. We¡¯repanions.¡± Caldeiras red at Davey with tears in his eyes. [Per! Per! He didn¡¯t do anything bad to you, right?! You¡¯re okay?! Right?! Answer me! Please¡­] As Caldeiras shouted mournfully into space, there was a worry and yearning in her voice that made it difficult to think that they were once adversaries. It seemed like she was worrying if Perserque was alright, and whether Perserque was really with Davey and not anywhere else. -Davey. After silently staring at Caldeiras for a while, Perserque called out to Davey. -Can you¡­lend me some of your mana? ¡®Of course.¡¯ Perserque smiled brightly as soon as Davey agreed. Then, she floated both herself and Caldeiras up into the air. She put her forehead against Caldeiras¡¯s. Whoosh¡­ At that moment, arge amount of mana began escaping from Davey, but he didn¡¯t want to disturb Perserque. He knew that she was using this as a way to get in touch with Caldeiras. ¡°C¡ªCaldeiras?¡± Princess Illyna widened her eyes when Caldeiras suddenly became quiet and floated up into the air. Chapter 94 ¡°Let¡¯s leave them be, since they are doing something important.¡± As he had no intentions of interrupting a touching reunion, Davey stopped Illyna and smiled at her. Maybe it was a good thing that Caldeiras hadn¡¯t mentioned Perserque to Illyna. Since the princess had shown an extreme hatred for vampires, it could¡¯ve caused unnecessary problems if Illyna knew that Perserque was the former Demon Lord. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Illyna slowly nodded with suspicion. She was uncertain of the situation, so she just agreed for now. She went on to address Davey. ¡°Then, let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, I have a lot of questions to ask you. However, you are not kind enough to answer everything.¡± That wasn¡¯tpletely true, but Davey said nothing. After a moment, he said, ¡°Well, I do feel a little guilty, so I¡¯ll answer sincerely.¡± ¡°So, who are you exactly?¡± Illyna asked Davey. ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom and the legitimate child of Queen Lennie Alishad.¡± ¡°What I am asking is¡­¡± Illyna let out a sigh. ¡®I would¡¯ve answered you if you asked properly.¡¯ Princess Illyna clenched her jaw out of frustration and stared at Davey, who nced over while trying to hold in hisughter. She said, ¡°Sigh¡­ Well, alright.¡± Then, she smiled coldly as if another thought had popped into her head. Strangely, it was different from the elegance and refined appearance she had shown when they had first met. ¡°I¡¯ll lure you out slowly¡­ I have a lot of time¡­¡± With a calm murmur, Princess Illyna put down the bundle of cloth that she held onto when she first came in. ¡°Is that the sword that you used then?¡± Davey asked, referring to therge sword that Princess Illyna had used before. It would be difficult for ordinary people to swing it, but she needed a sword that heavy to be able to use Sword Lord Ares¡¯ [Longsword]. Although, Davey was using something else in ce of the weight since he had risen to quite a high level. ¡°It¡¯s a little different. This is my usual sword.¡± Illyna looked Davey in the eye with an unwavering gaze. There was a sense of thirst and yearning in her expression. ¡°I won¡¯t beat around the bush. Teach me the [Longsword] of the Sword Lord.¡± ¡°Can I decline?¡± ¡°I will keep asking.¡± ¡°What if I keep declining?¡± ¡°I have a way of keeping you.¡± Illyna smiled brightly. Then, she pulled out some papers from her chest. ¡°This is¡­¡± Davey frowned while skimming through the documents. An eerie smile appeared on Illyna¡¯s face. ¡°An offer of engagement. I don¡¯t know about you, but the royal pce will react differently. I am determined to get what I want; I have thrown away my dignity and everything else for this. I¡¯m prepared to y dirty if I have to. Do you want to fight?¡± -You. You thought about it for a moment, didn¡¯t you? ¡®It¡¯s your imagination.¡¯ -Don¡¯t toy with me. ¡®¡­¡¯ Princess Illyna¡¯s deration clearly showed her crazy determination. She was also quite obsessed over the sword, almost in a slightly twisted way. She went on, ¡°I will formally send this to the Rowane Kingdom if you keep avoiding me. Father vowed that he would give permission to anyone I choose, even if they are a ve. However, if they were the seigneur of the up-anding Heins Territory¡­¡± Princess Illyna spoke truthfully. She was serious about sending the offer of engagement to the royal pce if Davey kept avoiding her. ¡°Then, what are you going to do if they ept? I think you don¡¯t value yourself enough.¡± Davey revealed a bitter smile. Princess Illyna¡¯s bright smile never faltered. She still looked as cute and beautiful as ever. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m not against it if it is someone as skilled, capable, and wealthy as you.¡± Davey instinctively felt that Illyna wasn¡¯t someone open to reason. He clicked his tongue and pointed at the window. ¡°Tsk. Let¡¯s not say anything we don¡¯t actually mean. So, let¡¯s have a more productive conversation the next time we see each other.¡± When Davey calmly told her to get out, Princess Illyna red at him silently. Then, she got up from her seat, mmed her hand on the table, and walked over to him. ¡°No, I¡¯m not giving up.¡± Then, she stared at Davey with determination. Davey clicked his tongue at her obsession. ¡°I have a bad personality and I¡¯m stubborn. So, I don¡¯t hide in the back like other girls and walk on eggshells,¡± Illyna said. She grabbed Davey and quickly pulled him towards her with a bright smile. She dered, ¡°Well, let¡¯s see who is more stubborn.¡± 39. Decepticon Fleet Prototype, Megatron. Illyna was obstinate and pushy; there were a lot of words to describe her, most of which suited her and her steely determination. Conversely, Davey was also just letting her do whatever she wanted because her tant deration of her goal was rather amusing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± Davey, who was writing a few calctions for an experiment after finishing a few small tasks around the territory, asked. He stared at Illyna, who was writing on a bunch of documents and putting them inside her magic pouch before sipping her tea. A floral scent faintly spread around the room as Illyna¡¯s bright, honey-like hair swayed in the wind. Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration, looking at how she organized her documents with such familiarity. He looked at her petite, feminine physique despite having trained in swordsmanship and her glistening eyes. ¡°I am busy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this here. They say that people need to be in close proximity with each other to grow close.¡± Davey scoffed at Princess Illyna¡¯s confident answer. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! Do you know anyone who does their work in some other man¡¯s office?¡± Winley asked in bewilderment, but her question went unanswered. ¡°Oh my, what do you mean ¡®some other man¡¯, Princess Winley? I heard friends often do this. In fact, Duke Orba, the minister of the empire, visits Count Perdoom¡¯s ce quite often,¡± Illyna pointed out. ¡°Eek! I don¡¯t understand when Big Brother became your friend, Princess Illyna!¡± Illyna quickly put all the signed documents away and savored her tea one sip at a time. She looked amused by how Winley was anxiously yelling like a child who was about to lose her favorite toy. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s stop with all this work.¡± ¡°Eek!¡± Winley stared at Illyna in bewilderment, realizing that the princess was unreasonable. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°More than that, I¡¯m curious as to why ss-5 Yulis is here.¡± Illyna asked a very aggressive question, with a harsher tone than usual. Yulis smiled. He looked at the princess like he was looking at a grumpy younger sibling. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem since Sir Davey and I are friends.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°Um¡­. I don¡¯t know since when.¡± Illyna immediately stared at Davey. She demanded, ¡°And yet you don¡¯t even want to be involved with me? What did I do wrong?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I thought that I would create a lot of enemies if I were to befriend you.¡± Davey shrugged. ¡°Eek! I¡¯m fine! Let¡¯s be friends! And speak informally!¡± Illyna said. It was a battle between three¡­ no, four: Winley, who had her ws out toward Illyna, Yulis, the youngest elder of the Red Tower who was chuckling at the amusing situation, and Princess Illyna, who wasining about how they were being cheap and not including her. Princess Illyna was trying to get close to Davey in any way she pleased, but Davey liked her character. He wouldn¡¯t have agreed to meet her in the first ce if her personality seemed twisted, even if she was the emperor of the Pan Empire. Unexpectedly, Davey was living however he wanted after he had regained some of his power. He was very aware of this fact himself. -You act like this despite knowing that fact? Perserque, who was sitting on Davey¡¯s shoulder and yawning, giggled while pulling his ear. -Hm? Tell me, or I will put my entire arm inside your ear. ¡®That¡¯s terrifying. Please don¡¯t do that even in my dreams.¡¯ ¡°Now that I think about it, you two look quite close, Princess Illyna and Yulis. Do you know each other?¡± Davey asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? The story about them is quite famous.¡± For a moment, Davey was intrigued by Winley¡¯s revtion. Although she was tomboyish, she was a princess, so she had gone to quite a few informal social events before her actual debut. Because of that, she knew what was going on in the world. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there news about an arranged engagement? I know about it since I¡¯ve heard about the rumors,¡± Winley said. ¡®Aha. No wonder Winley¡¯s hostile towards her from the beginning.¡¯ Davey nodded to himself. To Winley, Princess Illyna was a woman rumored to be engaged to a man she liked. Davey thought, ¡®She has a reason to be wary of her.¡¯ -Stupid¡­ [Huh? Is he an idiot?] After he was done mumbling to himself, Davey could hear Perserque and the cheeky Caldeiras talking. He just ignored them. Winley looked like a small cat that was hissing at its enemy, and Illyna just looked like a calm fox. ¡°Anyways, don¡¯t you have things to do at the division of the Red Tower, Yulis?¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing for me to do there, honestly. I actually have things to do with Prince Davey here right now. Perhaps something about magic,¡± Yulis said. Although it was phrased strangely, Yulis was very interested in the nonverbal casting Davey had performed out of the several unbelievable magic spells he had shown. One wrong move and Davey would receive all the attention of those insanely inquisitive mages, and he absolutely did not want that. However, Yulis was keeping quiet like he wanted to be considerate of Davey. Davey was beginning to feel a little grateful for how considerate and thoughtful Yulis was. Knock knock. ¡°I have gotten everything you asked for and moved them into the storage in the basement, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Oh, they¡¯re finally here? Good work.¡± Yulis, Illyna, and the growling Winley all nced at Amy, who peeked into the room and reported to Davey. Amy had now officially taken on the management of the territory in ce of Davey, but she was still wearing herdy-in-waiting uniform. Of course, the material and color of her clothes were different, and she had on some essories to show the status difference, but there was no way of knowing why Royal Attendant Bernile had allowed that when he was always meticulous and rational. ¡°She¡¯s¡­not ady-in-waiting?¡± Illyna cautiously mumbled after Amy went away. Her presence had caught Amy off-guard. ¡°Amy is Big Brother¡¯s personaldy-in-waiting,¡± Winley said. ¡°Now she is the alternate manager of the estate. She has received the title of a baron,¡± Davey revealed. ¡°Really?¡± Winley widened her eyes in surprise, since it was a hundred times harder for women to receive a titlepared to men in this world. ¡°Outstanding.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably difficult for the royal pce to think about these things, since that ce is chaotic right now.¡± The political fight between the royalists, led by Marquie Peiltris, and the nobility, led by Duke Bariatta, was currently at its climax. Chapter 95 Something huge should happen soon, since Davey had received a report that there were some extremely secretive movements in Duke Bariatta¡¯s territory. ¡°Sir Davey? Where are you going?¡± Yulis asked Davey. ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡± It was usually the type of thing that alchemists would go crazy over, but it should be interesting enough for a mage as well. Yulis got up from his seat without hiding his excitement. He knew that Davey was going to show him something amazing again. ¡°W¡ªWhat is it? Take me too!¡± Sticking to them like glue, Princess Illyna spoke briskly and followed along. She probably wouldn¡¯t understand even if she saw it, but it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem since it would still be entertaining to watch. * * * The seigneur¡¯s pce where Davey resided was a very old building. It was where Queen Lennie Alishad, Davey¡¯s mother, had lived when she was younger. This was also the home of the Alishad family, his mother¡¯s ancestors. However, Eighth Elder Goulda was shocked at how the building was about to copse from being abandoned for a long time and began building a new one¡­ And that was when Davey had arrived. ¡°Oh! Wise Teacher! You have arrived!¡± Goulda said to Davey. ¡°It¡¯s be much taller in the meantime.¡± ¡°Ahem! I still have the instinctive precision of my race, even though my skills are nothingpared to yours.¡± Everything about the new seigneur¡¯s pce was different from the old one, starting with its size. A lot of materials were being used, and Davey had bought a lot of magic equipment to help with building the ce. The construction pace was no joke, thanks to therge number of craftsmen and workers. ¡°I created seven floors, since there¡¯s a basement as well. Do you like it?¡± Goulda asked. ¡°Of course, I do. Honestly, I¡¯m thankful that you are helping me.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°Hahahaha! Your business is the Yellowstone Tribe¡¯s business as well! Ah, that grandpa Golgouda has asked how you are doing.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Elder Golgouda?¡± ¡°He said that the sacred item is in its final stages.¡± The Primordial Inferno was the dwarves¡¯ sacred item and spiritual anchor that had protected them for over three thousand years. Davey had crafted the skeleton of it, but the rest had been left up to the dwarves. It seemed like everything was going so well thanks to Davey¡¯s huge contribution to thepletion of the sacred item that they had been struggling with. It was just a matter of time before the Halo of Fire was finished. ¡°D¡ªDwarves! Now that I think of it, I saw a few around the territory.¡± Dwarves were known for staying in their viges, so people usually knew of their existence but had never seen one in person. Of course, there were some dwarves who had left the vige because there were oddballs among them as well, but they were like extremely rare natural monuments. They were unlike elves, who had hidden their entire existence. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing one in person, too¡­¡± Winley, Yulis, and Illyna stared at Goulda in fascination. Looking at them, Goulda asked, ¡°Hm? Who are these people here?¡± He was a dwarf, so human titles meant nothing to him. ¡°They are my guests. And this is Winley, my younger sister.¡± ¡°H¡ªHello. My name is Winley O¡¯Rowane,¡± Winley greeted. ¡°Oh! Is this not the person youplimented so much?¡± Goulda waddled over andughed heartily as he held Winley¡¯s hand. He eximed, ¡°I¡¯ve heard so many good things about you that my ears were about to fall off, Princess Winley! You are one beautiful human!¡± ¡°Ah... Haha¡­ Th¡ªThank you.¡± Winley looked back and forth between Davey and Goulda, then blushed. ¡°And these people?¡± Goulda asked. ¡°This is the elder of the Red Tower and the princess of the Pan Empire,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Hm¡­ Important people. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me anyways! Pahahaha!¡± ¡°Groan¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve felt insignificant.¡± Princess Illyna, who waspletely out of the picture,ined quietly about how everyone was treating her coldly. ¡°Ahem! This is not the time. Should I inform you about the current situation?¡± Goulda asked Davey. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I just heard that the materials have arrived in the workshop. They are in the basement.¡± ¡°Ah, those giant god warriors. Alright. I will get that to them.¡± ¡°Thank you. Don¡¯t overwork yourself. The Heins Territory has a healthy work environment, alright.¡± ¡°The people of the Yellowstone Tribe are nothing without our strength! Hey, you people! Didn¡¯t you have some blood soup?! Hurry up and move so that we can show them who we are!¡± Yulis chuckled as he watched Goulda walk away while waving his hand with a heartyugh. Yulismented, ¡°Amazing. It feels like a tornado has hit me.¡± ¡®Dwarves do speak in amazing volumes.¡¯ A person who had never seen a dwarf before could be tired out by Goulda as he spoke at a much higher volume than most dwarves. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Davey nodded toward the trio. After watching the workers running around and working, he visited the finished first floor and walked to the staircase leading to the basement. ¡°It¡¯s huge¡­ It¡¯s not going to copse, right?¡± Illyna asked like she was nervous, but¡­ ¡°Heh, they are dwarves. Do you think this building made by dwarves would be faulty?¡± Winley raised an eyebrow. ¡°Th¡ªThat¡¯s true.¡± Princess Illyna forcibly nodded in agreement. The group went down to the basement, and they saw arge corridor, which shone brightly from the magic stones embedded in the wall. -A huge amount of money went into making this. People usually call this ¡®spending money like water¡¯¡­ ¡®A huge personal workshop is any craftsman¡¯s dream; don¡¯t insult it like that.¡¯ Davey did spend a lot of money on the workshop, but he had no regrets. The inside, which was brightly lit with magic stones, was over ten meters tall and was quiterge as well. ¡°But how is it possible to build something like this?¡± Princess Illyna murmured anxiously. It was true that something this extreme would copse if it were built with normal skills. ¡°Nothing is impossible if there is alchemy, magic, and the crafting ability of dwarves.¡± There was an automatically reproducing magic circle and an automatically restoring magic circle. The intensity was brought up, the impact lessened, and it was earthquake-resistant. On top of that, it was pretty deep down as well; so, it was a natural bunker¡­ Davey felt ttered as his confidence shot up through the roof. Tsk. Drrr!! As Davey activated the switch for the firmly shut door, a green marble slowly appeared with the smooth sound of gear wheels turning. -Opening Decepticon Fleet, Containment Workshop. Davey felt people flinch as an even-toned voice came out from the marble as if someone had recorded it. It was originally a magic recording device, but it was good enough to be used for making announcements and such. ¡°Man, a futuristic workshop. It excites me no matter how many times I hear it.¡± Davey grinned. -Don¡¯t people call that putting on airs? There was no rule that a craftsman couldn¡¯t work hard as well as put his entire soul into it; everything was possible. * * * Whrr!! It was an automatic workshop that took up the entire enormous space. It was as big as a hall. There were various bottles and papers on the several tables that were pushed up against the wall, and there were unorganized tools that were being used on one side of the shop. Drrr!! Drr! Perhaps there were things to improve on after the door had fully opened to reveal what was within. Winley, Yulis, and Illyna couldn¡¯t pick their jaws up from the floor at the parts that were moving busily. ¡®Well, it¡¯s difficult to see a space this bewildering even if they were a mage or the princess of an empire.¡¯ Davey had put quite some thought into this ce, and it was created with his desires in mind. There wasn¡¯t really anything that astonishing in terms of efficiency, but this blueprint and creation was a very good try. Whoosh¡­ -The workshop is now open. Another voice recording was heard. It was a simple system that Davey had created so that a magic recording device was activated every time the doors opened and closed, but it was quite nice. Of course, it was spending money like water because a magic recording device wasn¡¯t cheap, but¡­ ¡®Who¡¯s going to stop me when I¡¯m spending money on my hobbies?¡¯ This was Davey¡¯s thought. ¡°Oh my¡­ I¡¯ve seen all kinds of workshops, but¡­¡± ¡°This is amazing¡­¡± The three people were truly astonished by the workshop. They looked around in intrigue and fascination. ¡°Oh! Wise Teacher! You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°We were waiting for you!¡± As the door fully opened and closed, a couple of dwarves who were working greeted Davey and waddled towards them. Goulda was originally responsible for managing this ce, but he was busy with other tasks as well. ¡°Yes, I heard that the materials have arrived,¡± Davey said to the dwarves. ¡°Ahem! Yes, we were just about to start working on making the coat. Do you want to have a look?¡± One of the dwarf craftsmen proudly pointed to therge object that was covered with a cloth. ¡°Sir Davey, what¡­is that?¡± Yulis asked. ¡°A guardian.¡± ¡°A guardian¡­golem?¡± Yulis murmured to himself as he tried to figure out what Davey meant. Upon realization, his eyed widened in surprise. Golems were giant warriors made from hardened y or iron, and were exceptional weapons created by a magic circle from a mage and the skills of an alchemist. They were so outstanding that some countries even utilized small armies of golems during wars. ¡°Those are ss-1 golems! The fee to maintain them is about half a territory¡¯s profit¡­¡± ¡°Is it that expensive?¡± They didn¡¯t cost a lot of money since Davey had left out all the unnecessarybor and had recycled them. Where did he get the materials to recycle? The enchanted golems that were guarding the carrier of the curse had be parts of this golem. All he did was a little remodeling, reinforcing, and adjusting. The dwarf took the cloth away to reveal a huge figure. At first nce, it seemed more like a statue made of a special metal rather than a golem. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t that just a statue?¡± Yulis asked. ¡°I agree. Big Brother?¡± Winley asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t painted it or named it. You should be the one to name it, Wise Teacher.¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s call it ¡®Megatron Prototype¡¯.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a terrifying name! You are quite good at naming things, too!¡± The dwarf giggled and used adder to climb on top of the statue. He then added, ¡°We have put someyers of armor on it, but we¡¯ve just left it for now as we haven¡¯t been able to test it yet.¡± Davey quietly climbed toward the top of the statue. cing his hand on the golem¡¯s head, he released his mana. It began to change as his mana connected with the statue. Whirr!! Clunk! Clunk! ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°That thing¡­is a golem?¡± Davey could hear the bewildered voices of Yulis and Illyna. The statue¡¯s transformation¡ªa bunch of cracks spreading across its surface¡ªwas going to be difficult to forget. Clunk!! Clunk!! Atst, each of the metal pieces that had been covering the parts moved, and it transformed into the form of a human. Chapter 96 The golem looked very human-like, but its skeleton and body were made of unknown stones and metals. Whirr!! Pshh!! Letting out steam as it transformed, the golem slowly began moving and fully stood up. It was muchrger than when Davey first saw it, like it had initially been squished up or something. Furthermore, it didn¡¯t have a monolithic structure that was specialized for defending and attacking; it really moved like a human. To be honest, Davey wouldn¡¯t have been able to make this golem if he didn¡¯t have the base of the golem to work with; it was impossible to create a movement this fluid and agile with the current existing knowledge. He didn¡¯t understand how the hell the structure of the golems that protected the ancient ruins were created, but their movements were very strong, agile, and fluid. Davey struggled to understand this fact better as well. This Megatron prototype was the OP model that had ovee most of the disadvantages about golems that existed. It wasn¡¯t unusual that there was only one as of right now. Davey quietly mumbled at the golem that silently stood with glowing blue eyes. ¡°Attention.¡± Clunk!! There was no answer, but the golem with glowing blue eyes stood straight up with a fluid movement. ¡°At ease.¡± Clunk!! ¡°Turn around.¡± Thud! ¡°Shout for five seconds.¡± Clunk! ¡°Roar!!!¡± Davey felt satisfaction as the golem perfectly obeyed him and did exactly as he ordered. ¡°It is the recording magic stone that you gave us. It should be perfect for fear or a morale boost,¡± one of the dwarves said. ¡°Is the other thing I asked for also ready?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s not yetplete, but it shouldn¡¯t have a problem as it progresses further.¡± Davey slowly nodded. Then, he ordered, ¡°Interception mode.¡± Clunk! Clunk!! The golem put its gigantic hands on the ground and slightly bent down. At the same time, some strange-looking things popped out from its back and began lining up. ¡°Th¡ªThat¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I asked you for a simple interception system, but you made me an ultimate weapon?¡± ¡°Hahaha! All we do is smelt and hammer ording to the blueprint we¡¯re given. As you wished, there are two magic stone batteries for single shots. There are four continuous energy batteries, although they are less powerful!¡± the dwarf proudly shouted. ¡°How is it? I have equipped it with everything you said so that it can proceed.¡± ¡°Most aerial monsters will turn to ashes even before they can approach us.¡± Davey heard gasps from all over. ¡°Oh my¡­ A golem that can execute otherplex orders other than the first order¡­ And its fluid movement and a rechargeable magic battery¡­ Sir Davey, what on earth did you make?!¡± ¡°Right. Are you thinking of going to war?!¡± Davey slowly nodded at the bewildering questions. This golem was something that lots of mages and alchemists would go wild over if it was revealed to the public. Although there were still improvements to be made, it was still quite a good prototype considering the basic abilities and the fact it could follow orders. Davey smiled at the two people who were staring at him in shock. ¡°War? What are you talking about when we live in peace? It is only a guardian to protect the territory.¡± ¡®It¡¯s a little violent, but¡­¡¯ Davey had no intention of cutting back money and resources on protecting his home. Winley, Yulis, and Illyna just chuckled hollowly. It was like they had given up on Davey¡¯s easygoing attitude. * * * It would be rude not to test out something once it waspleted. ¡°I will grant you one wish if you battle with it just once. I¡¯ll do it if it¡¯s not something like teaching you the swordsmanship of the Sword Lord,¡± Davey said to Illyna. ¡°A¡ªAlright. But that might break.¡± Illyna spoke confidently while she dragged herrge sword on the ground. ¡°If it breaks, it was only just that good. Swing as much as you¡¯d like.¡± Davey wasn¡¯t lying; if the golem was to break without being able to do anything against Illyna, it was a failure for it to be that mediocre. ¡®Why was I saying this?¡¯ It was natural for Davey to have such a perspective, especially when considering the enchanted golem¡¯s basic skeleton or its destructive force. The Megatron prototype was an early model that had seven of the magic stones that were responsible for operating the enchanted golems. Although he acted like this, he had very high expectations for it. -It¡¯s still going to be difficult to beat a Swordmaster. ¡®Little drops make the mighty ocean, if there is room for improvement, of course.¡¯ A Master at a transcendent level wasn¡¯tmon. Clunk!! Illyna pulled out herrge sword as she watched the Megatron, which got into position after transforming into battle form. It looked like the machine parts were spinning together. It seemed like Caldeiras was desperately trying to get Illyna to use her, but Davey wouldn¡¯t be able to judge the golem properly if the divine sword helped out. ¡°Hm¡­ It looks quite expensive¡­¡± Illynamented. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy.¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes glistened as Davey answered without a doubt. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t regret it.¡± Boom!! Illyna, who showed a strong obsession over battling, struck first. A blue mana surrounded her sword and body as she crushed the ground in an instant. At the same time, the Megatron prototype¡¯s blue eyes shone and a sword came out from its wrist to point toward the ground. * * * The battle ended with Illyna¡¯splete defeat. ¡°This is unbelievable!!¡± Although one of the Megatron¡¯s arms was on the ground and half its body was crushed, Davey smiled in satisfaction as he watched Illyna scream while pinned down onto the ground. She was rendered immobile. In the end, the prototype had destroyed her defense with its berserker-like charges and overpowered her. ¡°What kind of golem is this strong?!¡± Illyna, who was screaming, clenched her jaw as Davey grinned. The golem was so strong that Illyna, who was the greatest swordsman of the next generation to use the Sword Lord¡¯s swordsmanship, would¡¯ve been knocked out if she had let her guard down even for just a second. ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­ It shoots if I get away from it¡­ It strikes back if I get near it¡­ Ugh¡­¡± -But its efficiency iscking despite you putting seven of those extraordinary magic stones. Davey agreed silently at Perserque¡¯s detailed observation. Hemented quietly, ¡°Ancient humans wouldn¡¯t have just used one magic stone if simply having more was better.¡± Having a big fuel tank didn¡¯t mean that a car would be faster; the important thing was the engine¡¯s power. Davey knew very well that it would just be more burdensome if the fuel tank got bigger for no good reason. ¡°There¡¯s a lot I have to work on,¡± Davey dered. Watching the dwarves quickly run over and load the parts into their wagons, Davey slowly walked toward Illyna, who was wheezing on the ground. ¡®Well, I never expected her to look like a beautiful painting even in this situation. How selfish.¡¯ ¡°Good work,¡± Davey said to Illyna. ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­ An automatic barrier¡­ Huff¡­ What kind of golem¡­¡± ¡°[Hard Shield], the 3rd circle magic spell is just the basics, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Davey spoke so matter-of-factly, Illyna pounded on her chest with her fist in frustration. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s unbelievable! What kind of golem can use magic that¡¯s above the 3rd circle?! Are you trying to make a weapon to destroy the entire continent?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s the least it should do, considering it has a magic stone embedded in it.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no use in talking to you¡­¡± Yulis¡¯ eyes shone brightly as he cast a wind magic spell on Illyna, who murmured like she was tired of Davey. He called out, ¡°Sir Davey.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­Bummer.¡± ¡®How dare you desire a magic stone.¡¯ Davey remembered the way Yulis was staring at the magic stone, the nucleus of the golem, from a little while ago. He was slightly worried that Yulis, who was still staring at it while holding back his greed, was going to run away with the magic stone if he didn¡¯t keep an eye on it. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I would lose to a lump of metal¡­¡± Illyna muttered. The victory would¡¯ve been hers if she had used the divine sword, which was basically her other half, but this battle was just a conditional one. Davey had gathered useful data; he did want to do it himself, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to properly gather data like that. What he needed wasbat data regarding different methods and skill levels. However, it was quite bothersome to go and look for someone as talented as Illyna, so the battle between her and the Megatron was a huge gain for him. ¡°Phew¡­ I feel like it was a little unfair. So, you¡¯re granting me one wish as you promised, right?¡± Illyna asked Davey cautiously, as if she was speaking to a fraud. ¡°If it¡¯s not about teaching you swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll think about it for a little bit.¡± Illyna sighed. ¡°And¡­ That thing¡­ Are you going to make more of them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making about five more as the prototype is nowplete.¡± Illyna pointed at Megatron, the fighting enchanted golem that was shut down and motionless, while slurring the end of her words. ¡°Can you give me one in the future?¡± She asked Davey. ¡°Do you know how much those cost?¡± It was difficult to put a value to thebor, magic stone, and the ancient magic circles that were put into creating the golems. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that I wanted them for free.¡± ¡°So, are you saying that you¡¯re going to buy them¡­? Or something like that?¡± When Davey asked in bewilderment, Illyna tilted her head. Her cold gaze turned innocent and pierced right through Davey. She stated, ¡°I have a lot of money.¡± It was weird because it was true. Then, Davey put on a big smile and answered Illyna without hesitation. ¡°You probably can¡¯t buy it even with your wealth, Princess Illyna. And they¡¯re not for sale.¡± ¡®She¡¯s filled with greed.¡¯ 40. The Way That Seigneur Shows His Generosity The creation of the Megatrons, the early models of the Decepticon Fleet, the golem army that was going to be the guardians of the territory, was the result of Davey¡¯s work during the spare time he had in between developing the territory. The golems became extraordinary beings as he put all of his desires into them. Its power was simr to an enchanted golem, but its ability tost a long time, variety, and its ability to use magic however it wanted, were definitely advantageous. It was when Davey was analyzing the intricate magic circle, which looked to be created by an ancient mage, with [Re-fix Curse], the magic spell he used before to trace the curse in the territory when Perserque and him began speaking. ¡®Nothing else is wrong¡­but itcksbat data.¡¯ -But it¡¯s even crazier to bring this unbelievable thing out into the world. ¡®What should I do¡­¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Did you jump over the wall again?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°We decided to be friends, right? I came here because the royal attendant said that you would be here.¡± ¡°I can see right through your offer to be friends. Do I have to ept?¡± ¡°¡­You can¡¯t say yes to me?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t, but¡­¡± Illyna wasn¡¯t someone who would cause problems for Davey if they were to be friends. He had a better understanding of her personality from seeing her for the past few days. ¡°And¡­ It looks like Caldeiras wants to meet her friend, too¡­¡± After seeing Illyna trail off and show him Caldeiras, who was wrapped up in a cloth, Davey could see Perserque, who was asleep on the crafting table, rubbing her eyes with a tired expression. Chapter 97 ¡°Anyways, what brings you here thiste at night?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°Just¡­to talk.¡± -She¡¯s lying. She can¡¯t hide her anxiety. Perserque quietly muttered while staring at Illyna with sleepy eyes. Since even her status window in front of Davey showed that she was here because of something else, it seemed like Illyna was consumed with that thought. Bleep. -Name: Illyna de Pan. -Age: 17. -Title: Master of the Divine Sword; First Flower of the Five Beauties. -Notes: Contracted to the Divine Sword; apple of the Pan Empire¡¯s eye; member of the Last Wisp. -Current Emotion: Confusion; in thought. It was a perfectly normal status window, but there was one thing that caught Davey¡¯s eye. ¡®The Last Wisp¡­¡¯ He thought that Illyna had brought an interesting story. ¡°Well, talking isn¡¯t something difficult to do. Sit and wait for a little bit, and I¡¯ll bring out some tea.¡± After he spoke, only the sound of Davey¡¯s footsteps resonated through the empty and quiet workshop. * * * ¡°That golem¡­ The world is going to be flipped upside down if it is revealed,¡± Illyna said. Only be flipped upside down? It would be a relief if it wasn¡¯t viewed as a dangerous weapon. A golem that was able to carry outplex orders and execute high-levelbat was no different from a bomb. Illyna smiled bitterly while staring at the Megatron prototype, which was independently moving part of its body on one side of the quiet workshop. She muttered, ¡°I tried so hard¡­ Yet I couldn¡¯t beat one golem.¡± ¡°You are not weak. That thing is just monstrously strong,¡± Davey replied. Davey wasn¡¯t lying; the Megatron¡¯s nucleus was made of several magic stones, which were on another levelpared to mana stones. Furthermore, the main skeleton was made of a unique stone that was seemingly created from an ancient mage. If positioned the right way, enchanted golems could potentially be more powerful than a Master; it was amazing that a swordswoman only at the Expert level was able to hold out against it. However, Illyna seemed to be quite humiliated by the loss. Unlike humans, who wouldn¡¯t be able to fight properly from the pain if their arm was cut off, the Megatron was a golem that couldn¡¯t feel pain. It was natural that she couldn¡¯t beat it. The Megatron also needed a lot of data, but it seemed like this woman also needed it. ¡°Experience is what matters. Let¡¯s go out,¡± Davey said to Illyna. ¡°To¡­where?¡± Davey wanted to be nosy just this one time, since he saw how Illyna was feeling very down. ¡°The weather is perfect for a night stroll.¡± Illyna stood up and followed Davey with a nk expression. * * * ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you weren¡¯t going to teach me swordsmanship?¡± Illyna asked Davey. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose something important if I just leave it like this. I also feel like I should at least maintain it, since I need to be able to face him without shame,¡± Davey replied. Illyna was the one who was known to use the Sword Lord¡¯s swordsmanship, and although the world didn¡¯t know, Davey knew that fact well. As someone who had learned [Longsword] from the Sword Lord, for it to gradually be lost and be regarded as a worthless piece of junk¡­ It didn¡¯t make him happy. Then, it might be a good idea to find someone to take the hit. ¡°That is¡­¡± Illyna mumbled. ¡°Perhaps you don¡¯t want to?¡± Davey asked. ¡°N¡ªNo! I want to!¡± Surprised, Illyna quickly shook her head and looked down at her sword with excitement. Her heart fluttered. Her sword, Divine Sword Caldeiras, was subtly shining in a white silver light. Compared to Illyna, who was holding a divine sword, Davey had nothing but a wooden sword. It was a significant enough penalty that it wouldn¡¯t be strange if others yelled at him to stop being ridiculous, but it didn¡¯t matter in this case. ¡°Even if I told you to hold a real sword instead of a wooden one¡­ It would probably just be an absurd amount of arrogance.¡± Illyna realized the difference between herself and Davey. -You are unexpectedly friendly. You help her while you pretend not to. ¡®I¡¯m just drawing the line before it gets troublesome.¡¯ Since Illyna had helped him once before¡ªalthough it wasn¡¯t necessary¡ªDavey was just repaying her. Davey chuckled and lightly criticized Perserque. Then, Davey pointed his wooden sword and quietly said, ¡°I will give you the advantage of having the first attack. Come.¡± ¡°Okay. Then¡­ Thank you.¡± Illyna¡¯s expression turned serious as soon as she stopped talking. Shshshsh¡­ At the same time, Illyna exuded a blue energy. An ordinary person at the Expert level wouldn¡¯t have been able to breathe as the heavy flow of mana filled the air. Boom!!! Then, she charged toward Davey like a cannonball. Like flowing water, Davey swiftly moved and rushed straight toward Illyna¡¯s powerful dive. Illyna quickly judged that there was a clear difference between Davey¡¯s extremely weighted strike and his swift, fluid strike, so she channeled an even stronger energy into her sword. Still, Davey did not dodge the attack; instead, he suddenly elerated his sword like he had flipped a switch while shooting up from the ground. ng!!! A loud shing sound resonated through the surroundings. Illyna bounced off the sword like a ball as she reflexively turned her body and blocked the attack with Caldeiras. ¡°Your strength¡­¡± Then, Illyna flinched slightly and ran her hand down her waist. Although she did have unbelievably fast reflexes, since she was very gifted, she wasn¡¯t able topletely block the additional hit. ¡°Your [Longsword] is much lighter than I expected,¡± Davey taunted Illyna, who had a solemn expression. Illyna¡¯s forceful attacks began as the energy from her body quivered intensely. Like an avnche, her threatening mana came over Davey every time she swung her sword. Davey could clearly see that if he was going to dodge every attack, Illyna was going to block his path so that he couldn¡¯t avoid them. Crash!! Boom!! With a series of explosions, which could not be thought to havee from a wooden and a divine sword, the nearby ground was crushed into fragments. Even though it was a collision between an [Aura] that was the most advanced in the Expert level and another of a simr level, the power that came from the collision surpassed any regr battle. Boom!! Boom!! Davey could feel a great force in each of Illyna¡¯s attacks, which she bombarded him with. Illyna was freely utilizing the weight shift of the Sword Lord¡¯s [Longsword], which meant each sh had great strength. Boom!! The ground Davey stood on was crushed to pieces with one strike from her sword. There was a clear difference between her strength with the divine sword and without. ¡®The Megatron wouldn¡¯t have been able tost very long.¡¯ The Megatron had only won because Illyna had used a regr sword. If she had Caldeiras, the golem would¡¯ve already been cut up into pieces. Davey only showed Illyna one thing from beginning to end; if she was going to attack using [Longsword], the Sword Lord¡¯s sword technique, he had no choice but to counter her with the same move. [Transcendental Longsword, Rock Split] Davey swiftly moved his wooden sword and elerated it with a sudden surge of power just as it was about to touch Illyna¡¯s sword. One of his talents was to evade his opponent¡¯s sword; although she was gifted, it would be difficult for Illyna to react to it since she hadn¡¯t even reached ¡®Master¡¯ yet. At the same time, Davey¡¯s sword hit Caldeiras away, then rotated 360 degrees like it was shing the ground, and hit Illyna¡¯s waist once again. As he swung, the path of his sword made an imprint on the grass. ¡°Agh!!¡± Illyna groaned. ¡°Give up?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have evene to you if I was going to give up after this much!!¡± Illyna began attacking again, even harder than before. She was persistent even though the earlier hit would''ve been pretty painful¡­ The force of her attacks broke everything around her, but she seemed to be more depressed as the sparring continued. A fluid and swift sword motion would block Illyna¡¯s sword and counterattack her just when she thought she was going tond a hit. Her straightforward and destructive sword technique was constantly blocked by Davey¡¯s flowy sword technique. She grew more anxious as the battle went on to defy her expectations, and it felt like Davey was just teasing her. ng!! As Davey tried to put distance between Illyna and himself after hitting away her sword, Illyna bolted like a cannonball and blocked his path. At the same time, she grabbed Caldeiras in the opposite way as it was rotating from the impact of Davey hitting it away. She then charged in without hesitation before attacking with a surprising move. [Trascendental Longsword, Mountain Split] ¡®Wow.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t help but be astonished by Illyna¡¯s choice. The attack she used when Davey slightly let down his guard was the same technique he had used when he had shed Shari, the vampiredy-in-waiting, at the Duchy of Felicity¡ªalthough Illyna¡¯s attack was much weaker than his. Illyna breathed hard with Caldeiras nted in the ground. She had caused an explosion that was iparablyrger than the ones before. ¡°This must have¡­done something¡­¡± Illyna wheezed. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good.¡± However, Illyna¡¯s hopes werepletely destroyed as Davey stood behind her while poking her waist with his wooden sword. She frowned terribly as he grinned widely. -That [Landing Technique of a Thousand Weights]¡­ It was definitely the one you used. Did she learn it by watching it once? ¡°She¡¯s crazy talented. Unbelievable.¡± -Are you one to say that¡­ ¡®I am just able to learn a wide variety of things; I can¡¯t just watch a move and use it in a real battle like that,¡¯ Davey thought. It had taken him ten years just to be able to imitate the original form of that sword technique. Illyna clenched her jaw while crying in fury; perhaps it was because the ultimate attack that she had used her greatest might to execute had been blocked so easily. ¡°I gave my everything for this opportunity¡­ It can¡¯t end with nothing!¡± Davey realized the concern and worry Illyna had as she shouted in a fit. Then, he immediately charged toward her as soon as he reached that conclusion. The moment Illyna opened her eyes wide, unable to react in any way, Davey mumbled quietly as he suddenly elerated his wooden sword, which was moving fluidly like water, in seconds and shed right above her head. ¡°Watch carefully, and don¡¯t miss it.¡± ¡°What? Kyak!¡± [Divine Union] [Transcendental Sword, Giant Tree shing] Crack!! The destructive force of the instantly elerated sword was beyond imagination. Unlike the impact of other moves, which only destroyed little parts at a time, one strike of this blew away everything and left giant w marks dozens of meters away. ¡°Now, what did you learn?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°A fluid sword technique¡­ I couldn¡¯t defend against it at all, even when it was the same thing¡­¡± Illyna seemed confused because the weaknesses of the swordsmanship she was learning had been explicitly revealed. Although she was feeling that way as well, she was probably denying it because of the title the [Longsword] had. ¡°Were you¡­trying to tell me that the [Longsword] was a sword technique full of weak spots?¡± Illyna¡¯s confused shouting rang throughout the surroundings. Her voice was teary and filled with sorrow and shame. ¡°Were you telling me that the [Longsword] was an old and useless sword technique¡­¡± To others, it could look like Davey had teased Illyna by using a sword technique that was highly effective against the [Longsword] technique she used since she was able to make zero valid hits with her sword. ¡°Picked the least effective sword technique¡­¡± Tears rolled down Illyna¡¯s face in fury as Davey, who couldn¡¯t help but sigh, approached her. He said, ¡°I told you to watch carefully.¡± Thump!! ¡°Kyak?!¡± Illyna opened her eyes wide and screamed as Davey suddenly thumped her on the forehead. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a sword technique that fits everyone.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That also includes the Sword Lord¡¯s swordsmanship.¡± How could a sword technique that fit everyone perfectly exist when people, even twins, were so different from each other? Chapter 98 ¡°First, I¡¯ll show you what you missed one more time. I¡¯ll do it slowly,¡± Davey told Illyna. Then, he picked up an extra wooden sword and swung forcefully toward the ground without hesitation. It was a strike that had amazing strength and precision. Boom!! The weighted swing disappeared after crushing the ground. It was the basic sh of [Longsword], the destruction-oriented sword technique of the Sword Lord that Illyna was using. Then, Davey swung his sword one more time. The move was more fluid and light than the one before, which had been heavily focused on destruction. The difference in destructive power was apparent even from the flow of the air. Of course, Davey wouldn¡¯t have gone out of his way to show Illyna examples if this was just it¡­ The moment the swift sword swing reached a certain position, an extreme amount of weight was instantly put on the sword tip as Davey¡¯s wrist trembled slightly. Booom!!! Like before, an enormous crater was left on the ground as a powerful shock apanied a huge explosion. The first and second shes both showed the same level of destruction. ¡°See the difference between the two shes?¡± Davey asked. He and Illyna were now speaking informally, since they no longer cared about formalities. He was also sincerely giving her advice. Illyna waspletely shocked. She asked, ¡°How¡­could the destructive force be the same?¡± The [Longsword] she knew was a weight-oriented sword technique that emphasized destructive power and range, like the light [Landing Technique of a Thousand Weights], [Horizontal sh], [Upward sh], etcetera. ¡°No way! Even if the technique of the Sword Lord was lost, I know that [Longsword] is a technique that increases the destructive power by putting an immense weight on the sword! It¡¯s impossible for the path of the sword to be that fluid!¡± Just as Illyna said, the [Longsword] of the Sword Lord was structured in a way that made it impossible for it to be as fluid as the technique Davey had just shown. She then added, ¡°Isn¡¯t the [Longsword] a technique that excludes any artistry and focuses solely on destructive power?! But for a technique that slow and fluid to have the same level of power¡­!¡± This level of power couldn¡¯t normally be used, since it was a destructive force that could only be brought out by abandoning all artistry. Since it was a power that required a sacrifice, it would be greedy for a sword technique with artistry to expect the same level of power as the [Longsword]. ¡°Hm, should I call it ¡®zero-to-one hundred¡¯? It¡¯s the time it takes for the speed to get to the fastest speed possible.¡± ¡°Zero¡­to one hundred?¡± ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s the time it takes for a carriage to reach its fastest speed. Do you at least have an idea of what that means?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Illyna nodded like she had realized something from what Davey had said. ¡®Zero-to-one hundred¡¯ usually referred to the time it took for a car to reach a speed of one hundred kilometers per hour from zero, although Davey referred to it as the speed of a carriage since cars didn¡¯t exist here. ¡°You probably know that a weight-based impact requires you to swing a sword for a certain distance, right?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°That¡¯s how the [Longsword] works.¡± It brought out an incredible strength by exerting an overwhelming amount of weight on a simple sh. ¡°Then, have you tried altering the speed at which the weight reaches its highest limit?¡± ¡°What does¡­¡± ¡°The weight that is used in [Longsword] is simr to gravity, but it is actually just extremely concentrated mana imitating it. It¡¯s not gravity.¡± Labeling it as mana was just for imagination purposes. The weight that brought the destructive power to [Longsword] wasn¡¯t gravity, but a temporary strength made of mana; the ¡®zero-to-one hundred¡¯ dy that it had waspletely unrted to thews of physics, meaning that the speed of ¡®zero-to-one hundred¡¯ could change at any time depending on the mastery level. Illyna¡¯s eyes opened wide as Davey spoke; she had understood what he was saying like the clever girl she was. Without hesitation, Davey threw the wooden sword he was holding on the ground. ¡°The advantage to [Longsword] is its destructive and annihtive power, but it definitely has its disadvantages like that it bes an extremely unstable sword that is only focused on destruction if one hasn¡¯t mastered itpletely. Now, I¡¯ll give you a hint.¡± Illyna looked at Davey in surprise. Davey then went on to say, ¡°Setting Sword Lord Ares aside since he was dumb enough to change directions while exerting an extreme amount of gravity, why do you think this technique had just disappeared and be lost?¡± ¡®Of course. It would¡¯ve gone to the next generation without them understanding the full mechanism of it since they would¡¯ve been just merely imitating it.¡¯ It would¡¯ve been passed on as the greatest sword technique since its destructive power was the best out of any other. It seemed like Illyna, who was sitting while staring into space, hadn¡¯t fully understood what Davey was saying. She would probably be able to ovee the barrier of Master if she were to understand it and be enlightened by even just a part of it. ¡°The groundwork¡­ I think I got it. Thank you¡­¡± With her head down and tears in her eyes, Illyna slowly spoke like she had organized some of her thoughts. Although it was just one piece of advice, it seemed like she had instinctively felt how huge the help was. -You are thoughtful in unexpected ways. ¡®Eh¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything.¡¯ Illyna slowly turned her gaze to Davey, who stayed silent. Then, she faintly smiled as she gripped onto Caldeiras. ¡°Anyways, you look like you have urgent business,¡± Davey pointed out. ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°From what I see, you look like you¡¯re being chased by something.¡± ¡°Th¡ªThere¡¯s nothing like that!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like everything is going to be ruined because I heard it. I think it¡¯s wise to speak up when you have the chance.¡± Illyna¡¯s gaze shook in confusion. However, she carefully opened her mouth like she hade to a decision. ¡°You¡­are a very kind person¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like my ears only have a certain number of things I can listen to. All I am doing is listening.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Could you be my partner by chance?¡± It was ament that could bring about a very big misunderstanding, depending on how it was understood by the other party. * * * ¡°I need your help.¡± Illyna approached Davey while quietly speaking. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense that the princess of the strongest empire in the continent needs help. Aren¡¯t there a few Swordmasters that will move with just one word of yours?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t borrow their power¡­ It would be against the rules, since only people under the age of twenty can participate.¡± After, Illyna slowly began telling Davey the secret she had been hiding. Illyna, the princess of the Pan Empire, was preparing for a test of a certain organization. In the test, several teams of two would try to reach a goal whilepeting. The problem was that two people including her had to take the test together, but her partner had gone missing for some unknown reason. ¡°So, you need someone to help you because your test partner is missing?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°I searched for them desperately, but they vanished. It¡¯s like they evaporated into thin air. I need someone who could help me if I can¡¯t get stronger.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Get help from the others taking the test¡­ Ah, no. I can see them conspire all the way from here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but I definitely need a partner to take the test.¡± Davey thought hard about what Illyna said. She had hidden the organization she was a part of; it was definitely an organization that the royalty of an ordinary kingdom or even the royalty of an empire wouldn¡¯t know, but he could analyze what kind of organization it was with ¡®Check Information¡¯. The Last Wisp: the final piece. It had several names, but the name that showed up on the status window was familiar to him as well. The name might¡¯ve stuck with him for longer because he had heard it from Bow Lord Apollo who usually never told stories about his past. It was when Daphne had called Davey over to have drinks because she had gotten her hands on some good liquor. Apollo had came to see Daphne, and thetter was passed out like usual, so he happened to tell the story after bing needlessly sentimental. [What? Stories about the past? Well, alright. It¡¯s nice to tell them once in a while. Let me ask you one thing: who do you think protects the people?] ¡®The militia? Royal guard? Or knights¡­¡¯ [That¡¯s right, since intelligent beings naturally form a group, and a country is inevitably created. That¡¯s the same for any being, whether it be humans or elves or dwarves. Then, who do you think protects the continent from unknown threats?] Davey thought that it was nonsense when he first heard it; however, he was able to quickly understand it. Catastrophes or threats that would bring chaos to the world just with its existence would have had to be dealt with secretly. [That¡¯s when the Last Wisp was founded. They are an alliance of knights called the Final Piece. Well, there aren¡¯t many that use swords although they are a knight order.] At that time, Davey had listened to him, forgetting about his usual aversion toward him as Apollo told the story more calmly than expected. [They all have different names, but they¡¯ve connected amongst each other in the great bond of the Last Wisp and have secretly taken care of the things that were a threat to the continent. You know that the continent was oddly peaceful after that Sword Lord shed the Demon Lord, right? They¡¯re the reason why.] ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ [Simply put¡­ What should I say? I guess it could be said that they are heroes that foster the talented, or a knight order that cultivates warriors.] Davey wasn¡¯t confused for long since the answer to his question was revealed as the pieces of the story gradually began fitting together. The strong beings who had some recognition couldn¡¯t recklessly be involved with them, and their main targets were the young generation that would be responsible for the future. Illyna was learning and growing her power as a member of the secret knight order. There was no way of knowing why she was part of an organization that was dangerous and had no prestige, but it was true that it was quite intriguing. ¡°It¡¯s funny, right? You can forget about what I said today. I learned something huge today because of you.¡± A little timidly, Illyna got up and brushed off her short skirt. ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside. I won¡¯t forget your help.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± To be honest, Illyna¡¯s request wasn¡¯t worth considering since the work of the secret knight order would still be dangerous even though one wasn¡¯t officially a member. Of course, Davey could help if she was someone he was very fond of, but he had only gotten to know her for a few days. It seemed like she had just put it out there because she also knew that. However, he felt like there was a different possibility other than the ordinary thoughts that popped into his head. -If the organization is really like you said, they will definitely go against unknown dangers. The level of danger would increase drastically. This is unbelievab¡­ ¡®Wait¡­ Wow, this is nice.¡¯ Perserque¡¯s eyes opened wide as she heard Davey. -D¡ªDavey? ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That test. I''ll do it. I¡¯ll give you all the help you need.¡± It was actually Illyna who was surprised by Davey¡¯s breezy answer. She stared at him in confusion and looked like she couldn¡¯t understand him. Chapter 99 ¡°Why?¡± Illyna asked Davey. ¡°You said you needed help. You don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°W¡­ Well, no, I still want it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it first though. The main work of the organization that you¡¯re part of is hunting down rare and dangerous evil beasts, right?¡± ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°It should be connected to the Zone of Evil that normally can¡¯t be entered, and there are probably various types of people if it is so secretive that you can¡¯t even tell me the name of it. Is that right?¡± ¡°Y¡ªYes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough for me.¡± Since Davey couldn¡¯t input the data himself, he needed people who were at about the same skill level as Illyna. And various data would also be collected if it was against unusual and rare evil beasts. ¡®It¡¯s a chance to gather arge amount of data! I can¡¯t miss it.¡¯ -¡­Your head is filled with thoughts about nothing but the development of your territory¡­ The golem would be strengthened, and therefore, the territory¡¯s defense would be enhanced. Davey¡¯s position in the pce would then be more powerful and so would his right to speak. The chance that there would be forceful intervention even if he did whatever he wanted would decrease¡­ This was only a golden opportunity to be able to gather various data about the gifted at once. And if the Last Wisp was what he thought it was, he needed ties to it. ¡°I will help you in the way I want. Doesn¡¯t matter, right?¡± Davey asked. * * * ¡°What a catch.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help butugh. -Davey, you know that Last Wisp is the name of a secret organization. If you get involved with them, there will inevitably be limitations¡­ ¡°That¡¯s why this is the better choice.¡± Davey stood up with confidence and answered while tweaking the magic circle that formed the Megatron. -The better? ¡°Yeah. Unfortunately, this guy¡­¡± ng ng!! The golem¡¯s metal tes rang loudly as if showing off their presence. ¡°He can¡¯te out into the world yet. Neither can the magic stone, the magic circle that forms it, nor the arrangement.¡± A golem like the Megatron waspletely different from the harvest of moon grass or a stigmata; it would be a weapon for war at the Master level if it were to be made exactly how it was reformed right now. There would be problems, big and small, regarding this unique enchanted golem like the Megatron in this continent if it were to be made¡­ It wasn¡¯t for no reason that nuclear weapons were a problem on Earth. A golem with amazing power, which could be used however one wanted and almost work forever if the exterior tes were maintained well, was that much more dangerous. Either Davey had to be powerful enough so that he would at least be fine even if someone interfered with him, or he had to have some foundation first. ¡°Should I go around in public to find people so that I can gather data? I can never do that, so I¡¯m going to use them.¡± Although most of the members of the Last Wisp, the organization Illyna was part of, were all over the debutante age, they were mostly still kids. However, their talent was no different from the kids Davey had seen at the Duchy of Felicity before; the Last Wisp didn¡¯t discriminate between ves and royalty if they had talent. And since there were a variety of people there, if Davey could collect data from them¡­ -Thebat data should almost beplete. What Davey wanted was not aplete set of data, but one that had variety. It was different from the situation at the Hall of Heroes, where the heroes who had lots of experience would create a temporary opponent tobat. Not only that¡­ ¡°There¡¯s at least a possibility that it might encounter a rare evil beast.¡± And even if they were to be shocked by the existence of the Megatron, the organization would be the ones in trouble if they spoke about it without being careful. ¡®Killing two birds with one stone. It¡¯s the icing on the cake.¡¯ Sigh¡­ Davey, it might be good for you, but you are not considering your safety¡­ ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Perserque flinched at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Hm¡­ Dada¡­¡± Davey picked up Red Ribbon, who was reaching her arms toward him while rubbing her sleepy eyes, and lightly pinched her cheeks. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t.¡± An unknown danger? Whatever it was, it was something that Davey had met at least once. This was unless they were talking about a transcendental summoned beast or a demonic beast. * * * Perhaps Illyna was actually bewildered by Davey saying yes so easily, or she felt empty in spirit, because she left the territory with all of her strength drained. She simply told Davey that she was going to leave in two weeks. Depending on how one saw it, two weeks could be considered a short or long period of time. But it was long enough for someone as capable as Davey to get other things done in the meantime. ¡°Apparently, A was the first to hit. Then, the ident became muchrger when B pulled out a weapon in the heat of the moment. It seems like the cause¡­was just a simple teasing¡­¡± ¡°A case of assault right now? Lock them both up. Next.¡± ¡°Two women have requested a verdict regarding one child¡­ They are both stating that they are the child¡¯s biological mother.¡± ¡°Tell them that we¡¯ll split the child into two and give it to them. The person who gives up should be their biological mother. Next.¡± ¡°¡­Should I really tell them that?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m lying. Ask the Academy of Alchemy since they said to contact them if there was anything they could help with.¡± ¡°The Petroad Merchant Company has sent a gift. They say that they want to buy arge amount of undevelopednd¡­¡± ¡°Property spection in times like this? Cut them out. Next.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a report from Captain Monmider. He says that they have found a goblin vige¡­¡± ¡°I selected a few royal guards yesterday and they¡¯ve dealt with it, so pass. Next.¡± Perhaps Davey making immediate decisions without taking his eyes off the papers in his hand was funny, because the girl who was preparing some tea in the corner let out a giggle. ¡°Ahem!!¡± Of course, the girl lowered her head in surprise when Royal Attendant Bernile cleared his throat ufortably. The blue-haired girl wearing a maid uniform became flustered, realizing her insolence. She looked like an ordinary girl, but for some reason, she had a freshness simr to the mask-wearing girl Davey had seen in the forest. ¡®Hm, this is the scent of an advanced elementalist!¡¯ Even an elementalist¡¯s scent of mana was different from other beings. ¡®Maids nowadays even bond with high-level spirits; they are so talented. And they¡¯re not even human.¡¯ ¡°I¡ªI¡¯m sorry, Your Highness!¡± The girl shouted. ¡°I haven¡¯t trained her well. What are you all doing?! Get her out of here immediately!¡± Bernile shouted. ¡°No, people need tough once in a while. Don¡¯t be so strict about this kind of thing,¡± Davey said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Bernile apologized to Davey. Although the girl looked like she was quite flustered, to Davey, she was seemingly enjoying this situation. Her personality leaned towards a moreid-back vibe. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Royal Attendant Bernile. Speaking of which, let¡¯s get some snacks. You need to eat to do anything. Efficiency should increase once we get some sugar into our system. Find some ces that sell desserts in the city.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± The existing residents were adapting well, but it was pretty hectic right now because of the needlessints and demands from the new residents. Davey was treating them quite well, but of course, haters would emerge as the poption grew. Davey immediately dealt with potential problems and managed the territory. Soon, the two weeks he had promised Illyna passed by quicker than he had expected. * * * Baron Gorneo was headed to the Lyndis Empire for business regarding the Coalition for Disease Control. The content of the message from him was very unexpected. -It seems they were lucky. Apparently, there were assassins who attacked the carriage of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s royalty. ¡°Hm¡­¡± -The problem is that it was in the Ordem Territory. I don¡¯t know what happened there, but it seems that the investigation sort of fell through. All the assassins were burnt without leaving a trace from therge thunderstorms that fell on the entire forest. ¡°An investigation¡­¡± ¡®Sorry. I was the one who actually did that.¡¯ Davey was expecting the person in the carriage to be royalty, but he didn¡¯t expect them to be the royalty of the Lyndis Empire. It seemed like Baron Gorneo was saying that a big war could¡¯ve happened. It was just apletely coincidental and unexpected gain. -Actually, I came here to treat Princess Aeria El Lyndis, the youngest princess of the Lyndis Empire. And I will do my best to spread news about your aplishments throughout the continent after the treatment. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± -No, your aplishments must be recognized. Your Highness, you don¡¯t know how significant your aplishment was. ¡®I¡¯m telling you that all it¡¯s going to incite is wariness and won¡¯t be a gain at all¡­¡¯ There was no good in forcing it since just keeping quiet for now would be more beneficial in the future. However, it didn¡¯t seem that Gorneo was determined to let the world know about his aplishments. As Gorneo held pride in medicine, he probably couldn¡¯t budge about this. When Davey sighed after ending his call with Gorneo, the silent window burst open. A blond girl familiarly busted in through the window and smiled yfully. She called out, ¡°Davey!¡± ¡°¡­Royal guard!!¡± ¡°N¡ªNo!¡± Illyna, who was sitting on the window as usual, turned pale as Davey called for a guard without hesitation. Then, she hurried inside and covered Davey¡¯s mouth like that was the only thing she thought to do. ¡°What if a rumor spreads?! Are you trying to make me live alone forever?¡± A rumor could definitely spread about this. Princess Illyna, the precious treasure of the Pan Empire, was secretlying to the office of Davey, the seigneur of the Heins Territory. An official visit wouldn¡¯t matter, but a secret one was an entirely different situation. That alone was enough for the big mouths to talk and spread lies. Illyna¡¯s actions were still a little reckless even if the rights of women weren¡¯t too bad in this world. ¡°And yet, you still jump the fence in the light of day ande through the office window?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°But I told you several times that I cannot openlye here.¡± ¡°What if I bber out?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It would be a real shame, right?¡± Grind. ¡®It¡¯s such a struggle to control your temper, right?¡¯ It only took a short period of time for Davey to realize that Illyna had a nasty personality unlike the elegant and wise image that was known to the public. He even saw herdy-in-waiting try to stop her with a terrified expression almost reflexively whenever she would criticize something. ¡®It was Lily. Or was it Linda?¡¯ Davey felt horrified that the connection between talent and a nasty personality was being validated. Two weeks after epting her request, Illyna had persistently asked Davey if there was anything he needed. She seemingly thought that she was indebted to him. To be honest, Davey¡¯s decision was more for himself than her, but she didn¡¯t seem to care; she was just showing her gratitude for Davey granting her request. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m asking. You can decline, even right now.¡± Illyna told Davey. ¡°Let¡¯s check one thing beforehand.¡± When Illyna looked puzzled at his statement, Davey continued, ¡°That secret knight order. The fact that it¡¯s not known to the public means that it can conceal information very well; is it possible for you to just take anyone you want to the test?¡± Illyna pulled out a small artifact and slowly nodded. ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem. I¡¯m thinking of using the chance I have.¡± ¡°Chance?¡± Davey asked. Illyna simply nodded. Chapter 100 ¡°The Last Wisp must be kept confidential, but the organization must be maintained as well. And so, if one bes a member, whether as an official unit or trainee, they are allowed to bring one person in as a student. Of course, one would have to be a member first... But the problem goes away if you just falsely report their deathter on.¡± Illyna went on to say that she was going to use the one and only chance she had on Davey. Even an idiot would know how important this particr opportunity was. Of course, that wasn¡¯t any of Davey¡¯s business. Also, there was nothing stopping Davey now as his questions had all been answered. He took his magic pouch, which was filled with only the necessary tools, and grabbed a fist-sized cube from his office desk. ¡°That is?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°Megatron MK2.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the guardian golem you fought.¡± Illyna stared at the cube in Davey¡¯s hand in bewilderment, but soon nodded in understanding. Artifacts that had expansion or shrinking spells weremonly seen, after all. ¡°We have a lot to do. Let¡¯s go right away since we have nothing else to prepare,¡± Davey said. Illyna put her magic artifact on the ground and hesitantly put out her hand. ¡°We¡¯re going to use a transportation artifact, but we have to have at least some physical contact so that we don¡¯t go to some random ce.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Illyna coughed awkwardly as she grabbed Davey¡¯s fingers. She was a little embarrassed. Then, she murmured the activation phrase, ¡°Then¡­ Crystal Warp, activate.¡± Whoosh!!! The artifact Illyna used was a little different from a small m gate; it was an artifact that transported the activator to a certain ce regardless of the distance, but there was no way to know the exact details. -It¡¯s a system that can¡¯t be tracked. It¡¯s quite good. They wouldn¡¯t have to worry about someone following them if they used something like this. As a wave of mana quickly spread and enveloped both Davey and Illyna, the surroundings changedpletely with a bright light. * * * The first thing Davey saw after the bright light disappeared was an enormous forest. Hemented, ¡°Is the grass not able to grow because the trees are so tall?¡± It wasn¡¯t a disastrous forest that was as dense as a jungle, so he could still see what was ahead. However, the bushes and trees weren¡¯t growing properly because of the giant trees over hundreds of meters tall that covered the sky. ¡°This is?¡± Davey asked Illyna. ¡°The Pandora Region, which is located in the northern part of the central continent. And this is therge northern forest in the central continent right underneath it.¡± ¡®We flew quite a long distance at once, didn¡¯t we?¡¯ The Rowane Kingdom was a small kingdom between the Valchas and Lyndis Empire, tworge countries that were near the Lahtma Mountains, which was thergest mountain range in the east. Davey could tell how effective Illyna¡¯s magic artifact was from how they were able to teleport a distance that was muchrger than the size of the Rowane Kingdom at once. ¡°It would take a month to get here on foot. It would take weeks by carriage, and it wouldn¡¯t have been easy to get here bynd since the area has a boundary around it,¡± Illyna exined. Davey silently looked around the forest. The forest was quite dark because of the trees covering the sky, but there was still a faint blue light surrounding the ce. It was perhaps because of the fluorescent grass. ¡°The Last Wisp that I am part of¡­ So, the name of the secret knight order is Alpha Reinforcements. We usually detect and take care of dangers thate from the Pandora Region,¡± Illyna exined. ¡°Is the thing that you are looking for in the Pandora Region?¡± Davey asked. Illyna bitterly smiled. ¡°No. It¡¯s that I will be able to go to different regions if I be an official knight of Alpha Reinforcements¡­ I need that authority. There are ces that even royalty cannot enter.¡± Davey had no need to think about why Illyna was so desperately going after the authority and power to freely enter secret regions however she wanted. -That child lost her mother to a vampire, Davey. She is probably desperate to find traces of them. ¡®So is that why she would lose her cool as soon as she sees a vampire?¡¯ The position of the queen was vacant in the Pan Empire. ¡°I have to pass this test,¡± Illyna quietly mumbled as if she was motivating herself. ¡°I think we have to get rid of those first,¡± Davey said. However, it seemed like the enemies had no intention of waiting for Illyna to stop worrying. When Davey had felt their presence, the enemies began appearing one by one from the other side of the forest. Davey let out a light gasp after realizing what the enemies were. ¡°Mutant wolves.¡± Evil beasts couldmonly be seen in other regions, but it was still difficult to see ones like that. Mutant wolves, which had strange tentacles on their bare, hairless bodies, were quite small, but had lethal poison on their teeth and ws. On top of that, they were also fast and agile. They weren¡¯t an easy opponent for ordinary people, since they always inflicted fatal injuries. ¡°I¡¯ll get rid¡­¡± Illyna spoke but was interrupted by Davey. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡®How dare you try to take this experience away from me?¡¯ Davey stopped Illyna, who put her hand on her brooch to activate Caldeiras, and put on a mask that covered half of his face. Then, he threw the cube on the ground. The reason why he was here and why he had epted Illyna¡¯s ridiculous request was right here: to collectbat data about rare opponents. So¡­ ¡°The golem must be the focus in every battle!¡± Illyna kept her silence while ncing at Davey with mixed emotions. ¡°Now, it¡¯s your first battle.¡± As soon as the cube fell onto the ground, it began growingrger with a bright light. Its shape was different from before, looking more like a weird-looking carriage. However, there was no sign of a device that would secure it to horses, and the shape itself was different from an ordinary carriage. ¡°What is that?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s the dream of any craftsman. I¡¯m thinking of adding the ability to fly in the future.¡± ¡°Seriously, I feel like all the knowledge I know is being overturned¡­¡± As Davey lightly snapped his fingers, therge carriage slowly began transforming. Starting with the surface¡¯s deformation, numerous parts started to activate. Clunk!! Clunk!! Then, with borate movements, an enormous metal giant began boasting its presence. -The efficiency of the magic stone became much higher. The newly created magic circle definitely helped. Thanks to finding its ws after the battle with Illyna and fixing them, the current version of Megatron was much stronger than before. Davey couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he had put a lot of effort into Megatron, since it was the first piece of work he and Perserque had coborated on. After its silver tes surrounded it, Megatron fully turned into a human-like form as soon as it twisted its waist. With shining blue eyes, it stood upright as if trying to overpower the mutant wolves. It was natural for beasts, normal or evil, to be wary about beings bigger than them. Grr¡­ Surprised by the metal giant¡¯s sudden appearance, the mutant wolves backed away a little with a low growl. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up, Megatron.¡± [Waiting for amand]. ¡°Activate annihtion mode. We move as we erase all the evil beasts in the attack range.¡± [Command epted. Target confirmed. Starting activation...] A recorded deep voice came out from Megatron¡¯s head once Davey gave it amand. Clunk!!! At the same time, the armor on both its arms began moving simultaneously and fixed its position. It held arge shield that was enchanted with a 3rd circle [Hard Shield] in one hand and a horrifying object popped out of its other hand. Buzz! Whirrr!!!! The life drained out of Illyna¡¯s face as the terrifying gears began spinning fast. She stammered, ¡°W¡ªWhat¡¯s that¡­¡± Clunk!! Boom!!!! With its heavy weight, Megatron began stomping around the surroundings. Like arge tin can, it roamed around. * * * Vrrrr!!! [Activation of main weaponplete. Quickly annihting the enemy.] Megatron was cutting up the mutant wolves in a frenzy. No, to be more urate, it was ripping them apart. The armor, which was enchanted with a shield spell, was blocking the wolves¡¯ attacks, and the chainsaw on its other hand was shredding every one of them into pieces. Flustered by Megatron¡¯s destructive attacks, the mutant wolves were backing away. Unfortunately for them, their retreat was meaningless, because a staff embedded with a mini magic stone would pop out from Megatron¡¯s wrist armor and shoot a light purple ray of energy to burn them to a crisp as soon as they tried to get away. Megatron wasn¡¯t very strong, but it was very efficient in guarding and ranged attacks because the lethality was quite high. ¡°What¡­did you do in the two weeks that¡­¡± Illyna muttered ¡°Hm, the electric chainsaw lives up to its name. It¡¯s a great method ofmunication.¡± Davey called it an electric chainsaw even though it was actually mana. ¡°Do you intend tomunicate in the first ce?!¡± ¡°Look at them whining and begging for mercy!¡± Davey shouted sternly. Illyna looked horrified. She mumbled as she was at a loss for words. ¡°You¡¯re crazy¡­¡± Most mana stones could not handle Megatron¡¯s output since it required arge amount of mana; however, considering the limit of its fuel tank¡ªthe biggest advantage of Megatron¡ªwas immensely high, this couldn¡¯t really be thought of as a waste. Illyna could really feel that the golem¡¯sbat power had be about twenty to thirty percent more threatening than when it had battled with her. If the wolves rushed toward Megatron and blocked its shield, it would unhesitantly throw away its shield and pull out another electric chainsaw. It would drop and roll onto the floor, then shake away any mutant wolves that were on its body and rip those that were within its reach¡­ Megatron was just a reckless berserker as it attacked the mutant wolves. Furthermore, the mutant wolves were at a huge disadvantage against the golem, which was immune to poison. The mutant wolf¡¯s strongest advantage was its deadly poison, which was responsible for the damage of its attacks. However, the oue was so predictable since their opponent was a lifeless tin can. Preupied with Megatron, Illyna couldn¡¯t take her eyes off it. She watched it violently swing its electric saw; because of that, she didn¡¯t notice a mutant wolf cautiously approaching her. As such, it charged toward her daringly¡­ But it was smashed to the ground by Davey¡¯s hand. Crack!! The mutant wolf fell to the ground in silence. Its skull was crushed by a strong force. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Illyna said. ¡°Don¡¯t space out and follow me. Someone¡¯s going to have to lead the way.¡± A look of shock began surfacing on Illyna¡¯s face. Davey didn¡¯t read her thoughts, but he could guess her thoughts just from her expression alone. ¡°Is it going to be okay to just leave it¡­ No, to just leave that destruction weapon to evolve¡­¡± ¡°I told you, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Chapter 101 41. Alpha Reinforcements, the Secret Knight Order ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± Davey murmured seriously as he followed Megatron, which was marching forward while ripping up whatever came at it. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not enough?!¡± Illyna screamed. Perserque also looked fed up with the aftermath of the golem she had helped create. -I think so, too. It¡¯s too in! ¡°Is it the appearance? Or should we add some music?¡± A picture came into mind as Davey gave it a little bit of thought. ¡®A guardian swinging an electric chainsaw, an exceptional method ofmunication, while sting rock music.¡¯ ¡°Man! It¡¯s invigorating!¡± Although it was actually a magic-made enchanted golem rather than a robot, its appearance was no different from a transformer robot that was made with greed. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Illyna asked in bewilderment when she spotted Davey¡¯s wild, hungry gaze. Davey didn¡¯t hear her question, though. The evil beasts hiding in the surroundings were charging toward them, rumbling the ground and roaring fiercely. However, they were all going to be victims of the electric chainsaw. Whine! Screams rang out from all over the ce when the evil beasts were being ripped to shreds. Megatron stomped on a retreating mutant wolf¡¯s head before storing its weapon away. Then, it looked around with its shining blue eyes. [Extermination of all evil beasts in the current terrain confirmed.] The addition of an enchanted mithril alloy metal sheet was clearly effective. Although the mithril alloy sheet wasn¡¯t attached to the golem during its battle with Illyna, the sheet¡¯s effect during itstest alteration was clear. ¡°Are there any other monsters around here that are stronger than the mutant wolf?¡± Davey asked. ¡°¡­At least not around here. There are a lot of them because the mutant wolves have a high reproductive rate. The knight order is getting rid of them regrly, but they sometimes show up like that.¡± Like Illyna said, this area was the region of the Alpha Reinforcements, the secret knight order she was part of. They wouldn¡¯t have let evil beasts run wild like this unless they had lost their sense of responsibility. ¡°I heard that evil beasts that aren¡¯t transcendental but are iparably stronger than mutant wolves exist in the Pandora Region located above this ce,¡± Illyna exined. ¡°Transcendental?¡± ¡°Yeah. I haven¡¯t seen one in person, but they are said to be the strongest and most superior beings among the evil beasts in the Pandora Region. Apparently, they are strong enough to easily rip a Swordmaster apart,¡± Illyna said bitterly. ¡°Of course, we won¡¯t have to go up against them. That¡¯s not the job of the trainees, but the job of the official knight order¡¯s extraordinary members.¡± Davey just nodded as Illyna spoke calmly. Then, he addressed the golem, ¡°Megatron, resting mode.¡± [Command epted. Entering resting mode.] Clunk!! Drr! Clunk!! As Megatron, which was walking in front of them while still on guard, turned into arge carriage, Davey opened the door without hesitation and nced at Illyna. ¡°Wh¡ªWhat?¡± ¡°Get on. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone around, and it¡¯s going to take forever to walk there.¡± Although she looked confused, Illyna couldn¡¯t hide her fascination as she got on the carrier. ¡°Oh my¡­ Expansion¡­magic? The cost to expand a space for a normal living thing to get in is astronomical¡­¡± She stared at Davey with suspicion while murmuring in shock. It was natural, since the inside of the carriage felt much bigger than how it looked from the outside. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the end of this golem if it gets destroyed? How much money did you spend on it?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°It¡¯s not a true hobby if you are stingy with spending money on it.¡± Illyna squinted at Davey. -Davey, I think I know what she is thinking. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Chuckle¡­ This lunatic is going all out now that he¡¯s getting his hands on some money! ¡®¡­¡¯ Davey wanted to deny it, but he could clearly see what Illyna would think if she actually showed her true personality. Expansion magic was an advanced magic spell¡­ But it was just a tedious job if one had practical and theoretical knowledge. There was no way he would¡¯ve given the wizard tower a lot of money and asked them to work on it; it would¡¯ve been so inefficient. Davey was feeling quite frustrated. * * * Davey and Illyna did not meet any other evil beasts, including mutant wolves, after the first time. Perhaps it was because they had cleared the forest that once. It was a shame for Davey, since he had to collect more data, but it seemed like it was a good thing for Illyna, who didn¡¯t want to run into any more problems. ¡®The forest¡¯s arrangement of mana is a mess.¡¯ -It¡¯s not bing organized at all. Davey frowned when he looked outside the carriage, which was moving silently. As if something was interfering, he wasn¡¯t able to control the mana he usually spread around his body. There seemed to be some sort of static¡­ Furthermore, he only felt static in his mana when he was using it to explore the surroundings. This was difficult even for Davey, who was usually able to detect things pretty easily, to deal with. -This is like¡­ ¡®Arge-scale barrier.¡¯ It was safe to assume that Davey¡¯s prediction was right. ¡°This forest has arge-scale barrier that interferes with detection to hide the base of Alpha Reinforcements. So, it¡¯s difficult for people to feel presences with their mana even if they are right beside each other, unless it¡¯s a specific person.¡± Davey turned his head as Illyna exined. She chuckled as she nced out the carriage window. ¡°I was very bewildered when I first came here. It¡¯s instinctual to spread mana and be wary of your surroundings, but there was static for some reason. So, I was wondering if the flow of mana was different in this forest!¡± There was a faint smile on Illyna¡¯s face as if she found this conversation quite delightful. ¡°I learned that most of the Last Wisp, including Alpha Reinforcements, cast a barrier like this near their base after I became a member. I think the detection-interfering barrier is surrounding most of this forest.¡± ¡°Then, the opposite case?¡± ¡°That¡­is fixed with this.¡± Illyna showed Davey her hand with a big smile. There were two rings on her pale, beautiful hands. One ring had an emblem that showed that she was the royalty of the Pan Empire, and the other was a unique, amber-colored ring. She went on to exin, ¡°It¡¯s an artifact that makes me immune to the barrier¡¯s effects. I don¡¯t know a lot about magic since I only studied swords, but I heard that the person who is wearing it remains unaffected because it interferes with some special wave.¡± Davey was quite intrigued by her exnation, as it was quite a fresh idea. He hadn¡¯t tried it himself, but it seemed with a try. ¡°Hm, a ring¡­¡± ¡°The teachers provide it if one bes a member.¡± ¡°Teachers?¡± ¡°Well, seniors, to be exact. It¡¯s the same for any organization, but a secret knight order has to be maintained in a special way; however, I guess it¡¯s impossible to always bring in perfect individuals. So, they recruit gifted children and teach them. I joined a littlet¡­¡± Boom!!! ¡°Kyah!!¡± That was when the carriage shook with a sudden sound, and Illyna fell toward Davey. She frowned and groaned in pain, forgetting the fact that she was in Davey¡¯s arms from the sudden shaking. ¡°Ouch¡­ What is¡­¡± Click! The carriage door opened wide, then a blue-haired boy barged in with a cold expression. ¡°Sio?!¡± ¡°Illyna¡­¡± ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± Surprised by the situation, Illyna shouted in anger. Shepletely forgot that she had fallen into Davey¡¯s arms after losing her bnce. ¡°We exclude intruders. Illyna, what are you doing by letting in an outsider?¡± Sio asked in a frosty, cold voice. Along with his cold expression, small bullets of ice, which had already been cast, quivered as they pointed toward Davey and Illyna. The icy bullets were ready to strike at any moment. ¡°Even if he is an outsider, you don¡¯t have the authority to do this.¡± ¡°You have no right to question me right now. Currently, you clearly vited the rules, and as such, you are subject to punishment.¡± As soon as Sio stopped speaking, a ck-haired boy of a simr age slowly began walking toward the carriage. ¡°There¡¯s no one else around, Sio,¡± Illyna said. ¡°¡­I guess you weren¡¯t that stupid. You would¡¯ve been executed right here if you brought others.¡± ¡°Stop kidding yourself. Who do you think you are to punish another member?¡± Illyna stood up while guarding Davey with one hand and opened her other hand. At the same time, her brooch began floating toward her hand with a bright light. The brooch started transforming into arge, white silver-colored sword. ¡°Everything is for Alpha Reinforcements,¡± Sio simply stated. ¡°Stop kidding yourself. Your actions are clearly an overreach of power. I will make you pay if you don¡¯t get rid of your magic and retreat right now.¡± ¡°This is no ce for a human other than a member.¡± ¡°I brought him here.¡± Illyna looked furious, growling. Peeeeeep~ That was when a bird¡¯s unique chirping was heard. ¡°It¡¯s amand to return, Sio. It¡¯s telling us to bring Illyna and the civilian,¡± the ck-haired boy said. ¡°¡­¡± Sio clicked his tongue in irritation and red at Davey. ¡°Consider yourself lucky.¡± Davey was at a loss, surprised by the situation. Illyna held his hand tightly when he tried to do something once Sio backed away after threatening him. Then, she smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m baffled at the situation, too.¡± Davey didn¡¯t expect Illyna to exin this situation properly. It was clear that this had been out of her expectations. ¡°Killing aura,¡± Daveymented with a smile. He stared at Sio, who was leaving the carriage without hesitation. ¡°What?¡± Sio said. ¡°Be careful of your killing aura. There are no second chances.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The moment Sio tried to talk back as Davey smiled¡­ ¡°Sio, we protect mankind; we didn¡¯t be members to point swords at them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ck-haired boy stopped Sio, and their conflict came to an end. * * * After about thirty minutes of following the two boys who were apanying them like they were criminals, Illyna and Davey stopped upon reaching a High Pce. -Wow¡­ I wanted this kind of thing! Davey didn¡¯t know why Perserque was excited, but seeing her look around in delight made him quite ted as well. ¡®It looks like a pretty old design.¡¯ -That¡¯s right! This is an architectural design that existed in my time period! Excitement was unusual for her, but Perserque flew all over the ce. Normally, Davey would¡¯ve said something about how she had lost her usual calmness and was making a fuss, but she looked so delighted that he couldn¡¯t say anything. It was a relief that he was the only person who could see her. Technically, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon could see Perserque as well, but they were asleep in their sheaths on Davey¡¯s waist. Chapter 102 ¡®Anyway, I didn¡¯t know that Caldeiras wouldn¡¯t notice the twin swords,¡¯ Davey thought, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face. ¡°It looks like a pretty old design; is it being maintained by magic?¡± Illyna smiled bitterly when Davey asked her while looking around with light footsteps. She called out, ¡°Davey¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s managed quite well.¡± Unlike Davey, who had already shaken it off, Illyna was feeling both shocked and sorry. She mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I didn¡¯t expect such an extreme response¡­¡± Creakk!!! The thick door made of ck wood slowly opened as Sio Howl, who was leading Davey and Illyna, pushed it. Soon, they could see therge hall of the faintly shining pce. ¡°I¡¯m going to take Davey with me to the dorm. I¡¯ll report it myself,¡± Illyna said. ¡°No, you follow me. And Treve.¡± Sio, walking in front of Davey, looked at him with cold eyes. ¡°Lead the civilian to the outside lodging. An order was given to not let him out until a verdict is reached about this situation.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Treve silently looked up at Davey like he wasn¡¯t going topromise one bit. Unlike Sio, who was simr in height to Davey, the boy named Treve was on the shorter side. He then warned, ¡°I really don¡¯t want to use force.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to use force?¡± ¡°I can kill someone with a word. But don¡¯t worry; I don¡¯t often use it on humans.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± Treve looked a little confused as Davey¡¯s smile widened. * * * [The Special Ones? They are like people with superpowers from what you know from your past life. To be honest, it¡¯s difficult to see them as human¡­ if you analyze them. They are not born from humans.] [How do you fight against one if you meet them as an opponent? Well, a manifestation-type Special One wouldn¡¯t matter.] [A mental-type? Do you think you have something like that, you lunatic? Have you seen that crazy God of Magese under a mental magic spell?] ¡°Here.¡± Treve led Davey to a small room along the High Pce¡¯s perimeters, then lightly knocked on the door with his staff. The door opened smoothly like a ripple of water. ¡°Illusionists are hard toe by.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can I ask where you are from?¡± Treve¡¯s expression slightly stiffened when he heard Davey¡¯s question. However, he left the room immediately as if he had shaken it off. ¡®The opportunity to solve the mystery of the century has disappeared!¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t know who brought it here or when, but he could see a tray with delicious-smelling bread and milk. Although the boys were both very cold, if the boy named Sio Howl was hostile to everyone and everything, this boy named Treve seemed like he didn¡¯t care about anything that was going on around him. Davey wolfed down a piece of bread andid down on his bed while closing his eyes. He automatically smiled as he felt the soft and cozy feeling of the bed. ¡®Hm. Ergonomics.¡¯ It seemed like Davey had fallen asleep as drowsiness took over him, rxing on the bed with his eyes closed. He could see two boys silently staring at him when he opened his eyes after feeling a faint presence. He asked, ¡°Is it time?¡± ¡°¡­Follow me. The teachers are calling.¡± As Sio spoke, Illusionist Treve¡¯s hand blinked in the air. With a weak power, a sturdy rope appeared from thin air and tied Davey up. It was clearly different from magic. ¡°That rope is an illusion, but it will feel real to you. Don¡¯t try to get out of it too hard since you might get hurt.¡± Davey looked at his arms in intrigue when Treve exined emotionlessly. He began wondering if the power of an illusionist, which affected one¡¯s senses by showing them an illusion with a unique power, would work on a nonliving golem. Unlike talismans, the power of illusionists waspletely unknown. And even Davey couldn¡¯t judge whether it would work on a golem that had no will. * * * Davey arrived at a room on the pce¡¯s top floors that seemed like a reception room as he followed Sio and Treve. However, the inside looked more like a hearing hall than a reception room or office. ¡°I have brought him here,¡± Sio reported while bowing his head as therge doors opened. Davey could see a lot of eyes as he looked around. There were various looks, such as curiosity, intrigue, wariness, and surprise, but he didn¡¯t really care about them. There were three people sitting at therge table in front of him: a woman in a robe, arge man, and a regr-sized man with two swords on his back. And there was Illyna, who was standing alone in the middle as if being interrogated, and a few who were watching. ¡°I will check once again, Trainee Illyna de Pan.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Therge man opened his mouth to speak after Illyna answered calmly. ¡°You vited your oath and brought an outsider to the base of Alpha Reinforcements. Do you agree?¡± ¡°That''s because!¡± ¡°Only answer the question.¡± Illyna clicked her tongue at the stern voice. ¡°Yes.¡± The boys and girls who were watching Illyna looked surprised. Then, the woman beside therge man spoke up. ¡°No matter the rank a member of the knight order holds in the continent, we cannot allow the vition of the oath. Do you agree?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to see. Punishment for Trainee Illyna, and we will erase the memory of that boy at a certain time. We will consider execution for the maintenance of confidentiality if he fights back,¡± the regr-sized man spoke up after the woman to try to wrap up the situation. ¡°Before that, I will say something.¡± Illyna still looked confident as she continued, ¡°The rules clearly stated that outsiders couldn¡¯t be brought in.¡± Everyone went silent, listening to Illyna speak. Davey sat back and watched the situation as it was quite amusing. Whether he liked it or not, Illyna was now his friend. It would actually be wise for him to step up when she was really in a predicament. Then, at least, she wouldn¡¯t needlessly be put on the spot. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What if they aren¡¯t an outsider?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I am going to use my right.¡± The three people in front of Illyna buzzed as she spoke boldly. ¡°What you are saying is that you will bring in a student, a right that is only given to you once in your lifetime?¡± ¡°Yes, that is the reason why I brought Davey here. Teachers, you tried to take away my right to take the test, but I am determined to take it.¡± ¡°The whereabouts of your partner, Sharan Selim, are still being investigated. It is reckless¡­¡± ¡°I have given it a lot of thought. And about the incident with Sharan Selim.¡± Someone frowned at Illyna¡¯s cold words. ¡°But you are still a trainee. Who are you going to teach? How could you do something this reckless? And you can only bring in a student once. Can you really trust him? And are you confident that you can teach him?¡± The woman asked. Unlike how cold she was before, her tone now seemed to be more worried. Staring directly at the woman, Illyna answered firmly. The assumed premise that Illyna was going to be the teacher was already wrong. ¡°That is not important, Teacher Sylia. The important thing is that I used my right, and Davey fits the criteria. Although, I don¡¯t know why you are being overly wary about him.¡± Illyna slurred the end of her words. ¡°The policy of Alpha Reinforcements is to protect mankind. This isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Illyna! Watch your words! Are you saying we have to ept that unknown person with your sophistry!!¡± That was when Sio Howl, the blue-haired boy who was standing, shouted toward Illyna with great anger. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to decide. Don¡¯t overstep, Sio Howl.¡± ¡°Honorable Teacher! This is nonsense. Her logic seems to be right, but it contains two pieces of error!¡± ¡°I never allowed you to speak, Sio Howl.¡± Therge man spoke sternly, but Sio still shouted without thinking to stop. ¡°We do not even know if he has a sense of mission! Furthermore, we do not know if he has talent or some worthwhile thing to see!¡± ¡°Sio Howl!¡± Sio ignored Illyna¡¯s shouting. He went on, ¡°Mana can¡¯t even be felt from him. ording to the rules of Alpha Reinforcements, only those who can prove their talent in front of more than two teachers can enter as a trainee! However, he is nothing but an ordinary being.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be strange to think this was her n to leak information from Alpha Reinf¡­¡± ng!! Illyna came down from the podium and put her sword to Sio¡¯s neck. ¡°Not everything can be done with words, Sio Howl. Shut your mouth because I don¡¯t want to see you, a fellow trainee, die no matter how nasty your personality is.¡± ¡°You think someone like you can sh me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be arrogant. You think you¡¯re all that because you received the blessing of mana? And your premise is wrong since I never said I would sh you.¡± ¡°Ha! Then, are you saying that person, who I can¡¯t even feel an ounce of mana from, is going to run wild?!¡± Davey thought he was watching a soap opera, observing Illyna and Sio''s fight. -The blessing of mana¡­ It must be a huge honor for a mage. As Davey turned his nce over from the two, he saw the three people staring at him from the table. Those who were called Teachers were all extraordinary people. It seemed like extremely skilled people were selected as they had to teach others. ¡®One elementalist and two swordsmen.¡¯ -They are all above Master in terms of their skills. I guess I understand since it is a secret knight order, but¡­ Not everyone could be a Master. These people who were called Teachers were probably outstanding knights among the members as well. ¡°Order!! This is a trial! Trainee Illyna! Trainee Sio! I will order you to leave if you disturb this court one more time!¡± Illyna clicked her tongue after the woman shouted at her. Then, Sio nced at Davey with a cold expression and walked away with a look of despise. -You are quite good at holding yourself back. ¡®It can be solved when the opportunity presents itself.¡¯ ¡°However, it seems like Sio is right.¡± Then, the normal-sized man spoke quietly. ¡°It is unknown where that boy is from, but his mana is quite ordinary.¡± It seemed like even they could only feel an extremely small part of Davey¡¯s mana; although, it was better than those who couldn¡¯t feel it at all. ¡°Illyna de Pan. Do you have anything to say about this?¡± ¡°I can vouch for his power¡­!¡± Illyna shouted. ¡°Isn¡¯t that to your standards?¡± ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Like Sio said, we cannot feel any sense of a gift from that person. And it doesn¡¯t seem like he has a sense of mission either. As such, your request is denied.¡± Chapter 103 Grit¡­ Illyna¡¯s expression turned menacing. Without being able to hide her frustration, her eyes were red like she was going to cry at any minute. ¡°The verdict¡­¡± ¡°Wait! He is definitely an alchem¡­!¡± Illyna shouted. ¡°Wait.¡± The woman was about to give the verdict when Davey slowly raised his hand and stepped up to interfere. A dramatic skit was bound to be boring if it continued for a long time. He said, ¡°First, let¡¯s set the premise.¡± ¡°Be careful of your words, outsider!¡± Sio shouted. The young man was more hot-tempered than he looked. ¡°Stop! Alright, outsider. I¡¯ll allow you to speak.¡± Of course, one of the Teachers interrupted Sio. ¡°I don¡¯t know the situation here, nor do I really understand that sense of mission that you guys talk about.¡± Everyone started buzzing as Davey spoke. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it inevitable?¡± Everyone went silent. ¡°You hid yourselves in the basement and your activities are all done in secret; it¡¯s wrong to expect someone new to know about the sense of mission of such an organization in the first ce. Or¡­¡± Illyna sighed. It was like she was thinking, ¡®There he goes again.¡¯ ¡°Did you secretly wish for people to know about your sacrifice?¡± ¡°You dare insult the knight order?!¡± ¡°Sio Howl! Watch your words!¡± Davey knew this was not at all how Illyna had intended for the situation to go, but it looked like they were going to discuss armchair theories all day long if he left the situation alone. He pointed out, ¡°Then, what you should be doing is finding seedlings that have potential, not ones that have already been refined. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°So, are you saying that you are a seedling that has the potential to seed?¡± ¡°The Alpha Reinforcements¡¯s sense of mission will naturally be absorbed if the knight order truly maintains their noble will.¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha!!¡± Perhaps Davey¡¯s words had triggered therge man, who was keeping his silence. The man beganughing loudly, and he drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°That¡¯s right. Right. You are right!¡± ¡°Teacher Boris!!¡± ¡°Sio, stop!! Did you not hear my warning?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°Alright. What is your name?¡± Boris asked. ¡°Davey. Davey O¡¯Rowane¡­¡± ¡°Do you think you have the talent to be part of the secret knight order of Alpha Reinforcements?¡± Davey chuckled at his question as soon as he heard it. ¡°What use would it be to repeat it a hundred times over? However, I would like to believe that Alpha Reinforcements isn¡¯t a narrow-minded organization thatforts themselves based on the amount of mana.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I sort of had a fantasy about this ce; it would be a little disappointing if it were to be false.¡± It was true that Davey had quite a good impression about this secret knight order thanks to the stories he had heard about the Last Wisp from Bow Lord Apollo. ¡°¡­I concede. However, can you show us that talent right now?¡± Boris asked. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about talent like that mage whopletelycks any EQ¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The expression of Sio Howl, the blue-haired boy, grew extremely cold. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know if youpared us side by side?¡± Davey didn¡¯t care about causality or the rtionship between people of this organization; he was only interested in helping Illyna take the test and gathering data at the secret knight order. That was enough for him. The three Teachers exchanged nces like they understood what Davey had meant, and they decided to grant Illyna¡¯s request. The questioning was over. * * * What was the standard for judging talent? This wasn¡¯t a ce where there were only sword-wielding knights or mages; as it was a ce for simrly aged children who all had unique talents to gather, the standard for judging talent wasn¡¯t that great. ¡°The Teachers told me to go easy on you, but expect no mercy from me, outsider,¡± Sio spoke coldly while raising his staff. Davey did not reply. He recalled that Sio dared to attack Megatron as well as released his killing aura. Killing aura was part of the energy of emotion that came out when one desired to kill someone. He thought that he needed to let Sio know that he should also expect to die if he desired to kill someone as well. Of course, Davey had to control his level of power since his n would go to waste if he killed Sio. ¡°Illyna! That person''s mana is weak like an ordinary person.¡± ¡°Yeah. Even if he has a n¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Shayir, Fendyr. Thank you for your concern, but¡­¡± With a sigh, Illyna mumbled to herself so quietly that no one else could hear her. She watched the enormous empty lot in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m actually scared about how that lunatic will crush Sio.¡± Holding a cube that contained apressed version of Megatron in one hand, and a normal wooden sword in the other, Davey stared at the blue-haired Sio calmly. Sio was a so-called genius who had unique abilities that were rare for a mage who had received the blessing of mana. He was extremely hostile to Davey like his pride had been hurt. Then, he smiled coldly as Davey lightly tossed the cube in his hand as a crowd of people watched. ¡°I¡¯ll let you have the first move. I don¡¯t know what kind of trick you are going to y when you barely have any mana but try your best.¡± Davey threw the cube into the air without hesitation and uttered a simple order. ¡°Megatron, an order.¡± [Command epted. Waiting.] ¡°Pull out electric chainsaw.¡± [Command confirmed. Activating.] ng!! Clunk! Vroom!! Whirr!! The atmosphere froze when the Megatron turned into a giant warrior and pulled out an enormous electric chainsaw. ¡°Let¡¯s calm down a bit and have a talk.¡± ¡®With the amazing method ofmunication in the Megatron¡¯s hand.¡¯ 42. You Are in the Palm of My Hand The golem¡¯s metal parts began twisting and turning once again. It soon transformed into a form of a giant warrior. Whir!! Whirrr!! Then, the electric sword, which had an amazing appearance and sound, overwhelmed everyone with its great roar. ¡°Davey! Don¡¯t kill him no matter how angry you are!¡± Illyna shouted in horror. She knew about the abnormal destructive power the Megatron¡¯s electric chainsaw possessed, but Davey ignored her and just stared at Sio Howl, the boy in front of him. ¡°A go¡­lem? You¡­ You were a golem controller?¡± Sio asked. A cold, terrifying aura surrounded the space as the gigantic Megatron roared loudly, boasting its greatness. Mana began flowing into its body. ¡°No wonder I could only feel a weak mana from you. You¡¯re trying to y a worthless trick and only rely on that lump of metal¡­¡± Sio began releasing his mana at once. He quietly expressed his anger toward Megatron as if he had some weird sense of pride. Crack!! [Release] At the same time, several sharp ice crystals appeared in the air and flew toward Davey and Megatron without mercy. It was a rapid attack that normal people wouldn¡¯t have been able to react to as each crystal was like an arrow from a bow gun. The merit of the ones who had received the blessing of mana was quite significant; ordinary people had to recite quite a long spell in order to cast magic unless they were as gifted as Yulis. However, those with the blessing of mana were able to overrule that notion; it meant that they could minimize the reciting without even trying. Not only that, but their bodies also absorbed a certain amount of mana, and the same amount of mana showed an unbelievable level of efficiency if used by them. It was a little simr to the level of Absorption where one was able to feel the will of their mana and resonate with it in that sense. ng ng ng ng!! ng!! Maybe it was because the shards wereing at not only Megatron but at Davey as well that the golem, which was showing its great presence with its enormous size, stepped in front of Davey and prevented the attacks from reaching him. It seemed he didn¡¯t have to worry about killing Sio since he had lowered its output of power to the minimum. ¡®He is going to bleed a little though.¡¯ ¡°Hm, the reaction speed of the automatic protection system has be a little slower due to the low temperature.¡± Davey noted. ng!! ng! Sio was attacking with the intent to seriously injure Davey, but thetter was more interested in testing the power of Megatron or data collection. Rxed, Davey pulled out a small chart and began checking things off as he watched the Megatron deflect all of Sio¡¯s attacks. ¡°I think there¡¯s a need to reinforce the chest armor. The reaction speed is going to get slower if I don¡¯t minimize the tes on the shoulders.¡± -You¡¯re going to have to look at the efficiency as well. It has such great output, but the division of power is all off. Like Davey, Perserque was also just analyzing the output of Megatron with no regard for the fact that he was being attacked. ¡°Ughh!!¡± Perhaps Sio couldn¡¯t hold in his anger; his eyes glistened eerily when he created a big, long spear of ss while continuing to fly ice shards toward them. [Freeze] Megatron, which was boasting its great presence with its enormous size, stepped in front of Davey and prevented the attacks from reaching him. Crack!! At the same time, the Megatron began freezing as its feet started bing frosty. [Ice Spear, Smash] Sio¡¯srge ice spear flew toward the Megatron as it began freezing up. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve done enough to experiment with the defense. Do it up to here and start attacking back moderately.¡± [Command epted.] As if it had just stood around and watched until now, Megatron shook off the ice by releasing a blue-colored mana from his entire body. He grabbed the ice spear with his free hand and threw it far away. ¡°What?!¡± The crowd eximed in shock, but Davey didn¡¯t take his eyes off Megatron. Boom!! Boom!! With a speed unfitting for its gigantic size, Megatron rapidly charged toward Sio with his electric chainsaw like it was going to cut him into pieces. Sio created a wall of ice by quickly uttering a spell and flew back. Whirrr!! Cruck!! ¡°Huh?! Th¡­ This crazy golem!! Are you trying to kill someone?¡± Sio shouted. ¡°Are you going to fight against an enemy like that? With your life on the line?¡± ¡°Damn you!¡± Even though he was cursing, Sio looked extremely pale because the psychopath Megatron had charged at him like it was going to shred him up while ignoring his attacks. A giant metal golem attacking with unbelievable movements was an attack that Sio had never imagined. Boom!! Boom!! ¡°Shriek! W¡­ What is that terrifying weapon?!¡± Some of the people who were watching the battle from afar screamed with pale faces while shaking Illyna¡¯s arm. The chainsaw definitely had power, but it had a way of inciting fear instinctively. However, it seemed like Sio had some talent contrasting to his personality. Even while desperately jumping all over the ce and dodging attacks, he didn¡¯t stop striking back at the Megatron and attacking Davey. Megatron had to stop momentarily and step in front of Davey to protect him because of that, but this was all part of his experiment: the reflex test. Sio created an opportunity to escape by attacking Davey if he was in danger, and he struck back after figuring out the dy time that urred between itsrge movements. It couldn¡¯t be said that Sio was exceptional, but his battle experience was definitely more advanced than the mages of wizard towers who stayed in their towers all day. -Still, he isckingpared to that kid, Yulis. ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it also be a problem if he was better than Yulis?¡¯ Yulis was still one of the greatest genius mages of this continent, and it was just that his capabilities had just been undervalued a little; there was no way someone as gifted as he would bemon, even if the kids here were all talented. ¡°Ahh!!¡± Sio¡¯s blood ran cold as his one mistake almost cost him an arm. He could probably recover from it, but he didn¡¯t want to experience getting his arm chopped off by that strange and terrifying weapon. Even while Sio was running all over the ce and dodging attacks, he still showed hostility toward Davey; he was quite an unwavering person. Davey wondered if his method ofmunication was too rough. ¡®Frost?¡¯ Davey chuckled as he felt something unexpected in the air. He organized his data while observing Sio and Megatron. Chapter 104 ¡°T¡ªTeacher! Shouldn¡¯t we stop them?!¡± With a terrified expression, a girl made a big fuss while holding onto the arm of the Teacher who was watching the battle between Sio and Davey. ¡°That¡­ That golem is abnormally strong!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯ve never heard of a golem move that fluidly and intelligently! On top of that, that strange weapon!¡­¡± As the twin girls with light pink hair conversed with each other, a boy with an enormous physique and holding a huge ax on his back stroked his chin. He muttered, ¡°He looks really strong. Amazing. Illyna, your friend over there. Is he a famous golem controller?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡®Golem controller my butt. He¡¯s just a monster ying with a puppet when he can wipe out an entirend.¡¯ The problem was that Davey¡¯s puppet was also beyondmon knowledge. Hegg, arge boy, had asked Illyna with curious eyes. He found the situation rather fascinating. However, Illyna denied his question. Davey was more of an unknown being rather than a golem controller. While being a swordsman with a power above the Master level, he also had a stigmata that contained holy power. On top of that, he leisurely created golems that would make alchemists drool all over if they saw them. It was difficult even for her to decide what to call Davey, who was an unfairly talented lunatic. ¡°Teacher! One wrong move, and Sio!¡± ¡°No, Trainee Shayir. Sio ispletely logical right now.¡± ¡°But!¡± ¡°Sio is unbelievably stubborn, but you know that his intellect in battle is one of the greatest, don¡¯t you?¡± Teacher Sylia exined with a soft smile in ce of Teacher Boris. ¡°But still, that¡¯s exceptional. That golem¡¯s movement is most definitely different from other ordinary ones.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I could barely feel any mana inside him, but golem controllers can utilize golems even with just a little bit of mana.¡± The advantages golem controllers had were the ability to move arge number of golems at once and to maintain their safety; this meant that getting rid of golems was pointless unless one was able to take out the controller themselves. ¡°However, his own defense is too weak since he¡¯s only relying on the golem. He seems inexperienced,¡± Sylia mumbled. Boris nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to gain experience in times like this since the only evil beasts out there are unintelligent monsters.¡± ¡°He does pass the criteria based on his talent in creating and utilizing golems, but¡­: ¡°If he doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening to him¡­¡± ¡°I think that should be alright if we just teach him right. Can you see that? He has no difficulty in using golems; he¡¯s probably trying to minimize movement to be as efficient as possible. Boris and Sylia were still in a misunderstanding. ¡°He will show talent in patrol, support, and other aspects if trained right. And that¡­ The fact that its terrifying chainsaw can be applied like that¡­ It scares me to death just by watching it.¡± ¡°It is a golem that clearly has both exceptional attack and defense power. You know, it might be difficult to sh it, even with the [Aura de].¡± The trainees looked more and more anxious as Boris and Sylia spoke as if they were judging the golem. On the other hand, Illyna was already out of it. ¡°I think the battle ising to an end.¡± ¡°Yes. It is a huge mistake for a golem controller to not realize the state of their golem, which is like their hands and feet. Megatron struck down toward Sio Howl with hisrge chainsaw as soon as the Teachers concluded their conversation. ¡°Kyahh!¡± Some of the trainees kept watching even while some were screaming because Sio could be injured. ¡°It really is an exceptional golem, but you found an answer, Sio,¡± Boris spoke with confidence, as Megatron¡¯s movement was gradually bing slower as if it was freezing up. ¡°Sio froze the golem little by little, starting with its joints. Even a golem with joints that flexible won¡¯t be able to do anything if they freeze from the inside.¡± ¡°That is one of the most important things to be careful of when dealing with an ice mage. And it wasn¡¯t like Sio tried to freeze him in random ces first, but he took caution to hide his intent.¡± Many a little made a mickle; although it was weak, Sio¡¯s frost gradually umted to freeze up the giant. Boris and Sylia thought the golem was amazing, but they were more impressed with Sio¡¯s quick thinking; it seemed like they were blind to their own causes. Then, Sio took a step forward toward Davey, who was staring at Megatron squeak like it hadpletely stiffened up. ¡°A close-range battle isn¡¯t something for mages to do, but a member of Alpha Reinforcements should be able to do that much,¡± Boris mumbled quietly. ¡°This marks the end¡­¡± Crack!! Sio created arge, sharp ice sword in his hand and rushed toward Davey rapidly. At the same time, Davey put up his wooden sword after seeing his attack. ¡°It seems like you were overconfident in the golem¡¯s powers and grabbed a wooden sword thinking that you wouldn¡¯t be affected¡­ But the wooden sword won¡¯t be able to withstand even one swing.¡± ¡°Oh no!¡± At the same time, Davey slipped and lost his bnce on the frictionless ice when he stepped back to defend. To others, that slight window of opportunity seemed fatal. It was difficult for Davey to fight back, let alone regain his bnce, since the ground was frozen like an ice rink. The moment Davey flew into the air while his wooden sword just shed the air, Sio Howl¡¯s ice sword struck as if it was going to sh him. ¡°Wheeze¡­ Gasp! You damn vicious guy! This is the end!!¡± ¡°Kyahh!¡± Some couldn¡¯t bear to watch the situation and closed their eyes, and some criticized Illyna, who was standing while maintaining a fed-up expression. ¡°I¡ªIllyna! You have to stop¡­!¡± ¡°Stop who?¡± Illyna answered like she was tired of it. ¡°Stop Davey?¡± As soon as everyone heard Illyna¡¯s confusing answer¡­ Thump!!! A loud and clear sound of something being hit resonated through the training field. There was silence. Then, without being able to do or say anything, everyone¡¯s jaws dropped at the ridiculous situation in front of their eyes. The wooden sword left Davey¡¯s hand and rotated with seemingly random movements and hit Sio right on the top of his head as it aimed for an opening. It was a fast attack, but the wooden sword struck down while aiming for one perfect opening. Everyone was silent for a moment at the unbelievable coincidence. Then, Megatron stomped on Sio, who had been struck by the wooden sword, with no mercy and overpowered him. ¡°He¡¯s ying tricks again¡­¡± Illyna muttered to herself. It was as if the appearance of Megatron freezing up before was just an illusion. ¡°Keugh?!¡± Sio eximed. ¡°Hm¡­ Did I win? You spoke like you were so good.¡± -D¨¦j¨¤ vu¡­ Listening to Davey¡¯s calm response, Illyna felt like she had heard that detestable phrase somewhere. * * * ¡°Caldeiras,¡± Illyna called. [Yawn¡­ Huh?] ¡°That guy. I think he has a really bad personality, but he¡¯s pretending to be calm.¡± [I know that he has a bad personality, 100%. I knew it from the moment he ripped your clothes and took me!] ¡°That¡¯s also true¡­¡± Illyna wondered what that nasty swordsmanship was. She didn¡¯t notice it at first, and it was still hard to believe even though she had seen it now. She had felt a discrepancy only because she knew Davey¡¯s true powers; otherwise, she would¡¯ve wondered again if it was a coincidence. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Someone let out a foolish gasp. ¡®That guy, he intended for that!¡¯ For a split second, Illyna saw a hint of an eerie smirk on Davey¡¯s face. Now, she could see it all; Davey was screwing with the enemy without attracting everyone¡¯s wariness by unnecessarily revealing his power. [I know it! I saw it, okay?! That asshole is a Sword¡­ No, what should I say? Anyway, I saw that asshole achieve Divine Union!] Illyna didn¡¯t need to hear it from Caldeiras herself to know; what kind of an insane Swordmaster could overpower a divine sword with a wooden one? There was no significant difference between basic physical abilities between her and Davey; however, his way of responding was so different than any other Swordmaster she had faced. It was like a max-level warrior had be weak due to a curse. ¡°They say there is no right or wrong to swordsmanship, but¡­ That is truly an evil sword technique¡­¡± Davey wasn¡¯t a wicked person, but his actions were devilish. Illyna, who was fed up with Davey, thought it was unfortunate that the people staring at the battlefield in bewilderment weren¡¯t able to notice Davey¡¯s little trick. * * * Everyone was left dumbfounded by the unexpectedly t result of the battle. The crowd who was watching the battle began to respond only after Davey retrieved Megatron and lightly pped his hands as no one was saying anything, ¡°A¡ªAmazing!¡± Boris, the Teacher with a giant physique, spoke in astonishment. ¡°A coincidence? It strangely looked too targeted to be a coincidence¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sio Howl. You haven¡¯t trained enough!¡± It seemed that the three Teachers, who couldn¡¯t easilye to a conclusion and were murmuring amongst themselves to discuss this oue, were thinking that they should first put an end to this situation. ¡°Everyone is dismissed for now! And it was Davey, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Davey answered. ¡°Hahahaha! Although it was a coincidence, outstanding! Well, let¡¯s say that luck is also a skill. We will acknowledge your gift as promised.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡± It was only right to ept a genuinepliment with a good heart. On the other hand, Sio Howl was criticized for the fact that he had been struck by an attack so ridiculous. ¡°Sio Howl! You werezy with your training! You were hit with a directionless sword the minute you let down your guard after bing confident that you had won!¡± ¡°This makes no sense!¡± Riled up, Sio Howl, who was clenching his jaw, stood up and shouted. ¡°It¡¯s the golem that was strong, not him. Teacher! You saw his swordsmanship, did you not!¡± The swordsmanship Davey showed was definitely that of someone who looked like they had never even held a sword before. ¡°Stop being a sore loser, Sio Howl. Golem controllers are for the back line. You¡¯re saying that it¡¯s unfair when you dueled with someone like that in the middle of a battlefield?¡± Of course, Illyna didn¡¯t just stand around. She still stood up for Davey, her friend, even though she looked fed up with Davey¡¯s sword technique. ¡°Illyna!!¡± ¡°Wake up. Davey made that golem, and that¡¯s a clear fact. Originally, you should have just fought that golem alone.¡± Illyna didn¡¯t stop her hurtful criticism. She was honest and ruthless, because she wasn¡¯t hiding her personality. ¡°And yet, you put Davey in the middle and attacked him to buy time whenever you were in danger. Why, are you going to say that was also a tactic? Did you even check that golem you froze in the first ce?¡± Just as Illyna had said, Sio wasn¡¯t even able to defeat the golem. Chapter 105 Grit¡­ ¡°And what? Did you say that it¡¯s the golem that was strong, not Davey? Then is a golem controller supposed to abandon his golem and have a physical fight with you? Are you stupid? Even an idiot goblin would know better than that. Don¡¯t kid yourself. You think you¡¯re better than everyone else, right?¡± Sio¡¯s expression grew even more menacing as Illyna criticized him without stopping. ¡°Stop!! Trainee Illyna is partly right. Sio Howl! Rule 8 of Alpha Reinforcements!¡± ¡°¡­It is ¡®The knight order must always try their best and must know how to ept and reflect on victories and losses¡¯.¡± ¡°Now go if you¡¯ve understood!¡± Teacher Fridos, the man who had two swords on his waist, bellowed at Sio. Sio frowned coldly, then addressed Davey, ¡°Consider yourself lucky. You would¡¯ve almost been dead if your attack didn¡¯t coincidentally seed.¡± ¡°Sio Howl!!¡± Illyna was extremely angered by Sio¡¯s taunting and shouted. She was about to continue when Davey spoke uncaringly as he picked his nose. ¡°You would¡¯ve already been dead if it was a real battle.¡± ¡°What?¡± Sio responded. ¡°Your head isn¡¯t hard enough to withstand a hit from a sword, right? Are you going to say that in front of Goddess Freyja after you die?¡± ¡®And I would¡¯ve already popped your head off from the start if it wasn¡¯t for Illyna.¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t bother saying more, but what he said was already enough to irritate Sio. ¡°Don¡¯t mock me, outsider.¡± As Sio stomped off after staring at Davey with a deadly re, the Teachers consoled the members who were watching the battle and led them back to their dormitories. Then, they also disappeared, saying that they had to discuss whether they had to ept Davey as part of the knight order. It was a sudden and unexpected visit from an outsider; it could¡¯ve been a chaotic situation, but it seemed like this wasn¡¯t a rare urrence. Then, Boris called upon Davey after quite a long time. ¡°I¡¯ll get straight to the point: it is foolish to expect mana or physical talent from a golem controller. I heard from Trainee Illyna that you made that golem yourself.¡± ¡°Well, yes,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Amazing, truly. I saw my fair share of battle alchemists, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone craft and wield a golem that powerful.¡± Boris was quite gant and was very open-minded. ¡°It was seven to three, and I approved, of course. We congratte you on your entrance to the knight order.¡± Borisughed heartily and handed Davey a small ss. ¡°I assume it¡¯s not just regr alcohol.¡± ¡®Taboo.¡¯ ¡°Alchemists are so smart. They are quite quick, aren¡¯t they? Or did you hear from Trainee Illyna?¡± ¡°Well, it was just a hunch. ¡° Davey could tell because there was a weak but clear after-scent of mana inside the ss. ¡°Hm¡­ Trainee Illyna has brought us someone very useful. Well, it does say ¡®student¡¯, but it¡¯s not a problem if they bring someone that is simr to or even more advanced than them. The important thing is¡­¡± Boris stopped speaking and stared at Davey with a nk expression as he gulped down the alcohol in the ss even before Boris finished his sentence. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°You¡­ Did you drink it without even hearing about what it is?¡± ¡°I am pretty quick.¡± -There¡¯s no way the Oath of Abstinence was going to work on a mage who has already been enlightened up to the level of Absorption¡­ Davey felt sorry for Boris but drinking this had no effect on him whatsoever. Perserque sighed as she already knew the truth, but Boris couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°Then, I will check. Do you swear to keep your secret about Alpha Reinforcements and the Last Wisp in public?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that why I drank it?¡± ¡°That is true.¡± ¡°Then, that should be enough. I dide here to help my friend out, but I have somewhat of an interest in the work of the Last Wisp.¡± ¡®Interested in the various Zones of Evil and evil beasts, to be exact.¡¯ ¡°Hm, it feels like you already knew about Alpha Reinforcements pretty well.¡± ¡®That¡¯s probably not just a hunch.¡¯ However, Davey didn¡¯t bother telling him. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no lies.¡± Boris stood up with satisfaction after he pulled out a small jewel from inside his chest pocket. ¡°It¡¯s an artifact that detects lies. I won¡¯t worry about your identity anymore since you were honest and truthful.¡± Boris spoke. ¡°Aren¡¯t you believing me a little easily?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I did speak to you a little harsher than necessary when we first met, but the enemies of Alpha Reinforcements aren¡¯t humans in the first ce.¡± There was a lot of meaning behind Boris¡¯ words. The purpose of the founding and existence of the Last Wisp was to protect the continent from unknown enemies, like evil beasts in danger zones to extremely dangerous beings that threatened the continent; this meant that humans were not their enemy. ¡°The fight between humans in the public sphere isn¡¯t any of our concerns. Well, go and rest for today since it¡¯s alreadyte.¡± As Boris spoke calmly and walked away, his footsteps seemed quite light. * * * ¡°Here, take this. Please don¡¯t break it or crack it open since it has to be returned.¡± Davey could feel a strange flow of mana as he stared at the wooden ring Illyna handed him. ¡°Is it the same ring you have?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s an inferior model. We need the headquarters'' approval for you to be a member, but well¡­ There shouldn¡¯t really be a problem if what Teacher Boris said was true.¡± ¡°The effect?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Immunity to the barrier on this forest, and the freedom of movement. Originally, we should¡¯ve arrived right at the High Pce and not in the middle of the forest when we used the artifact, but you didn¡¯t have the ring.¡± Illyna spoke. The maintenance of secrecy would be in danger if there were an artifact that could allow anyone in. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any big issues when you move between here and the Heins Territory if you have that ring.¡± Illyna smiled cheerfully. ¡°Now I have gotten myself an OP partner.¡± ¡°What are you going to do if I don¡¯t do it?¡± Davey asked. ¡°After all this?¡± Illyna¡¯s bright smile disappeared for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re not really going to do that, right?¡± ¡°There are some aspects that pique my interest more than I thought.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Illyna showed her relief as Davey spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The Teachers said that the faster you train, the better, even though you¡¯re still a trainee member.¡± Illyna spoke to Davey. ¡°Training?¡± ¡°Yeah. Trainees start integrated training ording to the curriculum organized by the Teachers after a certain period. And that¡¯s also one of the reasons I returned.¡± ¡®Illyna had undergone training here while fulfilling her work in public¡­ She¡¯s quite a hardworking princess.¡¯ ¡°The content of the training is taught directly by the Teachers. The Teachers step up to increase one¡¯s individual skills, but you could say that integrated training is more like a realistic battle and improves overall cooperation and thinking on the spot.¡± Illyna seemed quite delighted as she exined. ¡°You seem to enjoy life as a member,¡± Davey remarked. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything that is bothersome, and it¡¯s something I must do in order to achieve my goal. And since everyone is so kind, I can put down my role as royalty here and befortable here. Ah¡­ Kind except for a few of them.¡± It seemed like there were people who she couldn¡¯t didn¡¯t really want to be friends with as she suddenly frowned. As Davey and Illyna were about to join the other trainees to participate in the training¡­ ¡°Go first without me.¡± Davey stopped in his step and quietly told Illyna to go. ¡°W¡ªWhat?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°Go in. I¡¯ll join you in a bit.¡± Illyna looked confused by Davey, but soon silently nodded her head. She was a hot-tempered girl who always called him insane, but she was pretty quick. Davey became enveloped in ck smoke as he watched Illyna quietly walk away from him. Then, he slowly began to hear the faint sound of a conversation grow clearer as he moved while erasing any hint of his presence. It was Boris, therge man, and Elementalist Sylia, who had both watched him from the questioning to thebat test. -Davey. ¡®Shh.¡¯ As Davey approached them while hiding his presence, Boris and Sylia looked full of thought as they spoke warily without noticing him. ¡®Hm¡­¡¯ Then, Davey scoffed as he got an idea of what was going on as he heard their conversation. Although Davey hadpletely damaged the pride of Sio Howl, that blue-haired mage trainee, with his sloppy movements intended to mess with thetter, it seemed like it didn¡¯t give the Teachers assurance. * * * ¡°Where did you go?¡± Illyna asked with an anxious expression. She was wearing light clothing suitable for movement while stretching in front of the entrance to therge forest. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Then why does your face look like that?¡± Illyna flinched awkwardly as she frowned. ¡°What about my face?¡± -I want to give you a mirror. As Perserque spoke, Caldeiras¡¯s thoughts flowed into Davey¡¯s head as the broch on Illyna¡¯s chest faintly glowed. [You look like a viin smirking while plotting an evil scheme.] Davey was disappointed that not one, but all three of them were thinking the same thing. He called out, ¡°Illyna.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yeah?¡± Illyna had an anxious expression on her face. Davey asked in a dead serious tone, ¡°You want to take the test, right?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me such an obvious question?¡± ¡°Alright. It¡¯s fine.¡± The topic of discussion between Boris and Sylia was simple: they said that the future of the golem Davey had made was bright in many aspects, such as efficiency, but it was iffy. They were saying that he and the golem might get into serious trouble if they were just to be put into real battle since they had no proper training or knowledge about how to deal with evil beasts. ¡®You can¡¯t trust my capabilities because they¡¯re iffy?¡¯ Since it was clear that the Teachers didn¡¯t know the kind of effect a golem controller trained in alchemy could have in arge-scale battle, Davey had no choice but to show them again. He had to put some thought into it so that no one would be able to question him again. * * * The size of the forest was objectively quiterge. Therge forest that was right under the Pandora Region, the Zone of Evil in the northern region of the central continent that people couldn¡¯t reach, was a dangerous ce that not even mercenaries came to because it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. As a result, it was safe to say that the entire forest was a training ground that all the trainee members of the Alpha Reinforcements could use. -This training exercise works simrly to hopscotch, something that should be familiar! However, I¡¯ll exin it since there are people new to training! ¡°Hm¡­¡± Illyna moaned mildly like she had done this training before. -The range is from the first forest to the fifth! -We have marked the territory of each team by casting a turf magic in each region. -As always, we permit attacks against each other! Remember that the team that gains the most territory in the time limit receives the highest performance points! Also, don¡¯t forget that there are bonus points other than that! It basically meant that they could do whatever they wanted to mess with them. ¡°They¡¯re saying that it doesn¡¯t matter if it hurts like crap and it¡¯s agonizing?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ What? Seriously, why is he like that?!¡± [I¡¯m already worried what kinds of things he will do¡­] Davey heardints from a human and a divine sword as he had a history, but he just ignored them. -It will start in ten minutes! I will randomly give the signal to start! Now, get ready! Boris went silent after he made the announcements. Chapter 106 ¡°When the start signal rings, just run however I tell you to,¡± Dave said to Illyna. ¡°Just run?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time on people who are going to interfere. Just start running, and focus on widening our territory.¡± Of course, Illyna objected to Davey¡¯s opinion. She offered a logical exnation. ¡°Even if I do that, there isn¡¯t much territory I can get on my own. It¡¯s no use if the others start taking our territory once I leave, right? And if I get caught up with something¡­¡± Davey chuckled hollowly. ¡°Are you actually able to sleep when you¡¯re in that situation?¡± ¡°What, man?¡± Illyna frowned quite aggressively. ¡°I heard on the way here. I¡¯m nothing but an iffy newbie to the people of this ce,¡± Davey exined. ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s because you used Drunken Sword or Drunk Sword or whatever it¡¯s called.¡± ¡°And do you think the Teachers will put me into the real-battle test?¡± Illyna widened her eyes. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right; if I don¡¯t make them see that I can¡ªof course¡ªtake care of myself and that I possess something extraordinary, you¡¯re just wasting your time and energy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey could hear Illyna gritting her teeth. Fortunately, she had a pretty strong determination to reach her goals; even though she was a model student who always worked extremely hard, there was no way she would want to be eliminated without being able to use what she had been studying. ¡°There should be a way, right? Why don¡¯t you pick up a sword if there¡¯s nothing else?¡± Illyna asked Davey. ¡°I came here to collect data, not show off my power. And I forgot to tell you one thing.¡± ¡®The golem is strong enough for this ce, and technology is all dependent on how you use it.¡¯ Davey activated Megatron, ignored Illyna¡¯sints, and pulled out something from his expansion pouch as he climbed up onto arge rock. He grabbed a few small bags, a pair of binocrs, and a strange-looking mask. He said to Illyna, ¡°I¡¯ll take the binocrs and you take the rest. Make sure to wear the mask right now. Don¡¯t forget that alchemy is an OP-type branch that produces the best possible level of efficiency, especially in this kind of situation.¡± -Let the training begin! At the same time, Boris suddenly announced the signal to start as soon as Davey finished conversing with Illyna. Crash!! Then, explosive sounds were heard from all over the forest, as if everyone had been ready for this very moment. There were eight teams of two; these teams were going to brawl to widen their territory inside this forest. They would have to think on the spot, consider interference in the form of surprise attacks from behind or direct attacks¡­ It seemed like this training, which was executed while keeping various aspects in mind, was quite effective in enhancing a small number of elites. ¡°Ah whatever! I can just trust you, right?!¡± Whoosh! Then, Illyna bolted off in the direction Davey pointed towards like she couldn¡¯t just watch anymore. Davey couldn¡¯t expect a lot of power from her, since she was prohibited from using Divine Sword Caldeiras, during training. It was true that she was talented, but so were all the other trainees here. ¡°Can you hear me well?¡± Davey asked. [Yeah!] Illyna¡¯s answer buzzed through Davey¡¯s mind as he transferred his will by activating the mana he had attached on her body in advance. He raised his binocrs as soon as he checked that the magic sensitivity of transferring his will was good. He then said, ¡°There should be marbles inside the red pouch I handed you. Scatter them around a bit.¡± [What is this?] ¡°Eyeballs.¡± [Kyak!!] Davey could hear Illyna¡¯s scream, but he didn¡¯t really care. He had to do this since he couldn¡¯t observe the entire forest with just his binocrs alone. [You! I¡¯ll get you when I get back.] Davey, who nodded like he didn¡¯t care upon hearing Illyna¡¯s angry voice, gave Megatron its first order once the forest came into view. ¡°Megatron, long-range projectile mode.¡± [Command epted.] ¡®Have you ever heard of such a thing? It¡¯s called ¡®siege mode¡¯!¡¯ Clunk!! nk!! The most important thing in war, the very essence of expanding territory, was firepower. And right now, Davey was thinking of supporting Illyna with Megatron¡¯s firepower. He was determined to show how alchemists, who had been working hard to prepare for battle, fight unlike the usual way where people had to charge recklessly. Whing!!! The back part of Megatron began transforming as it nted its fists into the ground and positioned itself like a huge turret. However, the magic stones, which were responsible for the output of power, were gathered in one ce and positioned like one long cannon. This was unlike the interception mode before. Clunk! Then, Davey immediately removed the magic stone attached to the opening and put in another one he had prepared in advance. He ordered, ¡°Enter coordinates: 643.312.889. Output level 3.¡± [Command epted.] [Davey! Don¡¯t forget it¡¯s no killing!] ¡°Don¡¯t worry; I already changed the bullets. The most it will do is make them foam at the mouth.¡± [Ugh¡­ Seriously!] The golem was too unstable to be calledplete since it had yet to be fully adjusted, but Davey had added functions onto it based on his own desires. It might not be useful for those in the Master level, but to little trainee seedlings¡ªno, to these guys who had probably never fought with an alchemist before¡­ ¡°Level 5 CS Nausea Bullets. Fire all.¡± Davey was certain this was going to be catastrophic for them. The goal was to show the Teachers, who all had their own doubts, Davey¡¯s potential. The power of science wasn¡¯t shy, but realistic and persistent. Zzing¡­ Brrrt!! Davey was going to keep the enemies in check while also creating traps. And Illyna, who had exceptional physical abilities, had the job of widening their territory and setting up the traps he had given her like a dog! She would¡¯ve immediately choked him if she heard, but he did it anyway and she wasn¡¯t around. Boom!! Pshhh!!! Purple bullets of light filled the sky and began spreading white vapor once they hit the other side of the forest. The gas had elements of tear gas and nausea-inducingponents. ¡°I can see all of you.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t hold back his giggles as he watched the trainees run away in fear of the sudden bombing. Illyna and Megatron were pieces in a chess game, but the enemy trainees were also just chess pieces of the opponent. They would be¡­the rook and the queen if they had to be specific pieces. Davey was going to ingrain in them that a true battle alchemist watched from afar. ¡®Now, let the games begin.¡¯ * * * ¡°Kyah!! What is this?¡± A girl screamed and iled around. She was stuck onto an unknown sticky substance that clung to the ground. ¡°Fendyr!! Damn it, what is this?!¡± ¡°L¡ªLincy, help!¡± ¡°Wait! This is too sticky to¡­!¡± Boom!! Pshh!! The girl who was desperately trying to remove the sticky substance tumbled to the ground, since she was being hit by the purple magic bombs falling from the sky. ¡°L¡­ Lin¡­ Gag¡­ Hurk¡­ Kyahh!! My eyes! My eyesss!!¡± Fendyr copsed onto the floor and rolled around. She was exposed to the vapor, which induced massive headaches. She was dripping with tears and snot. It was a vapor that induced extreme nausea, suffocated them, and made people drip with tears and snot! It felt like senses such as smell, sight, hearing, and direction became all twisted and useless! They would¡¯ve been able to get rid of the sticky substance and escape this nasty vapor if they could have used their mana a little better¡­ But all they could do was panic, since most of their senses were taken away. Then, they werepletely destroyed by Illyna, who was prepared to attack them when they were in a panic. Most of their territory was taken in seconds, and they rolled around on the floor, shedding tears and snot. They had no regard for their ruined feminine appearances. There was a nasty vapor, strange traps thatpletely blocked escape routes, and a highly explosive magic bomb would beunched if one used spirits or released their mana to stop the vapor. Fendyr felt like she had be a toy being yed in somebody¡¯s game. ¡°The only person who would do something like this¡­¡± As far as Fendyr knew, there was no one among her trainee colleagues that would do something so cheap. It wasn¡¯t exactly cheap, but this overwhelmingly effective and efficient tool was thoroughly defeating them. Reaching this conclusion, Fendyr could only think of one person who could be responsible for this. ¡°Illyna!!!¡± It was Illyna de Pan and the new trainee she brought. Gritting her teeth, Fendyr stood up and frowned terribly when she saw Lincy force herself into the vapor. She grabbed Lincy. ¡°Cough! Cough! Lincy¡­ Gag¡­ My head hurts like¡­¡± ¡°That magic bomb. It seems like a special type of attac¡­ Kyahh!! It¡¯sing again!¡± Although it seemed like the two had caught on quickly since they were pretty gifted girls, it was quite sad that they remained in the palm of Davey¡¯s hand. Even if they tried, he would just block their escape route and bomb them with another CS Nausea Bullet. Whoosh whoosh whoosh!! Completely fed up with it, Lincy copsed onto her knees and gasped at the purple bombs that were approaching them from the sky with a nk face. ¡°This¡­is OP¡­¡± That was truly all she could say. * * * [You really have a terrible personality. How could you do something like this to children?] Illyna spoke without a hint of insincerity. Davey responded as he usually did. ¡°There is no cheap and dirty in real training. Get stronger if you feel that it¡¯s wrong.¡± [Wow~ You are so amazing.] Illyna spoke like she couldn¡¯t even be bewildered anymore. [I thought about it, and I decided; I¡¯m going to have to destroy that golem after this training or whatever. It¡¯s a danger that mustn¡¯t see the light of day.] ¡°Then our contract will be over.¡± Davey calmly hung up on Illyna. He put on his monocle and began writing on the chart that he pulled out from his chest pocket, checking off boxes and making notes. All the other teams were running around like their lives were on the line, but they were still trapped in the palm of the Almighty Davey. The children who were desperately running to escape the bullets would be infuriated if they knew that this was all Davey was doing. -32 bombs missed. 45 bombsnded. It¡¯s quite a slow speed for continuous shooting for a whole fifteen minutes. ¡°Aside from the speed, the precision is worse than I thought.¡± -The consumption of the stored mana bes too great as the range increases. It was quite ingenious of you to induce a status effect on them since the firepower is too weak to expect a good hit¡­ But you won¡¯t even be able to distinguish between your allies and enemies like this. ¡°It would be overdoing it, even if a magic stone is a tank full of mana. Maybe I should rip off more of the armor and put less stress on movement¡­ Coordinates 443.382.721; make range of error less than four meters. Launch.¡± [Command epted. Launching.] Davey had seven extremely rare magic stones; although only three were being used as a battery and one as a mount, it wasn¡¯t like the rest were just idly doing nothing¡­ This was the pinnacle of spending money and using technology like water! The scientific advancement of Davey was the greatest in the world! Although 60% of the foundation wasn''t created by him and was just ancient remnants¡­ -Magic stones also have a limit, Davey. Maybe you should just charge idle power¡­ When Perserque offered her ideas while pointing out what he was missing, Davey said, ¡°Let¡¯s think about it. Region 323.142.506; make range of error less than three meters. Two CS Nausea Bullets and one Shock Bullet. Launch.¡± [Launching.] Zzing crash!! Davey continuously kept the others in check, even while discussing matters with Perserque, through his binocrs and the surveince equipment Illyna had ced throughout the forest. The territory that he could see already seemed much bigger than everyone else¡¯s. The others were probably tremendously frustrated since he didn¡¯t give them an opportunity to strike back. ¡°Idiots. Even if it¡¯s apetition, you guys should know how to cooperate and team up with each other if the opponent is too strong. All of them are just so full of pride.¡± Davey was rxed as he clicked his tongue while holding his hands behind his back. He remained in such a state until the moment Boris urgently shouted that the training was over. Chapter 107 43. Exploring the Ancient Ruins Relying on his talent, Davey continually kept the opponents in check by effectively cing long-range bombs and using alchemy tools. He also kept his location hidden with constant interruptions and scattered decoys everywhere. The children who happened to be tricked fell into a trap and became incapacitated, and Davey made the ones who happened to find him after a desperate search either collide with others or he lost them like he had been prepared for that scenario. Even while doing that, he was giving orders to his partner without forgetting her situation. If those traps and those distinct purple bombs had been made with fatal substances, this would have undoubtedly resulted in a one-sided massacre. Davey had ensured that the teams had no contact with one another so that they could not join forces, and he widened his territory in the meantime. After taking their territories, he also reminded them of the fact and made them lose even more of their cool. By then, it was inevitable for problems to arise since they could no longer think logically. Not knowing what to do in the unfamiliar situation they found themselves in, the trainees began overying their hand. They then lost even more after being overpowered once again. Gripped by a sense of urgency, they overyed their hand again and were overpowered once more¡­ Their course of action could only be described as a vicious cycle. ¡°What is¡­¡± Sylia and Boris could not pick their jaws up from the ground as they monitored the training that took ce in the forest. It looked like someone was toying with them; fourteen people were all wrapped around the finger of one single person. That one person directly aimed at only about six of the trainees, but they could clearly see that the person was using those six trainees to affect the others in hard-to-reach regions. ¡°This is a surprising situation,¡± Sylia said exasperatedly. Boris hummed. He thought that Daveycked real battle experience, though thetter''s ability to create and control golems was exceptional. What he was seeing simply told a totally different story. ¡°Did you see the route Trainee Illyna is moving on?¡± Sylia asked Boris. ¡°Hm? Oh¡­ I am watching¡­¡± ¡°Just by looking at the children¡¯s movements, she can pretty much predict their next moves. It means that her partner is keeping in check those that he can¡¯t take care of with his golem or traps by moving Trainee Illyna along the shortest route. So, this¡­¡± Struggling to find her words, Sylia trailed off, then sighed. ¡°That boy¡­ In terms ofrge-scale battles, that boy ispletely¡­¡± ¡°Much more advanced than an expert warrior¡­ No, even they couldn¡¯t overwhelm the children like this. The children had been caught up in this and don¡¯t know why they are being overpowered to such a degree¡­¡± Boris and Sylia were left speechless at Davey''s bold strategy while keeping the opponent¡¯s skill levels in mind. They knew that Davey was being realistic. The firepower wasn¡¯t strong, nor did it weigh them down for long. It wouldn¡¯t even be considered a distraction if Boris and Sylia set out¨C on the battlefield; however, Davey''s quick thinking, method of keeping his opponents in check, and his high efficiency when working with his team¡­ It was unbelievable. Boris and Sylia felt that it was wrong of them to judge a book only by its cover. Davey¡¯s sloppy skills in swordsmanship were abysmal, but his skills in everything else werepletely different. The most surprising aspect was that Davey, who was doing all this, was a young boy who had just be an adult. ¡°This is unbelievable if it¡¯s not a coincidence¡­¡± ¡°I knew that Trainee Illyna hadplete faith, but¡­ Ha!¡± The boy was almost catastrophically talented. ¡°Their territory expanded to three times its original size in just fifteen minutes. Trainee Illyna, who is the one physically expanding the territory, is very fast as well, but¡­¡± The duration of the training was almost over; the teams all started with the same territory size, but now, there were three teams who had most of their territory taken by Davey after being helplessly trapped. For this training, Boris and Sylia had nned for the children to seize each other¡¯s territories and gain experience while doing so sincerge-scale territorial battles with dozens of team members would bemon once they were put in for real battle in the Pandora Region. In terms of that kind of battle¡­Davey had something that was even far superior to Boris and Sylia, in a way. ¡°Teacher Sylia.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only saying this after seeing this now, but¡­ Do you really think a boy that quick and wise would have left his golem to freeze up in his battle with Trainee Sio because he didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Maybe that golem didn¡¯t even freeze in the first ce. Perhaps¡­ he yed Sio¡­¡± -Stop! Training is over! Everyone is to return! The injured: stay in your ce and wait for a Teacher! The explosionspletely subsided once Boris¡¯ shouts spread throughout the entire forest by magic. ¡°Seriously¡­ What did he do beforeing here¡­?¡± In this day and age, Sylia knew that it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for Davey to gain enough experience to act without hesitation. She squinted at Davey, the ck-haired boy calmly examining his deactivated golem, through a crystal. * * * To the existing members, Davey was probably a thorn in their side. His presence felt closer to a stab in the gut, but he had to endure this so that he could participate as Illyna¡¯s test partner, as well as to collect a bunch of data that would be helpful to developing Megatron¡¯s strategic movements. Nothing other than Davey¡¯s promise to Illyna mattered much, even if it had brought about the jealousy of the other trainees. However, not everyone was as hostile toward him as Davey had thought. With just one training session, it seemed as though they had judged him to be a golem controller with outstanding abilities for evaluating the battlefield and controlling his golem even if his physical abilities were sloppy. He did correct them and tell them that he was actually an alchemist, but it seemed that Megatron had made quite a huge impression on them. ¡°Illyna! Over here!¡± The people who were greeting Illyna and waving their hands toward her as soon as Illyna entered the cafeteria didn¡¯t seem to feel any difort or difficulty because of her rank; perhaps it was because she was just their colleague here, even if she was the princess of a huge empire in public. ¡°Lincy!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been so long! When was thest time we saw each other? Is the outside world exciting?¡± As the brown-haired girl chattered nonstop, Davey could see a girl with light pink hair who looked to be her twin and arge boy with short red hair who couldn¡¯t be missed. Lincy hugged Illyna tightly, as if she was so happy to reunite with thetter and tugged Illyna into the empty seat next to her. They were on one side of the long table. ¡°Over here. Sit! And¡­¡± ¡°Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°Ah right! Sir Davey! My name is Lincy Pe! And these two twins are Shayir and Fendyr Renda. And that red-haired dummy is Heg! Oh¡­ Um¡­ Is it okay if I speak informally to you since we are the same age?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± ¡°Okay! Sit here!¡± Lincy, who seemed to be very outgoing, also offered Davey a seat at the table. It was like she didn¡¯t care that he had shot Megatron¡¯s bombs at her. She then addressed Illyna. ¡°Anyway, you were almostte again!¡± ¡°I have some things to do on the outside, too.¡± ¡°True. You¡¯re part of the Roaming Knights, right?¡± Lincy giggled adorably and turned her nce over to Davey. ¡°Then, Davey, are you also going to be a Roaming Knight since Illyna brought you?¡± ¡°Roaming Knight?¡± When Davey asked with intrigue at the unfamiliar term, Heg chuckled. ¡°They are knight members that have ties with the outside world. The ones that travel between this ce and the outside world are the Roaming Knights, and the ones that live here with no ties to the outside world are called Anchor Knights.¡± Of course, the Alpha Reinforcements was already on top of things, and money was essential to get supplies and other things. It seemed like there were two types of knights in the Alpha Reinforcements ording to Heg¡¯s follow-up exnation; the first were the Roaming Knights, who usually delivered funds, got supplies, and collected information, and the second were the Anchor Knights, who protected this ce and the monitored regions with no connections to the outside world. Most stayed based on their own preferences, since everyone here had their own situations. ¡°Then I must be part of the Roaming Knights,¡± Davey said. ¡°Davey, what do you do outside? Are you nobility since you have your own pce? Or¡­ Royalty?¡± Lincy asked. ¡°Actually, he¡¯s a prince even though he doesn¡¯t seem that way. He¡¯s the First Prince of a kingdom, and also a seigneur.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ To see a prince in person¡­¡± Illyna pointed at Davey with her fork like she was sick of him. He wondered how the nobility and royalty of the Pan Empire would react if they saw her act so freely and without the manners of royalty. ¡°Anyways, it was amazing! I heard you made that golem yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was so surprised at the sudden bombarding of magic bombs during training. I got flustered for one second, and the next thing I knew, my territory was all taken.¡± The twins chattered and asked Davey questions. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if they had tried to choke him right now, since Davey knew how much he had screwed them over. However, they thought that Davey''s actions had been normal because it was training, and that it was natural for strong people to keep them in check. ¡®These kids are all innd.¡¯ [Do you have to think of them in such a twisted way?] Illyna replied when Davey spoke to her through the will-delivering magic spell he had cast on her during training. [I am also worried, to be honest.] But it seemed like Illyna was also worried about them as well. It was difficult to tell if her worry was because of the unbelievable things Davey had shown or because they were furious at him. To Davey, he could see that some of the trainees were definitely looking at him with wariness. He could also see Sio Howl, who was tantly expressing his hostility, and Treve, who was so emotionless that it seemed like nothing would be able to phase him. Sio Howl and Treve had been based right opposite where Davey and Illyna had been during training, so they hadn¡¯t really been affected by his attacks. However, it seemed like Sio Howl was annoyed that Davey had performed the best during training. [Sio Howl is an Anchor Knight through and through, so he doesn¡¯t like the Roaming Knights. What should I say¡­ There¡¯s some friction between the Roaming and Anchor Knights, too.] ¡®Dumbass.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t help but think Sio Howl was stupid. The Alpha Reinforcements, a pir of the Last Wisp, would have been split a long time ago if the two types of knights didn¡¯t cooperate and join forces. He wondered if Sio knew this. -Well, it¡¯s not like racists have some sort of great knowledge and logic for being that way. Davey nodded at Perserque¡¯s strange yet fitting analogy. ¡°But I never knew that golems could be that strong. And I was continually taken down by the traps Illyna put¡­¡± ¡°Since it was definitely the first time we¡¯ve seen someone fight with a tool¡­¡± Chapter 108 The Alpha Reinforcements had a Special One, who were extremely rare, but didn¡¯t have a battle alchemist. There were a lot of obstacles that battle alchemists had to face; if Davey didn¡¯t have the original version of a golem made with the integration of ancient technology, he wouldn¡¯t have thought to make the Megatron. There was no way of knowing whatplicated incidents had led alchemy to be that advanced in the very ancient civilizations, but alchemy now was still moving along the stages of progression. To be frank, the level of development was probably far superior in the past when they were desperate to survive than now. -Every kind of development stems from the development of weapons. It was ironic. Davey and the others were sitting around and happily chattering amongst themselves like recess during school. ¡°Anyways, is there anything between you two?¡± ¡°True. There¡¯s a rumor that Illyna¡­is in an arranged engagement with the youngest elder of the Red Tower, right? They¡¯re not in a rtionship, then.¡± It seemed like Illyna had at least some feelings for Yulis since she wasn¡¯t really denying it. ¡®Winley¡¯s love rival seems to be quite qualified, though her personality is a little off.¡¯ Tsk tsk. Lincy and the others were debating amongst themselves out of curiosity, but unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t really a point of interest for children who liked fairy tales. ¡®What should I say¡­?¡¯ Davey had be acquainted with Illyna when she hade to punish him after he had run away and screwed her over at the Duchy of Felicity. ¡®Hm, it¡¯s pretty convincing.¡¯ ¡°We are friends who have shared a secret.¡± Illyna, however, answered with a calm face. She had no intention of giving some useless exnation, but Davey also felt that she was emphasizing the word, ¡®friend¡¯. -For royalty like her, she would have to be careful even in finding friends. Davey understood Illyna¡¯s situation. That was when a girl in an borate but neat white uniform approached Illyna with a bright smile. ¡°Oh! Lady Illyna, there is no such thing as a tonic friendship between a man and a woman.¡± ¡°Lucia?¡± Illyna flinched upon figuring out who she was. Lucia giggled happily. ¡°I waited for a really long time. How long has it been?¡± ¡°Oh. Um¡­¡± ¡°All of this is a blessing from Lady Daphne, the first saintess.¡± Lucia was wearing a uniform that clearly looked like that of a Holy Empire¡¯s priest, who should be serving Goddess Freyja, but she was speaking of that wicked (in Davey¡¯s eyes) Saintess Daphne rather than Goddess Freyja. Lincy who was sitting opposite Davey and chuckled at his shocked expression. She exined, ¡°Lucia Shelman is a total fanatic of the first saintess. So, she memorizes the first saintess¡¯ aplishments and goes around spreading them. The problem is that she overdoes it a little¡­¡± Davey stared at Lucia in bewilderment. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Lucia Shelman. You are Illyna¡¯s partner, Sir Davey, right?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Wee. No time for this; You should also hear of the great achievements of Daphne, the first saintess¡­!¡± Already getting started and chattering on, Lucia seemed full of respect for Saintess Daphne. Lucia would never know what Saintess Daphne, the saintess she adored and respected so much, actually did in the Hall. Lucia grabbed her partner, who looked fed up with it and was trying to run away. She then went on and on about Saintess Daphne¡¯s achievements with no regard for Davey¡¯s thoughts. ¡°To describe her in one word, Lady Daphne is noble, good, and sacred enough to be called the reincarnation of God¡­¡± ¡®That woman has a potty mouth and is a hot-tempered drunkard.¡¯ * * * Lucia Shelman was much more of a stalker than Davey had thought. He knew that all kinds of people existed, but it was the first time he had heard about Daphne no matter what he was doing. He thought, ¡®I did see Illyna show an obsession over the traces of the Sword Lord, but this¡­¡¯ -This isn¡¯t just an obsession¡­ ¡®She¡¯s an insane fanatic of the saintess!¡¯ ¡°ording to the description left in the holy scriptures, Lady Daphne, the first saintess, was said to be brilliant from a young age. Boys and girls of the same age all followed her with their hearts, because they fell for her and her noble character.¡± Davey wondered if Lucia knew that Daphne, the person she respected with all her heart, was actually the greatest bully of the block who had all the children under hermand. She was said to have beat the guys she didn¡¯t like with her little fists. ¡°Lady Daphne¡¯s character is also well-known in the Holy Empire. It was said that even the most wicked of criminals would repent their sins after speaking with her. She wouldn¡¯t be wrong if [Fxxk], [Shxt], [A shxxxx fxxking dumbaxx] were included in her benevolent way of speech.¡± ¡®Daphne actually made criminals repent their sins with her fists rather than with benevolence and embrace.¡¯ -Davey, no! She¡¯s going to choke you if you tell her that! Davey was itching to say what was on his mind as Lucia went on to say, ¡°That¡¯s not all! In serving Goddess Freyja, First Saintess Daphne never took a day off¡­¡± ¡°She said that she would get caught hiding in the corner because she was toozy to partake in the regrly scheduled worship.¡± Davey looked a little guilty as he blurted out that fact. ¡°What?!¡± Lucia looked surprised and tilted her head in confusion. -Oh no¡­ Your mouth is the problem¡­ ¡®Well, it¡¯s true! What do you want me to do about it? She said that she didn¡¯t get in trouble because she gave some sort of excuse.¡¯ Davey smiled awkwardly at Lucia and quickly added, ¡°Ah, I meant someone else. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Right? There¡¯s no way the first saintess would hide during worship!¡± Davey thought that Lucia had her head in the sand, but he said nothing. -You are often quite impulsive when ites to matters about the heroes of the Hall. ¡®Hm, I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Davey had given it some thought, but he had no reason to hold onto it if Lucia was going to let it go with a misunderstanding. Fed up with Lucia, who seemed like she was going to continue worshiping Saintess Daphne, Lucia¡¯s partner quickly pulled her arm. He said apologetically, ¡°Ahaha, sorry. You can¡¯t stop her once she gets started. We¡¯re going somewhere else. Come with me!¡± ¡°Kyah!! You should act with more elegance as a Holy Knight of the same religious order as the first saintess¡­¡± ¡°It is Goddess Freyja that I serve, not Saintess Daphne.¡± Seeing Davey and the others go pale, Lucia¡¯s partner grabbed her by the back of her neck. It was done with such familiarity that it looked like amon urrence. ¡°Lucia¡¯s partner always has a hard time just from being her partner alone.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡®They say that there are no friends between opposite genders¡­ Is this what double standards are?¡¯ It probably didn¡¯t mean that there were literally two standards¡­ -Double standards? ¡®It means that [It¡¯s romantic when I do it, but it¡¯s an affair if others do the same].¡¯ It probably meant that it was amon urrence, since they were talking about it familiarly. ¡°Um, Lincy? The atmosphere of the knight order is a little disorderly¡­¡± Illyna, who looked like she was deep in thought, asked quietly. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about when you first came here with Davey, right? Well, it¡¯s true that it¡¯s rare for the Teachers to be that tense because of an outsider. Both Sio and the Teachers were acting over the top. You know that guy likes to take the lead.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I don¡¯t know if I should exin this¡­¡± The twin sisters were hesitating about what to say and couldn¡¯t speak their minds easily. That was when¡­ ¡°It seems that someone disturbed Shandra, the transcendental being.¡± A pretty girl with red-orange-hair, who had only been watching from afar, slowly approached them and answered with a charming smile. ¡°Alyssa Patrick¡­¡± Illyna seemed like she was a little tired upon realizing who it was. ¡°Long time no see, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that here.¡± Alyssa giggled elegantly like she was satisfied, then opened her mouth again. ¡°The headquarters are thinking that there is a spy in the knight order creating conflict. Thanks to that, the atmosphere is in the gutters. Moreover, many knight members either died or were injured from an evil beast attack.¡± ¡°Alyssa! That should be kept a secret from trainees!¡± ¡°Oh, is it?¡± Alyssa smiled without being flustered and nced at Davey. ¡°But isn¡¯t it funny that Lady Illyna and Sir Davey are the only ones who don¡¯t know about this when you know about it as well? Isn¡¯t that right, Prince Davey?¡± Davey smiled. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Hehehe, I didn¡¯t know that even Prince Davey woulde here.¡± ¡°You know of me?¡± ¡°Oh, of course, since I am part of the Roaming Knights as well. Almost everyone in the east continent has heard of your name.¡± Alyssa spoke softly as she put on a pretty smile and walked toward Davey. She paled inparison to Illyna¡¯s beauty, but she was still stunning; it was just that the person she was beingpared to was unbelievably beautiful. However, Davey felt a slight familiarity from her. It wasn¡¯t a negative one, but it was difficult to describe in words. ¡°Well, is there something you want to tell me?¡± Davey asked Alyssa. Alyssa then took a deep breath while staring at Davey silently, then confidently gave something to him from her chest pocket. ¡°Please write something for me! It would be nice if it was my name¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Although it was for a moment, Davey was dumbfounded by Alyssa, who shouted with a flushed face, ¡°I¡¯m a fan! You are my idol, Prince Davey!¡± * * * It seemed that Alyssa Patrick was from a small noble family from the Pan Empire, which was Illyna¡¯s kingdom. ¡°The Patrick family, where Alyssa is from, is a part of the conservatives. So, she said that she grew up learning the etiquette of a woman and hearing that she had to act like a woman,¡± Illyna exined. ¡°What does that have to do with me being her idol?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Well, most people know that you used to be a weak and powerless prince in the Rowane Kingdom who would just be swept up in the kingdom¡¯s events. But you are hugely sessful in your business after bing independent, and you are now developing the territory at a fast rate,¡± Illyna exined. With a smile, she added, ¡°Your name is quite well-known in the central continent, too.¡± Davey nodded uninterestedly at Illyna¡¯s exnation while sitting at the table and shaking his leg. He muttered, ¡°Maybe I should add a new function.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to add something again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s greed, really. It would be nice if it¡¯s detachable like custom parts.¡± -If your dream is an electric chainsaw, I¡¯m leaning toward a drill. Davey¡¯s eyes sparkled as he thought hard about the Megatron after hearing Perserque¡¯s ideas. ¡°A drill¡­ Oh, that¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°A drill? What is that?¡± Illyna asked with worry, feeling anxious after hearing Davey¡¯s words. However, Davey just told Illyna to watch without saying more. Chapter 109 The branch of alchemy required more memorization and understanding rather than practice. As such, Davey had only memorized information about it and had never really made something. He was regretful that all he did was stuff his head with information without actually using it. Whirrr!! Whirrr!!!! Illyna looked like she had now given up on Davey. She just watched the sharp, cone-shaped metal spin mercilessly. She muttered, ¡°Every time I see it, I feel that you have a talent for creating terrifying things. I feel like I¡¯m going to wet myself in fear just from looking at it.¡± Elder Goulda had also said something simr when Davey had given him the blueprint to the golem. ¡®The idea is really fresh and new, Wise Teacher, but this is also quite terrifying.¡¯ It was a drill that rotated a huge piece of metal with arge amount of mana. ¡°All I did was make a few feasible modifications with the data I¡¯ve umted so far, but I still have to test the durability and sustainability more,¡± Davey said. He didn¡¯t have high expectations but the materials weren¡¯t going to waste either. -It¡¯s inevitable, since you just made it with whatever ideas popped into your head. Since Davey had just spontaneously made the drill with no proper data, he had to consider it breaking or its power output suddenly decreasing. It took about three days for the drill, the first custom part prototype, to bepleted. Davey felt proud now that he had an initial finished product after working for three days straight in the Decepticon Fleet Workshop, which was the basement of the seigneur¡¯s newly renovated pce in the Heins Territory. Buzz!! Buzzz!!! Davey inserted the drill into the metal sheet that was made for experimentation and fixed the parts that needed improvement. He also checked the power of Megatron, which was drilling away mercilessly. ¡°The ck metal is coated with mithril for now, but it should be somewhat durable.¡± Simr to how parts like a scope,ser, shlight, or handles could be attached to a gun, one advantage of a golem was that custom parts could be attached to it. In that sense, the drill was the start of detachable armory. The rate of growth from actually building something was very different from just theoretical study itself. ¡°But where are you going to test that?¡± Illyna asked cautiously. Davey shrugged like it was obvious. ¡°They¡¯re everywhere in the High Pce of the headquarters of the knight order. The overeager saplings full of motivation and determination who will test the performance of the new product.¡± Illyna began looking at Davey like he was trash. ¡°¡­You are really an ass.¡± Davey was aware of that. * * * ¡°Kyahh!!¡± ¡°Sob!¡± Two girls ran around the battle stadium, screaming or crying out for help. Grind!! Grind!!! Vrrr!! With an electric chainsaw in one hand and a drill in the other, Megatron was going after the two girls without stopping. ¡®Hm, other than the fact that it gets overheated too quickly, I like the performance.¡¯ Davey observed. He had wanted to fight some evil beasts, but he wasn¡¯t yet given ess to the entrance area of the Pandora Region where evil beasts ran wild. ¡°S¡ªStop!¡± ¡°We lost! We surrender! Surrender!¡± The two people, Fendyr Renda, the younger sister of the twins, and her partner, Lincy Pe, screamed and copsed onto the floor with pale faces. It was a tremendous result that the golem had them instinctively feel fear even when they knew that the golem wasn¡¯t really going to hurt them. ¡°Stop moving,¡± Daveymanded. [Command epted.] Megatron, which was charging toward the pair without hesitation, stopped as soon as it heard Davey. Stopping the two horrifying things in its hand, it slowly bent down. Fendyr Renda, an intermediate wind elementalist, and Expert Hunter Lincy Pe¨C¨C¨C were a pair specialized for long-range attacks. They would use the wind spirits to elevate their mobility and utilize a hit-and-run method by tag-teaming. They weren¡¯t a badbination, but they both didn¡¯t have enough firepower to blow away Megatron¡¯s big and heavy body. There was nothing to protect them, since the spirit they urgently summoned to be their defensive wall was shredded up by the electric chainsaw and punctured by the drill. ¡°I told you to go a little easy on us¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­ You¡¯re so mean!¡± Fendyr still took the candy Davey handed her despite grumbling with a frown. There was nothing better than sugar tofort children. ¡°Davey! Let us try, too!¡± Then, Shayir Renda, Fendyr¡¯s older twin sister, and Heg Pair, who wielded a warrior giant, came up onto the battle stadium. In the two weeks that he had be a trainee andmuted between Alpha Reinforcements and the Heins Territory, Davey had earned the reputation of someone who was quite powerful and had a good eye. Perhaps the children had rubbed off on Davey; it seemed like he took a liking to those guys who were treating him as a fellow trainee with basic kindness and civility. In fact, he had never experienced anything like this in his past or current life, or even his life in the Hall. He couldn¡¯t deny the fact that the children had grown on him in just less than a month. It was only secondary that the Teachers¡¯ evaluation about Davey¡¯spetency had improved. ¡°Would this be what being in school feels like?¡± Davey wondered. Even considering his past life, he had no memory of going to school beyond elementary school. He remembered some things, but since he had never left the hospital after finishing elementary school, the only memory he had was spending time in a jail-like aseptic room until he died. Davey became a little annoyed as that recollection popped into his head. ¡°I prepared a lot for this day! I won¡¯t go easy on the golem since I want to learn how to beat the golem.¡± Davey revealed a genuine smile after patting the armored arms of Megatron, which was silently waiting for itsmand. Hemanded, ¡°I look forward to it. Let¡¯s go with Tactic type DDD.¡± [Command epted.] It was ¡®D¡¯ for ¡®Dark¡¯! ¡®D¡¯ for ¡®Death¡¯! ¡®D¡¯ for ¡®Destroy¡¯! ng!! Whirrr!! At the same time, the metal monster with shining blue eyes began moving. Its drill and electric chainsaw began moving ferociously too. Thebat practice came to an end when a few shouted about the news that a new ancient ruins had been discovered, and all the trainees were going to go to the ruins for a field trip. 44. Falling! The ruins were an undiscovered site near the Pandora Region¡¯s entrance. It seemed that the three Teachers who were responsible for the knight order¡¯s education had decided to send the trainees to the ancient ruins, which was difficult to discern how old it was. ¡°The new residents and the existing ones are harmonizing much better than expected, thanks to the policies you implemented,¡± Royal Attendant Bernile updated Davey. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Daveymented. ¡°And¡­I received a message from Royal Attendant Bespard of the Royal Pce that Sir Ramdas, the doctor of the royal pce, is visiting His Majesty more and more often¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Your Highness, he is still your father. How about you go see him once?¡± ¡°No.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile smiled bitterly and said nothing more. Davey believed that King Krianes wouldn¡¯t want him to visit, and Davey also didn¡¯t really want to meet him. Apparently, Second Prince Carlus, the person Davey had given circr bald spots to, was acting with more disrespect as the days went by. Carlus had been affected with a nasty case of circr baldness and strange animal sounds that followed his words. Although the curse of animal sounds had been broken, Carlus was probably being quite hysterical since the shiny spot on his head hadn¡¯t been treated yet. ¡®I hope he brings destruction onto himself after suffering as much pain as possible,¡¯ Davey thought, since there was only one possible oue from the start. ¡°Anyway, you look much better recently. Has something happened?¡± Bernile asked. ¡°Do I seem that way? I met a few amusing people recently,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Yes. It is disrespectful, but¡­you used to look like a grandpa who had experienced all that life has to offer, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Your sense of humor seems to have improved yet again. I assume you mean to say that it¡¯s nice to see me this way.¡± When Davey agreed contentedly, a pleasant smile appeared on Royal Attendant Bernile¡¯s face. When Davey returned to the High Pce as the Heins Territory¡¯s residents waved their goodbyes, he could see the overeager and highly motivated little saplings standing in front of him. They were all prepared and excited. ¡°Ah! Davey! Illyna! You¡¯re here!¡± Excited for their practical ss, the trainees were showing off their backpacks like the overeager saplings they were. ¡°Quiet!¡± Then, the three Teachers came out. They had been waiting for all the trainees to gather at the auditorium. ¡°As everyone knows, we are going for a practical ss to thebyrinth found near the Pandora Region¡¯s entrance!¡± ¡°The ce you guys are going is the real deal! Don¡¯t forget that dangers will be lurking in your surroundings at any given time! And they can cause you your life!¡± ¡°Do not let your guard down at all times. Being off-guard is death for a knight order.¡± The trainees listened to the Teachers with sparkling eyes, but it didn¡¯t seem like they were taking the advice to heart. Then, they stepped onto the carriage, following the lead of the Teachers and chattered like they were children going on a pic. Since there were some whopletely abandoned the outside world and only lived in the base of Alpha Reinforcements, the field trip might¡¯ve been a fresh stimulus for them. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Davey let out a dumbfounded moan when he saw the ancient ruins after traveling for about five hours. -This is¡­ The Pandora Region was in the north of the central continent, and the Heins Territory was in the eastern continent, but the discovered ancient ruins were so simr despite the rtive distance between both ces. -It¡¯s slightly different¡­ But it¡¯s mostly the same. The trainees only thought of it as just a fascinating site, but Davey was thinking of something else altogether. Although it was just a prediction, Davey thought that since there was something huge hidden in the Heins Territory¡¯s ancient ruins, there should definitely be something simr in a ruins like this if it hadn¡¯t been discovered yet. ¡®Should I take it?¡¯ It was worth a shot whether it was possible or not. -What if there¡¯s a golem again? ¡®If there is, let¡¯s just take the part that has the magic stones and magic circles arranged on it. It¡¯s a problem that we only have one Megatron in our Decepticon Fleet.¡¯ Since there was only one more being built, Davey would be able to arrange a perfect army of guardians that would be able to take care of the problems that arise in the territory. ¡°Everyone quiet! Everything is unknown from here on! Remember that the only person you can count on is your partner! Rescue them if you can! However, retreat if you think it¡¯s dangerous!¡± Boris cautiously announced a few things to keep in mind and pulled out his sword after nagging a few more times. ¡°From now on, you will explore the ancient ruins!¡± The eyes of the trainees sparkled with excitement as Boris shouted firmly. * * * As Davey expected, the inside of the ancient ruins was very simr to the Heins Territory''s ancient ruins: the inside wall built of unknown stone blocks that were difficult to break even with [Aura de], and the blue light seeping out from the cracks. However, one difference was that golems were nowhere to be seen. It was quite a shame, but there was a high chance that the trainees wouldn¡¯t have been able toe here if something like that were to appear here. The golems would still have firepower simr to the power of an extremely advanced Expert even if they didn¡¯t have the output of the Megatron. ¡°It is said that this ce has three levels.¡± Alyssa Patrick said. ¡°Three levels?¡± Davey asked. He was walking behind Illyna, while the former remained silent. ¡°Yes, but it seems like it¡¯s fine for trainees to explore the first and second floors as only low-level evil beasts show up there.¡± Alyssa was friendly enough to give out information to Davey even though he didn¡¯t even ask. He felt even more pressured after she said something about him being her role model or something. Chapter 110 Eavesdropping on Davey and Alyssa¡¯s conversation, Illyna slowed down and asked while holding Caldeiras in her arms. ¡°Then, does that mean that we¡¯re not going to the third floor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Highness. We are exploring the first and second floors. I heard that we are exploring for four days,¡± Alyssa exined. ¡°I guess there are a lot of dangerous evil beasts on the third floor?¡± ¡°That is¡­ It¡¯s something that I¡¯ve only heard, but¡­¡± Alyssa looked around cautiously before whispering to Davey and Illyna, ¡°Apparently, there are no evil beasts on the third floor.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t?¡± ¡°Instead¡­ There are other very dangerous things there.¡± ¡°Dangerous things¡­¡± Illyna¡¯s expression slightly tensed up as she became lost in thought. ¡°They aren¡¯t living things. They might be golems, from what I hear.¡± Davey wondered how Alyssa had obtained this kind of information, and it would only be polite for him to ask and express his curiosity. ¡°Where are you getting this kind of information from?¡± ¡°To be honest¡­ I¡¯m a light sleeper.¡± Alyssa winked cutely as she whispered in Davey¡¯s ear. Then, she said earnestly, ¡°Hehe. But is it of help? I thought that you would be interested in this piece of information since you are a golem controller.¡± ¡°It is. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± It seemed like Illyna was a little displeased by Alyssa¡¯s delightful giggling, but Davey didn¡¯t bother pointing it out. Just like Alyssa Patrick had said, the first floor of the ancient ruins had nothing other than basic and unfamiliar evil beasts. However, the new evil beasts wouldn¡¯t be difficult to get rid of if they all paired up and took action with careful consideration. ¡°Manifest by my will! Wundinae!¡± ¡°Huyyah!!¡± With Shayir Renda¡¯s shouts, Heg charged in with his warrior giant like a truck and split the strange-looking evil beasts in half. The evil beast was named ¡®Large Stump¡¯. It looked like a giant tree stump with arge eye in the middle and weird twigs or tentacles on its head. ¡°There are three more stumps ahead! Don¡¯t let down your guard!¡± The stumps were strong, but theirck of speed made them less of a threat. Still, their strength was threatening enough. Going up against them, the children couldn¡¯t let down their guard. There were enchanted golems on the third floor, and there were some on the second as well. The Pandora Region was covered with permafrost. As such, Davey thought that the climate of was cursed like hwo it was in the Heins Territory. ¡°Davey.¡± Whirr!! Crack!! -Kahhh! ¡®Or perhaps there¡¯s something that much valuable hidden away.¡¯ Whirr!! -Kyahh!! ¡°Davey!¡± Davey, who was watching the stumps while lost in thought, looked over with wide eyes. He heard someone urgently calling upon him. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± When Davey turned to see what was going on¡­ -Kahhh!! Davey saw the Megatron viciously crushing the stumps. The other pairs of trainees were taking one aside and attacking it with caution, but the Megatron was grabbing four or five stumps at a time and beating them to a pulp even without Davey¡¯smand. The Megatron grabbed a stump, which was trying to run away while letting out a strange scream, by its tentacles and ripping it apart or shredding it up with the electric chainsaw. It also made a stump skewer by puncturing the monster in the eye and swinging it at the other stumps. It was difficult to tell which one was the malicious monster in this situation¡­ ¡°Davey¡¯s golem is really¡­¡± ¡°Too strong¡­ We have to be careful even when going against one of them¡­¡± ¡°Are golem controllers usually that strong?¡± Davey shook his head firmly when the trainees asked him in bewilderment. He was sure that no other golem in this continent was more powerful than the Megatron. It wasn¡¯t just his wishful thinking, because this was a fact. ¡°Ahem! Trainee Davey. I like that you are driven, but you have to cooperate with your partner.¡± Davey had to manage the Megatron¡¯s power level, but he failed to see that it was running wild because he was engrossed in the ancient ruins. Thanks to that, Illyna was staring into space with nothing to do. ¡°Ah¡­ Sorry. I was thinking of something else. May I rest for a bit?¡± ¡°Ahem! Alright, you can.¡± The battlefield, which was being overwhelmingly dominated by Davey, started to be head-to-head as soon as he left. -Davey. ¡°Hm.¡± -You don¡¯t really want this situation to end, right? Davey didn¡¯t deny Perserque¡¯s spection. -Although it cannot recreate a real school-life experience, it must be new to you since you are experiencing something simr. That¡¯s why you are intentionally lowering your skill level to match their¡¯s and helping them in different ways. ¡°To be honest¡­¡± It was dangerous for Davey to spend time in the knight order, since danger could arise at any time. However, the little peaceful life he had found here was quite shocking. It was refreshing because he hadn¡¯t experienced it before, and it was true that he wanted to enjoy it a little longer. -However, Davey, you have to remember that with great poweres great responsibility. Don¡¯t do anything that you will regret at least. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry that much.¡± Perhaps it was childish for Davey to say this. -Didn¡¯t you always say that it was foolish to boast one¡¯s power when it wasn¡¯t necessary? ¡®That is true.¡¯ -However, if some sort of danger threatens them¡­ ¡°I have to make sure that kind of situation doesn¡¯t happen.¡± If a sword would allow Davey to only take one step when alchemy would help him take two, he would swing his sword without hesitation. -Everything is fine if you don¡¯t regret it. The currently iplete Megatron would reach its limitations if something much more dangerous appeared. Davey would have no choice to show what he was hiding if that time actually came¡­ Even if they were going to regard Davey as apletely strange being at that point, he had no intention of foolishly ying around when it was important. They probably didn¡¯t intend it, but he was grateful for being able to enjoy himself among them. ¡°¡­¡± That was when Davey¡¯s gaze, which was trained onto the battlefield, became focused on one part of the dark ancient ruin. -Davey? ¡°I¡¯m probably just imagining it.¡± Davey focused on what was past the empty hallway for a while. * * * Pitter¡­ Patter¡­ Someone¡¯s footsteps were heard on the lowest floor of the ancient ruins. ¡°Pace.¡± ¡°My, I wondered where you were hiding out, but you were here?¡± The surroundings were quiet and only the man¡¯s calm question could be heard. The man was Pace, a vampire who had recently joined forces with Carlus, the Second Prince of the Rowane Kingdom. ¡°Recently, I heard you found something new to y with.¡± ¡°A toy? Oh, you are talking about that greenhorn human.¡± ¡°I heard he won against Shari.¡± ¡°How could youpare me to that useless bitch?¡± Pace smiled coldly. ¡°Well, it seems like he is just doing business in his territory, but I am waiting.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t it exhrate you just thinking about how one would feel if they saw everything they had worked so hard for burn down in one day?¡± ¡°You have a nasty hobby,¡± the woman quietly mumbled and nced at Pace. For a while, she stared at Pace, who looked cold yet rxed, like she was examining the details on his face. ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Pace asked the woman. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. However, you never know what¡¯s going to happen when you¡¯re so confident.¡± ¡°He¡¯s nothing but a human. Well, he seems to be a little talented, but he¡¯s still a human.¡± ¡°I heard that your subordinate whom you gave the power of immortality to died.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a replica. It is a weak power that will disappear if he were killed a few times.¡± Pace shrugged and murmured in intrigue. ¡°Although, I honestly didn¡¯t expect the human to corner him and kill him¡­¡± Pace¡¯s rxed gaze suddenly turned cold. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be useless against me, who is truly an immortal being? It¡¯s boring if a toy breaks too easily. That¡¯s why I¡¯m waiting.¡± ¡°Our power is also destroyed with continued deaths; it is just a matter of how many times.¡± Pace remained at ease even as the woman criticized him while clicking her tongue. He then asked, ¡°Anyways, what did you discover that brought you to this cold ce? Do you know about the monster living on top of us?¡± ¡°Shandra, was it? It looked a little sensitive because someone had bothered it, but there aren¡¯t any problems here,¡± the woman replied. Pace remained silent at her calm answer. ¡°Go away, since I have to take out the things locked in here.¡± ¡°Are these the treasures that are hidden in the lowest floor of the ancient ruins?¡± ¡°Well, for now¡­ I¡¯ll know for sure after I take it out, but¡­ It¡¯s no use with my strength.¡± There were hundreds of test tubes glowing a light green color in front of Pace and the woman, and there were two tubes that were filled. One of them contained a small heart made of machinery. ¡°Now, what¡¯s this? Did you make it?¡± ¡°Deus Ex Machina?¡± ¡°What is that? ¡°It is a created ego. It¡¯s hard to believe, but it¡¯s the heart of a golem that develops on its own. The study of golems has this when the study of homunculus has the Stone of the Sage.¡± Unlike Ego, where the soul was absorbed, the heart was a living thing created. ¡°Hm.¡± The woman nodded. ¡°It will self-develop past its normal limitations even if it is put into a golem made of wood.¡± Pace nced at the one in intrigue. ¡°And the other¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s not awakened yet.¡± There was a small girl beside the mechanical heart. However, the big, white-feathered wings on the girl¡¯s back were showing off its presence. She was clearly distinct from humans. ¡°Isn¡¯t it already dead?¡± Pace asked the woman. ¡°Even if it is, it will be valuable to study the body of a new species.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want since it¡¯s time for me to have some fun like you said. The stupid prince I signed with was nagging incessantly about when would I resolve this.¡± ¡°That human. Are you going to kill him?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m thinking I¡¯ll just see how it goes.¡± The woman, who lookedpletely emotionless, quietly let out a sigh when she saw Pace disappear into thin air. Then, she turned over to the test tube that was emitting a faint light. ¡°The ruins will move if I wait a little...¡± Fine pieces of crumbled dark blue stones were scattered messily on the floor. Chapter 111 Davey and the other trainees were able to get past the second floor after sessfully passing through the first floor. Since the really dangerous beasts were on the third basement level and the elite exploration team was already clearing it out, it was safe to say that there wasn¡¯t really any real danger to Davey and the others. However, Davey had no choice but to stay back after killing a certain number of monsters because he would dominate the battlefield if he stood on the front lines again. ¡°It¡¯s because Trainee Davey¡¯s golem is too powerful. It has be much more agile and stronger since the time it battled with Trainee Sio.¡± Boris¡¯ judgment was true, because the Megatron¡¯s power output had increased. ¡°Well, alchemists fight with knowledge, not training,¡± Davey replied. Borisughed heartily and patted Davey on the back, liking Davey¡¯s response. Strangely, Boris¡¯ pats felt simr to how Hercules had used to pat him on the back whileplimenting him when he had first arrived at the Hall. ¡°Hahaha!! That¡¯s right! It is important to find one¡¯s own way to improve and get stronger. However, it is also necessary to train your physical body as well,¡± Boris said to Davey. ¡°Is that so?¡± Davey replied. ¡°What would happen if that golem were to be destroyed? What would happen to you if you were present in the battlefield when that happens? You would have no choice but to fight yourself!¡± Boris spoke like a true soldier. ¡°I will have to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Chuckle, I don¡¯t worry much about that since you are on the clever side, Trainee Davey. You will bring our knight order into our prime! Pahahaha!¡± Not everyone was able to be a Master even if they were official members. Only about two or three people would reach Master in a group of twenty members. In that sense, it was safe to assume that Davey was more talented than the other trainees in terms ofbat ability and battle support. -But you have no intention of actually bing an official member. ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ ording to his n, Davey¡¯s enjoyment here would end at the trainee level; after this, he would rather support them with funds if he was going to support them in some way, but he was never going to return to the battlefield with them and run wild. ¡°You look happy?¡± Exhausted, Illyna approached Davey and put down her big, white sword. Throwing Illyna a water bottle from his backpack, Davey then asked, ¡°What about Caldeiras?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t train if I rely on Caldeiras,¡± Illyna replied. It would be difficult for her to train if she became three or four times stronger with a single sword. Drenched with sweat, Illyna gulped down the water and handed the water bottle back to Davey. Her appearance was still truly beautiful despite being covered in sweat, but the reason he wasn¡¯t drooling at her beauty was because his standard had been raised; it was also partly because of this selfishly beautiful Demon Lord who resided with him. ¡°You acted only to help me before, but now you¡¯re doing it all on your own.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty fun.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Sometimes, you sound like a grandpa who is hundreds of years old.¡± Davey smiled bitterly at Illyna¡¯s criticism. Although he didn¡¯t think that he was as wise and considerate as an elderly person who had hundreds of years of actual experience, he thought that Illyna was right in some ways. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you like this. I know I forced you toe, but I¡¯m proud of myself for bringing you here.¡± Illyna smiled cutely. Davey couldn¡¯t help but smile at Illyna¡¯s confident words. Then, he thumped her on the head without hesitation. ¡°Kyah!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself.¡± ¡°You!¡± Illyna was about to shout at Davey angrily when something strange caught Davey¡¯s eye. He called out, ¡°Teacher Boris.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The ground over there. Don¡¯t you think it has changed a little?¡± Boris looked a little baffled when he turned over to where Davey was looking. ¡°Now that you have pointed it out¡­¡± Rumble!!! Roar!!! Davey¡¯s premonition of something terrible¡­was right. ¡°Kyah!!¡± ¡°What is this?!¡± The trainees screamed in horror when the entire ancient ruin began to shake. ¡°Everyone stay here! Be wary of your surroundings and don¡¯t split up!¡± Like the Heins Territory, the ancient ruin was made up of hundreds of enormous square stones that fit together. If one were to mess around with something the wrong way, like the situation right now¡­ ¡°Huh! The wall!¡± The structure of the entire ruin could change. ¡°Teacher Sylia! The trainees!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Surprised at the sudden turn of events, Boris pulled out his sword with a nervous expression. The trainees also stopped panicking and looked around in caution and unease. Grind!!! However, the ancient ruin didn¡¯t care about whether they were anxious or not, continuing to change its structure as if it was alive; the wall that used to be blocked suddenly opened up, and the open path began closing up. ¡°T¡ªTeacher¡­ This is¡­¡± The moment the pale-faced Fendyr was about to say something about the ancient ruin, which had finished its transformation¡­ Creak!! The floor that was under the two trainees, who were standing on the very outside of the group, suddenly disappeared. ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Sio Howl and Lucia Shelman, who was the insane fanatic of Daphne, the first saintess, disappeared into the ground. There was no one among the trainees who had seen them quickly enough to try saving them. The Teachers, who were the only people capable of actually reacting fast enough, were far away. Sio and Lucia vanished too quickly for the trainees to react. ¡°Ahhh!!¡± ¡°Kyahh!!!¡± It felt like time momentarily stopped as they fell down. They screamed fearfully. However, Davey already knew what he had to do even though it did feel like time had stopped. Heunched up from the ground and threw himself into the hole, which was closing up after unhesitantly swallowing the two trainees. ¡°Davey?!¡± ¡°Megatron!! Release output limit and protect everyone!¡± Davey disappeared into the hole only after he shouted onemand to the terrifying Megatron, which was silently standing and boasting its presence. [Command¡­ e¡­] Davey heard the echo of Megatron¡¯s emotionless voice as he fell deeper into the hole. * * * [Light]! The very first thing Davey did as soon as he reached the ground was [Light], an illumination magic spell. The surroundings lit up once a small amount of mana escaped his body in seconds. Since Lucia and Sio¡¯s fall wasn¡¯t going to be long¡ªjust a split second¡ªit was crucial for him to catch them before they hit the ground and became a meat pancake. Crackk!!! As soon as he reached that conclusion, Davey simultaneously activated all three kinds of mana that were asleep in him. ¡®I¡¯m not going to take responsibility for what¡¯s going to happen next if you don¡¯t listen. Get a move on.¡¯ [Haste] [Agility] [Blood eleration] [Gravity] Davey used a speed enhancement magic spell, a reinforcement magic spell, and a dark magic spell that elerated blood flow. On top of that, he also used a spell to enhance gravity. [Air Tile] The ends of Davey¡¯s feet touched the invisible tforms that were made by lumping air together. There was a big difference in falling speed between Davey and the two people, because he followed them only after they had fallen. Obviously, since he couldn¡¯t catch up to them with his current physical ability, he used every kind of reinforcement magic spell he had when he kicked himself off the tform and bounced around. Then, he repeated that process multiple times and gained enough speed to catch up with them. Davey was able to reach them thanks to the sudden increase in fall speed, but [Fly], a spell that would allow him to fly, was too slow and he couldn¡¯t use [Reverse Gravity], a 6th circle magic spell, with the state he was in right now. As soon as he reached that conclusion, Davey intertwined his fingers and cast hand seals. Usually, he didn¡¯t need to cast spells verbally or with hand seals, but¡­ [7th Circle] [Forced Gear Shift] [Overload] [High Reverse¡­] Davey couldn¡¯t cast the 6th or 7th circle magic spells with his current circle level, which had only recovered to the 5th circle unlike the other types of mana. However, he used to be a mage who had gone past the 8th circle level of Absorption, and it wasn¡¯t like that was going anywhere. Davey used Absorption, which allowed him to feel the will of mana, and forcibly activated the magic. Since it was just going to be cast for a quick moment, he decided to use 7th circle magic instead of the 6th circle, which was very high-risk. [Gravity] Unlike a gravity-inverse spell that reversed gravity entirely, this was the most advanced magic among the gravity-type spells that allowed him to alter thews of gravity however he wanted. Mana burst out from Davey whilepletely ignoring thews of physics. His blood vessels inted like they were going to pop. 45. The Lowest Floor of the Ancient Ruin, and the Obstructor of the Legacy Davey could say that Lucia Shelman was somewhat cute, but he didn¡¯t really care whether Sio Howl lived or died. ¡®Why did it have to be him who fell?¡¯ Perhaps it was because Davey thought this way, one of Sio Howl¡¯s arms was twisted in a strange way and waspletely broken. Meanwhile, Lucia was rtively unharmed. It was as if that one arm had absorbed all of the impact from the fall. Although, this wouldn¡¯t have happened if Davey had cast the magic perfectly. Of course, the person who was most affected by the aftermath was none other than Davey. A rebound effect was inevitable as he had used a level of magic that wasn¡¯t permitted to him; an ordinary mage would¡¯ve coughed up all of their blood and died if they did what he had done. ¡°Cough¡­¡± -My god! What have you done?! Your body hasn¡¯t even recovered the 6th circle! Perserque screamed in horror and released her demonic force when she put her hand on Davey. Demonic force was rooted in destruction, but it could be medicine depending on the mastery of the one administering it. ¡°Stop.¡± However, Davey knew what it meant for Perserque, who was being maintained with demonic force, to use arge amount of it. He was no idiot. As such, he had no choice but to grab Perserque and get her far away; she was trying to use the rest of her life energy to keep him alive. -Shut up and take it! You¡¯re being picky even when you¡¯re half-dead! As Davey wheezed while Perserque screamed, he knelt down and let out a strained mumble with his eyes closed. ¡°Just¡­wait. I humbly ask the Goddess who watches over this young sheep¡­ Have mercy.¡± With a short prayer, Davey¡¯s raspy and thready breath started to stabilize. The enhanced natural recovery magic began untwisting his organs and healing him. It was definitely a strangely fast recovery. He sighed. ¡°Phew¡­¡± -Davey! ¡°Whatever. Stop making a big fuss about it.¡± -Stop talking nonsense¡­. What¡­ How did this happen? Perserque, who was shouting in a teary voice, widened her eyes after noticing the change in Davey¡¯s physical state. ¡°Did I tell you about the personality of mana?¡± Davey asked Perserque. -¡­ The three personalities of Davey¡¯s three powers: devil mana, which desperately wanted to be used, holy power, which was incrediblyzy, andstly, normal mana, which was irritated extremely easily but was the most helpful when necessary. Among his powers, which all had unique personalities, normal mana was heavily influenced by his life. The attitude that normal mana, which was usually easily irritable, would have when it felt a danger to its owner¡¯s life was surprisingly simple. Chapter 112 -What¡­ You¡­ When did your mana circles¡­ As if Davey had ripped open a door that didn''t open, two rings¡ªthe 6th and 7th circles¡ªof the circles rotating within his body were moving slightly. ¡°They are temporary circles. They¡¯ll disappear soon, but I won¡¯t die because of this.¡± Although he had to be careful of the aftermath, Davey wasn¡¯t going to die. He had also lost a third of his power that he could use. ¡°Groan¡­¡± Sio Howl, who had been screaming and moaning in pain, was actually in better shape; however, Lucia, who was very traumatized, was in a very bad condition and needed to be looked at right away. ¡°Wheeze¡­ Wheeze¡­ L¡­ Lady¡­ Lady Daphne¡­¡± Lucia wheezed. Even in this situation, she was looking for the Saintess; perhaps it was inevitable as she had more faith in Daphne than Goddess Freyja. ¡®Okay, so the woman you¡¯re looking for doesn¡¯t know who you are.¡¯ When Davey released his holy power and enveloped her with it by hugging her, Lucia¡¯s holy power reacted and also began to move. [Reinforce the Mind] ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± Davey had cast [Reinforce the Mind], an advanced holy magic spell, to strengthen Lucia¡¯s mind. This was one of the reinforcement spells he had poured onto the territory¡¯s militia members to get rid of the goblins before. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The holy power initially moved very slowly, but gradually calmed Lucia. She was so pale, struggling to even breathe. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re alive,¡± Daveyforted Lucia. ¡°S¡­ Sir Davey?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­alive?¡± It was a relief that Lucia didn¡¯t die from shock as she had fallen from a height that was easily over a hundred meters. There was no way of knowing how a space like this existed beneath an ancient ruin, but Davey was already familiar with the fact that ancient ruins did not obeymon knowledge. ¡°Everything is fine now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± Davey couldn¡¯t do anything butfort Lucia, who was moaning with tears in her eyes, when she began to cry. * * * ¡°Keugh!!¡± Davey stepped away from Lucia and approached Sio Howl only after some time passed, since he waited for Lucia to calm down on her own. He could tell that Sio also wasn¡¯t in his right mind; perhaps it was because of the pain from his broken arm and the trauma from the fall. Of course, Sio at least endured the trauma better than Lucia, who was surprisingly fragile despite her outgoingness. He was much stronger than her. ¡°Get ready,¡± Davey said to Sio. He grabbed Sio¡¯s twisted arm tightly without even casting a pain relief spell. He could almost see how bad Sio¡¯s internal injuries were just by touching him. Crack!! ¡°Aghh!!!¡± ¡°Bear it.¡± Crack! Crackkk! Davey fixed Sio¡¯s disced bones by force and cast a simple recovery magicter on. Since a splint had to be ced until the bone fully healed, Davey pulled out a couple of steel tes that could be used as a splint from his expansion pouch and tied it to Sio¡¯s arm with cloth he ripped from his robe. ¡°D¡­ Davey¡­¡± Sio noticed Davey and called his name even while he was drooling all over the ce from the panic. ¡°W¡­ Why did you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lucia, who was staring into space while sitting on the ground, turned over to look at Davey. He was walking over to her without answering Sio. ¡°¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s gaze was full of emotion. Davey could have chosen to just pretend like nothing had happened without saying anything, but it would be better for him to clear the air rather than letting them ponder over those questions. ¡°Keugh¡­¡± Sio stared at Davey, waiting for an answer. Davey silently pointed at the ceiling. ¡°I think you fell more than one hundred meters. You would¡¯ve both be meat pancakes if I was even a littlete.¡± ¡°H¡­ How¡­¡± It seemed like they themselves didn¡¯t understand how they had survived. While repressing a pain simr to having his organs all twisted up, Davey let out a short, raspy sigh and gave each of them a light magic that appeared beside him. ¡°Follow me. We¡¯re going to find a way out.¡± Then, Lucia shouted from behind, ¡°S¡ªSir Davey! Were you the one who rescued us?!¡± ¡°Well, for now.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± The question Lucia had in her eyes was how Davey had done it when he was an alchemist with barely any mana. Sio was also unable to hide his confusion. ¡°All I did was use reverse gravity magic.¡± ¡°[Reverse Gravity]¡­ It¡¯s a 6th circle gravity-type magic. No way¡­¡± Sio Howl mumbled over and over again in disbelief. Davey did actually use a 7th circle [High Reverse Gravity] spell, which was higher than what he had said, but he didn¡¯t bother exining. He then urged the two, ¡°Get a move on; the ancient ruin keeps changing. It¡¯s not my responsibility if you get smushed to jerky by the wall.¡± Lucia and Sio stared into space for a while, then slowly lifted themselves up from the ground. * * * The silence went on for a while. Lucia had calmed down, but she looked around with a nk stare like she had yet to fully recover from the trauma. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess we won¡¯t turn into jerky yet,¡± Daveymented while examining the wall. Sio looked at Davey in confusion. He asked, ¡°Why did you save me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Davey replied. ¡°It¡¯s exactly what I asked. Why did you¡­¡± ¡°You just happened to be there, you ass.¡± Davey quickly put a stop to Sio¡¯s questions, which were seemingly never going to end if he did nothing now. ¡°¡­¡± Although Davey spoke to him like that, Sio said nothing more. He knew that Davey was the only reason why he was alive right now. Unlike the other trainees, Davey didn¡¯t really care if Sio lived or died; he just happened to rescue the boy along with Lucia, who had also fallen. ¡°I can barely feel any mana from you. If so, it¡¯s just about the level of an ordinary person. But how¡­ How were you able to use gravity magic, which is a highly advanced type of magic?¡± Sio asked. Davey, who was walking in front of Sio, pulled out Red Ribbon from his waist and he knocked on the walls. He aimed for the other side of the dark hall and shed his shining red sword. ¡°I use it because I can.¡± Slice!! As Davey spoke, the horrifying sound of something being cut was heard from the other side of the dark hall. Thud!! At the same time, they heard the sound of something heavy falling to the ground after being sliced. ¡°That could never make sense¡­¡± As Red Ribbon left dozens of red marks in the air, dozens of heavy things were cut once again. ¡°Does my mana feel weak to you?¡± Davey asked Sio. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If so, it only means that is all you are able to see,¡± Davey said. When Sio gasped in surprise, Davey went on, ¡°Life is real experience, you ass. Even if you don¡¯t want to believe it, something is real if you can see it. And¡­¡± ¡®Damn, there are so many guardians,¡¯ Davey thought and boldly took a step forward. ¡°You want to find out the truth in a situation like this? Just follow me with your mouth shut if you can. You speaking alone just frustrates me.¡± Davey said what he had been wanting to for a while now. -I don¡¯t know why you had so many things you wanted to say¡­ ¡®You have to take the opportunity when you have it.¡¯ Reading his mind, Perserque chuckled hollowly. The thing that emerged from the darkness was none other than an enchanted golem. They were the exact same kind that was in the ruins in the Heins Territory. Davey could feel the rebound since he was releasing his mana again, but he didn¡¯t feel as though he was running out; perhaps it was because he had already gone berserk once. ¡°Follow me and stay close. I¡¯ll let you escape without a scratch.¡± Davey wondered why he was training this hard back when he was at the Hall, but he felt that he was being rewarded for his efforts in situations like this. * * * ¡°Davey!!¡± ng!! Screaming, Illyna ran toward the firmly shut doors, but was soon blocked by the huge guardian golem, the Megatron. ¡°Move!!¡± She shouted angrily, but the golem just silently stood in her way. She yelled again, ¡°Did you not see your master fall?! I said, ¡®Move¡¯!!¡± Illyna shouted at the Megaton as she pulled out Caldeiras instead of her regr longsword, but the Megatron silently stood in front and blocked her. Its eyes continued to shine blue. Of course, she wasn¡¯t nice enough to just retreat. ¡°You damn lump of metal!!¡± As Illyna menaced and was about to charge at it¡­ ¡°Illyna, no!!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Heg and Shayir Renda ran out reflexively from the crowd and stopped Illyna. ¡°Stop! It''s already closed!¡± ¡°Let me go! I have to go find them!¡± ¡°What are you going to do when you get there?!¡± Illyna shouted wrathfully, but the two were determined to hold on and keep her here. Boom!! Whirr!!! Kahh!! Then, a battle ant that had snuck in during the chaos was violently ripped apart by the Megatron¡¯s electric chainsaw. [Megatron!! Release output limit and protect everyone!] A golem with no consciousness only moved to protect everyone that was left, ording to the orders that its master had left behind. * * * The enchanted golem was four meters in height and was huge. It was human-like, but had distinct stones all over its body, along with a jewel on its forehead. Whirr! Bzzz!! The golem¡¯s eyes turned red and shot extremely hot rays of light toward Davey like they were Superman. The infrastructure held up since the walls withstood even the shes of [Aura de], but he could still tell that the rays were very powerful. Slice!! On the other hand, the sword energy of Red Ribbon ruthlessly cut through theirrge bodies while shing the floors even though Davey hadn¡¯t strengthened their precision abilities yet. Red Ribbon had the power to ignore the resistance of anything it touched; seeing it again, he was reminded of how stupidly strong it was although it seemed simple. Of course, there was the disadvantage that more mana was used the more durable the opponent was. The fact that he could ignore defense skills was useful in various ways. Davey was swinging his sword and killing whatever touched his sword like he had gone berserk, but it didn¡¯t seem all too effective in reducing the number of monsters. ¡®But I can¡¯t get rid of them like before¡­¡¯ Davey had survived a huge danger, but that didn¡¯t mean he was in good shape. ¡°Kyahh!!¡± As Davey waspletely in the zone and shing the monsters that were swarming toward them, one of the golems popped out from the wall and mmed down his fist toward Lucia. ¡°[Freeze]! [Ice Wall]!¡± Sio Howl immediately reacted and built a wall by releasing ice, but it seemed like he knew that his wall, which was made quickly, wasn¡¯t going to stand a chance against the golem¡¯s attacks. In a short second, the golem¡¯s fist flew toward her after breaking through Sio Howl¡¯s ice wall. However, its attack was not able to reach the target as Red Ribbon had gone into the air in seconds and cut its arm off. Then, Blue Ribbon soon followed, leaving a blue afterimage, and pierced its body to m it against the wall. Chapter 113 [Telekic de Control] [Twin Fang] Davey didn¡¯t stop. After taking a quick, short breath, he charged toward the enchanted¨C golem. ¡°Hup!¡± [Blood Demon Attack] [Longsword] [Combined Impact] [ck-and-White Twin Lightning] With the sword technique of [Longsword], which applied an immense amount of weight without any artistry, in one hand, and a dark purple me in the other, Davey pushed his hands off of each other and punched forward. Rumble!!With a huge wave of energy, an immensely heavy dark purple mended on the golem with an extreme power that was strong enough to not only smash its body into powder, but also to disfigure the wall behind it. ¡°Ah, my head¡­¡± -Davey! I¡¯ve told you not to overdo it! ¡®I know. Can you please be quiet because I¡¯m aware of that fact?¡¯ Davey had a headache and felt like his head was ringing. He approached the golem, which had been broken into pieces, and pulled out the core magic stone from its head. He ignored the warning his body was sending him. Groan¡­ Lucia was of no help in this situation, but Davey wasn¡¯t going to me her for that. This situation was probably catastrophic for her, who only had the experience and skills of a trainee. ¡°Sio Howl.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you have your head straight, keep Lucia safe at all times.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. I will consider you of no help and kill you if you make me say the same thing again.¡± For now, Davey felt like it was a good thing he had kept Sio Howl alive. He watched Sio release his mana with a tense expression. Sio looked like he had a million questions about how Davey was able to use this unbelievable swordsmanship and was able to use a 6th circle magic spell, which was said to be of the same level as Swordmaster. However, it seemed like he was thinking about what Davey had said earlier. ¡°We have a long way to go. Follow me.¡± Once everything became settled, Davey walked forward and deeper into the ancient ruin. * * * Davey wanted to take everything if he could, but it was unfortunate that he didn¡¯t have enough storage to collect each of those huge objects. So, he decided to only take the magic stones and the small stone tes that had mana arrangements engraved on them. As he put them in his pouch, he couldn¡¯t help but smile as he counted more than thirty perfectly usable magic stones and twenty normal stone tes. ¡®I¡¯m definitely getting rewarded for my efforts.¡¯ Davey would be able to build at least four or five new Megatron-like golems. He was d that he didn¡¯t crush the ceiling and go up right away. And besides, he was curious as to what was inside. Davey looked around while catching his breath, since no more enchanted golems appeared. ¡°S¡ªSir Davey! Wait!¡± Lucia, who was staring into space, ran toward Davey with wide eyes. Regaining his strength little by little when he heard Lucia, Davey said, ¡°I told you to stay back.¡± ¡°I¡ªI am also a priest! Please let me cast a strength recovery spell or something at the very least!¡± ¡°I also know how to use holy magic.¡± ¡°I was told that there is a difference between one using it on themselves and someone else casting it on them!¡± Lucia was determined to be of help in some kind of way. Staying back and doing nothing would actually be helping Davey, but Lucia quickly released her holy power and used a healing spell on him with teary eyes. However, her holy power dissipated even before it formed the spell. ¡®There¡¯s no way that such a quick casting of a holy magic spell would work.¡¯ Lucia tried to forcibly release her holy power while sobbing, but it was inevitably not going to work. Holy power, regardless of who it belonged to, was extremelyzy. Although, Davey thought it was quite cute how she was struggling to try something. ¡°Rx,¡± Davey said. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Take a deep breath.¡± When Lucia stopped breathing heavily and began breathing slowly, Davey said, ¡°Okay. Good. It gets harder to use holy magic the more impatient you be.¡± ¡°Sir Davey¡­¡± ¡°Slowly. You can take it slow. We have lots of time.¡± A mboyant and bright white light burst from Lucia¡¯s hands while Daveyforted and reassured her. He trembled slightly less, then softly patted Lucia¡¯s head and showered her withpliments. ¡°Excellent. That¡¯s more than enough. Remember that holy magic has to be used in calmness. You have the responsibility to save everyone, whether it be your partner or your teammates. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°There is no one to heal them if you panic.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll¡­keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Okay. Good job.¡± Lucia seemed to have so much faith in Davey that she would believe him even if he had said that he made wine with cherries. The blind faith that was in her eyes was quite familiar. However, Davey couldn¡¯t do anything about the hint of guilt that she felt. Thud!!! After a short rest, Davey took his two silentpanions and arrived at the huge hall at the end of the corridor. -Beep! As soon as the three entered the hall, a timer with ten minutes showed up on the stone board on the opposite wall and began counting down. ¡°Do we get recess too?¡± As Davey copsed onto his knees in futility and was catching his breath, Lucia quickly ran over toward him and grabbed his arm tightly. She said softly, ¡°Thank you¡­ I couldn¡¯t even say this just now, and I was just a nuisance¡­¡± As Davey was patting Lucia on the back because she looked like she was going to cry, Sio Howl asked cautiously, ¡°Can¡­I ask one thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll answer if I feel up to it.¡± Sio clenched his jaw and asked quietly, ¡°You are extremely talented in swordsmanship that you can make [Aura de]. Then why did you do that in the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Beginning?¡± ¡°That sloppy movement¡­¡± Hearing Sio shouting, Davey smirked. ¡°Drunken Sword.¡± ¡°Drunken¡­Sword?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sword technique that is done seemingly drunk. Aical sword technique that makes it seem like one is getting crushed by a newbie who doesn¡¯t know swordsmanship.¡± ¡°W¡ªWhat?!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know? I purposefully did that to mess with you. It seems easy, right? But how could a swordsmanship that tricks other people be easy?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± Sio Howl clenched his jaw after realizing the truth. ¡°You are not one to judge and critique others.¡± Sio Howl couldn¡¯t say anything. The difference of power and the suspicion he felt from Davey had been long confirmed after Davey had shed the enchanted golems without mercy. It was an overwhelmingly powerful swordsmanship; since he had shown Sio a swordsmanship that could not be beaten, something not even swordsmanship teachers Boris and Fridos could show, it would be nothing but stupid for Sio to think that Davey¡¯s physical abilities were weak. ¡°T¡­ Then why didn¡¯t you use magic during training or anything?¡± Sio asked. ¡°I would¡¯ve shown you if you had won against the golem.¡± Davey was saying that he had adjusted his skill level to be simr to them when fighting. Realizing this, Sio¡¯s face went pale. ¡°What does¡­ You¡­ Are you really human?¡± ¡°Ah right. Lucia,¡± Davey called out. Ignoring Sio, who was questioning him in bewilderment, Davey called Lucia over to say what he had been wanting to say. He stood up and stared at the opposite wall. As the wall began to open after the ten minutes on the timer had run out, he smiled and mysteriously said, ¡°Even if someone looks perfect on the outside, you never know what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Pardon?¡± Lucia asked again. ¡°One day, it will be very helpful to your mental health if you remember it.¡± ¡®Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t even tell her.¡¯ Boom! Strangely, Davey began to sympathize with how the servant serving the king with donkey ears felt. * * * Another enormous hall came into view as the wall opened up. However, unlike therge hall they had just passed, this one had thousands of test tubes filled with a green, fluorescent liquid. It looked like a bigb. Sio and Lucia looked around with wide eyes, amazed at the hall, which was empty except for the liquid-filled tubes in the hall. ¡°I think we¡¯ve reached the room at the very end,¡± Davey mumbled. Lucia slowly walked over to the tubes. ¡°They¡­are all empty.¡± Davey looked around the empty hall, just like Lucia said, and then stopped and stared at something. He saw two test tubes protruding from the wall that looked unlike the others. -That¡¯s¡­ Perserque, who noticed them almost at the exact same time, murmured in puzzlement. She trailed behind Davey in the air. The thing in the test tubes was a mechanical heart made of metal. It was only the size of a human heart, but it strangely captured the gaze of the observer. He could also see a naked human girl inside a tube filled with solution. She seemed about eighteen years old, but she looked much younger than that because of her small physique. However, unlike humans, she had white wings that were about the length of his arms and a small crack underneath her round bosoms; it was as if that part could be opened and operated. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this kind. Did they study some kind of homunculus?¡± Davey asked. Homunculus was an extreme field of study in alchemy like the study of golems. If the study of golems was a field that sought to create Deus Ex Machina (The God of Machinery), the perfect heart and core, the study of homunculi was the final wish of those who yearned to create the Stone of the Sage. ¡°Is this¡­¡± A thought popped into Davey¡¯s head as he was silently staring at it. In front of him was a machine heart, and a strange small girl that seemed to be a homunculus. There was no way to know for sure, but considering that both magic and alchemy had been studied to the extreme in very ancient civilizations¡­ ¡®Perhaps that machine heart is¡­¡¯ ¡°Thepleted Deus Ex Machina.¡± It was Deus Ex Machina, otherwise known as the God of Machinery. It was the pinnacle of the study of golems, and a heart with an ego that couldn¡¯t be made even with Davey¡¯s level of knowledge. It was something that Eva, his alchemy teacher, only made once in her entire lifetime by coincidence. -The God of Machinery? ¡°It¡¯s a heart with an ego that is created with technology. What is this ce?¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but gasp in astonishment. Chapter 114 46. A Vampire and a Golem There were a lot of unexinable things in the world. The concept of mana or alchemy in various worlds was different, but very simr. Perserque¡¯s power of the abyss was a part of the divine authority, a power equivalent to an unidentifiable power known as ¡®holy power¡¯, which was also called the ¡®divine will¡¯. And there was also the evolving core of golems, which was known to be the perfectly powered core, although it couldn¡¯t actually be perfect. There were a lot of ways to describe the machine heart. It was the heart that had the life that sought after the extreme in the field of alchemy, but the existence of Deus Ex Machina (The God of Machinery) couldn¡¯t be exined with current knowledge. ¡°I¡¯ve got to take this!¡± Throwing his usual personality out the window, Davey¡¯s voice turned lively as he glued himself onto the ss capsule with wide eyes. The Heins Territory¡¯s gigantic climate control system was bewildering, but Davey knew best how much more valuable this was. However, Sio and Lucia, who didn¡¯t know how valuable it was, just looked around the hall in fascination. -Davey, look here. Perserque, who flew around and examined the hall quietly, called Davey after finding the control panel. The control panel was presenting the condition of the capsule¡¯s contents like a hologram, and it was secured like it was waiting for someone¡¯s hand to be rested upon it. Once Davey did so, the mana he released through his hand enveloped him and began changing the words in the hologram. -Deus Ex Machina. [Ready to link. Adjustmentplete.] -White Wings, The Lion of God. [Suspended animation. Ready for heart transntation.] ¡°White Wings¡­¡± It was unfamiliar to Davey, as expected. ¡°The ¡®Lion of God¡¯¡­ How arrogant. Go and repent.¡± As Davey hollowly chuckled and skimmed the list that showed the status of the capsule¡¯s contents, he began to sort of see the purpose of these capsules. One was the God of Machinery, the heart of a golem that had its own ego, and the other was a unique kind with no heart; if the small girl was really one of the White Wings, a unique kind of species, and the Lion of God, perhaps the owner of this ancient civilization who made this facility had a crazy idea to transnt the God of Machinery to the Lion of God and use it. -Davey. There¡¯s an experimental record journal here. Perserque, who was still silently looking around, brought Davey a small book. To the others, it would look like the book had just hovered over to Davey, but he could see her fine. ¡°It looks like the experiment record journal, but I can¡¯t read it because it¡¯s different from the control panel.¡± It was obvious that Davey couldn¡¯t read it because it was written in a differentnguage. He also didn¡¯t have enough data to decode it. ¡°Let¡¯s just take it for now.¡± Even though he didn¡¯t know what it meant, Davey would be better off with it than without. He took the experiment record journal and pulled out Blue Ribbon. With force, he shed the ss capsule that held the God of Machinery. ng!!!! However, the hard ss was totally unaffected by it and endured the hit well. ¡°Look at that?¡± Davey was unable to cut through the ss by shing it with Blue Ribbonbined with [Aura de]. ¡®You¡¯re kidding, right?¡¯ ¡°Wh¡ªWhat are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take this. But it¡¯s a little hard.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ A ss that cannot be cut even with [Aura de]¡­¡± The Tionis Continent had pretty good ess to ss; it was different from how ss was made on Earth, but an ore that turned hollow and ss-like if it was melted in high temperatures and slowly cooled existed in the continent. ¡°Then we can¡¯t take this out, right?¡± Lucia asked cautiously. Davey nodded, then said, ¡°That is true. Can you back away for a second?¡± Davey chose to sh it with Blue Ribbon as he thought that there might have been a defense-type magic on it, but it seemed like there was nothing like that. This meant that it was just extremely hard, which actually made things a lot easier. Whoosh¡­ Red Ribbon twirled inside Davey¡¯s hand, leaving a red afterimage, and a thin coat of [Aura de] began releasing onto its red sword body. As soon as apact [Aura de], which looked faint, was created, Davey immediately shed the capsule. Slice!! The ss capsule that wasn¡¯t even dented previously was sliced into half and was spilling out a green liquid. It was a relief that it wasn¡¯t able to tolerate the power of Red Ribbon. Davey grabbed the heart that was floating inside the solution as the liquid disappeared. He felt a weak beating in his hand. ¡®It¡¯s beating on its own even when it¡¯s just a machine.¡¯ No one else knew, but at least Davey knew what this meant; the two swords that were in his hand were the exact same. Considering that, Surtr had taken a step into godly territory by creating Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, and all Davey had done was just polishing it. By this, it was confirmed that Surtr was also just a crazy craftsman. Davey took the heart, which had a metallic smell to it, then shed the other capsule next to it. Slice!! The capsule, which was shed in the front and back, was cut cleanly without injuring the girl. Davey caught the girl as she fell out of the capsule as the liquid poured out. She wasn¡¯t human, but she just looked like a human with wings. Davey took a robe out from his pouch and wrapped the girl up. He pushed the mechanical heart inside of his pouch and piggybacked her. ¡°You¡¯re¡­taking her out of here?¡± Lucia asked. ¡°Finders keepers. Why? do you need her?¡± ¡°N¡ªNo! Nothing like that!¡± ¡°I know. I can¡¯t give you something like this even if you asked.¡± Lucia chuckled hollowly after Davey spoke with a smile. Shwing¡­ That was when¡­ ¡°Good job.¡± Something cold and terrifying touched Lucia¡¯s neck as she was approaching Davey. ¡°Now hand both of those over.¡± An emotionless voice of a woman could be heard, and Sio Howl widened his eyes at the woman¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to actually sh open the ss capsule. That¡¯s right; I was watching you the whole time,¡± the woman mumbled calmly. Lucia grew paler as she dug her fingernails deeper into Lucia¡¯s neck and requested quietly, ¡°Hand those over if you don¡¯t want this child to die.¡± Davey slowly put the girl he was carrying down on the ground and frowned. ¡°Do vampires nowadays like to piggyback on someone?¡± Perhaps it was a relief that Illyna wasn¡¯t here; considering her personality, she would¡¯ve charged at the woman the second she realized the woman was a vampire. The woman had a threatening odor unlike the other vampires Davey had met, and her power of blood felt iparably stronger. The difference in power was sorge that he could almost see what would¡¯ve happened if Illyna had just charged at her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t have gotten her out. That is very important experimental data. So, hand it over.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That sword is sharp, but it cannot kill me. I won¡¯t take your life, and I keep my promises.¡± The woman with pink hair requested without a hint of disingenuity. * * * ¡°You!¡± [De-spell] Sio Howl was dumbfounded by the situation, but soon came to his senses and quickly cast an ice magic spell. However, Davey¡¯s [De-spell]pletely destroyed his spell and made him cough up blood. ¡°Shut up and stay down,¡± Davey quietly criticized Sio and stared at the woman. ¡°I¡¯m Milpieu. You?¡± The woman asked. ¡°Davey.¡± The woman seemed to grow curious when she heard Davey¡¯s name. ¡°Davey, um¡­ Davey O¡¯Rowane?¡± ¡°Has my name be famous among vampires too?¡± ¡°No, not really. I heard Pace talking.¡± ¡°Pace?¡± ¡°The guy who¡¯s nning to kill you.¡± ¡®Talking to this woman isn¡¯t easy.¡¯ It would make sense if the demonic beast and vampire that attacked the dwarf vige of the Yellowstone Tribe was Pace¡¯s doing. ¡°Why is Davey here when he should be defending his house?¡± Milpieu tilted her head as if she was truly puzzled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Pace. He said he was going to burn your house down.¡± ¡°Burn it down?¡± As Davey chuckled and reached his hand toward the ground, Red Ribbon, which was nted in the ground, vibrated and gravitated toward his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that vampire does¡­¡± Davey smirked and pointed his sword toward the woman. ¡°But tell him that he¡¯s going to get in trouble if he invades someone else¡¯s house.¡± It had juste to Davey¡¯s mind, but there was someone on the territory right now who would disy a monstrous level of power towards vampires in specific right now; from the olden days, High Elves were the natural enemies of vampires. It seemed that they had broken their silence that they had kept for three hundred years and infiltrated the territory because they had some kind of business with Davey. ¡°I don¡¯t care. I need that heart and White Wing,¡± Milpieu demanded. She seemed to not care about anything other than her business. ¡°If I decline?¡± Davey asked. ¡°This child. She dies.¡± ¡°Did you clean up all the golem bits that were nearby?¡± ¡°They were bothersome. I crushed them all.¡± Lucia, who was pale, clenched her jaw. ¡°Sir Davey! Don¡¯t worry about me! I don¡¯t know what that is, but you cannot give it to her!¡± Lucia shouted fiercely and struggled, but it seemed like Milpieu¡¯s strength was beyond imagination despite her slender figure. ¡°I really won¡¯t kill anyone if you hand it over,¡± Milpieu said. ¡°I said I decline.¡± ¡°Then, I can¡¯t do anything about it. I¡¯ll just take it after I kill everyone.¡± The moment Milpieu was about to cut Lucia¡¯s throat with her nails¡­ Slice!! A blue figure came out of nowhere and boldly sliced her nails. ¡°Hup¡­¡± A little taken aback by the unexpected attack, Milpieu backed away and frowned. ¡°You. You¡¯re weird.¡± With no thought to wipe the blood running from her hands, she stared straight at Davey in wariness. She then asked, ¡°A telekic de?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How? Humans cannot use [Aura de] if they do not metamorph.¡± Like Milpieu said, metamorph, the level of Master was a stage of proficiency of controlling mana. It meant that it was impossible for someone who was so proficient in controlling mana that they could use a telekic de to not metamorph. ¡°A telekic de¡­ A transcendental level of de control. You¡¯re really weird.¡± Milpieu frowned at the unexinable make-up of Davey and slowly began to release her power of blood. Although she was still extremely pale, Lucia forced herself up and left the battle area after realizing that she would be nothing but bothersome. But she soon felt the thick, cold energy taking over the surroundings. Sio Howl quickly ran over to support her as she stumbled. ¡®I¡¯m letting it go because you can at least take a hint.¡¯ ¡°You. You¡¯re interesting,¡± Milpieumented. ¡°I still haven¡¯t shown you everything.¡± ¡°Please let me study you.¡± At Milpieu¡¯s unbelievable request, Davey pointed Red Ribbon at her while raising his hand toward the wall to retrieve Blue Ribbon, which was nted right there. Then, he used Perserque¡¯s power with a cold expression. Bleep. -Name: Milpieu. -Age: 223. -Sex: Female. -Species: Half-blood. -Title(s): Alchemist Paracellus (Hohenheim); marquess-level vampire. -Status Effects: Tired. -Notes: A true half-blood; no experience in sucking blood; virgin vampire. -Current Emotion: Curious. Curious. Curious. Curious. Curi¡­ous (?), curious... Milpieu was a half-blood between a human and a vampire; it was quite unexpected. Davey didn¡¯t understand why her virginity had to be listed, but the important thing was that she didn¡¯t seem like she was in her right mind. Chapter 115 ¡®The guys who are going to live a longer life should at least live with as much knowledge as me.¡¯ -That¡¯s the best nonsensical phrase I¡¯ve heard recently. ¡°Hand it over now when you still have the chance. I don¡¯t like unnecessary killing,¡± Milpieu said calmly. Davey quietly pushed the breast of the naked girl, who was lying on the floor. -What is this pervert do¡­ Just as everyone was staring at Davey in bewilderment¡­ Hiss!! The little girl¡¯s chest opened up and the biomechanical devices inside her began to operate as if they had been waiting for this moment. The space inside was just big enough for a small heart. Without hesitation, Davey looked at the mechanical heart, the God of Machinery, and pushed it in. ¡°Oh no. It¡¯s already been attached!¡± Davey didn¡¯t care about some Milpieu or whatever; his only focus was on this little silver-haired girl. It would be good if it was attached to the Megatron, but he was curious as to what this girl was with the heart attached. The moment Milpieu was going to say something as Davey yed around, the beautiful silver-haired girl who had her eyes closed like she was dead¡­suddenly flinched with great force. * * * Everyone went silent at Davey¡¯s unexpected actions. Davey kind of understood that they could¡¯ve been curious about the result of his instinctive actions. Especially, he could see Milpieu, the weird half-blooded vampire who was up against him, look at the little girl with sparkling eyes while pretending to be disinterested. Click! Shirrr!! Then, something inside the little girl began connecting with the mechanical heart as a strange sound resonated from the hatch, the only thing that was open and showing the interior. 90% of her body was biological and natural, but the other 10% was made from an artificial metal. The rusty-looking one was adamantium, and the white metal that had a faint sheen to it was orichalcum. It definitely seemed luxurious, which was fitting for the ancient civilization. Click!! As the mechanical heart, which was slightly vibrating, fully attached itself to the girl, the open hatch automatically closed and started to stitch itself together. The skin stuck to each other without leaving any space and looked just like regr skin when it finished transforming. The girl¡¯s breasts, which had a crack that could be opened like a machine not too long ago, had disappeared, and only pale skin like any other human being was left. After a short silence, the girl¡¯s fingers that had been twitching actually moved. Ching. As she moved her fingers, a golden ring floated up onto her head; it looked like the halo of an angel. ¡°ess code. Activation. Main power inputplete,¡± the girl opened her mouth and mumbled quietly with her eyes still closed. Perhaps it was because of her small size but even her voice sounded a little young. Since she was still in her teens, it was inevitable that both her appearance and voice would feel young. ng¡­ Chime! The girl began standing up while Davey stared at her nkly. As she did, the garments he had covered her with slipped off, exposing her pale body. Davey couldn¡¯t tell if the little girl was a biological golem or a very strange kind, but all the parts needed for reproduction were present on her body. Then, the little girl¡¯s clear blue eyes opened; a million kinds of letters appeared and disappeared multiple times. She stared straight ahead in silence, then turned to nce over at Davey. ¡°Main program bootingplete. Rinne starting¡­¡± ¡°Rinne?¡± The girl didn¡¯t even understand what she had said, but she stood up in an adorable manner and stared straight at Davey. Then, she reached one hand out toward him and slowly blinked. She said calmly, ¡°Starting linking. Imprinting DNA of master.¡± Weak sparks popped from the little girl¡¯s fingertips, which touched Davey¡¯s neck. With a prickling sensation, the girl¡¯s blue eyes lit up once. ¡°Imprinting of masterplete. Current time¡­ Beep! Data error. Rinne, requiring refreshing of new data.¡± While speaking, the little girl named Rinne approached Davey and touched him with her fingertips again. ¡°Starting connection. Attempting to make contact with the mucus membrane of the nose.¡± Then, Rinne shoved her fingers inside Davey¡¯s nose even before he could react. ¡°Keugh?!¡± However, even the smallest of fingers wouldn¡¯t be able to fit inside one¡¯s nostrils. ¡°Failure to connect. As a second-best option, starting to attempt making contact with the mucus membrane of the mouth.¡± Rinne quickly pulled her fingers out of Davey¡¯s nostrils and shoved her hand into his mouth. ¡°Hup?!¡± Everyone who was there frowned horribly at that sight. Milpieu, who was guarding Davey, stared at the girl with wide eyes. Then, she started breathing heavily. ¡°I¡ªInteresting!¡± Whoosh!!! ¡®What¡¯s with making contact with the mucus membrane?¡¯ The finger that had just entered Davey¡¯s mouth was the one poking around in his nose a moment ago. When Davey reflexively took her hand out, Rinne stared at him with an emotionless face. With a hint of puzzlement, Rinne asked, ¡°Master, refreshing Rinne¡¯s data. Why aren¡¯t you allowing it?¡± ¡°Enough. It¡¯s gross; what are you doing?¡± ¡°Rinne: able to collect necessary basic data from direct contact with the mucous membrane of the owner.¡± ¡°So, you shoved your fingers up my nostrils?¡± Rinne tilted her head in confusion. However, she didn¡¯t look at Davey in that way for long and turned her head when she sighed satisfactorily. ¡°Certain data collectionplete. Vampire: Master¡¯s subject of elimination.¡± ¡®How did it take data from me?¡¯ Davey was already full of excitement, since Rinne had spoken as if she was going to fight at any moment. Snapping out of it, Milpieu began releasing her power of blood from the de of her hand with her fingers spread out. Milpieu, a half-blooded vampire, seemed like she was of powerful rank, but her power was probably on the weaker side of that rank. After all, she was a half-blood. ¡°You are going to fight me?¡± ¡°Enemy of Master. Combat weapon Rinne will eliminate.¡± ¡°Every one of you is interesting. Let me study you.¡± ¡°Result of analysis: it looks like the enemy has an interest in studying Rinne¡¯s body.¡± Davey nodded at Rinne, who looked back at him like she didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡®I should let her try if she wants to.¡¯ ¡°Can you get rid of her?¡± Davey asked Rinne. ¡°Result of search: it looks like Rinne will win.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Try beating her.¡± ¡°Command epted,¡± Rinne spoke calmly. Then, the halo above her head began to sparkle and spin. At the same time, the halo doubled in size and a million numbers began passing through her blue eyes. ¡°Interesting. Come with me. I can give you a lot more data. You need contact with my mucus membrane? I can help you¡­¡± Milpieu said. ¡°Rinne declines the offer following Master¡¯smand. Vampires are the target of elimination.¡± Rinne spoke calmly and raised her hand toward Milpieu. Whoosh¡­ Something fascinating began happening. Particles began gathering in the air like holograms, creating somethingrge. ¡°What is that?!¡± ¡°I¡­ In the air where there¡¯s nothing¡­¡± ¡°Wow¡­ This is another thing that is unexinable with current knowledge.¡± Davey thought that his mumbling probably expressed what everyone else was feeling right now. Perhaps the ancient civilization ten thousand years ago was a civilization that waspletely different from now, and one that was extremely developed in a way. Although, there was no way of knowing how a civilization like that hade to an end and simply disappeared. ¡°Light turret. Linkingplete. Targeting. 2.1% chance of elimination on hit. Expecting increase in the probability of elimination with continuous hits.¡± As soon as Rinne stopped talking, Milpieu instinctively jumped away after noticing that something was off. Like the Master level vampire she was, her abilities of detecting danger were quite advanced as well. ¡°Launch.¡± Zing! With a very short sound, a blue ray of energy flew into the gigantic hall like it was going to cut the vampire in half. * * * Zing!! Boom!!!! Over a dozen rays of light flew into the hall in seconds. Once Rinne¡¯s attacks began with loud explosions, Milpieu was running around trying to dodge them, unable to even react properly. ¡°Kyahh!!¡± ¡°You lunatic.¡± Lucia and Sio didn¡¯t have the skills to dodge those rays, so Davey had no choice but to block it for them. Boom!! A strange, fuzzy feeling traveled down Davey¡¯s fingertips when he swatted away the rays of energy with Red Ribbon by a close call. Rinne¡¯s output of power was no joke. If this was just one shot¡­ -It¡¯s about 90% of the entire power of the Megatron. Considering the continuous firepower, it is an unbelievable level of performance that is iparable to the golem. As if she had read Davey¡¯s mind, Perserque provided an exactparison analysis. ¡°W¡ªWhat is this?!¡± Lucia, who couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, screamed. It was natural that she wasn¡¯t able toprehend the situation; there was the sudden appearance of a vampire, and a girl named Rinne who was shooting multiple rays of energy at the vampire. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the Deus Ex Machina¡¯s performance would be this unbelievably strong.¡± -It means that not only are the stats of the mechanical heart amazing, but the girl¡¯s are as well. It seemed that it wasn¡¯t called the golem version of the Stone of the Sage for nothing. Davey thought about this inplete objectivity; to be exact, Davey didn¡¯t think that he could make something that powerful with his current knowledge and understanding, like how he couldn¡¯t make Surtr¡¯s divine sword by himself. Perhaps it might¡¯ve been possible for Eva, his alchemy teacher. ¡®I wonder what kind of person the owner of this ancient ruin was.¡¯ ¡°It''s amazing firepower¡­ I want it more and more!¡± However, Davey could see that it had a limit no matter how outstanding it was. The first limitation was that it very muchckedbat data. Another was¡­ ¡°Rinne is weak when she is up against someone strong.¡± The rays that Rinne shot out were strong; they had the strength of the magic that an advanced 4th circle or a 5th circle mage would be able to use. However, she couldn¡¯t affect anyone at the Master level. Of course, she could harm Masters if she hit them, since there was something distinct about the rays¡­ But that was only if her target, Milpieu was hit¡­ Of course, Rinne looked like she had potential to grow and beat someone at the Master level as she gains more data and bes more united with the mechanical heart since this wasn¡¯t the entirety of her power. Rinne was aplete unit that waspletely different from the Megatron, which had a clear limit as its output of power was fixed by magic stones. Davey had hoped for amanding unit since he couldn¡¯t manage and order golems that had no will; he was d he was able to get it now. Click. Davey thought that he had seen enough of Rinne¡¯s firepower, and that it was time he set out. Although she was only a half-blooded vampire, Milpieu, that pink-haired girl, was not to be taken lightly. Milpieu was probably testing Rinne, unable to hold back her intrigue, because she had judged Rinne¡¯s attacks to be somewhat threatening. ¡°Sir Davey?¡± Lucia, who opened her eyes wide as soon as Davey got up, called out to him. ¡°Well, I am extremely satisfied right now, but I won¡¯t be able to get rid of the vampire with her.¡± Lucia seemed puzzled at Davey¡¯s words. Milpieu, who thankfully hadn¡¯t heard Davey, was analyzing Rinne while running all over the ce and dodging her attacks. The moment Milpieu, who was dodging Rinne¡¯s never-ending rays of energy, came into reach, Davey mumbled as he slightly pulled out Blue Ribbon from her sheath. ¡°It¡¯s fine that you are intrigued, but that¡¯s mine. Don¡¯t try to take it.¡± ¡°Hup?!¡± Milpieu eximed. [Transcendental Longsword] [Fast Unsheathing] [Great Moonlight Sword] There was no prohibition on someone intruding on a one-to-one battle. Davey instantly got behind Milpieu and pulled out his sword. ¡®Watch your back.¡¯ In just a split second, a blue sh of light cut through the surroundings and shed not only her, but Rinne¡¯s attacks that were targeted toward Milpieu. Chapter 116 From what Davey had gathered, Milpieu was the type of person who cared about nothing else if she became infatuated with one thing. Her physical abilities and reflexes were also quite good, but she was mentally ill. ¡°Cough, that hurt.¡± Davey concluded that it would be best to get rid of Milpieu if it seemed dangerous. Milpieu seemed somewhat unthreatening, but she was a difficult type of enemy to discern. ¡°That blue sword¡­ It was a miscalction¡­ It is too le¡­thal¡­to us¡­¡± Milpieu had been on guard toward Red Ribbon from the very beginning, but had rxed when it came to Blue Ribbon, and this was the result. ¡°Everything is so intriguing¡­ I¡­want to study it.¡± Milpieu still desired to study even when she was in this situation. However, the state of her body seemed to protest against that. She coughed up a lot of blood. ¡°Deus Ex Machina¡­ A sword that destroys the power of immortality¡­ I don¡¯t want to give up on it¡­¡± Milpieu looked disappointed, speaking dejectedly. Then, in just a split second¡­ ¡°I still don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Atst, Milpieu chose to run away. She copsed onto the ground like she was turning into a liquid before disappearing. Life over goal; her decision to run away was much bolder than Davey had expected. ¡°Sir Davey!! A¡ªAre you hurt anywhere?¡± After making sure that Milpieu had retreated, Lucia ran over to Davey in a hurry and examined him. Lucia practically screamed, then bent down to check Davey all over. She found no injuries. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ That¡­ That¡¯s a relief. May the blessing of the benevolent Saintess Daphne be with you¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all an act.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± It seemed like Daphne had made sure to portray herself in a good way, but it was absolutely ridiculous to someone who knew the full truth. ¡®Gah, I can¡¯t even say anything!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like Davey was keeping his mouth shut because he wanted to; he felt like he was about to die from frustration. Davey quickly rescinded his words and avoided eye contact with Lucia. Lucia waspletely normal; Davey wondered why a girl who had a soft face and spoke in an adorable manner like her had to be a crazy believer of Daphne. ¡®I guess God really is fair.¡¯ * * * -Nothing in the world is perfect. That aside, how are you feeling? ¡®Not bad. I¡¯m getting better.¡¯ It was safe to say that there wouldn¡¯t be any more attacks since Milpieu had destroyed all the golems that were around. There wouldn¡¯t be any major issues if they could get out. ¡°Do you think¡­she really ran away?¡± Lucia mumbled anxiously while guarding her surroundings. Then, she let out a short sigh like she thought Milpieu had run away for good. ¡°Anyway¡­ Where do we go to escape?¡± The hall they were in was only filled with tubes; they could not see any paths leading somewhere else. Furthermore, Milpieu had also used teleportation magic to get out and run away from Davey. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Do I have to make it if there isn¡¯t one?¡¯ The moment Davey was contemting, he felt someone tug on his clothes. When he looked over, he could see Rinne¡¯s slightly annoyed expression like she didn¡¯t like the fact that he had finished Milpieu, who was fighting her before him. She was definitely emotionless, but there was no way of figuring out how he was able to see some emotions. He called out, ¡°Rinne?¡± ¡°Master. Do you have to go up?¡± Rinne tilted her head and asked with the same awkward pronunciation. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°The ceiling. Should I break it?¡± ¡°Just a clean path, since it¡¯s going to copse if you break it randomly. Can you do it?¡± Davey wondered if Rinne could do this as well. Considering the power of the energy rays she was shooting earlier, he felt like she could probably destroy the durable ancient ruins entirely. Rinne¡¯s eyes glistened as she stared up at the ceiling. At the same time, the minimized ring on top of her head began expanding to arge size. ¡°Start analysis. Error in information. Failure to analyzeponents. Starting secondary analysis. Determining strength. Analysisplete,¡± Rinne mumbled calmly and then raised her hand in the air. Click!! At the same time, a small essory formed as hologram-like things began gathering in her palm. Rinne had just summoned an essory from thin air; Davey wondered what else this White Wing that was called the Lion of God could do. ¡°Starting link. Linkingplete. High heat ray chosen,¡± Rinne spoke calmly and nced at Davey. ¡°Master, dangerous. Behind Rinne.¡± ¡°Can you get through with that?¡± Davey asked. He knew that it was difficult to cut through even with [Aura de]. It could be cut, but it was not effective. The problem was that the equipment on the top of Rinne¡¯s hand was the same weapon she had used before. This meant she didn¡¯t stand a chance with that level of power. Rinne answered cutely with an emotionless expression, ¡°Two failures are uneptable. Extreme heat rays. 50% power output of Rinne. Significant portion of system down immediately after use. Master, Rinne has to retrieve.¡± ¡°It¡¯s lighter than it looks. It shouldn¡¯t cause too big of a problem.¡± ¡°Then, Rinne is able to investigate extreme heat ray. This is¡­¡± Rinne seemed a little delighted. At the same time, the small, cannon-like equipment attached to the top of her hand began shining. Rinne dered calmly, as if trying to prove that she wasn¡¯t useless like before, ¡°Rinne. Thinks. Highly! Of this!¡± Zzing! A shock wave resonated out with a short but loud sound. Emitting a bright light, the equipment attached to the top of Rinne¡¯s hand began to shoot blue rays of energy toward the ceiling in a different way. Davey could clearly see that the level of power was very different from the rays she was shooting continuously before. Furthermore¡­ ¡®Thinks highly¡­ She¡¯s pretty funny.¡¯ That was Davey¡¯s favorite part about Rinne. * * * It seemed like Rinne was being stubborn. Perhaps it was because she saw that Davey had been a little disappointed by her, but she put a hole into the ceiling more persistently than he had expected. The ceiling had melted off and bits were falling onto the floor thanks to that, but she waspletely fine even after being hit with the burning red bits of the ancient ruins. ¡®Seriously, how does her body work?¡¯ Rinne had first burned off the outer circle, then had finished it off by sting the center out. She deactivated her equipment and nced at Davey. As if she thought she had done well this time, Rinne¡¯s emotionless but proud face expressed that she wanted praise. -Why can I know what it wants when it¡¯s emotionless? Davey fully agreed with what Perserque was saying. Thud! ¡°Mas¡­ter. Rinne, error¡­ power¡­¡± It seemed like this was what Rinne was talking about when she said that it would be difficult to use the system as she had used up 50% of all the power that was stored inside of her. She looked at Davey like she wanted him to ask if she was okay while sitting on the floor. He stopped using holy magic and covered her naked body with a spare cape. Then, he slowly picked her up from the ground. ¡®Huh?!¡¯ Rinne was extremely heavy, unlike before! Davey was confused because she felt close to two hundred kilograms when she felt very light when he had first taken her out of the tube. ¡®Is she protesting that she is also a golem?¡¯ Holding Rinne was much better than holding the Megatron, who weighed a few tonnes, but a normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to lift her up. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt anywhere, right?¡± Lucia jumped at Davey¡¯s question and nodded, and Sio Howl also nodded in silence. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re going to have to use a flying magic spell or something to get up.¡± Davey could just shoot up from the floor if he was alone, but he couldn¡¯t expect that from the two. That¡¯s when Sio Howl, who was staying silent, spoke while reaching out to Lucia. ¡°I will do it.¡± ¡°Huh?! Were you not at the 4th circle?¡± ¡°Tut, I hid a circle. Stay quiet and rx.¡± Speaking quietly like he was some sort of martial artist, Sio quickly used [Fly], a 5th circle magic spell, and he and Lucia began floating up. ¡°Master. Thinking the weight of Rinne is too heavy for humans.¡± ¡°You¡­are a lot heavier.¡± ¡°Rinne. Detecting damage to emotion circuit. Additionally detecting that the circuit pathway is bing heated; judging that this is anger.¡± Rinne was calmly telling Davey that she was offended, but she had on such a bright expression as she said that. He wondered if Rinne¡¯s personality was that way because she was from a unique race called White Wing, or it was because she had be half-golem. All that aside, he didn¡¯t know what or who this girl was. He had heard that a sword obtained an ego by the ego entering an extraordinary sword, but he didn¡¯t know that was also applicable to golems as well. ¡°Aside from that, let¡¯s do something about that weird title first.¡± ¡°Rinne, malfunctioning of judgment circuit. Requesting reason.¡± Davey wasn¡¯t too fond of the title of ¡®Master¡¯ since he didn¡¯t really like the concept of very. Bing the master of those with egos and own will and possessing them would mean that he was oppressing them. Unfortunately, he had no intentions of condoning this since he pursued a healthy work environment. ¡®What should she call me?¡¯ Even if she looked human, Rinne was a golem. Now that she had be Davey¡¯s, he had already decided that it would be best if she would be part of the Decepticon Fleet, the final line of defense for the Heins Territory. However, it was a little problematic since he had never thought of applying what he wanted to be called by to a golem. Watching Rinne tilt her head in puzzlement, Davey looked at Perserque for her help, to which she stroked her chin. -Hm¡­ I can think of a few things considering your thinking, but¡­ ¡°Whatever. Call me Sir Davey for the time being.¡± ¡°Engraving of temporary title into Rinnepleted.¡± ¡®And can I not fix that damn manner of speaking in the third person?¡¯ The small girl in front of him was stunning, but Davey couldn¡¯t go past the small feeling of divergence he was feeling. Rinne just tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Rinne replies with her name when called upon. It¡¯s a system to minimize the amount of confusion between the same units.¡± It was kind of like identifying one¡¯s own name and rank in the military. ¡°Didn¡¯t you forget it half-way through?¡± ¡°Rinne. Judging that system of unit is very old.¡± Rinne was referring to herself as an old sergeant. She wasn¡¯t going to throw it all away, but it was safe to assume that she was forgetting a few things just because she had woken up with an ill-tempered ego. Davey wondered if Rinne was talking about how old the White Wing was, or the mechanical heart. He was excited to get to know her. ¡°S¡­ Sir Davey! Hurry up!¡± Lucia, who was standing on top of the crack on the melted side of the ceiling, shouted down. Then, Davey slightly nodded and shot up from the ground with the tube as his springboard. Chapter 117 ¡°Teacher! Please let us go to find them, too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be na?ve! Teacher Boris and Teacher Fridos have already gone to the third floor to find the three trainees! You guys wait here!¡± ¡°But we cannot just keep waiting here!¡± Fendyr responded adamantly while the other trainees remained solemn. It was natural for Fendyr to act like that because Lucia Shelman was her partner. She was bound to be extremely anxious, especially since she and Lucia had worked together for a long time and were very close. However, both Treve, the illusionist and partner of Sio Howl, and Illyna, Davey¡¯s partner, looked much moreposed than before. ¡°Um¡­ Illyna¡­¡± The twin sisters, Shayir and Fendyr, cautiously asked Illyna as they looked around with a worried face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hm? Oh¡­ Yeah. I was a little shocked at first¡­but I don¡¯t really think that there would be any problems.¡± As she spoke, Illyna nced at the Megatron, which was ruthlessly ripping apart battle ants over on the side. The golem, which was listening to Davey¡¯s orders to keep everyone safe, was nothing but a berserker. It stayed back, piercing through the evil beasts with its drill and shredding them into pieces with its electric chainsaw. Illyna had seen that stupid golem act like that before. ¡®How could I forget?¡¯ She could never forget that scene, because the golem was acting exactly like the time when she, a so-called swordsmanship genius who had reached the most advanced level of Expert at the mere age of seventeen, had brutally lost even when she had her regr sword. The problem was that the Megatron¡¯s movement and aspects of its destructive force had improved. It wouldn¡¯t be all too effective on the Teachers who were at the Master level, but the golem would feel like a catastrophe to the trainees. Currently, Boris and Fridos, the Teachers who were watching over the trainees, had left to find the three people who had fallen below. As such, the only person who would be able to do something in case of a sudden emergency was Sylia, an advanced elementalist. Everyone was anxious and worn out from the endless battle ants showing up. Normally, they would¡¯ve left right away, but they couldn¡¯t even do that since the structure of the ruins had changed for some reason. ¡°I wish the floor would just shake and then the three people woulde back safely.¡± The twins mumbled woefully. Some of the trainees agreed with them. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s not worry too much about them. The Teachers have gone to find them.¡± ¡°Sio is there as well. His personality isn¡¯t all that good, but his skills definitely are.¡± ¡°Davey will be there as well¡­¡± ¡°The problem is that the golem is here. Davey is a golem controller, as well as an alchemist.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The mood, which was beginning to lighten, suddenly became glum again. ¡®They probably know as well.¡¯ The Teachers, who were powerful Masters, were not able to find them although it had been a while since they had gone down. The trainees were thinking that the three people might¡¯ve already been killed as dangerous beings roamed the third floor of the basement and under. ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a big problem,¡± Illyna mumbled bitterly as she nced at the trainees. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Illyna thought about how she should exin it to the puzzled trainees. Was she to say that Davey, who¡¯s pretending to be a genius alchemist, was actually a Swordmaster? When she first had that realization, she herself had been flustered and had caused a fuss. She wondered if anything would change even if she told them that fact about Davey and how she had initially responded. Illyna kicked the ground with her toes as she contemted. Whoosh¡­ That was when¡­ ¡°Why is the floor¡­ Heg, get out of there!¡± Illyna, who was staring nkly at the ground, shouted at Heg with wide eyes. ¡°Woah!!¡± Widening his eyes, Heg backed away with a scream. His face turned pale as he watched the ground he was just standing on turn red with steam. ¡°Wh¡­ What is this?!¡± ¡°Children, get back!¡± Sylia immediately prepared Merden with a tense expression, since no one knew what would emerge from the melting ground. She expected to greet something that had the ability to melt this stone, a material that wasn¡¯t even easily cut by [Aura de]. Sizzle¡­ Then, as the floor turned red and began to melt into a big hole, some of the trainees gulped nervously. ¡°D¡ªDon¡¯t worry, children. I will keep you safe.¡± ¡®What¡¯s going to emerge?¡¯ Unlike what they had expected, no monster came out from the hole. The only thing that could be heard was some light-hearted conversation between humans. ¡°Rinne assessed that efficiency is not good.¡± ¡°What makes the efficiency poor?¡± ¡°Analyzing data. Calcted that Sir Davey can go up faster than this. Called child exploitation. A disappointment to Rinne.¡± ¡°You said that you were old. I think you¡¯re older than me.¡± ¡°Rinne, extreme overheating of the emotional circuit. Assessed as extreme anger.¡± ¡°You?!¡± ¡°Chosen missile drop-kick. Appreciated by Rinne!¡± The conversation was so carefree that they didn¡¯t seem like people who had just taken part in a bloody battle. At the same time, a young man shot out from the big hole in the ground like he was hit by something. Then, a naked girl fiercely shot up in a kicking stance. Everyone stared at the both of them, feeling dumbfounded. 47. 5000 to 8 The exploration of the ancient ruin ended without any casualties. The only casualties were people who had been exploring the third floor before the trainees, so some were relieved by the fact that the trainees, who were the future of the knight order, had survived. After the incident, an analysis had to be done. Of course, Sio Howl, Lucia Shelman, and Davey, the three people who were involved, had been called upon by the knight order¡¯s headquarters. Normally, Davey wouldn¡¯t have a problem with meeting those people in the headquarters¡­ But he had to decline their summoning. ¡®I wille back after exterminating the little rat that has hidden in my territory.¡¯ Davey wasn¡¯t insane; although he was having some fun as a part of Alpha Reinforcements, a knight order part of the Last Wisp, his real job was as the seigneur of a territory. Furthermore, he was aiming to be a Roaming Knight who would support the knight order from behind, even though he was still a trainee. Roaming Knights fulfilled their duties and contributed by delivering various supplies and resources, provided they could maintain their connection with the outside world. This meant that they had a different role from Anchor Knights who pledged to stay in the Zone of Evil. Of course, one would only be able to be a Roaming Knight if they were capable of providing continuous support. Since the headquarters were in charge of thousands of people, they just allowed Davey to go; perhaps they weren¡¯t able to find an excuse for him to stay. Originally, Davey was nning to finish his business at the Heins Territory and return in time for Illyna¡¯s test. He had also received a message that something big was going to happen soon at the royal pce. This was the first and only time he was going to be a good son by staying quiet, and this was going to end soon as well. If what Milpieu, the vampire he had met at the basement of the ancient ruins, had said was true, an ignorant mosquito was now after him. Davey didn¡¯t think she was lying, since vampires dide after and attack him when he had been at the Yellowstone Tribe¡¯s vige. Davey¡¯s bad rtionship with the vampires had continued on from the Duchy of Felicity, but it was true that Davey didn¡¯t have enough information to exterminate them. It was difficult to get a hold of their activities even with Jack¡ªAina¡ªHelishana gathering information. A trace had to be left behind or picked up for it to be useful information; since they left nothing of that sort, vampires were just like untraceable aliens. Perhaps it was the climate or Davey recognizing his natural enemy at the territory, but Davey felt no relief despite not experiencing an immediate attack. Still keeping a smile on his face, he mumbled from irritation, ¡°I would kill him with a fly swatter if that mosquito would just get out.¡± About a week had passed since Davey had returned to the territory. The five golems, excluding Rinne, were lined up in front of him and were making him feel extremely happy and satisfied. Although the overall formation was made by altering the things he had created in the Hall out of boredom and what he could ess right now, he had created something very interesting. This was thanks to the overwhelmingly powerful output of power and delicate magic craftsmanship. There was the Megatron, the close-range berserker and all-rounder golem that was the most senior member; Sniper, the powerful, target-specialized golem responsible for extremely long-range attacks that were kilometers away; and Juggernaut, the mid-range golem that would bombard the enemy with small, sharp metal bullets like a minigun to keep them away. There was also Puma, the golem that could change into the form of a huge cheetah; it was able to attack while moving, but it wasn¡¯t as powerful as the others since it specialized more in mobility and gathering information. Lastly, there was Tanker, the armored golem car that had the same electric potential as Megatron, but had 80% of itsbat power put into its defense power, and Rinne, the Elder Brain that would control all the golems.[1] Rinne was filled with mysterious secrets and was the one that Davey had yet to figure out. He couldn¡¯t analyze her since her memories were all mixed up, and she was made from ancient technology that he couldn¡¯t figure out even if he opened her up. It was a little disappointing, but it wasn¡¯t aplete loss as it gave him an idea of making a source of power as intricate and detailed as muscle tissue. ¡®If I keep using ancient technology and improving it like this, maybe one day, I¡¯ll charge at the enemy while wielding a light ray sword.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t hold in his smile, feeling proud and ambitious. Furthermore, it seemed like Rinne had a self-recovery function, and she could recover with time. She just had to be provided with the necessary supplies. ¡°Davey¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Davey!!¡± ¡°Die while fighting, all you warri¡­ Hm?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Illyna shouted angrily, since she felt that Davey had ignored her for quite a while. When Davey turned around, she shouted while pointing at the golems. ¡°Those things¡­ Are they all the same as that unbelievable golem with the electric saw?¡± ¡°They are a little low-performance, since they are first versions, but yeah.¡± The other golems had to be examined and had lots of room for improvement. ¡°Sigh¡­ You made that horrifying drill with unique parts or something, too¡­ Soon enough, they¡¯re going to fly around.¡± ¡°I am thinking of doing that.¡± ¡®You think I can¡¯t do that?¡¯ Since Davey answered that he would¡¯ve tried right away if he had the materials, Illyna looked dumbfounded. Although the probability of sess was low¡­ ¡°Juniors lookingpetent. Rinne appreciates this!¡± Illyna looked at Rinne in mild disbelief, because the emotionless Rinne was unable to hide her delight at all. 1. A life cycle in the Forgotten Realms in Dungeons & Dragons. It isposed of many brains and uses those as its source of intelligence. It also has the ability of telepathicmunication and can sense creatures from far away. ? Chapter 118 Like when Megatron mercilessly swung its electric sword, lllyna had felt the golem army¡¯s destructive force and knew this was living proof of the golems¡¯ rapid speed of improvement. As such, she could not help but feel anxious. Now, since Davey had obtained a human golem that could think, had its own emotions, and could beat the Master level, she couldn¡¯t help but think that Rinne¡¯s existence was ridiculous. In fact, Illyna had been overpowered by Rinne in just three minutes and was crushed to the ground even though she had fought with Caldeiras. Unlike the other golems, which she could at least beat with Caldeiras and not her regr sword, Rinne, this monstrously powerful biological golem, was somethingpletely different. Illyna¡¯s dumbfounded and foolish expression when she had fought Rinne, pretending it had been just a duel, was unforgettably funny. -Now, it seems like the reason you made the golem fleet was just because you wanted to create a custom-made piece with everything you want above all else. Of course, Perserque knew Davey too well. He wouldn¡¯t be able to beat someone at the Master level by manufacturing multiple golems that weren¡¯t as powerful, but he had still poured his resources and money into making these golems. For what reason? To be exact¡­ It was for his interest. ¡°Sigh¡­ Davey, okay¡­ Let¡¯s put aside the other golems, including Megatron. But did you purposely do that to her?¡± As Davey stared at Illyna in confusion, she sighed. ¡°Seriously, you¡­ Do you get turned on by humiliating people in public?¡± ¡®This princess doesn¡¯t know to watch her mouth in public.¡¯ It was already weird for someone of royalty to speak in that manner since they valued sophistication above all else, but she never put up a fa?ade around Davey as if she was among the knight order. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°Well, her clothes¡­¡± ¡°Rinne. Analyzed that the durability of bothersome metal parts is significantly lower than biological armor and is inefficient. However, thinks that this cloth armor amodates a wide range of motion. Satisfied.¡± It seemed like Rinne was thinking that the clothes Davey gave her to make her look like a girl her age was armory. Currently, she was wearing a white, sleeveless top and a blue skirt with shorts underneath that came up to her knees. Her top aside, it was true that what Rinne was wearingpletely went against the public morals of this world where revealing skin from the thighs to the ankles was strictly prohibited. It was the norm to keep the calves covered even if they wore a backless top. In fact, Illyna also wore a simple andfortable dress for activity and wore a skirt with pants underneath during battle. Davey couldn¡¯t even speak of how the tailor that was at his territory looked at him when he first thought of Rinne¡¯s uniform and told them about it. ¡°Rinne. Cannot understand and ept Illyna¡¯s words. Requesting reason for Rinne to understand.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ What do I expect from a golem?¡± It was even more strange and difficult toprehend as a golem was speaking with emotion like a human would. ¡°Although it may not seem that way, that¡¯s a pretty modest uniform,¡± Davey said. ¡°What part of it?!¡± Illyna shouted. ¡°Rinne. Analyzed that Illyna is weird. Thinks she needs mental help.¡± As Davey tried to really mess with her, Illyna clenched her jaw and red at him. Then, she clicked her tongue and turned away. She yelled, ¡°Ah okay. You¡¯re the best! Just amazing!¡± ¡°Rinne. Objectively, Sir Davey has a better understanding of this ce than current technology permits and is ahead of the time.¡± ¡°Um, Rinne, a criminal does not understand the mind of a genius!¡± ¡°Rinne is a high-functioning biological golem with emotion. Very much appreciates beingplimented.¡± Like she was sick of it, Illyna stopped talking; it seemed like she didn¡¯t want to argue with a golem. ¡°Of course¡­ Since when was this guy open to reason, right?¡± Illyna mumbled to herself. Ignoring her, Davey stored the golems in a small cube and put it in his pocket. ¡°Anyways, it would be nice if I could test them out sometime.¡± The newrge, strategic weapons Davey had created made him want to test them out at least once. However, no one was reckless enough to infiltrate the territory to loot it since this damn territory had its royal guards, and there were people from wizard towers and temples as well. This, too, was a difficult situation. ¡°Should I take them all to the knight order?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Please think of how the trainees would feel, you dick.¡± The trainees were obliterated by Megatron; it was clear what would happen if four more golems like it were added to the mix. In that sense, necromancers and golem controllers were somewhat simr. Since Davey didn¡¯t have to use mana, the golems would be able to fight infinitely if they were charged with energy. ¡°Big Brother!!¡± However, it only took a few coincidences to win the lottery; Davey was presented with an opportunity quite quickly. He heard news from Amy, who quickly ran over to him while huffing and puffing, and Winley and Yulis, who followed. ¡°A¡­ A herd of monsters was discovered! And it¡¯s arge herd with about five thousand of them!¡± Come to think of it, Davey had never thought about how well they would perform inrge-scale battles. ¡®This is a perfect opportunity to test a new product.¡¯ It was irritating how the little mosquito was testing the waters and ying with Davey like a toy, but the mosquito had given Davey a good present at the perfect time. * * * ¡°Rinne. Is talented. Thinks the ability of the body is interference and interpretation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re connected to the golems of the Decepticon Fleet in some way anyways,¡± Davey spoke. ¡°Rinne. Thinks the foreign object is ufortable. Does not appreciate this.¡± Rinne was protesting that something that was sub-par had entered her perfect body. It was true that Davey was very knowledgeable in alchemy, but it was just theoretical knowledge; he didn¡¯t have much experience with it. Although, he had so much experience inbat and survival that he was sick of it now. There was no way of knowing what the ancient humans were aiming for when they captured Rinne and made her into a golem since she also basically had no memory before being activated. The only thing she remembered was that she was a species called White Wing, and the fact that White Wings were able to use a variety of unbelievably powerful abilities like the Special Ones. Other than that, Davey had figured out that this White Wing, an extinct species, had a mentalwork that allowed them to share their consciousnesses through a unique connection to something called the Great God. In Rinne¡¯s case, it seemed like she just had their inherent abilities and could not ess the mentalwork as she had turned into a golem, but there was potential for improvement. By ¡®interpretation¡¯, she was talking about her ability to obtain basic, necessary information about someone by physical contact. It wasn¡¯t as absurd as Perserque¡¯s ability, which allowed her to look into the Abyss, but this was the reason why Rinne pushed her finger into Davey¡¯s nose when they first met. ¡®Although, it doesn¡¯t have to be the nose if it¡¯s about having contact with the mucus membrane.¡¯ As a result, Rinne had already gained basic knowledge about Davey and his name. ¡®Interference¡¯ probably had something to do with the equipment for the back of her hand that she was able to summon. Davey did think that it was something that probably couldn¡¯t easily be exined with alchemy or magic, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be an inherent ability. Davey concluded that the purpose of Rinne¡¯s creation might¡¯ve been to create a weapon. However, he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that her two abilities weren¡¯t supposed to be used that way. ¡°Davey, it¡¯s me. I found the herd over here. It looks like they were hiding on the hills to try and ambush the territory.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°Like what Amy, the substitute seigneurdy, said, about five thousand. But there¡¯s no sign of a vampire that you were talking about. We¡¯re going to pass the rift soon.¡± Illyna, who had gone in the opposite direction of Davey, told him about the enemy after finding them. The fact that monsters were acting this strategically and that the predator and predated on had joined forces¡­ ¡®It¡¯s funny.¡¯ Even if they were intelligent, ogres and trolls were archenemies, and goblins were nothing but their food source. However, five thousand of them had joined forces and were going to attack the territory by taking a strategic route. One would have to be a primate to not know that there was something else in the dark that was controlling them. Of course, they were discovered by the hunters who were wandering nearby as being ordered didn¡¯t change the fact that they were still idiots. ¡°Damn vampires.¡± Illyna, who showed extreme anger towards vampires, went insane as soon as Davey said that this incident had something to do with vampires. She participated with no regard to her status or anything. ¡°Big Brother. Are we going to be okay? We have no soldiers,¡± Winley pointed out. ¡°We know that you are strong, Sir Davey¡­ But it may be hard to get rid of all of them if there are a lot of them.¡± Even the most exceptional Swordmaster could not catch all five thousand of the monsters scattered around without missing a single one, especially in the terrain of such mountains. After all, five thousand was not a small number at all. ¡°Whatever it is, it¡¯s unusual for monsters to band together and move like that. There will be unnecessary chaos if this gets out,¡± Davey said. Winley nodded and tightly wrapped her hand around her wand. ¡°I will help!¡± ¡°Mages¡¯ power may be on the weaker side, but we in untargeted, wide attacks. I will move quickly with Lady Winley¡­¡± Yulis added. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to go.¡± The two stared at Davey in confusion. ¡°Big Brother, what do you mean?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± As Yulis spoke, Davey stared up at the clear, blue sky. He probably couldn¡¯t say something like ¡®Die, you bugs!¡¯ again, but the star of the show this time was somewhere else. He simply said, ¡°Rinne, let¡¯s begin.¡± A bright and emotionless voice came through themunication crystal in Davey¡¯s hand. ¡°Rinne, execute orders: activate entire Decepticon Fleet.¡± Click!! ng!! As soon as Davey gave the order, the fist-sized cube that was in front of him began shining and erging. Since they were fully non-living objects unlike Rinne, it was easy to cast an expansion spell on them. As an enormous statue-like object popped out, Winley mumbled in surprise, ¡°That¡­ The golem¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s slightly different¡­¡± Click!! ng!! ¡®It¡¯s essential for snipers to be able to conceal themselves well.¡¯ Ignoring Winley and Yulis¡¯ mumbling, the statue-like object began transforming into a gigantic golem. However, unlike Megatron, this one had a huge objecton its back. ¡°Code 002. Start sniper mode. Rinne, sending coordinates.¡± As the voice of Rinne, who was themand tower, quietly resonated from the crystal, the golem slowly raised its arm, pulled out a huge object from its back, and unfolded it. It looked simr to arge sniper gun, but there was a magic crystal embedded where the barrel should be. To be exact, there were three crystals attached behind the first one. Davey felt like he had invested a little too much into this golem, since it was responsible for the fleet¡¯s firepower, and the power output of the magic crystal was outrageous. [Command epted. Elder Brain, coordinates locked.] ¡°Rinne, the other golems?¡± ¡°ced in appropriate positions. Rinne¡¯s juniors, highly valued.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Go nuts.¡± As Rinne fully enteredmand mode, Sniper began to slowly move the magic gun¡¯s body. There was nothing but a dark forest in the direction it was pointing at, but the golem didn¡¯t care and pulled out a cable from its body and plugged it into the gun. Then, it began shining fiercely with a bright light. -We¡¯re going to have to stop it from shining like that. ¡°Let¡¯s fix that.¡± Of course, there was bound to be trial and error since it was the first version. Whoosh¡­ As arge amount of mana began gathering to the barrel of the gun, the two mages¡¯ faces grew pale. ¡°Let¡¯s move to the mountains where Rinne is.¡± Now that Davey had seen it start up, it was time to watch the mass ughter. ¡°Wedge battle tactic chosen. Rinne,mand passed on to juniors.¡± With a calm voice, a simple sentence fell on the monsters that were entering the narrow rift. ¡°Launch.¡± Boom!!! The surroundings began deforming, and arge number of energy bullets soared through the forest. Chapter 119 The weapons were all made ofyered magic stones, so enchanting a bunch of magic to increase their firepower was sessful. Of course, the attack speed and efficiency had decreased dramatically as arge amount of mana was used to support the firepower¡­ Pahh!!!! Shriek!!!! -Kahh!! But that was enough to bring chaos upon the stupid monsters. Shriek!! Squeak! Squeak! Ignoring the goblins that were screaming and scattering, Sniper¡¯s ultra-long-range sniping targeted only the big ones. The ones that had broken formation in a panic weren¡¯t important enough to care about. Then, Juggernaut, the mid-range golem, and Tanker, the defense golem, blocked the pathway after recognizing Rinne¡¯smand. ng! ng!!! As Tanker held up a thorny shield and blocked the way, Juggernaut''s hand speedily rotated like a minigun and began bombarding the monsters with magic bullets. Whirr!! Boom boom boom!! The magic bullets were bolts of energy that had been treated with weight, speed, and precision magic. Each bullet wasn¡¯t powerful, and the firing speed wasn¡¯t OP like the minigun that Davey knew, which shot out six thousand bullets per minute. Juggernaut was only able to shoot out about five hundred at best, but the advantage was that one bullet wiped out about three or four monsters since he had added pration to the magic as well. The firing speed had only increased because Davey had formed the numerous barrels by splitting a magic stone that had a very OP level of power output; it was an excellent improvementpared to when it took about a second for each bullet to fire. -Kyahh!! Kaw kaw!! Davey couldn¡¯t help but feel satisfied by even this. ¡°W¡­ What is¡­¡± ¡°Sir Davey¡­ What in the world did you make¡­¡± Winley and Yulis looked absolutely shocked. They watched the new golems, which worked for mass ughter at arger scale than Megatron. ¡°What is with the firepower?! Was it not simply just energy bolts?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that magic was enchanted, but various magic was mixed, to be exact.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a machine. Like how a tool does what a human cannot do, and how a magic circle does things for us.¡± ¡°It¡¯smon knowledge that it is impossible¡­¡± ¡°Man, I keep telling you thatmon knowledge can be broken at any time.¡± Yulis seemed to keep forgetting the fact that the golem was concentrated with vast magic knowledge. Of course, the extreme overload that came with the firepower was being reduced by rotating it like a minigun¡­ -But the output is decreasing incredibly. It needs to be charged quickly. There was still room for improvement. Boom!! Boom!! The Tanker was blocking the narrow path and Juggernaut was mercilessly bombing them with mana bullets from behind. The monsters, which were scattering in panic, squeezed through somehow and attacked the golems¡­ But they were unfortunately unable to do any major damage to their extremely durable armor. It was partly because the golems had berge as Davey had squeezed in various functions into them, and also because Sniper had blown the head off of all therge monsters, which had strong, single blows, that got close. Eventually, some of the monsters began to squeeze between the two golems and pass them. Of course, Rinne had something nned in case they did that. Whirr!! Whirr!! Squeak!! Slice!! Kaw! Puma, the golem with arge dagger specialized for moving and mobile attacks, and Megatron, a perfect fit for an electric saw, began moving. ¡°Sir Davey, calctions show arge number of monsters escaping. Rinne, thinks that she must participate.¡± ¡°Alright. Run wild.¡± Rinne wouldn¡¯t be taken out by the monsters since she was actually more durable than the five other golems despite her small physique. She dusted off her flowy skirt and summoned strange pieces of equipment onto the back of her hand, saying, ¡°Close-rangebat chosen. Type Lightsaber. Highly valued.¡± Click!! Mana began flowing out of the equipment that was on top of the back of each of her hands as if it was made with the [Aura de] in mind. At the same time, she began to p the small wings on her back and flew into the middle of the monster herd to bombard them with bombs. Boom!!!! The situation following the intense explosion was a mass ughter that was only fit to be described as a total wipe-out. Surprised by Rinne¡¯s sudden intrusion, the monsters naturally tried to fight back, but¡­ ng!! They backed away as if they instinctively felt fear as they couldn¡¯t even scratch her weak-looking skin, let alone stop her. She excluded the ones that were scattering in fear and continued to blow up the ones that were listening to orders and marching on. ¡°Oh my¡­ What is that¡­¡± ¡°To make a sword by stupidly clumping mana together¡­¡± Winley and Yulis stared down at the battlefield in awe. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t even understand her.¡± There was a reason they were called the ¡®Stone of the Sage¡¯ and ¡®Deus Ex Machina¡¯. Davey¡¯s honest feelings represented the current situation; even the most powerful golems needed time to charge after using arge amount of energy, and their armory would sometimes be crushed. However, Rinne was unstoppable like she was trying to show off the fact that she was a true,plete golem. When some time had passed since Rinne came into battle as she forcibly broke the monsters¡¯ formation, the monsters began scattering all over the ce and running away like they were no longer undermand. Davey didn¡¯t bother going after them since they were running in the opposite direction of the territory, but there was a need to set a time to get rid of the remaining ones. Then, Rinne returned with the golems that were all crushed in. Not caring about her tattered-up clothing, she reported to Davey with a bright voice, ¡°Rinne, checking the survival of nearby monsters. No threatening monsters found. Rmends increasing output through Sir Davey¡¯s praise.¡± Davey thought that Rinne was just somewhat useful in battles against someone strong, but she definitely had talent in mass ughter. He couldn¡¯t help but hollowly chuckle when he saw her expressionless yet strangely delighted face. 49. The Capital of the Lyndis Empire Aeria El Lyndis was the youngest princess of the Lyndis Empire and the only half-blood beastfolk of the royalty members. Unlike other members of royalty, she had never had a meal with anyone else for more than three years. Not only meals, but she hadn¡¯t shown her bare skin to anyone except a fewdies-in-waiting. It was bewildering that a member of royalty, who were people from a divine bloodline, was hiding her bare skin and wearing a mask and gloves to escape everyone¡¯s attention, but it was justmon to Aeria for the past several years as she was suffering from a disease with symptoms too horrendous for others to see. The disease she had caught was the Blood of the Demon, otherwise known as the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯. The disease wasn¡¯t known to the public, but it was an horrendous disease that couldn¡¯t be cured once it was caught. This disease caused disgusting blue spots to appear on the body and body temperature to randomly go up and down. It would make the patient unable to move and they would have to worry about dying every day. However, she was different from everyone else who had this disease; she waspletely fine and could live like a normal except for the fact that she had blue-ck spots on her body. Her temperature was normal, as well as her other organs, muscles, and fat. She was a little thin from growing tired of living with the disease, but that was unrted to the disease and was just a result of her not eating. However, not a single part of her pale and innocent appearance she had that excited her for her future when she was younger was left. On top of that, since ideologies of considering beastfolk to be lowly were still left in the Lyndis Empire, her position in the pce was unspeakable. People even cursed the king in secret, so it was obviously much worse for a princess with a terrible disease. This was why Aeria wore a mask and gloves. She never took off her unsophisticated yet modest dress that covered her entire body, and she spent about two years at the Holy Empire since the Emperor of the Lyndis Empire had ordered her to. ¡°C¡ªCan¡­I really be cured?¡± Aeria asked with a glimpse of hope. A man with a strict expression nodded. ¡°Yes, a lot of lives were saved with this treatment at the Ordem Territory. Most were treated sessfully, and they were able to move on.¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± Aeria¡¯s quavering voice could be heard. Aeria had suffered for so long, and the hardest thing about this disease was about herself. Humans had a desire to look after their body and be beautiful, and this was true for Aeria as well. She was a little girl who, ever since she was younger, had dreamed of meeting someone who loved her and wanted to only show them her beautiful appearance. Recently, she had a small wish to find the man she had briefly encountered on her way back from the Holy Empire. She had tried to find him through a reliable source, but ck hair wasmon in the continent and it was even moremon in the western continent. Other than that, all she remembered was that he was a mage and smelled faintly like dogwood¡­ Of course, she couldn¡¯t go to him even if she was able to find him now since her appearance was ugly enough to make most frown in disgust. ¡°You will definitely be cured. Furthermore, it seems like His Majesty is thinking of opening a grand celebration for your birthday since you are bing an adult.¡± The celebration was to solidify Aeria¡¯s position at the pce even if she was a beastfolk. Aeria began to sound a little excited. ¡°Right. I¡­really want to get better.¡± ¡°Leave it to me. I will make sure that Your Highness will be able to attend the ceremony without a mask.¡± Baron Gorneo, who had a strict expression, smiled faintly. It looked like a nervous smile at a nce, but it had a way offorting people. Hidden behind her mask, Aeria smiled as she happily dreamed of being cured and meeting the man she was looking for¡­ However, despite the promise of Baron Gorneo, who hade to treat her, she was unable to escape the hell that was suffocating her. * * * After the secret danger to the territory had passed, the secret vampire did not attack again. However, since Davey had to defend now, all he wished for was a hint or something like that. ¡°I need a red magic jewel to make a temporary magic stone.¡± A red magic jewel, otherwise known as a Red Moon. It was a unique jewel that was even more red than a ruby. This was what Davey was stuck on: now that he had created various kinds of golems, he had to make cheaper units that could be mass-produced. With Surtr¡¯s mana crafting method, it was impossible to make something that could perform simrly to the magic stone in a short amount of time. However, Davey had pride as a craftsman; he believed that he couldn¡¯t make a mana stone golem, which was just an ordinary golem and was also limited in the period of use. He had to use a golem with a magic stone that was much higher quality than mana stones and could recover its strength on its own at the very least. It was pretty cheap to train people, but no number of royal guards would be as valuable as a single golem. Davey couldn¡¯t cast buff magic spells on them forever. He came to the conclusion that he needed to make a golem with at least one or two magic stones, but the problem was that it was difficult to obtain them. It meant that he had no choice but to make it himself, but¡­ Chapter 120 ¡°Hm¡­ Are you talking about the Red Moon?¡± Yulis questioned. ¡°The Red Moon? Big Brother, isn¡¯t that a jewel that noblewomen wear as jewelry?¡± Winley looked at Davey in puzzlement. ¡°I was wondering if I would be able to get it since I need it,¡± Davey replied. The most important material, the Red Moon, was a bright red jewel. Well, it was only known as a beautiful jewel, but it had a hidden function as an essentialponent for refining magic stones. ¡°Why are you asking Sir Yulis when you¡¯re looking for the Red Moon? Shouldn¡¯t you ask usdies over here about a jewel used in jewelry?¡± Illyna smirked as she was sitting elegantly on her chair and sipping her tea. Then, with a hint of curiosity, she asked Yulis, ¡°Why? Did you find someone to gift jewelry to?¡± Winley¡¯s face instantly turned pale. ¡°N¡­ No!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Davey stared at Winley. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s nothing!¡± Winley shouted urgently as she lowered her head in shock. It was like she had seen a ghost or something. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, but I¡¯m thinking of making magic stones.¡± ¡°Making¡­magic stones? That¡­isn¡¯t a big deal?¡± Yulis could not hide his bafflement. Perhaps it was inevitable for him to respond that way, since he was a mage who knew how valuable magic stones were. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve thought about it long and hard, but nothing else would be able to provide that much energy right now. I had no difficulty gathering the other materials, but¡­¡± ¡°It is said that magic stones are normally made from the merging of hundreds of mana stones by an unknown, natural power. Because they are extremely rare, that is why each one is so valuable.¡± Yulis mumbled in thought, ¡°But you are going to make that yourself?¡± ¡°Crafting it would just be a matter of time if I had the materials.¡± At the same time, Yulis¡¯ eyes sparkled with the desire to learn. ¡°Sir Davey! Please! Show me your crafting!¡± ¡®I don¡¯t care if you watch, but you won¡¯t be able to understand it.¡¯ ¡°The problem is that I don¡¯t have the Red Moon, the most important material. Apparently, there aren¡¯t any avable.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Makes sense. It¡¯s a jewel that noblewomen also dream of, because it¡¯s so rare.¡± Illyna exined to Davey with apathy, ¡°It¡¯s going to take you a while to get it, even if you start looking for it now.¡± ¡°Is there a way to get it as far as you know?¡± Illyna thought in silence, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Perhaps even a princess had difficulty in obtaining the Red Moon if it wasn¡¯t avable, Illyna¡¯s silence suggested that the jewel was truly difficult to get. It was also difficult to find any information about the Red Moon even though Davey had gone through the catalog of merchantpanies who sold products rted to magic or guides for auctions. ¡°You know, the Red Moon¡­ It¡¯s a jewel formed in a very rare environment by mere coincidence. It¡¯s not easy to find even if you have money. Davey, do you know what kind of social standing someone who has that jewel holds amongst the noblewomen?¡± Illyna smirked at Davey. ¡°Man, this is nice. You thought money solved everything, didn¡¯t you? You money worshiper.¡± ¡°So, you don¡¯t want my help?¡± Davey raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hey!¡± Illyna frowned. ¡°How could you go back on your words like that?! So cheap! You call yourself royalty?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better than someone of royalty going around calling people asses? You know, hiding a personality like yours is deceiving all the men on the continent. It¡¯s fraud.¡± Davey remembered how worthwhile it was to see Winley and Yulis¡¯ expressions when they saw Illyna lose her temper with him. ¡®How dare you provoke me when I¡¯m this worried.¡¯ Like it was something fascinating, Yulis and Winley couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them at Davey and Illyna¡¯s bickering. ¡°Sometimes, it feels like Lady Illyna and Sir Davey are in a long-term rtionship with each other. Hm¡­ The two of you are also good-looking. And how you both are honest to each other¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even say that! Me with a psycho like him¡­¡± Illyna refuted with a pale face. ¡°But doesn¡¯t that personality onlye out when you¡¯re with Sir Davey, Lady Illyna?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Giggle¡­¡± Winley trying to hold in herughter was what made Illynapletely give up. Illyna muttered, ¡°I¡¯m¡­royalty¡­ You know, I¡¯m the princess of the Pan Empire¡­¡± Ignoring Illyna, who was sinking into her chair with a sad face, Davey said with a sigh, ¡°I guess I¡¯m going to have to put this on hold for now.¡± He had toplete it when he could be this focused but there was nothing he could do if the materials weren¡¯t avable. ¡°Oh, right. Sir Davey, did you also receive an invitation to the Lyndis Empire¡¯s banquet that is happening?¡± It was the first Davey was hearing of it. ¡°Oh¡­ About that. Only about one or two people attend from a kingdom, and from what I¡¯ve heard, that idiot Carlus is attending from the Rowane Kingdom,¡± Winley exined. ¡®A banquet? That stupid, balding idiot who probably can¡¯t even speak properly?¡¯ ¡°Sigh¡­ I wanted to attend it at least once¡­¡± Winley looked disappointed. ¡°I heard that, for sure. Apparently, the banquet is being held in the Pentagon Hall this time. I have heard that the pce was built by five hundred dwarves for three years, and that its beauty and intricacy of the pce is far superior to any other,¡± Yulis said. Winley frowned even more, then said, ¡°Yes¡­ There are a lot of people who want to attend the banquet at the Lyndis Empire among the social circle as well. Maybe that¡¯s why¡­ I saw a lot of young girls doing anything to be the partner of that nasty guy.¡± Davey silently listened to Winley. ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t this an invitation?¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes sparkled as she found a neatly wrapped envelope among the pile of documents that hade for Davey. Then, she furrowed her brows. ¡°But..it¡¯spletely crumpled¡­¡± ¡°I can picture it¡­ It was definitely crumpled after he threw it somewhere because he wasn¡¯t interested in it.¡± ¡°I know I do whatever I want, but I¡¯m not crazy enough to ignore an empire¡¯s invitation.¡± ¡°Anyways, the fact that Davey received a separate invitation¡­¡± ¡°Prince Davey is quite famous.¡± Perhaps they sent it to poke around; however, it seemed true that Davey hadn¡¯t noticed the invitation and had covered it with piles of other papers. ¡°Big Brother!¡± Davey was suddenly given something to think about as he stared at Winley¡¯s hopeful, sparkling eyes. To be honest, it was awfully bothersome. But looking at those eager eyes, they made him think about how he could spare Winley this much time as her older brother; Davey was conflicting with himself. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right. Speaking of the Lyndis Empire, they are opening an auction for precious jewels at the banquet. I heard that all kinds of rare, hard-to-get jewels are going to¡­¡± ¡°Then I have to go. Winley, you said that you wanted to see the pce?¡± Davey answered without a moment of hesitation, and Illyna looked at him like she didn¡¯t understand him. * * * It was prettymon for siblings to attend various banquets as partners. As soon as Davey showed his intent to attend the Lyndis Empire¡¯s banquet, Illyna took Winley away. It was as if she had been waiting for it. Illyna quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll take Lady Winley away for a moment.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Davey, do you know the number of things ady who has been invited to a huge party like that has to prepare?¡± Davey sort of understood what Illyna was talking about. He offered, ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°A seal? You¡¯re telling me to use the territory¡¯s funds?¡± Davey had handed Illyna the seal that was necessary for printing a bill under the seigneur¡¯s name. It meant that he had handed Illyna apany ck card, speaking in Earthly terms. ¡°Since I don¡¯t know anything about things like that. I don¡¯t care how much you use, but just make sure that Winley isn¡¯t outshined.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Isn¡¯t that embezzlement?¡± Illyna asked in bewilderment. Davey rose from his seat and shrugged. ¡°Have a problem? I will just earn more money.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯m just shocked that a territory can actually be run sessfully by someone like him¡­¡± To be honest, running a business was not Davey¡¯s strong point. He was just benefiting off of the technology without really trying. However, there was one thing that Illyna had wrong: so much money had already been invested in the territory that there was nothing left to invest on. He knew that he had nothing to gain even if he poured more funds into the territory. ¡°I can use this seal however I want, right? I¡¯m going to buy things for myself, too.¡± ¡°But make Winley as perfect as the amount you spend.¡± ¡°Hup¡­ Big Brother! You don¡¯t have to do that for me¡­¡± Illyna shot up from her seat and covered the flustered Winley¡¯s mouth. Illyna dered, ¡°Nonsense! It is an insult to the Creator to not do anything when you have a face as cute as this. Follow me, and I will make you into a fairy.¡± Illyna looked like she was determined to spend a lot of money as she pushed Winley, who was bewildered, out the door while gigging; no matter how rich one was, it didn¡¯t change how fun spending money was. ¡°Are you attending as well, Sir Yulis?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, for now. It has been decided that my partner will be Lady Illyna.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh when he heard Yulis¡¯ reply. He mumbled, ¡°Winley is going to have a hard time.¡± ¡®Her love rival is too powerful.¡¯ Illyna¡¯s tomboyish personality didn¡¯t change the fact that she looked like a beautiful and elegant woman. ¡°Pardon?¡± Yulis asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Click! ¡°Davey! I¡¯ll join you after I take Lady Winley to my kingdom. Get there by yourself!¡± Yulis smiled bitterly, watching Illyna leave after shouting boldly. He said, ¡°I have been acquainted with Lady Illyna since I was young. You don¡¯t have to worry about her. She is very innocent and nice even though she seems that way.¡± ¡®Innocent¡­¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t help but smirk. * * * Yulis joined the party that was taking Winley to the Pan Empire. It wasn¡¯t that Davey didn¡¯t trust the two, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about Winley since she brought trouble with her wherever she went. Perhaps he wouldn¡¯t feel this way if he wasn¡¯t this strong¡­ but they needed a safety mechanism if they were going to the Lyndis Empire, a highly popted ce that he didn¡¯t know much about. ¡°When you arrive at the Lyndis Empire, stay by Winley¡¯s side and keep her safe. You may break the arms of anyone who tries to do anything to her.¡± ¡°Rinne, question: is that an order?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s say that I¡¯m asking for a favor for the little things.¡± ¡°Alright. Rinne, very enthusiastic about carrying out favors. Judging self to be very excellent in escorting and finding enemies.¡± ¡°Okay okay.¡± ¡°And also judgingmunications to be excellent as well.¡± ¡°Um, I don¡¯t know about that.¡± There was a definite problem with hermunication skills; the way she spoke could be regarded as adorable since she was small and cute, but it still felt off. ¡°And get rid of that ring on top of your head if you can.¡± ¡°Activate non-visualization.¡± As soon as Rinne¡¯s eyes shone, the circr ring that was floating on top of her head began fading away. She was abination of science that even Davey could not understand. Rinne erased all the strange parts of her body and threw her hand onto the tabletop. Chapter 121 ¡°Rinne, question.¡± Rinne voiced out. ¡°What is it?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Analyzing that Sir Davey has not found the enemy¡¯s leader.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The vampire Davey had encountered before wasn¡¯t dead but had run away. ¡°Rinne, thinking that there is a need to discuss a n.¡± ¡°Ah, that. I have something in mind.¡± ¡°Rinne, does not understand. Requires detailed exnation.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Davey ignored Rinne and spoke toward the door. A girl in the maid¡¯s uniform slowly entered through the door. She was an ordinary maid, so she greeted Davey nervously, ¡°I have brought tea, Your Highness.¡± Despite the girl¡¯s nervousness, Davey could see that she was strangely rxed on the inside. He asked her, ¡°I¡¯ve felt that this tea has a nice and unique aroma to it. Did you brew this ck tea yourself?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh¡­ Yes!¡± Davey nodded, noticing the maid¡¯s slightly delighted expression. He asked, ¡°Thanks. It feels like it¡¯s clearing my head. Your name is?¡± ¡°I¡ªIt is Yuri, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yuri¡­ Well, you¡¯ve set foot in the territory, so your status or circumstance doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are a resident of Heins.¡± Speaking calmly, Davey stood up and smiled at the girl. ¡°Well then, I¡¯m leaving the territory to you while I¡¯m gone.¡± ¡°Pardon? I¡­am just a mere maid¡­¡± ¡°Just do what you can.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying this to be polite. I believe that you¡¯vee here because you want something?¡± The bewildered Yuri lowered her head, feeling some hesitation. ¡°But can I ask what you brewed this tea with? It¡¯s very unique-tasting and nice.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Really? It¡¯s an original, Your Highness. Made with the skin of cockroach wings¡­¡± ¡°Pfff!!¡± Only after a long time did Davey realize that Yuri was someone who tried something very unique with tea. * * * The three empires were kingdoms that had very active movement through mana gates. Most hadrge mana gates on theirnd, with skilled mages managing those entrances. Thanks to that, it didn¡¯t take long to reach the Lyndis Empire¡¯s capital from the Heins Territory. The usage of the capital¡¯s mana gate was strictly regted, but the changed circumstances have made it slightly more lenient now. ¡°Wow¡­¡± -It¡¯s a beautiful city. Feeling as delighted as a child, Perserque gasped in astonishment when she saw the eye-catching capital. She could spot it once she exited the building surrounding the mana gate. There was the beautiful royal pce located right in the middle of the capital, and the lively streets that were paved in white. It was a scene that justified just why the Lyndis Empire was said to be one of the best kingdoms to live in. The scenery was generic butforting; Davey liked those aspects about this ce the most. Perserque had asked Davey to go around and show her lots of ces if he could. The scenery was familiar to him, but not to her. -Amazing. The northern kingdoms of the eastern continent have progressed this much. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen it before?¡± -Caldeiras, the sword I was in, had almost never left the Pan Empire. ¡°Does it look nice to you too?¡± Suddenly curious, Davey turned his head and asked Rinne, who was following him. Rinne stared at Davey without emotion, then said, ¡°Rinne, thinking, has no memory of her time before she¡¯s activated. Rinne, only seen the Heins Territory. ¡°As such, Rinne, requesting exnation of new information.¡± Rinne spoke to Davey and pointed somewhere. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Rinne, analyzing that emotion circuit is operating rapidly at the strange smell stimting senses. Later, this will cause major deficiencies in battle¡­¡± ¡°If you want it, you should just say so.¡± Unlike Perserque, who didn¡¯t eat, Rinne had a function where she could eat and convert that food intake into bioenergy even though she was a golem. ¡®When I saw the organ-like things underneath her skin-like cover, I just knew.¡¯ There was nothing strange about the way Rinne and Davey were acting, since everything inside of Rinne looked just like any other living thing except a certain mechanical part and her skin-like cover. ¡°Oh, wee! A stroll with your sister?¡± The street vendor selling street food asked with a friendly smile. ¡°Requires correction. Rinne, property of Sir Davey.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Hm¡­ You¡¯re a ve.¡± Now that he was here, Davey did hear that the Lyndis Empire was quite against very. ¡°Hm¡­ I guess you¡¯re from another country, brother. I might be overstepping, but it¡¯s probably best to not call her a ve even if she is one. Especially in this kingdom.¡± Thump! ¡°She is my sister. She has a weird personality and is just a strange person. I hope there aren¡¯t any misunderstandings.¡± Davey lightly thumped Rinne on the head and quietly mumbled. The look of wariness disappeared from the man¡¯s face. He said, ¡°Oh, is that so? Sorry. Living in the empire has made me dislike people who own ves.¡± ¡°Did you hear that? Don¡¯t say anything that will cause any misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Rinne does not understand. The strong¡­ Hup!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anything weird.¡± Davey covered Rinne¡¯s mouth and gave her a warning. With a slight frown on her emotionless face, Rinne said, ¡°epted. Cannot agree but understands.¡± It was something that Rinne couldn¡¯t understand, but she was forcing herself to agree with Davey. ¡°Rinne, question. Sir Davey is royalty. But why do you speak to them with honorifics?¡± ¡°Normally, nobility wear a uniform or a badge that shows their rank, or travel with an entourage. And they normally don¡¯t buy something themselves from a street stall,¡± Davey exined. ¡°Rinne, does not understand why they do not do it themselves when they have hands. Thinks that they will not be able to deal with it properly in urgent circumstances.¡± ¡°Why do you think ranks were invented if people are going to live that realistically?¡± Even while tilting her head in confusion, Rinne still nodded as if she just learned something fascinating. Then, she stated, ¡°Warning. Analysis of ingredients. Predicted to be chicken. Judged to stimte taste buds strongly. Requires analysis of info with one more.¡± ¡°Here. Have this, too.¡± ¡°Speaking of, maybe I¡¯ll let Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon look around the capital as well.¡± When Davey pulled out two swords in secret, they both turned into their human forms and went into his arms. He asked them, ¡°Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, do you want to have a ydate with Dad today?¡± ¡°Giggle!¡± ¡°Can Red Ribbon like¡­y a lot?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t cause any idents.¡± It was easy for Davey tomunicate with Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, because they both expressed their emotions in simple terms. After all, they were still infants who couldn¡¯tmunicate properly yet. The Lyndis Empire¡¯s banquet was two dayster, but the capital was already booming with entourages of nobility. That exined why the streets were filled with entertainment and looked livelier than usual; it was clear that the Treasurer of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s royal pce was really making the most of it. It didn¡¯t matter to Davey, who was interested in the auction being held for the banquet¡¯s attendees rather than the banquet itself. Considering that the banquet wouldmence in two days and that the auction would be held on only the second day, he had a lot of free time on his hands. Hugging Blue Ribbon in his arms and giving Red Ribbon a piggy-back, Davey held onto Rinne¡¯s hand tightly so that they would not be separated. He then said to them all, ¡°Well then. We¡¯ll return to the lodgings in the evening. Let¡¯s have some fun, shall we?¡± The two children giggled in delight and Rinne pulled on Davey¡¯s hand. Rinne even licked her fingers after taking a big bite of Davey¡¯s food. ¡°Rinne, requesting further detailed analysis of the taste of the thing predicted to be chicken.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy you more.¡± Davey began to suspect that perhaps Rinne was an extremely big eater. Then, he chuckled. It was inevitable that everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to them, since the girls were all cute enough to make people stare. However, it wasn¡¯t long before he realized that some had bad intentions, and that people walking on the streets were considered to be easy targets. * * * Thud! ¡°Ah!¡± Bumping into a lot of people was inevitable in such a crowded ce. As they walked along the streets, Davey was using both arms to hold onto the three girls to prevent them from separating. He identally bumped into a little boy and knocked him onto the floor. ¡°S¡­ Sorry.¡± The boy on the floor was very small and was quite dirty. He apologized, looking up at Davey with emptiness in his eyes. When Davey gestured that it was fine, the boy silently nced at Red Ribbon, who was on Davey¡¯s back, and Blue Ribbon, who was in Davey¡¯s arms, then disappeared into the crowd with his head down. It was as if he was trying to hide. ¡°Rinne, question. Does not understand why you did not go after him.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Seeing that he has taken your belongings. Seems like a gold pouch, from the shape and size.¡± ¡°Leave him.¡± Smirking, Davey nced at the boy who was disappearing into the crowd. ¡°Does not think that Sir Davey is a charity worker.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I said to leave him.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Does not understand.¡± ¡°You think that a pickpocketer should be caught on the spot, right?¡± ¡°Rinne, agrees very much. Highly values Sir Davey¡¯s ability to catch on quickly.¡± ¡®To just let it go because those children can¡¯t put food on their table? Even though he knows that he¡¯s pickpocketed someone? Nonsense.¡¯ ¡°People have to take responsibility for what they do. Whether they be adults or children.¡± With that answer, Davey couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®They should¡¯ve been ready to be turned upside down if they chose to mess with me.¡¯ Davey stopped what he was doing and walked in the direction that the boy had gone in with light footsteps. Chapter 122 49. Foreigners and a Royal Banquet ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Malson. You did what you were supposed to?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. I stole the pouch of money, and I left a trace while running away.¡± ¡°But why hasn¡¯t that damn boy followed you?!¡± Thud!! Therge man kicked the small boy. ¡°Cough!¡± Of course, the helpless boy copsed onto the floor and coughed while breathing heavily. ¡°N¡­ No! I made sure he noticed and followed me¡­! Ahh!¡± ¡°How dare you talk back, you damn bony boy!¡± Thump thump! The boy clenched his jaw and groaned slightly from the ruthless beating. ¡°Hey, Bildy. He¡¯sing. Get ready.¡± ¡°Hm, is that so?¡± ¡°He¡¯s insane for being that easy-going right now. Is he rich or something?¡± ¡°From the looks of his fair skin, maybe he¡¯s from a rich family. It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s a na?ve boy.¡± ¡°I guess he¡¯s daring. But we have to retrieve the three girls without leaving a scratch on them. You know that, right?¡± ¡°All you have to do is support me well from the backline. Anyways, who is that?¡± The man called Bildy asked with a frown. Therge man, dragging the limp little boy on the ground, said, ¡°What do you mean? I got unlucky. I assumed he was rich because of his fair and clean appearance, but he¡¯s totally penniless. I¡¯ll keep him for a bit and then sell him off as a ve.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care if you sell him off or bury him; do whatever you want. Just make sure to do your part since it¡¯s worth a lot of money.¡± Bildy cackled and nodded. Upon that signal, the rest of therge men hid and disappeared. Afterwards, Bildy also hid and fixed his gaze on the alley with his big, bulging eyes. At the same, a boy arrived at the alley with light footsteps while whistling a tune. * * * ¡°Shriek! All the way here?!¡± The boy who was screaming and trying to run away fell onto the floor as if he had sprained his ankle. As the boy acted like he wanted to get caught, Davey put down Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon and slowly approached him. Hemented, ¡°Is this how far you got? I camete on purpose because I wanted you to run far away.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The boy widened his eyes. ¡°These assholes. Always so predictable.¡± As Davey picked up the pouch the boy had stolen, he opened it while clicking his tongue. He could clearly see rocks and stones inside. Then, he asked the boy, ¡°Did you know what was inside before taking it?¡± ¡°Rocks?! No way¡­¡± ¡°What kind of crazy person carries around a pouch of money in public when it¡¯s this crowded?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The boy clenched his jaw in rage. The boy was so thin that he probably didn¡¯t eat often, but his gaze was determined and focused. He had to be like that, so he could survive on the streets. ¡°Ha! So, you didn¡¯te after me in a hurry on purpose?¡± ¡°Well, I thought I should just take a look. So, enough with this game of tag¡­¡± At the same time, someone popped out from behind and swung a bat at Davey¡¯s head. Crack!!!! However, the bat just cracked and broke without being able to do its job. ¡°Ha! Dumbass. That¡¯s what happens when you are so reckless¡­¡± The man shouted, thinking that he had gotten Davey. However, he was quickly left speechless by Davey, who was supposedly hit on the back of his head, getting up from the ground as if nothing had happened. The bat was actually broken by a thin shield formed by Davey¡¯s solidified energy even before it could reach him. To the ordinary men, however, it looked like the bat broke apart froming into contact with Davey¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s pretty fresh how people do robbery nowadays. What were you going to do if I didn¡¯t follow you?¡± The boy widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°How¡­are you okay after being hit with a bat¡­¡± The boy wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked; the man who swung at Davey¡¯s head had the exact same expression. ¡°I don¡¯t discriminate between gender and age, and I believe that everyone should be punished for punishable actions. I¡¯m not nice enough tough it off because it was a kid who did it,¡± Davey said. At the same time, a man from behind ran toward Davey. ¡°What are you talking about? Damn you! Die!¡± The man pulled a knife out from his pocket and charged toward Davey. He was unexpectedly fast. Crack! The man would¡¯ve seeded¡­if it wasn¡¯t for Rinne, who hade to Davey¡¯s side instantly and twisted the man¡¯s arm. Seeing that his arm was bent into an impossible angle, he felt that Rinne was determined to really shatter his arm. ¡°Ah¡­ Gah!!!¡± As he turned over, Davey could see the man who had his arm broken after holding on to Rinne. The man was rolling around the floor, screaming in pain. Then, he spotted a man holding Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. Rinne came to Davey¡¯s side after immediately crushing the arm of the man who was holding onto her. She asked, ¡°Rinne. Question. Why aren¡¯t you doing anything?¡± ¡°I need to give them some false hope to really drive them crazy.¡± ¡°Rinne. Thinks Sir Davey is very cruel.¡± ¡°You can disable them or do whatever you want, as long as they don¡¯t die. But make sure to crush them for good.¡± ¡°Rinne. Detecting rise in temperature of emotion circuit. Thinking it is anger. More than happy to eptmand.¡± As Rinne¡¯s eyes shone and a ring appeared on top of her head, the alley¡¯s atmosphere became quite tense. There was Davey, who waspletely fine even though he had been struck with a bat, and a little girl who was able to break a person¡¯s arm like she was snapping a twig¡­ There were quite a number of robbers, but they had unexpectedly froze, unable to step up or run away. ¡°Do not kill them. They are going toe after me recklessly if you do.¡± ¡®Let¡¯s leave it at disabling them. That should teach them that there are some people in this world that they shouldn¡¯t mess with.¡¯ Rinne¡¯s blue eyes shone brighteras she understood what Davey was saying. ¡°Rinne. Instantly understands.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave the guys in the back up to you. And you are also in trouble.¡± Davey grinned at the boy, who turned pale. ¡°W¡­ Why didn¡¯t you catch me right away when this was your true strength?!¡± The boy shouted. ¡°Well, usually for pickpockets, there¡¯s someone who is controlling them in the dark. Since it¡¯s hard to get them one by one, I came so that I can get rid of everyone all at once.¡± ¡®Did you think I was a nice and rich man who was na?ve about how the world worked?¡¯ If they thought so, they were dead wrong. As Davey exined, the boy¡¯s face was entirely drained of blood. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just going to end with a little guidance for kinds. You¡¯re not human garbage like those guys at least, right? So, what I¡¯m saying is, live with a conscience. ¡° ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ Gahh!!!!¡± Then, someone¡¯s desperate scream resonated throughout the alley. * * * ¡°P¡­ Please¡­ Don¡¯t kill us¡­¡± The men, who were on the floor begging Davey, were barely holding onto their consciousness. The speaking man was actually one of the people in better shape¡­ ¡°Gahh!!¡± ¡°Rinne. ording to my information, thinking that your gaze is highly inappropriate. There was an order from Sir Davey to crush the testicles of a pedophile.¡± As there was someone else who was getting their testicles crushed. ¡°Ah¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Ignoring the boy who was holding his bottom while lying on the floor, Davey picked up Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon and walked past the men. He warned, ¡°You should watch who you mess with. All I did this time was break a couple of ces, but it¡¯s over for you guys if you get caught again.¡± ¡°Groan¡­¡± Well, they could hold a grudge against Davey and try again, but it didn¡¯t matter if they tried to do something. Having found something, Rinne called out to Davey, ¡°Sir Davey. Found a victim.¡± Davey turned and saw a ck-haired boy who was tied up, lying on the ground of the alley. The boy looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, and it didn¡¯t seem like he had gone through a lot from how fair his hands and face were. ¡°Rinne. Thinking that we should help the weak.¡± ¡°He¡¯s probably going to be sold off as a ve or used for experimentation if left like that.¡± Feeling somewhat bitter at the fact the boy had ck hair, Davey approached him and easily cut the ropes that were binding him by releasing a little bit of [Aura] from his fingertips. Then, he ced his hand on the boy and mumbled quietly. [Highness Heal] Whoosh!! As Davey cast an advanced recovery magic with a faint light appearing on his hand, the men widened their eyes in shock. ¡°A¡­ A mage¡­¡± They turned pale, realizing that they had almost stepped on a mine. Thankfully, they were no longer of interest to Davey, who had already beaten the crap out of them. ¡°Groan¡­ Mom¡­ I miss you¡­ Dad¡­¡± The boy murmured in a cracked voice. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± As [Highness Heal] had woken the boy who was about to die, the boy raised his head and stared at Davey with a nk stare. It was odd; a fair bit of people looked Asian in the Tionis Continent, but it was rare to see someone who looked as Asian as the boy in front of Davey. The people in the eastern and central continent usually looked like a mix between Asian and Caucasian, and people from the western continent looked Hispanic. ¡°Woah. A person withpletely Asian features is hard toe by. Where are you from?¡± The boy was not able to say anything and just tilted his head. ¡°What? Can you not understand?¡± ¡°Where am¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s the capital of the Lyndis Empire.¡± The boy tilted his head in confusion once again. ¡®He knows how to speak, but can¡¯t understand? What kind of weird situation is this?¡¯ ¡°Rinne. Question. Do you understand him, Sir Davey?¡± Davey, who was conversing with the boy, stopped for a second. ¡®Something¡¯s off. What am I miss¡­¡¯ Realizing what that was, Davey grabbed the boy by the throat and red at him. ¡°What are you?¡± The boy began to cry from fear. He was scared of Davey¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°A¡­ Ahh!! I¡¯m sorry! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡®Why wasn¡¯t I able to pick this up?¡¯ Even Davey couldn¡¯t hide his bewilderment. His memories were so clear that he had understood it reflexively, not thinking that it was weird at all. -Thisnguage¡­ As the boy trembled in confusion, Davey asked him a question in a differentnguage. ¡°You. Who are you?¡± Davey asked in anguage that was not from the central and eastern continent, but anguage from an entirely different world than the Tionis Continent: in Korean, anguage from a small country on Earth. Chapter 123 ¡°Oh! Big Brother!¡± After hearing from Yulis and Winley, who said that they had gone to prepare their lodgings, Davey arrived at a huge, luxurious ce that looked like the lodgings of high-ranking nobles or royalty. The hallways were bright and the temperature was perfect, because the Lyndis Empire had used various magic equipment to increase the quality of life. ¡°Big¡­ Brother?¡± Holding Red Ribbon¡¯s hand with one hand and securing the boy on his shoulder with the other, Davey spoke to the lodging¡¯s manager who was staring at him in surprise. ¡°I need a resting room for one person. You have rooms avable, right?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh¡­ Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Take him and bathe him. Get him some food, too. You won¡¯t be able tomunicate with him, but he should understand if you use bodynguage.¡± ¡°Big Brother? Who is that boy¡­?¡± Winley looked confused as she stared at the boy who was around her age. ¡°I¡¯ll exinter.¡± ¡®I¡¯m a little confused as well.¡¯ Yulis and Illyna, who followed Winley outside, also looked confused, but said nothing more. ¡°Sorry. Do you mind if I rest for a bit? I¡¯m just a little tired.¡± Davey put Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon in Winley¡¯s arms. Winley blushed as she stared at the girls; she was automatically infatuated with their adorable faces. She asked, ¡°Hi! Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon! Did you miss your sister?¡± ¡°Babble!¡± ¡°Euu¡­¡± While Winley had met the two girls before, it was different for Illyna and Yulis, who followed Davey out. It was obvious how a sensitive girl around Davey¡¯s age, like Illyna, would react to the twins, who were cute enough to catch the eye of everyone that saw them. ¡°D¨CDavey! Who are these cute children?!¡± ¡°My daughters. This is Red Ribbon, and over here is Blue Ribbon. Say ¡®hi¡¯, girls.¡± ¡°Babble~¡± ¡°Giggle!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Davey realized that it was both Yulis and Illyna¡¯s first time seeing Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. Since the girls spent most of their time sleeping due to their rapid growth, it would¡¯ve been difficult to see them. As Illyna nkly stared at him, demanding an exnation, Davey just nodded. He wondered if it was the best decision to show her the girls, especially when everything was soplicated right now. * * * Davey didn¡¯t know if the boy was too shocked or if there was something else, but the boy could not wake up even after [Highness Heal]. Thanks to that, Davey was forced to hold back the questions that he so wanted to ask. ¡°Big Brother! How do I look?¡± As Winley twirled in her green dress with twinkling eyes, Davey automatically gave her a thumbs-up. He praised, ¡°My little sister! Amazing!¡± ¡°Hehe!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ He¡¯s a fool for his sister¡­¡± Even though Illyna sighed like she was sick of Davey, she puffed up her chest and looked satisfied with her work. She said, ¡°What do you think? This is how capable thedies-in-waiting of continental royalty are.¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing. I should pay more attention to Winley from now on.¡± ¡°Giggle!¡± ¡°Babble!¡± Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who looked delighted because of Winley, went to her and rubbed their cheeks against her skirt. Both of them smiled brightly. ¡°Ahh! So cute!¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ They arepletely different from you, Sir Davey.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°No, well¡­ Haha!¡± Yulis turned away with an awkward smile. ¡®Okay, I guess you know that I have a hot temper and that I¡¯m crazy.¡¯ Of course, Davey didn¡¯t disclose that Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon were the twin swords, the second work of Thousand-day cksmith Surtr, but Illyna and Yulis didn¡¯t seem too bothered by the fact that they were his two daughters. No, it was more like they had given up on finding out, since they knew that no one around Davey was ordinary. -It¡¯s probably because every single thing you do is pretty unpredictable. Like Winley, Illyna and Yulis were also dressed in ssic and elegant clothing. Since he couldn¡¯t hide his position as a mage, Yulis was wearing a simple uniform of the Wizard Tower, and fitting as a princess, Illyna looked beautiful with her hair in a ponytail. -I wish I could¡¯ve dressed up like that¡­ Davey smiled bitterly when he heard Perserque mumbling somewhat sadly; what she wanted was not being beautifully dressed like Winley and Illyna, but to be dressed up as elegantly by someone. It was probably very disappointing for her, because it was impossible for that to happen since she didn¡¯t have a real body. ¡°Anyway, you look so handsome, Big Brother!¡± Winley, who was admiring her clothes, approached Davey with a gasp. Since it was an empire¡¯s banquet, Davey couldn¡¯t just attend it wearing everyday clothes. He quite liked the clothes for the banquet that Illyna had gotten him, even if she had used his seal without controlling her spending. ¡°Well¡­ I was choosing ording to my taste so don¡¯tin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡± As Davey grinned while adjusting the wrist of the ck suit, Illyna groaned and turned away. She muttered, ¡°Ugh¡­ Being able to pacify me with just his face¡­¡± ¡°Stopmenting about other people¡¯s appearance.¡± Davey knew that he wasn¡¯t that good looking. ¡°Why are you being like that to Big Brother?! There¡¯s no one like him who can make other feelfortable around!¡± Of course, Davey¡¯s cute and nice younger sister couldn¡¯t let this go. ¡°Hey! Are you betraying me?!¡± ¡®Since when did Illyna start speaking informally to Winley?¡¯ Leaving a shouting Illyna behind, Davey left the room and headed to the boy, who was still sleeping. Then, he put down a small note on the boy¡¯s bedside table and quickly wrote something down. -Don¡¯t run and stay here. Davey didn¡¯t write in the officialnguage of the continent, but in Korean. Davey¡¯s memories of his past life were kind of a blur, but he wasn¡¯t able to forget what was left no matter what he did. And so, he still remembered thenguage even though a long time had passed. ¡®This should keep him here.¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t think of the boy as a rare and valuable asset, but there was one thing he wanted to check with him: a nostalgic memory. * * * ¡°Wee, Princess Illyna de Pan. And ss-5 Elder Yulis. And Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane and Princess Winley O¡¯Rowane.¡± The young servant who checked their invitations and identification tes respectfully bowed even though they had never met before. ¡°Thank you for attending the banquet.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Has the banquet already begun?¡± ¡°Yes. However, His Majesty has not entered yet.¡± ¡°Oh, what a relief.¡± ¡®What a vixen.¡¯ Davey thought as he watched Illynaugh while covering her mouth with her handheld fan. As if she was going to stick to her social appearance in public, she didn¡¯t erase the pretty smile from her face and maintained her elegance. Illyna and Yulis often attended simrly formal events as partners, so it was rumored that they were in an arranged engagement, and they had probablye together because of that reason as well. Davey concluded that it seemed like neither of them really had a problem with it. ¡°Big¡­Brother¡­¡± As Davey held Winley¡¯s hand, he could feel her clear green eyes stare at him and her trembling from nervousness. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really nervous¡­¡± Although Winley was royalty, it wasn¡¯t amon urrence to attend a banquet asrge as this. It was natural for her to be nervous, since she wasn¡¯t actively engaged in the social situation at the Rowane Kingdom either. ¡°Act confidently. Right now, you are as beautiful as anyone here.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who condescends you, your big brother will help you. I¡¯ll even start a war if I have to.¡± ¡®Do I look like I¡¯m lying? I keep my word.¡¯ ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Winley could not stop looking around, as if totally infatuated with the Pentagon Hall¡¯s beauty. Normally, she would¡¯ve seemed like a hillbilly, but it actually made her look adorable; perhaps it was thanks to her cute appearance. As they entered the banquet following the royalty and nobility from various kingdoms, all of whom were dressed beautifully, they began to see the hall¡¯s huge and magnificent interior. There was a grand piano on arge podium on one side of the hall. Besides that, the people who seemed to be part of the orchestra were ying a simple and quiet song in formal clothing. As the size of the banquet was unlike any other kingdom¡¯s, a gigantic chandelier was shining bright and illuminating the entire hall. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Like she couldn¡¯t hide her amazement, Winley covered her mouth and stared at it with wide eyes. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s so beautiful.¡± ¡°You like things like that?¡± ¡°Pardon? You don¡¯t?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll make it for you if you like such things.¡± ¡®500 dwarves worked on this for three years?¡¯ He knew that the dwarves of not only the Yellowstone Tribe, but the ckstone Tribe and others were sending their gratitude to him. He could make it, but he just didn¡¯t feel the need to. Winley, who hade back to her senses after staring at the crowd socializing with wine sses in their hand, cleared her throat and stared at Davey. ¡°Well, then. Shall we, mydy?¡± ¡°Oh, thank you, Big Brother.¡± Winley smiled, showing her dignity as royalty. * * * Some time had passed since the banquet started. A lot of people had attended the banquet, but the people who drew the most attention were, of course, Yulis and Illyna. The two, who had attended as partners, made a good couple and were definitely good-looking enough to make anyone smile. One of them was a genius mage elder and also one of the most eligible bachelors of the continent, and the other was one of the five beauties of the continent and a genius of swordsmanship. She was also known as the ¡®Master of the Divine Sword¡¯ and the apple of the Pan Empire¡¯s eye. It would be strange if they didn¡¯t attract attention. Of course, Yulis and Illyna looked extremely busy from the vast number of people who were trying to make their acquaintance. And¡­ ¡°Hello, Princess Winley. My name is Temid, the Fourth Prince of the Hartan Kingdom.¡± ¡°You are truly beautiful. I¡¯m the eldest of Duke Ped, my name is¡­¡± Winley received an unexpected amount of attention. She was all dressed up, and being one of the prettier ones, the dressing up was like giving her golden wings to fly. On the other hand, it was a little different for Davey. There were only a few people who actually recognized him. As such, it was pretty quiet for him except for the few who approached him because of his looks. Chapter 124 -There are Orcs here, too. ¡®Where? Woah¡­¡¯ When he turned toward the area where Perserque, who sat on his shoulder, gestured toward, Davey saw a human and an Orc in a nice suit clinking sses and engaging in conversation. Naturally, Orcs had darker skin than humans and were much bigger in size. Due to the difference in race, they had an amazing amount of muscle mass like dwarves. In terms of physical appearance, they had distinctly dark green skin, were taller than normal humans¨Cabout 2 to 2.1 meters tall, had tough, muscr bodies, and had incisors sticking out from their bottom lips. ¡°Orcs and humans are sworn enemies who fight each other to the death in other worlds.¡± Funnily enough, Orcs and humans of this continent had quite a good rtionship. Orcs who were called the ¡®Race of Warriors¡¯ emphasized honor and prestige, and they usually formed tribes. They did not like to get involved in political matters, so they usually came into human kingdoms by working as mercenaries. It was also rare for Orcs toe to banquets such as this, because they did not like this either. Davey guessed that the Orc dressed in a suit was a high-ranking one, maybe a tribe leader or great elder. Then, Davey looked for other races among the attendees, but it seemed like the only new faces he could find were the Orcs. Elves had officially been dered to have disappeared three hundred years ago, and dwarves did not leave their viges. There was also no way that beastfolks would be here, since they were quite abhorred in the Lyndis Empire. While looking around in fascination, Davey saw someone approach Winley, who stood away from the men and was taking a deep breath. ¡°Ha, I heard that lowly beings bond together, but now you guys are really out of your mind.¡± Winley turned toward the hostile voice, then said, ¡°Carlus.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are toe here, bitch?¡± ¡°What?¡± Beside Carlus, who was already picking a fight, was a young girl in a red dress. She stood next to him with a haughty expression. ¡°Both you and Davey must be insane. Do you think you have the right to be at a banquet this prestigious?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself. The only reason you¡¯re able to attend is because you threw a tantrum, isn¡¯t it?¡± Winleymented. Of course, she wasn¡¯t stupidly nice to just take it. Carlus¡¯ eyebrow twitched at Winley¡¯s criticism. Then, he snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got here, but you don¡¯t know your ce, bitch. I suggest that you scurry back to the kingdom when I¡¯m asking nicel¡­¡± Davey¡¯s actions were quicker than his words. The idiotic Carlus was out of his mind, publicly insulting his younger sibling and forgetting the fact that numerous kingdoms and countries were gathered here. Before, it seemed that he knew how to hold himself back in public, but he was now doing whatever he wanted after Davey had given him a spot that shone like the sun on his head. In secret, Davey roused the qi in his middle finger as he held it in a flicking position. ¡®A crazy hound¡­¡¯ [Silent Energy] [st Away] Whoosh! ¡°Keugh?!¡± ¡®Needs a beating.¡¯ ¡°Kyahh?! Prince Carlus!¡± When Carlus was suddenly hit by something and ended up rolling on the floor, the noble girl widened her eyes in shock. At the same time, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to him. It was inevitable that they were staring, since he was screaming and rolling on the floor in the middle of a quiet, calm banquet. However, no one realized that Carlus had been sted away by Davey, who had taken action subtly. It was a hidden attack. Furthermore, since the noble girl was the only one near Carlus, people could only think that he was putting on a show by himself. ¡°Acting like this in another kingdom?¡± ¡°Keugh¡­ What is this¡­¡± Gasping, Carlus had felt the empty air just hit him out of nowhere. ¡°Davey¡­ You lowly being¡­¡± Carlus, who was frowning and moaning in pain on the floor, looked up at Davey in hatred and disgust. It was as if he was superior to Davey. Davey wondered what he should say to this idiot, who still couldn¡¯t understand the current situation even after embarrassingly copsing onto the floor. Of course, sometimes, actions spoke more than words. Davey silently pointed at the top of his head and then pointed at Carlus. Taking note of his gesture, everyone watching the situation started to shift their gaze to look at the top of Carlus¡¯ head. ¡°Giggle¡­¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Everyone could be heard trying to hold in theirughter. Some even cleared their throats bitterly. Only then did Carlus, who was staring into space while sitting on the floor, realize that something was wrong. Feeling the cool breeze on his head, he realized that the wig that was supposed to hide the bright sun on top of his head had fallen off. It only took moments for people to see the chandelier¡¯s bright light reflecting off his smooth scalp. ¡®Hm, alright. Let there be a sun on his head.¡¯ ¡°Hup?!¡± Carlus turned pale in an instant. He reflexively covered his head with his hands. His pale face began turning purple from sheer anger. He wanted to say something, but everyone had already seen his shiny head. ¡®There¡¯s a sun hidden on the head of a young teenage boy!¡¯ Not knowing what to do, Carlus clenched his jaw, quickly put his wig back on, and ran out of the banquet with a red face. ¡°It seems like the balding curse was a pretty good idea.¡± -The curse you put on him will be a longsting trauma. The bright, smooth sun on top of Carlus¡¯ head was not going to disappear until Davey revoked the curse, but Davey had no intentions of breaking the curse until the day he died. ¡®Now that it hase to this, maybe I should cast the same curse on Benedict or Queen Lynesse.¡¯ Davey had the thought, but soon shook his head. Everyone looked bewildered and confused by the unexpected situation, looking on as Carlus ran away. Soon, as if they finally understood, the entire banquet returned to normal. It seemed that this unfortunate happening of a prince from a small kingdom was not that interesting. It was a little baffling, but the people here were experts in managing their appearance; since all Carlus had to boast about was his rank as the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s representative prince, perhaps this was only expected. ¡°Did you do that, Big Brother?¡± Winley asked Davey in bewilderment as Davey approached her. ¡°I thought that he wouldn¡¯t watch his words if I just let him go on.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Davey held back quite well for himself, did he not?¡± Like she was watching the whole situation, Illyna chuckled and walked toward Davey with Yulis. ¡°You and that prince, Carlus, have a terrible rtionship, right? Are you just leaving him be?¡± ¡°No way. A cornered rat will cause a big scene.¡± Realizing what Davey was saying, Illyna muttered with a sigh, ¡°Why did he start a fight with this psycho¡­¡± ¡°Lady Winley, may I ask for a dance if that¡¯s alright with you?¡± Even in the midst of all this, Yulis did not lose his soft smile. He reached his hand out toward Winley and bowed his head slightly. The people who were watching the two, the main stars of this banquet, looked quite shocked by Yulis suddenly asking Winley for a dance. It seemed like they were shocked once again at how unexpectedly beautiful she was. As Winley stared at Davey, not knowing what to do, he just smiled and nodded. Davey was thinking that she had feelings for Yulis, and that Yulis hade at the perfect time. ¡°Then¡­ Shall we?¡± Winley looked a little suspicious of how Davey was allowing her to dance, but soon brightly smiled and held Yulis¡¯ hand. ¡°You look quite ufortable, Prince Davey.¡± ¡°I am not too fond of such events, Princess.¡± Talking pleasantly and upkeeping appearances, Illyna erased her frosty expression and chuckled. ¡°The first day is just a taster. If you really don¡¯t want to overdo yourself, it might be a good idea to go back to your lodging. The auction you want to attend is tomorrow.¡± Davey really wanted to take Illyna¡¯s suggestion, but he also wanted to stay and watch for a little while longer. Looking at Winley dancing with Yulis while holding his hand, Davey finally said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay a little longer.¡± ¡°Then, let me rest for a little bit¡­¡± Illyna sighed, unable to hide her exhaustion. She tipped her wine ss toward Davey and said, ¡°Cheers, Prince Davey?¡± ¡°Please put away your insincere acting because it¡¯s making me sick.¡± ¡°Dick.¡± Cling! A clear sound resonated across the hall as their sses met. ¡°What about that silver-haired and young golemdy?¡± Illyna was probably talking about Rinne, who probably looked younger than herte teens because of her small physique. ¡°I left her outside because she wanted to look around.¡± Davey did leave Rinne on standby just in case, but it was likely that she was looking around out of curiosity. It would be troublesome if she was discovered, but she was able to conceal herself quite well. ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t see the star of this banquet,¡± Illynamented. ¡°Are you interested in her?¡± Davey asked. People were surprised that Davey and Illyna were talking, but no one approached them; perhaps it was because of her distinct aura. ¡°Princess Aeria El Lyndis. She is the Lyndis Empire¡¯s youngest princess, and I heard that she just became an adult this year.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never met her?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen her when I was younger, but it seems like she was at the Holy Empire for a few years. As you know, these kinds of banquets are extremely rare for people of the Holy Empire,¡± Illyna exined as Davey said nothing in reply. Creak! Thud! That was when¡­ ¡®Speak of the devil.¡¯ ¡°Princess Aeria El Lyndis is entering.¡± When an old servant¡¯s voice could be heard, the door opened to reveal the star of this banquet. As Davey had heard, this banquet was to celebrate the princess¡¯ing-of-age and to announce her return from the Holy Empire. She was part beastfolk, so she couldn¡¯t avoid a little mistreatment since the people of the Lyndis Empire still thought of beastfolks as lowly beings. However, the emperor was trying to eliminate such discrimination and abuse by bringing her to the forefront. ¡°That girl¡­¡± Davey stopped what he was doing and squinted at the girl who just appeared. ¡°Do you know each other?¡± Illyna asked like she could no longer be surprised by anything. Davey shook his head. It was true that they didn¡¯t know each other. They had only passed each other during the brief encounter at the forest. The girl was wearing white gloves, a simple yet ssic dress that came up to her neck, and a white mask that covered her entire face. If it wasn¡¯t for her bright blue hair and unique beastfolk ears, Davey most likely wouldn¡¯t have recognized her. ¡°Anyway¡­ I heard that she can¡¯t expose her bare skin because she is ill¡­ I guess it¡¯s true.¡± Davey nodded at Illyna¡¯sment. -Davey. It¡¯s that disease. ¡®Baron Gorneo was talking about that girl. I know that it has been a while, so did she not get treated? The medicine should¡¯ve worked unless the virus had transformed because she was unique. However, it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case. Everyone was drawn to the girl, who was slightly cowering but forcing herself to walk confidently. Those who had only heard of her seemed curious, since she was the youngest and most treasured daughter of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s emperor. And since she had never been seen in public, Davey could see all the nobility gather toward her in seconds. Chapter 125 ¡°She can¡¯t even show her bare skin because of her sickness¡­ Davey, didn¡¯t you say that you cured a disease at the Ordem Territory?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Can you not cure that?¡± At Illyna¡¯s question, Davey reflexively squinted. It wasn¡¯t impossible for him to cure it; he knew the illness the princess was suffering from, and he could practically see the state she was in beneath her mask. The girl flinched, feeling slightly surprised by the sudden influx of attention, but soon regained herposure. She calmed herself down and steadied her shaky hands, then made conversation with those around her. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible,¡± Daveymented. ¡°Then can¡¯t you do it?¡± ¡°You want me to go to her and tell her that I can cure her disease?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just going to seem like a trick to win her over or something.¡± ¡°But¡­I feel so bad for her. She¡¯s now an adult¡­¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± Davey¡¯s face tensed up a little as he trailed off. ¡°That disease should not be left in the world.¡± Davey was determined; he didn¡¯t care about other diseases, but he intended to erase every trace of that disease off the face of this world. ¡°Chuckle¡­ You don¡¯t seem like a dick when you act like this. Anyway, it¡¯s getting pretty crowded.¡± Therge hall was spacious enough for all these people to roam aroundfortably; however, only one part of the hall was busy now. All of the nobility had gathered near Aeria to speak with her. It looked like all the attention that Illyna initially had had shifted over to Aeria. ¡®I¡¯m seeing all kinds of things since there¡¯s so many people at the banquet.¡¯ As Davey was observing the chaos caused by the people¡¯s uncontroble intrigue, a nobleman gulped and began pushing past the crowd to get to Aeria. Then, as if it was a coincidence, he fell in her direction and iled around, touching the part that was securing her mask to her face. The mask, which was tightly held to Aeria¡¯s face, became loose. It fell to the ground, as if falling in slow motion. Watching this, Davey pulled Illyna into his arms without hesitation. ¡°W¡ªWait?!¡± Illyna gasped,pletely surprised by Davey¡¯s sudden action. Her eyes were covered by Davey¡¯s hand before she could feel him releasing his mana firsthand. Her jaw dropped open in surprise. Then, Davey moved the hand that was covering her eyes; what he was going to do was absolutely insane. [Light-type Adapted Spell] [2nd Circle] [Light Absolute Block] Davey used a magic spell that blocked the absorption of light toward some, and¡­ [Light-type Adapted Spell] [4th Circle] [Stun Grenade] Yulis, Winley, and Princess Aeria, who was involved in this incident, were in the unaffected range. Illyna also wasn¡¯t a problem, since Davey had physically covered her eyes. Davey¡¯s mana began to move after instantly forming an arrangement in the air. Soon, a huge sh of blinding light burst in the enormous hall. For a wide-range stun¡­ A sun grenade did just the trick! There were high-ranking individuals of various kingdoms at the banquet hall, and although this could be seen as terror¡­ ¡®Confucius once said, ¡®Let there be light.¡¯¡¯ ¡°Kyah?!¡± ¡°Ahh!!¡± ¡°My eyes!!¡± The banquet hall fell intoplete chaos. People began rolling around on the floor with their eyes covered. Some even struggled to walk away. Everyone reacted differently, but they all realized that they couldn¡¯t open their eyes. The lighting from light magic was also structured slightly differently than regr light. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem, since the people¡¯s sense of sight should return in about a minute and the side effects should subside shortly. Davey could see Winley and Yulis looking around in surprise, as well as Princess Aeria¡¯s big eyes of surprise. Her face, now revealed under the bright chandelier with her mask gone, was much worse than Davey had thought. ¡°Hup?!¡± Davey met Princess Aeria¡¯s gaze as Illyna flinched, realizing what Davey had done. Aeria widened her eyes and slowly backed away. Davey couldn¡¯t read the thoughts from her face, but she picked the mask off from the floor and ran out of the banquet hall. ¡°Hey¡­ Hey, you lunatic¡­¡± No one could believe that anybody would do such a thing in a banquet where royalty and high-ranking nobility from all over the world had gathered. Illyna realized what was going on, and she muttered about how ridiculous everything was. Davey immediately let go of Illyna and told her in a soft voice, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m going to leave for a little while. Can you make sure that there aren¡¯t any problems?¡± The banquet was probably going to be put on hold, and the royal pce was probably going to go crazy over this incident. However, Davey didn¡¯t regret the choices he had made. To those affected with the ¡®Melting eleration Virus¡¯, their emotional trauma was unimaginable upon having others discover their ruined appearance. The disease did make people look that horrendous, but Princess Aeria¡¯s face looked far worse than anyone else. The man who took Aeria¡¯s mask off was probably one of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s nobility who despised beastfolks, and this was probably their scheme¡­ Victims of any political fight never met pretty ends. Davey had instinctively taken action once he saw the deep sadness and shock being reflected in Aeria¡¯s innocent eyes. He also couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that it reminded him of a memory, which was about someone he couldn¡¯t quite recall. And although he knew it was pretentious, he didn¡¯t really object to it. So what if it was an act or a truly good deed? An injury was different from a disease; a doctor was someone who healed everyone, including their enemies. For Davey, he would heal his enemies, even those deserving of death, of their disease before ripping them apart afterward. That was what he had been taught. ¡®Unnecessary brown-nosing? Screw that.¡¯ 50. The Rtionship Between Salvation and Hypocrisy Pitter patter!!! Aeria, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s youngest princess who was part fox, quickly ran away. She didn¡¯t even think about putting her mask back on. Although she looked thin and fragile, her distinct agility and flexibility as a beastfolk were iparably superior to humans. Aeria headed toward therge garden that was behind the banquet hall; it looked more like a forest than a garden. And since it was empty as well, she had clearly chosen her escape route quite well. ¡°Sob¡­ Sob¡­ Kyahh!¡± She ran, exhibiting the distinctly superior agility of beastfolks. Unfortunately, she fell helplessly onto the floor after tripping over the front of her skirt. Perhaps the dress was too bothersome. Normally, she would¡¯ve quickly gotten up, but she just wept miserably like she didn¡¯t even have the strength to get up. ¡°It¡¯s all over¡­¡± Aeria never wanted to show it; as a woman, she desperately wanted to avoid showing the hideous features of her current face. That was also why she kept her mask on even in front of the emperor. The only person who had seen her face was Baron Gorneo, the Coalition for Disease Control¡¯s council member who said that he would cure her. Aeria had a dream of some sort; after she was cured, she was going to thank the person who had saved her and get to know them better. It was kind of funny, but she wanted to befriend the man she had fallen in love with at first sight and wanted to have a serious rtionship with him if possible. She didn¡¯t even care that he could possibly be amoner, since she wasn¡¯t the type of person who cared too much about that. The unique coziness she had felt from him made her want to feel it even more. For a moment, it seemed like her small wish was going toe true; her father, who was against it, softened his cold expression and gave her permission with a sigh. He said that he would follow her will. And soon after, a doctor came to her, saying that he could cure her illness. Everything seemed to be going fine. If this went on smoothly, Aeria thought that she could maybe forget all the hardships she had gone through and get what she wanted. She wanted to be like the small number of royalty or nobility who married out of love. She wanted to show her skin like normal people andugh. She wanted to be buried in the arms of the one she loved and share an innocent kiss. She wanted to smile as her children grew up¡­ She thought she could take another step toward her small dream, but it all went wrong from the very beginning: unlike what she had expected, her disease was not cured. Aeria wanted to get to know the one who had saved her, or maybe just even thank him, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to approach him with her hideous face right now. The only reason she had attended the banquet was because her father had said that she needed a stronger position in the pce to be able to confidently go and meet him. She couldn¡¯t do anything if she hid in the pce like a ghost princess, so that was why she had mustered up the courage and had gone to the banquet. However, since her mask fell off as soon as she turned up, her desire to live had been brutally diminished. Aeria¡¯s miserable weeping resonated throughout the forest. ¡®It would be nice if I could meet him, talk to him, have a meal with him, and have a lively rtionship with him. I wish I could exchange messages of love, and n for the future, saying that we will be by each other¡¯s sides no matter what. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice if we could say, ¡®Cheers!¡¯ with wine sses in our hands under a bright night sky while we look at each other with smiles and a loving gaze? But¡­¡¯ ¡°How could that be possible? With this face¡­ With thisbody!!!!¡± Aeria wept, almost screaming. The man who rescued her hadn¡¯t seen her face, but this incident had driven her confidence down into the gutter. The courage she had tried so hard for was treated like trash and had closed her heart off. If Goddess Freyja was watching, Aeria wanted to grab her and ask why she had given her such hardship. Even this thought itself was out of character for her. ¡°Right¡­ Maybe it would be better if¡­¡± Losing any love she had for herself, Aeria eerily stared at the pin she simply pulled out from her pocket. ¡°If I have to live this miserably, I would rather¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to die?¡± A weak but nostalgic fragrance tickled Aeria¡¯s nose; it was the simple scent of dogwood. Then, hearing a man¡¯s voice, she slowly raised her head with a nk expression. She even forgot that she hadn¡¯t covered her face with a mask. She met the gaze of a pair of warm, red eyes that saw her for who she was. The gaze waspletely different from the people who were disgusted by Aeria¡¯s appearance. She saw the ck hair and the red eyes that had been clear in her memory ever since their very brief encounter in the forest. Chapter 126 The boy approached Aeria and said softly, ¡°Are you miserable?¡± Finally meeting him in person, Aeria stared up at him without even thinking of covering her face. When she remembered her horrid appearance, she quickly grabbed her mask. Just before she could ce the mask back on her face, however, the boy grabbed her hand and said, ¡°Do you really want to run away like that?¡± ¡°P¡­ Please let go¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡°Can you keep avoiding it?¡± ¡°You are right here¡­ I found you this easily¡­¡± Aeria said with deep sorrow in her voice. She lowered her head and covered her face with the other hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t want to show this to you!! At least, not to you¡­¡± The boy grinned at Aeria¡¯s desperate pleading. Aeria wanted to show the boy her natural self. She didn¡¯t want to show him this horribly wretched face, but the fair and pure appearance that she had when she was younger; the same appearance that made people excited to see how she would blossom. But God has absolutely ignored Aeria¡¯s wishes. Why was her hideous bare face exposed the moment she met him? Why did God rob her of the small wish that she has been hoping for? The red-eyed boy looked at Aeria with a warm gaze, which Aeria had never seen before. His look waspletely free of disgust. He then said, ¡°That living hell of a disease, I¡¯ll help you cure it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got nothing to lose. Do you want to trust me, just this once? Looking at the boy¡¯s smile, Aeria was left speechless for a while. * * * ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­for showing you such a hideous face¡­¡± Aeria apologized timidly. Disregarding the apologies, Davey practiced keeping his mana in a particr shape by concentrating his mana on his fingertips and then letting go. He called out, ¡°Princess Aeria.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?!¡± ¡°I have seen countless others in worse shape than you.¡± As Aeria stayed silent, Davey continued, ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be surprised about, to be honest. Consider yourself lucky. Normally, you would¡¯ve already died from bad symptoms and persistently coughing up blood.¡± It was the doctor¡¯s duty to reassure the patient they were treating. This should have been Baron Gorneo¡¯s duty, since he was the one who hade to the empire to treat Aeria. However, he had failed to do anything with the state she was in right now. With her elementalist energy, unique physical condition, and the variation of the virus that she had been carrying for a long time, Aeria couldn¡¯t be treated with medicine. Davey was aware of this fact. [One person. There was just one person that I wasn¡¯t able to cure with medicine. I loved that person, and I failed to save them. Instead, I learned from their death and saved millions of people.] Hypocria, the Goddess of Medicine who had taught Davey about this disease, had told him this with a bitter smile. [They were already dead, but I still dealt with evil spirits for a while; I was crazily obsessed with finding a way to treat them even after their death.] No one was perfect, and that went for Hypocria as well. Although, it was true that Davey had learned an alternate method of treatment thanks to that lesson. Davey could see Aeria¡¯s wrinkly skin on her face. Then, he gently loosened the clothing that was tightly wrapped around her neck and arms, and took off her gloves. Aeria flinched at how quickly Davey was acting. She tried to do anything she could to cover herself up. Noticing Aeria¡¯s anxiety, Davey patted her on the head and said reassuringly, ¡°It¡¯s probably going to be difficult for you to believe in me, since a treatment attempt has already failed once¡­ This treatment will take about two to three days. In the meantime, do not lose faith that you can get better.¡± ¡°Can you¡­ Can you really cure me?!¡± Aeria shouted desperately. Davey nodded. ¡°You will definitely be cured if you hold out faith until the very end.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Why am I assured again?¡¯ Aeria stared at Davey silently, then slowly nodded. ¡°Will you trust me?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I will. I trust you,¡± Aeria replied. ¡°Then, sweet dreams for two days, Your Highness.¡± Noticing Aeria¡¯s determination, Davey smiled and put her to sleep with a quick jab of her acupoint. Then, he silently put his fingers on her neck and began measuring her pulse. Thud!! Just then, an old man ran into the room with the urgent shout, ¡°Aeria!!¡± Pitter patter!! Royal knights followed the old man in and surrounded Davey. Rinne, who had been silently staring up at Davey this whole time, stepped in front of him and threatened the knights, ¡°Rinne. Warning. Don¡¯t get any closer.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What happened?!¡± The old man had hurried over to look for Aeria after hearing news about the unexpected ident. Davey had never seen the old man in his life, but he could infer the old man¡¯s identity from the emperor¡¯s crown and clothing. He then said calmly, ¡°Rest is absolutely essential for a patient. It is insolent of me to ask, Your Majesty, but please ask your knights to retreat.¡± ¡°Get your hands off Her Highness!¡± One of the older knights stepped out and released his de energy. He had no intention of listening to Davey. ¡°Tsk, I told you not to scream.¡± ¡®As expected from an empire filled with ¡®Swordmaster¡¯s.¡¯ Ignoring the repressed [Aura de], Davey quietly measured Aeria¡¯s pulse with his eyes closed. He then requested again, ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­The royal knights may retreat.¡± ¡°B¡ªBut, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Aeria is asleep. Do not cause any more noise and go.¡± The words were firm and simple, because the old man didn¡¯t want to hear any objections. The knights stared back and forth between Davey and Deorte, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s emperor, with a worried face. Then, they all bowed in silence and left the room at once. ¡°May the Two-headed Dragon of the Empire have infinite glory. I apologize for greeting you like this. However, I ask for your understanding as a patient¡¯s rest is crucial.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°My name is Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°Davey¡­ Are you the one who cured the ¡®Blood of the Demon¡¯ from the Rowane Kingdom?¡± ¡°Humbly, I am. I had no choice but to step up after observing an ident at the banquet, which I was allowed to attend with your grace.¡± After speaking calmly, Davey took his fingers off Aeria¡¯s neck. Then, he picked up her dress and cut it off with his fingers by releasing [Aura]. ¡°How dare you!!¡± Emperor Deorte shouted angrily. Rinne was quick to intervene. ¡°Rinne, warning. If you get close one more time, Rinne will execute attack mode.¡± ¡°Rinne, stop. Retreat,¡± Davey ordered. He immediately noticed Rinne backing away with a slightly disapproving look. ¡®Seriously, how can I see emotion on an emotionless face?¡¯ ¡°Baron Gorneo probably could not have cured this disease,¡± Daveymented. Emperor Deorte replied, ¡°It is just as you said. Contrary to his confidence that he could fix her, he was not able to cure Aeria¡¯s illness.¡± ¡°It is not his fault, because Her Highness is unique.¡± Emperor Deorte widened his eyes in shock. He quickly asked, ¡°Does that mean that you can cure Aeria¡¯s disease?¡± ¡°But there is one condition.¡± Deorte was the emperor of an empire. By speaking like that to him, a slip of the tongue could potentially cost Davey his head. Davey knew that, but still didn¡¯t change his tone of speech. He requested, ¡°I will cure Her Highness¡¯ illness in two days. However, please grant me one of the items that will be on auction tomorrow.¡± Emperor Deorte looked somewhat confused at Davey¡¯s request. ¡°If I fail¡­ Well, I will give you my head.¡± Speaking with confidence, Davey looked straight at Emperor Deorte. He asked calmly, ¡°What will you do, Your Majesty? Please decide.¡± -Making a deal about the daughter¡¯s life right in front of the emperor¡­ Davey didn¡¯t want to do this either, but he couldn¡¯t be able to participate in the auction now that he had begun to treat Aeria. Having to miss out on the thing he needed to treat the princess was not worth it at all. Not long after, Emperor Deorte made a decision about Davey¡¯s firm offer. ¡°Alright. You must save her. No, please save her. I will be your absolute ally that no one can touch if Aeria will be able to take off her mask.¡± ¡®Man, he is gutsy like the powerful man he is.¡¯ * * * The banquet, which had been paused due to the sudden sh of light,menced again. The Lyndis Empire was showing its strong determination to carry on. Furthermore, a rumor that a prince from a small kingdom in the eastern continent had stepped up to cure Princess Aeria¡¯s illness began to spread among the nobility. Everyone who was relevant already knew about Aeria¡¯s condition, because it was obvious from her wearing a mask to hide her hideous face. ¡°You Majesty! Aeria has not had a meal in two days and is just undergoing this treatment for whatever reason! You cannot keep allowing this!¡± Alberth, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s crown prince and someone who was as fond of Aeria as the emperor, strongly insisted. Very few people knew about it, but Alberth was one of the people who knew what had happened the night before. He added, ¡°What does he have for you to trust him?! Baron Gorneo also failed! Did you see the way he is treating Aeria?! He is putting thin needles in weird ces on her body!¡± ¡°Alberth,¡± Deorte called out. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Alberth insisted. ¡°I have no intention of changing my decision.¡± Hearing how firm Emperor Deorte was on his decision, Alberth realized that he could no longer convince him. He remained silent. Emperor Deorte was allowing this because the person treating Aeria was the person who had cured that damn disease; if it wasn¡¯t, he definitely would¡¯ve done something about it. ¡°Anyway, did you look into it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have evidence, but¡­it seems that it is connected to the conservatives.¡± Duke Luxack was one of the nobility¡¯s conservative members who strongly supported the discrimination of man-beasts. ¡°How dare he try to use Aeria? Reckless of him.¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°Do whatever it takes to find the person who caused this insolent and arrogant incident. Make him confess everything. Even the destruction of nine future generations for the crime of disrespecting the emperor of the Lyndis Empire is not enough.¡± ¡°I will make sure of it. And¡­the ident that happened yesterday at the banquet hall¡­¡± ¡°Put out a statement that a magic artifact malfunctioned. You said that although you don¡¯t know what happened, everyone was enveloped in a bright light, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Should we prepare for the possibility of a terror¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s okay.¡± After that cold statement, Emperor Deorte said nothing more. He silently thought about how everything was just as the boy said; he was able to discern the Lyndis Empire¡¯s state from the short ident: the discrimination and mistreatment of man-beasts, and the conflict between the conservatives and liberals. This incident looked like the conservatives¡¯ attempt to undermine the image of man-beasts and narrow down public opinions about Aeria by revealing her appearance during a gathering of representatives from all over. ¡°How funny.¡± Deorte scoffed; Davey was extraordinarily quick. It was like he knew the cause of this incident and the people who were behind it. Although, he had locked himself up in Aeria¡¯s bedroom and was doing strange treatments on her while she was asleep. ¡°Alberth.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Alberth flinched at Deorte¡¯s sudden calling and nced at him. ¡°What did you feel when you saw Prince Davey?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean¡­¡± ¡°Did you not feel anything?¡± ¡°I am sorry, Your Majesty¡­¡± Davey had just briefly mentioned a guess about the reason behind this incident, but it turned out to be true. However, that kind of strategist wasmonly seen in the empire. The reason Deorte had his eye on Davey lied elsewhere. Chapter 127 ¡®Not even a Swordmaster can fathom such depth¡­ It is a deep and dense level of power that, if anyone tries to discern it, they fall into an inescapable void.¡¯ Emperor Deorte had once experienced such a feeling; it was when he was just beginning to learn swordsmanship and feel mana. It felt exactly like when he, who was very sensitive to mana, had first seen the Empire¡¯s best Swordmaster who was teaching him swordsmanship. Deorte wouldn¡¯t feel that way now if he saw that Swordmaster again, because he was actually much more powerful than most Swordmasters now. However, someone as skilled as Deorte was again feeling the endless depth of power that he had felt from his swordsmanship teacher when he had first started to wield a sword as a young boy. This could only mean one thing. Davey, who was still in his teens, was at a level that even Deorte, one of the best Swordmasters in the continent, could not fathom. If this was true, there was a high chance that the unknown huge burst of light that shed in the banquet hall the day before had been Davey¡¯s doing. The reason behind his actions were simple: it was probably to prevent Aeria from being put in a predicament. ¡®I quite like that about him.¡¯ ¡°I may have to wait and see about him.¡± Deorte actually began to think that Davey might seed in curing Aeria. * * * Aeria felt a sudden urge to sleep as soon as Davey touched her. After having slept without even dreaming, she slowly woke up as she felt the warm sunlight through her bandages. She could also hear the birds chirping. ¡®How long has it been?¡¯ Even while she was asleep, Aeria remembered one thing: it was a story about someone. She didn¡¯t know who it was about, but it was about someone who seemed strangely sad yet happy at the same time. Although, she didn¡¯t know how that memory was so vivid while she had been dreaming. She floated through her dreams whenever she heard that story and voice. ¡°Groan¡­¡± Feeling refreshed from a burden having been lifted off of her shoulders, Aeria slowly got up. She could feel that something had changed. She smiled without even realizing it, she lightly touched the bandages that were covering her eyes. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Oh! Your Highness! You¡¯re awake!¡± One of thedies-in-waiting came in and shouted in surprise. ¡°Hup?!¡± Aeria reflexively covered her face with the hand she was touching the bandages with. She knew that she didn¡¯t want to show this face to anyone, so she reflexively covered her face. A sudden sadness welled up in her heart, because anyone who actually mattered had already seen her hideous face. She cried out, ¡°M¡ªMask!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Eren¡­da?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me! Your Highness, it¡¯s me, Erenda!¡± ¡°How¡­long was I asleep for?¡± Aeria asked quietly with a hoarse voice. The girl named Erenda replied with a teary face, ¡°You slept for¡­two days straight.¡± ¡°Two days?¡± Having slept for two days, Aerie hadn¡¯t had anything to eat or drink at all. However, she felt so refreshed, as if notcking any nutrition. She hoped for a second that this feeling wouldn¡¯t go away, even if she was mistaken. ¡°Are you able to get up?¡± Erenda asked Aeria. ¡°Yes¡­ I feel light.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ I think that prince is really amazing,¡± Erenda said. ¡°Prince?¡± Aeria tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Yes, the person who treated you, Your Highness. Apparently, he is Prince Davey¡­ Davey O¡¯Rowane, the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s First Prince.¡± ¡°Davey¡­ O¡¯Rowane¡­¡± Aeria uttered his name in a bit of shock, then lowered the hand she was covering her face with. ¡°Is that so¡­? His name¡¯s Davey¡­¡± Aeria could not forget Davey; he was the man who had stopped her when she had decided tomit suicide after bing pessimistic about her pitiful situation; the warm-hearted man who had the faint scent of dogwood. The person who had captured her attention at once and had left a deep impression was the person who had developed the cure for her disease. He had now saved her twice from a difficult situation. ¡®How could such a coincidence happen?¡¯ ¡°Erenda, can you help me get up?¡± Aeria asked. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Erenda smiled brightly and helped Aeria up by the hand. As Aeria got up and examined her surroundings, Erendamented, ¡°Really¡­ I didn¡¯t expect Your Highness to be this beautiful.¡± ¡°Beau¡­tiful? Me?¡± ¡®Beautiful.¡¯ There was no word as unsuitable and awkward as ¡®beautiful¡¯ for Aeria, who had suffered from a horrible disease for years. She was hideous and it wouldn¡¯t have been strange for her to be called monstrous. ¡°Of course! Even the Five Beauties of the continent can¡¯t match up to you! Really, I was dumbfounded when I saw your face as I was changing your bandages,¡± Erenda answered in a bright voice. Aeria smiled bitterly. Erenda was calling her beautiful, but she herself could hardly believe it. ¡®Right, since Erenda is one of the surprisingly nicedies-in-waiting.¡¯ ¡°Actually, Prince Davey left you a letter,¡± Erenda said. ¡°A letter?¡± ¡°Yes, he told me to pass it to you once you¡¯re awake,¡± Erenda said while fussing over Aeria. ¡®Is that so¡­¡¯ Aeria couldn¡¯t help but smile, thinking about the red-eyed man who had stopped her pessimistic self frommitting suicide because of her pitiful situation. The man with the cozy scent of dogwood who hadforted and reassured her many times, and the man who had spoken to her as if reading a fairy tale while she was asleep. Aeria wanted to trust and have faith in him, even if just a little. ¡°Erenda¡­ These bandages¡­ Do you think I can take them off?¡± ¡°Yes! He left saying that I can undo the bandages when you wake up. I will undo them for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m nervous¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! You really are beautiful!¡± Aeria felt anxious, wondering if the treatment had worked properly. She worried that she was just hearing what she wanted to hear even though she wasn¡¯t cured. ¡°You will be shocked when you look in the mirror. Hehe!¡± Unlike Erenda, who looked delighted, Aeria immediately quivered without being able to put aside her anxiety. With Erenda¡¯s careful touches, the thick bandages that were covering her eyes slowly became undone. Then, Aeria slowly and carefully opened her eyes. She was worried that she was still hideous, or that there wouldn¡¯t be a big difference, or whether the treatment had actually worked; perhaps it was because of those endless worries that made her take centuries to open her eyes. Aeria frowned as light entered her eyes. She hadn¡¯t seen light in a long time. Then, she began to see her reflection in the mirror. She gasped softly, ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to read the letter?¡± Erenda stared at the silent Aeria in confusion. She quietly grabbed the small note and whispered it to Aeria. -I have prepared a gift. Please attend tonight¡¯s banquet. Tears began falling from Aeria¡¯s clear and bright eyes. She read the short message that reminded her of his smile. ¡°Sob¡­ Weep¡­ Sob!!¡± Unlike her weeping, which sounded very sad, Aeria had a wide smile on her face. * * * ¡°Big Brother, what put you in a good mood today?¡± Winley asked with a bright smile Davey stayed silent and chuckled. ¡°What have you been doing: Didn¡¯t youe here because of the auction that happened yesterday? Well¡­ The Red Moon didn¡¯t appear though.¡± Illyna didn¡¯t hide the fact that she didn¡¯t understand Davey. She wondered why he didn¡¯t attend the auction, which had been his main reason foring to the banquet. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± Illyna tilted her head in confusion. ¡°You were wondering what I was doing in the meantime?¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! I wonder what put you in such a good mood.¡± It seemed like Yulis, Winley, and Illyna were very curious about Davey¡¯s absence over thest few days. He hadn¡¯t given them a proper exnation yet. -It should be about time. ¡°Hmm. Since it hase to this, I¡¯ll show you something nice.¡± ¡°Something nice?¡± Davey nodded when Winley stared at him in confusion. ¡®I have to keep my promise, since I said I would give her a gift.¡¯ Davey left the crowd with a smile, and headed toward the side of the banquet hall where the grand piano was located. He asked, ¡°Can I borrow the piano for a moment?¡± ¡°Pardon? Oh¡­ Your Highness?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I know how to y a little.¡± The performer, who was ying a never-ending calm song, slowly nodded even though he was taken aback by Davey¡¯s abrupt interruption. They were in no position to say anything even if royalty or a high-ranking member of nobility suddenly did something crazy. Frankly put, they just had to follow orders. Although these performers were invited to make this banquet shine, they had no choice but to stop if someone gave such a straightforward request. Davey could feel everyone in the hall staring in his direction, because the orchestra had stopped ying once the pianist stopped ying. The sudden interruption to the calm music had drawn everyone¡¯s attention. Ignoring their stares, Davey sat right in the middle of the piano bench and swept his fingers over the keys. The piano that decorated the banquet hall was of amazing quality, having been meticulously taken care of. -Do you know how to y music as well? ¡®Except for singing. My singing is like a serenade from hell.¡¯ Davey chuckled quietly and turned to the crowd after pressing on the keys. Nodding at the three people who were staring at him in surprise, he started to y with grace and familiarity. Short tunes with a strong vibrato began resonating throughout the hall. ¡®Music is said tofort someone. And¡­¡¯ ¡°Princess Aeria El Lyndis is entering!¡± Davey¡¯s present to the girl who was going toe in through the door was a new and somewhat mysterious type of magic spell that did not exist in this world. ¡®The song I will y¡­ Hm, let¡¯s go with a variation on the Canon. In a slightly fast tempo.¡¯ Thud. As Davey slowly pressed on the keys, the door slowly opened, and a girl wearing a beautiful blue dress walked in. She looked very different from what everyone had expected. As if she had broken out of her shell, the mask that used to be on her face was gone, and the dress that used to cover every inch of her skin was no more. As she walked in through the door, Davey could hear people from the crowd gasp. He whispered, ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to wake up from the nightmare, princess.¡± It was a little cringey, but it wasn¡¯t that bad. Chapter 128 51. A Foreigner and a Sacred Item Most of the banquet guests did not realize that Davey was the one ying the piano. The music quietly came to an end. Noble women or royalty usually learned to y some kind of musical instrument, such as the piano, harp, or violin. It was considered a basic skill. Illyna had definitely learned to y the piano too; she just didn¡¯t learn it in depth, since she had never taken an interest in elegant pastimes. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Winley, who was standing beside Illyna, stared at Davey in awe from the very first note. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him, staring unblinkingly alongside Illyna. ¡®The music¡­ It¡¯s beautiful.¡¯ The music was beautiful and mysterious. It made Illyna wonder if the piano had always sounded like this. The song was definitely new and unfamiliar, but everyone in the banquet hall seemed to be hypnotized by its melody. Illyna was unknowingly staring at Davey, who nodded to the rhythm and pressed the keys like he had be one with the piano. She was in awe. She couldn¡¯t help but tap her fingers to the rhythm every time Davey¡¯s hand moved. Then, Illyna, while tapping on her wine ss, understood everything once the blue-haired girl appeared with the music. She didn¡¯t know the magic spell that Davey was using, but she noticed a weak flow of mana surrounding the girl every time Davey pressed the keys at a fairly brisk tempo. ¡®It¡¯s as if the mana is reacting to the music.¡¯ Illyna had never seen anything like this before. Music had the ability to delight the ears orfort the mind, and it was very effective in boosting morale on the battlefield as well. However, that was just a psychological effect; she had never seen mana resonate with music to create an effect of some sort. This was something that musicians wouldn¡¯t be able to believe even if they saw it with their own eyes, yet Davey was doing it so casually. ¡®Genius.¡¯ It probably wasn¡¯t just a coincidence that Davey could show talent and effort in an unimaginable number of areas. ¡®How much effort did he put in before he could be like this?¡¯ Davey had once said that Illyna had more talent than him in a certain area; he himself knew that he wasn¡¯t as talented as her, but he had worked extremely hard to get to where he was now. Even Illyna couldn¡¯t fathom that. The fluid mana surrounded the girl, who shone like the aurora, and it kept everyone¡¯s attention on the girl. The scene was beautiful and magnificent. Most of the people in the hall stared at the girl in awe, forgetting the fact that Davey was doing something in the background. Aeria El Lyndis was the Lyndis Empire¡¯s youngest princess. She, who was the only half-beastfolk in the royal family, showed her distinct fox ears and beautiful amber-colored eyes without hiding them. The youngest princess who was said to have gone into hiding as the rumor of her hideous appearance had spread was no longer hideous; her beauty was actuallyparable to the Five Beauties of the continent. As the shining mana from Davey¡¯s magic spell made Aeria look especially captivating, Illyna could guess how big of a deal this was from the young members¡¯ astonished faces and thedies of nobility who were staring in shock with their jaws dropped. Aeria had thrown off her tacky and extremely conservative dress, her mask, and was now disying her full charm. She was seemingly making up for all the time she had lost. Receiving all the attention, she slowly walked toward Deorte El Lyndis, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s emperor who was watching her silently. Deorte had a cold and stern expression that made it difficult to approach him easily. However, his expression softened once Princess Aeria had appeared. He praised, ¡°You are beautiful.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve gone through so much.¡± Deorte¡¯s voice was low but warm. Everyone was surprised by his uncharacteristic demeanor, since he was usually hot-tempered enough to be called the ¡®Fire-Breathing Two-Headed Dragon¡¯. With trembling shoulders, Aeria covered her mouth with her hands and lowered her head. Seeing her, Deorte silently pulled her into his arms and patted her on the back. When the calm music gradually came to an end, Illyna approached Davey, who was silently watching the reunion of father and daughter. She watched him slowly get up from his piano seat. ¡°How was it?¡± Davey asked. ¡°¡­Amazing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Without hesitation, Davey walked past Illyna and left like there was nothing more to see. ¡°You¡¯re just going to leave it like that? You know they¡¯re going toe find you, right?¡± ¡°I meddled enough in their business. All I need is the Red Moon.¡± Illyna couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Davey as he chuckled and walked past her. She murmured, ¡°I¡¯m envious¡­¡± No one could tell who or what Illyna was envious of; just for a moment, she showed emotions of envy that she wasn¡¯t even aware of. * * * When facing Deorte El Lyndis, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s emperor, one would act in one of two ways: they would either be unable to look him the eye because of his overpowering aura or be extremely cautious and careful not to mess up this once-in-a-lifetime chance. ¡°I have no objections with the results. I trusted you, and you kept your promise exceedingly well.¡± Davey bowed with a chuckle. ¡°The Red Moon you requested was definitely an auction item, but it is too cheap a reward for something like that. I have no intention of just giving you that as the only reward.¡± ¡°That jewel is enough for me, but¡­¡± The Red Moon was an extremely rare and beautiful jewel that noble women couldn¡¯t get even if they wanted to. Considering that a thumb-sized Red Moon was as expensive as a mansion, the Red Moon Davey had received was already worth dozens of mansions. ¡®But he called this cheap?¡¯ Davey was amazed at the emperor¡¯s generosity; there was a reason why the Lyndis Empire was called one of the most powerful countries on the continent. ¡°This is?¡± Deorte asked Davey. ¡°It is a prescription that I¡¯ve prepared. Please make sure that she takes one every week for at least a month. The virus was widespread in her body, so there is a chance of rpse.¡± ¡°I will leave it with the royal pce¡¯s doctor,¡± Deorte answered. Davey asked calmly, ¡°Can he be trusted?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°From what I can see, Her Highness is probably a thorn in the eye of this empire¡¯s conservatives.¡± Deorte smirked at how Davey was bringing up the disgrace of his own empire in front of him. He asked, ¡°Are you saying that they would dare to target Aeria when I am watching them?¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve already done it if I was part of the conservatives,¡± Davey said. ¡°Your Majesty, you have yet to gather all the information about them, isn¡¯t that so?¡± Deorte grew cold, ring at Davey. He looked ready to wield his sword at any time. Still, Davey went on without any hesitation, ¡°The best way to assassinate royalty is by poison. And since Her Highness hasn¡¯t strengthened and established her position at the pce yet, this will be their best andst chance.¡± Deorte, who momentarily stared at Davey like he was lost in thought, smirked, then beganughing. He seemed very entertained. ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­ Hahahahaha!!! You are a young boy who knows nothing and yet you are this fearless.¡± ¡°Am I?¡± ¡°I like it! Alright, I will make sure to take care of that.¡± To be honest, Davey wasn¡¯t interested in the fight for power in the Lyndis Empire. ¡°I will give the Red Moon to you as a reward for curing Aeria. However!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have not received my gratitude yet.¡± As he said so, Deorte removed a ring from his finger and handed it to Davey. ¡°It¡¯s a ring that signifies my authority. Take it.¡± ¡°Is the meaning of this ring what I think it is?¡± ¡°You are not wrong. You have shown Aeria light again; that alone is a great blessing to the child. Also! You have given me the chance to see my daughter¡¯s face again.¡± Deorte got up from his seat, continuing, ¡°What kind of person do you think I am?! The great Lyndis Empire does not neglect those who we are indebted to!¡± Davey could feel the amount of love the emperor had for his daughter. ¡°Prince Davey.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Will you be a member of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s royal pce?¡± ¡°I have to decline,¡± Davey answered without hesitation. Deorte simply chuckled. ¡°You aren¡¯t easily scared, huh?¡± ¡°My life is not really in danger.¡± ¡°Alright. If that is what you want, I will not ask any further. However, receiving my token of gratitude is an entirely different matter! I promise to give you a fitting repayment even if you refuse.¡± Deorte went on to dere confidently, ¡°As promised, from this day on, the great Lyndis Empire is the ally of Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom! If what you intend to do is not a threat to the safety of the Lyndis Empire, I will grant you three requests for help!¡± It was quite a great reward for just curing one member of royalty. Davey did think that Deorte¡¯s love for his youngest daughter was great, but this was beyond that; this wasn¡¯t a promise between countries, but between a country and an individual. Davey knew what that meant. ¡°Furthermore! Even after the exhaustion of the three requests, the Lyndis Empire will be the ally of Prince Davey, not the Rowane Kingdom.¡± Davey found this rather unexpected, but he didn¡¯t think it was a bad oue; there was one thing that was on his mind anyways. He asked, ¡°Then, I will request something right away.¡± ¡°I will allow it!¡± Deorte shouted confidently and seriously. Davey slowly opened his mouth to speak. ¡®I have to look at this in the long run. I have to consider a lot of things.¡¯ This was the emperor of one of the three most powerful empires on the continent. Davey took a moment to organize his thoughts, then stated his request. Chapter 129 Davey left the reception room after a private meeting with the Lyndis Empire¡¯s emperor. He then walked through the royal pce¡¯s spacious, luxurious hallways as he left. Deorte had dly granted his request; it was something that could potentially be a continental issue, but the emperor had epted without a hint of hesitation. That was enough for Davey. ¡°Sir Davey, Rinne is thinking of investigating further.¡± ¡°Investigate?¡± ¡°About stimting Rinne¡¯s smell and taste sensors¡­¡± ¡°I will let you eat whatever you want after we leave.¡± ¡°Rinne, thinking that Sir Davey¡¯s financial situation is good.¡± Rinne was expressionless, but she sounded slightly excited. She was in a good mood. ¡°But we have to check something first before we go.¡± ¡°Rinne. Require a detailed exnation.¡± Davey squinted and stayed silent. He had truly met the rescued boy through a coincidence. Davey had just gone after the gang that had pickpocketed him to show them how the world really worked, without any ulterior motive. What were the chances of him rescuing someone who could be rted to him in some way? What was the possibility of meeting a boy who seemed to be from Earth, apletely different world that was from his past life? Saintess Daphne didn¡¯t worship God, but she certainly believed in one thing: nothing in the world happened without a reason, and that there was no such thing as a coincidence. It was funny, but if that boy was really involved with them, it wouldn¡¯t be a light matter; Davey needed to check it out. That was when¡­ ¡°Huh!¡± Davey grabbed Rinne, who was following him with a bright expression, and instantly released his mana. [Invisibility] It was a 5th circle, non-visualization magic spell. As soon as he and Rinne disappeared into thin air, Davey could see a girl urgently running from the other side of the hall. It would be a little burdensome if he encountered her. Davey had already done something cringey, so he didn¡¯t want to get involved with her any further; it would feel as though he was sinning, especially since the girl was a foolishly nice princess. Gesturing at the confused Rinne to stay silent, Davey quietly waited for the princess to walk past them. The girl was Aeria El Lyndis. She ran quickly, huffing and puffing even though she possessed the physical abilities of a beastfolk. ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­¡± Hurrying toward the reception room, Aeria looked around with an urgent expression. She stopped only when she was near him. She muttered, ¡°Huff¡­ Puff, his scent¡­ It¡¯s certainly right here.¡± ¡®What the hell.¡¯ -Oh my. I knew that beastfolk had a good sense of smell, but¡­ Beastfolk had a much better sense of smell than humans, although it wasn¡¯t as great as that of cats or dogs. Invisibility magic was just an obstruction of vision; it could hide Davey, but it couldn¡¯t hide his scent. Davey instantly backed away from Aeria, who was covering her nose and mouth. She looked around with tears in her eyes. ¡°Wheeze¡­ Wheeze¡­ Y¡­ Your Highness! You cannot run like this in the pce!¡± ¡°Erenda¡­ He is here¡­ He was here.¡± ¡°He has already gone back to his kingdom.¡± ¡°No¡­ Do you know how difficult it was to meet him?! I can¡¯t just let him go without even saying goodbye!¡± Aeria frowned as tears rolled down her face. She gave up only after Davey had hidden his scent by releasing his mana and stood still. ¡°Let¡¯s go back, Your Highness. It is time for your medicine¡­¡± ¡°I will go meet Father. I am going to ask him to let me meet the First Prince again.¡± Aeria ran to the reception room in determination while herdy-in-waiting, Erenda, hastily followed after her. ¡°Phew¡­¡± ¡°Rinne. Question. Why don¡¯t you meet her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a gut feeling, but sometimes, my intuition sounds the danger rm rather urately.¡± ¡°Thinking that Sir Davey has a bad personality.¡± ¡°Other than that, there¡¯s something I want to check on right away.¡± Holding Rinne in his arms, Davey shot up from the ground. Rinne was a small girl, but she was over 200 kilograms. However, that didn¡¯t hold Davey back since he was strong enough to hold her. * * * ¡°Is he calm?¡± ¡°Yes, it hasn¡¯t been long since he woke up. He had excessive seizures when he first woke up, but ss-5 Yulis has put him back to sleep with magic,¡± the lodging¡¯s maid in charge said. Davey opened the firmly shut door without hesitation. In the dark room, he could see the boy lying on the bed. He heard the boy groan, ¡°Ah¡­ Ah, Mom¡­ Mom¡­¡± ¡®Maybe he¡¯s dreaming about his family.¡¯ Davey lit up a luxurious mana stonemp and approached the boy, whose eyes soon fluttered open when Davey roughly shook him awake. ¡°Where is¡­ Huh?!¡± The boy widened his eyes and immediately got up. The boy wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised; Davey was too, since the boy had remained asleep when he had first arrived. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh!!¡± The boy screamed in surprise when Davey grabbed him by the cor. Davey had to calm the boy down, or risk the boy having seizures again. But right now, he had no reason to consider the boy¡¯s situation. He simply said, ¡°Get it together, man.¡± As Davey red at him menacingly while holding him by the cor, the boy widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s keep this quiet since everyone is resting right now,¡± Davey said after taking a deep breath. He lightly waved his hand and blue mana traveled down his fingers. His mana spread around. [Silence] The boy looked up at Davey with wide eyes. He didn¡¯t know what Davey had done, even though it was only a very basic sound-trapping spell. ¡°I put a sound barrier magic spell around us. Now, no one can hear our conversation except us.¡± Davey let go of the boy¡¯s cor. He then grabbed a chair and sat down like this was an interrogation. He asked, ¡°Alright. I think I have the right to ask you some questions since I rescued you. Do you have a problem with that?¡± Both the boy and Davey were around the same age group, but Davey, who was over 180 centimeters tall, was much bigger than the boy, who seemed to be closer to 160 centimeters. ¡°N¡ªno¡­¡± ¡°Okay. You¡¯re probably startled. Your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kang Mu-Hyuk¡­¡± ¡°Age.¡± ¡°F¡ªFifteen¡­¡± Startled, Mu-Hyuk, who was staring at Davey anxiously, stared at the floor as he answered. ¡°Alright, Mr. Kang Mu-Hyuk. Let¡¯s have a deep conversation.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are¡­you Korean?¡± Mu-Hyuk looked confused, which was understandable. Davey obviously didn¡¯t look like the typical Korean. In the central and eastern parts of the continent, there were a lot of people who looked like a mix between western and eastern ethnicities. This meant that Davey had a mix of western and eastern features as well. As such, people wouldn¡¯t think that he was Korean at first nce. The problem was that Davey spoke anguage that the boy hadn¡¯t heard in this world so far: Korean. ¡°No, I¡¯m from here. You?¡± Davey replied. ¡°I am¡­from Korea¡­¡± Davey felt even more bewildered by the boy¡¯s straightforward revtion. ¡®Has his soul moved here after his death, just like what happened to me?¡¯ However, that was impossible, because Mu-Hyuk definitely looked Asian. Then, there was only reason that Davey could think of for his presence here. ¡®Is it like moving through different dimensions or something?¡¯ -That is nonsense. Theoretically, it is impossible for a living thing to travel through different worlds with their physical body fully intact. No, the idea of a living person traveling to a different world is impossible in the first ce. Perserque was anxious, despite knowing it was impossible, because of Davey. There were a lot of unknown things in the world, and that was why even Davey couldn¡¯te to a definite conclusion. To Davey, he was more interested in why the boy hade here instead of how. Nothing happened without a cause. Furthermore, if Mu-Hyuk had actually traveled across dimensions, Davey would have to abandon all the usual hypotheses. -The divine will¡­ There was no way to tell if a godly presence truly existed, but divine will, a higher power, certainly did. And that would be the only power that could do something this unbelievable. This meant that there was a definite reason why the boy hade here. ¡®Coincidence? No way.¡¯ It was already ridiculous that apletely healthy Korean person hade to a different dimension, and that wasn¡¯t even considering the fact that the person in question had gone on to bump into Davey. ¡®How could this be a coincidence? In my case¡­¡¯ Davey was ready to bet his entire fortune and his right hand that it was impossible for this to be mere coincidence. There was arge flow of events that could not be resisted by the will of living people; in religions, they called this damn thing by one name: [Destiny]. ¡°U¡­ Um! You can get me back home?! Right?! I¡­ I was just going home, but I got sleepy¡­ And then¡­ Fxxk¡­ This is¡­¡± Confused, Mu-Hyuk suddenly stood up with a pale face. However, he stumbled as if tripping over his foot or something. He cried out, ¡°Please¡­ Please get me home! Hyung! Please! I don¡¯t need anything like this! I don¡¯t need these kinds of things from movies and books! Please get me home!¡± Mu-Hyuk looked extremely desperate and panicked while grabbing onto Davey¡¯s pants. It seemed like he had wandered alone after falling into this world. Davey didn¡¯t know what he did beforeing here, but he was still wearing a normal school uniform. ¡®That means that he was just dragged here while attending school like any normal kid.¡¯ ¡°Can you? Hyung! Please!¡± Mu-Hyuk screamed in desperation, like he was expecting a positive answer. ¡°My mom¡­ My mom will be worried about me! Please, you have to save¡­ Gag!!¡± Mu-Hyuk suddenly covered his mouth and started gagging with a pale face. Davey immediately released his holy power and put his hand on the boy¡¯s back, but even before it could reach him, Mu-Hyuk copsed and flopped over as if he had lost consciousness. ¡°What is¡­?¡± Perserque frowned at this strange situation. -It might be good to talk to him another time. Davey was speechless at this ridiculous situation: Mu-Hyuk had just fainted after screaming and freaking out by himself. Chapter 130 The silence went on for a long time. Davey had nothing to say as Mu-Hyuk just screamed and panicked by himself before fainting. Most importantly, he couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of mana from Mu-Hyuk. ¡®He is definitely a normal person¡­¡¯ Feeling fascinated, Davey looked for the boy¡¯s pulse. He soon frowned, feeling the Zzz monster approaching. He was so drowsy that he couldn¡¯t sit upright, and this had never happened before. He hadn¡¯t even metamorphosed yet. -Davey? Davey! When Perserque shouted his name, Davey¡¯s eyes snapped back open and he stood up. He tried to move, but simply copsed onto the ground. ¡®The Zzz monster provides such rxation and warmth¡­¡¯ Then, Davey felt a unique and mysterious kind of holy power surrounding his body. ¡®Oh, this¡­ I think I know what this is. It came to me without any warning.¡¯ There was only one being in the world who could activate a higher level of holy power that was denser than normal. * * * Toot! Toot toot! Toot to todo toot! Trumpets were being yed, apanied by theforting scene of a beautiful sunset. One could see a staircase leading up to the sky, with a shining white door at the end of it. ¡°It¡¯s so clich¨¦ to have a staircase to heaven,¡± Davey mumbled with a frown. He rubbed his temples. ¡®This is why you should be careful and avoid stepping on mines.¡¯ The appearance of Mu-Hyuk, who was probably a dimension-traveler, had been manipted by divine will. The beautiful sound of trumpets could charm regr people, but not Davey. It wasn¡¯tpletely new to him, since he hade here once when he had first touched on his holy power. Swoosh¡­ ¡°I knew it.¡± Davey raised his head with a cold expression, looking at the five or six mysterious figures who approached him from the great, white light on the staircase¡¯s highest level. They looked like angels, but they did not have a halo like Rinne, who was the Lion of God. They also didn¡¯t have facial features, but still looked like they were approaching Davey with a smile. The mysterious figures moved very slowly; they were the embodiment of holiness. Then, the angel who came near Davey reached out and gently, carefully put its hand on his head. Whoosh¡­ As a warm rush of holy power surrounded Davey, part of his frozen holy power began to vibrate and awaken. He also felt something strange in his hand, a glowing pebble that wasn¡¯t there before. He looked down and saw the small, shining pebble in his grip. Whooosh!!! At the same time, Davey¡¯s thready consciousness became distorted and burst through the calmness. ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­¡± Davey¡¯s breathing was rough, like he had held his breath for a long time. He simply stared into space, then his hand, without even thinking about catching his breath. In his hand was a pebble emitting a very mysterious energy that he had never seen before. -Davey! What happened?! You suddenly fainted! Perserque shouted in bewilderment. ¡°It¡¯se to the point where I¡¯m receiving God,¡± Davey murmured in a daze. He was in aplete trance, one that was entirely different from the one he had achieved with Saintess Daphne¡¯s help. Perhaps that exined his drowsiness. * * * Davey felt heavy, like he had sprinted hundreds of kilometers at maximum speed. Perserque asked again if he was okay, but all he wanted to do right now was go to sleep. -Davey? Davey! ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but give me five more minutes. And then, after those five minutes, give me ten hours.¡¯ Perserque scoffed and sighed; perhaps Davey had identally voiced his thoughts out loud. -¡­Alright. Sweet dreams. Perserque could not take her eyes off of Davey even as she was pulling him to his bed. ¡®They say the heaviest thing in the world are your eyelids.¡¯ Davey, who was deep asleep, felt like it had been a long time since he had such a good rest. He only got up when it was sunrise the next day. -Are you finally awake? ¡°How long was I asleep?¡± -About eight hours. Davey thought for a little bit, then nodded. ¡°I lost two hours.¡± ¡®I was going to sleep for exactly ten hours.¡¯ -Stop joking around and tell me about that thing in your hand. Perseque seemingly cared more about the thing in Davey¡¯s hand than the receival of God or the trance Davey had spoken about before falling asleep. ¡°Um¡­ Well, this is¡­¡± Only after Perserque mentioned it was Davey able to notice the pebble in his hand and examine it. All he wanted to do was to abandon everything and sleep when he had woken up from the dream, but he did feel unexpectedly better after a long rest. ¡°It¡¯s not mana, nor is it holy power. It¡¯s not devil mana either.¡± Then, was it the spirits? ¡®It¡¯s not spirits either.¡¯ The small pebble was slightly smaller than Davey¡¯s palm, but its surface had hard edges unlike regr pebbles. It shone, as if burning on the inside. ¡°It¡¯ll make a goodmp¡­ Maybe a nightmp or something.¡± -Nonsense. The power contained within is too great for such a trivial use. It was just as Perserque said. Davey stopped being yful, then silently red at the pebble. Then, he executed the best solution for this situation: the authority of the Abyss. Bleep! ¡®The best solution for an unknown situation is the Abyss¡¯ Wikipedia.¡¯ [Remaining Spark] [Sacred Item] [One-time revival when activator¡¯s body is destroyed.] [1 time remaining.] [Special condition ¨C only avable for use when in battle with being higher than transcendental beings; will automatically be activated.] ¡°Oh, um¡­ Well¡­¡± -A sacred item? ¡°A sacred item is a gift from God that they grant to a human they like¡­¡± ¡®But it¡¯s not something that is easily given away.¡¯ Davey knew this for a fact. The Bible stated that the Life Stone the second saintess had was something of this sort. The Bible also said that the divine will, which looked favorably upon the prayers of thousands of people, had given it to her through her dreams. The gift had power that had been concentrated over one hundred days. A sacred item was something unexinable withmon knowledge, and this amazing object was created by arge whirlpool of power, the divine well. To be honest, even Davey was astonished at the things that this pebble called the Remaining Spark could do. Although its use was only limited to fighting something higher than transcendental beings, it was a great boon to have another life¡­ Then, Davey abruptly stopped everything he was doing. ¡°Kang Mu-Hyuk. Where is this ass?¡± Feeling his blood run cold, Davey instantly got up and ran to the room where Mu-Hyuk should¡¯ve been sleeping. He saw apletely empty room, and pped his forehead. ¡°Wow, this¡­¡± Davey felt like he had been stabbed in the back big-time. He asked a maid who was close by, ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What happened to the guy who was in here?¡± One of the maids tilted her head in confusion, ¡°I am sorry, Your Highness. I do not understand¡­¡± ¡°The guy who has been sleeping here for the past few days.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ This room has been empty for the past few days.¡± -Oh my, they don¡¯t remember? ¡®It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t remember, but he probably didn¡¯t exist for them at all.¡¯ It seemed Kang Mu-Hyuk wasn¡¯t some guy who had traveled dimensions and hade from Earth, but a fake person made to bring Davey into a holy dream. Davey had unknowingly gained ess to the dream by touching Mu-Hyuk, and there was nothing better to attract Davey¡¯s attention than bringing someone from his past life. ¡°Man, I do serve this God, but she is absolutely unbelievable.¡± -You¡¯re going to be punished by God if you keep acting like that. ¡°I don¡¯t care. This isn¡¯t a joke.¡± Davey was someone who had received God¡¯s curiosity and attention; he could receive God¡¯s love but not God¡¯s sacrifice. As such, he could not expect God¡¯s consideration. This was the one and only weak spot sort of thing that he had engraved in his mind when he was training his holy magic with Daphne, the first saintess. The story that a person who had devoted their entire life to God found a sacred ground when they met and followed the deceased Lion of God was a famous story in the Bible. This was no different from what Davey had experienced. He couldn¡¯t shake off the thought that he was given these urrences too generously even though these were difficult for devout people of the Holy Empire to even experience once in their lifetime. ¡°Why is she supporting me this much?¡± Davey was a little worried, but it wasn¡¯t a loss considering the oue. He muttered, ¡°A newly obtained item is always wee!¡± Davey stared at the bed. ¡®It was only yesterday that a boy in middle school slept here;¡¯ ¡°Except for you.¡± Without hesitation, Davey decided to forget about Kang Mu-Hyuk. He wanted to avoid having another holy dream as it drained himpletely. * * * The holy dream¡¯s aftermath felt like a hangover, but it disappearedpletely like it had never happened on the next day. Davey couldn¡¯t remember the strange feeling, which was fully gone, even if he wanted to, but it had definitely happened as he had something that was granted to him by God and was the evidence of having a holy dream. As Davey was lightly throwing the Remaining Spark up and down, Winley stared at it in fascination. ¡°It¡¯s like watching a warm fire; small, but warm¡­¡± Winley lost a little focus in her eyes as she trailed off. ¡®They did say that sacred items naturally enchant people..¡¯ Davey immediately pushed the Remaining Spark into his expansion pouch. As he snapped his fingers in front of Winley¡¯s face, she snapped out of it and her eyes began shining again. ¡°Ha?! What was I doing?¡± Davey kind of felt like he should keep this to himself. ¡®What should I do with this white elephant¡­?¡¯ Scouring through his thoughts, Davey remembered something he had overheard from Odin, his magic teacher. ¡°Wait, I can die and then be revived? Without any limitations?¡± This meant that he could alter his body however he wanted. Davey widened his eyes. Chapter 131 Davey ended up staying in the Lyndis Empire for two more days. He was a little concerned by Princess Aeria, but he thought things would be fine after having told the royal pce that he was going back. Also, he knew that the emperor loved his daughter too much to let her just be involved with him like that. Yulis and Illyna did not apany Davey on the way back. They were usually with Davey all day and night because time spent was entertaining or because he often showed them cool things, but they still had their respective work to do. Illyna had told Davey that there was something she needed to take care of at her empire, and Yulis had said that he had to attend a meeting at the wizard tower. Davey didn¡¯t hide his joy to be away from them once they revealed that they wouldn¡¯t be able to return for a while. Davey was only bugged by being at the empire with Princess Aeria, but he was sure that they wouldn¡¯t run into each other. This was because Davey had left the pce at an appropriate time, and the nasty emperor was crazy about his daughter and would never leave her alone. Having returned to the Heins Territory for two weeks, Davey spent his time doing absolutely nothing. He was just about to start working again when Elder Goulda, the eighth elder of the Yellowstone Tribe and the one who was helping out at the territory, came to him at the perfect time. ¡°Wise Teacher, your requested things are here. We had a hard time because there were so many things. Chuckle,¡± Goulda said humorously with a chuckle. Davey could see that there were quite a lot of boxes piled up in therge empty field. He asked, ¡°There¡¯s more than I thought. You moved the boxes all by yourselves?¡± ¡°Well, we dwarves are nothing without our strength. Of course, the territory¡¯s substitute manager gave us more manpower because there¡¯s so much to move.¡± Davey¡¯s second business was not a stable source of ie even though it yielded some profit, offering some assistance to the territory¡¯s earnings. With this business, it was difficult to expect a huge gain in a short amount of time. ¡°Haha, they were on such a roll that it looks like they overdid themselves.¡± ¡°It really is a lot.¡± ¡°Actually, the ckstone Tribe also sent some over. They say that they cannot allow themselves to just steal skills and techniques without any sort of repayment,¡± Goulda said. Then, he opened a ck box and pulled out a shining silver sword. ¡°It¡¯s blue steel.¡± Blue steel was made with the forgotten alloy method Davey had taught the dwarves. It was made bybining normal steel and Percal Steel, which was amonly found metal in the Tionis Continent. ¡°Haha¡­ There¡¯s nothing good about this metal, except for the fact that it has an extremely low conductivity for heat. It can withstand high temperatures, but¡­¡± ¡°But the sticity increases depending on how it is handled.¡± The material was difficult to refine. There were a variety of things in the boxes: swords, spears, arrowheads, daggers, shields, and even armor. It seemed like the dwarves had scraped together any war equipment they could find. Davey could clearly see that they had put their souls into crafting the weaponry; they were seemingly showing him their burning enthusiasm. Although, the alloy itself was a littlecking; perhaps it was because they hadn¡¯t mastered the technique yet. This meant that everything in the boxes were failures. ¡®Well, failures have their own unique feel to them, too, I guess.¡¯ However, anything that was ¡®dwarf-made¡¯ held great value in the continent. Davey was confident that these weapons would sell if he were to put them up for sale at double their market prices. ¡®Dwarf-made¡¯ products were the best in the world, and it was obvious that mercenaries who were insane about their equipment and knights who were eager to climb up the ranks would be doing anything to buy them with their own money. However, those people weren¡¯t Davey¡¯s main target audience. Davey was leeching off the dwarves in a way, but he had given them half of the metal and they needed practice in crafting and refining the new alloy. Both he and the dwarves had no problem with this attractive proposition that would benefit both parties. It seemed like Davey had already offered more than enough, but he still invested more. Even if the dwarves were to befortable with blue steel in the future, the free trade of their crafted equipment would be able to expand in the Heins Territory; this was how boldly and greatly the dwarves repaid their debts. ¡°I think you could start a war somewhere with this much equipment, don¡¯t you think?¡± Goulda asked. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Among metal products, weapons were the most lucrative ones. However, Davey didn¡¯t ask for such arge amount only to earn some money. ¡°But humans are oppressing war as far as I¡¯ve heard. Are they going to sell?¡± Goulda asked. ¡®Why wouldn¡¯t they? There is supply because there is demand¡­ The military didn¡¯t disappear because there was no war.¡¯ Davey went on to exin. ¡°They are just avoiding war; it¡¯s not forbidden. Furthermore, other countries do not have the means to intervene recklessly, especially in a civil war.¡± Goulda yawned as if this was tooplicated for him. ¡°Well¡­ It doesn¡¯t change the fact that these are still failures. But still, selling failed works¡­¡± ¡°Well, try to think of it in a good way. It¡¯s true that your failed works are far better than ordinary ones.¡± ng!! Goulda struck down on the sword made with blue steel with another sword made of hard steel. With a dense sound, the steel de chipped. ¡°Chuckle¡­ I didn¡¯t know that a sword would chip like this when striking it with a failed weapon. Those grandpops are probably ted.¡± The de made of hard steel had chipped, but the blue steel de waspletely unchanged. Even this casual demonstration alone showed the difference between works made by ordinary people and those made by dwarves. It was clear that the quality was good enough for it to be sold at a fairly high price that no one would be opposed to. ¡®Taking the money and also achieving my goals¡­¡¯ Davey¡¯s attitude toward business was simple: low risk, high return. -You run your business so easily¡­ ¡®I have to get the most out of it when I can.¡¯ It would be helpful in the long run if Davey earned and saved diligently. As he had lived in a materialistic society before, he couldn¡¯t avoid the feeling that he was very focused on money. Now, the only thing left was to actualize the theory using the Remaining Spark: the reorganization of the physical body. It was like chiseling away on solidified elemental and devil mana, and holy power, which meant¡­ ¡°Forced metamorphosis.¡± -But isn¡¯t this theory too dangerous to execute? ¡°That¡¯s why I need a spare life. And it¡¯s my magic teacher who created this theory, not me.¡± The theory could lead to death regardless of sess or failure. However, if Davey had a definite way ofing back to life, it would certainly be effective. He also knew of a ce that was best equipped for this; a ce that was swarming with transcendental beings he could use the Remaining Spark on, and where it would be fine even if he lost control of his powers and did something. ¡®What good timing.¡¯ -Illyna would be absolutely against it if she learns about this. In fact, anyone in their right mind would be against this. However, Davey wasn¡¯t one to give up just because of others¡¯ opinions. ¡°Rinne.¡± Rinne, who was sitting in a tree and looking at the birds, jumped off the branch andnded softly. ¡°Did you call Rinne, Sir Davey?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the knight order.¡± ¡°Rinne too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Right now, Davey was going to overload his body using the remains of a transcendental being, which could instantly kill a few Swordmasters with its mere appearance. Ultimately, metamorphosis was the destruction and rebuilding of the body, and Davey was going to make that happen by his will. * * * The headquarters of the Alpha Reinforcements, the knight order of the Last Wisp responsible for the central continent¡¯s northern region, was usually very quiet. The view of the silent and mystical forest located under the permafrost was absolutely magnificent. ¡°Illyna!¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally back!¡± The trainees, who were sitting together in the auditorium and chattering with snacks, greeted the tired Illyna who walked in. Illyna always made sure she maintained a certain image when she was outside; she never broke her outer persona of the cold and frosty ice princess, but she didn¡¯t use that fake personality in the knight order. She was rather honest, especially in front of her friends. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m tired,¡± Illyna grumbled. ¡°Oh, Your Highness. Did something happen?¡± Alyssa Patrick, a girl from the Pan Empire who thought of Davey as her role model, asked. ¡°Something about an arranged marriage came up, so I had to take care of it.¡± Illyna sighed. Illyna found Alyssa a little difficult; she thought she would be less ufortable with Alyssa if Alyssa wasn¡¯t the daughter of a noble family of the Pan Empire, or if she wasn¡¯t a Roaming Knight like herself. Normally, royalty could not escape the shackles of arranged marriages, but Illyna had enough influence to not be forced into it. She could do something about it. It was unfortunate that royalty had to go through this, but she was slowly gaining her own strength bit by bit. ¡°True¡­ Nobility and royalty could never be free from arranged marriages.¡± Heg, who had arge physique, murmured while crunching on a baguette. Shayir, Heg¡¯s partner, patted Illyna on the back and asked, ¡°Are you okay? What about Davey?¡± ¡°Ah, right. Where is Prince Davey, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve trained with you guys for years, but Davey is more important to you than me?¡± ¡°Oh, is it wrong for me to look for my role model?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Illyna thought, ¡®Of course¡¯, and squinted at Alyssa. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have yet to even repay Sir Davey. Saintess Daphne, the first saintess, wouldn¡¯t want this either.¡± Lucia Shelman, the former priest, had eyes that sparkled as much as Alyssa¡¯s. She had managed to stay alive because of Davey¡¯s help during an earlier ident. ¡°Did anything happen? I don¡¯t see Sio Howl.¡± ¡°Sio has a personal assignment with Treve. I heard that they would join us when the test begins.¡± ¡°I hear that he is on a special assignment rted to transcendental beings.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Treve does have unique abilities.¡± The Special Ones were important even as trainees, and among them, illusionists were extremely effective. As such, none of the trainees found it strange for Sio and Treve to travel to ces for other assignments. ¡°Sio is amazing, too. He was called to the headquarters time and time again after that day, but he didn''tin about it one bit.¡± ¡°Unlike Lucia over here.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ I¨CI can¡¯t help it! I was really tired of it!¡± Lucia Shelmanined. ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Everyone answered insincerely. ¡°Don¡¯t you know Sio is nothing without his pride?¡± Heg chuckled when the twin sisters criticized Sio. ¡°That¡¯s true. Anyways, I wonder if I¡¯ll pass this test¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m so envious of Treve¡­ He bes an official member if he just doesn¡¯t fail this test, right?¡± ¡°Well, he does have a rare set of abilities.¡± ¡°If I fail again this time¡­ It¡¯s going to be my second time¡­¡± Fildyr, the Holy Knight, grumbled. Lucia dered confidently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Fildyr. We will certainly get in; I bet on the name of Lady Daphne.¡± ¡°I¡¯m even more worried because of you.¡± ¡°Ow ow ow! It hurts!¡± Everyoneughed as Lucia and Fildyr bickered. ¡°Now that I think of it, Illyna shouldn¡¯t be worried at all.¡± ¡°Yeah, since she has Davey.¡± ¡°Illyna is also outstanding, but¡­¡± Everyone had heard from Sio Howl and Lucia Shelman that Davey¡¯s powers were beyondmon sense. His strength put Illyna on the high ground. Illyna had heard about what happened from Davey himself, but the others could only predict the rest of the situation from Sio and Lucia¡¯s testimonies. Although, she didn¡¯t find it odd that the trainees thought that way since the entire incident was too ridiculous to be rationalized withmon sense. Chapter 132 Davey had killed dozens of golems at the most advanced level of Expert with his [Aura de]; this alone showed that his power was superior to most Swordmasters. Not only that, but ording to Sio, he was also fine after having used magic at the 6th circle and holy magic during his fall. Everyone knew that Davey had the stigmata, but¡­ ¡°Honestly, I had a hard time believing it when I first heard it.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve heard of knights using magic before, but¡­ I¡¯ve never seen them have holy power too.¡± Even the famous Holy Knights used holy magic, and strengthened their bodies using holy power, but Davey was able to strengthen himself, use elemental magic, and use holy magic. ¡°Hey, you remember¡­ That guy is an alchemist, right?¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Everyone went dead silent after that realization. ¡°Then, what¡­ Holy magic and elemental. On top of that, he¡¯s an adept alchemist with the skills of a Swordmaster?¡± ¡°What is that¡­ Unbelievable.¡± ¡°How can someone achieve all that before the age of twenty?! It would take at least forty to fifty years for one subject to even try reaching his level.¡± Thinking about the monster who did not followmon knowledge, the trainees were confused and puzzled. ¡°Do you not know anything, Illyna? You and Davey were friends beforeing here.¡± Everyone turned their gaze over to Illyna, who simply replied, ¡°You think that I would know?¡± ¡°Mhm, yeah.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Letting out a sigh, Illyna slowly closed her eyes. She felt a damn headacheing along. There was a transcendent skill Sio and Lucia didn¡¯t notice Davey use when fighting Milpieu, the vampire, because they were not swordsmen: [Telekic de], the transcendental level of de control. This was not any ordinary thing to be taken lightly; it was absurd that Davey was at a level higher than Swordmaster when Swordmaster itself was already extremely difficult to reach. Unfortunately, as Illyna hadn¡¯t seen that sort of level with her own eyes, she didn¡¯t fully understand Davey either. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You don¡¯t know what kind of things he does on the outside, right?¡± Everyone looked curious. Illyna asked, ¡°Outside?¡± ¡°Oh, Your Highness. Isn¡¯t it the Roaming Knight¡¯s code to not speak in detail about each other¡¯s personal activities?¡± ¡°Do you have the right to say that when you mentioned Shandra, the transcendental being, so quickly?¡± ¡°My¡­ You are so mean.¡± ¡°Everyone says it¡¯s the code, but no one actually keeps it,¡± Illynamented, then flopped over and banged her head onto the table. Her actions weren¡¯t fit for a divine princess, but no one thought it was weird. She added, ¡°He got the eastern continent in the palm of his hands in just a few months.¡± From dwarf-made equipment to a rare herb that various organizations would do anything to obtain¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s not try to understand it. There are just monsters like that.¡± ¡°Is he going to turn out to be a monster wearing a human mask or something? Giggle!¡± ¡°How about the disciple of God instead of a monster? He received a stigmata, right?¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Illyna mumbled quietly and went quiet. No one asked any further questions. As the trainees were chattering, Davey, who came into the knight¡¯s order with Rinne, was going somewhere after receiving the summoning of the trainees¡¯ teachers. * * * The High Pce¡¯s highest floor had an inessible room that trainees and regr members were restricted from entering. Because of that, the ce was filled with rumors among the trainees. Davey was in the room on the highest floor right now. ¡°Rinne. Needs biological energy.¡± ¡®This golem is saying she¡¯s hungry.¡¯ ¡°Wait. I¡¯ll hunt you an animal or something when we get out.¡± ¡°Rinne. Thinks very lowly of Sir Davey¡¯s food.¡± ¡°Want to starve?¡± Davey asked. Rinne quickly shook her head. ¡®All that matters is that it¡¯s edible, right? Being picky about how it tastes¡­ Should it be like a stargazy pie or something?¡¯ ¡°Ahem!¡± Boris, the teacher who was standing near Davey and Rinne, cleared his throat awkwardly. Perhaps he felt ufortable with their bickering. ¡°Then, I will take my leave, Captain.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± A man who was inside the room with Davey answered Boris, then left. Now, there were only four people waiting for Davey in the room that looked like a huge conference room. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Are you Davey, the new trainee?¡± ¡°Yes, Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re not ordinary.¡± The old man¡¯s calm voice could be heard clearly, but Davey couldn¡¯t see his face. It was as if he had altered recognition with a strange wall of mana. ¡°I have heard stories about you. You are extremely talented.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± One of the people who covered themselves upughed at Davey¡¯s calm answer. There were about two or three of them, and it was difficult to see their faces unless Davey actually tried hard to trace them; it was quite a sturdy recognition-altering field. ¡°I apologize that we cannot speak face-to-face. We cannot stay in the knight order because of our situation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Well, alright. Is that little girl beside you the golem you found in the ancient ruins?¡± It was obvious that Rinne was not human. She had distinct silver hair, blue eyes, a shining ring on top of her head, and wings on her back. The people began asking questions, since Davey had hurriedly returned to his territory after the incident and had given no exnation. It was only natural that they were eager to ask. ¡°I¡¯ll be straightforward. What exactly happened there?¡± The people found it important to figure out exactly what had happened. ¡°It was an ancient ruin that this girl was asleep in.¡± Davey pressed on Rinne¡¯s head while speaking calmly, and Rinne poked his waist in dissatisfaction. ¡°I heard that child is a golem.¡± ¡°Yes. It is technology that¡¯s unexinable withmon knowledge.¡± ¡°Anything else to report?¡± ¡°There was a vampire. I think it came to take he who was asleep on the ruins¡¯ lowest floor.¡± ¡°Did you get rid of the vampire?¡± ¡°I shed the vampire, but it didn¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Davey exchanged ridiculous tales with them, since they weren¡¯t the type to beat around the bush either. ¡°Give the child to us. Without knowing how dangerous that child is¡­¡± ¡°I refuse. I will not ept any objections.¡± ¡°¡­You.¡± ¡°Think about whose loss it will be.¡± ¡®How dare you try and just take it?¡¯ The people behind the recognition-altering mana field murmured amongst themselves, then nodded at Davey¡¯s firm answer. ¡°Alright. You may go.¡± ¡°May I ask one thing?¡± Davey was a little mad at the fact that they were letting him go this easily. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What did the knight order know about that ancient ruins?¡± To be honest, their answers didn¡¯t matter. ¡°We knew nothing. Since the third floor was out of limits even within the members of the knight order, checking anything beneath that was far-fetched.¡± Davey was both dissatisfied and uninterested in their answer, which seemed only somewhat truthful. ¡®Liars.¡¯ 52. A Transcendental Being Delivery! To take the test, the trainees had to go into the Pandora Region¡¯s forest where the transcendental being was. However, the trainees looked very nervous because of what had happened at the ancient ruins. They had also heard of the transcendental beings¡¯ suspicious activities. Perhaps, because of that, Alyssa Patrick, who was keeping a rxed smile in a good mood, provided everyone with new information. [Because of what happenedst time and stuff, two or three times more seniors are going to be protecting us for this test. They said it shouldn¡¯t be a problem since it¡¯s not the season for snow blizzards.] Davey didn¡¯t know where Alyssa had gotten the information from, but none of the trainees questioned her. They were used to Alyssa fetching all kinds of weird information and telling them. The only thing to trust after stepping foot into the forest was one¡¯s own experience and partner. Teachers Boris, Sylia, and Frodis guided the trainees to the entrance of the forest and patted them on the back. Then, they said in quiet warning, ¡°Be careful and please don¡¯t get injured. The forest for testing has been cleared to some extent, but it is still a Zone of Evil! You are the future of the knight¡¯s order, and each one of your lives is important.¡± There was an option to cooperate with other pairs, but there were penalties to their scores if one chose to do so. The main point of the test was to see how well a pair could cooperate with each other and use their unique abilities toplete a task. As soon as the trainees entered the forest, Illyna proposed some ideas while unfolding the map that was provided beforehand. ¡°The goal of the first test is getting to the target location quickly and retrieving the supplies. They wouldn¡¯t have hidden the supplies like treasure boxes, since they would have considered that our enemies wouldn¡¯t be human, but we should still think critically.¡± ¡°But there would be a lot of peopleplicating things.¡± ¡°We will have to take care of it ourselves. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave the tedious things to you. I¡¯ll lead the way since it¡¯s my test,¡± Illyna dered before materializing Caldeiras. Then, she took a step forward; she looked quite confident. -What about collecting the data that you always talk about? ¡®I don¡¯t need it for the time being. Besides¡­¡¯ Davey¡¯s eyes shone a light green color as he stared into the forest. -Davey? ¡®It¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s not think about it.¡¯ There was only one reason why a spirit, who was basically immune to cold temperatures, felt chilly. Permafrost had truly earned its name. ¡®I¡¯m sure that Alyssa Patrick said that it wasn¡¯t even the season for snow blizzards¡­¡¯ ¡°What bad timing. How bothersome¡­¡± Davey mumbled. ¡°Davey. What are you doing?¡± Illyna, who was walking and leading the way, turned around and stared at Davey in puzzlement. To that, Davey threw two fist-sized cubes from his expansion pouch. Click!! At the same time, the small cubes expanded into two different golems. ¡®A battle alchemist will always be one with their golem.¡¯ Ching!! Whirr!! It was Megatron, which wasn¡¯t hiding its ferocious electric saw, and Juggernaut, a Megatron-sized golem with a minigun, which was a concentrated mid-range weapon. ¡°Rinne, let¡¯s move as fast as we can. Find something, even a cave, where we can escape from this cold.¡± ¡°Command epted. Juggernaut, drill the way.¡± [Command of Elder Brain epted. Starting.] As one of Rinne¡¯s eyes shone bright red, Juggernaut began marching forward with confidence as it started to rotate its six-engine cylinder. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°I think we should move fast. I¡¯ll listen to yourints after.¡± ¡°What?!¡± It wasn¡¯t that Davey couldn¡¯t trust Illyna, but if the spirits were in that condition, a snow blizzard woulde over them in at least two hours. What about the rest? ¡®They should be able to deal with a little blizzard, right?¡¯ Chapter 133 From the exact point where Davey and Illyna were headed to, a snow blizzard swept across the entire forest. Unlike Davey, who quickly noticed it and moved, the other trainees, who were a little further away, scrambled to do something when they noticed the blizzard slightlyter. ¡®I knew it.¡¯ In a small cave for about four or five people, Illyna shivered despite wearing an instion coat. ¡°Groan¡­ I¡¯m cold¡­¡± At first, the air was just a little cold. The Pandora region was in the far north of the continent, so it was quite cold to begin with, and it was also true that the weather was pretty cold during this particr time of year. However, that chill turned into a nasty frost that was cold enough to cut skin, and it even became an intense snow blizzard. It meant that the forest had bepletely covered in snow. ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s a relief that we were able to retrieve the supplies and find a hiding spot before the blizzard came. We were lucky.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh at this idiot. He asked, ¡°Does this look like it happened because of sheer luck?¡± ¡°¡­What, then are you saying that you predicted that this blizzard would happen?¡± Illyna widened her eyes in surprise. If Illyna was asking if Davey had predicted it, it was true. The spirits usually weren¡¯t in upied territories, but there were quite a lot of them in unmannednd where there wasn¡¯t a lot of human intervention. The spirits were the most sensitive to changes in nature, like how animals and insects moved first before an earthquake could happen. However, spirits were a little more sensitive than them. ¡°Makes sense¡­ No wonder you suddenly pushed ahead with your golem¡­ Wait! Then, you forced your way through knowing that this would happen?!¡± ¡°You had to take your test, and I had to do what I had to do.¡± Davey wasn¡¯t so weak that he was going to give up because of some little blizzard. After sending Rinne to find and hide in a cave, Davey pushed ahead without nning to urgently retrieve the supplies. Of course, they had to deal with a lot of low-level evil beasts since they just barged into the forest. The fact that they all became meat pancakes because of Juggernaut¡¯s merciless firing of magic bullets was already ancient history. ¡°How did you figure it out? Is that also magic?¡± ¡°Spirits are sensitive to the climate. If a spirit that lives in the cold is shivering, it¡¯s obvious what¡¯s going to follow.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that existed.¡± Elementalists would be inplete shock if they had heard Davey, who basically said that he saw the spirits of nature that even elves, the ones who were said to be the partners of spirits in the ancient books, couldn¡¯t see. However, since Illyna was neither a mage nor elementalist, she didn¡¯t think anything was off. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s still so cold even though I¡¯m wearing an insting coat and there¡¯s a fire in here. Seriously, what¡¯s inside that forest?¡± Illynained. Davey silently stared at the coat in Illyna¡¯s hand. Although the knight order had guarded this ce for a long time, they had only been able to travel into just about half of the Pandora Region. He had heard that the rest was just left as a mystery as there was no way tobat the extreme cold of the rest of the region. Hemented, ¡°The coat is cheap.¡± ¡°What? Hey, do you know how much this is? They are really expensive and run for two to three hundred per coat,¡± Illyna replied. Two to three hundred gold was certainly not a small amount. ¡°There is corruption in the defense business everywhere.¡± Illyna widened her eyes in shock. ¡°W¡ªWhat?!¡± ¡°Give me the coat so that I can reinforce the enchantment on it,¡± Davey said irritatedly. Illyna lowered her red face. ¡°W¡­ Well, if it was that, you should¡¯ve told me earlier.¡± Illyna quickly took off her coat and handed it over to Davey. ¡°See, look. I knew it.¡± Davey sighed when hepared the condition of Illyna¡¯s coat and the one he was wearing. The enchantment itself was engraved strongly, but it is insufficient. He muttered, ¡°I have to do all of it again.¡± Daveyid the coat down on the floor. Then, without hesitation, he released his mana through his palms and repeatedly put it into the coat, which floated in the air. Whoosh¡­ At the same time, dozens of magic circles that shone blue began showing up as Davey¡¯s hands moved. There were various enchantments that could make the coat lighter, increase its durability, and help it resist the cold, but they were all insufficient. The biggest thing that bothered Davey was the messiness of the enchantment. Although there was no proper medium, he no longer wanted to do this half-assed since he was going to work on it anyways. ¡®I should try my best if I¡¯m going to do it anyway, right?¡¯ Illyna, who was sitting while hugging her knees, stared at Davey in fascination as his fingertips were releasing light from the work he was doing and lighting up the cave. She then delightedly turned the coat all over to examine if the instion had been fully activated. She wrapped it around her body and held onto it tightly, as if it was something dear. ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s warm. Amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just simple work.¡± ¡°Do you know that this instion coat is good enough to be nationally recognized? It¡¯s almost as good as the ones for emperors. I¡¯m like a snow guard of the empire¡¯s treasury.¡± Chuckling, Illyna fixed her coat while thinking about how cool this was. Davey felt that it was a little cozy. They blocked the cold with their coats and lit a small fire in the quiet cave. ¡°It¡¯s a little unexpected, but the snow blizzard should stop around dawn tomorrow. The instructions for the second test will be here tomorrow and we have lots of time today.¡± Illyna chuckled, then went on. ¡°We¡¯re going to pass the test no matter what if you¡¯re here.¡± Illyna¡¯s thought was simple. She believed that they were never going to be eliminated, showing the faith that she had in Davey. * * * Howl!!! The nasty snow blizzard swept across the entire forest. The forest was usually full of white, frosty trees, but right now, an intense blizzard ran rampant within it for some unknown reason. ¡°Captain.¡± Dozens of ck-robed men appeared near a man who seemingly floated above the snow. It was like he weighed nothing. The man asked them, ¡°You made sure of everything?¡± ¡°Of course. We ced a wide barrier and have begun to lure in Shandra, the transcendental being. They say that they have seeded in the first step of taking control of its consciousness.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The man slowly nodded with an extremely cold gaze. ¡°But¡­ Captain.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Will it be okay? There are still variables like the trainees of the knight order¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to fail because of the unforeseen circumstances those greenhorns will bring?¡± ¡°But they are talented seedlings. And I heard that there¡¯s a strange kid among the trainees this time.¡± One of the men in the ck robes said, ¡°Apparently, a teenage trainee has been able to use [Aura de].¡± ¡°Hm? Quite an interesting kid¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing to worry about. If he interferes, I¡¯ll take care of it myself. And the rest of the trainees are important sacrifices for the control of Shandra, the transcendental being.¡± ¡°¡­¡± All the people in ck robes kneeled at once when they heard the man. ¡°You must seed. I have put the future of the knight order on the line.¡± ¡°¡­Your wish is mymand.¡± Watching the ck figures disappear at once, the man stared at the raging blizzard with the same cold expression as before. ¡°He¡¯s still a na?ve greenhorn no matter how good he is. I wonder how you will entertain me when you go up against a transcendental being.¡± * * * Crackle¡­ Crackle¡­ The sound of wood, which they had gathered enough of, resonated in the cave. It was fascinating how the smoke from the fire was flowing outside the cave by an artifact that created a distinct air current. As they were not surviving in extreme conditions, there were various tools needed for setting up camp outside in the supplies box. Perhaps Illyna was immersed in the atmosphere of the quiet cave and the faint crackling of the fire; she looked like she was in a good mood as she hummed while holding Caldeiras in her arms. Davey wondered if it was because she was taking the test to be an official member of the knight order that she yearned for, or if it was for some other reason¡­ But there was no need to think about it so deeply. ¡°It¡¯s nice being like this.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at how innocent Illyna was. ¡°It¡¯s nice?¡± ¡°I just feel like something like this is nice once in a while. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Illyna asked, and they both fell silent. ¡®I guess it¡¯s not bad. This kind of vibe.¡¯ Davey just couldn¡¯t resist going crazy at Illyna¡¯s supposed seduction. ¡°Sigh¡­ I can¡¯t stop myself if you¡¯re seducing me this much.¡± ¡°What?¡± The blizzard outside didn¡¯t look like it was going to stop. ¡°D¡ªDavey?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only the two of us here right now, and I¡¯m thinking of releasing what I¡¯ve kept in for so long.¡± Illyna widened her eyes, as if understanding the strange situation. She realized that they were a man and a woman alone in a small cave. ¡°Why¡­ Why are you doing this¡­¡± Illynaughed awkwardly. She was flustered, and herughter immediately stopped when she noticed Davey¡¯s serious stare. She yelled, ¡°D¡ªDavey!¡± ¡°How could a princess be this off-guard?¡± ¡®Especially since she¡¯s called one of the Five Beauties of the continent.¡¯ Illyna looked frosty, but her smile was actually surprisingly warm. She was so beautiful that she would make pretty much any man fall for her. She threatened, ¡°St¡ªStop joking around! I¡¯ll cut you if youe close!¡± As Davey got up and walked toward her, Illyna waspletely bewildered. With apletely shocked expression, she slowly backed away with her jaw on the floor. ¡°Do¡ªDon¡¯t you know that we¡¯re in the middle of a test?! And if you do something weird right now, the Teachers¡­!¡± ¡°They can¡¯t see us right now.¡± Illyna went pale. She froze from Davey¡¯s serious expression and tone. She cried out, ¡°R¡ªRinne¡­! Where is Rinne?¡± Although Illyna urgently called for Rinne, the silver-haired child, who had been sitting beside Davey and chewing on a meat jerky not too long ago, was already long gone. ¡°Hup¡­¡± Illyna even began to hup with a pale face. ¡°D¡­ Davey, why are you doing this¡­ All of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve waited for this moment.¡± ¡°D¡ªDon¡¯t do this, we¡¯re friends¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important right now.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Illyna looked like she was going to cry. Normally, she would pull out Caldeiras ande at Davey. However, she knew very well that she would only be overpowered in seconds even if she tried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it only hurts for a moment. It¡¯ll feel good soon. Your back, that¡¯s all I need to see.¡± ¡°Kyahh!!¡± Illyna, who was screaming and backing away, widened her eyes even more. She could feel the cold wall behind her. Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Then, the sound of bones cracking could be heard throughout the entire forest. It was from Davey¡¯s hand, which grabbed onto Illyna. ¡°Ah, this feeling.¡± Davey had to be nice to the hot-tempered heroes of the Hall for such a long time¡­so it had basically be an obsessive desire. ¡°Kyahh!!¡± A desperate cry for help was also heard. Chapter 134 Illyna iled around and screamed from the unimaginable pain, but it was meaningless since she was already in Davey¡¯s hands. He could feel bouncy but tender skin through his hands,pletely different from when he was massaging Baris¡¯ muscles. It was the bitter truth that it felt better to massage a woman, who was soft, than a man, who was hard. ¡°Ack! W¡ªWait¡­ Kyah?!¡± Illyna iled around in desperation, but her resistance gradually went away. It was as if the massage was rxing her. She even started to let out hot moans rather than cries of pain. ¡°Sigh¡­ Moan¡­¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes were as void as a virgin who had lost her everything. She breathed heavily while copsed on the floor with no regard for her status. On the other hand, Davey was ted at how amazing the touch was to his hands. ¡°Rinne. Thinks that this is a very inappropriate situation.¡± At the same time, the empty space near the wall began distorting before Rinne appeared. It was a non-visualization magic spell, different from [Invisibility] which was a 5th circle magic spell. By this, the Deus Ex Machina, the living mechanical heart, was showing its incredible ability: self-improvement. Rinne was continuously bing stronger from the moment she had awakened, and she was showing Davey new things by awakening the hidden secrets in her body. ¡°Sir Davey, analyzing that trick to be dirty.¡± ¡°Your muscles were so stiff that I couldn¡¯t help myself. Good job enduring it,¡± Davey praised Illyna. ¡°Rinne determines that it is right to do favors depending on the situation. Considering this, Sir Daveycks consideration. Rinne does not think highly of this.¡± ¡°Is there a way for you to be considerate to me with your candor?¡± Davey asked Rinne. ¡°Sir Davey. Does not need consideration as he does whatever he wants. Is very brazen. Rinne thinks highly of this.¡± Although she was ruthless with her criticism, Rinne, who was chewing on the jerky she got from Davey, did not seem phased at all. Illyna, who was breathing heavily while her face was nted on the floor, looked up and red at Davey with teary eyes. She was seemingly toeing the line between pain and pleasure. However, she closed her eyes and fell asleep with her back against the wall, because a wave of sleep washed over her entire body. p! Davey unfolded the nket that he had gotten from the box of supplies. He put his hand on it and released mana. Whoosh!! Unlike when Davey was enchanting the instion coat, hundreds of magic circles appeared, stacking on top of each other. The nket, which was shining faintly, turned soft and warm as the light subsided, as if it contained human warmth. Daveyid Illyna down and covered her with the nket. Then, he threw some twigs into the crackling fire. -Are you nervous? Davey was a little anxious, since he was about to secretly provoke a transcendental being once the test came to a certain point. The headquarters of the knight order would freak out if they knew what he was doing, but this was something he had to do. ¡®Anyway, the name is quite simr.¡¯ Perserque, who was staring at a drowsy Rinne lying beside Illyna, quietly asked. She heard Davey murmuring to himself. -Simr? ¡®There were a few of the Special Ones at the Hall as well. Among them, there was a man called Shane Scrift from a different world called Lux.¡¯ One of the Special Ones, Shane Scrift was amoner-born hero who had set longsting achievements with his unique power as a summoner of beasts against numerous enemies that had invaded the continent. ¡°There were three mythical beasts that guy had been bonded to and worked with. Normally, summoners of beasts usually only bond with one beast in their lifetime, but he was weird and bonded with three.¡± -What exactly are the mythical beasts? After contemting a way to describe these unique beings, Davey came to a conclusion. They could change depending on their background and habits and evolved by killing opponents and absorbing their power; they would evolve to have more eyes if they needed to, and they would kill an enemy with tough ws and evolve to have the same feature by absorbing its power if they needed to. Mythical beasts were one of the most baseless organisms, but also one of the most dangerous. The fact that they made up for their weaknesses¡­ Their ability to survive was even better than cockroaches that passed on immunity to the next generation. -There are mythical beasts in this world? Or is it in the ce called the Lux Continent¡­ ¡°No one knows where the mythical beasts are from. Even they themselves don¡¯t know, so how could I know? Anyways, Shane¡¯s power wasn¡¯t something that could be taught, so all he gave me was battle experience. -Hm¡­ Perserque slowly nodded in intrigue. -Then, were those three mythical beasts powerful? ¡°They were. They were crazy powerful, and they each had their own powers.¡± Megalodria, the Predator of the Skies. Shandra Minea, the Overlord of the Ground. Behemoth, the Tyrant of the Undersea. -Their titles are no joke. ¡°Apparently, they were just worms the size of one¡¯s hand in the beginning. But they transformed into that after killing enemies and evolving. The funny thing is how strong these mythical beasts were¡­¡± Davey trailed off, then said, ¡°Could you believe it if I told you that each of them were as strong as Grandmasters?¡± When Perserque widened her eyes in shock, Davey added, ¡°I guess it¡¯s nothing special, as Grandmasters and levels higher than that aremon in the Hall, but Grandmasters are monsters.¡± -That¡¯s true¡­ ¡°But that man believed that there was nothing better for battle experience than real-life training, so he threw me in a forest with all three of those worms.¡± At that time, Davey had wondered what he had done wrong when he had seen the sea splitting into two with one breath of the crazy mythical beasts. -Then¡­ The transcendental being called Shandra that is in this forest¡­ ¡°I think it¡¯s different? If Shandra Minea was here, not only the Pandora Region, but most of the northern continent would¡¯ve be a Zone of Evil.¡± Shandra Minea, the nasty and obstinate earth dragon, would never be satisfied with this small region. ¡°And Shandra Minea is a fire dragon. If it was really the same one, do you think this would be a volcanic region or a snowy region?¡± There was nothing more to think about. -Can I ask¡­one more thing? ¡°What is it?¡± -Who was the strongest human in the Hall? Perserque¡¯s question brought up a memory from the Hall. [So, who¡¯s the strongest?] Davey had naively asked this question when he had just arrived at the Hall. Then, the Armageddon had begun, and so had the hellish apocalypse. Davey did not want to see the glistening eyes of the Heroes who were looking for enemies as he almost died a few times from being caught up in that mess. In the end, there had been two winners of that insane fight: Hercules, the survival expert, and Lo Aias, the Death Lord. Davey calmly told the story to Perserque, as if he was recalling a legend of the past that did not exist in real life. * * * ¡°Shandra, the transcendental being, is heading straight toward where the children are. But there are no ways to contact the children, and no one can reach the members who were sent to protect them.¡± Thud!!! The wooden table was crushed instantly by the heavy and powerful punch. ¡°Do you think that makes sense, Captain?¡± It was none other than Boris Telman, the teacher who had taught the trainees of Alpha Reinforcements for a long time, who was shouting angrily. ¡°Boris, calm down.¡± ¡°Calm down? Does it look like I¡¯m going to calm down?! The children¡­! The children are still in there!! Fxxk! Does the attack of a transcendental being seem like a joke to you?!¡± ¡°The other members are desperately trying to undo the barrier. I know you are furious, but all we can do right now is just to trust them and wait.¡± ¡°How could you say something so irresponsible?!¡± The old man wearing an antique set of armor calmly nced at Boris. He said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s say we rescue the children right now like you say.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you know how to?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°The barrier around the forest is not one from the evil beasts; it was made by a human.¡± ¡°Then, that means¡­¡± ¡°It seems like the ones who want to control the transcendental being have joined forces with an outside power.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± There were rumors of a spy in the knight order, but no one expected something to happen at an important time like this. ¡°I will tell you again. We don¡¯t know what will happen inside if we mess with the unknown barrier. All we can do right now is stop the transcendental being as best as we can and wait until the members inside find a way to rescue the trainees.¡± It was a realistic n, and Boris was unable to respond to this right now, but¡­ ¡°I will move separately. If there is someone who has set up the barrier, they are probably watching from not too far away. I will find them and kill them.¡± ¡°Boris.¡± Boris grit his teeth when the captain called upon him quietly. He yelled, ¡°No one will touch my students! I will not fail again. I won¡¯t let anyone get hurt.¡± ¡°Boris!¡± ¡°The First Rule of the knights of Alpha Reinforcements!! The enemy of the knight order is not humanity, but evil beasts that threaten the wellbeing of humanity!!¡± Watching Boris shout and leave, the captain of the knight order sighed and massaged his temples. He murmured, ¡°Being too greedy causes trouble¡­ Why are you trying to control the transcendental being¡­¡± Shandra, the transcendental being, was thest one to show itself among the kings of the Pandora Region. The roars of the earth dragon, which was fairly quietpared to the others, were unexpectedly loud. 53. Ambush The second test was capturing a number of blue trolls, an intermediate evil beast that lived near the entrance of the Pandora Region. Squeak!! Trolls were usually a dark navy color and were about 2.5-3 meters tall. As one of their distinct features was their nasty regeneration, it wasmon sense in this continent that trolls would have to be shed and burned multiple times in order to be killed. The blue trolls¡ªa variant found in the Pandora Region¡ªwere smaller and less physically adept than normal trolls, but had a unique regenerative ability. It seemed like the knight order used their blood to create recovery potions for members, but Davey was interested in them in a slightly different way: why was the regenerative ability of trolls their only distinct feature? ¡®That ugly face seems like it would be valuable to study, too.¡¯ -Stop talking nonsense. ¡°Davey!! All three are heading your way!¡± Hearing the voice from the crystal, Davey just casually raised his hand. At the same time, the trolls were all swinging their wooden bats at him while screaming. Watching their reckless charge at him, he murmured, ¡°Juggernaut, let¡¯s do it beehive-style this time.¡± [Command epted.] Whirr!!! Drr!!!! There was no explosive sound of gunpowder shooting out bullets or a terrible recoil, but its speed and firepower was enough. As Megatron¡¯s huge body stopped the trolls¡¯ attacks, Juggernaut, which was standing nearby and rotating its six-engine metal cylinder at a high speed, began showering them with purple bullets. Squeak!!! Each gun was able to shoot out five hundred bullets per minute, and the renovated Juggernaut had a magic bullet minigun in each hand, meaning that it was able to shoot out about sixteen bullets per second. Davey had thought of this, and it was bing a perfect weapon of war. The two miniguns shone as they showered the trolls with magic bullets, making the pierced trolls look like beehives. Squeak! -Kyahh!! The blue trolls, which had fallen to the ground at the sudden concentrated attack of magic bullets, were unable to move. They screamed and iled around, but the purple bullets ripped them apart ruthlessly. Chapter 135 Drrr!! Whirr! When the continuous fire of magic bullets subsided as if they had run out of energy, Megatron immediately trapped the blue trolls and tied them up with a durable metal rope it had prepared beforehand. The blue trolls were still alive, managing to regenerate their bodies even after being attacked by Juggernaut¡¯s bullets, which each had the firepower of a machine gun; it was clear that they were no ordinary trolls. -I heard that their regenerative abilities are iparably superior to regr trolls¡­but this is disgusting, maybe even terrifying. The variant evil beasts of the Zone of Evil usually were wild monsters transformed by unbelievably strong transcendental beings¡¯ power. Put another way, it was like a monster undergoing a transformation after being exposed to extremely distorted radiation. Monsters like these were all over the Zone of Evil. It was a relief that the blue trolls¡¯bat ability had decreased and that their weaknesses could easily be seen in exchange for their enhanced regenerative abilities. Davey spoke into the crystal as he walked on the ground, which barely had any snow despite the strong blizzard from not too long ago. ¡°How many points including this one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one hundred points per bottle of their blood. Since we got about sixty bottles of blood from the trolls we captured, we should be at around six thousand points.¡± Davey nodded in satisfaction as he heard Illyna¡¯s response from the crystal. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s stop here since the cut-off is five thousand five hundred points.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not getting more? Even though it¡¯s only been half a day since we started? Shouldn¡¯t we keep our scores high? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s going to be a bonus.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to overdo ourselves and get points. Just recharge during the time you were going to spend on that.¡± Illyna looked somewhat dissatisfied with Davey¡¯s response, but she said nothing. She then asked, ¡°Then, what do we do? The second test is over now. If you weren¡¯t so ridiculously strong, we would have had a hard time capturing them alive and taking their blood; it¡¯s not an easy task, you know. The other pairs are probably still struggling.¡± Like Illyna had mentioned, it was true that she and Davey had finished the test at an astounding speed. Davey had found the blue trolls and led them out into the open using Sniper. Then, Illyna, who had been carrying Caldeiras, which was smothered with holy power, had lured them to where Davey was. Then, Juggernaut and Davey proceeded to attack and catch the blue trolls. Afterward, they simply strolled over to take the blood. Their n was slightly peculiar, but it worked out very quickly, especially considering that Davey was only taking this test with his alchemy. ¡°Anyway, your tracking abilities are incredible. Have you hunted like this before? How are you so good?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll also naturally get better if you starve for a month because of your poor tracking abilities.¡± Humans would go insane if they were to starve for a month; Davey did not have his current powers when Hercules, the self-acimed ¡®Survival Expert¡¯, had thrown him into a forest without telling him anything. Under those harsh conditions, he had managed to improve small skills like these to survive. ¡®There are scorpions over there. What? They¡¯re poisonous? That¡¯s okay; as long as I don''t die, everything is my protein.¡¯ ¡°What¡­ You starved for a month? What did you do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave it. It¡¯s not something I really want to reminisce about.¡± Illyna stuck out her lips and pouted as she sat on the tree stump nearby. ¡°Be honest. You said you were in aa for over six years, right? Were you lying about that? Did you actually stay somece else?¡± ¡®Damn smart kid. This is why I don¡¯t like kids who are quick.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s true that I was in aa. I was in a situation of life and death after Carlus shot me with an arrow.¡± Illyna frowned. ¡°Carlus, you say¡­ The second prince of your kingdom?¡± ¡°Yeah, him.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ You¡¯re saying that he shot an arrow at his older brother?!¡± Davey didn¡¯t understand why Illyna was getting so mad when it wasn¡¯t anything rted to herself. He heard her yell, ¡°I knew that he had a bad personality, but it¡¯s worse than I had ever imagined!¡± It wasn¡¯t like royalty did not fight in the dark, but it seemed like shooting an arrow toward one¡¯s own brother felt a little different; although, Davey thought that shooting an arrow was the same thing as putting poison. Illyna widened her eyes as she huffed and puffed. She asked, ¡°But you did nothing? Why didn¡¯t you ask me instead? I¡¯ll help you. I don¡¯t like to use the empire¡¯s power, but they do have that sort of power.¡± ¡°Who says I did nothing?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; everything is going ording to n.¡± Davey knew that there would be fewer variables the more prepared he was; the world never went his way. ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you can stop the Pan Empire from intervening unnecessarily.¡± Davey was joking around, but it seemed Illyna took it quite seriously. She said, ¡°Davey, no matter how strong someone is, they should not fight with milit¡­¡± That was when¡­ ¡°Something¡¯s off.¡± Davey abruptly stopped in the middle of his tracks and looked around. ¡°Off? What is?¡± Illyna also came to a stop. ¡°The surrounding air was feeling a little disorganized from a while ago¡­ It¡¯s strangely familiar¡­¡± Davey trailed off and reached out into space. Then, he grabbed Illyna, who was tilting her head in confusion, by the cor. He tugged her into his arms. ¡°Hup?!¡± Then, Davey held Illyna as she iled around and put his hand over her mouth. He shushed her. ¡°Shh.¡± ¡°Hmm!! Umm?!¡± Davey could distinguish the strangely familiar feeling as he looked around while holding Illyna, who was iling with a flushed face of bewilderment, tightly. He whispered, ¡°There¡¯s a barrier simr to the one in the knight order¡¯s headquarters covering this forest.¡± It felt like a hallucination. ¡°What?¡± The barrier was so thin that it was nearly undetectable. In fact, a part of Davey¡¯s senses, which were a mess, hade back as soon as he recognized the presence of the barrier. He wondered why there was a barrier like that in this forest when it was inefficient and hard for the administration to cast something like this other than near the knight order. ¡°This way.¡± As Davey suddenly changed directions and moved fast, Illyna held onto Caldeiras and quickly followed even though she was a little flustered. From the light shining on the white silver sword, it seemed like Caldeiras was neutralizing the barrier with its powers as the divine sword. ¡°What¡¯s this smell¡­ Gag!¡± Illyna, who had followed Davey for quite a while, covered her mouth after murmuring about the nasty scent in the air. It was the nasty smell of blood; the odor was so intense that it seemed like dozens of people had spilled blood all at once. It was something that would¡¯ve gone unnoticed if Davey hadn¡¯t recognized the presence of the barrier and the strange familiarity. Davey silently climbed up on a tree and frowned at the horrors happening in an empty field not too far from him. ¡°The knight order? What is this¡­?¡± The dozens of people who were dead all wore the same uniform: the clean and simple uniform of the Alpha Reinforcements. Davey was sure that they were the proctors of the test watching over the trainees. Pitter-patter!! As soon as Illyna saw what had happened, she quickly ran over to the members of the knight order who were lying in their own blood. It seemed like she was trying to save someone who might¡¯ve been alive, but¡­ -They¡¯re all dead. The corpses¡¯ condition was much more horrendous than Davey had thought; some of them were almost buried in the snow. Hemented, ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since they died.¡± Davey wondered how it was possible to gather these many members here and ughter them all without a sound. There was no way of knowing if there was a Swordmaster among the enemies, but there were so many suspicions surrounding their deaths. ¡°All of them¡­are dead?¡± Trembling, Illyna was trying her best to remain calm, but it seemed like she couldn¡¯t easilye out of her panic. ¡®Makes sense.¡¯ Although they had never met, these people were Illyna¡¯s seniors who had bonded together as family under one mission. There could be some people she knew among these people since there was still some exchange between the official knights and trainees. -She is furious. Davey tried to close the eyes of the cold, lifeless bodies, but they had already frozen. That was when he heard a faint moan from a ce not too far away from the atrocity. ¡°Davey! A survivor! Someone is alive!¡± Illyna cried out. There was one person lying in the silence: a woman who was quivering with her head down while leaning on a tree. ¡°Stay there.¡± Davey made sure Illyna stayed where she was so that she wouldn¡¯t cause any trouble. Then, he slowly approached the woman and put two fingers on her neck. Her pulse was¡­ ¡°Hm. Very healthy.¡± Shhhh!! Crackkk!!! That was seemingly the trigger word. The woman, who was moaning like she was about to die, suddenly pulled out a dagger from her chest with a twitch and stabbed it into Davey¡¯s neck; it was a perfect assassination scenario. It was a dangerous attack that would¡¯ve sliced the neck artery in half if it seeded. However, Davey was much more advanced than the woman in terms of assassination skills; all she was doing was trying to show off her skills to someone who was much better than her. ¡®It would still be hard to get me when I don¡¯t know the attack ising. How brave of her to try even when I saw iting.¡¯ ¡°Wh¡ªWhat?!¡± The woman was flustered upon hearing the clean cut of a sharp dagger cutting a human hand. She basically looked dead a moment ago, but she was now staring at Davey in perfect condition. It was as if all her injuries were an act. ¡°Greetings. You¡¯re new to [Unwavering Body], right?¡±[1] As soon as Davey gripped the woman¡¯s dagger like a vise, Rinne came flying at the speed of light and justnded a dropkick to the woman¡¯s waist. She treated everyone fairly and did not go easy on the woman attacker. ¡°Keugh?!¡± Since Rinne weighed over two hundred kilograms, coupled with her kick, the woman felt like she had been hit with a huge dump truck or something simr. Davey knew how stupidly powerful that dropkick, which Rinne used its entire body for, was since he had felt it before as well. -Is it normal to think of an attack that would be lethal to normal human beings as just a child¡¯s tantrum?... The attack was so clean, like it had been nned for a long time! Rinne, who had flown in like a wrecking ball and kicked the woman away, stared at Davey with shining eyes and an expressionless face; it seemed like she was expecting something. Shemented, ¡°Missile dropkick. Analyzed that it was a very effective and powerful attack.¡± ¡°S¡ªSure, good job.¡± ¡°Ahem!¡± Rinne liked Davey¡¯s praise a lot. She puffed up her chest while putting her hands on her hips in great satisfaction. Even in a situation as uncertain as this, a non-human being like her was nothing but rxed. It was rather strange that Rinne had overpowered¡ªno¡ªturned that woman into pulp, so a silence momentarily came over the surroundings. ¡°Man, juste out. It¡¯s getting harder to pretend I don¡¯t know you¡¯re there.¡± There were spills of blood on a pure, white field of snow. As Davey shouted while standing in the middle of the chilling space, Illyna looked around on alert. However, she clenched her jaw as if she was struggling to find the enemy. 1. A reference to a meme of Lee Seung-Chul greeting someone in the audition program, ¡®Superstar K¡¯. It is often used when weing someone into something. ? Chapter 136 Rustle¡­ Rustle. Of course, it didn¡¯t mean that the people here would disappear just because Illyna couldn¡¯t find them. The people hiding probably knew how ridiculous the scene they had just witnessed, but they remained quiet. They were like assassins who had been trained for a long time. Their presence was difficult to detect, and it was hard to make out their characteristics; there was no way to describe the atmosphere other than that it was strange. Shing¡­ Illyna brought out her energy while releasing her mana as the people in hiding pulled out their weapons and slowly began to surround them. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you guys are, but the crime for harming the knight order¡¯s trainees is severe.¡± Although Illyna wasn¡¯t a Master, she was an unprecedented genius; she was so strong that there was no Expert who could beat her one on one. In fact, even the dense energy she was releasing could not be seen by most Experts. Whoever they were, Davey had something else in mind. He said, ¡°Illyna. Take the rest of the golems and go to where the trainees are.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°If the knight order was taken down, no one knows if the trainees will be safe. So, go. I¡¯ll make an opening for you,¡± Davey said urgently. Illyna looked like she had now remembered the rest of the trainees and then nodded. She probably agreed because of the faith that she had in Davey¡¯s strength and power. She then said, ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt. I know that won¡¯t happen, but book it if you think it¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡®Book it? Is that something that shoulde out of an imperial princess¡¯ mouth?¡¯ Davey was no longer surprised by Illyna¡¯s true self whenever she was with him. Of course, the men in ck robes were definitely not going to sit back and allow Illyna to leave, and they were going to try to stop her; since Davey had already told her that he would make an opening, it would only be right for him to do so. ¡°Rinne,¡± Davey called out. ¡°Requesting the use of a new piece of equipment.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡®A new piece of equipment¡­¡¯ The only equipment of Rinne¡¯s that Davey knew of was the two strange-looking things on the back of her hand and therge cannon-like weapon. He was intrigued by Rinne¡¯s new equipment that she had developed. Shwing. Davey¡¯s curiosity immediately disappeared when he saw the weapon Rinne was making. ¡°That is¡­ Um¡­¡± -A metal lever? It was a metal rod shaped in a right angle. ¡®A crowbar, was it?¡¯ Davey could feel cold sweat running down his body when he saw Rinne¡¯s terrifying weapon. ¡°Was this bat your weapon?¡± ¡°Rinne. Creation of weapons is based on and made by the most powerful thing in Sir Davey¡¯s shallow knowledge. Rinne highly values the bat among all of it,¡± Rinnemented with confidence and glowing blue eyes as she swung the heavy metal bat around. Whoosh¡­ As the ring floating on top of her head began rotating with speed to emit light, Rinne¡¯s wings shone and her wings¡¯ light particles started flying into the bat. Perhaps the hidden people realized the strangeness of Rinne¡¯s glow; they noticed something was strange and charged at Rinne to attack. However, Rinne, who lifted her left foot up, was a little faster than them. ¡°Rinne, values! This! Very! Much!!¡± Boom!! Boom!! Boom!Rinne tightly held onto the metal bat that had absorbed light, then stomped on the ground with her left foot. As she did, arge crack was carved up on the floor. As Rinne swung the metal bat, a few intense explosions of blue light happened one by one. Crash!! ¡°Amazing.¡± ¡®What kind of theory is Rinne¡¯s weapon based off of?¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t erase the look of bewilderment off his face.He was certain that the bat was probably an ordinary piece of metal made from some kind of alloy that absorbed mana well. However, from the moment it came into Rinne¡¯s hand and began resonating with Rinne, it had be a nuclear weapon. Davey snatched the knife away from the person who was trying to assassinate him from behind, but his gaze was focused on Rinne and not the person in the ck robe. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Illyna widened her eyes at therge crater that had been left as part of the region that had blown up to bits. ¡°Stupid. Go already,¡± Davey told Illyna. ¡°Hup! You have to be okay!¡± Illyna came back to her senses when Davey criticized her, and she lowered herself to start her escape from the ce. The enemies quickly tried to stop Illyna from leaving, but Rinne¡¯s bat that was charged with light particles cut through the air to smash everything into bits again. Booom!!!! With another huge explosion, Illyna left the ce. Of course, the enemies tried to go after her since they weren¡¯t stupid, but¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t move. I can¡¯t say anything about this person¡¯s life if you take another step.¡± Davey shouted while pressing on the neck of the enemy who he had captured a little while ago. He yelled, ¡°Do you not care about what happens to this hostage?!¡± A cold silence surrounded them. ¡®This chill, it struck my heart ice c¡­ No, not this.¡¯ [1] When Davey caught a glimpse of the men¡¯s eyes through the ck robes, he could see that they were staring at him like he was some sort of lunatic. He thought, ¡®Which means that they¡¯re not emotionless assassins.¡¯ Then, there was nothing better to waste their time than a hostage situation. ¡°Hey, no way,¡± Davey said. ¡°Keugh!¡± Rinne¡¯s eyes sparkled as Davey tightened his grip on the hostage, who tried to escape. Shemented, ¡°A new skill to control the crowd. Rinne, analyzing that this is highly effective.¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have to do anything like this.¡± ¡°Does not understand. Requiring an exnation,¡± Rinne asked calmly. Davey said nothing more. It would be a huge mess if Rinne, who did not have moral values, were to cause a hostage situation. He simply said to his hostage, ¡°I¡¯ll let you go after I check a few things with you.¡± Then, Davey uncovered the robed man who he was holding onto and asked, ¡°Are you guys part of Alpha Reinforcements?¡± The enemy of the knight order were evil beasts, not humans. Davey wondered who woulde all the way here to attack the knight order when their identity was hidden as well. This meant that they were either the roots of disruption from within Alpha Reinforcements, or they had attacked them knowing that they were the knight order. ¡°Do you think I would tell you?¡± The man shouted with determination. Davey grinned. ¡°Everyone has a n and a sense of pride...¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Until they get hit.¡±[2] Having Perserque¡¯s ability to see through the man was nice, but there was something so satisfying about hearing it from their mouths. Davey¡¯s eyes twinkled. Sizzle! [Mind Subjugation] [Dark Magic ¡®Curse Mark¡¯] [Spell Merger] [Fire of Interrogation] The torture mes, which had been used once on Pedkhid, the vampire, had appeared in the world one more time. ¡®No, who has called upon this devil?¡¯ Of course, Pedkhid had exploded and died before he could tell Davey everything. However, Davey didn¡¯t think that these people would have a simr curse on them. He thought, ¡®They messed up the entire thing because they underestimated their opponent. Tsk¡­ The man¡¯s face was frozen with fear. He saw the purple me burning in Davey¡¯s hand. ¡°Y¡­ You cruel jerk!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die.¡± Davey patted the man¡¯s shoulder, chuckling, but soon dropped the smile from his face. He said, ¡°You shed dozens of people, and then if that wasn¡¯t enough, you pointed your sword at me, but what? Cruel? Me?¡± Whoosh! ¡°Keu¡­ Kahhhh?!?¡± The man noticed that this wasn¡¯t an ordinary me as soon as it touched his skin. It didn¡¯t burn him, but he could feel a nasty, intense pain. This particr magic spell was from a disciple deeply interested in studying about the human body, so it knew where to attack to inflict the worst pain. ¡®If he was trying to kill me, he should¡¯ve known that he could die while trying.¡¯ The ck-robed man tried to il around, but Davey was holding him so tightly that he couldn¡¯t even do that easily. The reason that Davey didn¡¯t use the Touch of Death to stop the man from moving was to maximize the theatricality of it. ¡°You cruel jerk!!¡± Some of the ck-robed men charged at Davey, who stepped on the man, like they couldn¡¯t stand to watch the man screaming in pain and foaming at the mouth. However, their attacks were blocked as Rinne kicked them away like a sh of light. ¡°Keugh! Wheeze¡­ Wheeze¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight.¡± It seemed like the men were misunderstanding something big-time, so Davey said, ¡°You guys can¡¯t run away now.¡± ¡®Consider yourselves unlucky for running into me. It is a huge crime to stand in my way.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m doing it one more time. Do anything to endure it. The guy before you couldn¡¯t stand five minutes.¡± The man was engulfed in fear when he saw Davey¡¯s terrifying smile. He cried out, ¡°Gahhh!!! I¡¯ll tell you!! I¡¯ll talk, alright!!¡± Although the man was iling around desperately and screaming, Davey went on to pierce him with [Fire of Interrogation] all over his body. The man¡¯s mind had probably gone nk, since he couldn¡¯t go mad even if he wanted to. Taking away the me, Davey smiled with satisfaction at the man who was trembling and wheezing. ¡°You didn¡¯t set a new record.¡± Davey knew from experience that the dam me was not something that someone could take for a long period of time. He asked again, ¡°Alright. Let me ask again: are you members of the Alpha Reinforcements?¡± This was the most important thing that Davey had to find out: if the men were enemies from the outside or inside. As Davey gestured for him to hurry up, the man clenched his jaw and red at him. However, he still couldn¡¯t hide his fear and mumbled, ¡°We¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°That can¡¯t happen.¡± Slice! The man¡¯s head fell off with a horrifying sound just as he was about to talk. At the same time, an invisible energy hit Davey, who had no choice but to retreat from the dead man. Then, Davey stared down at his quivering hand. ¡®This body is too weak.¡¯ ¡°Everyone, retreat. Now, carry on with the original n.¡± The surviving ck-robed men bowed their heads quietly and disappeared once the man who barged into the battlemanded. The men headed in the opposite direction of where Illyna and Davey hade from. ¡°This is the first time we¡¯re meeting, yes? Trainee Davey, is it?¡± The man was wearing the Alpha Reinforcements¡¯ ssy uniform. Just by looking at him, Davey could feel that his depth of power was something entirely different from any other swordsman. He added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you must stop here.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help butugh. 1. A reference to the Korean movie, Tazza, said by Go-ni, the main character. Go-ni gambles with A-gwi, one of the top gamblers in the country, and he says this line when he starts to feel that he might lose. However, Go-ni pretends to get caught cheating to throw A-gwi off, then turns the tables in the end and wins against him. ? 2. A reference to Mike Tyson¡¯s pre-game interview. ? Chapter 137 54. The Return of the Phantom of Martial Arts Although Davey didn¡¯t know the name or face of the man in front of him, he was sure that the man was the Alpha Reinforcements¡¯ captain. ¡°This is still a ce where people live.¡± ¡°Warning. Detection of high energy. Rinne will remove it if it approaches any further.¡± ¡°Hm, a very loyal youngdy, as expected. I didn¡¯t know that experienced knights from the outside would struggle to face her,¡± the man mumbled. He stared at Rinne, who took back her metal bat and summoned her two lightsabers. Rinne looked nothing but confident as she stood with the two lightsabers that she had summoned from the equipment on the back of her hand. ¡®Prxxoss?¡¯ [1] Although the final appearance waspletely different, Rinne instinctively made most of her weapons by using the information she gathered from Davey. It was probably true that her instincts were linked to Davey¡¯s ideas. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be so hostile.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯ve seen each other before.¡± ¡°Hm? I have never seen you before?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie so much, you know.¡± Davey grinned, then intensified the sword energy that he was releasing from his fingertips. He added nonchntly, ¡°Is it really the first time we¡¯re meeting? You¡¯ve already seen me once, and we even talked. Remember when you asked me to hand Rinne over?¡± The man¡¯s smile disappeared from his face. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just quick, or¡­¡± ¡°I am crazy good at detection.¡± Davey smiled before adopting a serious expression. ¡°How could I just ept apliment without giving anything in return?¡± Boom!!! The counter-attack happened in mere seconds. ¡°Keugh?!¡± The man was knocked back without even being able to react to the sudden, invisible attack. He rolled and flew much further away than Davey had been pushed back. Davey could tell that the man was incredibly powerful; it meant that the man was strong enough to easily beat a new Swordmaster. Of course, he had expected this kind of power from someone who was a captain of the knight order. ¡°Cough¡­ It¡¯s even more amazing than I thought now that I have seen it myself. Of course, you¡¯re fearless; you have this kind of power.¡± Faintly groaning, the man stood up with his jaw still slightly clenched. ¡°Amazing. Would you like to join me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hear you out at least,¡± Davey shook his wrists and said casually. The man chuckled. ¡°I willpliment you on sending Trainee Illyna de Pan away. She has talent, but her personality isn¡¯t really fit for us.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a little brazen, but it¡¯s true that she is nice.¡± Davey wondered how difficult it would be for royalty, who were born divine, to see humans as humans and to stop injustice by analyzing the problem realistically. In that sense, Davey thought quite highly of Illyna. As Davey gestured for him to talk, the man chuckled. He asked, ¡°You. Do you know how far in the Zone of Evil the Alpha Reinforcements have discovered?¡± ¡°I heard it was the beginning of the central forest.¡± Then, the man set down his sword on the ground. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. To be honest, we haven¡¯t even gone near the central region.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t gone there?¡± ¡°Yes, the evil beasts are stronger when you get deeper into the forest. There were too many huge dangers in the Pandora Region to push through with force alone. As such, the farthest the knight order has gone in history is up to the beginning of the forest¡­ We also couldn¡¯t clear all the monsters.¡± After mumbling quietly, the man continued on, ¡°Not only that, but there are also kings of evil beasts in each part of the Pandora Region. As the trainees know, there is Shandra, the king of the central region, and three more kings behind Shandra.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now do you understand? The knight order will never be able to ovee the Pandora Region like this.¡± The man was trying to persuade Davey. ¡°Numerous members of the order would die, and more lives would unnecessarily be sacrificed. So, I thought¡­ Why do humans have to die fighting evil beasts?¡± ¡°You¡¯re denying the foundation of the knight order.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we make evil beasts fight each other?¡± nting his sword into the ground, the man spread his arms wide as if he was exining a grand goal. ¡°If it were up to you, what would you do? What would you do if you had the chance to capture and take control of Shandra, the transcendental being and king of evil beasts¡­ If you had the chance to kill the catastrophically powerful monster?!¡± The man was already in euphoria as he shouted loudly. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we be able to reform all of the Pandora Region without any more knights dying?!¡± ¡°Taking control of transcendental beings... I assume you mentioned it because you have something in mind?¡± ¡®Is this guy serious? He doesn¡¯t know what a transcendental being means to me right now.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. We have already somewhat seeded in controlling Shandra. However, it is unstable.¡± Davey was a little surprised by the man¡¯s answer, but he wasn¡¯tpletely surprised. ¡°That is why I am proposing this! There is no need for any more human sacrifices. We will reform the Pandora Region by using the powers of Shandra and the evil beasts that follow it! We do not know what will be discovered at the end of it! That is why it¡¯s all the more worth trying!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There might be something exceptional, or there might be an ancient sacred item from an ancient ruin! Or there could be something new that has yet to be discovered in this world!¡± The man continued to shout in madness, ¡°In the west, they say, ¡®Take care of barbarians by using barbarians.¡¯ The sacrifices now may be painful, but if we seed in takingplete control of a transcendental being! It will be the greatest aplishment in the knight order¡¯s history!¡± ¡°Is that a reason to mass ughter the knights?¡± ¡°The only opportunity was right now when most of the knights who observed the condition of Shandra were all scattered.¡± Davey was wondering why the less effective barrierpared to the one around the headquarters was cast over the forest, and now he knew. It meant that this was a fight for power among the knight order, but the outside. It was best to stay out of something like this since it would justplicate things, but it bes entirely different if it was about him. ¡°Let¡¯s get one thing straight.¡± The man looked at Davey curiously. ¡°I have a brain, so I¡¯ve read the rules to the knight order.¡± Davey took away his sword energy and pulled out Red Ribbon. ¡®Definite ughter instead of stopping them.¡¯ The choice was simple. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the overall rule of the Last Wisp not the exploration and acquisition of the Zone of Evil, but the protection of humanity from the dangers from the Zone of Evil? Since when did the ancient promise turn into something like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The cart was put before the horse. You lost focus on what it should actually be about; you ughtered dozens ofpletely normal members of the knight order, saying that you don¡¯t want any more people suffering.¡± The man¡¯s expression tensed up as he heard Davey, who added, ¡°I don¡¯t know if you understand double standards. You have different standards for yourselfpared to other people.¡± ¡°How unfortunate. I thought someone as realistic as you would understand our great goal.¡± ¡°To be honest, the reason I am declining is not because of the two things mentioned before¡­¡± Davey said calmly. The man widened his eyes slightly. ¡°It¡¯s because you attacked me. You should at least apologize if you pointed your sword at someone. And the transcendental being is mine. It¡¯s not something you should want.¡± ¡®He also shouldn¡¯t think to cooperate if he has no intention of apologizing.¡¯ As Davey spoke while using [Aura de], the man smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Yours¡­ Haha, how extremely arrogant. It¡¯s too bad, but what can you do? You have no choice but to die here.¡± ¡°I assure you that you should give it your everything when you attack me.¡± ¡°Seems I should. I thought you were just a strange little kid, but that sword¡­ It¡¯s not just any ordinary sword.¡± The man stared at Red Ribbon with greed, then raised one hand. He added, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one thing before you die. Aren¡¯t you curious about how we took control of the transcendental being?¡± ¡°I already know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not exactly an illusionist, right? You just call him that because there¡¯s no other way to describe his ability to control senses.¡± Davey swung his sword toward a space not too far away from him. [Demon Sword 15th Form] [Destruction of Rifts] Crack! This was a sword technique that split open crevices in space. As Davey¡¯s red de energy cut through part of the space, the void began distorting to reveal a boy standing there. The boy who was covered in blood looked familiar. ¡°I told you that illusionists were really unique.¡± ¡°How did¡­¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t find them with your five senses, use your sixth sense.¡± For the first time, the boy looked surprised and not emotionless. Davey shrugged when he spoke to Treve, the illusionist. ¡°I don¡¯t know how powerful that transcendental being is, but I assure you that this insanity will definitely fail.¡± ¡°How unfortunate.¡± As the man spoke¡­ Boom!!!! As the empty space began distorting, somethingrge swung at Davey and knocked him far away. ¡°It is true that you are strong, but I wonder how you will be against a transcendental being that can take on dozens of Swordmasters at once.¡± The monster revealed from the empty space was so gigantic and powerful that it seemed like a dragon from an ancient legend. * * * The monster was about one hundred fifty meters long, and it hadrge scales and four tough ws. There was a sharp horn on its long neck and its jaw was like a living battering ram. Its amber-colored eyes were so overwhelming that it could be considered an ancient dragon only if it had wings. Davey could instinctively tell what this dragon, which had blue light shining from between its scales, was. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± It was the new, enormous transcendental being, Shandra, which had rooted itself in the Pandora Region. As the unprecedented monster that took down four Swordmasters without getting a scratch, its presence was so overwhelming that most people would tremble just by looking at its overwhelmingly big size. Considering that Treve had hidden the presence of something this big, it seemed like he was quite talented as well. -Davey! Perserque shouted in surprise; perhaps it was because this was the first time Davey had bled. It wasn¡¯t that Davey had underestimated the transcendental being, but the attack was faster than he could have reacted to. ¡°Ouch¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± -The transcendental being! ¡°It¡¯s not a transcendental being.¡± At first, Davey thought that it might be. He thought that there was no way, but just as he expected, there was no such thing as 100% in this world. ¡°People call it a transcendental being because it has this kind of power.¡± Speaking up, Davey stood up from in between the cracks of thepletely shattered rocks and pulled out Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. He released all of his energy. ¡®If I¡¯m going up against this guy, I¡¯m going to have to release all the power I have.¡¯ ¡°Shandra Minea. You¡¯ve gone too far.¡± Shandra Minea, the king of the mythical beasts that was once called the Overlord of the Ground, waspletely different from the Shandra Davey knew; it was just boasting its enormous presence in front of him as a monster with nothing but instincts. 1. From StarXraft ? Chapter 138 Originally, Shandra Minea was a hero from the Hall; it was one of the mythical beasts of Shane Scrift. Shane wasn¡¯t from Tionis, so the probability that Shandra Minea existing here should be next to zero. However, it was right in front of Davey¡¯s eyes; he had to believe it. He thought Shandra would just be an evil beast who had gotten stronger from its long lifetime, but it was much more than he had expected. ¡°Hm¡­ Still alive after a hit from a transcendental being. Was that holy magic protecting you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey let out a deep sigh as he nced at the man speaking nonchntly from afar. He couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡®This would¡¯ve been a pretty deadly hit if it wasn¡¯t for the 7th level holy magic [Holy Blessing] he had cast before entering the forest.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m telling you; you¡¯ve done somethingpletely insane. Do you know that? Shandra Minea is a mythical beast with unbelievable immunity.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± This wasn¡¯t just crazy, but it was insane. From the looks of it, it seemed like Shandra Minea¡¯s clone that had separated from its real body; if the clone was this powerful, Davey could already imagine what the actual one would be like. Grrr¡­ The surrounding air began to vibrate with the clone¡¯s low growling. A powerful being affected their surroundings just by leaving a mark of their presence. If the original body had the capability of a Grandmaster, there was a good possibility that its clone, which only had a part of the original power, could also leave a mark of their presence as well. This was also the case in the Duchy of Felicity where Davey used the 9th level ultimate holy magic [Saint Sanctuary]; the aftermath of the holy power hadn¡¯t disappeared yet. ¡°How unfortunate¡­ So unfortunate. What else can I do? Kill him, Treve.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Treve answered the man calmly, then his eyes glistened as he provoked Shandra once more with his abilities. Twisting its body, Shandra began to scream and resist. Then, it red at Davey. Shandra normally wasn¡¯t weak enough to be tricked by illusions, but it seemed like the reason it was falling under was because it was ruined in a strange way. The captain stared at it with satisfaction and then quickly ran toward the direction where the other men in ck robes went as if he had nothing more to do here. It seemed like he didn¡¯t doubt for a second that Davey was going to be defeated by Shandra. ¡®Well, I would think like that, too.¡¯ At the same time, Shandra locked hisrge eyes onto him as he opened his jaws wide. Shing¡­ Zing!! As Davey was about to shout, arge blue ray of light shed before his eyes. ¡®An extremely cold breath.¡¯ Shandra¡¯s frosty attacks were iparably more powerful than the smallsers Rinne shot. Its unbelievable power was evident in the fact that it shot a huge hole in the mountains behind him with one breath. ¡®Still, it¡¯s a lot weaker than when it could split the sea in half.¡¯ The original Shandra had the power of a Grandmaster. It was somewhat of a relief that this clone of Shandra didn¡¯t exhibit the same level of power Davey knew. ¡°Wow¡­¡± -Yo¡ªYour arm¡­¡± It was as if Davey couldn¡¯t react in time not because he didn¡¯t know the attack wasing but because his body was too slow to move. He frowned when he nced at his left arm that had basically turned into powder from the powerful st of frost. He had no choice but to drop Blue Ribbon, but it was a relief that the de seemed unaffected by the breath. ¡®I guess it isn¡¯t a divine sword for no reason.¡¯ -Davey, why Blue Ribbon¡­ ¡°You think the power is almighty?¡± If his opponent was something like Shandra, his actual powers were more important than the actual power of the sword. Strictly speaking, Shandra¡¯s breaths were also energy balls, which were part of the anti-physical realm. Davey would be able to sh Shandra, but if he did, he would be a mummy after all his mana would be drained from his body. This wasn¡¯t right, but he wasn¡¯t one to back down. ¡°This isn¡¯t just any opportunity.¡± He was going to try and find remnants of either Shandra or some other transcendental being, but there was no need for that if there was one standing right in front of him. -I am begging you, Davey, but please be careful! You must be careful of everything! Davey had one chance, and he was as careful and cautious as anyone could be right now. To do this¡­ ¡°First, I am going to eat it.¡± In the end, metamorphing was theplete destruction and rearrangement of the body. Davey could never forget the one thing that the ¡®Survival Expert¡¯ had told him: there was nothing humans couldn¡¯t eat, but it was that the body would not be able to handle everything. For a transcendental being as strong as Shandra, the power in its body would be extremely intense and strong; furthermore, it would be the worst thing for the human body. This meant that it was a perfect bomb for him. * * * Roar!!!! For the first time, Rinne frowned as Shandra¡¯s loud roar crushed the surrounding atmosphere. Considering that Rinne, who always maintained a straight face no matter what, was clenching her jaw, it seemed like the effect was pretty strong. ¡®It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a transparent dragon or something.¡¯ Of course, Shandra¡¯s roar also affected Treve as well. ¡°Cough!¡± Treve turned pale and coughed up a lot of blood. As his eyes glistened with light once more, a blue energy surrounded Shandra Minea, the terrestrial dragon. ¡°It''s almost done¡­ I will not fail now¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It might stumble a little now, but in a few days, your illusion magic won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°My illusions are not weak.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that you¡¯re weak; that guy is just strong.¡± The only reason Davey hadn¡¯t pierced his sword into Treve yet was because Shandra¡¯s movements had be quite awkward since Treve was controlling Shandra, although Treve himself was barely holding on. ¡®I¡¯m letting you go just this once since it makes things a little easier for me.¡¯ Dodging Shandra¡¯s tail, which flung toward him with a sonic boom, Davey charged toward its upper back and struck with his fist loaded with sword energy. The only way a sword could be pierced into tough scales was to first create a crack in it by giving it some kind of shock. It would be easy for Davey to be defeated if he attacked it without knowing this. -Kahhhh!!! Perhaps it could still feel pain even though it had be half-monster. The scales of Shandra, who was screaming and struggling to get Davey off its body, was much more tough than he had imagined. However, Davey was a pro at shing and cutting things. He released more mana than he could handle and fired up Red Ribbon¡¯s power, then threw the de right at the part where the scale was slightly dented. Stter!! With a very small cut, some blood sttered in the air. ¡°I can tell how damn tough you are now that I fight you after being nerfed.¡± Of course, this wasn¡¯t enough. It would be difficult to sh even Shandra¡¯s scales with Davey¡¯s current physical abilities that had been strengthened with buff magic spells and level of power he could use. ¡°Shandra Minea is a monster that has evolved over thousands of years.¡± Even if the being in front of Davey was just a clone, a monster like that would match up to a dragon written in ancient books. Whip! Shing¡­ Bringing Red Ribbon, which was flying in the air, into his only arm, Davey took a short breath and closed his eyes. ¡°Dear Goddess Freyja, who watches over everything in the world¡­¡± The most effective kind of buff magic was holy magic. ¡°I will do more than I can handle, so please, so that your little sheep will not walk in the dark anymore¡­¡± ¡®If I don¡¯t have enough power, I have no choice but to borrow some.¡¯ ¡°Watch over me. What I yearn for is your power.¡± Whoosh¡­ As Davey¡¯s prayer went on, the holy power inside him began reacting like crazy; although it was extremelyzy, it became the most passionate if it received the divine will. ¡°Blue Ribbon, I¡¯m borrowing some of your holy power.¡± It was Red Ribbon before, but now it was Blue Ribbon. Therge amount of holy power flowing out from Blue Ribbon¡¯s de began chemically reacting with the holy power within Davey. ¡°The cost¡­¡± Davey trailed off and opened his eyes while saying hisst prayer, ¡°Let¡¯s just call it even with doing good deeds.¡± [9th level Holy Magic] [Replica of Holy Wings] It wasn¡¯t an ultimate holy magic spell, but it was still at the 9th level. ¡®It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯ve done nothing in the meantime.¡¯ Unlike other types of magic, even a newbie priest could create a miracle of God if they had holy power and experience. That was actually the reason how Davey was able to cast the 9th level ultimate holy magic, [Saint Sanctuary], at the Duchy of Felicity. Although this wasn¡¯t nearly as much holy powerpared to Caldeiras, Davey had put his life on the line for this; he would actually wee the rebound to his body! Whoosh!!!! An iparable amount of holy power flowed out from Davey¡¯s back and created a set ofrge, white wings made with energy. It looked super cheesy, but the power contained in it and the power linked with Davey was not weak. The color of his sight started to change as the stigmata began resonating and a suffocating amount of holy power surrounded his entire body. Davey¡¯s eyes, which were normally red, had probably turned to white gold, which was called the Eyes of God. Davey didn¡¯t stop with the attack-type 9th level holy magic that allowed him to borrow God¡¯s fake wings, but cast dozens of other spells on it. Whoosh!!! ¡°What is¡­¡± Davey could see Treve¡¯s shocked face as energy gathered toward him while dodging Shandra¡¯s attacks from afar. However, Davey had no time to pay much attention to Treve. ¡®There would be no second chances if I missed this opportunity now.¡¯ As an iparable amount of power surrounded his body, Davey felt a little satisfied as it had been a long time since he had felt this kind of power. ¡®It¡¯s not exactly enough, but it shouldn¡¯t matter, right?¡¯ Using [Aura de] with Red Ribbon, Davey crushed the wings on his back and converted it all into power. At the same time, Shandra¡¯s huge front feet came down with immense weight and power like it was trying to crush him. It wasn¡¯t just any stomping, since he could practically feel the pressure of Shandra¡¯s essence. [Combined Spontaneous Quick Draw] ¡°You don¡¯t even have your original body! Don¡¯t mess with me!¡± Davey charged toward Shandra without dodging its attack, which contained destructive power. He crossed and twisted Red Ribbon, which he was holding with one hand, and Blue Ribbon, which he was holding with [Telekic de] since he only had one hand, in the sky. [Divine Union] [Telekic de Control] [Heavenly Double Fangs] Tworge fangs that pierced through the sky ripped Shandra¡¯s feet and pierced one side of its shoulder. All the buff magic disappeared from Davey at that moment, but he had already reached his goal. He could see Treve¡¯s wide eyes of shock when he sessfully pierced through Shandra¡¯s tough skin. ¡®What I am going to show you right now is going to be much more bewildering and surprising.¡¯ Davey quickly ran up the arm of Shandra, who was shouting and iling around, and threw Red Ribbon up into the air to hover it in the sky. Then, he dug his fist with sword energy into the cut on its shoulder. Stter!!! Then, Davey ripped off Shandra¡¯s skin, which was covered in blood. -Kahhh!! Davey, who backed away from the screaming and iling Shandra, was knocked quite far back. He still did not let go of the piece of skin in his hand. ¡°Hm, what a foul smell.¡± Although Davey was confident he could eat it, it didn¡¯t mean that it didn¡¯t spoil his appetite. Staring at the skin, he pushed it into his mouth and swallowed it without hesitation. Whoosh! Boom!! ¡°Keugh!¡± At the same time, Davey¡¯s strangely rotating mana that had been prepared earlier resonated with Shandra¡¯s skin and began putting intense pressure on him. Like a rock, Davey stiffened and copsed. The body Davey had prepared beforehand reacted vigorously as soon as it began epting the chaotic power contained within its skin. Then, it began destroying Davey little by little from the inside. -Davey!!! As Perserque screamed, Davey nced at Shandra through his hazy vision. As mad as it could ever be, Shandra began building up its breath in its mouth like it was going to destroy him. He didn¡¯t know how Shandra Minea, a fire-type, hade to have extremely cold frost, but he suspected that this attack would be enough to destroy him. ¡®I¡¯ll punish you if you don¡¯t get thest hit right.¡¯ As soon as Davey concluded, an extremely cold, frosty breath enveloped him. However, Shandra didn¡¯t stop there and blew up part of the Zone of Evil without leaving a trace. Chapter 139 Treve could feel that he was on the verge of copsing as he watched Davey disappear without a trace. Illusions weren¡¯t ridiculously powerful; Treve had also sacrificed too many things to subdue a giant transcendental being like Shandra. Although, it showed how OP his abilities were just from the fact that he could do that in the first ce. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough! Gag!¡± Treve kept coughing up blood, and his body was beyond wrecked, but he couldn¡¯t die now. Treve had a clear goal in life: to receive orders and execute them. For someone like him, who had received orders ever since he could understand them, he never found it worthwhile to consider alternatives. However, he didn¡¯t feel good at all for some reason; he didn¡¯t desperately hold onto this job, even killing his partner along the way, to feel like this. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing anything?¡± Treve thought Davey, who was reduced into powder by Shandra¡¯s breath, was dead for sure. He stared at Rinne, who was strangely still. Considering her temper, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for her to run wild this instant. ¡°Sir Davey isn¡¯t dead.¡± Rinne, who was staring into space, stood still. ¡°Your master is dead. He turned to powder from the breath.¡± ¡°Rinne is sure that Sir Davey is not dead.¡± ¡°You are not going to kill me?¡± ¡°That is for Sir Davey to do. Rinne thinks that arrogation is something to be avoided.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®How is he going to kill me when he¡¯s already dead? Does she simply not want to ept the fact that he is dead?¡¯ A little confused, Treve took control of Shandra, who was trying to go crazy, and moved it around again. ¡®All the obstacles are now taken care of.¡¯ The only thing left for Treve to do was create a strong and durable leash that could control Shandra, even if it killed him; he couldn¡¯t die before aplishing that. It was difficult to calm down Shandra, who was furious at the unexpected resistance, but Treve sessfully subdued it without too much difficulty. Perhaps it was thanks to the repeated brainwashing. Since Shandra was monstrously powerful, its right foot and shoulder that Davey had pierced through were already growing back. ¡°It¡¯s a worthless death after all,¡± Treve mumbled, then walked past Rinne to follow Shandra. Even then, Rinne did not stop him, but just stared at where Davey had disappeared calmly. * * * The breath left traces of white frost everywhere. The chill was so severe that no living thing would survive it, and it made one¡¯s skin sting just froming too close. However, Rinne waited silently in the trace of the breath like it was nothing. Perhaps it was because she was a biological golem, or it was because she was a White Wing. There were no evil beasts that would be brave enough toe here after a transcendental being had fought here. As a result, this ce had be so quiet that one could probably hear an ant crawl. To Rinne, the way to control Shandra or the knight order¡¯s goal was not important; she did nothing but wait. She certainly prioritized her master over some little promise like a test. Whoosh¡­ After ten minutes of silence had passed, Rinne slowly got up. She found a light shining from where Davey had disappeared. ¡°Thinks very highly of Sir Davey¡¯s survival abilities. Furthermore, Rinne is thinking that Sir Davey has changedpletely. Is maintaining arge storage of power. At least ten times more than before; unable to detect anything higher than that.¡± Rinne didn¡¯t hear a response, but she had a face of satisfaction. Whoosh!!!! It made sense that Rinne looked satisfied because the empty space, which only had the two swords that Davey had left behind, began to ripple and gather light particles. Those light particles flickered like small mes that had fallen out of a fire pit and created a human. The human was about 180 centimeters tall, and one could tell it was a muscr man. The familiar human slowly materialized into his natural form without any clothing. It was Davey. The left arm he had lost while fighting Shandra Minea had alsoe back with no problem. It was so quiet even though a whirlwind of incredible power had swept over this ce. Rinne just waited for Davey, who was as quiet as the eye of a hurricane, to open his eyes. Only when his body was done forming did she make ament. ¡°Rinne thinks that Sir Davey¡¯s body is very fit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s sexual harassment,¡± Davey mumbled with a grin as he opened his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a relief that I metamorphed before I got any older. Don¡¯t you think it would be a problem if I got older and I stayed that way for the rest of my life?¡± More than that, Davey felt quite sad that he was now free from the vigorous bowel activity that he had been forcibly suppressing. ¡°Analyzing that nothing changed even with a different appearance. Unclear. Furthermore, reporting that, in your knowledge, there¡¯s a good image of being a handsome middle-aged man.¡± Rinne then silently pointed toward Davey¡¯s testicles. ¡°Rinne thinks highly of Sir Davey¡¯s confidence, but thinks very lowly of him showing all of it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Rinne detecting the inflow of a very harmful virus. Requiring an immediate formatting.¡± Not only did Rinne close her eyes tightly, but she also used both hands to shield her vision. Davey, who looked a little baffled by Rinne¡¯s calmints, swung his fist in the air. Boom!! At the same time, the empty space shattered and cracked. This magic spell that rearranged space was something that 6th circle mages, who were the equivalent of Swordmasters, couldn¡¯t even mimic: the [Space Pocket], a 7th circle space magic that opened the Pocket ne. This was a spell that most archmages in the continent couldn¡¯t use; the fact that Davey was able to cast it without difficulty showed that he had achieved most of what he wanted. Then, Davey reached into the pocket and pulled out a set of ck everyday clothes. He said, ¡°Huh, the Pocket ne I made before opens here, too. My expansion pouch vanished into thin air. What would I have done if this didn¡¯t open either?¡± Davey threw on an expensive-looking robe with a yful smile, and pulled out a small vial with a shining substance and drank it. Then, he chuckled and spoke into the air like he was talking to someone else, ¡°Oh, this? The Elixir (The Teardrop of God).¡± * * * Unlike how Davey was returning to perfect condition from drinking the Elixir, which had only a few drops of it left in the vial, his heart was worsening. He thought, ¡®Damn, I went through so much to get that Elixir¡­¡¯ -E¡­ Elixir? What is¡­ ¡°It was a gift.¡± There wasn¡¯t a lot of stuff in Davey¡¯s Pocket ne, but there were a few good things in there. Even the everyday clothing he pulled out looked ordinary¡­but was an extremely luxurious piece of clothing with hundreds ofyers of magic spells on it. ¡°Now, should I test it out?¡± As Davey familiarly ripped the end of his sleeve, part of the clothing that had ripped turned into particles and stuck back onto the sleeve to return to its original state. It was something like shape memory cloth, a regenerating cloth that was extremely rare. When the cloth was ripped, the torn part would disintegrate, return to its original ce, and then materialize again. Davey knew howplex this piece of work was, since almost 70% more magic circles had been added for this function. There were many heroes in the Hall, and Davey was able to create something by retracing their memories. However, if it wasn¡¯t a material that had been made by putting in a lot of time, like the ancient dragon bones that he had worked with before, most things would not stay in the Pocket ne. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Rinne cannot analyze the metalponents of the weapon. Requiring new information.¡± ¡°Longinus, the divine spear. It¡¯s made of helixium steel.¡± Davey giggled and pulled out an object that was wrapped in cloth from the Pocket ne. Then, he chuckled as he stared at something that he had missed from not seeing it for a long time. This was a gift that Surtr, Davey¡¯s cksmith teacher, had gifted Emperor Astrea, the conquering king of the Bord continent; it was given to Davey afterwards, and it was one of the only things he could keep in his Pocket ne. Astrea¡¯s specialty was spearmanship; from long spears to short, he was a Grand Spearmaster who had reached a transcendental level, and this sword was his favorite postpartum weapon. Now, it was Davey¡¯s weapon. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t have an ego like Caldeiras, Surtr¡¯s divine sword, or Red and Blue Ribbon finished by Davey. Still, the metal making up this spear was no joke. Helixium steel had five times the mana conductivity rate of orichalcum, the material called the ¡®metal of God¡¯, and its sticity was simr to refined adamantium. Simply put, this was a damn heavy and durable spear that was stupidly good at taking in mana. Of course, this simple spear had undergone some remodeling since Davey got his hands on it. -It looks like a cross. This spear, which had a cross-shaped de, could be used for spearmanship, but there was nothing better than this for bringing out holy power. ¡°We¡¯ll see the restter. We have to first finish what we started.¡± Now that Davey had concluded his business here, he had to finish what he had been putting off for so long. Davey put Blue Ribbon, which had fainted from using arge amount of holy power, and stored it in the Pocket ne. Then, he used his power on Longinus. Bleep! Name: Divine Spear Longinus. State: Awakened. Form: Transformation spear that can remember certain shapes. Length: Two meters and ten centimeters. Weight: Eighty kilograms. Current form: Cross. Material: 100% helixium steel. Notes: A weapon that the God of cksmiths had made for five hundred years for his friend; afterwards, Davey, the student of the ¡®Thousand-day cksmith¡¯, sessfully improved it; no ego; remembers three forms: first, the divine cross, second, the spear form, and the third, blue dragon scimitar. Has the characteristic of ¡®Forever Unbreaking¡¯ (Never breaks); over five times better at conducting energy than orichalcum; each form has unique abilities. This was Davey¡¯s first time looking into it in such detail, but now he could see that Astrea had passed on something incredible to him. -You have another weapon besides that? Chapter 140 ¡°About three: a handheld fan, a bow, and a staff.¡± The uses of each one didn¡¯t really matter at this point, so Davey just chose to use the spear. ¡®It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been reunited with my weapon.¡¯ Davey could feel arge amount of mana, which was iparable to before, running wild in his body as he lightly released the spear. He had holy power at around the 9th level, and his mana and devil mana were at about the 8th circle. As the amount of mana increased, the circles moved to create rings like they were finding their own ces. Even though he had lost it once, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t lost forever. As Davey channeled his mana into Longinus, which was in cross-form, and began manifesting his will, the sturdy spear started transforming. When the light disappeared, it had turned into a sharp and straight spear. ¡°The spear form is the best.¡± Davey smiled, then licked his lips. Looking at Davey, Perserque shook her head with a pale face. -You changed once, and now¡­ Davey, your judgment hasn¡¯t been impaired from a headache or something like that, right? Just say it and I¡¯ll treat you. ¡®I know that you can move objects with demonic force, but now you can reform a human?¡¯ Perserque looked a little shocked and backed away from Davey. ¡°Sir Davey, Rinne detects Shandra Minea, the transcendental being, moving quickly to where your juniors are. Destruction of Puma due to umted damage.¡± ¡°The trainees? What about the others?¡± ¡°Everyone is alive; however, one suffered a huge injury, and another suffered some as well. Predicted that many will die in a short amount of time.¡± ¡°The trainees are going to spill blood if I just leave them.¡± ¡°Rinne, waiting formand.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Will this work?¡± Davey could feel the spear¡¯s weight as he tossed it in his hand; of course, it felt heavy from being over eighty kilograms. Normal people who were not reinforced with mana would be crushed under its weight upon getting struck by it. ¡°Good work, Rinne. I¡¯ll take care of the rest, so you go for a vacation. Send thismand over to the entire Decepticon Fleet: keep them safe until I get there.¡± Goddess Frejya¡­ Davey had made a promise with the divine will to do some good. What else would saving a bunch of young and innocent kids be if not a good deed? Of course, he was calcting his actions like a child, but he knew that dying wasn¡¯t exactly a pleasant experience; he was going to give back as much as he had received. ¡°Hup¡­¡± Davey slightly lowered himself and released his mana, which moved like crazy inside of him. Then, he shot up into the air with a huge shock wave, leaving a huge crater on the snowy ground. He could feel that the air was different as he got up high in the sky through reinforcing his jumping power and not by flying magic. He looked down at therge Pandora Region,menting, ¡°Hm, nice. People should breathe in good air, you know?¡± -So brazen¡­ Leaving Perserque, who gave him an incredulous look, on his shoulder, Davey kept himself in the air using flying magic. Then, he secured his footing with air tiles and held up Longinus like he was going to throw it. He muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± [Second unique ability of Divine Spear Longinus] [Nuclear Spear] Davey was about to show them why it was called ¡®nuclear¡¯. Tzz¡­ Tzzzzz!!! Divine Spear Longinus left Davey¡¯s hand and floated higher up in response to his mana. It slowly expanded while being surrounded by a bright light and lightning. The ¡®nuclear¡¯ weapon was only a spear about two meters and ten centimeters long, but it was growing into arge spear at least fifty meters long and ten meters thick. Even though a huge amount of mana had left Davey, who never experienced such a thing before, he did not feel exhausted at all. His mana was actively moving in his body right now due to the metamorph just before, but he would be able to do this again if he had this much power even in the future. As the lightning fully shaped into a spear, Davey aimed the end toward Shandra Minea, the ck terrestrial dragon that he could see from his reinforced sense of sight. With a short breath, Davey threw therge lightning at it and yelled, ¡°You get one hit and I get one hit. It¡¯s fair, right!!!!!¡± Crackle!! Like elerated metal bullets shot out of a railgun, gold shes of light filled with energy fell onto Shandra Minea from the sky. Surprised by the sudden movement of power, Shandra moved and reflexively created a shield by releasing another power. However, [Nuclear Spear], Longinus¡¯ unique ability, ruthlessly shattered its shield and pierced Shandra like a skewer. In the end, Shandra flew hundreds of meters away. * * * ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­¡± Illyna, who left Davey to quickly join the other trainees, had to run for a while before the trainees could find her. They knew that something was wrong; the trainees, who were all standing with tense expressions, all gathered toward her as soon as they saw her. ¡°Illyna! You¡¯re okay!¡± ¡°What about Davey? What about Davey?!¡± Illyna was starting to get a headache at the children¡¯s panicked shouting, but she had to stay calm. She felt that she had a responsibility to exin the situation to the others, because Davey had sent her here with that task. ¡°Everyone calm down!¡± Boom! Illyna shouted sternly after she struck down on the ground with Caldeiras. She yelled, ¡°This is not the time! Let¡¯s move!¡± ¡°Is it¡­ an attack?¡± ¡°It is, isn¡¯t it? Teacher Boris contacted us¡­¡± However, it seemed like the children had an idea of what was going on. Illyna found this unexpected. ¡°I¡¯m relieved that you¡¯re okay, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Alyssa?¡± Alyssa Patrick, a self-acimed fanatic of Davey, handed Illyna a small crystal ball. She said, ¡°It¡¯s themunication crystal that Sio Howl had. We got a call from Teacher Boris, although it was very short.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We got word saying that there was an attack, and that the trainees should stop the test and hide together in one ce.¡± Alyssa spoke in a rather calm tone. Shayir, the older sister of the elementalist twin, murmured with a pale face, ¡°The transcendental being! He said that the transcendental being moved! Oh¡­ And¡­ And!¡± ¡°Calm down, Shayir. Still, it is a relief that you havee¡­ but where is Prince Davey?¡± Illyna sighed at Alyssa¡¯s question and answered, ¡°Davey stayed there.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me carefully. There was an attack. The senior knights who were protecting us all died. Do you know what I mean? Right now, we have to either escape from here ourselves or hold out. At least until we understand the situation.¡± Illyna didn¡¯t think that it would be a problem considering Davey¡¯s power, but she wondered if the people who attacked the knight order did something this stupid without knowing that. Most of all, what she was worried about the most was¡­that Shandra, the transcendental being, was active. It wasn¡¯t a transcendental being for no reason; she began to think that even Davey, who was stupidly strong, would not be able to win against therge and undefeatable monster ssified as a transcendental being. It was a monster that was able to kill four Swordmasters before they could do anything. Even if Davey was strong, Illyna couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°Let¡¯s start moving for now. There¡¯s a hiding ce prepared nearby.¡± Fendyr, the Holy Knight who was leading the group, spoke. Heg, the trainee who used the giant warrior, asked, ¡°What about Sio Howl?¡± ¡°That guy¡­¡± Lincy Pe¡¯s eyes began turning red as she spoke. Seeing that, Illyna could already tell what had happened even without an answer. ¡°It¡¯s bad. From what Lucia said, we should get ready¡­¡± ¡°Damn Treve! He had nothing to betray, so he took part in this insane thing and tried to kill his partner?!¡± One infuriated trainee shouted. The others looked somber. ¡°Davey! Where is Davey?! Without that guy, there¡¯s no one to protect¡­!¡± ¡°Damur!! Shut the hell up! Is Davey your guardian?!¡± ¡°Everyone is crazy! Are you out of your mind?! Can no one understand this situation?! The seniors were all ughtered!! Ah¡­ I don¡¯t want to die. I don¡¯t want to die without being able to do anything!!¡± Watching him scream and fluster around with his gauntlet on the ground, his partner raised a staff and smacked him right on the back of his head. Thwack!! Then, Damur, who was screaming and making a scene, plopped over. ¡°Sorry, everyone. Damur is just a little immature, so I hope you aren¡¯t too upset.¡± Since Damur was extremely materialistic and fearful unlike Sio Howl, who was just full of pride, no one thought it was weird he was acting that way as he hadn¡¯t talked to Davey once and had been wary and jealous of him all the time. ¡®If he heard that, he would¡¯ve twisted his arm.¡¯ Illyna didn¡¯t like how Damur was acting either. She said, ¡°First, Davey is taking care of the attackers. Even if it¡¯s a transcendental being, it won¡¯t be able to find us easily if we really try to hide. The thing we have to do before the Teacherse is to hold out. We should at least not be a burden.¡± Just as Illyna was about to ask them to lead the way to the hiding spot¡­ ¡°Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Hup?!¡± Boom!! With a sudden voice, something huge flew across the sky and crashed into the ground. Hiss¡­ That object was none other than one of Davey¡¯s golems, the mobile golem. All of Puma¡¯s armor was crushed in almost to the point that it didn¡¯t work anymore; all it did was glisten its blue eyes while on the floor, not able to get up. Puma¡¯s force was a little inferior to Illyna when she had Caldeiras since it was made for unique circumstances, but it wasn¡¯t something that could be taken down this easily. ¡°You said Davey? I really had my eyes on that boy. It¡¯s sad that he had to die like this.¡± As the man spoke, Illyna red at him with her eyes wide open. He was strong. Absolutely and overwhelmingly strong. Swordmasters were strong, but the man in front of her was known to be someone who could easily take on three or four Swordmasters by himself. And¡­ ¡°C¡­ Captain¡­ What is¡­¡± He was also one of the captains thatmanded the Alpha Reinforcements. ¡®Why is the captain that should be protecting us saying that?¡¯ ¡°Hm? Oh, I forgot the beginning. To be honest, you guys are very important aspects of this n. Well, only a few you have to participate, so don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± With that, people in ck robes appeared from all over the ce. ¡°Those¡­ I was sure Davey¡­¡± With her eyes wide open, Illyna murmured in shock. She knew what the appearance of the knights in ck robes who were being stopped by Davey and Rinne meant. ¡°Trainee Illyna. I¡¯m sorry, but your partner Davey was killed a few minutes ago by Shandra.¡± ¡®Someone saying something like this is our protector? Don¡¯t joke with me.¡¯ ¡°Liar!!!¡± The old knight chuckled as he stared at Illyna, who was infuriated, with a sinister gaze. ¡°I have already received the report that he has disappeared without a trace from the breath. Can¡¯t you tell? The only solution that you were trusting in is already dead!¡± The captain shouted. Not knowing Davey¡¯s current situation, the trainees all turned pale. Chapter 141 55. The Return of the Phantom of Martial Arts (2) The world did not move as one person wanted; obviously because numerous people were trying to live their lives in many different ways. In that sense, if it wasn¡¯t for Alyssa Patrick finding Sio Howl, who was dying from being stabbed by a knife, and if it wasn¡¯t for Boris¡¯ continuous effort to contact the trainees, the trainees probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to gather this quickly. This change actually caused a number of problems for Gaor, the knight order¡¯s traitorous captain. ¡°Anyway, I did something stupid out there. Thanks to that, I had some difficulty finding you guys. Well, it¡¯s better that all of you are together.¡± ¡°C¡­ Captain? How could you¡­¡± Some of the trainees seemed more shocked by the fact that the person who had attacked them was none other than Gaor, one of the knight order¡¯s captains. ¡°No¡­ There¡¯s no way the Captain would try to kill¡­¡± ¡°Let me ask you guys one thing.¡± The ck-robed people began closing in. ¡°Would you be willing to sacrifice yourselves for humanity and for the glory of the great knight order?¡± ¡°Of course! The knight order is basically my home now!¡± Captain Gaor chuckled when one of the Anchor Knight twins shouted. He replied, ¡°Alright, Miss Shayir. That¡¯s the spirit.¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t understand you killing all our senior knight members, cornering us, and killing Davey as well!¡± Shayir shouted in anger. Gaor looked down before saying, ¡°Everything is for the greater good. Trainee Treve¡­ No, I should say Special Knight Sir Treve, since he will be one after this wraps up. Shandra, the transcendental being, cannot be controlled only by Sir Treve.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is why we need your power. Don¡¯t be so sad; your sacrifices will not be forgotten. I swear on my name, Captain Gaor.¡± Gaor pulled out his sword while sharing about a logic that only he understood. He added, ¡°Only five people are needed as sacrifices. If you pick five people, I will let the rest of you live after erasing your memories. It¡¯s not like killing innocent people doesn¡¯t faze me.¡± ¡°Lies!!¡± There was no one stupid enough to give up their lives after listening to Gaor¡¯s ridiculous logic. As the trainees remained standing, the ck-robed people slowly moved toward them. ¡°Rule number three of Alpha Reinforcements; you already broke the most basic rule that a knight member should keep,¡± Illyna answered coldly while raising her sword. Gaor chuckled. ¡°How unfortunate. Get everyone.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The ck-robed people moved even quicker than before, speaking in scary voices. Most of the knight order¡¯s skill levels were higher than Expert, like the Coalition of Disease Control, and they had much more real battle experience than them. Furthermore, it seemed like the ck-robed people had no objections to killing humans, the one thing the knight order members should be strongly against. ¡°Kyahh!!!¡± ¡°No, Lincy!¡± As Lincy Pe drew her bow to stop the ck-robed people¡¯s approach, she was crushed to the ground. The ck-robed people had charged together and overpowered her. "Keugh!" "Kyahh!! Stop!¡± ¡°Let go!¡± At the same time, the other trainees were also crushed to the ground. They screamed helplessly, unable to fight back. Stter!! Of course, the trainees did not surrender and still tried to fight back. After all, some of them of the 286th generation were suspiciously powerful. Among them, Illyna de Pan¡¯s performance was the most notable. ¡°Gurgle¡­ Gurgle¡­¡± The ck -robed people copsed to the ground while spilling blood from horrendous neck wounds. They were human, after all. Looking at the grotesque deaths, Illyna was still furious and did not think about their situation. She addressed Gaor. ¡°You¡­made a mistake.¡± ¡°Mistake?¡± ¡°I never forget revenge. I will make sure to kill you.¡± Illyna red at Gaor menacingly and amplified her power by calling upon Caldeiras¡¯ holy power. At the same time, she shot out like a bullet and shed a few of the ck-robed people who were attacking her. She didn¡¯t stop there and charged toward Gaor, showing off her smooth and fluid de motion. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Boom!! With a destructive sound came [Large Mountain]; Illyna had a gift of never forgetting a skill as long as she had seen it once. Her attack, which was an improved imitation of Davey¡¯s, was much sharper and more weighted. Kagaga!! Gaor gasped with wide eyes. He was truly surprised at the unexpected level of destruction. ¡°Quite good! I heard that you¡¯re one of the most talented, but this is far beyond my expectations.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°I think that I just might be sad when I kill you.¡± Illyna¡¯s talent was truly astonishing; in fact, she was so powerful that it was difficult to find a worthy opponent among the Experts. However, if her opponent was a Master who could stand their own ground even while fighting four other ones, the situation would be different. ¡°You arecking a little experience.¡± Punch!! ¡°Kyahh!¡± As soon as Gaor made an opening with a grin, a ck-robed person threw himself over and pinned Illyna down. Stter!! At the same time, the end of Gaor¡¯s thin sword pierced her. ¡°Illyna!¡± The other trainees who were pinned to the ground screamed in horror. Illyna still red at Gaor furiously even while gushing with blood. ¡°I will¡­kill you¡­ I will kill you.¡± As blood dripped from the side of her mouth as Illyna repeated her death threat, Gaor moved the tip of his de and shed her abdomen without hesitation. After making that huge wound, hemented, ¡°I will let you go if you miss that boy that much. You can go first¡­¡± ¡°Sir Gaor, wait.¡± That was when a man who had just been watching from behind slowly approached Gaor and stopped him. The man said, ¡°Let¡¯s not kill her for a moment.¡± ¡°Hm? Do you need something from her?¡± ¡°She is the descendant of the Sword Lord, who has received the blessing of the spirit. She has the strongest blood out of all the descendants.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°She may make a good Dark Knight.¡± No one understood what the man was saying except for Gaor, who nodded in understanding. Gaor then said, ¡°Well, then do as you like.¡± Gaor retrieved his sword carelessly. Illyna coughed up more blood as she trembled from her injuries. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°History is entirely written by the victors, Miss Illyna. Wouldn¡¯t you rather stay partially alive and leave great aplishments than be a remnant of the past?¡± Gaor persuaded. Illyna scoffed and spat out her blood. ¡°Eat shit, you damn murderer. Davey will bury you for sure¡­¡± ¡°You are expecting something from someone who¡¯s already dead? How unfortunate.¡± ¡°Fun¡­ Cough! Sigh¡­ Do you know who he is? He will not die. He¡¯s someone who will ice their cake.¡± Whoosh¡­ At the same time, a ck energy flowed out of the man¡¯s body. As it surrounded her, Illyna wentpletely pale. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­.¡± Illyna soon widened her bloodshot eyes and rolled around on the ground, screaming. ¡°Ahhhhh!!¡± Illyna was feeling the pain of bing half-dead while still living. Despair came upon the trainees¡¯ faces as they saw her skin gradually rotting. ¡°Make sure you bring the elementalist sisters without a scratch. We absolutely need them. What happened to Shandra?¡± ¡°Arge number of golems are blocking movement right now. It¡¯s not enough to stop Shandra, but we are not enough to¡­¡± As a ck-robed person gave their report, Gaor clicked his tongue and stared at one of the huge golems on one side. He muttered, ¡°The golems that boy left behind are amazing. I have never seen anything like this.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back with a sample. Our researchers will go crazy for it.¡± Illyna had lost her original beauty. She was just wheezing with a sore throat, twitching wildly every now and then. Her skin had turned gray-brown, while her eyes were red. She was drooling saliva mixed with blood. Her nails had cracked and grown longer, and her hair had turned dry and dead. Normally, Caldeiras would have stopped the deceasing of a living person, but for some reason, Caldeiras, which had flown far away, was silent¡­ Atst, Illyna became fully silent after experiencing a drawn-out seizure. Lincy covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Illyna with teary eyes; how could she not go crazy as she saw her teammate and good friend turn like that in front of her eyes? Everyone was speechless at the unexpected violence. The realization that they were indeed left in a horrendous situation with no one to protect them led to a dramatic decrease in spirits. The trainees, who were gritting their teeth but had lost their fighting spirit, just let themselves be dragged by the ck-robed people. That was when¡­ Whee¡­ Everyone heard a faint yet clear sound. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is¡­¡± Whee! Boom! And before anyone could realize what that sound was, the sky above turned pitch-ck for a moment before returning to its original color. The sky was momentarily blocked by none other than the enormous terrestrial dragon; one could mistake it for a legendary dragon if it had wings. Shandra, the transcendental being, was the symbol of fear of the knight order and the king of evil beasts. It flew through the air and was crushed into the ground after being prated with a huge spear of light. * * * Crackk!! The end of Longinus, the huge spear that pierced into Shandra, flew back after the attack and struck the ground like a nail. ¡°Look at mine. What do you think?¡± ¡®Ah, yes. Big and beautiful? You have a good eye.¡¯ Everyone was silent when Shandra, who was a great, big being, suddenly flew through the air and crashed right into the ground. Davey descended from the sky like a cannonball, ignoring the people who looked dumbfounded. He saw a situation that was five seconds away from madness in front of him. Hemented, ¡°I was gone for only a bit but look at this mess. Huh? What¡¯s with that?¡± Davey nced over at Puma, the youngest golem among his fleet, that was on the floor. Even though they weren¡¯tpletely perfected yet, the fact that the golems were destroyed meant that they had taken a lot of hits. On the other side, Davey could see Illyna lying on the floor in stillness. She wasn¡¯t dead; her heart was definitely beating, but her skin was as pale as a long-abandoned corpse. ¡°Rinne. What¡¯s the situation of the Decepticon Fleet?¡± ¡°Decepticon Fleet: three out of the five are unable to battle. Analyzing that they need retrieval. Other than that, Megatron and Sniper umted major damage, but movement is possible.¡± Even though the five golems could overpower a Master without a problem, Shandra was an overwhelmingly strong opponent; it was amazing that they had held up for this long. ¡®I think they might be able to increase their fighting power if I use some of the data that Rinne has obtained.¡¯ ¡°You can retrieve it, right?¡± Davey asked Rinne. ¡°Megatron and Sniper can be activated by retrieving broken and crushed parts. The rest will be picked up by Rinne.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The golems wererger than Rinne, but other than Puma, which waspletely demolished, they could be retrieved by Rinne. ¡°You¡­¡± Gaor frowned at Davey¡¯s nonchnt attitude. It was like Davey hade to a different world. ¡°Do you know how much that is?¡± Chapter 142 There were only five of those golems in the entire world; considering their power, value, and focus, they were worth more than most huge territories. Considering their uniqueness and the fact that they were also basically impossible to craft, Davey wouldn¡¯t give them up for even a kingdom. ¡°Sir Davey!¡± ¡°Davey! You! You¡¯re alive!¡± ¡°How¡­are you alive?¡± Unlike the trainees whose faces lit up when they saw Davey, Gaor¡¯s frown only grew deeper. He murmured, ¡°I heard that you disappeared without a trace by Shandra¡¯s breath¡­¡± ¡°I really am thankful for that. Because of that¡­¡± Davey trailed off and charged in with his fist. ¡°I regained a lot of my powers.¡± ¡°Keugh?!¡± ¡®Do you think I went through all this trouble for nothing?¡¯ [Silent Wind Bullet] [Hundred-Step Swift Strike] Boom!!! Watching Gaor instantly get blown away with a strong st of air, Davey then pulled out Red Ribbon from his Pocket ne and spread his energy like he was letting loose a bunch of wild, vicious beasts. At the same time, the abandoned weapons all around began vibrating and floating to Davey¡¯s will. ¡®I trained these skills for hundreds of years; I couldn¡¯t have forgotten them in just six months.¡¯ It wasn¡¯tmon, but people who wielded a sword had probably heard about the transcendental level of de control at least once; it was obvious that this was happening right now, which shocked everyone. Whoosh¡­ As arge amount of mana left Davey, energy swords that he had fixed into a certain shape in the air appeared. ¡®I don¡¯t have a choice but to create swords if I don¡¯t have enough.¡¯ The number of swords increased from a few, to dozens, and eventually to hundreds. Gaor, who was coughing up blood, was shocked at how hundreds of swords suddenly appeared and floated up to fill the whole sky. ¡°There is a chance of rainfall today¡­¡± ¡°N¡ªNo way! [Telekic de]?!¡± ¡®Try your best to dodge them if you want.¡¯ [Telekic de Control] [Improved Energy Sword: Flower des in the Sky] The swords that filled the sky, controlled by the tip of Davey¡¯s finger, weren¡¯t small, hidden weapons, but huge energy swords filled with mana. There were some assassination methods that did not embrace patience, such as the use of metallic weapons and energy swords that tantly attack out in the open. Attacking opponents and ripping them to shreds was more Davey¡¯s style than quiet assassination. Of course, the people in ck robes also shouted in shock, ¡°Unbelievable¡­!¡± ¡°You should believe it. This is happening right in front of you.¡± ¡°N¡ªNo!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shwing¡­ With a swift movement of Davey¡¯s hand, the swords in the sky pointed down and began falling like asteroids on the enemies. The rainfall of swords fell like shes of light. Only a very small number of the weapons were metallic ones, with the rest of them being made out of energy. The energy swords pierced through the sky at an unimaginable speed. ¡°Ke¡­ Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± ¡°N¡ªNo! I can¡¯t die like?!¡± Slice!! ¡°People have to take responsibility for what they do.¡± The man who fell without even screaming had an expression of distrust and fear of death¡­ Needless to say, the situation turned into chaos within seconds. ¡°D¡ªDon¡¯t move! Your colleague will di¡­ Kuk!¡± ¡°Who uses the exact same thing twice?¡± ¡®A hostage situation? You. You were there when I did that.¡¯ It didn¡¯t take Davey too long to take care of the people who were running away inplete panic. It was nothing but a massacre, spilling scarlet blood with the energy swords¡¯ descent. * * * ¡°Am I dreaming¡­?¡± Fendyr, who was now free, rubbed her eyes with her hands as she watched the hundreds of swords that filled the sky fall onto the ck-robed people. The betrayal of the captain, who was supposed to be responsible for the knight order, was shocking enough. The fact that Shandra, who had been provoked by someone and was moving unusually, had intruded the territory, and that this had all been Gaor¡¯s scheme was surprising too. However, no one could formte any words about the strange situation happening in front of their eyes. Even the trainees who only knew little about swordsmanship felt the same way. The trainees were full of despair ever since Illyna had be horrendous to look at after being ovee by an eerie, ck fog. After all, they did learn that Davey, who they thought was theirst hope, had disintegrated without leaving a trace from Shandra¡¯s breath too. However, everything afterwardspletely defied their expectations. Shandra, who should have appeared while boasting its enormous presence, tumbled hundreds of meters before crashing into the ground by a single strike of a mysterious golden spear. Then, the person who they thought was dead simply reappeared before their eyes. Furthermore, he had telekic des; if bing a Swordmaster was a dream for people training in swordsmanship, a telekic de was legendary. It was the next step that Masters yearned to reach someday. Even Gaor, who was said to be able to take on three or four Swordmasters at a time, wasn¡¯t able to telekically control his de. Quickly understanding the situation, Lucia Shelman approached her partner, Fendyr, to cast healing magic upon her and murmured to herself, ¡°That sword¡­ It¡¯s fascinating every time I see it¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He did that when we fell to the ancient ruins¡¯ lowest floor. I saw Sir Davey¡¯s two swords shing golems in the air like they were alive.¡± ¡°Do¡­you know how unbelievable that is?¡± ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know? Is that something really amazing?¡± Lucia didn¡¯t know much about swords, so she didn¡¯t understand how surprising and bewildering this situation was. ¡°Damn it¡­ This has to be a dream. Lucia! Get everyone else! Now that Davey is here, let¡¯s do what we can do! Come on!¡± Lucia nced at the trainees, who were sitting on the ground and nkly staring at Davey''s fight. Then, she nodded at Fendyr¡¯s quick request. * * * The nasty odor of blood was overwhelming. Most of the ck-robed people were lying still, their shocked and fearful expressions still visible beneath their hoods. ¡°A telekic de¡­ What are you¡­?¡± ¡°A trainee. You don¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense!!¡± How could a teenage boy execute a level of power that humans could not dream of even if they devoted their entire lives to swordsmanship? ¡°I can barely breathe.¡± Davey flicked his finger at the sight of Gaor stepping back. Gaor was vomiting blood like he had been fatally wounded. Shwing! Boom!! At the same time, a few of Davey¡¯s energy swords flew toward him to block his path and created an explosion. ¡°As I said before¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You need to take responsibility for your actions.¡± ¡°It was a mistake letting you into the knight order in the first ce,¡± Gaor stated. Davey shook his head. ¡°You should think of this differently. Don¡¯t you think it would have been wiser for you to plow through the Pandora Region with me after buttering me up than with that half-wit transcendental being?¡± There was nothing but silence. Still, Davey had a pleasant expression on his face. Now that the situation hade down to this, it would help him in terms of reputation and stability. For example¡­ ¡®Sir Davey, you¡¯re here. Hehe.¡¯ ¡®Haha, Assistant Gaor! You¡¯re here.¡¯ ¡®Ah, it¡¯s only right for me to go everywhere you go, sir.¡¯ ¡®Hahahaha! I like you, Gaor; you¡¯re like my younger brother.¡¯ ¡®Hehe, then about the project of the reform of the Pandora Region¡­¡¯ ¡®Ah, don¡¯t worry about it. How can I ignore your request, Gaor?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t think that was really going to happen. If Gaor had known about his power in the first ce, this may not have happened at all. That being said, Davey had no intention of offering himself and telling Gaor that they could use him for his power. In between birth and death was choice. And in the end, Gaor had made such a choice. Now, he had to take responsibility for his actions. Regret always came toote. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s the use of such banter anymore.¡± Davey lightly swung Red Ribbon and shed the air while ncing at Gaor, who was the only enemy still alive. ¡°Was it¡­your power that blew Shandra away just now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a better use for your final breath?¡± ¡°What?¡± Stter!! Gaor widened his eyes. His body was mercilessly bisected by Davey¡¯s sword. There was bewilderment and confusion on his face as he slowly split into two. ¡®I made up my mind to kill him, so what¡¯s there to further discuss?¡¯ -He probably had his own situation to deal with. Although he made a foolish decision, would he have done this kind of thing if he knew the oue? ¡°A fool who makes rash decisions will make the same mistake again.¡± Human beings had endless greed, which made them repeat the same mistakes, and this cycle could only end in failure. If, by a very small chance, Shandra had been subdued and if Davey wasn¡¯t here, this might have been the knight order¡¯s chance to get into the Pandora Region¡­ Even if it was the wrong way to do so, it was true that Gaor was trying to take over the Pandora Region with Shandra. ¡°And there¡¯s no such thing as a grave without a story.¡± -Like my grave? Giggle. With whatever intention and motive Gaor had created such a situation, Davey was not going to try and understand it. He looked around at the silent surroundings, then copsed the rest of the energy des and walked over to the speechless trainees who were all huddled up. Illyna was lying among the trainees, lying still with a pale and horrendous face. ¡°Weep¡­ Weep¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re alive¡­ It¡¯s such a relief.¡± Some said that it was a relief. ¡°Thank you, Davey¡­ I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened if it wasn¡¯t for you¡­¡± Some showed pure gratitude. However, someone unexpected was unable to regain her consciousness. ¡°Your Highness¡­ Your Highness¡­ Please wake up, please?¡± Alyssa Patrick, whom Illyna was a little ufortable with, shook Illyna and tried to wake her up. She sobbed. ¡°You¡¯re not dead, Your Highness, right? Please don¡¯t say that, please¡­¡± Davey quietly walked past the trainees and squinted at Illyna. He asked, ¡°Dark magic?¡± ¡°Hup¡­ Dark mage¡­ It was a dark mage! A wicked dark mage made Her Highness like this and disappeared! She is alive¡­ But why¡­¡± ¡°Move back for a second,¡± Davey said calmly and brought two fingers to Illyna¡¯s neck. He felt a weak and strange pulse that was half-corpse and half-human, but Illyna was still hanging on with the pure mana she had. Davey knew one type of magic like this: malicious dark magic, [Dark Knight]. Unlike [Death Knight], which made someone into a knight of the dead, [Dark Knight] was a dark magic spell that took away a living person¡¯s consciousness and dposed their body. He asked, ¡°Did they try to make someone into a Dark Knight while they were alive?¡± ¡®But she would¡¯ve had Caldeiras, which is the concentration of holy power¡­¡¯ ¡°N¡­ No¡­ She can¡¯t die! I have a duty to keep Her Highness alive!¡± ¡°Illyna! Please wake up!¡± Since Davey wasn¡¯t doing anything, the trainees were screaming and doing whatever they could to keep Illyna alive. However, what could be done about such a situation? In the midst of that disorder, Davey pped his hands in the air. p! ¡°Move aside.¡± Davey urged the trainees to back off before cing two fingers on Illyna¡¯s forehead. Then, he slowly blinked and ck fumes began seeping out from his entire body. ¡®Hm, I¡¯m not toote yet.¡¯ Chapter 143 ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Dark magic!¡± Some of the trainees backed away in fear as devil mana, which was distinct to dark magic and the very thing that had turned Illyna like that, flowed out of Davey. They looked at him in confusion and surprise. Dark magic was almost buried in this world, but it still had its bad image. Davey only said a single thing to the trainees. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of the power itself, but of the person who uses it. If you don¡¯t, you will regret it someday.¡± ¡®Remember. Just because a person uses holy power doesn¡¯t mean that they are innocent. Remember that there was a Death Lord who sacrificed herself and saved millions of people with dark magic, which people thought was horrendous, but wasn¡¯t even acknowledged for her deed.¡¯ In actual fact, the trainees were mostly surprised that Davey, who had a stigmata, had devil mana and was able to use it without a problem. ¡®How can I exin and make them understand the uniqueness of my body? All I can do is just tell them to believe.¡¯ Whoosh¡­ Crack! With a loud rip, Illyna began to shake. ¡°You still have a debt that you owe. How dare you try to run away? Do you know how much your life is worth?¡± Davey said. The dark energy within Illyna began flowing out like they were being forcibly ripped out. She experienced a prolonged seizure, shaking while the dark energy left her body. Davey continued to use his devil mana to ruthlessly rip away the dark energy. He didn¡¯t bother mentioning that it was actually better that Illyna was unconscious for this. If she was conscious¡­ -She would¡¯ve screamed in extreme pain. If Illyna was conscious, she would have felt the pain of her skin being ripped apart. Davey had studied dark magic and devil mana to the extreme, but he specialized in dealing with the magic in such situations rather than actually casting it. As Illyna¡¯s appearance gradually returned to normal, the trainees were surprised and relieved. Of course, the process couldn¡¯t be assumed to be easy just because Davey had done it so easily. People who knew nothing about this had tried to reverse such a situation by giving a whole bunch of holy power, and they all¡­ ¡®Nice to meet you. Is this your first time seeing a biological bomb?¡¯[1] Holy power and devil mana were powers from extreme opposite ends, so the victim would end up bing a bomb and exploding to death. After all, no one power was stronger than the other. ¡°Okay, take her back,¡± Davey told the trainees. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What do you¡­?¡± Illyna still looked horrible, but Davey turned away without hesitation. Looking at his reaction, the trainees were confused. They murmured, ¡°The treatment¡­¡± ¡°She should return to normal with a little rest. It shouldn¡¯t take long, since I¡¯ve boosted her natural recovery speed.¡± ¡°D¡ªDavey, what about you¡­?¡± ¡°I have something I still need to take care of.¡± Even though Shandra was a clone, it hade from the real thing. It was the mythical beast of someone who used to be Davey¡¯s teacher, so it was Davey¡¯s duty and responsibility to take care of it himself. Roar!! Shandra slowly got back up after Longinus, therge golden spear, had disappeared after losing its effectiveness. Its arm, after being ripped apart by the spear, had disintegrated into ck powder, but soon began regenerating. -That¡¯s not regeneration; it¡¯s basically reconstruction. Perserque mumbled like she found its regenerative abilities absurd. ¡°Well, Shandra Minea¡¯s regenerative ability is the strongest among all the mythical beasts.¡± There was a reason Shandra was called a ¡®Zombie Dragon¡¯. Davey lightly cracked his fingers while he stared at Shandra, who was angrily staring at him with its golden eyes. As energy began circting and crackling throughout Davey¡¯s body, he reached out into the air. Whip!! Boom!! At the same time, Divine Spear Longinus, that had exhausted all its power and had fallen to the ground, quickly came back to his hand. ¡®Just wait a little bit, Shandra number one. I¡¯ll end you as quickly as possible.¡¯ Davey wanted to ask why Shandra was here, what happened to the actual being, and how the clone had turned into this. He also wondered if the actual being was okay. The kings of mythical beasts were spiritually wise beings that were capable ofmunication. As such, he felt a littleplicated about his reunion with Shandra, to be honest. -You¡¯re saying that the real Shandra Minea doesn¡¯t know you. The kings of mythical beasts that Shane Scrift had summoned at the Hall had just been a copy of the powers of the mythical beasts that had been engraved in his soul. As a result, the real Shandra Minea did not know Davey. However, there was still something familiar to him. [Third Form] [Blue Dragon Scimitar] Davey slightly lowered Longinus, which was slowly transforming into the form of arge scimitar. He nted it in the ground. Then, he powerfully stomped on the ground with his left foot to ground himself. As a mysterious feeling filled the air, Fendyr, who was staring with wide eyes among the trainees, was the first to judge the situation. She ran away with Illyna on her back and cried out, ¡°What the heck! I don¡¯t know what it is but run if you don¡¯t want to be caught up in it!!¡± The trainees didn¡¯t know what Davey was going to do, but one¡¯s natural sense of danger could sometimes save them from demise. As Fendyr had already failed the test once, it was expected that she would make such a decision. ¡°W¡­ What?!¡± Everyone else watched Fendyr run away with wide eyes, then began running away with her. ¡°Get as far away as you can. I don¡¯t know how big the aftermath might be because I can¡¯t control the strength of my powers yet.¡± As Davey created an extremely powerful repulsive force by mixing his devil mana and most of his remaining mana, he released it into Longinus, which began to shine with an eerie, dark navy sheen. Shandra, after giving a loud roar and breathing through its open jaw, released an extremely cold breath toward Davey. It was acting insane. Davey dug his left foot into the ground as he faced the destructive ray of power that was heading toward him. The iing attack froze everything in its way. ¡®I think one st of that actually disintegrated my body into powder before metamorphing.¡¯ Since he had no reason to die now, Davey had no reason to be hit by the attack either. With a loud sound, the scimitar that was nted in the ground broke through the ground and emerged with a shine. Arge weapon could reach far and had arge range of attack, and the attack skill that had the longest range that Davey could use without explosives was in spearmanship. [Union of Energy and Power] [Astrea¡¯s Cosmic Spear] [Mantle Cut] Crack!! The crisp sound was apanied by significant damage. ¡®Damn, thisrge and beautiful spear.¡¯ 56. Organization After Death. [Listen carefully! The brave men who learn the spearmanship of Pdia shout this when they charge: ¡°My soul is with Pdia!!!¡±] ¡®I do not want to do that at all.¡¯ Davey was very energetic and extremely talented; the destructive power of his spearmanship was simr to that of Sword Lord Ares. Soon, invisible and sharp ws spread all over the snowy forest and swept over Shandra Minea while turning part of the forest upside down. The aftermath wasn¡¯t small, with the forest sustaining great damage on the ground. Although the real Shandra was as powerful as a Grandmaster, the clone was much weaker since it only had some of the real being¡¯s characteristics. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that the clone was weak. It possessed an unbelievably powerful regenerative ability, but that meant nothing once the core was destroyed. The core of Shandra Minea¡¯s regeneration was its heart; if that heart was safe, it could regenerate forever. Still, it wasn¡¯t a being that could just endure attacks and sustain damage forever. A destructive power ripped apart the scales near Shandra¡¯s heart and pulled apart the tough skin. Davey knew best that he wouldn¡¯t get another opportunity to kill it. Pahh!! Without missing the window of opportunity, Davey bent his fingers into the shape of a w and prated it into Shandra¡¯s heart. Then, with holiness and sincerity, Davey said a prayer, ¡°Littlemb, very urgent. Values an unbelievable amount of grace.¡± Whoosh!! [8th Level: Holy Magic of Blessing] [Rod of God] Normally, Davey would have struck Shandra with an 8th circle me spell, which was the most effective spell to hinder its regenerative ability. However, the most effective method to deal with the clone was to severely corrupt it with holy power. ¡®Your body is corrupt? Treat it with the rod given by God; this is a one-time chance! How do you like the taste of extreme purification?!¡¯ Whoosh!!! With a blinding sh of light, a huge pir of light shot out from Davey¡¯s hand into the sky. The clouds were pierced through by the extreme amount of power. ¨CRoar!!! Even though this Shandra was just a clone, considering the real Shandra Minea¡¯s power, it was a relief that Davey could put a stop to it here before the situation became worse. It was actually a relief that this Shandra wasn¡¯t the real being. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± With a huge sh of light, Davey¡¯s short hair that initially flew in the air from the impact gradually ttened again. At the same time, the ground that shook from an earthquake-like impact returned to stillness. Then, after its heart had been purified, Shandra disintegrated into powder and was blown away by the wind like dust. Davey let go of Longinus and kneeled on the ground to vomit everything that was in his stomach. Stomach acid, blood, and pieces of flesh flowed out along with a viscous liquid. He groaned, ¡°Aw¡­ My stomach¡­¡± -¡­ Using too much power was worse than using none at all. It hadn¡¯t been long since Davey regained his powers, and yet he was already scraping together anything he had despite knowing that he shouldn¡¯t overdo it. He should only be using his full powers after everything returned to its original ce. -Stay still. Perserque sighed. She released demonic force into Davey with a worried expression. -You didn¡¯t regain as much power as you expected? ¡®It was half-sessful. It was definitely worth a try, though.¡¯ It was only part of the power that Davey had expected, but this was still a huge benefit to him. Whatever it was, Davey should be thankful for the fact that he was alive after trying something extremely stupid and dangerous. Bleep! The status window Davey reflexively activated didn¡¯t show any major changes, but he could see some additions. First of all, he received a new title. [Reckless Experimentation Lunatic] Davey chose to ignore the title, which didn¡¯t suggest anything positive. Then, he nced at the ¡®Notes¡¯ section and saw a lot more information. [Imbnce due to forced rearrangement of body.] [Sessfully evolved body though unstable.] [Cirction of arge amount of mana.] [Continuous exhaustion of life (semi-permanent neutralization from the Elixir)] [One who epted and used the power of a mythical beast.] [Promised good deeds (2/10)] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yes, I know full well how crazy this was. This is a dilemma that all experimenters face.¡¯ Once again, Davey felt the discrepancy between theory and reality. He almost destroyed his body right after reviving himself with the Remaining Spark. Except for one thing, Davey believed that he could exin away the situation to everyone else. Whether it was physical or anti-physical, like Odin who was Davey¡¯s magic teacher, he knew that his exnation depended on how it was interpreted and understood. And the thing he just used was a theory that Odin had created with that very mindset. 1. A reference to a meme from the audition program, ¡®Superstar K¡¯ where Lee Seung-Chul wees a contestant into the room. ? Chapter 144 There was a temporary way to evolve humans. The theoretical exnation was too long to get into, but it was called the ¡®Theory of Metamorphosis by Force¡¯. It wasn¡¯t evolution caused by a synergy between mana or some other power and the person¡¯s spiritual growth, but it was a forced evolution caused by human will. Overall, Odin¡¯s theory turned out to be right and wrong. Abination of a strong unexinable current of great power from spiritual growth and the strongest flow of mana that was humanly possible wouldpletely destroy the physical body. This gave rise to the differentiation between temporary and normal metamorphosis. Unlike the regr method of metamorphosis, where only the body was restructured while keeping one¡¯s life safe, temporary metamorphosis broke apart everything in its way without regard for one¡¯s safety. As such, if there wasn¡¯t a safety measure to keep one¡¯s life safe while the physical body went through restructuring, it was nothing more than a new way ofmitting suicide. Furthermore, metamorphosis also required a strong current of immeasurable power; that was why Davey had used Shandra¡¯s flesh, which circted with great power, its breath, a whirlwind of power, and the Remaining Spark, and his spare life. The Remaining Spark was valuable, but it wasn¡¯t a waste to have it help him recover this much power. Davey was simply bothered by the energy of Shandra Minea, the most adaptable king of mythical beasts, staying inside of him. Like a thorn in his side, the energy was not going away. It stuck to him throughout his metamorphosis. Removing it would cause him problems, but leaving it inside him felt weird as well. Thanks to the huge de-spell purification magic he had cast, Davey could see the barrier¡¯s effects starting to wear off. -My father taught a ridiculous fe. ¡®Do you know that your father hits the sky and divides the ocean when fighting about rank between the heroes?¡¯ * * * ¡°It¡¯s a transcendental being¡¯s trace!¡± Boris and the Alpha Reinforcements¡¯ knights urgently entered the forest. They were infuriated after realizing the nasty scheme that was taking ce. They could not forgive Gaor, one of the knight order¡¯s five captains, for his betrayal. They also med the outside presence that seemed to be working with him. In fact, they struggled to enter the forest, which was nketed by a strange power. Because of that, Boris could only pace around anxiously and hope to get in contact with the students by pure luck. Then, for a mere second, a pir of light with a shockingly clear and strong power shot up and tore the clouds in two. The forest shook like an earthquake had struck, and the barrier shattered to the ground. Boris seized the opportunity, yelling, ¡°Groups 1 and 7, search the perimeters of the forest! Group 2, go find the rest of the trainees and protect them! And the rest, follow me to stop Shandra!¡± They all thought that defeating the enemy would be impossible. Four experienced Swordmasters had been helplessly ughtered, and the only people going to stop Shandra this time were two Swordmasters and Advanced Experts at best. No matter the amount of experience or people, this wasn¡¯t an opponent they could win against. However, they had to go; it wasnd they had to protect and trainees they had to save no matter what. Although they had heard that Davey, the strange trainee, had the power of a Master, they were not people who would simply sit around and do nothing. ¡°Everyone! On alert! We charge forth!¡± Boris shouted anxiously while following the traces Shandra had left behind, leading to right after the hill. ¡®Are the trainees still alive?¡¯ The trainees only had a slim chance of survival. Davey was with them, but Boris and the others believed that the children still wouldn¡¯t survive against Captain Gaor, dozens of enemies, and Shandra. ¡°Leader Boris! It¡¯s the children! They haven¡¯t suffered any major injuries, but they are on the ground!¡± Boris widened his eyes. He ran toward them as quickly as possible when he heard the urgent shout. The knight members nned to take Shandra down, but having found the trainees, their priorities had to change for now. ¡°Everyone! Ensure the safety of the children! Gorden! Silve! Find Shandra! Report its movements!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Watching the two blonde and silver-haired men bow before moving, Boris was quickly able to get to where the children were with the search party¡¯s guidance. And¡­ ¡°What¡­is this?¡± Boris¡¯ jaw dropped wide open as he stared at the horrendous situation in front of him. The children were on the ground, their postures suggesting that they had been running away until having been caught in the middle of a huge altercation. They were unconscious. However, the incrediblyrge aftermath hadn¡¯t been caused by Shandra, the being that Boris initially suspected; if it was the dragon who did this, he would have seen the dragon. The horrendous scene that Boris could barely believe with his own eyes had been caused by something unbelievably enormous. He wondered if this was the oue of a w that was hundreds of meters long tearing through the ground. The vast white forest, initially covered in snow, had been ripped apart and turned inside out. Boris had to make sure the children were safe first, but he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the scene in front of him. He murmured, ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Not only did Boris feel that way, but the knights beside him also mumbled in shock as well. They all wondered just who had caused this unbelievable situation. With his sharp eyesight, Boris saw someone standing in the middle of a gigantic crater. He knew that someone had to be the reason behind this incident. He wanted to ask if that was even possible, but his instincts were telling him that it was true. The person silently standing among the ck dust was a boy. He looked up at the sky with a long spear in his hand, like he was sending his condolences toward some higher ce. ¡°Davey¡­¡± Upon realization, Boris called out the boy¡¯s name. Davey, cracking his neck peacefully while standing in the middle of the crater, was nothing but calm. Zing¡­ Leader Boris! Answer! Report on the situation! Boris could hear the urgent voice of one of the Alpha Reinforcements¡¯ captains through themunication crystal, which began working after the barrier had fallen apart. He replied in a somewhat shocked voice, ¡°Boris Tellman, leader of the first group, reports that¡­the catastrophe is over.¡± -What? What are you talking about?! What about Shandra?! What happened to Gaor, that betrayer? ¡°That is¡­¡± Boris could see neither Shandra, the king of mythical beasts, nor Gaor, so he clearly had his answer. He repeated, ¡°It seems like¡­the catastrophe has already ended¡­¡± Boris could hear confused voices from the crystal after he gave his report. -What? That makes no sense?! Shandra¡¯s not just some regr fe, ya know? And do ya know what kinda person Gaor is?! Did ya check right?! ¡°Yeah, so¡­¡± ¡®Come see this for yourself. Transcendental being or betrayer or whatever, I¡¯m having a hard time believing it too.¡¯ Boris didn¡¯t know how to describe this bewildering situation, and he found himself speechless for a very long time. * * * Simply put, this situation was like a bomb had suddenly exploded. Everyone who saw the situation, including Boris, could only say one thing, ¡°Davey¡­ What¡¯s the issue with that guy?!¡± Everyone¡ªeven the experienced trainees or the trainees who had seen it happen with their own two eyes¡ªthought the same way. They thought that Davey being an Expert was impossible, because that meant that he would have started to use and reinforce mana. Then, what about him being a Swordmaster? Or a 6th circle mage? Although he could be a Master, everyone thought the same thing. ¡®Impossible.¡¯ Davey had, needless to say, created a terribly big situation. This was especially true since he was a prince from a small kingdom who had spent half of his life in aa. The only things that the knight order had found out about Davey were that he was the First Prince of a small and powerless kingdom, he had been unconscious for a long time, he had received a stigmata, and he had an outstanding knowledge of medicine. Davey¡¯s progress in the Ordem Territory was a bit odd, but there wasn¡¯t anything the knights could find out about that. A stigmata was also just a sign of God and not a measure of the mastery of holy power, so it didn¡¯t make sense that Davey could show this much power just because he had that. The knight order did previously hear that Davey possessed an unbelievable power, but they really couldn¡¯t believe it, not even those who had seen it with their own two eyes. The extent of Davey¡¯s power was much greater than they had imagined. ¡°Trainee Davey¡­ I can¡¯t tell if he¡¯s a timebomb or a gift from God¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s look on the bright side. Trainee Davey isn¡¯t all that righteous, but he is clearly amicable toward us. There¡¯s no reason to be hostile toward him, and it¡¯s also true that this situation wouldn¡¯t have ended here if it wasn¡¯t for him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, ya know. To be honest, that Davey fe is the least of ma concerns. My head is hurtin¡¯ since I gotta take care of ma own son right naw.¡± ¡°But we should still try to understand the full situation.¡± The captains and high-level members had a quick discussion. They found out that the traitorous Gaor was dead, and Shandra, the transcendental being that had been running wild, was taken care of. This was the achievement of a boy who had just be a trainee and was supposed to take a formal test. Ever since the incident back at the ancient ruins, the captains and high-level members knew this strange trainee named Davey was very powerful. Sio Howl, who didn¡¯t have a big mouth, and Lucia, who had a quirky personality, both didn¡¯t say much about that particr situation. However, they were able to tell that Davey had the power of a Master. However, this incident made all of them intrigued about who he really was and what his limits were. ¡°His powers are simr to the Sword Lord¡¯s powers in the ancient books. Perhaps¡­he is aplete sessor of the Sword Lord?¡± ¡°Sessor of the Sword Lord? Hahahaha! Why don¡¯t ya just call him a dragon? Chuckle!¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re right! It was too much of an overestimation.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ Davey was indeed the Sword Lord¡¯s student, but the captain and high-level member who were discussing this matter had no way of knowing that. ¡°Besides that, isn¡¯t it more important for us to find the organization that was working with Captain Gaor?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious what organization both knew about Alpha Reinforcements and could take them on.¡± ¡°Another Last Wisp¡­¡± Several organizations of Last Wisp were spread out across the continent. Of course, the knight orders all had an idea of what organization might have been working with who. Chapter 145 ¡°I will investigate that problem. We have also captured Treve, the illusionist who betrayed us. I will try to find out more from him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.¡± ¡°We also have to take care of the other problems. It¡¯s about the funeral for the knights who passed away and the trainees who have been hurt.¡± ¡°One trainee did pass away, but the rest seem to be fine. I don¡¯t know if we should be d or consider the situation unfortunate.¡± ¡°Really¡­ I¡¯m afraid of the damages that would¡¯ve happened if we didn¡¯t have Trainee Davey¡­¡± The knight order had to admit what was true; the power and strength Davey had was beyond the scope of what they could understand. ¡°His achievements are huge. We must consider a medal and title for that, along with a reward. Not only that, but we must all show our gratitude for a trainee who has done such an honorable thing.¡± One of the captains of the knight order asked, ¡°So? So, where is this Trainee Davey who aplished this great thing?¡± ¡°Well, he said he was going to rest in his dorm¡­¡± Thump!! ¡°My apologies! A report!¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the knight who suddenly barged into the meeting room. ¡°T¡­ Trainee Davey has¡­¡± ¡°What happened! Has something happened to him?!¡± As Davey had achieved something huge, they were wondering if he had gotten some sort of rebound effect from it. ¡°He¡­has left after leaving behind a letter!¡± The knight shouted as he pulled out a note. [I will step back to support the knight order as a Roaming Knight.] With the trainee dering a long-term vacation from the start, the knights in the entire meeting room fell into silence. * * * Gaor, one of the captains who betrayed the knight order, had died, and all but one of the ck-robed people who followed him had died as well. Furthermore, the clone of Shandra Minea they had tried to bring also died in Davey¡¯s hands. In terms of the oue, Alpha Reinforcements was indebted to Davey. Although he was a trainee, this incident wasn¡¯t something that should¡¯ve been taken care of by a mere trainee. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Illyna let out a painful moan as she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°How are you? You okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the worst¡­¡± Illyna looked even colder than usual due to the deep frown on her face. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°The knight order¡¯s headquarters.¡± Illyna chuckled as she looked up at Davey with a nk face. ¡°What did I expect? How could they have killed you?¡± ¡°It sounds like you wanted me to die or something.¡± ¡°You would be fine even if I prayed in the temple for a hundred days. And I never wanted something like that.¡± As Illyna spoke, she tried to get up. However, she couldn¡¯t help but frown from the pain that followed. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to rest for a few days. Go back to your kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­I remember this weird energy entering my body¡­¡± Illyna instinctively realized that something had happened to her body as she looked down at her hand, which looked somewhat thinner than usual. ¡°Davey.¡± Then, with a hoarse voice, Illyna called out to Davey and hugged him before he could even answer. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re safe¡­¡± Illyna seemed to disregard the state of her own body. She appeared to be more worried about Davey, and her sincere voice was full of relief. As Davey silently listened to her, Illyna began choking up. ¡°I know you¡¯re strong¡­ But I was really nervous for some reason¡­ I was really nervous this time¡­¡± A transcendental being was no joke; Yulis and Illyna had called Davey crazy and monstrous and such, but even he couldn¡¯t have beaten Shandra Minea with his overwhelming talent. After all, there was a limit to this power engraved in his soul, the circles he had rushed to create after waking up, and the fact that his body couldn''t metamorph. Shandra¡¯s presence alone carried a different weight than Davey. As Davey slightly raised his head while Illyna hugged him in tears, Perserque made an ¡®X¡¯ with her hands to stop him from doing anything weird. He simply wondered to himself, ¡®I wonder if Illyna knows that my dream is to be a rascal.¡¯ Crack! ¡°Kyah?!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been that long since I massaged your muscles, and yet it¡¯s like this again. You should learn how to use your body properly first. If you use too much mana, not only will it damage your muscles, but your organs as well. Do you want to be disabled?¡± ¡°Youuu!¡± Illyna shouted with teary eyes. Davey flicked Illyna¡¯s forehead. ¡°You have a lot to say for someone who just almost died.¡± ¡°W¡ªWhere are you going?!¡± ¡°Back to the territory.¡± ¡°S¡ªShandra¡­ What about the transcendental being?!¡± ¡®Transcendental being? Oh, the transcendental being¡¯s clone that was so strong it looked like the real thing?¡¯ ¡°I let it go.¡± ¡®Perhaps I would have been able to talk to it if it was the real Shandra.¡¯ Illyna frowned like she couldn¡¯t understand Davey, but sighed after realizing what he meant by saying that and pointing upward to the sky. She was smart, after all. She said, ¡°So¡­ You¡¯re saying that you killed the transcendental being? Did I hear you right? You got the transcendental being?¡± ¡°I got it and I got rid of itpletely.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re not human, are you? You¡¯re like a dragon or some¡­¡± ¡°And Sio Howl is dead,¡± Davey said and threw a nket at Illyna to cover her. ¡°Sio, that stupid¡­¡± ¡°He was already dead by the time I got there.¡± There was a state where nothing, not even medicine or holy power, could cure; what was needed was the power of resurrection. Davey did have something simr, and he could have resurrected Sio if he really wanted to. However, there was no reason for him to do that. -What is the price? ¡®A year of my life. And I can only do it once in my life, ording to the contract I have with God.¡¯ Resurrection wasn¡¯t just any spell. It was one of the 9th level ultimate holy magic spells; not only was it difficult to use, but the price of it was entirely different. -It was a uselessparison. Sio Howl was extremely talented, but his life still could not evenpare to a year of Davey¡¯s life. Davey didn¡¯t exactly like him all that much and he really had no reason to be sad about Sio¡¯s death. However, as a doctor, it didn¡¯t feel very good to watch an injured person die right in front of him. Although, Davey did capture Treve, inhibit his illusion magic and hand him off to the knight order. Even if Davey was called a saint, he was just someone who worshiped God and had made a contract with them. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the territory. Don¡¯t step foot into the Rowane Kingdom for the time being.¡± ¡°What?! Why?!¡± Illyna asked. ¡°Rest in your kingdom. And the Rowane Kingdom is going to be quite disorderly for a while. You¡¯re a princess of an empire; I can¡¯t help you if you barge in and get an earful.¡± Illyna stayed quiet, seemingly in understanding. Although she had a problem with vampires, this was none of her business in the first ce. ¡®I¡¯ve waited until now; how much longer do I have to wait?¡¯ This was thest time Davey would be considerate to His Majesty. As Davey turned away with a slightly dark gaze, Illyna urgently grabbed him by his clothes. She said, ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Illyna lowered her head timidly, then added, ¡°And don¡¯t get hurt. If you do, my dreams are going to be too scary.¡± Davey no longer frowned, chuckling as he heard Illyna. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be down just because of some emotions; I¡¯m being needlessly sentimental.¡¯ ¡°Okay.¡± * * * After leaving a short letter behind, Davey returned to the Heins Territory without even waiting for the trainees to wake up. Then, he called upon Monmider, captain of the royal guards, Amy, the estate¡¯s substitute manager who was working in Davey¡¯s ce, and Bernile, Amy¡¯s teacher. ¡°Did you call, sir?¡± Monmider looked like a proper knight now. Davey had heard that the territory¡¯s royal guards, who were aplete mess before, hade together quite nicely due to Sir Berman¡¯s training. The three of them looked tense as if they noticed Davey¡¯s stern expression. ¡°Amy. Royal Attendant Bernile.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile bowed his head for the both of them. Amy had somewhat of a title, but Bernile had a higher rank since he was from the family of a count.¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of ending things at the royal pce.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Bernile widened his eyes in shock. He muttered, ¡°What do¡­?¡± Bernile was smart, so he knew exactly what Davey meant. He knew that Davey was going to end the feud, whether it was going to be the end of him or the royal pce. ¡°I¡¯ve waited for His Majesty for too long. The Heins Territory will maintain its usual appearance no matter what happens during the process.¡± Bernile stayed silent. ¡°And Monmider.¡± ¡°Yes¡ªYes, Your Highness!¡± Monmider shouted with a tense face. He seemed both worried and excited about Davey¡¯s next n. He was still distrusting of nobility and royalty, but he was loyal to Davey. ¡°You¡¯re going to go where I tell you and meet someone.¡± Even though he was loyal, Monmider still stared at Davey with a worried gaze. Being cautious was beneficial, and he still couldn¡¯t totally let go of that quality of his. 57. I Will Drag You Out If You Don¡¯t Come Out Yourself. ¡°I found them.¡± ¡°You found them?¡± A figure suddenly began forming in empty space before a masked man appeared. It was Jack. He said, ¡°Yes, there was a report stating people that looked simr to the missing people from each territory were found in the Oltias Territory, one of Duke Bariatta¡¯snds.¡± ¡°Any more details?¡± ¡°That was all I could find with my abilities. It was clearly something outside my capabilities. However¡­¡± Jack trailed off and mumbled in an eerie voice. He was furious. ¡°There are several reports about some of those people. Their mummified corpses were thrown in the river after all the blood was sucked out of them.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ How typical.¡± The vampires were acting exactly how Davey expected them to. Vampires would secretly kidnap a specific human who met their conditions and suck out their blood until the human became a mummified corpse. Davey had just ordered Jack to investigate the situation just in case, but he really hit the jackpot. Of course, they didn¡¯t deserve to die because they were just vampires, but this was crossing the line. Afterward, Davey drew up an image of the royal pce at the capital and got up from his seat. ¡°Where¡­are you going?¡± ¡°Keep digging for information. I¡¯m heading to the royal pce.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use the mana gate if you¡¯re heading to the pce at this time.¡± ¡°Who said I was using the mana gate?¡± ¡®Where else can I use my powers?¡¯ Whoosh¡­ Boom!! As soon as Davey spoke, arge purple magic circle appeared on the ground. As it shone, Rinne appeared. She slightly widened her eyes before running over and holding onto Davey¡¯s leg. ¡°Rinne follows where Sir Davey goes.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stay here?¡± ¡°Rinne rejects.¡± Rinne was quite firm with her answer. Davey then nced at Jack who was staring at him with wide eyes. He asked, ¡°Why are you surprised when you know everything?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t teleportation magic a 7th circle spell?¡± ¡®Hm, he knows a lot since he¡¯s a secret spy.¡¯ ¡°This isn¡¯t teleportation.¡± [8th Circle Magic: Space Jump] [Warp] This was a magic spell different from [Teleportation] and it was much more advanced. Tzzzz!! Huge purple sparks vibrated near Davey, and with a strong shake, the scene in front of his eyes changedpletely. Chapter 146 The king¡¯s pce waspletely silent. It was as if he hadpleted his work and had gone to bed. Nothing could be heard in the pce except for Davey¡¯s footsteps and the pitter-patter of Rinne¡¯s bare feet touching the ground. Rinne¡¯s feet were durable, but it was quite weird for her to avoid shoes. Aside from protection, shoes would also keep her feet from getting dirty. However, Rinne didn¡¯t seem to care. Davey did make her wear ck tights under her skirt as Illyna had begged him to, but her white feet were still exposed since the tights only came down to her ankles. ¡°Hup! Y¡ªYour Highness!¡± Davey familiarly entered the pce. As he headed toward the king¡¯s bedroom, he quietly spoke to the servant anddy-in-waiting guarding the door. ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°B¡ªBut, Your Highness! Without any message beforehand at this time¡­¡± ¡°Open.¡± Davey instantly frowned as his voice got colder. ¡°The door.¡± The servant anddy-in-waiting turned pale from Davey¡¯s flowing killing aura, since they were not used to his powers yet. It wasn¡¯t their fault in the first ce, but it was difficult for Davey to control his killing aura right now. It was like his soul was used to it, but his body wasn¡¯t. Unlike the time he first woke up and slowly familiarized himself with his powers over the course of a few months, it was faster this time. As Davey was about to sigh while the servant anddy-in-waiting looked at each other in aplete panic¡­ An old man¡¯s voice rang out from inside the bedroom; it was King Krianes. He was still awake although it was quitete. ¡°That¡¯s alright. Let him in.¡± The door hinges quietly moved as the doors opened, and Davey walked into an antique-style room. ¡°Davey, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°May infinite blessing be upon the Sun of the kingdom. Please forgive my insolence.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. I do not want to receive such a formal greeting from you here. And it¡¯s also not rude for a son toe visit his father.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, for your subordinate to show respect¡­¡± ¡°That is not needed between a father and son.¡± ¡®Are you still being stubborn?¡¯ King Krianes, who smiled at the kneeling Davey and held his hand tightly, looked more worn out than when they first reunited. He said, ¡°Yes, I heard you went to the Lyndis Empire.¡± ¡°Yes, I was invited to theing-of-age celebration of Princess Aeria El Lyndis, the empire¡¯s youngest princess.¡± ¡°You probably met Carlus.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ It would be nice if he came to his senses and grew up.¡± Strangely, there was almost no hint of care or love in King Krianes¡¯ voice. The closestparison that Davey could make would be love and hate. Noticing that, Davey then said, ¡°Your Majesty, you do know why I came to see you thiste in the night.¡± King Krianes¡¯ eyes deepened as Davey spoke. Then, he said, ¡°Can you give it up, Davey?¡± ¡°I am sorry, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°I am not going to live much longer. Can you think of it as your father¡¯sst request?¡± ¡®Last request? Granted by who?¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t help but scoff. ¡°Your Majesty, may I tell you something?¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you have yet to pay for your sins.¡± As King Krianes remained silent, Davey then added, ¡°Do not try to die without my permission. I will revive you even if you die.¡± ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you made this kingdom into this mess, made Mother die, abandoned me, and allowed the nobility to run wild. You did that, and you are just going to run away?¡± ¡®You cannot die until you take care of all of that. I will revive you if I have to. And when you have done everything, you will have to leave the crown to Baris. Only then can you die in my hands or live a long life or do whatever you want.¡¯ ¡°I heard about the Lyndis Empire. You grew up so well even when a neglectful father like me couldn¡¯t protect you. You also have outstanding judgment and the bold decisiveness a leader should have.¡± King Krianes stood up and slowly approached Davey. He went on while holding Davey¡¯s hand, like he was appealing to him. ¡°Not only that, but your stigmata has been recognized by the Holy Empire, and you have used your exceptional medical knowledge to cure the Lyndis Empire¡¯s youngest princess; you have achievements great enough for the empire¡¯s acknowledgment and you have made your own ally.¡± King Krianes sighed. ¡°If you want the crown, it is yours. However, as a king, anyone who takes the path of force cannot decide on every little thing. It was like that for me as well.¡± ¡°That is an excuse.¡± ¡°A king¡­¡± King Krianes went on with a painful expression. ¡°Has too many people to protect. Davey, do you know how many people there are in this kingdom? There are five million. Not one, not a dozen, but five million. Do you know what that means? It means that five million people can live or die depending on a king¡¯s decision.¡± ¡®That is why a king cannot decide everything, and there are things he has to ignore even while knowing it.¡¯ Davey erased the cold smile from his face and stared at King Krianes, who went on to say, ¡°Alright¡­ Just let out all of your resentment toward me. I can happily die by your sword with a smile on my face if you can be a sessful king.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I have told you from the beginning¡­¡± ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°Please grant me the title of ¡®Investigator¡¯. I will take care of the nobility.¡± King Krianes widened his eyes in surprise. He eximed, ¡°Davey!!¡± ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t know, but¡­the Bariatta family has joined forces with vampires and has been offering this kingdom¡¯s subjects to them as a sacrifice for a long time. Did you know that?¡± King Krianes widened his eyes even more. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°At first, it was Her Majesty the Queen. Her Majesty didn¡¯t know the truth, but it is true that she was their support. And¡­¡± Davey emphasized every word that he said. ¡°That damn Carlus is doing it even while knowing what is going on. But you just let them be? Is that the path of a king? Does being a king meant ignoring the deaths of hundreds and thousands of people to save five million?¡± King Krianes couldn¡¯t say a word as Davey bombarded him with criticism. Davey went on. ¡°I cannot let such senseless people run wild in the kingdom that Baris, my brother, will inherit. Please send word if you decide on it. Your Majesty, you do not have to interfere in this anymore. No matter what they do, I will crush them.¡± Davey¡¯snguage became rougher as he became more emotional. ¡°Are you thinking of something else? Are you thinking of trying to use the allied Lyndis Empire to crush the nobility and force an end to this situation?¡± ¡®If that happens, they willy low and hide while looking for another opportunity.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I would stand by and let that happen? If you want, I will cause a rebellion.¡± ¡°Davey!¡± ¡°Do you think I won¡¯t? I will do it. That is the kind of guy I, Davey O¡¯Rowane, Your Majesty¡¯s son, am.¡± The enemies¡¯st hit wouldn¡¯t be King Krianes or Marquis Peiltris who had been handicapping the nobility¡¯s power; it would be Davey, which was why he had rushed to regain his power. * * * Perhaps King Krianes thought that he couldn¡¯t subdue his son¡¯s stubbornness, because he did give the title of ¡®General Investigator¡¯ to Davey. No matter what the past rtionship between Davey¡¯s mother, King Krianes, and Queen Lynesse, was, King Krianes probably had no choice since he had be aware of the fact that the nobility had crossed a line and that Davey may do something extreme. However, if what Davey had told him was true, this was a heavy crime that the nobility couldn¡¯t ze over with any kind of excuse. Of course, there was pushback about giving Davey the title of ¡®Investigator¡¯, but there weren¡¯t any problems in the end. The nobility didn¡¯t possess the amount of power they had before, and King Krianes, who was furious, had pushed this through. The very first thing Davey did after receiving the royal order that formally named him as General Investigator was to use his newly given right to gather the pce knights. Although they were just Experts, they would be enough helping hands. The second thing he did as the General Investigator was spread a rumor andmand the fifty knights who had been selected to serve him. ¡°We will start to break down the house of a harmful insect. Don¡¯t worry. Even if the insect is dangerous, you have me. All you have to do is break the house down.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand!¡± ¡°Remember, you are valuable knights of the Rowane Kingdom. I won¡¯t let you die.¡± A me red up from Davey¡¯s hand, then disappeared. His mana reacted with his emotions and showed up as a hot me, since he wasn¡¯t used to it yet; it was worse than he thought. Although¡­ ¡®Fire is the best at getting rid of insects.¡¯ * * * ¡°It¡¯s Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°Hup! I¡­ I greet His Highness the Prince!¡± Davey nced at the empty storage space behind the man who was lowering his head nervously. He asked, ¡°Is this an abandoned storage?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Yes, it is. It was originally a storage space to store supplies for the duke¡¯s family¡­ But the supplies were cut off for some reason, so¡­¡± ¡®A spider has set up its web, but it¡¯s totally empty.¡¯ The five knights who followed Davey here looked confused. The facility did just look like an abandoned storage space from the outside. ¡°Really? Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Of course¡­ But what brings you to this small territory¡­?¡± Asking that question, the man slightly raised his head from the floor. Davey chuckled. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m here?¡± Hup. Davey took a short breath and wielded Blue Ribbon. He could use his hands to undo the barrier, but why bother when¡­ Crack¡­ Crack! ¡°Sh¡­ Shriek?!¡± The barrier would break with a sh from Blue Ribbon? As the space distorted and the barrier broke, the storage¡¯s interiorpletely changed. The empty ground sunk down to reveal a path. ¡°It seems like you gave the barrier some thought, but you should¡¯ve remembered who you¡¯re up against.¡± As he spoke, Davey nonchntly released his holy power. [Holy Coating] [Defensive Armor] [Divine Shield] It was an adequate level of holy magic that should be effective. The knights, who looked down in surprise at the instantly engraved holy magic, soon remembered that Davey had a stigmata and began to quickly charge into the abandoned storage space¡¯s basement. Soon, they widened their eyes in shock. ¡°What should we do with you?¡± Davey asked the man who was managing the storage calmly, and the man turned pale. ¡®He would¡¯ve kept it secret even though he knew what was going on.¡¯ ¡°P¡ªPlease kill me!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that then.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Stter! ¡®You asked me to kill you, so what else can I do?¡¯ If the man kept quiet despite knowing such atrocities were happening, not even a decapitation would be enough for his crimes. The man copsed onto the ground without a single scream. His eyes remained wide open. Davey walked over the man¡¯s corpse, and slowly walked into the basement as he coated Red Ribbon with holy power. Chapter 147 ¡°Keugh¡­¡± ¡°Kagh¡­¡± The two men, who were crushed into immobility by Davey¡¯s feet, red at him with a deadly gaze. ¡°Your Highness! We found the survivors.¡± ¡°There are thirty people!¡± ¡°Transport all of them to the temple and have them receive advanced purification magic spells. I will cover all of the costs incurred.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! What are you all doing?! Move!¡± As the knights were impartial, neither part of the nobility nor royalists, they clearly seemed infuriated by this situation. Humans were kidnapping fellow humans to sacrifice them to monsters; such incidents weremon in the criminal underworld, but this situation was of arge enough scale to be entirely different. ¡°Gurgle¡­ Kagh¡­ L¡­ Lord Pace will kill you!¡± All Davey found in the basement were two low-rank vampires. There weren¡¯t many high-rank vampires here. Perhaps they were not stationed here, or they had gone somewhere else. Davey clicked his tongue as he watched the victims, ranging from little girls to older women, being transported by the knights with nkets wrapped around them. ¡®Asking them won¡¯t do anything, since they also have failsafes¡­¡¯ Crackle. [Sir Davey, Rinne reports that the problem is resolved.] ¡°The damage?¡± [Rinne is an excellentbat weapon. Reporting that there is no damage. Furthermore, Rinne has found many human females and is transporting them to the temple.] ¡°Good work. We just went through thest storage, so you can withdraw.¡± [Rinne understands.] Davey turned off the short-rangemunication crystal and stared down at the vampires who stared back menacingly. He was their archnemesis. The vampires looked simr to humans, but they were strange because of their pale skin, long incisors, and the red eyes that appear whenever they release their powers. -Those qualities already make them pretty different, right? ¡®You¡¯re right?¡¯ Davey silently stared at the vampires under his feet with benevolence. ¡°You damn human! Lord Pace will rip you up into shreds!¡± ¡°How dare a lowly human!¡± Davey nodded as they bombarded him with violentments. Hemented, ¡°Sure, it¡¯s natural for you predators to feed on humans, who are the predated. So, I will forgive you.¡± When Davey spoke to them as benevolent as an angel descending down from the sky, the two vampires looked confused. However, they put on a twisted smile and smirked like they were transformed by his kind smile. ¡°Then untie thi¡­¡± ¡°But will she forgive you?!¡± Stter!! The vampires¡¯ heads flew up into the air as Davey instantly erased his smile and cut their tough necks with Red Ribbon like slicing tofu. ¡®Um, Red Ribbon says she can¡¯t.¡¯ [Red Ribbon did it! Did it! Did I do a good job?] ¡®Aw, I don¡¯t know whose daughter you are, but you are so good.¡¯ Red Ribbon wasn¡¯t in her human form, but Davey could hear her voice ringing in his head with a faint vibration. ¡®Even if they are vampires, low-ranking ones will be finished if beheaded by a de with holy power.¡¯ Davey let go of his insane expression and nodded at the knights staring at him in confusion and awe. He ordered, ¡°Collect all the bodies; they will be disyed in the capital''s square. Write their crimes on their bodies and hang them naked.¡± ¡®Since they live such prideful lives, this will drive the hidden ones crazy and force them out.¡¯ As prideful as vampires were, they would be infuriated by the attack of someone they considered inferior. This rule applied even to their own kind. Since vampires had more pride than any other kind, this was bound to work. ¡°Sir, the rumors are spreading and spreading. And their next hiding ce¡­¡± ¡°Lead the way to the next ce. We are getting to all the ces by the end of the day.¡± The knights, who were surprised by Jack¡¯s sudden appearance, hesitated before quickly getting into position. They followed Davey. * * * ¡°Damn it!!!¡± Crash!!! Public opinions were a scary thing. ¡°How dare these lowly beings do this to me!¡± Carlus clenched his jaw and made a big scene, even forgetting the fact that his wig had fallen off his head. Carlus couldn¡¯t hide his anger. He was of great blood ever since birth. His talent, appearance, and bloodline; he had lived his entire life thinking that everything about him was the best in this kingdom. Anything that bothered him was gotten rid of with one word, and he had always been told that he was extremely gifted; he would be the next king; he was a great and noble being. For someone who had grown up hearing those things, this public and widespread hostility toward him brought unbearable anger. His ears were practically hurting from the loud screams of people demanding his execution. ¡°It is your fault. If you did this more secretly, this situation wouldn¡¯t have happened!!¡± Carlus shouted, shaking from anger. The man slowly opened his eyes and stared at Carlus with a frighteningly cold gaze. He smirked, no longer deep in thought. ¡°It seems like that greenhorn, Davey, knows what makes the nobility angry,¡± Pacemented. ¡°I think ripping his limbs off and sucking the blood out of everyone he cares about will make me feel better.¡± Listening to Pace quietly mumbling from his seat, Carlus trembled slightly. He could feel the vampire¡¯s frightening killing aura and red energy flowing out, so he soon stepped back. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°We are being bothered just as we¡¯re close to the finish line. Well, alright. We can start after getting rid of the insect bothering us. You do what you can, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡± ¡°I have to crush the insect that has attacked us without knowing his ce. I am done ying.¡± Carlus couldn¡¯t help but wipe the cold sweat dripping down his face as Pace disappeared into space. Although they had a contract, there was something more eerie about Pace than the cold gaze of Shari, Carlus¡¯ mother¡¯sdy-in-waiting. * * * ¡°This can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°Vampires?? Have you been doing something this insane without telling us?! Your Excellency?!¡± Duke Bariatta was silently listening to the nobility¡¯s protests. He knew that this would get out some time, but it came out much worse than he had expected. Duke Bariatta wasn¡¯t blind; he knew that Carlus was apanying some unknown presence and that it was some strange being that didn¡¯t hide his weird aura, unlike thedy-in-waiting whom his daughter was with. The quick ones already noticed the eerie difference that Pace had. Later, Duke Bariatta found out that Pace was a vampire, and he epted the fact that they were going to help Carlus. Of course, there was a little problem where Duke Bariatta himself had to kidnap some people and offer them, but he thought there was no way a few deaths would interfere with his path. It was a good idea to disguise the storage space so well that even exceptional priests and mages couldn¡¯t recognize it. It was an investment, considering the absurd amount of power Duke Bariatta had. He believed that everything would be fine if he won the internal war with the vampire¡¯s help, even if the crown prince position was given to Davey instead of Carlus. That was because, by that point, the royalists and nobility would already be past the point of no return. ¡°Everyone, calm down.¡± ¡°Calm down?! Do you think we can calm¡­¡± ¡°Are you suddenly afraid?¡± The nobility went quiet as Duke Bariatta spoke nonchntly. The duke continued, ¡°Everyone here has already taken part in the act. Do you think they will back off even if you stop now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s think. We are going to do what we can. If this war is going to happen anyways, we¡¯re better off having something we can win with up our sleeve.¡± The nobility murmured amongst themselves and then quietened down. ¡°Count Vons.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°What happened to the delivery of military supplies?¡± ¡°We have sessfully received arge number of weapons, and they are new dwarf-made ones as well. It was like they were scraping together as much money as they could. We bought a good amount at a cheap price through different routes.¡± ¡°Hm, dwarf-mades¡­ Where did you buy them?¡± ¡°The Heins Territory. Hehe, Prince Davey was stupid. The weapons he sold wille back to choke him. In fact, the new weapons¡¯ durability and sharpness that we tested with steel swords was clearly outstanding. Thanks to that, we were able to¡­¡± Duke Bariatta flinched. ¡°What?¡± ¡°The weapons are outstand¡­¡± ¡°Before that.¡± ¡°Oh, we bought them from the Heins Territory.¡± Duke Bariatta rubbed his forehead as he heard Count Vons¡¯ report. ¡®Something is off.¡¯ From what Duke Bariatta knew, Prince Davey wasn¡¯t stupid enough to openly do something like that. To think that the prince rushed to do this out of hostility and anger toward them¡­ It seemed too much like a well-thought-out game. It was like he had helped them behind the scenes to cause an uprising¡­ ¡®Oh¡­ It¡¯s a trap.¡¯ Duke Bariatta clenched his jaw. He was certain that it was a trap, but he couldn¡¯t back out or do anything in this situation. It didn¡¯t matter what vampires were like or what kind of person Carlus was; everything would be decided by the result of this internal war, and with his n, he would be able to withstand the pressure from other kingdoms as they had no right to interfere in internal conflicts of this kingdom. If Marquis Peiltris hadn¡¯t taken the ledger with their corrupt deeds, and if the First Prince wasn¡¯t here, there wouldn¡¯t have been any problems, but it was toote to think that now. 58. If the Pce Gates Are Too Strong, Destroy the Pce Walls. This was a rebellion caused by a few high-rank nobles with Duke Bariatta as its leader. As the spark was lit on the internal conflict, the atmosphere of the pce was at its worst. The nobility and Duke Bariatta, the cause of this rebellion, had an army of thirty thousand and had one Swordmaster, along with a few vampires. As he held half the military power, he had gathered an astonishing number of people considering the poption of this kingdom. Even a Swordmaster, who each had the power of an entire army, would definitely lose if they fought against ten thousand people. However, the army that the royalists had scraped together were ten thousand people and Marquis Peiltris. To be exact, they also had Davey, who was thought to have just started using holy magic from his stigmata. Everyone knew that the royalists were at a huge disadvantage for this flight. Even the ten thousand was filled by young men of the kingdom who volunteered in fury after hearing they had colluded with vampires and took royal subjects as sacrifices. ¡°We are ready, Your Highness.¡± Chapter 148 Rolling a pebble in his hand, Davey nodded once he heard Monmider, the royal guards¡¯ captain and Berman, the knight responsible for training. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go,¡± Davey said calmly, then began walking as he locked thetches on his armor. Only five hundred people from the Heins Territory were selected. It definitely wasn¡¯t arge number of people; what difference would five hundred people make when the war involved tens of thousands of people? Of course, this very much depended on their activities, but Davey had no intentions of executing a secret n with these people. ¡°Thank you all for gathering.¡± The knights¡¯ equipment was in great condition, since Davey had poured a lot of money into it. They had shiny chainmail, and their spears were carved and sharpened. The knights who knew how to ride a horse were in full-body armor and showed their pride as cavalry, although there were only about ten of them. ¡°Some of you are upset that I haven¡¯t been paying as much attention to the territory as I should have.¡± Everyone was quiet. There were a lot of guards who had served Davey as militia members, but there were also quite a few people who had be royal guards after moving here as the territory developed. The new guards looked confused and doubtful about what a young prince with a stigmata could bring to the table, since the young prince had barely been in the territory. ¡°Let¡¯s stop beating around the bush. The kingdom¡¯s situation is that the rotten nobility who has been leeching off of this kingdom has started an uprising.¡± There was nothing but silence among them. Looking around, Davey continued, ¡°Their military power consists of thirty thousand. There¡¯s one Swordmaster, and a strange being¡­ No, whatever. There are a few mosquito-like insects among them.¡± The guards who heard about the opponent¡¯s army tensed up in fear and nervousness, since a war this great hadn¡¯t happened for decades. ¡°Right now, those people are even using their power to conscript innocent subjects to use them as defense when they enter the kingdom.¡± Taking a short breath, Davey nced at everyone calmly and went on, ¡°Some of you may wonder why you have to put your life on the line to protect the royal pce that has done nothing for us. You may ask, why should you go with weapons and fight for the people who leeched off of us? You may think that. Am I wrong?¡± However, the ones who had followed Davey from the time they were militia¡­ ¡°What does that matter?! We have received your grace, and that is why we¡¯re following you, sir!¡± Gordon shouted. Freeman chimed in, ¡°That¡¯s right! If you tell me to die, sir, I¡¯ll jump into a fire pit!¡± ¡°Use me as you want!¡± ¡°My life is in your hands, sir!¡± ¡®Who¡¯s thest one? Those freakin¡¯ lunatics¡­¡¯ It was true that Davey had received the title of ¡®Saint¡¯, but the situation was a little iffy since he hadn¡¯t officially gone through baptism yet. ¡°Ahem. The rest don¡¯t feel that way, right?¡± Davey then picked on the first guard that caught his eye. The guard flinched, straightened his back, and shouted, ¡°O¡­ Of course, not! We believe in you, sir!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Just say that you are, you people¡­ Just can¡¯t help out with my speech, can you?¡¯ ¡°Well, alright. I¡¯m not going to force you to believe or not believe, but I¡¯ll make one thing clear.¡± When everyone silently turned to nce at him, Davey continued, ¡°We¡¯re not going to save the royal pce. To be vulgar, I fucking hate the current royal pce now, too. I¡¯m someone who thinks that we need to get rid of all of them. So, what we are doing is for us as well. And!¡± ¡®Control my pitch¡­ A lower pitch for this next line.¡¯ ¡°Furthermore, this is a fight to keep your family and mine safe.¡± For Davey, his brother, Baris, would be the next king. He was thinking about Baris and the royal subjects when he said that. He could also put an end to this longsting bad rtionship this way. For the rest of the crowd, it would be to take revenge on the ones who have lived as the privileged at their expense. Thud! At the same time, Monmider, who was standing at the forefront, raised his huge halberd and mmed it on the ground. Some of the guards began to follow what Monmider did, as if they had nned this entire spectacle. Soon, everyone began following along like the action was contagious. ¡®This thing called mob mentality¡­ These guys are probably pro at going with the flow.¡¯ ¡°Most of the rebels currently have weapons made from a new kind of dwarf-made metal. It can easily cut through and quickly dent normal steel.¡± As Davey spoke, the ones who transported the weapons nodded slowly. In fact, it wasn¡¯t normal for a person who sold modern weapons to the enemy to use old weapons, but this was only the case if the fight was just between soldiers. ¡°But who is with you guys?!¡± ¡°You are, Your Highness!!¡± ¡°So, follow me! Just like before, I promise you; no matter when you¡¯vee to the Heins Territory, you have all be family. As a seigneur, I will not lose any one of my family.¡± Davey added, ¡°Do not die. Don¡¯t you dare die without my permission. The only thing for you to do is charge in, and the only thing for me to do is to protect you and your family.¡± With that, Davey pulled out arge ornamental sword from the ground and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s turn the tables on the people who have bullied you for so long!¡± A fight specialized for a short amount of time against thirty thousand enemies, one Swordmaster, and an unknown vampire; they knew what this meant. The decision to sacrifice all these people when he was trying to protect the people wasn¡¯t an option for Davey; this was just for show. ¡°All! Gather your weapons! We¡¯re beginning a mass clean-up!¡± ¡®If the clearing of goblins of the territory was just clean up, these mosquitoes need a mass clean-up.¡¯ * * * The Verbooth Mountain Fortress was an intermediate fortress on Duke Bariatta¡¯srgest road, which was connected to the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s capital. It was a huge fortress that had never allowed a foreign invasion before. The fortress walls were over thirty meters tall and ten meters wide; it was a gigantic, indomitable fortress that had existed before the founding of the Rowane Kingdom. The people guarding the gate with tense faces were wearing red armor that was engraved with the emblem of the Bariatta family, the ones representing the nobility who had turned into rebels. ¡°Damn it¡­ How did this happen¡­¡± There were only five soldiers protecting this gate. It was too small a number, but the reason was simple: the nobility who had turned into rebels were the ones invading. As such, most of the army was focused on invasion and didn¡¯t care much about defending their fortress; if the royalists were thinking of fighting back, they would have the time to prepare anyway. Furthermore, themander didn¡¯t think anyone was brave enough to invade the Verbooth Fortress, which had over five thousand soldiers in residence. ¡°Hey, where are you from?¡± ¡°I¡¯m from the damn Leuce Territory.¡± ¡°Where did those lunatics start conscription from?¡± Soldier Haven, who heard that the other soldier was selected and dragged here from a faraway territory, was in the same boat. He said, ¡°I was dragged here from the Allos Territory.¡± ¡°Huh, you also were real unlucky, huh?¡± ¡°Man, the fact that I¡¯m keeping this fortress to protect those inhumane people¡­¡± They could not reject as the only punishment they would receive was death if they refused; they would die a horrendous death in front of a crowd and be theirughing stock, or they might be taken to a scary ce and be the meal of some unknown monster like the rumors. ¡°Damn it¡­ I have to be the minion of the nobility that my damn seigneur follows when all he has done is leech off me my entire life.¡± They didn¡¯t like that they had to be protecting the people they despised because they had no power. It wasn¡¯t just a couple of people who died after going against them. ¡°Anyway¡­ The royalty must have fled in such a hurry.¡± ¡°Probably. Apparently, the rebellion¡¯s army is three times the size. I saw some lunatic already celebrating victory down there.¡± Listening to the soldier, Haven said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s crazy; who would get through the wall? It¡¯s too tall and thick to get through even with ten thousand people.¡± The giant fortress gate was the only entrance the royalist army could push through, but it hadn¡¯t been invaded in a hundred years. After all, it was protected by the manyyers of magic barriers. From what the soldiers had heard, they needed at least fifty mages over the 3rd Circle to stop the barrier magic before hammering it with a huge battering ram for hours to even make it possible. The problem was that, without passing through this, the royalist army couldn¡¯t fight back at all. ¡°Ah, damn this world! Ptooey!¡± Haven spat on the ground, then nced at the sun-lit ridge from under his helmet. ¡°Hm?¡± That was when Haven saw a distant figure for a split second. ¡°Ha, fuck. My eyes are ying tricks on me¡­¡± Haven, who leaned his halberd on his chest and rubbed his eyes, sighed in futility. Nothing was there when he looked again. He muttered, ¡°Of course. Damn it, I wish something big just went right through this damn fortress gate.¡± ¡®So that I can run away or something.¡¯ The others nodded along with a frown; Haven wasn¡¯t the only one thinking that. ¡°Then run away.¡± That was when they heard the unfamiliar voice of a young boy from above the quiet fortress wall. ¡°Heh?¡± The sudden voice resonated through Haven¡¯s head, but he wasn¡¯t the only one to have heard the voice. The other soldiers on duty all turned over to the source of the voice in surprise. Where they looked, there was¡­ ¡°Working so hard.¡± There was a boy walking past them, entering the fortress with a nonchnt smile. ¡®The walls are over thirty meters tall¡­ And since this was built on a mountain, there was a drop about twenty to thirty meters below the wall itself. But someone was able to instantly climb up without making a sound when¡ªalthough they didn¡¯t want to¡ªwere on the lookout?¡¯ Haven stared at the boy in utter surprise; soon, he felt his body floating up into the air and being mmed against the inner wall of the fortress. ¡°Cough! Ouch!¡± It would be normal for him to have be a meat pancake after falling from a thirty-meter wall, but his body waspletely fine like he had only dropped thirty centimeters. ¡°What is¡­¡± Haven looked around with wide eyes, trying to fathom the impossible that had happened to amoner like him. He soon realized that the other soldiers protecting the gates with him were also on the floor groaning. Whoosh!! Then, Haven watched the boy who threw him to the wall easily jump up onto the wall. ¡°T¡­ Thirty meters¡­¡± Haven¡¯s jaw dropped when the boy hopped down from the huge thirty-meter-tall wall and walked past him. ¡°It¡¯s me. Charge in.¡± With that¡­ ¡°A real man doesn¡¯t look back at an explosion.¡± After mumbling a cheesy line, the boy pulled out a thin, blue sword from his sheath and walked into the fortress. And then, after a short period of time¡­ Booom!!!!!! Part of the fortress wall just exploded and began falling apart. And hundreds of knights charged through those cracks at once. ¡°Everyone listen to me.¡± Despite the roar of screams and shouting, the boy calmly walked into the fortress and his voice clearly rang out to reach everyone. It was as if his voice came from another dimension. He walked into the fortress with red energy flowing out of his de without hesitation. Chapter 149 ¡°The targets are themanding personnel and the nobility. I will not forgive anyone for stealing from the people or mocking the ones who have surrendered. However, show the people who dare to fight back whatever you¡¯ve got!¡± [8th Level Holy Magic] [God¡¯s Blessing] This was a two-fold buff amplification magic with an incredibly wide range; it would strengthen the buff magic spells much more than what Davey had done before. ¡°Follow the Saint¡¯s lead with blood and iron!¡± ¡°I am full of strength!¡± ¡°I feel a whole lot younger!¡± A huge number of buffs had just been cast on all five hundred guards; Haven couldn¡¯t help but think that he was dreaming. He watched the people who seemed to have superhuman powers charge toward them while shining with white light. It was only when he saw the charging and shouting guards enter the fortress did he realize that this was an invasion. The formerly unbreakable fortress walls had been broken. The fightback from the royalist army was unexpectedly fast, precise, and destructive. * * * It seemed like Duke Bariatta only left the minimum number of soldiers behind, since he thought the fortress would never be invaded. There were about five thousand of them, but most had been forced to conscript. Furthermore, the sudden barging of guards with superhuman strength, speed, and new armory put the fortress in chaos. ¡°P¡­ Please don¡¯t kill me!¡± Count Colson, a former member of the nobility, the master of the fortress, and Duke Bariatta¡¯s entourage who never thought that anyone would attack this ce, bowed in front of Davey and begged for his life. ¡°Count Colson.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes! Your Highness!¡± Count Colson answered, trembling. He wanted to try and survive in any way that he could. Davey said, ¡°Dozens of corruption cases regarding profits through illegal very. There are even countless cases of you acting violently with the duke¡¯s support.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Stter!!! As soon as Count Colson stopped talking, a part of his body was sliced off by Blue Ribbon, which was surrounded by blue energy. ¡°Keugh! Kuk¡­¡± ¡°No one help him. He can slowly experience death until hepletely bleeds to death.¡± Then, Davey nced at the five hundred guards who were lined up in a straight line. The gigantic fortress, thergest one in the Rowane Kingdom protected by five thousand soldiers, was taken over in less than two hours. About eighty percent of the five thousand men had been forced to fight. As soon as they got the chance to live, they did not let it pass and threw off their armor and abandoned their weapons to surrender immediately; the fight was over in an instant without the need for a huge army or modern weapons. As long as their leader was someone with monstrous powers who had be a human grenade and blew up the fortress wall, the guards weren¡¯t scared. In fact, they were in awe of Davey¡¯s holy magic that made them as strong as knights who had trained with mana. The moment Davey kept his promise of safety and strength, he was no longer just a little boy whom they had to follow; to them, he truly felt like a Lion of God who descended from heaven. ¡°Hurrah!! The Saint!!!¡± Gordon, a group leader shouted without missing a beat. ¡°Hurrah!!!¡± At the same time, Freeman, who always followed what Gordon did, put his hands up in the air and shouted as well. ¡°Hurrah!!!¡± An uncontroble wave of emotion spread through the crowd. Davey frowned slightly at the loud shouts that made his ears ring. He then stared at Count Colson who was trembling on the ground. Count Colson looked like he couldn¡¯t believe what had happened to him. He looked upset. ¡®You dare look like that when you have taken everything and done inhumane things?¡¯ ¡°Quiet, you guys! Since I intend to keep my promise, we¡¯re moving forward to the next fortress! Anyints?!¡± ¡°No, sir!¡± ¡°I will follow you forever!!¡± Davey felt a little satisfied by the guard¡¯s loud answers. He minimized the number of problems that would ur at the territory after he left, then pulled out his crystal and said, ¡°Marquis Peiltris, it¡¯s me. March on.¡± ¡®You and the royalist army just have to sit back and watch.¡¯ This was what Davey had started, so he was going to be the one to protect the innocent and punish the guilty. Starting with the Verbooth Fortress, his army marched on with incredible speed. * * * ¡°Shriek! P¡­ Please, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Count Latos.¡± Count Latos was one of Duke Bariatta¡¯s entourage. He had fattened his own pockets by selling the kingdom¡¯s military supplies overseas, covered it up using Duke Bariatta¡¯s power, and then made his residents pay for the missing supplies. ¡°I¡­ I havemitted a sin worthy of dying!¡± ¡°Then, you should die.¡± ¡°Keugh!¡± With a terrifyingly loud slice, arge man fell to the ground with a whimper. Like Count Colson, none of their punishments were to cut them up into a thousand pieces. They were to experience death very slowly. A quick death was like an escape in some ways, but it was tooplicated to make them all into ves, so this was the next best solution. ¡°Viscount Clitohith.¡± ¡°I¡­ I admit to my crime! I surrender! Your Highness! The right of a captive¡­!¡± ¡°Bullshit.¡± Stter!! Viscount Clitohith was part of Duke Bariatta¡¯s entourage, and he was a pedophile who had passed the ¡®Droit du Seigneur¡¯ for girls around ten years old. ¡®Die, you disgusting pig.¡¯ As for Count Cocoulja, he had been caught sleeping through an emergency. He thought the enemy would not be able to get to him. He was also part of Duke Bariatta¡¯s entourage and had also been given this position by buying his title. In a day and a half, a few of the fortresses protecting Duke Bariatta¡¯s territory were destroyed. The other fortresses weren¡¯t as specialized for defense as the Verbooth Fortress, but they were at least prepared for an attack and had a substantial number of soldiers on the watch, though it was not as many as the Verbooth. It was a long journey, but the guards following Davey looked lively. They had their full strengths as if they had just begun the war. It wasn¡¯t just the nobility who were shocked by the stupid and reckless movement of the Heins guards Davey had selected. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Marquis Peiltris was confused when he first received Davey¡¯s message. To be frank, this was a battle they had no chance of winning; Marquis Peiltris knew that something like this was bound to happen, but it was also true that he slightly hated Davey for taking such unexpected action so tantly. However, Marquis Peiltris was loyal to the kingdom; he had to do anything to keep the kingdom and his king safe. He had been up many nights thinking about how he should defend and counterattack when he was fighting thirty thousand men with only ten thousand. He also couldn¡¯t expect the third Swordmaster in the kingdom to fight alongside him, since they had to protect the capital. But¡­ [You cane now that it¡¯s been cleared.] ¡®What is he talking about?¡¯ In bewilderment, Marquis Peiltris thought that this feisty prince had charged in with his army of five hundred. When that turned out to be true¡­ he was shocked at the situation presented to him. Part of the huge fortress wall, which was thirty meters tall and ten meters wide, had a perfectly circr hole. It was like something had exploded. The edges were incredibly clean and smooth. Starting with the Verbooth Fortress, the one ce he thought would be the most difficult, Marquis Peiltris felt a headacheing on as he kept hearing news of victories. * * * m!!! ¡°How did this happen?! How did four or five fortresses be taken over by a mere army of five hundred men in less than three days??!!!¡± As Duke Bariatta screamed in rage, the armored old man looked tense. He said regretfully, ¡°It seems that we have deeply underestimated Prince Davey¡¯s stigmata.¡± That was the only possible exnation; Davey had received a stigmata, the miracle of God, and he was able to use some sort of power because that stigmata was different from normal ones. Although the stigmata wasn¡¯t the reason why the wall had been blown into pieces, it was the only thing they could think of. They only knew that Davey had the stigmata, and nothing else. The problem was that this speed couldn¡¯t be possible from what they knew about stigmatas. Even if they attributed the destruction to the stigmata, as the firepower of a high-level holy magic spell the Holy Empire¡¯s current pope had used in the past was simr to that of a few high-level mages using their magic all at once, they had no exnation for how fast the guards were moving. The location of the fortresses that fell after Verbooth''s defeat could take six hours and up to a few days to travel to. The guard¡¯s speed could be possible if they were all on horses, but it was simply impossible by foot. Their speed was like¡­teleportation. Thud! ¡°Th¡­ There¡¯s an emergency! Even the Yallis Mountain Fortress, one of ourst lines of defense, has been taken over!¡± The atmosphere in the conference room grew cold. One of the nobility with arge physique urgently ran in and shouted. They couldn¡¯t tell who was the one attacking anymore. They had taken over a huge part of the kingdom ording to their airtight n, but now their core defense was being wiped out. ¡°I will try to stop them.¡± ¡°Marquis Enza¡­¡± ¡°Prince Davey is stronger than we had expected, but I am Swordmaster; I will not be taken down that easily. While I stop him, march to the royal pce. You should be able to go without a problem if you use the remaining routes.¡± The problem was how long Marquis Enza was going tost. ¡°I will go, too. I will kill that damn Davey with my own hands!¡± Duke Bariatta¡¯s head began to hurt when Carlus started acting recklessly as well. Then, he nced at the silent man who kept his arms crossed. ¡®Vampire Pace.¡¯ Duke Bariatta wasn¡¯t amused by the vampire waiting nonchntly and not doing a single thing. He asked, ¡°Hey, you. Shouldn¡¯t you help as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This situation happened while helping you with what you wanted,¡± Duke Bariatta pointed out coldly. Pace, who was staying quiet, smiled eerily. Then, he undid his arms and approached Duke Bariatta while staring at him. ¡°What¡­?¡± All the nobility looked on at Pace¡¯s sudden actions in confusion. Then¡­ ¡°Keugh¡­ Wheeze!¡± Pace charged toward Duke Bariatta in seconds and held him up by the neck. ¡°Y¡­Your Excellency!¡± ¡°You!!¡± Surprised by Pace¡¯s sudden actions, all the nobility pulled out their swords; even the ones who have never wielded a sword had to carry one during a war. Carlus shot up from his seat and shouted in the midst of the heated situation, ¡°What are you doing?! I demand you to let him down now!!¡± Pace stared at Duke Bariatta with a terrifying smile before letting him go. Thud!! Duke Bariatta hit the ground and he coughed with raspy breaths. ¡°I am not your servant. I think you are forgetting that.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Get it right, inferior human. You have no right to order me around. The only person who can ¡®suggest¡¯ something to me is that prince who signed a contract with me.¡± Then, Pace turned around and said, ¡°You will hear good news in an hour. I will personally teach him a lesson and silence him.¡± Pace walked out and no one said anything to him, because he released a sudden killing aura so terrifying that even Swordmaster Marquis Enza stopped in fear. Marquis Enza, who was staring at Pace¡¯s back in silence, turned to nce at Duke Bariatta with a frown. He didn¡¯t like the fact that the duke had frozen in fear. ¡°I will take five thousand men and have Prince Davey¡¯s head. Wait.¡± If those two were stopped and if they lost all of their army, Pace woulde for Duke Bariatta and the rest next. Knowing this for a fact, the gathered members of nobility hoped that their n was good enough for them to hold out for the next few days. Chapter 150 No matter how outstanding their weapons and armory were, their durability differed ording to who used them and under what circumstances. Although Davey had gotten rich from selling the blue steel weapons to Duke Bariatta in secret, the weapons were back in his hands now. Davey sat on the field beyond the fortress walls for a break. He nced over at the blue steel swords that Duke Bariatta¡¯s army had thrown away upon surrendering. Hemented, ¡°If I sell these again, then I¡¯ll double in money, right?¡± -Oh my¡­ I expected this when you requested for weapons from the dwarves and secretly sold them to Duke Bariatta, but¡­ ¡®It¡¯s so easy to get money.¡¯ This war was ying out exactly as Davey wanted it to; he had minimized the damage on the uninvolved subjects of the kingdom while picking out those who had caused this and killing them. Now that the enemy¡¯s core had been struck, their strength had greatly diminished. -If they¡¯re not idiots, they will definitely try to stop you and go to the royal pce. Almost eight thousand soldiers, about a third of the initial thirty thousand, had been subdued. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Davey hadn¡¯t suffered any damage either. There were still limitations to buff magic; his army had sustained big and small injuries, but¡­ ¡®Who told you that you can die?¡¯ Davey¡¯s troops were kept alive by their monstrously fast recovery strength. They were simr to unkible zombies. ¡®Don¡¯t underestimate a priest who has mastered holy power like the¡ªno, more than the¡ªpope.¡¯ However, the enemy still had twenty-two thousand soldiers left; if they all marched to the royal pce, they wouldn¡¯t be able tost long against Davey and his troops. It was about time for Swordmaster Marquis Enza and the vampires, their final asset, toe crawling out. If Davey hadn¡¯t attacked the vampires¡¯ hideout and provoked them, only a few vampires would have fought, and the rest would have gone into hiding. But now that he had, those arrogant and prideful vampires were going to do anything and everything to kill him. -Davey, vampires are clever and horrible beings who especially like teasing you with your weak spots. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Vampires were ridiculously proud. Their arrogance meant that they saw no one else as living things aside from the nobility. Davey¡¯s army was out of strength even with the buff magic¡¯s effects. Realizing that it would be difficult to move forward with them, he looked down at his hand and made a fist. ¡®About half of my mana and holy power remain¡­ I¡¯ve used a lot more than expected.¡¯ Right now, Davey was in overcharge: his body was not yet used to the metamorphosis and still suffered from random bursts of power. It was a rare case where he had a lower level of control, but the total amount of his power had increased. His overall strength hadn¡¯t really changed, but this was the best time for him to be this reckless. However, this couldn¡¯t go on forever. Davey was crazy to keep doing this. However, he was used to only using a portion of his power, so he cycled between using his power and waiting for recovery; the total amount of mana wasn¡¯t the only thing that increased with the magic circles. The Tionis continent was extremely rich with mana. There weren¡¯t many people who could use it, but ording to theparisons that the heroes of the Hall had provided, not many ces had as much mana in the air as the Tionis continent. -Just how much is there? ¡°Um¡­ Ten times more than usual.¡± If a talentless human or a being from another world hade to this world, their progression would be undeniably obvious; the mana here was different from any other ce. Davey was born into such a ce and also had a very harmonious gift, which was his diverse range of talents. Davey cleared out the Yallis Mountain Fortress and shed all of Duke Bariatta¡¯s entourage. He silently stared below the fortress, then slowly pulled out Blue Ribbon when he nced over at therge mountain range just opposite. He also reached into his Pocket ne and summoned the long and heavy Divine Spear Longinus. At the same time, the spear end that was shaped like a scimitar transformed into the shape of a cross; as a blue magic circle began to vibrate behind Davey, the spear shrank and he absorbed it in the form of a buff magic spell. ¡®One with many strengths has to fight in a variety of methods. I only stick to one method when I¡¯m having fun.¡¯ Davey could feel that Pace was more powerful than any ordinary Swordmaster or vampire he had met. ¡°It means that they are reaching their limit.¡± The Yallis Mountain Fortress was over seven meters tall, but it didn¡¯t matter to Davey who was so skilled in ¡®Grass Dash¡¯ that he could safelynd after jumping off a thirty-meter pce. Hended without a sound, then began walking. Davey could feel the presence of tworge men who weren''t there before. He murmured, ¡°Fighting alone against two enemies makes the fight enjoyable.¡± Above the mountains was the sky; these men didn¡¯t know that yet. * * * The old man stood waiting, but pulled out one of his bastard swords from his waist as soon as he saw Davey. He dered, ¡°Davey O¡¯Rowane. You won¡¯t be able to take another step forward.¡± ¡°Did you throw the titles out of the window?¡± ¡°Do you expect loyalty or respect from a rebel?¡± Davey scoffed at how calm the old man, Marquis Enza, was. Marquis Enza wasn¡¯t someone who did evil things, but his ideologies were in line with the nobility. He was a crazy believer in authoritarianism. He could have been the most loyal servant, but he had chosen to hold hands with Duke Bariatta, and his ideology had be dangerous. ¡°A kingdom must have a leader. It is natural formoners to remain protected and stay in theirnes.¡± ¡°Do you think you would¡¯ve said that if you were born amoner?¡± ¡°I would have epted that as my fate.¡± It was a problem that Marquis Enza did not leave any room for discussion. ¡°The world changes. If not now, then it will someday.¡± Someday, the Tionis continent¡¯s crown might fall and disappear. Davey didn¡¯t want that kind of world toe right now, but he wanted to stop themoners¡¯ suffering due to the unreasonable rule. This was hispromise. ¡°Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth. I¡¯d rather stick to the status quo instead of waiting for that kind of chaos.¡± In a way, Marquis Enza was aware of the confusion that ideological change would bring about. When he was young, right after King Krianes got the throne, he had torn down the huge wall separating themoners and nobility, and had slightly improved their quality of life. ¡®I guess everyone has a story.¡¯ ¡°I think we¡¯ll grow tired of just chatting.¡± Davey nced over at the gray-haired man slowly approaching from behind Marquis Enza. ¡°Is this our first meeting? You cracked a curse that someone else has cast so recklessly.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°You were stupid enough to fall into every single trap that I¡¯ve set so far; surely you don¡¯t still think that you¡¯re above me?¡± The man scoffed as he stared at Davey with a cold gaze. ¡°Sure, keep boasting, you inferior insect. You don¡¯t even know what has happened to your home.¡± Looking at the man¡¯s eerie smile, Davey tilted his head in confusion. He asked, ¡°Did you do something to the Heins Territory?¡± ¡°I just made them realize the nobility¡¯s anger. You¡¯re not thinking that it¡¯s like the joke I sent before, right?¡± The man was referring to the time he had sent five thousand monsters by controlling their minds. ¡®He¡¯s not an ordinary being. He can mind-control five thousand monsters.¡¯ ¡°Oh, is that right?¡± The man was saying that the other vampires had attacked the Heins Territory, which was protected only by a hundred guards right now. There were wizard towers and a temple, but it was safe to say that there wasn¡¯t anyone who would be of help to them in battle. On top of that, there was still Davey¡¯s precious little sister, Winley, and his residents who he had to protect. Normally, he should be furious at Pace, but¡­ ¡°Did that pink-haired vampire tell you nothing? You¡¯re going to hurt yourself if you barge into someone¡¯s house like that.¡± Davey calmly took a step forward. ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding the situation.¡± Pace revealed a horrifying smile and moved swiftly. Boom!!!! At the same time, Davey jumped up and attacked with Longinus, which shed with a bright red power of blood. Crack!!! The impact of the sh left a huge crater in the ground. ¡°Did you think one High Elf could stop five count-ranked vampires? You are too arrogant and reckless. I will crush your limbs here and make you watch your loved ones be drained to death.¡± Davey, who was fighting like this was a battle of strength, chuckled. ¡°Dumbass.¡± Boom!! Crack!! With the horrifying sound of destruction, a giant w mark tore through the ground. ¡°Why are you so at ease?¡± Pace asked. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you two things that you¡¯ve gotten wrong,¡± Davey said. As Pace revealed a confused look, Davey went on to say, ¡°First of all, you will die here. Second, aren¡¯t you wondering who your subordinates whom you sent to the territory are fighting right now?¡± Pace remained as confused as ever. [I will tell you my request.] [Granted!] [First, please promise me that this is a deal between Your Majesty and myself, and not a rtion between kingdoms. There must not be any pressure or problems between the kingdoms.] This was the most important thing; even though it was a spoken agreement, the emperor¡¯s formal position was important in the things toe even if¡­ [Please lend me ten Swordmasters who are experienced inrge battles.] It was a huge request to borrow Swordmasters. The Lyndis Empire had twenty Swordmasters, and Davey had asked Emperor Deorte El Lyndis for half of his empire¡¯s strongest people. [The reason?] It wouldn¡¯t have been weird for Deorte to grab Davey by the neck and call him crazy, but he just asked a question calmly. [What reason would I have other than to protect my people? I am just one man; as such, I request based on my personal interest.] Some people would wonder what kind of lunatic would use three huge requests that the Lyndis Empire would grant unconditionally like this, but Davey had done it. If he had to, he would have used the rest of the requests he had as well. ¡°Ha¡­ Did you nt an enemy or something? Even if¡­¡± ¡°Ten Swordmasters who are better than ordinary ones, armed with pure silver weapons that are the vampires¡¯ weakness; don¡¯t you think it¡¯s so damn fun?¡± Davey grinned delightfully, then charged in and kicked Pace into the air. He said, ¡°Now, do you understand the situation? You stone-headed mosquito.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I think you¡¯re misunderstanding big time, but there were vampires crazier than you three thousand years ago. Stupid mosquito.¡± ¡®And the battle experience I gained against vampires was with materialized illusions of that time.¡¯ Grit. The best way to get rid of a vampire was to make them so mad that their actions be simple. Davey was using the small bits of advice he had learned from the Sword Lord well. * * * ¡°Will Big Brother be okay¡­?¡± Winley mumbled anxiously while staring out the window in worry. An internal war had broken out; Winley knew that this would happen¡­but it was happening too fast. ¡°Are you worried about your brother?¡± Chapter 151 ¡°Are you worried about your brother?¡± Yulis asked with a soft smile. Winley quietly nodded, then offered a bitter and firm answer. ¡°Big Brother always overdid himself, even in the past. I know that he has gained a lot of power and that I don¡¯t have to worry about him anymore, but¡­ I still can¡¯t help but be worried about him.¡± Still smiling gently, Yulis said, ¡°Sir Davey does have unimaginable power, but the truth is that it will probably be difficult for him to win against a huge army of thirty thousand.¡± Individuals weren¡¯t almighty; the power in numbers was so strong that even dragons that could alter mountain ranges with one breath would fall if people gathered for a joint attack. What would happen if a light nudge wasn¡¯t from one person, but dozens, hundreds, thousands, or millions of people? Even that light nudge could be a powerful assault. As such, Yulis could understand Winley¡¯s concerns. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Unless there isn¡¯t a request from the kingdom, we cannot intervene in internal wars.¡± ¡°But if they aren¡¯t human¡­¡± ¡°The Red Tower is probably discussing that right now. It definitely won¡¯t be pretty if the vampires gain more power. But the scheme Duke Bariatta has nned is quite meticulous, so¡­¡± Each group held a promise with one another, one that served as a shackle but also as a way to preserve their own individual freedom. Although the youngest, Yulis was one of the Red Tower¡¯s elders. ¡°If there is a reason that will allow them to help, they will do it right away. But it might be good to trust in Davey. He wouldn¡¯t have done something like this without a n,¡± Yulis said. He knew that if the two sides had simr numbers, Davey¡¯s side would win. Neither Yulis nor Winley knew what Davey had done in the Pandora region and what he had gained there. * * * ¡°Lady Winley. Instead of being like this, why don''t we go on a walk? Sir Davey would be upset when he gets back to find out you¡¯ve spent all this time worrying about him.¡± ¡°Do you think so¡­?¡± Winley stood up and stepped away from the window with drooping shoulders. That was when¡­ Shatter!!! A part of the window of the peaceful seigneur¡¯s pce shattered. In the blink of an eye, something flew right in and aimed for Winley. [Praise! Lead! I am here!] ng!!!! A defense magic spell surrounded Winley to protect her. Then, Yulis pulled Winley into his arms as soon as the impact was absorbed. He stepped back with her. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Yulis shouted. Winley stared at the shattered window in confusion, like she didn¡¯t understand what was going on. It was unsurprising that the attack had surprised her, but the person who did it was also nowhere to be seen. Yulis looked around on alert before frowning. It was strange, but he couldn¡¯t feel a presence. ¡°Smirk. Over here.¡± That was when a pale hand appeared in front of Yulis, who reflexively tightened his arms around Winley to protect her. Whoosh¡­ At the same time, the pale hand with sharp fingernails summoned a blue fire in its palms and created a huge me before Yulis could even react. Boom!!! Yulis was taken aback by the me¡¯s destructive power. He failed to react and was engulfed in the me. ¡®N¡­ No!¡¯ Yulis released his mana to at least protect Winley in any way he could, but it was toote. ¡®This wouldn¡¯t have happened if I entered the 6th circle.¡¯ Slice! However, what Yulis heard next was not the sound of burning skin; he didn¡¯t even feel a hot, burning sensation. ¡°Keugh?!¡± Instead, all Yulis could hear was the attacker¡¯s painful groaning. ¡°This is Belross. I have found an insect who dared to enter the rescuer¡¯s territory. Let¡¯s begin the mission given by the almighty His Majesty.¡± Hearing an old man¡¯s voice, Winley and Yulis stared wide-eyed at therge old man standing in front of them. He held a longsword that shone with a blue sheen. Yulis knew exactly who this man was because he had been all over the continent. He murmured, ¡°Swordmaster¡­ Sir Belross...¡± Sir Belross was one of the strongest Swordmasters in the Lyndis Empire. In terms of mastery, he was one of the most advanced Swordmasters in the entire continent. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯mte. I must¡¯ve let my guard down after seeing how lively the territory was. Haha, to be this rxed during a mission to protect a rescuer¡¯s territory¡­¡± Even though he was chuckling, Sir Belross wielded his sword. ng!! At the same time, another man appeared out of nowhere. He charged in and shed the strange intruder in harmony with Belross. ¡°We¡¯rete, sir. We have spotted activity in other ces, and they have started to fight.¡± Marquis Hashan, another Swordmaster of the Lyndis Empire, had been a Swordmaster for a long time. Although he hadn¡¯t been a Swordmaster for as long as Sir Belross had, he had served in war before. Yulis couldn¡¯t help but stare out into space. He was confused as to why these men were here. * * * ¡°See, am I wrong?¡± At Davey¡¯s provocation, Pace¡¯s expression turned terrifying. ¡®They probably have awork of their own. It seems like Pace just heard about the territory.¡¯ All Davey could say was that this was perfect timing. ¡°How¡­dare an insect.¡± Infuriated, Pace red at Davey with bloodshot eyes. Pace was much easier to tick off than Davey had thought. For vampires like him¡­ ¡®His weakness is that, although he is strong, he gets angry easily because of his needlessly strong sense of pride.¡¯ ¡°I wonder how you feel being yed by an insect when you¡¯re so high and mighty. It seems like you outdid yourself and worked on your power of immortality, but did you also iron out the crevices in your brain while you were at it? I guess mosquitoes can¡¯t do any better.¡± ¡°You!! My brain is fine! How dare you call the highly nobility ¡®mosquitoes¡¯?!¡± ¡°Nobility? Just damn mosquitoes!¡± ¡°You!!¡± ¡®Ahahahaha!!¡¯ Boom! Pace was furious, while Marquis Enza simply frowned at the confusing situation. Their intense attacks began. Marquis Enza was strong, but Pace was even stronger. The truth was that Davey couldn¡¯t have chosen a tactic as stupid as this if it was before his semi-metamorphing. Thankfully, the situation was different now. Crack! ¡°Keugh?!¡± ¡®Hit Marquis Enza¡¯s elbow as he charges in with [Aura de] and hit his bone. Then, grab him and use him as your shield for Pace¡¯s attack!¡¯ [There are too many attacks because there are too many enemies?] [Remember, it¡¯s all in your mindset! Having a lot of opponents means that there are more meat barriers for you to use! If your opponent swings their weapon, use someone near you as a shield and attack!] Davey was doing exactly what Astrea, the King of Conquests and expert in battle, had told him. ¡°Keuhk!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother me! You lowly human! I have a mind to kill you first!¡± ¡°Damn you¡­¡± Marquis Enza, who was able to stay alive by relying on his instincts, angrily said. He tried to catch his breath. The battle went on, and Pace and Marquis Enza were still just being yed by Davey. Their synergy was destroyed by Davey, who used them as interchangeable shields depending on the situation and charged in. What Daveycked had been physical abilities and mana; in terms of experience, it didn¡¯t matter how many enemies were there. And now, since his physical abilities were able to support his power¡­ ¡®How can you fight against me?¡¯ ¡°I will rip you apart right here!¡± [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Front Kick] [Kick in the Shin] Crack!! Pace flinched greatly when Davey¡¯s feet, which flew fast enough to leave marks on the ground, kicked him in the shin. ¡®Nothing is better at subduing opponents than this.¡¯ Afterward, Red Ribbon, which was floating in the air, pierced Pace¡¯s shoulder, and Blue Ribbon shed him forcefully. ¡®Hm¡­¡¯ Crash!! Pace¡¯s flowpletely disappeared once Davey punched him in the stomach. He tumbled down to the ground and right into Marquis Enza. Both men were trampled to the ground far away from Davey. ¡°Keuhuk¡­ N¡­ No way¡­¡± Perhaps they now realized that they were being yed by Davey. Marquis Enza red at Davey like he didn¡¯t understand this situation. He was surprised that Davey had power in the first ce, but he couldn¡¯t understand the amount of power, experience, and depth of the young man¡¯s abilities. On the other hand, Pace¡¯s frown deepened like he was shocked at the fact that his powers weren¡¯t working. ¡®It¡¯s cool how his frown gets deeper just when I thought it couldn¡¯t deepen anymore.¡¯ Whoosh¡­ Looking at the two twin swords floating in the air like they were teasing each other, Marquis Enza said, ¡°[Telekic de Control]¡­¡± Marquis Enza thought that he was mistaken, but he couldn¡¯t even deny it now. He muttered in shock, ¡°Prince Davey¡­ How did you reach the transcendental level¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious. I¡¯ve had a sword in my hand for much longer than you.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± ¡®It¡¯s true. Why won¡¯t he believe me?¡¯ Like he had lost the will to fight as soon as he saw Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon move freely in the air, Marquis Enza backed away slowly. On the other hand, Pace turned his nce over to Marquis Enza as he huffed, angry at the fact that Davey¡¯s level of power was much more superior to his. He dered, ¡°All right, insect. It¡¯s not something I should show something like you, but I will show you the true power and terror of a noble.¡± Then, Pace stood up. Shing! ¡°What?! Keugh!!¡± Then, Pace moved behind Marquis Enza, who was backing away in bewilderment, and dug in his sharp, hard teeth. ¡°Damn, my eyes.¡± ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Davey, who was watching silently, covered his eyes with one hand. -Horrifying¡­ To vampires, drinking blood was a choice. Still, it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight to witness. ¡°Keugh¡­ Squeak¡­¡± Marquis Enza, who iled around in surprise, was slowly being drained out by Pace¡¯s sudden attack. A Swordmaster¡¯s life was disappearing, but everyone here was as strong as Swordmasters; it was actually safe to say that Marquis Enza was the weakest one here. Whoosh¡­ When vampires sucked blood, the victims were being drained of their blood and life energy. As such, Pace began absorbing the mana that flowed out of Marquis Enza, who soon copsed onto the ground with clumps of hair falling out. He was nothing but bones, no longer looking like the muscr old man he was before. ¡°Huff¡­ Puff¡­ It tastes terrible, but the power is amazing.¡± Pace wiped his mouth in satisfaction and smiled terrifyingly. ¡°You will regret not stopping me from sucking blood. Ha¡­ Haha¡­ Hahahaha¡­¡± A strange and ominous red energy began flowing out of Pace, whoughed eerily. At the same time, his body began distorting and changing little by little; he was changing into the natural form that awakened high-ranking vampires could transform into. Large bat wings emerged from his back, his face got bigger, and his power of blood intensified. So¡­ ¡°He¡¯s transforming right in front of his opponent, right?¡± -I¡­ It seems that way. ¡®As Mencius once said, ¡°The best time to strike is when the enemy is transforming.¡± It¡¯s respectful to wait? Why should I?¡¯ Boom!!! Davey attacked without hesitation and threw Pace into the ground. As soon as he did, Red Ribbon pierced the enemy to the ground with Blue Ribbon and held him in ce. Davey was erasing Pace¡¯s power of immortality, but it kept respawning from somewhere. However¡­ ¡®Being immortal doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t feel pain.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t hold in hisughter. ¡°Keugh?! What is this?!¡± ¡°Did you think I¡¯d wait for you to transform?¡± Chapter 152 59. With Death and Words. If someone transformed, they would undeniably be stronger. If an opponent became stronger, they would be more bothersome to take care of. Therefore, ording to Davey¡¯s wless logic, he had concluded that he should attack without hesitation. sh!! Boom! Davey immediately charged in and tackled Pace to the ground. Then, he quickly used his two twin swords to pierce through Pace¡¯s arms and pinned him down. Soon, alongside a destructive sound, the surroundings were ovee by a great pressure and began forming a nasty gravity field. ¡°Co¡ªCough¡­ You coward¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to show you something better than that disgusting transformation. What do you think?¡± ¡°You will never be able to kill me. That blue sword is damaging, but do you think you¡¯ll be able to do something with that lowly power?!¡± [Bl¡­ Blue Ribbon can do it!!] ¡®Be a good girl and wait patiently.¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re underestimating Blue Ribbon too much. She hasn¡¯t even shown you anything yet.¡¯ If Davey wanted to let Pace go easily, he could¡¯ve just done it with the power of Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. Pace seemed to think that this was the limit to the twin swords¡¯ power, but their abilities were amplified based on how much power Davey put into them. Atst, the method Davey chose was¡­ ¡°Do you know something called ¡®brutal murder¡¯?¡± ¡°What?!¡± [5th level Holy Magic] [Holy Fire Ball] Boom!! As if a huge defibritor was shocking someone¡¯s heart, a white shock wave made of intense holy power burst through Davey¡¯s palm and into Pace¡¯s face. Pace groaned loudly and red at Davey with strange, half-closed eyes. ¡°This is not nearly¡­!¡± [6th level Holy Magic] [Holy Fire Ball] Boom!!!! ¡°Keuhuk! Gurgle¡­ Keugh?!¡± ¡®[Holy Fire Ball] is a powerful demon-type attack¡­ Perhaps it doesn¡¯t affect you that much? Then, how about this?¡¯ [7th level Holy Magic] [Holy Fire Ball] Boom!!! The huge crater vibrated once again and became deeper. A crater within a crater; the overall size began expanding¡­ ¡°Does it hurt? There¡¯s still more.¡± ¡°W¡­ Wait?! S¡ªSto¡­¡± [8th level Holy Magic] [Revised Holy Fire Ball] It was much smaller than the replica of [Holy Wings], but a pair of white wings symbolizing God showed up on Davey¡¯s back. He pped them. Boom!!! The shock wave of light was iparably huge. Pace, crushed into the ground, was distorted in a semi-transformed state, but he was still alive. The fact that he was still regenerating although most of his strange power of immortality had been wiped by Blue Ribbon¡¯s shes meant that his physical abilities were powerful. ¡®It is really best to sh this with Red Ribbon.¡¯ ¡°Ke¡­ Kehehehe!¡± As the wings, which symbolized arge amount of holy power, disappeared, the holy power that surrounded Pace disappeared as well. ¡°Oh, did it end?¡± Pacemented. Instinctively realizing that the attacks were over, he smirked despite looking half-dead. He went on, ¡°Ke¡­ Kehe. Kehehe! Is that all? Is that all?! That¡¯s right! Damn you! My body is still transforming! When I¡¯m done, I will make sure to rip you into¡­¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Of course, Davey was no longer using holy power, but he was nowhere near done with Pace. He interrupted Pace, then his eyes momentarily shone with a gold light. He grabbed Pace¡¯s face with the hand that was closer. He said, ¡°I have one more shot left.¡± ¡°W¡­ Wait?! Stop¡­!!¡± [9th level Holy Magic] [Strong Spirit] [Finger of God] [Great Holy Fire Ball] It was the ultimate level of [Holy Fire Ball]. Davey was using [Strong Spirit], a 9th level holy magic spell, and [Holy Fire Ball], which was a little different due to the effect of [Strong Spirit]. The mechanism was simr to a poke of a finger, but this was being done with God¡¯s finger. Davey usually stayed away from 9th level holy magic spells because they had a long rebound effect, but¡­ ¡®I will attack you with all that I¡¯ve got.¡¯ And the power¡­ ¡®Will hurt quite a bit.¡¯ Boom!!! A huge explosion engulfed the entire surroundings along with strange, white feathers and white luminescence. * * * The news that Swordmaster Marquis Enza, who went to stop Prince Davey, and Pace, the incredibly powerful vampire, had lost resonated tremendously within the rebel army. First Prince Davey, who won against the monster that had threatened to ughter a great number of people without blinking an eye, was marching towards them. Furthermore, the royalist army that followed Davey was now muchrgerpared to before. The freed rebel forces, the oppressed, and the powers who were testing the waters had all joined him. As Davey¡¯s ranks kept multiplying and most of the rebel army was on their way to the royal pce, the core of the rebels was just hanging on by a thread. There was no way that the rebels still had the will to fight, especially since they weren¡¯t that motivated in the first ce. The army was still a force to reckon with in terms of numbers, but they knew that the thousands of soldiers at the Verbooth Fortress had been destroyed in just a few hours. Only a few had probably actually fought with their swords, but the fact remained that the army was very shaken up. Their main army was already on another route leading to the royal pce; the only oue left for them was to surrender whilepletely surrounded or to be ughtered. Boom!!! Boom!! The explosion far away vibrated the entire tent. It was clear that it was the sound of the battle mages¡ªthough not the wizard tower¡¯s elite¡ªwhom Duke Bariatta had been preparing in secret. Boom!! Boom!! The explosions continued. Even while the ground was shaking, Duke Bariatta silently stared down at his hand with a tense expression. ¡®Where did it all go wrong?¡¯ This was a battle they could not lose; even without that vampire Pace, his airtight n and the numerous secret weapons should¡¯ve been enough for him to win without any problems. However, everything went wrong because of one person. It all went wrong because of the first prince Davey O¡¯Rowane, the son of Lennie Alishad, the woman from a nameless baron family located on the outskirts of the kingdom who had risen to the throne instead of his daughter Lynesse, who was originally chosen. Duke Bariatta had used arge sum of money to buy new dwarf-made weapons to be prepared, but the weapons of Davey¡¯s army that were engraved with his strange energy couldn¡¯t be shed with blue steel easily; it actually worked worse than regr steel. The price of epting it knowing it was a trap was ruthless. Duke Bariatta didn¡¯t scream about how this wasn¡¯t possible, but just stared down at his hands. ¡®Every flow must have its ebb.¡¯ Davey had told him this when he tried to drive him out with his stigmata and make Carlus the seigneur of the Heins territory. ¡®Duke, there is a saying from a very far ce. ¡®Every flow has its ebb.¡¯ It means that all periods of good fortune have an end. Do you understand me?¡¯ Everything deteriorated with time. Perhaps Davey had predicted this situation then and had prepared for it. No, there was no actual preparation; it was just Duke Bariatta¡¯s mistake to bite at the delicious bait in the trap. ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh! P¡ªPlease?!¡± Boom!!!! With a dense sound, one of therge nobles tumbled into the tent. He was fried to a crisp. ¡°Groan¡­ Squeak¡­¡± The man crawled on the floor, groaning in pain. His skin burned unbearably. ¡°You didn¡¯t run away?¡± There were still thousands of rebel soldiers here, and a small number of the battle mages who hadn¡¯t died were probably left as well. However, that didn¡¯t matter considering the situation now. Furthermore, about half of the soldiers were forced to serve; there was no way these soldiers would choose to be loyal to them as they had no legitimate reason. All of them would dissemble into a mess or oppose them if they were given the chance. Duke Bariatta would have used that to pressure them to extend more control over them if they were at an advantage, but the boy in front of his eyes had messed up everything and had led their army to flee. A few of them were attacking his army in anger at what they had to endure for all this time. Even in the midst of this chaos, Duke Bariatta looked up at Davey and said, ¡°You should not have awakened from youra.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. That was probably yourst opportunity.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Davey¡­¡± Carlus, who was nervously sitting beside Duke Bariatta, stood up, trembling. Then, he grabbed a bow from the table, loaded it with an arrow, and pointed it at Davey. It was just like he did the day he had participated in thepetition at ten years old. ¡°You damn lowly being! You are an obstacle until the end!¡± ¡°Get your facts straight, idiot little brother. You should understand that you¡¯ve caused this situation, not me.¡± ¡®Your stupidity from the moment you¡¯ve shot me with an arrow has left our kingdom in this state. Unlike Queen Lynesse who used vampires without leaving any evidence, you tantly dealt with vampires and kidnapped people as sacrifices for them.¡¯ ¡°Well, since you kept quiet even when you knew about it, Duke, you¡¯re probably old news now, too.¡± ¡°The vampires have unbelievable power. If one could harness that power, we could be untouchable conquerors.¡± ¡°Those snobby nobles just used you,¡± Davey scoffed and mumbled, then stared at Carlus, who was trembling like he was about to release his bowstring. Davey asked, ¡°Why do you think I didn¡¯t kill you and Queen Lynesse?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t intend to.¡± ¡®So that you can suffer in pain forever.¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t even think of running away through death.¡± ¡®Especially you and your brother Benedict.¡¯ ¡°A¡­ Ah!!!¡± No longer able to hold back, Carlus let go of his bowstring in anger. A luxury bow made with a unicorn¡¯s horn from the western continent was much more stic than normal ones; it was powerful enough to prate human skin without a problem. And since Carlus was able to use it, it was probably a first-ss weapon with all kinds of supporting magic spells on it. Swish!! Stter!!! Soon, a horrifying sound of pration was heard. ¡°Keuahh!!!!¡± A terrible scream rang throughout the tent from none other than Carlus. The arrow that should have flown toward Davey had been seized in one fluid motion, and before he knew it, Carlus¡¯ eye had been struck by the arrow. It was amazing how Carlus was even alive after a fatal hit like that. ¡°Wheeze¡­ Keugh¡­ Ah!!!!¡± Ignoring Carlus, who was screaming and rolling on the ground with his hand on his bloody eye, Davey nced over at Duke Bariatta. Chapter 153 ¡°It¡¯s starting to feel like a bummer because it¡¯s so easy. Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Something like this was going to happen sometime. It¡¯s just that the victor is you, and not me.¡± Duke Bariatta pulled something out of his pocket and ced a small, silver dagger on the table. He went on to say, ¡°His Majesty wanted to go down a very dangerous path. Because of that, I stepped up to stop His Majesty and protected this kingdom.¡± ¡°Protected¡­¡± ¡°A kingdom with broken rules is destined for destruction someday. His Majesty tried to tear down the necessary wall between the nobility andmoners.¡± Davey had heard of how King Krianes had implemented a policy allowing highly skilledmoners to be nobility in the past. ¡°Prince, you don¡¯t know this world. You don¡¯t know whymoners are born asmoners and nobility are born as nobility,¡± Duke Bariatta said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the real reason why a hierarchy was created and maintained even when God exists.¡± Davey smiled coldly at Duke Bariatta¡¯s unbelievably ridiculous logic. Then, all emotions left his expression. He called out, ¡°Monmider.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± ¡°Bring those three with you. Lock them up in the basement and watch them carefully. We will hand them over to the second party and transport them to the royal pce when the sun rises.¡± Davey didn¡¯t even have to think about their punishment. With a disinterested look on his face, he stared at Carlus, who was crawling on the floor, Benedict, who was standing over by the wall trembling in fear, and Duke Bariatta, who was calmly sitting down. ¡°The start of a monarchy may be elitism in a way, but you¡¯re just crazy if it goes too far, you Hitler.¡± After saying that, Davey turned away. Of course, Duke Bariatta would have no idea who that disgusting tyrant was. The Bariatta family¡¯s fall was quiet, fast, and extremely frigid. * * * This rebellion could seemingly shake the kingdom for years. If the armies of the nobility and royalty were simr in the absence of foreign power, the rebellion would inevitably be neck and neck, leading to tremendous tolls on lives and infrastructure. However, the reality was different; there was one unexpected individual. That one individual had purposely started the war and was even controlling the flow of events. Perhaps this was why the remaining rebel army was stuck, surrounded with their blocked supply routes. All they had left was barely enough food and weapons for the remaining army and their recently conquered fortress. ¡°What are we going to do?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s over¡­ It¡¯s all over!! Surrender¡­ Let¡¯s surrender! That¡¯s the only answer!¡± ¡°Baron Hanvog! Watch your mouth! I will have your head if you demoralize the army!¡± ¡°Watch my mouth! Count Ossult! Are you kidding?! Do you not understand the situation?! What are we going to do right now?! Do you think an army this big will be able to maintain itself without supplies from the main army?! All the army will turn around and walk out if they hear that the duke has been captured!¡± ¡°Then, do you think that Prince Davey, that monster, won¡¯t kill us if we surrender?!¡± The atmosphere was tense, like a sword fight was going to break out at any minute. Most of the high-ranking nobility who had taken part in the rebellion were here; Duke Bariatta and the two princes, the center of the rebellion, remained with the main army, but the ones here had started their journey with the only goal of quickly capturing the royal pce and taking all the honor for themselves. However, this was their final oue. ¡°S¡­ Sir! Something has happened!!¡± ¡°What is it?!¡± Count Ossult shouted urgently with eyes wide open. The knight shouted, huffing and puffing, ¡°Pr¡­ Prince Davey¡­ Prince Davey has already arrived! With the monstrously strong army of five hundred!!¡± Count Ossult still had a big army, but no one could predict or guarantee their victory; even if the main army wasn¡¯t here, it was near impossible for someone to directly attack them and win with sustaining just injuries and no casualties. ¡®What kind of monster can do that?!¡¯ Count Ossult thought. ¡°Damn it¡­ Apparently, the spears and swords barely have any effect on those monsters!¡± ¡°Not only that?! The new dwarf-made weapons that can slice even steel can¡¯t cut through their weapons!¡± As they were panicking, not knowing what to do, they heard a clear voice ringing out. -Ah. One, two¡­ Is this working? Mic test, one, two. One, two. How could they ever forget this voice? The nobility gulped, listening to the rxed voice that seemingly sted right next to their ears. Then, they could hear Davey, the person who worsened their situation. -You are surrounded. You guys won¡¯tst even a day here. Since your parents are waiting, don¡¯t do anything stupid and let¡¯s find enlightenment. Davey spoke as if he was a soldier speaking to a kidnapper with hostages. He had surrounded ten thousand men with just five hundred, and he sounded so calm. * * * The royal pce was quiet after the rebellion. A lot of nobility and guards had been left behind at the pce before Davey¡¯s sudden advancement, but now there was only a guard, one of the kingdom¡¯s three Swordmasters, and minimal defense left. Shing¡­ With the faint sound of a sword being pulled out of its sheath, a man silently stepped into the room wearing white and flowy nightwear. ¡°Have you finallye?¡± The room was in no condition to house royalty. The walls were all cracked, paint was peeling off the pirs, and it was filled with broken bottles and run-down furniture. This was the outer pce¡¯s tower where they locked up royalty. The person sitting on the bed and looking outside the window was none other than Queen Lynesse Bariatta, the First Lady, the most elegant person in the kingdom, and the symbol of absolute authority who had the support of the kingdom¡¯s most powerful person. ¡°Queen.¡± ¡°How considerate you are,¡± Queen Lynesse calmly mumbled and stared at the man with the moonlight reflecting off her eyes. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Stop. I don¡¯t want to hear any more.¡± ¡°Queen.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, at least not from you.¡± Speaking calmly, Queen Lynesse went on, ¡°If it was going to end like this, I would not have loved you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± King Krianes said quietly, then put his longsword on her neck with a tired face. ¡°Davey will drag you down to the ends of hell, and I have no right to stop it¡­ So, let¡¯s go together. Let¡¯s go and repent to Alisha.¡± ¡°Repent? Ha!¡± Queen Lynesse scoffed and red at King Krianes in fury. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? I feel nothing for both you and Alisha but hatred.¡± ¡°Queen¡­¡± ¡°Did you think my anger would simmer if Alisha drank poison in front of my eyes? Then, let me ask you this, Your Majesty, who should I take out my anger and hatred? To Alisha, who betrayed me and just died? Or Your Majesty, the absolute being of this kingdom? Or!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My father who helped to make me like this?¡± Queen Lynesse slowly rose from the bed,ughing at King Krianes who could not say anything. It was like she had lost it. Without tidying her messy hair, she approached King Krianes and grabbed his de with her bare hands and put it to her neck. She snapped, ¡°I hate everyone. You and Alisha, who betrayed me, and my father, who murdered my mother in front of my eyes in cold blood. We havee too far.¡± ¡®The only things I have left are my sons.¡¯ The only things that Queen Lynesse had left were her sons. As such, her unbelievable obsession for her sons was incredible. The hatred she had for Lennie Alishad, the former queen, became directed at Davey, Lennie Alishad¡¯s son. ¡°Maybe if Alisha hadn¡¯t drank the poison, and if my hatred was directed somewhere without being lost¡­¡± ¡®Maybe¡­our lives would have been different, even a little bit.¡¯ Drip¡­ The de cut into Queen Lynesse¡¯s hand. As the bleeding worsened, she scoffed coldly and dered, ¡°An apology¡­ Ha! I refuse! This world was already hell for me, and I will now lose my only hope. Everything is your sin, your karma, and I will fall to hell by myself and wait for you. ¡®You don¡¯t even have the right toe to hell yet.¡¯ Stter!! With thosest words, Queen Lynesse fell to the ground as she shed her own neck. Letting go of the sword reflexively, King Krianes grit his teeth. He stared at Lynesse Bariatta limply lying on the ground. Then, he slowly kneeled and held her body in his arms. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­¡± At the top of the outer pce¡¯s empty, quiet tower, King Krianes couldn¡¯t say one word and just let out bitter cries without a single tear. * * * All the rebels had been suppressed. It seemed like the announcement Davey put out using wind magic to really shake them up was very effective as the soldiers who were dragged here realized the situation, dropped their weapons, and ran away. Perhaps there were too many of them to capture or perhaps even the knights who were supposed to control them lost their will at the unbelievable and ridiculous reality. In the end, the battle between the main army of the rebels didn¡¯t happen. All that happened was most of the nobility were captured by the people and beaten before being tied up and transported to the royal pce. ¡°You made quite a lot. How many people have you exploited for this?¡± That¡¯s all Davey could say as he looked through the documents. ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°Marquis Peiltris.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± ¡°See, I thought I would be happy if my revenge was sessful.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± At Davey¡¯s dejected voice, Marquis Peiltris muttered bitterly, ¡°I am happy.¡± However, the rest of what Davey had to say was enough to confuse Marquis Peiltris. ¡°What, did you think that I would think that revenge was all useless?¡± ¡®Not a chance.¡¯ This was the reason Davey endured the training of Hercules, the survival expert, when he had first gone to the Hall of Heroes. He had unfinished business, and he thought he could endure this training if he could really gain power and go back to life with those powers intact. Of course, the amount of training and time was far more absurd than he expected, but that was how he felt in the beginning. ¡®They say revenge filled with hatred can¡¯t be forgotten, even after death.¡¯ To be honest, Davey was a little doubtful of that; since he had lived for over a thousand years, other things started bing important to him as well. ¡®This time is too long for any human to experience.¡¯ -That¡¯s probably why you¡¯re rtively the same even after your revenge. The royal court was silent. It took about a week for Marquis Peiltris to attend the meeting on the punishment of the rebels as he was extremely busy dealing with issues after the war. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. I know that this isn¡¯t very right either.¡± ¡°However, Your Highness¡¯ judgment was correct. In the end, they had crossed a line and their evil acts had shaken this kingdom for decades. No one will be able to criticize Your Highness¡¯ actions.¡± As this was something that Davey had given up trying to remain logical about, he also knew that he had done something stupid. ¡°Make way for His Majesty, the King!!¡± Chapter 154 Then, King Krianes walked into the royal court. As he did, all the nobility in the court knelt on one knee. There were very few members of the nobility left, since the ones who had been involved in the rebellion were locked up in the jail in the basement; there was so few people that it was concerning whether the kingdom could be maintained. ¡°Everyone¡­ Good work,¡± King Krianes said. ¡°We just did what had to be done,¡± Davey answered calmly. Although the army¡¯s leader was Marquis Peiltris, everyone knew that it was Davey who had ended this war with minimal damage. Davey, the weak and powerless prince, had be someone who no one in this kingdom could look down on. ¡®I wonder if this is right.¡¯ There were not many rumors spreading, since information regarding the rebellion had been controlled. However, now, all eyes would be on this kingdom no matter what they did from now on. Unless they were idiots, the surrounding kingdoms that were keeping an eye on this kingdom would have noticed. ¡°Although devastating, it must be done. We are here to decide on the punishment of the people involved in treason. Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince, raise your head.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°During this battle, with unbelievable powers, you have achieved something great that initially seemed impossible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey stayed quiet as he knew that it wasn¡¯t just apliment. ¡°I will ask: how do you want to punish the nobility who took part in the rebellion, their leader Duke Bariatta, and the two princes who have abandoned their role as royalty?¡± Normally, this was for King Krianes to decide, but he did not do anything more; the answer to whether this was to test Davey or it was because he felt guilty toward Davey was only in his mind. Davey stayed silent for a while, then said, ¡°I will pull out their teeth.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± It didn¡¯t simply mean that Davey was going to take their teeth out; there was only one reason for pulling one¡¯s teeth out, and it was to prevent suicide. Usually, this was for stripping someone who hadmitted a grave crime of all their titles and forcibly demoting them to do hard work as mine ves. ¡®I don¡¯t particrly like very, but¡­¡¯ Davey was going to use this torture if he wanted to inflict extreme pain. King Krianes knew that Davey had waited for this moment, so he could not say anything more. He simply asked, ¡°Do you¡­think you really have to do that? He¡¯s once your younger brother.¡± ¡°Second Prince Carlus has shaken this kingdom, and he is still doing it. Not only that, but he has also challenged Your Majesty¡¯s absolute authority.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is my objective stance. I can still remember the moment I was pierced with an arrow and mocked at.¡± ¡°Davey¡­¡± ¡°I do not have siblings called Carlus and Benedict.¡± After Davey spoke, all the nobility bowed their heads. ¡°Leniency is utter absurdity, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Please do not ignore our request!!¡± All the nobility said the same thing. Among them, some were probably trying to fill their own pockets by taking the rebels¡¯ wealth. Some were probably trying to get rid of them for good, because they were afraid of potential retaliation. ¡°¡­All right. I will proim¡­¡± King Krianes, touching his forehead like he had a headache, slowly said, ¡°Hear all, this incident was treason, the gravest crime of the kingdom. As such, I strip the titles of Duke Bariatta, Second Prince Carlus O¡¯Rowane, and Third Prince Benedict O¡¯Rowane, the leaders of the rebellion, and demote them to ves. They will be sent to the Haoji Mines, the prison for the most heinous criminals, and work for the rest of their lives!¡± Davey just silently bowed his head as King Krianes made a stern deration. * * * ¡°The queen is dead.¡± -So, it has ended atst. Davey ignored Perserque¡¯s mumbling and asked King Krianes calmly, ¡°Did you think about how I would react, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°I hated Carlus and Benedict the most. Then, it was Queen Lynesse.¡± ¡®Do you know who¡¯s next? It¡¯s you, Your Majesty.¡¯ ¡°How should I take this?¡± ¡°Davey. I had to be the one to let her go.¡± ¡°I have made it clear that I have no interest in your past, Your Majesty.¡± King Krianes¡¯ voice became firm, which was rare. He said, ¡°I had to be the one to do it¡­ The acts of the queen were evil, but this wasn¡¯t right either.¡± ¡°If you were going to do it, you could have at least told me.¡± ¡°This was a promise I made with your mother as well. Davey, it¡¯s the only promise Queen Lynesse kept even when she was forced out. So¡­ Please just drop this.¡± There was no father who could override his son, and Davey, who could not easily decline his father¡¯s request, seemed to be a stupid pushover as well. Neither of them had the right to point out the other¡¯s mistakes. ¡°¡­Baris will be the next crown prince.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But not yet. Resolve the many problems that exist right now.¡± ¡°Davey.¡± ¡°You do not have more than a few months to live, but¡­¡± Davey interrupted King Krianes and released some holy power from his hand. He added, ¡°Don¡¯t think of running away using your body weakened by some poison as an excuse.¡± [Highness Heal] Whoosh!!! An intense light surrounded King Krianes before flowing into him. It was an extremely advanced recovery magic spell that someone like the pope could use, but surely even the pope couldn¡¯t use it as intricately as Davey. ¡°Take ten years to stabilize the kingdom first. And make it so that Baris can be a great king and lead the nation with confidence. Make it so that those things will automatically happen from Baris bing king.¡± ¡°Is this¡­your revenge on this father who has abandoned you?¡± ¡°I will have faith in the little conscience you have, but if something like this happens again, I will take action.¡± ¡®If that happens, I will not take thisplicated route. So, what I want is for you to leave a painless path for your fourth son who will be the king after you. Although I have no interest in being the king, my beloved and treasured brother wants to be.¡¯ Davey did not want to get into a political fight with Baris over a pretentious and garbage title like the king, and he wasn¡¯t going to take on this obligation because of some stupid responsibility. However, since he was this kingdom¡¯s First Prince, he was going to fulfill the responsibilities and duties that came with the right and privileges that would be rightfully returned to him, though it was a brazen conclusion. This was the day Davey formally and publicly dered that he had given up all his rights as bing a crown prince. It was a perfect escape. * * * On hisst day, Davey visited the royal pce¡¯s basement jail before leaving for the Heins Territory. ¡°Davey!!!! Daveyyyy!!¡± Carlus, who was huffing while on the floor, charged at him like a mad dog. ng!! However, there was a tightly packed, hard metal cage between them. ng!! ng!! ¡°I will kill you!! Ahhhh!! I will kill you!! Daveyyy!!¡± Carlus, who was screaming angrily with one bandaged eye, had enough fury in his remaining eye that he could shootsers out of it. ¡°You look good, Carlus.¡± ¡®Were you hit on the way here or something? There¡¯s a ck spot on the sun on your head.¡¯ ¡°Davey!!!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a prince anymore. Nothing.¡± ¡°How dare!! How dare you deceive me!!¡± Carlus made a scene and rolled on the ground, shouting loudly in anger. ¡°You will be taken to the Haoji Mines as a mine ve. You will never be able to leave, and you will probably die working there.¡± ¡°W¡­ What?!¡± ¡°The Haoji Mines. You should know it well. Do you remember how many innocent people you put in there just because you didn¡¯t like them?¡± It was a nasty mine for punishment, since it saw no light. ¡®You reap what you sow, you dick.¡¯ Carlus flinched at Davey¡¯s words. There was no way he didn¡¯t know as one of the many ways the Bariatta family tormented people was by sending people who defied them there. Davey was sure that probably a majority of them were filled with rage toward the members of the Bariatta family. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve made sure that they will not kill you. There¡¯s a long time left, and the time you will spend there will be longer than your time as a prince. You¡¯re still young, right?¡± As Davey mocked him, Carlus grabbed the metal bars with wide eyes. In a way, this punishment was worse than death. He screamed, ¡°You think someone like you will be able to send me there?!¡± ¡°It has already been decided and executors will be here to stop you from killing yourself. I don¡¯t think you have understood your reality yet, but¡­¡± Davey trailed off and stared directly at him. A killing aura suddenly burst out of him for a moment. ¡°You are a heinous criminal who caused a rebellion.¡± A heinous criminal; perhaps Carlus had just realized the magnitude of this situation or perhaps he was afraid of what that title might bring upon him, because he turned pale. He immediately yelled, ¡°D¡ªDavey! Don¡¯t do this! We¡¯re brothers! We share the same blood!¡± ¡°Brothers?¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yeah! N¡ªNo! Yes, Big brother! The Haoji! Are you really going to send your blood-rted brother to that horrendous ce?!¡± Panicking that he was going to be a mine ve, Carlus desperately tried to reach out to Davey. ¡°Big brother!! Brother! I am sorry! I was a fool! Please¡­ Please!¡± Watching Carlus, Davey calmly turned away. ¡°I don¡¯t know someone like you, asshole.¡± * * * The Heins Territory had been attacked once while Davey had been subduing the rebels. However, it hadn¡¯t been a problem since they had made preparations: ten Swordmasters of Lyndis ready with armory and weapons made of pure silver, Rinne, a golem with an ego and Deus Ex Machina, the Decepticon Fleet, and the girl pretending to be a maid of the seigneur¡¯s pce whom Davey was pretending not to know about. There had been more than enough firepower. Of course, Davey hadn¡¯t been able to ignore the fact that there could have been variables, but the vampires had all run away after being shed. ¡°Thank you for your hard work while waiting here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right. We¡¯re just following His Majesty¡¯smand.¡± Davey chuckled as the old man humbly spoke with his head down. ¡°Actually, I wanted to speak with Your Highness.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you so much.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I did anything to receive your gratitude.¡± The old man firmly shook his head. ¡°Did nothing to receive my gratitude? You cured the disease of Her Highness, the only happiness in this old man¡¯s life.¡± -He is the knight of the small hamster-like princess. ¡®Oh, is he?¡¯ Davey had forgotten about it. He thought that this man was quite loyal. ¡®I wish the Heins Territory had people like him.¡¯ -The Heins Territory is already blessed with gifted people. You should know that. ¡®Of course, I do.¡¯ No one could do everything by themselves; Davey knew that very well, and that was why he had nurtured his own territory¡¯s people. Chapter 155 Swordmaster Sir Belross was much more famous than Davey had thought. ording to Yulis, who had returned after his meeting at the Red Tower, the old man was so outstanding in the eastern continent that everyone knew stories about him when he was younger. The friendliness of a man like that was not bad at all. Not only that, but all the other knights were also old masters of turning the tables who were famous. Davey felt a little overwhelmed as they were all showing their friendliness to him at once. -Considering this, shouldn¡¯t you have been more overwhelmed by the friendliness of the heroes that taught you? As Perserque giggled and asked while pulling on his cheeks, Davey began to think. ¡°Those people were¡­ How should I put it¡­¡± ¡®They really didn¡¯t seem like almighty heroes that dominated an era¡­¡¯ ¡°They just feel like stupid neighborhood friends.¡± ¡®Although they weren¡¯t friends if he considered their actual age.¡¯ ¡°Now I can finally focus on the Heins Territory while the kingdom goes back to order.¡± Davey had to see it to the end if he started. Atst, the dwarves, including Elder Goulda, had finished the huge construction project they had been working on since they came to the territory. ¡°Though all we did was fix the problem of the living space.¡± -Normally, it should¡¯ve taken an astronomicallyrge amount of money. It was true; if it wasn¡¯t for the dwarves¡¯ unique know-how and techniques, it would have taken much longer and beencking in stability as well. ¡°Then, now¡­ It¡¯s time to use this.¡± ¡®Start with the simple things.¡¯ Davey put a finger-sized magic stone that he crafted onto the table and spun it. It was the prototype magic stone that he had made with the Red Moon from the Lyndis Empire. Of course, the power would be less than the fist-sized magic stone he found before¡­ But even one this big was bigger than the extremely rare magic stones found on the continent. This meant that this small continent was casually making something that the entire continent would go crazy for. * * * What was the first priority to increase the quality of life in a territory? It was none other than the stability of personal safety, and also food, clothing, and shelter. After ensuring safety, the first thing Davey chose to tackle was shelter and the improvement of basic infrastructure. Unlike the plentiful storage of food and clothing, the quality of the living spaces and life were¡­ ¡°The infrastructure of the territory has to be taken care of first before increasing basic quality of life.¡± ¡°Infrastructure?¡± ¡°How many wells are there in the territory right now?¡± ¡°I built about seventy-three more. Thanks to the waterway the dwarves made for us, it has be much easier to build wells as water flows around freely.¡± Like the clever girl she was, Amy knew what the territory needed most. Formoners of this world, wells were an important source of water, since it was the way to get water in such a dense terrain. As water was used for drinking, washing, and additional cleanliness, it was one of the essential needs for people. ¡°There are a lot of idents in wells, and they are one of the origins of disease. I knew you worked hard, but we should slowly get rid of them in the future.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Your Highness! I am foolish¡­¡± Davey pulled Amy up from the ground as she immediately bowed and asked for forgiveness. He said, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that I will get rid of it right away. You actually did well. Be confident.¡± ¡®Just keep growing like this and that will be enough for me.¡¯ Someone had to train human resources. On top of that, it was customary for territories to use wells if it wasn¡¯t for Davey¡¯s n. ¡°Elder Goulda. Are the facilities that I told you about ready?¡± ¡°Of course, Wise Teacher. It was a little odd, but I liked it more because of that.¡± The dwarves, who were craftsmen to the core and had reflected on their mistakes from Davey¡¯s provocation, were thirsty for new and innovative attempts. After Elder Goulda spoke, Amy, Winley and Yulis looked confused. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll show you something cool.¡± Davey had poured so much money into this project. When he saw it, he was proud to have invested so much funding into making it. It was an underground waterway with a wide space built on top of it, which had numerous water tanks and magic circles all over. On top of that, one was able to ess this underground waterway straight from ground level unlike normal underground waterways, which were usually dark and dirty. As a lot of mana stones were shining and illuminating the inside, it felt more clean and sophisticated rather than gross and wet. ¡°The magic circles here¡­ I¡¯ve never seen them created with this method before.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t the normal circr magic circles that the Tionis continent uses, but a square magic circle made with a highly intricatenguage.¡± From the size to the inner symbols and the pattern of the magic circles, these highly advanced magic circles had to be near perfect and almost without error to be activated. ¡°Ahem¡­ Well, I don¡¯t even know what it is even when I look at it, so I engraved it just as you drew it.¡± ¡°Considering that, there are barely any mistakes.¡± ¡°Haha! With the exception of the fairies, no kind is more meticulous than dwarves!¡± Elder Goulda dered. Davey nced around at the wall and floor that was engraved with magic circles and the water tanks in satisfaction. Then, Yulis, who was admiring the magic circles, squinted. ¡°However¡­ Can all of these be activated? Since there are more than five hundred magic circles in here, it¡¯s going to take an astronomicallyrge amount of money to¡­¡± Yulis, who was touching the magic circles in fascination, stared at them. He was confused. ¡°It takes one mana stone or mage to use an instable magic circle like this. It runs for about one to six months depending on the efficiency of the magic circle.¡± To use hundreds of gold to be able to use something like a mana stone for a few months was the pinnacle of luxury, one that not even royal pces of empires could always afford. ¡°Even if you were to use magic stones, don¡¯t you need at least ten to power all these?¡± The problem wasn¡¯t the output of power, but the fact that the magic circles were too big and spread out. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about those there. About half of them are linked magic circles that don¡¯t need power.¡± ¡°Oh my, something like that¡­¡± Yulis looked confused when he heard Davey. However, Davey just tapped one wall of the huge space ording to his prepared n. Grgrgr!! At the same time, arge stone wall opened up to reveal a room with the same square magic circle. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°The control room.¡± ¡°The control room?¡± ¡°This one magic circle controls all the others.¡± ¡®Meaning that a magic stone only had to be set here.¡¯ ¡°Since magic circles don¡¯t have infinite energy, we will use one after every period of time,¡± Davey said, then ced two magic stones in the divots and released his mana. [Activate] Then, Davey used his activated mana to release the magic stone¡¯s energy and began to start the magic circles. He muttered to himself, ¡°I¡¯m unsure of this working by itself¡­¡± As convenient as overall control systems were, they were much more dangerous. Thinking about the danger, Davey boldly thought to invest the things he had in mind. Hemented with a nod, ¡°I¡¯ll just make a new er.¡± Then, Davey lightly punched the air with his fist. Crack!! Then, the empty space fractured and began splitting into a unique pattern. Even before Davey put his hand on it, the Pocket ce threw out the thing he was looking for without any sincerity or gentleness. * * * ¡°Talk about your irritating personality,¡± Davey said. As the Pocket ne was made with mana that had a sassy personality, it was seeminglyining even though it gave Davey exactly what he wanted. It was nice that it gave him what he needed without him having to tell it to, but he wondered if it had to be that mean. Clicking his tongue, Davey examined the object that popped out from the Pocket ne and put it into the empty space between the magic stones. ¡°P¡ªPocket ne?!¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Ignoring Winley and Yulis, the two mages who were screaming, Davey put the small rock that came out of the Pocket ce in the middle of the magic circle. Hemented, ¡°No one will be able to mess with it if I leave it like this.¡± What Davey had pulled out was a sealing stone. ¡°No way! Big brother! Is that a sealing stone?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Wow... I didn¡¯t think I would see a sealing stone that I can see at the wizard tower headquarters in person¡­¡± Unlike magic or mana stones, both of which were naturally made, sealing stones were stones made for a specific purpose; its effect was to seal a certain space if mana was being provided, and what Davey had sealed was damage to the magic circle and deterioration beyond parameters. Since he had made it with pretty high-quality material, it wouldn¡¯t be affected by most attacks. ¡°B¡­ Big brother! Do you have a lot of sealing stones?¡± Winley asked. ¡°No, this is all.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. I¡¯ll make you one sometime.¡± ¡®If it¡¯s your request, I¡¯ll do anything.¡¯ ¡°¡­He just activated the Pocket ce by swinging his fist when the Teacher has to cast for a long time to use it¡­¡± ¡°Do you have a problem?¡± ¡°N¡­ No¡­¡± Yulis muttered in shock and shook his head. Watching Yulis while recording something on her chart, Amy giggled and said proudly, ¡°His Highness always shows me something cool. You will be at ease just having faith in him regarding whatever he does.¡± ¡°Th¡­ Thank you.¡± It was not jealousy or envy that Yulis, who mumbled in surprise, felt; it was just pure bewilderment. ¡°Sir Davey¡­ I have a question¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°So¡­ What circle are you at?¡± After hearing Yulis¡¯ question, Davey stared into the circles rotating inside his body. The mana circles in his body had a system where the creation of the first circle was the hardest. As he had just gotten as many circles as he could since it got easier to create circles as they increased, he was just checking now. He said, ¡°I only have eight rings.¡± ¡°Oh my Lord Freyja¡­ Only eight?!¡± Yulis mumbled in shock, because the best mage known in the continent only had seven circles. He was so surprised that a mage, who was on theplete opposite side of priests, was looking for God. Chapter 156 60. Developing Territory and Encounters Yulis could tell that it was not a joke. Besides, it was hard for him not to believe Davey, especially after seeing those things for himself. But instead of envy and jealousy, his expression only revealed surprise and awe. ¡°Pl¡­ Please teach me a lot more things!¡± ¡°Did I even teach you anything?¡± Of course, the answer to that was no. ¡°You have no idea how much of an effect and influence you have on me just by showing me your magic, Sir Davey!¡± Davey nodded, roughly understanding what Yulis, whose eyes burned with passion for learning, meant. Witnessing the flow of mana of magic from a new realm could well and truly act as a basis for one¡¯s growth and development. Well, Davey was, in fact, indebted to Yulis since he had risked his life and saved Winley twice in his absence. So, feeling grateful, Davey thought about giving the man a bit of a free service. How about allowing Yulis to charge and climb into the ranks of the sixth circle with the Special Davey Style Physical Remodelling? If he did that for a week, then¡­ ¡®Ah, that¡¯s not important right now,¡¯ Davey shook his head and turned to the sealing stone, checking if it was properly activated or not. Then, he lightly touched the characters made of light that the magic circle had created. ¡°If I leave it like this, then¡­¡± The people managing this ce would be able to handle it quitefortably after that. And since it would be easier to manage with the spirits¡¯ power, Davey thought of wheedling the elves into managing this ce. Vwooooong!!! With the magic circle¡¯s activation, the water roared as it gushed out of the huge water tank. This signaled that the magic circle was working properly. Of course, Davey had spent three days and three nights debugging the magic circle¡¯s structure, so it was natural that it would work properly. ¡°What is this exactly, brother?¡± Winley, who could not reign in her curiosity, asked as she looked around the ce. If Winley kept on asking, then all Davey could do was to keep on answering her. She was his sister after all. ¡°It¡¯s a jet pump.¡± ¡°A jet¡­pump? Ah, no way¡­ You mean those instations can pump clean water directly to the royal pce from underground? But it must be very expensive to maintain a pump like this¡­¡± Winley trailed off at the strangely simple and normal exnation and oue. She was expecting something beyondmon sense this time, since Davey had always shown them plenty of abnormal things so far. And of course, her expectations had hit the nail right on the head. ¡°As long as it¡¯s managed properly, it can operate almost permanently. It¡¯s also very cheap and easy to manage. Above all¡­¡± The most important aspect of the pump was something else. ¡°¡­with just this single pump, anyone can draw and use water whenever they want as long as they are situated in Heins Territory¡¯s residential area.¡± There were only a few¡­ No, perhaps it was safer to say that there were no houses without any water on modern-day Earth. But in this world, where most people still drew water from wells, it would be sufficient to deem this crazy attempt revolutionary. Either way, it did not matter to Davey how his words would be able to affect the entire continent¡¯s economy. ¡°My god¡­ Is that even really possible?!¡± Normally, it would cost an exorbitant amount of money to install a pump that could deliver clean water with carefully regted temperatures to a household. Even the amount of money needed for maintenance was astronomical, since one needed to check regrly if it was working properly or needed repairs, as well as change the mana stones at set times. On top of that, pumps were usually small and not very powerful, so they could only supply water to one ce. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough of the supplementary equipment right now, so I made do by installing 500 magic circles on it. However, it is not impossible. Amy!¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Did you call for me, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Pass this message to our territory¡¯s residents.¡± And Davey said¡­ *** ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t you Lily¡¯s mom?¡± ¡°Hello, Grandma Helena. Are you here to draw some water?¡± ¡°Why, yes. I should do this much, since my sons and grandchildren are working hard to reim farnd for us, you know?¡± Grandma Helenaughed, her expression bright and fresh. ¡°You¡¯re in a very good mood.¡± ¡°Strangely enough, my back was not hurting when I went out this morning. So, I thought something good might happen today.¡± ¡°Aha. But how do you know that it¡¯s a good thing¡­?¡± ¡°Hmm. Who knows¡­ Maybe His Highness, the prince, has prepared something huge again?¡± ¡°His Highness, the prince? Ey~ There are a lot of rumors that he¡¯s in big trouble even with all of the things that he¡¯s done so far. What can he even show us here?¡± ¡°Oh my? Lily¡¯s mom, you don¡¯t know anything? About His Highness, I mean? He¡¯s like this! Like this! Whatever he thinks and says, ites true!¡± With thend drying up from theck of rain, they had prayed for rain. And when Prince Davey had said that there would be rain, rain had trulye. And that was not all. They had heard that the weather would turn colder, so they had to make preventive measures early on. Prince Davey had said that it would remain warm, and the next day, the cold weather had indeed suddenly turned warm. Diana, Lily¡¯s mom, thought that Grandma Helena¡¯s stories were all bullshit. All she could do was smile awkwardly at Grandma Helena¡¯s disy of blind faith toward the prince. Diana had been originally in another territory but had returned to her hometown, the Heins Territory, after hearing about its development. She was among those people that only came back to her hometown after hearing that the once dyingnd had been revived. Because of that, Diana had never witnessed the miracles that happened in Heins Territory. Perhaps that was also the reason why she thought that the original residents that were left behind and the early settlers were a bit stupid and foolish for having such blind faith and trust in Prince Davey. After being kicked out from her position as a maid, Diana had grown skeptical and distrustful towards high ranking nobles and royalty to the point that she was downright hostile to them. Still, she could not deny the fact that this ce felt a bit different from the other territories. ¡°Ey~ His Highness definitely has his own limitations too. Even the king is just a human being.¡± ¡°My goodness! Lily¡¯s mom, you have to be careful with your words. You will be in trouble if you say that somewhere else.¡± ¡°Ahahaha¡­¡± Dianaughed awkwardly as she waited in line to draw water from the well. If it was not hypnosis, then the people of this territory were just in stupid. She added, ¡°What can we even do here? We¡¯re poor, powerlessmoners. We should already be satisfied with this rtively stablend that rarely collects taxes from us.¡± ¡°It seems like you have to see to believe, huh? I¡¯m telling you, my instincts are always on point! It¡¯sing! Something good ising!¡± ¡°Oh my. I have to go, I still need to draw a lot of water.¡± At that moment, a little girl shouted from a distance, ¡°Goodness! Grandma Helena!!!¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that Lynnie? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­ So Aunty Diana is here too?! Hello! Gasp, gasp¡­¡± ¡°Calm down and catch your breath first.¡± Lynnie, who was given a bowl of water, hurriedly gulped down the water. Her eyes twinkled brightly. Then, she said, ¡°His Highness has prepared something amazing again!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The two older women looked puzzled at Lynnie, who spoke energetically. ¡°No, it¡¯s better if we go! You¡¯ll understand when you see it!¡± The girl, who had been kidnapped and taken to a goblin vige just a few months prior and had almost suffered terribly, did not show any signs of depression at all. The two older women followed Lynnie, who had a bright smile on her face, in a daze. They appeared to be drawn to her aura and smile. *** ¡°My god¡­ Goodness¡­ What is this?¡± ¡°Oh my god¡­ Is that a mana pump?!¡± ¡°Warm! The water is warm! Is this what that wicked monster does?!¡± Grandma Helena shouted as if she found the newly-installed structure on one side of the residential area to be absurd. ¡°My goodness! It doesn¡¯t even work like a well, you just turn this thing and the wateres out? And the water is even clean! Without any soil and debris!¡± Generally,moners would draw water from the well, collect the water, and filter it several times before using it. In ces where the water quality was bad, people would have no choice but to use the water as it was. But what was this in front of them? Just a slight twist of thisrge iron pipe, and clean and warm water would pour out easily for them? The nobles were quite ustomed to this way of pumping water, but for normal people like them, who had never heard of something like this, this mysterious phenomena was akin to a God¡¯s blessing. ¡°His Highness, the First Prince, was here just now! He said that they will install these in our homes soon! In all of the residents¡¯ homes!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The two older women were stunned speechless. They could not believe that they would be installing these metal pipes that could easily pour out water like this in everyone¡¯s home. Unless they were idiots, there was no way for them not to understand what that meant. Namely, they would no longer need to draw water mixed with soil and dirt and filter it every time they needed it. Even the need to use firewood to heat the water would be solved. ¡°Then¡­ Does this mean that we can get clean water in our homes without having to go to the well and draw some? That¡¯s what it means, right?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Grandma Helena widened her eyes at Lynnie¡¯s lively answer. She muttered, ¡°This is a miracle¡­ A miracle¡­¡± Unlike Grandma Helena, who was overjoyed by Lynnie¡¯s words, Diana¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion. She said, ¡°This¡­is definitely the mana pump that only those of a higher rank, like the nobles and royalty, can use¡­¡± It was not like Diana did not know about it at all. After all, she had once worked as a maid for a rich noble family. This was a pump that could only be installed by mages at a high price. It was literally an amazing object that could pump water directly from the source. After realizing the fact that this was the same system that those high-ranking nobles and royalty used, Diana mumbled in confusion, ¡°For someone like us that struggles to survive day after day¡­ How can we afford to install something like this in our homes? Even though I haven¡¯t heard the specifics, I¡¯m sure this will cost a lot of money, right?¡± This was something that could only be seen in high-ranking nobles¡¯ houses, the royal pce and in very luxurious noble amodations. That was why Diana could not believe it. After all, she had heard from her fellow maids about how expensive those were. There was no way that they would install these incredibly expensive structures in a lowlymoner¡¯s house for free¡­ Furthermore, Diana did not trust the nobility at all. If they installed such an expensive thing in their homes, they would definitely rip off a huge sum of money from them and make them fall into a huge pit of debt. After all, she had lost her daughter to a noble that she had trusted in the territory where she used to live, right? Hearing Diana mumbling to herself, Lynnie piped up, ¡°I don¡¯t know about it well, but¡­ When His Highness came here earlier, he told us that the instation itself is free. But we have to pay ten silver coins per month to prevent us from using water excessively¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± This was somethingpletely impossible, even at the kingdom¡¯s capital city. How much money was needed to pump water into every household in this territory? And they would install it for free even in themoners¡¯ houses and only charge them for as little as ten silver coins per month? ¡°Uhm¡­ And he also said this before he left¡­¡± Lynnie mumbled to herself as she thought back to the events earlier on. Her eyes widened when she finally recalled the words that the prince had said, she eximed, ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right! [Everyone, work harder after receiving this welfare bomb!] That''s what he said! Ah, what does welfare mean?¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡­welfare means¡­¡± Diana was stunned after seeing Lynnie trying hard to impersonate Davey to the best of her abilities. If this was true then¡­ Diana thought that there was truly a reason why the residents of this territory trusted and followed their seigneur blindly and acted as if they were mad fanatics. Chapter 157 ¡°We¡¯ve now properly resolved our problems with the waterways.¡± ¡°A considerable amount of our funds went into this project, Your Highness. We have to put these non-lucrative and huge projects on hold for quite some time¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in a rush to get back our capital. Amy, what about the stones that you purchased from the Aui Merchant Group?¡± ¡°Yes, all of them have been loaded up and stored in a warehouse nearby.¡± ¡°Alright. In three days, we should call for a few royal guards and tell them to start on the next project with the dwarves.¡± Since they were done dealing with the underground waterways, it was time for them to pack the ground, the very source of dust, and create stone pathways! Of course, stone pavements and roads were things that could only be seen inrge cities. However, Davey believed that a cleaner territory would lead to better hygiene, which would in turn result in a more beautiful appearance to attract plenty of visitors and tourists. In other words, if the territory¡¯s quality of life increased, then the natural oue would be a significant increase in poption and that would allow them to generate higher revenue. ¡°I will convey Your Highness¡¯ message right away.¡± Although something was bothering her, Amy did not pursue the matter anymore since she could not pinpoint what it was. She nodded in agreement. For a moment, Davey felt like he was a bit too full of himself. ¡ªIt looks like you have already resolved this territory¡¯s biggest disadvantage when ites to farming, since you can control the weather and the climate. This applies to the nearbynds too. The Heins Territory was huge¡ªit was not called a vast wastnd for nothing. Even though thend was cracked and dry, if given more time and arger number of people to manage it, the vast wastnd could turn into fertile and prosperousnd. Of course, drawbacks also existed. Although Davey could control the amount of rainfall in the vastnds of his territory, because of ack of precision, the variety of the crops that they could cultivate was alsocking. Also¡­ ¡°If I make it rain every time we need it, then it will eventually cause damage to the environment.¡± That was actually the most important part. If Davey continued to do that, then it was no different from long-term suicide. After all, this method would kill his surroundings and environment, as well as his goal of living a good life. ¡°It would be nice to have some elementalists to manage things¡­¡± Elves were the most famous race in this respect, as they produced many elementalists. However, Davey did not have any method to entice them and drag them over to work for him, so that was out of the question. Besides, cooperating with that race was not a very appealing option to Davey right now. ¡°Juste inside,¡± Davey said leisurely, his eyes straying away from the documents that Amy had left behind. He watched a man dressed in ck military uniform slowly appear as if he had been in the room since earlier. Davey then asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that I wish to tell you.¡± Rinne, who was sleeping while hugging Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon on the sofa by the side of the room, slowly opened her eyes at the man¡¯s calm answer. She could not help but tilt her head at the sudden stand-off between Jack and Davey. ¡°Right. You want to say something¡­¡± Jack only wanted to say something to Davey, right? So, why did it sound like this was some kind of big deal? Just to make sure, Davey silently checked Jack¡¯s status window. However, there were no big changes so far. Jack was still the dark elf whose real name was Aina Helishana. ¡°But before that, let me ask you a question.¡± ¡°Please ask away.¡± ¡°Do you have a younger or an older sister by any chance?¡± Davey asked as the atmosphere momentarily turned delicate. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°Nevermind. Right, you¡¯ve done quite a few things for me during this time. I can, of course, listen to what you have to say.¡± Jack only answered Davey with silence. He was seemingly telling Davey that he had to help with this, since he had been ving over the things that Davey had asked him to do. Jack softly spoke up. ¡°Yes. Then¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Who left this fairytale here?¡± Davey interrupted Jack, stopping him from speaking any further. He held out a small book in his hands andmented, ¡°The Elf¡¯s Lover? Huh? Isn¡¯t this elven romance novel very famous in the capital these days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right but¡­ I think Miss Winley has brought that here deliberately.¡± ¡°Winley? What¡¯s so good about this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a bestseller among the nobility. I believe it¡¯s a sweet and nice read? The existence of an elf¡­¡± Davey was fully aware. For humans, elves were like fairies of the forest. They were a symbol of peace. But what could Davey do? That image had long been destroyed. Hemented, ¡°Is that so? I personally don¡¯t like elves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jack flinched at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°If one appears in front of me right now, I will grab them, strip them naked, and hang them on the gates with words ¡®shameless race¡¯ written on their body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jack¡¯s silence was prolonged. He flinched even more intensely at Davey¡¯s shocking words. ¡°Ah, sorry. My emotions got the better of me for a moment. What did you want to say to me?¡± *** ¡°Ahahaha! For real? Are you really into that?¡± A slim womanughed loudly, making fun of the person in front of her. ¡°U-Ugh¡­ S-Stop making fun of me, Kathryn.¡± ¡°Oh my. My dear imperial princess, it¡¯s so fun to see your face turn red. You know? Kahahahaha!!!¡± The woman, dressed in clothes that revealed her tanned skin,ughed happily as she stroked Aeria¡¯s head. Goodness! Someone truly dared to stroke the head of the youngest imperial princess, who was deeply cherished and fenced off by the absolute ruler of the great empire, the Emperor? Still, the parties involved and even the maids in the vicinity did not feel anything strange about it. A healthy and tan skin, a slim figure and fairly revealing clothing. These things were quitemon in the Western Continent. Of course, the woman, who looked to be in her early twenties, looked sexy and beautiful, especially with her eye-catching amber hair tied up in a ponytail, but that did nothing to rify this situation that defiedmon sense. On the other hand, if the woman¡¯s identity were to be revealed, people would know that she was not just some run-of-the-mill existence. She was none other than the ming Fox. [Kathryn Carabe] She had been given that name because of her red tail and ears that looked like zing mes. Kathryn might look like a frivolous young woman but the truth was she was the object of fear in Lyndis Empire¡ªthe Empire¡¯s Grand Duchess and one of the greatest and strongest forces of the empire. Kathryn was also a pure-blooded beastfolk, who, in terms of power and strength, was only beneath Emperor Deorte, the man hailed as the Empire¡¯s Strongest Sword. This was no different from saying that she ranked at the top of the master-level forces in the Lyndis Empire. But despite Kathryn¡¯s status in the empire, the beastfolk still suffered and endured from countless contemptuous and disdainful looks. The reason? Simple. She was only a single person. She had more freedom than most because she was the empire¡¯s grand duchess. Even so, she was just a single force with little to no power other than her personal strength. ¡°Oh my. My dear imperial princess, look at how fair your skin is! How can you hide this cute face of yours for such a long time?¡± ¡°U, ugh¡­ that tickles. Stop it.¡± ¡°Hehehehe. Look at how soft and tender you are! Huh? Did you know about how many rumors are flying around in the empire right now? From what I heard there¡¯s a long line of those nobles¡¯ sons waiting to see our dear imperial princess¡¯ face. However! I will make sure to knock those heat-crazed punks down a peg one way or the other!¡± Kathryn pinched Aeria¡¯s soft cheeks, smiling broadly just like those middle-aged uncles as she hugged Aeria tightly, ¡°You can smile now, what a relief. Truly a relief, Your Imperial Highness.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very grateful for your concern, Kathryn.¡± ¡°By the way, that guy¡¯s really amazing, huh? He healed a disease that even the Holy Empire has given up on in just a few days.¡± ¡°Is¡­ Is that so?¡± Aeria tried to reply nonchntly, turning her face slightly away from Kathryn. The older woman rubbed her chin while deep in thought, murmuring, ¡°It¡¯s quite hard to see someone so capable somewhere else. And that¡¯s not all, he turned around as if nothing happened after taking away the heart of our dear imperial princess.¡± Aeria realized that Kathryn was making a serious error in judgment. She quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s not it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡­ It¡¯s because¡­ I did not fall for him because he treated my disease¡­ He had already saved me before that¡­¡± Feeling that this was a very important point, Aeria wanted to make things clear about her crush on the prince named Davey O¡¯Rowane. Her feelings for the prince had formed long before they met in the empire. She cried out, ¡°This¡­ This is very important!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡®Ah, what should I do with this cute and lovable creature?¡¯ Kathryn seriously considered kidnapping this cute and adorable little princess and taking her to her mansion. She asked, ¡°Your Imperial Highness, do you truly like that prince?¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡­¡± Despite admitting it, Aeria still was embarrassed. All she could do was lower her head as her face turned a bright red. Kathrynughed at Aeria. She had not seen this sight for a very long time. ¡°Oh my, what should I do with this cute little princess?¡± ¡°Pl¡­ Please stop.¡± ¡°Your Imperial Highness, would you like me to give you some advice? There¡¯s a way for you to capture a man without fail.¡± ¡°There¡­ There is?¡± Aeria immediately raised her head, revealing wide-open eyes. It was safe to say that she was seriously considering whatever method it was that Kathryn would say. ¡®What kind of guy is that punk to make our dear princess fall this hard for him?¡¯ Kathryn had never met this prince of a small nation that had cured Aeria of her illness, since she had been at the borders doing an imperial inspection when everything happened. ¡°From what I can tell, that prince is either too considerate or just not interested. If we followed your pace and waited for progress to happen, then we''d both get wrinkles by the time something happened, am I right? Besides, that prince left without any hesitation. And with His Majesty, the Emperor, an extreme daughter-loving father, he will definitely not push for an arranged marriage.¡± ¡°Th¡­ Then¡­¡± Kathryn grinned when she saw Aeria¡¯s tearful expression, saying, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s only one good method that will work for you.¡± ¡°Plea¡­ Please tell me!¡± Seeing Aeria answer resolutely as if she would willingly do whatever it took to get the prince, Kathryn pulled Aeria out of her arms. Kathryn shook the girl and conveyed her thoughts as they were, no holds barred, ¡°All you have to do is mate with him.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± A short silence ensued. ¡°Mate with him, eat him up. It¡¯s better if you can get a baby in your stomach. Will he even throw you away if his child is in your stomach? ¡®Course not. What more, a child with an imperial princess?¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°My dear princess, whether they¡¯re men or women, people like that act. The sacred act of union between two bodies is the goal of all living things. What I¡¯m saying is that no one is superior or inferior when ites down to that. Besides, our dear princess has this cute face, who can deny that? If I were you, I would wear my negligee[1] and infiltrate his bedroom right away!¡± ¡°Kathryn!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s up to you where you want to eat him up. You¡¯ll feel good wherever you are, anyway¡­¡± ¡°Wh¡­ Whaaaa?!¡± ¡°Keep this in mind. Those wicked and dirty men? They¡¯ll die when they hear that beautiful voice of yours. In that respect, we can call Your Imperial Highness¡¯ voice a living weapon¡­¡± ¡°S¡­ S-S-S-Stop it!!!¡± Aeria screamed, her face turning a few shades darker than the shade of red from before. Who in their right mind would say something like that to a member of the imperial family? However, the problem here was Grand Duchess Kathryn¡¯s free and unreserved thoughts and advice were so intense and forward that Aeria could not ept them at all. *** A chilly silence hung in the air. ¡ªI think it¡¯s because your expression is too stiff. Davey immediately shut up when he heard Perserque chuckling at him. ¡®I¡¯m serious. I really don¡¯t like those pointy-eared bastards.¡¯ It was not just some petty joke. In fact, what Davey had done was a test of sorts. If Jack had noticed it, then he would get results. ¡ªWhat¡¯s your reason? ¡®Well, just because?¡¯ Just as Davey had mentioned before, those pointy-eared bastards were very snobbish and arrogant. That was why he did not like them. Well, to be exact, he just truly did not like the elves. So, what was his reason? Because they were vegetarians? No, of course not. Was it because they were a very strict and meticulous race? Well, that was one of the reasons, but it was still not the main reason why Davey hated them. 1. A sheer and see-through long gown, intended for wear at night and in the bedroom. ? Chapter 158 ¡ªThen, why do you hate them? ¡®Because that stinky Casanova ruined my first love. And right in front of my very eyes to boot.¡¯ Apollo, the damn God of Archery, was a sleazy man from the High Elf Race. He was also the reason why Davey¡¯s fantasy and image of an elf had been ruined. ¡ªYour innocence and fantasy have been ruined? ¡®Death Lord Rho Aias was my first love.¡¯ One day, Davey had gone to Rho Aias¡¯ lodgings to train his dark magic. However, upon his arrival, he had witnessed Apollo and Rho Aias entering the bedroom together. That sight had left him in a daze for a few days. What had happened after the two entered the bedroom? Had there been an alternative ending aside from the most obvious one? Of course not. Just like oil in a frying pan, Davey had burned bright red from what he had seen. It was only natural. After all, he had entered the Hall at only ten years old. Compared to those heroes, who had lived for thousands of years, Davey had just been a bloody childish brat. Well, it was true that he had been a brat, but how could they have destroyed a child¡¯s innocence like that? When he had finally returned to his senses, Davey had run straight to where Saintess Daphne had been and had told her everything. It was safe to say that the events that followed after had been very fun and interesting. All Davey could say was that it had served them right! They had reaped what they had sown! ¡ªHow could you be so childish¡­? ¡®You¡¯ve been single since birth. You will never understand the shock that I felt back then.¡¯ ¡ªYou really are a bastard. The furious ex-Demon Lord tugged Davey¡¯s earlobe and yelled at him. Davey did not like tough and ill-tempered women. Rho Aias with her bright smile and soft, innocent, and elegant image, was still and would always be Davey''s ideal type and first love. ¡®A person only has one first love in their entire life.¡¯ In his past life, Davey had only lived up to twenty years old. When living that life, he had spent almost every single moment inside a sterile room apanied by educational videos,ics, movies, games, and the inte gallery. He had done that from a young age until his very death. Of course, he had never interacted with anyone and could only watch. As for his current life, he had fallen into aa the moment he had turned ten. Needless to say, it was very difficult for Davey to find an ideal type, which that high elf had easily ruined. With that incident alone, the list of crimes that the sleazy and crazy high elf had done had grown longer, ruining Davey¡¯s fantasy about the elves and forcing him to hate anyone who was of the same race. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have something to say to me?¡± ¡°Th¡­ uhm¡­ Something urgent suddenly came up.¡± Jack took one, two steps back. His voice faltered before disappearingpletely from Davey¡¯s sight. In the end, he still failed to say anything to Davey. ¡ªWhy did you do that? ¡®I was just joking. I didn¡¯t think that he would run away like that.¡¯ However, one thing was clear. What Jack, or Aina Helishana, wanted Davey to do was somewhat rted to the elves. ¡°I really like the elves¡¯¡­spirit magic.¡± Well, the elves¡¯ spirit magic might not be any more powerful than his spirit magic since Davey¡¯s affinity with the spirits had been forcibly modified to go beyond his race¡¯s limitations. Still, he liked the fact that the elves could use spirit magic. It was a solution to his problems. After all, if Davey personally managed and maintained even the smallest part of his territory, then it would mean that the territory¡¯s vitality and life would end once he died. ¡°I should try to secretly summon some spirits.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t it hard to do here? ¡°As long as the ce is good, then it would not be too hard to do some summoning. I have to get ready. The most ideal ce would be the elven forest just right outside the territory¡­ I¡¯m used to dealing with spirits, but this will be my first time summoning them¡­so I¡¯m still not sure.¡± Davey had learned how to use spirit magic by borrowing spirits. This was because they hadn¡¯t been allowed to summon spirits in the Hall. However, the most important reason why he had to make preparations was¡­ ¡°Just one look at that, and I know that I won¡¯t be able to do it now.¡± *** As soon as the n was in ce, things began changing rapidly. The water supply was connected to the newly built residential area, allowing the residents to tap cold and hot water at any time of the day in thefort of their own homes. And that was not all. Bybining Davey¡¯s knowledge and the dwarves¡¯ unique technology, they were able to tinker with the buildings¡¯ designs and make its foundation sturdier and more solid. And by changing the building¡¯s internal structure, they were able to create modern-day buildings. Of course, buildings built with premium materials were bound to be expensive. For ordinary people who lived day by day, living in a building like this was like a pie in the sky. But this problem could be easily handled. The territory¡¯s management provided these houses free-of-charge if the ordinary people sold their old houses at a bargain price. Davey, despite having been pointed at and called crazy, still pushed through with this n. After all, he had plenty of money left over since his Heins Territory had amassed too much wealth for a territory that had less than 10,000 residents. Because of that, the territory¡¯s image was enhanced even further, and the residents¡¯ faces were filled with great joy, vitality, and anticipation for the future. The losses that they incurred for these projects were not that important. In fact, the most important part was the fact that the territory¡¯s outward appearance and reputation had increased significantly. This was their biggest advantage. The territory no longer looked like a small vige lined with shabby and old houses, but a sparkling and clean territory lined up with pretty houses. It was a view that was hard to see even in the capital. ¡°Ahahahaha! Catch me if you can!¡± ¡°Hey! You¡¯re dead if I get my hands on you!!!¡± Davey watched as a little girl chased after a boy, who seemed to have escaped after flipping her skirt up. Seeing this lively and happy scene in the territory, Davey could not help but sit back and rx. Of course, one could not enjoy this peaceful scenery if they were walking along the streets, so he had made sure to furnish his personal resting spotplete with a pavilion and some benches. ¡°I like this¡­peaceful atmosphere.¡± ¡ªI feel like this warm sun and nice, firm thighs add a sense of drowsiness in the air. Daveypletely ignored the words that came out of Perserque¡¯s mouth. He closed his eyes and leaned back on the wooden bench. As if influenced by the rxed atmosphere, Perserque also showed no signs of getting up. She continued to cling to Davey¡¯s thigh, her eyes closed as if to take a nap. The warm and suitable temperature of the air blowing on their skin was a very nice sensation. In the end, they were both being carried away by thezy and peaceful atmosphere. ¡°Cough. Ah, I did not see you there, young man.¡± Suddenly, a voice rang out in the area, surprising Davey. Just moments ago, there were no signs of anyone being around. Although this was Davey¡¯s personal resting spot, it wasn¡¯t a vition of any rules for someone else to enter the area. He did not prohibit anyone from entering, so this sudden appearance of a person was not a problem. Davey, who finally raised his head from the back of the bench, saw a smiling old man who approached from a distance. Then, he called out, ¡°Gramps?¡± ¡°Hoho. This is the liveliest and most vibrant territory that I have seentely. Ah, can I sit next to you?¡± Davey habitually used the Abyss¡¯ Authority on the old man, whose identity immediately popped up in front of his eyes. ¡®Isn¡¯t he quite an unexpected visitor?¡¯ ¡ªWhat you said. Davey wondered if someone like this old man was truly easy to meet on the streets. It was as if the old man was just one of the local grandpas walking around and exercising, considering how easy they met right now. *** ¡°Hoho. Young man, you look quite rxed. It seems like you¡¯re veryfortable here.¡± If asked if he was rxed, of course Davey would answer that he was veryfortable and rxed. ¡°It is very peaceful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Of course. But I believe it¡¯s the residents¡¯ bright and happy smiles that make thisnd vibrant and lively.¡± For those who struggled to survive, being given the minimum amount of necessities like food, clothing, and shelter was like giving them a purpose in life. It was their hope for the future, which in turn gave them energy to work hard and do their best not only for themselves but also for their territory. Davey worked very hard to achieve that. He gave the people plenty of benefits and implemented many welfare policies to restore the people¡¯s pride, self-esteem, and sense of purpose. He even went so far as to clean up all the dirty streams and wells, the source of the territory¡¯s sanitary problems, and allowed the people to tap clean water through the water pipes that they had installed all over the territory. With the dwarves¡¯ solid technical skills and Davey¡¯s magic, as well as their literal gold spoon, their territories'' vast amount of capital and funds, they were able to create this masterpiece. And of course, the ones who enjoyed the benefits of their gold spoon were the territory¡¯s residents. Davey believed that his ie and profits would increase as long as the residents¡¯ quality of living increased. And if the quality of living increased, the poption would naturally growrger, which in turn would increase the territory¡¯s morale and profits. Changing people''s lives to create a future where they helped each other was one of the changes that Davey wanted to implement. Exploiting others was a concept that existed since ancient times, a problem that persisted even in the modern era where Davey had lived his previous life. However, Davey wanted to see a different world. That was why he was changing things up. Although, it was quite hard for him to predict when this kind of change would reach its fullest potential. ¡ªBut when people get toofortable, they eventually bezy. ¡®We have to be good at bncing on that tightrope.¡¯ There were, of course, pros and cons. The pros were a good andfortable life. However, it could also have a negative effect on security, an area where plenty of problems could arise as well as the territory¡¯s development. ¡°I have seen several other territories and cities in my life, but there are only a few ces as vibrant and lively as this ce.¡± ¡°You must have been to a lot of ces, gramps.¡± ¡°Hoho. I loved the thrill of a new adventure when I was younger. Hoho! There was a time when I walked through a vast in with just my long sword, a staff, and my gray robe and hat,¡± the old man, who was sitting on the other end of the bench, stroked his well-groomed beard with a delighted smile on his face. ¡°It seems like this territory¡¯s seigneur is quite capable.¡± ¡°The seigneur¡­ Ah. Yes.¡± ¡°From what I heard, the seigneur is a prince who is not even in his 20s yet. Do you know anything about him?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­ I don¡¯t have an idea about what those high-ranking people think.¡± Davey didn¡¯t feel like revealing his identity here. ¡°One look and it seems like the seigneur is after something else. Children smiling happily¡­ Kind and friendly dwarves that easily adapted and assimted into a human¡¯s way of living¡­ Various merchant groups, magic towers, temples, and schools of alchemy from all over the continent¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°A ce that first developedmerce would naturally attract plenty of people. However, from my long years of travel, I know that having a very rxed andfortable atmosphere is quite counterproductive. This territory¡¯s seigneur seems quite capable, since he is bncing the territory quite well to achieve some bnce.¡± With augh, the old man continued, ¡°Since we¡¯ve already met¡­ Young man, how about ying a game with an old man like me?¡± Smiling at the frolicking children, Davey turned his head when he heard the old man¡¯s words. ¡°What game are you talking about?¡± ¡°How about that famous board game in the Pan Empire?¡± It was chess. No, to be exact, it was a strategy game that used simr terms and rules with chess called Olde. Davey thought that it had been quite a while since he had fun, so there was no harm in trying. Besides, he was also curious why an old man of his position hade here. Davey agreed to the old man¡¯s proposal without revealing his identity, of course. ¡°Do you know how to set up and y Olde?¡± ¡°Well, you can say that I like it quite a bit.¡± ¡°Hoho! Young man, I like that look on you! Alright, I will leave the rules up to you. Do you want to y using the Eastern Style or the Central Style?¡± Davey pondered for a moment before opening his mouth to say, ¡°Let¡¯s do it with the Harmattan Style.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± The old man looked quite astonished. Hemented, ¡°The Harmattan Style was a very popr style of ying before the Eastern and Central styles came out.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m very interested in history.¡± In truth, Davey was not really that interested in history. However, he knew about this because he had interacted with living witnesses of that era. The Harmattan Style was the popr ying rules during the time when Saintess Daphne had been active, and it was also the ying rule that Davey was most familiar with. Although its rules had changed a bit over time, its original structure remained the same. ¡°Hoho! That¡¯s amazing, really amazing. Good, let¡¯s set it up in the Harmattan Style.¡± Perhaps it was because the old man was motivated; he quickly lined up the pieces with a nice and friendly smile on his face. He went on, ¡°Look at these pieces. You know, this is actually a high-end luxurious item used by high-ranking nobles for entertainment. It¡¯s an item enchanted with magic that automatically prevents foul y just by putting these pieces on top of the board. How about this? If you defeat me, I¡¯ll give this to you as a gift.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine with me.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°Even though I don¡¯t look the part, I am still an elder. I will concede the first move to you.¡± Davey immediately thought that he should probably be more senior than this old man if they actuallypared their souls¡¯ ages. Since it was quite interesting and fun to y the game in this way, he let the old man be. Olde was a strategy game quite simr to chess. Although they had slight differences in their rules, the fact that the two yers would have to deal with and fight each other with their own tactics were the same. For a moment, Davey was a bit curious about how good this honorable man was when it came to reading and anticipating his opponent¡¯s tactics. Besides, he could tell that the old man had proposed this game with a different intention in mind. ¡®I¡¯m not going to let you win so easily, gramps.¡¯ Davey grinned as he adjusted his position to a morefortable one before reaching out. ¡°Soldiers, knights and priests. All of these pieces are important. I wonder which piece you will move first.¡± Davey, after hearing the old man¡¯s question, immediately grabbed the king. He did not hesitate. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how important they are. If the king does not move, then there¡¯s no way that the soldiers will follow.¡± The curiosity and interest disyed on the man¡¯s face deepened at Davey¡¯s words. It seemed like he already noticed that Davey had found out about his true intentions. Chapter 159 Each move of the pieces on the board was apanied by conversation, which Davey and the old man easily sustained. ¡°He, who cannot protect his own people, will always walk the path to destruction,¡± the old man continued to speak while sticking to the basics. ¡°Just like King U[1], who was heavily biased, a king who only listens to one side of the story will be blind to everyone else¡¯s sufferings. It¡¯s true that your own people are important, but the others are as important as your own kingdom¡¯s citizens.¡± ¡°What do you think is the most important trait that a kingdom¡¯s citizens should have?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be one¡¯s own loyalty and will to develop and grow? If you lose your goals because your life has be toofortable, then you would also lose your will to move forward and live a better life.¡± ¡°Hoho. You¡¯re quite a unique thinker.¡± The game in front of them continued even though they were talking about other things. ording to Davey¡¯s observations, the old man¡¯s skills were not just average or up to standard. It was beyond that. It was actually to the point where Davey had to wonder if a human was truly capable of reading and creating tactics like that. If Davey were a normal person, he would already have been caught by the old man¡¯s tactics and dragged around until the very end. ¡°Ho¡­ That¡¯s quite amazing. So,ying the pieces for the Seven Tactic Battle was a stepping stone for this.¡± ¡°Speaking of that, aren¡¯t you quite amazing too, gramps?¡± Davey smiled, his hands reaching out for the elephant-shaped piece. Then, he advanced forward and ate the old man¡¯s rampart-shaped piece. ¡°Siege.¡± ¡°Hoho. Young man, you¡¯re quite hasty. If you do this, then you will not be able to prepare for your next move.¡± ¡°Being calctive and sly is very essential. However, you should not be dragged around so easily.¡± After hearing Davey¡¯s words, the old man suddenly asked, ¡°Boy, what do you think about magic?¡± ¡°Magic? Something that causes strange phenomena?¡± ¡°Hoho. Right. If you say so then that must be it. Why do you think of it that way?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­¡± ¡°In Red Tower¡¯s Sage Hellison Valestia¡¯s case, he has reached the 7th Circle and became a Master. Everyone dered that he would reach the legendary realm, the 8th Circle. But he himself said¡­¡± The old man¡¯s words made Davey pause and turn silent. ¡°¡­that anyone who reached the 7th Circle and became a Master will understand everything in the world.¡± Davey remained silent as the old man continued to speak, ¡°He also said that he was able to lift the veils of the 8th Circle to peek at the next realm. However, what he saw waiting for him at that stage was nothing but the vast and empty void¡­¡± A smallugh escaped Davey¡¯s mouth as the game of [Olde] finally reached its end. His side, which boldly advanced and never gave up, had been pushed back. There was not even a possibility of things turning around. ¡°Theoretically, the 8th and 9th Circles are perfection itself. Since I¡¯ve already checked what I already know, I wondered about the meaning and significance of reaching the 8th and 9th Circles. Tsk, tsk. Since it¡¯s already a ¡®siege¡¯, then next should be upying thends,¡± the old man mumbled bitterly to himself. Still silent, Davey stood up from his seat and looked at the old man. Then, he moved his piece, turned around, and prepared to leave while saying, ¡°I¡¯m not some sage who saw the end of magic, so I have nothing to say to you.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°But from what I can see, it seems like the sage, who was supposed to be a mage, is not a mage anymore.¡± The old man was made doubtful by Davey¡¯s answer. He repeated, ¡°Not a mage?¡± ¡°What is magic?¡± ¡°The study and research of the things that defy thews of nature.¡± ¡°There is no end to learning. And the same is true for magic, the study of thews that govern everything supernatural. Look at the sky.¡± The old man raised his head in doubt at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°Is the sun a mass of light created by god? Or perhaps it¡¯s a massive lump of gas, a mass that¡¯s hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of timesrger than the world that we live in, illuminating ournd from far away?¡± The old man¡¯s expression slowly hardened. ¡°You¡­¡± Davey continued, ¡°ording to the alchemists, thend that we live on is t and that the sun just turns and revolves around us.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what¡¯s widely known?¡± ¡°I was interested in this before, so I read quite a few books. I read another theory that says that the that we live on is round. Also, it¡¯s not the sun that revolves around us but us revolving around the sun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, nothing has been proven. I have no choice but to live in the dark about this. After all, I haven¡¯t seen it for myself.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Another example ismon sense. Common sense is a perfectly exined and researched prediction. The answers are clear and obvious that it made it hard for anyone to refute them. But what if you personally checked it and found the truth to be different? What if it was another rule that you did not know of?¡± The old man widened his eyes. ¡°It is what it is. The things that we think we know perfectly are actually filled with things that we still don¡¯t know of. Isn¡¯t it the same with magic? Nothing in this world is perfect. Even if you go higher, there will always be a higher level, a ce beyond where you are right now. There are cases where your theories and hypotheses, which you already think are perfect, will turn out differently once you, yourself, check it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s because it will remain as a theory and a hypothesis as long as you don¡¯t check it for yourself.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°To speak so highly, eloquently, and proudly of a clear hypothesis and theory, and iming it as something perfect even though you have not checked it yourself¡­ That¡¯s being too full of yourself. Well, isn¡¯t the same true for magic? You can¡¯t speak about something so proudly when you have not seen or reached it yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the first ce, what are mages pursuing? Are they after the Circles or are they learning magic to quench their thirst for knowledge?¡± The word ¡®perfect¡¯ existed, but no one could reach perfection. Even those at the 9th Circle, the final stage of transcendence, knew that another realm existed above them. So how was someone at the 7th Circle speaking so proudly about knowing everything? Davey then left without any hesitation. He could tell that the old man already knew who he was. So, he said, ¡°The game was fun. Let¡¯s have a go at the board again some other time.¡± Davey felt the old man¡¯s nk stare boring into his back when hepletely left his private resting spot. *** ¡°Someone who did not experience it personally is proudly strutting around and discussing perfection¡­¡± The old man, who was left alone sitting on the bench, smiled bitterly. ¡°Hoho! This is the first time since reaching my old age that I¡¯ve felt embarrassed.¡± The old man thought that he could already prove the theory surrounding the 8th and 9th Circles. He even believed that he could already see through the next level¡¯s essence to the point that he even wondered if it was meaningless to try and reach for that realm. The conversation that the old man had with Davey felt like he had been hit with a hammer on the head, which eventually woke him up from his delusions. The old man stroked his beard, a smile finally gracing his face. ¡°Ma¡­ Master!¡± Then, the old man saw someone rushing towards him. The young man had short hair and was wearing simple horn-rimmed sses and a red robe. He was the old man¡¯s one and only disciple. The old man said, ¡°Ho. If it isn¡¯t Yulis?¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ gasp¡­ Master! I heard that you came so I immediately rushed here! If you¡¯d at least informed me about your visit¡­¡± ¡°Tsk, tsk. Young men these days can¡¯t even rx. You¡¯re in such a hurry that you¡¯re not using your head again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t serve you properly because I haven¡¯t prepared enough.¡± ¡°Bahahahaha! I have lived long enough, do you think an old man like me will still be obsessed with wealth and honor? I just came here to look around, you don¡¯t have to make a fuss about it.¡± ¡°Hooo¡­ Ah, did you reallye all the way here just to meet with Sir Davey?¡± Yulis asked. Sage Hellison Valestia stroked his beard and said, ¡°The world is vast. Just like how they said that you can even learn something from a three-year-old child, it seems like someone like me can still learn a lot from an energetic young man, huh? Hellison, who was about to organize the pieces of the game, suddenly hesitated. The boy¡¯s camp, which looked like it was cornered and forced into the defensive from the old man¡¯s siege, would create a perfect andplete checkmate situation if he had just made one other move. On the surface, it looked like the boy had no other chance for recovery. But after looking closely, Hellison realized that thest tactic was a bit strange. ¡°Ho¡­ Ho¡­ Hohohohoho!¡± Yulis looked at Hellison suspiciously when the old man suddenly burst outughing. ¡°Five moves. It¡¯s been a long time since Ist lost. It seems like he did this in consideration of me and my age.¡± Hellison thought that he had won but he was actually the one having been dragged around by the nose. He stood up from his seat with a satisfiedugh and patted Yulis on his shoulder. ¡°My business here is over. If you meet that little prince, the one named Davey, tell him this¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°I will keep my promise. So, make sure toe to me and let¡¯s y another game again. It¡¯s only right for me to have my revenge battle someday in the future! Bahahahahaaha!¡± Yulis, who waspletely unaware of what had happened, looked at Hellison with both suspicion and doubt. After all, his master left with a very satisfied smile on his face and no other exnation. *** ¡°Sage Hellison Vestia¡­ He¡¯s a very amazing man. But this era held him back.¡± If they were in the continent of magic, Atrellia, and not in Tionis Continent, Hellison could be one of the greatest mages of all time, an existence that reached a realm that was beyond the 8th Circle. The most important factor for human growth and development was one¡¯s hard work. Of course, the surroundings and the environment that one lived in should also not be ignored. If one did not have a rival, then they would not feel motivated nor have any will to grow stronger and develop. And that was what happened to Hellison, he lost his motivation. ¡ªYou look like you¡¯re in a good mood? ¡°Do I? Actually, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist found something to be fun and exciting.¡± Davey had rarely won a board game like this before, especially since he was against those crazy heroes in the Hall. The ill-tempered ones would overturn the board if they found that things were disadvantageous to them while the calm ones would shout, ¡®Oh!¡¯, distract him and then proceed to eat the pieces in his own formation. Davey firmly believed that the bnce patch[2] for the heroes were quite bad. Considering the circumstances that Davey had experienced when ying games like this, it was only right for him to feel satisfied and happy. After all, it had been a very long time since he had tasted the sweetness of victory. Davey smiled as he patted Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon lightly on the back. The two, as if infected by his happiness, dug deeper into his arms with smiles on their faces and eventually fell asleep. ¡ªDavey, didn¡¯t you say that you have a staff in your Pocket ne? ¡°Did I? Ah, you¡¯re talking about Transcendence¡¯s Demise. That excessive staff that has a dragon heart shoved at its end.¡± ¡ªCan I see it? You know that I specialize in magic, right¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard for me to do right now. I was able to take out the elixir, my clothes and Longinus but when I tried to take out more, the Pocket ne scattered like an illusion. So, I won¡¯t be able to take out anything anytime soon.¡± If Davey could take out his fan, then he would be able to acquire a hugebor force. If he could take out his staff, then he would also be able to set up an extrarge-scale defensive magic circle and cover the entire territory with it. ¡®But I¡¯m stuck with a useless bamboo spear, damn it!¡¯ Davey, with practiced ease, opened his status window to check what was wrong. ¡°Hmm?¡± When Davey checked the information window that disyed his status, he could see that there were changes in his ¡®Number of Good Deeds¡¯. ¡ªYou havepleted the Number of Good Deeds. You can now summon a transcendental ss item of your choice. Number of Times Remaining: 1 ¡°Huh?¡± At the same time, Davey saw that another set of information had been added to his status window. His eyes narrowed sharply when he saw the detailed information. ¡°Are you trying to make a deal with me through this method?¡± Davey was starting to understand the reason why god had given him the stigmata on his back. 1. U of Goryeo, the 32nd king of Goryeo. He ruled at the same time as the demise of the Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty in China. ? 2. I believe this is in reference to games where they update a patch to maintain the overall bnce of the game ? Chapter 160 61. The Corruption of the Forest of Elves Davey¡¯s only method ofmunication with God was through ¡®Check Information¡¯ and the ability to check his own status. Freyja, the Goddess of Wine who was both existent and nonexistent, had requested a deal with Davey the moment he had fulfilled his promise. One part of the request was something he already knew: the purification of the Great Forest¡¯s corrupted spirits. There was no penalty for failing, but there was a reward for sess. Davey wasn¡¯t given a direct revtion, but this was what Lord Freyja had told him, ording to Daphne¡¯s way of understanding it. Davey''s goal was quite clear, unlike vague revtions that were usually given through the regr faithful believers. ¡ªThe Great Forest¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the Forest of Elves that we went to get Moon Flower seedlings from.¡± Davey was thinking of using the Great Forest, which was abundant in natural energy, for summoning spirits. This was because summonings required a lot of energy. However, he had been putting it off, because it was quite tedious to purify a severely corrupted forest. ¡ªAny other reasons? ¡°It will be good for both the elves and I if I purify the forest, but the way to do it is a little rough.¡± Perserque slowly nodded. ¡ªThose pointy ears will make a fuss if they see you. Perserque was also right. There was only one thing that Davey could pull out of his Pocket ne as of right now. He was able to retrieve objects that were rtively easy to make, except for the self-restoring clothing, the Elixir, or Divine Spear Longinus, which he had already summoned. Needless to say, he couldn¡¯t summon any other powerful objects. He could feel that they definitely existed in the Pocket ne, but it was like they had be an illusion. ¡ªIt¡¯s already confusing that the Pocket ne you made in the Hall is still connected to you here. ¡°I thought it to be a possibility, since most of my power is connected to the soul and not the body.¡± Davey also suspected that this was why hisrge storage of mana, holy power, and devil mana came with him from the Hall, but now, he was pretty sure that this was the case. However, he didn¡¯t expect for his powers to be nerfed like this. He grumbled, ¡°I can try so many things if I could just take everything out right now.¡± Davey could getrge amounts ofbor work done nonstop or even put a huge shield over the entire territory. He was sure that the items were good enough to assist him with parts that were a little difficult to use as a soul in the Hall. ¡°Let¡¯s think of it positively.¡± The one who currently had all the power wasn¡¯t Davey, but the divine will; he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything even if God suddenly took away his Pocket ne because he was too OP. An owner of the world would be above an owner of a building; even if Davey owned all thend and buildings, there was no way he could beat God. ¡®There¡¯s really no end to abusing power, is there?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ve been neutralizing it with the Elixir for now, but I can¡¯t even dream of more recovery at this rate.¡± -Is there anything that could harm you right now? ¡°I don¡¯t know, but if the actual Shandra Minea shows up or something, we¡¯re all dead.¡± Everything in this world happened for a reason; the fact that Davey could return from the Hall meant that Davey, who was making a deal with God, had things to do here. For example, he had gotten rid of Shandra Minea, a transcendental beast from another world, at the Pandora Region. ¡°Purification¡­¡± After thinking hard, Davey decided to open his Pocket ne and pull out what he was thinking of. As a refreshing energy surrounded his hand with a slight buzz, he revealed a bright smile. ¡®The thing I made as a precautionary measure ising in handy.¡¯ -The staff¡­ I wanted to see it¡­ Perserque pouted. She was very curious to see the staff with the dragon heart. ¡°Just be patient. I¡¯ll show it to you next time.¡± Perserque, who seemed a little disappointed, moped as Davey tried tofort her. What he had pulled out was a light green marble called the Spirit King Pearl, which was a concentration of the king¡¯s essence. Everything Davey had was valuable, so it would be more beneficial for him to use the right one for the right situation instead of picking random ones out of desire. * * * In a way, the quiet study was a yground for Rinne, Red Ribbon, and Blue Ribbon. They were troublemakers who caused mischief everywhere they went, so Davey felt more at ease having them where he could see them. ¡°Rinne, analyzing that bio-armour is being stretched. Asking that you stop.¡± Rinne voiced her disapproval without any emotion. However, Blue Ribbon just giggled as if she didn¡¯t care. ¡°Hehehe! Rinnie! Squishy~ Squish!¡± ¡°T¡­ Thinking that bio-armour can be touched a little¡­bit more¡­¡± The problem was that even the golem struggled to not give in to the two girls¡¯ smiles. ¡°I think they like it more because you¡¯re not doing anything.¡± ¡°Rinne¡¯s activation consumes a lot of energy. Requires additional supplies. Concluding that unnecessary movements should be avoided.¡± ¡°Then, what are those cookies you are shoving into your mouth?¡± ¡°Rinne possesses a very highly efficient storage of energy. So, requesting additional supplies.¡± Rinne brazenly asked for more cookies without blinking an eye, and even then, her hands did not stop grabbing cookies. Where were all those cookies being stored in her small body? Considering how much more often Rinne looked for food than the twin swords who were crazy about cookies, Davey felt a serious need to determine whether this was just typical golem behavior or Rinne¡¯s personality. ¡°Hm¡­ Red Ribbon sleepy¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s very good to get enough sleep.¡± Since Rinne stayed still and yed with the twins well, she could capture the girls¡¯ attention just by chiming in a few times. Atst, it seemed like the girls were getting tired from running around so much. As Red Ribbon fell asleep in Rinne¡¯s arms, Blue Ribbon went to Davey and fell asleep in his arms. It was like Red Ribbon¡¯s sleepiness had caught on. Davey smiled and patted her on the back for being so adorable, to which she giggled and hugged him even harder. ¡°Your Highness, this is Royal Attendant Bernile,¡± Bernile spoke with a knock on the quiet study. ¡°Royal Attendant Bernile? What are you doing here at this time?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I know it is not my ce, but can I propose something?¡± ¡°Well, all right.¡± Bernile bowed quietly and presented Davey with a paper chart. ¡°This is a list of the people currently working in the territory.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°They have all worked hard without a break. What do you think about giving them a vacation?¡± Davey, who was just nodding along to what Bernile said, opened his eyes wide. ¡°You¡¯re right. They have probably been working very hard.¡± Scribble¡­ Scribble! Davey executed his thoughts into actions right away. Marking all the names of the people working in the territory, he said, ¡°All right. Let all these people go on a vacation. Then, send the others on vacation when theye back. This way, everyone can enjoy their own vacations.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand.¡± ¡°Give them a good amount of money for them to get back home.¡± It was quite a huge mistake for Davey to have forgotten about the workers¡¯ vacations when he wanted a healthy work environment in the first ce. ¡®Just you wait. I¡¯ll send everyone that I see on vacation.¡¯ This was the thought of an incredibly amazing CEO. ¡°Hm? Your Highness. These people¡­¡± Bernile looked a little confused when he read over the names that Davey had marked. He asked, ¡°Yuri and some of the maids have only recently be helping hands in the pce. Is there a reason why you are sending them on vacation first?¡± Like Bernile said, one-third of the people Davey had chosen had only been working in the pce for a little bit. ¡°They¡¯re all from the other territories. I should at least let them head home and tell their families that they are adjusting well. I feel bad for the rest, but tell them that I would like them to be a little considerate.¡± Davey was lying. ¡°I¡ªIs that so? I did not think about that.¡± Davey felt a little guilty because Bernile looked a little touched by his reason. That wasn¡¯t the real reason he was sending back the new helping hands, but it didn¡¯t matter; he would do this if it made everyone happy and satisfied. ¡ªYou sent back the elfdy? ¡®Yeah. The master of the house should be home when a guest visits, shouldn¡¯t they? Depending on the situation, the same decision could be taken differently. The only way Davey could really benefit from it would be the person with the final say. Bernile, who didn¡¯t know Davey¡¯s real reason for doing this, just chuckled. He thought about how considerate Davey was. * * * About a couple of days after sending the newly hired help on vacation, Davey left the seigneur¡¯s pce with only Rinne and Megatron. It was as if he had been waiting for them to leave. The Great Forest, which was located not too far from the Heins Territory, had always been Davey¡¯s final destination. It was usually empty, since a lot of monsters only appeared asionally and the forest had rough terrain. Davey wasn¡¯t here for a pic. He was here because the forest had something he wanted. This was also the reason why he had specifically sent back Yuri, one of the new maids. Yuri was a sixteen-year-old maid; she appeared to be an ordinary maid, but Davey could easily see that she wasn¡¯t a normal maid if he used ¡®Check Information¡¯. ording to his power, Yuri¡¯s real name was Yuria Helishana, thest line of defense against the vampires. ¡°Ah, my head.¡± The forest had no noticeable differences, but as sensitive as Davey¡¯s spirit affinity was, he could see some strange differences when he looked around. He frowned, muttering, ¡°It¡¯s gotten worse.¡± The forest was familiar but still slightly different. Davey could barely stand the nasty rotten smell that came from the forest. ¡°Question. Rinne detects no stimulus to sense of scent. Reporting that there is a problem with Sir Davey.¡± ¡°Of course, you can¡¯t tell. You have no spirit affinity.¡± Rinne nodded at Davey¡¯s exnation. It wasn¡¯t just any smell, since only people advanced enough to be able to see and touch spirits could smell this nasty odor. ¡°Elves. Thinking they have pointy ears and are picky.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. You know it well.¡± ¡°Rinne has excellent mental calction abilities. Confident that it is better than Sir Davey.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± ¡°Sir Davey, forty-three losses out of seventy-five battles of [Olde] with Rinne.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Giggle, forty-three losses. Rinne thinks lowly of this.¡± How could Davey win against aputer that could calcte a thousand times better than average humans? The thirty-two times he had won was just from tricking Rinne over and over again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Rinne is excellent. Thinks highly of this.¡± Perhaps Rinne had taken some information from Davey, because her perception of elves was very much affected by his own perspective on them. As a result, these elves had been marked as picky and stubborn by the golem, a great invention, when they hadn''t even met. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± After walking around for a while, Davey sessfully found the barrier leading to the Forest of Elves. The way they changed the barrier¡¯s location and form to keep their vige safe was a distinct feature of the elves. Ripple¡­ Davey balled his hands into fists. He watched the barrier spread like a ripple spreading on calm waters when he touched it with the back of his hand. Chapter 161 ¡ªYou entered quietly before, so why are you knocking now? ¡°Well, the door was locked back then, and I had to open it.¡± Back then, it had been a secret mission. Davey had done what he did because he absolutely didn¡¯t want to run into an elf, but the situation was different this time. ¡°This time, I have to bring out all the pointy ears inside the forest. The least I can do is knock.¡± ¡®Did I seem like a saint who would just sneak in and help and leave without anyone knowing?¡¯ There was no way that Davey could be that nice. ¡ªSo, knocking is part of the n. Davey was not going to sh through the barrier with Blue Ribbon, but he was going to break it with destructive power. His knock was going to be an intense one. ¡°Hup!¡± [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Ultimate Exploding Fist] [Compression] [Reduction] [Asura¡¯s Ultimate Godly Fist] ¡°Pardon me! I havee to spread a great message!¡± Whoosh! Boom!!!! Davey¡¯s explosive punch struck the barrier that was protecting the elves¡¯ vige, shattering it apart. * * * A girl slowly walked into the beautiful, vast forest with a mystical aura. She murmured, ¡°The forest¡¯s clean air is always pleasant to breathe in. Hah¡­¡± The girl, buried deep in her coat''s hood, took a deep breath in delight. She slowly brought her hood down, revealing her long blue hair that fell to her hips. It was tied in a thick braid. It was probably difficult to maintain, looking at how luscious it was. Her thick hair shone with no hint of dryness. Aside from her blue hair, she was about one hundred and sixty-two centimeters tall, had clear emerald eyes, and a yful smile. She seemed to be in her teens due to her bright aura, but her rxed and fresh smile made her seem like she was in her twenties. ¡°Ah! Lady Yuria!¡± ¡°Ah, Verdis, my friend. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Have you finally returned?!¡± A few men appeared on the forest¡¯s treetops once they saw Yuria Helishana. They were not human, but fairies or the forest¡¯s residents. Their ears were longer than any other kind, had skin as clear and white as porcin, and were also very beautiful. All the elves put their bows on their belt and gathered toward her as she walked past the grassy bushes, which almost shone with vitality. ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°Lady Yuria! I am d you have returned safely! Lady Yuria!¡± ¡°It is all thanks to the spirits watching over me. Has anything happened in the forest while I was gone?¡± ¡°No, there weren¡¯t any invaders, and the monsters were fine as well. The spirit beasts were quiet as well.¡± ¡°That is such a relief.¡± ¡°But¡­the contamination is getting worse. Some of the spirit beasts that were affected by it are running wild¡­¡± the elf man said dejectedly. ¡°Shall we go in?¡± Yuria said with a nod. ¡°Oh, no! We have held you up for too long! Let¡¯s go right away! Everyone in the vige is waiting for your safe return!¡± With her distinct smile, Yuria quietly nodded at her people¡¯s never-ending kindness. She had unintentionally returned to the forest for a little while, since the prince she was trying to approach had sent her back on vacation. ¡°You are beautiful as always, Lady Yuria.¡± ¡°Millia, my friend. You are more beautiful to me.¡± ¡°Oh my, you will be beaten if you say something like that.¡± Yuria faintly smiled as the elf woman giggled yfully. ¡°Did your trip go well?¡± ¡°It was very interesting. I gained a lot from the trip.¡± ¡°You must be careful of humans. Your beauty cannot be hidden even if you disguise yourself as a human, Lady Yuria.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that humans are cruel and heinous! I heard they sell their own kind as ves¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, how beastly¡­¡± Yuria just quietly nodded, listening to the elves chattering amongst themselves. She thenmented, ¡°Of course, not all humans are kind. However, not all humans are evil, either.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The ce I went to has a kingdom¡¯s prince.¡± Yuria said clearly and elegantly, as if she was telling an old tale, ¡°He¡¯s quite fascinating. He¡¯s of quite a high rank among humans, but he works hard for even the lowestmoners. He is worthy of respect, even from an elf¡¯s perspective.¡± Some of the elves slowly nodded, as if they were fascinated by her story. ¡°There really¡­is a human like that?¡± An elf asked. ¡°Of course. Not all humans are the same. They are all different.¡± That was when¡­ ¡°Lady Yuria, with all due respect, all humans are horrible. You surely haven¡¯t forgotten what happened to your mother, right? Have you also forgotten the reason why elves turned our backs on the world and erased the traces of our existence?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the elf who spoke against Yuria. The elf continued, ¡°Ahem, I understand that you left the forest to find a way to save it, but it was very foolish and dangerous. There¡¯s an old saying that good things will happen when you listen to the advice of an elder.¡± ¡°Elder Condae.¡± ¡°You mustn¡¯t forget it. Three hundred years ago at the capital of elves, we decided to turn our backs on the world. I do not know what the world is like now, but we may get caught if you keep leaving,¡± Elder Condaeined. Yuria said cautiously, ¡°Elder Condae, but¡­¡± However, the elder elf went on like he had no intention of listening to Yuria. ¡°No buts. Lady Yuria, you are the leader of the Moon Forest. Have some more responsibility as the leader and remember your divinity and purity as an elf. The human world that is full of greed does you no good, Lady Yuria.¡± While Elder Condae criticized Yuria, some of the elves frowned. ¡°Elder Condae! Please watch your words! Lady Yuria did not go to the human world to entertain herself! She even brought the blessing of the spirits with her to not get caught!¡± ¡°Do you think the blessing of the spirits willst forever?! Sigh¡­ This is the problem with youngsters these days¡­ Tsk tsk.¡± ¡°Everyone, stop. All I can do right now is to be relieved at the condition of the forest, but I will find a solution soon,¡± Yuria said. ¡°This is the n of the Spirit God and the World Tree. This situation is inevitable since we have gone against the will of the World Tree." Yuria sighed at Elder Condae¡¯s harsh words. She murmured, ¡°Everything has a course. It is supposed to be our fate, but I cannot follow it this time.¡± ¡°Lady Yuria!¡± ¡°I will finish this myself. I have faith in the dream I had. A helpful being wille. That is why I left the forest for a little while. I will bring someone who has a strong affinity to spirits.¡± Elder Condae frowned. ¡°If it goes on like this, it will be toote for you to do anything, Lady Yuria! Humans are evil beings! They are not even worthparing in terms of spirits! Do you really believe they will be of any help?!¡± ¡°I have had enough of it, Elder Condae!¡± Atst, an elf guard shouted at Elder Condae in anger. ¡°You are being rude to our leader!¡± ¡°Rude?! Rude is your current attitude toward me; what I am doing is giving advice! I am a noble of the Center! How dare a guard from the sticks raise his voice!! Wake up!! The outside world is nothing but corruption! If all of you were in your right mind, you would actually convince Lady Yuria to receive the purification from the World Tree!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Being punished by the World Tree because of rejecting the marriage chosen by the World Tree is nothing to be proud of! It is something we should bow down and repent for!¡± Not only did Elder Condae speak, but the other elders nodded along and spoke in agreement. ¡°Lady Yuria! It is time for you to stop being stubborn!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Are you trying to follow the path of Aina?!¡± Yuria massaged her head quietly. The elders wereing down on her hard now that they had gotten the chance to. At the same time, she revealed a strange smile. It was a small change, but Millia, the elf guard who had been with her for a long time, noticed it. Her eyes widened and had a single thought in her mind. ¡®She¡¯s going to explode!¡¯ Normally, Yuria was elegant, quiet, and careful, but it was a big problem if she got mad. Yuria Helishana, the forest¡¯s leader, was an elf who suppressed her sadism which was so extreme that she could let someone bleed out with a smile on her face. ¡°Elder Condae.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Yuria!¡± ¡°Do you think you and the saints of the Divine Tree have the right to speak about my sister¡­¡± When Millia, who knew how angry Yuria was, urgently went to stop her¡­ ¡°Pardon me! I havee to spread a great message!¡± Everyone tensed up upon hearing an echo of a voice. Boom!!!!!! At the same time, a huge explosion shook the entire forest with a catastrophic vibration. * * * ¡ªDavey¡­ Wasn¡¯t it a little too strong? ¡°Hm¡­ No, it¡¯s perfect.¡± Davey intended on making a small hole, but instead, he crushed the entire barrier. It would require highly advanced spirit magic to fix it, but the barrier had to be broken anyways. ¡ªThey will be here at any time. ¡°Warning, Sir Davey. Many hostile presences are approaching. Rinne attacks?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not here to fight. Let¡¯s just wait for their warm wee since we have already partly reached our goal.¡± Pew!!! Twang!!! Of course, the warm wee was apanied by arrows. With a faint wind, arrows flew toward Davey from all directions. These arrows were faster than regr ones, but Rinne batted them away as if she had been waiting for them. Then, Rinne summoned a huge cannon on the back of its hand and aimed it at the other end of the forest as its cold, blue eyes shone. Even during all this, the forest was silent like the elves were still trying to conceal themselves. ¡°Spirit arrows¡­¡± Davey murmured as he picked up the arrows that Rinne had shot down. ¡°I even voiced my intentions of spreading good word¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you still think that I haven¡¯t figured out you live here?¡± As Davey spoke, the surrounding atmosphere vibrated a little. ¡°Lead me to the vige. I have something to discuss with your leader.¡± It might have been smart to show the dwarves a little respect as they had some interactions with humans. However, Davey thought it was obvious what kind of answer these pointy ears would give him. So¡­ ¡°The choice is yours, but so is the responsibility.¡± Perhaps it was better to pressure them. Davey¡¯s energy gradually intensified and suppressed the surroundings. He wasn¡¯t lifting a finger, but his energy, which had flowed out naturally in response to the escted situation, was suppressing the surroundings. ¡°Stop!!¡± It was the other side who waved the white g. Crunch¡­ With the sound of crumpled leaves, a man wearing green clothing appeared from the forest that was silent until a few moments ago. Chapter 162 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The barrier was unstable, but for it to break¡­ Did you do that?¡± ¡°Yes, I broke it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well, why are you not taking me away? You can tie me up if you¡¯re worried.¡± The elf looked confused when Davey stretched his hands out and stared. Then, the elf said, ¡°You cannot go into the vige. There is only one choice for you.¡± ¡°To die?¡± The elf¡¯s silence was enough. ¡°You are only giving me one choice, but I¡¯ll give you two.¡± When the elf slightly frowned in silence, Davey said, ¡°Do you want to cooperate and let everyone live in peace or do you want to rot and be destroyed?¡± Just as the elf was about to scoff, Davey added, ¡°Half of your forest is corrupted, isn¡¯t it? And it¡¯s just getting worse. Your leader seemed desperate enough to sneak into the Heins Territory to fix it.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Go and tell her that her boss is here.¡± Thisnd, this forest, was on Heins Territory. ¡®I bet you guys don¡¯t even pay rent.¡¯ * * * ¡°L¡­ Lady Yuria!¡± ¡°Did you look into it?¡± Yuria nced at the guards calmly whileforting the young elves who were trembling in fear. She thought it was somewhat of a relief that the danger outside hadn¡¯t gotten in yet. ¡°The enemy! Is it a human?! No way!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s a human. There¡¯s also a strange being that isn¡¯t human. I couldn¡¯t feel any spirit energy from it¡­ It was like it¡¯s dead.¡± There were only two cases where spirit energy was absent: either it was the Undead, who defied thews of nature, or a manmade being. The most important thing about this case was that an outsider had invaded the forest that had remained hidden for so long. It wasn¡¯t an idental run-in, but an intentional one. Furthermore, the barrier that was created using spirit magic had been blown to pieces and could no longer be repaired. ¡°Look at that!! Lady Yuria!¡± Of course, Elder Condae was not going to let this slide. He huffed andined, iming that he had been right all along. He yelled, ¡°We have been discovered atst! What are you going to do! Humans are greedy beings! How are you going to take responsibility!¡± ¡°Elder Condae,¡± Yuria said. ¡°What is everyone doing?! Gather all the guards and remove the invader! We must not leave any traces!¡± Elder Condae nced at Yuria and added, ¡°This has happened because of your foolish actions, Lady Yuria. We must leave this ce before it is toote.¡± ¡°Elder Condae.¡± Yuria addressed him in a low voice for the first time. However, not noticing that, Elder Condae continued on. ¡°Are you worried about the corruption?! Go and beg for forgiveness from the World Tree right now!!¡± This situation was an emergency, so the other elves could not refute Elder Condae. However, at that exact moment, one of the elf guards slowly raised his hand and said, ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but¡­the human has surrendered.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And he wants me to give you a message.¡± Yuria, who was slowly getting angered, returned to her usual expression. She asked, ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That is¡­ He said you would know if I told you, ''Your boss is here¡¯¡­¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing the guard. * * * The forest was quiet. Feeling the strict and tense atmosphere, Rinne stood in front of Davey with her weapon still in her hand. She dered, ¡°Rinne is an excellent golem. Rinne will protect Sir Davey.¡± ¡°Do you think you will ever have to protect me?¡± ¡°¡­Rinne thinks Sir Davey¡¯s personality is terrible¡­¡± ¡°But you can do things that I can¡¯t. That¡¯s enough for me. It¡¯s my job to protect and yours to help me.¡± ¡°Splitting the work¡­ Understood.¡± Davey stared at the wooden handcuffs, which almost seemed to be alive, in fascination. It was spirit magic, which different kinds were able to use. However, a certain type of it was given to the elves like a special right. ¡ªThen, even you can¡¯t use it? ¡®Well¡­¡¯ Even Davey couldn¡¯t ovee the barriers of being a human. However, if he could use that system to his advantage, using it was a possibility. ¡ªThe person who taught you spirit magic¡­ Yuriana, was it? ¡®Yeah, the incredible elementalist who bonded with all thirteen Spirit Kings even though she was human.¡¯ ¡ªAnyone else? ¡®Um¡­ The only married couple in the Hall, maybe? Ylgr, the Demon Lord from the same continent as her, is her husband.¡¯ The Demon Lord, inspired by Stick Man and created crazy martial arts techniques, was married to Yuriana, the elementalist who taught Davey spirit magic. Of course, she wasn¡¯t one of the four wicked women in the Hall, but she was also far from normal. Demon Lord Ylgr always vented in tears whenever Davey got a drink with him. [Damn it, marriage is death! Davey! Don¡¯t get married and be nagged all the time! Women are all monsters pretending to be foxes!] There were four types of spirits: fire, earth, water, and wind. However, one could bond with more spirits if they were a kind with special powers, like the Light Spirit that High Elves bonded to, or Dark Spirits that Dark Elves bonded to. ¡°Lady Yuria has allowed it. Follow us, human.¡± One of the elf guards approached Davey warily and covered his eyes with a cloth. He warned, ¡°Your head will be pierced with an arrow if you try anything stupid.¡± ¡°You can tie me up harder if you really can¡¯t trust me.¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± Davey didn¡¯t see these elves as his enemy; to him, they were valuable workers that were going to work for the territory. Not wanting to provoke these elves who were already on alert, he just smiled and stayed quiet like they asked him to. In fact, Perserque was asking him questions like she wasn¡¯t anxious about this situation at all. ¡ªThen, what about the other spirits? You said thirteen, didn¡¯t you? ¡°Um, so, there are like illusion types, confusion types, time, space, ice. Well, there are a lot.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, human?!¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s go.¡± Chuckling, Davey took a step forward. His footsteps were so light that it was like he wasn¡¯t even blindfolded. * * * The elf vige¡¯s atmosphere was nothing like when Davey had visited the Yellowstone Tribe¡¯s dwarf vige. The dwarves were wary of humans, but there wasn¡¯t any hostility; they just seemed to be surprised. However, the elves were different. Their hostility, wariness, and fear were clear. They had sessfully erased their existence from the world for the past three hundred years. Even the most skilled informants couldn¡¯t get any closer because of the wide barrier which had been created by spirit magic. Although they had covered Davey¡¯s eyes with an old cloth, he could definitely feel their gazes and attention. ¡®I sense it¡­¡¯ ¡°You guys¡­aren¡¯t ready yet.¡± -What are you talking about? ¡°You¡¯re not ready as residents of the territory yet.¡± How dare they treat the owner of the building andnd with anger and hostility? ¡®Have some more respect, you foolish pointy ears.¡¯ ¡°Hurry up and move, human.¡± As the elf growled and pushed Davey, Rinne clenched her jaw and stared up at the elf. ¡°Rinne, warning. Rinne will present you with high-quality assault if you push Sir Davey one more time.¡± ¡°Funn¡­¡± ¡°Rinne will do it. Rinne will. Rinne will do it if Rinne said so.¡± Rinne was also in handcuffs like Davey, but a bat appeared in her hands. It shone for a second before it disappeared. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Rinne will do it if she says so. Don¡¯t provoke her. I¡¯m not here to fight, and I¡¯m not here to harm you, either.¡± As Davey walked calmly, the elves looked at him with even more hostility. He could distinguish their faces through the vibrations, knowing exactly how they looked even though he couldn¡¯t actually see. This was the Eye of the Mind: it was still a sensation, but it was a higher level of power rather than a sense. In a way, it was a level one could only attain after reaching the Sword of the Mind, a higher power than the Telekic de. [Remember, hup! Ah, I¡¯m getting drunk. The Sword of the Mind is something that will allow you to see the invisible, and smell what is odorless. It is like when an elementalist can see and smell spirits: seeing and feeling the invisible. That is the Sword of the Mind.] This was what Dokgo Jun, the Heavenly Destroyer, had said to Davey when he had been trying to find a way to learn the Sword of the Mind. [The one who has learned the Sword of the Mind can see the flow of the world and has the ability to go against the flow sometimes. Others may think they have hidden themselves and their intentions perfectly, but it would be clear to you. Same with assassins, too.] Sword Lord Ares had also told Davey the same thing. ¡°We have brought him, Lady Yuria. Human! Kneel!¡± ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± The elf that was going to push Davey once again stopped after hearing themand. Then, they took his blindfold off, and he could see the vige now. There weren¡¯t a lot of elves, just a little over a hundred, but the fact that they were elves, beings that one would see in fantasy novels or fairy tales, reminded Davey that this was no ordinary scene. The nts that grew in the Forest of Elves were different from the nts in regr forests; some were shining, and some budded with flowers from a light touch unlike normal nts, which almost didn¡¯t move at all. ¡®If I use it right, this will make me rich.¡¯ Davey knew that he would be able to make some very effective medicine if he harvested these nts, but he took his eyes off them for now. The important thing was not the nts but the picky pointy ears in front of him right now. After looking around a little, Davey smiled at the girl with sky-blue hair who was standing in the middle of the elves. He asked, ¡°How is your vacation going?¡± ¡°I suspected that you knew about my identity.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You already knew about the existence of elves, did you not? And¡­¡± Faintly smiling, Yuria told Davey about what he had said to her about leaving the territory in her hands when she was disguised as a maid. She went on, ¡°Then, when the corrupt nobility invaded the territory, I pushed them out with the Light Spirit¡­ That¡¯s when I knew that you knew.¡± Then, the elves¡¯ hostility intensified as Davey spoke. Chapter 163 ¡°Are you going to keep me tied up? I am your employer as well as the owner of thisnd. You guys are trespassing, you know that?¡± Davey asked. One of the elves dressed in traditional clothing stood up and loaded his arrow. Hemanded, ¡°Shut up, human! I will kill you right¡­¡± ¡°Stop it! Elder Condae!¡± Silencing the others with a loud voice, Yuria stared at Davey. He couldn¡¯t tell what she was thinking about. She then said, ¡°I assume you came because you have something to say? I see that you havee here in apletely different way than before.¡± ¡°I have my reasons.¡± ¡®A still stone gathers moss.¡¯ The elves were truly cut off from the rest of the world. They didn¡¯t seem aware of what the barrier was doing to their forest. ¡°If you say so. Millia, please escort him to my room.¡± ¡°B¡­ But Lady Yuria!¡± The female elf guard, who was teary and fearful, cried out. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t know about other humans, but you can trust him.¡± * * * Crunch¡­ Crunch¡­ The wooden branches twisted around Davey¡¯s wrists like they were alive slowly undid themselves. He reached for his tea on the table, but stopped. Yuria had given him something weird once when she had been in charge of serving tea when she was Yuri, a maid at the seigneur¡¯s pce. He asked cautiously, ¡°You didn¡¯t steep cockroach wings again, did you?¡± ¡°Oh, no, This is my new tea that is both tasty and good for you. Try it, boss.¡± Yuria smiled pleasantly, but it felt somewhat eerie. She added before sipping the exact same tea, ¡°It is a tea made by aging slime liquid for a long time. It is one of the tastiest teas among the ones I have made, and it is great for your skin.¡± ¡°¡­Well, okay.¡± Whatever it was, Davey could drink it. He had quite a strong stomach; he had even eaten living bugs to ease his hunger before, so this was nothing. However, he just didn¡¯t want to do it. Also, the most important thing for Davey right now was to grab everyone¡¯s attention and assure them. The fact that he wasn¡¯t here to ughter them made this interaction different. ¡°Eek!¡± The elves turned pale as if they all knew about Yuria¡¯s strange sense of taste. The deep scent that wafted up into Davey¡¯s nose was surprisingly addictive. Hemented, ¡°It¡¯s good. It also helps with mana movement.¡± ¡°Ah, right? It has such good effects, but why won¡¯t anyone else drink it¡­?¡± Avoiding Yuria¡¯s gaze, the elders and some of the elf guards, who followed Yuria in, looked away as she stared at them with sincere sadness. ¡°Well, most can¡¯t have things that they can¡¯t stomach, even if it¡¯s good for them.¡± Davey chuckled and nced at Yuria as he set down his empty cup. Yuria was a beautiful girl¡ªactually, it would be right to call her a woman. Considering the particr scent of an adult elfing from her, she certainly didn¡¯t seem that young. Still, her appearance surprised Davey. Elves were said to be beautiful beings, but Yuria¡¯s beauty made her stand out from the rest. ¡®I guess being a High Elf has its perks.¡¯ ¡°You can serve this the next time you make tea. Still, cockroach wings are a bit too much.¡± ¡°Oh my, talking about something like that in this situation.¡± Covering her mouth and chuckling, Yuria nced at Davey with an indiscernible smile. ¡°All right, boss. For what reason did youe here?¡± When Davey was going to answer¡­ ng! ¡°Lady Yuria! What more is there to listen to?! Talking to this harmful creature makes me feel like I¡¯m being tainted!¡± One of the elves stood up in anger and growled, looking at Davey like he wanted to rip him apart. It was the man whom Yuria addressed as Elder Condae. He added, ¡°Human, you have no choice. I will kill you after I make sure to find out how you found out about this ce! What are you all doing?! Drag him out and put him in jail!¡± ¡°Stop it,¡± Yuria said calmly. Elder Condae seemed more infuriated than before. With veins bulging from his neck, he yelled, ¡°Can you still not tell how big of a deal this is?! Do you want to sell your fellow elves as ves because of your feisty eagerness?!¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± Elder Condae flinched when Yuria Helishana began chuckling. ¡°It. Can you please not make me say it again?¡± Yuria was smiling but¡­ ¡ªHm, charisma is something people are born with. ¡®She¡¯s pretty good. I like her even more.¡¯ Davey began to think he would get along quite well with Yuria, especially if she was the elves¡¯ spokesperson. Yuria was only staring and not ring at Elder Condae calmly, but there was still something intimidating about her. She had an aura fitting for a leader, in a way. ¡°Will you wait for a little bit since I am in the middle of a conversation?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Elder Condae backed down and flinched. Yuria smiled and said, ¡°Sorry, we were interrupted. Shall we get back to the topic?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Davey answered and met Yuria¡¯s gaze. ¡°You need some of my help to deal with this corruption, am I right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We need the spirit affinity that you have, boss. An iparably deep and great affinity that even elves cannotpare to.¡± ¡°Are you trying to summon the highest spirit?¡¯ ¡°Yes, since we need a spirit with a high enough rank to purify the corruption. However, I cannot do it by myself. That is why I went to the Heins Territory to get your help.¡± Yuria didn¡¯t hide her intentions; it seemed like she thought that it was meaningless to y tricks on Davey when he already knew her identity. But¡­ ¡°Screw that.¡± Yuria widened her eyes and said, ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop beating around the bush. I¡¯ll offer you something: I will purify the forest, and I want you all to be official residents of the Heins Territory.¡± Yuria then squinted at Davey. ¡°The same thing you did to the dwarves¡­¡± ¡°You know a lot.¡± ¡°Goulda, the dwarf elder, is a loyal customer of my special tea.¡± Of course, Grandpops Elder Goulda would freak out if he knew the ingredients, but perhaps it was best not knowing. Yuria responded with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I will decline that offer. But we do need your help.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°However, I will pay the price for it,¡± Yuria said firmly. 62. The Groaning Spirits Yuria rejected the offer, as Davey had expected. Not wanting to rush her, he agreed to help her out. After all¡­ ¡®It¡¯s going to fail anyways.¡¯ To Yuria¡¯s surprise, the conversation went a lot better than she expected. Yuria seemed puzzled at how easily Davey had given up, but didn¡¯t miss the opportunity. Then, she also allowed Davey to stay in the forest until the day of the supreme spirit¡¯s summoning she nned. Of course, there was a strong bacsh from the elders, who were going against everything Yuria was saying, but she didn¡¯t change her decision. The reason for that was simple. ¡°This is the home of the Moon Forest¡¯s residents. If there is a way, I will choose to actually gain something than stubbornly abide by the World Tree. Since you are the residents of the Divine Tree, you seem to not have much love for the forest. If so, you may leave, elders.¡± Perhaps it was because of Yuria¡¯s determination, which was unlike her usual gentleness, that the elders backed down silently. Considering that¡­ ¡ªShe must be pretty important to those elder elves. ¡®Could be in a good way, could be bad.¡¯ It seemed like the former, though. Afterwards, Yuria led Davey to the origin of the corruption herself. Davey didn¡¯t hide his frown and distaste for the ce. [It hurts¡­] [Save me¡­] Davey could clearly hear the surrounding cries of the spirits. The nasty odor was assaulting his nose non-stop. It was an odor that people who had average or low spirit affinity couldn¡¯t detect, so this was only unfortunate for him. Davey was put through hell by Elementalist Yuriana, who was trying to raise his spirit affinity. ¡®She threw me in magma to raise my affinity to fire, and she sank me to the bottom of the ocean to raise my affinity to water.¡¯ -Oh my, that¡¯s beyond stupid¡­ How are you still alive? It didn¡¯t seem possible, but Davey did aplish that in the end. He had prepared to endure those extreme environments with everything he had, and he had forcibly raised his affinity while undergoing training that was close to reforming his entire body. Spirits couldn¡¯t be summoned in the Hall. Like how Shane Scrift, a summoner of mythical beasts, had created images of the three Kings of Mythical Beasts that had been in his memory, Yuriana had also materialized the spirits she was bonded to. The Hall was the soul world, and as such, living creatures like mythical beasts and spirits couldn¡¯t reach it. ¡ªThat is the only way to raise spirit affinity without bonding with them, but¡­ It was too much. ¡°Are you sure this is where the corruption started?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Davey knelt and put his hand on the ground upon hearing Yuria speak. The forest that should be beautiful and pure was destroyed and tainted because the spirits had be corrupted. There were no nts, and the dirt was sticky like tar. ¡°The ground itself is destroyed from this point onward. It¡¯s an endless swamp, so I suggest you don¡¯t go¡­¡± Daveypletely ignored Yuria and walked into the center of the swamp. Yuria widened her eyes. It was natural for her to be bewildered as Davey, who should have sunk to the bottom in seconds, was floating on top like he was standing on hardwood floors. All he did was use air tiles to move a little, but it was difficult for elves to understand because they had very little understanding about magic. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°N¡ªNo¡­ Seriously, who¡­¡± Yuria answered in bewilderment while she stood at the opening of the swamp. Meanwhile, Davey inspected the sticky sludge on the floor. Chapter 164 The spirits¡¯ corruption was apparent. The entire forest was seemingly diseased, urring due to a few coincidences that happened simultaneously. However, the corruption that Davey saw right here was¡­ ¡®It¡¯s so much faster than I expected. Something like this¡­¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling. The only way for him to discover the actual truth was to see it for himself. Luckily, he had a friendly oddball elf right beside him. He quickly asked, ¡°The corruption is much worse than I thought. Am I missing something?¡± ¡°What do you wish to know?¡± Davey answered Yuria quietly, ¡°From what I know, the presence of High Elves should be enough to purify the forest.¡± ¡°Oh my, you know that as well.¡± ¡°I also know that your surname ¡®Helishana¡¯ means the priest of the elves.¡± This was the reason why Davey didn¡¯t think of Yuria Helishana and Jack as family even though they had the same surname; for elves, their surname did not mean family, but it referred to their current rank or title. There was a reason why forests were formed around High Elves, because it would be difficult to control all elves just by bloodline. Yuria just sighed when she heard Davey talk about this. She had seemingly given up on being shocked anymore. ¡°I¡­¡± Yuria slowly lowered her head and murmured bitterly. ¡°My powers to purify a forest have been sealed because of the World Tree¡¯s punishment.¡± Listening to Yuria in silence, Davey touched the tree that was breaking down. This was the origin of the forest¡¯s corruption. This huge tree was in the middle of the forest far away from the elves¡¯ vige. Eerie bits of skin were stuck on the tree¡¯s surface like a tumor, and they were beating like a heart. As Davey released his spirit power on the strangely distorted tree, a spirit that looked like a little boy appeared on the surface. He looked terrible with bloody tears falling from his eyes. He was far from beautiful and pure, looking only like a corrupt spirit. [It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ Save me¡­] Davey put his finger on the spirit¡¯s cheek as he heard his cries. He asked, ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± [A¡­ human? A human can see us?] ¡°Yeah. Can you take the suffering?¡± [It hurts¡­ It hurts¡­ It hurts so much¡­ But it¡¯s okay.] Usually, nature spirits should have gathered near Davey and chattered like innocent children. However, the spirits here just moaned in pain, like they didn¡¯t have the energy to talk. ¡°How long has it been like this?¡± ¡°Not too long. We were able to heal naturally since the corruption wasn¡¯t too bad, but¡­¡± ¡°The speed of the corruption became unexpectedly fast?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As suspected, someone had tampered with the corruption. It could be either one of the elves or an outsider. Normally, the corruption should be purified on its own since Yuria was present, but her powers to purify had been sealed from the World Tree¡¯s punishment. ¡°They say stagnant water is bound to rot.¡± The Divine Tree that should be protecting the spirits was just watching them get corrupted and die in pain. It was unbelievable. Noticing this, Davey asked, ¡°Is the World Tree still in the west?¡± ¡°Are you an elf? How do you know all that?¡± Yuria widened her eyes in surprise. ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°Yes, it is; the shrine of the Divine Tree is in the west. It used to be filled with greenery and peace, but¡­¡± ¡°If you get the chance to speak to them, tell them that I will cut the World Tree down if I see them.¡± ¡®How dare this lunatic tree do this shit in someone¡¯snd?¡¯ ¡°The tree should be prepared to be cut down if it has messed with someone else¡¯snd.¡± Coincidentally, Davey also had a chainsaw, which was a good method ofmunicating what he meant and logging. A Divine Tree that had lost its purpose had no value. The fact that it had sealed an elf¡¯s power and drove a forest to this condition because of its own desires was already enough evidence that the World Tree had abandoned its duty. Of course, the elves would be forever turned against Davey, but they weren¡¯t his residents or the kingdom¡¯s citizens. All Davey was trying to do was develop the territory in various directions by incorporating other kinds, such as dwarves, elves, orcs, or beastfolk without discrimination. He wasn¡¯t a phnthropist trying to protect apletely different kind. ¡°Chuckle¡­ Chuckle¡­ You are ruthless, boss.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m joking?¡± ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s ridiculous to cut down the World Tree? The World Tree is huge and with a very wide trunk, an old trunk, that can¡¯t be dented even with a Swordmaster¡¯s [Aura de],¡± Yuria exined with a bitter chuckle. ¡°Am I bad?¡± ¡°I guess, in a way. Objectively, Yuria could be seen as bad since she was putting hundreds of elves in danger because of her personal desires as a leader. It was clear that the forest had be like this because she couldn¡¯t purify the forest, since her powers had been sealed from going against the World Tree. ¡°I rejected the marriage arrangement the World Tree chose, and that is why I received the punishment of the Divine Tree. The effects of the punishment are seen in my forest, and it hase to this because I couldn¡¯t purify the corruption during its early stages.¡± Yuria was full of guilt. She thought that the forest wouldn¡¯t be in such a painful state if she had just obeyed. ¡°This is myst try. If it fails, I am going to send everyone back to the Divine Tree. That is better than dying.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°My sanctuary is here. If the forest really does be corrupt to a point beyond repair, I will burn my soul and purify this entire forest ording to the primordial promise,¡± Yuria told Davey. She would definitely be able to stop the corruption, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that she and the spirits would all disappear. ¡®A High Elf who was punished by the World Tree because she refused an arranged marriage¡­¡¯ It was very wrong. ¡°Can I ask why you refused?¡± ¡°The saint of the Divine Tree¡­ I couldn¡¯t give that man everything.¡± It seemed like something had happened. Maybe the infamous love triangle¡­ ¡°He tricked my sister, corrupting her and banishing her from nature¡¯s arms. I haven¡¯t seen my sister since. I¡­¡± Yuria revealed a rare look of anger and injustice, but the darkness on her face disappeared right away. ¡ªYou should be sorry for suspecting something like a love triangle. ¡®Hm.¡¯ ¡°I cannot forgive him.¡± ¡ªAn arranged marriage with a man who destroyed her family¡­ It¡¯s more ridiculous than a fiction novel. ¡°It¡¯s the World Tree¡¯s fault for sealing your perfectly normal powers, not you. You weren¡¯t even the one who made the forest like this, right?¡± Corruption was like a disease of the forest; if elves resided in the forest, spirits would follow, and the power of nature would grow stronger. It was simr to how a sick human would get diagnosed with leukemia if there were overwhelming white blood cells. Corruption could happen anytime and anywhere. That was why the High Elves of each forest assumed the role of the leader and purified it. The people who tried to force Yuria, the perfectly normal leader of this forest, into an arranged marriage and sealed her powers when she refused were in the wrong. Yuria was more of a victim here. ¡®The victim-ming culture should really disappear.¡¯ This situation where the perpetrator was being treated well and the victim was hiding away¡­ It was a story that Davey had heard before. The cause of this was obvious: a conflict of power between the elves. That reason could also exin why another High Elf wasn¡¯ting here even though they knew about the state of the forest. The elves that were near the Divine Tree probably wanted to hang Yuria out to dry until she waved the white g herself. Unlike the stumpy dwarves, these picky pointy ears were all hiding something even though they acted all benevolent. These old elves had isted themselves from the world and were as rotten as the water at the bottom of a well. * * * ¡°Elder Condae, what are we going to do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Lady Yuria Helishana was born with a great gift among the High Elves. Like her older sister, she has the gift and affinity to bond with the highest-ranking spirit that hasn¡¯t appeared in hundreds of years.¡± Elder Condae sighed after the two elders spoke. He muttered, ¡°Of course. It¡¯s that affinity that dragged this corruption on for twenty years when it should have dried up the forest instantly.¡± ¡°Then, we must do something! Lady Yuria is trying to summon a supreme spirit! She is also using that greedy human¡¯s power to do it!¡± ¡°But her spirit affinity is real. It is a long shot¡­ But if it¡¯s Lady Yuria, there is a chance of s¡­¡± Listening to the elders shout in anger, Elder Condae smiled creepily. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If she really does seed, then we just have to advance the corruption even more. The rebound will be stronger if the desperate attempt that she nned was to fail.¡± ¡°Then¡­.¡± ¡°Then, we will step up. We will kill the human who knows about elves and pressure Yuria Helishana to return to the Divine Tree. Isn¡¯t that the perfect scenario?¡± The two other elders slowly nodded in agreement. ¡°But¡­I heard that the human is pretty strong. If he is just as Lady Yuria described, there is a chance we may be defeated before we can do anything.¡± ¡°Right. That is why we need some sort of trap.¡± Elder Condae pulled out a small marble. ¡°This is a Sealing Marble with the powers of an ancient spirit.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ Such a sacred treasure¡­¡± ¡°Usually, it is to amplify a spirit mage¡¯s power, but it can also suppress other powers. From what I hear, he seems to be a pretty advanced Master¡­¡± Elder Condae mumbled and smiled creepily. ¡°Even if he is a Master, how could a human take the attacks of an Ancient Guard, the elves¡¯ great power, with his mana and holy power sealed?¡± Elder Condae chuckled satisfyingly. ¡°However, it seems like that human has pretty high spirit affinity as well. If Lady Yuria is asking for his help¡­¡± ¡°Ahem, do you think a newbie will be able to summon a spirit just with high spirit affinity alone? Did you forget that the only way to bond with high-ranking spirits is to start with low-rank spirits and slowly work your way up?¡± Elder Condae scoffed. The other elders nodded. ¡°Y¡ªYou¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Remember that nothing changes. All we must do is bring Yuria to the saint of the Divine Tree.¡± Elder Condae¡¯s eyes shone dangerously as he said, ¡°Rather formally. We can¡¯t have someone stand in the way of that process.¡± Chapter 165 Many people looked at Davey, who felt ufortable. However, only a few of them approached him with clear hostility in their eyes. The corruption spreading from within the forest had yet to touch the residential area, which was why it still remained beautiful. ¡ªThis small untouched space is the only ce where you can summon high-ranked spirits. The Forest of Elves was brimming with the spirits¡¯ energy. After all, the spirits¡¯panions were elves and the same was true the other way around. Wherever the elves existed, spirits existed. In other words, spirits would only appear where elves have gathered. For Davey, preliminary work was very important. Aside from the elves¡¯ personal narrative, Davey also walked around the forest to check things with his own eyes. Whether it was in the field of medicine or in any other fields, problems andplications could only be resolved after carefully checking the root of the problem. ¡°When ites to spirit magic, the richer the spirit energy present in nature, the higher the chances of summoning spirits.¡± ¡ªBut those things are meaningless for you, right? ¡°Now, why would you say that? Regardless of the summoning¡¯s sess or failure, the type of spirit that I can summon still changes depending on the circumstances.¡± There were still huge distinctions between the same lower-ranked spirits. For example, there were spirits with high purity and spirits with plenty of impurities. Simply put, just like there were differences between first-ss water and fifth-ss water, there were also differences between spirits. ¡°There¡¯s certainly a difference between supreme-ranked spirits, albeit a bit weak and indistinguishable. However, this does not exist among spirit kings.¡± The differences between the spirits were very miniscule. However, since Davey decided to do it, he thought that he should do it properly. [It hurts¡­] Davey gently ced his hand on the tree¡¯s bark where the contaminated spirits were dwelling before releasing a weak stream of holy power. Although he believed that it was not good to experiment with the patient in front of him¡­ ¡°Can you hold it in for a bit?¡± [We trust you¡­ human.] [Fifth ss Holy Magic.] [Purify.] [Aaaaaack!] Vwooooooong¡ª A brilliant white light formed at Davey¡¯s fingertips and pierced through the tree trunk. Unfortunately, nothing changed. Only the spirits¡¯ screams rang out in Davey¡¯s ears. Theoretically, if they were truly suffering from pure corruption, then there should have at least a bit of response at this level of purification magic. ¡ªNothing¡­ Absolutely no reaction at all. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard about how contaminated spirits that are at the end of their lives can¡¯t be cured by holy magic. It seems like it¡¯s true.¡± Davey found out that the system was different. Just like how he had used his death mana to deal with the death knight¡¯s disaster with Illyna, each power had a different code that corresponded to their own system. ¡ªIn the first ce, spirit mana is mana created from the changes in mana, holy mana, or devil mana. And that was also the reason why Davey did not try to pull spirit mana on its own. ¡°How to say this, it¡¯s a bit different from spirit mana?¡± Davey ced his hand against the wrinkly and rough tree trunk once again. This time, he released spirit mana. ¡°The corruption is a problem among the spirits, and a problem of the spirits should be solved with the spirits¡¯ power.¡± ¡®Aren¡¯t I quite the multi-talented person? An excellent all-rounder?¡¯ ¡ªThere¡¯s nothing that you can¡¯t do. A swindler with a ridiculously out of this world cheat sheet. Perserque shot back and red at Davey. ¡°To be exact, spirit mana is like the spirits¡¯ fuel. I¡¯ll give you a good example.¡± Davey exined it in a way where the affinity with the spirits was like one¡¯s riding skills, with the spirit mana being the horse and the spirits being the carriage. If one used their spirit mana to bring out the spirits¡¯ power, then the spirits would move. ¡°The purification of this corruption can only be done if the carriage moves. The principle is simr to how a carriage works. If your horsepower is low, then the heavy carriage will not move. For example, using weak spirit magic with some spirit mana would only slow down the corruption¡¯s progress by a bit.¡± There were quite a lot of pathways, just like how Davey¡¯s mana pathways were, so he had to try them out blindly. However, doing so would only have the tiniest bit of effect. ¡ªHow uselessly detailed. ¡°No power in the world exists without plenty of details.¡± If something could be easily exined in a few words, if something like that truly existed, then it would be god¡¯s miracle. The prime examples of that were the holy magic engraved on Davey¡¯s body, as well as someone ranking one¡¯s item in their own pocket ne without the owner¡¯s permission and locking it out of their reach. Basically, these were things beyond one¡¯s grasp. All illnesses and diseases should be properly diagnosed and researched through a step-by-step process. If Davey decided to just summon a spirit without knowing the root cause of the problem, then there was a high chance that it could be a trap. Nothing would be more embarrassing than that. ¡°Hey,¡± Davey called out to the young elf that was tasked to follow him and watch his movements. ¡°What, human?¡± The elf looked quite hostile. However, the elf wouldn¡¯t step out of line and would only be slightly disrespectful towards Davey. Well, this was all thanks to what Yuria had said when everyone had gathered earlier. [I hope the Moon Forest¡¯s residents are not that shameless to the point where they cannot tell the difference between kindness and hostility.] Of course, Davey still received quite a lot of hostile gazes since he had smashed their barrier apart. But thanks to his promise, he could control the level of hostility that he was up against. ¡®Tsk. So trivial. I¡¯ll make you a new er.¡¯ It would not be too strange if the elves snorted at Davey and called bullshit for his words. However, Yuria had heard of Davey¡¯s previous achievements, so they seemed to believe him for now. They could directly feel the iprehensible spirit affinity flowing in Davey¡¯s body. ¡°What? Do you think holy magic is so amazing? What are you doing over there, being so distracted?¡± ¡®Kyaa~ He¡¯s quite the country bumpkin! Like someone living from the mountainsing to the city for the first time!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t make meugh! Do¡­ Do you think someone like me will be curious about some human¡¯s magic?!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you stop pretending that you¡¯re not interested?¡± Davey asked. The elf widened his eyes and turned his face to the side. Davey felt his eyes burn in disgust when he saw the young elf act so shy and embarrassed. He believed that Yuria Helishana, the leader of this forest, was close enough with this elf, Verdis, to call him her best friend. If that was the case, then he could trust his credibility for a bit. ¡°If you have something to say, then quickly spit it out.¡± ¡°You are in a contract with a spirit, yes?¡± ¡®Hmm. This scent is the scent of a water spirit.¡¯ If Davey caught Verdis trying to cheat his way out of this situation, then he would definitely send his hands flying away. Verdis looked at Davey as if pondering deeply over the matter. Then, with a sigh, he said, ¡°I have a contract with the intermediate-rank spirit¡­ Undine.¡± ¡°Intermediate-rank, perfect. I¡¯m sorry, I have to check something, so can you call her out for a moment?¡± Verdis sighed at Davey¡¯s request, silently stretching his hand out as droplets of water started to gather around his fingertips until they formed the figure of a very small girl. The only difference the girl had with humans were her ears, which were shaped like fins, and the horns sprouting on her forehead. ¡°Now, use the spirit¡¯s power to purify this tree. Make sure to use all of your power for this.¡± ¡°Why on earth should I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to save your forest?¡± Verdis flinched at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m in the process of verifying something. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Damn¡­¡± With a frown, Verdis conveyed his will. His contracted naiad immediately reached out, her expression strained and her eyes turning from red to ck. Swoooooosh! Shwa! Once the droplets of water flew from Undine¡¯s fingertips and entered the tree, changes immediately took ce. It was just for a brief moment, but the corruption seemed to have faltered before quickly returning to its original state. At first, there seemed to be nothing wrong. The corruption appeared to be ordinary. However, Davey, with his Death Spirit Eye open, caught something. He muttered, ¡°The corruption has devoured life force, and inrge quantities too.¡± ¡°What¡­ Do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Do you have missing elves or ones that died in the vige?¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡­ Why?¡± Verdis flinched in doubt and suspicion. ¡°This is very important. Are there any? Or are there none? If you lie, then I won¡¯t be responsible for the consequences that follow.¡± Perhaps it was because Davey had a grim expression, but Verdis quickly turned pale and said, ¡°There¡­ There have been quite a few idents in the vigetely. There was a herd of monsters that suddenly descended and tried to invade our territory. We lost a few lives from that incident.¡± ¡°Their bodies?¡± ¡°All of them had been cremated and sent back to Mother Nature...¡± ¡°Did one of the conservatives say that?¡± Verdis frowned at the implications of Davey¡¯s words. He spat, ¡°What the hell do you want to say, human?¡± At this point, the elf¡¯s tone had gone curt. He seemed annoyed by Davey. Davey turned around with a cold and frosty smile on his face. ¡°You better hope that it¡¯s not what I think it is.¡± The elerated corruption and the devoured life force, as well as the source of the life force¡­ It was already obvious to Davey where it came from. *** Davey found it worthwhile snooping around and doing repetitive work around the forest. After all, he was able to buy enough time by smashing the barrier apart, which had allowed him to twist the spirit mana flowing in the forest and block the root cause of the corruption for a while without anyone knowing. Davey found out that the corruption had a total of seven sources. And as he went around, he infused some spirit mana in them and blocked them from creating unnecessary variables in the meantime. What Davey did was simr to applying a very strong tape on a crack that leaked contaminated water. Originally, at the rate at which the corruption was spreading, it would only take around two months topletely devour the forest. But with Davey¡¯s stopgap measure, he was able to add another fifteen days to that inevitability. No matter what anyone said, Davey knew that it was only a matter of time before this forest turned into the forest of death. ¡°Ah, it would be good if they already took the bait by now. They¡¯re still fooling around too much.¡± Davey actually had two options here. He could choose to summon the spirit right away and clean up the forest or find a good ce where he could summon the spirit and clean up the forest at a nice andfortable pace. However, the fact that the first option would be quite troublesome¡­ no, it was actually very troublesome and would drag his foot down was the only thing that was stopping him from doing it. Since Davey was a human being that could feel joy, anger and sorrow, it would be alright for him to wait a few more days and do everything at his own pace, right? After two days of staying in the forest, the elves had now turned to neglecting him and his presence. It was not that strange since Davey was the human that destroyed their barrier. On top of that, after dering that he would clean up the corruption and looking at its source, he suddenly installed a hammock in the outskirts of the vige with a superb view of the forest and enjoyed a leisurely time. So, everyone thought that it was a hassle to pay attention to him and just went around neglecting his presence. ¡ªDavey, there are children. Candy¡­was a revolutionary and ambitious product that the Academy of Alchemy had created and sold through the Merchant Association all throughout the Heins Territory. It was quite different from the candy that Davey knew, but its sweet taste had made it a popr snack for ordinary children. Of course, it did not only cater to the ordinary. It was also the perfect snack for Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon to eat. A candy or a snack was quitemon by humans¡¯ standard, but it seemed like such a snack was not quitemon for the elves. From what it looked like, the elves¡¯ children had be curious about the snack, because Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon were happily licking their candies while snuggling in Davey¡¯s arms. Davey could see the vige children sticking their heads out and looking at him from afar. And their eyes were filled with curiosity, not vignce and fear. It seemed like these elven children were still too young to receive any brainwashing, or what they called education. So, their reactions were still quite natural. ¡ªYes, that¡¯s exactly right. They are focused on the candies that you gave out. Davey smiled and nodded at Perserque as he took out more lollipops from his pocket ne. He thought that work was work and that nothing was wrong with manipting public opinion through the children. ¡°Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon. Is it delicious?¡± ¡°Yeah! Yeah! Very delicious!¡± ¡°Sweet!¡± The two answered excitedly, as if the gazes of the children around them did not matter. Davey could even see some of the elven boys turning red from the bright smiles of the two girls in his arms. ¡ªNo matter the race or kind, a smile is very precious. Haa¡­ Perserque sat on the smiling Red Ribbon¡¯s head and petted the girl¡¯s hair gently. Well, Davey could not actually tell who was cuter. Perhaps he thought that way because Perserque was smaller than Red Ribbon. However, Davey tried to ignore her as he held a candy out and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat more?¡± ¡°More! More! Eat more!¡± Of course, children would definitely want to eat any kind of new and delicious food. Would they even have the capacity to say no? However, it was not just one candy that had been taken out. ¡°But if you eat more, won¡¯t your teeth rot?¡± ¡°U, Ugh¡­¡± Davey almost failed to endure when he saw the two girls turn teary from his words. Thankfully, he was able to persevere. ¡°Red¡­ Red Ribbon will not eat¡­¡± ¡°Blue, Blue Ribbon too¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s too bad. Then, who should I give this to?¡± When Davey nced up to look at the elven children, he saw that they were already sneaking up on him as if they had already forgotten that they should just be watching and hiding from him from afar. He asked them, ¡°Do you guys want some?¡± Davey knew that he almost got them after seeing the children look like they would nod at any given moment. However, everyone¡¯s eyes widened in surprise before they screamed and scattered around. It seemed like they recalled the stories about Davey¡¯s kind. He murmured to himself, ¡°Hmm. They seem well-educated.¡± That was right. Kids should not follow someone they did not know just because that someone gave them snacks. ¡°Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon. What would you guys do if a stranger gives you a snack?¡± ¡°Hngh?¡± Red Ribbon, snuggling deep in Davey¡¯s arms while licking her candy, looked up at him and tilted her head in confusion. Meanwhile, Blue Ribbon, with her wide and cute eyes, immediately said, ¡°Th¡­ Thank you!¡± ¡°We¡­ We will eat them too!¡± Red Ribbon also piped up. ¡°¡­¡± However, their answers werepletely wrong in the first ce. ¡°You can¡¯t say that in that situation,¡± Davey said as the two looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want one. Stop.¡± ¡°Nwoo. I¡­ I¡­ I dwon¡¯t want one! Shhhhtop!¡± Davey chuckled when Red Ribbon imitated him with her cute and slurry pronunciation. He stroked her head gently. Her pronunciation wasn¡¯t quite there yet, since she was still little, but the speed at which she epted things and adapted to the outside world was quite fast. ¡°How about you, Blue Ribbon? Do you understand?¡± Davey said, nodding at Blue Ribbon. ¡°Nwoo. I dwon¡¯t want one! Shhtop!¡± Blue Ribbon replied with a bright smile. A smile was unknowingly painted on Davey¡¯s lips. Perhaps this was how fathers felt when they were raising cute daughters? Suddenly, the thought of two emperors who suffered from a severe obsession with their daughters crossed Davey¡¯s mind. Heughed. Tap, tap¡ª Then, just when Davey was about to hand over some more candies to the two girls as a prize, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Chapter 166 ¡°Hmm?¡± When Davey turned behind, he saw a very small four to five year old girl looking up at him with her pure and bright eyes. The little girl looked as innocent as the others, but there was one thing that set her apart from the rest of the elven children. Unlike the elves, who usually wore a considerably loose and airy outfit, the girl in front of Davey was wearing a strange robe covering her entire body. ¡°Do you want to eat some?¡± And unlike the other elven children, the little girl had the courage toe up and interact with Davey. Even though Davey found the elven race to be disgusting and was notfortable dealing with them, he just could not turn such a child away. Treating the little girl like an ordinary child, Davey handed a candy to her. However, he startled the girl and she immediately hid behind the tree that Davey was leaning on. The girl slowly peeked at Davey and said, ¡°U¡­ Uncle¡­ Are you a human?¡± Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon, and the young elven girl had simr physiques. However, being of a race that lived for a long time, the little girl¡¯s pronunciation was on apletely different levelpared to Davey¡¯s girls. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a human.¡± ¡°Hnnngh¡­¡± The girl looked at Davey curiously after she heard his answer. And slowly, ever so slowly, she came forward again and approached him carefully. She murmured, ¡°Yummy smell¡­¡± ¡°Here you go. Don¡¯t bite it, lick it slowly.¡± ¡°Yummy smell!¡± The girl¡¯s eyes sparkled at the sight of the candy. Listening to Davey¡¯s words, the girl carefully stuck her tongue out and licked the lollipop. Her eyes widened in surprise at the candy¡¯s sweetness. She started to smile brightly as she shoved the entire candy in her mouth. ¡°Hehe. Yummy.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Myuu. My mom named me.¡± The girl ignored Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, who were both in Davey¡¯s arms. She looked straight at Davey before calling out, ¡°Uncle.¡± ¡°How about calling me ¡®brother¡¯ instead of ¡®uncle¡¯?¡± ¡°Uncle.¡± The girl was very stubborn. She asked again, ¡°Uncle, are you a human?¡± The little girl¡¯s insignificant question from earlier hade up once more. When Davey squinted before nodding, the girl hurriedly tugged on his arm and eximed, ¡°Myuu will show you her treasure!¡± In response to the word ¡®human¡¯, the little girl told Davey that she would show him her treasure. Davey, helpless after seeing Perserque pull on his sleeves and urge him to follow, shrugged his shoulders. ¡ªThe fact that this child wants to show you her treasure means that she has a very favorable impression of you, Davey. ¡°Huh? Huh? Quiiiick! Myuu will show you her treasure! It¡¯s a pretty and sparkling treasure!¡± Davey, with his two girls in his arms, slowly pushed away from the tree he leaned on. He let the smalldy urge him and tug at his arm, following her. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go.¡± Myuu¡¯s pure smile became even brighter at that moment. There was just something about a child¡¯s smile, regardless of their race, that could turn one¡¯s heart warm and soft. *** Myuu, the little elf in a robe, led Davey toward a denser part of the forest. It was quite a bit further away from the vige where the other elves lived. It was obviously still a part of the elves¡¯ territory, with spirit beasts running around, but Davey still found it strange. ¡°Uncle! Here! Here! Sit here!¡± Davey could not understand the little girl¡¯s excitement, but he still followed along and sat on a stump. The moment he sat down, Myuu dashed towards a small hole in a tree and expertly crawled inside. It was quite a shabby space to be called a house, but the way Myuu entered and exited the tree with ease made it look like it was her home. Davey left Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon in Rinne¡¯s care as he looked around the area. One of the spirit beasts, which was looking at the other side of the forest, turned and nced at him for a moment. Then, it slowly approached Davey, nudged his hands, and rubbed its head adorably against him. It was purring so loudly that even Davey could feel how much it liked him. Hornless Elkdiars were spirit beasts known for not approaching anyone recklessly, cautious even toward elves. But this very same Elkdiar approached Davey the moment it found him and showed him how much it liked him. Even during his first visit to this forest, Davey had found out that the spirit beasts and spirits were very kind and friendly to him. This just went to show how ridiculously high Davey¡¯s inherent affinity to nature was. ¡°Heave¡­ho.¡± Only after Davey waited for quite some time did Myuu, who crawled inside the hole in the tree, wriggled and slid down from the tree. She ran to where he was and handed him a small purse. ¡°Treasure! Myuu¡¯s treasure!¡± Myuu shouted with a big grin. She urged Davey to look at it with her eyes. When Davey opened the purse, he was surprised by his discovery. ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t this a spirit stone?¡± ¡°Sparkles! Mom gave it to me!¡± Davey chuckled, since Myuu was asking him what he thought of her treasure. He was wondering how he should answer when Perserque tapped him on the shoulder. With a gentle smile on her face, she said¡­ ¡ªTell her that you¡¯re jealous. Children show their treasures and always want to see how surprised and amazed you are. ¡°Oooh! What¡¯s this? This is very surprising. I¡¯m very jealous, huh?¡± ¡ª¡­ Perserque¡¯s gentle expression hardened and turned cold. Davey¡¯s strained and poor performance did nothing to impress her. ¡ªEven a monkey can do better than that. Even Davey had to agree with what Perserque said. He knew that his acting was so lousy and awkward that even he himself found it quite embarrassing. But it seemed like Myuu thought differently. ¡°Hehe!¡± Myuu smiled brightly, epting Davey¡¯s awkward acting to be the truth. She happily poked the spirit stone with her finger before holding out a fruit that she took out of her pockets. ¡°Uncle! Can you be Myuu¡¯s secret friend?¡± ¡®A secret friend?¡¯ ¡°What¡­do you mean by secret friend?¡± Davey asked, bewildered. The little girl simply nodded, as if there was nothing wrong with what she said. ¡°Yeah! Yep! Mom told Myuu before she went to heaven that there are humans that Myuu can trust! Uncle has a warm scent, so you¡¯re a good human! That¡¯s why Myuu wants to be friends!¡± Davey wondered if this was an appropriate reaction from an elf. After all, elves were a race that rejected others vehemently. Davey found it really strange. But just when he was about to check the girl¡¯s information¡­ ¡°Hnggh¡­ Refreshing!¡± Myuu found her robe¡¯s hood to be too stuffy, so she took it off and finally revealed her appearance to Davey. She lookedpletely different from the elves. Of course, it was not her missing front teeth, but something else entirely. ¡ªMy goodness¡­ Their existence has disappeared for almost 300 years. How¡­ ¡°A half-elf¡­¡± The little elven girl, who was strangely receptive and kind towards a human, with her light green hair was half human and half elf. She was a half-elf. *** A half-elf was born from a union between an elf and a human. Compared to pure-blooded elves and high elves, who had long and pointed ears, half-elves¡¯ ears were a bit blunt at the ends. Of course, their ears were still a bit longer than that of humans. Myuu was a half-elf, someone born between a human and an elf, so she was not that hostile to a human like Davey. Her father was probably a human. However, despite the bright smile on Myuu¡¯s face, she still could not hide her longing for affection and her loneliness. She asked again, ¡°Uncle! Uncle! Will you be secret friends with Myuu?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be friends. We can be friends.¡± ¡°But the vige says that you should not stay with Myuu,¡± Myuu said with a pout. ¡°Timmy and Ellie said that too!!! Because he said that Myuu¡¯s a half, she does not have any right to have friends!¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Hnggh¡­ It¡¯s scary Grandpa Condae. Yeah! Yeah! Grandpa Condae said that it¡¯s a crime to stay with a half! Timmy and Ellie said sorry and that they won¡¯t y with Myuu anymore! Is Myuu a half?¡± Elder Condae was definitely the elven elder who had openly shown his hostility towards Davey. Myuu was smiling brightly as if she was just talking casually with her friends, but the content of her story was not very pleasant. Davey had no idea how absurd or reasonable these words were, but he thought that it was an extremely unpleasant incident for the child to have gone through. ¡°Who¡¯s the more hideous and disgusting race?¡± For Davey, whether it was an elf or a human, a bastard would always be a bastard. Myuu was born from the love of an elf and a different race entirely. If Davey looked at it from the perspective of those conservative and arrogant elves, then Myuu¡¯s existence would definitely be something repulsive and ugly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Huh? Why? Grandpa Condae said that one should never be friends with Myuu though?¡± ¡°That old bas¡­ No, that grandpa does not know any better.¡± ¡°Y, Yeah¡­ Myuu also does not know difficult things!¡± Myuu, who was tilting her head just a few moments prior, smiled brightly as if she finally understood, ¡°Then, uncle! Are you friends with Myuu?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± A bitter feeling rose from the depths of Davey¡¯s heart after seeing Myuu¡¯s bright and pure smile. The only reason why Davey was acting friendly towards the elves here was because of Yuria. Also, there were quite a few elves here that had a decent amount ofmon sense. Well, except for the conservatives. ¡°But¡­you¡¯ll get in trouble if you get caught¡­¡± ¡°This uncle of yours is much scarier. I¡¯ll scold them back. Don¡¯t worry.¡± To hear the word ¡®brother¡¯ from the mouth of a bean-sized girl would prick Davey''s conscience, so he settled for uncle, which was the next best option. The little girl tapped her lips in thought while Davey took a small bite out of the fruit that she had given him. She started to giggle. ¡°Really? Kyahaha! Then you¡¯ll be Myuu¡¯s friend! Just a friend, not a secret friend!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Ah, Uncle¡­ What''s your name?¡± ¡°Davey.¡± Myuu muttered Davey¡¯s name repeatedly, as if figuring out the pronunciation and the soundsing from her own mouth. ¡°Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°Davey O¡¯Rowane¡­ Davey. Davey. Then, Uncle Davey?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Davey answered, patting Myuu¡¯s head gently. Red Ribbon, who was sitting right next to Davey and sucking on her candy, took out her remaining candy and offered it bravely to Myuu. ¡°Would you like to eat some candy?¡± ¡°Wooow! Want to! Want to eat!¡± Children could get along so easily. A bitter yet warm smile appeared on Davey¡¯s face as he watched Myuu, Red Ribbon, and Blue Ribbon be quick friends. Seeing how Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon were friendly with her, Myuu grew even happier. She ran around in circles, shouting how she had gained more friends. Then, Davey asked her as if he just remembered, ¡°Myuu.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Shall this uncle show you a spirit to celebrate us bing friends?¡± ¡°Spirit? Yeah! Wanna see! The little friends! So cute!¡± Well, Davey did not know if the spirits or Myuu were cuter. As Myuu jumped around happily, Davey stood up. He should not dy things even further. Then, he looked for a suitable space and drew a magic circle with his fingers. The magic circle was not big, but it had everything that he needed. He then said, ¡°Well then, Myuu. Stand over here.¡± The girl immediately ran towards Davey and stood right where he pointed at. Davey grabbed her by the armpits and lifted her up before gently cing her down on the magic circle. Then, he said, ¡°Now, you have to repeat what uncle says. Alright?¡± ¡°Yeah! Myuu will look at the spirits!¡± Davey rubbed the smile off of his face when he saw Myuu¡¯s bright and sparkling gaze. He looked at the magic circle calmly while slowly releasing his spirit mana. Unlike pure-blooded elves, the half-elves had considerably lower affinity with the spirits. And ording to general knowledge andmon sense, there was no way for the young Myuu to summon a spirit. ¡ªBut you¡¯re someone that demolishesmon sense. For Davey, it was not that hard to give a friend to someone who needed a friend, even if he had to defy and destroymon sense. Davey stood still and wondered what kind of spirit would be good for Myuu. It did not matter which spirit it would be, but for elementalists, their first spirit had a great influence on their preferred spirits in future. ¡®Hmmm. Right, it¡¯s also nice to open random boxes.¡¯ Davey bit back the smile that was creeping on his lips as he said, ¡°O¡¯ Great Will that has existed since the beginning of time, in charge of all things including nature.¡± ¡°Be¡­ Beginning of time¡­¡± Myuu, fascinated by the spell that Davey uttered, diligently repeated after him. Her words were as clear as she could make them to be. ¡°O¡¯ Great Will, as your noble and lofty air caresses me, I beseech you to open a contract with me.¡± Davey¡¯s spirit mana escaped from him on behalf of Myuu, who was still reciting the words after him. As they continued the spell, Davey wondered which spirit he should summon for the girl. ¡®Choose, who to choose? Which spirit to get? Which spirit to take?¡¯ ¡°A water spirit? Or an earth spirit? Which spirit do you want to see?¡± ¡®Just tell me, this uncle will definitely bring this friend to you.¡¯ ¡°Unghhh¡­ the little friend! Myuu wants to see the little dirt friend!¡± ¡°Alright¡­ So you want to see Gnoum?¡± ¡°Myuu wants to see Gnoass! Gnoass!¡± Chapter 167 Davey was shocked that the girl knew Gnoass, the Earth Spirit King. In fact, he could not believe it. All Davey could do wasugh at the girl¡¯s innocent request and said, ¡°Gnoass is a bit busy, so you can¡¯t see him now. I¡¯ll show him to youter.¡± ¡°Eeeeeh! Whaaaaat? Uncle, don¡¯t lie!!!¡± ¡®This brat?¡¯ ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll show him to you soon. For now, let¡¯s settle with Gnoum. How about Gnoum?¡± Gnoum was the low-rank earth spirit. ¡°Gnoum? Will Gnoum be friends with Myuu?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then, I want to see! I want to see Gnoum!¡± Summoning spirits should be done in a sequential manner. One should first summon a low-rank spirit and finish assimting with it before summoning an intermediate-rank spirit. The same was true for summoning high-rank spirits; one had to finish assimting with an intermediate-rank spirit before summoning a high-rank one. Of course, it was the same with supreme-rank spirits and spirit kings. Although the time it would take for an individual topletely assimte with their spirit would vary depending on their talents, this system should absolutely be followed. Simply put, one had to spend a great deal of power and time to summon higher ranked spirits. For Davey, who skipped a lot of the process and forcibly created a way that did not conform to the system, a huge amount of power was drained out of him. However, considering the amount of power dwelling in his body, this much power being lost could be easily ignored. Vwoooooong!!! The magic circle shone brightly as soon as they finished the spell. Myuu looked down at the magic circle in both awe and admiration. Crack, crack, crack!!! After a moment, lumps of soil began to gather together inside the magic circle until they took the form of a little gnome. Gnoum¡¯s basic form was simr to that of a human¡¯s, but the roundness of its body made it look more like an animal standing on its two feet. ¡°Cu¡­ Cute! Gnoum! Can you be Myuu¡¯s secret¡­ No! No! Can you be Myuu¡¯s friend? A friend?!¡± Perhaps the small gnome understood the child¡¯s excited yell. After itpletely took shape, Gnoum looked at Davey and Myuu alternately before flying up and kissing Myuu¡¯s forehead. ¡°You¡¯ll really be my friend?!¡± A small and weak light was engraved on Myuu¡¯s forehead after the Gnoum kissed her, gradually disappearing from sight. Now, only Myuu would be able to hear Gnoum''s voice. With this, the contract, which was supposed to be impossible to do, had beenpleted. ¡ªAn elf that has not yetpleted her primary growth has signed a contract with a spirit¡­ Elves were originally loved by nature. Simply put, their race had great talent for being an elementalist. In fact, even those talentless elves could still deal with and sign a contract with low-rank spirits. However, elves also faced several restrictions. Only after passing through a certain period of growth, the primary growth, would they be able to receive the spirit¡¯s blessings and be able to summon their spirits. The elves were a race that underwent a process of growth. Right before birth, they would be in their infancy. Then, they would undergo their primary growth, their secondary growth, their tertiary growth, and finally reach their adulthood. Myuu was a young elf who had yet to undergo her primary growth. Young elves still in their infancy did not have the power to summon a spirit, let alone sign a contract with them. ¡°If you want to call for your friend Gnoum, all you have to do is hold the spirit stone in your hand and call for him in your heart. He will appear whenever you call for him.¡± ¡°Wow! Myuu has many friends now! Mom and Dad must have sent Myuu many friends from heaven, because Myuu has been very obedient and quiet!¡± Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, Davey, and Gnoum were all Myuu¡¯s friends now. Perserque cried with her hand covering her mouth. She watched Myuu run around in delight after finally gaining friends. ¡ªSniff¡­ She must have been lonely for a very long time. Davey provided the mana to fulfill the contract, but for Myuu to be able to summon her spiritter, she would need to borrow mana until she was fully grown up. The item that would allow her to do that was the spirit stone, which was filled with spirit mana. The quality of Myuu¡¯s spirit stone was quite high, so she would not have any big problems even if she used it a couple of times. Myuu shouted her thanks to god while Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon jumped around, infected by Myuu¡¯s happiness and excitement. Davey watched the three children jump around happily before slowly saying, ¡°Well, you came here to find me, so how long will you keep on hiding, huh?¡± Davey¡¯s voice suddenly turned somber, his rxed and calm aura slowly disappearing. ¡°I heard that you came here.¡± ¡°Yuria.¡± ¡°I believe you already know the reason why I¡¯vee to find you.¡± When Davey turned around, he saw Yuria Helishana approaching him with a bitter smile on her face and a fruit basket in her hands. *** ¡°Kyaaaaa! Come here!¡± ¡°Kyahahahahahaha! Catch me if you can!¡± Yuria smiled brightly when she saw the three children running around happily. She said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen that child enjoy herself that much.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t underage elves supposed to be under absolute protection?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how you know that, but¡­there¡¯s nothing else I can say about that. Our race has a great tendency to reject half-elves, but it was not as bad as it is now.¡± Yuria sighed bitterly. Her eyes followed Myuu, who was running and ying happily. ¡°Myuu¡¯s mother was a normal pure-blooded elf. Her father was an ordinary human.¡± Elven Guards were in charge ofmunicating with other viges and carrying important items around. These messengers were the only elves that could leave the forest freely, and it seemed like Myuu¡¯s mother had been one of these messengers. ¡°On her way back to the Divine Tree from being dispatched on a mission, she met with a monster and was left with one foot in the grave. That was when she met Myuu¡¯s father.¡± An elven woman who had been on the brink of death and a human man who had rescued her from the grim reaper¡­ This encounter had created a spark between them, which had resulted in the birth of the half-elf child, Myuu. ¡°Their family originally lived in a small vige in the human world, but from what I heard, the vige suffered from a bandit attack. Only Myuu and her mother were able to escape and seek refuge in the Divine Tree.¡± ¡°The child¡¯s father¡­ No, the answer is already obvious.¡± ¡°Yes. The problem came after that. Myuu¡¯s mother, an elf, who voluntarily chose to leave the forest to continue her rtionship with a human and even gave birth to a child, could not escape the World Tree¡¯s wrath and punishment.¡± Yuria had personally hidden Myuu away here. However, was that all to this story? ¡°Most of the forest¡¯s residents here have grown tired of the World Tree¡¯s ridiculous tyranny and extremely conservative views. If they were the only ones here, then Myuu might have been able to live in the vige.¡± ¡°But from what I can see of your current situation, you all left her alone to live outside of the vige.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the conservatives. When I turned my back on the Divine Tree¡¯s Land, the World Tree sent three elders to watch over me. You¡¯ve already met one of them, right?¡± Yuria was talking about Elder Condae, who was quite an overbearing and conservative elven man. She added, ¡°There are fewer supporters of those conservatives in this forest. In fact, it¡¯s safe to say that there¡¯s no one here that follows thempletely. However¡­¡± However, the World Tree was backing these conservative elves up. Even if they crossed the line, the World Tree would interfere for them. ¡°The only thing I could do was to stop Elder Condae from trying to kill Myuu. For her to keep her life, we came to an agreement that Myuu has to live in a residence outside of the vige and no one would interact with her.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re afraid of the World Tree¡¯s retaliation?¡± ¡°The inhabitants of this forest are a blemish to the World Tree¡¯s eyes. That¡¯s right. In human terms, we¡¯re traitors. However, even if they call us traitors, the World Tree has no justification to send their troops and subjugate us.¡± Yuria sighed, the words flowing out of her mouth in a calm manner. ¡°That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s persevering¡­until I can summon a supreme-rank spirit.¡± If Yuria seeded in summoning a supreme-rank spirit, they could be free from the World Tree¡¯s punishment and interference. On top of that, a supreme rank elementalist would have an additional effect, increasing and strengthening their influence as a high elf. As a small tribe living in a small vige without any power, these elves endured shame and injustice and had no choice but to hold their resentment in. They were only given a few choices to live and survive. ¡°All of the vigers know how Myuu was holding out on her own in this ce. They are nice enough to help her silently. It¡¯s just¡­they¡¯re all cowards.¡± Yuria tapped on the basket in her hands before looking at Davey. She said, ¡°This is the public opinion¡­ From this point on, this is my personal opinion.¡± Yuria smiled beautifully. ¡°Sir Employer,¡± Yuria called out, standing up from where she sat before kneeling in front of Davey. Then, she bowed her head and tried to say something. However, Davey cut Yuria off before she could even do so. He said, ¡°I¡¯m actually in the middle of fishing right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I¡¯m a bit short on bait. Would you like to join in?¡± Davey was confident that he would be able to catch every single one of them like yellow corvina. When Yuria raised her head to look at him, a faint smile was painted on her face. *** The air was filled with solemnity as everyone turned to watch the huge magic circle in front of them. The magic circle was a supplementary magic circle which had been handed down since ancient times. This was powered by the elves¡¯ spirit magic and was used to aid an elf in summoning a supreme-rank spirit. It functioned by providing thecking affinity and mana through the help of others. The number of people who could help through this magic circle was restricted to around six people, but the help that they could provide was more than enough. Aside from Yuria, who signed a contract with a high-rank spirit, there were seven elves who had signed a contract with intermediate-rank spirits. With Davey¡¯s intervention and the help of five outstanding intermediate elementals, the magic circle waspleted and ready to operate. Under the elves¡¯ countless gazes, Yuria lowered the wand iid with a spirit stone and slowly entered the magic circle. She stood right at the center. Then, she began an elegant and graceful dance, the spirit mana gently rising in the air. ¡°The spirits of nature¡­¡± ¡°Bless us.¡± As if impressed by Yuria¡¯s will, dots of light began to gather around her. For others, they might look like dots of light, but for Davey, he could see the spirits of nature in their own natural form gathering around the magic circle and blessing everyone inside it with their power. ¡°Inpliance with the Origin¡¯s Covenant,¡± Yuria chanted the spell quietly as she continued to dance inside the magic circle. ¡°Your existence, a firm and solid part of nature.¡± Everyone gulped as they watched Yuria politely call out the spirit through the ritual. The supreme-rank spirits were called the master-rank spirits. They could immediately elevate a high-rank elementalist to another level. For elves that considered the spirits to be theirpanion for life, a supreme-rank spirit was a mysterious and miraculous sight, something that they had to watch withplete attention. For a low-rank elementalist, they had topletely assimte andmunicate with their low-rank spirit before they could attempt to call out and sign a contract with an intermediate-rank spirit. The same process also worked for intermediate elementalists trying to sign a contract with high-ranked spirits. ¡ªIt¡¯s unstable. ¡®She¡¯s inexperienced. Shecks the spirit mana, and her assimtion andmunication with her spirit is iplete. Also¡­¡¯ In the first ce, Yuria and the elves¡¯ ability to handle and control spirit mana wascking. The conclusion of this summoning ritual was already a foregone conclusion. However, the biggest problem here was none other than the corruption that slowly ate away at the forest. Considering the fact that higher ranked spirits could only be summoned in a ce rich and abundant with clean and pure spirit energy, the results were already obvious. This was especially since they were surrounded by corruption that was slowly progressing and devouring everything in the forest. While Davey was lost in his thoughts, Yuria did not stop chanting. ¡°Inpliance with the Origin Covenant! In the name of the noble and pure Nature, I beseech you, the One Governing the Seas! Reveal yourself upon this lowly one that desperately desires toy witness to your greatness!!!¡± Yuria lifted the wand high up in the skies and cried out, ¡°Ellestra!!!¡± Yuria was crying out for the supreme-rank water spirit, the Water Dragon Ellestra. With her cry, the spirit energy wandering around the magic circle fluctuated wildly and created a huge vortex of water. Undeen, the high-rank spirit of water, appeared in the form of an adult woman and protected Yuria upon her summoning. ¡°It¡­ It appeared!¡± ¡°My god! I never imagined that I would be able to see a supreme-rank spirit in my life!¡± Even elves, who lived a life longer than humans, had never seen a supreme-rank spirit before. After all, these master-rank beings were a very rare sight. The elves immediately bowed down in worship once the water droplets began to take the form of a giant water dragon. [In¡­¡­ pliance¡­ with¡­] Yuria¡¯s face brightened when Water Dragon Ellestra¡¯s voice, despite being garbled by some kind of noise, rang loudly in the area. Although she had not fully summoned the spirit yet, the fact that this supreme-ranked spirit had responded to her calls was already a big deal. But what did they say about idents? That they happened during unsuspecting times, right? Chapter 168 ¡°We¡¯re¡­ We¡¯re in trouble!!!¡± A couple of elven guards, who were watching the area, broke inside of the ceremonial hall with urgent looks. ¡°The¡­ The corruption is crossing the barrier and approaching us quickly! We have to run!!!¡± At the elven guard¡¯s words, the elves worshiping the supreme-rank spirit jumped up with their eyes wide open. ¡°What¡­ What in the world?!¡± ¡°This ce has abundant spirit energy, how can the corruption get here?!¡± As if to prove the guard¡¯s words, the vitality of the beautiful forest, which was filled with a dazzling purple light, started to fade away. At the same time, the warm air turned chilly and proved everyone¡¯s earlier words false. If Davey were to describe this, he would easily tell that the corruption was on its way here. The entire forest was being corrupted at this moment. And as the one who best knew the truth, Yuria¡¯s face turned ugly and her emotions affected her will, which was linked to the summoning of the supreme-rank spirit, Ellestra. The supreme-rank spirit¡¯s gigantic figure began to crumble and fade. ¡°Children who don¡¯t listen to their elders should be reprimanded. Besides, this is probably the result of you allowing the child with contaminated blood in her veins to live in this vige for too long.¡± A man walked through the crowd of flustered elves with a cold smile. Following right behind him were all of the conservative elves. However, the problems did not end there. A woman elf with a mask on her face and a blue uniform, which was different from the other elves¡¯ clothes, escorted them all while exuding a mind-numbing aura. ¡°That¡­ That uniform, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Ancient Guard.¡± ¡°Why is the guardian of the Divine Tree here?!¡± ¡°The rebound from the failure of summoning a supreme-rank spirit is huge. The chief is now in a critical condition. From this moment on, all authority will be transferred to the most senior elder. I, Condae, will now take over.¡± ¡°El¡­ Elder Condae. What in the world¡­?¡± The pale Yuria spoke with great difficulty. She tried her best to hold on to Ellestra¡¯s fading summons. ¡°That cursed brat, who inherited that dirty blood, had gone to the source of corruption. That¡¯s because of her useless curiosity. And then? She fell into a swamp! That¡¯s the reason why the corruption elerated. There is no turning back now.¡± ¡°Do you think you make sense? That ce is off limits! Myuu is a very smart and good kid. She listens to her elders well!¡± ¡°Then, do you think I¡¯m lying right now? Tsk, tsk. The chief does not believe the words of the elders that they should respect. This is something that I couldn¡¯t imagine when I was young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something that we should hear from an elder who has abandoned their honor from the very start!!!¡± Elder Condae raised his head arrogantly and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do. Give up this forest and return to the Divine Tree.¡± ¡°We¡­ We won¡¯t!¡± ¡°I am the currentmanding authority! Are you telling me that you will defy my orders even if you¡¯re going to die soon?!¡± Elder Condae screamed, his anger soaring. He made everyone flinch. ¡°Just look! Just look at what happened to you after following the words of your young chief Yuria Helishana! The forest is corrupted and can no longer be revived! Your chief, who confidently dered that she would summon a supreme-rank spirit with the help of such an ugly and disgusting human, failed!¡± Feeling the chilling atmosphere, Elder Condae smirked viciously. He snapped, ¡°But that¡¯s not all. The dirty half-blood that used to follow your chief eventually finished the entire forest. If you still dare to defy me, then I will use force!¡± Condae, as if he had finally organized all of his pieces on the board, turned to look at Davey and dered, ¡°Human, you will die here. And Yuria will return to the Divine Tree. The truth is now clear.¡± ¡°Then, is it my turn to speak now?¡± Davey grinned. His hands, still on the magic circle, were very rxed and at ease. The damn fish that had been bothering him from the very beginning finally took the bait. The fish jumped around excitedly, very confident that he would be able to break the fishing line. However, the fish did not know that the line was very tough, just like thread made from oricalchum. ¡°I recall that I made something clear when I entered this forest.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°The choice is yours and so is the responsibility for the consequences of your choices.¡± ¡®Maybe he knows?¡¯ ¡°Ah, that position is perfectly within my attacking distance.¡± sh! After a red sh, a quick yell could be heard. At the same time, a part of Condae¡¯s hair fell down with blood dripping down his otherwise white and pristine cheek. ¡°Oh my! My hands slipped.¡± Condae widened his eyes, his pupils trembling. His mind was leftpletely nk from Davey¡¯s rxed voice. Then, he hurriedly threw something out as he screamed, ¡°Kill¡­ Kill him! Kill that bastard!¡± Condae continued to scream as the bead that he threw in the air released ck currents in the air. Shwaaaaaaaa! The ck current took control of the entire area and suppressed the holy power and mana that was coursing through Davey¡¯s power, forcing it to change and turn into spirit mana. Spirit mana was mana that could not strengthen one¡¯s body. It could not even bring out an [Aura de] or even express magic. ¡°Kill¡­ Kill him quickly! The barrier will notst long!¡± With Condae¡¯s shout, the woman, who the elves called an Ancient Guard, charged at Davey. The reason why a master-rank being had a strong impact and sense of presence was because of their skilled mastery of mana. Mana and holy power could give someone plenty of abilities. However, the biggest takeaway for someone trained in the martial arts was the fact that these two powers could enhance their physical capabilities and allow them to transcend their own limits as a human. If all of these had been restricted, would a master-rank individual still be able to do something? Of course not. Condae was fully aware of that fact. That was why he took his trump card and used it to overpower Davey. In no time at all, a blue dagger appeared and stabbed straight at Davey¡¯s neck. However, instead of panicking at the woman¡¯s sudden attack, Davey smiled and said, ¡°Giving me arge amount of spirit energy and even amplifying what¡¯s around me¡­ Thank you, I¡¯ll use it well.¡± The pearl, which had been sleeping quietly inside Davey¡¯s pocket ne, appeared in the forest and shone a brilliant light. In an instant, Davey was able to grab the pearl with both hands, dragging and pressing it on his chest as he chanted the trigger spell. [Release.] The effects of the huge power¡¯s essence of the origin of existence and the root of nature, the Spirit King, was unimaginably simple. Spirit Kings had the power to forcefully take over powers and possess the body supreme-rank spirits. They also hadplete power over all of the spirits. All of the spirits were equal in front of their presence. There were actually three things needed to summon a Spirit King. One, a contract with a supreme-rank spirit. Two,plete assimtion with the said supreme-rank spirit. Three, the final piece, was a pure will. [Heed my orders.] Fwiiiiish! ¡°Ugh!¡± An enormous amount of energy surged inside Davey. The woman, the Ancient Guard, who attacked Davey flew back. She was devoid of the power of the spirit, which had now been sucked inside Davey. Daveypletely ignored the wide-eyed Elder Condae, who was watching the entire situation in disbelief, and turned towards the half-dead and panting Yuria. He stretched out his arm. [Imand you. Halt.] As if they had turned into an incantation[1], Davey¡¯s words turned the body of Water Dragon Ellestra, who was kept at bay despite the risk, into droplets of water. Shwaaaaaa!!! The huge power from the summoning ritual lost its purpose after the interruption, scattering in all directions. Davey began to recite his words quietly, his hands reaching out once again. [Imand you. Merge.] Shwaaa!!! Daveypletely ignored everyone, who was watching ck jawed at the sudden turn of events. He made eye contact with Yuria, who smiled helplessly and finally let go of her hold on Ellestra¡¯s figure, something that she was keeping with all her might. The rebound immediately engulfed Yuria, forcing her to vomit mouthfuls of blood and taking her consciousness away. Despite that, a small smile still appeared on her face. Before she couldpletely slip away, she said, ¡°I leave¡­everything to you.¡± Elder Condae must have known by now the true meaning of the saying, ¡®Made the soup yet everything¡¯s gone to the dogs!¡¯ *** The sudden turn of events and the ritual¡¯s termination, which led to the tremendous power brewing in Davey¡¯s hands, started to devour the surroundings and left everyone at a loss. ¡°What¡­ What is this?!¡± But instead of answering everyone¡¯s questions, Davey just started tomand the tremendous force that was running wild in his hands to rotate and change its property. Actually, the spirit mana that Yuria handed over was basically unnecessary. However, the thing that Davey needed from Yuria was her pure will and desire to summon a spirit. Everyone silently and nkly watched Davey lower the tremendous power in his hands on the floor and kneel down on one knee. They watched as Davey started to recite his incantation. [The One that epasses the world below from the beginning of time.] [The solid and firm existence that upholds the covenant.] [The being that manages the flow of the earth and calms its strong turbulence.] [I beseech thee. Keep the promise that thou swore on thy name and follow the covenant.] [In the name of Davey O¡¯Rowane.] [In thy name that became the source of the earth.] [Thy name granted to thee by the Great Will.] [Gnoass.] Everyone widened their eyes even further when they heard the final word that Davey uttered. It was only natural. After all, it was obviously Yuria who had summoned the supreme-rank spirit. However, as if following the steps to a n, she had handed over the baton to Davey. And now, apletely iprehensible and unimaginable being was going to appear under his summoning. ¡°Gnoass?!¡± ¡°The¡­ The Spirit King?!¡± The elves¡¯ flustered voices rang out. Everyone knew that those who had not yet summoned a spirit had to start summoning and signing a contract with a low-rank spirit. This was the absolutew. They could only follow these steps slowly and gain power through a step-by-step manner. This wasmon sense. Yet, someone like Davey had suddenly appeared in front of them and brought out not a low-rank spirit but a mythical existence right off the bat. The elves believed that they were already lucky to have witnessed the appearance of a supreme-rank spirit for once in their lives. However, they were suddenly presented with the highest being, the source of the earth, the origin of the ground, the Earth Spirit King Gnoass. The power that a Spirit King possessed was enormous. Even if Gnoass was only newly summoned, the power that he couldmand right away was alreadyparable to the level of power that Davey had right now. That was how strong and powerful an existence Gnoass was. If someone heard what Davey was doing right now, they would call bullshit. They would im that there was absolutely no way that Davey would seed in summoning such an existence. That he would bleed and copse even before the Spirit King could take its form. In fact, everyone present here thought this way. There was no other reason except that it wasmon sense. But¡­ Vwooooooong¡ª The great being moved excitedly, as if responding to Davey¡¯s call. It showed its tremendous presence and power, a power that made Water Dragon Ellestra, the spirit that Yuria had tried to summon and barely materialized, pale inparison. 62. The Earth¡¯s Master, Gnoass. Unlike Yuria, who had done meticulous preparations and even had the help of a magic circle to summon a supreme-rank spirit, Davey did everything with his own hands. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s really going to be able to summon it?!¡± The one who was most shocked by this event was none other than Elder Condae. His eyes, which werepletely trained on Davey, were filled with shock. It was like his eyes would fall out at any moment. Vwoooooooong! Finally, a huge tremor rocked the ground. The tremendous amount of spirit mana that had been stored in Davey spread and covered the entire area. Perhaps it was because the amount of spirit mana released was so tremendous that everyone present felt their skin prickle despite the energy being colorless, odorless, and intangible. Everyone held their breaths and watched Davey silently. The lumps of soil gathered in front of Davey, his spell¡¯s flow changing for a brief moment. ¡®Watch! This is the Davey-Style Spirit King Fishing method!¡¯ 1. ?? - ÑÔë‘ (¤³¤È¤À¤Þ) or kotodama, the belief that words contain mystical power. ? Chapter 169 Pzzzz!!! The huge balls of free energy that had spread out instantly gathered, engulfing the magic circle that slowly faded away. A new one began to take form. Shocked, everyone stared at the enormous magic circle, which was over a hundred meters wide, with wide eyes. The circle was in neither runenguage nor the ancient elves¡¯nguage. It was in the spiritnguage, the most superiornguage. Humans couldn¡¯t use the elves¡¯ spirit magic because they did not understand their ancientnguage, just like how elves could not use the spiritnguage¡­ Or at least, that was believed to be a known fact. However, Davey wasn¡¯t going to stop using the elven or spiritnguage just because it was unnecessarilyplicated. Boom!! The ground shook once. [My desires are yours, and your desires are mine.] Boom!! [I crave your power, and you will yearn for my existence.] Boom!! Ending his spell, Davey slowly stood up and raised his arms while opening his eyes. Rumble!!! As he raised his arms, Davey¡¯s intense spirit mana released a huge amount of vitality into the ground and began creating a huge giant out of soil. The soil giant, over thirty meters tall, had a mind-numbing presence. * * * ¡°Wh¡­ What is?!¡± Elder Condae widened his eyes and his jaw dropped on the floor in disbelief. He couldn¡¯t believe or understand this situation at all. Elder Condae knew that Yuria Helishana had been trying to summon a supreme-rank spirit. Like the other conservative elders had said, it was clear that Yuria Helishana had an incredible gift, which was having great affinity with the water spirit, even among the High Elves. The saint of the Divine Tree, the one he served, had told him that, with her gift, Yuria might be able to sessfully summon a supreme-rank spirit if she had the assistance of nature. To ensure that Yuria would fail, Elder Condae himself had nned and executed numerous obstacles for her along the way. He had done all kinds of things to prevent her from interacting and bonding with Undeen, the intermediate-rank water spirit, and to force her to summon Ellestra, the supreme-rank water spirit, without proper preparation. Then, finally when it seemed like Yuria would seed, he did something even more drastic and passed the point of no return. Thanks to that, the corruption spread quickly in the forest, and Yuria Helishana was actually failing to fully summon Estra. Up to this point, everything had been going ording to Elder Condae¡¯s n. However¡­it was at that moment that the disgraceful human stepped up. He seemed to have been waiting for this very moment. He awakened the power of his strange marble and engulfed the power of the massive ancient spirit that he had created along with Yuria¡¯s power. Then, he summoned up a soil giant as if the corruption that had taken over the forest was none of his business. ¡°T¡­ The corruption¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s disappearing.¡± Elder Condae could not take his eyes off the soil giant. The nearby nts, which had been drying out, now regained their color and returned to normal. Then, while Condae froze in shock, the human who stood calmly despite having just summoned a spirit king called out, ¡°Rinne.¡± ¡°Waiting formand.¡± ¡°Get him.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Boom!!!! Elder Condae couldn¡¯t understand their conversation, but he soon found himself pinned to the ground. He was in immense pain, unable to even scream. ¡°Rinne feels the emotional circuit rapidly overheating. Requesting permission for a strong beating. Suggesting that Rinne does it!¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Davey¡¯s eyes did not have their usual red hue. They shone with a mysterious brown glow. * * * A huge amount of Davey¡¯s spirit mana disappeared instantly. His mana, holy power, and devil mana quickly changed into spirit mana to make up for the loss, but this wasn¡¯t an ideal situation. Davey couldn¡¯t help but frown in disappointment as he watched the soil giant. He muttered, ¡°Seriously, the fuel efficiency is terrible.¡± However, Davey kept moving toward his original goal. He hade here to make a contract with a spirit, as well as to live up to his end of the deal that he had made with the Goddess of Wine Freyja. He said, ¡°I request a contract.¡± [The pure scent of an elf. But you are different; no pure yearning, and you have not mergedpletely with a supreme-rank spirit either. You tricked me.] One could only summon a higher spirit upon fully merging with those in the lower ranks. This was a requirement, because the higher-ranks wanted to see if the person was good enough to make a contract with them. There were three requirements to summon a Spirit King. To fulfill them, Davey had borrowed Yuria¡¯s pure will, and his spiritnguage and abundant spirit mana had made it seem like he had merged with a supreme-rank spirit. ¡°It¡¯s your fault for getting tricked. Don¡¯t think about running away. This magic circle is infamous among the Spirit Kings, no?¡± Davey said. He was aware that the spirit world was not confined to Tionis. [The damn elementalist¡¯s¡­ She is not a being of this world¡­ How do you know this nasty magic circle?] ¡°You know her?¡± [How could I forget? I am the person she made a contract with.] ¡°Huh, what a coincidence! Well, that¡¯s good to know, because I¡¯m her student.¡± [One demon has raised another! Damn it!] ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t care! So, are you going to do it or not?¡± [If you are her student, do I have a choice? Can I even refuse?] ¡°Of course¡­¡± Davey trailed off before saying with a sneer, ¡°Not. You will never be able to go back if you don¡¯t make a contract.¡± The soil giant appeared to frown at Davey¡¯s brazen request. [Damn fraud. I¡­ept your contract. It is reprehensible that you tricked me, but I am the one who got tricked.] Each Spirit King required rather simr things, which only had slight differences differing from one Spirit King to the next. Then, how did Yuriana, the elementalist, summon thirteen Spirit Kings? It was fraud, in a way. [Speak, contractor. I will grant your wish.] ¡°This is my first request.¡± [I ept.] ¡°I want the removal of the enemies.¡± The Ancient Guard who was going to attack Davey stared at him with wide eyes. Besides Condae, who had already been subdued, there was only one other enemy that Davey had to deal with. ¡°Aak?!¡± The Ancient Guard hurriedly tried to get away from Davey by instinctively releasing her spirit powers. She tried to fight back by conjuring up a spirit arrow, but she was only contracted with a high-rank spirit. Her spirit attacks were meaningless against a Spirit King, a being who was two ranks higher and was the very origin of spirits. Ultimately, the ce they had chosen to hang Davey to dry had actuallye back to bite them in the butt instead. The Earth moved to grab the fleeing woman like it was alive, then crushed her into the ground. Then, the Spirit King¡¯s overwhelming anger pierced into her. The power shown was much stronger than what Davey had expected; perhaps it contained the anger of having been tricked by him. Boom!!!! The Earth shook with a huge explosion, and the woman who was punched by Spirit King Gnoass mmed against the ground helplessly. She couldn¡¯t fight back at all. It only took a few seconds for an elf like her to turn into a meat pancake like they had been crushed by a hydraulic press. It was quite grotesque, but Gnoass didn¡¯t stop there. He moved the ground and swallowed the elf up. Unless they had something special nned, even an advanced elementalist couldn¡¯t endure a Spirit King¡¯s attack. Davey lost interest in the Ancient Guard, who had only been there for a short while. He said, ¡°I give my second request: the purification of all the corruption in this forest.¡± [The odor of corruption¡­ It¡¯s disgusting. All right, I ept.] ¡°And, there should have been a will of an elf when I summoned you. Take care of the curse and rebound upon her. You can do that, right?¡± A spirit curse was different from curses cast with holy power or dark magic. It was only breakable by another spirit. [The curse of the World Tree¡­] Davey heard Gnoass, the soil giant, sigh when no one else could hear him. [The Divine Tree must be insane.] ¡°I think it is out of its mind as well,¡± Davey mumbled. A huge pile of spoil began to swallow Yuria up. It looked like she was being buried alive, but no one else could easily speak up. They were probably frozen in fright from the Spirit King¡¯s presence. After all, it was not a high-rank or supreme-rank, but the Spirit King Gnoass. The effect he had was enough to leave the elves in awe. Grrr!!! After some time, Yuria fully emerged from the soil. She was still unconscious, lying on the ground, but she looked much better than before. The Spirit King¡¯s natural power had instantly untangled the power of the spirit that was tangled inside her. Then, Gnoass curled up like he was following Davey¡¯s will and slowly dug his hand into the ground. At the same time, Davey released arge amount of mana that Gnoass quickly absorbed. The Spirit King was starting to purify the entire forest and not just the surroundings. Davey could handle the required mana of a Spirit King, but he could still feel that even the smallest movements took a lot of mana out of him. He knew that Gnoass, who was pissed at him, was overdoing it and excessively taking his power. To be able to take the Spirit King¡¯s tantrums¡­ ¡°I should probably get my mana to the 9th circle.¡± The first summoning of a spirit required a lot of mana. Davey could barely breathe as the Spirit King drew on his strength excessively on purpose. As Davey picked Yuria up from the ground as heined, she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. She couldn¡¯t focus on him at all, ncing over at the soil giant boasting his presence. With a faint smile, she asked, ¡°Gnoass, the Earth Spirit King¡­ You¡­really seeded?¡± ¡°Amazing, right? You can¡¯t see this kind of stuff anywhere.¡± ¡®Do you think it¡¯s easy to catch a Spirit King in your life?!¡¯ ¡°Ha¡­ You are just unbelievable, boss¡­¡± ¡°I told you I was going to summon him.¡± ¡°Well, half the things you¡¯ve told me are ridiculous stories, boss. How could I believe you?¡± Yuria coughed, but she still had a faint smile on her face. ¡°Even though Gnoass neutralized the rebound, you won¡¯t be able to summon spirits for a while.¡± ¡°I was prepared for that. What about the corruption of the forest¡­?¡± ¡°See for yourself.¡± When Davey gestured over to the forest, Yuria noticed that the dull forest wasing back to life. Feeling relieved, she murmured, ¡°How can I ever repay you¡­?¡± ¡°Stay awake. This is the important part.¡± Davey had achieved both his goals; he had sessfully made a contract with a spirit and he had purified the Great Forest. The only thing left was an additional source of money. Yuria nodded and got up, asking, ¡°Do you have the proper evidence?¡± ¡°Rinne has a lot of functions.¡± Davey looked at Rinne, who silently stood with the little half-elf on her back, and the Megatron, which had pinned Elder Condae to the ground. Rinne¡¯s hostility made her seem like she was about to pull out her chainsaw and behead Condae, even though she had no ego. That was because of the disgust she felt. Conade probably thought Myuu had died from the forest¡¯s sudden eleration of corruption, but Davey wasn¡¯t terrible enough to let a girl who had befriended him die. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ This is all a lie.¡± ¡°Be quiet, Elder Condae,¡± Yuria said. ¡°This is all a lie!!! How could a mere human¡­!!¡± Elder Condae screamed so loudly that he was practically spitting. ¡°Tell me! How could a human summon a spirit and not you?! And a Spirit King! How is this possible!¡± ¡°There¡¯s something more absurd than that.¡± Speaking coldly, Yuria left Davey¡¯s arms. Then, she approached Elder Condae while speaking to a shocked elf standing near her. ¡°Millia, my friend. Give me the bow.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Oh? Lady Yuria?¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± Mi, the elf guard who had been staring into space, was unable toprehend the situation and the calm yet cold atmosphere. She handed over her bow. Yuria took the bow indifferently, then loaded an arrow and pointed it at Condae. She dered, ¡°Elder Condae. Do you admit to elerating the forest¡¯s corruption for the purpose of fulfilling the Divine Tree¡¯s orders and throwing out a child who should be protected into the origin of the corruption?¡± Everyone went pale. ¡°L¡­ Lady Yuria! What is this?!¡± Ignoring the flustered elves, Yuria stared straight at Elder Condae. She was not speaking with respect, but with condescension. ¡°Speak! Elder Condae.¡± ¡°¡­Nonsense! Why would I do such a thing! This is a conspiracy! This cannot happen! You know, this kind of thing couldn¡¯t have happened in my days¡­ Keugh?!¡± Condae, who was screaming in fury, copsed with a scream. Rinne had kicked him in the head with her bare feet. ¡°Rinne has excellent recording abilities.¡± After speaking calmly, Rinne¡¯s blue eyes shone. Whoosh!! At the same time, the light from her eyes projected into space and began ying a video like a beam projector. Chapter 170 The video was a little dark at first, but it slowly brightened up to reveal a male elf who held an unconscious little child next to him. [Elder Condae, we have secured Myuu.] [Good work. Everyone will return to their ces now. Even Yuria Helishana will not be able to sessfully summon a spirit when the entire forest is corrupt.] The elf speaking in the video with a creepy smile was Elder Condae. [But, sir¡­ Using this child even if she''s half¡­] [Ahem, are you not going to obey me? Tsk tsk, these youngsters¡­ That kind of insubordination would not have happened back in my day. You do as you are told; defy me and face the consequences right away.] [¡­Understood.] [Haha, don¡¯t forget that my will is also the will of the World Tree and the Saint of the Divine Tree.] It was ridiculous seeing an ass draped in a lion¡¯s skin. [U¡­ Understood.] The young elf who was frowning in shock stared at the sleeping little girl, Myuu, whom Elder Condae was holding onto. [If you want to me someone, me Lady Yuria, the one who defied the will of the World Tree and the Saint.] Then, the video showed Elder Condae throwing Myuu into the middle of the swamp, the origin of corruption. Clearly, Elder Condae had snuck back here like he knew nothing when he was the one who had elerated the corruption in the forest. ¡°E¡­ Elder Condae. What is¡­¡± ¡°Th¡ªThis is...¡± When all the other elves looked at him in shock, Elder Condae became flustered. He did not know what to do. ¡°Sir Davey, do you think Rinne¡¯s cinema is excellent?¡± ¡°Sure, excellent.¡± ¡°Requesting morepliments.¡± Rinne put her hands on her waist and puffed up her t chest with a bright expression. As Rinne confidently asked for morepliments, Davey smiled and said, ¡°Sure, good job.¡± ¡°Re¡­ Requesting morepliments! Requesting for materialisticpliments!¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± Rinne clicked her tongue, then red at Condae. Yuria said coldly, ¡°Do you have anything more to say? Disgusting traitor.¡± Although Condae always made a big fuss about getting rid of Myuu, it was apletely different story now. He had actually thrown a child, who was with abundant life energy, into the origin of corruption to elerate it. In response to Yuria, Elder Condae shouted back in feigned disbelief, ¡°H¡­ How could I! This is a conspiracy! It is a conspiracy! How dare someone conspire against an elder¡­ Keugh?!¡± However, Condae¡¯s punishment came quickly. An arrow pierced his shoulder in an instant. ¡°If Rinne did not go and rescue Myuu after you left her like that, she would be dead. Do you understand?!¡± Yuria shouted at Condae furiously. Elder Condae remained silent. Then, he looked around and nced at the other elves, who all stared back in shock. They looked at him like they knew he would do this kind of thing. Some even looked at him with criticism, as if they were saying that he had gone too far. ¡°This is too¡­¡± ¡°How could you do this kind of thing, Elder Condae?¡± Atst, Elder Condae gave up pretending and screamed in fury, ¡°This is all because of you! If you did not defy the will of the World Tree, none of this would have even happened!! You betrayed and disobeyed the World Tree!¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°You are the real problem! Because you rejected the will of the World Tree!¡± Listening to Elder Condae desperately shouting, Yuria smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯m d you mentioned it. This is the World Tree¡¯s will, right?¡± After saying that calmly, Yuria dered freely, ¡°Then, the residents of the Moon Forest will no longer acknowledge the World Tree. We will reject all the useless, long-held customs of the World Tree.¡± Yuria was dering independence. In a way, this was a deration of war; perhaps she remembered Davey telling her that he would protect her even if she became enemies with the World Tree. Davey couldn¡¯t help butugh at Yuria¡¯s bold and feisty decision. * * * ¡°Do¡­you know the meaning of what you¡¯ve just said?¡± Elder Condae asked with his jaw clenched. ¡°Oh, why wouldn¡¯t I know?¡± Yuria replied. ¡°Are you saying you are going to ignore the three-hundred-year-old tradition and join forces with that disgusting and lowly being?! You¡¯re betraying us divine elves?!¡± ¡°Condae! Get it right.¡± Even forgetting the honorifics, Yuria red at the elder elf coldly and said, ¡°We are not the ones who betrayed the elves. It is you and the World Tree.¡± The elves¡¯ oldest tradition was to protect adolescent elves, whether they were half or full elves; the young ones who had elf blood and lived in the vige had to be protected without discrimination. Condae became quiet at Yuria¡¯s cold criticism. ¡°What did Myuu do wrong? What did she do to you? That child lived alone because she had no friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That little girl was so lonely that she turned to humans, the people she should be most wary of, and offered to show them the treasure first. Do you have any idea how that must have felt?¡± Listening to what Yuria had to say, some of the elves lowered their heads; they also knew that they were partly at fault for abandoning Myuu. ¡°She was so lonely that she went to spirit beasts, who couldn¡¯t even understand her, and boasted about making friends with those who weren¡¯t even elves. She did that for hours. Then, she personally took them to her house and showed them the treasure that she said she wouldn¡¯t show anyone! So¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think you have the right to call other kinds disgusting and selfish?¡± Whether it was elves or humans, all intelligent beings had their own thoughts and ideologies; some were kind while others were evil. It was just that elves had be rotten from their self-love and from being closed-off for too long. ¡°E¡ªEverything is ording to the elves¡¯w¡­¡± Condae said. ¡°If this is the elves¡¯w, I will no longer remain an elf or a High Elf priest.¡± Yuria¡¯s statement was shocking, but no one could say anything in retaliation. ¡°If this is true¡­¡± ¡°This is crossing the line, even if it is the World Tree.¡± ¡°What are we¡­?¡± The elves who were in self-hate, loss, and shock could not easily escape their state of panic. ¡°Soon, this Moon Forest will not be under the World Tree. This forest will work closely with Prince Davey, a human, and the Heins Territory. Furthermore, it will be a rtionship grounded upon freedom and understanding. Is anyone against this?¡± Everyone shook their heads when Yuria asked firmly. ¡°I will follow your decision, Lady Yuria.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ It¡¯s almost humiliating to be an elf!¡± ¡°This is unbelievable. I endured when we were driving out that little child, but this is¡­¡± Then, the elves¡¯ eyes reddened as they stared at Myuu, who was on Rinne¡¯s back. ¡°We are proud elves! We have followed you here because we didn¡¯t like the ones who are obsessed over tradition! If the World Tree cannot even see its own problems because of its void of self-love, I¡¯d rather join hands with humans!¡± ¡°I will, too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Who can we trust if we can¡¯t even trust the one who can summon a Spirit King?!¡± The elves had a strange custom of trusting people based on one¡¯s art in spirit magic. They began shouting one by one until almost all the elves eventually agreed with Yuria. They were choosing to trust in Yuria and making this decision on their own after facing reality. This was the kind of freedom she wanted to give this forest¡¯s residents. ¡ªThe girl is much more outstanding than I thought. I wonder if she knows that she would have lost her life if she just messed up a little bit. While listening to Perserque, Davey put his fingers on Myuu¡¯s neck. Hemented, ¡°Her life energy is gone.¡± ¡°Rinne acknowledges the mistakes. Analyzing that lots of life energy was drained even with a fast rescue.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, she will recover if she receives healing magic and eats and rests well.¡± Davey felt guilty, because both Yuria and himself had used Myuu. This child might grow up and hate him after remembering this incident. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­look at Myuu anymore,¡± Yuria mumbled depressingly as if she knew that possibility as well. Her red eyes had tears which threatened to fall at any minute. ¡°I had to ignore her until we got rid of the traitors, even though I knew it was dangerous.¡± Yuria approached Davey, who was casting a recovery magic spell on Myuu with a little holy power, and hugged Myyu. She murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ Myuu, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± At the same time, Myuu moved a little and opened her eyes after regaining consciousness from the magic spell. While recovering her life energy, she nced at Yuria and was confused. She asked softly, ¡°Hm¡­ Why are you crying¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Myuu, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I am so sorry. I knew you were going to be in danger¡­ But I¡­ I ended up pulling you into this dirty fight for power,¡± Yuria replied tearfully. Myuu began tearing up as Yuria began to sob, then hugged and patted her on the back. She said, ¡°Mm¡­ Mm, don¡¯t cry, sis. You alwaysforted me and patted me on the back when I cried. And that made the tears go right back inside.¡± ¡°Myuu¡­¡± ¡°Myuu really likes you, sis.¡± Yuria sobbed loudly and held Myuu in her arms as the child smiled brightly. Davey silently looked away and noticed the Demon Lord was quietly looking at them with reddened eyes. He thought, ¡®Man, you are emotional.¡¯ ¡ªYour emotions are just dried up. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t feel good either.¡¯ Sighing, Davey stared at Spirit King Gnoass who was purifying the forest while boasting his huge presence. Then, he called Myuu, ¡°Myuu.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Uncle?¡± ¡°Myuu, you said you wanted to see Gnoass, right?¡± Myuu wiped her tears and nodded. ¡°Do you want to see him very much?¡± ¡°Yeah. Gnoass! Is Gnoass going to be friends with Myuu, too?¡± As Myuu asked that question with an innocent face, Davey silently stared at the supreme Earth Spirit King Gnoass. He thought of forcing him to listen if he was going to reject. However, it seemed like his concerns were unnecessary. [An innocent soul. Very clean. The Earth always wees innocent souls.] ¡®This damn pedophile¡­¡¯ ¡°Gnoass says he wants to be friends as well. Anyways, you, stop moving so much. Your movements cost too much mana.¡± Everyone stared at Davey in shock and bewilderment as they heard him say that to Gnoass. An elementalist wasining to the Spirit King to not move unnecessarily since his fuel efficiency wasn¡¯t good. The others were even more shocked because it wasn¡¯t a regr spirit, but the Spirit King. [I refuse, contractor. I know very well about exaggeration. Contractor, there is no way you cannot tolerate my power when I can be physically summoned.] ¡°Yay!!¡± Myuu, who was jumping up and down in joy, let out a gasp in surprise when she saw Gonass, the huge soil giant who was in front of her. ¡°Woah¡­ So big! Su~uper big!¡± As Myuu ran over and tapped on Gnoass¡¯ huge foot in delight, Gnoass began moving his other hand with one still dug into the ground. Then, he slowly picked Myuu up onto his shoulder and began moving. ¡®This guy, I told him to stop moving like that.¡¯ At Davey¡¯s annoying gaze, Gnoass moved more actively and made Myuu even more delighted. Looking at it like this, the spirit looked like a grandfather giving a piggyback to his grandchild. Chapter 171 [First contractor, your wishes have been granted.] Gnoass was talking about the purification of the forest. The amount of corruption was so vast that it would have taken a supreme-rank spirit days or even months to get rid of. However, a Spirit King, who was called nature itself, had the power to revert everything back to normal in a shorter period of time. ¡°Good work, Gnoass. Maybe you should appear in a smaller size next time. My neck¡¯s hurting from how big you are.¡± [You have never summoned a spirit before, but you still called upon me.] In fact, Davey could call upon the Spirit King without the usual sequential summoning method because of one reason. He exined, ¡°It¡¯s because of the Spirit King¡¯s essence that your original contractor, the elementalist, had made for me.¡± [Are you telling me she really made the thing she used to just joke about?] Well, technically, the Spirit King¡¯s essence was made in the Hall after she had died, but it seemed beneficial to not tell Gnoass that Yuriana, the elementalist, was still alive as a soul. Bypassing the entire process of going through the low-rank, intermediate-rank, and then high-rank spirits was impossible, even for Davey. Due to that reason, he had used the pearl with the Spirit King¡¯s power. ssified as a transcendental-level object, the existence of the Spirit King¡¯s essence itself had a huge effect although it was consumable. It could ignore any kind of limitations and summon a supreme-rank spirit to make a contract with them. The spirit Davey had contracted with was Gnoeanenn. It would have taken him a while to merge with it, but he was able to call upon the superior Spirit King if he tricked them. Although, the required power by all of this was up to Davey. Of course, knowing the truth didn¡¯t change the fact that it was shocking and hard to believe. ¡°It¡¯s truly the Spirit King¡­ I still cannot believe it. I never thought I was going to see a Spirit King in my life¡­¡± Yuria said. ¡°I told you. It¡¯s that kind of object.¡± ¡°The world would go wild if they knew that something like that existed.¡± Davey smiled bitterly. He thought it a good idea to hide the fact that he still had twelve more essences of Spirit Kings in his Pocket ne, since it would allow one to easily summon for the Spirit King if it wasn¡¯t in a corrupt forest. * * * This was the summoning of a Spirit King and not a supreme-rank spirit. The conservatives¡¯ short uprising was subdued in an instant. There was no way they still had the will to fight when the Ancient Guard had been lost after being killed by a single shot. ¡°Gracious Savior.¡± The dwarves called Davey ¡®Wise Teacher¡¯, and now the elves were calling him ¡®Gracious Savior¡¯¡­ Sitting on the tree stump in the quiet forest where Myuu¡¯s house was, Yuria pulled out a small marble and showed it to Davey. It was the marble that Elder Condae had used to suppress Davey. ¡°It is a pearl of a nameless ancient spirit that has the power to transform all other kinds of power into spirit mana. I never thought he had something like this¡­¡± Unable to hide her bewilderment, Yuria sighed. ¡°He probably had this to weaken you.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Most power, including mana and holy power, would be forced to change into spirit mana once the pearl was activated. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have had much of an effect on Davey even without the Spirit King, but it was something that would¡¯ve had a serious effect on an ordinary Swordmaster. As Davey quietly released mana into the pearl Yuria just handed to him, it began to lightly vibrate. Although it had been used, it vibrated like it was alive. Then, someone¡¯s voice momentarily pierced straight through his brain. [Chaos!! Destruction!! Hopelessness! Kehehehehe!!! Cough cough! Pahahahah!] ¡°¡­¡± Quickly throwing the pearl onto the table, Davey clicked his tongue. ¡®Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Yuriana¡¯s spirits that have a crappy personality.¡¯ ¡°How well do you know about the different spirit types?¡± Davey asked Yuria. ¡°Types? Aren¡¯t there just the Six Spirits? The four basic types, and then the spirit of light and darkness. Not to brag, but I am contracted to the Light spirit and Undeen, the high-rank water spirit.¡± ¡°Chaos,¡± Davey mumbled quietly. ¡°Cha¡­os?? Yuria asked. ¡°It¡¯s a pearl containing the high-rank spirit pandemonium, Chaos. I don''t know what lunatic sealed him in there, but this object sealed the spirit alive.¡± ¡°A spirit of chaos¡­ How could such a spirit¡­¡± The high-rank spirit of pandemonium, Chaos, had a simple ability. This oddball spirit changed all the power surrounding him into his own. ¡°There are thirteen kinds of spirits. Didn¡¯t know that, right?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ That is also shocking knowledge. I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing, even in the ancient books.¡± Yuria picked up the pearl with wide eyes. Since she couldn¡¯t hear the crazy voice from inside, it was probably better for her to have it than Davey. ¡°You keep it. Until we can free that lunatic in there.¡± ¡°L¡­Lunatic?¡± ¡°If you gain the ability to summon a supreme-rank spirit, you will be able to hear him. You¡¯ll see why I called him a lunatic.¡± Yuria fell into deep thought, then nodded. ¡°I guess I really dered war on the World Tree.¡± Yuria chuckled, then said, ¡°You¡¯re going to protect us, right?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Yuria smiled in satisfaction as Davey joked around. She said firmly, ¡°I will do my best to serve you, so I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know about anyone else, but I am yours,¡¯ Yuria mumbled very quietly, but Davey heard it clearly. ¡®Sorry, but it¡¯s easy for me to release that kind of force even without the Spirit King.¡¯ Sometimes, ignorance truly was bliss. * * * Shwaa¡­ The forest regained its original beauty after the corruption had disappeared. The spirit beasts wandering the silent fields were surprised by the human activity and disappeared. A woman wearing a blue uniform appeared out in the field. She slowly put her hands together to cast a hand seal, then quietly muttered a spell in ancient elfnguage. [La Prushe.] Soon, a small hologram slowly appeared in front of her eyes. ¡°I meet the Mother of the First Tree.¡± ¡°Hm. Did your mission go well?¡± Upon hearing the woman¡¯s rxed and benevolent voice, the elves bowed their heads even more. They said solemnly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We failed the mission. And¡­Mira¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± The holographic woman¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°We did not expect it at all; the human had set a trap. We blindly trusted the Ancient Spirit Pearl that Elder Condae used, but the human controlled its power and summoned a Spirit King,¡± the woman in the blue uniform reported. The faint image of the woman in the hologram chuckled. ¡°Ha¡­ Haha. That¡¯s quite a scene. I didn¡¯t know that what I saw would be true.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± The woman in blue asked. ¡°Never mind, I saw a monster whose existence cannot be exined by logic. Well, it is a relief that you came back alive. It seems like he did not notice you.¡± ¡°My apologies. I think he already knew, but let me go.¡± There was nothing but silence after the woman¡¯s report. ¡°How dare he test me¡­¡± The woman in the hologram shook her head as the woman in blue lowered her head. The holographic woman then added, ¡°Come back into Mother¡¯s arms. We must leave them be for a while.¡± ¡°You are not going to form an additional ughtering squad?¡± ¡°A runaway daughter is bound to return to her parents. She will learn someday that she¡¯s in the palm of my hand.¡± ¡°I will not forget that, World Tree,¡± the woman in the blue uniform quietly replied, then slowly rose. However, the two people did not know that the person who was listening in on their conversation had turned away without hesitation as well. * * * The dwarves called Davey ¡®Wise Teacher¡¯, but the elves were calling him something different. ¡°Gracious Savior! This is a call a fruit. It is our forest¡¯s specialty. My mother wanted me to give this to you¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t have to.¡± As Daveyughed exaggeratedly and pretended like he didn¡¯t care, the young elf boy sheepishly scratched the back of his head. He said, ¡°Elves¡­ No, the residents of the Moon Forest do not forget our debts. Even more so if it is someone who rescued Lady Yuria.¡± ¡°We heard everything from Lady Yuria. The person who corrupted this forest all this time was¡­¡± One of the male elves grit his teeth with reddened eyes. The way Elder Condae and the conservatives had elerated the corruption was simple: he had kidnapped elves, disguising it as an ident or that they had gone missing, and had thrown them in the origin of corruption while they had been still alive or barely dead. ¡°They said my daughter lost her life after running into a monster in the forest. My daughter was close to the age of marriage, and just seeing her brought me joy.¡± But that never happened; she had been killed because of the dark greed of Elder Condae and the World Tree. ¡°I just wanted to apologize for not trusting you just because you are human when I didn¡¯t know you. And¡­thank you for helping us weak elves to take revenge on our enemies.¡± ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t do anything! You got the wrong person,¡± Davey said. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t know you would be this humble. The story that humans are all disgusting and selfish beings seems to bepletely false.¡± ¡®It¡¯s true,¡¯ Davey thought. ¡°However, we heard that we would have all died if you didn¡¯t help us, Gracious Savior.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We heard that they were nning on killing all of us after taking Lady Yuria to the Divine Tree. They said that the elves who defied tradition¡­were worthy of death.¡± Davey had gained four things from Elder Condae¡¯s overstep. The elder elf had been very hostile, but had ended up going to jail after giving Davey his everything. Oh, Elder Condae, was just amazing¡­ The debate about how to punish Elder Condae, who hadpletely lost his will to fight and was locked up in jail, and the radical conservative elves who had contributed to the corruption raised somemotion for a while. The elves who found out their families had been wrongfully sacrificed begged for their revenge to be taken, and most of the others agreed with them, saying that they shouldn¡¯t let the people who had tried to kill them and had betrayed the forest be alive. However, Yuria could not easily make that decision. ¡°What are you thinking about? Just kill all of them,¡± sipping slime tea, Davey said to Yuria indifferently. Yuria was sitting on the tree stump in the small garden on the outskirts of the vige where there was a tree hole big enough for a little child to live in. This was Myuu¡¯s home before she moved to the main vige. She muttered, ¡°I¡¯m just a little sad.¡± ¡°Geez.¡± Davey was confident that he would give a firm suggestion. He said, ¡°You are able to show mercy when you¡¯re not in a tight position. Will you simply let yourself be stabbed to death without fighting back if the forest was invaded because you want to be the bigger person?¡± Giving illogical lunatics a second chance was just giving them a second chance to do the exact same thing. In fact, Condae, who was tied up and unwilling to fight back, just repeated one thing over and over. ¡®I did nothing wrong. It¡¯s all a sacrifice for the greater good!¡¯ ¡°I will follow if you say so, Gracious Savior.¡± Yuria was the forest¡¯s leader, but she and the residents of the forest had be residents of the Heins Territory. As such, it seemed like she was trying to consider Davey¡¯s opinions as much as possible. ¡°I like that you are giving me your everything, but don¡¯t forget what you asked for.¡± Yuris stared at Davey in surprise. They had asked for a life that was free and a rtionship built on logic. ¡°You have be residents of the Heins, not ves.¡± ¡°Then, we can exile them¡­¡± ¡°Kill them.¡± ¡°Oh my, so straightforward. All right.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh when Yuria agreed so easily. What was wrong was wrong, end of story. He further exined, ¡°Leading by getting your followers to fear you is dangerous, but your roots will be unstable if you lead while epting everything without establishing any basic rules.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s proven by history. Remember that the position of a leader is nasty; sometimes you have to be mean and fierce.¡± ¡®And that is why I kicked out the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s king.¡¯ History showed the reason why the kings of Joseon, Korea¡¯s past era, had been all so short-lived. Yuria sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Maybe I was being a childish fool in front of you, even though you¡¯re probably much younger than me.¡± Well, Davey was probably older in terms of soul age. ¡°Anyway, what should we do about the barrier? The one that you shattered?¡± Yuria asked as she stroked Myuu¡¯s cheek with a bright smile as the child slept in her arms. ¡°You¡¯re going to take care of it?¡± The way that a beautiful elf was asking Davey to take care of matters while cradling a sleeping little girl who was sucking on her thumb¡­ Chapter 172 ¡®This¡­ This feels almost immoral.¡¯ ¡ªHow could you think of something like that? You libertine. Why are you like that when you don¡¯t even touch the girls who like you? Looking at Perserque¡¯s wicked smile, Davey slowly made a fist with his hand and punched the empty space. Crackk! The empty void shattered before he pulled out a strange-looking dark brown staff. ¡°Just wait, I¡¯ll set up something incredibly spectacr.¡± ¡®Then, I¡¯ll set up a portal connecting the Heins Territory and the elf vige.¡¯ It was time for Davey to make an independent transportation portal, one that he had nned in the dwarf vige. No one could interfere with his portal. ¡ªTh¡­ That¡¯s¡­?! When she saw the big staff that Davey had pulled out, Perserque screamed with sparkling eyes. Davey hadn¡¯t felt thisfortable grip in a while; he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little happy at the somewhat familiar feeling. He had thought of this before, and it would be nice to test it out in a smaller ce than the Heins Territory before actually setting one up there. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m not making a barrier that willpletely block contact. I will put up something else instead. What do you want? Do you want a big magic defense that can withstand a meteor once, or maybe a saint sanctuary to constantly fill this ce with life?¡± Premium options were expensive. ¡°Pardon?¡± Yuria was confused by Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want that, do you want a barrier powered by spirit mana that reflects physical attacks?¡± Since the elves were his territory¡¯s residents now, Davey was going to take care of them. Yuria looked puzzled at the choices Davey wasying out for her. She asked, ¡°Um¡­ Did I mishear you?¡± ¡°You heard me right. Make a choice. Whatever it is, I¡¯ll set it up today. I have to make a transportation portal connecting this forest and the Heins Territory quickly.¡± ¡°I¡­ have¡­ a¡­ a meet¡ª¡± Almost running away from Davey, Yuria disappeared into the forest quickly. * * * Atst, Yuriapromised and asked for a barrier that could protect the forest in many ways. The elves could not take their eyes off of Davey, as if thoroughly fascinated by him. They were also curious, wondering if such an unbelievable barrier could even be created. ¡ªHe¡­ Giggle. Look at this beauty. How can it be this gorgeous? This was what losing face looked like. ¡°¡­¡± Honestly, Davey was fully focused on something else than the elves who watched him doubtfully. ¡ªOh my¡­ The body made of adamantium, the engraving of the orichalcum¡¯s symbol, finished with the bones of an ancient dragon and pure-mithril (extremely pure mithril), and coated with the Elixir (The Teardrop of God)! The culprit grabbing all of Davey¡¯s attention was glued to the staff that he held onto. It was Perserque, who had an intense and creepy smile. Her eyes looked like they could shootsers out of them. ¡ªDavey! Tell me! What kind of magic did you put in here? [Meteor]? [Hellfire]? Or maybe¡­ Is there something like the multidimensional atomic division magic that is only theoretically possible?! What could Davey have hidden? As she kept asking questions, the former Demon Lord rubbed her cheeks against the staff shamelessly. ¡®You¡¯re going to drool on it. That¡¯s expensive, man.¡¯ ¡ªSlurp. I¡­ It¡¯s the first time I¡¯m seeing something like this! The Transcendence¡¯s Demise¡­ What a great name. Davey! ¡®No, I don¡¯t want it. Stop it.¡¯ That phrase wasn¡¯t only restricted to Red and Blue Ribbon. ¡ªYou can¡¯t even let me borrow it for a while? So mean! So stingy! You are the first man who is making me beg! When Davey shook the staff, Perserque, who was whining like a child and throwing a tantrum, screamed. She could no longer hold onto the staff and fell off. ¡®Why are you so greedy when you can¡¯t even touch it?¡¯ ¡ªNo! A little bit of my soul is left! I have slight control over some objects, so one day! I will be able to borrow it! Perserque backed off with a pout and looked at the staff in yearning. The staff was called the Transcendence¡¯s Demise; it used to belong to Odin, who had been Davey¡¯s magic teacher, but it was his now. Odin had been the best mage in the Atrellia continent and called the God of Mages. It was a little odd that Odin had given Davey his most treasured item before Davey left, but Davey nned to use it well now that it belonged to him. Using magic with this crazy staff was incredibly addictive, like a drug. Atst, the Transcendence¡¯s Demise, the ego-less but living staff capable of instantly reading, saving, and utilizing his mana, began reacting in a familiar way. The heart of a dragon more superior than an ancient dragon had been put inside the staff. From within the regr magic crystal, it vibrated, as if eager to release its power. ¡°Uh¡­ Gracious Savior? Don¡¯t you have to create and leave magic circles at the corners and the middle to make a barrier?¡± Yuria asked. Davey nodded in response. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yuria had mentioned the conventional way, which Davey could have used as well. ¡°The point is to cover this entire forest, right?¡± As Davey slightly raised the Transcendence¡¯s Demise, which resonated while remaining connected to him, up into the air before letting go, therge staff defied gravity by floating up and began spinning around. ¡°Okay, good.¡± Speaking calmly, Davey stretched out his hands and pped lightly. [8th circle] [Space magic] [Custom Space] This spell gave the caster a certain set of rules ording to their mastery of mana: the vast, quick, and urateputational power and arge amount of mana. Normally, a custom space was for mages to create rules to reinforce their magic in a small space and bombard attacks in a short amount of time. This stupidly strong spell had barely been used since the continent¡¯s sage was at the 7th circle, but this did not apply to Davey. [Attack Absorption] [Grand Magic Protection] [Great Illusion] Davey used illusionary magic to prevent invaders from interrupting the process and created the barrier with near-perfect physical and magic resistance. He then released his hand seal and muttered quietly, ¡°Gnoass.¡± Boom¡­ Boom!! Then, the Spirit King was summoned. Arge presence began to take form in front of Davey before the giant of the Earth appeared in this forest once again. Some may think that Davey was overworking a Spirit King, but he had no intentions of leaving the spirit he had made a contract with to just rx, even if the spirit was a king. ¡®He has to work since he has taken my hard-earned spirit mana.¡¯ ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°T¡­ The Spirit King has been summoned again.¡± Ignoring the elves¡¯ whispers about how unbelievable the sight was no matter how many times they saw it, Davey addressed the fully summoned Spirit King, ¡°I give you my request.¡± [I take your request, Contractor.] Gnoass, the tall giant answered. He wasn¡¯t as big as the first time, perhaps due to what Davey had said to him when he had been first summoned, but his presence alone contained a huge amount of mana. ¡°What I want is the cirction of spirit energy.¡± The barrier had to store power independently and circte the energy used to maintain itself semi-permanently. As such, it needed a spirit, since a spirit¡¯s power was strongest here. If it had the will of the Spirit King, the most powerful spiritual being, it would be highly effective. Understanding Davey¡¯s intention, Gnoass broke down into huge clumps of soil and surrounded Davey. At the same time, Gnoass¡¯ huge whirlwind of power merged with his mana to create a giant magic circle made of hundreds of spiritnguages and tens of thousands of runenguagebinations. Each runenguage differed in the size of the letters, the font, the location, and the shapes they made together. They required a migraine-causing level of deepputational abilities, but it didn¡¯t matter to Davey. Instantly repositioning itself, the spiritnguage was absorbed into the runenguages, which encrypted the physical and magic protection, and they mixed together. Then, Davey sped his hands together and spoke with one knee on the ground. [Lord Almighty, I beg with great will.] [If I executed it this perfectly, give me a blessing or something.] Whoosh!!! [9th level Holy Magic Defense] [Thea Sanctuary] A pure white light spread and enveloped the magic circle in its entirety. Then, as Davey stood up and shook his hand, the huge magic circle shrunk to about ten centimeters wide and took on the distinct shape of a hemisphere. It was so cute and small that no one, not even animals, could go through it. ¡°I can feel a great deal of power. What did you put in it just now?¡± Yuria asked. Davey felt exhausted, perhaps from therge amount of mana that drained out of him. Still, he offered an answer while waiting for the barrier topletely solidify. ¡°A 9th level holy magic protection spell with an 8-circle custom barrier. On top of that, I added resistance to physical and magic attacks, and made the magic circle¡¯s power circte with the Spirit King¡¯s blessing.¡± Yuria nced at the barrier in surprise, but looked puzzled after realizing something weird. She muttered, ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°That¡­is too small, no? It¡¯s so small that an animal couldn¡¯t fit through it, let alone a person¡­¡± Yuria raised a valid question about the barrier, which was only about ten centimeters wide. She was right; the size was bound to be smaller as more powers were added to it. In that sense, the ancient control system covering the entire Heins Territory was an absolutely unbelievable thing. Of course, there was a magic stonerge enough to support it. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be a huge waste to make such a barrier bigger?¡± Davey asked. ¡°W¡ªWhat use is it to make the barrier that is supposed to protect the forest this small?!¡± Dumbfounded by Davey, Yuria red at him. She stated, ¡°It just has to be bigger.¡± Davey had pulled out the Transcendence¡¯s Demise for a reason. He lightly grabbed the adamantium body of the staff that was floating in the air. Then, he asked, ¡°Do you know this staff¡¯s nickname?¡± ¡°W¡­ What is it?¡± ¡°A genie¡¯smp.¡± It defied all logic. It was stupidly strong like the Divine Sword, or perhaps even stronger than that. Of course, Yuria wasn¡¯t going to understand what Davey meant by a genie¡¯smp; it would be better for him to just show her. ¡®The size¡­ is maybe enough to cover the entire forest.¡¯ There might be a side effect of spirit energy bing extremely abundant as arge amount of energy would circte, but there was a reason Davey cast a sanctuary. Like rock paper scissors, magic created the base, and the power of the spirit and holy power strengthened each other¡¯s weaknesses and cooperated together. The theory of correctly incorporating the three kinds of power was quite famous in the study of magic. ¡°Genie, make it bigger.¡± As Davey lightly tapped on the barrier with the staff, Yuria¡¯s eyes widened as she saw what happened next. Chapter 173 63. The Hein¡¯s Festival for Unity of All Kinds. ording to the will of Freyja, Goddess of Wine, the Transcendence¡¯s Demise itself was considered to have a great influence. It was locked inside Davey¡¯s Pocket ne so that he could not use it recklessly. The staff used an ancient dragon¡¯s heart as its magic crystal, and the orichalcum engraving on its adamantium body amplified its effects. There were also many other parts and finishings reinforcing it¡­ ¡°A stupidly strong object was created,¡± Davey eximed. The Transcendence¡¯s Demise did not exist in the Tionis continent, but Atrellia, the continent of magic, which was another dimension for Davey. ng~ With a clear ringing sound, the staff that hadn¡¯t fully bounced off the barrier stopped in mid-air due to an invisible force. At the same time, a red wave spread out and created a breeze. Then, light seeped out from the staff¡¯s magic crystal and surrounded the very small barrier. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± The shining barrier soon grewrger, defying all logic. Davey would¡¯ve had to pour mana into it and work for months, not days, to slowly increase the size if he had to make it himself. Fortunately, the Transcendence¡¯s Demise possessed powers that could achieve the same in a short period of time while maintaining that close bnce between powers. It could alter its size and strength of any kind of magic that one used; it could make the giant Sun with magic, and it could make it as small as a spoon if the Transcendence¡¯s Demise could handle that level of magic. Conversely, it could take something the size of a ball, something a littlerger than a spoon, and make it huge. The staff was almost a divine weapon that could make fireballs over thirty meters wide. Fitting as Odin¡¯s most treasured item, which was said to have been blessed by God, one of the enemies destroyed by the Transcendence¡¯s Demise was an ancient dragon. And that dragon was even known as the possessor of magic. The vast energy that absorbed the surrounding power by colliding and circting around slowly stabilized and created an unexinable phenomenon. The mana needed to make this barrierrger was about the same battery power needed to start a car. Davey was feeling pretty exhausted from using quite a lot of mana, but he wouldn¡¯t have been able to handle his disappointment if he simply gave up for that reason. ¡°Ah¡­ Let¡¯s make the transportation portal next time. This uses a lot more mana than I expected.¡± ¡°This¡­is unbelievable. I don¡¯t know a lot about magic¡­ But how is this possible?¡± Yuria seemed shocked by the staff¡¯s ridiculous power that was able to expand the barrier to cover the entire forest while minimizing the loss of effectiveness. Actually, she wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. The other elves looked the same way. There was almost a sense of respect and awe as they saw Davey instantly create a huge barrier in such an unexpected way. ¡ªOh my¡­ You can ignore anyws and either erge or minimize magic¡­ Davey!! ¡®No, I don¡¯t want it. Stop.¡¯ ¡ªBad guy! Don¡¯t do that! Perserque frowned sadly as she pulled Davey¡¯s hair. ¡ªKeugh¡­ If only¡­ If only I had a body! The wide magic circle slowly merged into the ground and fully stabilized, disregarding whatever Perserque had to say. ¡°Well then, I should give it a test run.¡± Davey had been stabbed in the back once, so who was to say that it wouldn¡¯t happen again? If the divine will put a lock on the item because it possessed the power to ignore allws and nerfed it without him knowing, then he needed to know right away. * * * Luckily, the divine will wasn¡¯t that petty. Davey secretly let out a sigh of relief when he saw the barrier safely stabilize and block his attacks without any issues. ¡°Hahaha! Wise Teacher! It has been a long time! I have been waiting to meet you!¡± ¡°Elder Golgouda?¡± ¡°I was waiting for you to return, but it seems you did something huge once again?¡± ¡°Well, it just happened to be so. I also have something I wanted to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Hm, what a coincidence. I actually came to get Goulda, since the Mining Festival is happening soon.¡± ¡°Mining Festival?¡± Elder Golgouda chuckled at Davey¡¯s question before saying, ¡°Well, it¡¯s that festival: the dwarves¡¯rgest festival. It¡¯s a semi-annual event that happens twice a year!¡± It was a time for dwarves to worship and celebrate the God of Iron. Best part, he wasn¡¯t even real. ¡°Although we can¡¯t tell whether it exists or not, it¡¯s like a superstition of some sort. As such, all elders must participate¡­¡± Davey¡¯s eyes sparkled as he quietly stroked his chin. ¡°Wait.¡± Currently, dwarves and humans were living together in harmony in the Heins Territory. However, there were only a few dwarves, and unlike regr residents, they hadn¡¯t fully settled here. Naturally, conflicts between different kinds could arise over their unfamiliar existence. The solution was to instill familiarity and promote equality as they were all residents of the Heins Territory. ¡ªThink carefully. It could backfire and make things worse. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡± Davey murmured. Elder Golgouda tilted his head in puzzlement. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing. Do all the tribes gather for this festival?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Hahaha! No, each tribe holds their own festival within their tribe.¡± Davey squinted at that revtion. It was a specialty that would be different from anything and anywhere; something that would be unique to the Heins¡­ ¡°That festival¡­ Have you thought about having it here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I have just obtained a very nice item. I am thinking of investing a bit of magic stones in making a transportation portal between this ce and the dwarf vige.¡± ¡°A¡­ A transportation portal!¡± ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t bepatible with mana gates since it has a different structure. And other people won¡¯t be able to go into the vige whenever they want.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Elder Golgouda slowly nodded as he thought about what Davey had just said. Then, he looked up at Davey like he realized something. ¡°Is it to get rid of the strange awkwardness between the humans here and us dwarves¡­¡± ¡°Well, publicly, it is a festival for the ones who have worked hard to develop the territory.¡± ¡°Hm. The real reason was for the harmony of humans, dwarves, and¡­the elves who were now going to be seen more often in the territory. Although, it was still up to them to choose to reveal their identity or not. It was actually because of the World Tree¡¯s Covenant that the elves had hidden themselves away. However, the elves in the Moon Forest had no reason to keep that covenant now. In fact, Yuria actually proposed that they should show themselves as the Heins Territory¡¯s residents to truly turn away from the World Tree. Was she reckless? Maybe; she was probably blindly trusting Davey, but it was definitely a bold decision. However, Davey had given the elves some time at least as they were still wary about it. Although he understood their concerns, he heard news a little whileter that rendered their concerns meaningless; about two weeks after leaving the forest, the news that had rattled the western kingdoms had traveled to the eastern continent. * * * ¡°Sir Davey, did you hear the news? There¡¯s a rumor that someone saw elf-looking beings in the western continent.¡± ¡°E¡­Elves?¡± The people who heard the news were Winley, who was very surprised, Yulis, who smiled softly, and Elder Golgouda, who was here to discuss the matter about the festival. ¡°B¡­ But aren¡¯t elves beings from fairy tales? There is a record of elves in the ancient books, but no one has seen elves in real life.¡± There was a good example of this: a story of a foolish king. A young king of a kingdom in the central continent hadbed through the entire continent to find these elves. Some critics said that he had gone mad due to fantasizing about elves, who only existed in fairy tales. However, he kept on going for ten to twenty years¡­only to find nothing. The kingdom was forced into subjugation to a nearby kingdom after the treasury ran out; he had been sending funds to other kingdoms for exploration and the exploration team. As this was a time when people were actively going to war, they were forcibly upied by force. However, the king¡¯sst words on the execution stand were quite famous. [Elves exist. I have seen them, and they were chillingly beautiful.] Thesest words of a mad king were remembered as a famous saying amongst the territory¡¯s busybodies. It would be weird if people didn¡¯t know this story, since there was a fable about elves and the foolish king of the Mulk Kingdom that children of nobility learned about. As Winley spoke doubtfully upon hearing the news, Elder Golgouda cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Ahem! Do you two humans not believe in elves?¡± ¡°Well, I can¡¯t be sure, but¡­¡± ¡°Elves exist.¡± Yulis and Winley were intrigued by Elder Golgouda¡¯s statement. ¡°Well, I only heard this from my father, but apparently¡­ My grandfather used to say that he didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with elves.¡± Winley was fascinated, as if she was hearing old tales from an old grandpa. She blurted out, ¡°R¡­ Really?! Are there any other stories?!¡± ¡°Um¡­ I am curious as well. If it isn¡¯t too much trouble¡­¡± ¡°Pahahah! I¡¯m sorry. I wouldn¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t seen them myself. As there¡¯s an old saying that dwarves and elves are not on good terms, I do not know much about those weak pointy ears. We just consider them real.¡± The two could not hide their disappointment. ¡°Sir Davey, you have guests.¡± Then, the quiet window opened and Rinne, who was ying outside with Red and Blue Ribbon, hopped into the room. ¡°Kyah! R¡­ Rinne! Howe you look like that?!¡± Rinne calmly brushed off the leaves that were stuck on her clothes as Winley screamed, then answered calmly, ¡°Rinne is engaging in intensebor. The energy and activity of Red and Blue Ribbon exceeds expectationsputed by Rinne¡¯sputational circuit¡­ Children¡¯s energy is infinite¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. I waved the white g in six hours when I was ying with Red and Blue ribbon.¡¯ Perserque, who was more patient, couldst about twelve hours ying with the two girls. Rinne red at Davey, then said in exhaustion, ¡°Sir Davey, requiring the materialisticpliment you promised. Will go on strike if not met. Rinne is highly considering that option.¡± ¡°There should be some bread that the chef has prepared in the kitchen. Go and eat it. Anyways, a guest is here?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Remembering her original purpose ofing here, Rinne gestured over to the door with her head. A small rustle could be heard. Davey didn¡¯t have to see who it was to figure out his mystery guest¡¯s identity. The scent of being contracted to a high-rank water spirit was pretty intense. ¡°I didn¡¯t forget your promise that you¡¯re going to take responsibility.¡± Chapter 174 ¡°Ah¡­ Beautiful,¡± Winley shouted in shock. She had spoken exactly what was on her mind, because she was too shocked to filter her thoughts. ¡°Oh my. Thank you, Lady Winley.¡± ¡°La¡­ Lady?¡± Winley mumbled to herself and widened her eyes. She looked at the pure and elegant beauty and the little girl in her arms before ring at Davey, who could read her thoughts immediately. ¡°Brother¡­ Don¡¯t tell me?!¡± Davey frowned at Winley¡¯s appalled voice. He asked, ¡°What in the world is going on in that head of yours?¡± A strikingly beautiful woman¡­ To be precise, it was a girl wearing a hood over her head. She had bright blue hair and emerald eyes that shone brightly under the re of the light. She was also carrying a little girl in her arms. This entire sight would definitely arouse anyone¡¯s suspicions. However, the identity of these two people were none other than Yuria Helishana and Myuu. Creaaaaaaak¡­ Thud. ¡°Oh my, there are other visitors. I was not aware of that.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Yuria smiled beautifully at Davey¡¯s reply, then let down the child in her arms. Myuu immediately ran towards Davey with her wide and sparkling eyes. ¡°Uncle!¡± ¡°Goodness, Myuu! We haven¡¯t seen each other in only a few short days but you¡¯ve gained quite a bit of weight, huh? How have you been?¡± ¡°Nope! Myuu did not gain weight! Myuu always has fun with Gnoum. With Timmy and Ellie too! I ran around a lot! A loooo~t!¡± The four other people present in the room frowned in confusion when they saw the child arguing with Davey. Only after Myuu¡¯s hood fell down from her struggle to getfortable in Davey¡¯s hold did their frowning gazes stop. They murmured, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I came to report on the results of the proceedings regarding Elder Condae and the other conservatives. Ah, before I talk about that, it seems like the streets are quite lively?¡± ¡°Everything¡¯s bound to be noisy and lively for you, since you took a vacation and skipped work for almost two weeks.¡± ¡°Fufu,¡± Yuria chuckled as she lowered her head and looked at the four people who stared wide-eyed at her. She said, ¡°It¡¯s my first time meeting one of you, but as for the rest of you¡­ Long time no see. Did you miss the tea that I brewed?¡± Golgouda¡¯s jaws dropped and his eyes grew wide at Yuria¡¯s words. He could still recognize her despite the slight changes in her appearance. Actually, he was the one who was most familiar with Yuria, who worked as a maid in the estate. ¡°Y¡­ You¡­ don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Let me formally introduce myself. I am Yuria Helishana, the High Elf leading the Moon Forest¡¯s elves located inside the Great Forest. Ah, Mr. Benefactor, from what I can understand, you will be having a joint festival with the dwarves¡¯ Mining Festival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, please let our Moon Forest participate alongside you. It¡¯s just in time for our Spirit Ceremony too. It¡¯s the perfect event to calm the chaotic and unsettling aura that¡¯s still lingering in the vige.¡± Listening to Yuria¡¯s words, Davey said with a smirk, ¡°You¡¯re going to drag the aggro properly, huh? You think everything¡¯s so simple, huh?¡± ¡°Our Moon Forest has rejected the World Tree¡¯s Covenant. Of course, this means that the World Tree¡¯s pledge about staying cut-off from the rest of the world is meaningless to us. Anyway, we¡¯re supposed to reveal ourselves sooner orter¡­ If that¡¯s the case, then I decided that it¡¯s better to just reveal that we¡¯re under your protection in a just and open manner,¡± Yuria exined with a smile, removing the hood that covered her head. Everyone gasped when they saw Yuria¡¯s ears, which were longer than Myuu¡¯s ears and gave off a mysterious aura. *** Elves loved nature dearly and they loathed the thought of it being destroyed. Meanwhile, dwarves loved fire and iron. In a way, one could describe the rtionship between the elves and the dwarves as oil and water. It also had to be known that the two races hated losing to each other. ¡°Ha! No matter what you say, it is us, dwarves, that suggested this festival. Well, you pointy eared forest dwellers can also create some amazing things but you¡¯re still no match to the dwarves when ites to having fun! Do you really think that elves who live among the grass know how to have fun?¡± ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m looking forward to that. But don¡¯t you know? Intelligent creatures tend to flock where there is something new and novel. And don¡¯t ever think that just because we¡¯re called forestfolk that we only know how to caress the flowers with elegance and grace. Although we¡¯re not as fiery and boisterous as the dwarves, we still have our own simple yet vibrant and lively entertainment.¡± ¡°Ho? Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course. Both elves and dwarves are beings who live in this world. Do you think you¡¯re the only one living a decent life?¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to what dwarven festivals are like.¡± ¡°Hohohohoho!¡± ¡°Fufufufu!¡± Although they were exchanging bright smiles, Yuria and Golgouda looked like they were about to grab each other by the cors. ¡°Come to think of it, your ages are quite strange. Right?¡± ¡°Oh my. A young elf like me still has a bright and long future ahead. I can¡¯tpare to someone like you, who has plenty of experience and knowledge.¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha!!! Aren¡¯t elves the race that¡¯s well-known for not aging? But it seems like you have a lot of wrinkles and folds, huh?¡± ¡°No one can escape time. Even elves can age. But I¡¯m still very young¡­ Oh my! By any chance¡­ Are the wrinkles on your face bothering you?¡± Golgouda¡¯s eyebrows twitched when Yuria¡¯s soft smile turned a tad bit brighter. ¡°Hohohohohoho!!! It doesn¡¯t matter what you say, nothing can top the dwarves¡¯ Mining Festival when ites to enjoyment and being spectacr. You¡¯ll see. In this three-races-alliance, us, dwarves, will be the ones to receive the highest rating and recognition!¡± ¡°Oh my~ I¡¯m really looking forward to that. Our Spirit Festival is also known for being a festival that no other race canpare in terms of beauty.¡± Elder Golgouda and Yuria grinned at each other. However, upon closer inspection, one could see and hear them gritting their teeth. It seemed like a conflict between races had already started in Davey¡¯s office. As for everyone else present, nobody could understand what was going on right now. ¡°Hey, you guys. What do you think you¡¯re doing right now?¡± Davey asked, clicking his tongue. Both the elf and the dwarf lowered their eyes. They finally realized that they had shown everyone here the ugly side of their races. ¡°Cough! We¡­ We went a bit too far.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Mr. Benefactor. I have been too impertinent.¡± Davey got up from his seat and looked at the two of them silently. As the two fidgeted like children who had done something wrong, he said, ¡°Do you know why humans have thergest poption and vastnd in the entire continent?¡± ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t understand where you¡¯re going with this?¡± Elder Golgouda mumbled in confusion after hearing Davey¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s because humans breed awfully fast. We¡¯re also awfully stingy and shrewd.¡± The humans were not as fiery nor as honest as the dwarves. They also did not risk their lives for honor and grace like the elves. ¡°We will fight with you for recognition in this festival.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Simply put, we will win.¡± Yuria and Golgouda were both taken aback by Davey¡¯s deration. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not that fun if we just do it like that, right? I want us to do our very best, so how about we bet a prize for this?¡± Davey proposed as he took out a very special and unique jewel, letting it float in the air. ¡°T-That¡­¡± ¡°This is called Mona. It¡¯s quite amazing, right?¡± ¡°My¡­ My goodness! Did you say Mona?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­beautiful.¡± Mona was a gem formed from a fallen meteorite that had absorbedrge amounts of mana. The formation of it was a low probability, so it was rare to find. Of course, it was just a beautiful gem with no obvious effects or abilities. However, for those who lived extravagantly and luxuriously, it was also a divine treasure that even the Red Moon jewel that Davey had gotten from the Lyndis Imperial Family could notpare with. ¡°The value of a gem of that size is definitely amazing.¡± The probability of this jewel appearing was so unrealistic that, when discussing gems and jewelry, everyone just treated it as something as mystical as an illusion. However, Davey had the gem on hand because of a simple reason. It was a product of his magic training. Mona was the result of Davey¡¯s borate training wherein he had constantly applied heat and pressure to an ordinary stone while nting mana inside. In fact, Davey had created plenty of this jewel in the Hall to the point that he was overflowing with them. Simply put, the jewel was not a very important item in Davey¡¯s eyes. It was actually something that he could easily sell even at market price if he so wanted to. The only reason why he did not do so was that he was no longer pressed for money. When he had been in need of money, his Pocket ne had not been avable to him, so these things were just a nuisance to him now that he was not in desperate need of cash. ¡°C¡­ Cough! Since¡­ Since you¡¯re betting something of this value, our dwarven pride will not allow us to back down! We will bet Sentinel! One of our vige¡¯s twelve treasured swords!¡± Elder Golgouda dered loudly as he rose to his feet. A sharp glint appeared in Yuria¡¯s eyes instantly. As if rearing to fight, she dered, ¡°Good! We, elves, will bet the Spirit¡¯s Tears, one of our elven treasures that takes a hundred years to form. I can tell that you want to increase the scale of things, and us elves are definitely in favor of that. Let¡¯s all create a huge ssh!¡± ¡°Cough! Thend is very vast, we don¡¯t have to worry about space! I¡¯ll bring the people from the ck Stone Tribe as manpower. Those bastards are still indebted to you. Hohohohoho!¡± The scale of this festival had grown to a very desirable extent. This was how scary a battle of pride was. Of course, the only one smacking their lips in satisfaction from the development of this situation was Davey. After all, it did not matter whether he won or lost this fight. It would still prove to be beneficial to him in the end. ¡ªIt seems like you¡¯re egging them on and igniting their will topete to increase the scale of things. For Davey, it was impossible to hold a fun festival with just mediocre enthusiasm. It had to be a huge festival, one so huge that it could turn into a very hot and famous spectacle. If this was sessful, the earnings and profit that they would get from tourism would be unimaginable. Since this was going to be their first event, it would be an of some sort for the territory. And the first was very important for them to devour and empty the pockets of all the tourists that would visit their territory in the future. Davey had to make it so that it was impossible for people to call this event all talk and no substance. Meanwhile, Winley and Yulis, who watched as three priceless items appeared so suddenly, could onlyugh dryly at the very unrealistic and impossible situation unfolding in front of them. Yuria and Golgouda might have failed to notice it but Winley, Yulis, and Goulda, who were watching the situation on the sidelines, already saw through Davey¡¯s intentions. ¡°My god¡­¡± ¡°Sir Davey¡¯s skill in making things go out of hand is truly incredible.¡± These two people had now resigned themselves to their fates. They were already very tired of being surprised by Davey¡¯s actions and had already given up on being shocked. The rest of the people in the room soon left, saying that they woulde back to yter. This was because Yuria had requested a private meeting with Davey. Among those who left, Elder Golgouda, the chief of a dwarven vige, seemed to have other thoughts and had mored before he left. However, the contents of the topic that Davey would discuss with Yuria was not meant for many pairs of ears. ¡°If you¡¯re asking for a private meeting, then¡­it¡¯s probably because of the World Tree, huh?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard of the news.¡± ording to rumors, beings believed to be elves were sighted in the western part of the kingdom. Davey already knew that those rumors were most definitely not spread by the humans but by the elves themselves. ¡°It seems like they¡¯re preparing to reveal their existence to the world¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually quite a bit flustered, since the response hase much faster than I expected. My master, Madis, heard about our vige¡¯s situation and decided to keep an eye on the situation over there for the time being and keep me informed of the changes.¡± ¡°Is he trustworthy?¡± Yuria smiled brightly at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know about the others but the only one that I can trust in the Divine Tree is Madis. Anyway, the World Tree has decided, so the elves¡¯ existence will be revealed to the world. I believe it will be revealed in a few months at thetest.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re taking the initiative?¡± ¡°Yes. From what I heard, the title of being the first is quite important for humans.¡± Davey wondered if he had to help Yuria before he nodded silently at Yuria¡¯s smile. ck! Just then, someone mmed the windows open and entered with familiar ease, breaking thefortable silence in the room. Since Rinne took care of Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, the three of them would most probably be exhausted from ying around. This meant that they were not the intruders. If that was the case, then there was only one possible person left. ¡°Davey! I have shocking news for you!¡± There was only one person, a girl, who woulde in and out of Davey¡¯s window and act as if it was her own house. This girl had dazzling and bright golden blonde hair, and a cute style. She was the precious child of Pan Empire, the strongest force located in the center of the Tionis Continent. That was right; she was none other than Illyna de Pan. ¡°Request a formal visit. You¡¯re not a thief, so stoping in through the window.¡± ¡°Eyy. What are you talking about? There shouldn¡¯t be any need for that between us.¡± ¡°Is your physical health alright?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ About that, there''s still some side effects but everything¡¯s alright.¡± Davey smiled, noticing that the girl was talking to him without noticing Yuria¡¯s presence. On the other hand, Yuria was sipping her tea silently on one side of the room. ¡°Davey, I heard about the trouble that happened in the Rowane Kingdom. You won¡¯t believe how shocked I was when I heard about the ridiculous things that you did aftering back.¡± ¡°It is what it is.¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Well, that¡¯s your own business. Anyway! I brought more interesting news! Do you want to know about it?¡± Davey felt like Illyna would ignore his refusal, so he simply said, ¡°Interesting news?¡± ¡°I heard this from my father, but I believe you¡¯ll also be interested in it.¡± Illyna stepped down from the window sill and patted down her skirt. This gesture was simple and absurd, one you would not see from a member of the Imperial Family. Then, she continued, ¡°You must have heard the rumors about beings believed to be elves sighted on the western part of the continent, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The busybodies were all making a fuss these days, so there was no way that Davey had not heard about it. ¡°I¡¯ve heard it from my father himself so the rumors about the beings believed to be elves being seen on the western part of the continent must be true!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Is that so? What do you mean ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Isn¡¯t that very surprising?! That¡¯s an elf! An elf! They¡¯re the faes that appear in children¡¯s fairy tales! They¡¯re a noble and elegant race whose beauty is unmatched!¡± Davey nodded at Illyna¡¯s words. ¡°Caldeiras told me that elves truly existed but it¡¯s very hard for me to believe since I haven¡¯t seen any of them at all.¡± ¡°Is it really that amazing?¡± Illyna shouted incredulously, ¡°Of course!¡± Hearing Illyna¡¯s answer, Davey silently jerked his thumb to one side of the room and nodded. He was pointing at Yuria, who was still enjoying her tea andughing as if she found the situation to be very, very interesting. ¡°You wanted to see various races living in harmony in Heins Territory right? Shouldn¡¯t you be thanking me for bringing you this information in advance? How about teaching me a new swordsmanship from the [Longsword]¡­?¡± Illyna, who had been talking nonstop, finally took notice of Davey¡¯s actions. She nced toward where Davey was pointing to and finally saw Yuria, who was enjoying her tea. She immediately stiffened and stopped her long tirade. ¡°It seems like I don¡¯t need any of your advanced information though?¡± Davey murmured in a teasing tone. However, from what it looked like, his words did not even register in Illyna¡¯s ears. He added, ¡°After all, I¡¯ve already caught them.¡± ¡°Da¡­ Davey?!¡± Davey thought about making Illyna a sacrifice to the board that he had created with his allies and making things bigger. After all, he would sell anything and everything if the situation called for it. Chapter 175 ¡°An¡­ An elf?!¡± Illyna, unsure of what to make of the situation in front of her, stuttered after finally discovering the presence of the elves, Yuria and Myuu. ¡°Nice to meet you, Princess Illyna de Pan. My name is Yuria Helishana, I am the leader of the Moon Forest.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Nice¡­ Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Illyna de Pan.¡± Davey smiled at Illyna, who was still busy looking around in confusion. Then, he noticed that Illyna was no longer looking at Yuria and was looking at Myuu, who was nestled in Yuria¡¯s arms. Finally, her wide eyes drifted to Davey. Her current thoughts were already very obvious. ¡°Davey, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± Davey felt his stomach churn from the misunderstanding, even though he had guessed that Illyna woulde to such a conclusion. He said firmly, ¡°You¡¯d better stop those needless thoughts. I am not hoping for much from you, but I really do need your help.¡± ¡°Da, Davey?!¡± Illyna took two steps back, feeling uneasy from Davey¡¯s words. For some reason, she felt like she was experiencing deja vu. As if realizing something, Illyna immediately jumped away and pulled Caldeiras out. She yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯te close!¡± ¡°With the way you¡¯re acting, someone might think that I¡¯m threatening to hurt you.¡± ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t make meugh! Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten about the night that we previously spent alone in the cave?!¡± Illyna angrily cried out. Her choice of words were quite misleading. ¡°Something happened back then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make a fool out of me, Davey. I have never experienced something so painful in my life before! And you did not even let me go even after I told you that it hurt!¡± ¡°But you liked it in the end.¡± Yuria¡¯s eyes sparkled when she heard Illyna¡¯s wild cries. She murmured, ¡°The two of you¡­ alone at night¡­ I see. As expected of you, Mr. Benefactor. You¡¯re very young and full of vitality.¡± By elven standards, Yuria was not so young anymore. Then, she continued, ¡°But I find it quite strange. From what I heard, Pan Empire¡¯s princess is already betrothed to Red Tower¡¯s Mage Yulis? But if you engaged in matters of the flesh then¡­ No, don¡¯t tell me¡­ The fire¡­¡± ¡°No!!! What do you mean matters of the flesh?!¡± Illyna shouted. She was very embarrassed and flustered, since she was screaming at someone who she had just met for the first time. Yuria found Illyna¡¯s reddened face and screams interesting. She smiled cheekily. ¡°Oh my? That¡¯s not it? But you said that it hurt at first¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that!!! I find that outrageous misunderstanding to be very offensive!!!¡± Yuria smacked her lips as if she found Illyna¡¯s indignant objection and embarrassed screams to be a pity. She said, ¡°I see. So, you haven¡¯t gone that far yet. Kids, so fresh and tender.¡± Yuria¡¯s smile became slightly sharper and she narrowed her eyes slightly. She whispered, ¡°I really want to torment you¡­¡± Davey pretended to not hear Yuria¡¯s whisper. ¡°Ah. I understand now. The two of you love each other but you haven¡¯t gone that far yet? Love is obviously not a requirement in a political marriage, so even if you have an affair with a paramour¡­¡± ¡°No! Why do you keep misunderstanding us like that?! There¡¯s nothing between Davey and I!!!¡± Yuria tilted her head in a show of confusion and said, ¡°You say that there¡¯s nothing between you, so why do you climb through someone else¡¯s window with no rhyme or reason?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s because we¡¯re friends!!!¡± ¡°Fufu¡­ There¡¯s no such thing as friendship between a man and a woman, princess.¡± Yuria did not let Illyna go, offering a quick rebuttal of her own. In the end, Illyna could only shout at Davey. Her face was red and tears were welling up in her eyes. ¡°What the hell?! Do elves normally like to torment people like this?!¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re the perfect candidate to be bullied.¡± ¡°Stopughing!¡± Both Yuria and Davey finally felt that the teasing and the bullying was enough after seeing the tears in Illyna¡¯s eyes. ¡°That¡¯s enough bullying.¡± ¡°Oh my. I did not have any intentions of bullying her though?¡± Davey could see that a creepy smile had crept up on Yuria¡¯s face as she saw the restless and antsy expression on Illyna¡¯s face. ¡°Illyna.¡± ¡°Wha, what?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m running out of time, so I really need your help to prepare for the festival.¡± Illyna frowned at Davey and said, ¡°You only look for me when you need something from me.¡± Annoyed, Illyna turned Caldeiras back into a brooch and slumped down in one of the office chairs. This was a festival that would be held by three races: the dwarves, the elves, and the humans. However, it was held in the Rowane Kingdom. No, to be exact, this was the Heins Territory¡¯s festival. This meant that there was no room for the Pan Empire to intervene. However, Davey truly needed Illyna¡¯s help to finish the festival on a sessful and happy note. ¡°I don¡¯t need much. There¡¯s just something that I need to get and it¡¯s something that you can get with your strong and powerful influence in the Pan Empire.¡± ¡°Davey¡­ What do you think I am?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to pay you properly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem?!¡± Davey was openly showing his intention to use her, and that pushed Illyna¡¯s irritation to the point of explosion. At that moment, Davey realized that it was time for him to throw a carrot. If he used the stick here and stimted her even more, then she might just explode. He asked calmly, ¡°Do you want to be a Sword Master?¡± ¡°Swo¡­ Sword Master?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you cooperate well with me, then I will offer you a stepping stone that allows you to be a Sword Master.¡± Actually, Davey could tell that Illyna was already on the verge of crossing that threshold and would be able to reach that level even without his interference. However, since she did not know that, Davey took full advantage of the opportunity. Besides, even if Illyna thought Davey was lying, she would still ponder over the matter since she had already seen how much Davey had brokenmon sense with his actions. Not long after, Illyna cooled down. It seemed like her anger had truly reached its peak as she shouted, ¡°Ha! You¡¯repletely mistaken if you think I¡¯m that kind of person. Do you think I¡¯ll fall for something like that?! Is there something that I can¡¯t even do for a friend?! Go on! Tell me what I need to do to help you? Huh?!¡± Davey could really be¡­two-faced and cunning when necessary. *** The Pan Empire was home to many priceless items, items that could not be seen in other empires and kingdoms. The same was true for the item that Davey needed. The item that Davey brought here from Pan Empire through Illyna¡¯s help was none other than the re Break Stone. It was like a small palm-sized mana stone, but it was not just any ordinary mana stone. After the Iron Blood War ended and the Cold War started, this item¡¯s usage had been significantly reduced into a mere mine explosive. However, this was the very item that the Pan Empire had imposed strict restrictions on whenever it was exported from their empire. The re Break Stone¡¯s nickname was [Impartial]. That was because whether it was an old man, a child, or a Dragon Knight stationed at the borders, everyone would beid to waste in front of this menacing weapon. ¡ªThe mana within it is a huge mess. With one pull from the safety pin, the mana inside the mana stone will collide and cause an explosion. You don¡¯t even need to use mana to trigger it, so anyone can easily use this weapon. The Pan Empire¡¯s weapons were very famous in the continent. The reason why the Pan Empire, despite having only a few great mages and sword masterspared to other empires, had been reborn as the strongest empire was because of the weapons research that their current emperor had proposed. This exined why only three out of the seven empires that had attacked them had survived from that war. Of course, the weapons that they produced had a clear disadvantage in a way that the unit price of each weapon was very expensive and could not be mass-produced so easily. So, why in the world was Davey going to use a weapon for the festival? Well, one thing was for sure, it was not going to be used for security purposes. After all, they had put as many restrictions and limitations on tourists before they could enter the territory, so there was no need for it. Besides, the weapon was too powerful to be used just for security purposes alone. ¡°Your Highness. I have brought the people with very dexterous hands, just like you ordered.¡± In the castle¡¯s underground, groups of people entered the Misceneous Workshop located right next to the Decepticon Fleet Workshop. All of the people present were human. There was not a single dwarf or elf in sight. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Your journey here must have been tough.¡± ¡°Not at all! It¡¯s only expected that we shoulde here!¡± ¡°Yeah! Besides, whenever the saint is involved, we won¡¯t ever lose money!¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m very grateful for your trust.¡± Davey smiled as he brought out buckets of every material that they would use. ¡°What¡¯s all this for?¡± ¡°Well, the dwarves and elves have been running around trying to one up each other with their Spirit Festival and Mining Festival. Can we just let them do as they please with our human pride on the line?¡± ¡°That¡­ What did you say?!¡± ¡°Let us show them that in Heins Territory, the dwarves have their own dwarf things, the elves have their own elf things, and us humans have our own human things to show them too.¡± All of the necessary materials had been gathered in advance. Davey knew excessivepetition would just cause ruin. However, if they had proper cooperation, then they would be able to achieve their goal more beautifully. ¡°Your¡­ Your Highness¡­ Excuse me, but what are we supposed to make here?¡± ¡°The thing that we¡¯re going to make will mark the festival¡¯s finale. Never forget this. The dwarves and elves are citizens of our territories and are our neighbors. We arepeting not to fight and undermine each other but to show our potential,¡± Davey reminded them to not forget the original intention of this festival. ¡°If there¡¯s someone trying to muddy the waters, I will behead them myself.¡± Usually, to take out a rock that was stuck and make it roll, one would need a considerable amount of energy and funds. However, the impact was quite small since everyone tended to believe in Davey. Before the other shoe fell, Davey had to assimte the three races perfectly. And the only way to do that was to go through the trouble of trying to make everyone get used to one another. ¡°There¡¯s no way that we¡¯ll do that! Just tell us what to do!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep our backs straight and start preparing to work,¡± Davey said as he ced his finger on the re Breaking Stone¡¯s safety pin and spun it around. At the end of the day, Davey¡¯s goal for this festival was to create something that all of his territory¡¯s residents could enjoy. He wanted an event where they couldugh, chat, and be merry. So, why not do that and make money through tourism, too? Davey recalled a saying from modern earth, ¡®The empty cart is the loudest¡¯. Things would not go smoothly if they just promoted themselves extensively without showing good results, right? *** The festival preparations were so tight and hectic that Davey felt like one month just shed by and ended in an instant. During that time, Davey had devoted most of his time and almost all of his energy into facility inspection and setting the proper zoning. The main purpose in holding the Heins Allied Festival was to allow the people who had suffered to have fun, chat, and be merry. However, Davey was sure that there would also be quite a lot of people who would attend after hearing the rumors about their festival. If that was the case, then shouldn¡¯t they at least fill their pockets up with some coins? The dwarves¡¯ Mining Festival was quite famous for those who lived in luxury. It was an annual festival where the dwarves had to offer sacrifices to the God of Iron. However, only a select few had witnessed this festival personally, which exined the high interest in it. Of course, the festival itself would not be famous just because some rumors about it began to spread. How could it be famous if nothing about the festival was known, right? It became famous thanks to the best-selling book that the dwarven tribe had sold during their Mining Festival which had promptly spread all over the continent. The book, [Mining Travelog], was famous enough that almost all nobles in the continent had rmended it as a must-read. Compared to other travelogs released in the continent, this book only discussed the dwarven race¡¯s closed off festival, the Mining Festival. Davey was not sure whether it was because the author had amazing writing skills or the way they had sessfully inted one¡¯s imagination about the festival, but this travelog sessfully increased everyone¡¯s enthusiasm and interest towards the Mining Festival. That was the case for the dwarves and the dwarves alone. For the elves, their first reappearance to the world had piqued the interest of many. What more if they announced that they would hold their Spirit Festival, a festival that was on par with the dwarves¡¯ Mining Festival, at the same time? Although they could not get a good response from the ordinary people who were busy making ends meet every day, they were still able to turn the heads of the free mercenaries and the nobles and capture their interest. ¡°The number of tourists that arrived are higher than what we expected, since the rumors spread faster than we imagined. There are a dozen noble families visiting from our kingdom and around a hundred families from other nations. There are also a lot of free mercenaries that havee to visit the territory.¡± ¡°It seems like the value of the dwarves and the elves are quite high. A lot of people came.¡± The very fragrant bait was quite alluring to the big fish that had shown great interest in them. In fact, the big fish had no choice but to bite the hook and never let go. The territory¡¯s facilities and housings had been repaired and cleaned, giving the territory a clean and beautiful outlook. Although it was not that easy, it was for this reason Davey had pushed the making of those buildings and the paving of those roads. The territory¡¯s beauty and allure had increased, which also increased the foot traffic. Things happened quite a bit faster than Davey had expected, but in the end, it was still a good deal for him and the territory. At the end of the day, this wasn¡¯t too difficult a task for Davey. After all, he had been preparing for this for a long time. The festival that they would hold wouldst for a total of four days and three nights. However, three days before the festival started, the territory became even busier because of the unusual guests that had arrived. ¡°My goodness¡­ I have never seen that many visitorsing from the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s capital.¡± ¡°That just goes to show how great our festival is. The most important thing here is that we should not let all of the residents work during the festival. Let¡¯s arrange it so half will work and half can go around to enjoy the festivities. Let them take turns to have fun.¡± ¡°But if we do that, then our manpower¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other choice. We have to hire people from the outside.¡± Chapter 176 Davey was opening the door of opportunity for themoners, who lived pay cheque to pay cheque; he wanted them to be able to enjoy themselves as well. He would stand to gain a lot if they chose to move to the Heins Territory from enjoying it very much. ¡°Your Highness, I heard that you made a bet with the dwarves and elves.¡± ¡°The rtionship between them could sour even more if they were the only onespeting. I¡¯m just participating to lighten the mood up a little.¡± ¡°But¡­ Mona is an expensive jewel that is worth so much. Its worth was whatever one determines it to be.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not doing charity work or anything. The preparation isplete on my end, too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­talking about the explosive magic stone¡­¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°How could I doubt anything you do, Your Highness?¡± They could only doubt Davey so much. Royal Attendant Bernile and the others all agreed upon the fact that they had no choice but to blindly trust Davey, who always brought unbelievable results no matter what he did. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether I win or lose that bet. For Mona¡­ I can just make it again.¡± It took about a year to make one Mona, but Davey¡¯s Pocket ne was full of failed works. ¡°Chuckle.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile scoffed in bewilderment at what he just heard from Davey. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go see the festival, Royal Attendant Bernile? This isn¡¯t an opportunity thates by often.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile smiled faintly, then shook his head. ¡°It is Amy who has worked hard all this time. When else would she be able to let loose and rest if not now, Your Highness?¡± The territory needed someone to take care of the small andrge issues that arose in the continent. It was originally Amy¡¯s job, but Bernile insisted that he wanted to give her some time to rest. ¡°Thank you for taking care of her. Perhaps I was too inconsiderate of her.¡± Amy had followed Davey, and she had looked after him when he had still been in aa. ¡°Although I always criticize her forcking in certain areas, she is a clever child. She is the only source of joy left in this old man¡¯s life. But she is probably exhausted from working so hard recently. When shall I give her time to rest, if not now?¡± ¡°Okay. If you say so, I¡¯ll respect it. However, make sure to enjoy the festival for at least a day. We still need to know how the festival is running. This is an order,¡± Davey said. Bernile quietly nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡¯ After watching Bernile leave, Davey nced out the bright window and stared at the bright image of the territory. ¡°So? You¡¯re not going to see the festival?¡± Illyna asked with curiosity as she stared at Davey with indifference. ¡°I¡¯m going to go. I have to keep my word if I said that to Royal Attendant Bernile.¡± Then, Davey opened a drawer and pulled out something. ¡°Hm? A mask? What for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to recognize me and pretend to not know me. From now on, I¡¯m David, not Davey.¡± ¡°You¡¯re funny.¡± Although Illyna thought Davey was being ridiculous, she looked somewhat amused as well. She added, ¡°You can put lipstick on a pig, but it¡¯ll still be a pig. It¡¯s just bothersome.¡± ¡°Then, should I just throw it all away?¡± Lightly stepping up onto the windowsill with one foot, Illyna twirled and asked yfully, ¡°Well then, my prince. May I ask for you to escort me?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t regret it, at least.¡± ¡®Whether it be the Mining Festival, the Spirit Celebration, or the finale I prepared.¡¯ * * * The territory was far busier than Davey expected, perhaps due to therge crowd and their excitement from the festival. Regardless, it was better regted than he had thought. The Mining Festival was almost a parade for the dwarves who had prepared their work for a long time to boast and show off. Of course, those artworks and masterpieces were hung on disy in galleries. Other than that, there were lots of snacks unique to dwarves, pubs, or betting stalls on the streets for people to enjoy. The numerous artworks decorating the streets caught everyone¡¯s eyes, and the dwarves¡¯ specialty foods and alcohol touched their noses. Since the dwarves like tasty and curious foods, some were cooking mouthwatering food right on the street. Amongst the people who were fascinated by the different culture and scenery, Illyna¡¯s excitement stood out from the rest. ¡°D¨CDavey! Look at this!¡± Illyna grabbed Davey¡¯s hand and quickly ran toward the stall where an entire boar was being grilled. She was fascinated as she stared at the boar with wide eyes. She eximed, ¡°Its shine is no joke. I saw a lot of whole animal grills when I was training for the knight order, but this is top notch!¡± Seeing Illyna¡¯s eyes sparkle, Davey asked the dwarf who was cooking with an apron on, ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The dwarf raised his head and squinted as he stared at Davey. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Oh! You are the Wise Teacher!¡± ¡°Wise Teacher? What are you talking about? The dwarf looked a little puzzled by Davey¡¯s answer. Then, he gasped and nodded slowly like he understood something. He simply changed the subject. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a cute human couple! Wee! It is five silver in human currency for one te! You can pick your vor; which one would you like?¡± Davey was a little surprised at the price of five silver, but it was reasonable considering the normal prices here. ¡°Hm¡­ This sauce called ¡®Ultra Violence¡¯ is very unique. What is it?¡± It was Illyna who answered when she heard that there were a lot of vors. ¡°Hm? Ah, it¡¯s an intense one! You will not easily forget it after you eat it. However, humans cannot tolerate this intense vor very well. How about the normal vor? This isn¡¯t very intense¡­¡± It only took seconds for Illyna¡¯spetitiveness to fire up. ¡°Ultra Violence!¡± Illyna shouted firmly. Surprised by her sudden shout, the dwarf nced at Davey with a worried gaze. He asked, ¡°Wise Teacher, will she really be okay?¡± ¡°You got the wrong person.¡± The dwarf did nothing more than just chuckle at Davey¡¯s answer. However, Davey did ask Illyna once again as a warning out of unnecessary concern. He asked, ¡°It¡¯s going to be more intense than you think. Do you think you will be okay?¡± ¡°Of course! I can stomach anything and everything that can be eaten.¡± Davey wondered if Illyna would be able to say the same thing if she was presented with live bugs. ¡°You¡¯re going to regret it.¡± Illyna flinched a little as Davey threatened her, but her eyes were already full of desire to have a taste. Herpetitive spirit was already on fire. ¡°I¡¯m someone who ate the intensely herbed food of the west. Don¡¯t underestimate the Pan Empire¡¯s only daughter.¡± Everything seemed to be fine just from seeing how confident Illyna was. However, she had no idea how intense the dwarves¡¯ specialty foods were; the spice felt like a merciless assault on the tongue! By the standards of the people of the eastern and central continent who couldn¡¯t eat hot things, the dwarves¡¯ spice had something that made it difficult to get used to. ¡°Hahaha! It might be a little spicy.¡± As the dwarf chuckled and handed her a te, Illyna gulped and stabbed the meat on the te with her fork. She could have been a little repulsed by this cheap meal as royalty always had luxurious meals, but she looked delighted and full of excitement. Then, she sat down and put the nicely grilled piece of meat in her mouth with a nervous expression. ¡®What do you think will happen?¡¯ ¡ªWell, she will probably scream if she doesn¡¯t have strange tastes like you. ¡°Hup!!!¡± The dwarves preferred a spice level that was considered extremely spicy even in South Korea, the country Davey had lived in in his past life. Illyna teared up as she clenched her jaw. She held her fists so tightly that her hands could possibly break. Davey watched Illyna force herself to tolerate it because of her face and pride even though she wanted to scream and roll on the floor. It was quite funny seeing her stare at him with resentment, even though she had tears in her eyes. * * * ¡°Hahaha! Are you okay?¡± the dwarf asked. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine,¡± Illyna pretended to be okay and replied, but her face was already red from the spice. Davey had already tried this intense vor when he had visited the Yellowstone Tribe. Hemented, ¡°See, I told you.¡± ¡°I¡­ I said I¡¯m fine! And you try it!¡± As Illyna picked up a piece of meat and shoved it into his mouth even before he could do anything, Davey casually released his mana in secret. Then, he uttered a spell without anyone hearing it. [Pain Reduction] [Olfaction Desentization] In some way, spice could also be a type of sensory pain. Just with these two spells¡­ ¡°Hm, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°N¡­ No way. Are you human?!¡± Unlike Illyna, who was in shock, Perserque squinted and red at Davey. She knew exactly what he did. ¡ªYou fraud. ¡®It¡¯s her fault for being tricked.¡¯ The thing about spice was that once one tasted it, it woulde backter even if it disappeared for a bit. As the spice came back just when she thought she was okay, Illyna grabbed Davey¡¯s arm hard enough to break it with a tense face. She was pretending so hard that her eyes were full of tears. She eximed, ¡°I¨CIt was delicious! D¨CDavey, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha! Wise Teacher! Come again next time! I will give you the ¡®Hyper Violence¡¯ vor, my family¡¯s secret sauce!¡± ¡®I keep telling you that I¡¯m not the Wise Teacher.¡¯ Davey was in quite some trouble, since the dwarves recognized him as if the mask was nonexistent. Although it wasn¡¯t to trick the dwarves, he was disappointed that they could figure out his identity so easily. The dwarves¡¯ festival was much more festive and diverse than Davey had thought. ¡°Hey! The elves are going to do the Spirit Dance over here!¡± ¡°Spirit Dance? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°They said that it was a dance with spirits? Everyone is going crazy over it because it¡¯s so cool.¡± Watching the crowd of mercenaries who came to see the festival chatter amongst themselves before leaving, Davey found a familiar face. He murmured, ¡°Elder Goulda?¡± ¡°Hm? Wise Teacher?¡± Davey wondered how they were recognizing him when he had a mask on. He coughed. ¡°Ahem, you got the wrong person.¡± ¡°Hahaha! If you say so, Wise Teacher! So, how do you like this? Would you like to try?¡± Goulda, who was looking after the huge stall with pride, pulled out arge box and handed it to Davey. It was as if he had been waiting for this moment. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The treasure of the dwarves! A blind box! You will pick one of the balls in here. If you win, you will make a fortune in seconds! There are items worth dozens and hundreds of gold in human currency as well. The most surprising thing is that you can¡¯t lose! So, how about it? Intriguing?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ How much is it for one?¡± ¡°I will give it to you for cheap, Wise Teacher. Two silver for one.¡± Two silver would get Davey one chance. The contents were unknown, but within it was a reward that could make him a fortune. ¡®This is totally¡­¡¯ It was just like a gambling box from games. It was fitting for the dwarves, who liked gambling and betting. ¡°Woah!! It¡¯s a sword covered with dwarf-made mithril?! Cool!¡± That was when a human eximed and got everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Look at this! This sheen! It¡¯s definitely real!¡± ¡°Woah!!¡± ¡°S¡­ Should I try?¡± ¡°I mean, two silver¡­ That¡¯s not even that expensive.¡± As people began to gather after hearing the excited mercenary¡¯s shouts, Goulda chuckled and asked Davey in delight, ¡°See? So? Would you like to try it? The odds are quite good.¡± As Elder Goulda slowly tried to entice Davey, Illyna was staring at the box nkly as if she was already persuaded. She mumbled quietly, ¡°If one time is for two silver¡­ One gold is fifty times¡­¡± Davey quickly grabbed Illyna¡¯s hand and pulled her away. He said to her, ¡°You be a capitalist pig if you get lured into that kind of gambling.¡± ¡°You¡¯re pretty good for using a wingman, too,¡± Davey said. After listening to that, Elder Goulda chuckled and said, ¡°You really won¡¯t regret it. Well, for you, Wise Teacher, I will give you ten chances for free.¡± Davey grinned. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m Davey, Elder Goulda. Do you think I will fall for such a trick?¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± Davey wasn¡¯t one to fall for that sort of sweet trick. He had already experienced firsthand the rock bottom one could feel from blind box gambling. He would not make that mistake again. Chapter 177 ¡®Human beings have endless greed¡­¡¯ ¡°Davey¡­ Enough. You already spent three gold on it. Are you crazy? There aren¡¯t any more balls to draw. Stop it!¡± ¡®Which makes them repeat the same mistakes.¡¯ ¡°One more¡­ Huh?¡± In the basket before Davey was a heap of opened balls. He stared nkly at the pile before ring at Elder Goulda, who was chuckling in amusement. Elder Goulda then showed Davey a list and said, ¡°Since you yed a lot, Wise Teacher, I will give you everything that you drew from the balls.¡± ¡°Damn it. What have I done?¡± Maybe it was because Davey had yed too many games in his past life, but he had been lured into this gambling game even though he already knew the consequences. ¡°Whoo~ What an amazing record! Pahahaha!!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see, Elder Goulda.¡± ¡°Ahem! You chose to do it, Wise Teacher. No refunds!¡± Davey scoffed at Elder Golgouda, who held the basket of coins close like a treasure. ¡°Anyway, Wise Teacher, are you on a date?¡± Illyna gasped. She was rendered speechless by that question. ¡°Hahaha! Well, that doesn¡¯t really matter! There¡¯s a gallery made by craftsmen over there! I don¡¯t know if it will meet your standards, but there are a lot of artworks that have been made with quite some dedication. Go take a look.¡± Davey nodded quietly at Elder Goulda¡¯s proposal. Apart from the quality, most dwarf galleriespeted for their artistic design or intricacy of the work. Perhaps this was why Illyna could not take her eyes off of the various artworks and beautifully detailed essories that were rare in the outside world. Although she would have seen numerous beautiful things as royalty, Illyna could not say anything but just gasp at the gallery¡¯s beauty. ¡°Wow¡­ Wow, this¡­¡± Like the objects recorded in the Mining Travelog, a famous bestseller, the works on disy at the Mining Festival did not disappoint. The mboyant artworks struck everyone in awe. ¡°Ah, Wise Teacher! You¡¯re here!¡± It was Elder Golgouda. He chuckled when Davey sighed at how the dwarf had recognized him instantly as if the mask was invisible. ¡°I¡¯m d you came! I knew you were going to see us dwarves first! Ahem! Come inside and take it in! Us Yellowstone craftsmen really worked hard on this, so I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see a couple that is to your liking!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not everything. You remember Tors, the guy from the ckstone Tribe? He must have said something because they sent over multiple artworks as well.¡± ¡°I saw some artworks that had a slightly different style; that must be the ckstone Tribe¡¯s.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Of course, you caught that instantly, Wise Teacher! How is it? Will you contribute your artwork for the next Mining Festival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± It was just as Elder Golgouda, who was giggling at his small victory, confidently predicted; looking at the dwarves¡¯ artwork that had been worked on for a long time for this day, Davey could feel that they were made with their souls and he wanted to make something new as well. ¡°Wow¡­ I¡¯ve never seen Mermaid¡¯s Tears refined like this¡­¡± Illyna looked at the beautiful blue jewel with sparkling eyes, expressing a hint of desire in her gaze. The jewel made people want it, and she wanted it. However, she did not show any more desire than that, but she still could not take her eyes off it. ¡°¡­¡± Davey quietly watched Illyna stare at the ss case, then nced over at Elder Golgouda, who was standing beside him with a friendly smile. ¡°Wise Teacher.¡± ¡°How are you recognizing me when I have a mask on?¡± ¡°Hahaha, why don¡¯t you try to cover the sky with your hands as well? I have prepared what you asked for.¡± Then, Golgouda gave Davey a small box and added, ¡°I repeated heating and cooling for one hundred fifty-two hours in the Great Furnace exactly as you said.¡± Elder Golgouda smiled as Davey stared at the box in surprise. He asked, ¡°Anyway, is it that beautiful princess who will be getting this?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Haha!! You have to jump right into it and make grand gestures when you¡¯re young! When I was younger, I beat five or six dwarves to get my girl!¡± Davey scoffed, but Elder Golgouda shook his finger like he knew everything before walking away. ¡°Davey, I think we¡¯ve seen everything here. What are you doing?¡± ying with the box in his hands, Davey turned to look at Illyna when she tapped his shoulder and called him. Then, he hid the box and slowly walked with her. He murmured, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! There¡¯s still so much to see!¡± Illyna¡¯s smile did not disappear for a while, like a child who found a new toy. * * * ¡°This ce¡­ Woah, you can see the entire territory from here!¡± Illyna, who was looking around in the silent atmosphere, was surprised at the view of the entire territory. As this was the highest ce in the entirend, the entire Heins Territory could be seen from here clearly. And in a way, it was a solitary resting ce for Davey; it was where he came to clear his head when there was a lot on his mind. As such, most of the equipment here met all of his standards or were ording to his preference, like a hammock or pavilion, and arge wooden chair so that he could look down on the entire territory. ¡°But no one is here?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°This ce is off-limits to other people.¡± Illyna twirled and looked around as if she had gotten used to the silence. Then, Davey pulled out a pocket watch and checked the current time. Hemented, ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± ¡°Time?¡± ¡°Yes, time to use the things I asked from you.¡± Illyna nodded as if she understood Davey. ¡°Oh, right, you purchased arge amount of re Break Stone from the Pan Empire. It¡¯s for the festival.¡± Then, Illyna frowned slightly in puzzlement. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand. We epted because we were intrigued by your status as a Swordmaster, but¡­the foreign export of re Break Stone is very strictly regted.¡± Dozens of people could die if even a little child used it. Illyna was saying that re Break Stones weren¡¯t easy to obtain even with money, as they had a high chance of being used in horrendous terrors. Of course, Davey bypassed the middle part of the transaction with Illyna¡¯s authority, but it would be problematic for her as well if she didn¡¯t know what they were being used for either. ¡°So? Seriously, which part of the festival are you going to use that explosive for?¡± Illyna asked. Davey answered while staring down at the territory from the watchtower. ¡°What do you mean? I have to blow everything up.¡± ¡°B¡ªBlow up?¡± Of course, if an object was meant to explode, it should be blown up. ¡°What?! Are you saying you are going to blow up all those explosive magic stones in the za?!¡± ¡°No.¡± Davey pointed at the sky and rified, ¡°I¡¯m going to blow it up there.¡± ¡°The¡­sky?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a rare sight. Take a good look,¡± Davey told Illyna. Then, he covered his ear with two fingers and asked, ¡°Rinne, can you hear me?¡± [Sir Davey?] Then, Rinne¡¯s voice rang throughout Davey¡¯s head. ¡°Are you ready?¡± [The Decepticon Fleet. Rinne¡¯s proud juniors. Rinne highly appreciates their thorough preparation.] ¡°Good.¡± Illyna looked puzzled at how Davey was mumbling to himself. ¡°It¡¯s time to start the finale. Let¡¯s begin the Flowers of the Air.¡± [Command epted.] ¡°Flowers of the Air?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± There was something simr to the concept of fireworks in the Tionis continent as well, but¡­ Ping!! Ping!! It didn¡¯t have the technology to recreate the modern fireworks on Earth. Illyna looked puzzled as the shining objects flew into the air one by one from all over the territory. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°re Break Stone.¡± Red, blue, and gold stones; as the colorful objects flew up into the air, the puzzled Illyna was extremely shocked and stared at him with wide eyes when Davey told her what they were. ¡°What?! Are you crazy?! You don¡¯t know what will happen if you shoot them up in the air?! What were you thinking?!¡± ¡°Stop worrying and look.¡± Annoyed by Davey¡¯s nonchnt attitude, Illyna looked up at the sky. Boom!!! Boom!! Illyna was going to look at Davey again in frustration, but she looked back at the sky in surprise. At the same time, her eyes widened. She muttered, ¡°What is¡­¡± It was like someone had painted the sky. The shining stones exploded in the sky after reaching a certain distance, and covered the sky inrge fragments of light. They became flowers or animals; the images were all unique and in different colors, but they all had a breathtaking beauty to them. Even Illyna, who was shouting at Davey and calling him crazy, could not peel her eyes away from the artwork in the sky and stared at it in awe. Ping! Boom!! Crackle!! The light scattered into dust, shone, then burned away on its own. The light burned and crackled away in a short period of time, but that was enough to grab everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ That¡¯s possible¡­with re Break Stones?¡± ¡°Well, I used other materials too, but I did use some of it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful¡­¡± Illyna sincerely gasped in amazement. Watching the sessfully executed fireworks in satisfaction, Davey pulled out a small box and said to Illyna, ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a present. It will help with mana cirction.¡± Illyna, who opened the box in puzzlement, mumbled in surprise after opening the box, ¡°This is¡­¡± The box only had a sapphire ne. Considering everything Davey and Illyna had experienced together, a jewel-decorated ne was very simple and small. In fact, a sapphire was amon jewel that could be obtained easily. However, this one was a little different. Unlike other ordinary sapphires, a faint blue light was circting through the artistically engraved patterns on the jewel. ¡°It¡¯s not just any sapphire. It¡¯s valuable,¡± Davey said. The sapphire had undergone a continuous process of heating and quick cooling in the dwarves¡¯ Great Furnace for days. Some may wonder what kind of lunatic would do something like that to a ne, but thanks to that, amon jewel like a sapphire had turned into something that could not be traded for anything else. ¡°Why are you giving me this?¡± Illyna looked up at Davey with a trembling gaze. Davey told Illyna about the ne¡¯s simple purpose. ¡°A bribe.¡± Chapter 178 Davey told Illyna that this was just a glimpse, a token of appreciation for what she had done for him and what she would do for him in the future. Illyna was possibly disappointed. After being surprised by Davey¡¯s gesture, she chuckled after realizing something. Then, she handed him the ne again and asked, ¡°What are you doing? You¡¯re not going to put it on for me?¡± ¡°Ask your boyfriend to do something like that for you.¡± Illyna smiled brightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s stupid, Davey! Are you telling me that I should ask my boyfriend to put on a ne another man gave me?¡± ¡°Hm, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Davey took the ne Illyna handed him, undid the sp, then gestured for Illyna toe over. He said, ¡°Come close.¡± ¡°This is supposed to be romantic, but why do I just feel empty¡­?¡± Even though she muttered those words, Illyna willingly approached Davey and stared up at him with a smile. Davey then wrapped his arms around Illyna and slowly sped the ne around her neck. Then, he lifted her luscious blond hair and straightened it out a bit. Illyna¡¯s delighted smile brightened even more. Maybe she really liked the ne that shone with a serene, blue light. She thenmented, ¡°You¡¯d be great husband material if you weren¡¯t such a psycho.¡± ¡°Tomboys like you aren¡¯t my type.¡± When it came to women, Davey liked the petite animal-like princess of the Lyndis Empire, or Perserque, the Demon Lord beside him. ¡°Psychos like you aren¡¯t my type, either. The royal pce is going crazy about finding me a husband, but you are theplete opposite of their criteria.¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness.¡± They giggled together before bumping fists. Like Yuria had said, there were no true friends between men and women; however, Davey thought that his rtionship with Illyna had something a little off for it to be called a romantic rtionship. It would just be a nuisance for them both if the people around them called them a couple when they themselves did not have any feelings for each other. ¡°But¡­¡± Illyna, who was looking up at Davey, lowered her head. Then, she carefully said with a faint smile, ¡°So¡­ You know, Davey. If¡­¡± Rambling on, Illyna looked around like she was flustered. ¡°If¡­ If there isn¡¯t anyone who is good for me¡­ Y¡­ You¡­¡± The moment Illyna bit her lip and was struggling to tell Davey something¡­ Vooosh!!! ¡°Kyahh?!¡± Forgetting about what she was about to say, Illyna let out a cute scream fitting for her age and copsed onto the ground at the sudden vibration. The source of the sound was none other than her ring. ¡°Sigh¡­ That surprised me,¡± Illyna mumbled in annoyance, then sighed. ¡°My kingdom is calling me. Sorry Davey¡­¡± ¡°Go.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Go. Something came up for me as well.¡± Illyna looked confused when Davey repeated himself, ¡°Go.¡± Although confused by how firm Davey was being, Illyna still nodded. She then said cheerfully, ¡°Sorry. But since the festival is going on for a few days, let¡¯se with Winley tomorrow!¡± Atst, Illyna sighed and turned her back on Davey to leave as he had suggested. From a little while ago, Davey had weakly sensed a familiar energy from not too far away. There was only one person who had this unique and cold energy: Jack, the Echo Guild informant who was taking on his personal requests. Jack¡¯s actual identity was Aina Helishana, the dark elf. Right now, she was fighting someone and releasing her killing aura on the outskirts of the territory. ¡°These guys are ruining a good day.¡± Davey was a little annoyed. ¡®They should know the time and ce to invade or attack or whatever.¡¯ If they couldn¡¯t even keep those basic manners¡­ ¡°I¡¯m going to have to pull out all their hair, even if it¡¯s the World Tree.¡± Davey had no choice but to punish them. * * * There were four or five elves wearing a blue uniform; they were all Ancient Guards who were exceptionally strong in the Divine Tree. They all had Master-level bowmanship, and they were skilled elves who had made a contract with spirits of higher ranks than intermediate. The Ancient Guards were heading to the Heins Territory, where everyone would be enjoying the festival without knowledge of their presence. By themand of the World Tree, they were to attack the Heins Territory and end the life of the human who had the guts to provoke them. However, their secret invasion was stopped by some man before they could even enter the territory. ¡°You should¡¯ve gotten rid of your killing aura. You cannot go any further than this,¡± the man said calmly. The Ancient Guards silently surrounded the man with their weapons in their hands. ¡°We do not want unnecessary killing. Move, human,¡± the male Ancient Guard quietly said to Jack, the man in the ck uniform. However, Jack did not budge and simply twirled his smoothly curved dagger, his favored weapon and his protection all this time. He continued to block their way. ¡°I refuse. I have no choice but to kill you if you decide toe any closer.¡± The invaders became more hostile at Jack¡¯s emotionless warning. ¡°We are going to execute themand we have been given. If you choose to stand in the way¡­¡± one of the Ancient Guards trailed off and loaded an arrow into their bow. They added, ¡°Unfortunately, we will have to return you to Mother Nature.¡± Ping!! With the sound of air ripping, sharp arrows began flying towards Jack in seconds. * * * ¡®Ancient Guards.¡¯ Trying to hide the cold sweat running down his entire body, Jack, no, Aina Helishana moved swiftly as she swatted away the arrows flying towards her with a tense face. Dangerous attacks that could severely injure her if she made even one misstep flew toward her endlessly. She was a high-ranking informant in the Echo Guild, the continent¡¯s best intelligence guild. Her assassination skills were that of a Master, and as she herself was a former Ancient Guard, her spirit magic was also quite advanced. As such, Aina could not let down her guard; her opponents were Ancient Guards, what she had been before, and there were five of them targeting her. The person who was grabbing her attention was¡­a woman in a flowy uniform that the Ancient Guards were surrounding and protecting. ¡°Hup!¡± Shwang!!! Stter!! As soon as Aina¡¯s concentration broke for a second, the sharp arrow cut her waist as it flew by. She reflexively moved and avoided any lethal injuries, but she couldn¡¯t help but frown at the stinging pain that she felt. ¡°¡­¡± Aina stared at the arrow instantly pointed at her forehead with wide eyes. As soon as the elf let go, that arrow would be lodged right between her eyebrows. It was toote to dodge it; the damage of concentrating on something else proved to be far more detrimental. [Stop. Stop it.] For the first time, the woman who was standing still near the Ancient Guards opened her mouth and interfered with the situation. Smiling like she knew everything, the woman had incredible beauty and was wearing a very modern outfit. She looked to be in her mid tote twenties, and was frail with no weapons or muscles. There was no reason to worry about her as she wasn¡¯t wearing defensive armor, but just a thin and flowy outfit that looked like it could easily be ripped apart. There shouldn¡¯t have been a reason to worry, but Aina did feel wary. Apart from not judging a book by its cover and whatnot, Aina Helishana knew who that woman was: World Tree Yggdrasil. It was the woman¡¯s only name that was given to her by the primordial will. The woman wasn¡¯t the true being, but was an incarnation that had part of its powers. If it was the World Tree¡¯s incarnation, it could subdue Aina with a flick of her fingers. This meant that Aina was just hanging by a thread. Watching Aina reflexively get up and back away from her, Yggdrasil deepened her benevolent smile even more. [Hm, I wondered where my naughty daughter had run away to. It seems you were here.] ¡°I am human. I am not an elf.¡± [A human, you say¡­ That is quite an interesting story, Aina.] ¡°¡­¡± [Did you really think I would not be able to recognize my own child if you hid your face with such a crude artifact?] ¡°Damn it¡­¡± [I don¡¯t know why you and your sister are making my heart ache so much.] ¡°You are the reason why. Take off that disgusting hypocritical mask. I have be dead to my sister because of you and the Saint of the Divine Tree, and I cannot show myself to her.¡± Aina Helishana felt tense from her inevitable nervousness. ¡®I cannot let her¡ªthe World Tree¡ªand the Ancient Guards get to Davey.¡¯ The Ancient Guards wouldn¡¯t pose a problem, but the incarnation of the World Tree was a different story. The World Tree was a transcendental being that had the ability to change the terrain of and with its will. This woman may just be the incarnation, but her powers were beyondmon sense and logic. It meant that no matter the level of power, nothing could measure up to her. The World Tree was an almost unfairly powerful being of another dimension. If it was the World Tree whose presence itself held great power, even Davey would have a hard time. ¡®If he doesn¡¯t stop her with the interference of a Spirit King or something, he doesn¡¯t even stand a chance.¡¯ All Aina Helishana knew was that Davey had gone to the Forest of Elves and that he had gone against the World Tree, but she had no idea what he had done there. That was inevitable as she had just returned to the Heins Territory. To be honest, it was almost a coincidence that she had discovered the invasion of the World Tree and the Ancient Guards and was stopping them. This was the result of her moving to the source of a familiar but terrifying energy on her way back to the territory. ¡°Why are you here?¡± The World Tree put on a benevolent smile at Aina¡¯s cold question. [I have be interested in the human who took away two of my children. I am delighted today. So, move. Although you have left my nest, Aina, you are still the child of my forest like everyone else. I do not want you toy down your life for some worthless human life.] Aina ground her teeth at Yggdrasil, the World Tree, talking as if the oue had already been decided. She could not know how strong the incarnation was, but no good woulde from Davey facing her. This was a difficult decision to make. If Aina blocked them from advancing, she would die. If she let them go, however, then Davey would die. Aina didn¡¯t follow Davey enough to pledge her life to him, but no one would be able to solve her problem if not for Davey. Above all, she felt nothing but loathing for the World Tree. This was a scale that had been tipped to one side already, so Aina¡¯s decision was quicker than expected. She said, ¡°I refuse. I cannot let you harm him in any way.¡± Chapter 179 66. The Tide Goes On. [My, that is unfortunate¡­] Aina could hear the incarnation of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, mumbling in bitterness and disappointment. She showed no hint of insincerity, expressing her genuine heart, which made this much more terrifying. Whistle!! Shwang!! The attack was unannounced. The Ancient Guard charged at Aina in seconds, pointing the rapier that was originally at their waist, and then swiftly struck it towards Aina¡¯s heart like an arrow. The five elves surrounding Aina closed in on her with a tightbined attack formation. They had seemingly be one. Cang!!! Aina dodged the two elves who charged toward her with rapiers at lightning speed. Then, an arrow flew toward her weak spots to utterly terrify her. Swat!!! All five enemies cooperated with one another to pressure Aina. If all of them were as skilled as a Master, this fight could only have one conclusion. However¡­ ¡®I have to tap on my experience withrge-scale battles.¡¯ Aina Helishana took a short breath and slightly tilted her head. At the same time, with a sh of green light, a rapier with ayer of spirit power flew over. Immediately following the failed attack, Aina tripped the elf who was about to step back after retrieving their sword. She also grabbed the arm of another elf who wasing at her and cut the chest of the elf who had fallen to the floor. Stter!!! Hot, red blood shot up into the air, apanied only by silence. Sqwelp! Squeege!! Of course, Aina had to pay the price for what she did. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Taking a short breath, Aina frowned as she looked down at the deep cut on her arm. ¡®They are much stronger than I thought¡­ It¡¯s trouble if they can already injure me like this¡­¡¯ Aina had subdued just one enemy. Even if she put her life on the line to overpower the rest of the elves, the most dangerous one would still be left. If the battle went on like this, the enemies wouldn¡¯t be the only ones lying on the ground. Aina was going to fight with her life, but she did not intend on dying; there was no one in this world who wanted to die. With that in mind, she made a rather bold decision. The incarnation of the World Tree was the core moving her enemies. If so¡­ ¡®I will neutralize the incarnation!¡¯ If Aina¡¯s prediction was right, the incarnation would be able to use all of the World Tree¡¯s powers, but she would have virtually no physical abilities. Plus, it had only been about three hundred years since the World Tree¡¯s will had changed. Thus, the incarnation would be an exceptional being, but her fighting abilities would not be great. Aina, who was dodging attacks while looking for an opening, quickly threw a couple of daggers wrapped in cloth. She kept the Ancient Guards in check with these surprise attacks, since the daggers reflected no light and did not fly too quickly. Swish!! Clink!! Nobody was hit since the daggers weren¡¯t explicitly aimed at the elves. Once the daggers lost momentum, they fell to the ground. Aina¡¯s breathing became rougher. She also sustained more injuries. Even so, her eyes shone even brighter. Stter! Aina only copsed to the ground after multiple rapiers prated her stomach when she was barely holding on. ¡®Cough¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t moan in pain. Instead, she fought back even while coughing and gurgling from the blood. Boom!! Unfortunately, the elves overpowered Aina. She was ruthlessly pinned to the ground with her arms behind her back. She red at the five Ancient Guards and Yggdrasil with cold eyes. ¡°Do not fight back. The World Tree does not allow it,¡± an Ancient Guard said with blind faith. Aina bit her lips hard. [Stop. We are all children of the forest; what are you going to do by violently suppressing her?] ¡°My apologies.¡± The elves bowed at Yggdrasil¡¯s criticism. [Aina.] ¡°...¡± [It is not toote now. Come back to Mother¡¯s arms. You cannot do anything about your corruption, but if you repent your wrongdoings ande back to us¡­] ¡°Ha¡­ Wrongdoings?¡± Spitting out cold words, Aina¡¯s eyes were filled with rage. Crack!! The elves reflexively held Aina tighter, but they couldn¡¯t shut her mouth. ¡°I learned something from that man, Davey. He is a damn pervert, but he is truly powerful and he has faith and loyalty. He is different from you, so¡­¡± [Hm?] Yggdrasil tilted her head in puzzlement. Looking at the incarnation¡¯s benevolent smile, Aina slowly raised her fist and put up her middle finger. She dered, ¡°Screw you.¡± Click!! With that, Aina tugged on something invisible. Psheeee!!!! The daggers that pierced the floor illuminated at once and released a nasty, poisonous smoke. ¡°Huh?! Mother of the Divine Tree! Take cover!¡± The flustered Ancient Guards all blocked Yggdrasil at once. However¡­ ¡®I hope they all die.¡¯ Killing hundreds of incarnations wouldn¡¯t change anything, but Yggdrasil¡¯s true body was arge immobile tree. If she lost an incarnation, she would not be able to roam freely for a while. Aina didn¡¯t think the Ancient Guards would be able to harm Davey, that monstrous boy, at all; the only worrisome being was the World Tree. Crash!!! Boom!! Aina sighed at the huge explosion, which spread the poisonous smoke of fatal effects. The smoke was impressive since it could be detonated with the proper triggers. With the high temperature during which the explosion took ce, there was no way the incarnation of the World Tree, who only had the physical abilities of a human, would be able to endure that. ¡°Is it taken care of¡­?¡± Looking somewhat unsure, Aina stood up and quickly turned away. Whatever happened, she thought it was best to¡­ Stter!! Run away when she had the chance. Aina looked down at the thin and sharp de of a rapier that had pierced her heart with wide eyes. * * * Shatter!! Aina¡¯s skull-shaped ne was broken by the rapier¡¯s sharp edge, and her appearance began to change. The strong physique of a middle-aged man was enveloped by light before slowly shrinking in size. Aina was no longer one hundred ny centimeters tall but barely one hundred sixty centimeters. Herrge and tough muscles disappeared, transforming into lean, smooth, and soft light brown skin. Her ck hair turned into a dark navy, as if it had lost color due to sunlight, and her short hair grew into two hanging braids. ¡°Cough¡­¡± It was definitely a fatal injury. Unable to control her body, Aina fell to her knees. Her bright eyes, the only part of her which still held onto so much life, began closing. Squelp!! As the rapier that pierced her heart was ruthlessly retrieved, Aina copsed like a marite with severed strings. Blood spilled from her various injuries, her bright eyes lost focus and had a nk gaze, and she could barely speak. ¡®N¡­ No¡­ I can¡¯t die here¡­¡¯ Aina, who was struggling to mumble, felt her sight slowly begin to blur. Before losing consciousness, which hung on by a mere thread, she saw the incarnation of Yggdrasil and the five Ancient Guards walking out of the explosion without a scratch. That attack had been a somewhat desperate surprise attack; Aina had executed it with her own life on the line. ¡®I guess I¡¯ll just die a disgraceful death.¡¯ * * * ¡°What should we do with her?¡± [Just leave her. Don¡¯t be the one to take her life.] ¡°If that is what youmand.¡± Watching the elves bow towards her, Yggdrasil erased the smile from her face and stared at the brown-skinned elf who had copsed in front of her. Aina Helishana had initially been praised as the most talented elf in the Divine Tree¡¯s Land. However, she corrupted herself and left the forest behind as a Dark Elf. It had roughly been thirty years since she had taken off, but her eyes remained the same. Yggdrasil momentarily struggled to smile, feeling weird. However, she soon turned to put her hand on the elf who had been cut by Aina. Vooosh!!! At the same time, a bright light shed from her hands and healed the chest that had been sliced by the sharp de. She instantly healed the elf¡¯s fatal injury. However, the other Ancient Guards couldn¡¯t witness such a sight. Yggdrasil, the World Tree, had the power tofort the children of the forest with benevolence. She was therge tree known as the origin of elves, so she had powerparable to that of Demon Lord Perserque¡¯s, who had been a major factor of the Continental War three thousand years ago. ¡°Ah¡­ My World Tree¡­¡± [Are you okay?] ¡°Yes!¡± [That is a relief. Then, let¡¯s go. We have wasted too much time and strength.] The incarnation of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, nced at the copsed Aina before shaking her head and walking away. That was when the starless night sky darkened. It was as if an unknown force had sucked up all of the surrounding light. The moment the Ancient Guards immediately realized that something was off and looked around with wide eyes¡­ ¡°I heard that Dark Elves'' eyes change color based on their emotions.¡± They heard a man¡¯s calm voice. ¡°If her eyes, which should have been the first thing to darken after corruption, are still that bright, it means that she¡¯s quite stubborn, right?¡± ¡°Wh¨CWho?!¡± Click. With the sound of something being unlocked, a weapon had been drawn. It came from the elf who was standing at the front of the pack with rapiers on their waist. ¡°What?!¡± Stter!! The Ancient Guard¡¯s eyes widened as they realized their rapier was missing; however, they could not say anything more about it. A de had pierced through their forehead with a sharp, clean sound. Elves could be healed from any injury as long as they did not die, but even the World Tree¡¯s power could not revive those who died instantly. It only took seconds for an Ancient Guard, who was a Master hunter powerful enough to contract with an intermediate-rank spirit, to die. The surroundings soon descended into darkness. It became apletely dark underground cave where no one could see more than an inch in front of them. ¡°Protect the Mother of the Divine Tree! This is a surprise attack!¡± A strange man had hidden his presence and attacked them. The Ancient Guards, who were surprised by him, sharpened all their senses, but all they could feel was cold air. They could only see darkness and smell the terrifying odor of fresh blood. ¡°Although you are all unwee guests, I still have to offer you a proper wee to our festival.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ Who are you?!¡± ¡°Show yourself!¡± The man¡¯s voice sounded a little younger than someone in their twenties. Perhaps he was just a teenager. With his voice, the surrounding air dropped in temperature and was so close to freezing. ¡°There happens to be a fun event that I wanted to do, but I was contemting whether it would be too stimting or not. Do you happen to like haunted houses?¡± Chapter 180 The Ancient Guards could not hide their bewilderment in the pitch-ck darkness, which rendered them blind to their surroundings for the first time. Unless they received special training, those with normal vision were bound to panic upon losing their sight. The sense of sight provided organisms with the most amount of information. As such, the result of obscuring vision was simple. ¡°Hehehehehe!!¡± That was when the elves heard a crazy woman¡¯s eerieughter right beside their ears. Swish¡­ ¡°Huh?!¡± Stter!! Startled by the sudden killing aura and rustling sound, an Ancient Guard pulled out their rapier and swung it around. Although they weren¡¯t Swordmasters, they were still able to strengthen the impact of their attack. A cut could be heard before something fell to the floor. ¡°Hehehehehehe!!¡± However, the terrifyingughter did not stop and kept ringing in their ears. ¡°I¡­ It is human wi¡­ witchcraft! Do not be tricked by it! Give up your sight and find the mana! He is definitely near us!¡± ¡°Protect the Mother of the Divine Tree! Do not let himy a finger on her!¡± A male elf was the first to react, shouting firmly. He decided that tracing the human¡¯s mana would be much better than flustering around and trying to regain sight. The others concentrated and tensed up as if they had been knocked to their senses. However¡­ Swish. ¡°Wha?!¡± Thud! Something silently flew across the dark surroundings and struck someone, who fell to the ground. ¡°Humans, dwarves, and elves are all intelligent beings. Does your sense of fear feel different because you eat grass or something?¡± The human mocked the elves, asking, ¡°Is the person you are protecting really your ally?¡± At the same time, something eerie brushed past the Ancient Guards, who immediately became even more alert. Their vignce at the moment was unimaginable. The Ancient Guards¡¯ eyes widened as they realized that something was off. They could not see anything, but they could tell that something was strange. ¡°Even the World Tree, who is supposed to protect you, is staying quiet. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s weird? It is actually possible that you are all alone right now.¡± As the voice trailed off, an eerie and unknown presence brushed past the elves again. They turned blue in fear as chills ran down their spine. The Ancient Guards¡¯ unwavering spirit slowly began to break from the human¡¯s teasing remarks. * * * ¡°You seem to have something to say. Can you wait for me to finish up on this side first?¡± Davey asked calmly. The woman with a benevolent smile only smiled even deeper. [You are much more fascinating than I had imagined, my child; even I am surprised, too. Well, alright. It¡¯s not a good feeling for me to see my daughter die as well.] ¡°You¡¯re slick.¡± After thatment, Davey quietly inspected the brown-skinned woman who was lying on the floor. She had been fatally injured with a hole in her chest. The injury was so bad that it should have killed her, but¡­ ¡ªShe¡¯s alive, Davey. It was almost miraculous; Aina, who had returned to her original appearance, looked so terrible that it was almost a miracle that she was still alive. ¡°I wonder what made her turn her back on her people at such a young age.¡± An elf¡¯s age could be determined by the thinness of the ends of their hair or by looking at their ears. From what Davey could see, Aina Helishana was around one hundred and twenty years old. Considering that elves lived far longer than humans, she was on the younger side. Davey wondered if it was Aina¡¯s tenacity or the darkness spirit that stopped her from bleeding out. It might be both factors; currents of ck energy were covering her injuries, stopping the bleeding, and making the injury less severe by forcing her ripped skin to stick together. It was quite new for Davey to see a darkness spirit be this desperate to save the one they were contracted to. After all, they usually enjoyed destruction. [The magic you put on the children is not magic normally used by humans. This feeling¡­ It¡¯s wicked dark magic.] Without answering Yggdrasil, Davey nced over at the five elves whoid on the ground and moaned in pain. They had lost their sense of bnce and were mumbling gibberish. [8th Circle Dark Magic] [Fear] This spell¡¯s effects were simple: it was a curse-type illusion magic that messed with the senses of people with low magic resistance to make them panic. This was the dangerous thing about fighting a dark mage; unlike elemental magic, which controlled and studied the flow of nature, dark magic was a more practical field of study that studied organisms. As such, there were more spells that actually directly interfered with one¡¯s body or mind rather than the spells themselves being destructive. Of course, the Ancient Guards were Masters who wouldn¡¯t be affected by ordinary magic. However, they had blind faith, which made them slightly vulnerable in certain aspects. In fact, the elves who were on the floor screamed intermittently and shook, unable toe back to their senses. Davey had only shown them one illusion to confuse them. All he showed them was a reality where they wandered around an endless maze in darkness. Of course, he created an imaginary ghost that could not be attacked or understood, since a simple maze wouldn¡¯t be effective. It was actually quite easy to make a normal being feel enough fear to drive them mad. Davey released his holy power after barely containing the dark devil mana that ran wild in his hands. It was much harder to control his violently roaring devil mana, which seeminglyined about not being used in a long time. Devil mana was usually unstable, but its current erratic behavior was inevitable. After all, Davey hadn¡¯t used it since his metamorphosis. Davey ced his hand on Aina¡¯s chest, and stared at the ck energy engulfing his hand like it was guarding her. ¡ªDon¡¯t touch her! Then, Aina¡¯s energy took on the form of a porcupine and shouted desperately. ¡ªGet away! ¡°You get away.¡± Swat! ¡®You¡¯re so stubborn when all you can do right now is maintain her current condition¡­¡¯ Whoosh!! The horrendous wound on Aina¡¯s chest gradually began to heal as Davey cast healing magic after immediately pushing away the ck energy. He did so with his spirit mana that had the sign of his contract with the Spirit King. However, the wound wasn¡¯t fully healed even after quite some time had passed. Still, Aina¡¯s current condition was better than before. Laying down the unconscious Aina in a safe location, Davey nced at the woman who was looking at him calmly with a benevolent smile. Hemented, ¡°Honestly, I thought the great tree would have some logic. This is unexpected.¡± [Do not try to understand my actions and thoughts, child who defies destiny.] ¡°Child¡­¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the will of the World Tree changed recently?¡± [My mind has been alive for more than three hundred years; a human that cannot even live for more than a hundred years cannot understand the will of the Divine Tree, which lives for thousands of years.] Davey stayed silent. [But this is surprising. You have far exceeded the expected potential of humans. All right, do not be too nervous. I have juste to have a talk with you.] ¡°A talk, you say¡­¡± Davey mumbled quietly, thinking that it was ridiculous. He then added, ¡°How dare you invade this ce this carelessly to talk?¡± Boom!! As soon as Davey spoke, multiple stone pirs shot up from near Yggdrasil and flew toward him. The ground behind him began to shake and change. ¡°Gnoass, shot-blocking.¡± Kaboom!!! It only took moments for the giant hand that came up from the ground to crush the stone pirs. Then, it quickly came down on Yggdrasil like it was going to crush her. Thump!!!! However, another type of power gathered into a huge wall of soil, which blocked Gnoass¡¯ attack and deflected it. Rumble!!!! It was a fitting level of power for a World Tree, who was one of the origins of nature. Once his attack failed, Gnoass created a huge body, ignoring Davey¡¯s former request, and criticized Yggdrasil. [World Tree, the long-standing arbiter of the forest. Have you gone mad?] Spirit King Gnoass was fuming. From his perspective as a Spirit King, who was nature itself, it was unbelievable that the World Tree, which was the core of elves and the kind that protected nature, was actually trying to destroy nature instead of protecting it. [Hm, it is you, Gnoass. I did not think that a great being like you woulde down to this world. ording to the primordial covenant and will of the World Tree, a being like a Spirit King should only appear before someone who rightfullypleted the test. By chance, were you tricked by that small human child?] Gnoass became more hostile as the World Tree provoked him. [You are the exalted World Tree, but am I worthless enough for a young World Tree like you to judge me?] Gnoass said sternly, letting out his fury with an overwhelming level of power. It seemed like one of them would be crushed just from this conversation alone. Noticing that, Davey said calmly, ¡°Gnoass, get back.¡± [Contractor.] Davey just smiled at Gnoass, who was being stubborn. ¡®Don¡¯t make me say it twice.¡¯ Davey turned his nce from Gnoass, who became quiet from his cold stare, to the woman in front of him. [My name is Yggdrasil, the great tree and the pir upholding the world.] ¡°The name is Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± The woman smiled beautifully, but her eyes shone with an indiscernible gaze. She asked, [Do you know why I have defied the trivial rules and havee to see you?] Davey quietly released Perserque¡¯s power. However, all he could see was a green light. ¡ªThe World Tree is a being that has received its name from divine will. I cannot discern her with my level of borrowed power. Perserque was saying that a higher level of power had blocked hers. The World Tree¡¯s physical abilities were much weaker than any ordinary knight; Yggdrasil was almost just a regr person. However, the power she had was strange. This was the first time the power of the Abyss had been blocked. ¡°How would I know if you don¡¯t tell me?¡± [Chuckle, why don¡¯t you take a guess?] ¡°What is the point of that? I¡¯ll just look stupid if you refuse to admit it,¡± Davey replied calmly. Yggdrasil chuckled in amusement. [All right. I also do not have enough time to y this game, so let¡¯s cut to the chase. Return Yuria to me.] ¡®It seems like I kidnapped her or something when you put it this way.¡¯ ¡°Is that the reason you came all the way from the west? To tell me that?¡± [Hm¡­ I guess you also know that I have put down my roots in the western continent.] ¡°I¡¯ve heard and seen a lot more than you know. I deny your request. Yuria has be a resident of the Heins Territory. No one can touch her without my permission, whether it be the empire or the World Tree.¡± [Hm, that is troublesome.] ¡°You are the one in trouble. I have nothing to lose.¡± [You are beaming with confidence, my child. You will definitely be able to stop some of my abilities with Gnoass¡¯ power. It is still a mystery as to how a human can summon the great being of the Earth.] Yggdrasil calmly acknowledged the truth. Then, as if unable to do anything else, she said, [My child, this is not because of my personal greed, and I cannot let this go.] ¡°Personal greed¡­¡± [My child, do you know of the Demon Lord?] ¡°Demon Lord?¡± [Yes, there was a Demon Lord who existed three thousand years ago that made every being on this continent tremble in fear.] Yggdrasil mumbled quietly as if she was telling an old tale. [That Demon Lord¡¯s name is Perserque. The true evil of all time that flooded the continent in blood is about to awaken, and no one will be able to stop the fury of the Demon Lord, who has been waiting for their awakening.] Yggdrasil spoke in aforting manner, but what she was saying didn¡¯t matter; all Davey did was calmly stare at the girl who was floating next to him. He thought, ¡®She¡¯s talking about Demon Lord Perserque.¡¯ ¡ªShe¡¯s talking about me. The silver-haired girl turned to Davey at the exact time he did and stared at him in puzzlement. Chapter 181 For a moment, silence nketed the entire area. This was no surprise. Perserque¡¯s existence was not that widely known in the world, so there was a high chance that they truly did not know much about her. ¡°Co¡­ Cough!¡± However, just because they knew and understood something did not mean that everything would work out for them. Davey tried to contain hisughter by shutting his mouthpletely. On the other hand, the former Demon Lord, the one involved in the matter, was alreadyughing loudly, with tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Davey still could not believe that the World Tree was trying to resurrect Demon Lord Perserque. They appeared to believe that as long as the Demon Lord, someone filled with hatred, was awakened to the world, the entire continent would be bathed in a sea of blood. ¡®Are you truly filled with hatred?¡¯ ¡ªKyahahahahaha!!! But since Perserque was not visible, all Yggdrasil could see was Davey trying to hold in hisughter. [Is there something funny about what I said?] ¡°No, everything¡¯s fine. My answer remains the same. I refuse. Yuria is already a resident of Heins Territory. It¡¯s none of my business whatever it is you want to do with the Demon Lord.¡± Besides, even if Perserque was resurrected now, she was not restricted to whatever they wanted to do. She did not even have any reason or justification to wage war in the world. After giving an answer to Yggdrasil, Davey flicked his finger and released the illusion magic that he had cast on the ancient guards earlier on. ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Urgh! Ha¡­ Ha¡­¡± As they gasped and moaned in pain, a voice rang in their ears. ¡°Come at me if you want to find her. If you remain stubborn and don¡¯t have any room forpromise, all that¡¯s left for us is to engage in barbaric acts and get into armed conflict.¡± From Davey¡¯s point of view, if there was no room for negotiation between hostile factions and neither side couldpromise, then there was only one answer. The result would be quite bittersweet, but there was no reason for Davey to hesitate, especially if he already knew the oue. [Why can¡¯t you just go along with the trend and follow the times? Can you even handle the anger of Demon Lord Perserque, someone who is known as the supreme evil?] ¡°From the beginning, you already expected such results. So¡­why are you wagging that long tongue of yours?¡± What Davey said next was how he truly felt. ¡ªThis again? Perserque sounded fed up with Davey and just ignored him as usual. ¡°If you¡¯re scared, then why don¡¯t you just go and die?¡± Meanwhile, the ancient guards, with tears and drool dripping down their faces, continued to gasp. They looked like they had not yet escaped the terrible darkness and fear that Davey had shown them. If they did not have the force and the power in their bodies supporting them, they would have already run away from the terrible situation, a situation where they were not even allowed to breathe. Inside the darkness, where everything had been taken away from them, the only thing that they could rely on were their senses. There weren¡¯t that many people, especially those who were only given an ordinary human¡¯s body and abilities, that could hold onto their sanity if they were suddenly dropped in a dark and unknownbyrinth and left running away from monsters with chainsaws in their hands. Because of that, the ancient guards lookedpletely helpless. They could not even stand up; they just kept gasping to try and catch their breaths. They lookedpletely different from when they had attacked Aina Helishana earlier. p! At that moment, the incarnation of World Tree Yggdrasil, who had been silent up until this moment, pped her hands once. ¡°Urgh?!¡± ¡°Hngh!¡± The panicked and flustered ancient guards turned to look at Yggdrasil with bulging eyes. They still trembled from the fear and terror that they had experienced, but the alertness and rity had started to return to their eyes. From what it looked like, they were starting to escape from the total andplete panic from earlier. [My children, I¡¯m sorry. This is because your mother is toocking, I can¡¯t persuade that human child.] Yggdrasil¡¯s words only had one simple meaning. ¡°Kgghk¡­ ugh¡­¡± The ancient guards, who were panting as they faced Yggdrasil, turned to look at Davey and quickly stood up as if they had finally returned to their senses. They drew their weapons and moved to surround Davey as if they were keeping him in check. As they tried to stop trembling, the ancient guards red at Davey, showing both fear and hostility in their eyes. They were looking at him in doubt, wondering if he was truly the one who had done all that to them. [I don¡¯t know if I can kill you right away, but one thing is for sure: you won¡¯t have it easy. You will definitely suffer.] As Yggdrasil¡¯s calm voice echoed in the area, a green stream of energy floated from her and gathered around the elves. This was the World Tree¡¯s Blessing, and only one result coulde from this. The still-trembling elves, the very same elves who hadn¡¯tpletely escaped from the terror earlier on, took a deep breath and aimed their weapons at Davey. From what it looked like, they finally realized that Davey was the cause of all of their suffering. The weapons in the ancient guards¡¯ hands were different from ordinary arrows. These arrows were embedded with spirit stones. Judging by firepower alone, the elves in front of Davey were very determined to kill him. ¡°Human¡­ You dare to make a fool out of us? You will pay for your sins,¡± one of the male elves dered. He had a murderous glint in his re as he pointed his rapier at Davey. Davey, however, just grabbed the rapier, pulled it away from the elf, pointed it at him, and murmured, ¡°Since I don¡¯t have my weapons with me, I¡¯ll borrow this for a moment.¡± The elf was immediately flustered. He drew the dagger on his waist the moment he realized that his weapon was gone and took some distance from Davey. It seemed like the elf was a master-ss existence for a reason. ¡°How dare you¡­ How dare you use our elven weapon?! A mere human like you?!¡± ¡°Since when did the rapier be exclusive to the elves? I did not release the magic I cast on you just to hear that tongue of yours make some absurd joke,¡± Davey said. He thought that he should take this opportunity to release his stress. Since he was very annoyed, his first blow naturally caught the leader-like figure among them. A rapier was truly a perfect weapon for those who had weaker muscle strength but great speed. It was the perfect fit for the elves, who had lower muscle masspared to humans but were very flexible. However, it was quite ironic¡ªthe one who had created the rapier was a human, but it was the elves who had explored the weapon in-depth and devised new ways to use it. For the elves who were unaware of the truth about the past, it had to be an eyesore to see Davey strutting around in their front yard and using the weapon that they were proud of, especially since they had just suffered from Davey¡¯s spell just now. However, these idiots hadpletely forgotten who Davey was and what he was capable of. Actually, Davey could understand their overflowing pride. Even if they looked like that, they were still the best of the best in the Divine Tree. Unfortunately for them, their opponent was much stronger. All Davey did was thrust forward from a slightly crouched position. In truth, he did not really have much skill to show when it came to the rapier. He was not familiar with using a thrust-oriented weapon. However, that did not matter. In the end, a sword was a weapon. And when it came to weapons, the most efficient way to kill a person was inevitably the same. All Davey needed to do was to stab, cut, and sh. ¡°How dare someone like you pick up a rapier to fight against me? I have been dealing with a rapier my entire life!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think of stopping me.¡± Davey opened his eyes slowly. His voice was calm and serene as he said, ¡°You can try, but it¡¯s futile.¡± [Demonic Sword 28th Form.] [Fiendish Rakshasa.] All Davey did was simply lunge forward, but the tip of his rapier was headed straight toward the gap in his opponent¡¯s defenses. If the elves wanted to block such a fast thrust, they had to be capable of discerning even the most minute shift in his movement. ¡°Ha!¡± The Ancient Guard who was at the vanguard and rushing toward where Davey was immediately raised the metal shield on his wrist and snorted. However, the price that he had to pay for ignoring Davey¡¯s warning would definitely not be light. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me.¡± ng!!! A loud ng reverberated in the area the moment Davey¡¯s left foot made contact with the ground. It was as if iron shed with iron. At the same time, a bright light shed. Without the elf even realizing it, Davey had stabbed him in the pit of the stomach, the middle of the forehead, and the sr plexus. The elf still charged forward, not realizing that he was already dead, but in spite of its momentum, his charge failed to reach Davey... ¡°Cap¡­ Captain Sr!!!¡± ¡°Damn bastard!!!¡± The elves could not even see what had hit theirrade, but seeing the copsed elf in front of them made their fury rise, which in turn clouded their judgment. The remaining elves all lunged at Davey, wanting to pierce him right through. It did not matter how excellent the World Tree¡¯s recovery ability, an ability that was limited to the elves, was. In this situation, her recovery and healing ability would not be of much help at all. After all, Yggdrasil did not have the power to save an already dead elf. One of the elves aimed at Davey¡¯s throat with his rapier as he charged forward. Seeing that attack, Davey decided to skip dodging and blocking. He just thrust forward and dug through that elf¡¯s weakness. [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Suppression] [Total Destruction] Crack!!! ¡ªUgh¡­ I¡¯m just watching, but I can also feel the girl¡¯s pain. Davey had mmed his head against a girl¡¯s forehead. It was so loud that it sounded like the girl¡¯s skull had broken apart. Crack, crack!!! With the eerie sound of bones breaking, another elf had copsed. Perhaps it was because Davey¡¯s force far exceeded what they had expected. Thest elf that tried to attack Davey head on panicked and tried to flee. However, Davey had already caught him. Crack, crack!!! Crack, crack!!! ¡°Keuaaaaaaaack!!!¡± The elf screamed desperately as Davey dislocated his shoulder and broke his ribs. However, Davey did not kill the elf. He lifted the elf that he had easily overpowered and blocked the projectile flying straight at him. Stab!!! With a bone-chilling sound, the arrow that contained the power of the spirit pierced through the elf¡¯s forehead. The elf was turned into a meat shield, and the arrow burst out from the back of his head. The arrow that contained a spirit stone had been aiming for Davey¡¯s navel. But instead of hitting their enemy, it had struck theirrade. The sharp arrowhead not only had pierced through the elf¡¯s head but was also close to piercing through Davey¡¯s as well. However, it stopped right before his nose. ¡°Kyaaaack! Men¡­ Menvee! No!!!¡± The elven woman who was holding the bow screamed. Her eyes widened in shock. Perhaps it was because she had shot her colleague instead of Davey, but she lost herposurepletely. She screamed, ¡°Damn you! You bastard!!! Monster!!!¡± On the other hand, the other elf in charge of the rear immediately widened the distance between him and Davey, pulling the string of his bow tightly. It seemed like he had finally realized the situation that they were in. ¡°The rapier is quite light.¡± ¡°Urk?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s perfect for throwing too. Remember that well and make sure to practice it in your next life.¡± Stab!!! The elf could not even finish the attack even after nocking two arrows on his bow. That was because Davey had already sted a hole in his head and killed him. In the end, the only elf left was the one still reeling from shock after killing her ownrade. The woman was a master-ss being and someone who had signed a contract with a high-ranking spirit. However, that did not matter at all. After all, all four of her colleagues, including herself, had suffered under the hands of Davey. They could not even do anything to him. And their only ally, the World Tree? She could not even help the elves at all, especially with Spirit King Gnoass standing by the side. In fact, the elves should have known from the very first time they heard that a human had summoned a Spirit King. From what it looked like, the woman also just had a realization, her expression visibly darkening and her body slumping down. Davey approached the elf. ¡°¡­¡± The emotions that shed through the elf¡¯s face was that of terror, confusion, and shame. As Davey came closer and closer to her, she¡­wet the pants hidden under her blue ancient guard uniform. The woman looked quite pitiful as she looked up at Davey with her eyes wide open and her lips trembling. Unfortunately, Davey had never intended to keep her alive. That was why he was going to use dark magic. The woman¡¯s eyes slowly turned from Davey¡¯s face to his hands that were gathering mana silently. Then, she gritted her teeth so hard that she could not even articte words properly. ¡°This¡­ This is a lie¡­¡± No matter the race, anyone would go through the same five stages of reaction when witnessing something unbelievable. The elves were no exception. ¡°This ispletely impossible!!! There¡¯s no way such a monster exists!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to send you off swiftly and painlessly.¡± The first reaction was topletely deny all of the facts that were clearly in front of their eyes. Thump!!! Chapter 182 A thick cloud of dust bloomed from the huge explosion. The explosion was so violent that even the ground crumbled from the impact, creating somewhat of an earthquake. It was a very powerful blow that no one could even endure and fight against. However, Davey withdrew without any hesitation after he felt a subtle feeling on the tips of his fingertips. Davey was using a basic mana maniption method, which would force the opponent to tremble from their insides before disrupting the mana flow in their body. It was a very unstable skill that could easily be dispelled by someone with a strong resistance. However, for someone who had given up on resisting, like the panicked woman in front of Davey, the skill could easily kill her. It was also a skill that allowed Davey to kill anyone without damaging the physical body. Despite the attack already brewing in his hands, Davey stopped himself from touching the woman. The elven woman remained safe while the ground right next to her was overturned and damaged. In fact, the ground looked like it had been scratched and torn apart by a vicious and ferocious animal. ¡°Hup!¡± The woman huped loudly. Her face copsed even further from the fear and terror of the attack. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªDavey? Perserque called out to Davey, wondering why he suddenly stopped his attack. ¡ªWhy did you suddenly stop your attack¡­? ¡®Use your authority,¡¯ Davey answered Perserque calmly as he looked at Yggdrasil, who was frowning from the onught of Gnoass¡¯ power. The World Tree was not an idiot. Despite knowing that they would be annihted upon invading this ce and having an armed conflict against Davey and Heins Territory, they still came. They even threw a suggestion that Davey would never ept. Did the World Tree do something like this without pondering over the matter? Really? Did she really bring a pregnant mother here without pondering over this matter? ¡°What a f*cking bastard,¡± Davey said. He frowned from the World Tree¡¯s actions as a crazy bastard. ¡ªMy goodness¡­ Perserque turned pale after using her Abyss¡¯ Authority, upon Davey¡¯s suggestion, on the copsed elven woman in front of her. Even if Davey wanted to beat them to death countless times over, he would never resort to killing a pregnant woman. That was something that he would never, ever do. He had a conscience, unlike the World Tree, who just did somethingpletely wrong and unforgivable. ¡°World Tree.¡± [As expected, you have a keen eye on things.] ¡°You¡¯re going back just like that?¡± Baaaaaang!!! Once Davey was done talking, Yggdrasil¡¯s incarnation and the surrounding area was crushed by Gnoass¡¯ power. A huge explosion took ce. Of course, it was not an attack that could harm the World Tree¡¯s body, someone that exceeded the general poption¡¯s strength and prowess. Davey frowned, jumping without hesitation and grabbing the World Tree by its head. The World Tree¡¯s short body eventually appeared and was firmly in his grip. [Ugh¡­] Davey wiped the expression off of his face as he listened to Yggdrasil¡¯s painful groans. It was quite ridiculous how one could be more cold and detached the more angry they became, just like Davey right now. Davey truly had no reason to be infuriated at how the elven mother was treated. However, he was furious by the fact that he almost made a pregnant woman explode from the inside. It put him in a very f*cked up situation. ¡°All under-aged elves should bepletely protected. For the World Tree, all elves are her children,¡± Davey said calmly as he made eye contact with Yggdrasil. The situation here was clearly much more problematic than before. However, Yggdrasil just looked at Davey nonchntly as if it did not matter to her at all. [This is my final warning. Return Yuria to me.] ¡°I refuse.¡± [If that¡¯s the case, then the elves and the humans will go past the point of no return.] After speaking calmly, Yggdrasil turned away from Davey and said to one Ancient Guard, [Pene¡­ Forgive me.] Davey wondered why Yggdrasil was asking forgiveness. Then, the elf named Pene, who was struggling to get up with her pale face, turned to Yggdrasil and looked at her with wide eyes. [I will remember¡­your sacrifice forever¡­] After hearing Yggdrasil¡¯s calm murmur, Pene¡¯s gaze turned determined. As if she had made up her mind, she picked up one of the rapiers on the ground and slowly stood up. [Isn¡¯t it funny? I am the World Tree. I am the ruler, the root, and the pir of the elves.] ¡°¡­¡± [Yet there are elves, like Yuria, in the Divine Tree that question the idea of me, the World Tree, ruling above them.] Davey frowned when he realized what Yggdrasil was talking about. Stab!!! At the same time, Pene lifted the rapier in her hands and stabbed herself in the heart. Now, all five Ancient Guards were dead. As silence ensued in the area, Yggdrasil said quietly, [Urk¡­ This is my victory. This is me using you, but what can I do? This is something that I have to do to follow and cope with the flow of the world¡­] Yggdrasil had created a cause and a reason that forced Davey to kill the five Ancient Guards brutally. In fact, Davey should have realized it the moment he saw them strutting confidently and fighting a losing battle. When Davey mmed her roughly on the ground after hearing her bitter musings, Yggdrasil could not help but look at Davey in confusion. She found his actions so unexpected. However, she could not voice out her doubts. All she could do was groan faintly at Davey¡¯s rough handling as he grabbed her head once again. ¡°So it¡¯s not enough for you to mess with someone else¡¯snd? You still have to strut in my house and speak all this nonsense, huh? And since you¡¯re just an incarnation, you think it¡¯s alright to just die and go back after doing all that, huh?¡± World Tree Yggdrasil must have dered to the elves in their holynd, the Divine Tree, that they woulde to the humans¡¯nd to negotiate peace. The elves, who were unaware of the World Tree¡¯s true cause, would definitely praise her for her decision to pursue peace. When they learn of the pregnant elven woman, the other Ancient Guards, and their spiritual support, the incarnation of the World Tree, were brutally murdered by a human¡­ The World Tree could manipte the story and make it so that her incarnation had disappeared while the Ancient Guards had died brutally while protecting her. What an interesting scenario, right? After all, no one could refute it since the World Tree was the only one who could tell the news to everyone in the Divine Tree. In the end, everything so far had gone ording to World Tree Yggdrasil¡¯s maniptions. This situation would turn Davey into a ferocious viin who enjoyed the ughter and murder of elves from the holynd, Divine Tree. On the other hand, it would paint the World Tree as a saint who believed in humans and world peace but had be a victim of betrayal and corruption. However, Davey believed that there was no use crying over spilt milk. If that was the case, then¡­ ¡°Fine. Since things have already reached this point, you can do whatever you want.¡± In the first ce, Davey still had deep loathing and disgust for the elves living in the Divine Tree. Now that his opponents had caused such a situation, he had no choice but to answer them in kind and resort to terrible and dirty things. Davey raised his other hand with his index and middle fingers straightened while his other hand yanked Yggdrasil¡¯s head. His eyes slowly turned ck as dark mana gathered at the tips of his fingers. Since the opponent openly showed her hostility towards him, then Davey had to return it in kind. He would roll up his sleeves and help her in the process. ¡°Go on, go back to the Divine Tree and ignite the ire of the elves. Then,e at me with all you¡¯ve got. I¡¯ve already told this to Yuria. But since you¡¯re here in front of me, I¡¯m going to tell you about it too, so clear those ears of yours and listen well,¡± Davey growled at the World Tree who did not even resist and acted as if she wanted him to kill her quickly. He went on, ¡°The moment your main body appears before my very eyes is the day the pirs of the world will be cut down under my de. You started this war, so I will make you take full responsibility for it.¡± [Kghhk¡­ Urk, kghhhk¡­] Since the World Tree dared to y tricks on him, it was only fair to make her suffer. The force of a powerful high-ranking curse vibrated at the tip of Davey¡¯s fingers, its energy spilling into the surroundings. However, Yggdrasil just smiled without any resistance. She could easily break free by exercising her authority, but she did nothing. She wanted Davey to kill her quickly. [Soon, the elves will all gather ande here to kill you. What¡¯s more, existences with favorable impressions of elves wille here too. Can you endure everyoneing here and showing their hostility towards you and you alone?] The only pretext that Yggdrasil had was the five elves¡¯ deaths and the incarnation of the World Tree¡¯s demise. Then again, war did not truly need any big reason to take ce. What was the reason for earth¡¯s World War I back then? It had started because of the assassination of two people alone. Davey roughly let go of Yggdrasil¡¯s head with a cold expression still on his face. He looked Yggdrasil in the eyes and growled, ¡°Which shape do you like? A ¡®m¡¯ shape or a circle?¡± [What?] Bang!!! Davey then poked Yggdrasil¡¯s head and ced his dark magic, which was loaded with countless curses, on her forehead. From simple curses to those strong enough to corrupt and devour the Divine Tree, they were Yggdrasil¡¯s ticket to a Death Road somewhere. ¡®From hair loss to atopy[1], you deserve it. Damn b*tch.¡¯ ¡°Right, war¡­ War is great. Come at me if you can.¡± [Urk?!] ¡°From the first bastard thates¡­¡± Davey looked at the slowly copsing Yggdrasil and issued a dangerous warning, ¡°¡­I will smash them all to pieces!¡± Smash!!! Davey smashed Yggdrasil¡¯s head. This was his deration of war against an entire race, and it was much cleaner and far more horrifying than what he had thought. *** ¡°Ugh¡­ Ughhh.¡± With a grown, a brown-skinned elven woman slowly got up from the ground. Her groan echoed in the otherwise silent field. The woman pressed on her chest as she slowly got up, as if still hurting even after having been healed by Davey¡¯s magic. She looked around in confusion and mumbled, ¡°What happened¡­ I definitely died back then¡­¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Davey standing not far from her. ¡°Long time no see, Jack.¡± It was true that they hadn¡¯t seen each other for quite a while. The woman¡¯s eyes widened even further after hearing Davey¡¯s greeting. Then, as if remembering something, she patted her chest in a panic and stuttered, ¡°My, my ne¡­!¡± ¡°Skip the disguise. I knew who you were from the very beginning, Aina Helishana.¡± Aina looked at Davey silently. Her wary expression was clear as day. She asked, ¡°How do you know my name¡­?¡± ¡°Ask about trivial matterster. I¡¯m not in the mood to answer your questions at all,¡± Davey muttered nonchntly as he carried Aina. Hemented, ¡°Your condition is quite stable at the moment. I barely pulled you out of death¡¯s door, so you better stay silent and obediently stay on my back. I don¡¯t want blood spilling on me.¡± Despite her confusion, Aina remained silent. *** A bright light shed among the leaves of a gigantic tree, which shook violently. Then, the body of a woman slowly took shape from one of the tree¡¯s roots on the ground. She was none other than World Tree Yggdrasil, the gigantic tree and the incarnation¡¯s main body. [Ugh¡­] Yggdrasil gasped, moaning in pain. The pain coursing through her veins was extremely terrible. Although the incarnation was not the main body, it was still part of the Divine Tree and it had beenpletely destroyed by a mere human. And since that incarnation carried quite a lot of power, the rebound on the main body was not that light. [Cough.] Yggdrasil coughed, undressing herself and descending from the otherwise empty and quiet altar. She immediately immersed herself inside a clear and transparentke that was located on one side of her roots. To everyone here, this was the most sacred and divineke. Yggdrasil trembled as she scrubbed fiercely and cleaned herself, like a mysophobic patient who had been thrown into a nest of bugs. Her hands were balled into fists so tight that her nails could break. [How dare he put a curse on the body of the Divine Tree? He is quite gutsy. If only the origin¡¯s restriction upon us was not in ce¡­ I would have already erased all of the beings in that territory.] Yggdrasil mumbled as she sank deeper into theke. She had achieved her primary objective and she did expect to fail to bring Yuria back. Thanks to that expedition, the divided political views and factions in the Divine Tree were now going toe together. ¡®What¡¯s that popr phrase? The enemy of an enemy is an ally?¡¯ From this point on, the radicals and the conservatives who shed with one another were going to unite and vent their anger toward that young man named Davey O¡¯Rowane and his territory. Although the human had cursed her before her incarnation¡¯s death, Yggdrasil thought nothing of the curses. She believed that she could easily remove them. After all, theke where she was bathing in could cleanse anything filthy and leave behind a spotless canvas. She firmly believed that the curses ced upon her body would soon be washed away. [Hmm?] However, Yggdrasil¡¯s eyes could not help but widen after seeing the long hair hanging on her fingertips. She was sping a lot of hair in her hands. ¡°We¡­ We are in trouble! The leaves of Mother Divine Tree¡¯s branches are falling!!!¡± ¡°Something happened to our mother! Quick! Bring the priests to the altar to see mother! The rest of you, summon your water spirits and chant the spell healing!¡± Hurried cries rang in Yggdrasil¡¯s ears as she thought, ¡®My children areing here in this situation?¡¯ [¡­] Her silence remained longer than necessary. 1. A gic problem that involves the immune system that makes one be more likely to develop allergic reactions and diseases. ? Chapter 183 67. The Central Continent and A Difficult Guest. ¡ªDavey, if elves treat you as their enemy, some humans will treat you the same. People struggled with epting the happiness of their own families, let alone strangers. If elves suddenly appeared and treated Davey as the enemy, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if others hopped onto the bandwagon and did the same. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to do anything just yet.¡± ¡ªThey won¡¯t? ¡°Yeah.¡± The curses that the Death Lord had taught Davey were tobat and defend against other curses, and Davey had no intentions of letting all of those lessons go to waste. For the dozens of curses that he had cast, it would take at least a few months to a year to break them. He hadn¡¯t used their curses out of irritation but out of the expectation that he would have conflict with the elves someday. As such, he didn¡¯t think it was a good idea to just take bold action right from the start. ¡°Anyway, what do you think?¡± ¡ªAbout what? ¡°The fact that there are people trying to bring you back to life.¡± Perserque looked at Davey with a bitter expression. ¡ªI don¡¯t know. Feels like that was the only truth that the World Tree said. Perserque, who was speaking calmly, suddenly looked at Davey with wide eyes. -Wait¡­ Davey! If I cane back to life! ¡°...¡± Perserque still hadn¡¯t given up on the Transcendence¡¯s Demise. ¡ªDavey! Just leave this for now! I will find a body ande back to life for sure! Perserque waspletely motivated, but Davey wondered if the unknown beings who were trying to resurrect her would ce some limitations on her revival. He muttered, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± ¡ªI wille back to life! I have no intentions of entering Nirvana before having that beautiful staff in my hands!! ¡°All right, all right.¡± It was a relief that news of the horrifying incident had not reached the territory. As the night deepened, Davey looked down at the lively streets that were still in a celebratory and festive mood from the window. Then, he walked over to the small room on the quiet, upper floor. ¡°...¡± In the room was a woman silently lying on the bed. Her sky-blue eyes shone. ¡°This is the first time that we are meeting like this, right?¡± Davey asked. ¡°How long¡­have you known this?¡± Aina asked quietly. Davey shrugged indifferently. ¡°From the moment I saw you.¡± ¡°...¡± Aina looked up at Davey in silence. She found that answer thoroughly ridiculous. She was definitely an adult elf in terms of age, but she still looked like a child due to her short height. ¡°First, thank you for saving me.¡± ¡°Yeah, you should be. You can consider yourself to be in my debt.¡± ¡°They are separate matters,¡± Aina coldly criticized Davey, then her eyes widened as she realized something. She blurted out, ¡°Then, what you said before about not liking elves?!¡± ¡°Of course, I did it on purpose.¡± ¡°You fraud!¡± It was quite funny that Aina, who was quite cold and emotionless, was showing this much emotion, but Davey did not say anything about that. He simplymented, ¡°Who are you going to me? It¡¯s your fault for falling for it. And besides, I didn¡¯t lie.¡± It was true that Davey still did not like elves. He had epted the elves of the Moon Forest because they were a little more open at least, but he still did not view the old, rigid, pointy ears favorably. ¡°...How did you figure it out? The artifact that changes one¡¯s appearance¡­¡± ¡°I know because I can see through it.¡± ¡°That¡­ You said that to me when you first saw me.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I said it.¡± ¡°Ha! I waspletely yed.¡± Aina sighed and lowered her head, as if feeling empty from the realization that she had been yed this entire time. ¡°Well, I did respect your request and have brought you here where no one else can see you. So, why are you trying to hide? Elves are no longer a secret since there are elves in this territory now.¡± When Aina stayed silent even after his questions, Davey asked another. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right for you to hide just because you¡¯re a Dark Elf. Wait, are you¡­?¡± ¡°Please, I am begging you. Please do not ask me anything,¡± Aina mumbled calmly with her head down. ¡°No one in this territory can see my true self. That is why I worked in the disguise of a man. Although, that has now broken¡­¡± Davey slowly nodded as if he thought about something. ¡°That artifact. Are there no spares?¡± ¡°I made that artifact with the help of an oddball when I wandered around after leaving the forest. There aren¡¯t any more of it since it cannot be detected by mana,¡± Aina answered. Davey looked at Aina quietly before asking, ¡°Do you want me to make you one?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Aina looked puzzled. ¡°Wait.¡± Davey then pulled out a simple ruby ring from his Pocket ne. He released mana from his hand and channeled it into the ring. [Metamorphosis] [Illusion] After using a simple illusion spell and an appearance-changing spell, Davey said, ¡°It¡¯s probably not as perfect as what you used before, but be satisfied with this for now. The activation word is [Change]. You will transform instantly if you blow a little mana into it.¡± Aina looked surprised as she took the ring. Then, she cautiously put the ring on her index finger and mumbled, ¡°[C¨CChange].¡± As soon as she muttered the activation word, Aina¡¯s physical appearance began to change right in front of Davey. Her frail physique becamerger and muscr, and her light brown skin lightened. Noticing all of those changes, shemented, ¡°I¡¯m just not used to it¡­ It¡¯s a little ufortable.¡± ¡°I just made it, so of course it is slightly ufortable. It can be detected by mana, and the slightest impact will undo it. So, tread lightly.¡± ¡®I¡¯m doing a lot for you, aren''t I?¡¯ As Davey smiled, Aina took a deep breath before asking, ¡°Now can you hear out my request?¡± Davey nodded. ¡°Well, I can hear it for sure.¡± Aina pulled out a map that was ripped apart, then said, ¡°It is a small ind in the eastern continent¡¯s western region.¡± ¡°Ind?¡± ¡°Yes, it has be the Land of the Undead because the forest has be deeply corrupt.¡± ¡°So, you want to go on a treasure hunt?¡± ¡°Simr, but not quite. The thing we are after is not treasure but a piece of evidence; evidence that the Saint of the Divine Tree has betrayed the elves and is borrowing the power of the Undead.¡± Aina was also fighting the Saint of the Divine Tree, but Davey was quick to give a firm answer without hesitation, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Haah?!¡± ¡ªWhat? ¡°Hm?¡± Aina quivered, surprised by the answer. She avoided Davey¡¯s gaze as he stared at her like something was wrong with her. She murmured, ¡°Y¡­ You said you would grant it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to anymore.¡± ¡°Haah?!¡± Davey heard another strange sounding from Aina when he answered firmly. It wasn¡¯t that he had misheard her, so he reflexively borrowed Perserque¡¯s ¡®Check Information¡¯ powers and used it on Aina. ¡®I have to find out if I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Bleep¡­ With a sound that only Davey could hear, Aina¡¯s information appeared on the status window in front of him. ¡°...¡± After taking a look, Davey felt like he didn¡¯t want to know more. ¡ªAll these pointy ears are so ridiculous. Some leader of a forest was hiding her sadistic nature, and now there was this. Davey couldn¡¯t stop himself from frowning at the situation. * * * The festival was a sess, but the other incident couldn¡¯t be even more of a failure. Last night, Davey had taken care of all the elves who had attacked the territory. He had led a small group of people to bury all five Ancient Guards before creating the headstones for them. Davey felt most bitter about the elf who hadmitted suicide. He had no remorse for the woman named Pene, but he didn¡¯t feel all that good about the fact that her unborn baby had died together with her. Whether elves or humans, it was never good to see an unborn child die. Aina was strongly against making the headstones. In fact, she had argued with Davey because she couldn¡¯t understand why he was making headstones for them when they had caused him such trouble. However, Davey still made the headstones for his own reasons and purposes. If he didn¡¯t have the reason for it, he would have just left them there, buried them, or cremated them. He didn¡¯t want to hide the elves¡¯ deaths. He wanted to have clear evidence that the elves hade to attack the territory and had died here. Sometimes, to build toward the big picture, Davey had to take some questionable and small actions. The headstones were empty and nameless. It was nothing but a cross made out of sticks being stuck onto the ground. Burying the bodies and then covering them up was also as easy as breathing to Spirit King Gnoass, so it was no difficult or long task at all. It was quite amusing to see Aina¡¯s shocked expression when she realized that Davey was contracted to Gnoass afterwards. ¡°Twinkle twinkle wittle staar!¡± ¡°H~ How I wonder what you are!¡± Davey watched the two children show off their talents in amusement. The children stood side by side and bent their knees together while shaking their hands. They were performing a simple song and dance Davey had taught them. It seemed that the girls found it interesting enough to practice and show it to Davey, who found the performance so cute that he wanted to bite their cheeks. ¡°Aw, so cute! Why are you so cute?¡± Davey sincerely hugged the two girls. The girls giggled in delight and burrowed even deeper into Davey¡¯s chest. ¡°Rinne, where is Myuu?¡± ¡°Rinne¡­ Three people, too difficult a task¡­ Require additional¡­pay¡­¡± Rinne, who was dering a strike while limply lying on the floor, raised her head slightly and said, ¡°Reporting that Myuu is working with Elf Yuria.¡± ¡°All right. I¡¯ll take them today, so rest well.¡± ¡°Rinne¡­ Appreciates the rest.¡± Rinne looked quite peaceful as she quietly closed her eyes as if she had fallen asleep. Rinne sometimes chose to sleep like humans when she had to cool off her body that had overheated from too much movement. Thanks to that, she looked more like another species with wings and a halo floating on their head rather than a golem. After the incident with Elder Condae, Yuria was taking extra care of Myuu. It could be said that she was overdoing it. She seemed to be trying to give Myuu all the love that she hadn¡¯t been giving all at once, especially since she had the chance to do that now. Of course, considering what she had done so far, Davey wondered if that was the only reason. ¡°Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, where do you want to go with Daddy today?¡± ¡°T¨CThe Food Market!¡± ¡°Delicious food! Um, um! A ce with a lot of it!¡± The girls replied instantly. They were interested in the food market at the festival¡¯s human section. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± ¡°Yeah! Yeah!¡± ¡°Kyah!¡± The girls rubbed their cheeks against Davey in a good mood. ¡°I like Dada!¡± ¡°Blue Ribbon likes Daddy more!¡± The girls were seeminglypeting against each other. Although they were swords in their true forms, they developed and grew just like other children. Thinking about that, Davey wondered what it would be like to have a mother figure who wouldfort them and help guide them in the right way. The children did call Perserque ¡®Mommy¡¯, but she was just a spirit. The only person Davey could think of was¡­ ¡ªOf course, the onlydy who would match your type seems to be that cute princess from the Lyndis Empire. ¡®What about you?¡¯ ¡ªHey! I have no interest in a man who is more than a thousand years younger than me. Perserque was not interested? Davey scoffed and stared directly at her. ¡®You. We¡¯ll see if you really are resurrected like the World Tree said.¡¯ ¡ªHa. Do you think I will be afraid of you? ¡®I¡¯ll let you borrow the Transcendence¡¯s Demise.¡¯ ¡ªOf course, my type is someone like you. Of course. Davey wondered why Perserque was so easily bribed¡­ Then, he chuckled. ¡°Dada! You like Red Ribbon?¡± ¡°Yes, I like both Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon.¡± ¡°Th¨CThen, kiss Red Ribbon on the ch¨Ccheek!¡± Just when Davey was about to smile at how the children innocently and openly expressed their love¡­ ¡°D¡­ Dad?¡± Davey heard an unfamiliar voice that expressed bewilderment. ¡°Hm?¡± Davey momentarily froze before turning toward the voice. There was a shocked little girl who was all dressed up. She stood in ce with a tense face. Her fox ears on top of her teal-colored hair perked up like she was nervous; perhaps she was quite surprised by Davey. Chapter 184 Davey thought that this current situation was the very definition of awkward. ¡®Why are all these esteemed princesses of empires taking turns visiting me?¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t engage with other kingdoms¡¯ nobility or royalty that visited during the festival, because it would be endless if he were to engage with all of them. In that sense, he should do the same with the beastfolk girl in front of him right now, but¡­ She was a little different, since she was not here for the festival. She hade for a routine check-up as Davey had treated her before. ¡°Um¡­ Are you ufortable because of me¡­?¡± The beastfolk girl was quick-witted, so she asked that question with an anxious expression. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was just looking at your condition, which appears to be fine right now.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you so much. I wasn¡¯t able to say a proper goodbye back then¡­¡± The beastfolk girl¡¯s face lit up as if she was relieved. Then, suddenly feeling startled, she instantly lowered her head and did not know what to do. ¡ªEven her ears are red. How can she be that adorable? Perserque flew all around the princess as if she wanted to give thetter a hug at any second. ¡°Anyways, I was a little surprised. I would have prepared something if you sent word that you were going toe.¡± Davey was lying. ¡°S¡­ Sorry. I was being a bit stubborn¡­¡± The beastfolk girl was lying too. Davey could sense that someone had strongly encouraged her toe. ¡°No, that is alright. Try the tea. It is quite fragrant.¡± Widening her eyes slightly, the beastfolk girl reached out and carefully sipped her tea. Although Yuria Helishana used crazy ingredients most of the time, no one in the entire seigneur¡¯s pce had more experience in brewing tea than her. Of course, she was quite good at brewing tea with ordinary ingredients as well. ¡°It is very fragrant,¡± Aeriamented. ¡°This tea is made by brewing Elicil leaves. It¡¯s a rare herb that only grows in the Forest of Elves.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Is that so?¡± There was nothing but silence between them as Aeria looked around, unable to find something to focus on. Disliking the quiet atmosphere, Red Ribbon tugged on Davey¡¯s clothes with a sad frown. ¡°D¡­ Dada.¡± ¡°Red Ribbon,e here.¡± Davey picked Red Ribbon up into his arms. Aeria¡¯s ears twitched. She suddenly turned to stare at the girls, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. The children were peeking out from behind Davey. ¡°Ee¡­ Eah¡­¡± Of course, the children groaned from the sudden attention. ¡°T¡­ Those children called you ¡®Dad¡¯ a little while ago¡­¡± Wondering about the children, Aeria looked like she was desperately wishing for something as she asked that question. It was somewhat courageous of her to do so. ¡ªI think I know what this is about. ¡®What is it?¡¯ ¡ªI don¡¯t know. Perserque giggled and backed away. She was teasing Davey. ¡°Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, say ¡®Hi¡¯. This is Princess Aeria.¡± ¡°A¡­ Aeria,¡± Red Ribbon quietly mumbled and repeated the name. ¡°S¡­ So cute!¡± Aeria¡¯s eyes sparkled as she watched the children squirm. She didn¡¯t know that she was also quite cute with that particr reaction. Then, her eyes widened and she shouted bravely, ¡°Um¡­ Y¨CYour Highness! I know it may be rude, but¡­ May I ask you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you! Um¡­ So¡­ Are the two children¡­¡± Aeria seemed flustered by Davey¡¯s silence, but still managed to finish her sentence. ¡°Are they your biological children?¡± Biological children¡­ Davey did give birth to Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon in a way. However, the children weren¡¯t human, so they weren¡¯t the kind of biological children that Aeria was asking about. ¡°The situation is a little strange, but I am raising these children.¡± Aeria¡¯s face lit up at Davey¡¯s calm response. She was flushed, then flustered, and finally her face lit up again. It was fascinating how animated she could be. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Letting out a sigh, Aeria looked around like she didn¡¯t know what to say before speaking cautiously, ¡°S¡­ So, I wanted to tell you how thankful I was! Um, so¡­ It was¡­¡± ¡°You said that a little while ago, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Aeria widened her eyes as if she was going to cry at any moment¡­ She had a cuteness that made Davey want to tease her even more. ¡®No, I can¡¯t.¡¯ If Emperor Deorte, who was taciturn and a crazy daughter fanatic, were to know that Davey teased Aeria in such a manner, he might be angry enough to send his military after Davey. No matter how yful he was, Davey wanted to avoid the tiring event of going to war against an empire. ¡®Anyway, I¡¯m going to have to do a closer examination.¡¯ ¡°Just in case, do you mind showing me your back?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I will do a more thorough examination just in case.¡± Flustered and surprised by Davey, Aeria quickly got up. It seemed like she had understood him, but she stuttered, ¡°O¡­ Okay. I¨CI¡¯m sorry, but your head¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± It seemed like Aeria had gotten the wrong idea. ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing if you watch me get undressed.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± It was quite a rare urrence for Davey to be bewildered, but he was by Aeria¡¯s innocence. ¡°You¡­don¡¯t have to take off your clothes. Just turn your back towards me.¡± Realizing that she had misunderstood, Aeria began tearing up from the humiliation. Davey sounded cold and stern as he abandoned all personal motives when treating Aeria as her doctor. Perhaps that was why Aeria flinched and looked dejected. It was adorable. Whoosh¡­ There was no more conversation after that. Davey quietly put his hand on Aeria¡¯s back and released mana during the awkward silence. With a slight vibration, the mana¡¯s buzzing resonated through the room. ¡°Haah¡­ Hup.¡± Davey thought it would be really nice if Aeria didn¡¯t make those weird sounds every time mana went inside her, but Perserque just giggled from afar as if she enjoyed seeing him suffer. And¡­ ¡°Rinne, collecting very excellent visual data. Appreciates this.¡± Rinne, who Davey didn¡¯t notice approaching, was standing outside the window and smiling creepily. Her reaction was annoying Davey. ¡°Kyahh!¡± When Davey held Aeria¡¯s shoulder to stop her from moving, she screamed in an adorable way at Rinne¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°Stay still. You shouldn¡¯t move.¡± No matter how quiet or awkward the atmosphere was, all those little things should be disregarded during a medical examination. Aeria froze in an awkward position when she heard Davey¡¯s firm voice. However, Davey stayed quiet. He kept carefully spreading mana and pushing it into Aeria¡¯s body. Unlike other diseases, the Melting eleration Virus was distinct and easy to find due to mana. As such, Davey was able to examine Aeria for the virus by spreading mana around her body with his hands and without any otherplicated medication. Although the virus wasn¡¯tpletely gone, a small amount of it couldn¡¯t cause a rpse. However¡­ ¡®What is this?¡¯ Davey could feel something strange in Aeria. It was like a superior virus that he had never seen before had been nted within her. She was possibly born with it, but she had no clue of it at all. ¡°I think you will be fully cleared in a month at the most. You must rest until then.¡± Aeria nodded like crazy after Davey calmly gave her an answer. ¡°Giggle¡­ Sir Davey, Rinne has obtained exceptional visual data. Analyze that it can be transformed into a lot of taste data if handed over to Yuria.¡± ¡®You¡¯re saying that Yuria will give you a lot to eat if you show this to her.¡¯ Sparks flew from Davey¡¯s eyes as he red at Rinne, who was mocking him. Hemanded, ¡°Leave. Go and y with the kids.¡± ¡°Rinne refuses. Sir Davey gave Rinne vacation today. Requesting that he guarantees Rinne to do whatever.¡± ¡°...¡± Rinne was basically protesting that she was free to do whatever she wanted because she was on vacation. Davey couldn¡¯t take away what he had given Rinne, so he was the one to wave the white g first. ¡°All done. You can turn now.¡± ¡°T¡­ Thank you.¡± Aeria looked down with a flushed face, then looked up at Davey and called out, ¡°Um¡­ Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If it is alright, may I give you a present?¡± Davey was confused, but he still nodded quietly. Then, with two hands, Aeria gave Davey the small basket that she had brought when they had first met. She exined, ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s chocte from a trending confectionary from the central continent! I made it myself. Please ept it!¡± Taking the basket from Aeria, Davey thought that this was quite simr to Valentine¡¯s Day, a trending event from his past life on Earth. ¡°Valentine¡¯s¡­ Oh!¡± Coming to a conclusion, Davey widened his eyes in realization. Then, he sincerely expressed his gratitude, ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Huh? Oh¡­ Yes! You¡¯re wee.¡± Aeria had taken it a different way, but Davey was already running simtions on how to use this event to get some cash or financial gains in his head. The thing about trends was that if it was maintained to a certain extent, it could develop into its own culture. And this kind of culture¡­would make a lot of money! ¡ªWhat should I do about this money-grubber¡­? Clicking her tongue, Perserque looked at Davey like he was pathetic. However, Davey was strictly thinking about nothing but spreading this story as trends began with a famous person doing something. What Davey didn¡¯t know now was how this decision woulde back to haunt himter¡­ * * * ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I am Kathryn Carabe, the Grand Duchess of the Lyndis Empire.¡± The greeting was quite formal. It seemed like Kathryn was forcing herself to be. ¡°Hello, Grand Duchess Kathryn. I¡¯m familiar with your great name.¡± Davey actually didn¡¯t know who she was, but he still said that he did. Kathryn, the woman with amber-colored hair who was standing in front of Davey, was the one who lightened up the tense atmosphere between Aeria and Davey. Suddenly appearing in the middle of the awkward silence, she had used all kinds of excuses to keep Aeria away and requested a one-on-one with him. ¡ªI heard of Grand Duchess Kathryn when I was still inside Caldeiras. She is the strongest swordsman of the Lyndis Empire. Listening to Perserque¡¯s mumbling, Davey quietly nced over at her. ¡°Please forgive my impertinence foring out of the blue. It was my idea that Her Highness and Ie here. I insisted,¡± Kathryn revealed with a smile. Davey clenched his jaw while maintaining a friendly smile. ¡®So, you¡¯re the culprit.¡¯ However, Davey hid his true emotions. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m curious, too. I¡¯m curious to see who our innocent Highness has deeply fallen for,¡± Kathryn said. ¡°Hm¡­ I wonder. I am grateful for your friendliness, but a small kingdom¡¯s prince such as myself is undeserving of Her Highness¡¯ attention.¡± ¡°Oh my, I did not think you would be this humble.¡± Kathryn giggled as her eyes shone yfully. Kathryn had a dangerous smile; just in terms of feelings, it seemed like she was as dangerous as the four psycho women in the Hall. But of course, the degree of it was iparable. ¡®I speak from experience when I say that you have to be careful of these kinds of women at all costs.¡¯ ¡ªWhy? ¡®They are enemies that I can¡¯t beat.¡¯ They were powerful but illogical nuisances, and they always took unbelievable actions. ¡®It¡¯s best not to get involved with a psycho like that. I guarantee you that this woman is just like them. My involvement will only bring me trouble.¡¯ After listening to Davey¡¯s answer, Perserque tilted her head in confusion. Chapter 185 ¡ªThat description¡­ Don¡¯t you think it actually fits you well? ¡®I could never be like that.¡¯ There was no way Davey could bepared to those psycho heroes. With a smile, Davey pressed Perserque¡¯s head down. At the same time, he sensed that the woman in front of him was watching him like a hawk and assessing him. He asked, ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Oh. nothing. I heard that you are very strong, Your Highness. I¡¯m just a little intrigued.¡± Davey smiled at Kathryn, whose speech kept interchanging between informal and formal. He knew that she was struggling to maintain her formality with him. He said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be formal, Grand Duchess. It seems like this is a rather difficult situation for you to be formal, so let¡¯s just speak informally.¡± ¡°Should we?¡± Kathryn replied like she had been waiting for this moment. She revealed a dangerous smile like a predator catching its prey. ¡°Then, Your Highness, since Her Highness has left, I will give you the message from the crown prince.¡± ¡®Since I received a lot of gifts to carry out this task,¡¯ Kathryn mumbled quietly, then handed Davey a short document. Feeling that something was off, Davey asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°This is an offer of engagement.¡± Davey froze at Kathryn¡¯s offer. ¡°Can I be honest? His Highness the Crown Prince Alberth and I have the same opinion regarding you, but His Majesty is quite stubborn.¡± Kathryn giggled and mumbled like a little devil setting up a trap. She went on, ¡°Honestly, our Princess Aeria is cute, right? Isn¡¯t she pretty? Her chest is as t as pancakes right now, but it will blossom like apples in a few years. Here, take this. Take it.¡± When Kathryn handed him a small and strange-looking bottle, Davey asked, ¡°What is this?¡± Kathryn giggled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a famous potion from the central continent. Take it and sleep with her. You know, it¡¯ll be difficult to get a bride like our adorable Princess Aeria.¡± ¡®What is she talking about?¡¯ As Davey quietly stared at her in confusion, Kathryn slowly approached like a saleswoman trying to work him. She cooed, ¡°Our Princess Aeria has an amazing body and such a cute voice. Honestly, you think so too, right? Right? For me, when I see her stretching in the morning, I want to kidnap her right at that moment and keep her at the Grand Duchess House.¡± Davey nodded subconsciously at Kathryn¡¯s straightforward questions. He was falling for her logic, since he always had a hard time with people like her. ¡°So, I¡¯m telling you that this is a rare opportunity! Do you think royalty would hate having grandchildren? His Majesty¡¯s initial fury will only fade away and it will only be a dinner table storyter on.¡± Davey froze. He was dumbfounded by Kathryn¡¯s proposal. Perserque, who was floating beside Davey, had her legs crossed and her hand on her chin. She muttered quietly. ¡ªYou are right on the money by calling her a dangerous psycho. Once again, Davey realized that his instincts were sometimes eerily urate. Kathryn was a clear reminder of that fact. Kathryn Carabe, the foxy Grand Duchess, put more pressure on Davey with her distinct yful smile. She pressured and hurried Davey so much that if she was a saleswoman, she would be forcing people to purchase her product and not just promoting it. When he finally regained his senses, Davey had a quill with wet ink on its tip in his hand. The pen was so close to the nk space where his signature should be. ¡®I awoke one morning and found myself famous. I awoke and found myself signing. How is this any different¡­¡¯[1] As Grand Duchess Kathryn said earlier on, Aeria was definitely a charming candidate to be engaged to. Even while Aeria tried her best to control her expressions around Red and Blue Ribbon, who were still guarded against her, she had an unrealistic cuteness and elegance to her. There weren¡¯t a lot of people like her around Davey. She was pretty charming and Davey would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t attracted to her at all. In fact, he actually thought that she would be the best partner if he absolutely had to get married. However¡­ ¡°This¡­ Being allies or not, I think I¡¯m going to have to go to war with the Lyndis Empire the moment I sign this,¡± Davey said jokingly. Right now, Davey saw this document as basically signing the agreement to go to war. Kathryn smiled bitterly beforeughing alongside Davey. She said reassuringly, ¡°Ahahahaha! Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. This is not only my offer, but also His Highness the Crown Prince¡¯s as well.¡± ¡°So, are you saying the two of you are confident that you will be able to handle His Majesty the Emperor of the Lyndis Empire?¡± Davey asked. Kathryn stroked her chin and answered, ¡°I assume that His Highness the Crown Prince will do something, but¡­ If anything happens, eh, I will give you all the support you need. You just have to care for our Princess; I will take care of the small things.¡± ¡°Is that not treason?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I am not part of any kingdom. I am loyal to the empire, but my master is always Her Highness.¡± Davey wondered if this was something the Grand Duchess, the pir upholding the Lyndis Empire, should be saying. Now, he was able to ascertain that she was much stranger than what he had imagined. ¡ªDavey¡­ Grand Duchess Kathryn is quite famous. Piecing together some of the things that child Illyna has said about her, Kathryn¡¯s personality is more like a carefree mercenary than a person of nobility. After listening to Perserque¡¯s exnation, Davey began to appreciate Kathryn¡¯s informal attitude much more than before. Of course, formalities were important, but people who were too caught up in them failed to see reality. The reverse was true as well. However, it was clear to him that Kathryn Carabe was not a fool who acted impulsively and thoughtlessly. This meant that her outward personality was a mere act to trick others and seize whatever benefits they had. No one knew what she was hiding beneath her mask; she could have some ulterior political motives beneath that easygoing attitude. ¡°The more I think of the engagement with the Princess, the more I realize the downsides and losses for her,¡± Davey said. ¡°Ahahaha! What are you talking about? If you are okay with it, those small things won¡¯t be a problem anymore. Or, what, do you want a political advantage? Money? Just name it, and we will be more than happy to support you.¡± ¡°...¡± Kathryn basically blocked Davey¡¯s only way out of this mess. Her offer was something that regr nobility or royalty would never be able to refuse. As she had more information than he expected, Davey decided to put an end to this situation. He asked directly, ¡°Actually, does Her Highness even know about this document?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ About that¡­¡± ¡°See? I knew it.¡± It was true that Aeria was an attractive princess, but Davey decided that he wouldn''t be able to fulfill Kathryn¡¯s expectations in this current situation. Davey ripped the offer right in half and said calmly, ¡°Is there a reason for the Princess to be desperate for an arranged marriage? Offer this to me again when she actually wants it, not anyone else.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ So, is the rumortrue?¡± Kathryn asked. ¡°Rumor?¡± ¡°Um¡­ It might be quite a rude question, but¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask the question if you already know the answer.¡± Kathryn was stunned, but her expression soon gave way to a beautiful smile. ¡®What is she so delighted about?¡¯ Without hiding it, Kathryn giggled out loud. She put out her hand for a handshake and said, ¡°Well, alright. I personally like to take care of things immediately, but it¡¯s good to take it nice and slow at times. However, I ask you to take good care of Her Highness.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°If you do that, His Highness and I will be your allies. This allyship is separate from His Majesty.¡± Kathryn smiled yfully. ¡°Our adorable Princess Aeria is not interested in anyone other than you right now. All she can see is you.¡± Kathryn spoke cheerfully and slightly informally, and that got Davey feeling morefortable. ¡°If it is really a problem¡­ Even a mistress would be fine. His Majesty would go crazy, but having a lot of wives isn¡¯t illegal, and even His Majesty has more than seven wives.¡± Davey found it ridiculous that Grand Duchess Kathryn and Crown Prince Alberth were determined to partner him up with Aeria even if he chose to take her as a mistress. However, he couldn¡¯t do anything about how much they truly cared for Aeria. ¡°A mistress¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem like a good arrangement for either of us.¡± ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t know you are such a romantic. If so, I can¡¯t force you. Aww, our poor Princess Aeria¡­ Boohoo.¡± Kathryn even pretended to cry. She really was a difficult woman for Davey to handle. ¡®A mistress¡­¡¯ Davey scoffed. He had experienced what unresolved jealousy could do when one had too many wives, so he would never find a simr arrangement eptable. It was right for him to decline everyone as firmly as possible until he wanted to talk about righteousness and find a way to change the customs of this world. ¡°Sorry for wasting your precious time,¡± Kathryn said. ¡°No, that¡¯s alright. I should be satisfied since I¡¯m meeting the empire¡¯s famous hero,¡± Davey replied. ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Kathryn¡¯s expression changed all of a sudden, like a beast eyeing its prey. There was no way Davey wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize the thirst in her eyes. ¡®Well, it¡¯s actually a good thing since I needed someone¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it,¡± Davey spoke. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Sparring. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted to do? Let¡¯s do it, since I also want to feel your power myself, Grand Duchess.¡± Kathryn¡¯s eyes opened wide like she was surprised. She then nodded her head and said, ¡°Then, please.¡± * * * The sudden visit of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s Princess Aeria and Great Duchess Kathryn Carabe, along with the news that Kathryn Carabe had requested Davey for a sparring session spread far and wide. Soon, arge crowd showed their faces at the dueling stadium located behind the seigneur¡¯s pce. There was Winley, who had been learning magic, Yulis, who had been teaching her, Elder Goulda, the dwarf who had been overseeing the festival, and Yuria Helishana. On one side, Davey could even see Rinne and Red and Blue Ribbon, who were both pulling Rinne¡¯s cheeks in delight. He could also see Myuu giggling and smiling with them. ¡°Your Highness. I sent away all the helping hands in the area. I also activated all the shock-absorbing artifacts as well.¡± ¡°Good work. Make sure to keep your distance.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Amy, who nodded and scuttled away, stared at Davey with sparkling eyes. ¡°Your Highness! Please win!¡± Davey silently nodded at Amy, who pumped both her fists and cheered him on cutely. Then, he kicked the nearby wooden sword up to his hands. The durability of this wooden sword was no joke, since it was made from wood that he had obtained from therge branches that Yggdrasil had pulled up from the ground the day before. Thanks to that, Davey didn¡¯t need to make use of a metal rod to prevent it from breaking. ¡°I heard that you use magic, Your Highness,¡± Kathrynmented with a giggle. ¡°I¡¯m confident that I can take most of your attacks, so you can attack all you want.¡± Davey smirked, then threw the wooden sword on the ground. ¡®This woman doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s up against. If you want, I guess I have no choice but to show you something almost supernatural.¡¯ Davey scanned the training weapons stand, then picked something without hesitation. ¡°Hm?¡± Kathryn had a curious expression when Davey said, ¡°Let¡¯s go with this.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bnce patch.¡± Kathryn¡¯s smile deepened when Davey provoked her with a grin. The weapon he chose was none other than¡­a handheld fan. It was a pretty big one. 1. A reference to George Gordon Byron¡¯s famous quote about bing famous overnight. ? Chapter 186 It was strange to call a handheld fan a weapon. If anything, it was more of an everyday tool that people used to cool themselves down in hot weather. It wouldn¡¯t be used to harm another person, not usually anyway. This particr handheld fan was more durable than one would expect, because it had monster leather attached to a hard Orc wood skeleton. ¡°A fan? Are you saying that you are going to fight with a fan?¡± Yulis asked curiously. Davey nodded. ¡°Huh¡­ This is yet another fascinating scene.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ How is he intending to fight with that?¡± Winley stared at Davey in confusion. She couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. The handheld fan was not heavy nor was it sharp. It wasn¡¯t shaped like a longsword or spear either, and its durability was limited by its structure. By using it, Davey looked like he was going to be crushed by a single blow from Kathryn. Kathryn smiled even wider. She would normally be angry during such a situation, because it could be assumed that Davey was belittling her. However, she wasn¡¯t angry at all. This only fired up her desire to win even more. p!! Davey swung the fan open and shut it closed. He put one hand behind his back and tapped the fan on his chest. He said, ¡°A handheld fan is a difficult weapon to learn in the first ce.¡± A lot of techniques with the handheld fan that he used were created by Davey himself. He didn¡¯t really follow his teachers¡¯ methods. Since he already knew how to handle mana, a method he created was the current fan-held magic he possessed. ¡°Well, then. I will take the first attack.¡± As her smile disappeared, Kathryn Carabe put her bare hands on the ground. She stared straight at Davey from a simr position to a [Crouching Start]. At the same time, her tail started wagging like she was trying to distract Davey. Inplete silence, her tail wagged like it was measuring a signal before it stoppedpletely. This was her attack signal, which only appeared for a split second. Kathryn Carabe was a fighter with destructive power and lightning-fast reflexes. She was a monstrously strong beastfolk warrior with powerparable to an entire army. Although she didn¡¯t have knuckles, her main weapon of choice was her hands. An exceptional Fist Master¡¯s blow wasn¡¯t something that would be weakened just because of the absence of knuckles. Kaboom!!!! The situation that soon unfolded utterly shocked the entire crowd. * * * ¡°I¡­ I should stop her¡­¡± Aeria El Lyndis mumbled anxiously. She looked pale, as if she had seen a ghost. Kathryn Carabe, the foxy Grand Duchess, had taken on a rather famous stance. This was actually the position that gave her the nickname of ¡®the Fox¡¯. It looked strange and ridiculous at first nce, but it was an attack where she instantly charged into her opponent using powerful momentum; it was not something to be underestimated. In fact, it was so strong that many Master-level knights had been defeated before they could even react. Furthermore, it was also true that Grand Duchess Kathryn was strong enough to stand alone against an army. ¡°Um¡­ Sorry, but shouldn¡¯t we stop them?¡± Aeria asked Amy as she nced at her. She couldn¡¯t hide her anxiety about the duel at all. Rinne, who was standing nearby, shook her head. Yulis smiled and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be worrying about Grand Duchess Kathryn rather than Sir Davey?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Aeria, who was surprised by thatment, mumbled in disbelief. ¡°I¡­ I know that His Highness has outstanding magic abilities. However, doesn¡¯t magic require a long time to prepare? And they are also in close proximity, and mages must have mage-specific supporting equipment¡­¡± Suddenly, Aeria widened her eyes when Kathryn¡¯s tail stopped wagging. ¡®She¡¯s going to charge right into him!¡¯ When Aeria, who couldn¡¯t shake off her concerns as she had seen part of Kathryn¡¯s overpowering routine, was about to shout¡­ Kaboom!! Aeria heard an explosion alongside a loud crashing sound. ¡°Ouch¡­ What is¡­¡± The crowd gasped loudly. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°What just happened¡­¡± Kathryn was crushed to the ground, even though she had the first attack and had been in the position to charge forward at any moment. On the other hand, Davey simply fanned himself calmly. How could Kathryn be the one on the ground? No one managed to catch what had happened. All everyone could see was the fact that Kathryn, who twitched and moved slightly, was t on the ground. ¡°Oh my¡­ What just happened¡­?¡± Yulis mumbled in surprise. He appeared to be much more shocked than usual. Winley also could not hide her fascination and shock as she stared at the stadium. She muttered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t see anything. It definitely seemed like Big Brother did something, but¡­¡± Kathryn had been mercilessly crushed into the ground, lying on the stadium floor. She slowly got up with a groan before staring at Davey with her head tilted. ¡°I¡¯m going in again.¡± Her yfulness was nowhere to be found. She slightly crouched into a low position before moving again with a tense face. Right now, she was serious and determined not to be taken down by the same attack twice. Kaboom!!!! Then, another huge explosion took ce. The crowd gaped as they saw Kathryn fly in the air andnd on the ground once again. ¡°What in the hell¡­¡± When everyone became silent at the unbelievable sparring that took ce in front of them, Kathryn suddenly rose from the rubble. Kaboom!!! However, she was lying back on the ground before she could do anything. 68. They Were Just Unlucky, That¡¯s All. ¡°Ow ow¡­¡± Kathryn quietly moaned in pain. Getting up with a frown on her face, she no longer had the initial desire to win. She muttered in bewilderment, ¡°What¡­ What happened¡­¡± The oue of the sparring session surprised everyone. Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe was the attacker, but she was the one who ended up injured. The Lyndis Empire was the eastern continent¡¯s most powerful empire. They were known to have the most Swordmasters and archmages. Kathryn Carabe was respected and acknowledged as a powerful individual among the empire¡¯s famously powerful people. Even though shemanded no knights, soldiers, or mages, she was powerful enough to be the strongest individual in the entire empire. She usually used martial arts to fight, and it was said that she could destroy thick pce walls with a single punch. The funny thing was that her strength actually relied on her speed rather than her destructive force. Her charging speed was so strong and fast that most Masters could not respond when it came to one-on-one battles. This was who Kathryn Carabe was, so her bewilderment at failing to strike Davey was understandable. After all, Davey had just stood there and not attacked her. However, the people who had been with Davey for a long time were not all that confused. They had seen what he had done before. They actually looked like¡­ [Of course, I thought so.] They all expected this. Kathryn, still extremely shocked, simply said, ¡°That thing you did just now¡­ You didn¡¯t use any mana.¡± Kathryn had noticed it the moment that she had been hit, so she wanted to understand what had happened. ¡°You have a good eye,¡± Davey replied. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a physical ability either. No matter how fast you are, your speed shouldn¡¯t gopletely untraceable by me.¡± That would have been possible if one was considering doping, but there was no need to correct Kathryn on that. Kathryn smiled eerily with a tense face. Kaboom!!! Kathryn suddenly charged forward without warning, but she simply crashed into the ground again. The impact was so strong that a part of the stone floor cracked. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Kathryn got up with a frown, then backed away from Davey. She stared at her hand silently. As she was an exceptionally skilled individual, Kathryn had a vague idea of what Davey¡¯s strange and unknown attack was. She mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s definitely not mana¡­ Very fascinating.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fascinating? Are you curious?¡± ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can keep being curious,¡± Davey said calmly. Kathryn looked dumbfounded. Davey closed the fan with a p before pointing the end of it at Kathryn. He said, ¡°Since it¡¯s meaningless to just be on the receiving end, it is my turn to attack now.¡± ¡°Haah?!¡± Kaboom!!! Kathryn widened her eyes. She heard something bouncing in the air, so she threw herself to the side. At the same time, the ce she initially stood at rumbled and was soon crushed. Davey used abilities that were almost next level, so he wanted to try it out and find out the extent to which it could be used. ¡°I can¡¯t defend against it because I can¡¯t feel it¡­¡± That was no surprise. Whether it was devil mana, holy power, or just regr mana, all the forces that existed in the world could be sensed upon their release. Even when it was weak, even the most secretive dark magic left a trace at the moment it was cast. However, what if the power was not from this part of the world? That was the kind of power within the handheld fan. The power umted within Davey¡¯s soul. This type of power was only given to humans who had a deep gray soul color. It was daoist magic. Kathryn stared at Davey with a solemn face before taking a breath. She said, ¡°This is far more than I expected¡­ It seems like I was being rude, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Pleasee at me with all that you have, and don¡¯t mind the people here.¡± At the same time, red mana flowed out from Kathryn like a waterfall. She had been hiding her true power during the sparring session, but she was no longer doing that. She now knew that Davey was far more powerful than she had expected. ¡°W¡ªWait! Kathryn!!¡± The person who was the first to notice the change was none other than Aeria El Lyndis, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s youngest princess. ¡°Stop it! Kathryn! That is too much to be used in sparring!¡± Ignoring Aeria¡¯s urgent shouts, Kathryn just stared at Davey with shining red eyes. Her tail was high up. ¡°I¡­ I have to stop¡­!¡± Abandoning her usual timid and careful personality, Aeria stood up urgently and tried running into the stadium. Pahh!! However, Davey pointed toward Aeria with his folded fan and stopped her even before she could move. ¡®Don¡¯te in.¡¯ Chapter 187 It would actually be a problem for Davey if Kathryn didn¡¯t release her full powers. Davey had gone out of his way to ept the sparring invitation and he had pulled out his handheld fan not just for simple entertainment. Unlike other abilities, daoist magic had extreme limitations in this world; it was able to disy a variety of powers, but its firepower was limited. As such, Davey had to dive right into it andpare it against a worthy opponent. Swish¡­ Kathryn slid one foot on the stone floor and took a breath. Wharp!! At the same time, Kathryn disappeared so fast that the air around her vibrated. ¡ªWow¡­ Her speed¡­ ¡®She¡¯s almost knocking on the level of the telekic de.¡¯ Not all Masters had the same level of skills; Kathryn Carabe¡¯s movements of unhidden power were clearly above ordinary fighters¡¯. For a swordsman, the level where one gained enlightenment and was able to take control of one¡¯s flow of power was the transcendental level of de control. Kathryn¡¯s power could match Davey¡¯s and she was the first such person who Davey had met so far. There wasn¡¯t much of a difference, but her hard work was worthy of praise. Bong. Then, Kathryn, who suddenly appeared in a blur, charged toward Davey with a serious face. Kaboom!! At the same time, a giant shockwave flew toward Kathryn. Normally, she should not have been able to handle her own strength, so she should have been swept away by the shockwave. However¡­ ¡ªShe dodged it?! Kathryn dodged Davey¡¯s attack by an inch even though she could not see nor feel it. She didn¡¯t know that the attack wasing, but she had moved instinctively. Her movements were so instinctive that it was creepy. Paah!! Charging toward Davey in an instant, Kathryn swung her fist like she was not going to give him another chance to fight back. When Kathryn came toward him with a powerful and intense blow, Davey deflected the attack with his folded fan. He lightly flicked her wrist with it, but he kept being bombarded by attacks. The battle went on with Kathryn endlessly attacking Davey, who blocked every single one. Dozens of attacks and defenses went back and forth, exposing each other¡¯s vulnerabilities. Kathryn sustained more and more injuries as the battle went on, but she kept attacking without stopping. As if she had be a four-legged animal, she went behind Davey and spread her fingers out like she was showing her ws. Then, she charged in without missing her window of opportunity. ¡°Tsk.¡± Too much of something was never good. Like the genius of battle she was, Kathryn fought with everything she had after realizing that Davey was no easy opponent. Watching the attack fly toward his face in seconds, Davey quickly opened his fan with one hand and twirled it. He reached up with his other hand and¡­ Ring! With a clear sound, a small twig appeared out of thin air. The surrounding space rippled. On the ends of the ck twig were small golden bells. ¡°Bells?!¡± If a handheld fan was a weapon specialized in defense, this charred twig was a weapon made for offense. Considering Davey¡¯s recovered strength, Kathryn was definitely strong. Since he could actually be in trouble if he joked around, Davey seriously prepared for her iing attacks. [Scorching Hell-Fire] [Vermillion Bird¡¯s de] [True Scorching me] The me of the guardian god burned the Earth and swallowed the Sun. Even the World Tree, which had near-perfect resistance to magic mes, wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand this type of power. Ring! A clear and beautiful bell ringing could be heard again, as if signaling the end of the battle. Then, the sparring session came to an end. Thud¡­ In the end, Kathryn¡¯s attacks could not reach Davey. Her fist, which zed with bright red energy, was stopped right before it couldnd on Davey¡¯s face. Simrly, Davey¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t reach Kathryn either. The ck twig with bells ringing stopped right in front of her stomach. Perhaps that was why the very weak me held inside the bells merely dissipated into the air. ¡°Haah¡­¡± Both of their attacks were stopped before striking the opponent. However, there was still a clear victor and loser. Wheezing and gagging, Kathryn looked around and stepped back. She was drenched in cold sweat. ¡°Hup! Cough!¡± Kathryn copsed to her knees, because she was no longer able to support herself. The emotion that momentarily shed in her eyes was that of an overpowered prey looking at its predator. All of Davey¡¯s killing aura had been poured onto her without control because Davey had released it instinctively. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Davey asked cautiously while hiding the slight guilt that he felt. ¡°...¡± Kathryn, who was on the floor, nced at Davey. Although Davey¡¯s attacks didn¡¯t reach her, Kathryn still felt like she had severely lost this battle. Unable to give Davey an answer, she simply stared at Davey like he was this unbelievable monster putting pressure on her chest. * * * ¡°Your Highness! Everything is ready!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± In the dark room, there was a girl who silently stared at the white silver longsword in her hand. Upon hearing that urgent voice, she rose from her seat. Clink ng. Illyna usually didn¡¯t wear metal armor, but this time was different. She looked at her armor, which was said to be made of mithril and orichalcum, before putting on an arm guard and a helmet. It hadn¡¯t been long since her return from the Heins Territory, but Illyna felt like everything had changedpletely. ¡®When did it be like this?¡¯ Illyna just stared at her hand silently, as if she did not have the energy to wipe the bitter smile off her face. She was about to stain her beautiful hands with human blood. ¡®This isn¡¯t why I learned swordsmanship. I didn¡¯t learn it to ughter fellow human beings.¡¯ Complicated thoughts filled Illyna¡¯s head. ¡ªIllyna, get it together. The damage will get worse if you don¡¯t do anything. Don¡¯t think of them as people. Do what you think is right. Illyna just clenched her jaw even as Caldeiras advised her. She muttered, ¡°Caldeiras, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am shing humans in the end, whether it be for the greater good or not.¡± ¡ªYou always said that the virtue of a knight is to protect the weak. And get it right; they are corpses. They are monsters, not humans. They are just a shell of a human being, that¡¯s all. The circlet on Illyna¡¯s didn¡¯t look like protective gear, but it had protection magic, so it was much more effective than any other armor piece. Dozens of knights wearing mboyant armor pulled out their swords and saluted Illyna when she appeared before them. They all wore solemn and determined expressions. Illyna, who quietly nced at the thousands of soldiers lined up behind the knights, closed her eyes for a while. Then, she slowly raised her head. The White Bird was one of the Pan Empire¡¯s strongest forces; they were knight orders and soldiers who had pledged their allegiance and loyalty to her. They were also a prestigious army that was known as the best in the empire. ¡®What would happen if Davey was here? Everything would probably be resolved easily, no doubt.¡¯ Illyna thought for a second, but she found that thought to be shameless. There was no reason for Davey to take care of dangerous tasks because of his strength. This was strictly an internal problem of the Pan Empire; as such, it was right for her to put an end to it. Illyna cleared her mind of all thoughts. Looking at the army, she said calmly, ¡°White Bird.¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes sparkled like she was making a determined deration. ¡°Right now, all members will begin marching,¡± Illyna announced as she stopped the sadness from showing on her face. * * * ¡°Ahahaha! I waspletely trampled like an ant!¡± ¡°Seriously! Why did you do that all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, Your Highness. Take care of me, I¡¯m hurt.¡± Kathryn hugged Aeria and asked the princess to take care of her wounds. Aeria was flushed as she pushed Kathryn away. ¡®But¡­ Oh my! He was so handsome.¡¯ Aeria did not think that such a thing would happen. The Davey she knew had cat eyes that made him seem a little scary, but he was actually a warm-hearted person. He had cured her disease without anypensation and had saved her from assassins. He had even stopped her from trying tomit suicide¡­He had always given her help without asking for anything else. People said that men fit themselves into the world and women fit the world into themselves; Aeria couldn¡¯t help but feel her attraction grow for the charming prince who seemingly went out of his way to help her. Aeria knew that Davey was strong. She remembered what he had shown her in the Ordem Forest; he had rescued her with magic that seemed to cause natural disasters. She also knew that he had outstanding skills in the art of medicine. She knew that he had the stigmata, the symbol of holy power, and that he had the title of ¡®Saint¡¯. However, Aeria did not expect Davey¡¯s strength in close-range battle. Humans usually thought that if someone was good at one thing, they wouldck at other things; in fact, Aeria thought that people who were good at everything didn¡¯t exist. When the prince she had feelings for was about to spar with none other than Kathryn, Aeria had been so worried and scared. Even the most skilled mages were at a disadvantage if they fought one-on-one battles in a small space unless there was arge difference in power. As such, she had been worried that even Davey may be in trouble this time. She had even wondered what she should do if he had gotten himself hurt; should she take care of him, or should she bow and apologize? However, those concerns had flown out the window once the sparring started. Kathryn was an extremely strong individual that remained undefeated even in an empire full of talented people. Watching Kathryn, who was unbelievably powerful, admit defeat, Aeria couldn¡¯t help but think about the battle. Then, she lowered her head as she thought about Davey, who did not back down and had calmly tried to counterattack Kathryn who was using her full strength. Then, Aeria covered her face with her hands and smiled. Everything Davey had done seemed charming and amazing, especially since she was in her honeymoon phase of infatuation. Suddenly, Aeria looked at her outfit like she just remembered something. ¡®What do I do?! What if he doesn¡¯t like what I¡¯m wearing? What do I do if this isn¡¯t pretty enough for him?¡¯ Kathryn, who was quick-witted, looked at Aeria in amusement. She thought that perhaps this was a good thing. Chapter 188 Bzzt, bzzt, bzzt! At the noise, a man¡¯s face appeared on the otherwise transparent bead. [How are things going on your end, Grand Duchess Kathryn?] ¡°There¡¯s more to him than I expected.¡± [Ho¡­ You¡¯re telling me that the Grand Duchess has grown fond of that prince?] The man sounded surprised by Kathryn¡¯s statement. ¡°Whether I like him or not, I have to admit to you the truth. At the very least, Her Highness the Imperial Princess would not get hurt if she¡¯s with him. He¡¯s someone that we must keep as an ally.¡± [I can¡¯t believe that the strict and meticulous Grand Duchess is saying such things. I was quite worried that he would abuse the deal that he has with His Majesty, but it seems like things went well.] Aeria had a lot of enemies within the Empire even with the protection of Grand Duchess Kathryn, Crown Prince Alberth, and Emperor Deorte, who was hailed as the Supreme Emperor. Due to the deep hatred and disgust towards beastfolk that the empire¡¯s citizens had, many still looked down upon her. That was why she required protection. [You suddenly appeared and asked for a spar, so he must have been unprepared. Aeria will probably get mad at you once she finds out. She¡¯s a kind and gentle child, but her temper is quite bad too.] ¡°I don¡¯t intend to pass thisplicated problem to the princess. All she needs to do is experience pure young love. Whether the princess chooses to be a concubine or a legal wife, I will fully support her decision.¡± Kathryn smiled as she continued to speak calmly, ¡°But if things continue to drag on like this, then an ident might happen.¡± [With that wooden prince¡¯s personality and inability to differentiate beans from barley, it might really take years for them to develop feelings naturally.] ¡°The prince turned down my offer of engagement. I just nudged him a bit, but our strategy was too obvious for him. He¡¯s a careful person. Very meticulous and considerate.¡± [This¡­ Then our dear youngest must be having a hard time. Is there no other way?] ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee anything right away, but¡­¡± Lowering her gaze, Kathryn said, ¡°¡­how about sending an official engagement proposal to Rowane Kingdom? The prince might leave this opportunity behind, but I don¡¯t believe that the king would do the same.¡± Davey was strong. Having personally sparred with him, Kathryn was very confident of this conclusion. That was why they should not miss this opportunity. They had to keep a monster by Aeria¡¯s side so that those who targeted Aeria would not even dare to touch a single hair on her body. If they had to spark love between the two, then so be it. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We¡¯re backing this up, so I believe the Rowane Kingdom would view this political marriage positively.¡± Alberth, who was standing in the video, smiled. [You seem to like Prince Davey quite a lot.] ¡°Of course. I have never seen such a monstrously strong individual in my life before. If he did not stop towards the end, I would not be standing here and talking to you right now.¡± Beastfolk warriors always respected the strong, and Alberth believed that anyone who could beat Kathryn was worthy of high respect. That was why Alberth could not help but murmur in disbelief after hearing Kathryn¡¯s unexpected remarks. [I have heard all the rumors, but even you feel that way? Not just anyone, but you, the Grand Duchess Kathryn?] ¡°He did not even use the sword, which is his main weapon. That in itself already reveals the difference in our strength and skills¡­ Thatst attack was real and genuine¡­¡± Kathryn recalled the sparring session and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. Goosebumps rose all over her skin. Upon meeting Davey¡¯s gaze back then, Kathryn had felt a fear thatpletely froze her in ce. To her, Davey¡¯s gaze had been that of an apex predator. She would only feel that way when going up against a true powerhouse that overpowered her. In fact, she had never felt this way in decades. [If the Grand Duchess says so then he must be no ordinary person. Where the hell did such a person suddenly appear from¡­?] ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a mere child. The way that he looked at me with those eyes¡­ he has too many untold stories for a mere child.¡± Kathryn gulped nervously. ¡°I don¡¯t want us to miss this opportunity. If he really is the kind of man that I believe him to be, then we can safely leave our Imperial Princess in his care.¡± Kathryn giggled before her smile turned grim. She tried to end the conversation. The surroundings were bing more lively and cheerful, since the festival was about to officially begin. Aeria was already in the middle of preparing to enjoy the festival under Davey¡¯s guidance. It took quite a bit of time before the red and blue-haired twins got used to the two of them together. ¡®Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon.¡¯ Although their names were quite unusual, it was true that Prince Davey was raising them as his daughters. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter since they''re cute, huh?¡¯ Kathryn believed that the children were not a problem, since Aeria liked kids. [However, the boy is very stubborn. Even if we send an official proposal, do you think it will work¡­] ¡°We need to create an opportunity to spark something¡­¡± Kathryn would make the impossible possible. From what she could see, the prince did not really dislike Aeria. The problem was that the boy seemed to look at Aeria as if he was looking at a cute younger sibling. Davey was a handsome man and Aeria was a beautiful woman. The two would definitely look good together, and even Kathryn was envious of them. ¡°Our Imperial Princess has a very enchanting and beautiful body. The prince just needs some persuading. If it were me, I would have already eaten Her Highness up.¡± [If you try to do something weird to my sister¡­you will not be spared. Don¡¯t even think about it.] Kathryn just waved her hand at Crown Prince Alberth¡¯s threat. She said, ¡°Come on, I am the Grand Duchess, the ming Fox. I learned how to catch a man¡¯s heart from my mother.¡± The hungry would never refuse a meal that was presented to them. ¡°It will only backfire if I drug them and lock them up in a room. I¡¯ll just give them a gentle push. There¡¯s a festival today, so there will be a lot of people.¡± Alberth shook his head. After hearing Kathryn¡¯s words and seeing her vicious smile, he could feel cold sweat pouring down his back. Then, all of a sudden¡­ [Hmmm? Is that true?] Alberth¡¯s expression hardened after hearing the sudden report. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± [I¡¯m sorry, Grand Duchess. We have to withdraw all of our ns. You have to escort Aeria back to the Imperial Pce right away.] ¡°Eh? You know how much effort I have put in just to create this opportunity, why are you saying that all of a sudden¡­?¡± [An envoy from the Pan Empire has arrived. It seems like something serious has happened.] Kathryn¡¯s irritated expression turned ugly. She was already done cooking the rice but someone had just sprinkled ash on it[1]! *** ¡°Phew,¡± Aeria sighed, trying to calm herself down. She looked at herself in the mirror. Aeria had been waiting for this day ever since she had first met Davey. Regardless of all other concerns, she just wanted Davey and herself to get to know each other as a man and a woman. And if things went well¡­ ¡®A child in a peaceful home¡­ No. Did he say that they were called Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon? Since he has them, then it¡¯s alright to not have any more children, right? Then, with him and those two children¡­¡¯ Aeria¡¯s face immediately turned a bright shade of red, because she just thought of Davey ying around with the children in the garden and using herp as a pillow. As if she had done something wrong, she quickly shook her head with an uneasy expression. ¡°You¡¯re truly beautiful, Imperial Princess.¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m trying my best to look good in front of him.¡± Aeria needed to use her charms to capture Davey¡¯s attention. It was a bit sad, but she could tell that Davey was not attracted to her yet. However, even if that was the case, Aeria still wanted to stay by his side. Aeria had already grown fond of the scent of cornel cherry[2]. She was also very grateful that she had sessfully established herself as one of the six greatest beauties in the continent after recovering from the dreadful disease. After finishing her cute and innocent make-up, Aeria donned a dress that highlighted her dreamy and curvaceous figure. And just in case something did happen, Aeria also thought of asking the maids to prepare lingerie for her. She could be an innocent beauty with a twist, right? The thought was a bit shameful, but Aeria was willing to do anything just to look good in front of Davey. Thinking about how Davey¡¯s scent would linger in the room once he came to pick her up, Aeria smiled right into the mirror. As soon as they were finished looking around the beautiful festival, all she had to do was hand over the gift that she had prepared. The gift was a pendant, one that matched with hers. She did not know if Davey would ept it, but she would be very happy if he had the same pendant as her. ck¡ª ¡°Ah¡­ Kathryn?¡± Aeria looked over at her unexpected guest curiously. Although her ears twitched when she noticed that Kathryn had a grim expression, Aeria was unaware of the impending doom. She simply shook the hem of her dress with her free hand and, with more courage than usual, asked, ¡°Kathryn, how does my dress look? Do you think he¡¯ll like¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty has ordered that we return to the Imperial Pce right away.¡± Hearing those words, Aeria dropped the box in her hands. She felt resentful and was suddenly reminded of an old adage: If you¡¯re unlucky, your nose will break even if you fall on your back. *** Under the World Tree¡¯s instigation, the winds of war were slowly but surely blowing toward the Heins Territory. Also, due to the small incidents that urred with increasing frequency, the entire Pan Empire was thrown into confusion. This was unsurprising, since this had always been the case for nations with granaries in the mountains like the Herlo Mountain Fortress located in the Pan Empire¡¯s southern region. In a huge conference hall, several men and women exchanged nces. The atmosphere was especially gloomy. ¡°ording to the message sent by the Imperial Princess, the situation on the battlefield is dire. Her report states that all their energy and resources are being used just to maintain the defensive line. We must send reinforcements right away.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ The White Bird is on the defensive?¡± White Bird was originally a small knight order. However, it had now turned into a huge division inside the Pan Empire. It had a huge number of knight orders and soldiers who were under Illyna¡¯smand. Their prestige, solidarity, and shocking track record had long been a part of history. Needless to say, they were a strong and invincible force in the Pan Empire. ¡°What on earth is that monster?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ This is the first time that I have ever heard about such a monster. Such a strong undead is practically unheard of until now.¡± It was a colossal undead dressed in an old robe. The monster had awakened from an ancient dungeon and had devoured arge area from their territories in just a few short days. In fact, the monster had not stopped and was still moving northwards as they spoke. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, how can that be a simple undead?! If it¡¯s using such a meticulous strategy¡­¡± ¡°The undead are using tactics and strategies. They ambush, lure, do a siege, and retreat.¡± Some of the nobles shouted indignantly. All of them thought that this was ridiculous. ¡°Let¡¯s all be realistic here. The crown prince had died in battle after setting out to subjugate this monster. This is no longer a simple skirmish.¡± This was now a war between humans and the monsters that had awakened from the dungeon. The voices of everyone present turned mute at those words. ¡°His Highness, the Crown Prince, was rumored to be extremely intelligent since he was a young child. He had distinguished himself as someone well-versed in tactics and strategies. Who expected such a clever prince to die in that battle?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t let this go. The enemy even resurrected His Highness the Crown Prince and used his body in this war.¡± The undead did not distinguish between humans or monsters in their troops. They brought back, resurrected, and absorbed everyone they had killed into their military force. The non-stop killing as the monsters advanced forward was like a nightmare in and of itself. 1. A saying about a work that was almost finished but it was suddenly ruined. ? 2. ??? - Japanese Cornel Cherry, a tree that bears a fruit that turns red in winter. It is said that eating the fruit sans the toxic seeds, has a nourishing effect on the body and can invigorate men. ? Chapter 189 ¡°Then, what if we used swords that are sprinkled with holy water and blessed by the temple¡¯s purification magic?¡± ¡°I heard that doesn¡¯t work at all. The temple¡¯s purification magic is being blocked by some sort of special power around the Undead¡¯s body, so it is useless. Also¡­¡± The Undead breathed out death poison, which was the biggest problem. The poison usually infected those who had been bitten and could be easily treated by purification magic. It could turn victims into the Undead, but it only took effect after the host was dead. However¡­ ¡°Things are different this time. The infected soldiers were still alive and well when they turned into the Undead. This is also the reason why two of our mountain fortresses have turned into the Undead¡¯snd already.¡± ¡°How?!¡± ¡°Furthermore¡­ The situation this time¡­ I heard that there¡¯s a monstermanding and ordering the Undead around.¡± ¡°A monster has takenmand?¡± ¡°Yes. ording to my investigations¡­the monster refers to itself as the Death Lord. Can you believe it? The Undead can speak!¡± Upon hearing that an Undead was capable of speech, everybody in the hall was smart enough to understand what that meant. Just as silence pervaded the entire hall, the man sitting at the head of the table said quietly, ¡°We have lost my big brother. On that battlefield, my precious younger sibling is fighting against our big brother¡¯s corpse with tears in her eyes. We don¡¯t know when the situation will be resolved, but we don¡¯t have the luxury to stand on the sidelines and just watch.¡± ¡°Prince Sullivan, what do you think we should do¡­?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just lie down and wait for a beating. Fortunately, the Holy Empire and the Mage Towers have given us their word that they wille to our aid. The Holy Empire has promised to send two Saintess candidates and their 6th and 7th Holy Knight Orders.¡± ¡°Ho. As expected of Prince Sullivan. I¡¯m quite impressed with your keen insights.¡± The man continued to speak calmly but solemnly. ¡°Please always keep in mind that we cannot back down even though things will not be easy. Since these monsters dared to bare their fangs at our great Pan Empire, then we have to kill every single one of them.¡± A gloomy and deadly air started to hover above the Pan Empire, an empire that was said to be the symbol of prosperity and peace. 69. Participating in the War in their Own Ways. Initially delighted that Davey would be personally escorting her around the festival, Aeria El Lyndis was now apologizing to Davey profusely with tears in her eyes. From what Davey had heard, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s emperor had ordered them to drop everything and return back to the empire. In fact, Davey did not really mind that. This situation did not warrant any apology from Aeria at all. However, Aeria was the heartbroken one to have to break the appointment they had. Days went by after Davey appropriately consoled the crying woman and sent her back. Although there was a slight sense of unrest, the festival still was a great sess and ended on a good note. Davey recalled the Lyndis Empire¡¯s Grand Duchess, Kathryn Carabe. She was a reckless and aggressive woman who did whatever she had the guts to say. It appeared that she had been testing to see if Davey matched the criteria that she had set for the person that Aeria El Lyndis, who she served, was interested in. Although he found Kathryn¡¯s methods to be impudent, Davey had let it slide. He had made use of that reckless challenge to test out a particr ability against someone with Kathryn¡¯s caliber and talent. ¡®We¡¯re going to war with the World Tree, so I have to make sure that nothing will go wrong with my daoist magic.¡¯ The World Tree had plenty of powers and authorities in her hands. If Davey could sh with her using the appropriate power, then he would be able to deal a lot more pain and damage to her with the greatest efficiency from the very beginning. There would always be many unforeseen circumstances, especially because there was a stark difference between a simtion and an actual battle. ¡ªThe World Tree¡¯s power ispatible with all of the attributes. No matter what you say, she has an advantage in that area. On the other hand, daoist magic is a power that exists in another world and is solely for humans¡¯ use. This means that it¡¯s a power excluded from the World Tree¡¯s control. Mana, holy power, and dark mana¡­ Any power that was given a name by the primordial will would have no effect on the World Tree, which was no stupid entity. She wouldn¡¯t stay still and get beaten when she could just go full power at the very beginning. That was why Davey found it necessary to use daoist magic. During his spar with Kathryn, Davey found that the efficiency of daoist magic would decrease as time went by. That realization brought him great frustration and irritation. ¡ªSo, what¡¯s your solution? In response to Perserque¡¯s question, Davey reached for an item inside his Pocket ne. Since he couldn¡¯t grab and pull it out yet, his hand passed through the item as if it was just a hologram. The appearance of this item would definitely have a great impact in this world. In truth, the item really should not have that much of an impact, since it was just a tool. But since it was rted to daoist magic, the item would definitely make its efficiency sky rocket. This was an item that could make Davey grin widely. This item was necessary for Davey to easily chop up the World Tree, who was very muchpatible with all of the powers in this world. The problem was¡­ ¡®How do I even take this item out?¡¯ There was only one way to retrieve an item that went beyond transcendence and was under the restrictions of God¡¯s will. But Goddess Freyja, who was supposed to help Davey out, had been ignoring his prayers. In other words, she was a very superficial shrew who only sought Davey out if she needed something from him. Because of that, Davey¡¯s head was filled with curses and profanities toward her most of the time. However, that did not stop him from worrying. In the end, Davey decided to make other preparations, since he could not solve this problem immediately. He also had to strengthen his territory and increase their munitions and weapons as preparation for the war against the World Tree. Even though such preparation would not have much effect on the war, Davey still wanted to do so. This armed conflict would have bloody consequences. Once the war ended, the sense of hatred would be irreversible and inevitable. So, Davey had to do all that he could to prevent that from happening. Davey did not want to sacrifice innocent lives for useless ideals and goals. However, this war was unavoidable, so he had to do his best to protect his people as much as he could and subdue the enemies before even further damage could be inflicted on them. Davey did not intend to let a single one of his people shed blood and die in this war. Increasing his military force, strengthening the defenses, and creating weapons as well as buying and stocking up food were measures being taken to prepare for the worst case scenario. Among those things, food and rations were in scarce supply. The farming that they had done in this territory had not yet paid off. ¡°Hmm? Amy, didn¡¯t you report before that the merchant group buying rations and food supplies was supposed to arrive today?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Davey, who came to sort out the supplies, frowned when he saw the rations. ¡°This amount is not enough. Contact them and tell them that we will buy everything that they can sell.¡± ¡°Actually¡­the merchant group refuses to do business with us. I tried to make another deal somehow, but¡­they said that it was an imperial decree given by the Pan Empire,¡± Amy said uneasily. Davey paused. ¡°Refused? What is this nonsense?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Just when Davey was about to urge Amy, who looked like she did not know how to report the matter¡­ ¡°I will be doing the report on this matter.¡± ¡°Aina?¡± ¡°Please. Please call me Jack.¡± Jack, or Aina, used to hide her existence extremely well. However, she recently started to show up more often. Of course, she was still disguising her true self as a human man. ¡°Sir Davey, are you aware of the events that have and are still transpiring in the Pan Empire?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask if I already know.¡± The dark elf Aina Helishana, who was still disguised as a man thanks to the ne that Davey had given her, looked like she had expected the answer. She said, ¡°I¡¯m sure you know about the huge granaries located on the southern side of the Pan Empire, right?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The Pan Empire¡¯s huge granaries were known to produce around 20% of the produce that was traded and distributed all over the continent. The empire¡¯s vast fertilends were dedicated solely to the production of food and had long exported their own crops to many other countries. In fact, the Rowane Kingdom and the Heins Territory were both regr buyers of their exports. ¡°So, there¡¯s a problem?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The news that Aina had ryed was much simpler than what Davey thought. Basically, an invasion had started on the vastnds that produced and exported huge amounts of food. So, the question was which crazy person had left theirmon sense behind and attacked the Pan Empire? The answer to that was none other than the Undead, the monsters known as the moving dead. ¡°Is the nation hailed as the continent¡¯s strongest empire unable to deal with the Undead?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not your regr Undead. From what I heard, the Undead are using strategies and tactics. ording to reports, the Undead would use their numbers to lure, ambush, and retreat. Just like trained soldiers. Since they are a legion that did not feel pain, exhaustion, or fear, it is difficult for the empire to oppose them.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Simply put, the enemies are hard to deal with. Unbelievable, right?¡± ¡°No. I already know about something simr.¡± ¡°What an unlucky fellow.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± The question here was¡­were the Undead much more dangerous than the World Tree? ¡°I¡¯m not sure how much Sir Davey knows, but they are not normal at all. Because of that, the White Bird led by Princess Illyna de Pan has been dispatched. However, their situation is not very favorable. All they could do is stop the enemies from pushing the defense line even further.¡± They were holding down the fort and not losing the fight, but they were also not winning. At first, one would find it unbelievable that the Undead, those mindless monsters, were using tactics and strategies and taking advantage of their numbers. They were even cooperating with each other. However, that wasn¡¯t an impossibility. ¡°Goodness¡­ I have never heard of any Undead having intelligence.¡± Aina also nodded after hearing Winley¡¯s shocked words. If everyone followedmon sense, then it was impossible for the Undead to gain sentience and intelligence. However, that wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. If someone forcefully nted orders into their heads, the mindless Undead would be the most faithful and loyal servants. And there was only one existence that could make that possible. ¡ªA high-ranking necromancer. Necromancers had the power tomand and deal with the dead. Their abilities were unusual, which made them different from the masses. Davey felt frustrated at the appearance of such a monster, who seemed like they had been waiting for this moment to awaken. A war needed soldiers, yes. However, military supplies couldn¡¯t be ignored. If their initial suppression failed, then there was a high chance that the war would spread and turn into a protracted war. That was why it was beneficial to prepare more food reserves than needed. Wasn¡¯t there a saying that said, Better safe than sorry? If the opponent was unusual, then they had no choice but to prepare more thoroughly than expected. ¡°The Pan Empire did not say much about this matter?¡± ¡°It seems like they have already asked for help from other nations. Rowane Kingdom has decided to send support through vast amounts of weapons and some of their troops. Prince Baris will be the one leading the troops.¡± Davey never heard about this n. It appeared that his damn father was trying to make Baris stronger by presenting him with this trial. Davey had to wonder how deep his father¡¯s affection for the Rowane Kingdom went for him to go that far. Of course, that was King Krianes¡¯ decision alone and it had nothing to do with Davey, who had already gone on a tangent with them. The only thing that mattered to Davey right now was his preparations for the uing war. The preparations that he was making in case of an emergency, was being hampered by these uninvited guests. ¡°Amy.¡± It did not take too long for Davey to make a decision. Amy, as if she had been waiting for Davey¡¯s call, answered briskly, ¡°What are your orders, Your Highness?¡± ¡°I will participate in this war too. If we¡¯re unlucky, our noses will break even if we fall backward¡­¡± Davey was already busy with matters rted to the World Tree. What necromancer? Bastards who were trying to upy the food warehouse that was supposed to supply his territory with food? It did not matter to Davey whether the opponent was a high-ranking necromancer or a Death Master. He was already busy enough, so they should stop getting in his way. ¡°I must pray for their souls.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really unlucky.¡± If they did not attack the food warehouses, then they might have had a chance at survival, but now¡­ Davey would cut down anyone or anything that got in his way, even a dragon would have to face his wrath. That was his decision. Chapter 190 Most of the continent¡¯s kingdoms were slowly getting used to peace, so they weren¡¯t going to just sit and watch when a near pan-national disaster suddenly appeared. Furthermore, it was not a fight between nations, but an invasion from the Undead, which were unholy beings. Massive gues began going around, and the Undead were taking over major food sources. If the Pan Empire wavered, others would soon follow. All the other kingdoms knew this for a fact, so they cooperated and began working together as one. The Lyndis Empire offered several supplies and Grand Duchess Kathryn. The Holy Empire offered the service of two girls, who were candidates to be the next Saintess, the 6th and 7th devout holy knight orders, and several soldiers. As for the other kingdoms, they gave the Pan Empire numerous soldiers and supplies. In fact, Contas Magnus of the Contas Empire, a western force that had been keeping an eye on the Pan Empire, sent over three Swordmasters who were part of the Royal Guards. To Davey¡¯s knowledge, this was the first time that so many kingdoms wereing together. Davey arrived at the Pan Empire four days after deciding to participate in the war. He couldn¡¯t shake off an odd feeling, so he couldn¡¯t help but take action after gathering more information about the situation through Aina. The war was already ongoing when Davey arrived. The other participating kingdoms had formed arge force that would usually only appear during continental wars. The force had been assembled quickly because of the Pan Empire¡¯s own battle prowess and the surprising news that the Pan Empire¡¯s prince had passed away. ¡°With the passing of the crown prince¡­tens of thousands of Undead have already taken over. And that number is still steadily increasing¡­¡± After dying in battle, a lot of soldiers had been turned into the Undead. It didn¡¯t help that the Undead crawling out from the ancient dungeon, which was the origin of this problem, was already beyond imagination. Needless to say, this was a battle that would keep increasing and affect the entire continent. Before anyone else could get there, Davey used magic to warp directly to themand headquarters, which was located behind several mountain fortresses. It was also located behind Herro Mountain Fortress, where the war was happening. He grabbed Rinne, who looked around while sniffing their surroundings, by the arm. ¡°Stop! Where are you from?¡± The guards noticed that a boy, a young man, and a small girl in a robe were approaching them without any soldiers or servants. That was the reason why they were suspicious. Before Rinne could speak¡­ ¡°I was waiting for you. Wee, ss-5 Yulis and Prince Davey.¡± Davey immediately nced toward the voice, which came from a man dressed in fancy armor. Recognizing the man who stared at them with a soft smile, Yulis said, ¡°Ah, Prince Sullivan. It has been a while.¡± ¡°Haha, I apologize for theck of hospitality. As you can see, the situation...¡± Yulis and Prince Sullivan conversed with friendly smiles. ¡°Nice to meet you. My name is Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°I have heard many stories about you; although it is not yet fully acknowledged, you are the Saint who has been chosen by God. Thank you very much for your participation, Saint. My name is Prince Sullivan de Pan of the Pan Empire.¡± The young man introduced himself, then reached out to shake Davey¡¯s hand. He had longer and softer-looking hair than Yulis and had square frame sses on. His soft smile gave off a warmth that was different from Yulis. ¡°I was curious who Illyna¡¯s new friend was, so I am honored to finally meet you,¡± Prince Sullivan said. ¡°Oh¡­ Yes. Is Illyna alright?¡± Davey asked. ¡°That stubborn¡­ Sigh¡­ She is refusing to return from the frontlines. Now,e in. There are already people from all over the continent who have arrived.¡± As Prince Sullivan spoke, Davey pulled Rinne¡¯s arm as she looked around. Rinne looked like she wanted to leave at any moment. The headquarters was surrounded by seven or eight mountain fortresses, which blocked the enemies. Behind the headquarters was a natural fortress that blocked the only route leading to the Pan Empire¡¯s capital. Arge army and hidden modern weapons could be found at each mountain fortress, which shielded themand center that was behind the frontlines. Davey entered the headquarters. He could see numerous soldiers, knights, and mages who hade to help. ¡°That is the symbol of the Holy Empire. They seem to be part of the holy knight order. Oh, the mages over there have the symbol of Coloned, the Blue Tower, which mainly studies the water attribute,¡± Yulis exined the different groups in the headquarters as he walked with Davey. ¡°It¡¯s the first time in my life I am seeing such a diverse army in one room. The number of people aside, it is difficult for different organizations toe together for onemon purpose.¡± Although everyone had joined forces for the first time to deal with amon enemy¡­ ¡ªHumans will fatten their pockets even in a situation like this. It was exactly as Perserque said. Dozens of eyes turned to Davey and Yulis as they entered the barracks, where themanders had gathered. ¡°ss-5 Yulis.¡± Of course, as Yulis was the famous genius mage and youngest elder, many people knew about him. On the other hand¡­ ¡°Who is that boy?¡± ¡°Yes. I have never seen that person before. If he has the authority to attend the operational meeting of the leadership¡­¡± There were only a few people who recognized Davey, whose name was only somewhat known. They might recognize him if they were told the name, ¡®Davey O¡¯Rowane¡¯, but there weren¡¯t many who knew his face. Furthermore, Davey had shown up with an emotionless girl who stuck out like a sore thumb. Whether he liked it or not, he was bound to attract attention. From those who recognized Davey, one said with a chuckle, ¡°Hahaha! Prince Davey, we meet again. It seems our paths are quite intertwined, right?¡± Everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to Davey again as Kathryn, the amber-haired woman, approached him with a mysterious smile. She spoke to Davey like they were close. To bother him, she was going out of her way to introduce him. Davey wanted to believe that this wasn¡¯t Kathryn¡¯s motive, but he couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious. He was unsure of Kathryn¡¯s true nature. ¡°Grand Duchess Kathryn, did everything go well?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t imagine that I would be dispatched to such a situation, ahaha! Anyway, I didn¡¯t think I would see you again this soon; perhaps this is destiny?¡± Kathryn asked. Davey smiled bitterly. ¡°Please do not try to feel me out with remarks that could cause unnecessary misunderstandings. If you rub me the wrong way, I might just tell yourmander.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you can¡¯t do that. Mymander is such a cute person; how could you make such a person cry?¡± Although women¡¯s rights weren¡¯t in the gutters in this world, it wasn¡¯t the best either. It wasn¡¯t easy for a woman to have the social position that Kathryn held, especially in a world that was full of societal expectations and traditions. ¡°What a bummer. You are so charming that I would just eat you up if it wasn¡¯t for Her Highness.¡± ¡ªAh¡­ She nailed thest nail in your coffin. ¡®This damn woman. I knew she would do this.¡¯ Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh as he watched the crowd murmur amongst themselves. ¡°Take your unrted chit-chat somewhere else. Do you think we are joking around here?¡± A woman spoke up in irritation. She wore a look of dissatisfaction as she said, ¡°We are gathered here for the survival of the continent. If you are going to discuss trivial matters, leave.¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn grinned at the cold criticism. Shemented, ¡°Oh my, it seems that the Saintess candidate is quite frustrated.¡± With a smile, Kathryn rose from her seat and knocked on the table twice. Kaboom!! Then, she charged toward the Saintess candidate so quickly that no one had a chance to stop her. Shwing!! Boom!! The woman who was wearing a simple white uniform with antique gold embroidery did not flinch even as Kathryn charged toward her. ¡°Stop, Grand Duchess. If you harm the Saintess candidate beyond this, we will consider taking action from the official position of the Lyndis Empire.¡± Kathryn was stopped before her attack couldnd, but she wasn¡¯t stopped by the Saintess candidate. She was stopped by the female knight who stood behind the potential Saintess. ¡°What?¡± Kathryn red at the female knight with a smile. ¡°If you want a war¡­¡± ¡°Stay in your ce. Do you think someone like you can drive a wedge between the empire and the Valchas?¡± ¡°You bitch¡­¡± ¡°Quit your bullshit. How dare you get in my way, you nameless bitch. Did I seem like someone that something as lowly as yourself could talk to?¡± It was an extremely huge insult; however, Kathryn changed her tone and continued smiling. She simply said, ¡°Assert your dominance elsewhere, kid. If the Holy Empire and whatever else protecting you flies out the window because you can¡¯t see how things are being run here and keep acting out, there will be nothing left to protect you.¡± The female knight standing between Kathryn and the potential Saintess went pale as an intense killing aura surrounded her. The sudden burst of aura was so intense that everyone close by was terrified. ¡ªEven if she suffered a ridiculous loss against you¡­ It was clear that Kathryn was one of the strongest people on the continent. What made her the most difficult to face was her determination and calctive nature hidden under that yful smile. The fiery battle ended with the Holy Empire¡¯s loss. ¡°...I will apologize for speaking overdramatically, but I believe that you must view this situation more seriously, Grand Duchess Kathryn. We are not here on vacation,¡± the Saintess candidate said. She stared at Kathryn and did not back down. With an eerie smile, Kathryn nodded and said, ¡°Then, you should refrain from that condescension. To be honest, this was beyond rude; I had to stop myself from killing you.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Since His Highness, Prince Davey, will be Her Highness¡¯ husband, he is now basically the same person as Her Highness, the one who I have pledged my allegiance to. You should all be careful of your tone.¡± Davey red at Kathryn with squinted eyes. Kathryn had ended the dispute with one grand deration. To Davey, she was inciting trouble and fabricating things without considering the consequences. ¡®What should I do? Should I tear everything up? Should I rip everything to shreds?¡¯ Perhaps Davey¡¯s thoughts were sent straight to Perserque, who quietly sat on his hand and shook her head. ¡ªForget it, you should just suck this up this time. No one will understand even if you did something, and you will just be disliked by all. ¡®God damn it, that psycho woman isying down the groundwork for everything.¡¯ Davey murmured bitterly in his head, then slowly sat down beside Kathryn. He didn¡¯t really have a choice, since there weren¡¯t many seats left. ¡°Now, everyone has gathered. I am Sullivan de Pan of the Pan Empire. Although I amcking, I have been given the position of Chief of Staff for this battle,¡± Prince Sullivan said. Among the silent crowd was Grand Duchess Kathryn from the Lyndis Empire, Alice, one of the two potential Saintesses from the Holy Empire, mages from wizard towers including Yulis, alchemists who were dispatched to technology advisors, and council members of the Coalition of Disease Control, who were in charge of taking care of the gues that were happening due to the war. There was also the ughtering Army, the direct subordinate of the Contas Empire, the hegemonic kingdom of the western continent and the rival of the Pan Empire. It was almost impossible for each kingdom¡¯s main forces to gather in one ce, but it seemed like no one wasining. They understood the importance of this gathering. Of course, naturally, there was still some butting of heads between people. ¡°First of all, you should have heard of the current situation. The people who have heard this news first should already know that this is no light matter. This battle is important to us all and not just the Pan Empire.¡± ¡®That¡¯s because you will be the next target if we are defeated.¡¯ Chapter 191 Sullivan was stating simple facts: if they had to fight, they should fight with all their strength to prevent the battle from spreading to othernds. ¡°The details haven''t been announced to the public, but the Undead surpasses 100,000 in numbers. There have been too many victims because we didn¡¯t properly deal with it in time.¡± ¡°What did you do? How did the situation be so bad?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Sir Galio of the ughtering Army, do you think we were ying around when we sacrificed our soldiers to increase their army?¡± ¡°You never knew. Ahem!¡± It was a natural provocation from someone of the Contas Empire, which had a bad rtionship with the Pan Empire. However, unlike the knights of the Pan Empire who stared at Sir Galio coldly like they were about to pull out their swords at any minute, Prince Sullivan did not react to the provocation at all. Prince Sullivan said, ¡°An astonishing number of 50,000 Undead have crawled out of the ancient ruins, and that number is still increasing. Furthermore, 20,000 residents were sacrificed before the army arrived. And the other 30,000¡­¡± ¡°Monsters¡­¡± ¡°Undead monsters¡­are quite difficult to deal with.¡± Right now, high-rank monsters were charging toward the army without rest. They were also difficult to deal with, since they had seemingly forgotten what pain and fear were. ¡°There are seven mountain fortresses surrounding the ces that the Undead army had taken over. And that has been desperately stopped by the White Bird, the Pan Empire¡¯s army. I assume you all know that my younger sister ismanding the army, desperately fighting on the frontlines.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like the right answer¡­ To hold out and fight when a fallen soldier only ends up joining the Undead army,¡± one of the wizard tower¡¯s mages mentioned cautiously. ¡°That¡¯s correct, but if we retreat, how will we stop the movement of the Undead army?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Right now, Illyna de Pan, my younger sister, is maintaining the situation in such a way that she is blocking as much ess as possible rather than direct conflict. We are requesting help with that situation, and we must take them by surprise to put a quick end to this war.¡± As Prince Sullivan gave his speech, people began to voice their agreement. ¡°However, rushing over in a disorganized fashion will not work. As such, I have decided to divide the group up and assign them certain roles.¡± The people from the Contas Empire raised their hands and dered, ¡°The proud ughtering Army of the great emperor will lead. We will stab scimitars through the enemies¡¯ skulls.¡± ¡°With their support, the Blue Tower, Green Tower, and the Red Tower will provide firepower. A war like this will require massive assistance with regards to firepower,¡± the wizard towers suggested. The Holy Empire quickly said, ¡°I will go in ce of Lady Lena, the other Saintness candidate who will remain here, and provide overall assistance. In addition, I will form a separate team of holy knights and put a stop to this battle.¡± Davey just crossed his arms and sat back. He calmly watched everyone step up like they wanted to solidify their authority by aplishing something great. ¡ªGrand Duchess Kathryn is staying silent. ¡®She¡¯s probably thinking of something again.¡¯ ¡°What do you want to do, Sir Davey?¡± Yulis, who was standing near him, suddenly asked with a smile. ¡°To be honest, I am a little surprised that you decided to participate in this.¡± ¡°Why do you think of me as garbage?¡± ¡°Ahahaha, I am not sure.¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue at how Yulis was staring at him like he knew the answer to his own question. ¡°Alright. You havee alone without any soldiers, Sir Davey. You will be of great help as you possess a stigmata, but it would be necessary to select people to protect you in case¡­¡± Prince Sullivan said. Davey mumbled disappointedly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Put me on the frontlines. I came to ughter; I have no intentions of ying a war game.¡± Davey had to clean the enemies up as soon as possible and leave with restored food supplies to his territory. Having heard Davey¡¯s statement, everyone looked dumbfounded. The others would have to make a fuss about how this was a continent-wide crisis and prepare a careful strategy; that was the more effective and realistic option. However, Davey didn¡¯t care about any of that; all he was focused on was decapitating that unlucky necromancer fe as soon as possible. There was no need for him to hide his powers if he was not going to do anything terrible enough to start a new war. He actually thought that it might be a good thing if he took this opportunity to make a shy debut so that the opponents would not view the Heins Territory as an easy target. Of course, there were a lot less people who took Davey¡¯s proposal seriously than he expected; some scoffed, saying he was being ridiculous, and others whispered that all the praise had gone to Davey¡¯s head and he was being too arrogant. That was when¡­ ¡°No. I have heard many stories about you, Prince Davey, but all battles have roles that are more suited and effective for each individual,¡± Alice, the Saintess candidate who was staring at Davey, said cautiously. As Davey turned and nced over, Alice stared at him with a cold expression. He could only feel jealousy and envy from her gaze. ¡°I heard that you have outstanding abilities in the art of medicine and recovery, is that correct?¡± ¡®Look at this girl.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Listening to Davey¡¯s confident answer, Alice frowned slightly. She and the others had a hard time believing it even though Davey had the evidence to back it up. Alice, who was beating around the bush, stared at Davey calmly and said, ¡°We are more than enough for the ughtering of evil. So, I think it will be more effective for you to stay back and take care of the many gues affecting the soldiers who are being transported back.¡± ¡°Are you trying to im territory right now?¡± ¡°There is an agreement for our church to take care of the Undead. Please remember this.¡± Alice was basically saying that Davey, who was considered to be a Saint, was not part of the Holy Empire. Therefore, he should focus on his medical skills and stay back to cure diseases. Fighting the war and healing the injured were both crucial aspects, but it was clear that this was some stupid tug-of-war regarding power. ¡°Can you handle it?¡± Davey asked. Alice tilted her head in puzzlement. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The necromancer that is marching forward; they don¡¯t feel like an ordinary one. Do you think you can handle them?¡± Alice smiled coldly. ¡°If everyone herebined forces, even the Demon Lord won¡¯t stand a chance. And please be careful of your remarks. It is true that there are many grand stories about you, but your remark right now sounds so arrogant. It is as if you can get rid of that monster¡¯s army at once.¡± The reality was that even the strongest Swordmasters would lose their power against tens of thousands of soldiers. Alice was telling Davey to judge the situation before acting like he was the strongest in the room. ¡°What will you do if that is true?¡± ¡°That is amusing. I do not want to joke around with you, Prince.¡± ¡°And do I¡­¡± As soon as Davey spoke, the air in the room went cold. ¡°Look like I am joking?¡± Yulis looked at Davey, who made the atmosphere in the room go south, like this was expected of him, and Kathryn looked at Davey like this situation was amusing. However, Alice, the Saintess candidate, just red at Davey as she grit her teeth. ¡°We will be able to ughter them without your help. Do not forget that this is the Pan Empire, not the Rowane Kingdom. Do not think you can do anything you want just because you are powerful and a prince.¡± Their confidence came from the possibility that they would be able to ughter their enemies. It could be seen as arrogance, because they did not truly understand the level of power their opponent had. If the opponent was truly an overwhelmingly powerful being, they wouldn¡¯t be able to propose such a thing unless they wanted tomit suicide or something. Of course, their disbelief in Davey even with the stories and information also yed a big part in their decision-making. As Alice spoke, Davey silently nced at Prince Sullivan, who was the battle¡¯s Chief of Staff. ¡°I agree. Like the rumors say, you may be of great help if you participate in the battle, Prince Davey, but the injured soldiers are also precious lives. I think it is wise to save them if we are able to. As such, please remain here and treat the soldiers; we will be in charge of fighting,¡± Prince Sullivan said. Atst, Davey nodded. It was fine, whether it be a war with the World tree or a bothersome necromancer; whoever irritated Davey and bothered him would definitely die. However, he wondered about what he should do in this crappy situation. Thankfully, he did not have to think about it for long. He smiled as he nced at the status window in front of him. He suspected that something woulde up if such a big event was happening, and a deal that perfectly fit this situation was just offered to him. ¡°I will stay back. However, as a doctor, I will not ignore the sick. I will treat the soldiers.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you? You know you¡¯re going to regret it, right?¡± Davey asked. As Prince Sullivan stayed silent, Davey went on to say, ¡°I am warning you that I will do nothing even if those damn Undeads swallow the Pan Empire or the continent whole unless I receive your apology and eptablepensation.¡± Thud!! The pressure of death, which could not be obviously noticed by the others, slowly creeped over. ¡ªHuh?! Death Fear?! The ce where the battle is happening is pretty far from here, but why?! If these people could not even sense the enemies¡¯ monstrous kind of power, the result of this battle was obvious. * * * ¡°Ballista!! Shoot!¡± With Illyna¡¯smand, dozens of thick and long iron spears flew up and covered the sky. Pshuck!! As the thick arrows rained down on them, the Undead that slowly limped over to the fortress began gathering at once. The monsters and humans that had turned into the Undead flew back upon being prated by the iron arrows. They couldn¡¯t even defend against the attack. Several dozens of the Undead were ripped apart with each explosion, but they kept swarming toward the army. It was as if their numbers simply kept increasing. ¡°Your Highness!!! You must leave!¡± ¡°Your Highnessss! The east door of the mountain fortress is about to fall!¡± ¡°The west door has fallen! Reinforcement! We need reinforcement!¡± The mountain fortress was a mess as the hundreds and thousands of Undead restlessly climbed up the fortress walls and made their way in. Illyna roughly ripped out the flimsy hair piece that held her hair together. She ground her teeth before yelling, ¡°What about the additional soldiers of each kingdom?! Why is there no news of the reinforcement that is on their way here?!¡± ¡°Currently, arge force has been formed at themand headquarters. They have departed, but they will still take a long time to get here!¡± ¡°Damn it! I will lead the army! I am not going to lie and say that nobody is going to die! But you have to fight with your life on the line! If you die, take five of those bastards with you!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness!¡± ¡°You have to kill more than five Undeads before dying! Do you understand?!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Illyna quickly swung Caldeiras to sh the flying Undead and clenched her jaw. Then, she flew through the sky and stared at the Wyvern, which grabbed and threw soldiers onto the ground. She could also see the giant skeleton soldiers riding them. The giant skeletons wore the uniform of holy priests with the holy knight order¡¯s chainmail. They were seemingly boasting their status of having been a part of the Holy Empire. These monsters did not set foot on the battleground once; they appeared at the beginning of battle but did not fight, disappearing from view after wandering around the battlefield. ¡°Something is off¡­ It¡¯s making me anxious.¡± Illyna could feel the monsters¡¯ power through her skin. She also noticed the eerie clouds transforming this tropical region into an extremely cold one. Her kingdom knew the Undead as slightly dangerous beings that had escaped from an old dungeon, but Illyna, who had been in battle for a long time, could tell that the monster controlling the Undead was far superior than these skeleton knights. ¡°Adjutant!¡± Illyna called out to a man who swiftly shed the Undeads. When he came over, Illyna added, ¡°Tell Big Brother Sullivan! Tell him to request for Davey¡¯s help at whatever cost necessary!¡± If the monsters appeared to be servants of one truemander and were already as strong as Masters, this was no light matter. Illyna thought that if this opponent was as strong as the giant dragon she had seen during the Alpha Reinforcements¡¯ battle, this war may just be a game to that monster. Even though she felt shameless for always asking for Davey¡¯s help, Illyna could not ignore the soldiers giving up their lives by the minute; war was a horrendous thing. Chapter 192 70. The Prince Who Created Miracles in the Treatment Center, and the Deceased of the Ancient Ruins Who Called For Blood. The Undead could not be negotiated with. Lower-rank Undead were givenmands by a superior being, and that was all. Perhaps those who had be the Undead after dying as human soldiers had bitter resentment too. In the end, when faced with such an enemy, the only thing that was left to do was a bloody battle. The Undead were marching toward the Pan Empire¡¯s capital, constantly threatening the mountain fortresses along the way. They were not going to stop until they all died or their truemander, which gathered and controlled them, was gone. Knowing that for a fact, the allied kingdoms immediately made their way to the fortresses after their meeting and deciding their course of action. The proud-looking soldiers stood as sharp as knives, and they stared at each other with great hostility as if wanting to rip each other into shreds. However, they showed restraint and kept in line. Davey found it quite amusing that the soldiers here were so hostile with each other when their true enemy was elsewhere. It was natural for the soldiers to act in such a manner; since such arge force would be able to ughter the enemy at any time, thepensation that cameter on was bound to be a sensitive topic to all the kingdoms. However¡­ ¡ªThe problem is that the enemy out there isn¡¯t a monster that will be easily ughtered. The terrifyingly cold air that Davey had felt during the meeting was definitely Death Fear, which was an ability only a high-rank necromancer would have. Death Fear was a pheromone that necromancers used when controlling the Undead. Its range and intensity increased depending on the necromancer¡¯s ability. It was a problem that the Death Fear was intense enough for Davey to have felt it from a whole battlefield away. Only one level of power that Davey knew of could do such a thing. And if his spection proved true, the troops would be the ones being ughtered, not the Undead, as soon as they decided to unleash their potential. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey, sitting on the spire, looked down at the soldiers confidently leaving the fortress gates. Then, feeling a gaze, Davey turned and saw a woman in an antiquebat robe. She sat on a horse and was staring at him. She looked to be in her early twenties, and she was someone from the Holy Empire who could receive a stigmata. Even though she was at a distance so far that Davey couldn¡¯t be seen, she was still silently staring his way. ¡°They say that jealousy makes people ugly.¡± Even an idiot could tell how the woman felt about Davey. She was jealous of the fact that Davey had received God¡¯s love. That was the only emotion that she disyed, since she cleverly hid everything else. After all, she was no idiot. She lowered the veil to cover her face before leaving the fortress gates on a horse, no longer paying attention to Davey. Davey turned away without hesitation once Alice and the holy knight order left with countless soldiers and knights with them. ¡ªIt feels like your warning was quite mild, considering the person that you are. Perserque asked Davey as he stared out the window. ¡°Oh, I just thought I needed to change my priorities.¡± ¡ªPriorities? Davey silently activated the status window. ¡ªSave those in pain from the disease. 0/20,000. A deal had arrived. The problem was¡­ -T¡­ Twenty thousand? It seems like too many¡­ ¡®It won¡¯t be easy, but the conditions are a little vague. It¡¯spletely doable.¡¯ The condition Freyja, the Goddess of Wine, had proposed was a vague one about saving those who suffered from diseases. It wasn¡¯t specific to the war. Perhaps she knew that Davey wasn¡¯t going to just quietly adhere to her deal even if she had a strict condition for it. Still, the deal appeared to respect Davey¡¯s decision no matter what he decided to go with. * * * The ancient monster¡¯s energy of death was said to transform and strengthen the origin of many diseases. That was besides the dposition process of turning dead people into the Undead. ¡°Eehh¡­ Ehh.¡± ¡°It hurts¡­ It hurts.¡± That was the reason why most of the groaning soldiers who were transported to the headquarters on gurneys were affected by traditional diseases rather than diseases caused by the poison. ¡°Hey! Bring more painkillers!!¡± ¡°We need to operate here! Is the disinfection of surgical supplies not done yet?! Hurry up and get moving!!¡± ¡°Wake up! Damn it! Please open your eyes!¡± The treatment center was a different kind of warzone. It was almost like hell. Horrible odors that Davey had never smelled before surrounded the entire ce, and the center was full of soldiersining about their symptoms. There seemed to be hundreds of civilians and soldiers that suffered from various diseases. ¡®Yeah, this warzone is different from the one where spears and swords fly through the air.¡¯ ¡°Hey! Stop nking out and get a move on!! Do you want to die?!¡± ¡°S¡­ Sorry!¡± The treatment center, where roughnguage was exchanged, had painful moans and groans drowning out urgent shouts. ¡ªTreatment centers are always so horrendous. ¡°In some sense, this is also a warzone.¡± This was not a war about how many one could kill. For a doctor, this was a war against time to save as many dying patients as possible. Davey estimated that there were about two hundred patients; however, there were people who sumbed to the diseases and were taken out on gurneys as cold bodies. ¡ªThat uniform is definitely¡­the Coalition for Disease Control. ¡®Yeah, and the treatment is quite good. It makes sense that they are in-charge, as they are a continent-wide medical agency¡­¡¯ ¡ªBut you don¡¯t really trust them. Perserque chuckled and gave Davey a reality check. Davey and Perserque had once seen the unbelievable acts that Count Lington had done in the past. There was a saying that one slip-up could ruin hundreds of good deeds; there were people like Baron Gorneo in the coalition as well, but even his dedication did not sway their opinions by much. That was because Lington had caused great and almost irreversible damage. Perhaps that was why Davey had little faith in the Coalition for Disease Control. ¡°Hey, you! Who are you and why are you here? Everyone here is working hard, so please don¡¯t block the way and move!¡± People could usually infer someone¡¯s rank by looking at their appearance, such as uniforms and a clean face that showed they had never suffered a day in their lives. To be fair, Davey had undergone rough training back in the Hall. However, he had been a mere soul at that time, so there were no scars left on his actual physical body. The fact that this man could speak to Davey in such a manner despite Davey¡¯s status as nobility or royalty meant that the coalition¡¯s prestige wasn¡¯tpletely gone yet. If that wasn¡¯t a reason, then he was a good doctor who had a good understanding of the urgent situation and believed that his patient was his first priority no matter who Davey was. It seemed to be thetter. The man quickly ran off after shouting at Davey. He had a great mindset as a doctor. The people of the coalition were so desperate to save these patients, so perhaps Lington was the odd one out. However¡­ ¡°They arecking a manual, which is the most important thing. If they keep going like this, seven out of ten patients will die.¡± There were many problems, such as the failure of treatment, the worsening of the diseases, and some others. However, the most serious one of all was that the diseased patients were all suffering from a version of the disease that had been transformed by the death energy. Patients were bound to die right away if the original treatment method was used. The Coalition for Disease Control was arge organization and as such, they had multiple medical staff with lots of experience. The problems were the amount of time required to treat one patient and that the number of soldiers being transported over kept growing. Even the most experienced medical staff could not examine dozens of people at once. That small gap kept growing and growing, steadily worsening the situation. ¡°Damn it!! Wake up!¡± Thud!! Thud!! A man forcibly began CPR on a cold, stiff man whose heart had stopped. However, the deceased just remained on the bed without any movement. ¡°No! No, you can¡¯t die, man!¡± A soldier screamed sadly at the death of hisrade. The doctors suffered from shame. They were unable to save the patient even though it was a simple disease. ¡ªDavey, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the right time to sit back and watch. At Perserque¡¯sment, Davey reminded himself of the oaths he had taken in front of Hypocria when having learned medicine from her. ¡®All of you shouldn¡¯t try to die in front of me. You should desperately endure the injury or disease before you even die. Die fighting, as I can revive everyone.¡¯ Between a doctor and a patient, the triangr rtionship that would emerge was an obvious one. ¡°N¨CNo! You can¡¯t die like this! Hold on a little bit longer! You can live!¡± Three or four soldiers who had simply been dered dead were being carried out on gurneys. ¡°Move.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Huh?!¡± Not wanting toplicate the situation, Davey organized all the thoughts in his head and pushed away a doctor who was crying out to the unresponsive patient. It was cardiac arrest: as the transformed bacteria had entered the soldier through his exposed wounds, he had failed to endure the disease that caused hemorrhage and threw off homeostasis in the body. Nobody would usually die this quickly, but the disease had been mutated by the death energy and was progressing as Davey expected. ¡ªThis incredible skill of transforming diseases is so wicked. The doctor who Davey pushed out of the way was not a council member. He was an ordinary doctor in the coalition. ¡°Who are you?!¡± The man who was in despair suddenly shouted at Davey¡¯s sudden actions. The man tried to grab him by the neck, but Davey ignored him and touched the unresponsive patient with his fingertips. Then, he cast a simple magic spell after releasing his mana. [Shock] Buzz!!! For a second, blue light enveloped the surroundings. Rattle!! The dead man flinched and moved away from the ground. However, Davey did not stop there. He cast another shock spell. [Shock] Bzzzz!! Hypocria, the Goddess of Medicine, had no magic abilities, but Davey did. Her art of medicine was incredible, but with such a different situation to deal with right now, Davey had no reason to continue administering traditional treatments. Pazzz!! With another sh of lightning, more and more people began staring at Davey. The doctors of the coalition initially tried to stop him, but the consecutive shes of light attracted the attention of the other doctors and conscious patients. ¡®You¡¯re still not going toe back alive, huh?¡¯ Davey moved his hand to the deceased man¡¯s neck. He was changing his course of action. Davey was obviously a doctor, but he was different from his teacher. [7th level Holy Magic] [Sanctuary] Boom!! Getting rid of the death energy surrounding the treatment center, Davey created a huge holy space that contained an overwhelming amount of holy power. His actions had gone unnoticed by everyone else. ¡ªDavey!! He moved!! His heart moved! Perserque¡¯s eyes sparkled. Without hesitation, Davey opened his inventory and pulled out a small leather case. He hadn¡¯t pulled this out ever since returning from the Hall. He pulled out an arm-length needle and punctured the patient¡¯s body before anyone could stop him. ¡°Hey!! What are you doing?!¡± One of the doctors who came back to their senses ran towards Davey and roughly grabbed his cor. Davey¡¯s gaze was still fixed on the patient. As he put pressure on the patient¡¯s stomach, he began counting down. ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­ One¡­¡± Then, Davey ordered the doctors quickly, ¡°Get me some ice. Get me as much as you can. And you two over there, boil as many clothes in boiling water as possible. You, only administer painkillers to patients who exhibit the symptoms I rify for you.¡± The doctors frowned. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s probably hard to believe me since I just showed up out of the blue.¡¯ Davey had no choice but to abuse his power and rank for this. nk! Davey frowned. He aggressively pulled out the mithril pass from his chest pocket and threw it at a man near him. ¡°What are you all doing?! Move!!¡± Chapter 193 Administering medical care required quite a lot of professional knowledge and experience. Of course, the doctors of the Coalition of Disease Control had a level of pride that went beyond a regr doctor. Davey looked half the doctors¡¯ age and had just butted in all of a sudden, so the tension of the situation was expected. However, the disharmony would onlyst if he was mere nobility with nothing to offer but eagerness. ¡°This is¡­a confirmation pass from the empire¡¯s Royal Pce. I¨CI¡¯m sorry, but who are you?¡± ¡°The First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom, Davey O¡¯Rowane. I really want to believe that you people won¡¯t give me the obvious answer.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± The doctors would know of Davey, who had a major influence in their field, if they weren¡¯t idiots. Even if they didn¡¯t know the details, they should know that Davey was the genius prince who had found the cure to a disease that even their coalition had failed to do so. They were also aware that Davey had the one and only stigmata. Realizing who Davey was and seeing how he had done acupuncture, an art that was now huge in the medical field, the doctors all widened their eyes in shock. Davey¡¯s frown became harsher when the doctors just gaped at him. He snapped, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°P¨CPardon?¡± ¡°One more person has died. How many people do you intend to kill?¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes!¡± After evaluating the situation, most of the doctors shouted and moved. However, some of them still stood around like they were trying to stop Davey. They knew of Davey¡¯s reputation, but they probably still saw him as a rookie who was half their age and had half their experience. Their gaze was not driven by jealousy, though. Professional and good work couldn¡¯t be done without pride and passion. Just like art, medicine required one¡¯s passion to grow and be executed well. And just like most jobs, a level of intelligence and professionalism was required. As soon as the doctors realized who Davey was, they began to move quickly and efficiently. Davey pulled out a normal acupuncture set he often used from his Pocket ne, organized it, and closed his eyes. To save twenty thousand people, Davey knew that curing everyone in the treatment center wouldn¡¯t be enough. However, that didn¡¯t matter; the details of the deal was to save those suffering in pain, not recovering the damage caused by the necromancer. ¡ªTens of thousands of people may die from this, Davey. War is an insane thing; one slip-up could cost thousands of lives. Perserque spoke to Davey with a frown. She was very disgusted by war and all that it brought about. ¡ªTell me. I am on your side, so I cannot just let this go. This situation will result in too many sacrifices. I can¡¯t let you do whatever you want. You should know that there are many other good ways to fulfill the deal without needing to do this. As Perserque presented a logical opinion, Davey nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± The world was truly unfair. Davey held strength and power, but he would be criticized when he did not use that strength and power in favor of others. Funny, wasn¡¯t it? ¡°However, there will be much more serious catastrophes.¡± When it came to unexpected situations, Davey¡¯s instincts had a way of being right on the money. There was no effect without cause; he would be stupid to expect anything less when huge events kept happening in a span of mere months. ¡ªOnes that are even more severe than this? How¡¯s that possibility linked to this war? Davey didn¡¯t like the idea of thousands of people being unnecessarily sacrificed in a ridiculous tug of war of power. Thinking about it, he stated, ¡°I have to establish my power from the beginning.¡± ¡ªThat creepy smile again! The necromancer that had awakened from the ancient ruin would not be able to go on further than this. As for the ughtering Army, they would fail to kill the enemy. Criticism and condemnation were going to fall on the people who were in charge of this situation, and all Davey had to do was y politics and benefit from it; that would make things easier for him in the future. * * * There was a difference between a Saintess and a Saintess candidate. Both Alice and Lena of the Holy Empire were Saintess candidates, so they weren¡¯t the same as Davey. They had the absence of a stigmata. A Saint or Saintess candidate was only considered for the actual role. Boys who were blessed with arge amount of holy power from birth became part of the Holy Empire, so they could be nurtured into a potential Saint. Girls would be nurtured as potential Saintesses. That was how Alice grew up, since she was blessed with arge amount of holy power. However, she did not have a stigmata. As she had devoted her entire life to receiving a stigmata, she couldn¡¯t help but be jealous of Davey, who had been chosen out of the blue. It was she who had served God in the holynd of Valchas, the Holy Empire, and it was she who had studied and spread the word of God. It was also she who had practiced the teachings of God. Alice had endured all the hardships and done things she didn¡¯t like or want with a smile on her face. She truly couldn¡¯t understand why a prince from a small kingdom who had been unconscious for six years and had barely any contact with God had been given a stigmata. God had given a boy like Davey a stigmata and hadn¡¯t answered Alice once in her twenty-five years of devotion, so Alice¡¯s frustration had hit its limits. That exined why she had acted the way she did. Due to her position as a Saintess candidate, Alice had to remain objective at all times. She was only a candidate, but that position still had some authority and recognition. However, she did not want to act objectively earlier on. Thinking that Davey¡¯s position as Saint should have been hers, Alice was frustrated that some random kid had stolen her rightful ce. The other Saintess candidate had epted it as the divine will, but Alice could not understand it at all. ¡®Oh, Goddess Freyja, why are you not answering me when I serve and pray to you with all my heart?¡¯ Alice, who was reverently praying inside the quiet tent, slowly rose up. She heard rustling from outside the tent. She could smell the intense odor of death from the surroundings ever since arriving at the mountain fortress. She was so close to the battlefield. ¡°They are ready for the meeting, Saintess,¡± a holy knight reported to Alice. He called her a Saintess and not a candidate. Not correcting the holy knight who served her, Alice said stiffly, ¡°Those who refuse to obey God will surely be taken care of by me.¡± Alice¡¯s firm expression did not look like it was going to loosen anytime soon. * * * Davey already started walking on a tightrope, so he had to see it through to the end. He wouldn¡¯t be able tost long if he caused a scene without thinking it through. However, he could take advantage of the situation and screw everyone over if he carefully caused a scene. What Davey had learned in the past was that he should carefully n out his actions if he had decided to go rogue. He had to drag things on for just the right amount of time, and the enemies had to be kept away at a certain distance. Shwoop!! Pahh!! Whether it was a warp spell or teleportation, Davey needed to know the coordinates of where he was and where he wanted to go. Those were basic requirements. If Davey was being honest, one of the most dangerous magic to exin was teleportation; for example, if the ce he teleported to was in the middle of a cliff, it would only take moments for him to be a crushed body between densely packed rocks. Teleportation magic worked by the molecrization of one¡¯s physical body. Warping consisted of folding up the entire space and moving the person to another location. As such, warping was more stable and had less of a rebound effect than teleportation, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was so OP that one could just ignore the importance of coordinates. There was one big benefit to warping. If there was something present at the chosen coordinates, warping would push it away and even prate it depending on the caster''s power. Although, it wouldn¡¯t happen if the caster¡¯s mana was worthless. So, how was Davey able to warp to a ce he had never been to before? There was a simple and unexpected answer: a mana gate. Specifically, it was the fact that there was a firmly shut mana gate present in the city that Davey was trying to go to right now. A mana gate utilized predetermined coordinates that were entered in advance and the transportation portal was left open for a long period of time. As such, there was no reason for Davey to work hard if the coordinates were already predetermined. Crack¡­ Crack¡­ If Davey had toe up with a disadvantage¡­it was the fact that the location he could move to was already chosen. After all, he was using the coordinates from a mana gate that had already been taken over. ¡ªOh my¡­ You are reckless. The world is nothing to you, huh? You think that you are invincible and nothing is going to be able to hurt you, huh? ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? I can act this recklessly because there is something watching my back.¡± If an overwhelming strong opponent that even Davey couldn¡¯t deal with were to appear, perhaps an opponent like the true World Tree¡­ If Davey were to fight a monster that was as powerful as the World Tree or an opponent who went all out, he would have no choice but to use his one and only card up his sleeve. ¡ªWhy did you ept the World Tree¡¯s battle so recklessly if the World Tree is so strong? ¡°Because I can deal with the World Tree with a cheat.¡± If his initial n didn¡¯t work, Davey could use the only attack-type dark magic he had learned from Rho Aias. She had mostly taught him dark magic as a defensive tool rather than an offensive one, since she extremely disliked him harming another person with dark or devil magic. In the end, Davey had practiced by himself the attack-type spells that Rho Aias had taught. There was also magic that Rho Aias had taught Davey as a form of protection. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is no way I will die.¡± ¡ªHmph! Do you think anyone is worrying about someone like you? You always do whatever you want. Neither logic normon sense works on you, you nuisance. Davey felt a sense of deja vu. Crack!! ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Alongside dozens of skeletons, the Undead began gathering toward Davey, who was the only living being present. They were drawn over as soon as he was discovered. The Undead, who had been wandering around the city without anymand, did not hide their hostility toward him. ¡°The city has be fully dead now.¡± There was not a single survivor in this wicked city; no sense of life could be felt, and all Davey could see was destruction. Shwing. Davey retrieved Red and Blue Ribbon from his Pocket ne before sliding them into their sheaths, which were along his waist. Afterward, he reached into his Pocket ne again and pulled out his staff, the Transcendence¡¯s Demise. ¡°Capture them seven times and let them go for seven.¡±[1] Davey had to do one thing right now: he had to draw out this fearless necromancer who hid in the ancient ruins. He wanted to beat the crap out of the necromancer, who was probably amused by the situation and enjoying the war. Twirling the staff in his hands, Davey slowly activated his devil mana. His devil mana vibrated intensely, as if scolding him for using it sote and telling him to hurry up. As he released it, a dark and cold energy quickly overwhelmed the death energy that surrounded the ce. [The Dead are bound to gather toward light.] Davey, who mumbled quietly, moved the Transcendence¡¯s Demise and tapped the floor with it. [And they will begin yearning for the light they cannot reach.] Even though Davey did not verbalize the incantation, his will flowed out of him easily. The incantation sounded more like a poem than a spell. Soon, his will erupted before him and lit up the surroundings. [I am yourmander.] Crack! ¡°Euhhh¡­¡± The Undead who initially gathered together with great hostility toward Davey¡­stopped moving. Then, with a grin, Davey looked at the skeleton closest to him and raised his right hand. Crack. At the same time, the skeleton raised its left hand to meet Davey¡¯s right hand. p! With that high-five, Davey yfully raised both arms and shook them. At the same time, the skeleton with empty eye sockets threw down its weapon and did the same. ¡°Twinkle twinkle little star,¡± Davey sang. Craaackk!! The skeleton couldn¡¯t sing along, since it did not have vocal chords. Its jaw creaked open noisily. [Red Ribbon can sing it better!] [Blue Ribbon wants to sing, too¡­] Since it was a children¡¯s song, Red and Blue Ribbon began vibrating in their sheaths. They wanted to sing too. Normally, Davey would y with them, but unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t right now. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend for this, but how can I refuse when you offer?¡± ¡ªYou fraud. ¡°I will take all of it. Let¡¯s go boys, grab your weapons,¡± Davey addressed the Undead. The Undead slowly grabbed their weapons. They surrounded him once more, as if to escort him. ¡°It just has to look like an unexpected rebellion to the necromancer.¡± It didn¡¯t matter to Davey whether hundreds of the Undead died or not. To him, this was a simple way of obtaining tens of thousands of workers that would work for him in the dark. 1. This strategy refers to the psychological tactic used by Zhuge Liang, a Chinese military strategist from the Three Kingdoms period. It is a way of making the enemy impressed and therefore follow someone by capturing them seven times and letting them go seven times. ? Chapter 194: (B8C18) 71. Keep Fighting, But Don¡¯t Die. ¡®One, two.¡¯ The Undead¡¯s eyes, which shone with a maroon light, gradually changed to show a different color. Their eyes were blue now. The Undead had great resentment and evil, but that could be changed ording to the will of theirmander. Davey had gotten rid of the Undead¡¯s fierce hostility toward the living and had instilled blind loyalty. Davey¡¯s control spread abnormally quickly, because he had some help. Although the staff was normally used with elemental mana, devil mana was ultimately also a type of mana. The staff was slightly less effective with devil mana, but its overall ability wouldn¡¯t drop from a legendary level to an ordinary one. In a short period of time, Davey could see thousands of Undead taking over the city and hundreds of new onesing under his control. The dominance of the high-rank necromancer was strong; however, even that powerful dominance was bound to weaken as the number under his control decreased by over a hundred thousand. ¡°You seem like you need weapons.¡± The Undead were mostly empty-handed. Those wielding weapons were using abandoned and broken ones. As for the skeletons, they were holding bone swords that had seeminglye from their own bodies. Davey didn¡¯t think the skeletons would be of much help as their basic stats were low and even their weaponry wascking. ¡®It¡¯s not good to just march in with overwhelming numbers alone¡­¡¯ After some thought, Davey said, ¡°First, let¡¯s divide you up. All the ones who turned into the Undead because you were infected or died recently go over to the right. The rest of you, move to the left. I¡¯m giving you five seconds. Move!¡± The Undead began moving at the simplemand. They had no intelligence nor reason to analyze or defy the controller¡¯smand; they simply existed and acted blindly when given amand. Watching the Undead part like waves, Davey could clearly see just how many people had been sacrificed and brought back as the Undead. ¡ªThe infiltration is no joke¡­ This is much more than I expected. ¡°Well, since it happened out of the blue, you can¡¯t me them for the number of Undead skyrocketing. Hey, all the monsters and animals go to the left.¡± Once the animals and monsters assembled to the left, Davey stared at the human-like zombies and skeletons. Then, he snapped his fingers. Whoosh!! At the same time, two ck magic circles expanded and covered the surroundings. Pshhh!! Rattle!! As the magic circles spread, some of the Undead fell to the ground as if having lost their strength. These people were victims who had been turned into the Undead after being infected by diseases caused by the takeover. Davey didn¡¯t need their help as well; they were constantly suffering in endless pain without being able to enter the cycle of reincarnation, because their souls were still under control, so they weren¡¯t of much use. Davey was only satisfied after dissolving the magic that formed the Undead and helping the freed ones enter into the cycle of reincarnation with a revival magic circle. That was a magic spell that required devil mana. The Undead had lost their lives in this awful situation, bing monsters that couldn¡¯t die despite not being fully alive. It didn¡¯t sit right with Davey that there was no one who would mourn their deaths. Even if they had never seen each other before, he could not ignore their sorrowful faces as a necromancer who interacted with souls. ¡°Everyone, get on it. Your painful memories will all be gone once you are on your way to reincarnation. I¡¯ll pray for you, so you can live a better life next time.¡± The ck energy flowing out of Davey slowly enveloped some of the Undead. Then, the off-white figures working around him dissipated into powder at once. All the spirits looked different, but they expressed one shared emotion. [Thank you.] It was gratitude. Although dark and devil magic were both developed as weapons for war, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the ability still stemmed from pure research and the desire to save people. There was no such thing as a power that was purely good or evil. Davey watched the city be silent as countless Undead disappeared instantly, then nced at the bone fragments they had left behind. Hemented, ¡°Oh, right. Let me borrow your bones before you leave.¡± Crack!!! The still bones floated into the air together and rotated to create sturdy spears, swords, and shields. This was the best choice under current circumstances, so as to increase the power of the Undead, who had poor weapons. ¡ªAren¡¯t there too few of them? Is the situation going to be okay? ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not like I made the Undead anyways.¡± All Davey had to do was capture more of the Undead if he needed more people. The Undead were running rampant everywhere, so he could get more of them at any time. Davey put on a robe and a in mask that covered his entire face. He had prepared this outfit in advance. Thud!! At the same time, the Undead began moving like they were going to execute Davey¡¯s will for him. ¡°Run and don¡¯t stop. Destroy everything you can see.¡± Davey already had a destination in mind. * * * Thump! Thump!! Davey began to see a messy but consistent march. The pathway leading from the mountain fortress to therge forest where the ancient ruins existed was crowded due to the Undead¡¯s march. ¡°About twenty thousand of them¡­ I was right; it¡¯s just testing the waters.¡± The Undead¡¯s numbers increased even at this moment. It was clear that their numbers would keep growing even while the allied army would only grow tired. ¡ªThat is only natural since they have not fought against a high-rank necromancer before. Perhaps the allied army not knowing that they would only be more disadvantaged as time passed was to be expected. ¡°Yeah.¡± This was going to be the first battle after the allied army¡¯s participation. They would fight at a significant disadvantage, because the allied army had to abandon theirrade as soon as they were bitten or cut. This was not the case for the original Undead. ¡ªBut they must have made preparations for it, since they already know about that. Unless they are idiots. ¡°Let¡¯s ignore them.¡± If Davey engaged in gueri warfare with the Undeads that he controlled right now, he could destroy the allied army and dy their advance. However¡­ ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to do that.¡± ¡ªIf you can save lives, it is better to save¡­ ¡°Perserque, I told you; there¡¯s a good chance that this kind of thing will keep happening.¡± ¡ª... ¡°If I don¡¯t disy my prowess from the beginning, such incidents will keep happening. This isn¡¯t just a warning to that Saintess candidatedy.¡± ¡ªIf that is what you want. Previously, the Undead had separated into groups to repeatedly invade different mountain fortresses. In fact, the 20,000 Undead that Davey was staring at were also going to one of the eight mountain fortresses. They confidently advanced forward as if they were unstoppable, feelingpletely rxed. Davey silently turned away and began moving toward the one who had created and was controlling all the Undead. He would have needed to go through the bothersome process of breaking into the ancient ruins if they were inside, so it was somewhat of a relief that they were not. A few hours had passed since Davey had embarked on this journey. He ignored and passed the entire Undead army that was beyond his control. He and his own Undead army could soon see a giant tower in the vast forest of rotten trees. The tower was well camouged from a distance, so Davey only noticed it when he got much closer. ¡ªThis ce was originally a in, not a forest. ¡®The forest was probably artificially created. This ce is filled with giant trees of the living Deceased. We¡¯re going to be strangled to death by a branch if we just go in there.¡¯ The necromancer had chosen this region for war and it became thend of the dead. ¡ª[Necropolis], a 7th circle spell that can amplify a necromancer¡¯s power, the core, by more than ten-fold with its existence alone¡­ ¡°Are they waiting inside? How arrogant.¡± It seemed like the high-rank necromancer already noticed that Davey had taken a few thousand Undead from his army of a hundred thousand. The necromancer also opened the path leading to them as soon as they realized that Davey wasing this way; it was almost like they were taunting him, telling him toe if he dared. ¡®Then, how could I not go?¡¯ Advancing the Undead army with a flick of his hand, Davey took a step forward. At the same time, he felt a weak vibration run through him. A creepy voice rang out in the forest. ¡ªHow dare youe here so brazenly when you have stolen my army, you rookie necromancer? Although it is only a part of my army, I willpliment you on stealing control over them. The voice could not be heard, since it was delivered through the will. It made Davey feel like his mind was going to be taken over if he didn¡¯t focus. ¡°I have to solve this as soon as possible and go treat the patients.¡± Rinne, who had apanied Davey here, was remaining at the treatment center in ce of Davey. She was a golem, so she picked up on information very quickly. She was probably treating patients ording to the manual Davey had left behind without trouble. 1924/20000 The number grew quickly, which was a good indication of progress. However, Davey hade to the battlefield to elerate the situation, because it would take weeks to fulfill that quota at the current rate the war was progressing. It was a relief that treatment given by Rinne or even the doctors of the coalition who had received Davey¡¯s teachings were included in the deal. ¡°Do Liches these days not show their face even when a guest has arrived?¡± Davey¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud enough to be heard from the tower, but he didn¡¯t think for a second that the necromancer wasn¡¯t listening. With his mild provocation, some devil mana that had been spread all around the necropolis began to dig into Davey¡¯s body; the necromancer¡¯s irritation hade alive to prate him. Pahh! However, Davey¡¯s devil mana grabbed the foreign devil mana entering the body and ate it up like it had been waiting for this moment. If he urately understood what his devil mana was saying, through both devil mana merging together, it would be saying¡­ ¡®How dare you crawl in here when you have such an inferior density?!¡¯ The devil mana was quite simple to understand. Clunk! nk!! The necromancer began releasing part of his main army. They came to the conclusion that Davey could not be stopped with a simple taking-over of the mind. Dozens of Undead poured out of therge holes on the sides of the huge stone tower. Not only that, but giant Undead monsters or armed skeletons also began running out of therge door on the necropolis¡¯ lowest floor. Screech!!! Bone Wyverns that boasted their huge size and giant skeleton knights who rode them suddenly appeared. They were all Death Knights powerful enough to release [Aura de]. ¡ªApproximately fourteen Death Knights at Master-level¡­ There are many more than was reported. And there are a lot of Undead giant monsters that would require dozens of people to defeat just one of them. Davey, you¡¯re going to be wiped out quickly with your army. ¡°Then, we should strengthen our side too,¡± Davey said calmly. He pulled out Blue Ribbon and twirled it in his hands. He stared directly at the tower before saying, ¡°I will tell you my goal before I enter. I don¡¯t know who you are.¡± Screech!!! The Death Knight that was riding the Wyvern swung its sword at Davey as the beast jumped down from its high vantage point. It knew that Davey was the one leading the opposition army. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you want or why you are ying this game of war.¡± The heated and sharp [Aura de] shed across the air, threatening to bisect Davey. However, he pulled out Red Ribbon with his free hand and lightly shed the air in retaliation. Crack!! At the same time, the Bone Wyvern lost its bnce. Its tough skeletal wings had been cut in half. Then, Davey jumped toward the falling Death Knight and stepped on it. Shwooo!! Crack! Although they did not have the skills of a Master, they were high-rank Death Knights. Blocking the skeleton¡¯s counterattack with ease, Davey pierced its face with Blue Ribbon and crushed it into the ground. Even if they were a Death Knight, they would not be able to withstand Blue Ribbon, a sword that held the power to destroy the authority of immortality and had an advantage over demon-types. Davey lightly shook his hand and retrieved Blue Ribbon after easily taking care of a Death Knight. Pshhh!! Crushing the Death Knight, who immediately copsed on the ground in pieces, Davey pointed his sword at the additional ones that were charging toward him. He said, ¡°If you want to conquer the continent, then bring it on. I can only tell you to do whatever you want.¡± It was the alliance who had rejected Davey¡¯s help and chose to get all defensive. ¡°However, it will be apletely different story if you are taking over areas that have what I need.¡± ¡ªWhat are you trying to say, intruder? Davey felt the necromancer¡¯s voice grow a bit wary, as if they had noticed Blue Ribbon¡¯s threatening level of power. ¡°As of right now, you will move ording to my intentions. Stop this war game and fight to the death¡­until I grow tired from treating patients and copse.¡± ¡ªNonsense! ¡°But if you do not, I will find out where you are.¡± Whoosh¡­ ¡°And I¡­¡± As Blue Ribbon floated and slowly moved through the air as Davey¡¯s voice trailed off, a white light of holy power burst out from his fingertips. ¡°I will crush you in any way I want.¡± [8th level Holy Magic] [Blessing of God] Whoosh!!!! The Undead who followed Davey began to tremble as a wide area of holy magic spread out from Davey, who was in the middle. Some of the Undead began burning in mes, unable to withstand the divine luminosity. It was funny to use holy magic here when both his army and the enemy¡¯s were the Undead, who were extremely weak against it. There were always more convenient methods, just like how Davey received God¡¯s curiosity rather than love. [Daphne¡¯s 9th level Final Holy Magic] [Repent] The desires of the Undead were Davey¡¯s; therefore, his repentance would be theirs. There was no better reinforcement for his army and no worse debuff for them. If their basic stats werecking, he just had to buff them to match up to the opponent¡¯s. Ignoring the rapidly changing atmosphere, Davey cast an additional spell. [8th level Holy Magic Attack] [Rod of God] Following Davey¡¯s fingertips, a white sh of light fell from the sky. Chapter 195 sh!!! Baaaang!!! With holy power, the Rod of God dropped like a huge chunk of material that was simr to tungsten[1] from somewhere within the stratopause[2]. Davey wished that he could summon something from space itself, but that was only possible with the help of a Saintess at Daphne¡¯s caliber. Of course, even if the Rod of God only fell from the skies, the holy magic that it carried could not be underestimated. ¡ªThe Rod of God?! Impossible!!! ¡°What do you mean impossible? You should definitely find a way to expand your horizons.¡± With dazzling white light, the Rod of God struck down like a bomb and mmed against the necropolis. It had five shots. The first shot shook the walls that surrounded the necropolis. Thuuuuud!!! The second shot deformed its structure. Thuuuuuuuud!!! By the third shot, the walls surrounding the necropolis werepletely destroyed. The remaining two shots destroyed the barrier. Once the skill ended, the entire area was left overturned. Part of the huge stone tower even got destroyed. Davey had easily smashed apart the barrier that had been hindering his advance. Although the barrier was already broken, it seemed like Davey did not have the ability to recover his holy power in a short period of time. He had used up so much of it to destroy the strong barrier, which had been created by an 8th ss necromancer. [What I need is your permission, not your almighty power, as well as your mercy. Close your eyes and count to 300, I will take care of everything.] ¡ªYou¡¯re a crazy bastard! You are trying to negotiate with a God! Perserque was shocked by Davey¡¯s audacity. Davey ignored Perserque. He spread the fluctuating holy power bound under God''s will without using any force. With the help of God¡¯s will, the force of holy power, which was a fragment of God¡¯s power, would be amplified. Based on the unique system of ssification of holy magic that Daphne had created, 8th level holy magic was only slightly behind Repentance. This meant that almost all of Davey¡¯s holy power had been depleted after he had used the [Rod of God] to create that huge shockwave. On top of that, the rebound effect waspletely terrible. Davey felt a wave of nausea and fatigue washing over him. He only countered that strange sense of emptiness within him by circting the other powers that he possessed. Creak, creak, creak, creak! Davey reached towards the copsed Undead, whose bones were cking and creaking. The Undead under Davey¡¯s control seemed to have received God¡¯s benevolence and had been ssified as those who had been forgiven. In the end, they could ept the effects of holy power. They did not resist and fought against the holy power, so¡­ [Strength] [Agility] [Hard Skin] [Iron Bone] The Undead under Davey¡¯s control would be able to receive all of the advantages of holy power, which was the strongest buff system in the world. Davey squeezed out the remaining holy power in his body and nted it in the Undead¡¯s body. Then, he looked at the gigantic tower that was copsing from the ability that he had used. Davey¡¯s holy power had beenpletely depleted. All that remained in his body were the devil mana, elemental mana, his spirit power which could be linked with the other two forces in his body, and his daoist magic, which was deeply rooted in his body. However, for the time being, his daoist magic did not have much use against other beings except for the World Tree. Vwooong¡­ vwoong¡­ vwoooong¡­ Davey thought that it was high time that he went back to the basics. He reached out towards the floating Red Ribbon before grabbing it and lightly sweeping it down. [Kyahahaha!] Red Ribbonughed loudly, as if tickled by Davey¡¯s grip. Herugh made Davey feel rxed andfortable. ¡ªDavey! Bang! Because of the holy magic that Davey had unleashed, half of his opponent¡¯s power was restricted. However, this was the necropolis and a master-ss Death Knight would be far from helpless in this ce. Davey immediately raised Red Ribbon and blocked therge bone sword that flew straight towards his neck. Even if they had the same Swordmaster ss [Aura de], not all Swordmasters were the same. None of the existing Swordmasters would be able to keep up in this situation. The bastard¡¯s sword stuck to Red Ribbon¡¯s de. With that window of opportunity, Davey dragged him closer and made him lose bnce. sh!!! Once Davey grabbed the bastard¡¯s head, he immediately used Blue Ribbon to sh the Death Knight¡¯s armor with her terrifying sharpness. Creak, creak, creak, creak! Another Death Knight, whose immortality had been severed, began to fall apart. ¡°Advance,¡± Davey ordered the dazed Undead, who seemed to be intoxicated by the sudden influx of power. The Undead under Davey¡¯smand began advancing toward the necropolis. ¡ªIntruder, you¡¯re a necromancer¡­ How can you use that horrendous holy magic¡­ ¡°Curious?¡± ¡ª¡­ ¡°Then, remain curious.¡± However, Davey knew that his enemy would never be able to understand. Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump! sh, sh! The Undead pouring out from the necropolis and the Undead under Davey¡¯smand began to sh. The loud grating sounds and thumps rang loudly in Davey¡¯s ears as countless Undead marched forward and collided. There were quite a lot of dangerous and high-ranking Undead among the enemy¡¯s forces, but they burned and copsed with every passing second from the holy power that spread in the area. As for Davey¡¯s Undead, they remained unaffected. The situation was very simr to when someone with underwhelming specs fought against someone who had plenty of buffs. Since infection was impossible between both Undead forces, all of them fought until their bones werepletely broken. The smaller Undead even went so far as to gang up against a gigantic Undead. As for the gigantic Undead, they simply smashed all of their enemies apart. Davey ignored the hell that was unfolding in front of the necropolis. He approached the stone tower with Red Ribbon in his hands. The tower walls looked fragile, since the tower was a relic of the past that had been created by magic. On top of that, the barrier that stopped Davey from entering the stone tower had beenpletely smashed from the Rod of God. However, that did not mean that Davey¡¯s path was free from obstruction. ¡ªKihihihihihihihihihi! The moment Davey stepped inside the dark tower, countless specters flocked at him from every corner. Davey did not use Blue Ribbon. Instead, he stretched his hands toward the specters. After all, physical attacks did not do any damage and only magic would be effective against them. The specters that were flying towards Davey stopped in their tracks and began to fight each other. ¡°Oh. That¡¯s one rare Undead. Let¡¯s share the good things.¡± ¡ªPetty little thief¡­ Fine,e. Come if you can. This is abyrinth created by this Death Lord¡¯s body. Even if you break it, you will still be stalked and devoured¡­ ¡°Why would I go through the trouble of weaving through abyrinth? I n to break everything apart.¡± For Davey, nothing was morefortable and easy than bulldozing his way through the walls of thebyrinth. He nned to do that until the walls couldn¡¯t repair themselves anymore. Well, there was no way that the Death Lord would tell Davey that there was an illusion trap installed in those walls. It would show Davey hallucinations and illusions the moment he broke the walls, which would try to repair themselves. Either way¡­ Ignoring the furious voice, Davey looked at the source of the deception and swiftly cut down the walls. Hemented, ¡°Blue Ribbon is not a picky eater.¡± Thebyrinth was obviously a very dangerous maze with its self-repairing walls and illusion traps that could confuse whoever that tried to break it down. However, all those tricks were useless in front of Blue Ribbon. Perhaps the enemy felt a huge sense of crisis especially after Davey continued to ignore their furious screams. It didn¡¯t help that the resistance he faced only gradually grew stronger. It was also safe to say that none of the Undead could stop Davey and gang up on him here. After all, most of the Undead were busy fighting until they turned to dust outside. Davey, who started from the lowest floor of the stone tower, soon arrived at the top floor and was greeted by a huge space. In the center was a gigantic throne, which was upied by a three-meter-tall creature covered in dark robes. Looking over, Davey said, ¡°Someone from the Giant Tribe?¡± ¡ªYou knew of the Giant Tribe, intruder? The being continued hurling unhindered and indescribable verbal abuse toward Davey up until a few moments ago. He finally found it useless to do so. Rising from the throne, he was clearly three meters tall. It was a strange height, because he was too tall to be considered human and was too short to be considered as a monster. ¡°This is my first time seeing a giant in person. I have only ever seen giants in illusions.¡± ¡ªI see. It seems like the giants eventually fell to ruin, huh? The aura surrounding the being grew darker and colder as he stood up from his throne. His bright red eyes shone from within the empty sockets of his white skull. The Undead bastard in front of Davey was an Undead Lich. Its identity did not surprise Davey, who didn¡¯t know the Lich in this world. ¡ªHow dare youe all the way here, intruder. Although your methods are shameless, it is thanks to your abilities that you were able to break through those traps. Tell me your name, unknown and nameless monkey. ¡°It¡¯s rude to ask for someone¡¯s name without saying your own first.¡± ¡ªI am Grell. ¡°Nevermind! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± ¡ªDamn bastard! Dark Hole! Baaaaaaaaang! Once Grell snapped his fingers, a tremendous amount of dark energy surged toward Davey. At the same time, Davey immediately waved his hand and created the same Dark Hole to offset the attack. Although it looked like a simple ck sphere, Dark Hole was a 7th circle dark magic. It was a lesser version of ck Hole and only looked like a simple ck sphere. It carried a tremendous force that could distort space and rip it apart upon contact. In fact, the entire space twisted and turned from the collision of the spheres. Even Davey and Grell were pushed back by the impact. ¡ªNot only can you take my Undead away, but you can even use holy magic and [Aura de]¡­ And you can also use 7th circle dark magic? Grell murmured. His eyes shed with a bright red light. His face was without flesh and skin, so he appeared to be expressionless. However, his gaping mouth clearly betrayed the shock that he felt. ¡ªImpossible! No such being exists in this world like that!!! Grell¡¯s confusion was to be expected. It was nigh impossible for a being to silently cast magic while operating various powers inside their body. The amount of talent alone, on top of various problems andplications, would have made it impossible for someone to achieve what Davey had achieved. However, Davey had no reason to rify anything to this Undead Lich. All he did was to dash forward and dig into the bastard¡¯s defenses and try to attack again. As their fight grew in intensity, their surroundings began to get affected. *** Piiiing¡­ A bright red sphere flew out alongside a sharp sound. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ The Elder Lich that called himself the Death Lord, Grell Orfan, could not stand the weakness that suddenly erupted within him. With his current speed of recovery, he could not even summon his original strength. After all, he had just awakened. He had not yet recovered his entire strength. ¡ªCry of Fear! The moment Grell uttered the magic spell, a horrendous and grating scream escaped from his mouth. It was loud enough to make one¡¯s ears bleed. Cry of Fear was a high level attack that could easily make someone bleed through their ears and eyes before causing them to copse. However, for some strange reason, the puny human being in front of Grell did not look a tad bit flustered. The human even stretched out his hand and cast an unidentified ck magic. Although Grell had been learning and using dark magic for hundreds of years, he was clueless about some of the magic that the young boy used. ¡ªUrgh?! Grell tried to stretch out his hand and cast another wave of magic. However, he instinctively pulled back his arm. He flinched. sh! At the same time, a red aura de and blue aura de cut the space where Grell¡¯s hand had been. The boy was strong. The boy was so extremely strong that a logical exnation was clearly impossible. At first nce, Grell¡¯s opponent was just a young human being. Grell knew that humans would stop aging once they have undergone metamorphosis. However, he had confirmed the boy¡¯s flow of mana and understood that it was impossible for the boy to have undergone metamorphosis. The human boy looked like he had undergone a process simr to metamorphosis but it was iplete. The boy was a mystery to Grell. He was a monster with many hidden skills and secrets. That was why Grell felt both shocked and curious at the same time. Metamorphosis was a process that would automatically ur once someone had reached the limits of their talent. Grell had to wonder if the boy¡¯s talents were earned only through hard work and learning so he could notpletely metamorphosize yet. That was the only thing that Grell could not understand. The boy obviously wielded a great power that was on par with his own. It was proven by the fact that the boy could cast the same 8th circle dark magic that Grell had cast. For Grell, it was very surprising to see a human who could rise to this level and breakmon sense. However, the most shocking thing was how the boy casted his magic. [Silent Casting] So far, the monstrous boy in front of Grell had never chanted a single spell when casting magic. It was like the system and the rules of the world had given all of their affection and favor to this one boy. 1. Tungsten is known to be one of the strongest metals on earth. ? 2. Theyer between the mesosphere and stratosphere ? Chapter 196 Grell immediately discovered that he could not keep up with the boy¡¯s silent casting. The boy was simply faster than him. If they werepeting based on magic alone, then Grell might have more room to breathe, but¡­ In fact, they had been fighting for quite a long time now. Grell Orfan had been learning magic for 300 years. He, as a genius of his time, was very proud of himself. He knew that the knowledge that he had gained as a mage after 300 years of non-stop training and learning would not be inferior to anyone. However, this battle was different. The boy¡¯s magic unveiled a different magic system, one that was far different than the magic that Grell knew. On top of that, the boy did not restrict himself to using just magic when dealing with Grell. The boy would use his sharp and menacing swordsmanship, which could easily cut through Grell if he so as let his guard down for a moment. After using the swordsmanship, the boy would then use high-ranking magic and dig through the gaps in Grell¡¯s defenses. With one careless mistake, Grell would easily meet a tragic end. Aside from swordsmanship and magic, there were other aspects that worked to the boy¡¯s advantage as well. With all of those factors working in tandem and beingmanded by the boy, Grell was easily driven into a corner by the various forces that defiedmon sense. The most horrifying fact was that the boy could use a top-ranking holy magic to neutralize the barrier that had protected the necropolis. Grell knew that the boy had scraped up all of his holy power to summon that skill. Yet, the boy was still fiercely pushing him back as if he did not care about the rebound effect that could ur anytime now. When someone used up all of their mana to the point ofplete exhaustion, they would only be awaiting death. That oue was due to the fierce rebound effect that would take ce afterward. By the time that realization hit him, Grell started to doubt whether he could even defeat the boy if he managed to call for all of the Undead. Of course, the situation would not really improve even if he did that, since he couldn¡¯t use most of his original power, the source of his dark mana. In the end, Grell had no choice but to admit that the boy in front of him, the very same boy that he could not define withmon sense, was stronger than him in terms of rank and diversity of power. ¡®I need to figure out his identity.¡¯ Aside from his own greed, Grell was distracted by the mission that he had been given. Although his master did not exist anymore, Grell still acted as if Dark Lord Deian was still alive. Besides, the desire to uncover the boy¡¯s secrets also overwhelmed Grell. Dark mages and ordinary mages were not that different when it came to their desire to learn new things. Their obsession with the new and curious could be seen as a mental illness in severe cases. ¡®I¡¯m an 8th Circle Mage! Even a 9th Circle Mage would not be able to escape my eyes!¡¯ Grell escaped the boy¡¯s ferocious attacks before reaching out his hand and using his entire body to stop the boy. At the same time, he cast the invisible Soul¡¯s Hand. Since he could not figure out the boy from afar, then he should just get close enough to figure things out. ¡ªBastard, I will see everything that you have with my own two eyes¡­ However, Grell¡¯s voice trailed off, and a very short silence ensued in the surroundings. Elder Lich Grell Orfan¡¯s gaze trembled in disbelief once he saw what was hidden within the boy. In the end, all he could see was a simple and sturdy wall. He was greatly shocked by the sight. ¡°No need to be so shocked. When the mana inside the body reaches transcendence, its mere existence alone will leave behind a devastating aftermath. That¡¯s why it has the habit of covering itself up, you know?¡± The 8th Circle was a level that was divided into three stages. The same was true for the 9th Circle. ¡°These are the words of a mage who has reached the transcendental circle, so you should listen carefully. Magic starts at the 8th Circle. So what if you can force the mindless Undead to carry out your orders? A Death Lord? Was that crazy? No, this is crazy.¡± Grell Orphan copsed in a daze. He could no longer hear any of the words that the boy uttered. Smash!!! At the same time, the boy grabbed Grell by the head and mmed his face on the floor. The boy said, ¡°Fight as if you¡¯re desperate, but don¡¯t kill any of them.¡± Grell Orfan, the giant Lich who called himself the Death Lord, could not remember anything after that. That was the moment when he lost consciousness. *** ¡°Saint! A patient with a contagious disease appeared!!! Everyone is showing the same symptoms!!!¡± ¡°Rinne, doing repetitivebor. Trying to stop the desire to run. Acting is not working. Rinne gives it a very low rating.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡±N¡­ No. Let¡¯s hurry and carry out treatment.¡± The doctor who approached to give the report saw Davey¡¯s frown and looked suspicious. He thought there was no perfect person in the world. As someone who had fantasies and felt great hope towards the Saint who had appeared with a genuine stigmata, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at the boy¡¯s asional strange behavior. However, he had to admit that the boy¡¯s medical knowledge was undeniably remarkable. In fact, everyone had been left confused by the great mutations being disyed by familiar diseases. The changes were so drastic. The records that they have umted so far were of no use and all they could do was monitor each and every patient¡¯s situation very carefully, then try to treat them one by one. If that was the only consideration, then it would be a huge weight off of their shoulders. However, there was a problem. The medicine that they administered worked perfectly for one patient but caused dire symptoms on another. Someone even died in pain after coughing up mouthfuls of blood. The doctors had all been trapped in a terrifying situation when the young prince had appeared in front of them. The boy not only suggested a disease ssification method to the doctors of the coalition, but he also gave an unexpected manufacturing method of the medicine that they should administer to the patients. Of course, some of the doctors had protested that they should not administer untested drugs. However, the protesters had been silenced within just a few hours of the treatment being administered. That was because every single person who had received the drug showed signs of improvement. Ever since the boy had shown up, the patients who survived kept increasing from the dozens to the thousands. And the most shocking part was that no side effects had appeared at all. The doctors had nothing to worry about. ¡ªI can see why Baron Gorneo, a member of the great coalition, almost burst a vein while singing praises about Prince Davey¡¯s achievements. The doctor finally realized what his senior Schuzrum, one of the high-ranking doctors, spoke about earlier on. However, putting aside Prince Davey¡¯s extraordinary skills, his personality was a bit unusual. If left alone, the doctors would catch Davey staring nkly at one ce for a long time. Whenever a butterfly appeared within sight, his gaze would chase after the butterfly. That was not all. He would sometimes even speak in a strange manner. The doctors could see that this was Prince Davey¡¯s shoring. Although it was not that bad, it was still enough for them to see how unusual his personality was. The doctor, who guided Prince Davey to the treatment center, could not help but frown at the terrible stench of blood and the loud groans ringing in the facility. Although the doctor was very proud to be a part of the medical practice, he never felt good about having to witness people suffering in pain. ¡°Prince Davey?¡± ¡°The efficiency is low.¡± The doctor looked at Davey in astonishment. He wondered about Davey¡¯s tone of voice and what thement of low efficiency referred to. The other doctors, who frowned at the situation without administering treatment, all rushed forward when they saw Prince Davey. ¡°Prince Davey! Please check on the patients! They are showing apletely different set of symptoms, so we can¡¯t move them carelessly on our own!¡± ¡°Please help us!¡± The doctors were no longer wary of Davey. In fact, they never left his side whenever he appeared. Now, most of them knew that Davey could do more and only wished that he would make miracles in front of them. But despite the doctors¡¯ urgent requests, Prince Davey remained silent. He chose to observe the situation around him first. ¡°We have to look at them first.¡± Davey was expressionless, but everyone could tell that he was pondering deeply. Momentster, he furrowed his brows after seeing the patient nearest to him. ¡°Declining pulse. Temperature imbnce. Bio-signals are reaching very dangerous levels. Searching for countermeasures¡­¡± Then, Prince Davey, whose eyes had grown wide after looking at the patient, suddenly turned around and ran out. ¡°An opportunity to escape.¡± ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey?!¡± Everyone fell silent when Davey ran out. It looked like he was running away from the patient. Some doctors simply said that even Davey, who was a Saint, would not know everything. ¡°What the hell?! Are we really helpless without Prince Davey?! We have to do something!¡± After one doctor shouted in exasperation, the others began to move. However, they soon stopped in their tracks when a familiar boy¡¯s voice rang out from the treatment center. ¡°Everyone, stop! We will change the treatment method! Separate the patients showing the same symptoms based on their temperature and the condition of their pupils! I will distribute the medicine¡¯s manufacturing method right away. Move quickly! Before more get infected!¡± ¡°Prince Davey?¡± Davey spoke in a way that waspletely different from before. Previously, the doctors could not even detect the slightest inflexion in his voice. But now, they could do so very clearly. This sudden change baffled the doctors, but the harsh and loud voice that he used prompted them to move quickly. ¡°You, over there!¡± ¡°Yes? Yes!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time seeing you here. Which group are you in?¡± ¡°Eh? But we were just together a while ago?¡± The doctor said with a crumpled expression. He could tell that Davey really did not recognize him. Prince Davey simply continued with his reckless and overwhelming attitude. He asked, ¡°Which group are you a part of?¡± ¡°M¡­ Medicine production!¡± ¡°Alright. Prepare the medicine as it says here. Bring it to my tent once you¡¯re done.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you want me to repeat myself and have dozens of patients die? Or are you going to tell me that you understand what I have just said and will get things done as quickly as you can?¡± ¡°Huh?! I¡¯ll go now!¡± The doctor had been lounging around, so he was very flustered by the sudden order. Shaking his head, he started running. In his mind, he still thought that there was really no perfect being in the world. *** The giant Lich, Grell Orfan, was the main culprit and Davey¡¯s target of subjugation. Davey¡¯s fight against Grell did not take as long as he had expected. A fight between two high-ranking beings would not reallyst for days. Most fights would end in moments, because one being would be stronger than the other. In fact, Davey¡¯s opponent had underestimated him greatly. This gave Davey an added advantage, so he managed to beat Grell, brainwash him, and instill onemand in his head. ¡°Rinneins that the job is very difficult. A greater reward is highly valued,¡± Rinne demanded proudly with both hands on her waist. Davey decided to let Rinne be demanding, since it was an unusual task. It was also hard to imitate him and work on his behalf. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll buy you some refreshing ice creamter.¡± ¡°Ice cream! Rinne values this highly!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. How¡¯s Baris?¡± ¡°Baris and Rinne¡¯s disciples arepletely overwhelming the opponents. He wants to go to the frontlines and is blooming perfectly there.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Light strikes at the human¡¯s vital point. Can cause the opponent to lose consciousness. Can easily make opponents faint. Rinne values this technique highly.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Yulis and Illyna could easily manage by themselves, so Davey did not have to worry about them. However, Baris was different. Baris had a strong sense of justice, so he would march forward and y the enemy from the frontlines upon judging the urgent situation. ¡°Davey, how was the thing that you have to deal with?¡± Rinne asked carefully. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We will receive news about it soon.¡± Rinne tilted her head in confusion. Shocking news from the frontlines began to spread in the headquarters. It was about how the Undead corps, who seemed like they were ying a game of warfare before, were charging forward regardless of their losses. The Undead were showing off their might and battling recklessly. On top of that, the Death Fear energy increased, causing even more mutations of diseases among the soldiers. In the end, many soldiers had to retreat. They wereining of illness and could no longer serve on the battlefield. While the allied forces were reeling from the shock of the Undead corps¡¯ sudden riot, Death Knights and other powerful Undead were joining the fray. They all charged forward. Of course, the mainstay of their corps were spirit-type monsters like specters but¡­ Lich Grell Orfan, the one who referred to himself as the Death Lord, began to take action himself. The allied forces¡¯ retreat was inevitable. After all, they could not fight properly. They feared being bitten or hurt before dying a painful death. In the end, the allied forces suffered a crushing defeat. Reports about how White Bird, the troops that Illyna personallymanded, lost three out of the eight mountain fortresses at the same time also reached the headquarters. There were also reports about a disagreement between Princess Illyna de Pan, themander of White Bird, and Prince Sullivan. The disagreement hade about from the allied forces having forced their way in and staged a counterattack. In fact, the Undead corps¡¯ sudden offensive could be said to be just a matter of time. In the meantime, it would be more beneficial to the allied troops to reduce the number of victims as much as possible. And sooner orter, these people would finally grasp the situation that they were in and realize that time wasn¡¯t on their side. Then, they would run to Davey to ask for help. Just like what was happening now¡­ ¡°Davey.¡± The first to approach Davey was Illyna, whose beauty shone through her bloodstained armor. She was immediately followed by the allied troops¡¯ staff officer, Prince Sullivan. However, Alice, the Saintess candidate, was nowhere to be seen. ¡°We need your help, Prince Davey.¡± ¡°And so?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the news?¡± ¡°Words don¡¯t have feet but they do cross continents. Isn¡¯t it all thanks to your speech that the headquarters¡¯ morale has reached an all time low?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°And so, is there something that you want to say to me?¡± ¡°Please help u¡­¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± Davey answered firmly and without any hesitation. Chapter 197 Everyone at themand headquarters of the battle had been, of course,pletely confident that they would win. What broke the headquarters¡¯ deadly, cold silence was someone¡¯s painful moans. ¡°Keugh¡­ Those cowards. How dare they gang up on us¡­¡± It was Duke A, one of the captains of the Contas Empire¡¯s ughtering Army who hade to help. He seemed so furious from the humiliation and anger that he could possibly crush anyone who approached him. ¡°We lost a huge number of soldiers¡­in one day.¡± The first battle with the Undead army was not difficult; to be honest, they gained a victory against 20,000 Undead. However, the battle had been so easy that it felt almost disappointing. The Undead had charged into the allied army thoughtlessly, giving up their battle tactics and falling into every trap that the allied army had set. They kept advancing. Perhaps that was why the allied army¡¯s confidence shot up through the roof as the battle progressed, because the situation since the first battle had bepletely different than before. Everyone had praised Prince Sullivan, the Chief of Staff who led the war, and Alice, the Saintess candidate who disyed outstanding holy magic. The fact that Davey could potentially be the strongest among them didn¡¯t matter to the allied army; the important thing was that they had survived the battle and the people who had led them to a great victory were in front of their eyes. Of course, as things had been going well, the allied army¡¯s attacks had be unhindered and they had even made a n to switch up the situation. They did nothing else but defend. They actually partly seeded; they had repaired the mountain fortress and had taken back some small territories that the Undead army had been upying until then. Everything had gone well up until this point. Illyna, who had experienced a different battlefield, had raised her concerns that they should be asking Davey for help, but it had been seen as nothing but a jealous tantrum to the people who were already touched by the power of Prince Sullivan and Alice. That was when Alice had tantly criticized Illyna. ¡®The reason so many people died was because of your ipetence. I acknowledge your gift, but you are too young to understand the act of killing something.¡¯ It only took a moment for Illyna, who had been stopping the Undead from leaving the mountain fortress, to be seen and treated like a useless princess. This had left her dumbfounded. Alice, the Saintess candidate, was clever; in just a few days, she had quickly established her own support in the alliance after predicting the state of the war and the sess of this ughter. Illyna, Yulis, and Grand Duchess Kathryn of Lyndis, who was in conflict with Alice from the start, weren¡¯t included in her group. As such, she had made everyone spread out in little groups to protect their own regions through Prince Sullivan, who she had joined forces with. As a result, no one was left to raise a concern about her decisions. Just like that, everything had been going ording to Alice¡¯s ns. She was being praised with a more superior title. ¡®I will stand in the frontlines. Now is the time, the opportunity, when the Undead¡¯s attacks are stumbling. I will be at the front, condemning those who reject the course of God.¡¯ Alice either did not value her life or she was brave enough to sacrifice her life for the cause she believed in. Afterward, it hadn¡¯t taken long for a separate ughtering Army to be created. They had joined the holy knight army and a few exceptional people, all led by Alice, the Saintess candidate. However, the allied army had no choice but to watch their n copse in front of their eyes. A second before the ughtering Army could leave, they heard a loud horn, which had been an urgent request for rescue from each mountain fortress. The Undead had attacked all eight fortresses. The Undead usually poked around and only tested waters. They did use strategic battle tactics, but the allied army had been able to defend against them. After all, they had low basic stats. However, it only took moments for the situation to changepletely. The necromancer had begun increasing his attack power all of a sudden like ytime was over, and the allied army had begun engaging in defense. They believed they would be able to win again as they had already won once, but they had been yed for fools. In the end, the army had no choice but to drop their n. They had to spread out to protect each mountain fortress. Except for the three fortressesmanded by Illyna, who was familiar with the battlefield situation, Grand Duchess Kathryn, and the one where the alliance¡¯s main army was located, three other mountain fortresses had been taken over by the Undead in one day. There were injured soldiers, screaming and crying out in pain. Even Alice¡¯s holy power was not enough to cure them all; she could only alleviate some of their sufferings. It didn¡¯t take long for the confidence of the alliance to plummet. * * * ¡°I will be frank with you; please help us.¡± ¡°I said that I don¡¯t want to,¡± Davey replied firmly. Prince Sullivan¡¯s eyes widened for a split second, because Davey had declined so calmly and quickly. He said, ¡°Sir Prince Davey.¡± ¡°Your Highness, the unique role of each individual is important in a war. Surely, you know what this means.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I asked to be sent to the frontlines from the start. If the alliance wasn¡¯t stupid, they should have known that I did not make that decision just to heighten my prestige. But now you ask for my help because the opponent is strong? Do I look like a tool that you can just take out and use when it¡¯s convenient for you?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t a part of the alliance in the first ce. I came here of my own ord to help out.¡± As Prince Sullivan stayed quiet, Davey went on to say, ¡°You were the one who said you didn¡¯t need my help. You stashed me in the back and told me to do nothing but treat patients. How could you just flip a switch and ask for my help as soon as you are at a disadvantage?¡± ¡°Many are hurt and dead¡­¡± ¡°And many more will get hurt and die. No matter howrge the alliance¡¯s army increases to be, the Undead¡¯s force will not weaken unless you find a way to cure the Undead¡¯s poison.¡± Prince Sullivan could not refute anything that Davey was saying. ¡°I originally came here for the food exports, but that has be meaningless now. All I have to do here is to treat patients and spread the teachings of Goddess Freyja.¡± Davey could get food supplies at ater time if treating patients was the most important means of dealing and preparing for a war against the World Tree. ¡°Prince Davey, wait!¡± Prince Sullivan got up quickly and shouted, ¡°I understand. I was foolish. Please help us. I can no longer overlook this situation where people are dying.¡± ¡®And you are still trying to persuade me with this right now?¡¯ Davey, who sighed, stared at Sullivan coldly. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s say that I will help. However¡­¡± Prince Sullivan¡¯s eyebrow twitched when Davey grinned and said, ¡°Why is the person responsible for this not showing her face at all? Who does she think she is?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Saintess candidate Alice. Is that woman the Pope or something? I don¡¯t understand why she is so inflexible.¡± What reason did Alice, the root cause of this problem, have for not even showing her face here? ¡°Tell Saintess candidate Alice to stop being so condescending, since I¡¯m done letting her be this arrogant.¡± Although Davey was an honorary Saint, his rank was a lot higher than her even at the Holy Empire in terms of hierarchy. But what? She could tell Davey to hurry up and demand for his help now that she needed it? Davey felt no need to treat a woman who knew no respect andmon sense with logic and sympathy. ¡°W¡­ Wait!¡± ¡°Rinne, the Chief of Staff of the alliance is leaving. See him out.¡± ¡°Are you allowing Rinne to draw blood if he refuses?¡± ¡°Get him out since I will be busy treating patients.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Rinne thinks highly of Sir Davey¡¯s decisiveness.¡± Davey turned away without hesitation and walked past Prince Sullivan. ¡°Prince Davey!¡± Prince Sullivan, who was staring at Davey silently, quickly called him again. ¡°Do you have more reasons to sway me?¡± Davey asked. ¡°There are soldiers dying, even right now. It will keep happening if you don¡¯t help.¡± Davey scoffed at Prince Sullivan¡¯s words; now, he was trying to put pressure on Davey by using public opinion. As Sullivan stared at him confidently andpletely unaware of Illyna¡¯s frown deepening from anger, Davey replied calmly, ¡°I joined the alliance, but what power do I have to defy you, when I have been demoted away from the war per the orders of the Chief of Staff?¡± ¡°I am the Chief of Staff. Pastmands are unimportant, so right now¡­¡± ¡°And people aren¡¯t just dying there. People are dying here as well.¡± ¡®Once I go, they won¡¯t be able to save all the patients being rushed to the treatment center.¡¯ ¡°I am doing my job perfectly¡­¡± Davey¡¯s voice trailed off. As Prince Sullivan¡¯s expression grew dark, Davey added, ¡°But it seems like the people in the frontlines are not. Sigh¡­ Who do we fault for this¡­?¡± * * * ¡°Why are you not saying anything?¡± Davey asked. Illyna, who was getting her arm treated, roughly threw the circlet she wore on the ground. She snapped out of irritation, ¡°Say anything? What difference would it make? You want me to say something earlier on, even when I know just what you are like? Don¡¯t forget that I am also incredibly angry. I might just go crazy.¡± The war was costing Illyna dozens of lives a day. ¡°Whose side should I be on? If it is for the empire, it is right to request for your help. But¡­is that the right thing to do? You are not part of the empire. You¡¯re just someone who hase to help. But what happens if we silence all their opinions and make them do whatever we want? What happens next¡­?¡± Illyna stared at Davey firmly and added, ¡°This time, it will be you. It could be others in the future. And that boomerang wille back to meter on.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°The most irritating thing is the fact that Saintess candidate Alice, the cause of this situation, hasn¡¯t even shown her face here. You know that?¡± Illyna spoke about the situation like it was all ridiculous. ¡°The empire has to ept the Holy Empire¡¯s decision about necromancy or dark magic. That is an agreement. That is why we are just watching Saintess candidate Alice¡¯s tyranny, but this isn¡¯t right. To prevent something simr from happening again in the future¡­¡± Illyna trailed off. Then, she got up after Davey finished treating her arm and pulled down her sleeve. ¡°We have to establish power when we have the chance.¡± ¡°How feisty.¡± ¡°So Davey, I¡¯m asking for your help. I don¡¯t know what you are trying to do, but after you¡¯re finished with that and the problems regarding different interests are dealt with¡­¡± ¡®Please help¡­ I will give you anything if it is in my power.¡¯ Unlike others, Illyna¡¯s desperate pleading was full of worry. She couldn¡¯t help but worry about her soldiers, who were fighting this war right now. * * * The Undead¡¯s attacks became stronger and stronger. At first, the high-rank Undead that initially stayed back to watch were starting to attack. Then, the other Undead¡¯s aggression began to rise. This situation probably frustrated Illyna the most. She had led her subordinates, who were like family, and had kept the fortress safe, sacrificing her own people along the way. She had thought everything would work out as long as she held on for long enough until Davey got here. After all, she knew that Davey had monstrous power that was unexinable bymon sense. Although the enemy was strong, they had never shown power as strong as what Davey had disyed. In fact, she had closely analyzed the situation to sessfully keep the fortress safe. She had done whatever they could to defend against the Undead¡¯s attacks. But then, these people who called themselves the allied army had messed everything up. As the Undead attacked like they weren¡¯t ying around anymore, three of their fortresses had been overtaken. Illyna was bound to be frustrated, since the administration of the alliance had trolled them hard when they had fought with their lives. To Davey, it didn¡¯t really matter what happened. If he hadn¡¯t gone to provoke the Undead, the allied army would have kept sending troops in due to the false hope they had been given. They would not have realized that they were being sent to their deaths. The damage would not have been as extensive as the first huge loss, but it would have amplified a whole lot more upon the continuation of the battle. They would have forced unending sacrifice, saying that it was a holy war. However, the allied army, who were no longer able to fight recklessly, were now retreating without resistance. The Undead had be more powerful after Davey¡¯s provocation. Perhaps that was why the deaths were unexpectedly decreasingpared to the first battle, with the allied army¡¯s retreat. Between fighting the enemy, who they had assumed to be easy, and immediately retreating after realizing that the enemy was dangerous, it was obvious which situation would yield more casualties. Of course, as avoiding battles did not stop diseases, the number of soldiers being transported to the treatment center after being exposed to diseases kept increasing. ¡°Additional patients! All of them have a nasty skin disease!¡± ¡°Move all of them to ward 1. We will head over as soon as we are done here. Rinne.¡± ¡°Rinne, waiting for orders.¡± ¡°Go assess the situation and do preliminary treatments if you can treat them with the information I have given you.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Rinne flew with the wings on her back and waist after giving Davey a cute salute. She attracted a lot of attention, because she was a different kind that no one had seen before. As expected, themand headquarters¡¯ treatment center was extremely busy. ¡ªThe number of casualties decreased as their attack power increased¡­ This is a result I didn¡¯t expect at all. ¡°I brainwashed them a little.¡± Davey had cast a spell on Grell Orfan, the 8th Circle Elder Lich: he had erased a certain amount of persistence, imnting the need for stronger attack power and hostility. Thanks to that, the Undead were much more powerful than before but did not follow the allied army to the ends of the Earth. As such, the allied army could retreat without a big problem if they ran away as best as they could. The headquarters were going mad over the continued loss, but Davey just sat back and watched the situation in amusement. They would grow anxious and worried as the Undead kept taking theirnd. It was also quite entertaining to see the reputation of Prince Sullivan, the Chief of Staff of the alliance, and Saintess candidate Alice gradually fall. A week after their attacks grew stronger, the Undead took all eight mountain fortresses that were protecting the breadbasket. It was unknown why they tried so hard to take the eight fortresses, but the allegiance could tell that it was out of necessity. In the meantime, Davey was focused on the extremely busy work of treating patients. Many soldiers who had been exposed to diseases were transported over in a never-ending stream. Thanks to that, Davey was well on his way to fulfilling his deal. 15,323/20,000. The number was only about a thousand a week ago, but now, the deal was almost 70% fulfilled. Not only did Davey¡¯s own patients count, but all treatments he had given and were administered by others also counted. There was an extreme decline in casualties, but the number suffering from diseases skyrocketed. With the current situation, it would only take four days for the war to be lost. The deal with Goddess Freyja woulde to an end, and Saintess candidate Alice, whose position and power was very weak right now, would demote herself from not being able to take the external pressure. A lot of people had reached out to Davey, sneaking in a request for help, but he had denied them all. ¡°Damn it¡­ This war ispletely screwed,¡± mumbled one of the soldiers who survived while leaning against the wall. ¡°How is it not? This damn thing. Even if we try to fight, we are destined to die the moment we are bitten or cut by a sword with a poisoned de. How are we supposed to fight?¡± ¡°What did the Saintess candidate even do? She can¡¯t do anything. What can she do other than curing us a little bit and giving us a little energy with her holy power?!¡± ¡°I know, right? I bet even ordinary priests can do that, too.¡± Public opinion regarding Alice grew extremely negative. She didn¡¯t intend for that, but she was suffering the consequences of having promoted herself extensively. Hoot!! ¡°The allied army is returning!¡± The Undead had continuously advanced to the point that the allegiance was forced to retreat to themand headquarters, the furthest ce away from the frontlines. It was obvious that the Undead¡¯s next target was where Davey was at: the headquarters¡¯ treatment center. Davey hade up with something to keep Baris, who he was most worried about, here. He also didn¡¯t have to worry about Yulis losing his life, since Yulis was assisting with firepower in the back anyways. ng¡­ Clunk¡­ Davey was quietly stretching alone outside the treatment center. He could see a group of the holy knight order approaching him with silent footsteps. Then, he could see a face that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. It was Alice, one of the Saintess candidates. ¡°I cannot understand someone like you.¡± ¡°It must be a coincidence because I really cannot understand people like you, Lady Alice.¡± Davey grinned. Alice slightly frowned as she said, ¡°Do I look like I am joking? How can a demon like you receive the stigmata¡­¡± ¡°I thought I told you¡­¡± Alice went silent. ¡°To go y tug of war somewhere else.¡± Chapter 198 72. The One Who Possessed the Stigmata and the One Who Did Not. As soon as Davey faced Alice straight on, the holy knights stood in a single line behind her. They all had stern expressions. They looked like they were trying to protect her from Davey. ¡®She rejected me when she didn¡¯t need me, but look at her now.¡¯ Once the situation did not look good for her, Alice turned the situation around to put herself at an advantage once again. She wanted to be able to order people around. It was quite a cunning move. In fact, if Davey actually were to slip up and y the wrong move here, it was clear that the arrows of criticism would fly his way. As such, there was a need for him to be absolutely clear. ¡°People are dying every single day, but you would rather watch because you are too stubborn. If that is not demon-like, what is?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too brazen of you to say that when you threw the solution out the window to protect your petty pride? I did say that I would help if you just apologized,¡± Davey pointed out. Alice frowned. ¡°Your role is to simply support me with yourrge storage of holy power. You are arrogant just because you have received the stigmata. It hasn¡¯t even been a year since you have learned holy power. On the other hand, I have been learning holy magic ever since I was five! Did you think that just because you received the stigmata, you would be able to do everything, even things that I could not do?¡± ¡°Man¡­¡± Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh in frustration as Alice wasn¡¯t getting the point at all. ¡°To be honest, I really resent Goddess Freyja! If I was the one who received the stigmata and not you! If I had be the real Saintess! People would not have died like this!¡± Alice shouted. Davey silently tapped the pommel attached to the end of Red Ribbon. Shring!! It only took seconds for the holy knights to wield their swords. In the blink of an eye, there was a confrontation between Davey, who was holding Red Ribbon to Alice¡¯s neck, and the Holy Knights, who pulled out their swords secondster to stop him. ¡°Get it right. That¡¯s why you weren¡¯t able to be the Saintess.¡± There was no limit to how many people could receive a stigmata. ¡°Me receiving the stigmata is not the reason why you weren¡¯t given one.¡± Alice simply didn¡¯t get a stigmata because she wasn¡¯t good enough. ¡°There has always been only one Saint or Saintess in every era. What do you know?¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean only one person can fill that position. Then, what do you know about Goddess Freyja?¡± Alice flinched at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°The sayings of that almighty God? The Bible? How do you know that those things were by God or another human being?¡± A benevolent goddess? ¡®That¡¯s hrious.¡¯ From the beginning of time, Goddess Freyja did not give any teachings to humans; all she did was spread power and grace so that living beings could pave their own way. ¡°What makes you so great when you don¡¯t even know even the most basic things?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that go for you as well?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t know whatever Goddess Freyja is thinking.¡± ¡°That is sphemy. As expected, you are a part of an intolerable cult. A faithful believer does notpromise with demons. There is no way I will ever ask for your help.¡± ¡°That is what you believe. However, the longer your army defends the fortress, the more isted you will be,¡± Davey said. Alice scowled. * * * 19,025/20,000. Davey only needed about a thousand more people to reach his goal. ¡°Prince Daveyyy~¡± As Davey turned toward the woman rushing over to him while calling his name, the woman smiled cutely and handed him something; it was slightly tough bread, but seemed to have been made through hard work. ¡°Eat this while you¡¯re working.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, Saintess candidate Lena.¡± ¡°Nooo, you can¡¯t! People need to eat in order to move, no matter how hard-working someone is!¡± Lena dragged out the end of her words out of habit, one that made Davey feel much morefortable with her. Saintess candidate Lena was the other one from the Holy Empire. She was ced back here with Davey due to Alice¡¯s decision. Alice imed that Lena was naive and inexperienced. Lena smiled and held up the bread in front of Davey¡¯s mouth, like she was hurrying him up to eat it. She giggled when Davey chuckled and took a bite. She then said, ¡°I am so happy to see patients no longer in pain, thanks to your presence. I definitely prefer smiles over tears.¡± Aside from the potential benefits, Lena genuinely felt pride and delight in treating people. To be honest, she was better suited for the Saintess position than Alice in terms of personality or potential power. She was definitely different from Alice, who only cared about her honor and stomped over others while arrogantly believing in her talent. Davey wanted to engrave a stigmata onto Saintess candidate Lena if it was up to him, but he wasn¡¯t that almighty. ¡°Most of the urgent patients have been treated. I will look after them for a while, so go and rest a little bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that tired anyways.¡± ¡°No! Go and resttt!¡± Davey stepped back, slightly taken aback by Lena¡¯s liveliness as she pushed him out the door. When Lena waved her hand like she was saying goodbye, Davey asked out of curiosity, ¡°They are probably starting to defend the outer pce right now. Aren¡¯t you worried at all?¡± ¡°We have to do what we have to do. If I could, I would go and treat the soldiers myself, but¡­ I can¡¯t even stop the energy of the Undead with my abilities.¡± Davey silently nodded at how Lena did her job withoutining, no matter what happened. ¡ªIt¡¯s almost done. ¡°I just need a little more.¡± This ufortable confrontation would also end the moment Davey fulfilled his end of the deal. That was when¡­ ¡°The¡­ The West Pce has been taken!! They have ordered us to prepare to retreat!!¡± One soldier urgently ran in and shouted. With widened eyes, Lena eximed, ¡°What?! Weren¡¯t the doors on the west blocked by Alice?!¡± ¡°This is not the time! Escape the pce through the back gates! If the outer pce was taken, the inner pce wouldn¡¯tst long. It¡¯s only safe here for perhaps a couple of days!¡± ¡°W¡­ What do we do?¡± Looking at Lena, who was flustered and incapable of hiding her worry, Davey called out, ¡°Saintess candidate Lena.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°Keep treating patients.¡± ¡°What do you¡­¡± ¡°The Undead will never be able to reach here.¡± The attacks would continue anyways, and Davey could not allow this ce to be taken over before he met the 20,000 mark. It irritated him that Saintess candidate Alice was more incapable than he had expected, but it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to light the me of disharmony by showing the people who were suspicious of him what kind of mistake they had made in the beginning; the more Davey stepped up, the weaker Alice¡¯s position would be. Lena widened her eyes even more when Davey patted her on the head. Davey had done that unconsciously, because he had a habit of patting Amy¡¯s head too. ¡°Um¡­ Uh¡­¡± ¡°My apologies,¡± Davey apologized. ¡°N¡­ No, that¡¯s alright. Are you going to the battlefield?¡± ¡°Yes, I will just help out a little bit and go back.¡± ¡°Be careful. Oh, please take this.¡± After saying that, Lena pulled out a small cross and handed it to Davey like she realized what he was trying to do. It was a cross artifact with quite a lot of holy power. She then said, ¡°I pray that you may have God¡¯s blessing.¡± ¡°This is a great object. Thank you.¡± Davey smiled. Lena showed a bright smile in return. * * * The Undead rushed in endlessly. The Death Knights and Wyverns, which were flying and throwing soldiers out of the fortress, continually attacked. The west doors of the fortress werepletely wrecked as the huge mudworms went underground with the Undead in their mouths and spat them out upon resurfacing. As the soldiers were inevitably marked to be an Undead if they were bitten, the situation at the west doors was chaos. Nobody kept to the usual defense tactic where they would just keep their distance. ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡± People screamed. The soldiers who got bitten quickly turned into the Undead and roared at those who used to be theirrades. This was obviously the worst possible situation, but Saintess candidate Alice who was protecting the west doors only shouted the same thing repeatedly. She yelled, ¡°Do not retreat!! There is nopromising with demonic beings! This is a holy war! Retreating here means that the continent is giving in to the demons!!¡± Alice, who was shouting fiercely while releasing her ineffective holy power, ran into the battlefield herself. She held onto a bloody sword in one hand and a small cross in the other. ¡°We must retreat! Saintess candidate Alice!!¡± Prince Sullivan, the alliance¡¯s Chief of Staff who was with Alice, urgently grabbed Alice after shouting for retreat. Alice simply shouted as if she had developed an obsession. ¡°What if we run away here?! Where next?! Is it the inner pce?! Is it going to be the capital of the Pan Empire?! Or!! Is it going to be the entire continent?! We must defend here!¡± ¡°I am the Chief of Staff of the alliance!! We were incredibly supportive of your decision per the agreement with the Holy Empire, but stop this overreach!¡± Alice¡¯s obsession did not subside even as Sullivan shouted in protest, and the situation was getting worse. Watching the allied army in the west get pushed back, Davey reached his hand into empty space. Then, he pulled out Longinus, the divine spear that was in the shape of a cross, and mumbled quietly, ¡°It¡¯s obvious what will happen if you give a girl like that a stigmata. You cannot do that. You understand me, right?¡± It wasn¡¯t much of a prayer. Basically, logic did not work on those whose beliefs were twisted. Holy power began to vibrate from Davey¡¯s fingertips. The allied army was doing everything they could to protect the other pce gate, but it was certain that the west gates would be broken through if the situation went on like that. Crash!!!! As if putting thest nail in the coffin, a hole opened in the pce wall as a part of it copsed. A huge monster had charged right into it. Then, the Undead pushed through the hole. Davey clicked his tongue as he watched Prince Sullivan, whose face was beginning to darken at the truly devastating situation, and Alice, who was gritting her teeth and shouting to fight back. He muttered bitterly, ¡°This is why zealots are bad.¡± ¡ªIs it okay if you do this right now? ¡°This ce can¡¯t be taken before I fulfill the deal. The two of them will be even more isted if I pretend to at least do something.¡± After saying that, Davey straightened the cross and spread his hands. Whoosh!! At the same time, a huge magic circle appeared beneath Davey¡¯s feet, and dozens of intertwined light rays began shooting up from the ground. It soon looked like dozens of dragons were ascending into the sky. ¡°...¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± The atmospherepletely changed as soon as Davey¡¯s skill began to disy its overwhelming power. As the rays reached up high, everyone fighting the war turned to nce at Davey. Then, their eyes widened at the almost breathtakingly intense holy power. On the other hand, the Undead stopped what they were doing and stared at Davey as if they were drawn by his control of his Undead. ¡°Let¡¯s fire this big-time,¡± Davey said calmly. He locked onto the west doors, the dwindling doors of the east and north, and the south. As if a giant hand that had gone through resistance finally reached its destination¡­ Shing¡­ [8th level Holy Magic] [Rod of God] The Rod of God, a spell that had been nothing but a nightmare to Grell Orfan, the 300-year-old Lich, began falling from the sky like bombs. Crash!!!! Boom! The Rod of God eradicated all evil things that it touched, wiping out hundreds and thousands of the Undead with each destructive sh of light. The effects of the spell spread throughout as the Undead pushed into a confined space where there was no room to avoid it. ¡°What is¡­ This is¡­¡± Prince Sullivan stared at Davey with wide eyes, surprised by the unexpected situation. The soldiers who were fighting nkly stared at Davey, who executed that skill brilliantly. In just a moment, a silence so quiet that nothing other than the Rod of God¡¯s explosions could be heard. Davey didn¡¯t need as much output as when he had broken the barrier surrounding the necropolis, so he split the five pirs of light he had previously used into dozens of rays that rained down. The rays of light fell like heavy rainfall and didn¡¯t stop until each and every Undead in the area was burned to the ground. Of course, the Wyverns also burned up as well. The rotting flesh of the Undead, who had nowhere to escape, went up in mes and disappeared in the air. Only ash was left behind. Even if they were Master-level Death Knights, they weren¡¯t reinforced enough to withstand 8th Level holy magic. nkly watching the situation turn around in an instant, the soldiers looked at Davey after thest ray of light burned half of the huge monster that had broken the pce wall and made it disappear. Davey watched them, then turned away without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let¡¯s go; we¡¯ve shown them enough.¡± As he left the battlefield, Davey saw faces of disbelief and bafflement. He also saw Alice, who could not hide her extreme jealousy toward him. Chapter 199 No one had achieved that level of power or knew exactly what that was, so the pirs of light only looked like a brilliant sh of light in their eyes. Boom!! Crash!! Large explosions took ce one after another. Rod of God was an attack-type holy magic spell that brought about arge amount of holy power, which would all fall from the sky. It didn¡¯t have much physical power on its own, but it was still powerful as an 8th Circle attack-type holy magic spell. At the moment, it was safe to say that no one in the Holy Empire could use holy magic above the 7th level. The only possible person was the previous Pope, who was rumored to be living in seclusion after giving up his position to the current Pope. Needless to say, there were very few people who could use holy magic above the 7th level in the Holy Empire, a nation with so many priests. Therefore, it was unbelievable for many people to see an 8th-level holy magic spell be cast in front of their eyes. It was quite a scene to see all the Undeads, regardless of size and participation on the battlefield, go up in mes upon being exposed to the light. Everything was wiped out in moments. In the end, everyone could not take their eyes off Davey. ¡®I¡­ Yeah, let¡¯s say that I stole the show.¡¯ Davey was fine with the attention, having established a presence in the middle of the battlefield. Without hesitation, he gathered back the sluggish holy power as he stared at the Undead army that he had just wiped out. The situation had been overturned before, so the allied army would be sessful in defending the Undead even if Davey didn¡¯t do anything. Saintess candidate Alice protected the west gates. Davey wasn¡¯t loyal to her, so he did note to defend the west gates for her. In fact, he didn¡¯t share a good rtionship with her at all, and that was the reason why he had stepped up to help. Davey, whom Alice was in most conflict with, had helped her with holy power. This actpletely weakened her position. Davey could tell from the moment he saw Alice that she was jealous and frustrated that he had received a stigmata without any hard work. Alice, who had worked to be the Saintess ever since she was born, had probably put in a great amount of effort; she would have studied theology and worked so hard to increase her mastery in using holy power that she got migraines. On top of that, everyone¡¯s expectations of her would be higher, since her holy power probably developed much faster than Saintess candidate Lena, and she would have tried hard to meet those expectations as well. Despite having worked so hard, Alice still did not receive the stigmata. Instead, some random person she had never heard of did. Who wouldn¡¯t be jealous in this situation? Furthermore, it was known that there would only be one Saint or Saintess in the world each time. It wasn¡¯t like Davey did not understand Alice¡¯s despair of having her life goal robbed. He could have then let it go if it was jealousy shown in a cute, harmless manner. However, in this case, Saintess candidate Alice had misunderstood the gravity of the situation. ¡°Hurrah!!!!¡± The soldiers¡¯ cheers echoed from the distant west gate, directing their praise toward Davey. Looking at the situation, Alice, who was already blinded by jealousy, would only grow even more jealous. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even know that her situation right now is a test. Idiot.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t it impossible for that woman, Alice, to be the Saintess? ¡°Everyone is born with a unique amount of holy power.¡± When he returned to the treatment center, Davey could see a brown-haired woman praying as she watched the soldiers who were being carried in gurneys. She did not have the beauty of Saintesses written in books; her hair was amon brown color and so were her eyes. Her appearance was not one that would draw eyes in a crowd, but her heart shone brighter than anyone else¡¯s here. ¡°And currently, the kids who are picked as candidates for Saints or Saintesses have been born with an unimaginable amount of holy power.¡± The real challenge was to pass God¡¯s test and win her love, even with therge amount of holy power they already had. [Listen carefully, Davey. Get it in your ears because I¡¯ll only say it once. There is no God; God does not exist.] This was what Daphne, the first Saintess, had said to Davey. Davey knew Daphne as an immoral Saintess, but he still did not expect her to outrightly deny the existence of the God she served. [However, the will of God exists. We are not talking about a single being. For example, holy power. Davey, where do you think holy pow¡­ Hey, pay attention, you damn bastard!!] It was true that Daphne had beaten Davey, who had spaced out thinking about the affair between Death Lord Rho Aias and Bow Lord Apollo. ¡°Everyone has to pass the test and get God¡¯s love before receiving a stigmata. Both saintess candidates Lena and Alice have passed the first test.¡± The first test was being born with a huge amount of holy power. However¡­ ¡°Theypletely diverge in the second test.¡± -Is it the talent of using holy power? ¡°No, it¡¯s their preparation.¡± Holy power waszy, and thatziness only grew the nicer the owner was. Of course, if holy power becamezy, there was no way that its progression speed would be fast. Davey was probably not the only one suddenly reminded of a simr situation; it was quite funny. ¡ªNow that I think of it, I heard that Lena¡¯s progression of holy power is slowerpared to Alice¡¯s¡­ ¡°I think a Saintess of this time will be produced if they are left like that.¡± Davey thought about the fact that Lena¡¯s development of holy power was slow although she had been born with a Saintess-level amount of holy power. ¡ªConsidering that, you really are an irregr. The record stating that only one Saint or Saintess during an era would remain unchanged if Davey hadn¡¯t shown up. However, things were different now, so no one knew exactly what would happen in the future. ¡ªThen, isn¡¯t it just impossible for Alice to be Saintess from the beginning? The fact that her holy power is active means that she is just untalented. ¡°I told you that in order to see someone¡¯s true self, one has to be given power or hardship. Goddess Freyja had given them two different projects: she had given one power and authority, and put the other through hardships.¡± ¡ªWhat a cruel God. ¡°True.¡± One of them shone bright even amid hardships, and the other one eventually floundered in the swamp of power where they could do anything. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for them to be Saintesses until they realize it themselves and repent.¡± Theck of talent could be made up by the stigmata anyways; the quality and amount of holy power didn¡¯t matter to a Saintess candidate in the first ce. ¡°Oh! Prince Daveyyy!¡± Lena, the young Saintess candidate, spotted Davey and ran toward him. She dragged the ends of her words. Davey smiled. ¡°Were there any problems?¡± ¡°Did you see that just now?! Huge pirs of light just fell from the sky!¡± ¡°Oh, that.¡± ¡°Yes! The holy power was so concentrated that it gave me goosebumps! Do you think God descended down here?!¡± As Davey avoided her nce, Lena persistently tried to meet his gaze. ¡°Did¡­you do it, Prince Davey?¡± ¡°I thought the army would be taken over if I did nothing,¡± Davey answered with a bitter smile. Lena pped her hands like she was delighted. ¡°Oh my¡­ Are you Goddess Freyjaaa?¡± Davey put his hand on Lena¡¯s head as she had asked a weird question. He asked, ¡°Do I look like a woman to you, Saintess candidate Lena?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Without your sharp eyes¡­¡¯ Davey chuckled at Lena¡¯s weird response. * * * The alliance had sessfully defended the headquarters. Although the Undead had charged in fearlessly, Grell Orphan, the Elder Lich, had retreated upon realizing that there was no benefit to continue fighting. They had been bombarded with attacks, after all. Now that the alliance could take a breather, another topic was brought to their attention: it was the discussion ofpetence. Saintess candidate Alice had sacrificed many men trying to fight the war efficiently. Of course, sacrifices were bound to happen as their opponent was the Undead. However, Davey had shown everyone the most unrealistic and miraculous oue, and his help had been rejected by Alice from the beginning. This caused people to wonder that maybe the war could havee to an end with far less casualties and damages if Davey had fought in the first ce. The origin of the rumor? ¡°Good work, Aina.¡± ¡°Please call me Jack,¡± Jack¨Cno, Aina Helishana, mumbled calmly. She sounded slightly dissatisfied. Thanks to the secret n, Alice¡¯s position was weakening by the minute, and people even began shouting to resign her from her position. They felt that she viewed human lives as nothing more than a fly¡¯s. ¡°I will not fight like this anymore. I tolerated this because I had no reason to intervene in the battle of pride between the two, but I have no intention of sacrificing my soldiers because of the Saintess candidate¡¯s stubbornness.¡± One of the older male knights of a middle-sized kingdom showed his dissatisfaction. However, that was not it. ¡°Well, good. Same thing for the Lyndis Empire as well.¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn, who had defended one side with a near-perfect tactic, also said the same thing. Her suggestion was a straightforward one, considering that she had stayed silent until now. It truly only took moments for Alice to lose her power as she had created conflict with a lot of people. Alice, who was sitting silently while staring into space, could not say anything. She remained quiet even while facing the alliancemanders¡¯ strong bacsh. The only ally she might have had was Prince Sullivan from the Pan Empire, but even he did not help her this time. Perhaps he was angry at how Alice¡¯s orders to attack had gone too far. ¡°Saintess candidate Alice, this is an absurd battle that started because of your pride. Take responsibility and solve it. Because of your pride, the soldiers of my sister and the alliance and countless innocent people have died. I will no longer defend you.¡± As Prince Sullivan nailed thest nail on her coffin, Alice just mumbled monotonously, ¡°Eighth level¡­ Light¡­¡± Upon realizing the holy magic spell that Davey had used, Alice turned toward him with a nk gaze. She looked in his direction, but her eyes were as empty as a void. ¡°...has abandoned me.¡± With that, Alice slowly got up and approached Davey. She said quietly, ¡°Pri¡­¡± ¡°Take your apology somewhere else.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I did note here to fish for praise.¡± Alice remained quiet. ¡°I think an entertaining story has spread to the Holy Empire. Don¡¯t you have to go back?¡± Normally, Alice would have been quite surprised by Davey¡¯s response. However, she simply nodded calmly. ¡ªShe doesn¡¯t look so good. ¡®That is none of my concern.¡¯ Just as Davey said, Alice was the one who had chosen to y politics before getting dragged down to rock bottom. She was the one who had messed with him first, so Davey had no reason to sympathize with her. The Holy Empire had lost their own people as well, so there probably would be a lot of people who were going to tear Saintess candidate Alice apart and drag her down from her current position. ¡°I have conditions.¡± Davey no longer paid attention to Alice. He proposed two conditions. ¡°I will ept. Tell me.¡± ¡°First¡­¡± Davey gave two proposals, both of which got easy agreements. As this was happening, Alice got ready to return to the Holy Empire per their summoning. She stared down at the holy knights who were escorting her with eyes showing nothing but a sense of hopelessness. Then, her gaze turned toward a ck-robed giant, the one who had killed the holy knights inside the tent. ¡°A soul that has started to be corrupt; its corruption is so pure that its power far exceeds mine. It is suitable to be the master of the core that my lord has left behind.¡± ¡°You are¡­?¡± Alice should be surprised at the fact that the enemy that she should kill was inside themand center, but she simply replied monotonously. ¡°Follow me. You will not receive the love of God, but I can make you simr to God. You can kill that despicable human being, and you can reach the level of a demigod that you so yearned for.¡± Alice lowered her head. She had reached out so desperately, but God did not answer any of her prayers; God had let that demon boy take everything from her. ¡®Why is this happening to me?¡¯ She smirked as a realization dawned upon her. She muttered, ¡°I believed in the light. I lived my life ording to it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But now, the light¡­¡± Grell¡¯s robe slipped down as he lifted his hand above Alice¡¯s head. His frail, bony hands were exposed. ¡°Has betrayed me.¡± Whoosh!! With a burst of ck energy, Alice¡¯s eyes turned ck. ¡°You will soon be my desires. I cannot win that demon, but my lord wille back to life from your presence. Remember this: his name is King of the Dead Deian. He has lived a life iparably longer than mine, and he is the one who drove First Saintess Daphne to death.¡± The Lich, who could never give up on his lord, and the Saintess candidate, who had failed to ovee the test and fell apart¡­ It took just a moment for them to disappear from themand center. Chapter 200: (B8C24) 73. The Difference Between the Card Everyone Has Up Their Sleeves. Alice had to acknowledge the fact that she had underestimated Davey¡¯s capabilities. No, she was actually a little flustered because of how unexpected his actions had turned out to be. Grell Orfan, the giant whom Davey had confronted, had used a dummy to direct Davey¡¯s attention somewhere else for a second before sneaking in here alone. When Davey had noticed that bastard, Saintess candidate Alice was already gone and Grell Orfan was very close to disappearing. ¡®I can stop him if he hasn¡¯t disappearedpletely.¡¯ ¡°Who do you think you are toe crawling in here?¡± Whoosh. With a breeze, the end of Blue Ribbon was bursting with blue energy. Davey used it to aim at Grell¡¯s spine and pierced through it. ¡°You¡¯re toote, morta¡­¡± Grell¡¯s voice sounded like metal pieces grinding together. It was definitely normal for Davey to not be able to do anything to stop Grell if the transportation magic was almost activated. However¡­ ¡°Keugh?!¡± Blue Ribbon yanked Grell out of the other dimension and cut his spine in half. Even his robe and all were split into two. It was like Blue Ribbon didn¡¯t care about him at all. ¡°Keugh?! H¡­ How?!¡± Grell¡¯s gaze trembled in confusion. He iled around on the ground like he was in pain. Normally, the Undead could not feel pain, so having their spine severed wouldn¡¯t cause them to feel much pain. However, Grell was screaming in genuine pain. This was because Davey had used Blue RIbbon to sh him. Half of a Lich¡¯s body wasposed of devil mana, and Grell was a demon-type. On top of that, Blue Ribbon had destroyed his external heart, which was his origin of life, with that single attack. The connection to his life vessel had been destroyed. It was impossible to directly break the life vessel, but it was possible to destroy the link. ¡°Kheagh!!¡± Davey returned Blue Ribbon to the sheath and stepped back a moderate distance. He watched as Grell¡¯s severed body moved on its own and tried to attach the different parts together. However, the body was in a state where recovery was impossible; most of his life had been sucked out of him. ¡°Damn it.¡± Grell¡¯s red eyes shed as he red at Davey. After murmuring a curse word under his breath, he muttered, ¡°That sword is no regr sword, is it? My connection to my life vessel was just severed.¡± ¡°Then, you should die right away. Why are you still alive?¡± Davey asked disappointedly, but he already knew the reason why. ¡°Kehehe¡­¡± ¡°Did you have some ginseng or something? The amount of mana you have has increased quite a bit.¡± Grell replied to Davey¡¯s question with a burst of crazyughter. He dered, ¡°Kehehehe¡­ You will definitely regret not killing me back then. Be afraid, mortal! For the immortal will soone.¡± ¡°Now that is something I will see for myself.¡± ¡®That damn immortal or whatever.¡¯ There was no such thing as immortality in this world; even the will of Goddess Freyja, which was known as the divine will, was exchanged every few million years. Since theirst encounter, Davey could feel that Grell¡¯s mana had increased by at least thirty percent. It might seem like a small amount, but¡­ Considering that he was a Lich at the 8th Circle level, it was definitely not a small amount; he was just unlucky. It didn¡¯t change the fact that he was close to a continental catastrophe. ¡°I took over eight mountain fortresses, and reimed all the sealed life vessels that had my power. I was struck because of your deception, but don¡¯t think it will be the same the next time we meet.¡± [Blue Ribbon is not strange!] Blue Ribbon pouted andined, but her voice could not be heard by others right now. ¡°I know more necromancy and curse magic spells than you think, so struggle, mortal. I will show you the real power that an immortal truly has,¡± Grell boasted confidently. Davey stared at Grell nonchntly before saying, ¡°Okay, okay. Have your expectations up since I will show you something different next time.¡± Even the most exceptional Lich had a limit to the number of life vessels they had. If Davey were to sever Grell¡¯s connection with his life vessel every time he had a fatal wound, this bastard would eventually die even if he was close to an immortal being. High-ranking vampires always came back to life by keeping the core of immortality within their bodies. On the other hand, beings such as Liches put their origin of life in a container and stored it outside their bodies; these were the life force vessels. Normally, Liches made their hearts their life vessels, but there was no reason for it to have to be a heart. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t think she would end up corrupted so easily,¡± Davey mumbled quietly, no longer paying attention to Grell. ¡°She will be the most important medium for my master¡¯s resurrection.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to use a Saintess candidate as a medium?¡± ¡°Darkness only gets darker as light bes brighter. A Saintess who corrupted herself is a rare specimen. I saw the emptiness, anger, and defeat in her heart.¡± ¡®What useless things you are looking at.¡¯ Grell joked around nonchntly like the anger he had before had disappearedpletely. Most of his body had crumbled into dust, but there wasn¡¯t a hint of urgency in his voice. Alice was going to be able to resurrect the darkest being because she was the brightest¡­ The situation was quite amusing. It was basically aw that shadows were bound to getrger the brighter a light grew. ¡°I will give you a present. I imagine it will be difficult for mortals like you to endure such hardships.¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± Snap! Even though Davey firmly refused, Grell still went on to snap his fingers with his remaining hand. Then, arge amount of power began to vibrate, and the bones maintaining Grell¡¯s body disintegrated into powder. He would probably try to resurrect himself by scraping together things that would support a new body near his other origin of life. The only signs of Grell¡¯s presence was the dust that flew around. It wasn¡¯t like Davey didn¡¯t know where Grell was. It also wasn¡¯t like anything would happen to him if Davey shed him right now; Grell had beat him this time. Davey began to feel a little irritated. ¡°This shitty bastard¡­ You want to see who has the better card, huh?¡± If Grell¡¯s hidden card wasing from his master, Davey nned to utilize whatever skills he had to crush him again and again. ¡®Capturing seven times and letting go seven times too.¡¯ Although, Davey was going to kill Grell instead of letting him go. ¡®Alright, let¡¯s see who has more hidden cards up their sleeve.¡¯ * * * Davey actually had very little interest in Saintess candidate Alice¡¯s change. It also wasn¡¯t important how she felt about him or what kind of trials she had experienced to try bing a true Saintess. What was important to him was that Alice had slowly be corrupted from not being able to endure God¡¯s trials, and the fact that she had betrayed them as Lich Grell Orfan had convinced her to. ¡ªIf something serious happens because of her¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much; nothing is going to change whether we worry about it or not. If Alice is still human, I will at least take care of her as a human being ording to the rules¡­¡± And if Alice had be something outside the boundaries of a human, or had gone through changes simr to that, Davey would have no choice but to take care of her as a monster. Without hesitation, Davey retrieved his sword and quickly made his way to the ce where he could hear huge explosions. ¡°Ahh!! My arm!! My arm is frozen!!¡± ¡°Damn it! Tie a thick rope around the ballista! Pull him down!¡± Desperate shouts and painful moans; cries of help pierced Davey¡¯s ears from his surroundings. The headquarters had be utter chaos, with soldiers struggling with deep wounds and the cold. There were also stiff soldiers who looked like they had died on the spot. Whoosh whoosh¡­ Then, a shadowrge enough to cover the skylight began moving and roaring. ¡ªRoar!! ¡°Its volume is no joke.¡± ¡ªIt has no vocal cords, but it still roars so well. It was a huge Undead dragon about thirty meters tall. Although it only had bones and barely any muscles, it was a flying dragon that was muchrger than the size of Wyverns, which were called the ¡®Prince of the Sky¡¯. And unlike Wyverns, which didn¡¯t have arms, this dragon had arms like the ones from fairy tales and it also had ws on the ends of its feet. It looked like it could crush everything. The Undead dragon had no skin or muscles at all, but its features were so clear that Davey could tell what kind of monster it was. He muttered, ¡°Wyrm Wyvern¡­¡± A Wyrm Wyvern was thergest predator of the Wyvern family, and it grew about four to ten timesrger than a normal one. If Wyverns were called the ¡¯Prince of the Sky¡¯, this one was an extremely rare being known as the ¡®King of the Sky¡¯. In fact, it was so rare that it was called a subspecies of dragons, and it was so strong that it could shoot breaths whenever it wanted. Simply put, it was just part of the Wyvern family, since it was too powerful to be ssified as a Wyvern. It was a relief that there was less additional damage as its breath was ice-type and not the regr fire-type. ¡ªIt has been a long time since I have seen it as an Undead. It is so extremely rare that I have only seen it once in my lifetime. The Undead dragon was extremely strong. It was known to have no enemies as no one could go up against it, even though its physical strength was iparable to that of Wyverns. Its bones could not match up to dragon bones, but it was still tougher than most metals. However, it seemed like the people around Davey mistook the Wyrm Wyvern, the extremely rare organism, as a dragon instead. This was unsurprising, because something that big with the image of a dragon reminded people of those from fairy tales. ¡°D¨CDragon¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡­ One ice breath and hundreds of people¡­¡± The people instantly became ice statues,pletely frozen in their running position. Dragons were at least one hundred meters in size¡­but there was no way for these people to know that. Davey quickly walked into themanders¡¯ tent, where people were all drawn to the Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s appearance. In the tent was Prince Sullivan, who was staring at it withplex thoughts in his mind. ¡°How was the situation?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Prince Davey, you came.¡± ¡°It seems quite funny to me.¡± ¡°A¡­ A dragon has appeared! An Undead dragon! I knew that it was another damn level, but what is¡­¡± Prince Sullivan let out his anger without hiding his frustration. ¡°I have never seen a monster like that before. It is a few timesrger than Wyverns, and one breath froze hundreds of people. Right now, Grand Duchess Kathryn, Duke A, and my sister Illyna are keeping it out of the fortress by upying its attention, but¡­ I don¡¯t think they are going tost very long either.¡± It was true that Wyverns and Wyrm Wyverns were very different, including their levels of power; it wasn¡¯t called a type of demi-dragon for no reason. ¡°A dragon¡­ Does that look like a dragon to you?¡± ¡°Tough bones that can withstand sword energy and this nasty breath¡­and an overwhelming presence and size¡­ What is it if not a dragon?!¡± Davey kept quiet. There was no reason for him to correct Sullivan. That was when Grand Duchess Kathryn shot away from the headquarters¡¯ gate and stomped on the Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s back. Her attack had incredible power. However, none of their attacksnded. After all, they had never fought against anything that flew and was so big in size. ¡°Prince Davey. Can you treat the ones who turned into ice statues?¡± Sullivan had asked whether Davey could treat the soldiers, not kill the dragon. Thinking back, he realized that Sullivan always acted like he wanted to rescue as many people as possible. ¡°I can, but there will be more casualties if the monster shoots another breath. Let¡¯s take care of it first.¡± ¡°But it is difficult to strike it if it does note down to the ground. It is dodging dangerous attacks and attempts to catch it by flying up high.¡± The Wyrm Wyvern had a strange pattern. It was also very strong, like a raid boss. Boom!! That was when Kathryn, who was attacking the Wyrm Wyvern with everything she had while on its back, lost her bnce and fell. ¡°No!!¡± Prince Sullivan shouted. The angry demi-dragon that was infuriated by Kathryn opened its jaw and bared its teeth at her. It wanted to finish her off. ¡°Prince Sullivan,¡± Davey called out. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Please prepare to advance. I think we are going to have to leave this ce and raid that bastard¡¯s location¡­¡± ¡°What does¡­?¡± ¡°And let¡¯s take it down to the ground first.¡± Prince Sullivan¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡®Actions rather than words.¡¯ Davey left the tent through the opening on the side and quickly shot up into the sky. He charged through the fearful soldiers who were shooting useless arrows at the Wyrm Wyvern. Boom!! At the same time, a boat horn began ringing through the surroundings. Boom!! [Gnoass, I give you my request.] [I ept the contractor¡¯s request.] ¡°We are going to advance. I will stand in front and destroy everything that stands in our way, so let¡¯s just bury that bony chicken first.¡± Everyone was in shock after seeing the Wyrm Wyvern that looked like a dragon, so Davey was going to summon his soil giant. Chapter 201 The soldiers had taken a breather after the war entered a lull period for a while. After all, the Undead had retreated. Now, they couldn¡¯t take their eyes away from the horrendous battle scene. The soldiers¡¯rades, who had pledged to return to their kingdoms alive until a little while ago, coughed up blood and screamed for their lives. However, they ended up bing Undead and their necks were ripped apart. If it was simple closebat, without the Pan Empire¡¯s defense positions and modern weapons, the soldiers at the headquarters could also be limping and raging against the living. In the end, the surviving soldiers among the countless casualties felt extreme hatred for the monster-like being who made this mess and resentment toward Saintess candidate Alice. They had heard the story of how she had pushed Davey away after a simple conflict. At first, the soldiers were skeptical. They didn¡¯t think a war could drastically be swayed by a single person. However, they heard a rumor that Prince Davey had just appeared out of nowhere as the west gates were about to be taken and had burned every Undead down by himself. To be honest, it was an absurd story; as such, most of them thought that it had been exaggerated or something. However, their opinions were changedpletely as a great being¨Ca huge bone dragon that shot out an extremely cold, icy breath¨Cbegan attacking the fortress. * * * This monster could not be taken down by one person. Its bones were so tough that it could barely be cut by a Swordmaster¡¯s sword energy, and it had an icy breath that froze everyone upon contact. Everyone acknowledged that it would be too difficult to face the Wyrm Wyvern alone, so no one did anything stupid. Although there was no conversation between them, the vixen Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe of the Lyndis Empire, Illyna de Pan, the leader of the White Birds and princess of the Pan Empire, and Duke A, the captain of the Contas Empire¡¯s ughtering Army, began to attack together. The three powers of the empires had joined forces. They took action not because of their position, but because they wanted to step up and minimize the amount of damage as much as possible. Instead of killing the Wyrm Wyvern, they grabbed its attention and directed its attacks outside of the fortress. As a result, there was no huge damage except for the Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s unexpected breath when it had first appeared. Of course, part of the headquarters¡¯ gates was destroyed as the monster flew around, but there weren¡¯t huge numbers of casualties except for the few hundred people during the first attack. The soldiers hoped that one of them would distract the Wyrm Wyvern and then take its life. They couldn¡¯t see another cold breath flying toward them, so they felt a sense of relief. Grand Duchess Kathryn, who kept kiting and distracting the Wyrm Wyvern as her me-like hair and tail shed, was a surprisingly powerful person; she was swift and strong with overwhelmingly powerful attacks. She made people wonder how a living being could be this strong. She could have been afraid of the Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s sudden appearance, but she kept up with her intense attacks. Following her, Illyna and Duke A attacked and supported her actions. Watching the trio, the oblivious ones probably thought that the trio could potentially win against the Frost Wyrm Wyvern. However, that was an ignorant thought. With a huge roar, the Wyrm Wyvern took advantage of a very small window of opportunity and swatted away Grand Duchess Kathryn with its tail. Kathryn, who could not react to the sudden attack, was exposed to additional attacks, and looked like she was definitely going to be struck. The moment everyone¡¯s eyes grew wide and jaws dropped, Al, one of the soldiers who protected the headquarters, felt something pull him back. A dissatisfied voice said to him, ¡°Move.¡± Davey then mumbled, ¡°Gnoass, I give you my request.¡± A huge arm made of soil suddenly shot up from the ground. It grabbed the Wyrm Wyvern by the tail, wings, and entire body to crush it into the ground. And¡­ ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± ¡°What is that¡­?¡± It was so natural, as if something had popped out from beneath the ground. A huge soil giant, which wasrger than the Wyrm Wyvern, had appeared. [Rest well, little being who has been denied providence.] The soil giant nted his fist in the monster as he spoke with a loud, mighty voice. The Wyrm Wyvern shot a breath at the soil giant reflexively¡­but the soil giant¡¯s fist, which was hot and red, created a huge amount of vapor as it touched the icy breath. The Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s head was crushed. However, the creature was able to withstand even a Swordmaster¡¯s attacks; it struggled desperately as it didn¡¯t die instantly. However, the giant hand that was constricting it tugged it even closer to the ground. Boom!!!! Thud!! Heavy punches fell down onto the ground one after another. The soil giant shattered the Wyrm Wyvern by repeatedly hitting it with fists that leaked redva. The hot liquid engulfed the Wyrm Wyvern, which gradually lost strength and went limp. ¡°Prepare for battle. We are going right now.¡± Al, the soldier who stared nkly at the soil giant, widened his eyes when he heard Davey speaking from beside him. Davey was still a young boy, but his eyes made him look quite intimidating. But what was most surprising about him was that he had just summoned a soil giant. Although Al couldn¡¯t be sure, he had seen it for himself and he had a feeling that it was true. ¡°Oh!¡± Then, Al, who was staring nkly at the boy¡¯s back, realized that he had seen the boy¡¯s face somewhere; his eyes widened when he remembered who the boy was. The boy was the Saint who had saved Al, who had been dying from a mutated version of the cold. He was the prince with a bad personality who had treated Al with consideration even though he spoke very coldly. It was Davey O¡¯Rowane, who was better known as a Saint after receiving the stigmata. And now, Davey had just begun working on the battlefield as Saintess candidate Alice had stopped him from participating earlier. Furthermore, he was the person who had solely stopped the west gates from being broken through. Al had thought that the story was just exaggerated, but it hadn¡¯t been at all. The monster barely had a scratch even when three powerful individuals, including Grand Duchess Kathryn, who was one of the strongest fighters in the continent, all attacked it at once. Yet, it vanished as bone fragments in just a few minutes once Davey had attacked it. On top of that, the boy who had made it all happen was acting very calmly. He appeared to be used to this kind of thing. ¡°What did I just see¡­?¡± It seemed like Al was not the only one who thought that way. * * * ¡°There are very few of them now. I didn¡¯t think they would be this weakpared to the beginning.¡± ¡°They dug their own grave.¡± As Davey walked into themander¡¯s tent nonchntly, he could feel a lot of eyes on him. ¡°Did everyone enjoy their lunch? I¡¯m going to be having dinner in hell.¡± Davey made a joke, but no one responded. ¡°Can I¡­ask you a question?¡± A man asked a question and slowly raised his hand in the intense silence. ¡°Yes, tell me.¡± ¡°That soil giant who crushed the huge Undead dragon a little while ago¡­ Did you summon it, Prince Davey?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Earth Spirit King. Amazing, right?¡± Davey replied yfully. Everyone lookedpletely shocked. ¡°A spirit¡­ How¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t he use holy power from receiving the stigmata?¡± Prince Sullivan tried to silence the murmurs by clearing his throat ufortably, but he was unsessful. Perhaps it was because Davey had just calmly dropped a mindblowing piece of information. Everyone was basically saying how ridiculous and terrifying the revtion was. Moreover, they wondered if Davey was really human. Whatever it was, they all looked like they had a hard time believing Davey even after seeing it with their own eyes. ¡°Then¡­the spirit was¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s leave it there. I saw on the way here that more than half the soldiers were blown apart¡­¡± Davey¡¯s voice trailed off. Sullivan dodged Davey¡¯s nce and said softly, ¡°I am ashamed to say so, but yes. The enemy was much stronger than we expected.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re notcent? ¡°That is!¡± Sullivan flinched at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°I told you from the beginning, didn¡¯t I? I told you that it was going to be chaos if you underestimated your enemy. But you chose to ignore everything that I said and did whatever you wanted.¡± ¡°B¨CBut there was nothing we could do about that; the people who have gathered here aren¡¯t just any ordinary people, right? Please try to understand with a generous heart.¡± The alliance tried very hard to appease Davey with a kind smile. However, Davey had to get one thing straight. He said calmly, ¡°Just have some faith if you can¡¯t get a grasp of the situation.¡± ¡°Prince Davey!¡± ¡°I will give you some information that you should know about.¡± ¡°...¡± Some of the men were about to shout in protest, but Davey ignored them. He went on, ¡°Then, I will start with a short briefing because we do not have much time.¡± ¡°Briefing?¡± ¡°To exin the situation.¡± Davey then jerked his chin toward the map on the wall. He said, ¡°The guy is a necromancer who is at least at the 8th Circle. Did you know that?¡± Everyone began to murmur again. ¡°Probably not. And it¡¯s not like the 8th Circle ismon, either.¡± ¡°Of course. The best mage in the continent is at the 7th Circle. Who could have thought they were at the 8th?¡± ¡°The enemy is not considerate of our situation, Sir Yulis,¡± Davey said. Yulis smiled bitterly. ¡°But why are you mentioning that now¡­? The reason you are saying that is¡­¡± ¡°I am just saying that you should keep it in mind. Let¡¯s move on. This is rted to what we have to do now.¡± Davey then pointed to the eight fortresses that had already been taken over. He asked, ¡°Necromancer Lich overdid himself to take these eight fortresses. Do you know why?¡± ¡°He is ying a game of war¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. If he wanted to keep ying this game of war, he would not have pushed through this foolishly. He would have carefully tested the waters and given us false hope.¡± The man who cautiously opened his mouth lowered his head. ¡°For some unknown reason, he has lost hisposure. As a result, he went out of his way to capture all eight fortresses.¡± ¡°Why¡­do you think he did that?¡± ¡°The life vessels. It is the source of life and power to Liches. You know something about them, don¡¯t you, Prince Sullivan?¡± Davey smiled at Prince Sullivan, who avoided his gaze but nodded. Sullivan said with a sigh, ¡°Sigh¡­ Yes. There are great magic stones at each fortress that serve as protection. I never imagined that they would be their life vessels¡­¡± ¡°People often imagine the life vessels to be a heart made up of muscles, so your misunderstanding is not surprising.¡± ¡°Then why are you telling us this?¡± Illyna asked Davey in a formal manner, since this was a public meeting. ¡°What this means is that we are going to have to kill him seven more times if we want to end this endless ughter.¡± ¡°Kill him¡­seven times?¡± Davey nodded at those who stared at him in confusion. He said firmly, ¡°Yes, exactly seven times. We do not have much time.¡± ¡°Why seven times? If what you previously said is true, it should have eight life vessels.¡± ¡°Yes, seven times,¡± Davey said calmly and flicked one of the fortress models. ¡°Because one just died in my hands.¡± ¡°Hup?!¡± Everyone stared at Davey in shock. ¡°How is the preparation for going into battleing along?¡± ¡°We have enough supplies, but¡­the soldiers¡¯ morale is unbelievably low. It¡¯s gotten a little better now that you are here, but¡­¡± ¡°Please gather all of them. We will go into battle as soon as their morale is boosted.¡± ¡®Telling people white lies is one of my specialties.¡¯ Was logic necessary in raising an army¡¯s morale in a war? No, the only thing needed was empathy and mob mentality. Walking out of the tent, Davey mumbled into the air, ¡°Jack, go gather some reliable people whom I can use as wingmen.¡± Laying out the groundwork was essential. * * * Why did captains give speeches to their soldiers before going off to war? Morale was the one thing that affected soldiers the most and affected them the quickest. Davey had been using the aspect of morale to his advantage. The effects of the buff magic cast by holy magic were amplified by the strength of the recipients¡¯ determination and faith. This was also why Davey had gathered his soldiers to give them speeches. For this war, countless soldiers were involved and thebined force was iparablyrger than what Davey had seen before. For the buff magic to continuously be running for at least everyone in the frontlines, Davey had no choice but to increase the efficiency as much as he could. Standing on the headquarters¡¯ wall, Davey took a step forward as he looked down at the fifty thousand soldiers who were lined up outside. He said calmly, ¡°At first, the army had a hundred thousand. We kept losing people, and now, only forty to fifty thousand of you can still fight. I understand you have gone through a lot. Are you afraid?¡± His voice definitely reached everyone. ¡°I am going to be honest. That guy is a catastrophic monster at the 8th Circle. There is a high chance that he has a few more of the flying dragons that attacked the fortress a little while ago.¡± ¡°...¡± If it was going to lower their morale whether Davey liked it or not, he was going to try and use it to his advantage. Instead of anger and futility, he was going to instill morale and unity. Hearing their silence, Davey added, ¡°A little while ago, the Lich, the enemy we have to ughter, has infiltrated this city by using the Wyrm Wyvern as bait.¡± Surprised voices started to ring out. All fifty thousand men began to murmur, their voices bing as loud as a market. ¡°Everyone shut up.¡± The crowd wentpletely silent when Davey harshly criticized them. He said, ¡°I am not the leader or Chief of Staff of the alliance, so I am in no position to lecture you or anything.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°However, I will make one thing clear. Saintess candidate Alice who was leading you and fighting against the enemy had noticed and attacked the person who infiltrated the fortress, but she lost.¡± Davey continued as the soldiers remained quiet, ¡°And she has been kidnapped by him.¡± The Saintess candidate had fought with her life to protect the army but lost, and was now kidnapped by the enemy. It was quite a familiar scenario. It was true that public opinion about Alice was negative, but it was something that Davey could use in a way. Was public opinion about Alice going to be better if she returned alive? No way. Once the war came to an end, the Saintess candidate named Alice would already be dead. It wasn¡¯t going to be difficult to promote a dead person to the highest rank and give them a crown. ¡°Are you going to just take it lying down? When we have a way to win?¡± ¡®I will use you to boost morale.¡¯ ¡°Pack your bags if you are afraid; I won¡¯t stop you. But stay here if you want to win. Who is the person standing in front of you?¡± ¡°You are the Saint!¡± ¡°The Saint!¡± Some people shouted. ¡®Mm, yeah.¡¯ Right away, Davey thought that it was a good idea that he had nted a few wingmen in the crowd. Once the first person started to scream, everyone else quickly joined in. Davey then stopped the crowd from shouting any more and said, ¡°Yes, you will experience a different war than what you have seen before. You are wee to stay if you want toe back alive.¡± It was going to be impossible for everyone toe back alive, but it was better for them to die while fighting. Then, Davey pulled out Longinus, the divine sword that was in the shape of a cross. He held it up high like he was waiting for something. Then, a bright light flowed out of the weapon and began embracing the soldiers who stood at the frontlines. Chapter 202 The bright sh of light, a light akin to God¡¯s blessings, that burst out had caught everyone¡¯s attention. However, that was just a trick. Davey would be out of his mind if he tried to put a buff on each and every single one of the tens of thousands of soldiers who stood in front of him. As long as he did not get caught, this trick would work on the soldiers. The soldiers looked at the flecks of light that fluttered down around them. They thought that God had truly bestowed his protection upon them. This was the cebo effect, which was a psychological effect that could make someone who only had sugar believe that they had truly eaten a medicine that could cure their disease. ¡°The human body is truly amazing.¡± ¡°The hell. How many people have you deceived in such a short time?¡± Davey looked solemnly at the girl who asked him this question as he imparted a saying, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t get caught, it¡¯s a skill.¡± ¡°Goddess Freyja might have gotten something in her eye when she gave you that stigmata.¡± ¡°There are no rules saying that only one person can receive a stigmata.¡± After hearing Davey¡¯s words, Illyna flicked her braided hair and immediately followed right after him. She asked, ¡°Ah, are you really going to charge forward like that without setting up any sort of countermeasure? I know that you¡¯re strong, but you''re in charge of the lives of many. You have to think about it more carefully¡­¡± ¡°Illyna.¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Davey turn away from her. ¡°This will be thest time.¡± Davey¡¯s short answer forced Illyna to go silent. She did not ask Davey about why this should be thest time and why he was running out of time. She simply tugged at his sleeves, which she had never done before, and said softly, ¡°Then¡­please do me one favor. We still¡­haven¡¯t recovered my brother¡¯s body.¡± Davey definitely knew which brother Illyna was talking about. Illyna was talking about the Pan Empire¡¯s crown prince who had led the first subjugation in hopes of destroying the Lich, Grell Orfan. ¡°We have to find my brother¡¯s body. Find him and¡­deliver the news to the Crown Princess and arrange a state funeral for him.¡± Davey just covered Illyna¡¯s face, which expressed a rare look of weakness, and pushed her away. ¡°Stop worrying about useless things. Also, you have to stay.¡± ¡°What?! No way!!!¡± Illyna screamed. Davey grabbed Illyna by the wrist and rolled her sleeves up. He saw that her arm was riddled with bruises, which were a result of necrosis in the muscles and the veins. This was a side effectmonly seen among people who have already exhausted their mana and forcibly summoned some more. Thankfully, the situation was not that bad yet. Davey could tell that there would be no scars left behind as long as Illyna got treated. However, if Illyna still stubbornly continued to fight, then her arm would be littered with ugly scars, the tell-tale signs of necrosis. ¡°You think you can fake it by walking around and showing that you¡¯re well in front of someone who has learned medicine, huh?¡± Davey said, turning Illyna¡¯s face blue with his words. Then, he added, ¡°Go to the treatment center before I kick you out.¡± ¡°Kyaack!¡± Illyna stepped back after shrieking in Davey¡¯s ears. Davey sighed. ¡ªIs it really necessary to drive her out so forcefully? ¡°You have to scold foolish pushovers sometimes to make them aware of the situation.¡± ¡®Gnoass, you still there?¡¯ [I¡¯m all ears, Contractor.] ¡°Get ready. I¡¯m giving you permission to go wild and use all of the spirit energy stored in my body the moment I give the signal.¡± Davey¡¯s spirit energy could be recovered by using the other forces within him and converting them into spirit energy. Due to that reason, Davey could be said to have a lot more spirit energy than the other forces in his body. However, it also has the slowest recovery rate. The enemy was the Undead, and Davey had the Spirit King. Davey wanted to see whose side had the bigger advantage in terms of force. Thud!!! The soldiers were shocked when a huge earthquake shook the ground. A gigantic figure made from earth stepped forward, opening a path for the soldiers. ¡°Prince Sullivan.¡± ¡°¡­Ah, yes! Men! Forward!¡± Thud!!! Prince Sullivan drew his sword and shouted, ¡°The Undead dared to cross ournds and make our families suffer! We may have been beaten by them so far but today will be different! Today, we will be the ones¡­to gain victory!!!¡± ¡°Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± Perhaps Davey and the giant made out of soil reminded the soldiers that they had a strong ally backing them up. The soldiers who previously looked defeated were suddenly energized, their morale reaching an all-time-high. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re quite used to increasing people¡¯s morale, huh?¡± Prince Sullivan, who was following Davey on horseback,mented. However, Davey wore a bitter smile on his face. His answer was a murmur. ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. I simply showed you that there¡¯s a possibility of winning, I did not strengthen you or give you more power. Even if your number reaches a hundred million or you believe yourself to be strong enough, it¡¯s not strange for anyone to die on a battlefield.¡± Their enemy was not a 7th Circle necromancer but an 8th Circle necromancer. What their enemy had shown them so far was a simplemand of the Undead. If Grell Orfan chose to get serious about this matter, then the allied troops could suffer tremendous losses and casualties even with the numerical advantage. Davey could probably wield simr magic as the 8th Circle necromancer. But if Grell decided to do so, he could condense his power and annihte them on the spot with an attack. That was why Davey decided to give it his all and kill the bastard. Davey nodded quietly to himself, murmuring his ns to himself. *** Lich Grell Orfan¡¯s red eyes glowed sharply as he looked at the allied troops entering the grand canyon. He muttered, ¡°So, you came to dig your own grave.¡± What Grell saw was a bunch of flesh bags willingly and courageously stepping into the lion¡¯s den. ¡°But, I don¡¯t see the bastard among them.¡± Grell was referring to that monster, the monstrous bastard who had left him feeling numb. Although the monstrous boy had told him that he was a mortal, someone like him, who was hiding the great unknown in his body, could not have obtained that much power during his time as a mortal. If that boy was around, there was no assurance that Grell and his Undead would win. But Grell could not sense the boy¡¯s mana at all. Grell thought that the boy was headed somewhere else. Although anxious about whatever catastrophe the boy was going to cause, he ended up shaking his head to clear his mind. After all, Saintess candidate Alice, who was integral to his ns, had already entered the center of the sanctum where his great liege would be reborn. As long as his liege was reborn, Grell did not care what was taken away from him. Grell did not know where Davey had gone, but he was sure that this foolish decision had cost Davey the lives of tens of thousands of people. These men would be killed without knowing what happened to them. ¡°Death is the only ending for those who have forgotten and left behind their fears,¡± Grell said calmly as he raised his hand. Fwooooooosh!!! Darkness flowed out from Grell¡¯s fingertips to create a huge ck hole that twisted the air in the surroundings. Even though Grell had been beaten by that monstrous boy, he was still an 8th Circle necromancer, a powerful being who has never been seen on this continent. ¡®I will definitely show them the extent of my powers!¡¯ The darkness swirled above Grell¡¯s hands until it created a gigantic sphere. Without saying anything, Grell grabbed the sphere and crushed it into nothingness. sh!!! Once a sh of ck light burst out, something unexpected happened to the allied troops that were marching in a straight line toward the canyon. Tens of thousands of Undead appeared out of nowhere, as if they had been waiting for the troops. The Undead began breaking down the walls of the canyon to get to the allied troops. ¡°Everyone dies upon getting bitten. No matter who you are, you will not be able to escape death.¡± The allied troops should have chosen to avoid a frontal confrontation with Grell and his forces. After all, Grell¡¯s forces may be weak by themselves, but their bites could lead the allied troops to their deaths. ¡°M¡­ Men!!! Prepare for battle!!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic!!! Nock your arrows!!!¡± The allied troops¡¯ response to the unexpected ambush was a calm one, proving that they hade here with their own countermeasure in hand. However, petty tactics would not work against Grell¡¯s trap here. Grell Orfan once again created a sh of power. He poured the remnants of that power into the staff in his hand. Then, he tapped his staff on the ground with a shout, ¡°This is thend that my liege once ruled. How dare you enter this ce, measly humans! It seems like you''re quite courageous!¡± Thud!!! As a pale light spread alongside an earthquake, the allied troops and the Undead shed. Thump, thump, thump, thump!!! Pandemonium unfolded as the shocking number of Undead and humans fought against each other. Grell Orfan looked at the battlefield silently. He already knew that this would happen. He could see how his own troops were overwhelming the allied troops, whose physical strength was only at the basic level. Grell even took advantage of the fact that they only needed to graze the enemies to win. He would win as long as his enemies could turn into allies the moment they were bitten. The winner of this frontal and head-on battle was way too obvious. There were a few strong ones who could bring out an [Aura de] but one could not expect any great effect from them at all. ¡°Foolish ones¡­¡± After hearing the terrible screams and shouts as the ughter continued on, Grell Orfan finally thought of ending this fight all at once. Once his preparations wereplete, he tapped his staff on the ground¡­ Thunk¡­ The cliffs surrounding the grand canyon began to shake. The surroundings were all of nature, but there were secrets hidden in this ce that even humans did not know of. This was the ce that had been used by the dragons as their tombs for hundreds of years. And over time, many bones had umted in the area. Crack!!! With a loud crack, the ground shook terribly. Thump!!! With another loud sound, cracks began to appear on some of the canyon¡¯s tough and hard rocks. Thud!!! When the crack finally spread far and wide, the cliffs copsed to reveal the huge figures of the beings that had been dormant beneath the ground. The beings were the ultra-cold Frost Wyrm Wyverns. It was not just one or two, but dozens of Frost Wyrm Wyverns flying over the skies and casting great shadows on everyone on the ground. It was a very spectacr sight. ¡°It seems like they could block at least one of them.¡± Grell¡¯s red eyes followed the giant monsters, which were Frost Wyrm Wyverns, that had risen to the skies. He muttered, ¡°It would be hard for them to survive without any cover the moment dozens of monsters fired their breaths at them.¡± The most efficient way to get rid of the allied troops would be for the Frost Wyrm Wyverns to release their breaths on them. Also, Grell did not really care how the allied troops would stage a counterattack from this attack. Thud!!! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! One of the giant wyverns that was tens of meters in size suddenly gathered a ck current of energy in its mouth. The Frost Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s breath shot straight toward the members of the allied troops who were not participating in the battle. Baaaaaang!!! The attack¡¯s low temperature caused mist and vapor to rise up from the ground, covering the view of the canyon. Obviously, the scene below could not be seen but Grell, whose eyes had turned green, could see what was happening inside the mist and the vapor very clearly. ¡°Aaaaaaaaack!¡± ¡°Save me!¡± The allied troops¡¯ soldiers screamed in terror as the Frost Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s breaths broke their formation and froze them all. The situation was obviously to Grell¡¯s advantage. So, why was Grell Orfan feeling some strange sense of deja vu? It did not take too long for Grell to find out where the strange sense of dissonance wasing from. The soldiers screamed as they got swept away by the Frost Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s cold breath. Those who were unaffected kept fighting desperately to stay alive. The breath attack was only for a moment, but the entire fight between the Undead and the allied troops hadsted for quite a while already. If that was the case, then Grell should have already sacrificed a lot of his Undead. However, none of the Undead had been disposed of. To be exact, none of the Undead had perished under the hands of the allied troops. The short and intense feeling of deja vu was enough for Grell¡¯s instincts to determine that there was something dangerous here. ¡°Did you enjoy the 3D surround sound and disy?¡± ¡°Heuk?!¡± Grell Orfan, who was about to turn around, was shocked by the figure who suddenly appeared in front of him. However, his reaction was too slow. The strange red and blue swords that had once killed him pierced through him once again. He fell to the depths of the canyon. ¡°Keuaaaaaaaaaaack!¡± Grell shrieked loudly from the pain that tore through his soul after being struck by the sword. He also saw the entire allied troops disappear from sight. It seemed like all of the opponents that he had seen so far were just mere illusions. And¡­ Thud!!! As the allied troops disappeared, the ground beneath their feet slowly started to shake. That was when a giant made of earth appeared together with hundreds of smaller y giants. The being had a momentum that weighed down the surrounding air and made the dozens of Frost Wyrm Wyverns look shabby inparison. ¡°All of those soldiers¡­were just an illusion? That¡¯s impossible! The mana needed to maintain that kind of magic is something that you can¡¯t handle¡­!¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about the simplest method, then you are certainly correct.¡± Grell screamed as if his judgment of the situation was correct. However, shortly after that, the earth giant mmed its fist toward the Frost Wyrm Wyvern. This time, it was not the fake trampling of the Undead from before. It was the true abuse and trampling from the allied troops. Chapter 203 The crouching earth giant, which was around twenty meters in height and around 4~50 meters in width, slowly raised his body from the ground. He did not care about the Frost Wyrm Wyverns that towered over everyone else. His yellow eyes shed as he took a huge step forward. Thud!!! A massive earthquake erupted, changing the surrounding terrain. A Spirit King was the source of nature. As such, they had great control over their own attributes, their power reaching as far as their eyes could see. Since Gnoass was the spirit of the earth as well as the origin of thend, no territory existed that was not within reach of Gnoass¡¯ powers. Any and allnd was Gnoass¡¯ territory. Even a strong existence at the level of a swordmaster would have a hard time against Gnoass. If it was the power of Gnoass¡¯ main body, then it would definitely reach the level of a grandmaster. However, the power that a Spirit King could use in the middle world obviously had certain limitations. Still, the basic specs would not disappear and would still be a cut above the rest of the beings in this continent. ¡°It¡¯s really sucking up a lot of spirit power.¡± A huge amount of spirit power had been siphoned off of Davey, making his head spin. After all, arge amount of the spirit power that he had stored in his body was decreasing at a very rapid rate. Most of the power that Gnoass disyed and used was derived from the spirit power stored in Davey¡¯s body. Naturally, the more Gnoass went on a rampage, the higher the consumption of spirit power. A gigantic Frost Wyrm Wyvern roared as it flew over and scratched Gnoass with its sharp ws. However, Gnoass immediately raised both hands and grabbed its wings. His forceful grip rendered the Wyvern helpless. When the Frost Wyrm Wyvern shrieked and struggled fiercely, it attracted the other Wyverns¡¯ attention. The other Wyverns quickly aimed their muzzles toward Gnoass¡¯ head and fired their freezing Breath. ¡°Stop ying around and finish it quickly. Do you think my spirit power is infinite?¡± [I¡¯m not trying to be funny!] Gnoass¡¯ yellow eyes shed briefly when he heard Davey¡¯s grumbling. Crack, crack, crack!!! At the same time, another arm popped up from Gnoass¡¯ back and grabbed the Frost Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s snout behind him. He then proceeded to snap the wings of the Wyvern in his hand before mming it down to the ground. Just like that, a gigantic Undead that was almost forty meters in size copsed helplessly under Gnoass¡¯ hands. ¡°Urk¡­ Death Swamp!!!¡± At that moment, the hard and solid earth beneath Davey¡¯s feet suddenly turned into ck tar and aimed to devour him. [7th Level Holy Magic] [Purification] Death Swamp was a dark magic of the 7th Circle. It was a spell that could create a swamp of death that corroded everything at a rapid rate. Davey instinctively used holy magic and casted Purification. Even if it was purely by reflex, the casting was done a bit toote. It was only for a very short moment, but he frowned upon seeing the metal on his shoes had melted. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you telling me to fight barefoot?¡± Davey tried toin, but he really could not bring himself to do so. This all happened because of his own carelessness. When Davey turned his head, he saw the bastard whom he had just pulled Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon out of. He muttered, ¡°You¡¯re not dead yet?¡± Davey thought that Blue Ribbon¡¯s power to cut off and destroy immortality would kill the bastard in a single blow since it was a direct hit. It seemed like Davey had underestimated the guy. ¡°You got me once. Do you think you¡¯ll get me another time?! I don¡¯t know how you have the Spirit King under yourmand, but if you let it run wild like that¡­ You are going to struggle to maintain the Spirit King!¡± Just like what the bastard screeched in Davey¡¯s ears, Davey needed a lot of power to let Gnoass run wild like that. ¡ªIt¡¯s really too much for you. Davey needed a lot of time to recover. However, because of the circumstances, he had no choice but to overuse the power that he was releasing. Even if Davey had a mana ring specifically optimized to help him release the greatest power, his body¡¯s endurance would still face its limit. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Davey opened his eyes slightly as he moved his now slightly heavier body. When the bastard opened his eyes and picked up his staff that was emitting ck energy currents, Davey said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you like¡­¡± Swoosh¡ª Bang!!! ¡°So, I prepared everything. Hey, where will I use them if you¡¯re already terrified?¡± ¡°Crazy bastard! How dare you try and bluff your way out?!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to believe, right? To be honest, I¡¯m also someone who defiesmon sense.¡± Bang!!! As if he was trying to stage a counterattack, Grell shot out ck bullets from his body. The ck bullets easily moved at the speed of light. On top of that, they were so sharp and cutting that a simple metal bullet could neverpare. The effects of the bullets were ridiculously shocking. ¡ªHe reinforced the 3rd Circle Death Bullet? Considering the force behind that attack, it seems like the power has reached around the 6th circle¡­ That¡¯s a bit abnormal. Dozens of bullets flew swiftly and tried to pierce through Davey, who evaded the attack by kicking around the surrounding terrain without hesitation. The constant firing of the bullets eventually turned the area ck, because everything rotted and decayed. If one bullet so much as grazed Davey¡­ Sizzle!!! ¡°Oh my.¡± ¡ªDavey?! Just then, one of the ck bullets nicked Davey¡¯s sleeve. His clothing began to corrode, turning into ck powder. Not only that, but it also affected his forearm, leaving a scar on his otherwise fair and spotless arm. ¡ªHurry! Use Purification! ¡°There you go.¡± Sizzle! As if it had been waiting, the holy power in Davey¡¯s magic moved and began to burn away the death energy that tried to encroach upon his body. The pain that followed was quite considerable, but it was truly nothing. After all, Davey had gone through many things during his training back in the Hall. ¡°Paralyze!¡± ¡°Confuse!¡± ¡°Blind!¡± Not long after, curses¡ªa trademark of those that dealt with dark mana¡ªbegan to pour out. The use of the curses was to slow one¡¯s opponents down, so one could use an attack magic and finish them off. Davey turned dizzy. In fact, even his vision was starting to blur, so he couldn¡¯t avoid the ck bullets that were flying his way. The bastard was strong. Simply looking at the extent of his power, Davey could tell that Grell Orfan was in the transcendental realm. He was a being on par with Shandra Minea and the vampire that Davey had met during the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s rebellion. So far, Davey had only met two transcendental level beings. However,pared to Pace, who had only reached that level due to temporary doping, and Shandra Minea¡¯s clone that had lost all sense of reason, Grell Orfan was far stronger. This was because Grell Orfan was a true powerhouse who had reached the 8th Circle. In fact,pared to the stupid mosquito who had only thought of using pure force to suppress and hold Davey down, the Lich currently in front of Davey was freely casting dozens of hidden attacks and abilities. Even if people were on the same level of power, the force that they could exert would drastically differ depending on how the individual used their power. Except for holy mana, Davey had recovered all of his mana and had reached the 8th Circle. The Lich in front of him was also on the 8th Circle, but was also ridiculously strong. ¡°I¡¯m a bit touched.¡± Thwack!!! So far, Davey¡¯s enemy had made moves that were still within his eptable range. ¡°If you truly want to threaten me, you should have dragged the World Tree¡¯s true body.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh! The giant tree that supports the world is life itself, it¡¯s not something that an existence like you can handle!¡± Even before Davey had reached the Master level, he was already able to deal with Master-level beings. If someone at his level could push him back, then it would be better for him to just bite his tongue and kill himself. ¡°Keheok?!¡± Of course, it was only natural for Davey¡¯s body to start corroding from the onught of magic. However, it shocked the Lich that Davey was able to escape the rain of attacks intact and could still jump at him. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still endure this.¡± Davey did not trust that the Lich would answer his questions. So, as soon as he reached out to grab Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, he immediately cut down the huge staff that was swinging to counter Red Ribbon¡¯s attack. ¡°What?!¡± Davey could tell that the staff was made out of a very tough material. If Blue Ribbon could cut down anything that had transcended thews of nature, then Red Ribbon had abilities on the other end of the spectrum. After stabbing the Lich sessfully, Davey immediately stabbed him in the head with Blue Ribbon. ¡°Aaaaaaaaack!¡± A painful, terrifying, and desperate scream rang out in the area. Then, openly showing his hostility towards Blue Ribbon, Grell Orfan yelled, ¡°That damned weird de!!!¡± [Waaaah!] The hilt of the de moved slightly from Blue Ribbon¡¯s sudden outburst. She was seemingly ready to cry. ¡°Who are you calling weird? You crazy bastard.¡± Crack, crack, crack!!! The Lich¡¯s skull now had a gaping hole. It looked like Davey had spun his sword around after stabbing the Lich¡¯s skull. ¡®I¡¯ll stab you in your head as many times as the hilt of my sword moves!¡¯ Since the Lich had made several precautions against Blue Ribbon, he did not die so easily this time. He had fully disguised his preparations, so it was a bit hard for Davey to notice. After all, it was difficult to fish a needle out of a haystack. But if that was the case, then¡­ ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just have to burn everything down.¡± Thud!!! Crack!! After pulling Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon out of Grell Orfan, Davey summoned his cross-shaped divine spear, Longinus. He flipped it over before striking the Lich''s body. ¡°Argh?! What the hell is this¡­?!¡± ¡°Here, let me give you a present.¡± [8th Level Holy Magic] [Divine me Cannon (Upgraded)] Baaaaaang!!! White cannons shot out of Longinus¡¯ tip, going straight through Grell¡¯s body. Since Davey had decided to go all out, he would not spare any expense at all. Vwoooooong!!! The bastard red sharply at Davey as the holy magic, a power that he couldn¡¯t disregard, began to pour out from the cross and embed deep in his body. Then, he stretched his open palm out toward Davey and shouted, ¡°Death Breath!!!¡± Baaaaaaang!!! The counterattack happened in a split second. However, Davey had no ns of losing this match. Most of the mana stored in Davey¡¯s body fought back without any hesitation, pushing him a dozen meters away from the Lich. ¡°Cough¡­ urk¡­ I told you, I will not be hit twice by the same attack. It¡¯s true, you¡¯re strong. Butpared to your level of power, your output is declining,¡± the Lich mumbled as if he had noticed the strangeness of Davey¡¯s body. ¡°In the end, that¡¯s all you can amount to. You won¡¯t be able to kill me this time, bastard.¡± Davey, who slowly raised his body from his crouched position, opened his hands and said, ¡°Tadah! Guess what¡¯s this?¡± Above his palms was a sphere made up of an ominous ck light. Blue Ribbon¡¯s power could destroy anyone, even if they had a decent amount of defensive magic pped on their bodies. The only reason why the Lich bastard had survived was that he had a medium hidden somewhere in his body where he had directed Blue Ribbon¡¯s power to. It was a pretty smart move. However, it was aplete mistake on his part to forget that Davey was someone who could also use dark magic. ¡°That?!¡± ¡°Dark magic. You¡¯re not the only one who can use it. Why are you trying to teach a fish how to swim, huh?¡± The Lich instinctively rushed towards Davey. Unfortunately, the ck ball of light was unable to withstand the tight grip of Davey¡¯s hand and easily broke down. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaack!¡± The bastard, who had lost his protectiveyer, copsed from Blue Ribbon¡¯s constant assault. The speed at which his body copsed was faster than before. ¡°Now, there are only six more left.¡± The Lich¡¯s eyes swayed at Davey¡¯s warning. He screamed, ¡°Impossible! How can a Saint bearing the stigmata¡­ How can you use dark magic¡­ And how can you use spirit magic?!!!¡± Spirit magic was a lot more forgiving, so even those who used the sword and some kind of magic could still learn how to use it. The most ridiculous thing, if Davey stood in the Lich¡¯s shoes, was the fact that both holy magic and dark magic were coexisting in his body. Davey thought that the bastard in front of him would definitely love to learn about all of the elements and power hidden within him. Those thoughts lingered in Davey¡¯s head as he crushed Grell¡¯s skull with his hands. He spat out a short breath as he stood up straight. ¡ªAfter everything is over, you have to rest like you''re dead for months. If you don¡¯t listen to me, then I¡¯ll force you to do it. Perserque snapped coldly at Davey. She could not let go of what she had seen, especially after seeing the side effects that Davey had to endure from fighting with strong opponents. ¡°Perserque¡­ Have you seen an enemy take into consideration my situation before attacking me?¡± The short question made Perserque go mute. ¡°If I copse, the entire Heins territory will be destroyed. The humans will die and all of the elves will be taken away.¡± ¡ªDavey! ¡°I don¡¯t have any grand cause like saving the world. I never intended to do that in the first ce.¡± However, Davey was proud and had a great sense of dignity. ¡°I have to show them that they need to be prepared to get swept away if they tried to mess with me.¡± This was not about Davey¡¯s war with the World Tree. This was a warning to all the beings that hid and waited to strike at Davey once chaos unfolded. Davey was telling them: I don¡¯t care what you want to do, but don¡¯t ever dare touch me and my people. The moment the Lich copsed, the remaining three or four Frost Wyrm Wyverns flew away in escape. Simply put, those who could not feel pain nor fear ran away and the bastard who had lost his life once again sensed great danger and immediately retreated to save his strength. ¡ªHow will you find the next one? He will not show himself to you so easily anymore. The bastard must have already realized that he was no match against Davey in directbat. After all, he had already been hit once or twice in the same way. Davey could tell from the Lich¡¯s movements that he was trying to revive someone or something. This meant that he would have an advantage over Davey if Davey continued to drag things on. If the Lich was wise, he would never dare show up in front of Davey anymore. If that was the case, then¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll go and find him myself.¡± While breathing roughly, Davey slowly woke up the element mana that he still had hidden in his body and cast a warp magic spell in front of him. ¡°You better hide as best as you can.¡± Hum, hum, hum!!! ¡°I can see your head~¡± Baaam!!! An empty and solitary region appeared in front of Davey as his background changed. There was no ce better than this, since there was nothing but bones here. It was also very far away from where Davey had been, so the Lich could reconstruct the body and recover. ¡°S¡­ Space transfer magic?! How did you find this ce?!¡± ¡°Do you not know how magic works, punk?¡± Davey listened to the Lich¡¯s shock and horror. He never expected that Davey would be able to follow and find him right after his resurrection. Nevertheless, it was already toote for him. sh!!! Davey shed the Lich¡¯s head once again. He could not help but smirk when he saw the newly reconstructed bastard¡¯s skull get trampled on like this. Then, he said, ¡°Five more times left, right?¡± Chapter 204 ¡°D¨CDamn it!!¡± Grell¡¯s second death from a deadly crushing of his skull was in vain. The battle had an obvious conclusion from the start, with Davey having the advantage of attacking Grell right after the monster¡¯s resurrection. Grell did not have the chance to even pull himself together. [Contractor, the humans you are helping, they are already in battle. Blood and bone dust are falling on the ground.] ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± [Not even a headless beast could move easily.] ¡°Good work.¡± Lich Grell Orfan had to concentrate to control the Undead. As long as he was entirely focused on Davey, the alliance should be able to take back the fortresses without difficulty. Why wasn¡¯t Davey helping and casting buffs on them? He didn¡¯t need to, and he didn¡¯t have the luxury to do that either. Grell, who had disappeared without a trace afterplete destruction, was going to seek resurrection in a ce he deemed safe; if he had even been given a bit of time, the alliance would have suffered great damage. Necromancers were weaker during one-on-one battles but overwhelmingly powerful duringrge-scale battles. Davey had suppressed the OP skill where one would instantly be an Undead upon getting bitten or scratched. He had stopped the transformation of the virus within new victims. However, that didn¡¯t change the fact that existing Death Knights hadn¡¯t gotten any weaker. Of course, the Death Knights were weak enough to be taken care of by the alliance¡¯s Masters running around on the battlefield. Whoosh!! As Davey quickly lifted his hands up and spread out his fingers, dozens of translucent windows appeared in the empty space. On those windows soon appeared arrangements of unique letters that looked like codes. Davey was looking for coordinates. No matter how damaged, a diamond was still a diamond; Grell was an 8th Circle necromancer who could bring about catastrophe on the continent. He could recognize any peculiarities and make preparations against magic spells that he had never even seen before. Although, it was still undetermined if he could block the source of Davey¡¯s magic or not. Davey would only be faced with more trouble if he gave Grell time. He chose to ignore the warning that his powers were quickly running out and activated warping magic again. [Contractor, your body will not be able to take it if I take any more of your spirit mana.] ¡°Just move.¡± [Contractor.] ¡°Gnoass, I don¡¯t want to repeat myself. I want you to listen to me,¡± Davey answered calmly. Gnoass stared at Davey in silence, then slowly nodded. He began to dissolve his body and said, [The crazy student follows in the footsteps of the devil teacher; you two are both insane. Don¡¯t forget¡­ Yuriana, your teacher, only died because she had overused her power.] ¡°Gnoass, didn¡¯t you learn that the price of lying is your tongue?¡± Yuriana, the spirit empress, had died after living a long, healthy life. And yet, Gnoass was telling Davey that she had died from pushing the limits of her power. ¡®You have to be careful of who you try to trick.¡¯ [Damn it, you¡¯re quick.] Following Grell, who disappeared once again, Davey cast a warp magic and jumped through space; he could feel his surroundings change around him. Voosh voosh voosh voosh voosh!!! Davey soon arrived at a ce that was full of dark smoke, which blocked his vision. This was a dangerous situation that limited what he could do, but he still found his location with rtive ease. After all, he was receiving the necessary coordinates in real-time. Perhaps this was the true definition of an abyss; this darkness where Davey could not see an inch in front of him. To make matters worse, it wasn¡¯t just dark smoke but a nasty, poisonous fog. Shwoo!!! Thud! Thud!! Suddenly, bone-made spears that had ckened from the fog came flying at Davey. As soon as he dodged one, several more came flying in his direction. This was a surprise attack after Davey¡¯s senses were blocked. It was quite fascinating, but necromancers had eyesight that had some resistance to this poisonous fog. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be struck twice, is that it?¡± Davey scoffed. He thought that Grell would have prepared something else unless he was an idiot. Crackk!!! Each spear made for a strong weapon, but they were not directly aiming for Davey. They were meant to block his escape routes. Davey quickly shed a bone spear that flew over to threaten him. Then, he jumped up into the air without hesitation. Pshoo!!!! The spears weren''t the only problem; the moment the bone spears collided with each other, a dark and dense poisonous smoke began to surround Davey. His surroundings became even darker than before. The poisonous smoke was so strong that even he would have been in trouble if he hadn¡¯t reflexively covered his mouth and nose, and held his breath. ¡ªUnbelievable. Such poisonous smoke would have taken out a Swordmaster instantly. ¡°Cough¡­ How nasty. How many dead bodies did he put into this?¡± Necromancers used a lot of different ingredients when they made their poison, but such a strong poison could only be made from corpses. The process, which used distinct magic from beginning to end, only gained efficiency when living beings were used. This meant that Grell had extracted poison by killing countless living beings before creating this trap. To create this one poison, he must have sacrificed countless lives of monsters, humans, animals, and other kinds. Of course, Grell did not specially create this to kill Davey. He probably just ran out of options and could no longer hold back on his attacks. Davey could not see Grell this time. With the Devil Eye of necromancy, he could only see a couple of inches in front of him with some rity. It wasn¡¯t easy to find Grell Orfan when this ce messed up his sense of smell, hearing, and vision. However, Grell Orfan did not know that Davey was tracking his exact location in real-time. ¡ªTo get rid of this fog¡­ ¡°Ignore it.¡± Not having to think for long, Davey was quick to take action. As soon as he dodged another rapid attack, he stomped on the floor and activated a magic circle beneath his feet. There was no reason for him to flounder in this trap when he knew Grell¡¯s location. The bone spears that were flying at Davey to block his escape routes were definitely threatening, but they weren¡¯t OP enough to follow him through space. Davey¡¯s powers were starting to run out from his overuse of warp magic. He knew best that he was definitely pushing it, but he also knew that Grell had to die here. ¡°Damn it!! Does your mana never run out?! You¡¯re using warp magic again!¡± Uponing closer to Grell, Davey could hear him shouting in shock. Grell wasn¡¯t far now; although his sense of hearing was paralyzed, Davey could still catch faint sounds. Of course, Davey could feel severalyers of waves of magicing from where Grell was. Grell was trying to do more than just slow Davey down, having activated many types of magic circles right where Davey was. From basic curses like debilitation, corruption, aging, and exhaustion, there were also curses that reflected physical and magic powers, sense control, and mental destruction. All of them were being activated by an 8th Circle mage, so they were very threatening. However, curse-type magic required time toe into effect after being cast. This was a reason why Grell was focusing his efforts on defense rather than attacking Davey actively. The problem was Grell had no idea what Blue Ribbon could really do; originally, the de¡¯s power was not simply the destruction of the authority of immortality, but the power to cut everything, even things that did not physically exist. The destruction of immortality was just an additional power that came along with it. Voosh!!! Slice! ¡°W¨CWhat?!¡± The invisible waves of cursesing toward Davey were, logically, a power that would remain even after being shed by a de. In reality, aside from certain holy magic spells, there was no magic that could stop curse-type magic froming at him. However, Blue Ribbon cut through all of the curse-type magic and mana-type attacks. Needless to say, this was a de that defied all logic andmon sense. Grell was shocked, but he was pretty smart. He instinctively cast whatever defense magic he could use to protect himself. However, Davey was going to make sure that he knew that he wasn¡¯t here for attrition. ¡°I refuse to engage in a battle of unnecessary attrition.¡± Crash!!! Longinus, the divine sword, floated into the air from Davey¡¯s grip and transformed into a long, thin spear. Although Davey couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Longinus¡¯ spear form was so simple that it barely deserved the title of divine spear, its powers were so strong that it was able to crush the clone of Shandra Minea, the transcendental being, into the ground. ¡ªDavey!! You are not the same as when you were in the Hall! Use your mana carefully! ¡®I have lowered the output as much as possible.¡¯ Davey also had no intention of dying due to an inability to control his own powers. [Divine Spear Longinus¡¯ Second Natural Ability] [Nuclear Spear] Crack!! As the severalyers of defense spells cracked and copsed, Grell screamed in shock, ¡°T¨CThis can¡¯t be happening! This makes no¡­¡± ¡°It does make sense!¡± Crack! As more life vessels were destroyed, Grell¡¯s physical body seemed to be tougher and more durable. It was as if his remaining power would all move into the remaining life vessels he had left. However, that didn¡¯t seem to matter. As soon as Red Ribbon¡¯s red de shed through Grell¡¯s arms, Davey brought Blue Ribbon¡¯s blue sword energy down to behead Grell in a brutal manner. Pshooo¡­ ¡°Blue Ribbon, should we study mathematics?¡± Davey calmly asked Blue Ribbon, who had turned into human form in his arms. ¡°Yeah! Yeah! Blue Ribbon can do it well!¡± ¡°Red Ribbon, too!¡± Perhaps a little jealous of the fact that Davey was only giving his attention to Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon also turned into human form by herself and charged into Davey¡¯s arms. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see. How many times do we have left?¡± ¡°Four timeees!¡± ¡°F¡­ Fo¡­ Four times!¡± Blue Ribbon jumped up and down while holding up four fingers, and Red Ribbon shouted quickly after stuttering for a while. Blue Ribbon giggled in delight, having answered the quickest. At the same time, Red Ribbon pouted. ¡°A living sword¡­ A divine sword, I see,¡± Grell murmured. He was flustered upon realizing that the two swords were something far beyond what he had imagined. ¡°What divine sword?¡± Davey firmly denied Grell¡¯s assumption. He dered, ¡°These are my children.¡± Davey had given birth to Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon by crafting them to life. He was raising them too. Nothing changed just because they were swords and their abilities were specialized in shing enemies. ¡°Are you listening? Four times left,¡± Davey warned. ¡°Nasty kid¡­¡± There was even a hint of nervousness in Grell¡¯s eyes before he turned into dust a momentter. * * * Grell was desperate. Davey¡¯s continuous attacks gave him no time to control the Undead, and he was losing his life vessels at a rapid rate. Out of the eight life vessels he had originally split his soul into, only four were left. Grell resurrected inside the necropolis, where Davey had destroyed him once. ¡ªThere¡¯s a need to take a look inside the ancient ruins where he was sealed before. The necropolis was most likely the safest ce. This was especially true since Grell was using his remaining energy to block all paths that led there. Molecules that were surrounded by a bright light began gathering together. Then, a huge skeleton of a giant was formed. Grell¡¯s body was made up of pure power, so its reconstruction was rtively easy. ¡°Nice to see you again.¡± As soon as he came back alive, Grell felt his jaw drop to the floor. Davey was already in front of him, waving and smiling. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry this up! Three more times!¡± Crack!! * * * ¡°Keugh?! G¡­ Go away!!¡± Grell, who had yet to fullye back to life, screamed and rejected Davey with every inch of his body. ¡°Hey, why are you being like that? I said that I¡¯m going to wait until youe back.¡± ¡°You evil bastard! A demon would be far less evil than you!¡± ¡°Man, how can two ughterers such as us talk about good and evil? Is it about ten seconds?¡± After asking that question, Davey took out a specially designed watch and shook it in front of Grell¡¯s eyes. Grell was still reconstructing his body, so he was washed over by a sense of urgency. He said, ¡°L¨CLet¡¯s negotiate! I acknowledge your power! This thoughtless war of attrition and ughtering is not good! I¡­ Yes, I surrender!¡± ¡°What are you talking about, ughterer? Ten seconds is up. Is it two times left now?¡± Stter!!! * * * What was the most effective way to crush someone? It was to pressure them with continuous attacks and give them no time to make any preparations. It was somewhat of a relief that Grell ended up not realizing that Davey had applied another type of [Re-fix Curse] on his soul and bones. He would have discovered that if given the time, but thankfully, the curse was far too advanced for him to figure out in an instant. [Re-fix Curse] was a magic spell with the uniquenguage made by an actual Death Lord. Strictly speaking, Rho Aias, Davey¡¯s necromancy teacher, had already been strong before reaching the Hall. As for the other heroes, they had gotten stronger in the Hall. What this meant was that she had possessed monstrous strength even when she had been alive. ¡°The Death Lord is not weak enough for someone like you to take care of them. Oh, is there about thirty seconds left? Howe your resurrection time is getting longer and longer?¡± ¡°Don¡¯te near me! Damn you! Why are you doing this to me?!¡± Grell shouted fiercely, unable to hide his anxiety. He had seemingly thrown his former unwavering attitude out the window. ¡°What do you mean why? Is there ever a reason for battle?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve crossed a line! I showed my intent to surrender!!¡± ¡°Surrender?¡¯ ¡®Then, how do you exin the intense hostility written in your status window?¡¯ ¡°Haven¡¯t you killed humans who have surrendered to you?¡± ¡°...¡± It was all just wordy. ¡°Now, that¡¯s one time left, right?¡± Davey said with a smile. Grell¡¯s face went pale. Chapter 205 75. I Will Not Turn Back and Regret It. Was he going to throw his final life away in vain, or was he going to reveal the card up his sleeve? It was clear that Grell was trying to keep Davey away from a certain ce, even if it meant sacrificing his life. The reason probably had to do with the fact that Saintess candidate Alice hadn¡¯t been seen in any of the past ces Grell had been resurrected at. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Davey¡¯s voice trailed off. He released his powers to find Grell¡¯s location before casting a warp spell. However, he immediately shook his hand and stopped casting when he saw the coordinates changing in a strange manner. ¡ªDavey? ¡°It disconnected, but he didn¡¯t do it by himself¡­ The mana is too irregr.¡± The proof was in the pudding; Davey could figure it all out with a single nce. Davey searched his surroundings, putting all the confusing pieces together and finding the coordinates of a safe space. ¡ªIs this possible? ¡°It is.¡± Ignoring Perserque¡¯s disbelief, Davey jumped dimensions to see that the entire forest had died. ¡ªThis is¡­ ¡°Where he¡¯s sealed.¡± Considering what Grell had said and done up until now, it was clear that this ce and the whole area contained something huge. And that something was probably none other than the King of the Dead Deian, the immortal being who Grell absolutely worshiped. ¡°It feelspletely different.¡± This being was something beyond Davey¡¯s imagination. There was a great feeling of danger, because it gave off a shockingly intense and deadly energy that was on apletely another level. Compared to it, Grell¡¯s energy was not threatening at all. ¡ªDon¡¯t go inside. This seems dangerous. ¡°So this is where he ended up running off to, huh?¡± This was already Grell¡¯sst life, so he was pushing Davey very hard and not going to stop at anything. Of course, it wasn¡¯t difficult for Davey to enter this ce alone like Grell wanted. He did, however, wonder what could possibly be in the forest that stung his skin so much. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Davey knelt down on one knee and lowered his head, trying to hide his presence. If the number of Undead in the forest was simr to or more than what was outside, Davey would take a lot of time to get to his destination. If so¡­ ¡°It¡¯s undercover action.¡± ¡ª...You¡¯re going to kill all of them and then act like a secret ambush, just because nobody is here to witness it? ¡°I am not doing anything wrong. Plus, I n on sneaking in this time.¡± Davey hid his presence and the sound of his movements, from his heartbeat to his footsteps. He even hid his scent. Then, he ced his twin swords into the Pocket ne and slowly walked into the forest. * * * To Davey¡¯s surprise, sneaking in wasn¡¯t all that difficult. Perhaps Grell couldn¡¯t afford to focus on dealing with him, or perhaps Grell was simply very confident this time. Davey ignored the Undead and walked past them, soon arriving at the huge ancient ruins that was connected to the underground. This was the ancient ruins where Grell Orfan, the giant Lich, had awoken after being sealed; it was the epicenter and origin of this entire incident. Shriek¡­ Squeak! Davey began to see more Undead, which were also stronger than those he had met, as he walked deeper into the ancient ruins. He also saw Undead who were clearly beyond the capabilities of Grell Orfan. The most irritating thing was¡­ ¡°...¡± The flow of mana was a mess. The basics of casting a spell was to create something by one¡¯s mana and controlling the mana in one¡¯s surroundings. But what if the flow of mana was a mess, like in this situation? It was obvious that magic spells could not be cast properly. In the worst case scenario, the mana in the surroundings would collide and cause a huge explosion. Thud!! Davey, who arrived at the entrance, stopped hiding his presence and shed the tough stone walls with Red Ribbon. Crash!! When the firmly shut stone gates fell to the ground with a big crash, Davey could finally see the strange situation inside. ¡°D¨CDamn bastard! So, you followed me even to this ce!¡± Grell Orfan snapped. The first thing Davey saw was the wheezing giant Lich who was reforming his body in the middle of therge hall. ¡°You cannot go further than this.¡± ¡°If you were thinking about stopping me, you shouldn¡¯t have let me find out about this ce.¡± Of course, it wouldn¡¯t have changed the fact that Davey was going to forciblye here even if Grell did manage to hide this ce from him. Grell¡¯s eyes shone. He stayed silent as Davey provoked him. Then, he began to move slowly. His behavior was so reckless that it was difficult to see it as the behavior of someone who was facing death. Releasing his death energy, he swung his spare staff and threw powerful attacks at Davey nonstop. He was seemingly trying to squeeze out everything he had in hisst life. There were many ways to dodge the attacks or counter them, but there was a limit to blocking them all with the power Davey could release right now. He could see the ways to stop the attacks, but his physical body could not follow. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?! You can¡¯t deal with it that easily, huh?! Kehehehehe!¡± Grell shouted while cackling terrifyingly. Just like Grell said, every one of his continuous attacks was powerful enough to cause significant damage. Grell, who amplified his powers excessively by putting his life on the line, continued to put pressure on Davey. He was gambling with his life, harnessing the power he had gathered from losing his life vessels. As powerful attacks that could hit him if he lost focus for even just a second were being thrown at him, Davey threw Red Ribbon into the air and gathered mana in his empty hands. [8th Circle Magic] [Fire-type] [Prometheus] Crackle. As a blue me burned on his fingertips for a split second, Davey threw the small balls of fire into the air from his fingers without hesitation. Boom!!! Then, the giant explosion engulfed the surroundings in moments. Davey looked for a small window of opportunity in the midst of the attacks that were filling the sky. And when he found it¡­ ¡°Red Ribbon, let¡¯s go.¡± Red Ribbon, who Davey had left floating in the air, automatically began to make a red sh of light. Crack!!! The end of Red Ribbon¡¯s de charged into Grell in seconds and prated him, pinning him to the wall. Instead of stopping there, Davey raised Blue Ribbon up to his head and pulled it back. [Longsword] [Swift Withdraw] [Great Earthshake] ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re hiding under there, but¡­¡¯ Davey had no choice but to forcibly advance if Grell was going to stop him desperately. As soon as Davey¡¯s arm muscles twitched, blue energy flowed out and enveloped the surroundings. Then, Blue Ribbon turned three hundred sixty degrees into a vertical position and split the ground into two. A dense de energy in the shape of a crescent flew towards Grell as it crushed the ground with an immense weight. Boom!!!! As Davey had made the decision to sh Grell, this attack was more powerful and destructive than any other attack he had shown during battle. * * * In mere seconds, therge hall went quiet. The oue of the battle was already decided. Davey wondered whether this battle would have been this easy if it weren¡¯t for Red and Blue Ribbon, then confidently shook his head. The only reason he was at an advantage in this battle was that he had a sword that cut both the physical and the antiphysical; he would have been in quite some trouble if he had taken the normal route. ¡°Kehe¡­ Kehehe¡­¡± Slowly walking through the dust clouds, Davey approached the sound of eerieughter. He soon saw Grell Orfan, the giant Lich, on the floor. Half dissolved, Grell growled, ¡°I curse your existence.¡± ¡°I will embrace your curse,¡± Davey said calmly as he crushed Grell¡¯s skull with his foot and pulled Red Ribbon out of Grell¡¯s chest. It seemed like Grell had closely dodged Blue Ribbon¡¯s de energy, since he didn¡¯t die instantly. Of course, his life was disappearing since he had failed to dodge the attacks entirely. ¡°What¡¯s left for you if you do this?¡± To be honest, Davey was a little curious. Devil mana did have a bit of a violent personality, but its effectiveness depended on the person¡¯s heart. Even though it was dark and dull, it could be used to save numerous people and even protect them. However, Grell Orfan had destroyed everything around him as soon as he had woken up from the ancient ruins. ¡°What¡¯s left¡­ You¡¯re right, there is nothing left for me in the end,¡± Grell said calmly, then chuckled. It didn¡¯t seem like Davey needed to end Grell¡¯s life, since he was already dying a slow death. ¡°But the allegiance that I have pledged to my master still remains.¡± Grell¡¯s eyes shone for a second. Squeak¡­ An irritatingly loud sound rang out in the surroundings. It hade from the metal hinges of a huge wooden door that hadn¡¯t been greased in a long time. Stter! Then, Davey frowned as something quickly pierced through his chest. ¡°...¡± ¡°Finally¡­ Finally, he has awakened! Everything will fall under his feet! He will destroy evil and wicked humans and everything will return!!¡± Grell Orfan shouted. The floor began cracking and copsing. Then, an invisible energy from the explosion hit Davey and pushed him away by a few meters. Rustle¡­ Rustle¡­ Davey, who was looking down at his chest in the midst of the loud noise and the building¡¯s copse, slowly raised his head. He heard the faint sound of footsteps. Then, he saw a woman in ck walking toward him with an emotionless face. The woman had pale skin and a blue jewel embedded in her forehead. Davey had seen her before, but she had never overflowed with such a great power or been so immersed in evil. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± As the woman just stared at him emotionlessly, Davey asked calmly, ¡°Should I change the question? Saintess candidate Alice, are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ My lord¡­ My lord, Deian, the King of the Dead! I have nned for your resurrection and waited for this day! Please punish this unfaithful one for failing to resurrect youpletely!!¡± Grell screamed like a zealot. The woman slowly turned over to Davey, who could not read her gaze. Her eyes then shone for a moment. Stter!! Once again, there was a horrifying sh. Chapter 206 Squelp! An eerie tear of flesh could be heard. Rinne''s tiny foot not only crushed the Undead''s damp skin, but also their tough skull. The sharp pieces poked her feet like des, but they failed to leave even a scratch on her fragile pale feet for some reason. The Undead resisted with all they had. However, the girl was too powerful for them to handle, and they were ughtered in seconds. ¡°Rinne, location secured. Command given to subordinates.¡± [Megatron,mand epted.] With a short mechanical sound, a huge golem that was standing behind Rinne reached into itself with one hand. It pulled out a small object and nted it in the ground where Rinne was pointing at. ¡°Rinne, requesting subordinates to brief the current situation.¡± [Sniper, reporting that the mission was sessful.] [Juggernaut, tanking missionplete.] [Shadow, missionplete. Keheheheh.] Sniper, the golem specialized for long-distance firing, Tank, the defense golem, Juggernaut, the rapid-firing golem, and Puma, the agility-specialized golem that usually took part in secret missions, were reporting to Rinne. They were only about as powerful as an advanced Expert when they had been first created, but now they were stronger than Expert-level. ¡°Excessively frivolous, weighty¡­ Rinne does not appreciate this. Considering prompt modification.¡± The golems¡¯ voices sounded grating and weird, and the way they replied wasn¡¯t great either. They had been given this function to urately and strongly reflect Rinne¡¯s opinion, but even she found it more counterproductive than useful. However, it assured Rinne to see that her subordinate golems of the fleet had notable operational abilities. Rinne proudly puffed up her t chest and kept nodding in satisfaction. She said, ¡°Mission of integrationplete. Ordering perfect defense until the sacred item is secured.¡± [Command epted.] [Command epted.] As each of the fleet¡¯s five captains reported, Rinne quietly stared into the dark forest. ¡°Feeling the flow of arge amount of energy.¡± Rinne pouted like something wasn¡¯t making her happy. She muttered, ¡°Rinne, analyzing thatbat ability is very good. Rinne does not appreciate Sir Davey¡¯sck of trust in her.¡± Then, Rinne lightly jumped onto Megatron¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Megatron, requesting your opinion on Sir Davey¡¯s trust.¡± [Meaning unclear; requesting clearer orders.] Rinne stared at Megatron like she had expected that reply. The Decepticon Fleet¡¯s magic stone golems appeared to have quite an exceptional artificial intelligence system, but unlike Rinne, they didn¡¯t really have the ability to think on their own. Most of their actions were dependent on newly added information, and so were their answers. Megatron was better than the other four golems, but it still could not problem solve as well as Rinne. ¡°...¡± Sensing that something was secretly approaching her in the quiet forest, Rinne held a bat in one hand and the energy sword she pulled out from the back of her hand in the other. Shemanded, ¡°Megatron, prepare for battle.¡± [Command epted. Activating electric chainsaw.] ¡°Rinne highly values Megatron¡¯s destructive actions. Ordering Megatron to not let even one of them reach the sacred item.¡± [Goal prioritized.] Soon, numerous Undead began to swarm to where Megatron and Rinne were. * * * Squelp!! Stter!! Several invisible and odorless pirs pierced Davey and remained in him. The pration did not hurt, nor could he see them with his regr vision. However, if he activated his Death Spirit Eye and carefully created a barrier of mana¡­ ¡ªDavey? ¡°...¡± ¡°Keh¡­ Kehehehe! My master¡¯s power has already been absorbed into your body! It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have an outstanding stigmata! You will not be able to handle the power of my master, who has reached the 8th circle!¡± ¡°The level of [Materialization]...¡± From the 8th Circle, the levels of power were no longer Beginner, Expert, and Master, but were divided into Perception, Absorption, and Materialization. This meant that the invisible pirs prating Davey right now was a power executed by someone who had entered the stage of Materialization. ¡°Oh, my master, I never thought I would see your power again. I am not going to regret dying¡­ Gurgle?!¡± Grell, who only had his head left, shouted like crazy. Suddenly, Grell flinched. His skull followed Alice¡¯s fingertips and floated up into the air. Noticing that, he said, ¡°M¡­ My lord. I have no regrets even if you take my life.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Grell, my loyal servant. I will not forget your sacrifice.¡± With that, Grell Orfan¡¯s gaze shook. He murmured, ¡°Everything is for my master¡­¡± Grell¡¯sst words were not of resignation or despair about his death. He expressed absolute delight that his master had resurrected¡­before disintegratingpletely and dying. Normally, Grell wouldn¡¯t have disappeared unless his life vessels were destroyed. However, he was already barely holding on with the traces he had left in his crushed body, so hepletely died after receiving a simple attack. The death of an 8th-Circle necromancer was quite in vain. ¡°Hm¡­ My pce is not in good condition.¡± The person speaking definitely looked like Saintess candidate Alice, but the voice that came out of her mouth was that of an old man. ¡°And¡­there is also the dirty servant of God,¡± Alicemented with a wave of one hand. Rumble!!!! As the ground was uprooted and something began emerging from the ground, Alice dered, ¡°Let the world know that the King of the Dead, the absolute king who you cannot dare look at, has returned.¡± The dead spirit that hade out from the ground moved around, then disappeared in a moment. ¡°Yes, have youe to stop my resurrection, disgusting servant of God?¡± Davey tapped the pirs that pierced through him and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your resurrection or whatever. My territory¡¯s food supply situation isn''t all that great because of your shenanigans here.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ You dared to stand in my way because of such trivial reasons.¡± Alice, now known as the old man, stepped forward. He was no longer amused. ¡°Well, alright. I will not take your life at this moment since I am in a good mood. Be grateful for my mercy and get out of my sight.¡± As he waved his hands at thepletely destroyed ruins, the crushed walls and floor began toe together and rebuild themselves like they were alive. This old man was definitely powerful. Davey could clearly see the difference between Grell Orfan, who was at the Perception stage, the entry-level of an 8th-Circle mage, and someone who was at the stage of Materialization, the highest level of the 8th circle. He seemed more substantial than Grell Orfan, who had the grand name of the Death Lord just because he had reached the 8th Circle, but¡­ They were all the same to Davey. Davey became a little curious. He asked, ¡°Do you call yourself the Death Lord, too?¡± ¡°Death Lord? Ha! I have transcended such a trivial position a long time ago; I have be God itself from the moment I was able to see the flow of the world!¡± Perserque looked at the old man like he was pathetic, and Davey felt a headacheing on. He groaned, ¡°This one is worse.¡± It was quite funny how these guys were nowhere close to being a Grandmaster but were calling themselves the Death Lord. The power that Davey had gotten back was at the 8th-Circle, but this wasn¡¯t even half of the power he had at the Hall. Whoosh!! After provoking the old man, Davey felt an invisible power grabbing him and throwing him into the air. The old man only waved his hand, but he was controlling every inch of Davey¡¯s body. In fact, he was only using his fingers. He was showing Davey that it was extremely easy for him to throw a human up into the air. ¡°Be careful what you say, you dirty servant of God. One sentence could save a lot of lives. I am disappointed if your judgment is so bad that you can¡¯t even see who is the almighty here.¡± The old man took a step forward, continuing to say, ¡°Daphne, the Saintess who had tried to stop me, died in my hands. She was a substantial servant of God.¡± ¡°What?¡± Davey stopped smiling. * * * ¡°You killed who?¡± The old man scoffed at Davey¡¯s calm question. He dered, ¡°Has her name been forgotten after all these years? Saintess Daphne, that is the name of the servant of God whom I¡¯ve killed.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t care about that. You were the one who killed that woman?¡± The old man stayed silent. However, his ck eyes shone at Davey¡¯s incredulous question. ¡°With that kind of power?¡± Crash!! The invisible power holding Davey up in the air swung him toward the wall without any hesitation. He crashed painfully. Crash!! Crash!! The old man quickly followed up that attack by holding onto Davey and pressing him into the ceiling. Then, he mmed Davey against the ground over and over again. Infuriated by Davey¡¯s words, the old man snapped, ¡°Be careful of what you say, servant of God.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I can kill you with just the flick of my finger.¡± With that, the old man reached out his thin hands and muttered, ¡°Alright, I can¡¯t help it if you want to die. However, you will not be able to die painlessly. You will wander in deep pain for an endless amount of time, and I will make your soul disappear when your mind has beenpletely destroyed.¡± ¡°So, what is it that you want to do after going through all of this to resurrect?¡± Davey asked with his body limp. ¡°The extinction of disgusting human beings. Thisnd has been full of dirty human lives for a long time. Now, it is time to end it. It seems that most of my loyal servants have been left asleep underground in these ancient ruins.¡± Davey forcibly twisted the invisible energy that was holding his body. He groaned, ¡°So cliche and no fun.¡± ¡®I thought you would have some interesting things to say since you¡¯re an ancient being.¡¯ ¡°You don¡¯t even have life vessels. Just die here,¡± Davey said. The old man¡¯s eyes shone. Saintess candidate Alice, who was holding his soul, would also be caught up, but it was safe to assume that her life had ended from the moment she had turned away from God. ¡°Mortal, I am the true Immortal. Do you really think you will be able to kill me because I do not have a life vessel?¡± ¡°Enough about that immortal crap.¡± ¡°An ignorant person who cannot tell the difference between Heaven and Earth must be punished.¡± [I sentence you to death.] The simple incantation affected the surrounding mana, which was moving all over the ce and was stopping Davey from using magic. The mana then flowed into him, causing the invisible pirs to vibrate and engrave a nasty curse in him. ¡°The Curse of Death¡­ Be thankful for even witnessing such a curse.¡± Davey watched the curse slowly suffocate him. ¡®Hm, surely I would die if I was ambushed with this.¡¯ However, the old man was, unfortunately, forgetting one thing. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Is it cool?¡± The Curse of Death had surely been engraved in Davey¡¯s body, but why wasn¡¯t it working? The old man took a step back as Davey walked toward him nonchntly. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll tell you two things since it¡¯s no fun hiding everything.¡± Davey grabbed the old man¡¯s hand and ced it on the part of his chest that was not pierced with a pir. He asked, ¡°Now, you can see it, right?¡± ¡°...¡± The old man was shocked into silence. ¡°You can now see who you are up against, and who is standing in front of you right now.¡± ¡°What is¡­ This¡­¡± Davey stared into the old man¡¯s confused eyes, then he opened his mouth to speak. ¡°The reason your curse is not working is simple.¡± Considering the nature of a curse, a lower level curse would be absorbed by one of a higher level and disappear. This was assuming that a higher level curse was at y. ¡°N¡­ No way¡­ A power like this cannot be in your body unless you are a God?!¡± ¡°There is a curse that a dark mage far beyond your power has put on me.¡± [Rejection of Flow] This curse allowed Davey to escape the flow of destiny. It looked like an advantage, but the price of this curse¡­was that Davey would always be an outsider who couldn¡¯t receive God¡¯s protection. He waspletely disqualified from entering the ring of reincarnation where the soul circted, and this was an additional condition: if Davey died before being able to aplish achievements that would be enough for him to enter the Hall, his soul would disappear after being ripped to shreds, or he would wander the Earth for eternity. There was no way a simple curse such as the old man¡¯s would work on Davey when there was something like this on him. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m immune to most curses, you ass.¡± Even before the old man could move, Davey forcefully reached his hand over and grabbed the jewel embedded in the old man¡¯s forehead. Smiling as the old man struggled, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you hold out.¡± ¡°W¨CWait?! S¨CStop! I told you to stop!¡± ¡°Ah, whatever!!¡± ¡®You would only add to the confusion when you leave. Just die here quietly if you are going to be no help in theter battle with the World Tree.¡¯ [If you want to save your lost littlemb, you can interfere as you wish. I wish that you will be able to show your will through the will of your contractor and dealer.] [9th level Holy Magic] [Strengthened Body] [God¡¯s Index Finger] [Grand Holy Fire Ball] Once again, God¡¯s index finger crushed the old man¡¯s entire being like it hade down to earth. However, unlike before, a sh of light that hadbined with God¡¯s will and synergized with the sacred item¡¯s power, which had been activated by Rinne, also fell onto him. Chapter 207 Lich Grell Orfan spoke too much. Davey was no idiot, so he already knew that there would be an opponent who was much stronger than Grell Orfan and had made preparations. However, the opponent turned out to be much more disappointing than he imagined. Hwaa!! The light illuminating the surroundings pushed away the power inside Saintess candidate Alice¡¯s soul, which was causing chaos. ¡ªThest salvation of a lost littlemb. ¡ªI am not forcing anything, but there will be a luminous source of grace. As a person serving God who had been cursed and was rejecting the flow of the world, Davey knew that he would not be able to receive God¡¯s love even if he had received attention. The reason he had received the stigmata was not to make him a Saint, but for him to probably protect those who were loved by God. ¡ªIs this¡­the way to treat those who are truly loved by God? ¡®How troublesome.¡¯ Davey froze at what showed up on the status window that suddenly popped up in front of his face. He was speechless. ¡°...¡± ¡ªDavey? Davey couldn¡¯t help but frown. Saintess candidate Alice was returning to normal as the jewel embedded in her forehead began to break. She had dered that she was going to turn away from God, but the fragments of God¡¯s will that Davey had summoned were forgiving her and embracing her. Of course, there was no way that Davey¡¯s attack could have been at full power; the holy fire should have burned Saintess candidate Alice away without a trace. ¡°What is this? Is this how you are going to be?¡± Davey mumbled like he wasining, but he received no answer. ¡°Hup¡­ Cough! Cough!¡± Alice moaned and rolled on the floor. Alice was definitely alive. Davey could feel no trace of Deian, the self-acimed King of the Dead, who had used her body as a host toe back to life. Had he disappeared? No way. Deian had reached Materialization, the final stage of the 8th Circle. Although he ended up that way because he had fallen into every trap that Davey had set¡­ ¡ªHe called himself immortal; there¡¯s no way he would die this easily. There were two possibilities: Deian had hidden so deep inside Alice that even Davey couldn¡¯t find him, or he had run away to another host. ¡ªAnother host? ¡°His power is divided. He wouldn¡¯t have been defeated so helplessly if he had his true powers.¡± Deian wasn¡¯t as powerful as the World Tree, but he was definitely threatening. If he had his original powers, he would be a pain in the ass that Davey would have to carefully prepare to block and kill. ¡°The enemy has resurrected, and I lost the one-time chance to kill the fragmented soul.¡± ¡®Selfish.¡¯ Davey could not understand, and he didn¡¯t want to try. After all, God couldn¡¯t understand him and was not trying to. All that existed right now was a simple deal. ¡ªHm¡­ How ridiculous. ¡°God is neither human nor a being for humans to worship in the first ce.¡± The thing that people got wrong was the fact that Goddess Freyja was a god for humans. ¡ªNow that you mention it, there were some demons that worshiped Goddess Freyja as well. So? What are you going to do? To me, the probability that there is another host seems highly unlikely. Although he only had a fragment of his powers, Deian had managed to resurrect because his host was someone like Alice. Normally, there shouldn¡¯t have been any scenario where he could have woken up. Thud! Davey grabbed Alice, who was on the floor, by the cor and mmed her against the wall. Then, he stared straight at her as she looked around in a daze. He said, ¡°God abandoned you first?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But that God made a deal to save your life, you know?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Beginning to understand the overall situation, Davey said calmly, ¡°Let me tell you something interesting.¡± Alice¡¯s eyes slowly began to regain focus. ¡°Positions like Saintesses or Saints are chosen from birth. Just because someone is stamped with a stigmata doesn¡¯t mean that they will be Saints and Saintesses.¡± Needless to say, Davey was just someone who had a trace of God even though he held the title of an honorary Saint. He was not a true Saint as he wasn¡¯t born with the love and attention from God. However, the woman in front of him was a different story. ¡°Cough¡­ What does¡­¡± ¡°Also, you and Saintess candidate Lena were blessed to be Saintesses from birth in the first ce.¡± ¡®You expect a lot when you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth.¡¯ God had given the two candidates a test; there was a saying that one needed to either be thrown into hardship or given power to reveal their true selves. There were two Saintess candidates on this continent: Lena and Alice. In Lena¡¯s case, she was tested by being given hardships, and Alice, by being given power. ¡°What should I do? God has rescued you, but I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Kill me. I have nothing left anymore,¡± Alice mumbled monotonously. Davey reached his hand toward Alice¡¯s face and released a bright blue me. He was casting [Prometheus], an 8th-Circle fire spell: the size of his spells had been dramatically reduced due to the strange waves surrounding the area that confused his mana, but fire-type spells had the greatest firepower out of any other spells. Everything about it was different, starting with the size. ¡°Is there a reason for me to keep you alive when you want to die? I¡¯ll let you go with as little pain as possible,¡± Davey said calmly. Alice closed her eyes. Hwaaa!! However, the shitty things did not stop here; a sh of pure light enveloped Davey¡¯s hand and erased [Prometheus] like it was telling him that he couldn¡¯t do that. Davey couldn¡¯t help but frown at the holy power that was used by neither him nor Alice. This was a higher being¡¯s interference. ¡®Do not kill her. Let her live. Save her.¡¯ Although Davey did not hear a voice, the will was clear. The holy power he was able to have from gaining God¡¯s attention and dealing with her had caught up with him. Of course, he knew that he could not act selfishly as he had done a lot of things with that holy power, but he just could not understand. ¡°So fuxxing unbelievable,¡± Davey mumbled irritatedly and backed off. Alice, who was closing her eyes, slowly raised her head. ¡°But¡­ Why? Why are you saving me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me that. It¡¯s frustrating.¡± ¡°You silenced every prayer that I¡¯ve given until now! I desperately studied, worked, and practiced to meet your expectations! But why is the person who never even listened to me when I desperately called upon Him is making me more pitiable?¡± Alice was not shouting at Davey, but crying out toward a God who did not answer her. ¡°There is one difference between you and Candidate Lena.¡± Was it the ability and talent to handle holy power? No, that was wrong, since that wasn¡¯t a criterion required to be a Saintess. ¡°Then, what do you think? A beauty that stands out from a crowd?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong, too,¡± Davey said. As Alice remained silent, Davey went on, ¡°From what I can see, Saintess candidate Lena will receive a stigmata pretty soon. However, now, it is unclear when you will get a stigmata. Find out the answer yourself. And, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something big-time, but¡­¡± Davey grabbed Alice¡¯s cor and shook his hand in the dimly lit space. He said, ¡°You have received God¡¯s love every second of your life.¡± Alice was blessed by God in everything she did, having a sure-fire way to break through hardships. Unlike normal cases, where everything would go wrong with one screw-up, she had this insurance called God. From exceptional beauty to power that could save a lot of people, divine holy power, Alice did have a lot of forces helping her even without her knowing. The reason her soul and body had not been destroyed when she had epted the soul of Deian, the King of the Dead, was because of God¡¯s blessing. ¡°If you want, there is a way to escape that trivial amount of love¡­¡± Davey said calmly, and drew a shape of an inverted cross on Alice¡¯s wrist. The inverted cross didn¡¯t shine or anything since Davey didn¡¯t really do anything, but it seemed like Alice knew what it was. It was funny that he was offering it when he had a stigmata, but¡­ ¡®I will do it if you want, Goddess Freyja.¡¯ ¡°There is a way to turn away from Goddess Freyja so that even she can¡¯t protect you.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°If you do, all the love from God that you have received until now will disappear. The blessing and luck that have unknowingly protected you will disappear.¡± ¡°Why does that matter?! That blessing and light disappeared when you appeared!¡± ¡°What a joke.¡± p! ¡°Kyahh!¡± Davey pped Alice without hesitation and stared at her coldly. He snapped, ¡°Then, was it my indecisiveness that just saved you? Don¡¯t make me mad.¡± God was forced to overstep and intervene directly because nothing could be done about either God¡¯s blessings or the natural flow of the world. ¡°The reason why it didn¡¯t work out like how you wanted this time is simple.¡± It was because this was a test that Alice had to face without the blessing of God. ¡°The studying you have done up to now was to have the authority and dignity of a Saintess among humans.¡± What Saintess candidate Alice had to study now was how to interpret and embrace the divine will. She had been given everything, so she didn¡¯t know how it felt not to have something. ¡°Think carefully.¡± Davey pushed Alice into the cracks and scanned the broken space silently. ¡ªDo you think you can just leave it like this? Perserque asked Davey. It would be stupid to leave this ce alone when Deian wasn¡¯t fully destroyed, but¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t want to really touch it.¡± After expressing how he felt, Davey threw himself into the cracks after Alice hadpletely disappeared. He took a step forward, then stared at the blue sky and the vast ins of the forest. Hemanded, ¡°Rinne, run wild. Send this message to the rest of the Decepticon Fleet.¡± ¡°Rinne on standby. Combat ability is highly rated.¡± ¡°Burn the entire corrupted forest. It¡¯s too troublesome to purify it with holy fire.¡± Davey did not want to use holy power for a while from now on. Goddess Freyja was the one who had started it. There were traces of Deian left and he hadn¡¯t disappearedpletely, but calctions aside, Davey did not want to intervene anymore. It was best to be separated from each other when angry. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s be separated for a while, damn Goddess. Do you think I won¡¯t be able to do anything without holy power?¡¯ ¡ªBut it seems like you¡¯ve received a lot of love as well. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It feels like the only love I received was going to the Hall.¡± Perserque would never know how hard Davey had tried to possess this kind of power. * * * Most of the Undead copsed upon losing their master. They all returned to the earth after Grell Orfan¡¯s death. There still were Undead wandering around because they still had some strength left in them, but they no longer posed a threat to the allied army. The only problem was the Undead that King of the Dead Deian, who seemed to still be alive, had created: the Frost Wyrm Wyvern that had run away alive and the transcendental Undead with unbelievable power that were asleep under the ancient ruins. Whatever it was, it would cause chaos, but none of them had been seen for some reason. It was as if they had run away to gather somewhere else. The alliance was able to restore the mountain fortress without difficulty since most of their enemy had disappeared. However, they were struggling with the aftermath of this incident. They had to receive high-level purification magic or receive low-level purification magic intermittently for a long period of time in order to heal thend, which was corrupt with deadly energy. Publicly, Saintess candidate Alice had been kidnapped by Deian before returning alive. Regarding the best case scenario, Davey should have returned alone with the statement that Alice had bravely died in battle. However, she was now alive and protected alongside the other Saintess candidate. It would be too troublesome for Davey to do anything now. Although religion could sometimes be the pinnacle of unfairness, the one thing that the heroes of the Hall, who looked like they were going to destroy the universe, never thought to do was to challenge the authority of God. There was nothing more foolish and stupid than a creature attacking its creator; that was God and the will of the world. Davey rested his head on Perserque¡¯sp, who had berger, and rxed as everyone else was busy dealing with the aftermath. ¡ªYour head probably looks like it¡¯s floating in the air to other people. Perserque said with a gentle smile. She was supporting Davey¡¯s head with herp. Other people who could not see her could only assume that Davey¡¯s head was floating in the air. ¡°Let me pout for once.¡± Davey was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness and disappointment. It had been a long time since he had felt this irritated and helpless. Bleep! ¡ªPurification of the corruptednd. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it.¡± Bleep! ¡ªPurification of the corruptednd. Exerting force. ¡°Try me.¡± Davey turned off the status window in irritation, but it illuminated once again. Then, what was written in the ¡®Notes¡¯ section of his status window changed. ¡ªPurification of the corruptednd. Dealing with the aftermath of the demons. ¡°I¡¯m not doing it. I¡¯m not going back for a while, so deal with it yourself.¡± Goddess Freyja had interrupted Davey at an important time. She knew about Davey¡¯s hot temper and that he wasn¡¯t going to let this slide, so why was she asking for his help now? Davey, who was scoffing, paused for a moment. He looked at the crazy deal made by the divine will. ¡°God damn it.¡± This was the reason why he hated working with guys who yed in the big leagues. ¡ªWill unlock the four divine beasts with qi if purified. ¡°Losing is the same thing as winning¡­ Heh. I¡¯m not going to ept your deals unless I really like them.¡± Davey stood up and walked away. Watching him, Perserque mumbled like he was ridiculous. ¡ªLook at that flip-flop¡­ Chapter 208 75. The One Trying to Stop War, and The One Trying to Start War. Davey¡¯s eyes shone for a second. ¡ªDavey? To be honest, Davey was actually surprised at how exceptional the deal was. ¡®You are going to change thews that govern the world just for one deal?¡¯ The unlocking of the four divine beasts right here¡­ Divine beasts were beings that humans from different continents had created early on in yearning for protection. Of course, daoist magic and the four divine beasts did not exist in the Tionis Continent, but to release them here¡­ In other words, it was no different than giving Davey supernatural powers from his past life. This wasn¡¯t impossible as it was just the world¡¯s nature and thew, but it probably wasn¡¯t an easy decision to offer the deal, even if divine will was the one offering it. ¡ªDavey? Perserque called out to Davey. She was puzzled. After returning to her normal size, she approached Davey and tilted her head in confusion. ¡ªWhat¡¯s the matter? ¡°...It¡¯s nothing.¡± It was good; well, not bad. However, Davey thought he could get more out of this opportunity. As soon as he thought that, he felt his head starting to spin and his consciousness getting thready. ¡®I¡¯ve felt this before somewhere.¡¯ ¡ªDavey? Davey!! Davey let go of his consciousness without any resistance. He could hear Perserque¡¯s voice bing distant. * * * Upon waking up, Davey could see an endless twilight sky and several strange beings in white clothes. He had expected this. These white-clothed beings who also had white wings were probably angels being projected by Davey¡¯s heart. They didn¡¯t actually exist, but a God who did not have a physical appearance would approach someone in their most familiar form when the time came. They were unable to speak to each other, but their will definitely existed. The being who silently had their hand on Davey¡¯s head began to gather light in their palm before giving Davey a small orange pebble. Davey knew what the pebble was; he had received it once before. Beyond his blurry vision, Davey could feel something soft stroking his cheek. * * * ¡°Did you hear the rumor about Prince Davey?¡± ¡°Ah, I heard, I heard. He¡¯s unconscious, right? What happened?¡± ¡°How should I know? But ording to the rumor¡­¡± Someone whispered even louder than before, ¡°They said that he went to ughter the enemy who started this war, right? It seems that he overdid it there.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ He looked pretty normal to me¡­¡± ¡°You never know. He could have been all injured inside from overworking, but he was just hiding it.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ Why did he do that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s the Saint. Who knows? Maybe he did it to not worry anyone, or he could have had another reason.¡± ¡°But he is the Saint. He probably did not have any ill intentions, right?¡± ¡°You know, my colleague heard some high-ranking people talking, and it seems like he¡¯s pretending to be fine even when he wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to burden anyone.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Davey could hear the distant voices due to his extraordinarily sensitive hearing. Then, he lost consciousness again. Their voices were like his luby. ¡°This war was incredibly huge, was it not? From what I hear, Prince Davey did not ask for any financialpensation even though he aided in this war, running into the enemy base alone and achieving such a great deal.¡± ¡°So amazing¡­¡± After slowly opening his eyes, Davey could see someone gasp in surprise. ¡®Perserque.¡¯ ¡ªDavey! Are you awake? ¡®How long was I asleep for?¡¯ ¡ªFour days¡­ Davey really did overwork himself and had been forced into a deep sleep¡­ It was funny. He had already done it once, so what was stopping him from doing it again? The divine will had given him something through the second encounter. It looked like the [Remaining Spark], the spare life he had been given before, but it had a slightly different feeling this time. ¡°Groan¡­¡± ¡°Y¨CYou¡¯re awake!¡± Davey, who saw the flustered maids, stopped them from running out and getting the doctor. He said, ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°But, Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°I am a doctor. I know my own state, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me. You can go,¡± Davey said calmly. The maids looked baffled. One of them said, ¡°But¡­Saintess candidate Lena told us to contact her once you are awake¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Davey smiled. One of the maids blushed and said, ¡°Y¡­ Yes, Your Highness.¡± After the maids bowed and took their leave, there was nothing but silence in the room. Davey then murmured to himself, ¡°I won the politics game.¡± ¡ªEven while you¡¯re sick¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t forget that all public opinionse from the chatter of servants and maids.¡± Davey would suffer a huge loss by ignoring these seemingly trivial gossip stories. No matter what n he made, he had to think about all the different variables and people who could be involved. By just relying on someone¡¯s predictable behavior and betting on that would be a shortcut to losing everything. Davey knew what actions to take because he could somewhat predict the overall flow of events, but it was difficult to act on that alone. Davey didn¡¯t know when they had changed forms, but the twins were sound asleep in Rinne¡¯s arms. Rinne, the silver-haired girl, was basically the twins¡¯ pillow. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at Davey. The halo floating on her head shone for a second, then returned to normal. Shemented, ¡°Sir Davey¡¯s biological signals very stable. Nothing unusual. Analyzing that overall condition is over ny-five percent. Satisfactory results. This is highly valued by Rinne.¡± ¡°Rinne.¡± ¡°Rinne highly appreciates Sir Davey¡¯s recovery.¡± Davey said nothing more at Rinne¡¯s relieved voice. ¡°Four days¡­¡± The first time this happened to Davey, he had been out for a few hours. This time, he had been out for four whole days. Davey didn¡¯t know if the time increased with every encounter, or if it was just his umted exhaustion from using too much power. He thought that the reason was either of those. ¡ªAre you okay now? ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m feeling much more refreshed.¡± Just like gaining strength from working out one¡¯s muscles, the more people used their mana, the more mana they could have over time. Thanks to that fact, Davey¡¯s amount of mana was increasing even as he remained in recovery. Davey moved around, feeling satisfied that his body was returning to its best condition. He took his hand out from underneath the nket, because he could feel something familiar on it. ¡ªOh my¡­ This is the Remaining Spark! Perserque eximed with wide eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a little different, no?¡± Davey looked at the pebble, which appeared to be a darker version of the original Remaining Spark. ¡®If I don¡¯t know, the best thing to do is to see for myself.¡¯ As Davey borrowed Perserque¡¯s power and used it, he could see the notes written down. He read it. [Remaining Spark] [Transformed Sacred Item] [One-time Reconstruction When User¡¯s Body or Mind Is Destroyed] [Number of Times Remaining: 1] [Special Condition - Automatically Used] ¡ªHm? It¡¯s not that different from the earlier one. ¡°This one is actually better.¡± This was a surprise. The Remaining Spark that Davey had previously used was automatically used in a battle with opponents stronger than transcendental beings. However, not only was that condition gone, but it also now included the destruction of the mind as well as the body. It was also not resurrection but reconstruction. Davey found the word ¡®reconstruction¡¯ to be quite familiar¡­ ¡ªMetamorphosis when you die¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡± For that to happen, Davey would have to make plenty of preparations. Like Perserque said, it was worth it for Davey to put his life on the line for it if he was aiming for metamorphosis. After all, his body had a structure that was near impossible to metamorph. If he were to bepletely sessful in metamorphosis, he would have as enormous a growth as thest unstable metamorphosis he had undergone. ¡ªThen, wouldn¡¯t it be right for you to use it right now? The World Tree and you¡­ ¡°No.¡± No longer thinking about it, Davey opened his Pocket ne right away and threw the orange pebble inside. ¡ªWhy? ¡°Unstable metamorphosis andplete metamorphosis are different.¡± Davey instinctively knew how he would change in the future because he had experienced it once. ¡®This is a way of recovery for my physical body or one that promotes my growth. It would also be a huge bomb.¡¯ Stretching out his sore body, Davey slowly moved his limbs and cracked his neck. Walking forward, he said, ¡°My body is like apressed bomb right now. There will be a huge explosion if I use this and metamorph.¡± The range of the explosion would probably be far beyond what Davey imagined. * * * The four divine beasts, the deal that God had offered, was a symbol of humans¡¯ yearning for protection in a world where divine will did not exist. Of course, since all the power came from the four divine beasts, their existence made a great difference in giving hope to the people. Creak. All attention turned to Davey as soon as he walked into the conference room of the alliance, which was still chaotic from dealing with the aftermath. Some stared at him with strange hostility, and some stared at him in surprise. ¡°Davey?¡± ¡°Prince Davey?¡± Davey heard voices of surprise from all over the conference room. ¡ªWell, you were dead asleep for four days. It seems like everyone is thinking that you really overworked yourself this time. ¡®...¡¯ ¡ªHa, it¡¯s not even funny. These people have misunderstood. They think you drove away danger without even taking care of your own body. Davey didn¡¯t mean for this misunderstanding, but¡­this actually worked out in his favor. ¡°Sorry I¡¯mte.¡± ¡°N¨CNo, that¡¯s alright! How are you feeling?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time to care about my health right now. There are still more important things to do.¡± Some looked shocked by Davey¡¯s statement. Of course, they would be puzzled if someone who they thought was selfish would take responsibility and make such a sacrifice. ¡°Things that could be purified should be purified. If I am capable of doing it and I have to, I will find a way to do so. I will take responsibility for it.¡± ¡°B¨CBut you have not recovered¡­¡± ¡°I know my health the best,¡± Davey said stubbornly. He wasn¡¯t okay, but his physical body could endure it. Everyone looked at Davey in surprise. Although he was in perfect condition to fly all over the ce, he could still act like a sick patient. ¡°Oh my¡­ Prince Davey¡­ You don¡¯t have to do that! The priests are purifying the area for the long-term. They will do this for a few years. By then¡­¡± ¡°What if someone gets exposed to the weak death energy there and catches a disease? I am saying that I don¡¯t want any other unnecessary lives being lost.¡± ¡°Prince Davey, you must watch out for yourself! Although you are not part of the Holy Empire, you are the only one who has received the stigmata.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I am stepping up. The one who is loved by God cannot be thiszy.¡± ¡®Love, my ass. Laziness? That¡¯s my favorite thing.¡¯ Prince Sullivan mumbled that he didn¡¯t think Davey would be this enthusiastic. On the other hand, Saintess candidate Lena widened her eyes and covered her mouth like she was touched. The others from the other kingdoms looked surprised, not expecting Davey to step up like that. Davey did not expect it to have much of an effect, but he wasing across as a Saint who would sacrifice himself for humanity without any regard for his own health. On the other hand¡­ ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Illyna and Yulis, the two people who knew Davey¡¯s true nature, exchanged nces and just sighed. ¡°I will purify the forest right away. Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Don¡¯t worry. If I step up just a bit more, everyone can be safe.¡± As Davey coughed up some blood by cutting parts of his mouth, the crowd went wild. The reason he was acting overdramatically was not because of the people in front of him, but for the lower-rank knights, soldiers, and servants or maids of each kingdom who would be touched by him. Such news would spread easily and quickly, and would also be easily exaggerated. Right now, this was a gathering ce for many people from different kingdoms. ¡®They say that news travels fast, right?¡¯ ¡°Prince Davey! You haven¡¯t fully recovered after working that much! You do not have to do this when you did not even ask for any kind ofpensation¡­¡± ¡°This is something I can do and something I must do. If left like this, many people will suffer. Human lives are more important than a reward, Prince Sullivan,¡± Davey said with an exhausted expression. More and more people felt touched by Davey¡¯s actions. Among them, the idiot who looked the most touched was none other than Prince Sullivan. ¡®Oh, how innocent these people are.¡¯ ¡ªIt is not their fault that your acting is so realistic. The fault was in the person who was tricked. * * * Crunch¡­ Crunch¡­ In the western region of the Pan Empire, a few people wearing robes were walking across a small desert region. ¡°Sir Yurgen, is this really a good thing?¡± ¡°Do not doubt. Remember that your core will be distorted if you doubt what the Mother of the Divine Tree has said.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Elves¡¯ lives matter too, right? We can only live peacefully for so long. If we cannot avoid battle with that human called Davey, we have no choice but to at least find a way that benefits us elves the most.¡± ¡°The Pan Empire is the biggest kingdom among the human nations, right? Will they be helpful in catching Prince Davey?¡± ¡°We have to try and convince them¡­ Since humans are led by their greed, the Saint of the Divine Tree is sure that they will agree to help us if we offer them something they cannot refuse.¡± ¡°Well¡­ The empire would be more inclined to make a deal with us elves than some nameless prince from a small kingdom.¡± What these elves did not know was the kind of political game this prince from a small kingdom was ying in preparation for such a situation. The conversation between the calm male elf and the young female elf traveled across thend with the eerie wind. Chapter 209 ¡°Illyna,¡± Prince Sullivan called out to Illyna, who was looking at Prince Davey with a nk expression. They were a part of the purification unit that had been sent to clean up the mess left in thepletely burnt down forest. Prince Sullivan was in charge of most of the priests and soldiers who had joined them. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, brother?¡± Illyna answered curtly with a displeased expression. With a bitter smile, Sullivan asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Yes. I did not sustain any injuries, and my exhaustion and fatigue have already been taken care of.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. If something happened to you, I wouldn¡¯t have the face to look at our older brother.¡± Sullivan smiled and patted Illyna on the head. He continued, ¡°After all, our older brother treasured you dearly when he was still alive.¡± ¡°¡­Even if you say that, I can¡¯t trust you, brother.¡± ¡°Illyna.¡± ¡°Brother Sullivan, you¡¯re the one who went against everything that brother said and did,¡± Illyna said sharply. Prince Sullivan could only smile bitterly at Illyna¡¯s harsh words. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have always been against our older brother¡¯s political standpoint. In fact, the two of us had fought quite a lot of times.¡± Sullivan fixed his sses up the bridge of his nose to hide the exhaustion in his eyes. He then muttered, ¡°However, I never wanted our older brother to die or get hurt. And the same is true with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time because of the marriage that you¡¯ve been pushing for.¡± Illyna turned her face away. ¡°Ah, by the way, it seems like Prince Davey is more sincere and upright than I thought.¡± Sullivan smiled brightly at Illyna, who only looked over with a dumbfounded expression. He then asked, ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What about Prince Davey?¡± Illyna immediately understood what Sullivan was implying. Widening her eyes in surprise, she asked, ¡°What are you on about again?¡± ¡°I have looked into Prince Davey. The things that he did in that short amount of time are very amazing. If I¡¯m being honest with you, I wouldn¡¯t have anything to ask for if we can bring such a person into our Imperial Family.¡± Illyna tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. She recalled just how she had made a proposal that she and the bad man Davey should get betrothed, then remembered how she had thought of the future where that actually happened. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ho.¡± Sullivan chuckled when he saw Illyna, now red-faced, suddenly shake her head. He found the situation to be both funny and interesting. He then added, ¡°I already know your answer. Very well, I will go over it once our brother¡¯s state funeral is over. Besides, you¡¯re already old enough to get married. From what I heard, the Lyndis Empire already has their eyes on him, but it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to give them a hard time.¡± ¡°Ah, by the way. Did they find Brother¡¯s body?¡± ¡°¡­About that, everyone¡¯s searching all over the ce but we don¡¯t have any particr leads as of yet. However, I believe that we can find Brother¡¯s body soon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After murmuring softly, Sullivan hugged Illyna gently and patted her on the head. He said, ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine¡­ What happened to our brother is truly a pity. However, I know that both Brother and I wouldn¡¯t want to see you all depressed like this.¡± *** The purification itself was not that difficult. Since the pollution had spread across a very wide area over a short period of time, there were only a few ces that gave the purification unit a hard time. In fact, the only ce that would have given them the hardest time was the ancient ruins where the Undead hade from. However, there was no point in digging through the ce especially after Rinne had already buried it deep underground. Public opinion about Davey was steadily improving. This was especially true after people found out that Davey was still overworking his exhausted and spent body to lead the purification and clean up. Jack had already informed Davey that rumors about him had spread so quickly because people just couldn¡¯t keep their mouths shut. His simple act had brought about great impact, since public opinion regarding him began improving in an instant. However, this act had meaning and purpose. Purifying thends and the forest was not a hard job for Davey. However, as the purification unit continued to roam around and purify these ces, people gradually started to look at Davey in a different way. Davey did not think much about it. He just moved along, honoring the deal that he had made with Goddess Freyja. Although his good deeds did not carry much value in the end, it seemed like Freyja was not stingy with him and had considered what Davey was doing as a good deed. The titles of ¡°true Saint¡± and ¡°a holy person¡± made Davey feel embarrassed. However, with those titles being associated with him, the Pan Empire¡¯s debt to him only grew even further. After the Undead subjugation ended, most of the power that had maintained the Undead was quick to vanish. And since they did not have any further purpose, the allied forces decided to disband after a brief meeting. The issue regardingpensation did not concern those who had fought in the battles but the nobles of the Pan Empire. Therefore, there was no reason for the allied forces to remain in this ce. Their trip back home was simple and uneventful. Even when most of the allied forces had returned home, Davey chose to remain to purify the Pan Empire¡¯snd and continue cleaning up the souls. He went on doing this meaningless job. ¡®You don¡¯t have to do that.¡¯ Despite the people dissuading Davey from doing this and asking him to not overwork himself, Davey still continued to work. The task wasn¡¯t tedious, since he just had to deal with some death energy. Besides, Davey was not doing this for the people of the Pan Empire but to fulfill his end of the deal with Goddess Freyja. However, the people who were unaware of Davey¡¯s true intention had been hoodwinked. They seemed to think that he had given up on his profits and interests, and was solely doing this to appease the souls of those who had died. ¡°Prince Davey, do make sure toe visit our kingdom. I will make sure to be a hospitable host and give you the best treatment.¡± ¡°Please visit our kingdom too. Disregarding the fight of interests and profits, you are someone who truly deserves praise. It would be an honor if you cane visit us.¡± Unlike the people who loved getting involved in headache-inducing politics, most of the people who hade for battle had a favorable impression of Davey. All of them had told him the same thing before they left the headquarters and headed for their own homes. All of them had asked him to visit them at least once. These words were mostly said out of courtesy, but some of these people had truly meant it. ¡°Prince Davey?¡± ¡°Ah, yes? General Collin?¡± ¡°Haha. It seems like this is the first time we¡¯re sharing a conversation like this, huh?¡± The old man with a gray beard chuckled as he held his hand out for a handshake. ¡°That seems to be the case. Are you on your way home now?¡± ¡°Yes. Even though I want to stay and help you more, I can¡¯t leave my hometown empty forever.¡± The old manughed as he turned to look somewhere else. Then, he pulled the arm of a young girl wearing armor and said, ¡°You brat, what are you doing? Why are you not even greeting the benefactor who saved your life?!¡± With a smile, the old man pressed down on the girl¡¯s brown hair and continued to say, ¡°This girl is called Hu.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± ¡°My¡­ My¡­ n-name¡­ is H-Hu Mendez. Th¡­ Tha¡­ Thank you!¡± The girl named Hu yelled and suddenly bowed her head. When Davey looked at Hu in confusion, the old man exined, ¡°She was the onemanding the soldiers at the west gate during the battle at the headquarters. You, Prince Davey, saved her from being killed by the Undead.¡± ¡°Aaaah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really very grateful to you. This brat is my one and only granddaughter. She¡¯s the only family I have left. I can¡¯t give you too much since I am an old man with no power, but¡­¡± The old man grabbed Davey¡¯s hand and continued, ¡°¡­I will never forget the grace that you have bestowed upon us by saving my precious granddaughter. If you evere to our Ferdicia Kingdom, I will make sure to give you the best treatment so you won¡¯t leave disappointed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only natural to save our own troops during a war. Don¡¯t feel indebted to me like that.¡± Davey smiled. The old man chuckled and said, ¡°Hoho. I can now understand why you¡¯ve received the stigmata¡­¡± ¡ªA scammer¡­ Davey heard Perserque murmuring by his ear but he promptly ignored her. ¡°I really want to show you my gratitude, so do visit us. Well then, I wish you good health. Let¡¯s go, Hu.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandfather.¡± It was not just General Mendez who left after saying words like that. Davey had a hard time getting the soldiers to stand up as they continued to bow their heads and thank him for saving their brothers. Some even thanked him for saving them when they had been at the brink of death from the Frost Wyrm Wyvern¡¯s sudden attack. Perhaps it was because Davey had unknowingly helped them that the impact of his actions was so great. People were even thanking Davey, who set aside his personal interests and that of his kingdom to do good deeds, for encouraging them to do the same. ¡®This simple act of kindness and warm atmosphere¡­¡¯ ¡ªHmm? ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel too bad.¡¯ Since these people were grateful to him, it was only polite for Davey to ept their pure kindness and goodwill, right? Afterpleting most of the purification work, Davey had plenty of time to rx. He was deep in thought while rxing at his quiet lodgings, holding a mutated ember in his hands. He murmured, ¡°This is a bigger bomb than I initially thought.¡± ¡ªHow far would you be sent flying if this thing exploded? ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t really know. In theory, this is considered to be a very huge bomb. However, I don¡¯t know the scope and radius that it could cover.¡± ¡ªEven a rough estimate? ¡°With the weakest power, I think I¡¯ll be sent flying dozens of kilometers back.¡± ¡ªThen, are you going to use that in the fight against the World Tree? When asked if he was going to use the same method that he had used when fighting against the transcendental being from before, Davey shook his head and said, ¡°No.¡± It could be said that this item was very useful for undergoing metamorphosis, but Davey knew that he could not use it in such a simple manner anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this. It¡¯s better to have an extra life.¡± Perserque nodded in sympathy when she heard Davey¡¯s reply. ¡ªThat¡¯s true. You¡¯ll definitely need the extra life with the way you¡¯re behaving. Davey could be considered to be very strong, so he hadn¡¯t been leveling up. However, there was no guarantee that the same would be true in the future. The level of force and power in this continent was significantly lower than in the past. If hostile forces from the past began to awaken in this situation¡­ Davey could not say for sure that there would be no existence on the same level as the King of the Dead, Deian. ¡°My top priority right now is to call for the four divine beasts,¡± Davey said. He stood up from his seat and abruptly opened the tightly closed doors of his quarters. ¡°Ha?!¡± There was a blonde girl standing in front of Davey¡¯s door with her head bowed down. She was deep in her thoughts before Davey opened the doors and she looked up at him in surprise. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Th-That¡­¡± When the girl spoke gibberish and talked nonsense in embarrassment, Davey realized that she hadn¡¯te here for anything important. After studying her for a while, he patted her head and turned around. He said, ¡°There are some things that I need.¡± The girl tilted her head in confusion. Then, finallying back to her senses, she shouted firmly, ¡°What do you need? Just tell me! I¡¯ll make sure to get everything for you!¡± Davey was quick to give a list of everything that he needed. ¡°I need some fu paper[1] or some hanji[2].¡± ¡°Fu¡­ Fu what?¡± Illyna asked, tilting her head in confusion. She did not know what Davey was talking about, which was unsurprising, since there was no such thing as a talisman in this world. ¡°Then, just bring me some empty unattributed scroll.¡± An unattributed scroll was an empty sheet of paper that had not yet been enchanted with magic. Illyna nodded swiftly at Davey¡¯s request despite her confusion. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the supplies manager and see if there¡¯s still some left. However, I can¡¯t guarantee that there will be any left¡­¡± Contrary to Illyna¡¯s concerns, Davey was able to get the amount of empty unattributed scrolls that he needed. The fu paper used to create talismans and amulets was usually made by soaking it in the juices of the fruit of a locust tree. It would then undergo several processes before being produced. And since the art of qi was not really developed in the Tionis Continent, it was practically impossible for Davey to get the best quality fu paper that he needed. There was a chance that he would be able to make one if he grew the tree itself, but it was impossible for him to secure the amount that he needed right away. Of course, the most effective medium for what Davey intended to do was the fu paper. But all he had with him was the scroll used for magic. It was bound to be very inefficient. However, wasn¡¯t there a saying that those who did not have teeth could still live with their gums? Davey was a professional. He would not ept something that was bound to not work. He would make do with what he had, and the unattributed scroll that Illyna had brought was much more than what Davey expected. ¡°They gave me a lot when I told them that you¡¯re the one who will be using it. I¡¯m starting to doubt whether I¡¯m truly a member of this empire¡¯s Imperial Family and not you.¡± ¡°What a relief. They¡¯re being friendly.¡± ¡°Friendly? Don¡¯t mess with me. You haven¡¯t forgotten what everyone at headquarters called you, huh?¡± A true Saint. A devoted holy man. The titles were a bit cheesy and cringe-worthy, but it was still not bad. ¡°Everyone¡¯s making a fuss because you¡¯re disregarding your life to save those who have been hurt and killed. But if they knew what you¡¯re really like, they''d definitely sigh in disappointment, no?¡± ¡°Leave if you¡¯re just here to speak nonsense.¡± ¡°Why in the world did you ask me to get you so many empty unattributed scrolls?¡± Davey silently grabbed a quill and began to draw strange patterns on an unfurled scroll. Then, he said, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing.¡± His hands did not stop even for a moment. It seemed like his senses and memories had not yet failed him, since he was drawing the strange and unique patterns with practiced ease. Meanwhile, Illyna looked at the scroll curiously and asked, ¡°It¡¯s different from the ordinary magic scrolls, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. This is not magic.¡± ¡°Are you doing something strange again? How many hidden talents do you have?!¡± ¡°Curious?¡± Davey asked as Illyna¡¯s expression turned cold. Then, he said, ¡°Then, keep being curious.¡± As if to show how well she knew Davey, Illyna said, ¡°I knew it, you bad man!¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick on the uptake.¡± Davey was using a scroll because, to use this power, one had to have a pure and clean scroll. This was also to lessen whatever side effects would be ced upon the user. Davey looked like a printing machine, making fifteen talismans in one go. And before the ink on the talisman could even dry, Davey grabbed all of them and threw them in the air. There would only be a response if Goddess Freyja truly kept her promise with Davey and unlocked the four divine beasts. ¡°The scroll flew by itself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a summoning circle.¡± There was no better way for Davey to check if the rules that made up the world had truly changed than to summon them himself. ¡°A bird, a lizard, a turtle, and a cat.¡± Illyna tilted her head in curiosity. ¡°A bird¡­ What?¡± ¡°Which one do you like?¡± ¡°If I have to choose, then¡­ I like birds. The birds flying in the skies look free and untethered, you know?¡± ¡°Then, we¡¯re talking about the Fire Chicken,¡± Davey said as he waved his hand after hearing Illyna¡¯s bitter response. He thenmanded, ¡°In my name, show thyself.¡± The being that Davey was summoning did not have the right to reject his summons. Thud!!! Not long after, a huge fire burst out of Davey¡¯s hand. 1. ??? or fu paper, paper used in talisman making, the yellow paper ones. ? 2. ??? - hanji or shoji paper, a traditional Korean paper that are used to paste on window. ? Chapter 210 The Tionis Continent was extremely abundant in mana. Compared to the most basic world with a high density of mana, the Tionis Continent¡¯s mana density was around ten times higher than the average level of density. Because of that, almost all of the humans living in this world could live with and use mana to some extent. Of course, despite having a high abundance of mana, the reality of it all waspletely different. ¡°What the¡­ I¡¯m feeling a bit stuffy¡­¡± Illynained. Illyna feeling stuffy was not an unusual response. After all, she was used to living in a ce with clear air. With all of the smoke polluting the air in the area, she was suffering, breathing in dirty air. Then, Illyna¡¯s expression changed. She furrowed her brows as a new invisible and odorless force began to dominate the area. ¡°Davey! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Illyna yelled, gripping her chest and gasping for breath. Davey turned to the expressionless Rinne who stood next to him. ¡°Rinne.¡± Rinne tilted her head in confusion. Davey had given her a silent request, then ignored her silent question that came after. Davey had given this order: ¡°Go and get some oil, then put it in arge pot. We have to boil it well, so make sure that the pot isrge enough. If you think that it¡¯s a lot of work, then go and get help from others.¡± ¡°Rinne¡¯s muscle strength is very high. Rinne believes that she is more than enough to fulfill Davey¡¯s orders. Rinne values this highly. Rinne has assessed that there is no need to get help,¡± Rinne said. Rinne flexed and spun her thin arms. It looked like she was disying false bravado. But even if she looked frail, she had the power to swing and throw something that weighed hundreds of kilograms with just one hand. In the first ce, Rinne was a living golem and was very powerful. Rinne did not question Davey¡¯s questionable orders and just looked at him as if asking for praise. Looking at her, Davey said, ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re valued highly.¡± The brat was thirsty for praise andpliments even when they were in a rxed and peaceful atmosphere. And Davey believed that Rinne was not asking forpliments just because she wanted to hear one. ¡ªRinne wants you to trust herpletely. ¡®There¡¯s no one that I trust more than Rinne.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s not it. Rinne blinked at Davey as if hispliment was satisfactory enough before disappearing quickly. ¡°This is daoist magic.¡± ¡°Daoist¡­magic?¡± ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s a power that humans have created to protect their lives.¡± If spirit magic existed for the elves, then daoist magic existed for humans. Was it a bit too much? Yes. That was why daoist magic had long disappeared from Tionis Continent¡¯s vestiges of history. After all, gods existed in this world. However, threats existed everywhere in a ce that had scarce mana. And with no god to protect them, the humans had no choice but to copy and imitate the power of other races to survive. Humans were naturally good at imitation. And the hero who had taught Davey daoist magic, as well as martial arts and swordsmanship, was the Heavenly Destroyer Dokgo Jun. He had lived in a world like that. Unlike the world where Dokgo Jun had lived, the divine beasts lived in a world where monsters were very prevalent. In order to ovee the harsh reality of the human poption¡¯s extinction, humans had no choice but to turn to the records and ancient books left behind by their ancestors. Then, they created daoist magic. In a sense, the four divine beasts were simr to artificial spirits. Perhaps Spirit King Gnoass would immediately recognize this fact the moment he saw them. Crackle¡­ ¡°U-Ugh?! It¡¯s hot!!!¡± Illyna shouted. She took a few steps back from the sudden re of heat in the room. As if finally revealing its attributes and ego, the huge fireball released a tremendous burst of heat and created gigantic fiery flowers in the air. Although the bud had not yet fully bloomed, Davey could already feel that the summoning ritual itself was sessful. ¡°Fireworks?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± When she asked about the sudden disy of mes, Illyna grew morefortable as Davey pulled her behind him to shield her from the tremendous heat. She could slowly raise the power in her own body. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°The power that only humans can have¡­ I have never heard of something like that.¡± ¡°It exists somewhere very, very far from here.¡± Illyna looked at Davey with big, round eyes after hearing his exnation. ¡°It¡¯s in a ce with no gods and mana. There, humans have a scarce supply of mana and the mana isn¡¯t even good enough in quality.¡± Those who could wield power there were extremely rare. After all, it would take decades of hard training to produce resultspared to a mana-rich ce where one only needed a few short years to be powerful. ¡°There¡¯s a ce like that?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible¡­ There¡¯s no ce in the Tionis Continent thatcks mana. In fact, I believe the density of the mana in thisnd that we¡¯re on is the only ce where mana is low.¡± Illyna¡¯s doubts were natural and reasonable. ¡°It¡¯s because that ce is not in the Tionis Continent.¡± ¡°What bullshit are you talking about?¡± Illyna asked, sighing as if Davey were speaking nonsense. She asked, ¡°So? Is that the thing humans have created to protect themselves? It just looks like a flower made out of mes though?¡± Just then, the ball of me began to change. The bud bloomed, spreading out bright red mes that looked like petals of an untouchable flower. It was a spectacle that shone and zed. ¡°B¡­ Beautiful.¡± Soon, a gigantic ming bird almost ten meters in size showed its prowess and roared loudly. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeeeek! ¡°Ah¡­ My ears are ringing!¡± Davey disregarded Illyna, who was watching the bird¡¯s masterful disy with a nk expression. He furrowed his brows. Unleashing mes without any consideration for its consequences and roaring loudly to announce its existence¡­ These were the habits of the vermillion bird. A quickparison was enough for Davey to confirm the identity of the being that he had summoned. And the vermillion bird was quite fearless even though it had just been born to the world. *** ¡ªKihyiiiiiiiiiiiik! Illyna covered her ears. She frowned as a fierce headache washed over her. The gigantic fiery bird continued its loud and deafening roars. ¡°Unbelievable,¡± Davey said. Davey raised the qi[1] in his body and lifted his hand, with a talisman sandwiched between his index and middle finger. Anything caused by daoist magic should be cleaned up by daoist magic. It was simple, really. All Davey needed to do was burn the talisman. The me burned the scroll, its originally red color slowly changing into a pale green color. Crackle, crackle!!! [Third Grade Talisman.] [Binding Seal.] In the case of talismans, the lower the grade, the higher the power. In other words, a third grade talisman was quite powerful. Even if the being in front of Davey had just been born, they were most definitely one of the four divine beasts. Since the beginning of time, divine beasts had a power that transcended what could be known as normal. Burn!!! Huge chains appeared and swayed around Davey as the talisman in his hands burned. Without any hesitation, he sent the chains flying toward the roaring vermillion bird. The vermillion bird flew back from the impact. It was soon tied up by chains and pressed down to the ground. ¡ªKihyeeek!!! ¡°Davey, what are you doing?!!!¡± Illyna yelled in surprise once Davey tied down the being that he had just summoned. Davey exined, ¡°If I don¡¯t set this guy straight from the very beginning, I won¡¯t be able to correct its pyromaniac tendencies and attitude.¡± ¡°Py¡­ Pyromaniac?¡± ¡°The vermillion bird has a very nasty personality and attitude.¡± If the bastard grew up without Davey disciplining it, then its personality would continue to be skewed. By then, Davey would not be able to do anything. Of course, no one of great strength would falter just from the swing of a whip. Besides, Davey did not really have to put up with something so troublesome and annoying. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeek!!! The brat, who was struggling on the floor, roared at Davey. mes started to gather in its mouth to send an attack in retaliation. This act was very in line with its nasty personality. The human desire that had been used as the basis for creating the vermillion bird was obviously anger and fury. And since it was made from anger and fury, the vermillion bird had a very unique temper. It had anger management issues. The daoist should be capable of using their daoist magic to change this temper and help it manage its anger well. ¡°Noisy.¡± ¡ªKiiiiiiiiiiiiik!!! The vermillion bird roared angrily as it fired a super hot Breath towards Davey, who had been waiting for its retaliation. Davey already had a talisman burning in between his fingers. [Third Grade Talisman.] [Binding Seal.] Boom!!! The vermillion bird trembled when its fiery Breath disappeared in mere moments. Even though it was a divine beast created through desire, the vermillion bird was a being that lived however it pleased. It was a clever beast, so it could easily tell that something had already gone wrong somewhere. After sealing the vermillion bird¡¯s Breath in an instant, Davey took two more talismans out and threw them in the air. He created a suffocating pressure that pressed down on the divine beast. Thud!!! ¡ªBb¡­bbiiiiiiiiiiik! The vermillion bird cried out desperately, as if it were dying. Its cry no longer sounded like its initial arrogant and loud roar. It could feel the intangible weight pressing down on its body from above. ¡°Well then, our dear Fire Chicken, you will get in trouble if you don¡¯t listen to me.¡± Davey approached the vermillion bird and reached his hand out, manipting the mes engulfing the divine beast. The vermillion bird could only look at Davey incredulously. Well, it was only natural for an ancient divine beast like the vermillion bird to find this unbelievable. After all, a measly summoner was able to bind it, lynch it, and make it suffer like this. The vermillion bird tried to stop Davey¡¯s approach by summoning more mes on its body. Davey simply ignored the futile resistance, pping a talisman on the bird¡¯s forehead. ¡°Here¡¯s a seal for you, brat.¡± p!!! ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeek! The brat was startled. Its protective mes were slowly dying down¡­before revealing its glossy red feathers. ¡ªKiiiiiiiing¡­ Kihyeeeeeek! The bird cried out,ining that something like this treatment was outrageous. It was most definitely crying of injustice. However, as a young divine beast that had just been born to the world, it was still incapable of holding a proper conversation with its summoner. ¡°Davey, Rinne fulfilled your request of getting a pot full of oil,¡± Rinne said. She was dragging a huge cart with one hand, and hade just in time. ¡°Good job, Rinne.¡± ¡°Rinne finds the job very easy. Reports that she can take more missions. Rinne values this highly.¡± ¡°Alright. Just watch for now.¡± ¡°Davey¡¯s assessment is very low.¡± Davey made eye contact with the pouty vermillion bird that was inching away from him once again. He called out, ¡°My dear Fire Chicken.¡± ¡ªKihyeeeeeeek! The vermillion bird struggled fiercely, as if telling Davey not to call it by that name. ¡°I need your power,¡± Davey said. When the bird only roared without giving a proper answer, he continued, ¡°l know that you get angry easily and are very proud. But if you continue not listening to me, then you¡¯ll definitely be in trouble.¡± Davey grinned and patted the vermillion bird on the head gently. The brat quivered and shook when Davey began to stroke its beak. One would think that Davey had dealt with young divine beasts once or twice with how well he was doing, but¡­ [Davey, remember this well. Divine beasts, as you know, have very nasty tempers. The ck tortoise will snap at you randomly, the azure dragon will act violently, the white tiger has a nasty temper and is a haughty moron. But among them, the vermillion bird has the greatest anger management issues.] Davey found it nice to have a good memory, because it was helpful in so many ways. [So, the first thing that you need to learn is how to deal with a divine beast. One day, if you decide to summon a divine beast, remember that the key is knowing how to kill the divine beast¡¯s qi and spirit. Look at that, I decided to let him go and he¡¯s already going crazy, right?] ¡°Just like hyung?¡± [This punk!!!] The best option when taming the vermillion bird was to smash its pride and arrogance into pieces. The vermillion bird¡¯s mes were eternal and covered its body from head to toe. Once it lost its fire, it would not be able to resist at all and would be at theplete mercy of its opponent. ¡°My dear Fire Chicken, if you don¡¯t listen to me, then¡­¡± Davey stopped speaking abruptly. He sent mana towards the pot of oil that Rinne had dragged here and raised the temperature of the oil. The oil began to boil, emitting a scalding heat. ¡°¡­I will snap your neck, pluck all of your feathers, and turn you into fried chicken.¡± The vermillion bird did not know what fried chicken was, but Davey¡¯s movements made it flinch. ¡°How about it? Shall we give you an oil bath? I¡¯ll make sure to keep it extra hot so I can fry you well.¡± ¡ªKihyee¡­ kihyeeeeeeck! The bird struggled, willing Davey to stop spouting nonsense. However, the ball was already in Davey¡¯s park. ¡°What? I don¡¯t have any seasonings? Don¡¯t worry. The taste would not affect me at all, I will make sure to cook you well.¡± Davey had once been left to his own devices to the point where he would eat anything and everything. Of course, his standards regarding the taste and vor of dishes had dropped to the lowest. In other words, he had just given up on getting a good vor. ¡ªSo, that¡¯s why you said that your ideal type is a woman that¡¯s good at cooking. Daveypletely ignored Perserque. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeck!! The meaning of the vermillion bird¡¯s shrieks was changing constantly, but Davey justpletely ignored its cries. All Davey did was grab it by its wings and drag it toward the pot of boiling oil. ¡°You don¡¯t want to listen to me? Well, there¡¯s nothing I can do then. My dear Fire Chicken, I¡¯m very sorry. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make sure to turn you into a delicious dish. I¡¯ll make sure to make you into a very spicy one too.¡± Fire Chicken, the vermillion bird, struggled fiercely against Davey¡¯s words. Its face turned blue as they got closer and closer to the pot of oil. Bang!!! Davey deliberately kicked the pot of boiling oil, making it look like an ident. The moment they got closer, a ssh of boiling oil sttered right next to the struggling Fire Chicken. Davey never imagined that a bird¡¯s eyes could widen and be as round as Fire Chicken¡¯s right now. However, he had aplished what he wanted. Davey believed that the bird would now listen to him after doing all of this. ¡ªKkii¡­ kiiihyeeeck? ¡°Oh my¡­ Some oil spilled out from the pot, huh?¡± 1. ?? literally tranted as dao energy. Used qi in the meantime since qi is generally used in daoist techniques and daoist magic ? Chapter 211 Sizzle!! The oil, which was boiling on a whole other level from ordinary oil, spilled over and burned the ground. An eerie sizzling sound rang out. ¡ªS¡­ Squeak?! Fire Chicken cried out in shock, desperately struggling to escape. Unfortunately, the sorcery that kept it crushed to the ground, or the chains made of a strange power, did not let go. ng!! Once again, Davey kicked the pot and sttered more boiling oil in front of Fire Chicken. Fire Chicken felt chills running down its spine. It was natural for it to feel panicked and fearful. It was a Vermillion Bird, made of mes, but it was merely made up of flesh and skin if the origin of its mes had been sealed. The panic from being burned to death was probably unimaginable since it was familiar with fire from birth. ¡ªSqueak!!! Davey grinned at Fire Chicken¡¯s sorrowful cries. ¡°Oops, another mistake.¡± As Davey petted its beak with a smile, Fire Chicken looked up at him with a shaky gaze. ¡°Don¡¯t get angry. Don¡¯t act out. I am your owner, and you were born from my desires.¡± ¡ªSq¡­ Squawk¡­ ¡°Remember that you exist because I exist. If you cause a scene with your temper and injure me¡­¡± Davey trailed off, then tapped on the pot with his bare hands. ¡®You know what will happen, right?¡¯ The pot radiated heat due to the boiling oil, but Davey had a way of tolerating it. This was unlike Fire Chicken, which had most of its power sealed. Atst, Davey released the Binding Seal that was holding Fire Chicken down without hesitation. Fire Chicken cried desperately while shedding tears full of sorrow. Rustle!! Upon standing up, the Vermillion Bird quickly nted its head into the ground. It still felt a lot of fear, trembling non-stop. ¡°Now now, your body is still visible even if you dig your head into the ground. Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m not going to put you into the oil.¡± The bird stayed right where it was, since its fear of Davey had been engraved in its heart. It cried out sadly when Davey forcefully pulled its head out of the ground and hugged it, tapping on the back of its neck. ¡°Wow¡­ How nasty,¡± Illyna criticized Davey and looked at him like he was ridiculous. ¡®You don¡¯t know what is going to happen if you raise an ill-tempered divine beast with entitlement.¡¯ The Vermillion Bird, made from Davey¡¯s qi and desires, still had an immature way of thinking. If it grew up with this high-handed personality, it would be a scoundrel that Davey couldn¡¯t handle in a few years. In fact, his teacher who had taught him amulet magic, divine beast summoning, sorcery, and daoist magic, had shed a lot of blood from raising the four Divine Beasts however he wanted. Davey had been pecked and burned hundreds of times by the Vermillion Bird after facing the Divine Beasts his teacher had called upon to build a friendship with them. He had been hit with the ill-tempered Azure Dragon¡¯s thunder dozens of times, had his head bitten by the ck Tortoise thousands of times, and it had taken him decades to make the White Tiger, who ignored the rules and always caused trouble, calm down. Miraculous beings? The Divine Beasts were just lunatics who liked to cause trouble. However, the reason why they had the prestigious name of the Four Divine Beasts was that they were smart. So, what this meant was¡­ ¡°I can¡¯t allow that.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem if Davey simply needed a long time to tame them. However, if they thought toin and cause idents, there would be a need to calm them before their personalities fully developed. Of course, he had to keep their bravery intact. ¡°Now, do you think you can fly?¡± ¡ªSquawk! Davey nodded in satisfaction when he saw the Vermillion Bird spread its wings with a fierce cry. He said, ¡°Alright. Go and fly as much as you want.¡± ¡ªSqueal? Fire Chicken red at Davey with squinted eyes and tilted its head in suspicion. It was trying to discern Davey¡¯s true intentions, but he did not have any ulterior motives this time around. ¡°You didn¡¯t have a chance to fly because you were captured as soon as you were born. Fly as much as you want. You¡¯re probably hungry, too.¡± Fire Chicken¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Then, it took a step back while pping its wings. Fwoosh!! Its extinguished me was reignited, turning the whole bird into a huge me. Fire Chicken boasted its fiery presence. ¡°It¡¯s a little bit hot¡­¡± The Fire Chicken momentarily paused, then the radiating hot air disappeared in seconds. The Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes had a will, so it could be hot asva or cold as ice. Fire Chicken would have cranked up the heat without any regard for Davey¡¯s difort if it had its regr temper, but it was obedient now that it had been tamed. ¡°Go and fly as much as you want until the evening. Oh, I¡¯m just warning you, but if you mess with any innocent people¡­ You know, right? Be careful.¡± ¡ªSqueak!! Fire Chicken pped its wings and soared into the air, causing a strong breeze. Its long tail began painting the sky with beautiful strokes and curves. * * * ¡ªSqueal!! Fire Chicken was a Vermillion Bird, the Divine Beast or sacred animal that came to life from human yearning. It soared through the blue sky while exhibiting an intense me. Although someone else was the master of fire in this world, it was still a miraculous being that was born with fire; although, it did receive the embarrassing name of ¡®Fire Chicken¡¯. Since birth, Fire Chicken knew that it was a great being. However, its parent who allowed his existence in this world was a bit odd. Divine Beasts were instinctively born with a lot of knowledge. As far as Fire Chicken, the Vermillion Bird, knew, its presence was not trivial enough to be born from human hands. However, its parent was a scary being; it felt like he was going to seal its power and fry it in that hot oil if it made a single mistake. Even if it hadn¡¯t been long since it was born, it was still terrified to think that fire, its most familiar element, would be what could kill it. After flying for some time, the Vermillion Bird slowly descended to the ground as it reached the vast forest. ¡®I will die if I get angry!¡¯ The Vermilion Bird was a Divine Beast of fire and anger. However, it felt like it would really die if it expressed anger in any way it wanted to. The human parent it had was too terrifying; the intention that the human parent showed in his eyes was genuine. Fire Chicken felt the need to calm his temper down. It was a sophisticated being; it was an elegant divine beast and not a flying lizard! ¡ªKeek. ¡ªSquawk!! Just as it was all curled up with its eyes closed, Fire Chicken looked up when something hard flew into its huge body. It could also see small little green beings in its surroundings. Recalling the name of these beings from the memory traces it had inherited from its parent, the beings were¡­ ¡®I think they are called goblins.¡¯ Goblins were hostile beings to humans, so they would be hostile to Fire Chicken¡¯s parent. Even though it was associated with anger, it did not unnecessarily take lives as it was a sophisticated being. But¡­Fire Chicken was irritated; it was mad! Still young, the Vermillion Bird wasn¡¯t smart enough to makeplex judgments. As soon as that thought went through its head, Fire Chicken ignited its extinguished mes and spread its wings. It looked so much bigger when it was no longer curled up and asleep. The goblins flinched and took a step back. ¡®How dare these little beings look down on me? I¡¯m angry. I¡¯m angry!!¡¯ ¡ªKyeck!!!! While letting out a huge cry, Fire Chicken also felt hungry too. ¡®I will burn and eat all of you.¡¯ It would not be the Divine Beast of anger and fire if it showed its enemies mercy. Fire Chicken¡¯s mes burned everything, creating a sea of fire in the forest. ¡ªK¡­ Kieck?! Crack! The goblins took a step back, realizing that something was wrong, but all their escape routes were blocked by the red mes. A single p of the Vermillion Bird¡¯s wings was enough to trap them all. ¡®I will burn all of you!¡¯ Fireballs with extremely high temperatures began to gather at the tip of Fire Chicken¡¯s beak. Each ball gathered as the two feathers on its head trembled, shining with a blue hue. This attack was going to be an extremely hot breath, one of Fire Chicken¡¯s specialties. * * * p!! p! The forest burned with every p of Fire Chicken¡¯s wings. In the midst of the huge mes, Fire Chicken burned and ate up the goblins like it had lost its mind. ¡®It¡¯s delicious! How can it be this good?!¡¯ Fire Chicken gobbled up all the goblins it could see. The mes surrounding it? What did it matter? mes were the symbol of its anger! There was nothing that could stop its anger¡­as long as it did not mess with humans. Fire Chicken, who had instinctively ingrained the fact that it shouldn¡¯t mess with humans, did not realize the fact that it was already slowly changing. As the hostile being that flew in the middle of the sea of fire, Fire Chicken was determined to eat up all the monsters in the forest. It didn¡¯t think for long, and it took an even shorter time to act. When it finally returned to its senses, Fire Chicken found itself devouring a huge animal that had yellow skin and was about five meters big. It seemed like an Ogre, but the Fire Chicken wasn¡¯t sure. Whistle!! Cang!! Just then, something flew toward Fire Chicken¡¯s wings and hit it hard. Fwoosh!! Of course, the object was engulfed in mes and turned into ashes. Still, Fire Chicken couldn¡¯t help but be irritated by it. Fire Chicken was a wise Divine Beast, so it could judge this situation with a clear head. Letting out a short and low growl, Fire Chicken found the being who had attacked it. Then, it couldn¡¯t help but flinch and freeze. The being standing in front of its eyes was something simr to a human but not quite one. The being felt a little closer to the forest, but it was subtly different¡­ [Do anything you want. But don¡¯t hurt innocent human beings, okay?] Fire Chicken was about to burst into anger instantly, but flinched after remembering what its parent had said. Watching the bird, the human-like creature shot two more sharp objects towards Fire Chicken. They dered, ¡°You burned the forest. I don¡¯t know how an evil beast of fire entered the forest, but I cannot let you go.¡± ¡®Evil beast? Did they just call the sophisticated Divine Beast of fire an evil beast?¡¯ Fire Chicken, who was about to release fire, flinched after remembering what it had been told. ¡®I have to hold back.¡¯ Its parent was really going to capture it and throw it into boiling oil if it hurt a human being. Cang!! Fire Chicken had to hold back; it was a sophisticated Divine Beast, so it should be able to tolerate some trivial provocation. Whistle¡­ Cang!! It had to hold¡­ Cang!! ¡ªKieek!!!!! ¡®Hold back, my ass.¡¯ Fire Chicken was going to burn that bastard up even if it was going to die tomorrow. As the human-like male and female, who both had long ears, stood in front of Fire Chicken, it moved ording to the sudden burst of anger and disregarded the warning Davey had given it. Fire Chicken was not old enough to really think things through yet. Chapter 212 A sharp and loud roar resonated through the entire forest. The mes burned even brighter, as if disying Fire Chicken¡¯s desires. The forest became a huge sea of mes. Fire Chicken was delighted, but it was also extremely furious. It was angry at the beings who had attacked it first. It was definitely delighted at this opportunity to go wild and not hold back. ¡®Nothing in this ce can stop me! I am not born weak! I am a powerful Divine Beast! I am a miraculous and wise being!¡¯ Screech!! Fire Chicken boasted its presence by pping itsrge fiery wings. It stepped on the man and woman, staring at both beings who were made out of water droplets. The man and woman struggled to breathe, because all of the oxygen in the air was being burned up. For Fire Chicken, there was no better situation than this. It was the Vermillion Bird, the Divine Beast of fire; the situation obviously became more advantageous to Fire Chicken the more fire there was. ¡°Y¡­ You monster.¡± Fire Chicken let out a disappointed sigh when the long-eared human mumbled in exhaustion. Then, it pped itsrge wings to float up into the air, opened its mouth, and gathered arge ball of scorching energy in its beak. Zing!! It didn¡¯t take long for Fire Chicken to shoot the ray of energy toward the man and the woman. The ray burned its surroundings red and caused even more fires. It was so intense that even the ground melted upon contact. Instinctively understanding the danger of this situation, the long-eared man grabbed the woman and ran. Zing!! Of course, nothing stopped Fire Chicken from using its fire breath again. Another ray of hot energy shot through the trees, as if it was a fiery sword slicing through the entire forest. ¡°S-Sir Yulrgen!¡± ¡°How is a damn high-ranking water spirit not able to do anything?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous. Let¡¯s run away for now.¡± ¡°No, we cannot! Do not forget our mission: we must go to the human¡¯s Pan Empire and seize the human who cursed the Mother of the Divine Tree!¡± Fire Chicken squinted at the shouting man. It understood what he was saying, but did not know who they were talking about. Most of all, it did not care. What did it matter? The most important thing was that they were irritating! ¡®Ah, whatever. Burn them all!¡¯ -Kyehh!!! Anotherrge roar rang out in the surroundings. ¡°But it is too strong!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The long-eared humans shouted before the woman pulled out a staff. She shouted urgently, ¡°Get out of here for now! The opponent is too strong!¡± As a distinct light began to flow out of the woman¡¯s staff, Fire Chicken felt that something was odd. It began charging its fire breath again, then sted it once more. As the ground went up in mes, Fire Chicken flew high up in the air. Then, in a sh, Fire Chicken flew toward the long-eared humans and snatched up one of them. ¡°Emilia!!¡± The man shouted in shock. Fire Chicken grabbed the woman by the back of her clothing and mercilessly shook her in the air. Once the woman fell unconscious, it stomped on the man. ¡®I¡¯m not allowed to kill innocent humans? When they attacked me first? Just burn them up!¡¯ Fire Chicken could no longer use its breath, since it was holding the woman in his mouth. Of course, it could do other things even if it did not have its breath. Fire Chicken flew into the air and pped its wings hard. Rumble¡­ Balls of fire began to fall from therge clouds that covered the small area, which soon darkened. The man named Yulrgen looked like he had given up after seeing the unbelievable attack. ¡°Oh my¡­ Where did such a monstere from¡­?¡± Watching the rain of fire falling from the sky, the man pointed at the woman who Fire Chicken had seized. He took a step forward, ignoring the mes that would fall soon and turn his entire body into ashes. Then¡­ Pshhh!! All of a sudden, the mes that were turning the forest into hell disappeared at once. Fire Chicken froze for a moment. There wasn¡¯t a signal or anything, but it could tell instinctively that something really bad would happen if it didn¡¯t return right away. Fire Chicken immediately turned and began flying away with great speed, even forgetting about the fact that someone was dangling from its beak. * * * ¡°I was going to control its temper, but it lost its temper as soon as it went for a flight.¡± -Whether it be regr beasts or divine ones, they are free beings. How long did you think you would be able to control its urges? ¡°...That is true. And especially since Fire Chicken is young.¡± There was no physical difference in size between Fire Chicken right now and a fully grown adult. However, it was still mentally very young; Davey knew that there would be great consequences if he just controlled it, so he had let it go free for a flight. Since it was a Divine Beast of anger, Fire Chicken needed an appropriate way to let out that anger. It would be able to control its own anger and contain itter on, but that much control was just too much to expect from a little kid right now. Davey smiled at the red being that quickly flew over to him and waved his hand. Whoosh!! Fire Chickennded in front of Davey and stared at him with an anxious gaze. Then, it threw the thing that it held onto on the ground and rubbed its beak against Davey. Davey could clearly see that Fire Chicken was trying to appeal to him by acting cute. He knew that it thought that he was going to punish it. -S¡­ So cute¡­ The former Demon Lord, realizing what Fire Chicken was doing, giggled at how cute it was. Rinne, on the other hand, pouted a little. Davey wanted to tell her to not be jealous of a Divine Beast, but he first had to take care of this bird who was charging into him with its beak and begging for him to pet it. ¡°Aww, dear Fire Chicken.¡± Davey felt Fire Chicken¡¯s slight tremble when he called its name; it seemed fear had been instilled in it well. ¡°Did you have fun?¡± W¡­ Whimper¡­ Davey chuckled as Fire Chicken whimpered and instinctively rubbed its beak on his hand. He would quite like these beasts if they learned how to control their temper. As Davey held up Fire Chicken¡¯s chin with his left hand and stroked its beak with his right hand, Fire Chicken began to rx and beforted. ¡°But, you know¡­¡± That was when Fire Chicken flinched. ¡°What is that piece of coal?¡± Davey asked. Fire Chicken froze. It looked like a piece of coal, but Davey could feel that a barrier of spirit mana was protecting the ¡°piece of coal¡±. ¡°I think I was clear about the fact that you should not attack innocent humans.¡± Squeak!! Squeak!! Due to Davey¡¯s lower tone of voice and the fact that he was no longer smiling, Fire Chicken screamed like crazy and pped its wings. Then, it evenid on the floor, showing its belly, and rolled around like it was trying to act cute. Chuckle¡­ ¡°...¡± Fire Chicken was going to act as cute as possible since it could not undo its actions. Watching the Vermillion Bird throw any of its pride as a Divine Beast out the window and act all cute, Davey no longer wanted to scare it. He finally scratched its neck and approached the ¡°piece of coal¡±. Then, he lifted up the burned robe. He immediately froze. -Davey? What did¡­ Oh my Freyja. A little puzzled by Davey¡¯s reaction, Perserque flew over to take a look. Her eyes widened after she lifted the robe and saw who it was. -An elf..? ¡°Why is an elf here?¡± Davey was baffled. He grabbed the unconscious elf by the back of her neck and mumbled. There was someone who knew better than anyone about elves at the Heins Territory. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go back to the Heins Territory for a little bit.¡± When Davey said that, Rinne¡¯s eyes shone. She urgently grabbed Davey¡¯s leg. ¡°You¡¯re going to go back to the Heins Territory? From here? How?¡± Illyna asked. ¡°Like this.¡± Whoosh!! When a magic circle was created with a strong rush of wind, Illyna stepped back. She had expected something like this to happen. She muttered, ¡°Right¡­ Who am I expecting logic from¡­ Go. I¡¯m going to go back, too.¡± As Illyna turned away and left without hesitation, Davey jumped through dimensions. * * * ¡°Oh! Gracious Savior?¡± It had been quite a while since Daveyst visited this ce. Yuria Helishana, who was quietly enjoying her tea in her nature-friendly room, stared at him with wide eyes. The house Yuria was in was a small beautiful wooden house that was in the center of where the elves lived. The wooden house was built with the elves¡¯ distinct architecture style, so the wood was as tough as metal. Like the nature-friendly kind they were, the elves were maintaining their culture quite well. ¡°Did everything go well?¡± ¡°Well, up to an extent. I can¡¯t help the fact that food prices are going to skyrocket, but I got something better.¡± Now, Davey was able to ess his handheld fan and charred twig with bells, and he had been given the Divine Beasts from his fight with Goddess Freyja. The concept of Divine Beasts was much more important than summoning beasts; since the Vermillion Bird was in charge of fire, if Davey was contracted to it, his sorcery and daoist magic rted to fire would be stronger as Fire Chicken got stronger. His sorcery or daoist magic rted to thunder and wind would be stronger if he was contracted to the Azure Dragon, water for the ck Turtle, and earth for the White Tiger. This was a simple example, but this was also what the unlocking of the four Divine Beasts meant. ¡°Sorry for visiting you on such short notice. I have something to discuss.¡± It would have beenpletely valid for Yuria to feel a little irritated by the sudden visit, but she set down another teacup in front of Davey like the visit was a good thing. She simply said, ¡°Ah, what good timing. I have a new tea that I want to show you, Gracious Savior.¡± ¡°The ingredients?¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Yuria giggled and her voice trailed off. ¡°It probably tastes pretty good if you¡¯re drinking it.¡± Davey gulped down the tea. He could smell a faint scent that he had never smelled before, so he asked, ¡°What did you put in here?¡± ¡°I brewed some husks of peppermint ants.¡± ¡°It gets stranger every time.¡± Davey scoffed. Yuria giggled again. ¡°Why does no one like my sense of taste? Even Myuu. The tea doesn¡¯t even look that strange.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, where is she?¡± ¡°Giggle, she ran away. It was so cute how she rambled about something and backed away.¡± Myuu had probably run away as fast as possible because she did not want to drink the tea, as it seemed like Myuu was currently living with Yuria. No longer entertaining the small talk, Davey threw an unconscious girl in front of Yuria for her to see. ¡°Oh my,¡± Yuria gasped. ¡°Do you happen to know her?¡± Yuria was momentarily silent before she whispered, ¡°Third Central Official¡­ Emilia¡­ No way¡­¡± Yuria stood up with wide eyes. Then, she ran up to the girl, checked her condition, and stared up at Davey. She yelled, ¡°W¡­ What happened?!¡± Davey squinted. ¡°Someone you know?¡± ¡°The previous¡­ Saintess of the Divine Tree¡­ I heard that she fell asleep along with the Divine Tree in the past¡­¡± ¡°Third Central Official Emilia?¡± ¡°...Yes, the symbol on her forehead is given to elves who live alongside the Divine Tree.¡± Just like Yuria said, there was a faded symbol of a dark moon on the unconscious girl¡¯s forehead. ¡°The symbol is a crescent moon when one first bes the Saintess of the Divine Tree. It grows into the first quarter moon, full moon, third quarter, and then the dark moon. Third Central Official Emilia has the symbol of a dark moon because she served the will of the Divine Tree until its death.¡± Elves tended to live for around two hundred years, but they could live for up to five hundred years under special circumstances. The circumstances had to be extremely special, but it seemed that this girl called Third Central Official Emilia had her life prolonged due to these very circumstances. Of course, the will of the Divine Tree was probably just a historical figure to the elves of this generation, but it wasn¡¯t all that surprising to see Third Central Official Emilia. Davey had seen her sleeping in the crystal that existed in the Divine Tree¡¯s treasury. ¡°How can Lady Emilia be in this world? And plus¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Fire Chicken captured her¡­ But the conclusion is that this Emilia girl is an elf of the Divine Tree.¡± ¡°Technically, yes.¡± ¡°Alright, then she is a hostage.¡± Yuria giggled. ¡°You really do whatever you want. But, I will follow you, Gracious Savior. If I can, I will watch and care for this person by her side. Although, I have never seen her awake in my lifetime.¡± Davey turned away without hesitation. ¡°Okay, contact me with themunication crystal when she wakes up.¡± ¡°Yes. Travel safely, Gracious Savior.¡± ¡°Any inconveniences?¡± ¡°The dwarves really helped us out a lot. We¡¯re beings who were so against each other, but.. Well, this isn¡¯t all that bad, either.¡± Chapter 213 76. The One Who Wears A Mask and The Wailing Girl. The conversation did notst long. There was no point in waiting around unless Emilia, the fragile hostage, were to wake up. Davey was relieved by Yuria¡¯s genuine smile. He returned to the Pan Empire quickly as he had left, then looked around the disorderly room. He wondered if Fire Chicken had caused trouble while he had been gone, but nothing seemed to be amiss as of yet. The soldiers were all armed and tense, moving relentlessly. It appeared that there was some kind of fight going on. Davey made sure to leave Fire Chicken in a secluded ce away from the headquarters so that it didn¡¯t cause anymotion. ¡°Fire Chicken.¡± ¡ªS¡­ Squawk? Laying on top of therge haystack, Fire Chicken widened its eyes in slight puzzlement. It had, after all, just woken up from a nap on a warm day. ¡°Did you do something again?¡± Davey asked. Quickly standing up, Fire Chicken stepped back and pped its wings. It began to squawk and shake its head violently. Fire Chicken didn¡¯t appear to be lying, since it had extinguished its mes, which should be burning with pride, and was headbutting Davey to force him to pet its head. ¡°No?¡± ¡ªSquawk!! ¡°Alright, good job.¡± Davey pulled out a hunk of meat, which he had prepared on his way here, from his Pocket ne. Fire Chicken hastily grabbed the meat and backed away, thinking it had escaped any potential punishment sessfully. ¡°Sir Davey, Fire Chicken is in extreme fear. Rinne, stating that this is not the right way to raise a child.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Davey would be a nasty parent if he was raising a human child this way, but Fire Chicken was a Divine Beast; it would still be alive after his death. Fully developed Divine Beasts outlived their parents and lived for six hundred years at the least, but could also live for infinity provided that certain conditions were met. If Fire Chicken, who would be left in this world after Davey¡¯s death, had a violent personality, the future would not be too bright. ¡°It¡¯s best to draw the line as clearly as possible.¡± ¡ªThat doesn¡¯t sound any different than animals deciding their pecking order. ¡°How is it different?¡± Even though he was doing it, Davey wasn¡¯t too happy about it either. ¡°By the way, what''s themotion about?¡± ¡°Apparently, there was a report from the search party that they¡¯ve found the Crown Prince¡¯s body.¡± At that moment, a girl smiled cutely and approached Davey. While walking over, she wrapped her robe around herself more tightly. She was ordinary, but her smile shone; however, unlike her usual simple and white robe, she was wearing an elegant and luxurious robe with a judge¡¯s hat. ¡°Ah, they finally found it. What is that staff? There¡¯s a holy stone in there, too.¡± If a mana stone was made of a concentration of mana, a holy stone was a concentration of holy power. Well, they actually had the same foundation and only differed in how they were refined. However, Davey wasn¡¯t going to cause trouble with the Holy Empire by being pedantic about this. ¡°Hehe, how do I look? Do l look like a proper Saintess candidate?¡± The girl asked about looking like a proper Saintess candidate and not a Saintess. She was not being arrogant as she knew her ce well. What a natural Saint. ¡°Well, you look elegant, I guess.¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ You¡¯re not as romantic as I expected you to be when talking to women.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not falling for that. You¡¯re someone who will be single forever, after all.¡± ¡°What?¡± The girl widened her eyes and tilted her head in puzzlement. ¡°Forever single?¡± ¡°Did you not hear about that?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think I have¡­¡± The girl murmured, clearly unaware of how old-fashioned the Holy Empire was. Both the Pope and the Saintess, the highest authority of the two branches of power, could not get married. The reason was simple: any intimate rtionship could cause them to be influenced by their partner. In this case, the Holy Empire was intentionally keeping quiet rather than not feeling the need to tell the girl. Saintess candidate Alice had always known this fact, but Saintess candidate Lena was naive enough to have known nothing. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°Well, that is a worry for the future. And it¡¯s not like you have someone you want to marry right now,¡± Davey said. ¡°Anyway, I didn¡¯t think that it would take this long to find the body. This is¡­ I don¡¯t know whether to feel bitter¡­ Or perhaps it is a relief¡­¡± ¡°What difference does it make to feel bitter about it? We should be relieved that we¡¯ve found the body atst.¡± This situation was different from when Sio Howl, the ice-type mage, had died by a sudden fatal blow from Treve, his fellow illusionist, during his time in the Alpha Reinforcements. There had been room for resurrection since it hadn¡¯t been long since he had died, but it was different this time. Since it had officially been over a week since the Crown Prince had died,plete resurrection was impossible even if Rho Aias, Davey¡¯s teacher, hade. Complete resurrection was¡­ ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Saintess candidate Lena¡¯s gaze closely resembled someone; her eyes shone like a puppy following its owner. It was like¡­ Her gaze was simr to the way Amy, the acting manager of the Heins Territory and Davey¡¯s formerdy-in-waiting, looked at him. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know if I can do the deliverance when Prince Davey is here¡­¡± ¡°I am not part of the Holy Empire. The Holy Empire is responsible for deliverance, and it is by your power.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± Since it was a huge ceremony¡­ A deliverance ceremony was a huge and expected one, since a royal member of the empire had died. However, Davey could see that the Holy Empire was trying to get something more from the Pan Empire as Saintess candidate Lena was here and had stepped up. ¡®This is why they say that even those in the Holy Empire are still mere humans, too.¡¯ ¡°Aw, you¡¯re so good.¡± ¡ªSquawk¡­ Saintess candidate Lena, who recklessly approached Fire Chicken and petted its beak with a smile, had a natural charm that made everyone be friendly with her. And although people may have not been friendly with her, her charm probably got rid of any of their thoughts about harming her. That was probably how she had managed to stay alive all this time. ¡°Be careful. What are you going to do if you get bitten?¡± ¡°How could a sweet child like this one bite? It does get a little angry, but it has a good heart¡­¡± Lena had a discerning eye, but she had no idea that she was already close to being a Saintess. That was when¡­ Toot!! It was the horn that signaled the return of the soldiers. ¡°It looks like they¡¯ve returned. I am going to go right away. Do you want to go with me?¡± ¡°I should at least show my face.¡± * * * All the knights in white armor stood in a line and pulled out their swords in solemnity. ng!! ng!!! They saluted each party that entered the pce gates by swinging their swords. Seven white horses first entered before ten knights walked in with arge coffin in a poised manner. They kept their formation throughout. The person in the coffin was no ordinary royalty or nobility; it was the Crown Prince of the nation known as the continent¡¯s strongest empire. Illyna, who was wearing the circle and leading the formation from the front, looked more devastated than Davey could imagine. She was trying to hide her emotions, but her cold expression looked much colder than usual. Perhaps that was what a facade looked like. The Pan Empire¡¯s remaining biggest concern after the necromancers, the cause of this incident, had been taken care of had been to find the Crown Prince¡¯s body. And after a long battle, Illyna had sessfully recovered her brother¡¯s body. ¡°The body is intact, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not there, the heart.¡± The Crown Prince¡¯s body was rtively finepared to the others. Inside the open coffin, his body wasid out with a lot of flowers. Clearly, the priests had gone out of their way and worked hard to cover the parts that had dposed, but it was just fool¡¯s gold if it had begun dposing. ¡°Along with Father, Big Brother was one of the people who strongly supported peace in the continent,¡± Illyna said softly. The Crown Prince had been adamant that war should never happen. ¡°It was Big Brother who always said that people would be able to rx if there was peace, and that people from every nation would be able to look at each other objectively, without wariness and discrimination, once the chains of vengeance were gone.¡± However, the Crown Prince had been in conflict with Prince Sullivan, who only considered the Pan Empire, and the other princes who held onto extreme views. ¡°Big Brother was the only personpletely against war of any kind.¡± ¡°Were you close?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Not every member of the royal family likes me. In fact, most royalty are wary of me¡­ But there aren¡¯t any problems, thanks to Big Brother.¡± Illyna thought that there was no one reckless and stupid enough to mess with her; there was a reason she was called the apple of the Pan Empire¡¯s eye. Unlike Aeria, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s youngest princess who had been sick and was living in a ce where beastfolk discrimination existed, Illyna was a warrior who had gotten rid of any opponents keeping her in check and had solidified her position. ¡°Illyna.¡± Sullivan approached Illyna, who was just staring at the coffin. ¡°Sullivan?¡± ¡°Illyna, I¡¯m sorry, but I think we¡¯re going to have to hold the national funeral here instead of the capital.¡± Illyna widened her eyes and cried out, ¡°What?! That cannot happen!¡± ¡°No, this has been decided by the next Crown Prince. Do not object.¡± Sullivan calmly put his hand on Illyna¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Do you think this makes sense? Ha! Next Crown Prince?! Was that the reason you postponed it until you could find Big Brother¡¯s body to simply confirm his death?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Illyna, who was furious, began crying out loud. She could no longer hold in her sorrow; normally, she would not show this kind of weakness. When Davey silently patted her on the back, Illyna burrowed into his arms and sobbed. She did not realize who was beside her. ¡°We are going to cremate the body and have the funeral in about a week, since we need to prepare for it. Prince Davey, you have never met my Big Brother, but¡­ Please attend for my younger sister¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Please, I am asking you.¡± Even in this situation, Prince Sullivan was asking Davey for a favor without a change of expression. He looked at the sobbing Illyna, then simply turned away. * * * A week was neither a particrly short nor long time. During that period of time, Prince Sullivan resolved the issue regarding theck of food exports towards the Heins Territory using his authority. He also sold a part of the leftover food supply that was going to be used to relieve the citizens of the Pan Empire. Sullivan looked like he didn¡¯t take care to form friendly attachments, but he took care of business and promises made by the empire with great precision and rity. Illyna had criticized him for being cold and harsh, but he did not budge. The previous crown prince of the Pan Empire didn''t have the aptitude of a crown prince, but he was still a great person. ¡°Big Brother was too optimistic, saying that someday a war-free and peaceful world woulde¡­ He said that there woulde a time where problems would be dealt with by diplomacy and cooperation rather than swords. I¡­ I liked Big Brother for that,¡± Illyna mumbled monotonously as she stared at the Crown Prince¡¯s body, which wasid upon arge wooden support. Illyna looked exhausted from trying not to cry in public. Even so, she still looked ridiculously beautiful, just like a fragile princess. ¡°Big Brother knew better than anyone that there would be too many sacrifices needed in order for that kind of world toe. And he also knew that it would be impossible with his power. He knew that the only person who could make that happen was me,¡± Sullivan mumbled. Illyna red at Sullivan with resentment. ¡°Do you¡­even know what sacrifice is?!¡± Unfortunately, no one could hear Illyna; the only people who could hear were the two people standing right next to the body and a few others who had good hearing. It was true that a lot of people hade, since it was the national funeral of the Pan Empire¡¯s Crown Prince, but it wasn¡¯t like everyone¡¯s hearing was as sensitive as animals. ¡°Illyna.¡± ¡°Let go! I resent you, Sullivan. If you had helped Big Brother, even a little bit, when he was alive¡­ He would not have gone that way!¡± Sullivan smiled bitterly. ¡°Right¡­ I knew absolutely nothing. However, politics aren¡¯t as easy as you think. Illyna, let me ask you a question. I held Big Brother¡¯s national funeral here because of circumstances I cannot talk about. If we had the funeral in the capital, like you said¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you ready to take responsibility for any problems that may arise? I can only take so much of your childishness.¡± The siblings red at each other in hostility, making it seem like they were not rted at all. Sullivan¡¯s voice was cold and cutting. Davey simply watched the siblings¡¯ fight quietly, but he mentally spoke to Perserque. ¡®It¡¯s almost like a TV show. Perserque, do you have any popcorn?¡¯ ¡ªYour personality is just amazing. ¡®I know that you have some physical power now, but don''t you intervene unnecessarily.¡¯ ¡ªThen, are you just going to sit and watch? Still, you care for that child Illyna. Unlike the two, Davey clicked his tongue at whatever that was left between them, and¡­ Bleep. The offer that was presented on the status window. [Take care of thest of the corruption. Purify the soul that entered the ring of reincarnation from corruption. If not, there is a high possibility that an abnormal phenomenon will ur in the ring of reincarnation in the future.] ¡°Tsk, acting like you are extending a helping hand when you are just threatening me¡­¡± It was unclear whether Goddess Freyja was extending a helping hand to Illyna or Davey. The trauma of someone passing away went on for longer than people imagined. Chapter 214 ¡°What kind of idiot dies intentionally? How can you say that? Stop it. From this day on, I do not want to speak to a heartless person like you.¡± ¡°Illyna.¡± ¡°I have nothing more to say. Please go if you are not going to mourn Big Brother. Right now!¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Illyna red at Sullivan, who backed away with a sigh, and hugged the former Crown Prince¡¯s body, which was so clean that it looked like it could wake up at any moment. The former Crown Prince¡¯s body was missing a heart; would the heart disappear while everything else remained intact when someone became an Undead? That probably wasn¡¯t it. Davey could only suspect that Deian, the King of the Dead, or Grell Orfan had done something before they could get to the body. However, Davey had no way to figure out the reason behind why they would do such a thing. ¡°You have quite a smooth tongue. I will just pretend that I don¡¯t know about this,¡± Daveymented. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about. Let¡¯s leave it at that since I am not in a good mood either.¡± Davey silently stared at Sullivan, who backed away from Illyna and approached him. Sullivan just smiled bitterly and shook his head. ¡°I am theplete opposite of my big brother. I never wanted him to die, but objectively speaking, it seems like I will be the Crown Prince since Big Brother, who was always at odds with me, has passed away.¡± Davey turned away, thinking that Sullivan was being suspicious. Then, Saintess candidate Lena walked toward the cremating area in a ssic white court robe and hat. She had other priests following her in a straight line. Upon their appearance, the murmuring crowd fell silent and the atmosphere was solemn. Toot!! When the armored knights blew into their heavy horns, everyone in attendance lowered their heads in silence. Although they might not be that sad, they were pretending to be as it was the former Crown Prince. Ring! The silent deliverance ceremony began. Any funeral that was influenced by the Holy Empire would be held in this manner, and this funeral at the Pan Empire was no exception. The priest did a dance of mourning for the soul before cremation. This particr dance and prayer were in hopes that the soul would be embraced by God. Saintess candidate Lena¡¯s movements were rather rigid, but her sadness and mournful heart still shone through. Ring! When the holy stone shone and the bell on her staff rang, a cluster of white light began to appear around Saintess candidate Lena. The illuminating light then surrounded the Crown Prince¡¯s body and spread all around. Only then did it shoot up into the sky as pirs of light. The only thing that could be heard from the gloomy, dark, and solemn atmosphere was the swishing of Lena¡¯s robe and the ringing of the bell on her staff. Davey could see Illyna covering her mouth and watching the ceremony with red eyes. The silent cremation ceremony proceeded on. It should have ended with the cremation of the body once the deliverance ceremony came to an end. However¡­ ¡°O¡­ Oh¡­ No¡­ No!¡± A problem arose as soon as the deliverance ceremony ended. Saintess candidate Lena backed away when Illyna ran past the knights who were walking up to the body with torches in their hands for the cremation. Illyna, holding onto the cold body, began to cry. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh! Big Brother! Please open your eyes, Big Brother¡­ Weep¡­ I¡­ It was all my fault. It was all my fault and I will stay by your side¡­ So please¡­ Open your eyes? Hm? Big Brother!¡± ¡°You cannot do this. Your Highness!¡± ¡°Let go!! Weep¡­ Sob!! Big Brother¡­ Big Brother! It was all my fault! It was all¡­ Sob¡­ Sob¡­¡± Davey felt for the wailing Illyna, who had abandoned all objectivity and logic. [Mother! Please open your eyes! Please do not die! You promised we would live a long life together!] Illyna hugged the Crown Prince¡¯s cold body and cried with no regard for the surprised looks she was getting from the crowd. The people could almost feel her bitterness just by looking at her. ¡ªYou¡­do not look good. ¡°Stupid memories.¡± Considering his time as a soul, Davey had memories from over a thousand years. He couldn¡¯t shake off the bitterness that had been ingrained in him, especially when it came to traumatic memories. ¡®They say pain that cannot be dealt with does not ever get better, but just gets pushed down with time.¡¯ That was probably why Davey still felt sorrow when he thought back to that time. He had only regained the memories of his previous life a few years after that unfortunate incident, so he always wondered if he could have stopped that situation from happening if he had regained his memories in time. ¡°Let go! Big Brother! Big Brother! It¡¯s me, Illyna! The younger sister that you cared for so much! Please¡­¡± Illyna sobbed, letting out all of the sorrow she had tried to hide. Everyone was watching Illyna. The female attendees of the funeral turned away with red eyes. Even the male attendees, who were less emotional than the women, had turned away with a sigh. ¡°Sniffle¡­ Don¡¯t do this. Your Highness¡­ The Crown Prince won¡¯t be able to leave with a good heart if you cry like this?¡± Saintess candidate Lena hugged Illyna and pulled her away with red eyes. Illyna sobbed even while being dragged out of the cremation area. She struggled and yelled, ¡°No! I have so much left to say to Big Brother! I couldn¡¯t even tell him that I love him because I was too embarrassed to! I can¡¯t let him go like this!¡± Illyna¡¯s desperate struggle was too much for Saintess candidate Lena to handle, so the White Bird knights who were under Illyna¡¯s lead had to step in. ¡°Your Highness. Please forgive my impertinence.¡± ¡°Let go!! I will behead you all!¡± ¡°Please just have our necks!¡± When the knights shouted firmly and pulled Illyna away, Sullivan nodded with a stern face. Then, the knights slowly walked back up to the cremation area and ignited the thin twigs and tinder. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ No!!!!¡± Illyna, who copsed to the ground in sorrow, tried to jump into the fire. p!! Just as Illyna was about to, Sullivan approached her and pped her cheek. He shouted, ¡°You fool!¡± ¡°...¡± Illyna red at Sullivan. Sullivan clenched his jaw and had his hand on his sword. He addressed the knights, ¡°Take Illyna away. Watch her so that she cannot leave the room until the funeral has ended.¡± ¡°...¡± The knights of the White Bird looked away. ¡°What are you doing? You are Illyna¡¯s knights, but you are ignoring themand of the future Crown Prince? I will lock you up for treason if you want,¡± Sullivan said coldly. He looked like he was going to bisect the knights if they refused his order. The knights closed their eyes in resignation. Then, they helped the sobbing Illyna up and went away. ¡°My apologies for showing you something so unpleasant.¡± The attendees looked surprised by Sullivan¡¯s unexpected heartlessness when he bowed to them with a calm expression. They fell silent. Watching the Crown Prince¡¯s body burn, Davey tapped the empty space silently and retrieved arge staff. Thud¡­ Davey lightly swung therge staff before tapping it on the ground. [7th Circle] [Rain Custom] Then, he put a paper charm between his fingers and closed his eyes. [Seal of the Vermillion Bird] [Fire of a Ritual] Rain began to fall from the sky, but the mes continued to burn. The weather had been gloomy, but it didn¡¯t seem like it was going to rain. However, it was certainly raining heavily now. The attendees were flustered by the sudden rainfall, but no one got wet as they were sheltered by a waterproof tent. However¡­ ¡°My consideration ends here. I will have to go on my way now. The fire will not go out. I pray that the soul will be able to reach the Goddess¡¯ heart.¡± ¡°Thank¡­you,¡± Sullivan whispered. He silently stared at the body under the heavy rainfall. ¡ªSorry? ¡®There are times when royals have to hold in their tears even if they don¡¯t want to. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡¯ Davey could not help but click his tongue. [Sob¡­ Hup¡­ Sob.] Davey could hear someone trying very hard to hold in their sobs until he left the ce. * * * Illyna was locked in a huge room, since she was a princess. The room was guarded by the knights. ¡°Open the door,¡± Davey said calmly. ¡°No one is able to enter. Go back.¡± ¡°Open the door.¡± The knights looked displeased. ¡°Your Highness, I know it is impertinent, but I cannot let you inside the room where Her Highness is all alone.¡± ¡°Then, take a good nap.¡± The moment the knights were flustered by Davey¡¯s smile, their eyes rolled backward and they fell to the ground. Davey felt a little bad for them, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to just leave. Creak!! What Davey saw when he opened the door was Illyna nkly staring at the rain while sitting on therge bed. He said, ¡°You¡¯re miserable.¡± ¡°Davey¡­¡± Illyna turned to look at Davey without her usual spirit. She mumbled, ¡°Big Brother¡­¡± ¡°People die someday.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But I won¡¯t say that this time. Sorry for your loss.¡± ¡°...Thanks. And sorry. I showed you a bad side of me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about; it¡¯s natural to be sad when a loved one dies.¡± Pitter patter!! The heavy rainfall sounded so loud. ¡°It¡¯s raining¡­ Is it Big Brother¡¯s tears? I¡­have a lot I wanted to tell him¡­¡± Illyna just shared a cringey expression, but she was not objective enough to realize that yet. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. Rain falls when the water in the sky exceeds a certain weight.¡± Illyna frowned. ¡°I will give you a two out of ten if that was to make meugh.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not here to make youugh or to watch you be miserable. So, look over here.¡± Davey pulled out a paper charm and pped it onto Illyna¡¯s forehead. ¡°Kyahh! What are you¡­?¡± ¡°You said you have things you wanted to say.¡± When given the opportunity, Illyna should say everything that she wanted to say. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the other person would have a lot they want to say as well? It¡¯s a maximum of five minutes, so say everything you want to say during that time.¡± Illyna widened her eyes. She flinched just as she was about to remove the paper charm. ¡ª... There was no response. ¡°I am a looter. I have just hijacked your soul, which is on the ring of reincarnation.¡± Although the word ¡®hijack¡¯ did not exist in this world, that was not at all important. The other person didn¡¯t have to understand. Davey had gone through a little bit of trouble to call upon the former Crown Prince¡¯s soul again. Then, he stared at Illyna and warned her, ¡°Remember, five minutes. After five minutes, other souls that are on the ring with the Crown Prince will be affected. Your soul will be unstable, too.¡± Illyna, who was frozen, mumbled in surprise, ¡°Big¡­ Brother?¡± Of course, Davey could not hear the Crown Prince, but his voice had most likely reached Illyna. [8th Circle Dark Magic] [Voice of Salvation] This magic spell was made by a necromancer who had entered the 8th Circle after having desperately tried to revive their deceased significant other by twisting thew of the ring of reincarnation. It had a huge cost, so this wasn¡¯t something that a mortal could do. But thanks to Goddess Freyja, Davey did not have to put in as much effort to make this happen for Illyna. However, it was unknown whether Davey was trying to save Illyna or Goddess Freyja was just showing off her abilities to get Davey to ept her position as God. ¡°D¡­ Davey? Am¡­ Am I dreaming right now?¡± Illyna mumbled in disbelief. Davey thumped Illyna on the head. ¡®This woman doesn¡¯t know that time is of the essence.¡¯ ¡°This is why you have to show people you care about them when they are around. Remember, five minutes. Close your eyes and mouth once the music ends. Any more conversation than that and you will die too,¡± Davey reminded Illyna. Back then, Davey hadn¡¯t been able to show his mother that he cared for her. He would forever regret that. Since it seemed like Illyna and the former Crown Prince had been especially close, and if she was forever going to regret not being able to say herst words, there was no reason for Davey to not help her with the power that he had. ¡°...¡± Illyna did not answer him, so Davey left her behind and sat on the chair on one side of the room. Then, he rummaged through his Pocket ne, pulled out a small flute, and closed his eyes. ¡°May the dead soul walk the path of relief, let go of its memories, and live a new life.¡± With a calm prelude, a soft and gentle tune flowed out of Davey¡¯s flute. ¡®I really don¡¯t like this requiem genre, but¡­¡¯ Davey had no choice but to calm the hijacked souls down. If he didn¡¯t do this, the souls would all suffer from seizures at once. ¡®Everyone line up. I will y you a magical performance created by a minstrel who once made dead souls dance.¡¯ Sorcery was more stable when dealing with human souls, but this was better than nothing. As the solemn and slow requiem flowed out from Davey¡¯s flute, Illyna slowly smiled. She bit her lip and held in her tears. The very first thing that she wanted to show the person who was leaving was a smile, so they would not have to worry when crossing to the other side. Chapter 215 Five minutes was around three hundred seconds. It was too short a length of time for those who had plenty to say. However, Illyna understood the reality of the situation. She ended the conversation after saying everything she could in the five minutes. As soon as the conversation came to an end, the music that wasforting the souls also came to an end. Davey had no reason to listen in on the conversation, so hepletely blocked it out from his mind. Thud!! ¡®What great timing.¡¯ Other knights hade running into the room after discovering the unconscious knights outside. They had their swords drawn. Looking at Illyna, who was staring into space, Davey rose from his seat and said, ¡°Your brother.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°How can anyone be perfect? Even if you can¡¯t like him, don¡¯t hate him.¡± It didn¡¯t matter whether Illyna understood what Davey was saying. Insensitive people were bound to be disliked even when they did good things. ¡ªPrince Sullivan will be heavily criticized by the royal pce¡­ If I was a prince, I would swoop in and wreck her for doing something so ridiculous in public. ¡°The biggest thing is¡­some of the nobles who dislike Sullivan are going to start to support Illyna.¡± The Pan Empire had several princes, and only Sullivan silently supported Illyna out of them all. Needless to say, the empire was full of princes who were just waiting for the opportunity to denounce Illyna. ¡°I was waiting for you. Normally, I should be greeting you at the royal pce with the greatest luxuries andforts, but¡­¡± ¡°We are both busy. I don¡¯t know how much time it would have taken if I went all the way there.¡± ¡°It is safer here. The royal pce is a ce where you can¡¯t really trust anyone due to the fight for power.¡± Sullivan thought that, from simple servants and maids to people like thedies-in-waiting, managers, or even knights, it was difficult to determine who was on what side. ¡°I heard you went to Illyna¡¯s room. How is she?¡± ¡°You caused the entire situation, so you asking me the question¡­ I don¡¯t have any empathy for you.¡± ¡°Haha, right. Then, let¡¯s get to it.¡± Sullivan handed Davey a document and said, ¡°It¡¯s a letter from the royal pce.¡± The document had a title written inrge font: Treaty of Military Alliance Of the Pan Empire and the Rowane Kingdom. ¡°You requested for a military alliance between the Rowane and the Pan Empire.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Sullivan thought for a moment, then said, ¡°But you know that the Rowane Kingdom is already in somewhat of a military alliance with the Lyndis Empire, right? ording to the information I have, I know that you and Emperor Deorte of the Lyndis Empire are close. As such, the royal pce of the Pan Empire has replied quickly.¡± Denied. The Pan Empire was dering neutrality. ¡°We cannot favor or discriminate against any one kingdom. That is the Pan Empire¡¯s position.¡± But unsurprisingly, Prince Sullivan had a different perspective. Rip!! ¡°However, this decision was made by the assholes who had sat back and watched from the royal pce when the previous war had taken ce. I beg to differ.¡± Sullivan firmly added, ¡°The Pan Empire is not a shameless empire that would not acknowledge kindness and grace.¡± The Pan Empire was simr to the Lyndis Empire, because it was also a huge kingdom. ¡°However, let¡¯s be clear. I must ask, why did you make such a problematic request to the royal pce?¡± Davey sipped his tea, then said, ¡°There is no particr reason. If the Pan Empire has a strong intelligencework, you should already know what I am collecting in the territory.¡± Sullivan squinted and mumbled, ¡°The Heins Territory is a ce the Pan Empire is keeping a close eye on, since the territory is able to independently harvest moon grass leaves, something the Pan Empire had a monopoly on. ording to my research¡­¡± The Heins Territory had purchased arge food supply, as well as materials to build a fortress and to repair the pce wall. They had also purchased arge amount of weapons. ¡°Are you starting a war?¡± ¡°We¡¯re actually the ones stopping it, to be exact.¡± Sullivan let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s a problem with the other species.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quick.¡± ¡°The ones who are targeting the Crown Prince of a kingdom. If you don¡¯t know this much, you can¡¯t call yourself the Crown Prince of a superpower. Most kingdoms are causing incidents, small and big, but no kingdom has had conflict with the Heins Territory or the Rowane Kingdom.¡± Davey nodded for Sullivan to go on. ¡°The only people left are the ones unknown to us. So, dwarves¡­ Or elves¡­ The forest kind that suddenly just showed up¡­ Or another kind that you have been hiding.¡± Davey did not offer an answer. ¡°It won¡¯t be the dwarves, since I know that the dwarves in the continent are friendly to you. So, then, it would be elves¡­¡± While speaking, Sullivan¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose the enemy will be so strong that we can¡¯t handle it. I am not a fool who doesn¡¯t trust you after seeing everything that you have achieved. Then, it means that the Pan Empire¡­¡± Sullivan paused and pointed out something that Davey did not mention. ¡°...is in the way of the power associated with the elves that is after you.¡± ¡®This guy gives me the chills.¡¯ ¡ªThat is not something you should say. ¡°I¡¯m in awe.¡± Davey could notice some things or patterns because he had been alive for a long time. As for Sullivan, he was a genius in a different way, in terms of politics or showing force to other nations. ¡ªMaybe the reason why he supported Saintess candidate Alice in the beginning was¡­ ¡®It¡¯s obvious. He probably saw the opportunity to step on the Holy Empire. Of course, I was probably the unexpected factor.¡¯ No good woulde from a prolonged conversation, because Sullivan would just dig deeper into Davey even if Davey tried to hide it. However, there would be no better power to have as an ally. ¡°I will tell you the official position of the Pan Empire¨Cno, the future Crown Prince.¡± Sullivan, who had straightened his back, pulled out another piece of paper and said, ¡°This is an offer ofplete alliance in the future between the Pan Empire and the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°You are going there? That is a different story.¡± ¡°To be honest, it is only right that we repay you since we have received your help. This particr offer, however, isn¡¯t bad for either of us.¡± ¡°Some of the terms here bother me.¡± Sullivan looked a little puzzled. The Pan Empire was promising to provide the Heins Territory with arge amount of supplies and technological support was good. However¡­ ¡°The Pan Empire would be of higher rank than the Rowane Kingdom. If an enemy that poses a threat to either nation appears in the next two hundred years, both parties shall do everything in their power to save the other party.¡± Sullivan tilted his head in puzzlement. ¡°Is it about the rank?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about small details like that. However, I refuse such a contract of proposed very.¡± Rip!! This time, it was Davey who ripped up the contract. ¡®Threat to our nation? How is this any different from explicitly stating that you will use me for my powers?¡¯ Davey was never going to ept a contract that wanted to exploit him. ¡°Other regr kingdoms would do anything to have the Pan Empire support them.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, fear of the Pan Empire¡¯s power is not why I am offering a treaty of allegiance.¡± Davey was trying to decrease the number of innocent lives that would be lost if the elves had managed to cooperate with an empire to attack him. ¡°You do understand what I mean, right?¡± ¡°...¡± Sullivan nced at Davey with a sharp gaze, trying to discern whether Davey was lying or not. ¡°We just have to keep a good distance. Help should be given when either of us are in danger. However, it bes a problem if help being given has to be forced,¡± Davey said. Sullivan nodded. ¡°Illyna has said something before. She said that I could mess with whatever I wanted, but that I should never mess with you, saying that that was for the sake of the Pan Empire. To be honest, I just thought she was speaking nonsense, but¡­¡± Sullivan hummed, then stepped back. ¡°Are you human, Prince Davey?¡± ¡°I am as human as you can see right now. I also do not have any negative feelings towards the Pan Empire, either.¡± ¡°That is good. We will leave this as our hidden card. However, I hope that there will not be a situation where we ignore each other¡¯s request for help with some ridiculous excuse.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another problem.¡± Sullivan tilted his head in curiosity. ¡°This part.¡± Davey pointed to a term on the ripped contract and said, ¡°I am not going to enter a marriage where neither the man nor woman have feelings for each other. And¡­¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You have a tendency to overprotect your younger sister.¡± ¡®You want me to be her nanny? No way.¡¯ The term stated an offer about an official wedding between Illyna and Davey. * * * ¡°May I ask you something?¡± Sullivan nodded with a pale face. ording to the information on Sullivan¡¯s status window, he was in a more fragile state than Davey thought. [Wants to end the conversation as there is too much psychological stress.] Sullivan was feeling a little drained from conversing with Davey. However, he had a pretty good poker face; he showed none of his true feelings. ¡°Why did you lie?¡± Sullivan wasn¡¯t one to be clueless as to what Davey was asking about. He stated, ¡°Illyna should not know about the dirty things that happen in politics.¡± ¡°If you head back like this, you will be heavily criticized and denounced by the royal pce.¡± Unless a person was a fool, no one would hold a simple ceremony for the former Crown Prince with a baseless excuse that the next Crown Prince had given an order. Did Sullivan not know about that? ¡®No way.¡¯ Sullivan squinted at Davey. ¡°To all the nobles and royals in the empire¡­¡± Sullivan¡¯s voice trailed off as he rose from his seat. Then, he slowly approached Davey and stared into his eyes. ¡°They must not get the idea that the rtionship between Illyna and I has gotten better. If that were to happen¡­¡± Sullivan smiled bitterly. ¡°I can no longer guarantee her safety, nor can I protect her way of life, which is like a free bird.¡± It wouldn¡¯t take long to get dirtied by mud. Even a person in clean clothes would be dirty as soon as the people in the mud sshed around here and there. ¡°The request to be cremated here was just Big Brother¡¯s childishness. It was a childish request tofort the souls of the soldiers who had fought with him. Ha! It wasn¡¯t even worth listening to.¡± ¡°It¡¯s clear that the deceased Crown Prince was a respectable person.¡± The Crown Prince of an empire was the one to inherit everything. Yet, the former Crown Prince had not backed away from battle even though he had known that he would die. ¡°Before thest march¡­ Big Brother sent me a letter. Yes, it was a stupid letter that everyone calls the death note. He said that his body had been ovee with death energy and that he did not have long. ¡ªNo way¡­ ¡®That¡¯s why he had no heart.¡¯ It was neither the Undead nor an unknown being that had ripped the former Crown Prince¡¯s heart out. It appeared that one of his subordinates had done so. The heart was a mana user¡¯s source of power. The former Crown Prince had made the greatest decision to destroy most of his power, which was almost at an advanced level of Expert, so that he would not be able to kill his subjects with it. ¡°Of course, I would not have listened if that was all of it.¡± [The only person to protect our younger sister is you.] Illyna de Pan was the only princess of the Pan Empire still alive. What was a way to protect her and have the nobility and royalty of society ept her? ¡°For thest war¡­ Do you know the army that normally protects this region? It is the White Bird.¡± Illyna was in charge of the White Bird. ¡°Even an unwilling party will be dragged into the abyss in the blink of an eye if the other side decides to cause problems. Illyna is brilliant, but shecks the ability to deal with cunning people.¡± As Davey nodded, Sullivan reached out and asked for a handshake. He said, ¡°So, we need a strong shield. The nobility and other princes will bring about Illyna¡¯s responsibility in this war and drag it out. They will try to take the authority over White Bird, which is protecting my sister.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey stood there, not epting Sullivan¡¯s hand. Sullivan went on. ¡°So, I must step up.¡± ¡°Step up, you say¡­¡± ¡°Since I have held Big Brother¡¯s official funeral here and publicly announced that I am the next official Crown Prince, they will think that I have buried his influence and that I am showing my true self. Of course, no one would cause problems with Illyna, who is somewhat trivial, when they have a strong enemy right in front of their eyes.¡± By stating that he was the next Crown Prince, Sullivan was trying to get the other princes to attack him instead of looking at Illyna unnecessarily. He was being so ridiculous that he had held the funeral of his older brother, his opponent, in the outskirts of the kingdom. As no one else knew the context of the letter, Sullivan¡¯s actions just became a political deration of his power. People forgot trivial problems in the face of a strong, threatening opponent. It was simple politics to divert attention away from something, but Sullivan would lose a lot to do this: honor, pride, or the potential smile of his younger sister. He would lose all of that for the period of time the truth of the letter would be buried for. Chapter 216 77. How to Extract Information from a Hostage. Davey silently shook the hands in front of him. He looked at the man calmly and muttered, ¡°What if the tables were turned, and they decided to drag Illyna to their side to keep you in check?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. They are aware of the things that I will do if they tried to drag the neutral Illyna into this mess. And you have to know¡­¡± Illyna had always found those people¡¯s ideals to be repugnant. They were as unmixable as oil and water, since they stood on opposing sides from the very beginning. ¡°I know that you are good friends. That¡¯s why I hope that you, the First Prince, would understand why I¡¯m telling you this and not anyone else.¡± Sullivan was hoping that Illyna¡¯s friend could help him to keep his sister¡¯s heart pure and innocent. ¡°If we could proceed with the royal marriage, then there¡¯s nothing that I could ever wish for. But¡­¡± Sullivan thought that it was better for Illyna to be taken away into another nation instead of being dragged through the mud and darkness of the empire. Of course, the best case scenario would be Illyna marrying a man who was a strong and sturdy pir, being allowed to live freely, and not getting dragged into this political mess. Davey was aware of the intention of Sullivan¡¯s handshake, and still took the offered hand. After all, Davey could tell that this man would be a very dangerous person if they became enemies. He thought it better to be allies with someone as ck-hearted as Sullivan. ¡°Illyna acted immaturely when she asked if you truly knew what sacrifice meant. I¡¯m curious though, when did you start protecting her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just using a different method from our brother, and I have never stopped doing so or changed my intentions. The problem is that I¡¯m the only one that can step forward to do so now.¡± Prince Sullivan was and had always been protecting Illyna. This was contrary to what Illyna thought, which was why she had asked him if he truly knew what sacrifice meant. She just could not see it because he was using a different method to protect her. ¡°She¡¯s still a child. How could she bloom if a young bud like her is not allowed to grow and reach her fullest potential?¡± Sullivan¡¯s heart was genuine and his words were free of deceit. He spoke the truth. For a moment, Davey thought that it was really good to have his cheat-like lie detector power during such situations. After all, it could y a huge factor in helping him decide if he would trust the person in front of him or not. Sullivan finally showed a smile that was different from all of the other smiles that he had shown to others. He said, ¡°To each their own. Besides, I¡¯m more used to doing it this way.¡± Sullivan was doing so much because he wanted Illyna to live a life that was free from the darkness of the empire and the mess of politics. Everyone had their own thoughts, ideals, and ways of living. They were free to do whatever they wanted since they were the star, the main character, of their own world. Davey thought that he was not in the position to say anything, because the future that he had nned out was different from the future that the man in front of him was imagining. ¡°I¡¯ll clear my debt over here first. Did you say something about enemies? Let theme, I¡¯ll make sure to smash them to pieces.¡± ¡°I appreciate your thoughts, but the moment the World Tree steps forward, the Pan Empire would be driven to a corner and would not be able to endure for long. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Davey turned away from Sullivan and he slowly rxed his balled-up fist. He continued, ¡°¡­you have to listen carefully to what I say from this point on.¡± *** Davey did not know what Illyna had said to the Crown Prince¡¯s soul, but he noticed that her spirits appeared to be lifted after the conversation. She no longer appeared to be empty and lost. Illyna approached Davey and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try the closed-door training that you talked about before.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°You can¡¯t leave until you aplish what you want to achieve.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take too long.¡± Illyna was talented, and whatever that Davey had done for her had a pretty huge impact on her development. Even if they were just slight adjustments and changes, they would make a huge difference once they were umted. In terms of swordsmanship, Illyna would also be able to reach the master-level sooner than anybody else. After the unintentional farewell with Illyna, Davey left the headquarters and embarked on the journey back to Heins Territory. Creaaaaaaaak!!! The huge gate, crafted from the dwarves'' amazing skill, slowly opened as the armored soldier shouted, ¡°The seigneur has returned!!!¡± As if they had been waiting for this moment, the soldiers immediately lined up and saluted. Davey ced his hands together and said, ¡°Everyone must be exhausted from continuously monitoring and maintaining the security of the territory. So, let¡¯s skip the trivial formalities and get back to your posts.¡± ¡°We understand, sir! Everyone, at ease!!!¡± Swoosh!!! ¡°At ease!¡± The armed soldiers all took a step back after hearing themand. ¡°Wee back, Your Highness. We have been waiting for your arrival.¡± ¡°Good work, everyone. Do you have something to report?¡± ¡°There are a few matters but none of them are urgent. With proper coordination, we have solved them or are in the process of solving them.¡± ¡°You did not have much time to rest. You must have had a hard time.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°Hehe. These are the things that I should do. Although I¡¯m still rough around the edges, I¡¯m trying to do my best since I know that Your Highness has great trust in me and has left me with tasks of extreme importance. This is more of a redemption for me,¡± Amy said with her eyes sparkling. ¡°Brother!¡± When a green-haired girl ran over from afar, Davey said, ¡°Goodness! Winley, how have you been?¡± ¡°Brother! Aren¡¯t you being a bit too distant from me these days?¡± ¡°Haha. Sorry.¡± Davey hadn¡¯t been paying much attention to his sister, because he had been dealing with matters on a veryrge-scale level. Yulis had been taking care of Winley while Davey had been busy. However, Yulis was not present at the moment, since he had returned to the Red Tower¡¯s headquarters to deal with the aftermath of the recent war. ¡°Oh. It seems like you¡¯ve been working hard during my absence, huh? Your magic skills have improved,¡± Davey said proudly. He patted Winley on her head as he looked at the four mana circles spinning on her chest. Winley had climbed up to the true entrance of mages, the 4th Circle. In other words, she was no longer stagnant at the 3rd Circle and had finally surpassed the limits of an average mage to cross the threshold. Winley studied magic because she was a talented genius in this field. Davey knew that his sister would reach this level someday, but he still felt proud to see it for himself. ¡°It seems like this happened a while ago. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°How was I going to tell you when you¡¯re so busy, brother? Besides, I thought that it was better to surprise you!¡± Davey had to admit that he was not really that interested in what Winley was trying to say, but¡­ ¡®I know that family is the most important thing in the world.¡¯ Perhaps the incident with Sullivan made Davey feel that Winley was more special than others. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. This brother of yours is very proud of you.¡± Davey was just very grateful that both Baris and Winley were able to grow up with a bright and positive attitude despite the bad situation they had been born into. ¡°Hehe!¡± Winley was pleased with Davey¡¯spliment, so she burrowed deeper into his arms. Davey patted Winley on her back as he looked at the people around him. ¡°Cough! You¡¯re back, Wise Teacher!¡± ¡°Elder Golgouda, have you been well?¡± ¡°Hahahahaha! I¡¯m still hale and hearty! I just thought that I shoulde to update Wise Teacher on the results of the designs that you¡¯ve left with us. I was just barely able to leave my whiny brother toe here. He said that he wanted to be the one to do it! Bwahahahahaha!¡± The boisterous dwarven behavior brought a smile to Davey¡¯s face. Elder Goulda was in charge of the designs, but Elder Golgouda had taken the opportunity away out of personal interest. Well, even if the two of them quarreled and fought, Davey did not have to worry about a thing. After all, the two brothers were very close. ¡°Mr. Benefactor.¡± ¡°Yuria¡­ Is this about the previous generation¡¯s Divine Tree Saintess that we¡¯ve captured as hostage?¡± ¡°Yes. I believe you can talk to her now since she is stable enough.¡± Yuria nodded. Davey lowered Winley, who was snuggled in his arms, and turned to speak to Golgouda. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elder. I think I need to deal with this problem first.¡± ¡°Haha! Please don¡¯t worry. I have a good sense of propriety. I know which issue is more urgent. I¡¯ll be finishing the design in the workshop, so just stop by and let me hear your thoughts on the matter.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°What, thanks?! You don¡¯t have to thank me! I have never done anything more interesting than this in my entire life! Bwahaha! If you have a job like this in the future, do make sure to call me and let me work on it!¡± Golgouda chuckled. He nced at their surroundings before whispering, ¡°Look forward to it. I already got those jaw-dropping guys ready and set to go.¡± After Elder Golgouda patted Davey on the back and left, Davey no longer had a smile on his face. He said seriously, ¡°Guide me there. Where is she now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the forest. Miss Emilia has been living in the Divine Tree all her life, so I don¡¯t think she will remain calm if she stays in the territory where there are many humans.¡± Davey nodded silently at Yuria¡¯s words. *** The Third Central Official Emilia¡­ The Third Central Official was a special rank or ss that existed only among the elves. ¡°Uncleeeeeeee!¡± The elves immediately appeared to wee Davey who just entered the forest. Of course, the one who barrelled straight towards Davey and hugged him tightly as if she had been waiting for a long time was none other than Myuu. ¡°Goodness! Myuu, you always seem to grow a bit more whenever I see you.¡± Davey had not seen Myuu for quite a long time. He could tell that the girl was definitely healthier than she was before. ¡°Uncle! Why did you go so far away just! Just! Just! Just by yourself?! Why did you leave Myuu behind?!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Myuu missed uncle!¡± Myuu shouted. She thumped her small fists against Davey¡¯s chest as fat droplets of tears fell from her eyes. Yuria reached out and stroked Myuu back to soothe her. ¡°Myuu, you can¡¯t do that to Mr. Benefactor. Come over here.¡± ¡°Hiiiik! I¡­ I dwon¡¯t want!¡± Davey tilted his head in surprise when Myuu burrowed even deeper into his arms. Myuu was living together with Yuria, so he was quite perplexed by her show of fear towards Yuria. ¡°Sis¡­ Sister. M-Myuu made a mistake!¡± ¡°Then, quicklye here.¡± ¡°Pl¡­ Please.¡± Myuu¡¯s eyes darted around as she felt flustered. She quickly stepped away from Davey. ¡°Wee, Benefactor.¡± Verdis, a young Elf Guardian, stepped out to greet Davey. ¡°Ah. It¡¯s been a long time.¡± Looking at Verdis¡¯ bitter smile, Davey asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Verdis mumbled, notpleting his sentence. He looked at Yuria. Looking at their reactions, Davey had to wonder what had happened during his absence. ¡°You guys are too much. I¡¯m just trying to teach Myuu the profound world of tea.¡± ¡°Ah, I can roughly understand the situation now. Myuu, would you like to stay in the territory with this uncle of yours for some time?¡± ¡°Yeah! Yep! Myuu wants to go to that wide ce! The wide and pretty ce! Oh, and¡­ And! Red Ribbon! Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon!¡± As if responding to Myuu¡¯s words, the two swords hanging on Davey¡¯s waist shed brightly. Both of them transformed into their human appearances. ¡°Wow! Blue Ribbon! Red Ribbon!¡± ¡°Hihihi! Myuuuu!¡± Davey could see that all three children were getting along just fine. They hugged one another and ran around. He could tell that it would be fine to leave them alone. ¡°Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, Myuu, y nicely, alright?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Davey gently pinched the cheeks of the three girls who answered in unison. At that moment, Rinne suddenly hid behind Davey. Surprised by her reaction, he asked, ¡°Rinne?¡± ¡°Ri¡­ Rinne wants to follow Davey. Rinne strongly suggests this¡­ Rinne must definitely, absolutely, apany Davey!¡± Rinne said. She trembled, having already seen the future that was awaiting her. Davey decided not to order Rinne to y with the girls today since he would not take that long. Yuria guided Davey to the ce where Myuu used to live. It was a separate space in the forest, further away from the elven vige. Now, it was a lonely and abandoned part of the forest. ¡°Yuria, Benefactor, wee.¡± ¡°How¡¯s Miss Emilia doing?¡± ¡°That¡­ She¡¯s stillmunicating with the spirits.¡± ¡°I understand. Good job.¡± After walking under the shade of the trees and passing by the purple nts, Davey saw a girl with emerald hair sitting on one of therge tree branches. She was smiling at the crowd of lights that surrounded her. ¡°I lied about this ce. I told her that this was a small elven vige, one of the viges that have spread all over the continent.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem to torture and torment her, but it would be a problem if she escapes, right? Fufu.¡± Should an elf really say something like that when they were dealing with their ancestor? ¡°Miss Emilia,¡± Yuria called out while approaching the girl. The girl, who wasmunicating with the spirits, slowly turned to look at Yuria. She also quickly spotted Davey, who stood next to Yuria. ¡°Ha! A¡­ A human?!¡± She panicked, her hands immediately reaching for the weapon hanging on her waist. Unfortunately, she had already been disarmed and there was nothing there. ¡°Yu¡­ Yuria?! What is happening?! Why is a human here?!¡± Davey, despite the girl¡¯s outburst, just strode towards her, grabbed her head, and looked right into her eyes. ¡°U-Urk! L¡­ Let go of me! Human! How can you be so rude?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite funny.¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± The girl struggled. Her yellow eyes darted all over the ce to avoid making eye contact with Davey. However, Davey had seen something in her eyes. He felt that there was something in there, something that was not elven. Davey narrowed his eyes at the strange familiarity he had a glimpse of. ¡°This¡­¡± Chapter 217 Davey found the light hidden within Emilia very familiar, but he just couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. He was sure that he had seen something like this before. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder about why it felt so familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time. Feeling curious and greedy for knowledge, Davey used Perserque¡¯s Abyss Authority. Just then, a blinding sh of light devoured him. ¡°Let¡­ Let go of me!!!¡± Emilia had a small physique. No matter how hard she struggled, she could not escape from Davey''s grip. She waspletely helpless. Davey always trained and strengthened most of his body, so this trivial struggle was nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. Based on instincts alone, he could already stop the girl¡¯s futile struggles. ¡°U-Ugh¡­ Yu¡­ Yuria! This¡­ This rude man!¡± Emilia shouted at Yuria for help. However, Emilia could not see Yuria¡¯s expression. Yuria was obstructed by Davey entirely. ¡°Fufu¡­¡± Yuria actually had a vicious yet delighted smile on her face. Davey saw Yuria¡¯s expression and had goosebumps. How could a peaceful and nature-loving elf have that expression on their face? He could not help but chuckle when he realized that Yuria was willing to show him a smile that she had kept hidden from the other elves. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Haaa¡­!¡± Emilia red at Davey and immediately took three or four steps back the moment he let go of her. With a vignt look on her face, she shouted, ¡°How rude!!! I always knew that humans are reckless and crass! But I never expected them to act so brutally just more than 300 yearster!¡± As if deaf to Emilia¡¯s outburst, Davey simply said, ¡°Alright, little girl.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t call me a little girl! I¡¯m the oldest among the elves!¡± ¡°Then, should I refer to you as an olddy?¡± ¡°Eeeeek!!!¡± ¡°One look at you and I can tell that your height is around 150 centimeters? That¡¯s still shorter than a grown adult?¡± Davey mocked. Emilia gritted her teeth and bowed her head. ¡°Phew¡­ Yuria, I¡¯d like you to give us some privacy to chat alone,¡± Davey said. Yuria looked at Davey pensively. She was trying to grasp his intentions before nodding. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask the guards to leave too. Anyway, you are here, Mr. Benefactor, so there won¡¯t be any trouble.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Go, quick.¡± ¡°Miss Emilia, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to postpone our tea time. I¡¯ll definitely make sure to serve you some teater.¡± Emilia continued ring at Davey. She found it unusual that an elf was willing to stand back and obediently listen to a human¡¯s instructions. The moment Yuria left, Davey crouched down. He gripped the edge of the table as he took abored breath. He murmured, ¡°Ugh¡­ I really did not expect something like this.¡± He bit his lips to regain some rity before shouting, ¡°A bomb!¡± ¡ªDavey? ¡°Bring the Bomb Squad in!¡± ¡°Rinne is bringing them in at an ultra fast speed! Rinne evaluates her precise job very highly!¡± Rinne moved in a sh and immediately subdued Emilia. She quickly gathered the particles in her hand together until they formed a very familiar tool, which she ced on the elf¡¯s neck. The tool was none other than the symbol of all technicians, their very own partners, the nipper. Rinne had dug into Davey¡¯s memory and had recreated the nipper for herself. Thud!!! At the same time, two cubes floated from the pockets of Rinne¡¯s huge coat. The cubes then transformed into the golems Tanker and Sniper. Tanker immediately took out its shield and mmed it down to protect Davey while Sniper pointed its huge gun at Emilia¡¯s head with a dangerous glint in its eyes. Davey was sure that any suspicious movement would have Sniper piercing a bullet straight through the elf¡¯s head. ¡°K-K-Kyaaaaack! What the hell are those?!¡± Emilia struggled fiercely after realizing that she had been subdued so easily and quickly by Rinne and the two golems. However, she was helpless against Rinne¡¯s overwhelming strength. ¡°Davey, what kind of bomb are we dealing with?¡± ¡°Haaaa¡­ This is driving me nuts!¡± Davey furrowed his brows. He then took a deep breath. This was the reason why everyone should be careful with everything that they did. Davey had been toocent earlier. After all, when one looked at the abyss for long enough, the abyss would start to stare back at them. Davey had looked at Emilia using Perserque¡¯s power, and whatever that was hidden inside the elf did open its eyes to stare right back. With one hand over his eyes, Davey took a slow deep breath. He activated his mana and increased his blood cirction. Only then did he start to calm down and return to normal. Davey was regretting it. If he had expected something like this, then he wouldn¡¯t have been so defenseless and exposed earlier. ¡°Davey, Rinne has detected an abnormal increase in her heart rate. Rinne is on standby. Rinne can sh her artery at any moment.¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Davey said. His breathing was stillbored as he stumbled back on his feet. Rinne clicked her tongue. She bound Emilia more tightly than before. ¡°Kyaaack! It¡­ It hurts!¡± Emilia cried out desperately. ¡°Charm¡­¡± Davey mumbled with a frown. He slowly lowered the hand that was covering his eyes. Rinne tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Charm? Requesting for more information.¡± Not offering Rinne an answer, Davey grabbed Emilia by the cor and snapped, ¡°Who are you? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you even have a conscience?¡± ¡°What¡­ What are you talking about¡­? Kyaaaack! It¡­ It hurts! Please¡­ Please let me go!¡± Emilia cried out. She looked like she was truly in pain. ¡ªDavey¡­ ¡°Hidden within her is an ability to charm and seduce others. Since I looked at the strange ability directly, I was experiencing very strong effects.¡± Fortunately, Emilia looked too young to be considered an adult. This definitely helped Davey to keep hisposure. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding something so dangerous, huh? What? nning to take advantage of someone?¡± Any power rted to the maniption of one¡¯s emotions could only be amplified to a certain degree. However, Emilia had Charm, which could be said to be on par with demons and subi. In fact, it was safe to say that her Charm was dozens of times stronger than the demons¡¯ power. ¡°Do you even have a conscience?¡± ¡°S-Sob¡­¡± ¡°You wanted to charm someone with your body? Tell me, who are you trying to take advantage of?¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What did you say?!¡± Emilia shouted with a reddened face. She realized exactly what Davey was saying. She yelled, ¡°Do you think I chose to have this body? I¡­ I also want to grow up! But my body just won¡¯t mature! And what the hell is this charm that you¡¯re talking about, huh?!¡± The stress had already gotten to Emilia, who was starting to speak to Davey informally. ¡°Davey, how does Charm work?¡± ¡°Her eyes.¡± ¡°Shall I pull out her eyes?¡± ¡°Hiiiiik!¡± Davey shook his head as he ignored the screaming Emilia. ¡°These damn scammer¡¯s eyes! I should pull them out,¡± Rinne said threateningly. She raised her nipper up, preparing to poke Emilia in the eyes. Emilia struggled fiercely and shouted, ¡°Kyaaaaack!!! Stop that! Don¡¯t do that!!!¡± ¡°Extraction will not be precise if there¡¯s resistance. Rinne warns you to stay put. Otherwise, it will hurt. Rinne highly appreciates this.¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to! What did I even do wrong?!!! I don¡¯t want to! Tell her to stop!!!¡± Rinne still had her nippers raised high up¡­ ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Order received.¡± Just as Davey¡¯s order rang out, the nipper in Rinne¡¯s hands stopped before it could stab Emilia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Sob¡­ Sob, sob, sob¡­¡± Emilia was terrified. She had her eyes shut while sobbing loudly. Davey, however, failed to realize something. ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯m really going crazy.¡± The trigger to Emilia¡¯s Charm was actually¡­her tears. Davey reacted in an instant. He stood up, wiped Emilia¡¯s tears, and took a deep breath. He muttered, ¡°Wow, this¡­¡± Emilia frowned at Davey, whose face expressed his curiosity in her research value. In the end, Davey activated his mana. [8th Circle.] [Mind Evolution.] Flinch!!! Emilia, who was crying on Davey, flinched from the magic. It had a slight effect on her. Davey looked at the stiff Emilia. He was nowpletely wary of the Charm that Emilia had hidden. What if it erupted suddenly? After some thought, he gave a firm and determined order. ¡°Rinne, knock her out.¡± ¡°Roger.¡± Thwack!!! Rinne¡¯s movement was swift. After knocking Emilia out by hitting the back of her head, Rinne stood up and ced her hands on her waist. She said proudly, ¡°Rinne¡¯s knock-out skills are highly evaluated. Power control is perfect!¡± ¡°Nipper¡­¡± ¡°Nipper?¡± ¡°Quick!¡± Rinne immediately threw the nipper to Davey, who expressed a sense of urgency in his voice. Stab!!! The moment the nipper reached Davey, a loud and terrifying sound rang out. *** ¡°Goodness, Mr. Benefactor? Why are you already¡­ Oh my! What¡¯s with that injury?!¡± Yuria was surprised by Davey¡¯s early return. She was also very shocked to see Davey breathing heavily with such a ragged appearance. She frowned. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I got hit because I was toocent.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ You did not scare Miss Emilia, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Such a misunderstanding was inevitable. Davey¡¯s breathing wasbored and his clothes were torn, as if he had been injured by something sharp. It looked like he got injured from some sort of nail. In truth, Davey had deliberately hurt himself to protect the others. Moments ago, he had been subjected to the overwhelming Charm hidden in Emilia, and that had been caused by his own stupidity. ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Emilia is the oldest among the elves, and her permanent appearance is that of a youngling. She doesn¡¯t look like she has reached adulthood¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, so it¡¯s better for you to stop joking around,¡± Davey said gravely. Yuria immediately became serious. She asked, ¡°What in the world happened?¡± ¡°Did you know that Emilia has the power of Charm?¡± Yuria tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Ch¡­arm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°No. I have never heard anything from my mother.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s weird¡­¡± ¡°Ah. I think there¡¯s a power simr to that.¡± ¡°A power simr to Charm?¡± Yuria smiled broadly at Davey¡¯s question. She exined, ¡°Yes. From what I heard, Miss Emilia always has animals following her around. It¡¯s actually pretty unusual, but I¡¯ve never seen it myself. Some of the older people from my mother¡¯s and grandmother¡¯s generations did see Miss Emilia in those situations back then.¡± ¡°Aside from them?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from anyone else. If she truly has the power of Charm, the adults from back then would have known already.¡± Davey fell silent. Emilia was peculiar, capable of attracting animals with some kind of pheromone. Of course, for animals with less intelligence and awareness than elves, it was understandable for them to be drunk and addicted to Emilia¡¯s weak flow of Charm. However¡­ ¡®It¡¯s too heavy.¡¯ Davey had looked straight into the source of Emilia¡¯s Charm, which had resulted in him suffering from its huge effects. He thought it was just too much. To Davey, Emilia¡¯s level of Charm wasparable to those of dream demons, the demon subi. The high-ranking subi with the strongest Charm was naturally the Subus Queen. She had the power to make any opponent feel ecstasy at best or have them be her servants at worst. It was extremely rare for another existence to be born with such a power, but it was still possible. There were, in fact, some beings who were born with a certain level of Charm. It would seem that Emilia was a perfect example. However, Davey still could not exin why Emilia had a ridiculous amount of Charm hiding within her. Either way, Davey would gradually build immunity from having endured it once. For any ordinary person to have seen Emilia¡¯s tears, however, they would have lost all sense of reason regardless of their gender and sexuality. Davey left Yuria¡¯s house after learning whatever she knew about Emilia. Then, he returned to where Emilia had remained unconscious. ¡ªRegardless of that child¡¯s age, she still has the appearance of a minor elf. Stop thinking of anything inappropriate about her, Davey. Davey frowned. ¡°What? What bullshit are you saying again?¡± ¡ªThis is not bullshit. I¡¯m just saying that you shouldn¡¯t have been swayed by the Charm of an immature body. Davey chuckled monotonously. ¡°Me? Fascinated by an elf that looked like a small bean?¡± ¡ªThen, am I wrong? If so, tell me why you did that? Why can¡¯t you maintain yourposure? Why do you have to hurt yourself to calm down? ¡°You.¡± ¡ªEh? Perserque¡¯s eyes widened at Davey¡¯s deration. ¡°It¡¯s because of you, you damn rascal!¡± ¡ªAh? Including Emilia, there were a total of three female figures who were with Davey right now. Forget about the small bean elf, who wouldn¡¯t be able to arouse any kind of desire from Davey. As for Rinne, she was a golem. Davey did notck that much discipline to suddenly want a taste of her even though she looked like an adult. Simply put, if Davey ever resorted to having a physical rtionship, he still wouldn¡¯t embrace someone who he had no interest in. However, Perserque was different. ¡ª¡­ ¡°I¡¯m begging you to shut up. If you don¡¯t want to be in trouble, please stop teasing me and forget about it.¡± Davey had no choice but to control his heart and mind as much as he could. He waited until he calmed down. Chapter 218 Davey satfortably next to the hammock where they had ced the unconscious Emilia. After catching his breath, he closed his eyes and said, ¡°Rinne, mobilize all of the fleet captains of the Decepticon Fleet. Block and surround the entire area for the time being.¡± ¡°Davey, you suffered a considerable amount of mental shock, huh?¡± ¡°I did something stupid and I paid for it dearly. Please.¡± ¡°Rinne is also very efficient at escort missions. Rinne evaluates this highly,¡± Rinne said. Rinne blinked slowly, her eyes turning a sparkling blue. Then, she spoke with a mysterious voice. [Rinne is giving her sessors, the Decepticon Fleet, her orders. Operation Netmence.] Vwiiiiiing!!! ck!!! Upon Rinne¡¯smand, cubes floated out of her coat, transforming into golems. Davey had gotten himself out of Emilia¡¯s Charm after much difficulty. For the time being, he needed some protection. ¡®It¡¯s not that the World Tree doesn¡¯t have eyes. She must have known that this girl has such power¡­ What is she trying to do?¡¯ However, the person who usually expressed her opinions in whispers remained silent. ¡®Perserque.¡¯ Davey called out to Perserque while circting his mana. However, he was only greeted by silence. The ufortable silence remained for a long time until¡­ ¡ªSowing discord[1]¡­ When a small voice rang in his ears, Davey flinched. He turned to look behind him only to see a pair of horns sticking out from behind a tree. Momentster, Perserque was no longer watching him and had disappeared. ¡°Sowing discord, huh¡­¡± Davey muttered. He thought about the direction where the World Tree was headed, then guessed that she was heading toward the Eastern Continent. ¡®Right.¡¯ After pondering for a moment, Davey realized that the nation in the middle of the World Tree¡¯s chosen path was the continent¡¯srgest and most powerful nation. It was the nation of swords, the Pan Empire. The Pan Empire had overwhelming power. It appeared that the bastard World Tree knew of Emilia¡¯s Charm and had intended to use her to wheedle the Pan Empire and bring them to her side. Shwaaaaaaaaaa¡ª As the energy running rampant all over his body immediately cooled down, Davey muttered to himself, ¡°Even if this elf does not want tomunicate with me, it seems like she¡¯s still offering her tribute to me, huh? She¡¯s not an onion, but I discover more things with eachyer I peel off.¡± Emilia¡¯s Charm would turn the tides in their favor and would help the others view them in a positive note. However, the Pan Empire did not have any reason to be antagonistic towards Davey. Besides, no human would be careless andcent enough to just hate Davey without proper justification. Simply put, the World Tree Yggdrasil wanted to make full use of Emilia¡¯s Charm to conquer the entire Pan Empire. By then, small political problems wouldn¡¯t matter, because she would already have half of the empire in her hands. However, the use of such a method had poor consequences. The humans, especially the high-ranking nobles and members of the Imperial Family, would be incapable of leaving Emilia alone uponpletely falling for her Charm. Davey chuckled darkly when he realized that the World Tree was intending to sacrifice an elf, a child who she valued so dearly. He then asked Perserque, ¡°How high is the probability of this happening?¡± Perserque¡¯s small voice rang out from behind the tree. ¡ªA¡­ A hundred percent. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡± The strange tension between him and Perserque was making Davey dizzy. This had never happened before. When Davey and Perserque first met, they had been wary and hostile to each other. After that, through spending more time together and exchanging opinions, they had grown close. So, how did theye to this point? ¡°But she couldn¡¯t have nned to send a time bomb like this girl all by herself, right?¡± In fact, Emilia herself appeared to be unaware of the Charm hidden inside of her. And if she failed to control this power, she herself would be waiting for a disaster to happen. The power affected all races, not distinguishing between humans, animals, and monsters, so Emilia was a literal time bomb. ¡ªThere¡¯s a high chance that she has an aplice¡­ ¡°Come out. Come out, then talk. I can¡¯t hear you from over there,¡± Davey said. However, Perserque still did note out from behind the tree. In the end, Davey could only break the tree that she was hiding behind with a wave of his hand. It was an unrefined act that deserved some criticism, but Davey couldn¡¯t do any more than that. It was already a miracle that he could talk while in the middle of a meditation and qi regtion. He couldn¡¯t really move any of his muscles, so what more could he do in this state? ¡ªAck! Ah¡­ Perserque, who was covering her face in shame, uttered an embarrassed cry from behind the now-broken tree. Davey squinted at her. ¡ªLet¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s talkter, Davey. ¡°¡­¡± The strange tension remained between them. Thinking that it was difficult to persuade Perserque any further, Davey gave up for now. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Emilia grabbed her sore neck and groaned. She had just regained her consciousness. ¡°Whe¡­ Where¡­? Ha?!¡± Emilia groaned as she slowly sat up straight. When she noticed that Davey was sitting right in front of her, her eyes widened and she instinctively moved away from him. ¡°Aaaack!¡± However, when someone recklessly shifted their center of gravity while sitting in a hammock¡­ ¡°Kyaaaaaaack!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Well, Emilia had simply turned into the epitome of a kimbap. Looking at how she had done that to herself, Davey thought that she was a bit stupid. Emilia looked immature and child-like, but that did nothing to change the fact that her Charm could bring about no good. If it could even affect Davey, who had transcended the human realm, then it would only bring about a huge disaster to the general public. ¡°Rinne,¡± Davey called out softly. The leaves of a nearby tree rustled as the silver-haired girl gentlynded on the floor. With aser sword appearing from the back of her arm, she easily cut a string of the hammock that was tied to a tree. ¡°Kyaaaaack!¡± Emilia screamed. She fell to the ground. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she struggled to break free from the hammock that was tangled all around her. This was entirely her fault, but she still red at Davey with a pout on her lips. It seemed like Emilia was fearless despite being a hostage whose life and death was dependent on her actions. ¡°A country-toppling beauty¡­¡± To call Emilia a ¡®country-toppling beauty¡¯ was to insult the true great beauties of the world. However, it was true that her Charm was enough to cause a nation¡¯s downfall. As long as the elven woman decided to release her Charm, she would be able to engulf a battlefield and perhaps even the entire continent. What would happen if she appeared and released this power in front of the most influential figures from an empire or two? Even if she did not do anything, all of the people who were subjected to her powers would grow excited and fascinated by her. In the end, chaos would ensue as they tried to get rid of theirpetitors. If that was the case, then what should Davey do? ¡ªDon¡¯t kill her, Davey¡­ At that moment, Perserque¡¯s head popped out from the base of the broken tree. ¡ªShe¡¯s unstable. The World Tree would not let you go if that girl experienced a huge problem. I¡¯m sure of it¡­ Davey just nodded at Perserque¡¯s sudden input. Emilia, at worst, was the previous Divine Tree¡¯s Saintess. If so, she would have a lot of memories and information about the most sacred ce in the Divine Tree. What would happen if something went wrong with Emilia, then? Davey looked at it from the World Tree¡¯s perspective. If he was the World Tree, who had chosen to sacrifice Emilia, then¡­ He would have nted a huge bomb within Emilia¡¯s Charm. That way, if anything went wrong with Emilia, everything would simply be blown into smithereens. The World Tree would then be able to protect the elves¡¯ high self-esteem and ego while keeping their information safe and inflicting huge damage on the humans. Davey hadn¡¯t checked that carefully because he had been hit by the sudden sh of Charm. However, Perserque was aware of Charm being a trap, so she had dug deeper and had seen what was hidden behind it. ¡°Country-toppling beauty? What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like, someone who is beautiful enough to cause an entire nation to copse.¡± ¡°Why did you mention that all of a sudden¡­?¡± ¡°That is your situation right now.¡± Emilia frowned. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡± ¡°Disgusting? Me? Do you even have a conscience?¡± ¡°You kept on saying those words even before! What the hell is wrong with you?!¡± ¡°Stop shouting. It¡¯s making my head pound,¡± Davey said as he slowly stood up from the ground. Then, he grabbed Emilia by the cor and mmed her against one of the trees. ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know your own body and what you¡¯re hiding deep inside. yet you¡¯re walking around carelessly and without any fear, huh?¡± ¡°What do you¡­?¡± ¡°What did the World Tree tell you when she sent you to the Pan Empire?¡± Making guesses and spections was something elsepletely from finding out the actual truth. There was a high chance that Perserque was right, but Davey wanted to be cautious. He had already experienced getting stabbed in the back while unprepared. ¡°Y¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s high time you found out where you are and who I am, right?¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the one who¡¯s sharpening his de to kill you and the World Tree.¡± Emilia¡¯s eyes widened at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re stillpletely unaware of the situation that you¡¯re in right now. The moment you show your tears in front of anyone, a war will break out and devour the continent.¡± ¡°What are you¡­?¡± ¡°Charm. The power of Charm hidden inside of you has already gone beyond the normal limit and is still getting stronger by the day.¡± It was embarrassing enough to learn that she had been caught by the enemy camp, but what made her expression turn wrinkled and ugly was discovering that she hid a ridiculous power inside of her body. In the first ce, she had not left the forest to make contact with Davey. She had left the forest to be a mediator. Then, after being attacked out of the blue, she had woken up to the enemy staring right at her. Of course she would be flustered and embarrassed. Davey let Emilia go. Then, he lightly ced the cup of tea that Yuria had made on the wooden table. He said, ¡°You are a hostage right now. And I¡¯m going to pull everything about World Tree Yggdrasil out of that head of yours.¡± In fact, Davey did not even need Emilia to tell him the truth. All Emilia needed to do was to say all that she knew as well as the things that she did not know, then Davey would do the decoding on his own andplete the puzzle. Davey did feel a bit sorry for Emilia, but she was someone who the World Tree had willingly cast away. He was free to do what he wanted to her. However, Davey also knew the World Tree the best. He knew that Yggdrasil was not an easy opponent who would show mercy and let her enemies go away with only light injuries. ¡°Do¡­ Do you think I would tell you those things, huh?¡± Emilia stuttered. She wanted to appear proud and brave, but she was too fearful to even look Davey in the eyes. ¡®That¡¯s good. That¡¯s how things should be. That¡¯s right. This is how I get enough motivation to do things.¡¯ ¡°Then, let¡¯s talk peacefully over a cup of tea.¡± A mellow scent wafted in the air as hot water was being poured into a teacup. ¡°What the hell are you¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m telling you this in advance but don¡¯t enjoy the tea too much, olddy. Thatdy? The leader of this forest? She has a strong penchant for a challenge¡­¡± Emilia looked at Davey suspiciously. She didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°This tea is made out of crickets.¡± ¡°What did you say? Cri¡­ Crickets?!¡± Emilia was appalled. Davey nodded with a straight face. ¡°I will make you drink this tea from now on. But if you still don¡¯t feel like opening your mouth, then¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will make you drink tea made from expertly extracted mantis eyes which have been processed and cured for a very long time.¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re crazy!¡± ¡°Are you already scared by something like this? Just so you know, there¡¯s also tea made from sterilized and dried cockroach eggs.¡± No sane person would willingly try all of the tea that Davey had mentioned. In fact, Emilia¡¯s face was turning pale from him just speaking about those disgusting teas. Davey was listing all of the teas, as if reading from a breakfast menu. ¡°Rinne, catch her.¡± ¡°¡­Rinne has underestimated Davey¡¯s judgment. Rinne has analyzed the matter. There is a high probability of having serious stomach problems upon consumption.¡± Rinne, who always sang a song about gathering data for taste as she looked for food, could not help but show disgust when she saw Davey¡¯s unusually expressionless face. Despite voicing herints, Rinne still moved to overpower the elf. She grabbed Emilia¡¯s limbs and forced her to kneel. Emilia, who knew the situation that she was in, struggled fiercely. Her face turned an ugly shade of blue. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I can guarantee that the tea has an amazing aroma and the vor.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m telling you! So, stop it!!!¡± ¡°You won¡¯t tell me? Well, it¡¯s alright. We have a lot of time, and no elf wille here to save you.¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaack!¡± Davey did not know about the others, but he had a tough enough stomach to drink most of Yuria¡¯s tea. That was why he could form an objective and unbiased opinion about it. And to be honest, the taste of the tea that Yuria made was better than what anyone thought. 1. ??? - (·´égÓ‹, F¨£n ji¨¤n j¨¬), the 33rd stratagem in the 36 stratagems mentioned in the Art of War. It is the act of undermining and forcing the enemies topromise their attacks and defenses by sowing internal discord ? Chapter 219 ¡°Blech!! No!!¡± Emilia looked so desperate with her mouth covered and tears in her eyes. She screamed when she had the first cup of tea and cried on the second. She was limp by the third ss like she had lost all strength, and by the fourth, she had an empty gaze and seemed like she didn¡¯t even understand what was going in her mouth. ¡°Food torture is actually quite effective, you know.¡± Trauma was a real thing. People who weren¡¯t picky with food wouldn¡¯t know, but there were actual cases where people with a set pte had a severe rejection of certain foods or ingredients. Emilia had been chosen as the Saintess of the Divine Tree, so she probably had never had to swallow whatever she was given to stay alive. On top of that, since she was an elf, the race of the forest, she had probably never eaten something as tiny as bugs either; it wasn¡¯t like elves could not eat meat, but they usually preferred a vegetarian diet. The funny thing was that Davey had only given Emilia regr tea, not the strange tea that Yuria took pride in brewing. He couldn¡¯t even make the regr tea taste like how Yuria would make it, since she always brewed her teas with unique techniques. ¡°It¡¯s just green and ck tea.¡± That was the funny thing. ¡°Rinne, stating this is an example of the cebo effect ording to the gathered information from memory. Thinking that Sir Davey is very wicked.¡± ¡°I was somewhat considerate of the enemy.¡± ¡°True. However, Rinne is curious.¡± Rinne tilted her head and asked with a straight face, ¡°The former Saintess of the Divine Tree, Third Central Official Emilia: she clearly said she would tell you information with her own mouth, but Sir Davey did not listen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s because there is nothing to hear.¡± ¡°Then, why do this pointless thing?¡± Rinne tilted her head in confusion again. Davey stroked Rinne¡¯s head over and over again, then said, ¡°The tea I gave her is not just any kind of tea.¡± Davey had given Emilia cups of ordinary green or ck tea, but the effect of the teas was far from ordinary. ¡°Can you feel anything from the tears rolling down her face?¡± ¡°...Rinne, analyzing that there are no changes to visual information. Rinne is puzzled.¡± Emilia¡¯s Charm was released intensely through her tears. However, Rinne felt extremely normal even after seeing Emilia cry for some reason. Rinne had initially remained unaffected because she hadn¡¯t seen Emilia¡¯s tears during the first incident. But this time, she was looking at Emilia¡¯s tears and having no reaction whatsoever. ¡°Sorcery can be cast on food or things you can see, hear, or smell. Remember that.¡± Simply put, the tea had sealed Emilia¡¯s powers. Davey hade to the conclusion that Emilia¡¯s Charm was simply too dangerous. Her powers were beyondmon sense, so it wouldn¡¯t discriminate between species. Needless to say, no one could harm her right now except for Davey. ¡®Looking back, it was extremely lucky that Fire Chicken brought her back without any problems.¡¯ In the end, Davey suppressed the unbelievable power of Emilia¡¯s Charm through sorcery. ¡°Her charm will begin working again if I die, but¡­¡± ¡®You think I will die easily?¡¯ Not a chance. There was no way Davey was going to die early, because there were still things he wanted to do and things he had to do. As a result, the sorcery Davey had put in the teasbined to create a powerful Seal of Sorcery. He seeded in freezing Emilia¡¯s Charm at least for the time being. ¡°However, that is only in theory.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We have to watch her for a while.¡± Emilia was the person who Yggdrasil, the World Tree, had sent out as a sacrifice. Yggdrasil was also fully aware of Emilia¡¯s powers, which was why she had nted a mana bomb inside Emilia that could detonate at any time. Unfortunately, Davey had also sealed the mana bomb, but Yggdrasil did not know that yet. It would be a pretty amusing scene to see her find out that Emilia was in his hands. First Yuria and now Emilia¡­ The two elves that Yggdrasil could not afford to lose had bothe under Davey¡¯s control. Rinne pped and pinched Emilia¡¯s cheek to elicit a reaction out of the elf who was staring at the floor with an empty gaze. Then, she undid the ropes that tied Emilia down and held her on her shoulders. ¡°Aina.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Take this kid.¡± ¡°Third Central Official¡­ Emilia¡­¡± Aina nodded, then said, ¡°Well, I lived in the forest before I was banished from the Divine Tree. I remember seeing Lady Emilia asleep in a huge crystal.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, you take care of her,¡± Davey said. ¡°Do I have to?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to kill her when she can¡¯t use power¡­?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s for another time.¡± Aina scanned Davey with her emerald eyes, trying to figure out his intent. ¡°You¡¯re not getting apliment even if you look at me like that.¡± ¡°You are too full of yourself. You know that I am not doing this to receive your praise or anything like that.¡± ¡°Keep her,¡± Davey ordered calmly. Aina had no choice but to silently take Emilia from Rinne and carry her on her back. ¡°Take care of her at your current lodging. She will probably feel the mostfortable with you, since she has never seen you before. She will be ufortable with me, who she is very hostile towards, or the other residents of the forest. I have to give her a carrot after the stick to get something out of her.¡± Up to this point, Emilia had probably mostly given false information. Davey did not intend to be tricked by that kind of information and cause confusion. ¡°Okay.¡± Nobody would notice if Aina simply used the empty room that was in the outer pce of the Seigneur¡¯s pce. ¡°And, spread some stories about Emilia and the fact that she is here. Yggdrasil will decide that she cannot put it off any longer, and¡­¡± ¡®She will definitely move.¡¯ By then, Davey would be able to finish off that damn rotten tree. ¡°Then, invaders in the Elves¡¯ Forest¡­¡± ¡°Did you forget what the hell I put here?¡± Aina widened her eyes in surprise. Did she think the barrier that Davey had cast here was just some random one? She quickly asked, ¡°What are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Now I am going to watch thepletion of the golem that I¡¯ve created for the great World Tree. Let¡¯s go, Perserque.¡± ¡ª... Davey didn¡¯t hear a reply, so he wondered if Perserque had be a mere body. ¡ªShe¡¯s not dead¡­ ¡®You¡¯re not going to go? ¡ª...Go by yourself. Unlike Perserque, who waspletely dejected, Rinne was excited. With sparkling eyes, she cried out, ¡°Rinne¡¯s new subordinate. Extremely excited. Rinne appreciates this! Expecting that Sir Davey will fulfill Rinne¡¯s desires! Appreciated! Extremely!¡± The higher one¡¯s expectations be, the bigger the disappointment would be. Davey didn¡¯t know why Rinne was so excited, but he could see her eyes sparkling with anticipation. * * * At a nce, too much of the Heins Territory¡¯srge treasury was being used up to dismiss all expenses as for management use. In fact, the spending was not at all transparent; Davey never made a ledger or anything like that. As a result, the territory developed exponentially, and the quality of life was increasing steadily with the many improvements. ¡®Give them an inch, and they¡¯ll take a mile.¡¯ Even if the residents had faith in him, Davey believed that ridiculousints would arise in time. After all, most of the residents were human. Life was all about timing, and the management of the territory was also about good timing. Unlike the world he had lived in before, Davey would be in control of this territory until his death. That would only change if there was a major problem. In that case, if Davey could increase the residents¡¯ happiness with no problems along the way, why would the allocation of the remaining funds matter? Davey, who left the forest and returned to the Heins Territory, headed to his pce¡¯s basement, where the containment workshop for the Decepticon Fleet was. He was going there after finishing some simple work. He had reinforced and widened the underground space with Spirit King Gnoass¡¯ powers after their contract; the space was iparablyrger and cleaner than before. ¡°Is this another workshop?¡± Winley asked curiously. Davey silently put his hand on therge crystal. Click! Ping! A bell rang after the wooden panel rotated. At that moment, the firm wall began moving and a recorded voice started to y. [The containment workshop of the Avenger Fleet is opening.] Grind!! As the stone doors opened, a strange scent began flowing out. ¡°Wow¡­ This ce is clean and orderly.¡± The workshop was vast and borate. It had a different atmosphere from the huge mechanical workshop. Dwarves also weren¡¯t the only people there, but both dwarf craftsmen and elf researchers were gathered here. ¡°Oh, Wise Teacher! We were waiting for you!¡± Elder Golgouda ran towards Davey with his short legs like he had been waiting. He shook the object in his hand andughed. ¡°Here! It¡¯s this!!¡± As Elder Golgouda showed Davey the object that was covered in a wide white cloth, Winley, who was standing behind Davey, stared at them with wide eyes. Feeling curious, she asked, ¡°Big Brother! What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen this before, right? Take a good look.¡± Davey took the object in his hands and quickly pulled the cloth away. Winley widened her eyes and screamed, ¡°Kyahh!! A¡­ Arms! Human arms!¡± Winley was shocked and feeling rather confused. Her legs gave out. It was natural for her to react in such a way as the object turned out to be a woman¡¯s slender arm. The arm looked like it had been amputated right below the elbow. ¡°Big Brother¡­ Did you do human experiments¡­ Kyah!¡± Davey thumped Winley on the forehead. He took a quick look at the part where the elbow should be, and then showed it to Winley again. ¡°Kyak!!¡± Of course, Winley screamed again. She also closed her eyes and refused to look at the object. Only after a while did she open her eyes slightly. She nced at the arm, flinched, and then opened her eyes wide. ¡°What¡­is this?¡± The arm was full of things that did not seem human at all; it had an intricately designed metal skeleton and was filled with a rubber-looking material. ¡°Ah! Same kind as Rinne! Appreciates this!¡± Rinne, who understood the situation far faster than Winley, approached Davey quickly. Her wide eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°R¡­ Rinne?¡± ¡°Same kind as Rinne! Has skin simr to humans using biological material!¡± Rinne eximed in a lively manner. She was beyond delighted. ¡°But¡­Wise Teacher, is this okay? To be honest, it might be beautiful on the outside, but this way, the power transmission is going to be terrible, and the durability is going to bepletely different from the Decepticon Fleet,¡± Elder Golgouda said. The Deception Fleet, which was made of hard metal and stone infused with mana, looked ugly with top-notch durability. On the other hand, the golems of this newly formed fleet did not look durable at all. ¡°Big Brother, you said Rinne¡¯s physical durability cannot be reproduced with current technology. You said that there is a problem with the material.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not trying to get the same level of performance as Rinne.¡± If the Decepticon Fleet was meant to push forward in the frontlines, the golems of the Avenger Fleet were not for physicalbat. They were made for a different kind of power, mainly elemental magic, sorcery, spirit magic, devil mana, and more. Also, these guys were more expensive than the Decepticon Fleet. The technology Davey had used to create these guys was far superior than the technology that existed in the continent right now: the incredible ancient technology, the field of alchemy that existed in another dimension, and finally, the mana stones crafted with an extremely intricate arrangement of mana. ¡°There is spiritual magic added in this biologicalponent.¡± ¡®There¡¯s more than one way to skin a cat.¡¯ Davey had substituted the certain materials that he could not obtain with spirit or regr magic. As the spirit energy circted, its power was absorbed into the rubber, making it look like real human skin. Understanding what Davey just said, Winley widened her eyes. She thought hard, then muttered to herself, ¡°A biological golem that has mana¡­¡± ¡°The foundation isplete. Do you want to take a look?¡± Elder Golgouda lead them deeper into the workshop, which looked more like a doll factory than a workshop for golems. He proudly pointed to the mechanical doll that was sitting on therge chair on one side of the room. The doll didn¡¯t move yet. It did not have proper skin and was a mere skeleton right now. However, its physique appeared to be very much human. Elder Golgouda said proudly, ¡°Here! This is the starting work of the Avenger Fleet! She is my daughter who will achieve something big in the battle with that crazy tree! I didn¡¯t name it, but¡­¡± ¡°Do you have a name you want to give her?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ I¡¯m not sure. To be honest, I want to give it a pretty name since it is a girl¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± To be honest, Davey already had a name in mind. ¡°What about Annabelle? What do you think?¡± ¡°Annabelle¡­ Annabelle¡­ It¡¯s a pretty name.¡± Chapter 220 Unlike the Decepticon Fleet, which usually stood in the frontlines, Annabelle, the newly made doll, was made for a support role in special missions. The Decepticon Fleet may be superior in killing, but Annabelle¡¯s powers worked in a variety of ways and could be more efficient in certain situations. After all, Annabelle was made with a different goal in mind. ¡°Wow¡­ Rinne¡¯s subordinate. Very satisfied!¡± Rinne¡¯s eyes sparkled when she saw thepleted version of Annabelle. Annabelle had porcin white skin and pink hair, making her look very pure. As she sat on the rocking chair with her eyes closed, she looked like a precious kind of beauty and not one that made one lusty. Annabelle¡¯s appearance was just unbelievable; it really was entuating the skills of a master craftsman. The person who had crafted her exterior was none other than Elder Golgouda. Dwarves were known to be very detail-oriented after the fairies, so it was unsurprising that he had crafted Annabelle with such intricate details. Annabelle looked like an adult woman upon first nce. She was truly beautiful, but she was slightly different from humans. ¡°Sir Davey, why did you craft Rinne¡¯s subordinate as an elf?¡± Rinne asked. ¡°It has to be an elf since it¡¯s a golem that will go against the great elf,¡± Davey replied. ¡®This appearance will be better for her to dig deeper.¡¯ After hearing Davey¡¯s exnation, Rinne silently nodded as if she now understood the situation. Annabelle lookedpletely normal on the outside, but Davey did face an unexpected obstacle with her construction. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s check the activation.¡± Whoosh¡­ With a faint vibration, Annabelle slowly opened her blue eyes. Her eyes shed pink for a second, but she quickly closed her eyes again. Then, she wrote something on a piece of paper that she had pulled out from her pocket and showed it to Davey. [Activated. No malfunctions.] ¡°I¡¯ll reform the speaking part in a little bit, so sit tight.¡± [Very satisfied with themunication method. Appreciates this.] ¡®I¡¯ve heard this before¡­¡¯ ¡°Alright. Then, let¡¯s have a simple conversation. What is your name?¡± Rustle. Annabelle wrote something down on the notepad. [Annabelle.] Even if she was made with extremely advanced technology, Annabelle was still a golem. Rinne had been made by technology that was not logically possible, and she also had the Deus Ex Machina (the developing mechanical heart); unlike Rinne, who developed her own mind from having that OP piece of equipment, no such thing existed for Annabelle. Even if Davey had nned her creation from months of brainstorming, he couldn¡¯t do anything about the limits of artificial intelligence. This meant that Annabelle was only capable of passive and superficial conversations; in the end, these guys still had to leave the thinking to Rinne¡¯s calction abilities. The Decepticon Fleet, which also had the major problem about artificial intelligence, improved quite a bit after connecting to Rinne¡¯s brain and relying on her intelligence. ¡°Alright. Your height?¡± [One hundred and sixty two centimeters.] ¡°Okay. Weight?¡± [A woman¡¯s weight is secret. Annabelle does not appreciate this.] ¡°Rinne.¡± When Davey shot her a dirty look, Rinne avoided his gaze and pretended to do something else. He did use some of Rinne¡¯s data to increase the capacity of Annabelle¡¯s artificial intelligence, but he didn¡¯t expect her to have transferred such useless things as well. ¡°R-Rinne, making an excuse that it is for my subordinate¡¯s freedom of expression.¡± ¡°...Fine, do whatever you want. Next question. What do you like?¡± Annabelle, who had a straight face while standing naked, slowly reached out her hand. Sheid it on Davey¡¯s cheek and gave a textbook smile. After stroking Davey¡¯s cheek, she began to scribble something down on her notepad. Then, she showed Davey quietly. There was a lot written on the paper; as Davey read the things being listed, he wondered how there were so many things on her list. Then, upon seeing something, he stopped reading and froze. ¡°Sir Davey?¡± Rinne was puzzled by Davey¡¯s reaction. She frowned slightly when Davey handed over that piece of paper. [Rocking chair. Tag. Sir Davey, Sir Davey, Sir Davey, Sir Davey, Sir Davey, Sir Davey, Sir Davey¡­ Sir Davey¡­] Unexpected things had been written on the piece of paper. ¡°Rinne, what did you do with the artificial intelligence?¡± ¡°R-Rinne, making it clear that she did not do it! Rinne does not appreciate this! This formation of mindpletely goes beyond Rinne¡¯s expectations!¡± Rinne shouted with a wavering gaze. Rinne wasn¡¯t lying, but Davey had to wonder how Annabelle hade up with such a thing. Perserque had been silently staring at Annabelle this entire time. She cautiously approached Davey, then spoke with a surprised tone. -Davey, you¡­put a dark magic stone inside Annabelle right? One that you made by circting your devil mana? ¡°No way¡­¡± Davey denied doing that, but he did think that such a thing could have happened. Like the regr golems in the Decepticon Fleet, about seven magic stones had been ced inside Annabelle¡¯s body. Two of them were spirit magic stones that used spirit energy for cirction, and one was a dark magic stone that would be responsible for Annabelle¡¯s power or intelligence so that she could use devil magic or dark magic. This was the problem. Davey did not expect the qualities of each type of mana to be on the level of a mage in Assimtion level. The characteristics of his devil mana were quite stable and unchanging. And from what he could remember, it was safe to say that its personality was far from normal. ¡°...This is an unexpected finding.¡± Somethingpletely new had appeared as Rinne¡¯s way of processing, the stone circuit te concentrated with ancient technology, the magic stones with unique powers, and finally, Rinne¡¯s intelligence influenced it to some extent. ¡®They say there is only a slight difference between scientists and alchemists.¡¯ -From what I see¡­ The characteristic of therge amount of devil mana you¡¯ve infused in her has been absorbed into her magic stone. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Unlike the Decepticon Fleet, which absorbed natural mana, Davey had put in his mana to activate Annabelle so that she would be able to use a special type of mana. Even he did not expect that slight difference to yield such results. ¡°Thebat characteristic won¡¯t go wild, right?¡± Annabelle¡¯s output of power was at the level of around 5th or 6th Circle. That was good enough to cause a catastrophe, so Davey really hoped that she would not go crazy. ¡°We¡¯re going to test yourbat ability right now. Do you need anything?¡± Davey asked Annabelle the unnecessary question in order to activate her artificial intelligence even further. He was puzzled by what Annabelle proceeded to ask of him. ¡°Why do you need this?¡± * * * There was arge forest located pretty far away from the Heins Territory. It was originally the elves¡¯ territory, but there were now dangerous beasts camping out right in front as the perimeter of the Elves¡¯ Forest fell short of the barrier. The beasts could be found even just a few steps into the forest. After all, there were too many of them to take out one by one. That day, the air felt cooler than usual. -Kyekk!!! [Gurk Gurk], the goblin that was part of the small vige in the great forest, smiled horrendously. He stared at the carcass of the long-eared animal in his hand. This was food to feed his babies. ¡®How dare this beast make the vige¡¯s best warrior work so hard?¡¯ [Gurk Gurk] had worked hard for days and nights to catch this little creature! [Gurk Gurk]¡¯s babies would be waiting for him if he returned to the vige right now; his babies were born from the human females he had captured from the town that he had attacked beforeing to this forest. Thinking about his babies, who would devour the entire creature, [Gurk Gurk] quickly headed back to the vige with light footsteps. [Gurk Gurk]¡¯s vige was a small one with about a hundred goblins. His vige was really nothing, considering that arge vige would have about two to three hundred goblins. However, things were alright. They had settled here, a ce that was considered hell by the brave and prominent leader goblins who were protecting the others and the courageous warriors. They had survived for a few weeks without any problems. Were they truly weak to have settled and survived in a forest that other goblins, especially the leaders ofrge viges, feared? Absolutely not; they were beings with potential. Although they were a small vige right now, they would grow bigger with time, and [Gurk Gurk] did not doubt for a second that they would be a vige that the goblins would not be able to overlook. ¡®We will hunt more and raid more! Then, we will crush the humans who made this forest into hell!¡¯ With that thought in mind, [Gurk Gurk], who returned to his vige with brisk footsteps, couldn¡¯t help but feel like the cave his vige was in was a little quiet. -Kek? Kyek! [Gurk Gurk] thought that he was one of the smart ones among the goblins; as such, he believed that he could sense the incongruity right now. Puzzled by the cave¡¯s strange atmosphere, [Gurk Gurk] looked around with its ugly yellow eyes and slowed down. He tightened his grip on the long-eared corpse. He soon realized that there was a strange odor that overwhelmed the normal smell of urine that came from the vige. Then, he swatted the twigs that blocked his view and walked into the cave. [Gurk Gurk] froze. -Kyeh!!!!!! [Gurk Gurk] was greeted by the sight of true hell. His babies, who should be squeaking and waiting for him to return, his other fellow brave goblins, and the strong leader goblin were all silent. He could also smell the odor that injured and dead goblins would give off. Although he instinctively sensed danger, [Gurk Gurk] was blinded by anger. He was furious that someone had killed his young babies. Splosh!! Splosh!! [Gurk Gurk], who had frantically run into the cave, got a feeling that the cave was brighter than normal. Creak¡­ Creak¡­ Then, he heard the strange creaking of wood with his sensitive hearing. There, he saw the illuminating stones that his brave fellow goblins had gathered lying all over the floor. They had nted these in the walls of the cave, but they were now scattered all over the floor for some reason. And between the shining stones were the familiar bodies of his fellow goblins; it was a horrendous sight. [Gurk Gurk] growled, then threateningly swung the wooden bat in his hand. He found the demon who had made his vige into this disaster standing among the bodies. The culprit was definitely a human woman with long hair. She had long ears, but [Gurk Gurk] did not care. To him, the only thing that had that skin and physique were humans! [Gurk Gurk] knew that this damn female human had killed all of his fellow goblins. ¡®I am going to kill you. I will kill you and then vite you! I will make screamse out of that mouth of yours!¡¯ As a terrifying killing aura flowed out, [Gurk Gurk], who was called the best warrior of his vige, released his battle aura. Creak¡­ However, the woman sitting on the rocking chair just rocked back and forth. She kept looking at the empty wall like she did not even care to look at [Gurk Gurk]. Then, something bloody fell in front of [Gurk Gurk]. -Keh¡­ Kyeh! Kyek!! [Gurk Gurk] picked up the piece of paper with an aggravated roar and frowned even more at the strange picture drawn on it. He didn¡¯t know what this was, but this female human had killed his vige. ¡®I will kill you!¡¯ With that in mind, [Gurk Gurk] charged at the human woman with a roar. Crack!! Something dark quickly flew towards [Gurk Gurk], who soon realized that he had been captured. However, he wondered¡­ ¡®Have I always been this tall?¡¯ Then, he found a huge ck figure in the cave. It wasrger than the scary yellow Ogres of the forest, but its smoke-like body was very odd. The ck figure had him in one hand, and his head was far from his body and dangling from something. Only then did [Gurk Gurk] see the woman slowly approaching him with a smile. Her expression was terrifying and strange, no longer looking like the humans that he knew of. [Gurk Gurk] hadn¡¯t been able to read the earlier note before dying. On the note was a simple sentence that had¡­ [Let¡¯s¡­y. Tag. I¡¯m it.] This message. Chapter 221 ¡°Regarding scent, Rinne analyzing that it has a very negative effect.¡± How could they expect a goblin to have proper hygiene? It was unsurprising for a cave where goblins had lived for quite a long time to smell moldy and disgusting. However¡­ ¡°The smell of blood is too intense.¡± This was way too violent. ¡°Annabelle,¡± Davey called for the golem as he walked into the cave. The rocking chair stopped for a moment. Annabelle slowly stood up and waved a hand, dismissing the giant monster that was made of smoke. She then approached Davey with a goblin carcass in her hand. [Extermination of goblins. Command fulfilled.] Davey had ordered Annabelle topletely exterminate the goblins that had been living in this cave. ¡®Yeah, extermination.¡¯ Annabellepleted her orders quickly and easily, almost to the point of perfection. Although she had done it in an eerie and terrifying way, instilling fear in the enemy during battle was the most effective method to overpower them. ¡°Good job.¡± Davey wondered if Annabelle would be able to feel joy from his praise. Unfortunately, she was an AI with no emotions. All she could show were things in her data; the expressions she made while having a conversation were just pre-programmed information. Needless to say, Davey could only pray regarding how much influence of the dark magic stone infused with devil mana, which had been used when building Annabelle, would have on her. ¡ªDavey, do you want to try leaving it to me? ¡°What?¡± ¡ªIt may not be based on aplicated philosophy, but I will teach her control and efficiency. Davey wondered how Perserque would manage to do that when the only people who could see her were Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, and him. However, he still nodded in agreement. [Stop the war! Right now! Tell me what¡¯s the benefit of fighting like this?! Do you want to deepen the hatred?! Do you feel delight in other kinds dying?! Is there money that you must earn, even if it means killing each other, in this big continent?!] Just like Perserque had gained insight on Davey, he had also looked into her past. Although, he didn¡¯t know when he had begun to trust Perserque this much. * * * Emilia was an important part of this battle. ¡°Hup!¡± Emilia trembled in fear and backed away as soon as she saw Davey. She still did not know the truth about the tea that he had forced her to drink. She muttered, ¡°W¡­ What are you going to do now¡­?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re almost done here. Now, we¡¯re going to put an end to the battle, which will only end when one side dies, no matter the consequences,¡± Davey said. ¡°...¡± ¡°Tell me. Where is the Divine Tree¡¯s origin?¡± Davey could find the Divine Tree¡¯s sacrednd with just the help of Aina or Yuria. However, there were only elves and a huge tree. Davey was only trying to get rid of the Divine Tree, the root and mind of the current generation¡¯s Divine Tree, and not the elves. And that mind did not exist in the sacrednd but in a secret location only the Saints and Saintesses of the Divine Tree knew. This was all that he wanted to hear from Emilia. Emilia clenched her jaw, then asked, ¡°Is¡­ Is it true that I have the power of Charm¡­inside my body¡­?¡± It was sealed inside Emilia now, but her Charm was so intense that she could not handle it. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°The reason the Mother of the Divine Tree sent me to the Pan Empire¡­was to use my Charm to lure humans¡­ Cause them to have conflict, and then subdue you to take Lady Yuria to the sacrednd¡­¡± ¡°Well, good n. Even if that failed, humans would no longer cooperate with each other since they would already have hatred for each other. Then, obviously, it would be easier for the World Tree to attack me.¡± ¡°No way. Mother disliked humans, but she wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. That is why she sent me, someone who has a higher rank than a Third Central Official! Also, she said that it would be best for me, who has no particr feelings towards humans, to talk to humans!¡± ¡°That''s the superficial motive.¡± ¡°The reason Mother sent me to the Pan Empire was not to persuade you, who remains unconvinced, but to receive help from the empire, the inhibitor of the continent! That is why I left the forest!¡± Emilia shouted. Davey slightly released his devil mana lightly. ¡®You know, I know how to use a simple charm as well.¡¯ [5th Circle] [Dark Magic] [Charm] Whoosh¡­ As Davey¡¯s eyes shone with a faint light, Emilia¡¯s eyes momentarily went hazy before returning to normal. She murmured, ¡°Oh¡­¡± Emilia was flustered by the momentary Charm that was outside her control. Davey asked, ¡°How is it? Now that you¡¯ve experienced it, it¡¯s crazy, right?¡± ¡°What did you¡­?¡± ¡°A simr power of a thousand times stronger is residing in your body. Do you think the World Tree did not know about that? Why do you think she didn''t send the Saint of the Divine Tree and woke you up to send you instead?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Emilia teared up with her hand covering her mouth. Now that Emilia thought of it, it was quite weird for her to take on this task. The Saint could have handled this without the need to wake her up from herst sleep. What was the reason for waking her up and sending her here, especially when they had to defy a long-heldw along the way? ¡°Sir Yulrgen¡­said that I was the only one who could do this¡­ Mother also told me that I was the only one who could save the elves¡­¡± ¡°The Divine Tree is crazy.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s insane,¡± Davey stated inly. Emilia stared at Davey viciously. She yelled, ¡°Stop it! How dare you insult the Mother of the Divine Tree to the forest¡¯s kind?!¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t get it.¡± Crash!! Davey grabbed Emilia by her neck and mmed her into the wall. He asked, ¡°Do you think the World Tree is sane when all she thinks about is sacrificingpletely healthy elves in preparation for a future that hasn¡¯t evene yet?¡± ¡°...¡± Emilia stayed silent. She was speechless. ¡°And is it not crazy for someone to basicallymit suicide when they have a life growing inside of them just because it is the Divine Tree¡¯smand?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°Thanks to that, there is rampant hostility among the elves in the sacrednd. This was exactly what the Divine Tree wanted. You are the Saintess that the former mind of the Divine Tree had chosen, so do you think Yggdrasil is in her right mind when she was trying to sell you, once the spiritual anchor of the elves, off to the human world as a tribute?¡± People were blinded when they became full of rage and hate. The World Tree had gained extreme hatred for other kinds for some reason, and because of that, she had lost the wisdom that she was supposed to have. Perhaps the future that Yggdrasil supposedly saw could be a false future, since she had be so blind. ¡°Do you think such a biased judgment woulde from a sober person? You want me to sit back and watch as a crazy junkie tree threatens the territory that I protect?¡± ¡°I was trying to borrow the Pan Empire¡¯s power so that you and the Divine Tree could find apromise!¡± ¡°The world is not as pretty as you think. Just because you can understand doesn¡¯t mean that other people can, too. I know you think that you¡¯re right, but if everyone else also thought so¡­ Why do you think each individual is called unique?¡± Emilia lowered her head, then asked, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°I have to stop this before the war gets bigger.¡± ¡°By killing the Mother of the Divine Tree if you have to?¡± Now, Davey did not say anything about not being able to kill the Divine Tree. ¡°Yeah, so tell me where it is. Tell me where the origin of the Divine Tree¡¯s mind is.¡± Davey could find the location of the Divine Tree through Yuria or Aina, but even they had no idea just where the origin of the Divine Tree¡¯s mind was. The only person who had information about that was the current Saint of the Divine Tree and Emilia, who was sitting in front of Davey right now. ¡°Give me time¡­¡± Emilia whispered. Davey left the silent Emilia behind and rose from his seat. He said, ¡°I can¡¯t give you long. Once we are done preparing, they will be too. Now that they know things have gone south, the World Tree will use all dramatic methods to win.¡± Now the enemy knew that gueri warfare was not going to work, they were going to attempt to have a face-off directly. And just like that, a rumor began spreading around the continent in less than four days. Davey had expected this. Yggdrasil, the World Tree, had dered war and was moving her elf troops. * * * ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± The Rowane Kingdom was under the most pressure from the deration of war between the two powers. ¡°Prince Davey is just too much! How could he do something as big as this without any report to the royal pce?¡± ¡°I understand why the elves did not report as we cannot impose humanws on elves, but we must hold His Highness responsible for not letting us know until the conflict got to this point.¡± ¡°ording to the information the Pan Empire has sent us, the number of elves that are moving from the western continent is steadily increasing. By this point, we cannot handle the war on our own. The nobles were constantly talking. ¡°Your Majesty! Your Majesty must summon His Highness to the pce right away, hear it from His Highness himself, and rify the urgent situation!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Too many people will die if this goes on!¡± Were they really worried about people dying, or were they just afraid of the elves who had shown their hostility towards the Rowane Kingdom and their army? Baris was sitting in his seat and keeping his silence. He nced at his father, the silent King Krianes O¡¯Rowane who was on his throne. ¡°Your Majesty, it has not been long since the traitors¡¯ rebellion has been dealt with. Thisnd is full of royal subjects who are groaning in pain from the aftermath of that war.¡± ¡°And to have a war during our current struggles!¡± This was politics. The kind of people who had been rid were bound to reappear once again. Feeling a headachee on, Baris slowly opened his mouth to exin. ¡°This started because Big Brother has epted elves from the Moon Forest as his residents. They said that they became residents of the Heins Territory by choice, but the being called the World Tree did not ept that. She seemingly wanted to control the elves in that territory in whatever way she wanted.¡± ¡°Ha! You have to see the bigger picture. Your Highness! It is better to cooperate with the World Tree, who is the origin and Mother of the elves, than a mere hundred elves!¡± Marquis Peiltris no longer stayed silent in this troublesome situation. He said, ¡°So, what you are saying is we have to summon His Highness, hold him responsible, and then cooperate with the elves.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Is that it?¡± The crowd was silent. Marquis Peiltris asked, ¡°What is it that you want to do? Do you want to make His Highness, who has solidified his position in the kingdom, stumble? Or, do you want to give up this entire kingdom to the elves, a kind we have not even heard of?¡± ¡°A¡­ Ahem! Marquis Peiltris! Isn¡¯t that going too far?!¡± ¡°Going too far? How? Is this not what you want? Right, Count Lindor? Can you confirm that that is not the situation you were hoping for?¡± ¡°...¡± During the fight, the m of a metal staff against the floor resonated across the room. ¡°Enough.¡± It was a short but effective order. King Krianes was no longer determined to be too weak a king to handle state affairs. ¡°We leave this to Davey.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°This is not something we can let go¡­!¡± ¡°Baris, you said the Moon Forest?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh¡­ Yes, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°Davey does not write to me often; perhaps he still holds a grudge against me. Right, how is the situation from what you have heard?¡± ¡°Big Brother mentioned that he has predicted such a situation and has already made ample preparations,¡± Baris said. The crowd murmured. Bang!! Bang!! King Krianes mmed hisrge staff a couple times to silence the room. Then, he said, ¡°The elves have lived in the Rowane Kingdom for a long time. As such, it is safe to say that they are the residents of this kingdom. Davey has officially epted them. However, an outside power is trying to take control of his decision?¡± With a stern expression, King Krianes dered, ¡°That cannot happen. Write a message to Davey that the royal pce will surely provide the support he needs to protect our people!¡± The crowd could not do anything but back off. * * * The Pan Empire had to be crossed in order for the Divine Tree¡¯s army located in the west of the continent to arrive at the Heins Territory. There were more kingdoms in the west, both small and big, but they all sided with the elves. They had decided that it was better for them to be friendly and gain new technology bymunicating with a new kind instead of Davey, who was effectively interfering with their business. As a result, the only kingdom that stood in the elves¡¯ way was the Pan Empire. In such a situation, the Pan Empire always kept the peace of the continent first and foremost. They wanted to host a final conference. Here, Davey and themander of the elves finally gathered in a ce that the Pan Empire had set up. ¡°My name is Commander Yulgren. I wasmanded by the Mother of the Divine Tree to have this great role.¡± ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom and the Seigneur of the Heins Territory,¡± Davey introduced himself arrogantly. Yulgren¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡®Yulgren¡­ He should be the elf who was attacked by Fire Chicken while escorting Emilia to the Pan Empire.¡¯ ¡°Of course, humans are as rude as ever.¡± ¡°I have no respect for the war fanatics who hit and threatened us first.¡± Shwing!! As soon as Yulgren looked angry, the elves standing behind him pulled out their rapiers. Chapter 222 78. The War Begins. Shwing!! With the sharp sound of metal, the elves pointed their rapiers right at Davey. Two of them even showed their intention of slicing his neck if he wronged them one more time. It seemingly didn¡¯t matter whether their power affected him or not. Thud!! Of course, the person standing beside Davey wasn¡¯t just going to sit back and watch. ¡°Rinne warning you. Rinne will use highly valued weapon if you do not put your weapons down this instant,¡± Rinne warned eerily. She dragged her bat, which wasrger than usual, on the ground. ¡°War fanatics¡­ How ridiculous. Us residents of the forest are peace-loving. This is all because of your interference,¡± Yulgren scoffed. ¡°What?¡± Davey stopped tapping on the table with his fingers. He said, ¡°You have to give credit where credit is due.¡± ¡°W¨CWhat?!¡± ¡°The one who approached, interfered, and wanted to control the elves living happily in the Rowane Kingdom is the lunatic tree that you serve.¡± ¡°You human!!¡± Boom!! As soon as Yulgren shouted, a huge explosion happened. Davey wondered whether having a conversation with the elves was really meaningful. Amongst the elves who trusted the Divine Tree blindly, some of them had enough faith to be zealots. And logic was not a requirement when one had such extreme faith. Only after the dust settled from the sudden explosion did they see the tragedy. On one side, two elves had copsed onto the floor. They were immobile and covered in blood. Davey and Yulgren did not move. ¡°You killed my subordinates. You people don¡¯t have the slightest bit of conscience.¡± ¡°You should¡¯ve considered the possibility of you dying if you are wielding a deadly weapon,¡± said Davey as he looked down at Yulgren. Yulgren stood up, then said, ¡°This is yourst warning, Prince Davey. There will be no more sacrifices other than your life if you return the residents of the forest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you get it yet. You are the ones who started it, but you don¡¯t get to decide how it ends.¡± Slice!! An eerie sound of metal slicing something could be heard. ¡°Kergh?!¡± Yulgren flinched with his hand on his neck. ¡°Prince Davey.¡± ¡°This conversation was meaningless. Let¡¯s end the meeting here.¡± ¡°Yes, we should.¡± The Pan Empire did host this conference as a neutral nation, but Sullivan did not seem like he was going to remain on the fence. When Sullivan calmly replied to Davey, Yulgren red at Davey with bloodshot eyes. Then, he paused, flinched slightly, and started to back away. He realized that this had been a meaningless conference from the start. Winley, who followed Davey as soon as he exited the conference room, held onto her staff with an even tighter grip. She approached Davey with a determined face. ¡°Big Brother.¡± ¡°Stay out of this.¡± ¡°No!¡± Davey firmly discouraged Winley, because he already knew what she was trying to say. ¡°Winley.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always like this, Big Brother! You always try to do the dangerous things by yourself! How long am I going to ept your help all the time?! I can help, too!¡± As a 4th Circle mage, Winley was a good asset to have even though she was a little inexperienced. However, Davey didn¡¯t even have to think about his decision as it involved Winley. Davey sighed at how Winley was being stubborn about participating in the war. He asked, ¡°Do you think war is a game?¡± ¡°I know¡­ Do you know how many people died in front of my eyes during the continuous attacks from the thieves of the ins? I will participate in this war even if you stop me! I will be of help.¡± Davey was thinking about what to do with Winley¡¯s determination to take part in the war when¡­ ¡ªWhy don¡¯t you listen to her? ¡®Are you crazy?¡¯ ¡ªYou have a tendency to be too overprotective of your younger siblings. ¡®This is a war, Perserque. And wars are for lunatics. I can¡¯t protect everyone this time around.¡¯ This war was not going to end until Davey ughtered the World Tree, the origin of this war. Once he left the battlefield to fight the World Tree, no one side would be at a guaranteed advantage. ¡ªYou tend to look down on others too much because you are too strong. ¡®Why don¡¯t you be in my position then? You have no idea how nervous and anxious it makes me.¡¯ One wrong thought or move, and countless people would die; that was not what Davey wanted. ¡ªThen, what about backline support? ¡°...¡± Winley stared up at Davey with a determined gaze. Looking at Winley, Davey said with a sigh, ¡°Go to the backlines. I cannot allow you to stand in the frontlines.¡± This was the most that Davey could do; he would never allow Winley to stand amongst the Pan Empire army who were going to be at the frontlines and stopping the elves from advancing. ¡°Baris and Marquis Peiltris will set up in the backlines with five thousand soldiers. Go and join Baris there.¡± ¡°...Okay. I will do this and slowly earn your trust.¡± ¡°Alright, but do not get hurt. That¡¯s a promise.¡± ¡°Okay, I promise,¡± Winley said confidently. However, war wasn¡¯t that easy a matter. * * * Emilia had been kept in her room for a long time now. She was fully aware that she was an unwee guest and a hostage in this ce. When Aina rose from her seat and checked her weapons, as if preparing for the final battle, Emilia feltplicated emotions in her heart. She asked, ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yes, I have received orders from Sir Davey. We havee too far to stop now.¡± ¡°Are you not afraid of fighting your own kind?¡± ¡°What is it that you want to say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Although I may be amicable towards humans, it¡¯s hard for me to imagine standing against fellow elves for them.¡± Aina, who grabbed a huge dagger and slid it into a holder, wrapped the holder around her waist. She said indifferently, ¡°Having long ears does not make you an elf, Lady Emilia¡­ When the Saint of the Divine Tree made me like this and when Yggdrasil, the World Tree, targeted my sister, I turned away from my kind.¡± Aina would do the same even if the elves ended up being thest race left in this world. ¡°Elves would curse Yuria, the residents of the Moon Forest, and myself as traitors¡­ Unless the elves disappeared. So, do you think I would be too afraid of their insults to protect my family?¡± The World Tree was in the wrong here, not them. Aina¡¯s words only made Emilia¡¯s anxiety and mistrust about the World Tree grow even more. ¡°Sir Davey is a mean human.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°However, unlike the Saint of the Divine Tree, he keeps his promises.¡± Aina sighed, then covered herself with a robe and put the hood over her head. She added, ¡°Also, he does his best to protect his loved ones, even if that means going to war with another race. On the other hand, the World Tree¡­ Is she protecting the ones who serve her?¡± Emilia was momentarily speechless as she watched Aina leave the room. She could not understand the decision and actions of the World Tree, but she was an elf. She was a part of the forest kind that served the World Tree and followed its will. As such, even if she was wrong, Emilia could not easily gain the courage to turn away. * * * Therge army of elves advanced much faster than Davey expected. Davey predicted there to be tens of thousands of elves in the army, and that was just a rough estimate. It was definitely not a big number considering it was the army of an entire race. It was also normal to expect a much bigger number since this was going to be the elves¡¯ first attack out of many. In the army attacking the Heins Territory, the World Tree had included the elves and countless spirit beasts that lived near the Divine Tree. The spirit beasts, which could use some power of the spirits unlike ordinary animals, had sufficient weapons; it was also true that their attacks, which would be carried out ording to one ideology, would be too strong for the enemy to simply ignore. Originally, Davey¡¯s first goal was to crush their attack force and advance to the Divine Tree. However, the elves had probablye here prepared, so they could drag the battle on even if they failed to gain an immediate advantage. Davey, who was sitting on the edge of the rift and watching the situation, was being notified of the progressions of the war through the three crystals near his feet. [They are advancing in three groups. However, everyone that we¡¯ve sent out to engage in gueri warfare failed¡­ It seems like they have something that senses humans when they reach a certain distance.] Davey heard Sullivan¡¯s voice through themunication crystal. Of course, gueri warfare yed an important role in a war, making the enemy lose focus. However, the elves had discovered and killed all of the troops that had been sent for gueri warfare. It appeared that the elves did indeed have something that could detect humans at a certain distance. ¡°What about the preparations to advance?¡± Davey asked. [The preparations are ready. We will be able to strike right away as soon as their army stumbles.] ¡°Gueri warfare will be done on this side.¡± ¡®We can¡¯t do gueri warfare because we get detected by getting too close? Then, the least I should do is knock them out from a far away distance.¡¯ Davey, who was watching the situation from a huge rift located outside of the elves¡¯ detection perimeter, tapped empty space. He was going to look for the advancing elves himself. Boom!! At the same time, arge staff came out of the empty air. ¡ªOoh¡­ The Transcendence¡¯s Demise! Perserque¡¯s eyes still shone every time she saw the staff. Whoosh!! The Transcendence¡¯s Demise had the magic power of magnification and shrinking. Even if that power was not at all used, the staff was far from useless. The staff could support mages whenever they used their magic, and the staff¡¯s innate power was just an additional power. Davey swung the big and heavy staff in the air. Then, he waited silently for the elves toe into a certain distance. He ordered, ¡°Rinne, order the Decepticon Fleet to attack as soon as I attack.¡± ¡°Command epted,¡± Rinne answered calmly as her eyes shone. [Elder Brain, delivery ofmand. Choosing concentrated tactics. Ordering the others to defend.] [Command epted.] [Command epted.] Rinne heard the replies from Sniper, the sniping golem, and Juggernaut, the gatling gun golem that shot mini magic bullets. [Then, Rinne, delivering additionalmands. Megatron, activate Punisher Cannons.] [Punisher Cannons activated. Requires recharge of mana after use.] Rinne was slightly ecstatic, as if Megatron¡¯s new weapon was to her liking. This was the first time that the Decepticon Fleet¡¯s golems were sort of being revealed to the world. Sullivan would not publicize this information if he was smart, but this was the first time Davey was showing the golems to someone other than his immediate circle. As soon as Rinne gave themand, Davey swung the staff in the direction of the elf army who hade into proximity. At the same time, arge amount of mana escaped his body. [6th Circle] [Wide-Range Explosion] [Multi-Explosion] Sizzle¡­ It sounded like the fuse wire had been ignited. The elves kept advancing. They had no idea what was happening to them, so they were puzzled by how their surroundings were starting to shine. Boom!!!!! Those sparks soon created huge explosions, which effectively signaled the start of Davey¡¯s attacks. Boom!!!! There were explosions that shook the entire ground and ck smoke everywhere. As the ground got blown up into pieces, Davey crumbled a mana stone from his pocket and threw it into the air. ¡®You have to supply the catalysts with mana if there isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ ¡°Start concentration.¡± [Concentration] Boom!! Arge amount of explosive bullets began raining on the base of the elves, who were flustered by the first round of surprise attacks. Chapter 223 In terms of power, the huge me explosion that had erupted and devoured arge area was simr to the power of an overloaded mana stone. The high-ranking Multi-Explosion was a higher circle magic that could express more than three times the power of the 5th Circle Explosion. However, with the help of Transcendence Demise¡¯sputational abilities and tremendous mana, Davey was able to break through the limits of the assimted and ideal mage levels with grace and ease to cast plenty of such magic. Flustered by the sudden explosion, the elven army was left in a huge mess. They also had no leeway to stage a counterattack. ¡°Prince Sullivan, do it now.¡± The opposing side was now turned upside down, so those who had been caught by surprise had the time to breathe andunch their own attacks. [I understand.] Waaaaaaaaaah! The soldiers of the human army, who had been on standby, were beginning to advance. Shouts and the loud nging of metal could be heard. The elves, well-versed in battle and much more powerful at long-range battles, were busy trying to find their rhythm back after the sudden explosion. They ended up being caught off-guard by the human soldiers¡¯ sudden charge. In a moment, the area was rife with the elven army¡¯s screams and shrieks. The human attacks could be seen asrge-scale trampling, which resulted in the obvious decline of the elven army¡¯s momentum. The elves also had not found the location of the Multi-Explosion¡¯s source, which was still erupting asionally. Due to that, they had no other choice but to pay attention to the soldiers who were in front of them and the potential explosions that might erupt at any given moment. No matter how many of them there were, if the elves were beaten by the soldiers and the eruptions, the result of this battle was obvious. However, the elves did not allow themselves to only get beaten. The moment theirmander and leader, Fourth Central Official Yulrgen, shouted amand, the elves began their counterattack. The elves in the frontlines immediately abandoned their bows to wield their rapiers. Meanwhile, the elves at the rear nocked their bows with arrows with practiced ease. At the same time, all of them avoided the artillery fireing their way. Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!!! ck arrows soon rained down on the human soldiers. Of course, the elves¡¯ arrows werepletely unlike ordinary arrows. After all, the archery that the elves had mastered was extremely lethal in nature. As the battle became increasingly difficult, screams rang rampant in the entire battlefield. But of course, Yulrgen did not stop there and immediately made his next move. Suddenly, arge wooden structure was brought in through a wagon from somewhere. It was ced in the middle of the battlefield. Thuuuuud!!! The structure, the barrier, began fulfilling the role that it had been given to y. The explosions that had been distracting the elves suddenly hit an intangible screen and exploded in the air. After being free from the danger of the explosions, the elves¡¯ counterattack naturally increased in intensity. The human army was forced back in an instant. This was unsurprising, since they had significantly fewer numbers than the elven army. ¡°Ha. That¡¯s just cheating.¡± World Tree Yggdrasil¡¯s power had an overwhelming advantage over every mana in existence, and she herself was not stupid. She should know that the human army would receive tremendous damage once Davey chose to step forward. The elven army was very mighty by itself, but Yggdrasil cherished her beloved elves dearly, so there was no way that she did not give them any sort of countermeasure against Davey. The barrier, which blocked Davey¡¯s explosion magic, the golems¡¯ magic bullets, and all other external attacks, protected the elves. For the human army charging forward with the support of artillery fire, it was like they were charging forward and fighting with one amputated arm. With the protection of the barrier that was made with whatever magic the elves had used, Davey could see that the elves started to move with more agility and fluidity. Davey threw the Transcendence Demise in the air without any hesitation. Then, he pulled out another item from his Pocket ne. The item was none other than a spear in the shape of a cross; it was the Divine Spear Longinus in the form of a divine cross. Instead of stopping there, he added some extra measures by taking out several talismans in the form of scrolls and sticking them on Longinus¡¯ shaft. Since the opponent was protecting their own with such powerful grace, then Davey had no choice but to break them apart with a bigger and more powerful force. [Goddess Freyja, the God who watches over all creations.] ¡®Since you¡¯ve decided not to keep the World Tree anymore, then show us a miracle one more time.¡¯ Davey knelt down on one knee, held his hands tightly together, and closed his eyes in prayer. He uttered his prayers very quickly. [Bzzt¡­ Bzzt¡­ Prince Davey! The opponent¡¯s offensive is getting stronger by the second! Please do something about it, quick!] Davey found the criesing from themunication crystal to be filthy nagging. He ignored them and chose to focus on forcing the holy power that slumbered in his body to awaken and activate. [Your body does not have a corporeal form, yet you exist in every corner of the world. There is no ce in this world that your finger cannot touch.] Davey did not enjoy praying in such a serious and earnest manner. It was just not his style. However, he had to do it, since magic with power that was close to a God¡¯s miracle was very difficult to manage. [May your forefinger show us mercy.] Once again, a 9th Level holy magic began to emerge from deep within Davey. [May your middle finger bring judgment and destruction to evil.] Davey released the destructive energy that emerged from his body before gathering it all in one ce. [I pray for your consent and permission.] As for the target, it was the ce right above the elves¡¯ protective barrier. That was what contained Yggdrasil¡¯s protection. [By your words, the Goddess has dered.] [Do eat shit.] ¡ªWhat kind of order is that¡­? [9th Level, the Final Holy Magic] [God¡¯s Middle Finger] Swooosh!!! Once the order came from above, a pir of light fell down from a sudden crack in the sky and broke the protective barrier that Yggdrasil had created. Baaaaaaaang!!! After breaking down the elves¡¯ protective barrier, the pir of light went on to burn the wooden structurepletely. Davey immediately regained his senses from a wave of dizziness, which had been caused by the sudden influx of magic. He then said to themunication crystal, ¡°You can start now.¡± Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh!!! Once the elves¡¯ protective barrier had broken apart, the human soldiers immediately retreated. They appeared to have been waiting for this very moment. Meanwhile, the elves were overwhelmed by a sense of confusion. Theypletely forgot to chase after the retreating human soldiers when their protective barrier had been smashed into pieces by the sudden pir of light. They were like a flock of headless chickens, all disorderly and lost. Not long after, the human soldiers fired countless javelins from several ballistas that turned the sky ck. If they only used ordinary ballistas and javelins, then their attack would not work at all. But the Pan Empire was no simple empire; they were an empire that swarmed and thrived with new weapons. After some time, the released javelins exploded in the air and turned into shrapnels that flew all over the ce. They became deadly weapons that rained down on the elves. This was [Ignite], the new weapon that the Pan Empire had created. This particr war would eventually be a battle of numbers. The elves might have beaten Davey and the human soldiers to take the first step, but they would also be calling the shots regarding the end of this fight. Caught between a rock and a hard ce after losing the power that had protected them, the elvespletely lost morale. After all, they had lost their source of arrogance and confidence. The golem fleet captains were still firing based on the role that each of their groups had been given, and the fragments of Ignite were still relentlessly pouring down over the elves. As for the human soldiers who had retreated after being hit hard by the elves, they advanced fiercely once again with their spears to take over the battlefield. The elves had been safe just moments ago. But now, looking down on the ground beneath them, they could see the gruesome and horrible corpses of theirrades. The corpses were so cruelly distorted that one could not even associate them with the race that was known for their beauty and grace. ¡ªGod damn war¡­ ¡°You make me look like a jerk.¡± But Davey did not stop. ¡°Prince Sullivan, I¡¯m heading to the Western Continent. Perhaps the elves will take a long time to reorganize themselves. Deal with it as you see fit. We¡¯ll be done by the time they have finished preparing for their next attack.¡± [There¡¯s a considerable distance between our current location and the Western Continent¡­] ¡°I¡¯m going to ride Fire Chicken.¡± Davey did not know the location¡¯s exact coordinates so he had to fly over there personally. [Ah¡­ You¡¯re talking about that mysterious bird¡­ I see. Don¡¯t worry, you can leave this ce to me.] The more cruel the battlefield, the better. This was because the battle would then be over soon. However, Davey had to keep such thoughts mostly to himself. *** After the pir of pure and bright white light fell down from the sky, the ground was left devastated. The elves who had been touched by the light disappeared without a trace. They hadn¡¯t even been able to scream. The remaining elves thought the power was too destructive to be called a power of the Goddess Freyja, the symbol of benevolence and mercy. On the other hand, they also felt that the attack was so sacred and holy that they were seemingly witnessing the original and genuine truth of the world. ¡°My goodness¡­¡± Perhaps this was what pure amazement felt like. Prince Sullivan and the nobles who followed him were all horrified to witness this catastrophe unfold on the battlefield that they were monitoring from afar. They felt like their entire world had been turned upside down the moment they saw the sh of white light, a power that God had brought down on this earth, in front of them. They could use higher-level magic, which was already an amazing feat. However, the holy magic that Prince Davey could wield was definitely beyond their realm. They had to wonder if all of the Saints and Saintesses in the history books had been this strong too? From how Davey carried himself confidently, Prince Sullivan could already tell that the rumors regarding him were all true. Still, seeing Davey¡¯s power in person only made him realize that his power far exceeded his own expectations. The most surprising part about Davey¡¯s power was the golems that apanied him. The golems, which lookedpletely different from the Iron Golems and Mud Golems that the Alchemy Schools ordinarily produced, had very sophisticated and borate forms. They were like living and breathing metal forms. And was the golems¡¯ firepower weak? No, not at all. Some of the golems could shoot an enemy¡¯s head from hundreds of thousands of meters away. Some could even blow away dozens more by casting powerful explosion spells. Some of the golems could also release magic bullets and mysterious sticks that spun viciously and turned the enemies into hives. ¡®They¡¯re strong¡­ They¡¯re so dangerously strong. Were these the golems created after working hand in hand with the dwarves? Even if that¡¯s the case, their technology is still something that¡¯s beyondmon sense¡­! I want them. I want to take away that technology from him and keep him in check!¡¯ Prince Sullivan was clearly getting greedy, but he was a smart man. He knew that if he dared to backstab Davey, then he and his empire would face the same fate as the opposing elves right now. The Pan Empire might be strong but Prince Davey possessed something that could rival an entire empire. Furthermore, Sullivan¡¯s instincts were telling him that this was not everything that Davey had up his sleeves. Sullivan shook his head at the frightening thought that shed in his head. He thought, ¡®I should never pretend or keep up appearances when I am around him.¡¯ The nobles who followed Sullivan also had hardened expressions on their faces. It seemed like Sullivan was not the only one who had thought about it. All of them were wondering how ridiculous it would be if Davey could take on the entire battle by himself. At that point, Sullivan thought that they should not think about this matter anymore. *** There were no chances when it came to fate. One of the elves¡¯ Ancient Guards, Janice, stood in cold silence as she watched the peaceful territory beyond the great forest. [All of you, take a detour and go over there. The lives of our people are at stake, so make haste andplete your mission as quickly as possible. Go to the Moon Forest and bring Yuria to me. Make sure to bring her unharmed, no matter the cost.] Their Mother Divine Tree had told the elves that the elven army would fail to cross the Pan Empire to reach the Moon Forest. It was true that the humans did not know much about the elves, but the elves did not know much about the humans either. It also did not help that the humans now had a devilish human who had killed five Ancient Guards and their Mother Divine Tree¡¯s incarnation by himself. The elves did not know much about his individual power, but they knew that he was a prince of a small kingdom. They also judged that he had gained a lot of help, since he had wider reach in terms of connections than they had expected. Although Davey was a monster that went beyond any kind ofmon sense, Janice thought that him having that kind of power was notpletely impossible. She knew that he was the contractor of a Spirit King. ¡°Janice, there¡¯s a barrier.¡± Janice nodded silently at herrade. Then, she said, ¡°Listen well. We¡¯re in enemy territory. We are in a ce where we don¡¯t know what is going to happen next.¡± Although they were inside a forest, which was a very familiar ce for the elves of the Divine Tree. However, they were feeling a subtle sense of unfamiliarity and separation from thisnd. They looked at each other uneasily. The elves were at least Ancient Guards or of a higher level of authority. They were the ones who did not participate in the war like the other Ancient Guards, because some of them had stayed back to protect the Divine Tree. This group in particr was being led by Janice. They had made a detour to this ce, the enemy¡¯s base and stronghold, the Heins Territory. ¡°Our task is to recapture the priestess, Yuria Helishana, who is living here in the Moon Forest. In fact, the troops stationed in this ce are not that great. We can easily defeat them,¡± Janice said. Everyone nodded in agreement. From what they could see, the monstrous human had created a new barrier to protect Yuria Helishana. But they were Ancient Guards. Anyone who had gathered here could break a barrier of such toughness and strength. Janice was very proud of that fact. ¡°Cobbs, the bow,¡± Janice said. With her eyes on the barrier that blocked their path forward, Janice reached her hand out to the elf who stood next to her. She soon received an exquisite wooden bow iid with several beautiful and glittering jewels, a weapon that they had prepared in advance. The bow was made from the World Tree¡¯s branches and several spirit stones. It was a very rare treasure in the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. Janice was confident that she could break everything with this bow in hand. Right now, the barrier was nothing to her. When Janice took on a stance with her bow, a high-ranking wind spirit appeared next to her as a light wind began to gather around her. Janice then ordered, ¡°The signal will be the barrier¡¯s copse. The moment I break the barrier, enter the territory.¡± The other Ancient Guards immediately pulled out their weapons in preparation. [Spirit Arrow] Janice closed her eyes and pulled the bowstrings tightly, concentrating the surrounding power in her arrow. A harsh sound rang out from the bowstrings as the tautness and tension increased. Meanwhile, a violent wind blew and surrounded Janice and her chosen weapon. The arrow, which contained a high-ranking spirit¡¯s power, and the bow, which was created from the World Tree¡¯s branches, resonated. Soon, a powerful force was created and began to affect the nearby area. Janice was sure that the people of that territory must have noticed the change. However¡­ ¡®It¡¯s toote. That barrier will be broken before you know it.¡¯ Janice thought the barrier was nothing but strong. However, it didn¡¯t take too long for her to be disappointed. What the Ancient Guards did not know was that Davey had mixed several magic spells at the 8th Circle, perhaps even higher, in the creation of this barrier. He was also able to expand this barrier, which was only able to cover a palm, and cover the entire forest. Chapter 224 79. Where the World Tree Is. Janice, confident with herself and her power, channeled all of her strength into pulling the string of her bow before letting it go and letting her arrow fly. Thump!!! A loud and heavy sound rang out once the arrow struck the barrier. Janice was certain that this one attack would crack the barrier. After all, hundreds of elves working together to send such a powerful attack should easily break the barrier that had been set up around the Divine Tree. This was the reason why the bow was a very precious weapon. So, the question was, how long could a barrier created by a lone human hold up against such a strong attack? The elves silently crouched down and prepared to charge forward, watching the barrier shake from the attack. But¡­ Ting!!! The arrow that struck the barrier was trying to pierce through it¡­ However, it only lost its momentum and fell to the ground. In fact, the barrier had seemingly absorbed the impact of the attack. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡ª Janice and the Ancient Guards were left speechless by the arrow¡¯s unexpected fall to the ground. Was the earlier attack going to be wasted just like that? Well, that single shot should have had enough power to smash this barrier. Unfortunately, the arrow had been deflected. ¡°What the hell happ¡­¡± Janice was left in a daze by the absurdity of the situation. Before Janice could finish speaking, someone suddenly cried out, ¡°Janice!!! Dodge!!!¡± However, Janice only registered her own loss of bnce from the force of someone pushing her down. Thud!!! Only after falling down did Janice regain her senses. The Ancient Guard, Samara, had fallen down. Shockingly, the upper half of her body had disappeared. In a single nce, Janice could tell that the impact of her arrow attack had been reflected. ¡°Sa¡­ Samara¡­¡± But no matter how many times Janice called her name, Samara would not be able to answer. After all, her entire upper body had already disappeared. What could one say in such a situation? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Janice stiffened up. While in a daze, she crawled toward whatever remained of Samara¡¯s body. Upon reaching the bisected body, she could feel Samara¡¯s body heat. It was as if Samara were still alive! But an elf, whose upper body hadpletely disappeared, could not be alive. Janice fell back down with a nk expression on her face. She closed her eyes, then opened them in a sh. She yelled, ¡°What¡­ What the hell is going on here?!!!¡± ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s a trap! Janice, we have to retreat!!!¡± But Janice fell back into her daze after the short outburst, the other Ancient Guards¡¯ shouting not registering in her ears at all. Her current situation became even more shocking when the attack that she had fired had been reflected by the barrier to kill her friend. Janice wasn¡¯t the only confused one. All of the elves that gathered here were confused. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Unfortunately, the catastrophe was not yet over. Theyout of the forest began to change, as if it had been waiting for this moment. It all felt so real, the ground rumbling beneath the elves¡¯ feet and the bite of the harsh wind on their skin. The forest appeared to be truly alive. In just an instant, the forest was no longer an ordinary forest; it became an endless maze. After the forest had be a maze, the dazed Janice finally realized that she had been separated from herrades. All she could do was stare at her surroundings helplessly while mumbling, ¡°He¡¯s a monster. This¡­¡± How could a single person be able to make such a ridiculous barrier? Could any part ofmon sense even try exining this away? Thinking about that, Janice shook her head to give a firm no. This was absolutely impossible, but it was now her reality. Janice slowly stood up with a nk face. She touched the walls of the maze and felt the rough texture with her fingertips. She murmured, ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion. The barrier is covering the entire forest¡­ I¡¯ve never heard about such a barrier before. This should bepletely impossible to maintain¡­¡± Janice had to wonder how her enemies were maintaining such a barrier. She had so many questions that made her go round in circles, so she ended up shutting herself up. She just could not say anything anymore. The maze was so dark that Janice could see nothing. There was also the hair-raising killing intent that hovered around her and stiffened her up. Janice turned to look behind her, but all she could see was endless darkness. Stab¡ª But from that empty void, Janice felt something pierce through her heart. She looked down, finally noticing a sword that wasmonly used by assassins piercing right through her chest. Her gaze shook. She slowly looked back up at the elf with dark skin, who was brutally retrieving the sword with a cold glint in her eyes. Janice looked at the dark elf and felt a vague sense of familiarity. She had obviously not seen a dark elf in her life before, but for some reason, she felt like she had seen that face from somewhere before. The dark elf, whose navy hair was parted down the middle and brushing against her shoulders, looked at Janice. She said calmly, ¡°The maze that you are seeing is a mere illusion. This is a Great Illusion, one that can partially deceive your five senses. Unfortunately for you, the seigneur of this territory is not someone who can be measured bymon sense¡­¡± ¡®That cold way of speaking¡­¡¯ Janice was finally able to recognize who the dark elf was just before she died. She recognized the dark elf¡¯s cold and nonchnt way of speaking. She asked weakly, ¡°Aina¡­ Why are you here¡­?¡± ¡°Is it wrong for a younger sister to protect her older sister?¡± Aina turned away. Janice smiled bitterly. When she was younger, she had teased a girl. The same girl had apanied her while learning archery and spirit magic. She had teased the girl a lot because the girl had been so sloppy with her immense talent. However, when the girl had disappeared from the forest, Janice had been told that her friend had defied the Divine Tree and had been branded by the fetters of a corrupt sinner. But that friend was here right now. ¡°So you were¡­here¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for¡­¡± ¡°You will feel no pain. We wouldn¡¯t have fought and killed each other like this if it weren¡¯t for the Divine Tree¡¯s Saint and the World Tree. But it is what it is. Goodbye, Janice.¡± Janice¡¯s expression was bitter as she looked at Aina through her blurry vision. In the end, everything turned ck. *** ¡°I don¡¯t feel well,¡± Aina uttered immediately after opening the crystal ball to report back to Davey. ¡°Do assassins cry?¡± ¡°Stop making fun of me. I don''t have the capacity to take any jokes right now,¡± Aina said calmly with a cold and cruel expression. ¡°Just because they¡¯re all elves of the Divine Tree does not mean that they are all stuck up and cruel. There are some good ones among them.¡± Aina continued to give her report in a calm manner. ¡°That¡¯s all I have to report. All of the Ancient Guards who have stealthily approached the territory to recapture Yuria are already dead. I killed them easily because they had been caught by the illusion cast by the barrier that you¡¯ve set up, Sir Davey.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Can you¡­do me a favor, please?¡± Davey nodded when he heard Aina speaking with an uncharacteristically weak voice. ¡°The World Tree¡­ Please make sure to kill the Divine Tree¡¯s goddamn will and that Saint. I don¡¯t know what that tree is and why it has to make it painful for each and every one of us, so please¡­¡± Aina brushed her face with one of her hands. The call ended abruptly, with Aina cutting herself off. Davey knew that it was the right decision to have left Aina behind. After all, things had gone just as he expected; the World Tree did send troops after Yuria. ¡°Fire Chicken.¡± Davey looked at Fire Chicken and its glossy feathers, knowing that it had the greatest appetite to eat whatever it wanted to eat once he let it fly around the forest. All Divine Beasts were born in their adult form, which was why their size remained the same even while growing up. However, their fur or feathers would be glossier when their conditions were better. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s your time to shine. Go, you can vent your anger however you want and as much as you want. I won¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡ªKiyeeeeeeeeeeek! The Vermillion Bird released a burst of mes. It looked just like a happy cat who had been given milk. Although the mes looked intense, Davey and Rinne, who were both standing next to it, did not feel any heat. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Rinne will catch up.¡± The elves had received a huge amount of damage. Before they got the chance to reorganize themselves, Davey had to finish the World Tree off. The moment Daveynded on Fire Chicken¡¯s back, Rinne pped the wings on her back andnded in front of him. Once she was close enough, Davey pulled her back to stop her from falling. Davey stroked Fire Chicken and said, ¡°Go.¡± Fire Chicken was still very happy from getting Davey¡¯s permission to do whatever it pleased. Upon receiving Davey¡¯smand, it spread its wings and flew high up into the air to reveal its majestic presence. *** Divine Beasts could fly at unbelievable speeds. In the first ce, the existence of Divine Beasts already defied thews of nature. After all, Divine Beasts were beings born from a human¡¯s desire. Simply put, the speed at which it could fly would depend on its current condition and the power it currently possessed. Davey had to ignore the changing surroundings as they flew for days. Fire Chicken had chosen to fly non-stop during the day while eating as much delicious food as it wanted during the night to replenish its strength. This way, it could fly the next day with as much vigor as before. Based on the reports that Davey had received, the elves no longer attacked recklessly after being hit hard once. They were busy preparing for something now. However, they did not know that Davey had left the battlefield and was now heading toward the Divine Tree¡¯s forest. The Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land was located in the northern area of the western continent. Their neighboring country was the Conthas Empire. Originally, it was considered rude for a prince of another nation to invade another empire¡¯s airspace without any form ofmunication. However, there was no way that Davey would foster any kind of good feelings towards Conthas Empire especially since they were the ones who had opened the path for the enemies in the first ce. It was none of Davey¡¯s business if they were trying to curry favor with the elves because of political reasons, but he would not stop the animosity that he now felt towards them. After three whole days of flying non-stop and avoiding detection, they finally reached the edge of an iparablyrge forest that was filled with gigantic trees and dazzling greens. ¡°Let¡¯s go down here. If we fly any further, the Divine Tree will catch us easily.¡± Fire Chicken who had been flying excitedly then gentlynded on the ground. It seemingly was showing Davey just how satisfied it was with flying freely and doing whatever it pleased. It also retracted its hot mes. ¡°U-Urk¡­ Rinne discovered a huge error in her sense of direction. Rinne identifies this as motion sickness.¡± ¡°So, robots can get motion sickness too.¡± ¡°Rinne¡¯s¡­emotional circuits are rapidly heating up. Rinne identifies this as fierce anger towards Davey,¡± Rinne said while gnashing her teeth. Ignoring Rinne, Davey simply patted Fire Chicken. He pulled out a talisman and said, ¡°Go back and rest. Conserve your strength. I¡¯ll call youter. Then, you can run as wild as you can.¡± ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck! Fire Chicken roared happily after hearing Davey¡¯s words. Then, it tapped its beak on the talisman. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Fire Chicken turned into mes and vanished inside the talisman. ¡ªYou¡¯re going to go inside just like that? What¡¯s the point of hiding your presence and sneaking out if you¡¯re just going to get caught here? Davey had heard about the World Tree¡¯s rough location from Yuria and Aina. However, he had no way of knowing the exact location without checking it out himself. Davey also did not know how long the search would take, which was why he was now in a situation that could expose himpletely. The Divine Tree¡¯s Forest was the World Tree¡¯s domain. She could sense everyone who entered and just where they were. In fact, there was no way for Davey to avoid Yggdrasil¡¯s all-seeing eyes. After all, Yggdrasil had the upper hand when it came to holy magic, mana, dark magic, and spirit magic thanks to her special attributes. There was nothing that Davey could use to camouge himself and hide from her, except for one method¡­ ¡°I haven¡¯t done this in a long time. Shall we try it?¡± Davey did not really like this method, but it was his master¡¯s fault for making sorcery in the first ce. Davey immediately pulled around five or six strands of hair on his head, ced them t on his palm, and lifted them to the skies. Then, he sandwiched a scarlet talisman between the index and middle finger of his other hand. The strands of hair on his palm began to vibrate and resonate with his other arm, which moved as gently as the waves of the sea. After moving a certain distance, Davey threw the talisman into the air and blew the strands of hair away. Poof! With a pop, a few individuals appeared right in front of Davey. ¡°Rinne is witnessing a disaster. Rinne evaluates this lowly.¡± Rinne covered both eyes with her small hands as if she did not want to see anything anymore. ¡ªWhat¡­ What the hell is that?! Perserque screamed and jumped behind Davey. Of course, she did not forget to close her eyes tightly. The hair that Davey blew away had turned into clones that looked just like him. The problem with using sorcery was that the clones that Davey had made exposed his true build to the world. The build that he had in his previous life was a lot bigger than his build right now, so he was very surprised to see that his clones had followed that size. Davey looked at his clones with aplicated expression. Then, looking at the naughty little girl beside him, he immediately pressed down on the girl¡¯s silver hair and said, ¡°Rinne, close the gaps between your fingers.¡± ¡°Tch¡­ Rinne evaluates Davey¡¯s sharpness very lowly.¡± Chapter 225 The little rascal clicked her tongue as she snapped her fingers back together. Rinne looked pretty innocent at first. But after hearing her click her tongue, Davey could tell that Rinne had already seen everything that she could see through the gaps of her fingers. She was peeking through the hands covering her face. Davey did not feel ashamed though. He only hadplicated thoughts. In terms of age, Rinne and Perserque were both older than Davey. Rinne was an ancient legacy that had been sleeping for tens of thousands of years while Perserque was an existence who had lived alone for more than 3,000 years. To put it simply, Davey felt like he was being sexually harassed by some elderly people. ¡°It seems like I have lost my touch after not having done this in a long time¡­¡± Despite itscking efficiency, sorcery was a very peculiar and intricate type of magic. And Davey had barely used it since he had returned to his physical body. All of those factorsbined meant that his first try in so long would not be perfect. No, perhaps it was more apt to say that Davey¡¯s body had not yet fully adapted to this power since sorcery and daoist magic did not exist in this world. But if Davey were being honest, he would just admit that a long time had passed since he had learned sorcery in the Hall. In other words, he hadn''t gotten the hang of it. Davey frowned slightly as he mumbled to himself. Then, he flicked his fingers and¡­ Poof!!! The seven human figures in front of Davey turned into smoke before taking form again. This time, their appearance had already changedpletely. They were now all dressed just like him. ¡°All done.¡± Looking at all seven clones standing in front of him, Davey raised one hand and said, ¡°Raise your right hand.¡± Swoosh¡ª ¡°Raise your left hand.¡± Swoosh¡ª ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s get to work. Disperse.¡± Davey could not deny the fact that the clones did not have the ego to listen tomands and follow orders. They moved ording to his will, so they truly did not have the capacity to process and abide orders. They only moved based on the instructions that Davey would give through his will. This was a power that the Divine Tree could not sense. With the use of sorcery and daoist magic, Davey could guarantee that he would be able to move around freely and do what he needed to do. Once his clones disappeared in a sh, Davey began to move slowly. He said, ¡°We¡¯ll wait on standby here.¡± ¡°Rinne has a question. Rinne¡¯s sure that Davey can find the World Tree quickly if you make more clones.¡± ¡°The World Tree won¡¯t be able to notice the qi used to make the clones, but that does not mean that she will fail to notice me.¡± Since Davey had mana in his body, he would definitely leave a trace that the World Tree could follow. Besides, a search should be done stealthily, right? *** ¡°¡­¡± World Tree Yggdrasil had turned uncharacteristically quiet as she pondered deeply over their situation. However, the elven man sitting in front of her was very rxed. ¡°Why are you looking so pensive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Yggdrasil answered calmly from behind the hood of her robe. The man was aware of the truth of the situation. After all, just one look outside and he would see that plenty of the Divine Tree¡¯s leaves had shriveled up. Considering the World Tree¡¯s power, such an urrence should have been impossible. However, the curse that the human had put on the World Tree was at a level that far exceeded what she and the Divine Tree¡¯s Saint had initially thought of. One had to wonder how such a highly developed curse had returned to be used again in this world, where dark magic had almost died out. The World Tree could see wherever she directed her gaze towards. However, the further the distance, the more power it would consume. Yggdrasil did not mind, since the war had now turned into one of attrition. She knew that the most likely reason why it hade to this point was because the elves had suffered tremendously in their first attack. Yggdrasil also knew her child Yulrgen well. Yulgren had a very cautious personality, so he would not attack recklessly after being hit so badly. However, the World Tree thought that it was better this way. After all, they would still be able to get what they wanted even if their army did not reach Heins Territory. Having witnessed fate, which remained unchanged, Yggdrasil was confident in taking out the main force of the elves and the protectors of the Divine Tree. She only left a few of them to guard the World Tree, then secretly sent everyone else to the Heins Territory. Soon, her children would report that they had recaptured Yuria. Why? This was their fate and destiny. They might lose the war but Yggdrasil would have won this fight. The furious Davey would storm this forest to find the Divine Tree¡¯s sacred ce and retrieve Yuria. But in the end, he would close his eyes andy in eternal rest under her hands. Fate and destiny had been fixed since the beginning of time. However, a new trajectory had diverged from the fate that Yggdrasil had witnessed. Why? Why did that happen? An unexinable bout of anxiety gued Yggdrasil and she could not shake it off. Yggdrasil silently widened her eyes in shock. She had just seen something that should not have been there while scanning the entire Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land with her gaze. ¡°I¡­ Perhaps my eyes are ying on me?¡± Yggdrasil murmured as she used her gaze to scan the Sacred Land again. There was nothing there. No signs whatsoever of any living creature or any traces of their mana. It was as if Yggdrasil¡¯s eyes were just truly ying her. If someone was truly there, the World Tree was sure that she would be able to notice them. But there was nothing at all. ¡°You¡¯re a bit too on edge these days,¡± the elven man, the Divine Tree¡¯s Saint that the World Tree had chosen, mumbled leisurely. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to find this ce thanks to the barrier that Mother has created. And even if hees, Mother will immediately know once he tries to break the barrier. So, just sit back and wait.¡± ¡°Are you implying that I am nervous?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yggdrasil¡¯s smile turned cold at the man¡¯s quick answer. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. Do you think I, who can see the future, will feel nervous?¡± ¡°Perhaps that¡¯s the case. After all, you have been so hung up on that one variable that you can¡¯t stop pacing around.¡± Yggdrasil felt offended at the Saint of the Divine Tree¡¯s words and chose to remain silent. She stopped looking around and focused her power on undoing the curse that had been wrapped around her body. Once she lifted this curse, Yggdrasil would personally go to kill that human. The World Tree could use her original power inside the Divine Tree¡¯s Forest. She was an absolute existence here and no one would be able to beat her. To her, this was simply fate. Unbeknownst to Yggdrasil, who still believed in the flow of fate that she had seen, there were already seven existences devoid of mana scouring the entire forest and looking for her. *** The Divine Tree¡¯s Forest was extremely vast. This was the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land, so it would take days on end if Davey was searching around like a headless fly. However, thanks to the knowledge and information that he had gathered from Yuria, he was able to find what he was looking for in just half a day. ¡°Davey, can Rinnee out since you have already found the Divine Tree? Can Rinne¡¯s sessorse out?¡± Davey shook his head at Rinne¡¯s question and said, ¡°Wait. The barrier protecting the Divine Tree is still intact. I have to smash that first.¡± Davey felt an air of mischief hanging around Rinne, who tilted her head. He said, ¡°The Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land is where the World Tree¡¯s original body is located. If that¡¯s the case, how about sending Anabelle out?¡± ¡°A! Na! Belle!¡± Rinne uttered Anabelle¡¯s name one syble at a time in shock. She blinked at Davey and said, ¡°Rinne looks forward to showing off Rinne¡¯s new sessor¡¯s abilities in this special operation!¡± ¡°Right,¡± Davey answered. Davey took a cube, which looked like disfigured human skin, from his Pocket ne and threw it up into the air. The cube grew in size before perfectly transforming into the body of an elven woman. This was none other than Anabelle. ¡°Anabelle, you can do it, right?¡± [Waiting for orders.] ¡°I will tell you what you have to do from now on.¡± Anabelle remained expressionless. However, her eyes slowly opened at Davey¡¯s words. Her pink pupils shed slightly. *** As soon as Anabelle left his side, Davey took out Transcendence Demise from his Pocket ne. Anabelle was a finely crafted golem. It would be hard for someone to see any ring difference between her and the other elves. However, she was still a golem. For her to be able to infiltrate the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land safely and stealthily, Davey needed to break the barrier covering the entire area and attract the World Tree¡¯s attention towards him. This time, Davey was not using the staff for assistance. He used his power, and the entire forest began to shake as his mana explosively shot up. At this point in time, Yggdrasil would have already noticed Davey¡¯s presence. So, what if she knew that he was here? She should at least say hello to him. ¡ªDavey, the World Tree is a tree that acts as a pir in this world. If you cut her down recklessly, then¡­ ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have control of myself.¡± Vwooooooooooong!!! The tip of Transcendence Demise began to resonate and vibrate fiercely while Davey reversed the flow of mana that was rotating in the circles in his chest. Just then, his mana circles stopped rotating in the same direction, suddenly twisting and rotating in reverse. The process created a friction that destabilized Davey¡¯s mana. Hisplexion turned an unhealthy shade of white as the blood in his body moved as it pleased. The veins in his arms swelled to the point of possibly bursting open. ¡ªDavey?! Are you crazy?! Of course, no one withmon sense would dare to reverse their perfectly rotating mana circles. But as a mage, Davey believed that he should look into the matter and see whether it truly worked or not. Perserque watched Davey nkly as a fireball the size of a ser ball appeared in Davey¡¯s empty palm. Creak, creak!!! The overloaded mana circles in Davey¡¯s heart began to creak. [Reversing a circle is all about timing, Davey. If you don¡¯t want to lose your life, then you have to remember my words.] Even Davey¡¯s reckless and ill-tempered magic teacher Odin had known that one had to be careful when dealing with such a sensitive type of magic. There was no way for Davey to guarantee how strong his firepower would be once the magic was sessfully used. Unlike the ordinary method where one had to utilize their mana circles as if they were rotating the gears of an engine to create high-level magic, this method made use of the repulsive force created by reversing the mana circles¡¯ flow. In theory, the concept of creating another circle could also be considered as a meaningless attack. A 9th Circle Mage could use this method. In fact, even a 2nd Circle Mage was fully capable of doing this too. Of course, Davey had estimated that there would be no chance for someone with ordinary circles to catch up and use this magic even if they were very skilled. ¡ªDavey? Something¡¯s weird¡­ Vwoooooooong¡ª Sure enough, World Tree Yggdrasil had finally noticed Davey¡¯s existence. She started to show herself as if she had been waiting for him. She said, ¡°In the end, you¡¯vee here. Although I still can¡¯t fathom how you came here without alerting my gaze¡­ You just look funny to me.¡± ¡°You talk too much.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what method you use, there¡¯s no way for you to break my barrier. Do you really think you can do it?¡± said the World Tree, which looked like a huge tree trunk that suddenly rose from the ground. Her words carried a sharp undertone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s better for you to protect your precious elves.¡± If the World Tree could not stop Davey, tens of thousands of elves would definitely be wiped out right now. Davey quietly gathered his overloaded mana while speaking calmly. He was fully aware that it would be hard to break the barrier with just the power of an 8th Circle Mage. However, even if he was in such a situation, Davey still did not summon Fire Chicken. He believed that it was not yet the time for the World Tree to see Fire Chicken. In the end, Davey had no choice but to use mana, which was the leastpatible with him right now, to destroy the barrier. Was that even possible? Common sense would dictate that it was not. If someone asked Davey if it was possible, he would answer that it was impossible using the usual method. However, Davey had learned magic from a teacher who had hated the conventional methods and had modified their magic at their own discretion. Clearly, he had already inherited their reckless researcher¡¯s spirit. In fact, Davey had a high evaluation of this high-ranking magic. But¡­what if he failed? Then, they would all die together. Crackle!!! World Tree Yggdrasil snorted when she saw the zing ball of mes that hovered above Davey¡¯s palm. She said, ¡°It¡¯s just a measly amount of power. Go ahead, run wild. I¡¯ll happily watch your childish tantrum.¡± ¡°So, you can¡¯t tell if this is some childish prank or a true disaster, huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± Crackle!!! The slowly rotating fireball started to suck in an unusual amount of mana, an amount that was so much more than what was considered normal. ¡ªDavey! That fireball will explode on the spot if you put too much mana inside¡­! Perserque widened her eyes. Her shout simply trailed off. The fireball, which should have already exploded, suddenly turned white. It even grew bigger in size. Yggdrasil¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Finally noticing that something was strange, she mumbled, ¡°What in the world is that¡­?¡± Was it not a simple fireball? ¡°This will probably hurt a lot. After all, I used almost all of my mana for this.¡± Yggdrasil immediately tried to attack Davey with a huge branch. Her gaze finally registered the strangeness of the situation. The tree trunks that she sent out looked so hard and sturdy that they overshadowed all previous attacks. However, Rinne protected Davey, who could not move from his position, by shooting down the trunks and branches with her ultra high-heat rays. [Reversed 8th Circle] [zing Fireball] [White Nova] Once the spinning white sphere of mes rose to the skies and turned into a raging typhoon of mes, Yggdrasil changed targets and turned her attention toward the White Nova. Unfortunately, Davey was faster than her. Davey swung his Transcendence Demise and pointed at the white sphere of mes. Hemanded, ¡°Expand. Tick, tock.¡± At that moment, the white disaster grewrger, flew higher in the skies, and burned space itself. Then, it fell down. Chapter 226 The sphere of white mes eventually transformed into a typhoon-like oval. It had only been slightly bigger than a ser ball, but thanks to the power that the Transcendence Demise had loaded it with, it grew into something way bigger right now. Thud! Thud!!! The white mes soared to the skies above and soon split into dozens of spheres. Then, they fell down to the ground. The target? The Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. Of course, the unaware and unprepared elves would immediately turn to ashes the moment those fiery spheres struck the ground. ¡°Urk!¡± Davey coughed, then wiped his mouth. When he shook his hand to get the mess away from his palm, he could see a red substance sshing onto the nearby tree. ¡®Goodness. My precious blood.¡¯ Not long after, Davey threw Transcendence Demise into the air without any hesitation. ¡ªAck! Such a precious item! ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use it for a while.¡± At the end of the day, a staff was just a staff. Besides, Davey would not be able to use his elemental magic since almost all of his mana had been depleted. Simply put, he would not be able to use the staff during his fight with Yggdrasil. When the Transcendence Demise entered his Pocket ne automatically, Davey pulled out Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon. Then, he swung his sword toward the spheres of white mes. ¡ªDavey?! The sword basically uses elemental mana¡­ ¡®When ites to mana, there¡¯s no such thing as bad mana. I still have my dark mana with me.¡¯ Davey¡¯s heart was currently operating on a system that was simr to an engine. The circles in his heart would make most of the mana flow through his veins and circte around his body before returning to his heart. For Davey to use elemental magic, he had to insert the elemental mana¡¯s gear, ce it in the circles in his heart, then circte the mana in his body. The problem now was that most of Davey¡¯s elemental mana had been used up. He did not have enough mana to wield his swords. Topensate for thecking mana, Davey had no other choice but to bring in a substitute for elemental mana. He chose dark mana, which was extremely simr to elemental mana. The air surrounding Davey changed when ck sword energy emerged from the swords in his hands. The two swords had the same menacing power as the divine sword but were more lethal to the World Tree. Davey was very confident that the two swords in his hands would also be a tough opponent for the World Tree to fight against. The World Tree distanced herself from Davey and used her power to either snatch or block the falling spheres of white mes on the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. The thought of a tree catching and blocking mes that burned through everything was ridiculously absurd. However, the World Tree was the World Tree for a reason. Her power was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. She created thick leaves to cover the fiery spheres before promptly devouring them. Of course, Davey was not one to just watch the situation unfold like that. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll just let you be?¡± Thud!!! The ground cracked and shook when Davey took a step forward. In his hand was Red Ribbon, whose de trembled from its sheer weight. [Dark Longsword, Splitting the Mountains] sh!!! Instead of the usual red and blue energy, Davey¡¯s swords were shooting out ck sword energy. The energy was so dark and gloomy that it could easily freeze the air around them. It corrupted everything around them. Some of the World Tree¡¯s branches stretched out to protect the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land, but they were promptly being cut off by Davey¡¯s swords. [Impudent!!!] Yggdrasil cried and red at Davey fiercely. At the same time, dozens of thick and heavy branches shot out to put pressure on Davey. Unfortunately for her, everything was dealt with. sh!!! Swoosh!!! Red Ribbon¡¯s de quivered against the resistance of the barrier, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any effect. [Did you think that you will easily break the barrier that I¡¯ve created?!] The barrier was definitely holding out, but Davey had to wonder just how long it couldst. Although the barrier could easily survive against the first volley of attacks, and there was no response to Davey¡¯s continuous offensive, fine cracks started to cover the thin and sturdy barrier. Then, it began to crack. Crack!!! Perhaps Davey had been good at distracting her, because the World Tree failed to stop all of the fiery spheres from falling down. With a huge explosion of white mes, the barrier came crashing down. A fierce fire started to devour the gigantic Divine Tree. Thump!!! Thud!!! Some sections of the gigantic tree kept burning until the white mes died down. Those sections were burnt to a ck crisp entirely. With the barrier broken, the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land had no way of leaving unscathed from Davey¡¯s attacks. Originally, the spheres of white mes should have hit the Divine Tree and the entire Sacred Land. However, Yggdrasil was able to snatch plenty of the fiery spheres and took the damage by herself. ¡°Rinne, get the Decepticon Fleet ready to attack. The target is the World Tree¡¯s main body. Don¡¯t show any mercy and shell her with all your might.¡± ¡°Carrying outmands.¡± Rinne nodded with her eyes shing blue. [The Elder Brain has given themand. Fleet Captains, exhaust all of your firepower and...] A circle appeared above Rinne¡¯s head. It immediately grew in size and began spinning fiercely. [Cut down the giant tree.] Thump!!! The golems, who were all on standby, used up all of their ammunition to attack the World Tree. *** The Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land was the birthce of all elves. The forest that its inhabitants cherished and loved dearly had now copsed and burned down after losing all protection. Thend was receiving the brunt of Davey¡¯s attack. Terror gripped the elves, who screamed and ran for their lives. sh! Using Red Ribbon to cut down the trees that blocked his path, Davey said, ¡°You know, this feels like I¡¯m the demon lord who is here to destroy the peace on earth.¡± It was not a very good feeling to have. ¡°Everyone!!! Pull your bows and kill the intruder! We must not let him set foot in our Sacred Land!¡± Hundreds of arrows loaded with the power of the spirits flew towards Davey along with the never ending cries of the elves. The arrows flew fiercely and threateningly, aiming for the gaps in Davey¡¯s defenses. Even so, Davey did not stray from his path. He continued to walk toward the iing arrows. Then, he stabbed Red Ribbon¡¯s de into the ground. Boom!!! Without any hesitation, Davey poured a huge amount of power into the sword and created a thick sword energy. Bang!!! The overloaded ck sword energy exploded in an instant, breaking all of the arrows. Its momentum also did not decrease. It traveled even further to attack the ones who had sent the arrows flying. Boom!!! Screams rang rampant once again as the Decepticon Fleet let loose and sent artillery fire out to cause more damage. ¡°Aaack! My arm!!!¡± ¡°Sa¡­ Save me!!! Save me!!!¡± With the first line of defense instantly copsing, the only ones left were the residents, the nonbatant elves, living inside the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. ¡°Ru¡­ Run!!! The devil ising!!!¡± ¡°The children!!! Take the children away first!!!¡± The elves still had the heart and mindset to protect the underage elves. The remaining elves had never fought in a battle ever, but they held onto weapons and stood in front of Davey. They wanted to try and buy time for the others to bring the underage elves to safety. ¡°Devilish bastard! You cannot and will not pass this ce!¡± The elves¡¯ shouts forced Davey into silence. ¡ªPfft¡­ pfft, pfft¡­ You really look like a demon lord¡­ Ah, that¡¯s not good¡­ Perserque stopped smiling when she realized that Davey was beingpared to her. To be honest, Davey felt awful. Shwaa!!! If Davey was going to be called the devil, then he would rather instill fear in these elves. He wanted to instill so much fear in them that none of them would dare to fight him. Only then would Davey be able to prevent them from making some great sacrifices. With a vicious sh of Davey¡¯s sword, blood spurted from some of the elves who were blocking Davey¡¯s path. Although the elves were more agile than ordinary humans, it was still a fact that they were ordinary elves without any capability to fight. There was no way for the guardians of this forest to prepare a proper attack despite this being their home turf since they had been swept away by Davey¡¯s attack. The elves, who witnessed the fall of theirrades, stiffened from the shock of their current situation. [8th Circle Dark Magic] [Fear] It was an illusion magic that had low mana consumption. This magic greatly affected opponents with low magic resistance by shaking all of their five senses and confusing them thoroughly. It could make them fearful. The Lich, Grell Orfan, had not been the only one who could use such a power. The elves that looked right at Daveypletely froze in fear. Their teeth ttered, and their bodies shook uncontrobly as their minds copsed. Davey ignored the elves that had lost their fighting spirit and entered the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. He could see that there were still many who had failed to evacuate on time. ¡°Sob¡­ sob¡­¡± In the middle of the road, an elven girl sat hugging a young elven boy while looking at Davey in fear. They were children who had failed to escape during themotion earlier. The two elves looked like they were still underage. No matter how much elves cherished their young and budding seeds, some would choose to value their own lives more. This was especially the case after being subjected to Davey¡¯s 8th Circle dark magic. There were definitely quite a few elves who had chosen to protect their own lives and prioritize getting themselves to safety in this chaotic mess. This was proven just by how many elven children had been left behind by the elves who had run away from fear. The adult elves hadpletely forgotten their oath to protect their young. And among these children, these two siblings were the ones who stood out the most. While crying, the little boy clung to his sister very tightly. ¡°Sis¡­ Sister¡­ Sister!¡± The elven girl was scared and did not know what to do, but she still tried her best tofort her younger brother. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ It¡¯s going to be alright¡­¡± The siblings had given up on the idea of running away. Their legs were broken and had already given up on them too. They just sat there as Davey approached them, bodies trembling from fear. Davey could see that the young elves were dressed in neat, vintage clothes. It would appear that the elves were children of a considerably high-ranking elf. There was only silence for a while. The elven girl, stricken with fear as she looked up at Davey, bowed down to try and cover her teary face. She tried her hardest to squeeze the words out of her quivering lips. ¡°Please¡­ Please spare us¡­¡± The elven girl was begging for their lives. She begged, ¡°It¡¯s alright even if you don¡¯t spare me¡­ Just please¡­ Please spare my brother¡­¡± This situation was quite different. It would seem that the elven girl had escaped the confines of the magic. [Fear] was a magic that amplified one¡¯s fear of losing their lives. The target would be able to see dozens of visions that showed their death upon encountering Davey, the magic caster. It had a very terrible effect. However, despite being exposed to such fear, the girl hugged her brother tightly. She was trying her best to protect him somehow. Davey lowered his sword and approached the girl. Then, he bent down and patted the girl on the head. He also healed the girl¡¯s injured leg with holy power. The girl, who had somehow escaped from [Fear]¡¯s influence, looked up at Davey with wide eyes. She looked doubtful, wondering why Davey suddenly healed her legs. ¡°Rinne, do you see anyone nearby? I don¡¯t think I see anyone.¡± ¡°Davey¡¯s eyesight is very normal. Rinne evaluates this very highly.¡± The elven girl was very smart, so she understood what Davey meant right away. Although she initially struggled to get up, she hurriedly supported her brother. Then, they ran as fast and as far away as they could. Davey saw that many elves and elven children had failed to run away, but he believed that there was no need to kill those who could not even fight him. After casting recovery and healing magic on the injured ones, Davey pretended not to see them and left the area. *** Contrary to Davey¡¯s expectations, not a single elf could be seen in front of the World Tree¡¯s main body. Davey said, ¡°Hmmm. I thought that you would have gathered a lot of them together and used them as a meat shield.¡± [Do not insult me. I do not take pleasure in sacrificing my children.] Davey frowned at the voice of the World Tree¡¯s will that resonated inside his head. At the same time, an elf who was sitting in front of the gigantic tree slowly stood up and approached Davey. Although the elf had a small stature, Davey was wary of her. This was his first time feeling a great threat looming over him ever since he had returned to Tionis Continent. She was World Tree Yggdrasil, not an incarnation that she had created to travel outside. The World Tree¡¯s main body couldmand and bend various powers and authorities to her will. And the elf in front of Davey, which was nothing more than a figure created by the World Tree¡¯s power, was her main body. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re wearing a robe, I believe it¡¯s safe to say that the curse is still clinging onto you, huh?¡± [You don¡¯t know how many lives have suffered because of this poor and insignificant trick of yours.] ¡°So, where are the rest of the elves?¡± [¡­Fate has dictated that you will attack this ce. I have to save as many of my children as I can from suffering from your vicious attacks.] ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you should have let all of them hide from the very beginning.¡± Yggdrasil frowned slightly at Davey¡¯s harsh criticism. ¡°Your visions of fate and destiny¡­ They¡¯re getting quite blurry.¡± Yggdrasil remained silent, choosing to not answer Davey. It was like she had expected such an event to happen. Davey pointed the tip of Red Ribbon¡¯s de towards Yggdrasil, who silently watched him. He said, ¡°The two of us can¡¯t run away anymore. Either I cut you down or I die here.¡± Yggdrasil had a cold glint in her eyes. She could see the ck air current that was wrapped around Davey. ¡ªDavey? What about sorcery¡­? ¡®Not yet. Wait a bit more.¡¯ ¡°You have searched for this fate. It¡¯s either me or you. One of us will surely meet our end today.¡± [Fate has foretold your death. I am only following the flow of fate that I have witnessed. That¡¯s why I will bring judgment to you with all my might.] The air surrounding Yggdrasil began to change. Then, the bright red buds lying on her palms and hanging in her branches began to bloom. Chapter 227 The Divine Tree was a gigantic tree that acted as a pir of the world for a very long time, and foresight was its innate power. So, the flow of fate and the destiny that she talked about was most likely true. In fact, destiny would remain unchanged no matter how twisted the strings of fate had be. The flow of fate would continue to flow in the same direction as it did before. Even in cases where variables appeared, the flow of fate would move the world and force it to return to its own destiny, its own flow, somehow. However, although it would work for others, Davey was very confident that something like that would not work on him. His bodypletely rejected the flow, since his curse allowed him to be unconfined by the various directions and destinies that the will of God had created in this world. Tap, tap, tap!!! The buds slowly blossomed into flowers, and the scattered white powder from the depth of each bloom came together to form a huge curtain of light. This white light then, in turn, transformed into a spectacr aurora that decorated the space above them. Some would be shocked to see how Yggdrasil had tantly disregarded the natural weather to create her own. But for Davey, this was not very surprising. In the first ce, he already knew that the World Tree was out of the ordinary. Domain Deration was a power that belonged to higher-ranking transcendentals. It was a power simr to that of Davey¡¯s system and was obviously something that went beyond even the dreams of the greatest existence ever created, the dragons. What did the Domain Deration mean? It meant that this entire area hadpletely turned into Yggdrasil¡¯s domain. Simply put, there wasn¡¯t an area in this entire domain that her power could not reach. Of course, the cost of creating something like this was very high. To Davey, Yggdrasil looked like a doctor who did not care what kind of method and what kind of consequences she would face as long as she got rid of the pest in front of her. That was how determined she was. Crack¡­ Crack, crack, crack!!! Yggdrasil¡¯s body, which was formed by the World Tree itself, slowly began to change. Starting from the hem, her robes slowly turned into ashes and scattered in the wind. Then, tree bark started to wrap around her like armor. At the same time, a root shot up from the ground and soon took on the form of a sword that was several meters long. [I will ughter you here. This is your fate and destiny. And it is the unchanging truth.] ¡°Rinne. Get ready.¡± At Davey¡¯smand, Rinne immediately manifested lightsabers in both of her hands. She was ready to attack at a moment¡¯s notice. By the end of her spiel, Yggdrasil had alreadypletely transformed. She looked like a human wearing some sort of tree bark armor. Davey could no longer see any of the lingering effects of the curse that he had left on Yggdrasil. He could not determine if the curse had vanished or not, but he still said, ¡°It seems like the cursested longer than I¡¯ve estimated.¡± Davey did not expect the situation would turn out this bad. Bang!!! The thought just crossed Davey¡¯s mind when something fleshed in the air. The power was a pale green, and it was extremely menacing and sharp. It made the hairs on Davey¡¯s neck stand up. [8th Level Holy Magic] Vwooooooooong!!! [On mymand, deprive him of the power derived from the power of God in this ce.] ng!!! Yggdrasil made that deration once the doping magic was cast. And as if to answer her call, the holy magic that surrounded Davey lost its momentum and settled down. The holy magic that thrummed in his bodypletely turned silent. Davey discovered that the World Tree¡¯s ability to freeze someone else¡¯s power went far beyond his expectations after experiencing it for himself. He could tell that the power was very dominating and oppressive. ¡°I¡¯m quite speechless.¡± Thump!!! Davey had heard about World Tree Yggdrasil¡¯s power one too many times. But after experiencing it personally, he found it a bit too egoistic and self-centered. As Davey rolled back and mmed into one of the trees, Yggdrasil, with her new body, readied her feet and dashed towards Davey with a sword that was twice her size. She aimed straight for Davey¡¯s neck, giving it everything that she had. It was as if she had nothing to lose. The sword was obviously blunt, but Davey was horrified at the thought of truly meeting his end once that sword pierced through him. Thump!!! Red Ribbon, covered in dark mana, shed a part of Yggdrasil¡¯s thick and sturdy-looking sword when instinctively swinging to block the attack. Her sharpness could truly cut through the dead, and it was extraordinary that she could harm the World Tree. ¡°Gnoass!¡± If Yggdrasil could predict the oue of this match and dere the winner before she could activate another power, then Davey could do the same. After deflecting the wooden sword, Davey twisted out of Yggdrasil¡¯s reach and kicked her abdomen. Then, he used all of his spirit power to call out for the Earth Spirit King. ¡°Stop that crazy tree¡¯s power!¡± Thud, thud, thud, thud!!! [Contractor, you truly have no fear!] Davey, a mere human being, was going up against the powerful World Tree. Yet, he still dared to fight a one-on-one battle against Tionis Continent¡¯s World Tree, who was known as the pir that supported the world. Gnoass, afterining about how reckless Davey was, immediately scattered the spirit power that was in Davey and used it to cover the ground beneath them. Creak, creak, creak! Gnoass grabbed Yggdrasil¡¯s arms by raising the ground beneath her and trapping her within the earth. Just like Davey had expected, the World Tree still could not sit back and ignore the Earth Spirit King¡¯s force despite having revealed her entire power for this fight. Yggdrasil silently looked at her trapped arms and tried to free them. However, Gnoass was persistent. He kept on snatching Yggdrasil¡¯s arms back and trapping them with the earth. Davey took advantage of this precious opportunity. He crouched down with both Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon sheathed, then he leaped to the skies without a second of hesitation. Rinne moved in sync with Davey. She immediately flew up and ced her foot beneath Davey¡¯s foot. She gave him the foothold to crouch down once again. The cornerstone of the creation and formation of swordsmanship and footwork in martial arts was mostly rted to enlightenment. ¡®The crouching archer embroidered the heavens with their arrows.¡¯ [Demon Lord¡¯s Steps. Crouching Heavenly Bullet.] [shing Heavenly Light] Thwaaaaang! Davey was given a tremendous boost in speed when his crouching body met with Rinne¡¯s rigid one. He then immediately pulled out Red Ribbon and stabbed Yggdrasil¡¯s wooden sword. There was no way that Davey would let a wooden sword containing a fragment of Yggdrasil¡¯s power be left unattended. However, Yggdrasil was quick to prove that she was not the World Tree for no reason. With a sh, she stopped Davey in his tracks and effectively ruined his attack. ¡°Ugh!¡± Suddenly, vines and stems covered in a pale green light appeared to wrap around Davey. They also tried to tear Red Ribbon away from him. The only reason why these vines and stems had not been cut down by Red Ribbon¡¯s de was probably because they did not have a physical body. They were made by a different kind of force. Creak, creak, creak! The moment Davey got restrained, Yggdrasil immediately swung herrge wooden sword. Stab!!! At the same time, the sh of green light that wrapped around Davey disappeared. [Imand you, in my name, to forbid your use of shadow mana in this ce.] With a ban being implemented on dark mana, another power of Davey¡¯s had been sealed. Four of his powers were sealed now. The sealing of elemental mana, holy magic, and dark mana, the powers that pumped through Davey¡¯s veins and increased his physical ability, had forced him to a dead end. He could not use his Aura de. As for his spirit energy, Gnoass was using it to desperately limit Yggdrasil¡¯s movements and restrain some of her power. Needless to say, his spirit power could be considered to be as good as sealed too. [You have already lost four powers. I cannot fathom why you can wield so many powers, but I have already prophesied your death. You will die in this ce.] ¡°You¡¯re so funny. I might just roll on the floorughing.¡± Yggdrasil wanted to finish Davey as soon as possible. She spun her sword and pulled it out quickly, aiming its blunt tip for Davey¡¯s heart. All of the power that Davey had shown the World Tree had already been sealed. In such a situation, where his various powers had been sealed and his abilities reduced, the oue of the battle should be very obvious. [You will die here. Die and be the muck that will support the world.] Vwooooong!!! A brown light emanated from the depths of the wooden sword as Yggdrasil gathered enough power to make anyone¡¯s skin go numb. Then, she thrusted the sword forward. ¡ªDavey!!! At Perserque¡¯s shocked cry, Davey closed his eyes and felt the sealed up powers within him. Then, he retrieved the mana that he had hidden within Red Ribbon, which was in his hand. Yggdrasil knew that Davey had already used up almost all of his mana. That was why she did not seal the most threatening power, the elemental mana. The elemental mana that Red Ribbon possessed started to emerge ording to Davey¡¯s will. It gathered at his fingertips. [What, what is this?!] Grab! In an instant, Davey burned through the vines and stems that wrapped around him, shed the wooden sword with Red Ribbon, and grabbed Yggdrasil by the head. Leaving only the bare minimum amount of mana inside Red Ribbon, Davey used the rest to dope his body and increase his physical abilities. Davey mmed Yggdrasil¡¯s head on the ground. Baaaang!!! Along with an ear-piercing boom, a crater that was tens of meters in depth soon appeared. Even so, the World Tree was still able to resist. Her head did not reach the ground. Only her arms had been mmed down on the ground. Even gigantic crustacean monsters with tough and solid shells on their backs would have had their guts crushed by the power that created the crater. That was why Davey found it amazing to see how much Yggdrasil¡¯s durability had increased just because of her tree bark armor. Kick! In the end, Yggdrasil resisted the blow. She quickly regained her bnce and kicked Davey in the abdomen. Davey flew back from the attack. He quickly pulled Divine Spear Longinus out. Longinus, with a brilliant sh of light, changed into the shape of a crescent moon. The tip of its spear had now be a de. Davey, who was still in mid-air, tapped on all of the remaining mana in his body and poured it into his weapon. [Pdia-Style Gctic Spear] [Tearing the Mantle] Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! In an instant, the big and beautiful spear overturned tens of meters of soil from the ground beneath Davey. Crack!!! The attackpletely devastated the ground, creating shockwaves that shook the area. ¡°Hoo¡­ I hid it arbitrarily, so I did not know if it would really work.¡± Shwaa!!! Baaang!!! At that moment, Davey realized that his earlier attack was truly a strong attack. In fact, some of the tree bark around Yggdrasil had broken down into an unsightly form. However, Davey was also fully aware that the attack alone was not enough to be called a proper blow. The worst part? Every time Davey expressed a power, Yggdrasil would answer in turn and seal that power. [Imand you, in my name, to seal the foundation of the flow in this ce.] Eventually, Davey¡¯s elemental mana was also sealed. With his holy magic, dark mana, and elemental mana sealed, it was safe to say that whatever powers that could be derived from these manas and all avenues of attack that he could think of had been sealed. Daveystumbled from the sudden sense of weakness that washed over him. In all honesty, he no longer had enough strength to make another move. Grab! Yggdrasil¡¯s eyes shed with an ominous green light. She dug the ground with her feet, then propelled herself forward and grabbed Davey by the neck to press him down on the floor. Seeing Davey struggle, Rinne immediately ran forward and swung a crowbar at Yggdrasil. [Get away from me, you dirty thing!] Bang!!! Although it used up some of her power, Yggdrasil still swung her arm simply to defeat Rinne. It did not use up too much power, since she had taken away all of Rinne¡¯s mana. [How is it? How does it feel to realize that all of the power that you¡¯ve been proud of has been deemed useless?] ¡°Like a beggar,¡± Daveymented curtly. Yggdrasil smiled coldly. [That¡¯s what fate is like. In all of the flow of fate that I have seen, there is no future where you will win against me. Did you think that you would beat me if you used another method? That¡¯s just wishful thinking.] Yggdrasil calmly stretched out her hand. A pale green light shed before settling down on her wrist. [You are an outstanding being. However, you can neverpare to me. It would have been great if you were born an elf and not as a disgusting human being.] ¡°Have you ever thought about the reason why the Demon Lord was afraid to touch humans despite having tremendous power?¡± [You have no idea how much and what kind of power the Abyss'' Demon Lord wields.] After listening to Yggdrasil, Davey turned his head to look at Perserque. He could see how restless Perserque was; she was repeatedly looking back and forth between Davey and Yggdrasil. [No being can escape the eyes of the Demon Lord. No being can raise their heads in front of the might of the Demon Lord.] ¡°I will end upughing and rolling on the floor. Just like I said before, you will not be able to resurrect the Demon Lord.¡± [The future is not something so light that it can be swayed and influenced by the wishes of insignificant dust like you.] sh¡ª When the light that wrapped around Yggdrasil¡¯s wrists grew more intense, Davey stared at the light for a moment. Then, he slowly looked up at the sky before looking back down again. It was obvious to him that his current self would die the moment that green light touched his heart. Although Davey had an extra burning ember as insurance, it was not something that he should use in such a situation. [In the end, I used up almost all of my powers. However, I have no regrets.] ¡°Yeah. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± [¡­] Yggdrasil frowned as she tried to decipher what Davey¡¯s intentions were for uttering those words. However, Davey just ignored Yggdrasil and stretched out his hand. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! Alongside a chilly wind, a huge me burst out of Davey¡¯s hands. He had already predicted that things would unfold in such a manner. That was why he had prepared Fire Chicken. ¡°Hoo¡­ Rinne, let¡¯s start.¡± Rinne, who had been silent as if she had died from the attack earlier on, suddenly moved her head at Davey¡¯s words. Her eyes shone with a dazzling blue light. With a strange voice, shemanded, ¡°Operation Final Logging Project. Avengers Captain Anabelle,mence operation.¡± The World Tree¡¯s power was deeply embedded in thend. If that was the case, then Davey had no other choice but to uproot her. Only then could they battle fairly. Simply put, Davey was going to remove whatever that was supplying the World Tree with power and supporting her will. He also had to get rid of whatever gave the World Tree¡¯s chosen Saint or Saintess influence and power. Davey¡¯s team hadn¡¯t yet found the root that had turned into the World Tree¡¯s source stone or root. In fact, even though the golems were strong and powerful, they would not be able to find it. They would only be able to find it if they had the same power as Davey. As for the Saint who was hiding among the elves without any worries and fear in the world? That was a different matter. Chapter 228 80. Three Hundred Years and a Thousand Years [What?!] Yggdrasil hurriedly twisted her body and distanced herself from Davey. However, Davey had been waiting for this very moment. He condensed the mes in his hands into a sword. Yggdrasil widened her eyes in shock when Davey swiftly moved to block her escape route. She was even more shocked by the sudden flow of power that surrounded Davey. World Tree Yggdrasil only had one life, and Davey had prepared a lot to kill her in one single blow. It was a pleasing thought, just knowing that he would seed. ¡°You¡¯re already a step toote.¡± Davey really wanted to try saying that phrase once. He was not sure if the World Tree had read his mind, because her cold re was very spine-tingling. [Divine Beast Sword] [Vermillion Bird¡¯s Wing] [Raging Sword] Yggdrasil was left confused and flustered at the fiery sword that suddenly manifested in Davey¡¯s hands. She moved on instinct, trying to reduce Davey¡¯s power and scatter the sword in the wind. The sword was a raging and explosive one that contained the Vermillion Bird¡¯s power. It was made through sorcery, the only power in this world that the World Tree could not move or affect. In other words, since it was a power that did not exist in this world, there was no way for the flow of fate to interfere and override its uses in this domain. Just like that, the future that had been hidden from World Tree Yggdrasil¡¯s foresight became reality in an instant. This stubborn and forceful power was the most threatening weapon against her. [Howe?!!] ¡°Wee~ This is your first time experiencing sorcery, right?¡± With the fiery sword, Davey stabbed Yggdrasil¡¯s chest. His earlier attacks had already gotten rid of some parts of the World Tree¡¯s armor, so the mes of his sword could now easily prate through the gaps and burn everything it touched. A fiery cloud in the shape of a bird suddenly appeared in the skies and resonated with the ming sword. With a loud cry, the bird plunged toward the World Tree like a meteor in a meteor shower. Its goal? The Divine Tree¡¯s flower, the very source of power that Yggdrasil was using right now. *** All of the things that the Divine Tree¡¯s Will experienced would trante over to the giant tree. In other words, if the Divine Tree¡¯s Will was burning, then the giant tree would also burn up. Once the ming sword pierced through Yggdrasil¡¯s current incarnation, the gigantic tree looming behind her also began to burn. The flowers that bloomed and amplified her powers also began to burn and turn into ashes. The once green leaves swaying on the tree¡¯s branches slowly dried up and fell down the ground. Even the sturdy-looking bark that surrounded the tree started to turn into soot. [Kghhk¡­ Ugh!] Yggdrasil frowned at the unbearable pain. Due to this sudden and very unexpected fatal injury, she could not gather enough force to wipe out the mes on her body. Davey was the one who retrieved the ming sword made of Fire Chicken¡¯s power from Yggdrasil¡¯s chest. He approached the World Tree who was crouching down in pain before pulling it out himself. ¡ªKihyeeeeek! The ming cloud that struck the tree from above began to transform. Finally, Fire Chicken¡¯s majestic appearance was revealed. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeek! Fire Chicken¡¯s gigantic figure was zing. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeek! The Vermillion Bird looked lofty, noble, and brilliant. In fact, it even looked sacred and holy. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeek! ¡°You¡¯re too noisy, punk!¡± ¡ªChirp! After Davey harshly rebuked it, the rascal chirped and whined as it lowered its head and rubbed its beak on the back of Davey¡¯s head. Fire Chicken was even sporting a very sad expression, as if he was carrying all the weight of the world on his shoulders. ¡°You have to learn how to read the atmosphere. Do you want me to send you flying to the end of the horizon, huh?¡± ¡ªKihyeeek! Kihyeeek! Fire Chicken cried out to protest in his defense, but Davey ignored him. [Haa¡­ Haa¡­ A fiery bird that does not belong to this world¡­ So¡­you¡¯re the bastard who took Emilia. It seems like you also used this power to suppress the power inside Emilia¡¯s body since it did not explode as intended.] Yggdrasil¡¯s voicecked the power that it had earlier on. Clearly, she was not in a great state after experiencing that sudden fatal blow. ¡°How is it? It¡¯s awesome, right?¡± Davey said as he kicked Yggdrasil hard in the abdomen. Kick!!! ¡°This is what you call turning the tides.¡± Although Yggdrasil had sealed most of Davey¡¯s powers, the price that she had to pay was the depletion of most of her own. It had to be known that Gnoass was not a naive and innocent spirit, so he had definitely prevented the World Tree from using that kind of power again. And despite having most of his mana sealed, Davey still had a power that the World Tree could not interfere with in his arsenal. In other words, Davey¡¯s opponent had already revealed all of her cards while Davey had kept a few trump cards hidden up his sleeves. The oue of this battle had already been determined right from the start. [Ha! Come at me, I¡¯m not an existence that¡¯s very easy to beat!] Even though her power had not truly disappeared, Yggdrasil was acting as if she had lost them all. She abandoned the approach she had taken, which had her fully depending on them. After digging her feet into the ground, Yggdrasil charged and attacked Davey with a full-frontal assault. As Yggdrasil shot forward like a bullet, Davey realized that she was holding a wooden sword, something that had been recreated without Davey¡¯s prior knowledge. The attack looked chilling, but¡­ Davey ignored Perserque, who was looking at him with an anxious and restless expression, and took out a scroll. He flicked it open. [3rd Grade] [Gather] The scroll was decorated withrge symbols and distinctively unique characters. It shone its own bright light as the special effects of the talisman began to take effect. Then, the forces that had been forced asleep inside Davey were slowly moving and gathering together. The scroll floated up into the sky. Its power distorted the space between Davey and Yggdrasil. [Urk?!] Thump!!! Yggdrasil was flustered by Davey¡¯s unusual method of defense, but she didn¡¯t stop her attack. No matter how outstanding his sorcery¡¯s defensive power was, Davey would never allow himself to receive the World Tree¡¯s attack head-on. This time, he threw three talismans up in the air. The first talisman floated in the air, twisted the space surrounding it, and burned on its own. [2nd Grade] [Restriction Zone] [Tree Barrier] Thud!!! Not long after, Yggdrasil felt weighed down by something heavy. The hardy trunks of ancient oak trees fell from her 1 o¡¯clock, 5 o¡¯clock, 7 o¡¯clock, and 11 o¡¯clock and burned by themselves. They were soon connected by strong electric currents, which served as a simple and strong restriction on her movements. [Let me go!!! You dirty bastard!] [2nd Grade] [Blooming Ghost] In the case of talismans, the lower their grade, the stronger their effects. However, there still existed a ss ranking even in lower grade sorcery. And in each grade, the higher the ss, the higher the amplification of the effects. A light burst out of the second talisman, which burned into nothing from a purple me that appeared at its bottom-end. At the same time, small purple flowers bloomed and withered repeatedly as a purple gas surrounded Davey, whose ghostly qi was triggered. It did not take too long for Davey¡¯s right hand to change into one that belonged to a giant monster. His skin turned rough and purple, and veins started to bulge and pulsate with an eerie red glow. That was not all. Yggdrasil possessed a vast knowledge reserve when it came to magic, holy magic, and dark magic, but she was clueless about sorcery. She could not counter any of Davey¡¯s sorcery, so Davey had no need to fake his attacks or disguise them. [2nd Grade] [Vermillion Bird¡¯s Authority] [Spirit Annihting Move] Whenever a sr re eruption urred, some of the mes burning on the World Tree would stretch out and linger around Davey¡¯s arm. Once his arm was burnedpletely ck, Davey shot forward without any hesitation. Yggdrasil, who was being weighed down and trapped by the tree barrier, struggled to stand up. It was rather terrifying that she could slightly ignore the restrictions of the barrier to attempt standing up. However, Davey never intended to grumble about something like that. This was still within the range of his expectations. Davey instantly arrived in front of Yggdrasil, ignored her shocking attempt to escape, grabbed her by the head, and mmed her down on the ground. Baaaaaang!!! The attack created a powerful shockwave, also creating another huge crater within the crater that Tearing the Mantle had created earlier. In the end, Yggdrasil could only cry out in pain. [Urk!!! I¡­ I won¡¯t die from this kind of attack!] ¡°This is not even an attack that would kill you physically. But it would still kill you, you know?¡± Crack, crack!!! [What?!] In the first ce, the Spirit Annihting Move was a sorcery that annihted the soul and not the physical body. However, Davey had to hesitate and wonder if it was truly meaningful to take Yggdrasil¡¯s soul out. After all, he could easily give her a Brand of Corruption and that would already be more than enough. Davey¡¯s master in sorcery and daoist magic, [Woo-Chi], had extreme hatred for biased individuals. This was the reason why Davey had a tendency to be either extremely evil or extremely kind. Yggdrasil unleashed an ear-piercing scream when Davey ripped off some of the World Tree¡¯s roots that were hidden in her incarnation. She could feel him forcibly pour corrupt energy inside of her. [Keuaaaaaaaaaack!!!] Shrieking at the unbearable pain, Yggdrasil felt like her very soul was being torn apart. She no longer struggled to get up. After that blow, Yggdrasil never thought of getting up again. Davey then mmed Yggdrasil against the ground again before retrieving three more talismans of the same color. With a flick of his hand, the talismans were sandwiched in between his index finger, middle finger, and ring finger. [2nd Grade Vermillion Bird¡¯s Authority] [Divine Beast¡¯s Transcendental Qi] [Blooming mes of Divine Retribution.] The Vermillion Bird could annihte everything. It was an existence that embodied extreme burning rage. It was a Divine Beast that would burn anything outside of this world¡¯s providence. That was why the World Tree, writhing in pain after receiving the Brand of Corruption, was obviously a target. The incarnation¡¯s body was the giant tree¡¯s body, and the giant tree¡¯s body was also the body of the incarnation. So, what would happen if both bodies received damage? The effects would only double in effectiveness and efficiency. At this moment, Yggdrasil was being held down by Davey, and the gigantic tree that supported the world was on the receiving end of a spinning white arrow that could burn anything and everything down. *** Yggdrasil¡¯s existence contained an unimaginable amount of power and blessings. If Davey did not have his sorcery, he would have had no way to deal with her. However, that was not the only problem. [Ha¡­ Hahahaha¡­ Hahahahahahahaha!] Even though she was lying on the ground with no power left to get up, Yggdrasil was stillughing maniacally at Davey. She had madness shing in her eyes. Yggdrasil¡¯s entire body was burned, everything turning ck. The gigantic tree behind her was no exception. It lost all of its leaves from the fire and had turned ck all over. However, as if to boast its robust vitality, it did not disappear. The naked tree was still standing tall. The symbol of Yggdrasil¡¯s power continued to burn after receiving the Divine Beast Vermillion Bird¡¯s attack. The flowers could not resist the fire and ended up burning, its petals falling down helplessly. Anyone who looked at the situation without digging deeper would think that Davey was merciless and vicious to do this to the World Tree. But there was no helping it; Davey would not be able to overpower Yggdrasil otherwise. There was no limit to the current Yggdrasil¡¯s movements and use of power. She could use them recklessly, just like the aloof and noble Divine Tree in novels and fairy tales. In other words, as long as she willed it, Yggdrasil could use her power to turn Heins Territory into and of death. [That was really surprising! It¡¯s very surprising for me to learn about such a power. But¡­what are you going to do now? Did you think that you would be able to kill me if you killed my incarnation?] ¡°Can¡¯t you see your body?¡± [The copse of the gigantic tree will bring about the copse of the world. I wonder if you have the courage to make such a bold decision.] Davey nodded silently at Yggdrasil. Unless he was aware of the source of the original source stone, Davey had topletely break and destroy the giant tree in front of him. Using an ax or electric saw couldn¡¯t copse the gigantic tree, but¡­ If he seeded, it would mean the destruction of this continent. To put it simply, Davey was ying a strategy simtion game while fighting an opponent with an invincible cheat key. It was a game that even a professional gamer would never be able to win against. However, for the one holding the invincible cheat key¡­ It was a widely known fact that the cheat key could only be used once. After all, the game would be fixed to regain bnce and prevent the cheat key from being used again. ¡°What was it again? Power over wel¡­¡± ¡ªStop thinking nonsense!!! Perserque shouted. She pulled Davey¡¯s hair when he started to think about random things. ¡°That¡¯s true. Killing your incarnation here after we have killed the Divine Tree¡¯s Saint is not a solution to my most fundamental problem.¡± A faint smile graced Yggdrasil¡¯s face. [See? In the end, you can¡¯t do anything at all. My main body might be in a terrible state right now, but it will be able to recover in just a few days.] Only the gigantic tree¡¯s outer bark had been burned. Its inner force was not damaged at all. And Yggdrasil was very much at ease. She had never once considered her defeat. However, did she think that Davey would willingly start a fight without knowing that? Without Emilia¡¯s help, Davey would never have tried to deal with the World Tree in such a manner. Since the opponent was using an invincible cheat key and was protecting herself with her own powers, Davey had no other choice but to use his own cheat key too. Yggdrasilughed, believing that Davey had no other way to deal with her. [Ha¡­ Hahahahahahaha! Ahahahahahahahaha!!! Look! What a refreshing sight!!! Since I already know your hidden trump card, I will no longer suffer such humiliation from you in the future!] Davey thought that Yggdrasil couldugh all she wanted. He immediately dragged her around and mmed her against the gigantic tree. He said, ¡°I don¡¯t need to find the location of your source stone.¡± ¡®I can break you on my own.¡¯ [Ugh?!] ¡°When the Will of the World Tree dies, the world¡¯s providence will give birth to the next Will of the World Tree. The World Tree¡¯s main body might have eternal life, but that¡¯s not the case for a spiritual body like you.¡± Technically, Yggdrasil was the soul of the World Tree. However, she was just one of the many facets of the World Tree¡¯s inner workings. [What?!] ¡®If you look into the abyss, the abyss will also look into you.¡¯ Some believed that this saying warned those who dealt with monsters to be careful not to be monsters themselves. But in Davey¡¯s opinion, it meant that he should show enough sincerity by revealing himself if he wanted to see through the other person. Three hundred years of Yggdrasil¡¯s memories, plus the Transcendental¡¯s Will, going against Davey¡¯s one thousand years of memories, plus alpha¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s see whose mind will copse first. Yours or mine?¡± If it was Yggdrasil¡¯s spiritual body and not her physical body that received such a blow, then she would definitely disappear without a trace. Without any hesitation, Davey took Yggdrasil¡¯s three hundred years of memories into his head. At the same time, he poured his one thousand years of memories into hers. Of course, the effects were shown in an instant. The thick trunk of the gigantic tree behind Yggdrasil began to shake as huge changes began to take ce. Since the World Tree¡¯s spiritual body had be extremely unstable, the World Tree¡¯s physical body, the gigantic tree, began to make changes and adjustments on its own. Chapter 229 ording to a quick calction, Yggdrasil¡¯s memory capacity could be said to have the ability to storerge amounts of data that could not be handed over. In fact, basic calctions would dictate that Davey would not be able to drive her insane even if he poured all of his memories into her head. However, Davey was no ordinary human being with an average lifespan of a hundred years. He did not have to worry about who woulde out on top in this psychological warfare, which was why he had pushed ahead. After all, he knew that Yggdrasil¡¯s mind and spirit would copse with almost a hundred percent probability under his assault. [Kghhk?! What¡­ What is this?! Fine! Come on! Let¡¯s see how a human being like you, who has not lived for a hundred years, can endure my memories! Your mind will definitely copse from receiving excessive memories from me!] Yggdrasil cursed the moment she realized that Davey wanted to share their memories. After all, how could someone like Davey win against her, right? However, her crazed expression as she cursed at Davey slowly hardened. [What¡­ What is this¡­?] It was obvious to Yggdrasil that the boy in front of her was a human who has lived for less than twenty years in this world. Unfortunately for her, Davey had a lot of memories within him, including the twenty years that he had lived in his previous life, the ten or so years that he had lived in this continent so far, and¡­the one thousand years that he had spent living in the Hall. ording to some data analysis, a human brain could only store around 140 years of memories. However, an average human couldn¡¯t even remember that much. No matter how good a memory someone had, they would still face limitations unless they were transcendental beings. So, for humans who could collect plenty of information per second, the ideal method was to erase all the useless information and only keep what was important. That was why even though Davey could be said to have more than a thousand years of memories, there shouldn¡¯t be that many memories left in his head. That should normally be the case, but¡­ Sadly for Yggdrasil, Davey had strengthened and restructured his mind to keep all of his memories. He never lost a single one. [What¡­ What is this?! Aaaaaaack!!!] Needless to say, Yggdrasil was receiving tens of thousands, perhaps even millions, of pieces of information in one go. It had to be known that even Perserque, who had lived for 3,000 years, or even those obese lizards that had lived for thousands of years were creatures that forgot a lot of things. For Davey, this memory exchanging process had already happened twice so far. The first had been with Perserque, and the second was this current situation with World Tree Yggdrasil. In Perserque¡¯s case, most of the memories had been filtered out before they had even entered her mind since she was the original owner of the authority. But that was not the case for Yggdrasil. No matter how long the World Tree¡¯s Will had lived, there was only one possible oue if they were receiving a vast amount of memories in one go. Davey let go of the struggling Yggdrasil. He staggered back before his knees sank to the ground. Just as he had nted his memories in Yggdrasil, Yggdrasil had also nted her three hundred years of memories in him. Davey had a thousand years of memories within him, so three hundred years more was just something that he would scoff at. However, in all honesty, three hundred years was not a small amount. Perserque frowned. She clung to Davey and quickly started to filter the memories that were pouring in his head, erasing most of them and leaving only the things that he needed. ¡ªDon¡¯t resist! This great one will protect you! ¡°¡­¡± Davey wanted to refute Perserque and ask her what she was doing, but it was very hard for him to form words right now. He could only frown. Davey held his head in one hand while keeping Yggdrasil, who was copsing from her failure to handle a huge amount of information, at bay for a long time. A few quiet moments passed before Davey finally won. [Keuaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!] Yggdrasil, who was a spiritual body, could not withstand Davey¡¯s vast memories and ended up disappearing into thin air. She had fled into Davey¡¯s mind space, which wasn¡¯t that far away. Yggdrasil¡¯s instincts must have told her that she should run away from Davey. At the same time, Perserque, who was filtering through and burning almost all of the memories that Yggdrasil had, only left one piece of memory in Davey¡¯s head. Davey squeezed thest of his powers and crossed through space. With only so much power left, he could only make one spatial movement. It was much more primitive than the magic system¡¯s spatial movement where there was a need to calcte for coordinates, but it did not matter to him. [Space Folding][1] Davey gently bounced on the ground a few times before jumping up into the air. He was seemingly stepping on clouds. The moment he jumped, the scenery around changed as if everything had been turned upside down in the world¡­ He eventually arrived somewhere deeper inside the Divine Tree¡¯s sacrednd, a ce that was devoid of any other life. There, Davey found the woman crawling towards ake with clear waters that had a blue light emanating from its depths. The woman was none other than Yggdrasil, the one who had escaped from Davey. [Oh merciful Goddess, please save this body that is groaning in pain¡­] Davey blocked Yggdrasil, who was desperately crawling towards theke and mumbling her prayers. He then asked her quietly, ¡°The Goddess is not answering you, right?¡± [¡­] ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only to be expected.¡± After all, Goddess Freyja was far more cruel than what Yggdrasil thought her to be. For Davey, the Goddess was a monster who could willingly throw away a transcendental being, even if she had personally created them, the moment they interfered with the future that she wanted. That was the case with the World Tree right now. And perhaps, it could be Davey in the future. ¡°You can soak in theke as much as you want. It looks like you canmunicate with God if you dip your body inside God¡¯s Holy Water,¡± Daveymented. Yggdrasil¡¯s gaze shook when she looked up at Davey. [How the hell¡­ How the hell can a human¡­ This is impossible! How can a human have such a vast trove of memories?!!! And what kind of ce is the Hall?! That ce is against the rules of this world!!!] ¡°Even I, who have experienced it myself, still find it ridiculous. Do you think it will be easy for you to understand?¡± Yggdrasil looked at Davey as if she was looking at a monster. [A human¡­ No matter how outstanding a human is¡­ For a thousand years¡­ No, there¡¯s no way that a human like you can retain that much information¡­] Starting from her feet, Yggdrasil started to crumble away. She was still too young as the Will of a World Tree. Following the logic that all living things would experience growth, Yggdrasil¡¯s version of the World Tree was still but a small child. Even if she was the World Tree, for a child who had lived less than 500 years to receive hundreds or thousands of times more information than she could handle¡­ Well¡­ The results were obvious. Even though Davey took efforts to see Yggdrasil personally, in the end, she would still die. [You¡­] ¡°I don¡¯t have any memories from you. I have erased all of the memories that I got from you except for a few things.¡± Davey might not be able to forget things but that would not matter since he already had someone who could filter what came into his head. But for Yggdrasil? Well, she did not have any safety measures. On top of that, she hadpletely ignored Davey, saying that he was just a human who had lived for less than twenty years. What kind of memory would he have, right? However, it was her mind that had copsed. ¡®Ha¡­¡¯ Yggdrasil sighed despondently. She began to look at Davey fearfully. [I¡­ I can¡¯t die like this¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ I don¡¯t want to die!!!] A great deal of fear and terror could be felt through her fitful cries. [I¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t have any intentions of dying just like the Great Will of the past!] Yggdrasil cried desperately as she struggled to crawl forward. Eventually, she was able to dip her hand in theke. Vwooooong!!! Thud!!! At the same time, a light so intense that it turned the entire forest purple shone down on Yggdrasil from above. [Ah¡­ Ah¡­ This can¡¯t be happening¡­ This can¡¯t be happening!!!] Davey turned his head away silently after seeing the light. Yggdrasil had asked for Goddess Freyja¡¯s help, but under the cover of the intense light, her struggling body started to crumble away even faster. [I don¡¯t¡­ want to¡­ die¡­ I¡­ just¡­] With a sh of light, Yggdrasil disappeared and turned into small particles of light. All that was left of her were some shimmering powder and small beads made of light. The disappearance of the Will was quite serene and a bit fancy. ¡ªDavey. Davey, who was silently looking at Yggdrasil¡¯s disappearance, turned to Perserque after he felt her tug at his ears. ¡ªWhen Yggdrasil was born, did you know what she first saw from the flow of fate? ¡°What?¡± The World Tree was still very much alive and well. However, its Will had already copsed and crumbled. It could be said that this was a result of an external force but, in the end, it was her own doing that had made her perish like this. ¡ªThe future where she would die under a human¡¯s hand. But it¡¯s a bit different from this situation. It was a bit different but the prophecy eventually became the truth. ¡ªYggdrasil was extremely afraid of dying. That¡¯s why she was very wary of outside forces that might try to kill her. Daveyughed coldly at Perserque¡¯s words. Yggdrasil did not want to die? That was why she had harbored extreme fear and hatred? For someone who strongly believed in fate and destiny, it was quite funny to know that Yggdrasil had struggled so hard to escape her own fate of dying. ¡°Considering all that, why was she confident with this life?¡± ¡ªIt has been more than 200 years since she first cut herself off from human interactions. She must havee out because the fate that she had seen changed at some point in time. Funnily enough, it seemed like Yggdrasil¡¯s Vision of Fate had grown twisted bit by bit as time went by. More than that, she, the one who had believed in fate the most, had struggled to escape from her own fate before bing a victim to it. And the reason why Yggdrasil had believed in fate so much? It was because she had be delusional after having survived a reversed fate that had convinced her that she should never change fate. Touching the remains of the World Tree¡¯s Will with his hand, Davey turned away silently. The World Tree still existed, but its Will had already died. The power that supported the world was in the giant tree itself, but it could only be possible if its Will existed. Because of that, once a Will had died, a new Will had to be born. *** A new Will was born to rece Yggdrasil, the will that had disappeared. In the aftermath of the huge fight between Davey and Yggdrasil, most of the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land had been ruined except for a few small areas. From the elves¡¯ perspective, Davey was just like a rogue who had suddenly burst in, killed their God and parent, Yggdrasil, and smashed their homes. Would any excuse matter if the entire truth had already been distorted once? Not all of the elves in the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land were stubborn and crazed fanatics, but there was no denying that Davey had no solution to the current situation that he was left in. It would be easy to push them back with force. In fact, Davey¡¯s side had an overwhelming advantage and plenty more viable options than the elves¡¯ side. The World Tree¡¯s Will had disappeared for a long time now, and Davey had watched the process of Yggdrasil¡¯s death for hours. He was watching the glittering powder made of light scatter and disappear. ¡ªIt is a rare experience to see a high-ranking soul on the World Tree level cease to exist. ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Of course, Davey was not the only one who had witnessed Yggdrasil¡¯s death. ¡°N¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°No!!! Mother Divine Tree!!!¡± After seeing the aftermath of the battle and the remnants of Yggdrasil that were slowly disappearing, the armed elves wept. Considering the number of elves that lived in the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land, only a few hade all the way here. But seeing how there were even a few Ancient Guards among them, it seemed like the elves had tried to scrape up and gather everyone who could fight here. To these elves, Davey was a thief who had robbed them of their mother and God. How could they not take him apart, right? However, they did not dare to move recklessly. After all, Davey was a monster who had single-handedly killed Yggdrasil. After watching the glittering powderpletely disappear, Davey, whopletely ignored the elves that were preparing to attack him, walked away. ¡°S¡­ Stop!!! Bastard! Today will be the day that your evil deedse to an end!!!¡± Davey narrowed his eyes, because the elves had been the ones that started this meaningless fight. Yet, he was being made out to be the bad person. ¡°This is a warning. Put down your de.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh!!!¡± Davey already knew that the elves were beings that never listened to anyone. If that was the case, then¡­ ¡°Gnoass, kill them all.¡± ¡­Davey would willingly be the viin who they had made him out to be. Vwooooooong!!! Fortunately, there was still some spirit energy left in Davey¡¯s body. Upon hismand, the ground twisted and turned as the colossal earth giant, Gnoass, appeared with his overwhelming momentum and blocked the elves. At Gnoass¡¯ appearance and intimidating presence, astonished and horrified expressions appeared on the faces of all of the elves present. [Foolish bastards!!!] Baaaaaang!!! The World Tree was a very sacred and holy existence to the elves. However, the same was true for Spirit Kings, who had a sort of holiness to the elves that would not lose out to the World Tree. As if saying that actions were louder than words, a huge earthquake unfolded in the area as Gnoass reached out to the elves who were standing stupefied in front of him. Crack, crack, crack!!! Then, a huge hand made of earth popped out of the ground and snatched all of the elves up. Chapter 230 81. Retirement¡¯s Rejection. Divine Tree¡¯s Prophecy and Jewel. After being overpowered in just a mere blink, some of the elves struggled while others sported looks of frustration on their faces. They were not motivated enough to fight back after being overpowered so easily. They couldn¡¯t put up a fight. Gnoass silently stared at the elves. He was just about to gather up the power to deal with them when Davey suddenly stopped the flow of spirit energy to him. ¡°Wait.¡± [Contractor?] ¡°Well, I have a question. What is wrong with you? I asked you to kill all of the elves here but you did not even hesitate?¡± Gnoass¡¯ face, which was made from the earth, frowned at Davey¡¯s question. [I won¡¯t beat them to their death¡­?] Gnoass was relieved that he had no need to kill these elves. Just then, an elf, who was in the robe of an elder and was at the vanguard, shouted furiously, ¡°Sp¡­ Spirit King!!! How can you stop us?!!! Why is someone who¡¯s in charge of nature¡¯s providence helping such a heinous and deplorable human being?!!!¡± The elven elder was raging. His eyes werepletely bloodshot. [It is the World Tree that has refused and vited the providence. Take your weapons away, or I will be forced to kill you.] ¡°That¡¯s absolutely impossible! There¡¯s no way that the World Tree would refuse and vite the providence of nature!¡± It was a vition. The fact that the Divine Tree had refused to follow the regtions was already no different from a vition. In fact, breaking one simple rule was already a cause of vition. The enormous powers of the World Tree and the special abilities that were derived from her birth made it impossible for her to send her incarnation to another ce. Although the situation was slightly pitiful, the World Tree could never separate from her original body for the rest of her life. This was already a vition. Of course, this rule did not work for Gnoass since he did not appear in his true form. In fact, Gnoass also did not appear to be as beautiful and gracious as he truly was since he was only summoned as Davey¡¯s contractual spirit. ¡°We won¡¯t back down!!! Us elves will never bow down to that vile human!!!¡± ¡°Do not think that mercy will be given to you twice. I have only spared you because this is only a battle against the World Tree,¡± Davey said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, human!!! No matter how strong you are, do you think you can beat the countless beings that live in this forest?!¡± Only a few Ancient Guards were left and capable of fighting. The rest of the elves did not knowbat and were no fighters. However, it seemed like they were unaware of this fact. ¡®Go on, do something else. Make the situation worse!¡¯ Davey silently got closer to the silent battlefield of the Earth Spirit King and the elves, then¡­ Vwoong¡­ vwooooooong! One of the elves who had been watching the situation no longer stood still. Gathering some courage and determination, he began to move. But before the elf could do so, Davey suddenly took out a hexagonal mana stone with his free hand, the hand that was not holding the sphere of light, and raised it high so everyone could hear the voice from within. [Stop!!! Please¡­ Please stop!!!] The crowd turned silent at the desperate cry that rang loudly in the area. ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Emilia?¡± ¡°The¡­ The Third Central Official is alive?!¡± Davey adjusted the crystal ball¡¯s volume to the maximum so everyone could hear Emilia loud and clear. ¡°What do you mean stop? Didn¡¯t you see them trying to attack me? In the first ce, one should expect their death and ughter the moment something goes wrong. After all, this is war, right?¡± The crystal ball fell silent at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s right! Emilia! We can never live under the same sky as such a vile and heinous man!!!¡± Regardless of her job, Emilia was like an ancestor to these elves. However, Davey could see that not many elves had true respect for her. [We ept our defeat! Please don¡¯t kill anymore¡­ I beg you¡­!] It was obvious that Emilia had been crying, which silenced Davey. The elves¡¯ faces also turned ugly. ¡°Surrender¡­ Absolutely impossible! Third Central Official Emilia! Are you trying to trample on the elves¡¯ pride and tradition just for the life of a single person¡­?¡± [You!!! You¡­ On whose authority are you saying that? Do you want to kill hundreds of thousands of our kind?! Don¡¯t you understand the situation that we are in yet?! What are you going to do?! Just act recklessly like that and get everyone killed?!] ¡°¡­¡± Everyone turned silent at Emilia¡¯s desperate cry. [The living has to survive and go on¡­ If we can solve this by having a peaceful conversation then¡­why do we have to kill each other with our spears and swords?! Elder Trie! Please¡­] Emilia¡¯s cries only made some of the elves¡¯ expressions be even uglier. ¡°Absolutely ridiculous! He has invaded our territory and ughtered many of our own people! He even killed Mother Divine Tree in front of our very eyes! And you¡¯re talking about making peace in this situation? A conversation? Ha! Don¡¯t make meugh!¡± Many of the elves shouted in agreement with the elder elf. ¡°Use your eyes and look around! Look at what that human has done to our Sacred Land! The trees are on fire and the flowers have withered! Even the spirits have fled from this ce! And what about the World Tree? Our foundation and our leader?! Can you even see the beautiful forest from our past?!¡± Just as the elves started shouting one after the other, the sphere of light in Davey¡¯s hand, the sphere that was not the mana stone being connected to Emilia, rose to the skies and vibrated fiercely. Vwoooong¡­ Baaaaaam! Alongside a tremendous power, an intense light nketed the entire area. The Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land was greatly influenced by the World Tree. Simply put, as long as the World Tree was healthy and strong, it could always regain its beautiful and sacred appearance. With Yggdrasil¡¯s disappearance, the forest was starting to die and wither. However, it would be a different story once a new World Tree¡¯s Will was born. As the bright and intense light covered the entire area, a subtle purple glow started to spread across the forest. The elves, who had closed their eyes from the sudden sh of light, opened their eyes to see a shockingly amazing view. They fell silent in an instant. The dying forest was regaining its lost light. As the purple light spread, the withered flowers started blooming again and the burnt trees were born anew with fresh bark and sturdy trunks. The surface of the World Tree, the part that had suffered the most damage and had scars and injuries, started to change. Its original appearance began to return, and it was again exuding its original power and presence. Clearly, a new Will was being born. The purification of the forest only took a moment. Amidst the baptism of light, a shockingly strong force began to condense. It caught everyone¡¯s attention. [Stop this meaningless fight.] The voice was very familiar even though it soundedpletely different. The elves, the inhabitants of this forest, instinctively recognized the voice. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah¡­ World Tree¡­¡± The glow that covered the forest danced around before forming the shape of a woman, who was none other than the incarnation of the giant tree itself. She could be called the World Tree¡¯s soul, the next generation¡¯s Yggdrasil. Although her scent and her gaze were very simr to the previous Yggdrasil, her tone of voice and gentleness were very different. She felt much more sincere than before. In fact, even her appearance looked subtly different from what Yggdrasil had looked like before. This was probably because the current World Tree was sporting bright blonde hair. ¡®It looks brighter than Illyna¡¯s hair.¡¯ Davey felt like this color was only possible because she was a transcendental being. [I will not allow you to fight any more fights.] The World Tree walked forward, stepping between Davey and the elves. Then, she turned to look at Davey. For a moment, Davey felt a subtle sense of d¨¦j¨¢ vu. No matter how great a being the World Tree was, there was no way that she would have such an overwhelming presence upon her birth, right? Davey was willing to bet all of his fingers and his entire fortune that it was not, absolutely not, possible. ¡ªYou don¡¯t sound so sure. Do you think you¡¯ll win that bet? ¡®If I chicken out, then I¡¯ll die.¡¯ ¡ªOh? Come on, then. Let¡¯s try it. ¡°I see. You¡¯re not a new World Tree.¡± [That¡¯s right. I see, so you¡¯re the main culprit of all of this chaos.] ¡°I think your choice of words is very wrong.¡± [Right. I see.] The World Tree spoke calmly as she assessed Davey with glittering eyes. Then, she took a slow and deep breath. Finally realizing why she hade back to existence, she narrowed her eyes and muttered softly. [Hmmm¡­ The connection is not yet broken¡­ Does that mean that child is still alive?] The World Tree calmly waved her hands before a green glow appeared right beside her. The green glow gathered together to form the figure of a young elven woman, whose eyes widened as she looked around. She was flustered by the sudden change in her surroundings. However, her eyes grew even wider after seeing the woman in front of her. ¡°N-No way¡­ Mother Divine Tree¡­¡± The young elven woman who cried was none other than Emilia. Her awful power of Charm had already been sealed by Davey, so it had no effect in this situation. Still, even without Charm, she looked so pitiful that anyone would feel protective over her. It would not be strange for a major incident toe about just from how pitiful she looked right now. Davey knew that it was not easy to travel such a long distance in one go, even if someone had a tremendous amount of warp magic in their arsenal. Perhaps she had read Davey¡¯s mind, because this generation¡¯s Yggdrasil chuckled lightly at Davey. [You wear your heart on your sleeve, which is surprising to me. That¡¯s right. There¡¯s only one being who can call and bring Emilia here from such a faraway ce.] The Divine Tree¡¯s Saint or Saintess were said to be elves. However, a person whomunicated with the World Tree was someone who had transcended the realms of ordinary elves. As such, their basic appearance might be simr to elves but theposition of their soul and body were different. If they were talking to the previous generation Saintess, Emilia, then the only one such being who could do such a thing would be the World Tree¡¯s soul from a previous generation. ¡°Can the soul of the World Tree be reused?¡± Davey asked aloud the question that suddenly came to his mind. Common sense dictated that it should be impossible. However, in the first ce, Davey should not even care about something like that. After all,mon sense did not really work for him either. [Have you ever seen a transcendental soul be born so easily? However, this is an umon scenario.] That was true. After all, who was crazy enough to kill a very important transcendental being who acted as the world¡¯s pir, right? It was safe to say that there were only a few people with such impure goals and even fewer people with the abilities to do so. ¡®I think, what she means is that thepany boss, Goddess Freyja, has refused her retirement and has dragged her back out to work again.¡¯ ¡ªIs that¡­even possible? ¡®It¡¯s impossible to create a transcendental soul so easily, like randomly printing something out. In fact, the heroes of the Hall also did not enter the cycle of reincarnation.¡¯ ¡ªHmm¡­ ¡®Forget that. I won, right?¡¯ ¡ªDamn it. What the hell do you want? ¡®I¡¯ll tell you about itter¡­ I have an extremely strong preference for bullying, so I¡¯ll definitely ask you for something very shameful and disgraceful. Be prepared, Miss Demon Lord. Perserque turned pale. She immediately hid behind Rinne after seeing the smile on Davey¡¯s face. ¡ªWicked bastard¡­ However, Rinne was unaware about Perserque who was hiding behind her. To get back on track, what the World Tree meant was that Yggdrasil had died in Davey¡¯s hands but her soul did not truly die. Did the Goddess Freyja know that this would happen? At this point, Davey had grown suspicious of the big picture that Goddess Freyja was trying to create. The World Tree chuckled and opened her arms wide towards Emilia. [Come, child. Come to your mother¡¯s arms.] Seeing the World Tree¡¯s kind and gracious smile, Emilia immediately jumped into her embrace with a tearful expression on her face. After much struggle, she uttered, ¡°Are you really¡­ Are you really Mother Divine Tree?¡± [I see. I left you behind, but I have always been worried about you. There¡¯s nothing I can do, this is how things work. How did you be so thin? You¡¯ve worked really hard this time, huh?] The way the World Tree was hugging Emilia was definitely different from the World Tree that Davey had killed. This was like a loving mother and daughter pair. ¡°That¡­ I mean¡­ Mother¡­ I¡­ Sob¡­¡± Emilia burst into tears. The World Tree gently patted Emilia on the back and hugged her even more tightly. Then, she addressed Davey. [That¡¯s right. I¡¯m not so shameless to me you for what has happened here.] ¡°World¡­ World Tree. What do you mean¡­?¡± [All of you, take your weapons away. Spirit King, do reign in your wrath, please.] Gnoass immediately turned to Davey after hearing the World Tree¡¯s request. Once he saw Davey¡¯s nod, he released the earth that bound the elves tightly and scattered his body away. [Can you please follow me? I¡¯m extending an invitation to you to my own space. I¡¯m sure you and I have a lot to talk about with regards to how we should deal with this matter.] ¡°Even though you¡¯re not the one who caused it?¡± [It¡¯s my responsibility to protect the children of this forest. What else can I do? It¡¯s your side that¡¯s holding the hilt of the knife. You¡¯re the one at an advantage. Besides, I was tasked to deliver an item to you too.] An item? The reborn World Tree¡¯s Will had something to ry to Davey? Chapter 231 ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± The man was trying to catch his breath. He wondered why he had been left in such an unexpected situation. Whiiiiir¡­ Whoosh¡­ [Let¡¯s y.] ¡°Aaaaaaaaack!!!¡± With a scream, the man widened his eyes at the piece of paper that was flying across the darkness. He was still out of breath, but he immediately jumped up and ran. This was a familiar road to him, but the overwhelming darkness made the entire surroundings very unfamiliar. The man was determined that his opponent was determined to kill him, but his opponent had only done trivial things to him up until this point. When the man stopped running from exhaustion, pieces of paper would fly across the darkness one after another. Each piece of paper had somewhat creepy messages, causing goosebumps to rise on the man¡¯s skin. [Hide and seek.] At first, the man had the confidence that he could hide. The elves of the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land governed thisnd, but he didn¡¯t think that that was important. His life was the most important thing to him. Then, he saw the most terrifying and creepy smile. It was the smile of the monster who was ying with him. Due to that¡­ ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± The man gasped, copsing from exhaustion and ack of stamina. All he could do was fall to the ground in a heap. His eyes were dazed. He was suffering from such severe injuries that he had to struggle to gather the power to stand back up and run again. Now, even if another piece of paper flew in, the man did not have the possibility of running again. Whoosh¡­ Not long after, a new piece of paper flew in. The message was not written in thenguage of humans but in thenguage of the elves. [Found you.] Whoosh! And another one flew in. [This is fun.] Whoosh! And another. [This is so fun.] The Saint of the Divine Tree widened his eyes when he saw something slowly creeping out from the depths of the surrounding darkness. He read the final message on the piece of paper that had flown in while he was leaning against a tree trunk. Shiii¡ª Shiii¡ª Shiii¡ª Through the darkness suddenly came the sound of someone dragging their feet through some kind of sticky tar. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯te¡­ Don¡¯te here!!!¡± The Divine Tree¡¯s Saint did not know what kind of monster his opponent was, but he knew that it wasing toward him. His spirit soon plunged into a fierce and overwhelming panic because of that. His breathing became ragged, his eyes turned red and bloodshot, and he convulsed on the spot. The overwhelming fear of the monster closing in on him somehow gave the man strength, because he managed to forcefully push himself a few steps back. Unfortunately, the tree behind him was strong and sturdy. He could hardly move much from where he had originally been. ¡°Don¡¯te here¡­¡± The man cried loudly, with his spirit close to copsing from the terror. The monster approaching him from the depths of the darkness suddenly stopped and promptly disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± The man held his breath as his eyes started to roll back. He was seemingly close to going crazy and losing consciousness. His mouth hung wide open soundlessly. It was as if he had forgotten how to breathe and had already died. Whiiiiiiirr¡­ Plop¡­ Suddenly, something flew from the ce where the silhouette had disappeared. [I¡¯ve caught you?] ¡°¡­¡± The man¡¯s face turned even paler than before. [Let¡¯s y¡­ Hide and seek¡­] As another piece of paper flew in, the man suddenly felt a strange sensation sweeping across the top of his head. He widened his eyes and turned to look. All the man saw was hair in a bright and vivid color. The hair was extremely long, and could possibly wrap all around the man if it had been straightened out. ¡°Sob¡­ Ahihi! Ahihihihihihihihihihihi!!!¡± The man¡¯s pupils started to repeatedly contract and dte. Then, as if he was possessed, his head lifted by itself and his strangeughter came to an abrupt stop. His eyes became the widest they had ever been since everything started. ¡°¡­¡± Thest thing that the Divine Tree¡¯s Saint had seen was a girl hanging upside down from the branches of the tree above him. She had been looking down at him with an eerie smile on her face as she had made strange movements with her head. *** The current generation¡¯s Yggdrasil¡­ Well, to be more specific, it was ¡®Al¡¯, the previous generation¡¯s Yggdrasil. AI embraced Emilia tightly as if this had been her long-cherished dream before waving her arm lightly and gracefully. Following her will, a crack appeared in the space before them. It emitted a beautiful green light. ¡°Oho¡­¡± [Please follow me.] Davey followed the smiling woman to a ce that could enrapture anyone. It was a forest so beautiful that even the Elves¡¯ Forest paled inparison. This was where the source root of the World Tree was located, a two-dimensional space that only existed within the World Tree itself. Inside the space was a huge altar, which seemed to have been carved and sculpted by a transcendental will. Below the altar was a small waterfall gushing clear and sparkling spring water. The water was so clear that it shone a blue light on theke below. As for theke, it was filled with mysterious and beautiful schools of fish that Davey had never seen before in his life. There were also birds sporting well-trimmed and glossy feathers perched on top of tree branches while singing their own melodies. Al, who led Davey inside the space, smiled softly as she looked at her surroundings in silence. Then, she walked forward leisurely and plucked a golden fruit from one of the branches. She tossed it over to Davey. [Take one.] Davey could immediately smell the golden fruit¡¯s sweet fragrance. Looking at the fruit, which somewhat resembled a golden apple, he said, ¡°So¡­this is the World Tree¡¯s Fruit.¡± [That¡¯s right. But I cannot guarantee that it will work properly. It has lost half of its power and efficacy because of someone.] AI had handed over to Davey no ordinary fruit. After all, it was said that the World Tree¡¯s Fruit was the most difficult ingredient to acquire in alchemy, and this fruit was also called Yggdrasil¡¯s Fruit. The problem was that, after Davey¡¯s terrorizing attack on the World Tree, the power within the fruit had been considerably reduced. Of course, even if that was the case, the World Tree¡¯s Fruit was still difficult to obtain. A person could only get it if the World Tree¡¯s Will permitted it. ¡°Goodness. What a precious thing, huh? This will be a good ingredient to have.¡± [You punk, you have quite a greedy heart.] World Tree Al clicked her tongue at Davey as she walked towards her beautifully carved chair. Her loose and soft clothingnded beautifully on the chair¡¯s crevices. [It¡¯s originally very difficult to get that out of this World Tree¡¯s space. Alright, let¡¯s settle the most pressing problems that we have first.] ¡°Are you aware of the current situation and the circumstances that you¡¯re in?¡± [Aren¡¯t you looking down on me too much? I am a transcendental soul that has lived for a long time. My soul has already left this ce, so why do you think I¡¯ve reappeared in this ce?] Davey fell silent, because it was true that this was a very unusual situation. [First of all, tell me what you want.] ¡°The full right to rule this entire ce. Are you willing to hand over the rights to control the life and death of the elves to me?¡± [Impossible. Ask for something else. I have my own conditions and bottom line. They are the children of this forest, so the right to rule this ce and the preservation of our culture is still mine.] ¡°You¡¯re quite shameless.¡± World Treeughed as she raised her thin and white arms. Vwoooong¡ª Then, what seemed to be an amber bead appeared in the palm of her hands. [If you promise me that, then I will give you this.] ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Davey asked while using Perserque¡¯s authority to appraise the item in AI¡¯s hands. [Jewel.] ¡ª¡­ Davey gained no additional information despite having used Perserque¡¯s authority. All he got was an unidentified exnation. ¡ªThis can¡¯t be happening¡­ Perserque¡¯s authority, a power that could even reveal and turn a transcendental soul¡¯s memories upside down, did not work. This was the only time it had failed to work so far. [In all honesty, I don¡¯t know much about this thing.] ¡°And you¡¯re putting it out as a bargaining chip in this negotiation?¡± [That¡¯s right. This might be of great help to you someday.] Davey narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He was very clear that the World Tree in front of him had mentioned handing something over to him, but¡­ Unless AI was a fool, she would never try to give away something so important so easily. ¡°You¡¯re trying to rob me, huh?¡± [Do not speak of words that you do not mean. You wouldn¡¯t have touched the elves if they hadn¡¯t bothered you. Please show mercy. Let them keep their lives and their culture.] ¡°That¡¯s not profitable for me.¡± Davey stood up and approached AI. With a calm voice, he continued, ¡°Your previous World Tree had persecuted my territory and my people, and had threatened the lives of myself and those who stand below me.¡± Davey, now standing in front of AI, said, ¡°It was also that woman who had brought forward arge army and struck a preemptive attack. She had even yed a bag of nasty tricks while I was making my way here.¡± Then, he grabbed the World Tree Al by the cor. Almost growling, he went on to say, ¡°And you¡¯re telling me that you want me to save the elves¡¯ lives and treat this as a simple argument? Do you think I¡¯d willingly throw away the lives of my people and those who have fought and died for this unidentified jewel, huh?¡± Baaaang!!! World Tree Al frowned when Davey punched a hole through the smooth trunk of the tree behind her. ¡°S¡­ Stop!!!¡± Emilia freaked out. She immediately jumped up to try and stop Davey, but Al stopped her. [That¡¯s right. That¡¯s very understandable. It would be very disappointing if you have simply forgotten those who hade forward and sacrificed their lives for you.] Then, Al threw that amber-colored jewel in her hands to Davey. [Take it. It¡¯s something that I should have given to you anyway.] ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Davey hummed as he toyed with the jewel. He could tell that it did not have much power within it, but he was absolutely clueless as to what it was. He muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s scratch its surface a bitter and analyze itspounds.¡± [I don¡¯t rmend that. From what I can see, that item will be of great help to you in the future. There¡¯s no harm in having it in your possession.] Davey stayed silent, not answering AI. AI had already died by God¡¯s will. Yet, uponing back and being reborn, she had quickly handed Davey the item¡­ ¡ªAs expected, this is the item that God¡¯s Will wanted to give to you. However, Davey still could not get rid of the ugly feeling that something was getting shoved into his hands. [The rtionship between you and the inhabitants of this ce will not mend for a very long time, but there¡¯s going to be a bloodbath if we don¡¯t quickly wash the sour taste off of our mouths.] ¡°Provide me with those fruits periodically. Not this sort of half-assed fruit, but a proper one.¡± Davey believed that he had to ask for this much for the entire war to have been worth it. World Tree AI started to look very exhausted by Davey¡¯s request. [Do you know how hard it is for me to make a single fruit like that?] ¡°Think of it as your karma and retribution.¡± [That leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Fine, I¡¯ll agree to that. But what are you going to use it for?] ¡°I¡¯ll use itter. One more thing¡­ I will guarantee that the lives, culture, and the rights of the elves will remain with you. However¡­¡± The elves had already fought a war and lost, so they had to be prepared to lose a lot. ¡°You have to give me full authority with regard to the rtionship between the forest and the outside world.¡± World Tree AI studied Davey closely, as if trying to figure out what he was thinking. It would not be strange for her to be furious and make a fuss. Yet, both Emilia and the World Tree AI remained silent. ¡°The elves have revealed their existence to the world, so many nations and empires will reach out to you. I have to make sure that I have full authority over all of the diplomatic ties that you will form.¡± ¡®Just you wait, I will make sure to suck you dry and show you that you¡¯ve picked the wrong bone to pick.¡¯ [That¡¯s a very dangerous proposal.] ¡°I won¡¯tpromise. If you don¡¯t like it then¡­¡± [Cough¡­ Fine. You will have it.] They felt that the proposal was unfair, and they had to be upset, but what could they do? They were fully aware that, in this situation, it was already a blessing that Davey wouldn¡¯t be taking any more lives. [What if I choose to go against you?] ¡°No one is stopping you from doing that, but you should know that I don¡¯t really like elves.¡± [There¡¯s nothing I can do. The negotiations arepleted.] Since there was nothing more for them to discuss, Davey rose from his seat and turned around. [Dark clouds are looming over us. The prophecies that the previous generation¡¯s Yggdrasil had made were unstable but some of them are still very urate to this day.] ¡°Demon Lord Perserque will not be resurrected. And even if she gets resurrected, the future that you are thinking of will note true.¡± [No. Demon Lord Perserque is not the problem here.] With a glint in her eyes, World Tree Al continued to speak calmly. [You have to think why a goddess like Goddess Freyja is tolerating and even making deals with a being like you.] ¡°Give me details, then.¡± [It¡¯s not an issue that I can discuss. However, you¡­] Al smiled before revealing some surprising information. [You must have seen creatures from another world in this ce, right? But, is it really just a coincidence?] ¡°¡­¡± [I haven¡¯t seen a lot of things yet, but a huge change has already started. It is already beyond what the Goddess can control. It means that you will have an obligation to deal with the sufferings and problems that would be a result of that.] ¡°Bullshit.¡± [I¡¯m different from the World Tree that you¡¯ve killed. I am willing to hold hands and work with you for the future, no, to protect the lives of my children.] ¡°Your elves will protest, though.¡± The thought of the World Tree holding hands and working together with Davey, an existence who all of the elves currently hated, was a very funny one. Even if they were zealots and fanatics of the World Tree, they would still protest. [Why do you think it was me, someone who¡¯s friendly with the humans, who has awakened instead of a new World Tree¡¯s Will? You might want to think about that point again.] Davey¡¯s conversation with World Tree Al ended there. Chapter 232 82. Ming Empire''s ¡®Hyeon¡¯ the Nation of Bows and ¡®Ming¡¯ the Nation of Spears. Just as quickly as the war started, it all hade to an end. The elves in the army marching forward for invasion along with theirmander, Yulrgen, had naturally protested. However, they did not have any reason or qualifications to disobey the orders of the new World Tree¡¯s Will and Emilia, who had resumed her position as the agent of the World Tree. In other words, AI and Emilia had pressured the other elves from the top of the hierarchy. In the first ce, this war had not started because of some obsession or resentment. It had started because of the orders of the previous generation¡¯s World Tree. So, just like how they had willingly started that war based on orders, the elves had no capacity to vite the new World Tree¡¯s orders. The elves could have protested against a totally new World Tree, but unfortunately for them¡­ The current Yggdrasil was Al. This was a rare case, because she had been the World Tree¡¯s Soul from two generations ago. She should have disappeared instead of settling down once again. Davey, however, was slightly worried about one thing. It was regarding the whereabouts of the previous Divine Tree¡¯s Saint who Annabelle had attacked. It wasn¡¯t because Annabelle had no ability to deal with the previous Divine Tree¡¯s Saint, but something weird and bizarre had caught him, sucking in his body at the veryst minute. That was ording to the report that Davey had received. Due to that unexpected happening, Annabelle had missed dealing the finishing blow on the previous Divine Tree¡¯s Saint. However, it was safe to say that he no longer had any authority after running away and leaving the other elves behind. With that, the war between the Heins Territory and the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land had ended with the minority sacrificing little and the majority sacrificing a lot more. Of course, there were a few hubbubs here and there. After all, it looked like the elves had made the preemptive strike but Davey had taken full control of them. The one who had protested the most was the Conthas Empire, the empire that was trying to keep Davey in check. Next was the Ming Kingdom, which was located in the area directly facing the forest where the Divine Tree was located. However, in fear of the Pan Empire and the Lyndis Empire, the Conthas Empire had decided to y a passive role. The other nation was different. The Grand Emperor of the great empire of Ming, who called himself the Son of Heaven, was very determined to take back the diplomatic rights of thends. It was as if thend had been taken away from them. The Ming Empire was very famous for their cavalry and spearmen, and was considered as one of the great empires with vastnds. Their military power was also a force to be reckoned with to the point that one could consider it ridiculously disruptive and explosive. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ Wasn¡¯t that guy in the Western Continent?¡± With round eyes, Winley continued to practice magic in front of Davey as she murmured, ¡°I think it¡¯s the Hyeon Kingdom?¡± ¡°Right.¡± [As the Son of Heavenmands, immediately withdraw the pressure that you are putting on the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land and return their diplomatic rights.] Davey tore the letter from the Ming Empire, which sounded more of amand than a request, as if there was nothing more for him to see. To him, these bastards just did not have any fear or shame at all. ¡°Yeah¡­ Sister Tanya is married to someone from the Western Continent. Hyeon Kingdom is a small nation located just below the Ming Empire, the empire that¡¯s now in a scuffle with you, Big Brother.¡± A princess who had been sent off for marriage even before she had reached adulthood¡­ If Davey was the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s First Prince, then there should be a First Princess. However, Winley was not the true First Princess of the kingdom. It was actually Tanya O¡¯Rowane, Winley and Baris¡¯ immediate rtive and older sister. Tanya, with her characteristic green hair, was an elegant and graceful girl. If Winley was unruly, then Tanya was elegant and kind-hearted. No matter what anyone said, there was no denying the fact that Tanya, Winley, and Baris were all children of First Consort Anisha. There were only four remaining members of the Rowane Royal Family. The First Prince, Davey, the Fourth Prince, Baris, the Second Princess, Winley, and Aeonitia, the youngest daughter of Lynesse Barriatta who had been killed after leading a rebellion. Originally, the young girl should have been charged with rebellion and be sent to prison ording to thew. However, Davey did not do anything more to the girl who was six years younger than him and the youngest member of the royal family. What would an eleven-year-old girl like her do to Davey, right? Besides, Davey did not know if the girl was just quick-witted orpletely uninterested, but she made little to no contact with him. On top of that, the girl did not do well when it came to politics and the state of affairs. To describe her in a better light, she was a very well-behaved girl. To describe her in a poor manner? She was very timid. ¡°I hope she¡¯s doing well. It¡¯s a pretty remote and closed-off ce, so the onlymunication that we have received is that she¡¯s alive.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s tied up with Tanya in this political marriage?¡± ¡°Hyeon¡¯s King. Sister hasn¡¯t married him yet, but I heard that she would be the 14th wife if she does. I heard they have a very huge age difference.¡± ¡®What an outstanding thieving bastard.¡¯ Although a political marriage was very much natural in this world, Davey still could not help but frown after learning this fact. *** The Hyeon Kingdom was very far from the Rowane Kingdom, but both kingdoms had discreet exchanges over the course of time. Located just below the Great Empire of Ming, the nation that was now at odds with Davey, the Hyeon Kingdom was a country littered withplicated problems. ¡°You¡¯re asking about¡­the Hyeon Kingdom? Why are you suddenly asking about it?¡± ¡°Do you know about them?¡± Davey asked calmly. Royal Attendant Bernile sighed bitterly while Amy could only tilt her head in confusion. Amy might not know about the situation, but Bernile had been working for the Royal Family for a very long time now and was someone with an impable memory. ¡°Of course. The Hyeon Kingdom is where Her Highness Princess Tanya has gone for a political marriage.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve heard any news about her at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Hyeon Kingdom has a very stubborn and strong opinion about matters regarding rtionships with outsiders. On top of that, they have been greatly influenced by the Ming Empire, who sees themselves as Hyeon¡¯s parent nation. Because of that, they have little to no interaction with other nations.¡± Even whenpared to the other countries in the West that had little to no interactions with other continents, the Hyeon Kingdom was said to be on a league of its own when it came to being closed off. ¡°In the past, the Hyeon Kingdom was made up of several small tribes. The current Hyeon Kingdom is the unification of all those tribes.¡± So, to maintain their influence, power, as well as unity once each of their forces merged¡­ ¡°To shut them up, they pushed for an alliance through marriage.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What, is he Wang Geon[1] or something?¡± Davey grumbled to himself. ¡°Yes?¡± Bernile was understandably confused. There was no way that he would know about the historical figures on earth. ¡°Nothing. So, why Tanya? It¡¯s not even a nation that has a huge impact or even has great contact with the Rowane Kingdom.¡± Bernile nodded, then said, ¡°This problem¡­ I believe it''s best that you hear it from His Majesty himself.¡± ¡°Stop trying to test me, Royal Attendant Bernile.¡± ¡°No matter what, he¡¯s still your father. Right now, His Majesty is¡­probably looking forward to hearing a word from you, yourself, My Lord. His Majesty the King might be the king of our nation, but he is also your father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite having this conversation with Bernile, Davey just remained silent and continued on the blueprint that he was making. What had happened was obviously not a small matter so reporting it to the king was very much a necessity. However, Davey had been putting off the report day after day. He thought that it was not really a simple matter to solve and as a prince, he had to do the least of his duties. ¡°Send this to Elder Golgouda. Ask him if this is possible. As for the source of the main power, tell him not to worry. We will use Yggdrasil¡¯s Fruit as a catalyst.¡± The projects to increase the quality of living in the Heins Territory were still not yet over. Davey still had the dwarves and a huge amount of capital to utilize. Thanks to the water spirits of the Moon Forest elves, who had stepped forward to maintain the water treatment and processing facility, clean water was now being supplied to each and every single household in the territory. This meant that the territory¡¯s basic quality of life had increased. Still, Davey did not just stop there. In the name of medical science, he taught his people this: ¡®Hygiene will give you a lifeline in life. People should always be clean and hygienic.¡¯ Of course, it was not that difficult of a demand. After all, anyone could draw water anywhere in the Heins Territory. This situation waspletely unlike in the past where they had to struggle to gather huge amounts of water just to take a wash. At first, the people felt a bit awkward at the sudden change, but they started to voluntarily manage their own hygiene over time. This was especially true after they remembered the addicting taste of the benefits that they had received. Naturally, the dwarves of the Yellowstone Tribe, fascinated and in awe of the technology that Davey had developed, wanted to introduce the same technology to the Yellowstone Vige. And with Davey¡¯s help, they were able to install the same water treatment and processing facility in their tribe without any difficulties. ¡°Since water¡¯s done, then we have to deal with electricity now.¡± Dark paths should not be allowed within Davey¡¯s territory. Thanks to the structure of the Heins Territory, there was a very well-cedke, and a huge one at that, somewhere north of the center of the territory. This meant that the development of this technology for the territory would solely be in Davey¡¯s hands. And Davey firmly believed that it would not take too long for it to be his cash cow. After all, ording to psychology, people would always want the cool and pretty item that someone else had. ¡°What¡­is this?¡± ¡°A hydraulic generator. It¡¯s very inefficient to light fire with mana. How long do you think this will take?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure¡­ Just looking at all of the things that you have drawn here, I can tell that it will take a considerable amount of time. Just building the structure so it stays still upon being submerged in water will take a long time.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try andplete this in a month. However, tell everyone to keep quiet about this. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re getting an investor for this anyway. Besides, nothing good wille out from rumors spreading for no reason at all.¡± Modern technology was amazing. All it needed was heavy equipment, excellent materials, and wonderful technology. However, there were no such things in this world. But did that mean that it was impossible? Davey was confident that the answer to that was a big fat no. After all, there were things in this world that did not exist on modern earth. And those things were none other than magic and spirit magic, as well as this world¡¯s technology, which developed differently than the technology on earth. Finally, didn¡¯t Davey have Spirit ve Number One to provide himrge amounts of power? *** ¡°Announce my arrival.¡± The knights gulped at Davey¡¯smand. ck¡­ At the same time, some of the nobles looked at Davey with wide eyes uponing out of the audience hall from their meeting. ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, everyone.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes. That¡¯s right. Have¡­ Have you been well?¡± ¡°Thanks to all of you, I¡¯m doing quite well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Davey walked by the nobles after seeing their nervous expressions. Then, he suddenly stopped and said, ¡°Ah, Count Orion.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes! Please speak, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I heard that you¡¯re dabbling in the food industry.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s right¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, I also purchase groceries from the food merchants that the Count has advertised. They taste quite good, if I may say so.¡± Davey grinned. Count Orion widened his eyes, then smiled widely. ¡°Is¡­ Is that so? I didn¡¯t know that Your Highness would like it so much! If that¡¯s the case, I will provide a fixed amount of¡­¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to do that. I¡¯m not shameless enough to receive products that I did not pay for.¡± ¡°Ahahaha! I see! As expected of our prince! You¡¯re setting a wonderful example and showing the integrity of our kingdom¡¯s Royal Family!¡± Those were insincere remarks and Davey knew that very well. He could see that the man was rolling his eyes at hisments. He could also hear the thoughts of the Count, who possibly believed that this was his opportunity for him to establish a connection with Davey. ¡°That¡­ Uhm, Prince, if you don¡¯t mind, I would like to extend an invitation to you. If you¡¯re free, would you like to have breakfast with me¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, Count. There are times when I find that the products are too poor for their price.¡± ¡°Eh, yes? That¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but of course, the Count would not do something like that for no reason, right? Don¡¯t you think so too?¡± ¡°Ah. Haha¡­ Of¡­ Of course.¡± ¡°However, if someone else sees it, then they¡¯ll think that you¡¯re ying with food. In fact, the Heins Territory is receivingrge amounts of food from the merchants who the Count has favored and advertised,¡± Davey said with a soft smile. Count Orion gulped. Did the Count think that he would never get caught if he was ying around with food? The Count coughed and chuckled nervously after seeing the look on Davey¡¯s face. It seemed like he recognized that Davey was giving him a warning and was telling him to behave well. ¡°Even¡­ Even if you did not say it, I will make sure to look into the matter! Please leave it to me! I will do my best to help the future of our Rowane Kingdom!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to the Count, then.¡± Afterward, Count Orion hurriedly escaped like a child who had been caught making a mistake. ¡°Your Majesty. This is Davey.¡± ¡°You may enter.¡± King Krianes¡¯ voice rang from within the room immediately. Davey had not visited the king¡¯s reception room in a long time. There were only two people in the room: Royal Attendant Bespard, who was standing by the throne, and King Krianes himself. But from what Davey had heard, Baris, who had been appointed as the Crown Prince, was learning politics and how to deal with state affairs by the king¡¯s side. ¡°First Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane greets the sun of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Leave the formalities behind. Right¡­ Did you get hurt?¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern. I have not sustained any serious injuries,¡± Davey said. However, even if he had sustained injuries, they would have definitely been out of sight. ¡°You¡¯ve dealt with this matter rather recklessly. Even if you are brilliantly outstanding, why did you make such a rash and bold decision?¡± ¡°I beg your mercy, Your Majesty. The reports have been dyed because the problem was toorge for me to wait for a decision.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ The mess has been resolved thanks to the changes in the Divine Tree¡¯s authority. However, if that did not happen, then you would have been in a verypromised and irreversible situation.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will keep your words in mind.¡± Who was right or wrong? It did not matter. Davey did not have any say in whatever criticism the king was giving him. After all, the king of this nation was the one who would decide for its citizens and Davey was just a prince. Of course, there were only a few people left that would tantly ignore the influence that Davey had. ¡°Take this.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I was going to get it delivered to you, anyways.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a letter from the Western Continent,¡± Davey said. Narrowing his eyes at the contents of the scroll that was unique to the Western Continent, hemented, ¡°It¡¯s about a wedding ceremony¡­¡± The scroll contained information about the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s first royal daughter, Tanya O¡¯Rowane, and how she wasing of age. ording to the details, she would take the test of the bow and marry not long after. ¡°You might not like it but¡­ If not now, then you will have no other chance to see your sister.¡± ¡°Tanya¡­¡± ¡°Will you go?¡± Davey nodded with no hesitation at the perfect opportunity. From what he could tell, an envoy from Ming, the empire that was tied to Hyeon, would be present. He thought that it was the perfect ce to give his warning there. 1. ?? First King of Goryeo. United the three kingdoms and founded Goryeo. ? Chapter 233 Nothing much was known regarding most of the countries in the West, but Davey had gotten plenty of information from King Krianes. First was of course the answer to the most important question: why did the Rowane Kingdom have to push for an alliance through marriage with the Hyeon Kingdom? ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Aboard the carriage heading to the Western Continent, Davey casually looked at the passing scenery and gently caressed Winley¡¯s cheek as she slept on hisp. Winley had been crying. She had said that she would do anything to follow Davey, because she really wanted to see her sister. This was going to be a difficult journey, but they had to embark on it now. Otherwise, they would probably not be able to see each other for the rest of their lives. ¡°That¡­ She looks like someone has hit her on the head or something¡­ Brother, should I get rid of that wild boar for you?¡± Baris asked as he clicked his tongue at Winley, who was sleeping on Davey¡¯sp. ¡°Just leave her be. Who cares, right? She looks cute, anyway. Besides, she hasn¡¯t slept well these past few days.¡± ¡°Cute? Brother, this is a very serious and honest question. Do you really think that reckless foal is cute? She¡¯s the devil! The devil, I say!¡± Once she was motivated, Winley would study magic day and night without any breaks. With that kind of drive, effort, and Davey¡¯s extended massages, it would not be impossible for her to reach the 5th Circle in herte twenties. Was that almost unreal? Yulis, the continent¡¯s greatest genius in the mage circle, had only climbed to the realms of the 5th Circle in histe twenties. So, it was actually very possible for Winley to do the same. ¡°What in the world is she doing? How is she forgetting to eat and sleep to be this exhausted? Look at her, Big Brother! Honestly! And here I am busting my ass in the Royal Pce day and night!¡± ¡°Busting my ass? Where did you learn those words?¡± Baris immediately turned to look at Rinne, who was sitting on one side of the carriage. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Ri¡­ Rinne¡¯s evaluation of this matter is low. Rinne hopes for a peaceful solution to this matter¡­¡± ¡°Three.¡± ¡°¡­Ughhhhhhgk!¡± Rinne groaned with an ugly expression when Davey pinched her cheek. She was being dragged towards Davey mercilessly. [I will bring the tea.] In the middle of this unusual situation, Annabelle, dressed in a maidservant¡¯s uniform, wrote that message on a piece of paper and handed it to Davey. She started to prepare tea on the other side of the carriage at Davey¡¯s signal. When she was on standby, Annabelle would sit on the rocking chair on her side of the carriage and not move at all. She was just like stone. In truth, Annabelle only looked cold on the outside, and her fighting style was so creepy that even Davey felt goosebumps rising on his skin at the mere thought of it. ¡°It seems like Yuria has prepared something for you.¡± [There is a high probability of arousing disgust physiologically. Annabelle does not rmend consumption.] ¡°It¡¯s fine. It tastes good.¡± Baris shook his head with a terrified expression on his face. He asked, ¡°Brother, how can you like the taste of that strange tea?¡± Baris hadn¡¯t been able to hide the horror on his face after hearing just what the tea had been made of. In fact, he had spat the tea on the floor. ¡°It tastes good.¡± Davey had used simr teas to torture the Divine Tree¡¯s Saintess Emilia, but he himself grew fond of the teas over time. The tea tasted good and was quite addictive, if Davey was being honest. That was why he unknowingly savored a cup of the tea by himself. ¡°This is much better than sucking the body fluids of a Desert Horned Moth.¡± ¡°My goodness¡­ You have eaten that weird looking thing?¡± It was true that Davey had eaten that to live and survive. What was the mostmon method of obtaining drinking water in the desert? For Davey, he had eaten anything and everything just to finish up his training safely. Looking back on that now, Davey realized that Hercules, the strongest in the Hall and the one who had taught him the art of survival, might have been a psychopath. Davey left that thought behind. Then, he thought that it had been a long time since he hadst traveled with Baris and Winley. ¡°On our way to the Duchy of Felicity, I remember being so worried about you, Big Brother.¡± ¡°Of course, that¡¯s only normal.¡± ¡°Actually, it was really unfair that I didn¡¯t know you possessed that kind of power back then,¡± Baris said with a chuckle. Baris wasughing and conversing with Davey, but he never let go of the pile of documents in his hands. Looking at that, Davey was gratified by Baris¡¯s willingness and determination to learn politics. Davey was only apanied by a small number of people on his journey to the Western Continent, so the traveling was quiet and monotonous. They did not even encounter any bandits along the way. After all, which bastard would think of attacking a carriage that was escorted by a royal knight? A man living on the edge of a knife would not survive if they did not know how to measure and choose their opponents. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I would be able to see Big Sister Tanya like this. I wonder how she has been? Ah, Big Brother, do you still remember what Sister Tanya looks like?¡± Baris asked. Davey nodded silently. There was no way that he could forget Tanya¡¯s pure smile and short green hair when she had been younger. After all, there were only a few things that he had forgotten. ¡°Of course.¡± Baris said with a bitter smile, ¡°Sister loved shooting arrows with her bow. It was quite unlike her gentle and kind personality.¡± ¡°She liked the bow?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why Sister would be able to livefortably in Hyeon Kingdom, also known as the Nation of Bows¡­or so I think,¡± Baris said, confiding about the things he could still remember. This was information that Davey had also heard from King Krianes. It was very obvious that Baris missed the sister who was very difficult to contact. In fact, Davey was sure that Winley felt no different from her brother. *** ¡°Haa¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± With a weak smile, the girl sporting bright green hair shook her head. The girl was different from most of the people here. She had bright green hair when the others mostly had ck hair, which was amon characteristic of the people of the Western Continent. So, the girl could not help but feel isted with her hair color being characteristic for people of the Eastern Continent. ¡°Your Highness, how can you look so sad when you¡¯re going to hold your wedding soon?¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m sad?¡± ¡°Yes. The expression on Your Highness¡¯s face¡­ It looks like you¡¯re about to cry.¡± The girl nodded quietly, then said, ¡°I see¡­ I will have my wedding soon.¡± The girl gathered her beautiful silken clothes, stood up from her seat, and walked away. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I would like to go on a stroll.¡± ¡°As youmand, Your Highness.¡± With thepany of only a few maidservants, the girl left the pce and moved to a quiet and small garden. ¡°Right. There are no letters this time either?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I went to the Department of Correspondence but, just like you expected, there were no replies¡­¡± one of the maidservants replied tearfully. The girl said with a weak smile, ¡°Right. The distance is so great. And now, I¡¯m just someone who is going to marry a foreigner.¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s not Your Highness¡¯s fault. That¡¯s¡­ How can the people of Rowane Kingdom be so cold-hearted? Howe they haven¡¯t sent you a single letter ever since? Meanwhile, Your Highness keeps on sending letters to the Rowane Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°Do not speak of them like that. I¡¯m sure my father and my mother have their reasons for not contacting me. Perhaps they don¡¯t want to reach out and feel regret¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ They will send someone to attend the wedding, right? They will, surely? Your Highness,¡± one of the maidservants asked anxiously. The girl wanted to answer that it was okay, but she could not find the right words at the moment. After all, she also dearly missed her family. ¡°It would be nice if I could see them just once.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Our poor Highness¡­¡± The girl patted the teary maidservant¡¯s shoulders before looking up at the skies, which was oddly gloomy for some reason. Considering that a formal wedding was about to take ce soon, the atmosphere should have been cheery and happy. But no, the girl was not apanied by many maidservantservants nor was she living a very mboyant lifestyle. The two maidservants who stood by her side were one of the few who had chosen to remain by her side, saying that they would follow her for the rest of their lives. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that I will never be able to see them again¡­ So, it would be nice to see them at least once.¡± Upon bing the king¡¯s wife, it would be extremely difficult for her to see the outside world or even send letters to her family. After all, a woman hardly had any rights in this nation. On top of that, the man whom she would marry already had thirteen wives. Even if he was the king, that was still a bit too much. Nevertheless, the girl still did notment her situation. Airing out her grievances would not change her situation. And if a problem arose in this marriage, this country would immediately send a loud protest to her home country. Just the thought of her mother and father having a hard time back home was enough for her to not make a fuss. She never wanted to send more work to the people of her country. ck! The girl, who was silently savoring her cup of tea, immediately covered her wrists when she saw one of the maidservants make a mistake and break a teacup in front of her. ¡°Kyaaack! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°You idiot! What if Her Highness gets a scratch before her wedding, huh?!¡± The girl smiled bitterly at the furious yells of the other maidservants and shook her head. She said, ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I deserve to die!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Your Highness! You have to scold them harshly at times like this. Every time you try tough these kinds of things off, the other wives will keep on messing with you, saying that you¡¯re not important!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! These wenches! Did you forget that the wedding will immediately be canceled if a scratch appears on the body of the person who will be the queen! Do you want me to cut off your wrists?!¡± ¡°Hiiik! I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry! Please grant me mercy, Your Highness!¡± The green-haired girl shook her head at the maidservant, who immediately prostrated on the ground. She said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I did not get hurt.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ Your Highness. I¡¯m the one who gets terrified for you. Still¡­ I¡¯m so d that you did not get hurt,¡± said the maidservant with a sigh. As she carefully checked Tanya¡¯s sleeves where the teacup fell on, she added, ¡°Your Highness, cheer up. Please try some of these cookies. We have imported them from the Eastern Continent. Here¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­ I¡¯m just a bit¡­tired¡­¡± the girl mumbled bitterly, tears welling up in her eyes. For some reason, Tanya felt like it was a day of sadness. During such times, she really wanted to see her twin siblings, who always followed her around like shadows, and her older brother, who always showed a cool and handsome smile while patting her on the head every time he saw her. Before she left, her older brother had been in aa from some kind of freak ident. As for her lovely and cute twin siblings, she did not know when they would fall and be yed by Queen Lynnesse¡¯s evil schemes. The girl wondered if they were doing well. Did her older brother finally wake up from hisa? Tanya, who was silently remembering her family, tilted her head at the sudden sh of green hair from afar. Along with that, she could hear voices and footstepsing from nearby. ¡°Goodness! What an irrational guy! How dare they enter the Inner Pce¡¯s Garden?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know about the rules about having no contact with outsiders during the test?!¡± The maidservants widened their eyes in surprise. They hurriedly tried to cover the girl¡¯s vision, but¡­ The girl sprang up from her seat with wide eyes. She could hear the argument happening outside. She hurriedly squeezed in between the two maidservants who blocked her view, her head sticking out to see themotion. ¡°Your¡­ Your Highness?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tanya ignored the flustered cries of her maidservants, silently looking around the area. It had been a long time, so long that even Tanya thought that their faces in her memory would turn blurry. But just as expected, family was family. She would never be able to forget them. Pat, pat, pat, pat, pat!!! Tanya, who seemed to have been possessed by something, easily slipped through the gap between the maidservants. Then, she grabbed the skirt that reached her ankles and ran as fast as she could. And then¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± Tanya cried out with eyes wide open in surprise. She quickly ran towards her twin brother and sister who sported the same green hair as her. The two, as if on instinct, turned to look back at her at the same time. The three made eye contact. Tanya was the first to say, ¡°Baris¡­ Winley¡­¡± ¡°Sister!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± At the same time, the twins took a step forward as they looked at Tanya with wide open eyes. Finally realizing the girl¡¯s identity, they went to meet her halfway. ¡°Baris!!! Winley!!!¡± How much did she miss them? Tanya ran as fast as she could, forgetting about her dignity. Not long after, she threw her arms around her twin siblings, crushing them in her hold as she sobbed. Tanya had felt like today was a very gloomy day, the perfect day to cry. However, that feeling was all gone now. She was Tanya O¡¯Rowane, who came of age at sixteen years old. She was appointed to be the wife of Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s king, bing the kingdom¡¯s 14th queen. Chapter 234 ¡°Oh¡­ Oh, Goddess Freyja¡­¡± Ever since young, Tanya had been a devout believer of Goddess Freyja. She probably had her own reasons as well, but her altruism was partly a result of her entering the church of Goddess Freyja; although, there were already leaders of the church who were greedy, evil, and monstrous. Tanya, who was just a cute little girl, looked more mature than before. She had looked good with short hair, but her hair was now long and elegant ording to the rules of Hyeon. Her glistening hair fell straight down her back, unlike Winley¡¯s wavy locks. Winley and Baris hugged Tanya so tightly that Davey wondered where the strength coulde from in their small bodies. ¡°Big Sister¡­ I really missed you¡­ Sister¡­¡± Winley said tearfully. ¡°Big Sister, you have been well, right? Right?¡± It wasmon for siblings to grow up fighting, just like how Winley and Baris always bantered and bickered. However, Tanya was different with her especially kind and warm personality. ¡°Big Sister! Do you know who we havee with?¡± Winley suddenly eximed. ¡°H¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been sending you so many letters!¡± ¡°L¡­ Letters?¡± Tanya looked flustered. Winley tilted her head in confusion. When Davey silently approached and patted her head, Tanya gasped in shock, ¡°Kyahh!!¡± Tanya was naturally surprised by someone suddenly patting her head from behind. She turned around with wide eyes¡­only to widen them even more when she met Davey¡¯s gaze. ¡°Oh¡­?¡± Tanya stared at Davey with her head tilted. Not understanding the situation fully, she could hardly believe who she was seeing right in front of her. She murmured, ¡°Big¡­Brother?¡± ¡°Tanya, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Davey smiled and ced his hand on Tanya¡¯s head again. However, Tanya became startled and backed away from him. ¡®Ouch¡­¡¯ Davey flinched reflexively, and Perserque kicked him in the back with a deep frown. ¡ªDon¡¯t cause a scene. People are going to get embarrassed just from watching you. ¡°T-Tanya?¡± Davey called out. ¡°Is it you, Big Brother? No way¡­ Winley, Baris, am I seeing things?¡± Tanya asked in shock. Winley smiled cutely. ¡°It¡¯s real, Big Sister! Look at him; he¡¯s clearly Davey, our older brother.¡± ¡°Did you forget Big Brother¡¯s face or something, Big Sister?¡± ¡°N-No!¡± Tanya shouted incredulously. A momentter, she slowly approached Davey and reached her hand out toward his face. Her eyes were so red that tears were falling from them any second now. ¡°Big¡­Brother¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me, Tanya.¡± ¡°Big Brother!!¡± Tanya had missed Davey so much. She ran into his arms with tears rolling down her face and buried her face in his chest. She sobbed loudly, unlike how she had greeted Winley and Baris. Davey recalled Winley and Baris keeping in touch with Tanya through regr letters. If that was the case, Tanya would have heard the news about him waking up as it had been a few months now. ¡ªSomething is off about this. ¡®What is?¡¯ ¡ªThis situation. Davey, you are going to cause a big scene over this situation. I am warning you: be on alert and on your toes. Davey ignored Perserque and patted Tanya on the head. Tanya simply tightened her arms around Davey and sobbed even louder. Thedies-in-waiting who were pacing near Tanya stared at her with teary eyes, feeling anxious and touched by this reunion. Tanya¡¯s altruism was admirable. She was simr to Lena, who was one of the Saintess candidates. She was only different in the sense that she was naturally shy and affectionate. ¡°Sob¡­ Big Brother, sorry¡­ Sniffle! I am being too¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay.¡± Davey patted Tanya¡¯s back gently tofort her. Tanya gradually calmed down. She covered her red face with a handkerchief that she pulled out from her pocket. Then, lightly tugging on Davey¡¯s clothes like she was embarrassed, she said softly, ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be doing this! I want to hear about everything from you. Winley, Baris, too¡­¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± That was when Tanya widened her eyes at the sudden voice of a man. ¡°Dan, Dan-Goong?!¡± ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness, you are in the midst of your Hundred Day Cleansing. If His Majesty or the other Highnesses were to know that you are in contact with other people¡­¡± The man who suddenly showed up was quite handsome. He looked to be in histe teens or early twenties. His ck uniform and the cloth on his head that kept his long hair from falling looked simr to an assassin¡¯s, but he had a neater look overall. ¡®They say that a good face makes good fashion.¡¯ ¡ªHm¡­ Perserque began staring at the handsome man with interest. She also seemed grumpy for no reason. Davey subtly reached out and snatched Perserque from the air, since she had been floating around. ¡®You were sleeping on my shoulder a few moments ago. When did you get up?¡¯ ¡ªKyah! ¡®Don¡¯t make a fuss and go inside. My head is ringing.¡¯ After Davey grabbed and pushed her into his huge pocket, Perserque started toin. ¡ªY-You! Do you think I am some sort of object? ¡®Ah, I can¡¯t hear you.¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t know why, but he was a little pissed. He was certain that Dan-Goong had the same uniform as some of the men who had been hiding along the way. He also realized that Dan-Goong had suddenly appeared just as Baris was about to say something. Stopping Dan-Goong, Davey quietly asked, ¡°And you?¡± ¡°My apologies. My name is Dan-Goong. I am humbly in the position of the Fourth Rank Official.¡± ¡°D-Dan-Goong has protected me ever since I have arrived here, Big Brother,¡± Tanya said. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°I apologize to the three of you, but Her Highness Concubine Tanya is currently undergoing the Hundred Day Cleansing. There is no way of telling what kind of damage will happen to Her Highness if she has contact with an outsider,¡± Dan-Goong said firmly. Baris frowned. ¡°Outsider? Did you just say outsider? If family members are outsiders, who could possibly be close to them?!¡± ¡°The only people who can meet Her Highness during the Hundred Day Cleansing is His Majesty the King and the other Highnesses.¡± ¡°Nonsense! Are you saying that a groom who isn¡¯t even her husband yet is more important than family?¡± Of course, Baris and Winley protested. They thought that this made absolutely no sense. Meanwhile, Davey watched the situation carefully. ¡®The atmosphere of the country¡­is strangely simr.¡¯ ¡ªTo your past life? ¡®It¡¯s a bit simr.¡¯ In Davey¡¯s past life, women hardly had any rightspared to men. There was no way of telling whether the Hyeon Kingdom was that messed up or not, but it seemed clear that an unnecessaryw was now controlling Tanya, who was seen as the King¡¯s woman. ¡°Dan-Goong, stop it.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± ¡°These people are family members who I haven¡¯t seen in years. I beg you, please pretend that you didn''t see anything,¡± Tanya begged with tears in her eyes. Dan-Goong nced at Tanya emotionlessly. Baris, angered by Dan-Goong¡¯s demeanor, was about to walk up to him when¡­ ¡°I will check if anyone is watching and make some time.¡± ¡°Thank you always, Dan-Goong.¡± ¡°I hope you do not regret the time that you spend here, Your Highness.¡± When Dan-Goong calmly bowed and instantly disappeared, Baris clicked his tongue. There was no one for him to get angry at anymore. ¡°Oh, now is not the time! Come in! Big Brother! Winley, Baris! There are so many things I want to tell you!¡± Tanya, who realized that she did not have much time, hastily pushed the three of them inside. * * * Tanya talked so much that Davey wondered if she had always been this chatty. She actively engaged in the twins¡¯ stories and was so delighted by them, which almost showed how lonely she was. She was most delighted by the fact that Davey had woken up. ¡ªShe didn¡¯t know? ¡°It¡¯s such a relief, Big Brother. It would have been better if I was able to see you awake before I left, but¡­ Us sitting here and chatting feels like a dream.¡± Davey stared at Winley, then asked, ¡°Did you not talk about me?¡± ¡°Of course I did. I sent her letters about everything that happened at the Rowane Kingdom after you woke up.¡± Winley tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Big Sister¡­ Did you not receive our letters?¡± Baris asked. The atmosphere froze before Tanya whispered, ¡°L-Letters? No way. I kept in contact with the Rowane Kingdom with letters every so often¡­¡± Baris and Winley froze. It was clear from this conversation that the siblings had sent each other letters, but not one of the letters had made it to the other. Tanya¡¯s letters had never left Hyeon Kingdom, and the ones that had arrived from the Rowane Kingdom did not reach her. ¡°Blocking it in the middle¡­¡± ¡°Those damn¡­!¡± Winley and Baris were bound to be angry. As Baris shot up from his seat, Tanya widened her eyes in shock and quickly grabbed his arm. She cried out, ¡°No!¡± ¡°Let go, Big Sister! Those damn bastards have locked you up! They cut off all contact and what? Hundred Day Cleansing? No contact with outsiders? These assholes!¡± Winley was usually the one who stopped Baris, but it was different this time. Grinding her teeth with a cold expression, she said firmly, ¡°Big Sister, this doesn¡¯t seem like something you can just let go.¡± The Hyeon Kingdom hadplete disregard and disrespect for the Rowane Kingdom. Tanya, however, thought differently. She expressed her thoughts. ¡°No. Winley, Baris, we must not show our emotions over something like this.¡± ¡°Big Sister!¡± ¡°Royalty must always keep theirposure, even if it means walking into your demise.¡± Tanya shook from her fury, but was choosing to try and keep calm. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Suddenly, someone reappeared to break up the tension in the room. ¡°Dan-Goong?¡± ¡°I must ask the three of you to escape.¡± ¡°What?! Escape?!¡± Baris clenched his teeth and grabbed Dan-Goong by the cor. As he was actually on the taller side, he looked like a big guy overpowering a frail person. He then demanded, ¡°I need to hear an exnation for how you bastards have the guts to do this kind of thing when you have locked up Big Sister here and have even stolen our letters.¡± Although he was being threatened, Dan-Goong remained calm. He said, ¡°I would follow thews of the Pan Empire, but this is the Hyeon Kingdom, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Nonsense!! I don¡¯t know how great your Hyeon is, but do you think you can tantly show disrespect to the Rowane Kingdom and not suffer any consequences?¡± Baris shouted. He looked like he was going to m Dan-Goong in the ground at any moment. Not knowing what to do, Tanya anxiously grabbed the end of Davey¡¯s sleeve. However, Davey was thinking about something else. ¡ªWhy did they bring you, Baris, and Winley here after doing something like this? No matter how isted a ce was, it didn¡¯t make sense for them to do things so recklessly. Then, there was only one thing that Davey could think of. ¡®I¡¯ll get the answer if I beat the King. What more is there to think of?¡¯ Chapter 235 No matter how isted a country chose to be, it would certainly have an intelligence organization. Although the Hyeon Kingdom chose to iste themselves in current times, they would have learned of Davey¡¯s existence through a very recent event: the ughtering of the World Tree and the war against elves. Were they so ipetent that they didn¡¯t know that it had been the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom, a small kingdom in the Eastern Continent, who had wiped out the World Tree? Of course not. The Western Continentmonly acknowledged powerful beings, so they had no reason to do such a thing to provoke him. ¡ªMaybe it is because they do not believe in your powers. ¡®They are trying to test me? How dare these lowly beings?¡¯ ¡°So, are you thinking of starting a knife fight here? Or, are you going to take Her Highness back to your kingdom?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is no way of figuring out who intercepted the letters Her Highness sent, but it was not by themand of His Majesty. ording to thews of this kingdom, the ones who have be the King¡¯s women live in istion from the outside world. It is His Majesty who destroyed thatw because he took pity on them.¡± ¡°But nothing has changed, has it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A deep-rooted tradition isn¡¯t going to disappear right away. As such, the policy His Majesty promoted was correspondence. It was so that they could contact the outside world with correspondence. But you¡¯re saying His Majesty stopped it? Think of it from the other way around,¡± Dan-Goong stated simply. He went on to say, ¡°Someone is trying to drive a wedge between the Rowane Kingdom and the Hyeon. What do you think the most effective way to do that is?¡± Huffing and puffing, Baris let go of Dan-Goong. He then said firmly, ¡°Then, it¡¯s the responsibility of the Hyeon Kingdom to find out who that is, right? You can¡¯t possibly say that you did not know that her letters did not reach us.¡± ¡°I did not know. I just¡­thought that the Rowane Kingdom was not sending a reply; that was the kind of person I thought Queen Lynesse Bariatta, the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s Queen, was. Also, I made sure to see Her Highness¡¯ letters leave Hyeon, and that all the other letters arrive at their destination correctly,¡± Dan-Goong said. Baris clenched his jaw. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive my impertinence. I will safely escort the three of you out in secret.¡± ¡°I just thought that I was not getting a response¡­ Alright, please do, Dan-Goong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highnesses. Please follow me.¡± Tanya was currently in the midst of a certain ritual; as such, she was bound by a certainw that prohibited her from having any contact with outsiders for one hundred days. There were no exceptions for direct family members like Baris, Winley, and Davey, her stepbrother. This was a huge problem, because the stranger, who was the King, and the other consorts who weren¡¯t rted to Tanya at all were still allowed to see her. The situation was so ridiculous that it felt hrious. Click!! As if this was the moment that everything had been building towards, the door was flung open before Dan-Goong could even move. ¡°Y-Your Highness! If you go inside so rashly¡ª-!¡± ¡°You bitch! Do you know who she is?¡± After hearing the shout of ady-in-waiting, Davey could hear someone walking in. ¡®This feels too staged.¡¯ As Dan-Goong had mentioned, this situation was too fake for the Hyeon Kingdom to have done this. ¡ªThe situation is going to y out the way that they want to. The culprit did this so obviously that¡­I am starting to feel suspicious. ¡®You¡¯re saying that someone did this on purpose.¡¯ Someone who would benefit from Davey causing a fuss here had manipted the situation. After all, angry people would more easily be swept away by their emotions. The Hyeon Kingdom was also a victim; as such, Davey had to keep hisposure and be logical. But through logical thought, Davey decided that he had to turn this ce upside down. ¡ªDavey? ¡®Whoever these assholes are, they treated my sister like crap.¡¯ They did not treat Tanya as a princess. They had even given her a test, a cleansing ritual to undergo. Right now, Davey needed to show them that he was no longer the weak prince who had been locked up in a small room in the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s outer pce. ¡°Ouch?!¡± ¡°B-Brother?!¡± When Davey grabbed their arms, Winley and Baris looked up at him in surprise. ¡°Clear your head and wait.¡± ¡°What¡­ Big Brother?!¡± Baris eximed. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Boom!!! Pzz!! The empty space distorted before opening up. Once it did, Davey threw both Winley and Baris inside his Pocket ne and said to Rinne, ¡°Rinne, stop these two from doing anything stupid.¡± ¡°Rinne, mission epted.¡± Once all of them disappeared into the spatial cracks, only Tanya, Davey, and Dan-Goong were left in the room. ¡°Princess Tanya, are you inside?¡± Before Tanya could respond and allow them toe in, the person opened the door. Not sure what she should do, Tanya turned to look at Davey and was instantly surprised. She said, ¡°Big¡­Brother?¡± Tanya was bound to be surprised as Davey, who was standing beside her a moment ago, had disappeared. In fact, Dan-Goong was also staring at the empty space with his jaw on the floor. They were both speechless. ¡°Princess, you have lost some weight.¡± Consort Yeon voiced out. Listening to the mocking remarks, Tanya nodded as calmly as she could. She said softly, ¡°I¡­ I am doing well since you are taking care of me.¡± Tanya was choosing to look weak; the way she chose to protect her own kingdom was strictly self-sacrifice. ¡°Hm¡­ Well, I did go through some hardships. Thanks to that, a lot of the other consorts aren¡¯t being that friendly to me. Th-Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you should be grateful. But, are you not even bringing out tea when you have a visitor?¡± Tanya widened her eyes in panic. She quickly said to thedy-in-waiting beside her, ¡°Lin, you could go¡­and get some tea?¡± ¡°Ah, whatever. I¡¯m not here to have some crappy tea.¡± ¡°U.. Uhm¡­¡± ¡°Alright. Well, the Hundred Days Cleansing is over soon. You will take the Bow Test in a few days. Princess, you have already passed the first four tests with flying colors,¡± Consort Yeon said. Tanya gulped. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to forget that I¡¯m the one who has been helping you all this time.¡± ¡°H-How could I forget¡­?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The woman approached Tanya with a cold smile. She whispered right in Tanya¡¯s ear, ¡°If so, you will be able to repay this consort who has shown you kindness?¡± Although Consort Yeon spoke quietly, everyone in the room could hear her. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± ¡°Consort Hye doesn''t want you to return to your kingdom. Well, we have different reasons, but I also want you to stay here. However, there is one thing that is bothering me¡­¡± Consort Yeon¡¯s voice trailed off. She slowly backed away from Tanya. ¡°They say that an envoy will arrive from the Ming Kingdom.¡± ¡°Yes, the Great General and Chancellor of Peace wille¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you know well. So, I was thinking¡­ Princess Tanya, the reason our Hyeon is living in an age of peace is all thanks to the Ming, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Realistically, yes. Right?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Thedies-in-waiting smirked andughed as they chimed in. ¡°So, please help out, Princess Tanya. From what I hear, the Chancellor of Peace enjoys the banquet dances in the Eastern kingdoms. Sadly, I and the others are quite inexperienced with the dance, so please help us, Princess.¡± Tanya froze. ¡°Then, the Chancellor of Peace will help us out a lot. Ah, who knows; the Chancellor of Peace happens to like women of the East very much.¡± ¡°Your Highness, with all due respect, are you telling the person who will soon take the Bow Test and be the Queen to do things that prostitutes of the red-light districts would do?¡± p!! Consort Yeon was fast to act. She quickly reached out and pped Dan-Goong in the face. With a vicious look, she shouted, ¡°This is no ce for a lowly being like you to speak!!¡± ¡°Kyah! C-Consort Yeon! Please stop! What are you doing?!¡± Tanya yelled in shock. Consort Yeon was reaching out to Tanya¡­ ¡®You want me to just watch? No way.¡¯ However, Dan-Goong reacted a lot quicker than Davey did. p!! ¡°W-What?!¡± Dan-Goong swiftly hid Tanya behind his back and got hit by Consort Yeon again. ¡°How ungrateful of you, Princess Tanya. Surely you know how much money this country has sent the Rowane Kingdom to take in a worthless princess like you.¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± Tanya did not know much, so she was unaware of how stable the Rowane Kingdom had be now. ¡°How dare a powerless foreign princesse here and act like this. You bitch. With one word from me, you will be kicked back to your country without even taking the test. I am greatly favored by His Majesty. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That¡­ That cannot happen! The Rowane Kingdom is having difficulty with state affairs! And to pay back the money that has been given¡­¡± ¡°Then you should y nice. Do you not know your ce just because you¡¯re pretty and young?!¡± Consort Yeon screamed. She raised her hand to try hitting Tanya¡¯s face again. She was using Tanya¡¯s naivety and innocence to get abusive and violent. Crack!!! ¡°Keugh?! Kyahh!!!¡± Davey, who appeared out of a sudden spatial crack, grabbed Consort Yeon¡¯s arm and twisted it mercilessly. Consort Yeon was a royal member; she was Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s consort. ¡°Your Highness!!¡± ¡°Consider yourself lucky that I didn¡¯t cut it off.¡± Feeling Davey¡¯s cold stare, thedies-in-waiting backed away. They trembled like they had just seen a ghost. Meanwhile, Consort Yeon was crying and screaming. Davey said to Consort Yeon, ¡°I knew you were crazy, but I didn¡¯t know you were this crazy.¡± ¡°Keugh¡­ Sob¡­ Who are¡­?¡± ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom. You¡¯re better off not asking why I¡¯m here. You¡¯ve heard that unnecessary questions can shorten your life, right?¡± Davey held onto the crying Consort Yeon and looked down at her with a cold look. ¡°...¡± Tanya was momentarily speechless. With wide eyes, she called out in shock, ¡°Big¡­Brother?!¡± ¡°Tanya.¡± Tanya flinched at Davey¡¯s cold voice. ¡°Is this how you¡¯ve been?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Answer.¡± Just then, Dan-Goong pulled out his sword and pointed it at Davey¡¯s neck. He said, ¡°You can¡¯t do this, Your Highness¡­ Let go of Her Highness Consort Yeon¡¯s arm. Now.¡± Dan seemed unwilling to do this, but he probably had to. After all, the woman was a royal of the Hyeon Kingdom. ¡®If so, I¡¯ll help out.¡¯ ¡°Wait here.¡± Kaboom!!! Davey lightly swung his arm before punching the distorted space. As the shockwave spread out, it hit Dan-Goong in the stomach and mmed him against the wall. Dan-Goong was probably actually better off unconscious anyways. This way, he didn¡¯t have to put his life on the line for something he didn¡¯t want to do. Then, Davey roughly pulled Consort Yeon¡¯s arm and stomped his feet. Boom!!! The surroundings changed instantly, and Davey was no longer just in a room with Tanya. He was now in a huge pce that had several men wearing red uniforms lined up in front. Hemented casually, ¡°The pce, huh?¡± The sudden appearance of Davey, Consort Yeon being held hostage, and Tanya who followed them was probably baffling to the red-uniformed men. ¡°Y-Your Highness!¡± The men looked at the crying Consort Yeon, whose arm had been twisted in a strange way. Shwing!!! ng!! With the sound of armor and weapons, the red-uniformed men simultaneously pointed their swords at Davey¡¯s neck. They said in unison, ¡°Your Highness, please let go of Consort Yeon.¡± ¡°If I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then we have no choice.¡± As the situation got heated, Davey¡¯s eyes shed with intent to kill. As for Tanya, she looked flustered as she did not know how to react in this situation. ¡°Is that so? Then I guess I have no choice but to destroy everything.¡± ¡®If there is no room for conversation, let¡¯s start with destroying everything.¡¯ Was a war going to take ce? Well, the current situation was ying out just like how the culprit had wanted it to. ¡®That¡¯s none of my concern.¡¯ Davey overpowered Consort Yeon, who was struggling to get free. He lightly waved his free hand, and¡­ ¡°Huh¡­ Huh?!¡± ¡°T-The swords!!¡± The red-uniformed men¡¯s swords shook before turning around and pointing the tips at the men¡¯s own necks. The weapons seemed almost alive. It was quite a scene to watch the dozens of officers point their swords at their own necks. The men held onto the swords¡¯ hilts, keeping the weapon from stabbing them. However, they started to tremble as the swords were pushing back quite hard. ¡°W-What is this?!¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s a monstrous power!¡± [Telekic de]: the depth of understanding needed to control a de was enlightenment. ¡®A few dozen? That¡¯s easy.¡¯ That was when¡­ m! ¡°What is going on?!¡± With a sudden shout, a man and a woman flung open the pce doors to reveal themselves. The man in the royal robe and crown seemed to be in his fifties, but he actually looked a lot younger than he actually was. Beside him was a woman in the same extravagant satin clothing as Consort Yeon. ¡°Y-Your Majesty! Your Highness!¡± Ignoring the flustered cries around him, Davey looked at the man in a crown. ¡°Prince Davey¡­ I didn¡¯t bother to call you because I hope you can have a good rest after your long journey¡­ But you must exin this situation. Don¡¯t you know the courtesy envoys should have when visiting?!!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have done something like this if you wanted courtesy.¡± ¡°What? Something like this? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°You can start by exining what I witnessed just now,¡± Davey said calmly. He threw the hostage Consort Yeon onto the floor. ¡°Kyah!!¡± Davey did not care what would happen to his reputation. This choice could destroy him at once, because human and elf kingdoms were different. However, the Hyeon Kingdom needed to know how furious Davey was with them treating his sister like a prostitute and pping her around. No, the Hyeon Kingdom had to know that the most important thing in the world right now was not Davey¡¯s residents, the Rowane Kingdom, but his step-siblings who loved him even before he had fallen into aa. Chapter 236 83. Break Off the Engagement! Or Destruction of the Country! ¡°Ah¡­ Ahh!!¡± Consort Yeon, who was lying on the floor, grimaced and cried as she held onto her broken arm. ¡°Keuah!!!¡± Davey had forcefully changed the direction of the officials¡¯ swords, so he was now holding them hostage instead. [Telekic de] used up a huge amount of mana for every second that he was maintaining control, but he had reached the Sword of the Mind; the higher his level was, the less control it required. He couldn¡¯t use holy power as it was toozy, but he could not use the cheeky elemental mana either. So, as he circted his devil mana, which was throwing a tantrum for him to hurry up and use it as the main source, his devil mana absorbed the surrounding mana and overpowered everyone else. At the same time, Davey released his killing intent and pressured the surroundings even more. ¡°Y-Your Majesty! Please help us! T-This rude¡­! Kyahh!!¡± Consort Hye fell to the ground with a pale face. The King, with a stern expression, said, ¡°R-Retrieve your powers at once! Consort Hye is carrying a royal child!¡± ¡°That is not what I want to hear, Your Majesty,¡± Davey said, then intensified his power. Consort Hye became even paler. ¡°What I want is an exnation of this situation. Does it look like I¡¯m joking around?¡± ng!!! In an instant, the swords that were aimed at the officials¡¯ necks soared up at once and quickly fell down. ¡°Keuhuk!¡± ¡°Keuh?!¡± The swords were about to strike the red-uniformed officials¡¯ necks. ¡°I do not know what has happened, but decisions should only be made after hearing the full story! And the child has done nothing wrong! Retrieve your powers!¡± The King yelled, feeling flustered. Davey pulled back his powers instantly. Then, he said to Consort Yeon who was crying on the floor, ¡°You will have to report everything without any lies.¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty! Th-This person threatened me and broke¡­my arm!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Of course.¡¯ If she had the ability to judge the situation correctly, Consort Yeon would not have behaved in the way that she had. This applied to both possibilities of whether she had simply been carrying out someone¡¯s orders or if she had truly misunderstood the situation. Davey pulled out Red Ribbon mercilessly and swung it at Consort Yeon¡¯s neck. ¡°Kyahh!!!¡± Consort Yeon screamed at the piercing pain and grabbed her neck. Davey had only left a small cut behind. However, it would have be arger injury if he had cut just a little deeper. The King widened his eyes in shock and urgently approached Consort Yeon. Consort Hye, who was sitting on the floor with a pale face, also slowly approached the woman with a frightened expression. ¡°Consort Yeon, exin in detail. I will not forgive you if you lie to me! Why has the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom gotten this angry?!¡± Noticing the King¡¯s cold gaze, Consort Yeon went pale and red at Tanya. She protested, ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, why¡­ Why are you looking at me like that?! I am just a victim! This rude man was in Princess Tanya¡¯s pce, and he also threatened¡­¡± Rumble¡­ Crack!!! ¡°I have no choice if you will only tell the truth under extreme conditions,¡± Davey said. He began to release dark energy once again, changing the surroundingndscape. The King urgently shouted at Tanya, ¡°Princess! You tell me, Princess! What has happened?!¡± ¡°T-That is¡­¡± ¡°Prince, please calm down. I do not know why you are this angry, but I have heard the stories about you; you are the Saint of the merciful Goddess Freyja! You must regain yourposure and think logically especially¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it seems that you are misunderstanding something.¡± ¡°M-Misunderstanding?¡± ¡°I am perfectly logical,¡± Davey said calmly, then grinned. ¡°I havee all the way here after thinking about it logically.¡± ¡®I would have bombed this pce if I wasn¡¯t thinking.¡¯ Davey was extremely angry, so it wouldn¡¯t have mattered who died and how many deaths if he chose to take action. Of course, he said none of this out loud. ¡°Consort Yeon, you said? I will give you ten seconds. It would be best for you to tell the truth. Ten.¡± ¡°Y-Your Majesty! Th-This person!¡± ¡°Nine.¡± Davey began counting down as hepletely ignored Consort Yeon. ¡°Eight.¡± ¡°T-This is unfair! I¡­ I did it only because I felt sorry for Princess Tanya who was suffering alone! Please believe me!¡± ¡°Six.¡± Whoosh¡­ A red ball of fire began to burn in Davey¡¯s hand. ¡®Well, this ability is ready to use anyway.¡¯ Davey began his preparations. ¡ªDavey! Hearing her surprised cry, Davey stared at Perserque coldly. ¡®Don¡¯t stop me.¡¯ ¡ªWho said I was going to? Burn this ce down! ¡®Is she telling me to let it happen and not regret it?¡¯ Hearing Perserque¡¯s somewhat disappointing encouragement, Davey pulled out the Transcendence¡¯s Demise and lightly tapped it on the floor. Feeling the staff¡¯s overwhelming power, the people around Davey went pale and held their breaths. They wondered what crazy envoy would go to another country and prepare a terrorist attack right in the middle of the pce¡­ Voong!! At the same time, a huge magic circle spread from Davey¡¯s feet and eventually surrounded part of the pce¡¯s huge field. Whoosh¡­ ¡°Your Majesty! Please believe me!¡± ¡°Five.¡± ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Four.¡± Davey continued to count down with a cold expression. ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­¡± ¡°Th-That is¡­ I made a mistake!! Sob!¡± Consort Yeon waved the white g in the end. After all, she could feel the intense power from the white ball of fire Davey was making in his hand. She lowered her head and had tears rolling down her face. She shouted, ¡°I¡­ Sob¡­ I did it. I frightened and threatened Princess Tanya! I went to Princess Tanya¡¯s pce, called her crude, pped her, and told her to fawn over the Chancellor of Peace who will visit from the Ming¡­ Sob¡­¡± p!!! Consort Hye approached Consort Yeon immediately and pped her. She looked more disgusted and cold than angry. ¡°Kyah!!¡± Consort Yeon screamed with wide eyes. She felt the sting on her cheek. ¡°C-Consort Hye¡­ Why¡­?¡± ¡°What a humiliation of the Hyeon Kingdom. You should be ashamed of yourself,¡± Consort Hye said coldly. Consort Yeon¡¯s jaw dropped to the floor. ¡°Let the royal guards take Yeon. Hear the situation in detail and lock her in her pce until mymand to release her!¡± The King ordered sternly. Davey smiled. ¡°Keeping her in her pce¡­¡± ¡°Look, Prince. She is a royal of a country who has not evenmitted high treason! There is no reason to lock a consort in jail!¡± Davey smiled. ¡°What is high treason, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Shaking the roots of a country and trying to harm the King is high treason.¡± ¡®Then Yeon hasmitted high treason; an act that will destroy three generations of her family.¡¯ ¡°What Consort Yeon has done could have destroyed not only Your Majesty, but also this entire country¡­¡± Davey trailed off with a smile. Looking at the King¡¯s frown, he asked, ¡°Is it not?¡± ¡®Because I am contemting whether to blow this country into bits right now or not.¡¯ Davey waved his hand; it seemed like the King did not realize how serious this exact situation was. Boom!!!!! There was a suddenrge explosion from a nearby area of the pce. Rinne had the power to make this ce into a sea of fire whenever Davey wanted, and she also had her subordinates. ¡°Keugh¡­ You¡¯re going to kill innocent people, too?!¡± The King shouted angrily. Davey pulled out Red Ribbon from his waist. Shwing¡­ Soon, a red light shed. Crack!! When the tip of Red Ribbon stopped in the air, a huge w mark appeared in the middle of the field as if a beast had ripped through it. ¡°No one has died yet. However, I can¡¯t guarantee what will happen next.¡± Davey nted Red Ribbon into the ground and raised his hands. To be vulgar, he did not give a shit about anything right now. Even if the King did not know about this situation, it was Consort Yeon who had caused this because of her jealousy toward Tanya, who was going to be the Queen Consort. ¡°Lock¡­Consort Yeon¡­in jail!¡± The King stared at Davey with a pale face. ¡°Your Majesty!! Your Majesty!! You cannot do this! Your Majesty! Please do not abandon me!!¡± Consort Yeon struggled as she was being dragged out of the pce. ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question, Your Majesty,¡± Davey said with a smile. ¡®You keep trying to gloss over this, but I am speaking with the intent to blow this country into bits.¡¯ ¡°You have to exin. What caused this situation?¡± Davey said, the fire in his hand burning even stronger now. One would be forgiven if they repent their sins and wrongdoings; all living beings could be embraced by God as long as they sincerely repent their sins. This was also the teaching of the benevolent Goddess Freyja¡¯s order, but there was one thing Saintess Daphne had made clear to Davey while teaching him. Although, it had been an answer to a question that he had asked out of doubt. He had wondered if the woman was truly a faithful Saintess or not. [Mercy? That¡¯s hrious. Do you think you are a faithful believer of God? You don¡¯t actually think you are someone who is going to be able to live benevolently, do you? Kek. Listen up, Davey, there¡¯s no way you can be a Saint. A priest? Are you being serious right now? What I am requiring from you is not to be merciful, but to not use violence meaninglessly.] Altruism was also like natural-born talent in a way. * * * ¡°S-Stop it. Big Brother!¡± As expected, Tanya was the one who stopped Davey. ¡°Big Brother! You don¡¯t have to do this for me! If the Hyeon Kingdom and the Rowane Kingdom get into a dispute just because of me¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Speaking calmly, Davey stroked the tearful Tanya¡¯s head. He asked gently, ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Tanya did not know about the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s current circumstances. Also, she did not know how much of a lunatic Davey was. She was afraid because she didn¡¯t want the Rowane Kingdom and Davey to suffer damages due to her situation. She also didn¡¯t want Davey to overdo matters just to protect her. Furthermore, Tanya did not want this kind of horrendous conflict. However, Davey did want such conflict. ¡®Apparently, a Saint on Earth once said that if someone ps you on your left cheek, beat the person¡¯s right cheek into pulp.¡¯[1] ¡°Are you not going to exin?¡± ¡°Prince Davey!¡± ¡°Then I have no choice.¡± ¡®This one is going to be iparably stronger than the explosion before. I am not taking any responsibility for the casualties as you chose this, Your Highness.¡¯ Voosh!!! The white ball of fire turned into the shape of a donut and began rotating with great speed. This same technique had not resulted in mass casualties because of the World Tree, a transcendental being, and the great barrier she had put up. However, this would greatly impact the Hyeon Kingdom. Everyone looking at the white ming ring that was floating up to the sky could feel the inevitable oue. ¡°S-Stop! Alright! I acknowledge that I am to me! It is my fault for not understanding Princess Tanya¡¯s situation! However! Shouldn¡¯t this be dealt with between you and I?¡± ¡°Does the humiliation my sister has suffered disappear just because you say you¡¯ve made a mistake?¡± ¡°Th-That is¡­ No, it does not.¡± ¡°Then why did you cause this situation? Is the Rowane Kingdom a joke to you? Should I give you an answer about the Hyeon¡¯s deration of war on the Rowane Kingdom in ce of His Majesty?¡± ¡®I assure you, I will blow up this royal pce once the Hyeon goes to war with the Rowane. Does it look like I¡¯m lying?¡¯ Something too unrealistic had happened here because of Davey, whose words could no longer be dismissed as petty lies. The entire continent frowned upon starting wars, but the current situation was major enough to be seen as a vition of the agreement between the countries. It could be seen as a deration of war on the Rowane Kingdom by the Hyeon. In this situation, the Hyeon would be criticized by the other countries and not the Rowane for having caused such a mess. Royalty was the face of the kingdom itself. That was why royalty had that much power and duty. As Tanya wasn¡¯t officially married, she was technically the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s First Princess; as such, the Rowane Kingdom was at an advantage if they were looking for justifications. ¡°I feel sorry for this situation.¡± ¡°Does feeling sorry end the agreement between countries?¡± ¡°N-No!¡± ¡°Is that all you can say?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I¡­ I am sorry! Prince! Please calm your anger!¡± ¡°Does a war end when you say sorry? Apologize to Tanya, not me.¡± ¡°P-Princess¡­ I am sorry. I wascking and did not take care of you well. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°N-No! Your Majesty¡­¡± The kind-hearted Tanya was going to say that it was fine, but¡­ [Silence.] ¡°Hup!¡± Of course, Davey was not going to sit back and watch. ¡°It seems my sister is extremely stressed out by this situation. She even fainted because of it.¡± The King looked at Davey like he was being ridiculous. ¡®You don¡¯t believe me? Look.¡¯ [Stun.] Thud! Davey smiled as he caught Tanya, who suddenly became unconscious. Crack!! At the same time, Red Ribbon floated into the air and moved as violently as Davey¡¯s emotions. She left another w mark on the floor of the pce. Part of the pce¡¯s ceiling also copsed from Red Ribbon cutting through it like jello. Everyone shared one sentiment as they watched Davey do these unbelievable things. ¡®We messed with the wrong person.¡¯ 1. A twist on Matthew 5:39, ¡°...But if anyone ps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.¡± ? Chapter 237 Crash!! ¡°Your Majesty!!¡± ¡°Protect His Majesty!¡± ¡°Get that man!¡± The heavens weren¡¯t on the King¡¯s side. His frown deepened when dozens of soldiers barged in at once. The ones who had just charged in did not know about the situation inside the pce as they had juste here after seeing what had happened from the outside. Of course, the soldiers had probablye to capture the terrorist. However, it probably drove the King crazy. He did not know what to do as the soldiers were adding fuel to the fire just when he thought the situation wasing to an end. The Hyeon King was not slow at all; he knew how angry Davey was and he also knew very well the subsequent events toe. Shwing. ¡°Keugh?!¡± ¡°Stop!! Stop right now! I ammanding you!¡± The King¡¯s urgent shouts did not work very well in the chaotic situation. ¡°W-What! Your Majesty! I havee! Prince Davey!! Put down your sword at once! Where do you think you are? How dare you release your killing aura!¡± A middle-aged man showed up in ssic armor,manding the soldiers and pointing his sword at Davey. He was not going topromise in any way about the fact that Davey had shown his killing aura here and caused this situation. ¡°Great General!! Stop it!¡± ¡°I cannot, Your Majesty! He threatened you and held the royal pce, the symbol of this nation, in contempt! This situation only has one oue¡­¡± ng!! An iron sword aimed exactly at the Great General¡¯s shoulder flew across the pce. ¡°Keugh¡­ Keah?!¡± Most would have been struck by the sword, which flew at a great speed. However, Davey¡¯s opponent was not weak either. ¡°Even if you are a royal of another kingdom! I cannot ignore your impertinence towards His Majesty, the highest being in this kingdom!!¡± Atst, the Great General, angered by Davey¡¯s first strike, pulled out arge sword from his waist and released his Aura de. The blue sword energy that flowed out from him was definitely that of a Swordmaster¡¯s, a level that all swordsmen dreamt of reaching. In fact, reaching the level of Swordmaster was so difficult that only a few people could reach it among millions of people, and it also required a lot of time and effort as well. ng!!! The man deflected the flying sword with his own, then swung his sword back to counterattack. He shot out like a spring and charged into Davey. ¡°N-No, Great General!! ¡°You must note here!!¡± Even the officials who watched the entire situation all shouted the same thing. They could not take their eyes away from the horrific situation. ¡°Shut your mouths! How can you not move when His Majesty is in danger?!! When this ends, I will reprimand you all!¡± The officials actually couldn¡¯t move, but there was no way for the Great General to know. Obviously, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Davey to subdue him even if they were to collide. However, Davey had the unconscious Tanya in his arms. ¡®How can you bother me when my little sister is sleeping?¡¯ ¡°The Great General of the Hyeon.¡± Davey had heard about the man before. He remembered that the Great General was quite talented as the strongest swordsman in the Hyeon. Swish!! Like they were following Davey¡¯s desires, a few iron swords floated into the air and aimed themselves at the Great General. The swords moved simultaneously like they were dancing, flying toward him like a gatling gun. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you are pulling off this trick, but you better be prepared!¡± The Great General shouted with determination. He charged in and forcefully swung his sword like he was going to deflect all the swords flying at him. But¡­ Psh!!!! The situation changedpletely as a huge st of blue energy shot out of the two swords flying toward him. They created an intense sword energy. ¡°What?!¡± ng!! One of the swords turned into a sh of light and changed the Great General¡¯s stance by forcefully turning the tip of his sword. Unbelievably, the second sword cut through his sword aurapletely, and the third sword pierced him in the shoulder and lifted him up in the air. Of course, Davey did not use Blue or Red Ribbon. ¡°Keugh?!¡± The Great General widened his eyes as he flew through the air with a sword pierced into his shoulder. He did not understand what was going on. He soon plummeted down onto the floor. One was able to use [Telekic de] when they reached the transcendental level of de control, which was one level below the Sword of the Mind. However, it was impossible with the transcendental level of de control to cover a sword, which wasn¡¯t in his hand, with sword energy by gathering mana. They would know how different Davey was just by knowing that, but most people could not tell the difference between a regr [Telekic de] and a [Telekic de] covered with a sword energy of the mind. It was like when one of the trainees from the Pandora Region had been shocked that Davey could use [Telekic de], but had not known just how advanced that level was. ¡®It¡¯s gone haywire.¡¯ The King¡¯s frown deepened even more as Davey turned to him with an eerie smile after subduing the Great General. He was probably resenting the Great General who hade and worsened the situation, and the heavens that had made this happen. ¡°Is this your answer, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°No! Stop it! Great General! Retreat with your swords at once! What are you doing?! Hurry up and transport the Great General and the injured to a doctor!!¡± The Great General was also a talented swordsman; he was still a Swordmaster. As heid on the floor, there was nothing but confusion on his face. He didn¡¯t expect that he would be taken down this easily. ¡°Cough¡­ H-How can your unheld de release Aura de by itself¡­?¡± ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Keugh?!¡± ¡°You can keep being curious.¡± Squelp!! Davey instantly retrieved his sword. Then, with a wave of his finger, dozens of swords pointed down and aimed themselves right at the soldiers who had followed the Great General in. ¡°Stop!! Stop it! I cannot allow any more harm!¡± ¡°Your Highness, do you think you¡¯re in any position to ask for something?¡± Now, Davey was feeling like he was the heinous one. So¡­ ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It seems like I have be the heinous one here, but that¡¯s just in my head, right?¡± ¡°Th-That is¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°R¡­Right. I acknowledge your anger! But, please! Have mercy as an educated royal.¡± ¡°If you say so. Then, you mustpensate the Rowane Kingdom who have been angered.¡± Davey grinned. The King felt a million curse words trying to escape from his mouth. Boom!!!!! The swords, which were floating in the air with sword energy, pierced the ground and silenced the surroundings. At the same time, the King froze. ¡°Do you not agree?¡± Davey asked. ¡°No¡­ Tell me, I will grant it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about your engagement with Tanya. It¡¯s off the table.¡± Everyone was speechless in the silent pce. * * * Consort Hye did not sessfully escape the situation, so she watched on with apletely pale face. ¡°T¡­ That cannot happen.¡± ¡°You are in no position to say no. And you don¡¯t have the right to either.¡± Davey fiddled with the cup in front of him. ¡°The promise between the Rowane Kingdom and the Hyeon is still valid. No matter how angry you are, Prince Davey, this is a vition of a contract between kingdoms.¡± Davey did not know why the King was so persistent in marrying Tanya in an arranged marriage. He was obviously in his fifties and Tanya had just be an adult, meaning that they were at least thirty years apart. As the King didn¡¯t particrly seem like a pedophile, Davey could not understand why he was so adamant about their arranged marriage. In particr, the Hyeon Kingdom was pushing for marriage alliances to unite with each tribal alliance. Did they really have to marry a princess of another kingdom? If Davey was the king, he would have give up on Tanya, who was troublesome and now a bomb waiting to explode. ¡°Is it because you don¡¯t want to waste the goods that you sent to the Rowane Kingdom for your arranged marriage with Tanya?¡± ¡°Stop humiliating me this instant. I am not choosing to hold onto the princess just because of that small amount of goods!¡± ¡°Then I have no choice. If you want to oppose me, I have no choice but to be forceful.¡± ¡®It¡¯s going to result in breaking off the marriage anyway. Even if the marriage is tomorrow, you haven¡¯t had the ceremony yet.¡¯ The King clenched his jaw. Then, he said, ¡°Is there a way¡­for you to look past this in any way? I did not know Consort Yeon¡¯s behavior had been that violent. I will make sure that the princess has no inconveniences living here from now on. I will protect her myself so that no one can look down on Princess Tany¡­¡± ¡°I can give you a warning like that, too. I can just blow you up if you don¡¯t keep your promise. However, I don¡¯t have any intentions of keeping Tanya here and doing something bothersome like that.¡± The Rowane Kingdom and the Hyeon Kingdom were both weak but prideful countries. If the current Rowane Kingdom knew that Tanya had been treated like this in the Hyeon, they would have instantly been furious. Davey spoke calmly, then tapped on his empty ss. Whoosh! At the same time, a red me burst from the ss. ¡°Your Majesty, there¡¯s this saying from a ce I know...¡± ¡®How dare some jobless bastard marry my daughter?¡¯ ¡°...¡± ¡°Then, he sshed water on him. You are not some jobless bastard since you are the King of the Hyeon, Your Majesty, but this situation makes me extremely ufortable.¡± As Davey tinkered with the ss that was on fire, the King froze. ¡°Should I ssh fire on you?¡± ¡°Prince Davey.¡± ¡°I am warning you, Your Majesty, please do not mistake a demand for a negotiation or request.¡± ¡°Demand¡­¡± ¡°I think you have to choose between the future of this kingdom and this arranged marriage.¡± The King clenched his jaw as Davey smiled. ¡ªHe¡¯s still not giving up on the marriage? Perserque murmured in disbelief as she poked her head out of Davey¡¯s pocket. ¡®Now, I¡¯m beginning to think that there¡¯s something to do with Tanya.¡¯ ¡ªHm¡­ ¡°What will you do?¡± Davey asked. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Consort Hye, this is no ce for you.¡± ¡°No, your safety is more important to me than some prophesy,¡± Consort Hye replied. ¡°Do not say it is just some prophesy. The prophesy of the priest has not been wrong in thest thirty years.¡± ¡°And what situation has that caused?!¡± Consort Hye shouted. The King clenched his jaw, then muttered, ¡°Is there no way to go through with this marriage¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it twice.¡± ¡°Even¡­if the princess wanted this marriage?¡± ¡°Then, that would change everything.¡± The King frowned, realizing what Davey meant. ¡°Apart from the position of the kingdom, if my sister decides to stay here, I will leave after making it so that no one can touch her. Of course, there are more people who don¡¯t understand even if you tell them.¡± ¡°...¡± Atst, the King backed off. ¡°Sigh¡­ Alright. I will push to break off the marriage after a formal consultation. Is that good?¡± ¡°That is not all.¡± ¡°What else?!!¡± The King shouted. Davey tilted his head in confusion before saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t even started.¡± ¡°...Damn it, you are extremely heinous.¡± As he heard the King, Davey demanded exactly what he had thought of before. ¡°First, I want that Consort Yeon to get what she deserves. You must punish a criminal who hasmitted high treason as such.¡± ¡°I ask for leniency. This happening is not just about one person. Consort Yeon is still the daughter of a noble family from the Ming. If¡­you choose to destroy Consort Yeon, the Ming will definitely¡­¡± ¡°The Ming.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. I also happen to have something to say to them as well.¡± ¡®I actually did not intend on conflicting with the Hyeon, but how unfortunate. It seems like the people over there don¡¯t understand the gravity of the situation yet.¡¯ ¡°Is war a joke to you, Prince Davey?¡± ¡°War? Did I say that I was going to kill that woman?¡± ¡°What? A person who hasmitted high treason is put to death.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t kill her. And you just have to do what I want.¡± Davey smiled and waved his finger. ¡ªNasty guy¡­ If balding wasn¡¯t enough for you¡­ Ignoring Perserque¡¯s murmurs, Davey said quietly with a smile, ¡°I saw that Consort Yeon was quite frail. She must not be living well.¡± ¡®I gave her something to boost her energy, so she should get bigger.¡¯ To be clear, it wasn¡¯t a curse, but a blessing this time. Of course, it was up to the person to ept it or not. Chapter 238 The catastrophe-like situation was finallying to an end, albeit only for a short while. As the soldiers who were transported to the in-house doctor moaned in pain, Great General Gohu groaned out of frustration. ¡°Groan¡­¡± ¡°Great General! You must not move yet!¡± ¡°Let go! Isn¡¯t His Majesty facing the heinous and disrespectful prince alone?! If you are an official who serves the kingdom, get out of my way right now! I will protect His Majesty with my life!¡± ¡°I cannot!¡± ¡°Groan¡­ Let go right now!¡± Unlike Gohu, who looked like he was going to pull out his sword and run out, the lower-rank officials who were rtively uninjured seemed to havepletely lost their fighting spirit. ¡°You bastards! How dare you not step up when His Majesty is being humiliated by a foreign power?!! How are you serving this country?!¡± Gohu shouted furiously. The soldiers were rtively unphased, and the officials did not answer Great General Gohu. Everyone was dead silent. ¡°Speak if you have mouths!!¡± ¡°Um¡­ Great General, sir.¡± ¡°What is it?!¡± ¡°Did you not see, sir?¡± One official murmured in fear. ¡°See what?¡± ¡°That prince¡­ He put swords in the air and can move them freely¡­ That¡­ As far as I know¡­¡± It was a level more advanced than an ordinary Swordmaster; it was called the Sword of the Mind in martial arts. To be precise, [Telekic de] was possible from a level below Mind Master. However, it was usually misunderstood as a legendary level that was higher than a Swordmaster. Of course, since only those who had reached the Sword of the Mind could cover swords with the sword energy of the mind, the soldiers weren¡¯tpletely wrong. ¡°...¡± ¡°We saw him from the beginning, sir.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°He blew up a distant pce with the flick of his hand, and he is a monster who can easily produce a magic spell that would destroy the entire royal pce. How¡­ How are we supposed to win against that?¡¯ ¡°There is¡­no way. How can a person¡­?¡± The most shocking thing was that First Prince Davey wasn¡¯t even in his twenties yet. It was impossible for someone to show true talent in any area before their twenties; even the most talented people only entered the beginner level of a Swordmaster in their thirties or forties, or in their fifties. However, in reality, most people stopped before they could ovee the barrier to be a Master. Aside from being able to use advanced magic, Davey was a teenager who had a stigmata and had learned swordsmanship more advanced than a Swordmaster¡­ This was impossible, even for a crazy genius. In fact, even Princess Illyna de Pan, the sword prodigy and master of the divine sword, hadn¡¯t even reached Master yet. No one could believe why a prince who was as talented as Davey hadn''t shown any signs of his gift until now. ¡°Advanced magic¡­ And the level of a Mind Master.¡± ¡°You! Do you think that makes any sense?! How could a person yet to be twenty be a Mind Master?! He clearly used tricks¡­¡± ¡°Sir Great General, even if it was a trick in the first ce¡­¡± ¡®Most of the army who guarded the pce was taken out with a single strike of that trick; is it really something that we can call a trick now?¡¯ It was suffocating enough just to get close to Davey¡¯s energy. It had prevented the soldiers from moving. Back then, all the soldiers had only been capable of shivering in fear. ¡°Do you really think¡­it is a simple dark magic?¡± Simply being a Swordmaster would make one be considered a legendary power, but what if Davey was more advanced than that? Even if it was dark magic, he still could not be looked down upon and underestimated. After all, dark magic had a simr effect as the real thing; to someone who didn¡¯t know Aura de, it would still be considered dark magic as well. ¡°We could hardly feel any manaing from the First Prince¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s even stranger.¡± The ones who weren¡¯t in denial could tell that the prince was truly monstrously powerful. ¡°There¡¯s also a rumor as well.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ I thought it was nonsense. The rumors sounded so exaggerated¡­¡± It wasmon for the people of the Hyeon Kingdom toe up with conspiracy theories. Great General Gohu had thought Davey was a fictitious being from the East; how could anyone believe the rumors since almost no one had actually seen him fight? Gohu didn¡¯t think much of it, but¡­ ¡°It is too much for us. Sir¡­ Still, fighting a monster like that is¡­¡± ¡°And¡­didn¡¯t His Majesty order us to never fight him?¡± No matter how strong one¡¯s loyalty was, there were some things that one could not go up against. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for Gohu to get furious at the officials who were simply shaking their heads. However, he could only feel futility and rtive deprivation rather than anger as the unbelievable things that had happened in front of his eyes were actually true. ¡°General, what¡­ What do we do now¡­?¡± ¡°...¡± Gohu answered with silence. * * * ¡°Maybe I should have ripped off more from him.¡± Davey ended the conversation with the King, who was basically begging him at this point, andid Tanya in her pce. Only after that did he return to the royal pce to look at its destruction. There were no major damages as Davey had destroyed the unupied areas of the pce that he had kept an eye on from before. Still, everyone present was giving him a dirty look. ¡ªYou really don¡¯t have a good rtionship with people from the West. ¡°There¡¯s no way I could.¡± ¡®Just look at what I¡¯ve done.¡¯ If someone came to Davey¡¯s house, lit it on fire and bombed it, he would want to kill them instantly. But the reason that the people in the pce weren¡¯t able to show their hostility directly was simple: themand of the King was absolute. ¡°Y-You cannot enter!¡± ¡°I have been given permission. I still can¡¯t?¡± As Davey handed him the correspondence, the soldier who was guarding the jail widened his eyes. Looking at Davey in utter surprise, he finally retrieved the spear that he was using to stop Davey. ¡°Y-You cannot stay here for long. And¡­weapons are not¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any weapons on me.¡± ¡°P-Pardon me!¡± With the soldier¡¯s shout that was out of fear and not respect, the doors to the jail opened. There was a jail in the Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s royal pce. It wasn¡¯t usually used to hold someone long-term, so the overall facility wasn¡¯t great. Why did Daveye to this jail, then? ¡°You!! Do you know who I am?! Release me right now!!¡± ¡ªThat woman does not know what has happened to this kingdom because of her. The King had suffered a great loss just to calm Davey down. If she were quick, Consort Yeon would realize that the person who should have received all the anger and hostility was her. However, she did not seem to care about that at all. The fact that she was the daughter of a noble family in the Ming Kingdom probably yed a big role in her feeling that way. The Hyeon Kingdom was considerably oppressed by the Ming Kingdom. As such, Consort Yeon most likely had more or as much power as the other concubines. ¡°Eek¡­ Why am I so hungry?! You bastards! Why aren¡¯t you bringing me more food?! Bring me more! More!!¡± Davey watched Consort Yeon shouting violently for a while before turning away without hesitation. He did not have to care about her at all. ¡ªAbout that curse you put on her¡­ ¡®It¡¯s not a curse, Perserque.¡¯ ¡ªIt is a curse! You do not know how scary it is to be in that kind of situation as a woman. Perserque wasn¡¯tpletely wrong. Davey did not curse Consort Yeon with hairloss, which was a curse that he had used many times before. In this case, he had only hypnotized her to require more calories every day. Her body would now require an immense amount of food to satisfy her appetite, and the excess calories that weren¡¯t used would obviously be stored in her body. It wasn¡¯t easy to curse someone with such an extreme transformation without them noticing. However, Consort Yeon had a talentless body that had barely any mana. It was safe to say that she had no resistance. ¡ªIt is still a curse even if it doesn¡¯t bear the mark of one. So¡­how long¡­? Perserque asked that question. She sounded slightly terrified of Davey. Davey replied with a rough estimation from previous experience. ¡®A week.¡¯ In a week, that woman would change. ¡ªHow nasty¡­ ¡®Let her reap what she sowed.¡¯ Davey left the jail without hesitation. He walked away, ignoring the screaming Consort Yeon who wanted more food. * * * ¡°Big¡­Brother.¡± Tanya, dressed in a white dress whileying in bed, greeted Davey. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Davey asked. ¡°I¡¯m alright. The doctor said that I am just a little exhausted.¡± ¡°Those damn people. How could they make such a small girl suffer like this¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister! Let¡¯s set everything aside and leave, hm? Go back to the Rowane Kingdom, your home, with us. Father probably misses you as well.¡± Baris did nothing to hide his rage. As for Winley, she simply asked for Tanya to return. ¡°But¡­I am tied to an arranged marriage here. And there is a special reason that the Hyeon cannot give me up.¡± Tanya smiled bitterly as she stroked Winley¡¯s cheek. Then, she smiled cheerily at Davey. ¡°A reason?¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Big Sister?¡± ¡°The prince born by an Eastern princess who has a thousand gold, and heaven¡¯s favor will enrich the Hyeon for the next four hundred years.¡± This was a mere prophecy, but thete priest of the Hyeon Kingdom had never gotten a prophecy wrong in thest thirty years. Another problem was that the girl who had heaven¡¯s favor was none other than Tanya. ¡ªIs that so? That¡¯s why the King has arranged a marriage with Tanya even with the opposition from other tribal alliances¡­ ¡°This country currently has two princes, but¡­ His Majesty does not want to give either of them the position of Crown Prince.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°One of them is obsessed with liquor and women, and the other is obsessed with gambling.¡± Suddenly hearing an unfamiliar voice, everyone¡¯s attention was drawn to the firmly shut door that had just opened. ¡°Hello, my name is Maria, the Hyeon Princess. It is an honor to meet you all.¡± The girl sounded polite but cold at the same time. Maria was only fifteen, but her Western beauty was very simr to what Davey had seen back on Earth. Looking at her long and elegant hair, he could tell that she wasn¡¯t married yet. However, she was different from most people in one aspect. ¡ªIt seems like she¡¯s blind. Maria was wearing a thick blindfold. Davey wondered if it was due to her suffering from a major injury to her eyes or for some other reason. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Everyone paid attention to not Maria¡¯s tone, but something else about her entirely. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have a problem with my eyes¡­¡± Maria said calmly and in a straightforward manner toward Davey. ¡°Princess Maria.¡± ¡°Are you feeling better, Princess Tanya?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Maria, who was staring at Davey while speaking calmly, handed Tanya a small box. She said, ¡°I heard the news. You¡¯re¡­calling off the marriage.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Princess Maria.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault for not helping you when I knew about your situation. However, I came to give this to you before you actually leave. You wanted to keep this, right?¡± Maria handed the box to Tanya, then turned away. Tanya quietly opened the box. She widened her eyes as soon as she saw what was within the box. She could see a bundle of thin but durable rope. She murmured, ¡°This¡­is the Beard of Vego¡­¡± ¡°The Beard of Vego? What¡¯s that, Big Sister?¡± Winley asked. Davey gave a simple exnation as he stared at where Maria had stood before she left. He said, ¡°The beard of a giant, friendly monster called Vego, is extremely stic and durable. The Beard of Vego is a valuable item. It is highly sought after by the Hunter Association that studies and masters bowmanship. It¡¯s the best material for bows.¡± There was a reason why Vego, the giant monster, was called the elves¡¯ friends. Tanya widened her eyes in surprise. She said, ¡°Big Brother¡­ You knew?¡± ¡°Do you want to stay?¡± ¡°...His Majesty agreed to break the engagement.¡± ¡°Yes, and there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about anymore. The Rowane Kingdom is no longer the weak kingdom that you knew before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Big Sister! Thanks to Big Brother, the Rowane Kingdom has really started to take off!¡± Winley boasted with pride. Tanya smiled bitterly. ¡°Big Brother.¡± Davey saw an emotion on Tanya¡¯s face that he had never seen before. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but even if I leave¡­ Please let me take the Bow Test at least. I¡­want to keep my promise.¡± Davey hadn¡¯t ever done anything for Tanya. This was the first time that his little sister, who had always put others first with a smile on her face, was asking him for something. He felt slightly touched and choked up. ¡°You can do anything you want to do. I will do it all for you, even if it means clearing the entire continent.¡± ¡°Chuckle¡­ Big Brother, you¡¯re funny¡­¡± Tanya chuckled like it was a funny joke. But¡­ ¡ªOh my, she needs to watch what she says. Nobody knew what would happen next. Chapter 239 84. The Bow Test. A Cheat Sheet. Although the pce that Tanya resided in wasn¡¯t managed very well, it still had everything that she needed. Davey wanted to let her rest in a nicer ce until she took the Bow Test, but she refused to move. Her excuse was that she was more familiar andfortable in her own pce. Twang!! Swish¡­ Crack! It first sounded like something thin and sharp was cutting through the air. Then, it sounded like the sh of wood and metal toward the end. Tanya was dressed in simple white clothes. Catching her breath, she pulled her bowstring once again. Ever since young, Tanya had been quiet andposed. Perhaps that was why she liked many aspects of archery, a calming sport. ¡ªShe shoots withposure. Although, she¡¯s bound to be slightly distraught from recent events. Perserque was right that Tanya was probably the most distraught person right now. However, Tanya was shooting arrows withposure and strength. She appeared to be calming herself down. ¡°What is the Bow Test?¡± Davey asked. Dan-Goong quietly looked up at Davey. ¡°The¡­Bow Test?¡± ¡°Yeah, what about it is making her work so hard?¡± The Tanya that Davey knew had always set her own desires aside for other people whenever something happened, and that part of her hadn¡¯t changed even after she had be more extraverted. But this was still the first time that she was tantly wanting something so badly, which made Davey very curious. Davey, who was interacting with the two powers inside of the sheathed Red Ribbon on hisp, did not rush Dan-Goong into answering. Poof!! That was when Red Ribbon glowed red, transforming into a little red-haired girl with a loud sound. ¡°Dad!¡± Red Ribbon grinned and jumped into Davey¡¯s arms. ¡°Oh, Red Ribbon. You can say ¡®Dad¡¯ properly now!¡± ¡°Red Ribbon is good! She is! She is! Good!¡± Although she still wasn¡¯t enunciating properly, Red Ribbon¡¯s basic pronunciation had improved. Still, she was a child. Davey could feel someone stare as he tickled Red Ribbon, who burrowed into his arms. When he turned to look, he saw Dan-Goong staring at him in surprise. ¡®How can he look good even while looking surprised?¡¯ Even Dan-Goong¡¯s surprised face was making Davey jealous. ¡°What?¡± ¡°A sword¡­turned into a human¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a sword that turns into a human? Country mouse.¡± Davey clicked his tongue. Perserque stared at Davey like he was pathetic. ¡°Is¡­that even possible?¡± Dan-Goong asked. ¡°Why not? Is there aw that swords can¡¯t be humans? Isn¡¯t that right, Red Ribbon?¡± Davey lightly pinched Red Ribbon¡¯s cheek with a smile. Red Ribbon giggled and hugged Davey¡¯s neck. She eximed, ¡°Red Ribbon wants kisses!¡± ¡°Alright, here.¡± When Davey tapped his cheek, Red Ribbon kissed him on the cheek. All fathers probably felt this way when their daughters were acting cute. Stealing a nce at Dan-Goong, who was staring at them in bewilderment, Davey asked Red Ribbon, ¡°Red Ribbon, do you want to do that with Dad?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°That.¡± ¡°Thaat? Yeah! I want to! Red Ribbon wants to!¡± Puffing up her cheeks, Red Ribbon jumped up and down. She quickly wrapped her legs around Davey¡¯s waist. Then, she put her small hands on her ears and smiled yfully. Looking at Red Ribbon¡¯s round eyes, Davey also put his hands on his ears. He soon made his hands into fists, then straightened them. He said, ¡°Boo boo!¡± Red Ribbon giggled and straightened her hands as well. At the same time, there was a surprising change; her dull and round ears suddenly turned into long and sharp ears that looked simr to the elves. ¡°Boo boo!¡± To signal that this wasn¡¯t the end of her performance, Red Ribbon stroked her head with her small fists. She quickly straightened her fingers. Poof! At the same time, Red Ribbon had rabbit ears popping out of her head. She returned to normal when she made her hands into fists and straightened her hands again. Red Ribbon was a sword with her own ego, so this was a game that Davey had taught to help her control her own power. Whenever she yed this game, she would get so cute that people would just stare¡­ ¡®You¡¯re drooling.¡¯ ¡ªHuh? Like this former Demon Lord. ¡°Ahem!¡± Dan-Goong was no exception either. He stared nkly at the cute Red Ribbon. Then, he reflexively pulled back the hand that was reaching out of the little girl. He realized how disgraceful he looked. ¡°Ahem!¡± ¡°Look, isn¡¯t my daughter cute?¡± ¡°...Y-Yes.¡± Poof!! At the same time, there was another explosion of sound. ¡°B-Blue Ribbon can do it, too!!¡± Apanied by smoke, a blue-haired girl tugged on Red Ribbon¡¯s shoulder and stuck to Davey. Blue Ribbon was being a jealous little kid. ¡°Red Ribbon is better!¡± ¡°B-Blue Ribbon can do it, too!¡± Jumping up and down, Blue Ribbon made a fluffy tail on her butt unlike Red Ribbon. She could make the tails of a cat or a fox. She could even create nine fluffy tails at once. Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon were different, but they shared simr developmental speeds. After all, they were still twin swords. ¡°Blue Ribbon, are you angry? ¡°Blue¡­ Blue Ribbon can do it well!¡± Blue Ribbon appealed tearfully to Davey about her talent. Davey smiled. ¡°Yes, Blue Ribbon is good, too.¡± Although Red Ribbon looked a little irritated as Davey stroked Blue Ribbon¡¯s head, the girls had generally learned well from Perserque¡¯s teachings. They behaved ording to how Perserque had taught them, since they were the only ones who could talk to her. ¡°Ahem¡­!! I really cannot tell what kind of person you are, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t really have to know what kind of person I am. Anyway, what about the Bow Test?¡± ¡°The Bow Test is¡­¡± Although distracted by how cute the children were, Dan-Goong slowly opened his mouth to speak. He told Davey about what the Bow Test was. After listening to Dan-Goong¡¯s exnation, Davey put down Red and Blue Ribbon, who were both singing nursery rhymes, on the floor and slowly walked over. He approached Tanya, who was silently focusing on her archery. Tanya was working so hard that there were beads of sweat on her forehead. Her arms trembled from her overworking the muscles. ¡°Tanya.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Big Brother?¡± Letting her bowstring go, Tanya turned with a bright smile and walked over to Davey. ¡°Take your stance, and shoot one. ¡°Pardon?¡± Tanya blinked in slight confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, so shoot one.¡± Even though Tanya looked puzzled, she pulled back her bowstring with her usual calmness. Twang!! Crack~! With a clear sound, the arrow flew at a rapid speed and struck the target with precision. Tanya was clearly very good. Tanya definitely had talent in archery as a great bowman¡¯s most important quality was being calm. In that sense, she was extremely gifted. However, Davey could see that her skills were raw as she was inexperienced andcked actual teaching. Silently approaching Tanya from the back, Davey covered Tanya¡¯s hands with his own. Turning red in the face, Tanya was flustered by Davey¡¯s sudden actions. ¡°Big¡­ Big Brother?!¡± Davey calmly stabilized Tanya¡¯s position and smiled. He said, ¡°Rx a little.¡± Only then did Tanya stop resisting. ¡°When did you say the test was?¡± ¡°F-Four dayster, Big Brother,¡± Tanya answered in a small voice. Davey nodded. He murmured, ¡°That should be enough time.¡± Although that guy was a damn yer and Davey wanted to pierce his forehead with an arrow if he had the chance to¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll teach you part of the bowmanship that I learned from Apollo, who was the best bowman in the Hall.¡¯ Davey didn¡¯t tell Tanya that. He only slightly corrected her position and said calmly, ¡°Breathe in. Slowly.¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Tanya drew a sharp breath, feeling nervous. Ignoring Tanya, Davey said, ¡°Straighten your back and pull back the string.¡± Tanya carefully pulled back her bowstring. ¡°Remember what I am teaching you right now. And then, you are going to try it yourself. You can do that, right?¡± ¡°Yes? Oh¡­yes,¡± Tanya said calmly as she pulled her bowstring. Davey could feel Tanya¡¯s fingertips trembling. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Of course, there was someone who ruined the moment. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°With all due respect, Her Highness has been taught the intensive bowmanship of the Hyeon, which is famous for its bowmanship.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I understand that you are powerful, Your Highness, but¡­ About archery¡­¡± Dan-Goong stammered. He was worried that Davey would teach Tanya something weird and mess up her test. It was very difficult to see someone who was skilled in swordsmanship also be good at bowmanship. Davey, however, ignored Dan-Goongpletely. He said to Tanya softly, ¡°Count to three in your head.¡± Davey slowly released his mana, circted it around Tanya¡¯s body once, and sent it into her bow. Then, hemanded, ¡°Now.¡± Tanya immediately closed her eyes and let go of the bowstring. Twang!! A blue sh of light shot across the air. It looked different from a regr arrow. The single shot, which sparkled with blue light, was so sharp that it was almost beautiful. ¡°Huh?!¡± Tanya widened her eyes in surprise. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had shot that arrow. The arrow had not been a clean shot; it had flown in a weird direction before changing its course like it was alive. At the same time, it had broken the arrow that had already been embedded in the middle of the target, which even had a huge dent like a drill mark. It was as if the arrow had gained momentum while rotating in the air. ¡°Big¡­ Big Brother. What is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Illusion Shot. Can you do it?¡± ¡°T-That is¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it again. I¡¯ll teach you five things. Slowly.¡± Tanya looked surprised by Davey. Even Dan-Goong stared at Davey inplete disbelief. ¡°A country famous for bowmanship? How old is your country? Not even two hundred years, right?¡± This was the unique technique of Apollo, who had been known as the Bow Lord. It had been improved on for more than a thousand years at the Hall. As Davey scoffed and stared at him, Dan let out a despondent sigh. * * * ¡°Chancellor, how long until we arrive at the Hyeon Kingdom?¡± The young boy asked. The old man, one of the two people who were sitting in front of the young boy, chuckled. ¡°Your Majesty, we will soon be arriving at the capital of the Hyeon Kingdom. Are you bored?¡± ¡°...I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, then how about this? Why don¡¯t we stop for a little while and be entertained?¡± The boy stared out the window in disappointment. He muttered, ¡°What good is that? I would rather get there earlier.¡± The boy who was speaking calmly looked to be around twelve. And he was so pretty that it was almost misleading to call him a boy. Of course, it was easy to tell that he was a boy from his outfit and the title people called him by. He was too young to be called an emperor, but he was definitely one of the most important people in the Ming Kingdom. He was the Son of Heaven and Heaven''s Choice. He was the emperor of the Country of Spears, arge nation and kingdom. ¡°Ohoho, Your Majesty, please be patient. We will arrive at the Hyeon soon. Your Majesty, you just have to sit tight. Mother and the Chancellor of Peace will take care of everything. Your Majesty, all you have to do is reign over them with confidence.¡± Thedy sitting beside the old man chuckled. The boy quietly nodded. ¡°Yes¡­ Mother.¡± Chapter 240 The entire Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s royal pce was very hectic and busy, especially after the messy fiasco from earlier on. ¡°What¡¯s this? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ I¡¯m going to the prisons,¡± the maidservant said with a sigh. She carried a tray of warm food that waspletely covered so that the heat would not escape. ¡°The prisons? Why are you bringing food to the prisons?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? This is by the orders of Her Highness, Concubine Yeon,¡± the maidservant exined. ¡°Even the one that you brought in earlier?¡± ¡°What do you mean? This is already the twelfth delivery.¡± The meal was plenty enough for a healthy young man to feel full, and this was already the twelfth delivery. However, it had to be known that a single delivery took about half a day and not a span of a few days. ¡°A single person ate all of those meals? Haha. Wouldn¡¯t you die from your stomach exploding if you ate all that?¡± ¡°The prison guards on duty actually told me that one person truly cleaned everything up. Ever since then, we¡¯ve been delivering these meals consistently. It is aplete mess.¡± Could a person truly cram that much food in their body? Common sense dictated that it should be impossible, but the maidservants could not deny the reality of it right now. ¡°Right. Where did her nasty temper go, right? Have you seen the princess of the Eastern Kingdom? She has suffered a lot.¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ Where can I find a man who is just like that prince?¡± It had been an unexpected situation. First Prince Davey hailed from a small kingdom in the East, and he was the brother who had finally discovered the reality that his sister had been living in. He had realized that the powerless girl from their kingdom, his very own sister, had been being bullied, so he had overturned the entire royal pce with a power that no one could resist. Although the pce had beenpletely destroyed, innocent bystanders were refreshed by whatever Davey had done. In fact, there were some maidservants who felt delighted by the entire incident. Of course, they kept their mouths shut and did not show such obvious delight on their faces. *** Tanya had put in considerable effort to learn the technique that Davey had taught her. Davey had taught Tanya how the mana should flow, how she should stand, and even how she should let go of the arrow. However, it was still hard for her to use the technique as well as when she had shot it the first time. The test was ultimately for Tanya. Davey could repeatedly help her with archery, but she wasn¡¯t allowed to ask for his help until the test was over. And Tanya did not want to cheat. Simply put, she did not stop trying to recreate the technique that she had previously experienced. Tanya practiced from early morning, pulling the strings of her bow non-stop and practicing so hard that even the soft skin of her hands had swelled up and bruised. Of course, Winley and Baris looked at their older sister¡¯s practices with worry and anxiety. However, they could not really stop her. This was Tanya¡¯s first time expressing her own desire and putting in this much effort. And just like that, time flew by. By the time the test was just around the corner, an eunuch came to visit Davey. ¡°They¡¯re asking for my presence?¡± ¡°Yes, Prince. The Ming Empire¡¯s Son of God asks you to meet with him, Prince.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± In fact, the Ming Empire had constantly sent Davey official demands regarding the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. ¡°The Son of God hase here?¡± The eunuch¡¯s eyes twitched at Davey¡¯sck of manners, but he let the matter go. This slightly disappointed Davey. ¡°That¡­ That¡­ It should have been the Chancellor of Peace and the Great General who would arrive as envoys, but¡­ Due to the sudden changes in schedule in the Ming Empire¡­¡± ¡°Well, whatever. Lead the way.¡± It was already quite funny that Davey, a prince of another kingdom, was going to intervene in a meeting between two other nations. ¡°That¡­¡± Before leading the way, the eunuch suddenly stopped and hesitated. Looking at him, Davey asked, ¡°Do you have something else to say to me?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Prince, the Son of Heaven has sent you a gift,¡± the eunuch said timidly. An official following the eunuch handed over a box to Davey, who quietly epted it. Inside the boxid a small brooch with jewels that were surprisingly engraved in a neat and tidy manner. Davey could tell with a single nce that it was expensive. ¡°The Son of Heaven is extremely interested in the Prince¡¯s heroic tales. If possible, can you please¡­¡± ¡°I see,¡± Davey said calmly. Holding the brooch in his hands, he had a sinister smile on his face. *** There were several guards who protected the meeting ce where the Ming Empire¡¯s Emperor, Empress Dowager, and the Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s King were having a discussion. There were several elite soldiers from the Hyeon Kingdom as well as several other soldiers, who seemed to havee from the Ming Empire. Davey could not stop chuckling at the soldiers¡¯ appearance. They looked so serious, as if they wouldn¡¯t even let a single ant pass them by. ¡°Halt. You cannot enter this ce without any permission,¡± said a soldier who moved to block Davey¡¯s entry. The official who guided Davey frowned slightly. ¡°What are you doing?! Get out of my way!¡± ¡°This is the ce where His Majesty, the Son of Heaven, and His Majesty the King of Hyeon are having a discussion. I don¡¯t know who you are, but you cannot enter¡­¡± p!!! At that moment, the eunuch pped the soldier who was proudly acting as the gatekeeper. With a stern look, the eunuch said, ¡°This is the man that His Majesty wants to meet. How dare you shout proudly that you¡¯re going to stop this gentleman¡¯s entry?!¡± Hearing the eunuch¡¯s scolding, the gatekeeper widened his eyes in confusion and shock. To apologize for his mistake and dull wits, he bowed his head and stepped aside. ¡°Please¡­ Please forgive me!¡± Observing the scene and the officials¡¯ attitudes, Davey hardened his expression in an instant. It was as if they were testing him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that. Please enter now, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Not knowing how great the person the Ming Emperor was, Davey thought that it wouldn¡¯t hurt for him to try and see what he was like once. Upon entering the great hall, Davey found the space to be huge, majestic, and splendid. Even the pce where the King stayed was not as magnificent as this ce. ¡°This is the ce where the envoys of the Ming Empire are staying. How is it?¡± ¡°Your navel is bigger than your stomach[1].¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey¡¯s curt and sharp criticism made the eunuch smile bitterly. The Ming Empire, iming to be the parent country of the Hyeon Kingdom, had long intervened in how the kingdom handled their domestic affairs. And this was a ce that showed just how unusual the power that the Ming Empire had in the Hyeon Kingdom. The eunuch shouted nervously over the huge threshold, ¡°Your Majesty! Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom, has arrived!¡± The voice of a young child then rang from behind the closed doors. ¡°Let¡­ Let him enter.¡± Thud!!! ¡°Please enter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey nced at the eunuch who retreated with his head bowed low, then entered the great hall silently. There was arge table inside the great hall. There was one person sitting at the head of the table, with two people sitting on their left and right. ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom. It¡¯s an honor to meet the Emperor of the Ming Empire,¡± Davey said, kneeling down on one knee and looking up at the source of the childish voice from earlier on. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯ve arrived at the perfect time, Prince Davey.¡± Hearing the nervousness in that childish voice, Davey looked surprised. He quickly regained hisposure and thought to himself. ¡®A child?¡¯ ¡ªIt seems like he is the Ming Empire¡¯s Son of Heaven. But I did not expect him to be a child who looks incapable of handling the state of affairs yet. Even Perserque was very surprised by this revtion. The child who sat at the head of the table looked so young and delicate that even Davey had a hard time distinguishing their gender at first nce. They looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old, the rough age of an elementary school child in modern day earth¡¯s standards. No matter how fast the world was progressing, or how early the child started their education, the Emperor who was sitting in front of Davey was too young to lead a country. ¡°Oho! How dare you, Prince Davey! How dare you look directly into the eyes of His Majesty!!!¡± Davey turned to look at the man who suddenly started berating him from next to the Emperor. ¡°S¡­ Stop that, Great General!!!¡± The man called the Great General, who was sporting a grave and serious expression on his face, bowed his head at the Emperor¡¯s flustered cry. He protested, ¡°But, Your Majesty!¡± ¡°This¡­ This is an order!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty¡­¡± The man called the Great General still did not hide his displeasure towards Davey despite backing down. ¡°Come¡­ Come quickly, Prince Davey. This Emperor wanted to meet with you, so I called for you without prior contact. Did¡­ Did you like my gift?¡± ¡°I am thankful for the present that Your Majesty has given me. I will not forget the grace that you have granted me,¡± Davey said calmly as he sat in one of the empty seats on the table and looked at the people present in the great hall one after the other. The one sitting to the left of the Ming Emperor was the Hyeon King, who sat there silently with aplex look on his face. And sitting directly to the right of the Son of Heaven at the head of the table was a young woman and an old man. ¡°Oh my. I have heard a lot about this gentleman. From what I heard, he¡¯s the one who turned the entire continent upside down. I did not expect that he would be such a wonderful young man. Don¡¯t you think so too, Chancellor?¡± ¡°Hoho. You¡¯re absolutely right, Your Majesty Empress Dowager,¡± the old man said with a chuckle. He had a gentle smile adorning his face. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s a treasure with a great power hidden inside. Are you sure that it¡¯s alright for me to take it?¡± Davey asked. When the Emperor looked at her in surprise, the Empress Dowager said, ¡°Goodness. It¡¯s really amazing that you were able to notice that. That¡¯s right, Prince Davey. That is one of the Ming Empire''s treasures, a treasure that can help the wearer feelfortable.¡± Davey grinned widely, then said, ¡°It truly does make one feelfortable¡­ It¡¯s definitely a great item.¡± The Empress Dowager smiled at Davey, looking very pleased. She said, ¡°Actually, the Emperor really wanted to meet you, Prince Davey.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, because you are very famous in the entire continent. The Emperor actually wants to hear your story very much. Hohohoho.¡± Davey answered with a smile of his own. ¡°They¡¯re not particrly great, but that won¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Oh my. Then, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Seeing the Empress Dowager¡¯s smile, Davey thought that he should not drag things around anymore. He said, ¡°However, there is something that I want to resolve before that.¡± The Empress Dowager¡¯s eyes narrowed. She muttered, ¡°If there¡¯s something that needs to be resolved, then¡­¡± ¡°The Ming Empire has sent plenty of interesting things to the Rowane Kingdom with regards to the Divine Tree,¡± Davey said while flicking the letter that he had taken out of his Pocket ne. The contents of the letter were written inplexnguage, but to put things simply, this was how it went: [As the Son of Heavenmands, immediately withdraw the pressure that you are putting on the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land and return their diplomatic rights.] ¡°May I ask what this letter means?¡± ¡°What¡­is this?¡± The Emperor murmured in confusion. They appeared to be flustered and clueless. ¡°It seems like you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Ye¡­ Yes. Mo¡­ Mother, what is this?¡± The Empress Dowager squinted. ¡°I see. This is definitely a letter that came from the Ming Empire¡­¡± Davey narrowed his eyes immediately, because the Empress Dowager also seemed to have not seen the letter before. ¡°This¡­ This Emperor has never sent such a letter to the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°Then, the seal is fake?¡± Davey asked. He wondered if the Ming Empire thought that they could joke around with him. As the air around them turned frigid, the Great General sped the hilt of his sword on instinct. ¡°Some¡­ Someone has falsified this! This Emperor¡­ This Emperor has never sent such a letter to the Rowane Kingdom and Prince Davey!¡± The Emperor protested loudly and desperately, as if wanting to prove that they have done nothing wrong. Just like how someone hade between Davey and the Hyeon Kingdom, someone had also yed a trick with the letters that came from the Ming Empire. The question was¡­what did they want? Then, a thought shed in Davey¡¯s head. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re quite fearless. You¡¯re very brave to lure me out here,¡± Davey murmured. The entire hall fell silent, with a shocking pressure weighing down on everyone present. Davey did not actually mind being lured out here, but he was extremely annoyed that they had dared to make him follow their whims. The Emperor looked like he truly did not know. What about the Empress Dowager? ¡°Do you know about this, Your Majesty Empress Dowager?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ However, the seal that¡¯s stamped here was obviously from the jade seal. However, we have never sent such a letter¡­¡± the Empress Dowager said. If that was the case, then Davey had no choice but to ask that guy over there. Davey quietly stood up and bowed to the people of the Ming Empire. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I¡¯m going to be a bit rude.¡± ¡°Rude?¡± Davey ignored the Emperor¡¯s quizzical look as he quietly reached out toward the empty space. Crack, crack, crack!!! The space by Davey¡¯s fingertips distorted until they cracked, revealing Red Ribbon who glowed a dark red light. ¡°The¡­ The sword appeared in the air!¡± ¡°Goodness!!!¡± The Ming Empire¡¯s Great General cried out in shock and hurriedly pulled out his spear to aim it at Davey. ¡®Ah, who cares. I¡¯ll deal with this first!¡¯ Davey moved swiftly, his actions were faster than the Great General. He swung Red Ribbon, a red afterimage shing towards the Son of Heaven. 1. A saying that means the costs outweigh the benefits. ? Chapter 241 Crack!!! The great hall fell silent after the eerie sounds of something getting smashed and destroyed rang out. Shiiiing¡­ sh! The red sword light disappeared in an instant, leaving only a trail of tiny specks of light that scattered in the air. ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty!!! You bastard!!!¡± The Great General was the first to react. He immediately charged toward Davey. Baaaam!!! Seeing that, Davey hastily sheathed Red Ribbon and blocked the iing spear attack. ¡°You bastard¡­ You bastard! How dare you do that to His Majesty!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey shook his head at the Great General, whose face had turned red from anger and was on the verge of exploding. Then, Davey said, ¡°Get out of my way.¡± ¡°Bastard! I will kill you!!!¡± Baaaaam!!! The Great General saw the annoyance sh across Davey¡¯s face. The expression immediately made his anger soar, his moves bing even wilder. He shoved Davey¡¯s arm away to increase the distance between them and tapped on the mana in his body. A momentter, the tip of his spear was covered with a green glow. Davey knew that the Great General was above the level of a Swordmaster, but it seemed like the man¡¯s power was of a much higher density and quality than ordinary ones. ¡°Stop!!! Great General, you have to stop!!!¡± The Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s King shouted loudly, but the Great General did not pay attention to it. Baaaaam!!! Bang!!! Thud!!! The Great General charged forward like a ferocious beast with eyes red from his anger. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°You bastard!!! I will kill you today!¡± ¡°I¡¯m already annoyed at your negligence,¡± Davey said as he stepped forward, not feeling threatened by the menacing glint of the spear that was headed for his neck. He evaded the attack with a single step. ¡°Ugh?!¡± The attack waspletely impossible to evade without years of experience and skillful judgment but Davey had done so. In fact, he was even able tounch an attack of his own, digging into the gap of the Great General¡¯s defenses and unhesitantly thrusting the tip of Red Ribbon¡¯s de toward the man¡¯s chest. ¡°S¡­ Stop! I told you to stop!!!¡± The childish cry rang out just before the sword tip of Red Ribbon made contact with the Great General¡¯s chest. The entire great hall was once again plunged into silence. It was as if everyone had been dunked with cold water. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Despite attacking with great momentum, moving his spear with the determination to kill Davey, the Great General could not help but gulp dryly when Davey¡¯s sword tip almost touched his heart. When Davey had jumped at him without any hesitation, he must have known that he would have died if the Emperor did not stop Davey just then. ¡°Great¡­ Great General, put down your weapon! Now!¡± The Great General, who was left in a daze, finally heard the urgent cry that rang in the great hall. Finally realizing the situation that he was in, he widened his eyes and stepped back. He pulled his spear back slowly. Then, he turned and said, ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty! You¡¯re safe, what a¡­ Heup!¡± Davey¡¯s sword energy had obviously been aimed at the Son of Heaven, which was why the Great General was so surprised to see that the Emperor looked fine. Not long after, the Great General¡¯s jaw dropped open. Why? Because someone just fell from behind the Emperor, who had copsed on his seat. ¡°Urk¡­ Urgh¡­¡± Davey silently reced Red Ribbon with Blue Ribbon, who was the best weapon at killing these guys. ¡°What brings you here, o¡¯ great and distinguished noble?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The uninvited guest coughed up a mouthful of blood. He had been wounded from Davey¡¯s earlier attack. Davey did not attack the Emperor but the bastard who had been hiding behind the Emperor. ¡°In¡­ Intruder!!! Great General, what are you doing?! Hurry up and protect His Majesty!!!¡± The Empress Dowager cried out. Finally snapping out of his trance, the Great General hurriedly rushed to the Emperor¡¯s side as he wielded his spear. He shouted, ¡°Your Majesty! Please rest assured! I will punish those who dared to harm Your Majesty¡¯s safety even at the cost of my life!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaaaah¡­¡± The Emperor, who witnessed the slow and horrible death of the man in front of him, was thoroughly confused. ¡°Quit yapping around,¡± Davey said, ignoring the Great General¡¯s spiel. As he lowered Blue Ribbon¡¯s de on the neck of the copsed man on the floor, he asked, ¡°Care to answer?¡± ¡°Fu¡­ Fufufufu¡­¡± Davey could not believe his eyes. As if this entire ¡°mosquito race" was filled with psychopaths, the man giggled as he looked up at Davey with a pale face. His body started to shake and disintegrate. ¡°I did not expect a lowly and measly human like you to sessfully find me.¡± ¡°What a bbermouth. So, are you going to answer or not?¡± ¡°Fu¡­ Fufufu. Do you think I will answer you? How dare a lowly human like you do this to a noble of the night like¡­ Aaaaack!!!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it if you don¡¯t want to, why do you have to talk so much?¡± High-ranking vampires were almost considered as half-immortals. Originally, the high-ranking vampire poption should not be toorge. However, Davey had already seen this scenario unfold before. This situation was almost simr to the one with Vampire Pace, the vampire who had clung to the bastard Second Prince Carlus, and had done all the dirty work for him in the Rowane Kingdom. He was the one who had nted the powers of a high-ranking demonic beast in Carlus, just like what was happening now with the man who was slowly dying under Davey¡¯s hands. Looking at how weak and inferior the man was, Davey felt sorry to even refer to him as a high-ranking vampire. However, there was no mistaking the power of half-immortality that was coursing through his veins. Perhaps he himself also believed in that power. Perhaps he was sure that, even if Davey cut him down with [Aura de], he could just liquefy his body and reconstruct it back to perfection. But what if Davey cut him down with Blue Ribbon? If Blue Ribbon¡¯s basic power to sh anything beyond thews of nature wasbined with the power that could destroy evil¡­ Blue Ribbon would be the vampires¡¯ most feared weapon. This time, the situation was turning out to be different from before. The dying man¡¯s body started to distort, slowly turning into that of a hideous monster. It was as if the man had always been in this form and not a vampire at all. Davey looked around the silent great hall once again. Looking right at the wide-eyed Emperor, he asked, ¡°Do you know him by any chance?¡± The Emperor shook his head vigorously. With a trembling gaze, he said, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know! This¡­ This Emperor does not know that person!¡± Davey then turned to look at the Empress Dowager. ¡°My goodness¡­ There¡¯s a monster like that in here¡­¡± Ming¡¯s Empress Dowager looked surprised too. She truly did not know who the man was. Shiiing¡­ Davey swung Blue Ribbon once before sliding the sword inside its sheath. Then, he said, ¡°I think these guys are the ones who intervened and yed tricks on us.¡± ¡°What¡­ What is that monster¡­? Prince Davey, do you know what that is?¡± The Emperor asked. Davey nodded lightly. ¡°Well, they¡¯re morons whose dreams will note to fruition.¡± They were the ones who dreamt of resurrecting Demon Lord Perserque. Funny, right? As long as Perserque was with Davey, there was no way that they would be able to fulfill that dream. Besides, even if Perserque got resurrected, there was no way that the future that they hoped for would happen. ¡°I beg your forgiveness. I was forced to wield my sword and show disrespect towards Your Majesty, since that guy was aiming for your neck,¡± Davey said with a bow toward the Emperor. The Emperor, still feeling panicked and dazed, nodded towards Davey. ¡°This Emperor¡­understands. Th¡­ Thank you.¡± Davey could understand the gratitude, but he was confused by the Emperor¡¯s tomato-red face. He wondered to himself. ¡®Why is he acting like this?¡¯ The Emperor was acting like a shy little girl in front of Davey, and that did not escape Davey¡¯s observation. ¡ªDavey, use the authority. Perserque gave Davey a piece of advice to exin the Emperor¡¯s peculiar behavior. Only after looking at the Emperor with the authority did Davey understand a bit. ¡®That¡¯s crazy.¡¯ The result was quite different from what he expected. *** The meetings and discussions were called off. The fact that a monster had hidden right where the two nations¡¯ leaders had gathered together for a meeting was a veryplicated problem. It was also a problem because the Hyeon Kingdom had takenplete responsibility over this matter and not Davey. The fact that such a problem had urred within their territory meant that the Hyeon Kingdom could not defend themselves at all. In other words, it was like the Hyeon Kingdom could only receive a beating despite being innocent. Under the covers of the tranquil and quiet night, the Emperor, who was reading a book in his white pajamas, looked at the woman who sat in front of him and savored her tea. He called out, ¡°Mother.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Are you really¡­not involved in this matter, Mother?¡± The Emperor asked with an inquisitive look. The Empress Dowager smiled gently. ¡°Yes. Do you believe that I will be so crazy to do something like that? Come here, let your mother give you a hug, Your Majesty.¡± The Emperor trudged to where the Empress Dowager was sitting. He was soon in his mother¡¯s warm embrace. Gently patting the Emperor¡¯s head, the Empress Dowager said, ¡°The Chancellor of Peace, the Great General, and this mother of yours are all on your side, Your Majesty. Everyone is praying for your safety and health, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Just believe in this mother of yours. Can you do that?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Mother¡­ Of course¡­¡± The Emperor looked up at his mother with shining eyes. He then added, ¡°Please don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°All you have to do is trust this mother of yours,¡± the Empress Dowager said. After patting the Emperor¡¯s back until he had fallen asleep, the Empress Dowager chuckled at the child and rose from her seat. Then, she went out quietly and called out, ¡°Myung Ling.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, Empress Dowager.¡± ¡°What about that thing?¡± ¡°We have acquired it with a lot more ease than expected,¡± the man said after popping out from within the darkness. He handed over a brooch to the Empress Dowager. The brooch was none other than the brooch that they had given to Davey as a gift. However, it did not look the same as before. The jewels engraved on the brooch were now emitting light. ¡°It¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t really value the gift. Tch, tch.¡± ¡°Should I assassinate him?¡± ¡°Asura, are you trying to make a dent in our great n? Everything that we need is in order. We already have Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s treasure, the brooch containing Prince Davey¡¯s power, and¡­the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity,¡± the Empress Dowager calmly said. She then turned to ask, ¡°Did I get that right, Chancellor?¡± Another figure appeared from the darkness. Walking from the other side, the pale young man with a cold expression on his face answered loudly, ¡°Yes.¡± Obviously, the man being called the Chancellor was an wrinkled old man with a gentle smile on his face. Yet, the Chancellor who had appeared at this time and ce looked like apletely different person. ¡°All of our ns are proceeding perfectly.¡± ¡°Do not worry. Everything is going well. Soon, all of the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity blessings will flow inside the Son of Heaven.¡± ¡°Are you sure that it¡¯s only Prince Davey that you want?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The bastard is our race¡¯s biggest enemy. However, his power is very interesting. We have to make that bastard¡¯s power ours.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not an ordinary person. The moment something goes wrong¡­ I will abandon you all. That is our deal.¡± ¡°You worry about the simplest of things. The Son of Heaven¡¯s terminal illness will be cured by the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity¡¯s power. We will kill Prince Davey and you will get that power. It¡¯s a simple deal. There should be nothing that will make us want to abandon each other.¡± The Empress Dowager nodded in determination at the cold-faced man. The prince had to die for her wishes to be fulfilled, because he was the most dangerous variable in the entire continent. She knew that if they did not deal with his existence, their future would be for naught. The Chancellor, or the man wearing the mask of the Chancellor, quietly disappeared back into the darkness. The Empress Dowager watched the Chancellor¡¯s disappearing back. After a moment, she extinguished the mes of the candle in the room and whispered, ¡°I will not let the Son of Heaven die at an early age. Just believe in this mother of yours. Even if this mother of yours is hailed as a heretic and is burned to death¡­ I will make sure to save you, Your Majesty.¡± *** It was a new day, and today was Tanya¡¯s Bow Test. Of course, the Hyeon Kingdom was recognized by the Ming Empire as the Nation of Bows, so the test could not be prevented. Well, they could not really stop Hyeon''s biggest event. ¡ªHuh? Davey, your brooch? It was only polite for Davey to wear the brooch, which had been a gift from the ruler of another nation to him. However, it was nowhere to be found. ¡°I gave it away.¡± ¡ªGive it away? To whom? ¡°To the person who gave it as a gift,¡± Davey said with a smile. He opened his arms to Tanya, who had changed into her ceremonial robes after finishing her hundred-day baptism to take the test. ¡°Brother!¡± Tanya shouted with a big smile on her face. She ran up to Davey for a hug. ¡°Did you prepare well for the test?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Brother¡­ The technique that you taught me¡­ I still haven¡¯t mastered it¡­¡± Davey patted Tanya on the head silently. He knew how difficult it had been for her. He said reassuringly, ¡°You will be able to do it. Don¡¯t worry. I, your brother, will be watching you from behind.¡± ¡°Is that¡­so?¡± Tanya asked. She looked up at Davey with bright and cute doe-like eyes that shone with slight confusion. Davey smiled brightly with a nod. Gently grabbing Tanya by the shoulder, he said, ¡°My dear sister, you have a lot of tension in your body. Your muscles feel tight, huh?¡± At the same time, a desperate and pained scream rang loudly from the depths of the Inner Pce where Tanya lived. Chapter 242 The eventual desperate scream was the price for something very valuable. Davey ignored Tanya¡¯s pleas of admitting all of her wrongs and telling him that she would quit it. He quickly moved to untie and release the clumps that blocked Tanya¡¯s flow of mana. Unlike the cases of Baris and Illyna, Tanya would feel the effects a lot quicker thanks to her situation and body condition. ¡°How is it? Does your body feel lighter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Tanya said in amazement. She had just been crying from the tremendous pain that coursed through her veins earlier on, but she was now feelingpletely light and refreshed. ¡°You can do it now, right?¡± ¡°Yes! Thank you, Big Brother! I will definitely pass the test!¡± Those who passed the Bow Test were certain to break through their levels. This test was not only important because of Tanya¡¯s promise with the Hyeon Kingdom but also because of her own life and future. Thump¡­! Thump!!! Vwoooooooooong! The heavy drumming and a low-pitched trumpet majestically resounded in the entire area. Tanya, who was wearing Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s traditional ceremonial dress, knelt silently under the altar and closed her eyes in prayer. Although she remained silent, it was obvious to Davey that his sister was very nervous. ¡ªTaking a test even without their vision¡­ Tanya was not the only one who was taking this Bow Test. A total of five people were taking the test, and Davey did not recognize three of the five people. The one he did recognize and find slightly familiar was the little girl with a thick blindfold covering her eyes, Princess Maria. ¡ªArchery is a skill that is heavily influenced by vision and eyesight. Perserque was right that archery was almost reliant on vision. However, Maria was unlike an ordinary person and could live daily life without much difficulty even with her minimal vision. Her eyes could barely see the figures in front of her on regr days. Princess Maria¡¯s ability to distinguish the objects and the people surrounding her was somewhat simr to the Mind¡¯s Eye. However, it was apletely different power altogether. In a sense, she had the power to make a clearer distinction on these objects than most people. ¡ªIs that really possible? ¡®An Attributed Ability User.¡¯ Perserque nodded in awe after hearing Davey¡¯s answer. It had been a long time since the two of them hadst heard the title: Attributed Ability User. An Illusionist and a Recall Summoner were some examples of people with this title. ¡ªBut Davey, the business that you have to deal with is already done, right? Aren¡¯t you neglecting your work with the Alpha Reinforcements too much? ¡°It¡¯s not easy to always send a set amount of supplies to them, you know?¡± Every single one of Davey¡¯s acts could not be of much help to the Alpha Reinforcements right now. However, Davey believed that he had already done enough. Even though their inner workings were very messy and cluttered, their purpose was noble and lofty. In fact, after the apprentices became knights of the Alpha Reinforcements, the Anchor Knights had sent Davey several letters. And now, they were piled up in Davey¡¯s office. The letters were all simple news about their daily lives. Someone had an ident today, someone had gone through something yesterday¡­ There was no grave news in particr. However, it could be said that no news was good news. That was more appropriate for their case. Not long after, the King began the ceremony that would connect thepetitors to Hyeon¡¯s leader, or perhaps an existence that could be called a Divine Beast, the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity. No one could interfere once the test started, but that did not mean that no one would be able to intervene at this point in time. The Bow Test was an event that was held every few years or so in the Hyeon Kingdom. It was a big event and was considered to be a special one. This test yed a key role in the kingdom. In fact, it was also famous for the beautiful and bright ceremony that honored the Guardian Deity through the presence of the wind spirits. It was worth noting that countless people woulde to take the test but only a few would pass. While they were busy preparing for the fancy ceremony, Davey nced at the Ming Empire¡¯s Empress Dowager, who was having a conversation with a man who appeared to be wearing a military uniform. After watching the Empress Dowager act like that for quite some time, Davey finally stood up. ¡°Ah! Prince Davey! Where are you going?¡± The naive Emperor asked Davey. Davey could understand a child of that age being pure and innocent. However, thanks to the Emperor¡¯s question, everyone else also turned to look at Davey. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and get some fresh air. I will be right back.¡± ¡°Ahh. You¡¯ll be back. Then, this Emperor will be waiting for your return.¡± Winley and Baris tilted their heads in confusion as they watched Davey disappear from the ceremonial hall. Left behind, the Emperor muttered quietly in regret. However, Davey left the hall without any hesitation, disappearing in a cloud of ck smoke. *** ¡®Where is my brother going?¡¯ Tanya thought sadly when she found out that her older brother had left before the ancient ceremony started. She did not know why, but she just could not concentrate for some reason. It did not matter that the most important part of the ceremony was having a pious and reverent mind. ¡°Princess.¡± Recently, a lot of dear and happy things had happened to Tanya. ¡°Princess.¡± Tanya had met her twin siblings, the people who she thought she would never see again. ¡°Princess?¡± Even her older brother, who had been in a deep slumber for a long time, had awakened and hade to see her. Just being able to see the faces of these three people was enough for Tanya. They had given her a source of strength. Even if Tanya had to marry the Hyeon King and officially be a queen who was bullied and ostracized by the other wives in the future, she believed that she would be able to endure it. Because of that, Tanya had prayed dearly that Consort Yeon would note and bother her while she was spending time with her older brother and two younger siblings. Unfortunately, Consort Yeon had not cared about her wishes. On that day, she hade to find Tanya and had yed devil¡¯s advocate with her. Tanya had not wanted her siblings to see her in that state, so she had wanted them to leave. However, her older brother had witnessed everything. A series of surprises then greeted Tanya. Her older brother, who had witnessed the humiliation and disgrace that she suffered from, had suppressed Consort Yeon with a scary and eerie look that Tanya herself had never seen before. Then, the entire pce was turned upside down. ¡®All of those who dare to touch my younger sister should be prepared to pay the price.¡¯ Davey¡¯s words remained at the back of Tanya¡¯s mind for a long time. If she were honest, she felt both worried and embarrassed. However, she would not deny how grateful she was for her cool older brother. Her older brother was no longer the weak and frail young man who had been left rotting in bed, theatose young man who she hadst seen before leaving. He was now very strong and reliable, a young man who could fight the entire world just to protect her. The reassurance and safety given to her by Davey, which she had never felt from her own father, was now deeply imprinted in her mind. ¡°Princess Tanya?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah?¡± ¡°Are¡­you alright?¡± Princess Maria asked, stretching her hand out to wipe Tanya¡¯s tears. Tanya nodded nkly. She said, ¡°Ah¡­yes. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s time. We have to enter the forest now.¡± ¡°Please, I hope the other two, no, everyone passes the test. You want to see the wide, wide world, right? Princess Maria?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do our best.¡± With a soft chuckle, Tanya reached for the bow that was kept inside an antique box. There was originally no reason for Tanya to take the Bow Test. In fact, not everyone from the Hyeon Kingdom had to take the test. However, countless tribes used this method to keep each other in check. Given the kingdom¡¯s situation, it was only natural that they would oppose an uninvited guest, an outsider, from bing the new queen. With the situation developing in such a way, the Hyeon King had no choice but to disclose the prophecy that the temple had preached. Everyone was dissatisfied with this fact, but they had no way of openly refusing Tanya¡¯s existence. It was a prophecy, after all. So, they forced a condition on Tanya. If she passed three of their tests, then they would ept her wholeheartedly. The conditions were made on the pretext that Tanya should be able to pass these tests without any difficulty, since she was someone who would help the Hyeon Kingdom prosper in the future. Perhaps the King, who had been pushing for Tanya¡¯s rights alone, found their proposal to be somewhat reasonable, because he ended up epting their terms. Tanya had already finished two out of the three tests. She had passed the tests for filial piety and righteousness. Her final test was the bow, a weapon that she had loved since young. The Bow Test was the only one left. However, the situation was different now. With Davey¡¯s intervention, the political marriage had unterally been canceled and broken off. Simply put, no one could force Tanya to take the Bow Test any longer. Nevertheless, Tanya wanted to take the test. It was so she could keep the promise that she had made with the few friends who had done her a favor in this pce. It was also for her to act on her desires for once and achieve her dreams. After all, the bow had been her friend since she was a child. Thud!!! Thud!!! Not long after, Tanya and Maria began to walk forward again. Both girls sported nervous looks on their faces as the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity began to awaken. Thud¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, Tanya, who was about to enter the forest, felt something odd. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Princess?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± Despite the suspicions that lingered in her heart, Tanya shook her head to get rid of those thoughts. She entered the forest. She had stopped after feeling a subtle sense of fury and angering from somewhere the moment she entered the forest. However, she had quickly dismissed that suspicion as mere nerves. *** Once the ceremony began, a huge transparent barrier appeared to cover the entire forest. The test should bepleted by the examinees alone, and they had to show howpetent they were as individuals in this trial. Following the promise and oath of the First King, they had to pay tribute and honor the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity, who protected the forest, every year. In return, the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity would take care of the examinees, giving them the Wind¡¯s Test and offering them the opportunity to make a great achievement. This way, the examinees could reach a realm that was beyond their current skill levels. Although only a few people could pass the test, the Bow Test was still considered to be the biggest test in the Hyeon Kingdom. This was mainly because the test was a way to open another path for the sessful examinees. Soon, a priest, who carefully carried the offering to the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity as a very precious treasure, climbed up the altar and slowly lifted the huge statue-like gift. Then, he began to chant a spell quietly. ¡°From what I heard, the test will truly begin once the gift has been offered and the spell has been chanted.¡± Without Davey having to ask, the Emperor was already exining the entire procedure. ¡°What do you think? This Emperor thinks that this Bow Test is very amazing.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes. It¡¯s a very interesting test.¡± ¡°Haha. Is that so? Of course, of course!¡± ¡°Your Majesty,¡± Davey called out calmly. When the Emperor turned back to look at him with big round eyes, he asked, ¡°Why are you so invested in me?¡± The question was a simple inquiry, but the Emperor turned bright red upon hearing it. The Emperor said, ¡°This Emperor thinks that you are cool.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°This Emperor has always been sickly since my childhood. Because of that, I feel great envy towards those who can walk around outside, wield their swords, ride their horses, and even rule over the entire continent.¡± ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± Davey nodded in understanding. The Emperor smiled bitterly, then said, ¡°Whenever this Emperor looks at you, I feel this vicarious satisfaction.¡± ¡°Your Majesty will be able to run as much as you want someday.¡± ¡°Hehe. Thank you for those words!¡± Davey¡¯s words were mere pleasantries but the Emperor truly took them to heart. Davey looked at the Emperor with aplicated expression before turning back to look at the forest. Then¡­ Thud¡­ The statue-like figure in the priest¡¯s hands suddenly vibrated fiercely. An ominous red light began emitting from the depths of its eyes. ¡°Ah¡­ What?¡± Before the priest could say anything, the light shooting out of the statue¡¯s eyes shot up and pierced through the skies. It was simr to a re. Then, after the light pierced through the skies, ck clouds rumbled into existence. They covered the sun entirely. ¡°Head Priest! What is going on?! Tell me the details!!!¡± ¡°That¡­ That¡­ Your Majesty¡­¡± The King widened his eyes in shock after realizing that the priest also did not understand the situation. He could see just how flustered the priest was. Vwooooong¡­ Thud¡­! At the same time, several gigantic red crow statues of several meters in diameter and tens of meters in height fell from the skies. From what Davey could see, they were forming a hexagram. With the sudden appearance of the ominous statues and the bizarre changes in the skies, everyone cried out in utter confusion and panic. Amidst all of this chaos, Davey caught sight of two people silently leaving the area. They were none other than the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, with the mother dragging the child as far away as she could. ¡°Mo¡­ Mother? Where are we going?¡± ¡°Shh. Your Majesty, just trust Mother. I will protect you.¡± Davey silently closed his eyes. He listened to what the Empress Dowager had told the Emperor as they were disappearing from this chaotic situation. He then clicked his tongue and reached his hand out. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! A crack quickly split open in the skies, the very same skies that had received the shot of light from the statue¡¯s eyes. From within the crack emerged the vicious eyes and creepy faces of strange monsters. Not long after, the monsters reached their hands out of the crack and began tearing it apart. They were expanding the torn space and releasing killing intent. Their faces expressed their determination to kill everyone present here. Everyone turned pale once the hideous monsters appeared. Starting to panic and feel frightened, they soon filled the entire hall with screams. ¡°Kyaaaaaack!¡± ¡°Mo¡­ Monsters!!!¡± ¡°Protect His Majesty!!! By all means, do not let those monsters approach His Majesty!!!¡± Even the soldiers and military officers were flustered and panicked. However, they were able to quickly regain their sense of reason. They immediately unsheathed their weapons and moved to protect the King. Davey looked at Blue Ribbon, who was in his hands, after seeing the first crackpletely get torn apart. He asked, ¡°Blue Ribbon, can you do it?¡± The de did not answer, but Davey did not need one. He simply wanted to sh apart the huge crack. To be exact, he wanted to destroy the flow of power that was maintaining the crack. If Davey cut them down with Red Ribbon, the monsters would just continue toe out. The best way to deal with many enemies was to cut off the bridge. Davey closed his eyes and stepped forward without any hesitation. He still had Blue Ribbon firmly in his hands. He muttered, ¡°If you¡¯re going to gate crash this great event, then you should have brought some red envelopes.¡± [Transcendental Long Sword] ¡­Shwaaa!!! Davey was just about to sh the crack apart, but¡­the opponent appeared to understand him quite well. They had seemingly ced some countermeasures before they let this situation unfold. Red chains suddenly popped out of the statues to bind Davey in an attempt to suppress him. ¡°Fu¡­ Fufufufufufufufu! I finally caught you, you human bastard!¡± With an eerie voice ringing loudly in the air, human-like beings appeared in the air to surround Davey. They had a disgusting fishy odor and looked so cold on the surface. Chapter 243 As dozens of men and women wearing ck clothing appeared from all over, the others around Davey gasped in surprise. ¡°Big Brother!!¡± Baris shouted in panic as he pulled out his sword. As for Davey, he simply stared at them calmly. Rattle!! Then, chains made of a dark and heavy metal flew toward Davey. It wrapped around him so that he could not move Blue Ribbon. Red Ribbon cut through physical things, while Blue Ribbon cut through things that defied nature. These people tied Davey up using chains that had some kind of unknown power, and they used pure physical power to subdue Blue Ribbon, the most dangerous weapon to them. ¡°We have subdued his blue sword!¡± Davey had somewhat of a bad rtionship with vampires for a long time now. Although he felt sorry for the World Tree for evenparing their power to her¡¯s, theirrge number, uniform position, and above all, the fact that Davey could not tell where they were hiding made this situation different from the battle against the World Tree, which was always in in sight. ¡°I can¡¯t lose an opportunity like this.¡± This was an opportunity of a lifetime to find the vampires¡¯ hideout. ¡°What are you all doing?!! Seize them!!¡± The King shouted. The humans who were present and the strange beings that had appeared out of thin air began colliding. But even so, the vampires that had surrounded Davey did not move. Rattle!! As Davey shook the chains with force, the vampires suddenly frowned. He asked them, ¡°What are you going to do with this?¡± ¡°I am going to borrow your power.¡± The one who answered him was not the vampires who had surrounded him. Pzzz!!! A spatial tear appeared in the air before a familiar face showed up. It was Milpieu, the alchemist vampire who Davey had seen at the ancient ruins that the Alpha Reinforcements had found. ¡°Was it¡­Milpieu?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been a while,¡± Milpieu said calmly. She lightly ran her hand through her pink hair and stared warily at Blue Ribbon, which was confined in chains. She added, ¡°That blue sword; it¡¯s dangerous. It¡¯s intriguing, but I can¡¯t put my life on the line for it.¡± ¡°So, this is all you¡¯re doing to beat me?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already fallen into the trap. This trap is extremely strong. The more powerful one is, the more confined they be.¡± That was what usually happened. Milpieu then raised the staff that was in her hand up high. Voosh!! An ominous, bright-red magic circle appeared below Davey, who was in the center of it all. It was a magic circle written in thenguage of demons. At the same time, arge amount of power began escaping from his body. Those powers were channeled into the huge magic stone that was embedded in Milpieu¡¯s staff. ¡®So, they put a leech on me without my permission¡­¡¯ Davey, who was keeping quiet, opened his mouth to say, ¡°Rinne.¡± Sring¡­ Instead of a reply, only the eerie sound of air ripping apart could be heard. ¡°Hup?!¡± Milpieu jumped up in surprise and dodged it, even forgetting to point her staff at Davey. Rinne¡¯s lightsaber shed where Milpieu had been standing just a moment ago. ¡°Tsk¡­ Rinne, assassination failed. Does not appreciate this.¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re that White Wings from¡­¡± Milpieu mumbled in confusion. Her eyes were now filled with greed. ¡°You got stronger¡­ I want to study you¡­¡± ¡°Rinne, choosing words learned from Sir Davey. Thinks highly of ¡®Fuck you¡¯,¡± Rinne answered calmly. She pulled out another lightsaber from her other hand. As soon as she lowered her stance, she charged toward Milpieu. Rinne was iparably stronger than when she had first woken up. As she had progressed and developed on her own, Milpieu could not handle Rinne charging toward her as Milpieu herself wasn¡¯t really any different than before. Crash!! Boom!! Davey could hear loud explosions. As he saw the monsters bolt out from all over the ce, he could feel that Milpieu was starting to take the necessary amount of power that he needed. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Crack¡­ As Davey resisted, the chains from the statue began pushing down on him like they were trying to overpower him. It was Soul Drain, a type of magic circle used by demons in the past. It had been modernized with time, but the basis of it hadn¡¯t changed. Meaning¡­ ¡°How many times do you think I¡¯ve had this on me?¡± Crack!! As Davey¡¯s mana prated the sturdy chains, it instantly analyzed the structure of the chains and dissolved them. At that moment, the chains began to crack. ¡°Look at that? You¡¯re pretty durable, aren¡¯t you?¡± Davey had no choice but to use another way if the chains did not break with just brute force alone. He scanned the swords of the people who had copsed, then released his mana. He muttered, ¡°Alright. Try taking it.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll see how much you bastards can take from me.¡¯ Grrrr!!! Davey acted fast as he had already decided on what to do. He ignored the statue that was taking his powers and released everything he had. Usually, he absorbed most of his powers so that they could not be detected; reality was that one had to be extremely advanced in order to feel the power inside him, but something amusing was going to happen if he undid that absorption and began to use his full powers. Crack!! Crack!! As Davey began to instantly release most of his powers in a long time, it began to affect the surroundings. Everyone close by could feel his transformation and the terrifyingly strong powers that flowed out of him. It also happened to stop the rough fighting. ¡ªYour powers are ridiculous. How could those monsters that have almost nothing but instinct left in them stop as well? Fear was a big aspect of one¡¯s instinct as well. Needless to say, the monsters were bound to freeze for a moment unless they were robots. As Davey¡¯s 8th-Circle devil mana, which was as powerful as his 8th-Circle elemental mana, and 9th-level holy power began to flow out at once, the surroundings started to distort and the ground began to shake. It was as if an earthquake was urring. A strong wind also began to blow. Boom!!! And when that power reached its limit, the chains that kept Davey confined exploded apart. Theypletely broke down. ¡°Kahh!!¡± ¡°Keugh?!¡± How would those who were affected by an uncontrolled power react? It was obvious what would happen if water suddenly appeared on thend that they were walking on: swept away. ¡°Keugh!¡± The low-ranking vampires fell to the floor in pain. Their eyes bulged as they coughed up mouthfuls of blood. They could barely tolerate the effects of Davey¡¯s great power. ¡°Ugh?! What is¡­?¡± Squelp!!!! Davey¡¯s power also affected Milpieu, who was fighting Rinne. She had to pause for a moment, and at that moment, Rinne¡¯s lightsaber pierced through her heart. ¡°Rinne is a golem transnted with the God of Machinery. Reporting that she does not yield to a power this weak.¡± Stter!! Rinne instantly stepped on Milpieu. Unable to withstand Davey¡¯s overwhelming power, the chains that were suppressing him crumbled away. At the same time, Blue Ribbon returned to Davey¡¯s grip with a cold blue light. ¡°Did you take as much as you need?¡± ¡°Monster¡­¡± Milpieu mumbled with a pale face. ¡°If you know that, you shouldn¡¯t have attacked me.¡± ¡°Everyone, run!!¡± Once a quick-witted vampire shouted, a bright blue sword energy filled the surroundings. [Transcendental Longsword] [Strong Horizontal sh] [Heavenly Single Strike] Crack!!! The blue sh of light flew so quickly that the vampires could not react in time to run away. When the blinding light finally disappeared, everyone realized that a lot of things had changed. The crow statues that confined Davey had been destroyed. Also, only a few vampires among the ones who had been staring at him nervously were lucky enough to have escaped the proximity and survived. Shwing¡­ Ignoring the others who stared at his power speechlessly, Davey walked toward Milpieu. He said, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to run away this time.¡± ¡®I saw you run away once. Don¡¯t think that you will be able to run away twice.¡¯ As Davey looked at Rinne, she pinned down Milpieu more forcefully with her lightsaber. Realizing that she could not liquefy herself, which was her unique ability, Milpieu bitterly smiled and said, ¡°Do whatever you want. I have nothing more to say since I lost.¡± Their n to steal Davey¡¯s powerspletely failed; however, Milpieu did not look that particrly disappointed. ¡°How sad that your borate n has failed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Milpieu then nodded. ¡°We already reached our goal.¡± Everyone stared at Milpieu, who calmly exined, ¡°We put your sister in that situation to lure you in, and then we made you get into a conflict with the Hyeon Kingdom.¡± ¡°I knew I smelled blood on the sacred item. Did you do it then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Milpieu said calmly. She struggled to get free, but Rinne just pinned her down with even more force. ¡°B-But you cannot do anything to the Guardian Deity with only the sacred item!¡± The King shouted. The sacred item was just an instrument that allowed contact with the Guardian Deity. It was almost impossible to overpower a being as powerful as the Guardian with just that alone. ¡°Ask this man about that,¡± Milpieu said calmly as she stared up at Davey. She asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you¡­lose something?¡± ¡°The brooch that the Son of Heaven gave me.¡± Milpieu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for us to overpower the Guardian Deity just with our powers alone. But what if we had the brooch with your powers in it?¡± Needless to say, everything had been orchestrated in the dark by these damn mosquitoes. They had sent a provoking message to Davey through the Empress Dowager, lured him here by making the situation worse at the Hyeon Kingdom, and made him get into a conflict with them. They had also used the opportunity when Davey had been caught up with Tanya¡¯s situation at the Hyeon Kingdom to finish preparing and began to overpower the Guardian Deity using the power they had stolen from Davey during this test where the Guardian Deity acted. The Guardian Deity was an old miraculous being with great power; it was obvious that the power it held was also extremely powerful. ¡°N-No way¡­ How impious!¡± The pontiff shouted like it was ridiculous, but¡­ ¡°I think it¡¯s toote,¡± Milpieu said calmly. At the same time, a giant pir of light shot up from the barrier-protected forest; the power of the Guardian Deity that protected this forest was leaking out. ¡°The Empress Dowager of the Ming Empire colluded with us to save her child. She gave us the information and materials that we required.¡± ¡°And you were probably going to lie about saving that Son of Heaven with the technology and power you guys have. Then, you will take both my power and the Guardian Deity¡¯s,¡± Davey said. ¡°...¡± In silence, Milpieu widened her eyes. ¡°Hey, listen up, half-vampire.¡± Milpieu was surprised by the following revtion. Almost no one was able to distinguish the fact that she was a half-vampire just by looking at her. ¡°You guys didn¡¯t take the brooch, I gave it to you.¡± ¡°What do you¡­?¡± ¡°What do I mean?¡± Milpieu frowned slightly. With a loudugh, Davey punched the empty air with one hand. Crack!! Divine Spear Longinus appeared in Davey¡¯s grip in the form of a spear. ¡°I heard that no one knows the location of the Guardian Deity.¡± ¡°Yeah, we had some trouble finding that. Even if you are going to solve it right now, if you don¡¯t know the location¡­¡± ¡°Of course I know. Do you think I gave you the brooch for no reason?¡± Davey asked as he stared into Milpieu¡¯s wide eyes. He muttered, ¡°The location is just right¡­¡± Davey picked up a spear that was on the floor. Then, he unraveled the thick cloth that was wrapped around the dead soldier¡¯s waist, tied it on both ends of the spear, and secured the end of it to the floor. ¡°P-Prince Davey. What are you going¡­?¡± ¡°Sniping.¡± Davey was going to use therge spear as his bow. As for the thick and tough cloth, it was going to be his bowstring. The arrow¡­ Well, there was really nothing that fit a bow thisrge, but he hadn¡¯t pulled out Longinus for nothing. Stepping on the bow with his left foot to secure it, Davey familiarly loaded Longinus on the bowstring. ¡®The Spear of God.¡¯ Well, Davey should say that it was the wand of Freyja to be exact, but it didn¡¯t matter as Longinus had not been created by her powers. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to try this.¡± ¡®God is with us.¡¯ ¡ªWhat¡­ Rumble!!!! Watching the spear shine with a thunderous light, Davey pulled back the bowstring without hesitation. Creak!! The spear began to bend in a strange way with an eerie sound. It turned into arge bow. Looking at a point in the dense forest beyond the barrier, Daveymanded, ¡°Take the wand of God.¡± It wasn¡¯t a rocketuncher from an RPG, but its power was still immeasurable. Chapter 244 85. No Matter What You Do, You¡¯re In The Palm of My Hand. So, Do Whatever You Want. Creak!! The spear would have already snapped if it had been made of wood or metal. No matter how durable a spear was, it would immediately lose its tension if it was being bent more than a certain amount. Of course, what Davey was doing could be seen as foolish, but he was said to be extremely talented in seeing theyers of metal by the ¡®Thousand-Day cksmith¡¯, the one who had made Caldeiras the Divine Sword and the basis of Red and Blue Ribbon. Also, he had taken beatings from Odin, the hot-tempered God of Mages, to learn mana control. ¡®Whatever. Even if the metal breaks, it¡¯s not hard to strengthen it for a little while.¡¯ Needless to say, this method was near impossible for everyone else. This was only possible for Davey. Of course, that was not the only problem. The probability of urately prating the Guardian Deity that could be anywhere in the forest and piercing the defense of the bloody barrier which had been corrupted by vampires was close to winning the lottery. Was it impossible? ¡®Do you think the only reason I gave them the brooch was just to make this situation happen?¡¯ It was Davey¡¯s power, so it contained his intent and purpose. Then, of course, he could clearly tell the exact area that was now expelling that same power. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to find the Guardian Deity that is somewhere in the forest.¡± Ignoring Milpieu¡¯s statement, Davey covered his trembling arm with mana. Ripp!! He pulled on the cloth bowstring with his right arm, which trembled and had bulging veins on its surface. When the tension in his arm started to hit its limit¡­ [Godly Bowmanship] [Dropping the Sun] Without hesitation, Davey supported the bow with his left foot and let go of Longinus. Kaboom!!!! Dozens ofyers of circr shock waves appeared with a golden sh of light that illuminated the surroundings. Alongside the sh of light that caused a huge sonic boom, a strong wind ruthlessly collided with the first barrier of the Guardian Deity that the vampires had corrupted. Crack!! The result? There was no question as to which would be stronger: the barrier that covered the entire forest or Davey¡¯s focused attack on only one part of it. The sh of light headed in apletely different direction from the huge pir of light where the power of the Guardian Deity was running wild, but it would still be effective. Davey hadn¡¯t aimed for the pir, which was where the vampires, Empress Dowager, and Son of Heaven were. The light did not lose its power even as it broke apart trees of hundreds and thousands of meters tall. Boom¡­ When the sh of light that flew continuously in the airpletely disappeared from sight, a huge sphere of golden light appeared on the other side of the forest. As the vast forest was already full of the Guardian Deity¡¯s energy, it was difficult even for Davey to figure out the exact location unless he personally searched for it. However, now that he had heard the vampires¡¯ ns about embedding the brooch they had stolen from him in the Guardian Deity they had previously discovered, he didn¡¯t need to find their exact location; the Guardian Deity would be right where his power was. ¡°How¡­¡± Milpieu mumbled in disbelief. Ignoring Milpieu¡¯s confusion, Davey unwrapped and threw away the bent spear. He said, ¡°Think all you want. Do you think I haven¡¯t experienced what you guys did?¡± With his real-life experience, Davey was what one would describe as a pro. That was what people from his previous life would say whenever they yedputer games. Davey was not going to argue against the term, since it wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. Several heroes had summoned countless enemies they had met in their lives at the Hall, where it had been easier to summon things. Through fighting them all, Davey had gained hundreds of years of experience. Anyway, human advancements were usually simr in some ways. ¡ªStill, how is it possible to predict their every move? ¡®Half of it is inference.¡¯ One had to cheat and be clever to win in life-or-death battles. Davey had to hide as much of his information as he could while gathering as much information as he could about the opponent. No matter how strong one was, they would onlye to a bitter end if they just used brute force. ¡°Rinne, where is Annabelle?¡± ¡°Proceeding the mission without any problems. Luring the testers without difficulty.¡± ¡°Tell them to not leave the point.¡± ¡®You¡¯re going to pass the test using the power of the forest¡¯s Guardian Deity. Well, let me do that for you.¡¯ Even if Davey wasn''t as good as Bow Lord Apollon, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to give a test that would encourage the talented archers to ovee an obstacle. Although, the process itself would be a little violent. What Tanya wanted was to ovee the obstacle on her own; Davey could let her do that as her older brother. However, he couldn¡¯t just focus his attention on that as this was also important to him. ¡°Seize them so that they won¡¯t be able to run away.¡± ¡®I will put Red and Blue Ribbon on you, and let you y with them for a few days if you run away again.¡¯ Listening to Davey¡¯s quiet threat, Rinne quickly went pale. As most of the vampires had been killed and the monsters ambushing him had all been ughtered, all Davey had to do now was to get rid of the cause of this entire situation and reach his real goal. The vampires had identified him as a danger. However, to Davey, they were nothing but bothersome flies. ¡°Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon.¡± Crash!! When Davey called on Blue Ribbon, which was on the floor, the sword swiftly floated up into the air. Red Ribbon also appeared by tearing apart the empty space, floating up and remaining next to Blue Ribbon. ¡°P-Prince Davey! Where are you trying to go?!¡± The King asked. ¡°I will take care of this situation. Don¡¯t worry, I will try not to destroy more of the forest.¡± Although, a part of the forest had beenpletely cleared out from the previous use of [Dropping the Sun]. ¡°Oh, but more of it might be destroyed if the opponent runs wild.¡± ¡°Prince Davey!¡± ¡°Get it together. Whether I am here or not, they are truly after the Guardian Deity. This kingdom is done for once that Guardian Deity is seized.¡± If a divine Guardian Beast ran wild, it would obviously be headed toward the ce that was closest to the forest. This ce would be right where the rest of them were at. Were they going to be able to stop the Guardian Deity with their own army? ¡®No way.¡¯ Leaving the King and the Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s officials behind, Davey walked into the broken barrier without hesitation. [Ghost Walking] With a cloud of dark smoke surrounding him, Davey arrived at the entrance of the forest with a single step. And with another step, the surroundings turned into a huge forest. The only things Davey could hear from quickly moving through the forest were the sounds of rough wind and the whistling of the fallen leaves. When he finally stopped walking, Davey no longer saw a forest. All he could see was apletely destroyed pile of debris lying in a big crater. And right there he found the one thing that he was looking for: the huge giant was kneeling in the middle of the messy crater. ¡ªGrr¡­ As expected, Davey could hear the Guardian Deity of the forest. It appeared to have lost its mind, but it still felt somewhat familiar to him. ¡®What if¡­?¡¯ Wondering himself, Davey eavesdropped on the vampires who were close by. He had only made such a gamble because he had made some assumptions and conjunctions. Now that he knew that he was right all along, he felt slightly proud of himself. ¡°An ancient mythical beast, Monstrous Rock Giant¡­¡± ¡ªMonstrous Rock Giant? ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s a mythical beast from the Lux Continent.¡± In the first ce, a Special One called a Mythical Beast Summoner did not exist in the Tionis Continent. This Guardian Deity was from the Lux Continent, which was where Shane Scrift, who had entered the Hall of Heroes as a Mythical Beast Summoner, hade from. Perserque looked surprised by what Davey was saying. Although it was called a mythical beast, Davey had heard that the Monstrous Rock Giant was no different than nature itself. This meant that this beast itself could not actually exist in the Tionis Continent. Davey had seen something like this before: it was the same situation as the clone of Shandra Minea, the transcendental being that had lost its mind and had run wild. The human-looking giant with a huge physique and was made out of rocks was over a hundred meters tall. Once it swung its huge fist, everything around it would bepletely destroyed. Unfortunately, it couldn¡¯t bepared to the clone of Shandra Minea, a Grandmaster-level King of mythical beasts and the Overlord of the Earth, but it still had a different level of power than other Rock Giants. After all, it had been absorbing the power of the wind for a long time in this very forest. ¡ªGrr¡­ Not long after, the Rock Giant looked right into Davey¡¯s eyes with its red eyes. There was an indent in its chest like someone had dented it, and in that indent was a small object that Davey found familiar. It was the brooch that Davey had given to the vampires. Seeing that it had remained intact after all the previous explosions, it seemed like the strange power had blocked out most of the power of God¡¯s Spear. Whoosh¡­ Whip!! Thud!! Davey turned over silently to find therge brown spear that was on the ground and resting behind the Rock Giant. It was Longinus, the divine spear, he had shot. The spear was made of helixium, a metal that was more durable than adamantium in terms of pure strength. It couldn¡¯t be destroyed by physical powers alone, so the earlier explosions did not even leave a single scratch on it. This was a weapon that had everything from destructive force, durability to utility, and even simple powers. ¡°Having items is so nice.¡± Davey stored the long and sharp spear in his Pocket ne without difficulty. Then, he quickly mumbled to himself. ¡®Right. I should do what I meant to do before theye bother me.¡¯ This was the reason Davey hade to visit in advance and why he had left this area for a little while. ¡ªPlease¡­ Please kill me¡­ The Rock Giant was speaking to Davey as if it had been waiting for this very moment. Its voice resonated deeply. ¡°You didn¡¯t lose your mind.¡± ¡ªI¡­am the Guardian Deity of the forest; this forest is my home. And¡­the only ce that keeps¡­me from losing my mind. The Rock Giant answered, stuttering, as its eyes shone red. ¡ªHowever¡­ Strange beings overpowered me. I resisted, but they were persistent¡­ They knew my weakness¡­and they prated me¡­ I lost¡­my mind. Like the past¡­ I ran wild. ¡°What is the root cause of that?¡± ¡ªMy power¡­was absorbed¡­from this forest and I was robbed of the power that kept me from losing my mind¡­ The human woman said she was going to save someone¡­ The small human that she had with her¡­ He has a strange disease¡­ And the one who stole my power was not human. The human woman referred to the Empress Dowager and the small human referred to the Son of Heaven. And the non-human one referred to the Chancellor of Peace of the Ming Kingdom, who had disappeared with the Empress Dowager ever since the Bow Test had started. Even though he was a vampire, the Chancellor of Peace hid his identity well and moved freely. It seemed like he thought that Davey did not know, but vampires were actually easy to notice from their overwhelmingly strong odor of blood. ¡ªMost people can¡¯t really do that unless they¡¯re you. ¡®I said it is because of the odor of blood, but¡­ when you scan their mana, you will realize that vampires have an inherent power of blood.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. It is usually difficult to notice things like that. ¡®What can I do? I can¡¯t do anything about the fact that I can see it.¡¯ Davey could even see the surroundings with his eyes closed as he had reached the level of the Mind¡¯s Eye. The vampires probably knew that, but they still could not hide from him. After all, no camouge skill was good enough to escape the gaze of someone who had achieved the Mind¡¯s Eye. ¡ªI will¡­destroy the forest if I lose my mind again¡­ Violence like never before. ¡°So, you want me to kill you before you lose your mind? ¡ªSomeone is stealing my power. I will be a crazy giant. This was a simr situation to the clone of Shandra Minea. The difference was that Shandra had never returned to normal, but this giant was once again losing its mind after regaining consciousness with Davey¡¯s power. ¡ªStrong human, the golden arrow you shot¡­ It awoke me from my crazy mind. You knew how to calm me. ¡®This Rock Giant is quick.¡¯ The Rock Giant had lived for a long time, so it was that much wiser and more quick-witted than the average Rock Giant. It knew that it was Davey who had thrown the golden sh of light. As such, that was why it was asking Davey to kill it. After listening to the Rock Giant¡¯s request, Davey simply shook his head and said, ¡°Monstrous Rock Giants are usually friendly mythical beasts. It seems like you were sent here all alone.¡± ¡ª... The Rock Giant¡¯s red eyes shone once again. ¡ªYou know¡­my King? ¡°To an extent. But there is something I want to ask you beforehand. The Rock Giant forced itself up, then crawled over to Davey on all fours, and looked at Davey. ¡ªI do¡­not have much time¡­to keep my consciousness. ¡°Is there another being like you?¡± ¡ªI don¡¯t know¡­ ¡°Alright. Let me change the question.¡± ¡®Who sent you here?¡¯ The clone of Shandra Minea had been crazy, so regr conversation had failed to get through back then. However, the Monstrous Rock Giant, the Guardian Deity of this forest, was different. It still had its consciousness and had a long-standing friendly rtionship with humans. Simply put, it was the only being from another world that had its own mind even though it was a little rough. Davey, who knew the vampires¡¯ n, used this opportunity to his advantage. He used the mosquitoes as pointers to find a reason to talk to the Guardian Deity that was somewhere in this protected forest, so he could save some effort in finding the Guardian Deity. And the beings that stole Davey¡¯s power along the way? They had no idea what kind of information the power they had stolen from Davey was actually giving him. Vampires were beings so secretive that it was difficult to find their hideout. Unfortunately, from the moment they had taken Davey¡¯s power, they had opened up their base for discovery. ¡®If you take one from me, you¡¯re going to have to give up ten.¡¯ Chapter 245 ¡ªGrr¡­ The rock giant groaned like it was in pain, then approached Davey once again. ¡ªI¡­cannot¡­remember¡­ I¡­have¡­no memories¡­ The Monstrous Rock Giant had no idea why it had traveled all the way here to the Tionis Continent, a ce in another dimension. This was the forest that it had woken up in. This was after it had regained its consciousness by absorbing arge amount of power. This was aplete bust if Davey was being honest, but he focused on one thing. ¡°You don¡¯t have any memories beforeing here, huh¡­¡± ¡ªY..es. Human¡­ None whatsoever¡­ ¡°Any memory of meeting someone?¡± The Monstrous Rock Giant tilted its head in confusion at Davey¡¯s question, but soon nodded in understanding. ¡ªN¡­o. Davey was quite disappointed with blowing the opportunity he had worked so hard to get. ¡ªBut¡­ However, the rock giant squeezed out a voice even while losing its mind. ¡ªI¡­am not¡­sure¡­but I think I saw¡­ I saw a light. ¡°A light?¡± ¡ªA pure, white light¡­but a dark one¡­ ¡®Is this guy giving me a riddle right now?¡¯ ¡ªIt was a pure, white light¡­but it was dark. It was not warm¡­but cold¡­ Davey silently stared at the Monstrous Rock Giant, who lowered its head like it could not say anything more. It was starting to lose its consciousness. Crash!! Then, the Monstrous Rock Giant flew its huge fist towards Davey with only its instincts left. Crash!! The ground cracked with a huge explosion and shook heavily. ¡°I guess it wasn¡¯t for nothing.¡± Davey nodded slowly after blocking the Monstrous Rock Giant¡¯s fist with a talisman. ¡ªDo you have any guesses? ¡°No.¡± How could Davey know just from that stupid riddle alone? However, one thing was clear: something that was extremely advanced in magic, even to the point of going beyond dimensions, had put these creatures on the Tionis Continent, where Davey was, on purpose. It was an unnatural phenomena with some unknown reason behind it. Davey didn¡¯t know why they were causing something like this, but he knew for certain that they were probably both sent by the same being and that there was no guarantee that the unknown being wouldn¡¯t send another creature. ¡°Thanks for the information. You can rest now.¡± ¡ªRu¡­ ¡°No, I don¡¯t have to run. You won¡¯t die, either,¡± Davey said calmly, then pulled out a few talismans from his Pocket ne. He stuck them on the rock giant¡¯s forehead without hesitation before putting his hands together in a hand seal. Voosh!!!! Rustle!!!! At the same time, a different power than the one that was flowing out of the brooch embedded in the rock giant¡¯s heart began merging with the talisman. It was daoist magic; the source of sorcery and a power that did not exist in this world. How could these mere mosquitoes notice this power that even the former World Tree could not detect? It wouldn¡¯t be possible even if they all became mria mosquitoes all of a sudden. The power that finished merging with the chains on the outside soon began to change. A golden chain began climbing up and tying the entire Monstrous Rock Giant. Davey then threw his talisman and stuck them near the rock giant. Of course, the talismans, which had be absorbed to one another, were fully activated, and Davey used them to seal himpletely with everyst bit of power he had. [Third Grade Binding Talisman] [Thunderous Sealing of the Soul] The Monstrous Rock Giant had to be kept in this state. * * * Right after sealing the Monstrous Rock Giant, Davey did not head straight to where the strong current of power¨Cwhere the Son of Heaven, Empress Dowager, and the high-ranking vampire¨Cwas. He was going somewhere else. Voosh¡­ Rustle¡­ Dozens of talismans immediately floated up into the air and rotated like they were organizing themselves. Then, they descended slowly like they had found their ce. Whoosh!! It did not end there. As Davey cast a sorcery spell with a gentle hand seal, blue lights connected the talismans together and created a huge symbol. It was an extremely intricate symbol, but any sorcerer who was able to use a second grade talisman could do this. The destination was where the ones who had crystallized Davey¡¯s power had run off to. Davey could sense their presence from not too far away, so it was clear that their hideout wasn¡¯t too far. He was trying to [break into an empty house]; they were probably at ease from thinking that they would not be attacked, but that woulde back to haunt them. The very first thing Davey did was not break their barrier that was blocking outsiders from approaching, but covering that barrier with his own power; he did this to stop them from bothering him when he woulde in and absorb the power. ¡®Alright, I¡¯ll stop him like you want. But if I can¡¯te in, you also shouldn¡¯t be able toe out.¡¯ Davey was going to let them know what it felt like to only be able to sit back and watch while their own house burned down. [Second Grade Sorcery] [Grand Teleportation] Pzzzz!! Boom!! Not long after, the sorcery spell came into full effect. As the [Second Grade Grand Teleportation] began activation, Davey locked its destination in one ce: the ce where a certain amount of his daoist magic was gathered and made a circle. There was only one ce on this continent where Davey¡¯s daoist magic would be making a circle with the exception of the Guardian Deity: it was the hideout of the vampires who had retreated to their main base without even realizing what was in the power they had stolen from Davey. The strong flow of power that ran wild right now was strictly the Guardian Deity¡¯s. There was a very good chance that the power they had stolen from Davey had already been crystallized and transported to their main base. That was the assumption if they were wary of him. Davey held Blue Ribbon in his hand and slowly walked as a ck crack appeared in the surroundings with a huge wave. Boom!! In a moment, the surroundings changed to show apletely different atmosphere. It had be a huge underground space, and in it was a huge temple. Davey could also see vampires staring directly at him, as if they were telling him that he had moved to the right ce. Grabbing and twisting the neck of a yawning male vampire as he descended, Davey threw his fist toward the rest of the vampires who were staring at him with wide eyes. [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Control] [Piercing Strike] Kaboom!!!! There was no way a fragile low-ranking vampire would be able to withstand the attack. Davey began to feel presences show up from all over the ce as his power, while controlling them and almost ripping their bodies apart, resonated out. The vampires who were on guard nearby had gathered here after hearing the huge explosion. Their eyes widened as they stared at their fellow vampires, who had all be dead bodies, and Davey, who was the one who had ripped them apart. ¡°A-A human?!¡± ¡°How did a human get in here?!¡± Aside from Davey¡¯s identity, the vampires seemed shocked that a human had appeared here instead of a vampire. ¡®Well, rightfully so.¡¯ They were bound to be surprised as Davey had teleported in here regardless of the barrier, which blocked all mana, surrounding this ce. However, the ability that transported him here was not mana, devil mana, or holy power, but sorcery, a power that did not exist in the Tionis Continent; of course a barrier meant to block mana would not block sorcery. ¡°A human!!¡± ¡°A human has appeared!!¡± The reaction to an unwanted guest was more prompt than Davey had thought. Arge number of vampires had shown up and surrounded him even though it hadn¡¯t been long since a vampire had crushed a marble in his hand to alert the others of the emergency. Some of them had bright red bullets, which were made from their blood, all over their bodies; they were prepared to pierce thousands of holes into Davey if he moved. ¡°This is a hell of a wee,¡± Davey mumbled calmly. He looked around, discovering the one thing that was different from what he had expected. He could see that there were almost no high-ranking vampires around. ¡®It seems like¡­¡¯ -It is really an ant¡¯s nest¡­ The vampires were not all gathered in one ce, and there were multiple hideouts like this all over the continent. Since he couldn¡¯t get the information out of the vampires as they would explode from the curse, Davey had no choice but to find out for himself. ¡°Don¡¯t move, human.¡± ¡°How dare you enter this ce.¡± It wasn¡¯t weird for a fight to break out at any moment, but the vampires were more wary of Davey than necessary. It made sense as the energy that he had released hadn¡¯t calmed down after crushing the earlier vampires. Also, his rtively more rxed energy was still enough for low-ranking vampires to feel that they should not attack him recklessly. ¡°Wow. How can I thank you for this amazing deal?¡± ¡®Inviting me to this amazing ce just because I lent you some of my power.¡¯ Davey no longer spoke. Pushing his left foot back to secure his footing, he held Blue Ribbon backwards before spinning it around. He appeared to be winding it up. Whoosh!!!!! Blue Ribbon began trembling, emitting blue energy. The sword, which was less than a meter long, quickly transformed with the sword energy to take on a clear shape. ¡®The only thing left is conflict if they have no intentions of talking about it.¡¯ Realizing that they were in a weird situation, the vampires quickly began attacking Davey. However, Blue Ribbon¡¯s transformation was alreadyplete. Davey was no longer holding onto a small sword but arge sword of over fifteen meters long. The sword began burning intensely with a blue me as soon as its transformation was done. Davey aimed the tip of the de at the vampires and wound it up. His goal was the vampires surrounding him. It would be best to blow up the ancient ruins along with them, but that could potentially damage the precious information here as well. As such, Davey was going to craft his attack delicately so that it would only destroy things up to the protective barrier. Besides, Blue Ribbon specialized in breaking barriers. [Transcendental Longsword] [Second Grade Sorcery Sword] [Spell Merger] [Cloud Split] ¡°M-Move!!¡± One of the vampires who sensed the danger shouted urgently, but it was already toote. The blue sword that was over fifteen meters tall swallowed up all the surrounding vampires. It made a clean cut through the underground space. * * * Boom!!!! Massive explosions were heard from all over the ce. ¡°Kahh!!!¡± ¡°M-Monster! Get out! Run!¡± The vampires were screaming in horror. The dozens of fire balls weren¡¯t that strong on their own, but they were a very threatening attack that fell continuously. After exploding apart, they even ignited the surroundings. On top of that, it was actually a holy me, the most dangerous thing to vampires; as it was the [me of God], an 8th-level holy magic spell, there was no way high-ranking vampires, let alone low-ranking ones, could stop it. ¡°Stop that bastard!! Don¡¯t let him go any further!!¡± The high-ranking vampires who were hiding in the area probably had no idea that their house was burning. Davey was able to invade without difficulty as he had sessfully broken into their house, but that didn¡¯t mean that there was no resistance. ¡°Get out of our area! Uncivilized hum¡­ Kakk!!¡± ¡°You have nothing to say even when you get murdered by an uncivilized human being, right?¡± Davey, who instantly prated the vampire¡¯s heart, shook off the blood from his arms and walked into the temple. Watching the vampire¡¯s hideout, which had been turned upside down¡­ he muttered, ¡°Now, I am a bit satisfied.¡± Compared to how they had attacked him, Davey was letting the vampires get off easy. The pleasure from breaking into the vampires¡¯ basecamp, which was a thorn in his side, getting information and materials needed for the resurrection of Demon Lord Perserque, receiving information and the vampires¡¯ valued items, and arge sum of money from the vampires who liked to collect gold¡­ ¡®This is hitting four birds with one stone.¡¯ ¡ªYou ask for ten when they give you one¡­ ¡®That¡¯s not just limited to vampires.¡¯ There was still somewhere Davey hadn¡¯t received his ten yet; he was referring to the Hyeon Kingdom, the ce he would have to go and deal with. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking half of the forest.¡± And the one who would guard the forest would be¡­ Right, there was one who controlled wind and thunder among the Four Divine Beasts. ¡ªIs that possible¡­ No way¡­ The reason that you sealed the Monstrous Rock Giant instead of healing it was¡­ ¡°It has to give it to me if it wants to live. It will go mad the second I do something,¡± said Davey eerily. Perserque frowned. ¡ªHow petty¡­ Chapter 246 The ancient ruins where only low-ranking vampires lived quickly turned chaotic because of a single monster. Unlike humans, vampires were pretty aggressive, and they usually all participated in battle. No matter how terrifying the opponent was, there weren¡¯t many who would run away. After all, it was their pride and stubbornness that yed a big part in creating mountains of bodies and rivers of blood. Crack!! With a single swing of his sword, Davey cut through the enormous stone door. He looked around, quickly realizing that the underground ancient ruins where the vampires had set up their camp was definitely not their main base. ¡°Kehehe! Entering our base so recklessly¡­ Kuegh!!¡± The vampire who appeared behind Davey with a confident shout suddenly froze. Stter!! With the stter of blood, a chunk of meat fell to the ground. ¡°Huh? Keh?! M-My arm! My arm!! Keugh¡­ Gurgle¡­¡± The screaming vampire rolled on the floor before taking hisst breath as the blue sword energy beheaded him. It wasn¡¯t ideal to sh an incapacitated person, but Davey never struggled to kill someone who was already hostile to him. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ Davey had been extremely against harming weak beings who could not fight back. However, his perspective changed after he had experienced multiple life-threatening situations. These vampires were middle to low-ranking vampires at best, but this was their homeground; if they were considering who was at a disadvantage, Davey was the one who was in the middle of a clearly dangerous situation. -How strange. It¡¯s very odd that not a single high-ranking vampire is here. Upon first nce, it was clear that the underground ancient ruins had plenty of valuables. Built in a huge cave, the ruins boasted an ancient style of architecture that was not of the vampires¡¯ unique style. Davey had once seen something simr to this: remnants of an ancient ruin that was over ten thousand years old. It seemed like vampires who had long hidden themselves had moved underground to avoid the light and had found this ce by chance. Of course, the original framework of it would still remain even if they were to renovate this particr area. As a result, Davey had unintentionally found the third ancient ruins. He had found arge-scale control system covering the entire territory in the first ancient ruins, and Rinne in the second. He didn¡¯t know if what he wanted was here in the third one, but from his experience, he could possibly score big upon safely reaching the center of the ruins. Davey had unintentionally taken up this treasure hunting task, but he was killing two birds with one stone. However, he couldn¡¯t be delighted at this simple chance for him to possibly gain something. -Why? ¡°From the remains, it seems like it¡¯s been over a hundred years since the vampires have started to live here. Do you think that anything would be left here?¡± At the moment, the surviving vampires had all managed to run away. It also looked like countless vampires had left this ancient ruins before Davey¡¯s arrival. This truly was unfortunate, but there was a high chance that no treasure had been left behind. Perserque quietly stared at the wall while listening to Davey. Suddenly spotting something, her eyes lit up. -Maybe not. ¡°What?¡± -Davey, look at this. This¡­ Haven¡¯t you seen this symbol somewhere? Davey waspletely confused by Perserque¡¯s question. Hemented, ¡°Symbol? It¡¯s just messy doodling.¡± -No, look carefully. This. This is exactly the same symbol that we saw in the Pandora Region. What I¡¯m saying is¡­ There¡¯s a good chance that there is a hidden space that they were unable to find. ¡°Get to the point¡­¡± In the Pandora Region, Davey had found the underground space only because Sio Howl had fallen into the basement; to be honest, he had also found it difficult to detect the space. -Bring Rinne here. Rinne will be able to ess the system here. You haven¡¯t forgotten about that child¡¯s ability, have you? Rinne had the ability of interference and reformation. She could materialize the photon cannon, crowbar, and the other objects like bats after analyzing and reforming them. As such, Rinne might be able to find the hidden space in these ancient ruins. ¡°Let¡¯se back here after we¡¯re done dealing with the Hyeon Kingdom.¡± Tanya, Davey¡¯s younger sister, hadn¡¯t even finished the Bow Test yet. ¡°Die, human!!¡± Sensing a desperate surprise attack, Davey lowered his head and twisted his body. He then grabbed the head of the vampire who was attacking him from the back and crushed it into the wall. He said, ¡°You¡¯re trying to do a surprise attack on a killer who is exceptionally trained in assassination. It¡¯s not even funny.¡± ¡°Keurgh¡­ Gurgle¡­¡± ¡°Remember this. I came here to assassinate you.¡± ¡°What assassination? You just barged in here¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Did anyone see me kill you guys?¡± It was considered an assassination if there were no witnesses; how could they know that it was some outsider or him who had killed the vampires? They might have held out a little bit if they were high-ranking vampires, but everyone here were low-ranking vampires who hadn¡¯t even received the power of immortality. They only had the advantage in numbers and that this was their homebase, but¡­ It was a problem that they had poor individual abilities. And apart from that, their cooperation was terrible. Boom!!! Davey took his own sweet time to seize all of the items and treasures that the vampires had. He said cheekily, ¡°Hehehehe¡­ I knew they would have something here. Let¡¯s take all of it!¡± Clink! Jingle! There was everything from pure gold coins to golden crowns, essories embedded with jewels, and other valuable items. Vampires weren¡¯t crazy about jewels like the dragon race, but Davey had heard that vampires liked having jewels that would show off their elegance. And as vampires had an unexpected habit of living in groups, they had naturally gathered all their treasures in one ce. The crystal of Davey¡¯s concentrated power was also here as well. He didn¡¯t really touch the crystal, which was enclosed in threeyers of magic barriers like a dangerous bomb or something, as he didn¡¯t really need it. Davey, who shed the treasure storage¡¯s firmly shut door and put all of their collectibles inside his Pocket ne, quickly did some calctions in his head. He muttered, ¡°Just from calcting alone, I think we¡¯re easily going to get over a hundred thousand gold from this?¡± -You hit the jackpot. With the money, Davey could prepare the capital for his new business. He was only slightly disappointed by the fact that he couldn¡¯t find a hidden space or anything like that. ¡°No matter how stupid they are, they truly have a problem if they don¡¯t know about a hidden space right in their own homebase after so long.¡± -How unfortunate¡­ Davey was a little bitter, since this was his first time not gaining anything huge from an ancient ruin. However, he couldn¡¯t vent to anyone about this. He had actually looted from an ancient ruin that somebody else had settled in and not from an undiscovered one. Still, he felt the need to share this disappointment with someone. He thought of the only high-ranking vampire that he hadn¡¯t taken care of: the vampire who was disguised as the Chancellor of Peace. * * * ¡°Is¡­ Is everything really ording to n?!¡± The Empress Dowager shouted urgently, arguing with the man who was keeping a straight face. The Son of Heaven who was lying on the altar that the vampires had prepared still hadn¡¯t moved while in the huge whirlwind of power. It had been far longer than the scheduled time, but his condition was not changing for some reason. Also, an rm bell was ringing in the Empress Dowager¡¯s head like something was off. It was like she had figured out that she was being tricked by a fraud. ¡°It¡¯s almost time,¡± the silent man finally said with a terrifying smile. Voosh!! A huge whirlwind of power slowly calmed down and began to seep into the Son of Heaven, who was lying on the altar. ¡°I¡­ Is it done?¡± ¡°Yes, it is done.¡± ¡°Then¡­ The Son of Heaven! The disease!¡± ¡°The disease has been cured.¡± The Empress Dowager was strangely anxious. The Son of Heaven remained still on the altar with his eyes closed. He was not waking up even though the light hadpletely subsided and therge whirlwind of power had been absorbed into his body. The Empress Dowager roughly grabbed the cor of the Chancellor of Peace and shouted, ¡°But why?!! Why isn¡¯t His Majesty waking up?!!¡± The most important thing to the Empress Dowager was not the Hyeon, the Ming, or the vampires; it was the Son of Heaven, her only son. She had done all kinds of things behind-the-scenes and cooperated with the vampires to save her child, put all international me on the vampires and Davey¡­ She had worked extremely hard to create this situation on time. Now all that was left was for the Son of Heaven to wake up¡­ But why wasn¡¯t he? However, the Empress Dowager did not have to remain worried for too long. ¡°Groan¡­¡± The Son of Heaven groaned in pain. He was slowly beginning to move. ¡°Your Majesty!!¡± Watching him, the Empress Dowager ran over and kneeled in front of the altar with no regard for her reputation. Then, she hugged him with tears in her eyes. She shouted again, ¡°Your Majesty! Open your eyes! It is your mother!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± However, the Son of Heaven could only groan in pain. He couldn¡¯t even open his eyes. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty?¡± The Guardian Deity¡¯s pure power had been absorbed by the Son of Heaven. Most doctors and even the ones from the Coalition of Disease Control had been unable to cure him. After secretly hearing the shocking news from the Hyeon priest who had urately predicted fortunes for years, the Empress Dowager finally understood why. It was because the Son of Heaven¡¯s disease was not a normal one. Even though the Hyeon Kingdom was under the Ming Kingdom, the Hyeon priest was known to be very urate in the Ming as well. As such, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to believe him that her child could not be saved by ordinary methods. The Son of Heaven would not live for long if not cured. Devastated by the reality that she could not save her child, the Empress Dowager had gone on to abandon tradition to do everything that she could to save her child¡¯s life. She had hired soldiers to find the legendary Herb of Eternal Youth, and she had searched for people in the dark who could cure the Son of Heaven. However, nothing yielded results. That was when the Chancellor of Peace had approached her. He had asked her if she could do anything to save the Son of Heaven. As for the Empress Dowager who put everything on the line for her child¡¯s life, she had made a deal with the Chancellor of Peace even if he was possibly the devil. As a result, the Son of Heaven was able to live for the time being from the strange power that the vampires and the Chancellor of Peace had, and the situation had gotten to this point. ¡®The Son of Heaven can be cured by absorbing and releasing all the power of the Guardian Deity that¡¯s living in the Forest of Tests, where helpful powers umted.¡¯ The vampires cleverly persuaded the Empress Dowager to agree to the n, and she had gone ahead to make a choice that could greatly threaten the Ming Kingdom in the future. The Son of Heaven had to wake up now. However, unlike what the Empress Dowager expected, the Son of Heaven just groaned and was not able to wake up to meet her desperate gaze. ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­ Your Majesty, it is your mother. Wake up and see her! Please¡­¡± Watching the Empress Dowager weep with her child in her arms, the Chancellor of Peace¡­ No, Vampire Gellus, walked away. He realized that it was almost time. There had been a huge sh of power a little while ago where the Guardian Deity was, so Vampire Gellus assumed that the monstrous prince had run wild. However, it was toote for the prince. He had put a high-level barrier to block any outside ess and his goal had been achieved earlier on. Nothing would change even if the prince showed up right now. From the information they had gathered, Gellus and the other vampires judged Davey O¡¯Rowane, the human prince, to be a Level-1 Danger. They knew best that something catastrophic could happen with just a simple provocation. As such, they had finished their preparations before Davey could do anything. They had made a trap with the power of the brooch, which contained Davey¡¯s power, and had subdued the Guardian Deity they had been searching for for a long time. While Davey had been distracted by turning the Hyeon Kingdom upside down, the vampires had seeded in subduing the Guardian Deity for a while. They were even able to take all of its power and stuff it into the Son of Heaven. The two things that the vampires needed to resurrect the Demon Lord was a pure body and a pure power. They also needed a great power to drive these things. Now that they had gotten the stolen power from Davey through chaining him up, the pure body of the Son of Heaven, and the pure power of the Guardian Deity, it was time to fulfill the wishes of the vampires. Gellus felt sorry for the Empress Dowager, but he had no intentions of fully keeping his promise from the beginning. All he had done was trick her with the truth that he would cure the Son of Heaven. His actual goal was to extract the Son of Heaven¡¯s heart after the Guardian Deity¡¯s power was fully absorbed. After all, Gellus only needed the heart, the thing containing the actual power, for the pure body. ¡°Hey!! You said you could save him!! But¡­ But why is His Majesty still in that much pain?!!¡± The Empress Dowager screamed with a threatening look on her face while grabbing Gellus¡¯ cor. Gellus said calmly, ¡°We kept the promise. We cured the disease inside the Son of Heaven¡¯s body.¡± ¡°But why¡­?¡± ¡°Did you think a weak human who had nothing inside of him would be okay after receiving the Guardian Deity¡¯s power alone?¡± ¡°What¡­are¡­?¡± The Empress Dowager stuttered with wide eyes. Gellus smiled terrifyingly. ¡°The Son of Heaven will live. Of course, as the sacrifice to awaken the body of Demon Lord Perserque who we will resurrect soon.¡± Now realizing that she had been tricked and deceived, the Empress Dowager was filled with shock, anger, and despair. And out of the three emotions, anger was the most intense. ¡°Save him!! Save him!! Save my child¡­!¡± The Empress Dowager, who was angrily shaking Gellus, trembled. Then, she let go of him and fell to the ground helplessly. ¡°Disgusting and lowly human, I will ask you. Did I lie to you?¡± Gellus had told the truth, but he had just hidden the details of it. ¡°Gurgle¡­ Groan¡­ B¡­ Betrayer¡­¡± The Empress Dowager coughed up blood as she struggled to remove Gellus¡¯ arm that had prated her stomach. As the Empress Dowager suffered from the fatal injury, Gellus picked her up from the floor with his hand still prating through her stomach. With a terrifying expression that had never been seen before, he then asked the dying woman, ¡°Betrayal? From the beginning, I¡­¡± ¡°Probably had no intentions of helping.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Had no intentions¡­¡± Gellus, who agreed with the voice that suddenly rang out, paused for a moment. Squelp!! ¡°Ah, your heart is a beauty.¡± ¡°Keugh?!¡± As Gellus was still lifting the Empress Dowager up, a hand suddenly prated his back to seize his heart. The only person who was smiling in this odd situation was Davey, the boy who had Gellus¡¯ heart in his grip. ¡°H-How did youe through the barrier¡­?¡± ¡°The blood red fog? I cut through it.¡± ¡®Did you think all Blue Ribbon could do was destroy the power of immortality?¡¯ Gellus widened his eyes at Davey¡¯s mocking tone. Chapter 247 Gellus didn¡¯t even get a chance to feel a presence. He didn¡¯t even hear the rustling of the grass nor a heartbeat. He didn¡¯t smell the distinct scent of humans nor the sweet scent of blood. Besides, he had cast a barrier surrounding this ce that isted it from the outside world. Even if Davey had used a sword to cut through the barrier, for him to show up without a trace? It was possible for Gellus to feel nothing if he had been attacked at the same time as the barrier had been shed open, but that was not the case at all. This was an assassination so secret, natural, and fatal that Gellus could not believe it. As a high-ranking vampire, Gellus had been given a stronger power of immortality on top of the regr power by the person he served. However, even he was bound to lose a substantial amount of his power now that he had lost his heart, the origin of his power. Thud! When Gellus¡¯ sharp hand that had prated through the Empress Dowager¡¯s stomach lost strength and slid out, Davey also retrieved his hand with Gellus¡¯ heart still in his grip. Gellus¡¯ heart had been removed from the rest of the body, but it was still beating strongly. Crash!! No longer staring into space, Gellus flew through the air. He fell to the ground only after crashing into a huge tree. He groaned, ¡°Keugh! Cough! Cough!¡± Should it be surprising that Gellus was still alive even though his heart had been extracted? Gellus stood up after struggling and clenched his jaw. ¡°If¡­ If I had a bit more time¡­¡± If given a bit more time, he could have removed the bothersome Empress Dowager and extracted the power-filled heart that was inside the Son of Heaven¡¯s body. That heart was going to be the living heart, which was the key origin of resurrecting the Demon Lord. As the resurrection was the vampires¡¯ main goal, Gellus held great pride in his mission. Unfortunately, Davey was a lot quicker than he had anticipated. Perhaps this was the result of ignoring the lowly half-blooded vampire¡¯s warning to not underestimate the opponent. It was perfect ording¡­ ¡°I guess you¡¯re rxed enough to think about something else.¡± Thud¡­ It only took a moment for Davey¡¯s voice to reach Gellus¡¯ ears. At the same time, Davey threw the bloody heart on the floor. ¡°Keugh?!¡± Gellus fell to the floor as his vision blurred. He could still see the horrifying smile of the boy who had just kicked him to the ground. Gellus was now a lot weaker after Davey had seized his heart. Was that the reason that Davey could throw him around like that? Looking at Davey¡¯s smile, he knew that the boy was only ying with him. ¡°You despicable human!¡± ¡°You have a nice ce.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I got a lot of treasures thanks to you.¡± ¡°Y-You?! How!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you took my power without knowing how expensive it is, right?¡± ¡°.The hideout that our Lord gave to us¡­¡± ¡°Lord, my ass.¡± Gellus screamed like he was insane. Even while coughing up blood, he was shouting furiously, ¡°I already know about your power! You will not be able to track it even if it is your power!¡± How could it be possible for a power that had left the body to be tracked down? Right? ¡°Sorcery can. The only daoist magic that exists in this world is mine.¡± Not knowing that daoist magic was a refined power unlike regr mana, Gellus said, ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°However, it makes me feel a little shitty that you tried to do this by using my powers. You should not have crossed the line.¡± Davey was spouting nonsense! He was saying that, although the vampires had been the ones to start this, everything had gone ording to his n ever since they had stolen the brooch which contained his power and had subdued the Guardian Deity, stolen its power, and honed his power into a crystal through a surprise attack. Ignoring Gellus¡¯ shocked expression, Davey went on to talk about how he had stolen everything in the well-hidden hideout. Now, the hideout only had lowly vampires who could barely be used as assistance. Gellus was not angry about the lowly vampires¡¯ deaths. He was only furious at the fact that a human had dared to turn their base upside down. ¡®He knew what we would do, so he simply let us!¡¯ Gellus¡¯ eyes were bloodshot as he got back up on his feet. Wanting to scream, Gellus was determined to kill Davey. No, even if Davey was a monster who he could not kill, he was going to leave the boy with an injury that could not be healed! The hole in Gellus¡¯ chest began to mend while blood energy started flowing out of his body. He said threateningly, ¡°I will make you regret it. I have learned a special type of blood magic among fellow vampires, so even you will not be prepared for it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Growl!!! At the same time, a bright red me burst from Gellus¡¯ body. It looked capable of burning everything in its path. Unlike a regr vampire me of normal red, Gellus¡¯ had a deep red color that resembled blood. Gellus¡¯ body was also undergoing a transformation. Before his transformation wasplete, he widened his eyes when the despicable Davey had suddenly gotten so close to him. ¡°I think I told this to that Pace guy when we met.¡± Kaboom!! Gellus could hear Davey¡¯s voiceing from right next to his ear before his head was grabbed and mmed into a nearby tree. ¡°Why are you transforming when your opponent is right in front of you? Why?¡± ¡®You should have done everything you can if you know your opponent is strong. Arrogant asshole.¡¯ Gellus could hear the demon-like boy¡¯s calm voice. Thud!! Soon after, a bright blue light flowed out from Davey¡¯s fingertips. At that moment, Gellus lost consciousness. * * * Davey looked at his hand, which was flying with sparks, then he looked at the silent Gellus. He also felt like his own body was numb from overusing his daoist magic. -Davey, you¡¯re not going to kill him? Perserque asked quietly. She was curious as to why Davey would keep Gellus alive when he had killed all the vampires he had met in the past. ¡°I can¡¯t kill him. Do you know how valuable he is?¡± Perserque¡¯s eyes glistened at Davey¡¯s reply. -Hm, did you realize that all lives, including those of our enemies, are valuable? I don¡¯t think a change like that is bad at all. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Davey chuckled. As he walked away, he stepped on Gellus¡¯ heart and had it burst apart. Crack!! The medium of Gellus¡¯ power was no more, and the rest of his red energy scattered away. ¡°Tanya has to take her test, right?¡± Although there was such a dangerous situation, Davey still had to let Tanya take the Bow Test. After all, he had made her a promise. This was the very first time that his cute younger sister, who he would take a bullet for, had asked for something. Normally, Tanya would have to take the test of the Monstrous Rock Giant, the Guardian Deity of the Forest of Tests. However, Davey had to make preparations just in case the actual rock giant could not move. It was actually impossible to create an appropriate test for those who had trained in somethingpletely different from Davey himself. However, one truth existed: being put on the spot could bring about a lot of changes, and humans¡­would unknowingly progress in times of crisis. All Davey had to do was corner the participant into a crisis until it worked. -And if you can¡¯t? ¡°There¡¯s more to tests than just passing, Perserque.¡± Davey couldn¡¯tpromise on that, even if the participant was his own precious younger sister. ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be any problems.¡± Unlike Baris, Tanya had no idea about the changes that were happening inside her body. Ignoring Vampire Gellus, who was lying on the floor with his body distorted, Davey walked over to the fatally injured Empress Dowager who was lying on the floor. ¡°Groan¡­ Keugh¡­¡± The injury was so fatal that it was surprising for the Empress Dowager to still be alive. She was holding on to dear life with a vicious look on her face. Although her throat was blocked, preventing her from speaking, she desperately grabbed onto Davey¡¯s leg. Did she want to beg for her life? Unfortunately, Davey did not want to let her live as dying here would be a better death for her. ¡°Gurgle¡­ Keugh¡­ His¡­¡± ¡°His?¡± ¡°His Majesty¡­ His Majesty¡­¡± The Empress Dowager began to cry tears of blood as she struggled to speak. When Davey got down on one knee to get closer to her, the Empress Dowager begged him with everyst bit of strength she had. ¡°K¡­ Kill¡­ Gurgle¡­ Keugh¡­ me¡­ Just¡­ His Majesty¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you die; just save His Majesty?¡± Davey smiled coldly. As the Empress Dowager nodded desperately, he then asked, ¡°Why would I do that? Do you know what you have done?¡± When Davey pointed to the destroyed forest, the Empress Dowager continued to beg with blood flowing from her eyes. ¡°Pl¡­ease¡­¡± ¡®Now that everything has failed, this child cannot live for long anyways. So please¡­¡¯ Davey fully understood what the desperate Empress Dowager was trying to say. She had been tricked by those mosquitoes who had said that they would cure her son; he wasn¡¯t actually cured and now, he had basically be a corpse that could not regain consciousness for some reason. After that, the Empress Dowager fully copsed. She waspletely silent. Looking down at the Empress Dowager¡¯s body, Perserque mumbled bitterly. -Motherly instincts are amazing¡­ ¡°Are you envious?¡± -Although she has be a spirit upon death¡­ It¡¯s always been my dream to be a mother as well. As Davey activated his Death Spirit Eye, he could see the Empress Dowager¡¯s spirit escape from her dead body. ¡°...¡± -Davey. ¡°What are you going to do for me?¡± Davey asked quietly when he realized what Perserque meant. -I will give you one thing that you want. ¡°Do you really have to do that? You have no reason to.¡± -Yes, it is true that you benefited from this situation, but that does not make it right. It might be better for this woman to die here, but¡­ ¡°It¡¯s different for the Son of Heaven?¡± Perserque nodded silently. The Empress Dowager had seemingly been the only person who could intervene and protect the Son of Heaven. As such, it was clear what kind of future awaited him. ¡°You lost a bet to me once before. Did you forget?¡± -...Ah, just do it for me! Do you know how much I¡¯ve helped you along the way? You can¡¯t do this little thing for me? It was true that Perserque was the one proposing ideas and making ns whenever Davey thought of something. If she was choosing to be like this, then¡­ ¡°Even if you kill a sick person, you kill them after treating them¡­¡± -What does that mean? ¡°It¡¯s a stupid promise that I won¡¯t be able to keep. Move. You might be affected.¡± The child who had been hiding his sex this entire time had his body in aplete mess. There was no way that he would be fine; his body had too much yang energy when he should be filled with yin energy. The yang energy that had been put inside him was suppressing the naturally made yin energy and distorting it. ¡®Wait, if I teach the Absolute Yin Yang Technique on this body, a monster will be created¡­¡¯ In truth, this child was closer to having no actual sex than being either a boy or a girl. The result of making a girl, who hadn¡¯t even hit puberty, absorb arge amount of yang energy to force her into being and living as a man had taken a huge toll on her life. Whoosh¡­ Just then, half of Davey¡¯s body began shining with holy power and the other half with devil mana. Although Davey hadn¡¯t learned about the Yin Yang Technique in detail, he could probably create something simr using holy power and devil mana. Voosh! Following the smooth movements of his fingertips, Davey made a symbol on top of the child¡¯s body. The energies then began to shine, harmonizing as they absorbed each other. Looking at the child moaning in pain with her eyes closed, Davey muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m making a monster or something.¡± -No way. ¡°You never know.¡± Davey slowly opened his eyes. Then, he forced all the harmonious power into the Son of Heaven¡¯s distorted heart. He said, ¡°Open your eyes. How can you sleep in this situation?¡± Boom!! This was effectively resuscitation. The defibritor that was made of mana hit the Son of Heaven¡¯s heart with force. To be exact, it was inserting yin and yang energies by causing shock to the dying heart and suppressing the power of the Rock Energy from going berserk. This was an extremely dangerous treatment method. A single mistake on Davey¡¯s part could kill the Son of Heaven. Thankfully, he had the experience of saving hundreds of thousands of people. The treatment was fast-acting; the Son of Heaven had woken up. Moaning in pain, she curled herself up into a ball. ¡°Kahh!!¡± ¡°Good?¡± As Perserque chuckled, Davey picked up the Son of Heaven who was staring into space. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah! What¡­ What are you doing?! Prince Davey!¡± ¡°Please sit tight, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± The Son of Heaven struggled to get free. She seemingly could not remember what had happened. Ignoring the Son of Heaven, Davey then used his devil mana to pick up Gellus. ¡®You didn¡¯t think vampires could be Undead?¡¯ Slowly putting his hand on his ear, Davey said, ¡°Rinne, let¡¯s start the test. Tell Annabelle to cast those debuffs like I said.¡± As Tanya relied heavily on her sight, Davey was going to take it away. Conversely, he would give the blind princess beside Tanya an illusion of being able to see. ¡®People are bound to grow when they¡¯re put into unexpected situations and ovee crises.¡¯ [Command epted. Elderbrain effectivelymunicatedmand.] After hearing the answer that he had been waiting for, Davey smiled eerily as he saw Gellus getting back up ording to his finger movements. He thought that Gellus would be even more effective in the test, since his appearance alone was enough to cause fear. ¡°Now, you will show hell to the five people taking the test in this forest. All you have to do is be the punching bag.¡± Davey dered that he was going to kill Gellus after making him suffer in every way he could, and he had to keep his promise. Chapter 248 86. Limits ¡°The forest is¡­too quiet¡­¡± Tanya murmured while shaking off the leaves that clung to her clothing. She realized that the forest had gone a tad bit too quiet. Tanya had heard quite a lot about the Bow Test even though most of them were vague descriptions. However, this was her first time participating in it. It had also been quite some time since shest entered the forest. From what Tanya had heard, they originally should have been given a challenge by the Mountain¡¯s Guardian Deity upon entering the forest. However, she had only seen mysterious fireflies that had been created by the Guardian Deity to lead the examinees so far. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Excuse me! Where are we going?!¡± Tanya shouted despite knowing that she would not hear any answers. She tried to catch her breath as she looked at the fireflies that guided her way in the forest. Despite her cries, the fireflies just continued to guide Tanya at the same leisurely pace. Only after quite some time did theye to a stop. Coming to a stop in front of a huge cave, Tanya peered inside and saw a gigantic figure. She gasped. ¡°A¡­ A bear?!¡± Inside the cave was a huge bear dozens of timesrger than any ordinary bear. When the fireflies disappeared with a swoosh, Tanya realized that the Bow Test had finally begun. ¡ªRoaaaar! Bang!!! Before Tanya could understand the situation, the bear had alreadyunched an attack. It bared its ws against the intruder who dared to step foot in its territory and showed great hostility. Bang!!! The bear smashed its front paws right where Tanya had been originally. ¡°Heup!¡± Tanya gasped. She was panicking from the huge bear¡¯s uncharacteristically fast movements. Thankfully, she had jumped away and avoided the attack in time. However, her blood ran cold the moment she realized that she would have been dead meat if she had reacted just a secondter. ¡ªGroooowl¡­ ¡°They clearly said that there wouldn¡¯t be any life-threatening risk during the Bow Test¡­¡± No matter how strict and important a test was, there would be absolutely no point if the participant simply died during the test itself. Tanya also found it strange that she had been guided to the resting ce of a huge mountain beast without experiencing any kind of trouble at all. ¡ªGroooooooowl¡­ Not long after, Tanya had no other choice but to move. She gulped dryly as she nocked an arrow on her bow and aimed for the slowly approaching bear. Tanya did not know if it would have a big effect on her enemy, but she could not ignore the possibility of dealing huge damage using the technique that her brother had taught her before. Besides, if she focused on swiftly avoiding the blows, she would have no way of fully realizing and understanding the technique. When humans were ced in a very dangerous and life-threatening situation, they tended to choose a path that was most familiar with them. Tanya crouched down and began to circte the mana in her body. [Wind, heed my call. Haste!] Once Tanya was done chanting, a light green energy appeared and wrapped around her legs. She kicked the ground beneath her feet while her hands pulled the strings of the bow without any hesitation. Tanya, who was aiming for the bear¡¯s eyes, immediately fired her arrow. Ping!!! Baaaam! However, the huge bear deflected the arrow with its front paws. It sessfully protected its eyes. No matter how tough the skin of a beast was, it would still be ripped apart and left bleeding from the attack of such a sharp arrow. Unfortunately, the bear appeared to have a steel-like hide. The arrow did not even leave a scratch on the bear. It only served to alert the bear of Tanya¡¯s position, so the bear began approaching her once again. ¡°Ugh!¡± Tanya cried out in shock. She immediately left her position while firing a couple more arrows at the huge bear. However, the results were no different from the first arrow. Tanya made a quick decision. She realized that she would not be able to directly confront the bear so easily, so she decided that it was better to avoid its sight for now. She was going to try to look for the perfect opportunity to deal with the bear instead of confronting it with her presence beingpletely exposed. However, the huge bear urately pinpointed Tanya¡¯s position. It gave a loud roar, showing no intention of leaving Tanya alone. ¡°Urk?!¡± Then, a loud zap rang loudly. It was apanied by a bright sh which blinded Tanya¡¯s vision. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaah¡­ Aaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!¡± Tanya screamed with a desperate expression on her face. The bright light was only momentary, but it had ced a huge strain on Tanya¡¯s vision. In just an instant, her situation changed. Losing her eyesight felt like losing everything. All Tanya could do was copse on the ground with one of her hands covering her eyes. She trembled. ¡ªGrrrrrrrrrrrrrr¡­ After losing her eyesight, Tanya¡¯s sense of hearing got to a whole new level. Her sharpened hearing picked up on the bear¡¯s approaching footsteps. Despite the bear¡¯s threatening approach, Tanya still could not move from her position. Upon losing their eyesight, the most frequently used sense, humans tended to easily panic. Tanya was going through this right now. Tanya was moaning and groaning with a nk expression, as if she had lost everything she held dear. Although not usually the case, for those who have mastered archery and were specializing in this skill that heavily relied on vision, the shock of losing their vision was extremely great. ¡ªRoaaaaaar!!! As the bear¡¯s roar resounded loudly once again, Tanya forced herself to stand up. Her expression was still nk and empty. Although she could not see anything, she had a feeling that the bear was aiming for her with its front paws. Ping!!! ¡ªGrrrrraaaaaaa!!! With another loud roar from the bear, Tanya felt someone grip the back of her shirt tightly and pull her back. ¡°Come back to your senses! Princess!¡± ¡°Aaaah¡­ Aaaaahhh¡­¡± The voice belonged to Princess Maria. Tanya wondered how the girl had gotten here especially when she had heard that the examinees would be sent to different locations. However, the question did not linger in Tanya¡¯s head for too long. All she knew was that she was very lucky and fortunate. After Princess Maria and Tanya left its territory, the huge bear left them both alone. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Fortunately, it is not following us anymore. This is not the test¡­ Something is wrong¡­¡± Maria murmured. Tanya, who was rubbing her eyes, burst into tears. ¡°Prin¡­ Princess Maria¡­ Sob¡­ Sob¡­ Eyes¡­ My eyes¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ I know that something has gone wrong here since I¡¯ve already experienced the Bow Test before.¡± ¡°Prin¡­ Princess Maria?¡± ¡°I¡­have suddenly gained my sense of sight¡­ It¡¯s weird¡­ This is too¡­¡± Princess Maria wasn¡¯t in the best situation either. Tanya was experiencing problems from losing her sense of sight, and Maria had simr problems with regaining her sight. ¡°Princess Tanya, I hope you can steel your heart. Something is wrong.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Originally, the examinees were not allowed to see each other. This is so they can prevent the examinees from harming or influencing each other,¡± Maria said calmly as she tapped the translucent red wall that blocked their escape to the outside world. ¡°And¡­there has never been an incident where they stopped the examinee from getting out like this¡­ They will fail the moment they cross over the barrier, but there has never been a case where the examinees had been locked up!¡± Maria expressed just how abnormal this entire situation was. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Something has happened here. And¡­this is not a test. This is a real life and death situation. Isn¡¯t the situation with the monster attacking you earlier proof enough, Princess?¡± ¡°A¡­ A monster¡­? The bear¡­?¡± ¡°A bear? Ha¡­¡± Maria scoffed as she sat down next to Tanya. ¡°Do you think a bear with mana at the master-level or perhaps even higher is a normal bear? Besides, did you not think that there was something strange there? Especially after you have lost your sight from its mysterious roars and that unknown sh of light, Princess?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaah¡­ What should I do¡­ What should I do?¡± Tanya, without her sight, was just a weak person. To be exact, she was just some kind of heavy baggage to be carried around. Her hands trembled as she groped blindly around, trying to find Maria. Finally finding Maria¡¯s hands after a while, Tanya held Maria¡¯s hands tightly and cried. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just too scared right now¡­¡± ¡°I understand. That¡¯s why¡­ Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s fine. Princess, just trust me. I will make sure to protect you.¡± ¡°Princess Maria¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends, right? We¡­ Even though we¡¯ll be in different ces since the Princess will go back home¡­ We¡¯re still friends. Because we¡¯re friends¡­ I will definitely protect you,¡± Princess Maria murmured bitterly. Compared to Tanya¡¯s dire situation, Maria could be said to be in a slightly better position. Unlike Tanya, who lost something that she initially had and was nowpletely blinded, Maria was in a situation where she could now see. At the very least, she was lucky to not be in a position where she could not even see an inch in front of her. ¡°Your loss of sight is most likely temporary, it will probably return to you soon. So, all we need to do is to avoid the attacks and endure for a while. At the very least, until things get sorted out outside¡­¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± Tanya held Maria¡¯s hands tightly with a bright smile, even though she still had tears in her eyes. She whispered, ¡°I should not be asking you tofort me¡­¡± ¡°I know how painful it is to lose your eyesight. I¡¯m fully aware. So, just trust me, Princess Tanya,¡± Maria mumbled with a nervous look on her face. She tapped several times on the red barrier. No matter how long she analyzed it, the only conclusion that she could get was that the barrier could not be broken down with their strength alone. ¡°However¡­ If the bear attacks this, then¡­¡± Perhaps it was possible. The thought shed in Maria¡¯s head. Although it was a bit dangerous, she still decided to take the gamble. *** ¡ªCan¡¯t you just leave them alone? Davey just shook his head at Perserque¡¯s question while saying, ¡°Just watch.¡± Davey believed that he still had to push his sister a bit harder. After all, people would only develop if they were ced in extreme situations. Although he felt sorry for Tanya, he was firm in his choice. He had to leave her without her sense of sight until the test was over. In fact, Tanya did not really lose her eyesight. To put it simply, she had been ced under an illusion magic. She was under the illusion that everything around her was dark. However, doing that alone was not enough. Davey had to induce a natural meeting between his younger sister, who had fallen into an embarrassing situation, and Princess Maria. He had to bring the two together so someone could protect his sister. ¡°Now, now¡­ You have to keep moving.¡± From what it looked like, Princess Maria seemed to have thought of using the half-dead corpse to solve the problem with the barrier. Unfortunately, Davey did not intend to let them do those things. The figure that had turned into a bear under Davey¡¯s illusion magic was actually Vampire Gellus¡¯ body. In Davey¡¯s eyes, Gellus looked the same. However, for the two people inside the test, Gellus looked like a gigantic bear. ¡°Well then. You¡¯ve had plenty of rest. It¡¯s time to put pressure on you once again.¡± If Davey kept on pressuring them and letting them go, the two girls would eventually be exhausted and reach their very limits. And Davey could not wait to see them break through those limits. Seeing Davey¡¯s vicious smile, Perserque could not help but frown. ¡ªAren¡¯t you going a bit overboard? That¡¯s still your little sister, no? ¡°She has to have enough power to protect herself even if she is without me. Besides, Tanya is a good seedling. So, I have to teach her whenever I can. Even if I have to be strict about it.¡± Tanya had already learned the technique from Davey. So, Davey had no choice but to force her to remember the things that he had taught her. Besides, a true teacher would not teach an extremely talented person how to fish. A true teacher should create and induce situations that would help their students think of ways to catch the fish and allow them to try it, a method that even a stupid stone could learn from. It was also a teacher¡¯s job to help their students realize and understand things that they had overlooked themselves. And Davey believed that he was a very good teacher. *** ¡°Haa¡­ Haaa!¡± Tanya, who was now out of breath, suddenly fell down after twisting her ankle. She screamed, ¡°Kyaaaaack!¡± ¡°Stand up, Princess Tanya! You can¡¯t fall down like this! We have to run!!!¡± Roaaaaar! Maria gritted her teeth. She could see the huge bear charging at them madly with a loud roar. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Princess Maria, I¡¯m already done for¡­ Please, leave me alone and go ahead!¡± Tanya cried loudly. Since she had lost her eyesight, she could not adjust at all. She couldn¡¯t even do something so simple like running. Aside from that, she could not even stand up as easily as before. Perhaps it was because she had just twisted her ankle. ¡ªGroooooooowl¡­ Eventually, the two girls who had mistakenly allowed the bear to reach their vicinity turned pale. ¡°N¡­ No¡­¡± Tanya murmured fearfully. Unlike Tanya, Maria remained calm. Despite furrowing her brows, she took a deep breath. She was trying to adapt and adjust to the eyesight that she had suddenly regained. ¡°Princess Tanya, listen carefully to me. You can do it even if you can¡¯t see. I¡¯ll buy you some time so¡­make sure to use that opportunity,¡± Maria said calmly. She quickly grabbed her bow and moved in front of Tanya to block her from harm¡¯s way. ¡°N¡­ No! Princess Maria¡¯s eyes are¡­!¡± ¡°I can see! And it¡¯s harder for me because I can suddenly see! But what can I do?! We have to survive first!!! You have to get a grip of yourself! Even if you have lost your eyesight, you can do it! So, just trust me¡­¡± Hearing Maria¡¯s uncharacteristically weak murmur, Tanya grabbed the shortbow hanging on her waist with trembling hands. Then, she gripped it tightly. She could feel the tight and strong tension in the bowstrings, which were the Beard of Vego that Maria had gifted to her. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll try.¡± Tanya, who gradually regained her calm, nodded lightly and closed her eyes. Chapter 249 Looking at them from a distance, the bear growled as if it would no longer approach them any further. It would only take action against them if they chose to attack it first. Princess Maria looked at the bear, who appeared to have some sort of will and ego, that was lying in wait for them. Thinking that the situation was now slightly better, she slowly tore the sleeves that covered her arms. Rip! Tanya, who was temporarily blind, turned towards the sound of cloth being ripped apart. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just trying to cover my eyes.¡± ¡°B¡­ But Princess Maria¡­¡± ¡°I know. I already know that this will have no effect.¡± Maria had originally been blind, but she could still sense her surroundings through some of her other senses. That was why no one found it strange that a blind girl like her could easily identify the things around her and find the things that she needed. The problem was that this special ability disappeared the moment she had regained her vision. This situation was simr to a person used to using their hands suddenly having tentacles instead. If that happened so suddenly, would it still be possible for the person to use those limbs as well? Of course, that would simply be impossible. Davey could very simply summarize Maria¡¯s special characteristic. It was a simple constitution where one could still feel their surroundings even if they were visually impaired. It was said that people with such a constitution often had special abilities. After seeing Princess Maria, that was exactly what Davey had told Tanya, his younger sister. It was a case where one would use force to see because they could not see through their eyes. Tanya did not know the exact details of the ability, but she was certain that ordinary blind people with blindfolds covering their eyes couldn¡¯t walk around without a cane in hand. ¡°What are you doing?! Raise your bow!¡± Although Tanya had told Princess Maria that she would try, she had no idea where to start and what to do. Upon hearing Maria¡¯s shout, she finally came out of her daze. Baaaaaang! Then, the sound of a thick branch breaking and crashing on the ground rang out. It was quickly followed by the huge bear¡¯s loud roar, which came from rather close to Tanya. ¡°Kyaaaack!¡± Tanya screamed as she trembled in fear. Maria, who was left in a poor condition, copsed on the ground next to Tanya. Even if she covered her eyes or closed them entirely, she could not feel the waves that she had been reliant on before. It was not that hard for her to control her vision, but no matter what she did, she just could not adjust and adapt to the distance that she could actually see in front of her. Maria was in a simr situation to someone who had lost their sense of depth and bnce from suddenly losing an eye. ¡°Maybe if I dig out my eyes¡­!¡± Thump!!! Eventually, Maria came to a rash and extreme choice. She quickly pulled out an arrow and aimed its glinting tip toward her eyes. However, the bear¡¯s attack was faster than her movements. The bear¡¯srge front paws mmed down and grazed against Maria, who rolled back several times from the heavy impact. ¡°Urk¡­ Ugh¡­!¡± Maria coughed up blood. She was in so much pain. It was as if her lungs had been pierced through. All she could do was look down at her now bloody chest. This was her first time seeing just how red blood was. ¡®This is the color of human blood.¡¯ With that one thought repeatedly shing across her mind, Maria instinctively moved around and avoided the attacks that came her way. Her sense of bnce and her perspective were thrown into aplete mess, and she struggled to concentrate now that she could finally see the world through her own eyes. ¡ªRoaaaaaaar!!! Princess Maria looked like she was ying around, rolling all over the ground to evade the huge bear¡¯s attacks. However, not long after, Maria vomited a mouthful of blood. She pressed her injured chest and shouted, ¡°Princess Tanya! Get a grip of yourself! I¡¯m not dead yet! Don¡¯t worry about me and just raise your bow and shoot!!!¡± Tanya flinched at Maria¡¯s loud cry. ¡°I will buy you some time. This guy¡¯s head is not as hard as we thought it to be¡­ However, our normal attacks won¡¯t work on his head,¡± Maria said. Maria¡¯s breath was ragged, but she kept on distracting the huge bear to take its attention away from Tanya. She yelled once again, ¡°That¡¯s why¡­you have to do it! Pierce its head with your arrow while I catch its attention!¡± Listening to Maria¡¯s shout, Tanya tightened her grip on her shortbow. Her hands trembled as she reached for one of the arrows that hung on her waist. ¡°Feel the wind, listen to the sounds, and sense the vibrations in the air. You can do it, right?!¡± That should be an impossible task, but both Tanya and Maria had outstanding archery skills which could allow them to push this very boundary. Yes, eyesight was the most important thing when it came to archery, but¡­ ¡°¡­I have to focus,¡± Tanya said, then exhaled a breath to release some tension. She kept her eyes closed as she raised her shortbow. The huge bear¡¯s roars and the sound of things constantly breaking and copsing rang loudly in her ears. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaack!¡± In the end, Maria failed to avoid one of the bear¡¯s attacks. Her scream rang all across the forest. Hearing Maria¡¯s scream, Tanya was overwhelmed by a sense of dire urgency. ¡®Wind¡­ The wind!¡¯ Tanya moved on reflex, her hands nocking an arrow and pulling the bowstrings tightly. She said desperately, ¡°Please!¡± Ping!!! ng!!! The arrow cut through the air and flew straight toward the huge bear. However, Tanya¡¯s sense of direction was a bit wonky. In the end, the arrow missed the bear¡¯s head and only managed to graze its shoulder. ¡°The arrow missed its head!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaah¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll draw its attention again!¡± Maria shouted loudly. With her eyes still tightly closed, she jumped on one of the nearby trees. It was incredible to see how flexible and agile she could be in that situation. Ping¡­ A light green energy wrapped around Tanya¡¯s fingertips. Then, with a light green sh, her arrow flew exactly to where the bear¡¯s head was. ¡°It¡­ It seeded?!¡± Maria shouted with her eyes wide open in shock. However, the huge bear was nowpletely focused on Tanya, the one who had shot the dangerous arrow. ¡°Princess! Dodge!!!¡± ¡ªRoaaaaaaaar! It was already toote for Maria to chase after the huge bear, which was charging at Tanya. Hearing Maria¡¯s urgent scream, Tanya snapped open her eyes. She gritted her teeth and rolled on the ground, trying to get away from the direction where she felt the bear wasing from. She had instinctively felt the impending crisis from the wind and vibration in the air. Meanwhile, the boy who was watching the two struggle fiercely against their opponent smiled quietly. [What do you think is the most important thing when ites to shooting arrows?] [Your vision?] [That¡¯s only half correct. True, your vision is important. However, using your eyesight to look at your target and shoot is something that even a fool can do.] [Then, what is it? Is it the wind?] [It¡¯s reading the mana in your surroundings. The wind and the vibration in the air are also important. However, if you want to be a true master-ss hunter and a master archer, you have to understand and see the flow and movement of mana.] [Hmm¡­] [A swordsman would condense their own mana to find their opponent¡¯s flow. This is the difference. Keep in mind that if a swordsman would arbitrarily create their own mana flow, the archers have to find this flow. From now on, I will shoot arrows at you. Close your eyes and avoid them by feeling the flow of mana.] [What if I can¡¯t avoid it?] [You won¡¯t really die, but you will feel pain that¡¯s worse than death.] The boy frowned slightly when the voice of the dog shit elf, God of Archery Apollo, who had taught him archery rang faintly in his head. Just like what his teacher had said, the first requirement to bing a master-ss hunter was being able to detect the flow of mana. Seeing Tanya holding her bow calmly while she tried to even out her breathing made the boy smile. He raised his hand and said, ¡°Tanya. Don¡¯t forget. The first thing that you have to do is to remain calm.¡± At the same time, the huge bear that was lunging toward Tanya pped the green-lit arrow away. It suddenly started to charge toward Princess Maria instead. Maria was as much of a genius as Tanya when it came to the art of archery. Just by taking away one of the senses that she heavily relied on, she was able to realize her shorings and began to reflect on them. Simply put, Maria was already beginning to adapt. The boy watched Maria, who was struggling with the huge bear, and Tanya, who was aiming her arrow at the bear. It did not matter if his voice would not reach Tanya or not. He was sure that Tanya already knew the words that he had previously said. ¡°Do you remember what this older brother of yours told you? Tanya, take a deep breath.¡± As if she had heard the boy¡¯s words, Tanya slowly fixed her posture and pulled her bow tightly while taking a deep breath. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡ª Then, a strong gust of wind began to condense at the tip of Tanya¡¯s arrow. ¡ªGoodness¡­ She¡¯s a child loved by the spirits! The priest of Hyeon Kingdom was certainly a powerful human being. From what they heard, none of his divinations had ever gone wrong. And it seemed like even hisst divination was no mistake. If Princess Maria became a genius in archery because of her special attribute, Tanya became one as she was a human child loved by the wind spirits. If she chose to be a Wind Elementalist, Tanya would surely be sessful. Ignoring Perserque¡¯s surprised cry, the boy continued to speak, ¡°Control the mana that¡¯s slowly rotating in your body and let it flow. Think of the bow as an extension of your body and follow the flow that your older brother had shown you before.¡± The mana flowing in Tanya¡¯s body gradually elerated and increased. The amount was nowpletely different from the basic amount of mana that was stored within Tanya. However, it seemed like Tanya did not notice it since she was so focused on what she was doing. Princess Maria forgot what she was doing. With wide eyes, she looked right at Tanya. Feeling the unexpectedlyrge amount of mana that began mixing with the wind, she said, ¡°Princess¡­Tanya?¡± ¡°Count to three in your head.¡± Tanya, who unknowingly followed the boy¡¯s murmurs, suddenly released her hold on the strings of the bow with her eyes still closed. She immediately retrieved two more arrows, nocking three in one go as she pulled the strings of the bow tightly once again. Twang!!! Then, she released the bowstring without any hesitation. [Strong Shot] Tanya heard that her older brother Davey did not name the technique. She knew that it had been given by the creator of the archery skill itself. The sudden gust of wind and the strong recoil forced Tanya¡¯s posture and form to falter. A sh of pale green light gathered the three arrows together and made them spin fiercely. Their target? The bear¡¯s head. Of course, the attack came in straight. This meant that the huge bear could also counterattack with its front paws. Baaaaaaang! The bear¡¯s arm, which could not be pierced through by any kind of metal earlier, was torn and twisted in an instant. It was as if it had been targeted by a drill. And of course, a bear with such a huge injury in its arms would not be able to react properly. Princess Maria was frustrated after seeing the bear bepletely aggressive and hostile toward Tanya. However, she could only stare at the following sequence of events with wide eyes. With her eyes closed once again, Tanya spun herself around and moved to the other side. She then took out two more arrows that seemed to be twice the size of her quiver. When she swiftly struck a stone nearby, sparks flew up and mes began to burn on the tip of her arrow. Crackle!!! Surprisingly enough, the metal on the tip of Tanya¡¯s arrow began to burn brightly. Despite the scene that brokemon sense and thews of nature, Tanya remained calm. She nocked both ming arrows and pulled the strings of her bow. And without taking a step back, she released her arrows toward the charging bear. [shy Shot] It was a mboyant and shy arrow strike. The huge bear ignored the arrow that flew in a strange manner, choosing to charge and attack Tanya head-on. However, it was a very fatal mistake. The arrow that the bear had chosen to ignore circled around and pierced its forehead from behind. Thud!!! Not long after, a huge explosion bloomed as the other shot pierced through the bear¡¯s nks. ¡°Haa¡­ Haaaa!¡± Tanya breathed roughly as she copsed to the ground in a heap. It seemed like she had been holding her breath all this time. At this moment, one of the two limits that an archer must break through to reach the level of a master archer had copsed. *** Davey watched the two girls, who looked at the cold body in fear, with a happy smile. The girls had ovee a huge ordeal. Only when Maria and Tanya left the scene did Davey appear right next to the body. He nced at the unmoving body below him and called out quietly, ¡°Fire Chicken.¡± The call was nonchnt and monotonous, but the response was shocking. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeck! As if it had been waiting for Davey¡¯s call, a gigantic bird suddenly appeared in front of Davey with zing mes that burned all around him. Fire Chicken, who was covered with zing mes, slowly extinguished its mes after showing off its mighty presence. It approached Davey and rubbed its beak on his hands. ¡°Would you like to have a sessor?¡± Fire Chicken tilted its head in confusion after hearing Davey¡¯s question. Instead of giving the bird a clear answer, Davey just chose to throw the talismans that he had retrieved from his Pocket ne in the air. This forest was a ce where the wind element was the strongest. That was why Davey thought that this was the best and easiest ce to summon that guy. Without any shred of hesitation, Davey manipted the talismans. At the same time, the fallen bear slowly turned into liquid, its form changing into that of a bizarre and twisted monster. This creature was none other than Gellus, the vampire whose heart had been taken away by Davey. The problem was that he no longer had his original appearance. He now looked utterly horrendous. Half of Gellus¡¯ body had melted while the other half got twisted and distorted. ¡°Ah. So, it has such a side effect.¡± Great power always came with a price. It seemed like this was the price that these bastards had to pay for recklessly dragging out their source of immortality and using it as they pleased. ¡ªGrrrrrrr¡­ You bastard¡­ You fucking bastard!!! Davey smiled at how the bastard wanted to try to attack him, since the bastard could not even stand up properly with his distorted body. Davey then said cheekily, ¡°You look like you have a lot to say.¡± ¡ªYou¡­ You wicked bastard!!! ¡°Wicked? Did you just say wicked?¡± Poof!!! Before Davey could even finish speaking, a dark red me burst free to engulf Gellus¡¯ entire body. ¡ªKeuhaaaaaaaack!!! ¡°What you wanted to do is far worse than what I¡¯m doing to you.¡± Gellus¡¯ face turned ugly when he heard the sarcasm dripping from Davey¡¯s voice. ¡°But don¡¯t worry. Your work here is done.¡± The Bow Test had beenpleted safely, and the other three participants had naturally failed the test. However, considering that the test was only done once every few years, the fact that both Tanya and Maria had passed the test was already a feat in itself. It could be said that this year¡¯s passing rate was high. ¡ªKghkk¡­ Davey ignored the man who was gritting his teeth from the pain that wracked his body. He chose to activate the talismans that he had thrown into the air. Then, he quietly dered, ¡°Born under my name, Imand you to show thyself, the one bestowed with the authority tomand wind and lightning.¡± At Davey¡¯s calm voice, the talismans that fell to the ground once again rose into the air. They began to rotate fiercely as if they had a will of their own. At the same time, a huge thunderstorm started to brew in the skies above Davey. ¡°Let¡¯s call you Rumble.¡± Rumble!!! As if it was protesting against Davey¡¯s naming sense, millions of lightning bolts fell from the thunderclouds above Davey¡¯s head. The birth of the Lightning Divine Beast Azure Dragon must always be apanied by heavy thunderstorms and huge lightning bolts. And the newly born azure dragon immediatelyined to Davey, because it was offended at the strange name that he had bestowed upon itself. How dare this blue lugwormin?! There was no way that Davey did not know what would happen next. Davey quickly took out a metal needle that he had prepared beforehand and stabbed it into Gellus¡¯ body. Crackle, crackle!!! The result was unsurprising. The tremendous amount of lightning that fell from the skies was quickly attracted to the lightning rod that Davey had stuck into Gellus¡¯ body. And that sudden surge of lightningpletely cut off the final breath that Gellus still had within him. ¡°We always encourage those who do good things and punish those who do bad things. Good. That¡¯s only natural. Fire Chicken, it¡¯s time to hunt for some lugworms! Go, bite!¡± Chapter 250 87. Brother, Why Did You Come Out From There? The Fire Divine Beast, the Vermillion Bird known as Fire Chicken, red at the thundercloud that was showing off its presence. Fire Chicken¡¯s father had clearly said that the being that was going to appear would be a lugworm on the same Divine Beast level as itself. But Fire Chicken was the spirit whose essence was that of zing mes! Its title was not all for nothing! Fire Chicken was not weak enough to be scared by a shy guy! It was someone who had survived its horrible and terrifying father! ¡ªKihyeeeeeee! Fire Chicken roared loudly, releasing the mes that it had suppressed in its body and showing off its grand presence. It was high time that it showed the arrogant rookie who was about to appear from the thundercloud the bitterness of life. Not long after, an extremely gigantic Azure Dragon emerged from the dark thunderclouds. The size of the new Divine Beast wasrger than what Davey had initially thought. It actually looked like tens, no, hundreds of meters in length. Its body was entirely covered in tough and sturdy blue scales that no de could possibly pierce through it. The gigantic Azure Dragon also had sharp fangs, probably capable of breaking steel apart with a single bite. In terms of appearance, the Azure Dragon was definitely muchrger than the other Divine Beasts. However, seeing the Azure Dragon¡¯s arrogant and grand appearance, Fire Chicken roared loudly and shot up to the skies. Like a firework being released, it grew bigger in size andpletely covered itself with zing mes. ¡®How dare you try to pretend to be cool and majestic in front of me? How dare you appear so huge when I am here? How dare you do something like that when your senior is here?! You have a senior in front of you, show some respect!¡¯ Anger and fury bubbled from deep within the Vermillion Bird, who had anger management issues. As if to show off that it was not diagnosed with that for no reason, the Vermillion Bird flew up with a loud roar and unleashed its anger. The first thing that it did was to m its body against the arrogant Azure Dragon, Rumble. It did not matter to Fire Chicken that they were both Divine Beasts. All that mattered right now was that it had to show the shy neer the bitterness of life and the harshness of the world. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaar!!! Of course, Rumble the Azure Dragon shrieked and staggered after being exposed to Fire Chicken¡¯s ultra burning mes. However, its reaction only drew more of the Vermillion Bird¡¯s ire. Fire Chicken raised its sharp ws and recklessly shed and wed at Rumble¡¯s scales. ¡®It¡¯s me! I am the greater Divine Beast!¡¯ Azure Dragon Rumble was flustered by Fire Chicken¡¯s behavior of showing off its power and not overpowering the other. Rumble might have just been born, but it could tell that it was a great Divine Beast too. It was an existence that had the authority and power to control the wind and the storm. Simply put, it was a very great existence. But as soon as it gained sentience, it had heard its damn father give it the measly and petty name ¡®Rumble¡¯. The Azure Dragon grew furious at this daring behavior. ¡ªRoaaaaaar!!! No other sound came out of its mouth. The Azure Dragon released a roar to show just how fierce and vicious it was, then nonchntly looked at the Vermillion Bird that was threatening it. However, it was impossible for the newly born Azure Dragon to ignore the power that the Vermillion Bird was showing off. After all, it was just starting to gather power. Finally feeling a sense of crisis from the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes, Rumble twisted its body and pushed the Vermillion Bird away. It opened its huge maw before a big shining bead appeared in the air. It immediately bit down on the shining bead. The huge shining bead was none other than the Cintamani Stone[1], the symbol of the Azure Dragon¡¯s power. Using the power stored in the Cintamani Stone, a surge of power burst out and gathered the storm clouds together. Then, strong winds began to blow fiercely, threatening to blow away all of the Vermillion Bird¡¯s mes. ¡®Even if it can growrger in size, a measly bird dared to go against me? Does it want to overwhelm me?¡¯ This thought shed in Rumble¡¯s head, but it was soon smashed to pieces. It could hear a calm voice ringing out in the area. ¡°My dear Fire Chicken, you like oil, right?¡± Fire Chicken, who was releasing its mes as if showing off that it was the better Divine Beast, flinched at the voice. It turned to look at the small human who was standing on the ground beneath them. The small human was the father who had brought them to life. However, even if that was the case, he was still just a mere human being. Rumble wondered why Fire Chicken was suddenly so agitated. Then, it suddenly saw an iprehensible emotion sh in the Vermillion Bird¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­From what I heard, eels are good for one¡¯s stamina¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a lugworm or an eel. Every part of an Azure Dragon¡¯s body is good for health. Do it well. Let¡¯s eat it and take care of our physical strength and stamina.¡± ¡®If that does not work, then I am left with no choice but to eat some chicken.¡¯ For some reason, the human¡¯s mumbling voice resonated clearly in the Azure Dragon¡¯s ears¡­ After realizing that it was in a strange situation, Rumble tried to step down and carefully retreat. This waspletely unlike its personality, but¡­ ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeee!!! The panicked Fire Chicken soared to the skies and started to turn around in a circle, burning everything in its wake. Dozens of ming rings appeared in the skies and quickly targeted Rumble. This was all ording to Fire Chicken¡¯s will. Rumble had no time to avoid the rapid attack. Crack!!! The ming rings were like solid iron cords, shrinking swiftly and tying Rumble up. ¡®Huh? This is not it? It¡¯s already toote to try something like that.¡¯ Rumble widened its eyes in shock when Fire Chicken soared to the skies and turned into a miniature sun. Crackle!!! For the first time in Rumble¡¯s life¡­ For the first time using its Divine Beast¡¯s power, it was beingpletely overwhelmed by the other. It fell to the ground helplessly. In just an instant, the majestic Azure Dragon fell down and copsed on the ground. ¡ªGrrrrrrrrr¡­ Despite being ced in this ridiculous situation, Rumble was still able to twist its body and raise its head arrogantly. That was when it saw a little girl taking out a huge cauldron and pouring some kind of mysterious liquid through a hose. It also saw an expressionless elven girl who was chopping some mysterious vegetables with a ck de. ¡°Rinne highly values grilled eel. Making soup is analyzed to be inefficient and poorly valued.¡± [Elder Brain, Annabelle emphasizes that it¡¯s an Azure Dragon and not an eel. Annabelle evaluates you poorly. Pfft.] Annabelle giggled despite her expressionless face. And for the first time, Rinne¡¯s face showed a sh of emotion before returning to her usual expressionless face. However, what she chose to say next clearly told everyone just how she was feeling inside. ¡°Rinne suggests having a match that will take off your rank. Rinne will make sure to beat you up.¡± Annabelle quickly ran away after seeing Rinne pick up a crowbar and try to attack her. Rumble followed Annabelle with its eyes, seeing her run to hide behind a boy. It recognized that the boy was none other than the father who had brought itself into the world. Although the boy was Rumble¡¯s parent, he was just a mere human. And a human was a measly being who could hardly do anything. Of course, it was fully aware that Divine Beasts like itself were beings born from a human¡¯s desires. There was no doubt in Rumble¡¯s mind that the boy had excellent qi. It¡¯s just¡­ Why did its father have to be a measly human being, right? However, at that moment, Rumble felt a strange sense of fear encroach its body as itid eyes upon the human. ¡°Hmm¡­ What''s the temperature at? Its meat is going to be tough, so it¡¯s better to cook it at a higher temperature, right?¡± Rumble could not figure out who its father was talking to. Davey looked at Rumble with a bright grin on his face. He asked, ¡°What should we do, huh?¡± Even an idiot would realize what Rumble¡¯s father was talking about. He was thinking of cooking Rumble up and turning him into soup. ¡°Rinne, once the water boils, make sure to get some wild beast meat toplement our eel,¡± Davey said calmly as he slowly approached to rub the top of the Azure Dragon¡¯s nose. However, Rumble had already copsed on the ground. Its muscles had turned stiff and it could no longer budge even if it wanted to. This situation was simr to a prey stiffening up after having encountered an overwhelmingly strong predator. Although the Azure Dragon was just born, was a Divine Beast like itself not able to even struggle against such a weak human? Was all the knowledge that it had gained upon birth wrong? Rumble, pitiful as it may be, still struggled. Unfortunately, no matter how much it struggled, the ming rings around it did not budge. It continued to be bound ufortably. Fully understanding its situation now, Rumble was suddenly seized with great fear for the very first time. It felt the fear of being eaten. ¡®Please! Please let me go!¡¯ ¡ªKyaaaaaaaaaack!!! In the end, Rumble screamed out in fear. It tossed its arrogance aside and was asking Fire Chicken, a fellow Divine Beast, for help. Although they had started to fight upon Rumble¡¯s birth, they were both Divine Beasts. Rumble thought that the Vermillion Bird would help. However¡­ ¡ªWhineeee¡­ Rumble¡¯s expectations werepletely overturned after witnessing Fire Chicken¡¯s next actions. Fire Chicken, who breathed zing mes and exerted tremendous power that could make even Rumble nervous, immediately extinguished the fire that covered its body and revealed its stomach. Acting like a docile and cute puppy, it rubbed its beak against the human¡¯s hands. This was the perfect example of the weak bowing its head to the strong. Not long after, Fire Chicken looked right at Rumble with a triumphant expression. It appeared to be saying that Rumble should learn from its example. ¡°My dear Rumble, you have quite a fierce personality, huh?¡± Rumble¡¯s father stroked the top of Rumble¡¯s nose and petted it. After that gentle scolding, Rumble watched as his father pulled out a bright red sword. Upon seeing the sword, Rumble widened its eyes in surprise and dropped its jaw wide open. Its gaze began to tremble, and everyone present could feel its fear. ¡®Dangerous! That¡¯s a really dangerous de!¡¯ Although Rumble had such thoughts, his father just swung the bright red sword nonchntly. It was as if the weapon was no big deal to him. ¡°Are those ears working? Can you hear me or not, huh?!¡± sh!!! At the same time, Rumble¡¯s pride and joy, his beard, was slightly cut off. After realizing that its beard that was harder than metal had easily been cut off, Rumble widened its eyes even more. ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m sorry. I identally cut your beard. Well, it¡¯s fine, it will just grow back. This time, I¡¯ll make sure not to make a mistake. I will just threaten you, threaten,¡± Rumble¡¯s father murmured with a soft smile. By now, Rumble¡¯s instincts were driving it mad. Its instincts were telling the Azure Dragon that its father was very, very dangerous. It did not take too long for Rumble to realize that it could not possibly fight against this one human. Otherwise, that dreadful and horrifying sword would cut it down and decapitate its head! Looking at how Rumble trembled with fear, Davey said, ¡°Oh? Our dear Rumble is foaming at the mouth? For a Divine Beast, Rumble¡¯s guts is too weak¡­ Tch, tch.¡± Rumble foamed at the mouth and passed out. *** ¡°Davey is bad at threatening. Rinne rmends that you train harder.¡± ¡°They¡¯re very precious. If I scare them any more than that, they¡¯ll be reserved and withdrawn,¡± Davey responded calmly as he looked at the unconscious Rumble. Then, he pondered deeply. ¡®From what I heard, eels are really good for one¡¯s stamina¡­ If it¡¯s the Divine Beast Azure Dragon, then¡­ We¡¯ll get a lot of supplements since it¡¯s huge in size.¡¯ ¡ªMy goodness! Are you really thinking of making it into a supplement for your stamina? After hearing Perserque¡¯s frightened shout, Davey nodded calmly and said, ¡°A good thing is a good thing¡­ Should we close one eye and slice off a bit of its body?¡± After swinging Red Ribbon around, Davey could feel the unconscious Rumble flinch slightly. This brought him great satisfaction. Then, he wiped the smile off of his face and turned to look at Fire Chicken. He said, ¡°After this guy wakes up, head over there to meet the stone giant. Unlike you guys, the stone giant absorbs the power of nature. Share your power with him so that he wouldn¡¯t copse.¡± Davey believed that Rumble was frightened enough to fully cooperate with him. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck! Fire Chicken, who knew that it would be a chicken dish if it dared to defy Davey, pped its wings without any hesitation. ¡°Well then. All three nations should have post negotiations since this matter has already been dealt with.¡± The problems of the Hyeon Kingdom should be dealt with by the Hyeon Kingdom. However, Davey still had topletely rip off an arm or a leg from the Ming Kingdom. And the decision should be made by the child, the Son of Heaven, who was lying asleep in this ce. As for the Hyeon King, he had been watching the situation from beginning to end. He had witnessed Davey¡¯s show of force. This time, he was not only witness to the results but also to the reality of the matter. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Your Majesty, the King?¡± Davey smiled while taking out a crystal ball. He could see the King looking back at him with a stiffened expression. ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey¡­¡± The King sounded rather stunned from the other end of the crystal ball. ¡°I saved your Guardian Deity and even allowed your test to run smoothly to its end. Since I cleared up the situation where it could be used as a pretext for war, I believe thepensations and rewards that I should receive should not be small.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I have no intention of leaving your kingdom staggering. After all, I do not wish to go to war with you over this. I simply wish to foster harmony between our two kingdoms.¡± In the first ce, if Hyeon Kingdom genuinely cared about Tanya, the Rowane Kingdom, including Davey, would have wholeheartedly given their support to them. But¡­ Unfortunately, this was their situation. ¡°What¡­do you want?¡± ¡°I will tell you in detail during our negotiations. But it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to tell you about this now. What I want is one third of this forest. And¡­¡± Davey muttered as he looked in the direction where Tanya and Maria had disappeared to. He added, ¡°A hostage.¡± After all, Davey¡¯s younger sister did not have any friends back home. 1. a wish-fulfilling bead, the source of a dragon¡¯s power ? Chapter 251 This was always the result whenever a huge dispute, which could have turned into an international issue, came to an end. The atmosphere surrounding the three nations became rather subtle. In fact, rumors about what had happened were already circting in the other kingdoms. However, all of that was none of Davey¡¯s concern. ¡°Look, Prince Davey. No matter what, this is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, it¡¯s entirely up to you.¡± Unless the circumstances were dire or unique, it was truly impossible to transfer a part of one nation¡¯s territory to another. There had actually been cases where two nations would end up sharing diplomatic ties after having fought for tens and even hundreds of years for the ownership of a simple ind. This situation did not involve a small ind but a part of the Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s huge forest. This was the very forest that the kingdom used for their Bow Test. It was a very sacred ce to them. No matter how dire their circumstances were, they would find it ridiculous to have to give it up. In fact, Davey would have been disappointed if the Hyeon King had willingly epted his demands. ¡°I understand your concerns. I know that it¡¯s difficult to ept, regardless of me having resolved a dire situation for your kingdom. Anyway, I am not threatening you or demanding that part of the forest,¡± Davey said. Looking right into the King¡¯s widened eyes, he continued, ¡°I do not want to drag this matter out and have it be an international issue. So, I¡¯m not asking you to hand a part of the forest over and give it to the Rowane Kingdom.¡± ¡°What¡­do you mean by that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better for you to see for yourself,¡± Davey said as he got up from his seat. Vwooong!!! With a wave of Davey¡¯s hand, the space in front of everyone present distorted. He had cast a simple spatial movement magic. ¡°Heup!¡± Everyone looked at Davey in surprise. Davey said calmly, ¡°Would you like to see the situation for yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty! This is dangerous! Magic like this did not receive the approval and recognition¡­!¡± ¡°Stop! Enough. Eunuch, if Prince Davey wanted to harm me, then this nation would have already turned into ashes. Besides, I should go check it out myself.¡± ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Do not mention anything further,¡± the King dered in his dragon robe and crown. He stood up from his throne as if he had made up his mind. He soon followed Davey into the spatial crack. With a single step, their surroundings entirely changed. The royal pce and the sacred forest were not that far away from each other, and spatial movement magic was not difficult to cast. Besides, not a lot of people had followed Davey and the King. Only a few of them had decided toe along. ¡°Heup!¡± ¡°Th¡­ This!¡± From all directions, shocked and astonished voices could be heard. Everyone was staring at the changed surroundings in disbelief. Spatial movement magic circles weremonce in this continent. This was all thanks to the existence of mana gates, which had been installed all throughout the continent. Still, it was very surprising for everyone to see an individual open and close spatial cracks to go wherever they wanted to at will. This was something that brokemon sense. Not long after, the Hyeon King and the officials who were escorting him looked at the magnificent view that appeared in front of them with wide eyes. ¡°Gua¡­ Guardian Deity!¡± ¡°My goodness!¡± What greeted them was the forest¡¯s Guardian Deity, who was curled up like a mountain and had eyes glinting with a red light. They could also see the chains of an unusual color binding the Guardian Deity, and the two beings stabilizing it with their mysterious and incredible aura. The two beings also looked ready to subdue the Guardian Deity the moment it decided to run amok. ¡°My god!¡± ¡°This¡­ These beings¡­¡± The Divine Beasts looked majestic and noble to everyone present. The Vermillion Bird stood there with mes covering its huge body. As for the Azure Dragon, it had its eyes closed and its long body all coiled up. ¡°That¡­ That?!¡± ¡°Oh my god! Aren¡¯t they the Dragon and the Phoenix?!¡± It was true that the Vermillion Bird resembled a Phoenix and that the Azure Dragon looked simr enough to a traditional-looking Dragon. It was natural for everyone else to react to the Divine Beasts in such a way, since they had never seen them personally. They only knew of the beasts from ancient books and fairy tales. The King had witnessed everything from before, so he was more nervous than surprised. He was obviously terrified of the Divine Beasts that were standing in front of him. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeeeck! Not long after, Fire Chicken pped its huge wings. It showed off its great momentum and presence. Of course, Fire Chicken did not forget to re sharply at Rumble the Azure Dragon as if it was scolding the new Divine Beast. ¡ªGrrrrrrrrrrrr¡­ Perhaps it had been taught a great lesson earlier on, because Rumble was quick to raise itself up after seeing Fire Chicken¡¯s re. It no longer stayed on the ground rigidly. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaaaar!!! Then, Rumble also released its overwhelming momentum. In fact, it constantly stole nces at Davey; this was how effective its early education had been. Davey could also see that Fire Chicken had done a good job of teaching Rumble how to behave. He thought that perhaps he should catch a delicious bear next time and cook a very special meal for it. ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey¡­ What in the world are you¡­?¡± ¡°The two of them are not the main focus. Look closely,¡± Davey said calmly. ¡°He has already lost a lot of power. It will take at least a hundred years for him to regain his strength. If he can¡¯t do that, then he would not be able to maintain his reason and sanity.¡± Davey¡¯s words silenced the king. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The Monstrous Rock Giant nodded at Davey¡¯s question. ¡ªThat¡¯s¡­right¡­ The¡­power left in this body¡­is not enough to maintain my sanity¡­ ¡°Currently, the power of the two Divine Beasts are seeping through his body and maintaining his sense of reason. That means the Guardian Deity will go berserk once they leave,¡± Davey exined. As the King remained silent, Davey then asked, ¡°Let¡¯s get this done with. Shall we withdraw?¡± ¡°¡­¡± If Davey withdrew, the Monstrous Rock Giant would immediately lose his sense of reason and run wild. On the other hand, if the Divine Beasts periodically supplied the rock giant with their powers, the Hyeon Kingdom would be able to look for other opportunities and methods to maintain his sanity and regain his strength. However, they had to pay a price for that. ¡°If those two retreat, the power that protects the Guardian Deity would disappear. He will not be able to maintain his sanity since he is not from this world.¡± Based on Davey¡¯s experience, all of the beings that came from another world would cause catastrophes upon losing their sanity. Even if the Monstrous Rock Giant had partially recovered, he was still not a being who hailed from the Tionis Continent. Now, the choice was the Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s. Would they want to maintain the current situation and aim for the kingdom''s survival? Or would they choose to handle the changes that would happen on their own? The answer to those questions should not be given lightly. ¡°G¡­ Guardian Deity¡­ Are the words that he said¡­true?¡± The King asked with a quavering voice. The rock giant turned quiet and bowed his head. ¡ªI¡¯m sorry¡­my King¡­ I have been deprived of all of my power by a corrupt and ugly being¡­ ¡°How can that¡­?¡± ¡ªThe power already has an owner¡­and it will not be able to return to me¡­ That¡¯s why you should¡­kill me, King¡­ Kill me¡­ I have no future anymore¡­ ¡°I cannot do that. You are our Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s indispensable Guardian Deity.¡± ¡ªI am just repaying the grace that I¡¯ve received in the past¡­ Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s first King had shown me mercy¡­and allowed me to build my strength¡­ So¡­I am willing to trade my life to keep the promise that we made. The Monstrous Rock Giant had promised to be the Guardian Deity of the people of Hyeon. ¡°You did nothing wrong¡­ This is all my fault. If only I had found out about this sooner¡­¡± The King muttered with his fists tightly clenched. Slowly approaching the rock giant, he ced a palm on its body and said, ¡°During this time¡­ You have done a lot for our Hyeon Kingdom. However, all of the previous Kings of our kingdom were wary of the danger and threat that you pose.¡± The King continued with a sigh, ¡°The people of Hyeon Kingdom should no longer be divided. This King will make sure to work hard to rally everyone under the same banner. Just take care of yourself. This time, our Hyeon Kingdom¡­will be the one to save you.¡± Turning to look at Davey, he asked quietly, ¡°Prince Davey, do you have any other demands?¡± ¡°A hostage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey¡¯s choice of words was quite difficult to swallow, but the King still nodded quietly. A momentter, the King said, ¡°I understand why you want the forest, but it is not like our Hyeon Kingdom has surrendered to the Rowane Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°Do you want me to make you surrender?¡± Davey asked in a yful manner. Greeted by the King¡¯s silence, he continued, ¡°Well. If you agree, I¡¯ll be sure to send them back in a few years at the longest. I don¡¯t necessarily need a hostage. In a situation like this, there should be a public disy ofpensation. Since we don¡¯t have any problems on this side, we can just say that they will be a temporary hostage on the outside. If you can¡¯t manage this, then¡­ I¡¯ll just retract this requirement.¡± ¡°¡­No. Considering the problems that will ariseter, it¡¯s better to continue on with this agreement.¡± Politics was slightlyplicated. Even a prince who lived outside of the royal pce would not be guaranteed of their life. This would be a deal between Davey and the Hyeon King, but there was nothing better than having a hostage to prevent external interference. It would also shut the mouths of whoever wanted them to stop maintaining the Monstrous Rock Giant. ¡°If it won¡¯t be a problem, then I would like to take Princess Maria, Her Highness Consort Hye¡¯s child.¡± ¡°May¡­I ask the reason why you¡¯ve chosen her?¡± The King asked carefully. Davey answered rather insensitively, ¡°Tanya needs a friend.¡± *** Davey was able to locate the ancient ruins where most of the vampires hid. He was surprised by how close it actually was and hade with Rinne. The ancient ruins were located in a canyon just on the outskirts of the forest. Aside from having consistently strong winds, the site itself was located underground and had an extremely wide area. It was the remains of a high-level and revolutionary civilization of about ten thousand years old. Although the inside had been renovated to suit the vampires¡¯ taste, most of the interior had still been kept in its original form. This was because they were made from a very unique and unusual stone that could not be easily destroyed. Finally arriving at the ce where the vampires had been staying for a long time, the pink-haired woman who followed Rinne and Davey murmured, ¡°You trust me?¡± ¡°Trust you? Vampires cannot be trusted, so do you think I will trust you?¡± Davey did not even feel the slightest bit of pity for the vampires. As long as they were hostile to him, he would never trust a single vampire. ¡°But you epted my offer.¡± Although he had heard the entric vampire Milpieu¡¯s words, Davey continued to walk leisurely inside the ancient ruins. Milpieu was only half vampire, but she still had a lot of power. Most of the vampires had been annihted. No, to be exact, all of the vampires were dead except for the woman walking behind Davey. If that was the case, could it be said that Davey had exterminated the entire vampire race? Unfortunately, these ancient ruins were just one of the many ruins that the vampires were using as a hideout. ¡°If I installed a trap here, then¡­¡± ¡°You installed a trap? Just you?¡± Davey said as he turned to reveal a vicious smile on his face. Rinne immediately kicked the back of Milpieu¡¯s knees, forcing her to kneel down. She then pressed Milpieu¡¯s head down on the ground. ¡°Ugh¡­ Your physical strength is¡­getting stronger¡­ So, this is the golem transnted with the¡­Deus Ex Machina (The God of Machinery)¡­ Interesting.¡± Despite her life being at risk, Milpieu¡¯s curiosity about Rinne did not waver. ¡°Rinne senses the desire for dissection. Rinne¡¯s emotional circuits are cooling down. Rinne finds this sensation to be rted to unpleasantness.¡± ¡°Show me¡­just a bit. Let me look¡­ Let me just look at the heart. Just let me sketch one.¡± ¡°Rinne deres refusal,¡± Rinne answered coldly. With her expression alone, she was asking Davey if she could deal with the vampire in front of her. ¡°Stop using those useless provocations. Don¡¯t forget the position that you are in,¡± Davey said harshly. Milpieu smacked her lips in regret, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Milpieu had guided both Davey and Rinne to the bottom-most floor of the ancient ruins where arge mural had been painted. For some reason, Davey found the ce to be empty after seeing how itcked the vampire¡¯s unique decorations and items from the other floors. He looked around and muttered, ¡°Hmmm¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything special here.¡± The mural seemed ordinary without a shred of mana circting around it. However, it was the only thing that stood out from the minimal vampire decorations here. ¡°It might be a simple mural, but we can clearly smell the stench of blood inside. There¡¯s definitely a space behind it. However, my own kind did not open this ce. Those who tried eventually went crazy¡­ I think it¡¯s from the strange energy that¡¯s circting around it. It¡¯s very interesting. I want to check inside and study it.¡± ¡°You want to use me?¡± ¡°I always wee the opportunity to research something interesting with open arms. Even if it¡¯s at the risk of my own life.¡± Davey already knew that the pink-haired woman in front of him was crazy. He had known it from the very beginning. ¡°Rinne believes she can interpret the ancient ruins,¡± Rinne said, asking Davey for permission. ¡°Go on, you can try it.¡± Davey nodded. After touching the walls, Rinne¡¯s eyes shed. Countless letters appeared and circted in her eyes a momentter. She said, ¡°Starting interpretation. Rinne expresses her interest in this.¡± Rinne¡¯s abilities were rted to interference, interpretations, and reconstruction. With her great abilities, she was doing well in the interpretation. That meant that whatever was hidden in this wall would be¡­ ng!!! Everything happened in an instant. ¡°Urk¡­ My goodness¡­¡± Before Davey could even register the interpretation of the mural, his abdomen was pierced through by a white hand. Thankfully, he had pushed Rinne out of the way in time. He had unhesitantly reacted based on instinct alone. Davey frowned at the direct attack. His body had been pierced through even though he was wearing a defensive weapon that could block Aura des. To break through his defense, the enemy needed to be on his level or higher. The attack was a fatal one. Thankfully, Davey had undergone metamorphosis once, so such a fatal injury would not be able to kill him easily. Although Davey was aware that everything within these ancient ruins were not normal, he could tell that the main problemy elsewhere. Even Milpieu, who was standing behind them, was very shocked by the unexpected sequence of events. Not long after, the entire mural copsed. Slowly, ever so slowly, the man who had struck Davey with his arm emerged from the wall. With his appearance, a bloody red glow washed over Davey. ¡°Crazy.¡± For the first time in forever, Davey felt shocked and flustered. ¡®No. Brother, why did youe out from there?¡¯ Chapter 252 88. Do Not Impersonate Someone¡¯s Teacher Baaaaaang!!! It was not easy for anyone present to respond to the mysterious being who had appeared with a loud roar. It was because the man¡¯s presence had not triggered any of their senses. In fact, Davey, Rinne, and Milpieu had not done much in this ce. All they had done was touch, inspect, and investigate the mural, which smelled like blood ording to Milpieu¡¯s testimony, using Rinne¡¯s power. No, perhaps it was because of Rinne¡¯s actions that such a sequence of events had been triggered. ¡ª¡­ The purple-haired giant had appeared with a sh of bloody red light. He looked at Rinne and Milpieu, then immediately crouched down in preparation to charge forward. Milpieu widened her eyes. She immediately jumped forward and pushed Rinne away. She screamed, ¡°My research material!!!¡± Thwaaaaaack!!! The giant threw his fist forward swiftly, aiming for Rinne once again. However, he ended up hitting Milpieu instead. ¡°Kghhhhk!!!¡± Milpieu groaned. Curled up into a ball due to the impact, she flew helplessly toward the walls. She did not even have the power to resist. Perhaps she had only been able to intercept the attack because of a sudden boost of power after seeing her precious research material in harm¡¯s way? It had been a very dangerous attack that not a single one of them had effectively reacted to. However, it was precisely because of that that Rinne¡¯s life had been twice saved with the help of the others. Of course, Milpieu was in a terrible condition after having thrown herself in harm¡¯s way to protect Rinne. Her entire lower body had disintegrated, leaving only her upper body stuck on the wall. She was just twitching on the wall as if she was unable to recover and regenerate her own body. ¡°Overwhelming physical strength¡­ Un¡­ Unable to recover¡­ In¡­ Interesting,¡± Milpieu uttered funnily. Although she was close to death, Milpieu still mumbled about her research. However, it had to be known that a vampire would not die easily even after sustaining such grave injuries. ¡°Rinne¡­evaluates this very lowly.¡± Having been saved twice now, Rinne¡¯s self-esteem and pride had seemingly been affected. For the first time, her expression began to change. Her blue eyes also slowly turned red, as if they were heating up. ¡°Rinne¡¯s emotional circuit is heating up. Reaching their limits. Rinne states this as the state of reaching maximum anger,¡± Rinne murmured through clenched teeth. The changes in her facial expression were minute, but this truly was the first time that Rinne had a different expression from her otherwise usually expressionless face. Not long after, the bloody giant turned away from Milpieu to look at Rinne. Noticing that, Rinne silently raised one of her hands. Vwoooooooong¡ª Particles of light appeared above Rinne¡¯s hands to create the shape of a cube. At the same time, a red light slowly appeared on her chest before spreading across her entire body. Then, a voice that was different from Rinne¡¯s usual voice rang out, ¡°Rinne¡­ Overlimit. Unfolding the Great Demonic Dragon Extermination form.¡± ¡°Stop.¡± At that moment, an arm popped out from the unending darkness, a darkness where no one could see an inch ahead, to grab the giant¡¯s head. It stopped the giant from further crouching down to charge at Rinne. ¡°Sir Davey!!!¡± Rinne cried out to Davey, who had stopped the giant, in surprise. However, Davey just silently dragged the giant into the Abyss. He had a nk and expressionless look on his face. Rinne, who had raised her machine heart to its limit, had no choice but to sit nkly and stare at the Abyss for a very long time. *** The unending darkness truly did not allow one to see through its depths. Simply to try to see whateverid ahead of him in this never-ending darkness, Davey was using all of his senses and pushing his sensitivity to the limit. Davey then ced his hand on his injured abdomen. He could feel a terrible pain coursing through his entire body, but he did not have the time to scream or groan. [Highness Heal] The pain that Davey felt slowly went away after he had circted holy mana within his body and cast holy magic. It seemed like the source of magic was not blocked in this dark hell where even the light of the Highness Heal could not be seen. However¡­ ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ Davey¡¯s holy mana, although not blocked, did notst long and soon scattered into nothingness. In other words, the use of magic in this space did notst long. Fwoosh¡­ Fwoosh¡­ After falling into the darkness for quite some time, Davey finally moved and slowly turned his head. This was his first time experiencing total pitch-ck darkness. Perhaps Ultima, the pinnacle of dark magic that could erase light, had been cast over this ce? The darkness even ate away at the light magic that Davey had cast. In fact, he still could not see even after casting Dark Eyes. The darkness was also affecting more than just Davey¡¯s vision. He could not hear nor feel anything, and this caused his entire body to be extremely sensitive and tense. It was definitely a space that brought one¡¯s emotions and senses to the limit. This ce was obviously the ce that Perserque had mentioned before¡­the Abyss. Here, even God¡¯s light would be devoured. The Abyss, unlike a ck hole that pulled the particles of light via gravity, erased light. It was simply a ce with no light at all. If one fell down in a ce like this, there would be no way for them to know their right and left or even their up and down. It was literally like a prison. Then¡­ Vwoooooong¡ª Davey felt the soft touch of something small amidst this wrecked mess. ¡ªDavey, listen. Do not believe your senses in the Abyss. In fact, do not believe any of the words I say either. Nothing could exist in the Abyss. ¡ªHowever, I will protect you. Compared to the things that you have done for me¡­ This much is nothing. Perserque sounded like she was ready to sacrifice something. Her voice began to grow clearer in Davey¡¯s ears, and the rest of his senses also started to exhibit changes. Although she never intended to be such an existence, Perserque was born as the Dark Lord of the Abyss. In other words, the Abyss was a very familiar ce for her. Gradually, figures began to appear in Davey¡¯s vision. Even though everything was still ck and dark, at the very least he could see some sort of blurry figures in front of him now. That was when Davey saw the figure of a giant aiming for Rinne over the hole that was located on an incline not too far away from him. He was also able to witness how Milpieu had pushed Rinne away to take on the punch to sustain a fatal injury in exchange. Perhaps that was the reason. For the very first time, Rinne was showing emotion on her face and her body was exhibiting changes. Davey did not know what was happening with Rinne, but his instincts were screaming at him that it would be dangerous to let her change into whatever that was. Baaaaaaaang!!! After that, Davey instinctively moved before his thoughts could even catch up. He stomped on the ground, mercilessly snatched the head of the purple-haired giant, and said firmly, ¡°Stop.¡± Davey had never allowed Rinne to bring destruction upon herself. With a frown, Davey turned to look at the purple-haired giant who he was dragging away from Rinne. Since his opponent had dared to blow a hole in his body, then he should be prepared for the consequences of his actions. If Davey were to be honest, he would admit that he truly could not believe what he was seeing. No matter how different the giant looked, there was no way he would mistake the unique and mysterious energy that he was sensing from the giant. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Hercules had been one of the two strongest people in the Hall. When all of the other heroes would simply be knocked down by Rho Aias¡¯ strongest dark magic, he would be the only one who could remain standing. He had been a monstrous superhuman who could endure such a powerful attack with his bare body. Hercules, instead of teaching Daveybat skills, had been the only hero who had taught him survival skills and simple physical strengthening. In fact, Hercules¡¯ origins had been every bit unclear to Davey. They said that, over time, unpleasant feelings would slowly be pleasant through nostalgia. Davey had stayed with the heroes for a very long time and most of them had told him a lot about themselves. He had been told facts like the ces that they hade from and the kind of lives that they had lived before. However, out of all the heroes, Hercules had been the only one who was different. All Davey knew about him was that he had been the oldest person in the Hall as well as the fact that his power and force had been beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. Those two were the only things that he knew. Why had Hercules arrived in the Hall? And why was it that he had been known to specialize in survival skills? However, this was the most important question: which continent had hee from? It was unclear to Davey if Hercules had been from the Tionis Continent or not. ¡ªGet your senses together! He¡¯s not the man who you know of! Hearing Perserque¡¯s cry, Davey snapped out from the spiral of his thoughts that his confusion had caused him. Right after that, he immediately twisted his body. Booooooooom!!! Perhaps he was still suffering from the after-effects of his previous injury and reeling from theck of senses from earlier on. Davey could not move in the way that he wanted to. Due to that reason, the purple-haired giant who appeared to be Hercules could grab Davey by the head and m him face down on the ground. Even though Davey felt like the back of his head was about to break apart, he did not even let a scream slip past his lips. The heroes of the Hall had all been strong individuals, but Hercules had been unusually stronger than any of them. What would happen if they were in a situation where Davey had regained his entire powers back? He would still have no chance against Hercules. After all, the Hall of Heroes had been a gathering ce for all of the greatest monsters in the world that the system had recognized. The giant repeatedly mmed Davey¡¯s head on the ground, as if venting his anger on Davey for dragging him back here. If Davey had been an ordinary person, his head would have already turned to paste. The attacks were truly that horrible and devastating. ¡ªKyaack! Davey! Perhaps Davey had allowed the attack because he could not use his hands. Nevertheless, all he could do was listen to Perserque¡¯s screams as he copsed to the ground. He waspletely dazed. Vwoooooong¡­ Not long after, the giant let go of Davey. Then, he quickly made a fist and started to gather a tremendous amount of energy in his hand. Before Davey could move to avoid it, he sent the punch that could distort space toward Davey¡¯s forehead. *** Davey¡¯s ears rang. As for his vision, it was entirely blurry. He could not tell if he was in good condition or not. All he knew was that he was about to die. Davey was fully aware that something slumbering deep in those ancient ruins actually broke and rejectedmon sense. And this time, his cluelessness had be severely disruptive to his ability to survive. What in the world was the Abyss for? Why was Hercules here? There were so many questions that he had no answers for. However, Davey believed that he knew of at least one thing. It was the fact that the purple-haired giant was not Hercules. Although the giant¡¯s entire figure was still unclear to Davey, his blurry vision still gave him a general idea of the giant¡¯s face up close. The unkempt hair was simr, but their beards were different¡­ Rather than the Hercules that Davey knew, the Abyss had brought back the Hercules of the past. So, the figure in front of him was more of a clone. ¡®A homunculus?¡¯ The thought suddenly shed in Davey¡¯s head. ¡ªDavey!!! Davey!!! Wake up! Davey¡¯s ears rang from Perserque¡¯s sudden and urgent voice. ¡®Wow, this¡­¡¯ Davey felt flustered and embarrassed from the unexpected results of his current situation. ¡®I¡¯m in danger of dying¡­ It seems like I¡¯m in a bit of a pinch¡­¡¯ Davey was feeling slightly lost. There was no helping it if he had to slightly step back from his goals. After all, it was his fault for being toocent. To be honest, it was truly questionable why such a monstrous being had appeared here and why the Abyss had spread out here. Despite his still blurry vision, Davey slowly stood up and murmured, ¡°You¡¯re like that lunatic of a guy, but you¡¯re definitely not him.¡± Even if the real Hercules only had a limited amount of power, he could have turned Davey into a bloody meat paste in less than a minute. However, the purple-haired giant in front of Davey could not kill him despite knowing that Davey only had half his powers? Since the beginning, Davey had been questioning the identity of this being who hade from another world. But now that he could confirm that the giant was not the Hercules who he knew, Davey had no other reason to hold back anymore. This was the Abyss, a ce that devoured anything and everything. Once someone fell into it, they would not be able to get out unless they were able to overpower the powers of the Abyss. Needless to say, whatever fuss Davey chose to create here, there would be little to no damage to the outside world. Now, Davey was ready to make the purple-haired giant regret not killing him earlier on. This was simr to the saying of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Davey did not know who the man in front of him was, but there would be hell to pay for impersonating his teacher. Since the opponent was insisting on physicalbat, even if it was hard for him now, Davey had no choice but toply and adapt. Creak, creak¡­ Davey¡¯s bones were distorted, so they started to creak. Then, he opened his eyes and raised himself up. Immediately after that, he grabbed the giant¡¯s iing fist and pulled hard. Just then, the blood flowing in Davey¡¯s veins sped up and his muscles started to bulge. With his blood quickly pumping through his entire body, his overall temperature rose. And as if showing the aftermath of whatever he had done to his own body, a bright red tattoo-like pattern started to appear all over his skin. This technique was known as Physical Remodeling Through Sheer Vitality. It was a skill simr to an instantaneous and momentary physical remodeling of the body. It was a very dangerous skill that even the nutcase heroes in the Hall had called it crazy and had told Davey never to use it. And in the Abyss, most types of power could not be maintained for a very long time. In Davey¡¯s case, the existence of the true Abyss, and not this small Abyss, was staring right at him from behind. Davey¡¯s eyes shed a bloody red glow as he saw the giant, who had lost his bnce, swinging another punch at him. The giant¡¯s physical force was strong enough to distort space, but¡­he was not the only one who could use it. Davey also swung his fist forward, his punch overwhelmingly crushing the giant¡¯s fist. His attack directly struck the giant¡¯s head, mming him straight down on the ground. Chapter 253 The home of the current World Tree Al was very messy and chaotic. It was usually peaceful and quiet, but the birds that lived there were now chirping non-stop. The small animals also remained constantly alert, looking left and right as if they were anxious about something. ¡°Mother Divine Tree? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The little girl dressed in an elegant and neat ceremonial dress asked after seeing the unusually noisy and chaotic space. ¡°Come quickly, Emilia,¡± said the woman who sat in the middle of the beautiful forest. As she reached out to the girl with a bitter smile on her face, she said, ¡°Come and let your mother hold you in her arms.¡± Only then did the messy and chaotic atmosphere suddenly start to quieten down. Everything began to calm down. It was as if there had been no mess since the beginning. However, the newfound sereneness did not wipe away the tension on Emilia¡¯s face. The mood of all the forest animals was entirely dependent on World Tree Al¡¯s condition. If the animals¡¯ mood was chaotic, then AI, the mother of all elves, was clearly feeling anxious. The World Tree was a demigod-like existence, but she was anxious? That was not something that they should easily dismiss. ¡°Mother¡­ Please tell me¡­what in the world is going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It is not a cause for concern.¡± ¡°I am Mother''s Saintess. Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± Emilia asked anxiously. After the recent changes in the World Tree and their shift in generation, Emilia had once again be the Divine Tree¡¯s Saintess. Emilia had originally been the previous generation¡¯s Saintess, but there was nothing wrong with her bing the Saintess of the newly born World Tree. After all, the World Tree¡¯s Will that had appeared was the very same Will that she had served before. And since the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land had lost its main pir after the recent war, they needed to have another pir. That was why no one went against Al and Emilia¡¯s rule. ¡°Hoo¡­ It seems like¡­something strange¡­is about to happen.¡± ¡°Something¡­strange?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The root of darkness in this world¡¯s Abyss is beginning to twist the divine providence.¡± ¡°The root of darkness¡­ What in the world¡­?¡± ¡°Do you know what existed in the beginning?¡± ¡°The¡­beginning?¡± Emilia asked with her head tilted in curiosity. She was like a child listening to an old story. ¡°The worldes back in full circle. I haven¡¯t seen it for myself. But if that¡¯s the case, then that means that there was a world before the Tionis Continent and its many races like the humans, the elves, the dwarves, and many more appeared, right?¡± ¡°I see¡­ I haven¡¯t thought about it that way.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Al trailed off with a veryplex emotion shing across her face. The signs of the previous world, a world that had already been slumbering for hundreds of millions of years, was starting to show itself again. Just like the sun and moon, which would both alternately rise and set¡­ If the Abyss once again made its way to the surface, then the only natural course of action would be the destruction and copse of the continent. The problem was¡­ ¡°Then, Mother¡­ Are you saying that thend we live on is functioning on a system where our lives can naturally be destroyed at any given moment?¡± ¡°No. That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just like thatmon saying¡­ there are two sides of the same coin, a human currency. One can flip the coin, but they still cannot mix the light and darkness that dwell on each side. The light and the Abyss can coexist because they know each side well.¡± But thatw was being openly twisted now. The Abyss was something that should never make an appearance in this current world. ¡°Then¡­ What would happen if the two got twisted and merged into each other?¡± ¡°Even this mother of yours does not know anything further than that¡­. However, if two things that should never be mixed start to blend into each other¡­¡± The world would absolutely be unable to go back to the way it was before. Al turned her head silently and looked up at the sun, which was shielded by the ceiling of her own space. On the surface of the sun that could be seen through the World Tree¡¯s eyes, a very tiny and unnoticeable movement appeared. *** In the unending darkness that could make one lose their senses, Davey could only feel whatever he was touching as well as the deep pain that was resonating in his body. He was understandably flustered after realizing that he could not smell or hear whatever was around him. However, the confusion that gued Davey disappeared soon after Perserque nted some kind of power that boosted his senses. Perhaps Perserque being the Demon Lord of the true Abyss and not this small Abyss had allowed her to nt a power that boosted Davey¡¯s own power. In this unending darkness, Perserque was sharing with Davey the power that could help him distinguish his surroundings. And thanks to that¡­ Baaaaaaang!!! ¡­Davey was able to smash the fake purple-haired giant who was right in front of him. His attack caused Hercules to tremble. Davey gradually struggled to breathe with every rough and unrefined hit that came from Hercules. Thankfully, his own punches were also growing stronger and stronger. Booooom!!! A rough fight between the two opponents quickly took ce. The moment Davey¡¯s fist smashed into Hercules¡¯ face, he immediately felt Hercules¡¯ thick thumb digging into his left eye to smash his very skull. Baaaaaam!!! Ignoring the pain, Davey pulled out Hercules¡¯ thumb from his eye. Then, he mmed his fist on the man¡¯s face while digging his chest with his elbow. Even if Davey crushed Hercules¡¯ physical body, the purple-haired giant still would not die easily. It was all thanks to his inexplicable recovery ability, one that only a berserker could have. Their fight seemed to be between beasts who hadpletely lost their sense of reason and had abandoned all of their techniques. None of them took care of their bodies. They justnded one blow after another on their enemy. Of course, the fight did notst that long. The purple-haired giant might have the same appearance, techniques, and skills as the Hall¡¯s Hercules, but his physical strengthening and remodeling were not the same. On the other hand, Davey¡¯s physical remodeling was no different from the physical remodeling of the Hercules in the Hall. Above all, this was the first thing that Davey had learned in the Hall of Heroes. Needless to say, this was the oldest skill in his arsenal and the one that he had worked on for the longest time. This was a testament to how hard the technique was. Bang!!! When Davey punched his face again, Hercules quickly recovered and tried to stage a counterattack. However, the trajectory of his blow had been seen through by Davey, who easily slipped away to give Hercules even more punches. Bang!!! Bang!!! Davey was fully aware that his opponent¡¯s resistance was gradually weakening. This proved that the Hercules in front of him was dying, but he did not stop his fierce attacks. ¡°Heuup!!!¡± Eventually, Hercules¡¯ strength dwindled down, effectively taking away the edge to his blows, after receiving dozens of blows from Davey. Once this happened, Davey did not hesitate to squeeze all of his remaining power into his one final blow. Baaaang!!! Very quickly, an iparably huge shockwave spread all across the Abyss, where nothing could exist. The shockwave was so powerful that even Davey¡¯s fists had been crushed. However, Davey did not care. His altered and remodeled body was now slowly recovering. Also, there would be any strength left in him; the price that he had to pay for using such a crazy technique definitely would not be cheap. ¡°Haa¡­ Ha¡­¡± Davey struggled to catch his breath as the raging blood that flowed in his veins slowly started to calm down. His bulging muscles with the hideous veins that popped out also began to shrink back to their original forms. ¡°Kghkk¡­ Urrrk!¡± After returning to his original form, Davey curled himself up and repeatedly coughed up mouthfuls of blood. He even forgot about the purple-haired giant who he had just killed a moment ago. ¡ªDavey! Davey! ¡°Stop making a fuss. This won¡¯t kill me.¡± ¡ª¡­ Davey answered Perserque calmly, but he was not sure about the penalty that he would receive for using such a skill. He actually could not determine it. If he was lucky, then his arm would only feel numb for quite some time. If he was unlucky, then the sensations that he would feel in that arm would be left in a mess. Hercules-style Physical Remodeling was a technique that could give someone tremendous power, but it was very dangerous to actually use it. Using it would be akin to gambling. Davey looked down at Hercules, who hadpletely turned into a silent and unbudging corpse. Then, he gathered the strength in his legs and stood up. Now that the man inside the Abyss was dead, all he had to do was to escape from this unending darkness. He also needed to seal this ce up no matter the cost. But at that moment¡­ Fwoosh¡­ Davey suddenly felt an unfamiliar gazeing from the depths of the darkness. ¡ªDavey? ¡°Wait,¡± Davey said, interrupting Perserque. While slowly catching his breath, he looked back at the ce where he felt the stinging gaze wasing from. As if it was waiting for him to look back, the darkness that covered Davey¡¯s vision slowly began to lighten as the power of the Abyss weakened. And it did not take that long for Davey to realize what he was looking at. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªOh my¡­ Goddess Freyja¡­ Perserque freaked out. Feeling frightened, she freaked out and pulled Davey¡¯s hair out in the process. When the veil of darkness was finally lifted, Davey and Perserque were greeted by a gigantic set of bones. They seemed to havee from an ancient dragon that had been restricted by the Abyss. In terms of appearance, the bones were quite simr to dragon bones but Davey knew that these were not dragon bones at all. ¡ªA dragon?! ¡°No. Dragons wouldn¡¯t grow this big.¡± Davey didn¡¯t think that it was a dragon due to the bones''rge size. In fact, at first nce, the bones looked just like a wall. He even took one, two steps back. However, no matter how much he looked, the monster¡¯s bones were just toorge to have belonged to an ancient dragon. ording to the records, there were no dragons in this world. However, some of the heroes in the Hall had told Davey tales about how they had fought against them. Based on what Davey could remember from those stories, an ancient dragon would only be around 200 to 300 meters at most. What kind of crazy ancient dragon would have a size that stretched on for kilometers, right? Not to mention the size of its skull. A rough estimate was telling Davey that the skull itself was already around a few hundred meters in size. Perserque instinctively pulled on Davey¡¯s arm when she saw him move to approach the ancient dragon, who was eitherpletely dead or just did not move. ¡ªDon¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t go. ¡°I¡¯m just going to take a look,¡± said Davey calmly as he pressed on his still throbbing left eye. Upon closer inspection, Davey could see quite a lot of scratches on the ancient dragon¡¯s bones. He thenmented, ¡°These are traces of someone smashing, shing, and biting on the bones.¡± Who was the one who killed this ancient dragon? There was no doubt in Davey¡¯s mind about who had killed it. ¡°Hercules¡­¡± Davey was very certain that the being who looked simr to Hercules, the one who had just been killed, was the culprit behind this act. However, even though that was the only usible reason, Davey still could not bring himself to believe it. After all, no matter how strong Hercules¡¯ clone had been, there was no way that he could have killed such an existence, right? An ancient dragon that was several kilometers in size would definitely have tremendous power. So, why in the world was Hercules¡¯ clone fighting against such a monster? ¡ªPerhaps¡­the clone that you fought¡­ Perhaps he was fighting against this monster and other simr creatures to stop them from getting out of here? ¡°¡­No way,¡± Davey rejected Perserque¡¯s assumptions. However, if he were to be honest, Davey truly could not deny those words. In fact, if he followed Perserque¡¯s line of thinking, then everything would make perfect sense. Davey was looking at the giant dragon¡¯s bones closely when he spotted a subtle power that still covered its teeth. Compared to its huge skull, its small teeth were only around two meters long. Without thinking, Davey reached out to touch the teeth. Shwaaaaaaaa!!! As if it had been waiting for this very moment, the darkness of the Abyss scattered away like fog. It was getting sucked into the tail that had been hidden from sight. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Davey groaned when a strong suction started tugging at him. Davey moved on instinct, digging his arms into the ground and holding out against the tremendous force that was trying to drag him away. Crack, crack, crack¡­ crack, crack!!! As the strong suction turned the entire area upside down, Hercules¡¯ clone body, which had be a mere lump of bones and flesh, got sucked into the tail as well. The speed of suction gradually grew faster until the bones and Hercules¡¯ clone had beenpletely devoured. Even the darkness of the Abyss had been sucked in, leaving behind an indescribable scene in front of Davey. When the Abyss had still been there, Davey had believed that he was fighting in a space of hundreds of meters or even dozens of kilometers wide. But when everything disappeared, he realized that he had been in a small space of only tens of meters in width at most. The huge space from earlier¡­ Everything had been caused by the ore of darkness which could be found in the middle of this small ritual space. It was an ore that could devour light, but it still seemingly held onto something deep in its depths. Perhaps this ore was the source of the Abyss? Davey approached the ore of darkness as if he was possessed. Just as he reached out for it¡­ [Ah¡­ Aaaaah¡­ This power¡­ The Root of the Abyss¡­ It is you. I have been wandering around for a very long time¡­ My queen¡­ After a long time¡­ We will bring freedom upon you and save you from the hands of these heathens who have oppressed you¡­ I promise you.] ¡­a voice from behind the Abyss that had vanished rang in Davey¡¯s ears. The voice gradually faded until it disappearedpletely. In the now silent ritual hall, Davey looked up at the ceiling to see Rinne¡¯s expressionless and silent face looking down at him from the hole above. Rinne suddenly jumped down from the ceiling and approached Davey without any hesitation, but Daveypletely ignored her. He chose to face the woman who was floating in the air in front of him. With the ck ore firmly in his hands, Davey asked, ¡°What in the world was that, Perserque?¡± The silver-haired girl remained silent. She did not even raise her head to look at Davey. ¡ªDavey. ¡°You¡­ What the hell did you sacrifice to allow me to regain my senses in the Abyss?¡± Davey asked in a chilling tone. Chapter 254 89. The Territory¡¯s Internal Affairs ¡ªDavey. ¡°Speak,¡± Davey said as his expression turned ugly. Rinne tilted her head and looked up at Davey. ¡ªDavey. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nothing to be concerned about. ¡°Stop that. Are you crazy?¡± Davey said inplete annoyance. Perserque flinched. ¡ªI told you I¡¯m alright. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s not alright. Answer me while I¡¯m still being nice.¡± ¡ª¡­ Perserque remained silent. She slightly stepped back from Davey before biting her lips nervously. Then, she rubbed Davey¡¯s cheeks with her hands and smiled. ¡ªI¡­ I don''t even know what you mean. ¡°Stop lying.¡± To others who could not see Perserque, Davey was mumbling in the air with a vicious look on his face. It would look like he had gone nuts. However, Rinne did not say anything about that because Davey had already told her about Perserque¡¯s existence. ¡°That voice just now. It called for you. Am I right? ¡ªThat¡¯s¡­right¡­ Perserque mumbled helplessly with her head lowered. Davey was now certain that he had devoured a part of Perserque¡¯s authority. And since he was able to devour that, his quick-wittedness and ability to grasp andprehend things even without using her authority had gone up a notch. ¡°You¡¯ve heard that voice before¡­¡± ¡ª¡­ Perserque did not speak for a long time. Then, she slowly looked up and said¡­ ¡ªThat¡¯s right¡­ It¡¯s better for you not to know¡­ Perserque mumbled so softly that her words disappeared into nothingness. She approached Davey and ced her hands on his cheeks once more. ¡ªDavey¡­ I am the Abyss¡¯ Demon Lord. ¡°I know that. So, why?¡± ¡ªBut the Demon Lord has a total of six authorities. Wrath. Deceit. Loathing. Envy. Destruction. Lust. There¡¯s no Abyss in there. The Abyss only existed on the other side of this world. Perserque sighed before continuing to mumble. ¡ªHowever¡­ Goddess Freyja has given the Demon Lord a very important role. The beings from the other side should never interfere in this world. On the contrary¡­ ¡°You¡¯re now the former Demon Lord, not the current Demon Lord.¡± ¡ª¡­ Perserque hid herself instead of giving Davey an answer. Before she chose to disappear, she left a few words behind for Davey. ¡ªIt was going to happen sooner orter, even if it did not happen today. So, if you¡¯re starting to think that this is your fault, I want you to immediately chuck that away. The problems regarding my own birth and origin is something that you cannot argue about. It¡¯s not your fault. That was not it. Baaaang!!! Davey smashed the altar into pieces. The damn woman who had been by his side this entire time had made a huge decision without even consulting him. Flinching from Davey¡¯s sudden violent outburst, Rinne widened her eyes in surprise. She said, ¡°Sir Davey¡¯s blood sugar level is decreasing. Rinne states that excessive anger will bring about adverse effects in one¡¯s body.¡± Davey smiled bitterly at Rinne, who was taking out a small snack from her pockets. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s go¡­¡± Davey rubbed Rinne¡¯s head, stared at the ck ore for a moment, and then tossed it into his Pocket ne. He felt ufortable leaving the ck ore behind, and he did want to check on itter and see what its uses were for. So, he took it with him. *** Milpieu, whose lower half had beenpletely destroyed, was lying on the floor helplessly. She silently looked up at Davey while wondering if she could get up with some help. Davey reached out for Milpieu silently. Swoosh¡­ As the dark mana within him flowed out to wrap around Milpieu, Davey said, ¡°Get out. You saved Rinne, so I¡¯ll let you go just this once.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a bit surprising,¡± Milpieu replied curtly as she looked at the dark mana that was circting around her mana strangely. While wondering why she still wasn¡¯t dead, she said, ¡°The loss of valuable research material should never be allowed. That biological golem is very interesting. I cannot let her disappear without being allowed to study her.¡± ¡°Crazy bitch.¡± When Milpieu turned around coldly and began the recovery process of her own body, Davey looked at her with a dark gaze. He wanted to scream at her that his power was now saving her. Afterpletely restoring her physical body, Milpieu looked up at Davey and said cautiously, ¡°Wait.¡± Milpieu then stood in front of Davey¡¯s path. She took out a small stone tablet and said calmly, ¡°This is an ancient document that contains references to the murals. I have been researching it for a long time, but I¡¯m only able to interpret a small part of it.¡± When Milpieu hid the stone tablet again, Davey asked, ¡°So, did you find anything about that damned ritual hall?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± Milpieu shook her head while fixing her sses. She continued, ¡°A ce where the darkness devours the light. A ce that does not allow even a single shred of light to get out. The Abyss¡­is the most threatening enemy for the humans of this era.¡± ¡°Other than that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s enough. Get lost before I change my mind.¡± Milpieu fell silent. When she saw Davey turning around to leave, she quickly opened her mouth to say, ¡°My own race¡¯s hideout¡­¡± Davey stopped walking away. ¡°¡­have many such ces. I want to know more about them. Can you help me?¡± ¡°Drop it. I currently have the urge to destroy all of those ancient ruins,¡± Davey said in irritation. For the first time in his life, he was feeling so annoyed and frustrated. He felt so low and depressed especially after knowing that he had caused a lot of inconvenience for someone. After all, humans were not perfect. ording to Perserque, a bigger incident would happen in the future if she had chosen to do nothing. If he had known about it, Davey would certainly have stopped her. But even after looking at the results of battle, thrashing the ruins, and taking away the source of the Abyss that had been hidden in the ruins, Davey still did not feel good. He had a lingering suspicion that it was Goddess Freyja who had led them to this dog shit situation. *** After that, everything happened swiftly. Davey had wanted to give the Hyeon Kingdom some time to think and ponder over the matter, because he wanted to get something in return. However, he had now changed his mind. He could not afford to allow himself the time to thinkplicated thoughts at the moment. Due to that reason, he became a tad coercive when doing the negotiations. And as a result, all of the things that he hade here for had been resolved very quickly. The matter regarding the Ming Kingdom had to be resolved between them and the Hyeon Kingdom, especially since Davey did not have that much loyalty for each of their sides to step forward and mediate. A tragic event had indeed taken ce, but only a few people including Davey and Rinne were aware of what had happened. The Ming Emperor, still lost in his grief from losing his mother, had a nk face up until the day they finished the negotiations with the Hyeon Kingdom. When Davey was preparing to leave the Hyeon Kingdom, the Son of Heaven came to ask him one thing, ¡°Prince Davey¡­ I believe you are fully aware of exactly who has killed my mother, yes?¡± The child in front of Davey, born as a girl, had been forced to live as a boy for almost the entire twelve years of her life. Because of that, the bnce in her body had beenpletely wrecked. And although the negative effects had been neutralized by the Guardian Deity¡¯s power, the Son of Heaven¡¯s consciousness had failed to withstand the power back then and had been forced to hide deep inside. After everything that had happened, the Son of Heaven¡¯s potential had been turned to scrap. On the off chance that she wanted to learn the sword, she would need to put in a hundred times more effort than any of her peers. Learning about the current state of her body, the Son of Heaven could only nod her head mindlessly. She also agreed to take responsibility over the entire matter. Even though the Ming Kingdom was a very powerful nation, they were not able to openly abuse that power. After all, they were ced in a situation where they would be criticized by the internationalmunity if they so much as used that power to leverage. In the end, the dust settled once the massive damage had been paid back. Of course, international diplomacy between the Ming Kingdom and the Hyeon Kingdom was none of Davey¡¯s concern. He stopped participating after robbing the Ming Kingdom of all its authority over the Divine Tree¡¯s Scared Land. ¡°Tell me¡­ Those bastards¡­ Where should I find those bastards¡­? This Emperor¡­ This Emperor needs to know how I should go on¡­ How do I find the way to live¡­?¡± Aplex look shed across Davey¡¯s face before he said, ¡°You should live as you please.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The reason why kings die early all the time is because of overwork and stress. Even without the two, you won¡¯t be able to live long,¡± Davey said. With a smile, he patted the Son of Heaven¡¯s head. It was a gesture that shocked everyone else. No matter how powerful he was, there was no reason for him to pat the ruler of an empire on the head. After staying momentarily silent, the Emperor said, ¡°This Emperor¡­ This Emperor will hate you for this.¡± The Son of Heaven was still a child. ¡°This Emperor¡­ Sniffle¡­ Hmph¡­ This Emperor¡­ I¡¯m telling you that this Emperor will hate you for this.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what will make youfortable, then do as you please.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can throw a tantrum and argue about everything. You can even curse me behind my back and spread rumors about me.¡± ¡°Prince Davey¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ept that much childish behavior from you.¡± It was Davey¡¯s pointless whims, but the Son of Heaven plopped down on the ground and burst into tears. Having been forced to live as a boy, the Emperor had been told that no emperor should ever cry so easily. This entire time, she had been forced to swallow down her tears and hide her emotions. The Son of Heaven had also been forced into this terrible mess. Despite her purity, naivety, and innocence, she had been forced to take on the key role in this terrorist attack. On top of that, her mother had lost her life. Even the Chancellor of Peace, the one who took care of their national affairs in her stead, had betrayed her and her trust. Needless to say, the Son of Heaven had every right to weep. Davey blocked the outside world and allowed the Son of Heaven to cry to her heart''s content while he patted her back silently. Why was he being so nice to this child? He asked himself this question, but it was most likely due to him pitying her and feeling sorry for this little emperor who smiled innocently at him. She had also called him her idol once before. ¡°Cry as much as you want. Later¡­ When Your Majesty needs help, I wille and help you.¡± ¡°Sob¡­ I won¡¯t¡­forget¡­ This Emperor will never forget those words! Uwaaaaaa!¡± The child cried and cried, looking for her mother. She did not stop crying until she was exhausted. *** The procession that was returning to the Heins Territory was longer than when they had departed. Compared to before, they now had five more people in their party. Tanya O¡¯Rowane, Davey¡¯s first younger sister, did not have any reason to stay in Hyeon Kingdom so she hade along with them. There was also Princess Maria, who hade as a hostage to stop useless gossip and issues after the incident. And finally, there were Dan-Goong, Tanya¡¯s personal guard, and the two pce maids who served her. There had actually been a dispute on who woulde along, but they were all going to the Heins Territory in the end. Davey originally wanted to take his time to rx on the slow-moving carriage, but he just kept thinking about needing immediate rest. With that thought in mind, he released a huge amount of mana and casted arge-scale space movement magic. Space movement magic was obviously supposed to be done several times over the course of their travels, but Davey did not have the time to deal with that. By omitting the numerous routes that they had to take, he casted the magic once to immediately jump through space. They all arrived in front of the Heins Territory in just two spatial jumps. When the blue sky greeted everyone¡¯s eyes once again, they were already in front of the Heins Territory and its lively atmosphere. Of course, the people of Hyeon Kingdom, who were unustomed to the new culture, found themselves to be very surprised by the sight. They had only jumped through space, but they felt like they had traveled through a strange space and time. They were like people fresh from the countryside. Just when they were about to walk around and ignore all of the people looking at them¡­ ¡°Kyaaaaaaack! Please help me!!!¡± ¡­a screamden with tears rang out from somewhere. Aside from the maids, everyone else flinched. The scream had seemingly echoed directly in their ears. ¡°Baris, go straight to the castle with your sister and the rest of our guests.¡± ¡°Brother. I will go with you.¡± ¡°No. This is mynd.¡± Davey was feeling very terrible, but he wanted to take care of this unexpected matter. Baris said nothing else after hearing Davey¡¯s calm words. He simply pped Winley on the back while shaking his head. He had nothing else to do here. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Brother told us to go first.¡± ¡°It hurts! Do you really have to hit me while saying those words? This muscle monkey!¡± ¡°This little?!¡± The twins bickered and argued before grabbing Tanya by the arms. ¡°Sister! Come on! I¡¯ll show you around the castle! The dwarves made it so beautifully, you know? You¡¯ll definitely be shocked once you see it!¡± After seeing the twins drag Tanya around like that, Davey turned around with a silent smile. Then, he asked, ¡°Are you going to follow me?¡± ¡°If possible, I want to follow you,¡± Princess Maria answered calmly with a blindfold still covering her eyes. The maids were flustered by the princess saying that she wanted to follow Davey. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and go to the castle first. I will go there with the Prince,¡± Princess Maria said. The maids reluctantly bowed their heads and left for the pce under Baris¡¯ guidance. After everyone left for the pce, Davey cracked his knuckles and slowly headed to the dark alley where the sound hade from. ¡°Hmph! Hmphhh!!!¡± Without any installed lights, the alley remained dark. ¡°This is why everyone has to live in a bright ce.¡± Clicking his tongue, Davey turned to enter the alley. He soon saw that several men were covering amoner girl¡¯s mouth and dragging her along the alley. Swoosh¡ª Davey immediately stopped Princess Maria, who was about to step forward. ¡°Damn bitch! Shut up!¡± ¡°We will not hurt you if you follow us obediently! Don¡¯t you know who we are? Bitch?!¡± The girl was obviously amoner, but Davey knew just who she was. Before the Heins Territory had been developed, he had saved a girl called Lina from the goblin territory. Lina was a good child who smiled innocently and brightly at him. She also always handed him sweet potatoes whenever she met Davey on the streets on his territory inspections. Davey wondered if Lina had done something for those men to do something like that to her. ¡ª¡­The dark side of the world will alwayse and intervene in developing territories. All things alive can breed parasites¡­ You have to remember that, Davey. Davey nodded quietly at Perserque, who had just emerged from a long period of silence. It seemed like he had been neglecting the internal affairs of his territory due to being too focused on international affairs. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡± Men dressed in what seemed like mercenary clothes and light armor eventually appeared to block Davey¡¯s path. They frowned at him¡­until they spotted Princess Maria, who had her eyes covered with a blindfold, behind him. Then, with vicious smiles on their faces, they said, ¡°What¡¯s this? So, you¡¯re in the same field as these older brothers, huh? I¡¯m sorry, but we have already been booked out for the entire year. If you don¡¯t want to get smashed, then you should leave right now.¡± ¡°Same field?¡± Davey asked, a smile blooming on his face. One of the men said with a frown, ¡°Of course, aren¡¯t I correct? Although, I think your taste is quite unusual, brother. I can tell that she is blind. I can¡¯t see half of her face, but I still think she¡¯s pretty.¡± None of the men thought that Davey and Princess Maria were nobles. Why? Because they weren¡¯t wearing any fancy and vintage clothing. However, that did not matter. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll just pass b¡­¡± ¡°You. Stay right where you are.¡± Chapter 255 Everyone fell silent as Davey mumbled coldly. Princess Maria, who had followed Davey, looked where Davey and the men were standing with her blindfold on. ¡°Hm? Whatcha lookin¡¯ at?¡± Lina, the girl who was struggling and screaming, soon saw Davey. Her eyes widened. ¡°It would be better for you to let go of Lina.¡± One of the men scoffed wretchedly. ¡°Huh? You know thisdy? Sorry, but there¡¯s still such a thing called courtesy in our world too. Stay out of it if you don¡¯t want to get hurt.¡± Davey took another step toward the men. ¡°Woah? Look at this guy?¡± ¡°Snicker. Hold up. It seems like that fe can¡¯t give up on thisdy because he knows her. Hey, you two.¡± Just then, two other men pulled out their jackknives and approached Davey. They pointed the tips of their knives toward his chin and stood haughtily. ¡°Look, fe. Don¡¯t you know how dangerous this world is? You¡¯re the one who did something wrong, you know that?¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m the one who did something wrong.¡± ¡°Snicker. Yeah. People listen when they have a knife to their head.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll spare your life since we don¡¯t want to kill someone who looks like they do the same thing as us. But¡­give us that girl over there. What do you think? It will be a good¡­¡± Maria frowned as she heard the men speaking, but Davey was just focused on Lina. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t even know something like this was happening in the territory. I¡¯ve only been focusing on things happening in other ces¡­¡± Crunch¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± The men began to frown when Davey grabbed the jackknives with his bare hands. Applying enough pressure, he began crushing the sharp metal des. ¡°H¡­ Huh?¡± The moment one of the men was about to back away in surprise, Davey grabbed his neck to prevent him from backing away. Then, he struck the man¡¯s chin without mercy. Crack!!! The confused men watched on as the man slowly flew across the air. Several of his teeth fell out as he flipped in the air multiple times and fell to the ground. He couldn¡¯t move. ¡°There are three reasons why I am beating you to a pulp,¡± Davey said calmly and took a step forward. ¡°One.¡± ¡°Shriek?! W-Wait, man! What is?!¡± ¡°Human trafficking is not allowed for any reason in the Heins Territory. It¡¯s not allowed on mynd even if it is allowed in the kingdom.¡± ¡°W-Wait!!¡± Crack!!! The man who stood closest to Davey copsed to the ground as his shin cracked into two. ¡°Second. It¡¯s because the person you disrespected was royalty. It¡¯s not a reason I love, but I¡¯ll be more than d to use it if I can get rid of guys like you.¡± ¡°F¡­ Fuck!¡± Stter! The man charged toward Davey like there was no going back, swinging the sharp de at him without hesitation. However, Davey simply twisted his arm and seized the de easily. ¡°Keahh!!¡± The third man fell to the ground after sustaining arge injury to his eye. It was quite an extreme punishment, but Davey was not merciful. However, he did not kill any one of them. ¡°The third reason. I¡¯m just in a really bad mood right now. You guys are just unlucky.¡± ¡°W¡­ What¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t havee crawling in here if you didn¡¯t want this to happen.¡± Smack!! Davey subdued the men instantly, then walked over to Lina and picked her up. He ignored the men who were now groaning in pain on the ground. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­ Sob¡­ Your Highness!¡± Comforting the little girl who was crying in his arms, Davey turned away as he heard the nking of metal boots from far away. He ordered, ¡°Monmider. Give these guys a little special treatment and lock them in jail. Do not kill them.¡± ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­ These men¡­¡± ¡°Human traffickers.¡± ¡°Hup!! H-Human traffickers?!¡± A lot of people had settled in the territory with arge influx of people; Davey should have predicted something like this would happen. * * * Tanya gasped in surprise when she saw the beauty of the seigneur¡¯s pce, which was the pinnacle of the dwarves¡¯ style and technology. The architectural style and the culture of the Heins was far more beautiful than most tourist cities. And the seigneur¡¯s pce, which was made with the dwarves¡¯ pride and Davey¡¯s memories, was one of the most beautiful buildings in the Heins; it was not a style that wasmonly seen, but it was somewhat simr to the modern buildings on Earth. ¡°Royal Attendant Bernile. Send a message. Report to the royal pce.¡± ¡°Is it a report?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You did something big once again.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to, though.¡± A handful of the nobility in the royal pce, wary of Davey¡¯s powers growing too strong, was going to mention something about wanting to keep the wild Davey in check. However, it was obvious why they could not raise their voice about it; hadn¡¯t Davey previously shown them that an entire family could be wiped out if they messed with him the wrong way? Not everyone was perfect. Watching Attendant Bernile leave the room with the rolled-up report with an antique seal on it, Davey stared at Captain Monmider who was standing nervously. He said, ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Monmider.¡± Davey rose from his seat after calling him. He said, ¡°I trust in your abilities. Even though you were amoner, I highly value the love that you have for this territory. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°On the floor,¡± Davey said coldly. Monmider flinched before lowering himself to the ground. He put his head on the floor without hesitation. ¡°I am sorry!! It is my fault.¡± ¡°In broad daylight. Even if it was a dark alley, a citizen was a victim of human trafficking. I don¡¯t think that happened without any nning. What do you think?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°I left Amy to deal with state affairs and you to deal with crime in the territory. I know that more has happened as the territory expanded, so I am not ming you forcking the ability to stop this.¡± ¡°...¡± Monmider stayed silent as he knew what Davey meant. ¡°Why did you not report this to me?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­ I thought reporting something like this to you while you are busy was¡­¡± ¡°Do you not know that my citizens are the most important to me? I am someone who takes care of the territory.¡± Although Davey¡¯s number one priority was his family, the second important thing was undoubtedly his residents. However, there was no report of this while it was happening. ¡°Do you want a sry reduction and probation for three months?¡± ¡°I have noints.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. Get up!¡± Davey shouted. When Monmider shot up from the ground, Davey ordered, ¡°Gather the royal guards at once. Visit each household and investigate if there is anyone who has been harmed by this matter. I will decide the punishment for your actions based on how well you take care of this matter.¡± ¡°I will not forget! I will not disappoint you!¡± Monmider bowed with a determined shout. Then, he cautiously called out to Davey, ¡°Y¡­ Your Highness.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°So¡­ What are you going to do with them?¡± ¡®Oh, the ones that I captured? There¡¯s a reason why I treated them.¡¯ ¡°I happen to have a good ce that needs somebor. Don¡¯t worry about it. And I¡¯ll take care of the rest, too.¡± ¡°You mean you will do it yourself?¡± Noticing Monmider¡¯s doubtful nce once again, Davey said, ¡°You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°N-No, of course not!¡± Monmider answered swiftly like he was guilty of doubting Davey. Davey rose from his seat and said, ¡°You can go now if you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± Davey had no choice but to go and cut out the cancerous tumor himself. As Monmider bowed and left the room, Davey looked out the window and mumbled, ¡°Aina.¡± Shooo¡­ Just then, a man wearing a ck martial arts uniform showed up from thin air. It was Aina Helishana, the dark elf who was disguising her true appearance. She looked like arge man. ¡°It¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Tell me what to do. Should I assassinate them? Or¡­¡± ¡°Just get some information. I¡¯m going to turn them upside down myself.¡± All Aina did was nod in response. * * * Aina Helishana was a high-ranking informant and assassin of the Echo Guild, a continental intelligence organization. Her assassination skills were so threatening that she could sh a Master, and her intelligence-gathering abilities yielded surprisingly fast and urate information through the variousworks she had. If Perserque¡¯s authority allowed Davey to look at a person¡¯s superficial information when he faced them, Aina gave him information about people he did not see often or things rted to them. Although she was now more like his personal informant rather than an informant working for the Echo Guild, it didn¡¯t mean that the informationworks she had built were going to disappear. ¡°The thing I asked you to find?¡± ¡°I have found it. Currently, there are two criminal organizations that have been established in this territory. They are ckbird and Jackal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of those organizations. Where did theye from?¡± ¡°They are organizations that were pretty deep-rooted in the central continent, but they began to make their way into the eastern continent a few years ago.¡± ¡°So, these guys are in the Heins Territory right now.¡± Aina nodded. ¡°Their main forms of business include organ trafficking, ve hunting, and assassination contracts. Other than that, they are in charge of the pickpocketing alliance. There aren¡¯t any slums in the Heins Territory yet, but they hide amongst citizens in their own way. They are heinous people that will do anything for money. They are experts in destroying ordinary citizens with threats, fraud, coercion, and many other ways.¡± Davey could not help but sigh as he heard Aina¡¯s exnation. Surely, the Heins Territory had the best conditions for such organizations to establish themselves here: there was nopetition and it was quickly developing. ¡°Their size?¡± ¡°Currently, one of the organizations here¡ªthe ckbird¡ªis only a mid-sized organization with a few hundred members. However, the Jackal gang has a huge number of members all around the continent.¡± ¡°The way they kidnapped Lina.¡± Aina went on like she was briefing Davey. ¡°That is also fraud.¡± ¡°Those guys had documents, though?¡± ¡°They have a number of ways of defrauding people, but¡­it was ckmail. Lina¡¯s cousin is operating a carriage in the Heins right now and¡­ Apparently, a member of their organization jumped in front of it and demanded arge sum of money after pretending to be hurt.¡± ¡°And they were tricked by that?¡± Davey asked incredulously. Aina sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t know because you haven¡¯t seen it yourself. Humans be helpless in front of money. Assembly members have already been bribed, and do you know who the judge from the capital is? It¡¯s a man named Merdein. He¡¯s known to be money-oriented and greedy.¡± ¡°Money-oriented? You¡¯re saying they just brought him here?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Apparently, there was a rmendation from the Supreme Judge, a member of nobility from the central continent.¡± Davey clenched his fists. ¡®So¡­ She¡¯s saying that these assholes already forgot about the warning I gave them about messing with me.¡¯ ¡°However, they are still quite capable in the legal field. As such, the criminal organizations that hid in the territory fed them money and made the situation happen.¡± They did everything so that all the me would be put on the cousin who was taking care of Lina and her family. ¡°These many people are hiding¡­¡± Davey stared at Aina as he took a breath. He asked, ¡°Anyone else who seems suspicious?¡± ¡°There are a few more, but I do not have any evidence.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter then.¡± Davey just had to examine them with the Abyss'' Authority and show them the reality of life if they turned out to be the culprit. ¡°The number of victims.¡± ¡°I would have to investigate it further, but it doesn¡¯t seem like there were a lot ording to the circumstances.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that it has already happened a couple of times.¡± There was nothing for Davey to forgive them about. It was now time to change it up a bit. * * * There was a dark underground jail in the basement of the seigneur¡¯s pce. Even if the Heins Territory had low rates of crime, they could not stop all criminalspletely. It was natural as people lived here. ¡°We are here.¡± Davey, who was led to the jail by a soldier, stared at the six men who were sitting on the floor in silence. One of the men stood up and approached Davey. He shouted, ¡°This is unbelievable! My Lord! All we did was follow the formal steps! The judge also dered us innocent! This is¡­ This is¡­!¡± ¡°Violent?¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes! We have done nothing wrong! Although it is our mistake for kidnapping her, it was strictly a contract! And ording to kingdomw, very is¡­¡± As the man shouted, Davey reached his hand out to Aina who had followed him here. Then, she handed him some documents that she had gathered out of nowhere. He said, ¡°The verdict of the judge, the assessment from the doctor, and the contract your organization signed with Lina¡¯s uncle¡­ Commoners who can¡¯t read don¡¯t even know what this means. You understand?¡± ¡°T-That is nonsense! We clearly exined everything with words¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Davey stopped talking and then gestured at the soldiers with a jerk of his chin. When the soldiers all bowed and left, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s put aside the verdict from the judge for now. About the doctor¡¯s assessment¡­ You purposely jumped in front of the carriage Lina¡¯s uncle was driving and ckmailed him with an injury you didn¡¯t even sustain to demand arge sum of money from him, correct?¡± ¡°No! We actually were hurt¡­¡± ¡°Bring him.¡± Just then, a man who was gagged and tied up was dragged out. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you really did get hurt. ording to the doctor, it would take over six months for him to fully recover without a high-quality potion,¡± Davey said as he cut the man¡¯s rope with his hands and removed the cloth in the man¡¯s mouth. Rip¡­ ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°But he¡¯s pretty normal considering he¡¯s been seriously injured, right? It seems like you guys have forgotten who I am, but¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m the Saint, you assholes.¡¯ Davey¡¯s medical knowledge had been acknowledged by the Coalition for Disease Control. ¡°Do the injured who are unconscious nowadays joke around and hang around women while drinking in an old pub?¡± The men froze. ¡®Of course, they are shocked. Aina had captured this man who was hiding and brought him here.¡¯ ¡°Right now, I am going to let you and all your members know.¡± Davey was going to let them know who they were doing these shitty things in front of. ¡°Y-You won¡¯t be able to do it, even if you are a prince! Do you know who is backing us?!¡± The man shouted fiercely. With squinted eyes, Davey said firmly, ¡°Whoever is backing you, that is your problem. I don¡¯t know who is watching your back, but you¡¯d be better off shutting your mouth unless the person is the emperor of an empire. Take them.¡± ng!! Once Davey stopped speaking, ck-robed skeletons began walking inside. They were none other than the skeletons Davey had taken from the Pan Empire after killing the two necromancers. ¡°Ahhh!!¡± The men all screamed in fear and confusion, but the skeletons simply ignored them. They grabbed the men with tremendous power. ¡°Take them to the construction site where the power nt is being made. Don¡¯t treat these guys as human. Work them until they copse from exhaustion.¡± Chapter 256 ¡ªHiss. She could hear the hissing of snakes from right beside her ears. No one else could hear this sound, but it was clear as day to her. [He¡­ You¡­] ¡®I don¡¯t want to hear it¡­ I don¡¯t want to hear it¡­¡¯ The silver-haired girl curled up dejectedly and sat on the head of the boy who was supposed to be the medium for her soul. Touching her horns, she was thinking that it would be foolish of her to use her powers in the ancient ruins, the ce where she had run away from. It wouldn¡¯t be a huge problem in other circumstances, but they were bound to notice if she used her powers on the edge of the Abyss. Only idiots would fail to notice that. The monsters that were waiting for her on the other side, calling her their queen, had been wandering around for a long time. That fact did not change. In the past, her father had no choice but to watch her be the Demon Lord to save her. As it was the only way, she had be the Demon Lord not with the existing six branches but a whole new branch¨Cthe Demon Lord of the Abyss. She had taken down all the other Demon Lord candidates to rise to the position of absolute power to survive. That was what she thought Goddess Freyja had nned. Although she ultimately escaped from the call of the Abyss by rising to the position of the Demon Lord, the position that would make her be the greatest enemy of her father, it had left her with a horrible future that would make her fight her father. When she finally faced death by the de of the Sword Lord and had been sealed inside Caldeiras as a spirit before disappearing from the world¡­ ¡®I cannot hold out for long¡­ Then¡­¡¯ Her bing the Queen of the Abyss was not just about her sacrifice anymore. ording to what they were saying, when the King of the Abyss and the Abyss became one¡­the tables were going to turn. So¡­ Even if she felt guilty toward Davey, she could not hesitate for him and for everyone he protected. ¡®I have¡­to be the Demon Lord again.¡¯ Not as the former Demon Lord, but the resurrected Demon Lord. Perserque stayed silent as she reached out her hand to Davey. Her sorrowfully trembling fingertips did not reach him. ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­ Davey¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡¯ Although she thought this was a foolish situation, all Perserque could feel was that her inevitable destiny was nothing but cruel. * * * The old Whale Pub was in an old and unrenovated building that had been bought cheaply. It had a style that made one feel more nostalgic rather than being a beautiful building. It usually only opened at night, and it was quite popr amongst mercenaries andborers who did rough work. Davey, who walked into the loud pub, stared at Aina, who was quietly following him. She would alert others by keeping her disguise as arge man, so she had decided to keep her true appearance with just her elf ears covered in this situation. ¡°It¡¯s dirty.¡± ¡°Do assassins care about cleanliness, Aina?¡± Didn¡¯t assassins roll in mud to achieve their goal? Aina Helishana quietly shook her head at Davey¡¯s nonsense. She muttered, ¡°I think I asked you to call me Jack if you could.¡± ¡°Do you think a tough name like Jack would suit your face right now? And it doesn¡¯t change you, whether you are Aina or Jack. Let¡¯s sit.¡± Aina looked somewhat unhappy, but she stayed silent. ¡°Wee! What can I get for ya?¡± Any citizen would normally recognize Davey, but unfortunately, no one could recognize him right now. Davey was using an illusory magic spell to change his face. To them, he probably looked like an ordinary mercenary. ¡°Bartender, I¡¯m here to sell some barley beer from Kintarsos. Interested in buying any?¡± ¡°Huh? Sir, this is a ce to sell drinks to those lowly men over there, not a ce to buy drinks. And where is Kintarsos?¡± Even though the bartender was looking at Davey like he was being ridiculous, Davey kept pushing for a response. He urged, ¡°If you buy some now, I¡¯ll add some Mackenzie honey in it, too.¡± ¡°Haha! Look at this guy. Get out if you¡¯re not going to order!¡± With the bartender¡¯s irritated shouting, a few men rose from their seats. Most seemed intrigued by Aina¡¯s beauty even though she hid herself under a hood, but a few of them weren¡¯t. The men cautiously looked at each other before slowly approaching Davey. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Hey. You¡¯re selling barley beer from Kintarsos? We¡¯re a little interested.¡± ¡°Oh, really? You have a pub, too?¡± Looking at the man, Davey could see a tattoo of a crescent moon with a sword prating it on his shoulder; it was the symbol of the ckbird, a human trafficking criminal organization. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re also adding Mackenzie honey in it, too? It should taste fine. It¡¯s going to be pretty expensive, huh?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s how business works, isn¡¯t it?¡± Davey said calmly. At the same time, the men stared at Aina with eyes filled with lust. Aina was made ufortable by the men¡¯s gazes, but she did not say anything. ¡°Alright, Well, follow us. We¡¯ll show you someone who wants to buy some.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Davey stood up with the men and followed them out of the pub without hesitation. Two men were chatting with each other and leading the way. While chatting and exchanging lewd jokes, they led Davey to an old warehouse in the outskirts where no one was paying attention. ¡°We will go through the confirmation first. It seems like you were introduced to us from somewhere, so tell us the secret passcode.¡± ¡°The sword that pierces the moon will always rip apart the sun.¡± Eerie smiles appeared on the men¡¯s faces as they heard Davey. They said in unison, ¡°It¡¯s clear. Follow us.¡± Not long after, the men opened the wooden door to the warehouse and led Davey underground. ¡®They made a space underground while I was gone¡­¡¯ Davey had dered that people could not illegally renovate buildings, but it seemed like his deration had no effect at all. Following the two men, who were now silent as if they hadn¡¯t been chattering a couple minutes ago, Davey realized that the cave they had made was located in the underground sewers he had made. There was only one sewer system in the Heins Territory; he had made it to supply water to each household. What this meant was that this criminal organization had made something like this in a ce that Davey had worked hard to create. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A deal. Where¡¯s Boss?¡± After a long walk, the man who was standing in the middle of the narrow path stopped them. As the two men standing in front of Davey spoke seriously, the man scanned Davey and Aina. He stared at Aina and licked his lips. ¡°Slurp. Man, I¡¯m going to drool. Boss is inside. Go.¡± Davey walked into the sewer and ignored the man, who was following Aina with his gaze to catch everyst nce of her. Soon, he could see quite arge number of men standing in the empty field-like space that he had made. ¡®Yeah, there¡¯s no better ce for a deal than an underground space where no one pays attention.¡¯ ¡°Boss, a deal.¡± ¡°A deal? Do you know what kind of situation it is right now?¡± The muscr man muttered irritatedly and looked over. His eyes widened when he saw Aina. ¡°I came to do business. Are you not going to do it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good time. The seigneur of this territory caught a whiff of us.¡± ¡°How unfortunate. Then, I¡¯ll have to scrap this deal.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know the kind of person the seigneur of this territory is?¡± As Davey tried feeling things out, the man said with a scoff, ¡°That loafer prince who leaves all his business to his vassals and travels around without any knowledge of what goes on in his territory? There¡¯s nothing to know about him. We¡¯re living our best life since he¡¯s running around in other ces after developing his territory. To be honest, there wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if our stupid subordinates didn¡¯t get caught¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Davey nodded as he stopped Aina, who flinched. ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to make a deal?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s true that times are dangerous right now, but how would that loafer prince know about the business that happens here? Sure. The product?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not hurry. But aren¡¯t you being too hostile? It seems like you gathered all your members.¡± Dozens of men were standing around in the underground space. Some were even hiding in the dark. ¡°Ha. Think whatever you want. We don¡¯t harm customers anyway. So, the product?¡± The man asked again like he didn¡¯t want to get off-topic again. When Davey pushed Aina toward him, the man looked at Davey in surprise. He said, ¡°What? I thought you guys were a team.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a product. I had a hard time obtaining it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ She¡¯s quite pretty, but nothing too surprising.¡± ¡°You think so? Let¡¯s see if you think that way,¡± Davey said before removing Aina¡¯s hood to reveal her long ears. ¡°Hup!¡± ¡°A¡­ An elf!¡± Davey heard surprised voices from all over the underground space. After all, elves were probably extremely valuable as products. ¡°She¡¯s not just any elf; she¡¯s a Dark Elf who corrupted herself. Of course, she would be a better sex ve than a stiff elf.¡± With an interested look, the muscr man said, ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do business. How much do you want?¡± ¡°A thousand in gold.¡± ¡°...An absurd amount.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be a lot of money even if you just resell her.¡± ¡°...¡± The man remained silent as he thought about it. Davey sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s scrap this. I have no reason to do business with you if you can¡¯t even use that amount of funds. From what I hear, there¡¯s another gang here.¡± The man frowned. ¡°You¡¯re going to do business with those wild dogs? Think again. They¡¯re not gentlemen like we are.¡± ¡°Since when are garbage people like you gentlemen?¡± Daveyined. Although he could hear hostile voices all around him, Davey ignored them and stared at the man. ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll take it.¡± The man nodded decisively. Just like that, Aina left Davey, followed the men, and disappeared. ¡°You¡¯re sure of the quality? Is she a virgin?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t touch her as I heard that there is high demand for that.¡± ¡°Good. A thousand gold¡­ I will ept. However, I must negotiate.¡± At that moment, some men began approaching Davey with weapons in their hands. ¡°A thousand gold is a bit too much. Three hundred.¡± ¡°Are you threatening me? Abandoning all courtesy?¡± ¡°No one is going to know even if you die here. I am thew in this underground world, the king. Do you think that loafer prince of the Heins Territory is going to be able to stop me?¡± Davey just stayed silent as the men surrounded him. To him, it did not matter what decision the men made. [Crackle¡­ They were not too far from here. What should I do?] Not long after, Davey heard Aina¡¯s voice. He covered one ear with his hand and quietly mumbled, ¡°Do what you want when I give you the signal.¡± Turning to nce at the muscr man, Davey then said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re going to regret it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s be gentlemen here. The underground is our territory. The credit of our organization is trustworthy. However, a thousand gold is too expensive. Three hundred.¡± ¡°Two thousand.¡± The man frowned when Davey doubled the price instead of bringing it down. He said, ¡°Five hundred.¡± ¡°Four thousand.¡± ¡°You think¡­negotiation is a joke?¡± ¡°Do you people think that I¡¯m joking around with the price?¡± When the muscr man nodded slightly, more members began approaching Davey. ¡°Let me ask you one thing,¡± Davey said. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Are you the leader of the ckbird?¡± The man nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± However, Davey had used Perserque¡¯s ability to discern that this muscr man was not the boss. Davey scanned the men who surrounded him before finding someone who was particrly different from the rest. He pointed at the quiet and frail man, then said, ¡°That person seems more like this boss.¡± A threatening silence surrounded the room. ¡®Bingo.¡¯ ¡°It seems¡­like you¡¯re going to have to die here.¡± ¡°Was my guess correct?¡± Davey smiled and looked around, ignoring the men whopletely surrounded him. Then, he raised his right arm and snapped his fingers. Snap!! At the same time, a ck me burned in the path he hade in through. ¡®Ah¡­ I really wanted to try this, too.¡¯ ¡ªAgain¡­? Perserque, who was quiet, looked at Davey like he was being ridiculous. ¡°Conscience.¡± Snap!! Whoosh!! Davey¡¯s second snap covered the vents in the room. ¡°Maketh.¡± Snap!! As hisst snap blocked the back door, which seemed to be the only escape route, Davey smiled terrifyingly. At the same time, the men frowned in confusion at this strange situation. ¡°Man.¡± ¡®Do you know what this means? Let me teach you a lesson.¡¯[1] Crack!! As soon as he stopped talking, Davey seized the head of the man who stood closest to him and crushed it with his hand. He said, ¡°You are not human as you have abandoned your conscience.¡± As the illusory magic began wearing off Davey¡¯s face, the men quickly gaped in shock. ¡°You will have to pay the price for messing with my territory this recklessly.¡± As he pulled out a dagger from the dead man¡¯s pocket, ck smoke began to flow out of Davey. It was the precursor to Moonlight Steps, the secret walking method of assassins. ¡°Aina, rescue all the citizens who are there. Cut all the tendons of everyone you see. I can just put them back togetherter.¡± ¡®You can make them feel extreme pain. Just don¡¯t kill them.¡¯ ¡°T-The seigneur!¡± Realizing Davey¡¯s true identity, the men pulled out their weapons in shock. Now that they were caught, they knew that they would have to die. Realistically, they wouldn¡¯t have done something like this without any backup n. Davey slid one foot back and reached out his hand into the air. Crack!! He snatched a man wearing a ck martial arts uniform from thin air and crushed him into the ground. ¡°How are you going to live when your assassination skills are this sloppy?¡± Davey said nothing, but assassins did not discriminate against each other. They were simply targets to another assassin who had better skills. 1. A reference to the famous quote from the movie ¡®Kingsman¡¯. ? Chapter 257 ¡°What kind of passcode is that?¡± ¡°They have their own way of doing things.¡± Davey quietly nodded as Aina, also known as Jack, reported. Then, he came to a conclusion aftering thinking hard. He said, ¡°I am going to sell you.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Did you not hear me? I am going to sell you as a ve.¡± ¡°...¡± Aina silently turned away. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Guys like them always have an escape route. If I attack them, they will either take the ones we couldn¡¯t rescue somewhere else or¡­kill them,¡± Davey mumbled with a stiff face. Aina froze before asking, ¡°Do you want me to be sold as a product, go there, and subdue all of them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What if they tie me up? I might be subdued as well.¡± ¡°You¡¯re afraid even when you know how to release sword energy from your fingernails?¡± ¡®And besides, you have a spirit of the dark thates out when you¡¯re in danger.¡¯ Aina frowned slightly. ¡°Being caught on purpose¡­¡± Rather than feeling displeased, it was quite disturbing that Aina looked quite pleased. * * * ¡°Kugh!! Keugh¡­¡± As a man copsed to the ground with a scream, Davey scanned the other members with a straight face and asked, ¡°I will give you a choice. Release your weapons or I will im your lives¡­¡± ¡°D-Do not back down! There is no retreat! Whether we get dragged away or forced to fight here, we will die anyway!¡± The boss of ckbird could at least think. Since the entrance and exits were all covered by a ck me, they had no way of escaping. The only escape route they had was to kill Davey and flee the territory. They would certainly have heard the stories about Davey, but humans tended to do whatever they could to live. From time to time, humans¡­ ¡°A¡­ Ahhh!!!¡± Showed supernatural strength in danger¡­ ¡°Die!!¡± And did the impossible. For example, they could exert much more strength than usual or be extremely fast. Shwa¡­ However, the man charged in with his sharp de only to sh an image of Davey which had been made with ck fog. Moonlight Steps had left an image right where Davey had been to confuse the opponent. It was an extremely fast and secret movement method that confused the enemy and allowed one to move around without leaving any traces. As the man¡¯s eyes widened when he cut through the fog image, Davey appeared behind him and grabbed his neck. He then pulled out the dagger in his pocket to stab him repeatedly. He had aimed for all the dangerous spots without hesitation: wrist, tendon, Achilles heel, thigh, and groin. As the tendons supporting his body had been cut, the man copsed to the ground like a loose string puppet. He couldn¡¯t even scream. Another man charged toward Davey from behind, but he was soon lifted up by the neck. Davey had grabbed him. ¡°Gurgle! Keugh¡­¡± All the man could do was stare up at the ceiling and il. It was as if he had lost all strength to fight back. He probably wanted to look down, but felt like his neck had been stuck in a metal vise. Crack!! Davey horribly distorted the man¡¯s neck before letting him roll on the floor. For a moment, time had seemingly slowed down with many swords flying through the air. Davey dodged the des by jumping up in the air. He was soon enveloped by ck smoke before disappearing from sight. With wide eyes, the men shouted, ¡°He¡¯s gone aga¡­!¡± [Moonlight Style Modified Throws of Power] [Sky-filled Flower Rain] Crack! Pieces of rock broke off from the underground space, falling from above with stupid strong mana. They fell like rain and hit the men urately. After all, they were all individual throws of power. ¡°Keah!!¡± Ignoring the injured men who eventually fell to the floor, Davey dissipated the ck smoke from his body as he lightly floated back down to the ground. He walked toward the only man who hadn¡¯t tried to attack him. Before he could even attack, the man froze like stone from Davey¡¯s Touch of Death. He was the boss of the organization. He copsed on the floor, clenching his jaw and looking up at Davey. ¡°S-Stop!¡± ¡°You have something to say?¡± ¡°I-I request a negotiation!¡± Davey threw the man onto the ground and growled, ¡°Negotiation? You think you¡¯re in the position to request a negotiation?¡± ¡°E-Eight citizens from this town! And your subordinate, too!¡± Davey frowned. ¡°If¡­ If you kill me, you will never be able to find them. I don¡¯t know with what confidence you sent your subordinate there, but my guys would have already moved after noticing something was off!¡± ¡°Do that,¡± Davey said calmly as he pulled out Red Ribbon. Grabbing the man by his neck again, he then struck down the sword without hesitation. ¡°A¡­ Ahh!! A-Alright! I will give you information about those wild dogs!!¡± Flustered at how easily Davey was going to kill him, the boss requested a negotiation and even abandoned thews of the underworld. Of course, Davey did not need the information as he already had a verified pro of intelligence. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Thud!! Davey punched the boss, who slid to the ground. Only then did the mes covering all the exits disappear at once. ¡°Attendant Bernile. They are human traffickers. Come and clean it up.¡± Letting Bernile know of the situation through hismunication crystal, Davey headed over to where Aina¡¯s signal wasing from. * * * ¡°Is it¡­here?¡± ¡°Warning. Thinking there is no need for Rinne to do it. Rinne does not understand.¡± ¡°To be honest, we came all the way here from the Hyeon Empire to escort Princess Tanya, but¡­ We wonder if there is anyone who will harm her here.¡± As Tanya had an unbelievably over-the-top protection here, everyone could see why the Heins Territory was so famous in the East and how supported Prince Davey, the seigneur, was. ¡°However¡­it seems like the territory has just begun developing.¡± ¡°Rinne, puzzled.¡± ¡°There are no slums here. The gap between the rich and the poor is bound to exist even amongst the most socially aware citizens.¡± ¡°Rinne highly values that opinion.¡± Rinne then nced at the dark warehouse in the east. Nobody should be in that warehouse, which had been built to store extra materials, but there were tworge men guarding its entrance with threatening expressions on their faces. ¡°Illegal upation. Meticulous to not leave any evidence. Rinne highly values their struggle.¡± ¡°Have a safe walk back. You don¡¯t know what they are going to do.¡± When Rinne tilted her head in confusion at his advice, Dan-Goong sighed. The little girl in front of him only looked very simr to a human and was actually a biological golem. She was a being that Dan-Goong could not understand with his knowledge, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that she was not a simple creature from her appearance. ¡°I heard from Princess Maria. These people are arge organization that does human trafficking, a crime this territory has dered as illegal.¡± They went by the name of Jackal or something like that. They were quite arge organization in the central continent, but it seemed like a branch of that organization was hidden in the Heins Territory. Of course, they had no reason to be afraid of a crappy organization like Jackal considering Prince Davey¡¯s unbelievable power. However, they could not just disregard them; there were a lot of nobles who had their backs. Most of all, Rinne and Dan-Goong were the only people here. Originally, it was only Rinne who was supposed to go inside, but Dan-Goong had decided to tag along. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. Even though you and I have some power, they are a huge criminal organization that has the funds to hire high-ranking assassins. It could be dangerous.¡± ¡°Rinne does not appreciate your cowardly statement.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. You¡¯re just a golem, is that it?¡± Dan-Goong sighed. Rinne frowned slightly. Thud!! Then, she said with a pout, ¡°Rinne does not appreciate it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing. Criminal organizations always make an escape route. I understand that you¡¯re confident, but do you think they will just take whatever you have for them without a n? You have to think if you have a head,¡± Dan-Goong criticized Rinne harshly. Rinne stared up at Dan-Goong in silence. ¡°As soon as you go wild in there, I¡¯m sure the quick ones will either kill¡­or send the ones they have kidnapped for trafficking somewhere else. They will burn all the evidence. If you got an order, at least be more careful¡­¡± ¡°Rinne rejects that request. Sir Davey. Wiped out the ckbird gang with another person. Sir Davey ordered Rinne to wipe out the Jackal gang,¡± Rinne said calmly. The moment Dan-Goong was going to say something else, Rinne suddenly took a couple steps back and her eyes shone. She muttered, ¡°An irritating statement. Extremely ufortable with people underestimating Rinne with the exception of Sir Davey. Emotional circuit is heating fast. Rinne defines this as anger.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°Choosing Missile Dropkick, a fighting method following anger.¡± Dan-Goong tried to escape with wide eyes upon hearing Rinne¡¯s shout. Unfortunately, she flew over without hesitation; she was already pissed off by his criticism. As Rinne¡¯s Missile Dropkick, which weighed over two hundred kilograms, struck him, Dan-Goong flew away like he had been hit by a dump truck. He struck the two men standing outside the warehouse. ¡°Keugh!!¡± Dan-Goong did not die because he was much tougher than ordinary people. After copsing without even being able to cream, Dan-Goong frowned. He did not know that the men he had struck along the way were already unconscious and foaming at their mouths. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Purposely ignoring Dan-Goong¡¯sint, Rinne pped her wings to move forward. She knocked on the warehouse door. Although Dan-Goong stared at her dramatic way of knocking in surprise, she did not budge. ¡°What? Who is it?!¡± That was when a threatening voice rang out from inside the warehouse. ¡°Who is it?!¡± Creak! A man decided to check the outside by opening the door slightly and taking a peek. He looked confused as no one appeared to be in sight. He was tall enough to see anyone who stood outside, but all he saw was emptiness. ¡°Huh? There¡¯s no one here.¡± Once the man was about to step out to investigate the odd situation, Dan-Goong, who was lying on the floor, could see Rinne¡¯s eyes shine with an eerie light. She had heard the man¡¯sments. ¡°Rinne¡­is not small.¡± Whoosh!! At the same time, blue bits of energy began gathering on Rinne¡¯s foot. She then raised her foot up and swung it at the opening door. ¡°Rinne does not think highly of this!¡± Crash!!!!! The door waspletely demolished, and the neighboring wall also broke apart. As for the man, he was sent flying across the air. ¡°Rinne¡­is not small. Emotional circuit is heating to its limit. Rinne defines this as extreme anger!¡± Even though Rinne maintained a straight face, Dan-Goong could not shake off the fact that she was extremely angry. Watching as the golem charged in without a n, he had no choice but to seriously wonder how there wasn¡¯t a single normal person around Prince Davey. ¡°Rinne is not small!!¡± Rinne shouted as she made arge cannon with one hand. She targeted the warehouse without hesitation and showered it with extremely hot rays of light. Chapter 258 In fact, Dan-Goong was bewildered by Rinne¡¯s true power. The little girl, a biological golem, had far stronger firepower than what high-ranking mages could execute together. ¡®How¡­ How many of these monsters does Prince Davey have? How could an artificially made golem¡­?¡¯ Dan-Goong did not know that Rinne was not an ordinary golem. In fact, Rinne was the greatest output of an ancient civilization that had possessed incredible technology. Putting his admiration aside, Dan-Goong criticized Rinne for going crazy just because she was angry at being called short. He yelled urgently, ¡°Are you crazy?! What¡­ What are you going to do?!¡± Although he was not in charge right now, Dan-Goong intended to get the job done well if he decided to interfere. Rinne brushed off the dust from her skirt that exposed her ankles as she walked into the burning warehouse. Her ankles and feet had originally been bare, but they were now wrapped with white bandages. Everyone had convinced her to cover them up. However, she was never going to wear shoes. Rinne got rid of the cannon and got her arm to return to normal. She walked in with light footsteps as if she hadn¡¯t been angry just moments ago. Then, picking up the man by the neck and tossing him over to Dan-Goong, she said, ¡°Analyzing. Identifying living things. Excellent performance.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Survivor. Analyzing that there are no casualties per Sir Davey¡¯s orders. Tie all of them up and transport them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re¡­not dead?¡± Rinne was acting too boldly. After all, there were people who suffered fatal injuries and looked like they were going to die soon. ¡°Rinne is an excellent biological golem. Exining that she does not kill in a live-capture mission.¡± Rinne¡¯s eyes shone for a moment. [Elderbrain sendingmand. Requesting mission report from each fleet.] Just then, Rinne spoke in a mystical voice. At the same time, a hologram-like image shone out of Rinne¡¯s eyes and created an image of an elf-like woman. [Avenger Fleet reporting that Ghost mission isplete. We have secured about twenty survivors and two hundred targets. Requesting assistance for transportation.] [Rinne highly values her subordinate¡¯s performance.] Rinne, who muttered monotonously, drew a crowbar in her hand and stared at Dan-Goong with a strange expression. Perhaps feeling a little nervous from Rinne¡¯s stare, Dan-Goong asked reluctantly, ¡°Is¡­something wrong?¡± ¡°Assistance.¡± As Rinne walked out of the warehouse with light footsteps¡­ ¡°Oh my¡­ There sure are a lot of them¡­¡± Dan-Goong said in shock. Hundreds of people hade out of nowhere to surround both Rinne and Dan-Goong. They all had weapons in their hands. ¡°Prioritize live capture ording to Sir Davey¡¯s orders.¡± However¡­ ¡°However, permission to kill the target if the situation is not good.¡± The gang members frowned at Rinne, who spoke about killing them. ¡°What¡¯s that little kid saying?¡± ¡°How dare they touch our damn territory? I don¡¯t know where that bitch came from, but you better not think of running away after doing something like this. Take it out!!¡± After that shout, a few of the men pulled out a small bunch of papers from their pockets; it was an expensive magic scroll. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate them. They did this alone. Don¡¯t let down your guard and subdue them. You can capture them alive if you can, but if not, kill them.¡± ¡°Whistle. Sir, that bitch over there. She¡¯s small, but really pretty.¡± ¡°Can we do anything we want if we capture her? Her clothes are practically begging us to touch her.¡± The men exchanged lewd jokes with one another, not understanding the gravity of the situation. Rinne¡¯s expression stiffened even more. ¡°Rinne does not appreciate lewd conversations.¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense and move. If you seed in capturing her alive, I¡¯ll let you do whatever you want with her.¡± Once the man stopped talking, the other men approached Rinne and Dan-Goong. Dan-Goong smiled bitterly and gripped the sword on his waist. ¡°Should I help?¡± Rinne shook her head and said calmly, ¡°Decided. Rinne highly values the killing of everyone.¡± For some reason, Dan-Goong felt that the expressionless Rinne looked extremely angry. Feeling that his instincts were right, he felt even more uneasy than before. Ping¡­ Not long after, Rinne pulled out a small cube and threw it in the air. Chk-chk!! ng!! Drrrr!!! Floating in the air, the cube began transforming into somethingrge. ¡°Hup?!¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What is that?!¡± The cube soon transformed into arge magic stone golem. It was huge in size and its height was shocking, but¡­ Whirr!! Whirrrr!!!!! The men¡¯s smiles werepletely wiped when they saw the huge golem¡¯s shining blue eyes. They also noticed the shape of the saw in the golem¡¯s hand. ¡°Main missionplete. Rinne gives up on the sub-mission. Sendingmand to all members of the Decepticon Fleet as the Elderbrain,¡± Rinne muttered as her eyes shone blue. Then, she added, ¡°Orderingplete annihtion.¡± [Megatron,mand epted.] Kaboom!!!!! Megatron, the monstrous golem giant that defied all logic, appeared in front of them and answered. Upon Rinne¡¯smand, a purple bullet also suddenly flew toward the men from a mysterious location. It blew the head off the man who was standing at the very front. [Sniper, activating sniping.] Megatron activated its electric chainsaw while Sniper, one of the golems of the Decepticon Fleet, answered. The huge drill on its other hand also rotated fiercely, boasting its horrifying presence. The only thing that could be heard afterward were the men screaming from the overwhelmingly one-sided abuse. * * * There was a major bombing the night before due to the behavior of ckbird and Jackal, the two criminal organizations that were active in the central continent and had recklessly entered the Heins Territory after realizing its potential. Davey and Aina had wrecked the ckbird, and Rinne and the Decepticon Fleet under her had ruined therge Jackal gang. The men had been wiped out by the Avenger Fleet, with Rinne killing most of them in the process. However, Davey didn¡¯t have any reason to find fault in that. Perserque, who was sleeping on the desk, was definitely different from before. She did sleep a lot in general, but¡­ ¡®It seems like it¡¯s gotten worse after the incident in the Abyss.¡¯ ¡ªUh¡­ Um¡­ As Perserque appeared to be having a nightmare, she groaned with her eyes still closed. Davey reached out his hand toward her, but soon pulled his hand back and turned away. ¡°Your Highness, we are ready.¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go,¡± Davey answered quickly. He silently looked up at the two moons in the night sky. There was Syras, the mana-filled red moon that lit up the beginning, and Cryas, the blue moon that reflected upon the end. There were legends about the two moons, but it wasn¡¯t all that interesting to Davey. Creak!! As he walked into the grand hall, Davey could see dozens of armored soldiers lined up. ¡°Present arms to His Highness!¡± ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s skip the formalities,¡± said Davey as he turned to the man who was bowing to him and standing in the middle. He then said, ¡°Report.¡± ¡°Yes! Your Highness! As you ordered, we are investigating those who were harmed by the two criminal organizations in the territory. However, it will take a few days because there are a lot of them.¡± ¡°Alright. Anything else?¡± ¡°This is the doctor and supreme judge you asked for.¡± When the man stepped back, Davey saw two men on their knees and their heads lowered. It was difficult to say that they were in good shape, since it had been a rough process of getting them here. ¡°Raise your heads!!¡± Monmider shouted firmly. The two men raised their heads. One of them was stick-thin, and the other was quite chubby. ¡°Your Highness! What is this about?!¡± ¡°Y¡­ Yes. Saint! At thiste hour¡­¡± ¡°I want you guys to give me the answer about why you are here,¡± Davey said calmly. When the two men stopped talking, he added, ¡°You are Judge Merdein. And you are Doctor Harleen of the territory.¡± ¡°...¡± Even though they had never seen each other before, the men were bound to react in some way now that they knew about each other¡¯s jobs. ¡°I will ask again. Do you know why I brought you two here?¡± The two people did not know that the ckbird and Jackal gang that weremitting human trafficking through fraud and force in this territory had been wiped out in a short period of time. Most of the people here probably didn''t know either. ¡°T¡­ That is¡­ I don¡¯t understand. Your Highness! I¡¯m bewildered for being dragged out here all of a sudden at thiste hour, but to ask for the reason?! This is tyranny!¡± Judge Merdein shouted. Davey nodded. ¡°It is tyranny like you said.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Your Highness?¡± ¡°Harleen.¡± Hearing Davey call him, the old doctor named Harleen trembled. ¡°Can someone who has fractures all over his body and muscle rupture move?¡± Harleen shook his head reluctantly. ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­ I do not know what¡­¡± ¡°Answer me first.¡± ¡°I¡­ Impossible. They cannot do anything other than move their fingers. They will have to stay in bed, too.¡± ¡°You know well,¡± Davey answered calmly before ncing over at Judge Merdein. He said, ¡°Judge Merdein.¡± ¡°Y-Yes? Your Highness.¡± ¡°Tell me. What does paragraph four of the kingdom¡¯sw state?¡± ¡°T-Thew of the R-Rowane Kingdom is strictly upheld¡­and those who vite it will be¡­severely punished.¡± ¡°You know well.¡± Davey approached Judge Merdein with a cold smile. Thud!! After kicking Judge Merdein to the ground, Davey demanded, ¡°And you dare to do something like that in my territory?¡± Feeling flustered, Merdein shouted, ¡°W-Why are you doing this?! This is unfair! Why?!¡± ¡°So, Judge Merdein, how much did you take¡­¡± Listening to Davey''s calm voice, Judge Merdein¡¯s eyes widened now that he realized the situation he was in. ¡°Normally, it¡¯s only right for the judicial branch to be separated, but right now, I think it¡¯s a relief that royalty has the right to interfere with it.¡± ¡®Since I can bury someone like you myself.¡¯ ¡°Th¡­ This is an overreach of power! I did not make a wrong verdict! I made a fair verdict! ording to thew! And ording to the situation and circumstantial evidence!¡± ¡°Fair?¡± ¡°I am not ashamed in any way!! A¡­ And even if you are the prince, you cannot treat me like this; I am a judge appointed by the absolute His Majesty the King!¡± Merdein shouted. Davey nodded before saying, ¡°Yes, themand of His Majesty is absolute. What can I say about your capabilities if His Majesty appointed you?¡± Speaking as if he agreed with the old man, Davey put his finger on Merdein¡¯s chest. He drew the shape of a cross on the man¡¯s chest, and the cross soon shone with light. ¡°Then let¡¯s ask Goddess Freyja, shall we?¡± As he watched Davey, Merdein¡¯s gaze began expressing confusion and anxiety. ¡°The second you lie, you will burn from the anger of the Goddess.¡± ¡°That¡­ What¡­¡± ¡°You know that I am the Saint who received the stigmata, right?¡± Davey smiled. As Merdein trembled, he asked, ¡°How much did you take to do something like this?¡± ¡°Th-That is¡­¡± Merdein broke out in cold sweat from the shining cross on his chest. ¡°You better answer well.¡± If he knew well about holy magic, Merdein would at least know that this was total nonsense. Davey already had enough evidence to bury him, but what could be more certain than his own confession? ¡°P¡­ Please have mercy! Your Highness! I¡­ I just did what I was told¡­!¡± Whoosh!! At the same time, Merdein was set aze with a white me. He couldn¡¯t feel the heat yet, but he was already rolling on the floor with desperate screams. ¡°Y-Your Highness! What is this?! Did I not tell you the truth?!! Please!!¡± Hearing Merdein¡¯s pleas, Davey answered indifferently, ¡°You want me to spare you? You should have known that this would happen to you if you thought to do something like that in this territory.¡± ¡°E¡­ Everyone lives like this, do they not?!! I¡­ I cannot live off the chicken feed sry from¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Judge. The thing you should be saying right now is not to make me understand.¡± ¡®It¡¯s to acknowledge your sins and die.¡¯ Then, the white me surrounding Merdein turned into chains and tied him up in the air. Davey looked at the Code of Law, which was on his belt, before looking up at him. ¡°Do you remember what thest paragraph of the Code of Law states? Judge Merdein?¡± ¡°T¡­ The abovews are all enforced and protected by the absolute state¡­and a judge who vites this shall be severely punished¡­¡± ¡°You have nothing to say even if you get beaten to death by the Code of Law, right?¡± Merdein¡¯s eyes widened as Davey smiled. However, Davey, who gripped onto the book so tight that the leather cover was starting to rip, swung the thick and heavy Code of Law at Merdein even before the man could scream. ¡°Get ready, you asshole.¡± ¡°P¡­ Please spare me, Your Highness!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to kill you.¡± ¡®It¡¯s just going to hurt like hell.¡¯ Chapter 259 90. Water Spirit Perhaps the man¡¯s pride got wounded from Davey hitting him with the Code of Law, one that he had carried and read his entire life. ¡°This¡­ This is an insult! How dare you beat me with the Code of Law that I have read and studied my entire life?! I will never let this insult pass! I¡¯ll have a discussion with the royal family!!! Your Highness! I will make sure to personally report this injustice that I have suffered!!!¡± ¡°You want to have a discussion with the royal family?¡± ¡°I did not volunteer in the Heins Territory under Count Orlsen¡¯s rmendation just to suffer like this!!! You can¡¯t do this to me! I came here to establishw and order!!! I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d rather you kill me!!!¡± The judge shouted in a fit of anger. A dark and creepy smile slowly tugged at the corners of Davey¡¯s lips. At the same time, Monmider and the rest of the guards who were watching everything unfold by the sidelines turned pale. ¡°Right¡­ Kill you.¡± Davey nodded in understanding. He tapped the Code of Law that was thicker than his hand all the while ignoring the angry shouts of the man. He then said, ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you¡¯ll be able to endure this.¡± ¡°N¡­ No. I, I mean¡­¡± m!!! ¡°Keuaaaack!!!¡± The judge¡¯s eyes widened, enough for his eyeballs to pop out of their sockets. Although he might just be getting hit with the Code of Law on his abdomen, the force and impact that he would suffer from would depend on just who was the one hitting him and what kind of material the book was made of. The material of the book was only some thick and sturdy leather, but the one wielding it was no ordinary human being. For someone like Judge Merdein, who was only an ordinary human, getting hit by Davey with the Code of Law would be some kind of hellish and torturous pain. ¡°Keheok! W¡­ Wait a moment!!!¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked me to kill you instead?¡± m!!! Once again, Davey mmed the Code of Law into Judge Merdein¡¯s body. It was obvious that these hits would be enough to kill the judge, but he did not die. That was why he had no other choice but to go crazy and jump around¡­ ¡°W¡­ Wait!!! I was wrong. Your Highness!!! Spare¡­ Spare me!!!¡± m!!! ¡°Kghkk¡­¡± m!!! ¡°Urk¡­¡± m! Davey continued to m the Code of Law on Merdein, creating a scene of harshness and brutality. However, none of the people present stopped him. ¡°If a manmits a sin with his hands, then cut their wrists off. If a manmits murder, then death shall be bestowed upon him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Code of Law that exists in a different world. Of course, I¡¯m not thinking of imposing such a strict and harshw.¡± All Davey wanted was for them to use theirmon sense. If theymitted a crime, then they should prepare themselves to be punished. If they did good deeds, then they would naturally be rewarded ordingly. That was more than enough for Davey. That was why these two men kneeling in front of Davey who dared to cross a line that they should never have crossed would never be free from the punishment of their sins. Then, Davey reached his hand out toward the dying Judge Merdein and casted a holy magic upon him. [Highness Heal] Ring! Merdein¡¯s battered body slowly recovered. Even his consciousness and spirit returned back to normal. Realizing the situation that he was in and would continue to be ced in, Judge Merdein screamed and begged, ¡°Please¡­ Please forgive me!!! Your Highness! It was God! God is the one at fault!¡± ¡°Since you did something wrong, then you should be prepared to get beaten up!¡± m!!! *** [Highness Heal] Creak¡­ A bright light suddenly appeared to swallow up Judge Merdein¡¯s bloody figure, healing him and returning him back to normal. ¡°Ugh¡­ ugh!¡± Judge Merdein looked at Davey with a trembling gaze upon returning to his senses. Perhaps realizing that he would be hit by the Code of Law if he said something again, he held his tongue. In fact, he was already shaking from the sight of Davey alone. ¡°A judge, someone who should have been the greatest example of fairness, was blinded by greed and self-interest¡­ Royal Attendant Bernile, is there a precedent to a case like this?¡± ¡°There has never been a case like this before¡­ I believe no judge has ever been punished in our history.¡± ¡°Since there¡¯s no precedent, then I can start and make an example for them.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile murmured bitterly and worriedly, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± For Monmider, this scene was not that big of a deal. As for Amy, who was studying about the territory¡¯s internal affairs under Royal Attendant Bernile¡¯s tutge, this scene waspletely terrifying. ¡°Amy.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, Your Highness!!!¡± ¡°Go back. I don¡¯t need you to do this and witness this kind of thing.¡± ¡°But¡­ But that!¡± Amy protested before rushing down with limp arms. Bowing toward Davey, she begged, ¡°Your Highness! Please¡­ Please trust me! I promise I will never let you down!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please do not leave me out of consideration and allow me to do more work! I do not care about how rough or violent things go, I will make sure to repay the trust that Your Highness has ced upon me!¡± Davey could see how grateful a person Amy was. After hearing her beg and cry for him to not leave her behind, he finally tossed the bloodied Code of Law away. He said, ¡°There¡¯s blood tainting this Code of Law. Burn it. As for those two, announce the sins that they havemitted at the break of dawn and tell the public that they would be executed outside of the territory four dayster. Make sure to spread the facts urately.¡± Just then, an unexpected person spoke up to question Davey¡¯s orders. ¡°Brother¡­¡± Baris called out bitterly. It seemed like he had been trainingte into the night. And to Davey¡¯s surprise, another unexpected person was apanying Baris, who was dressed lightly and holding onto a wooden sword. ¡°Why are you still up thiste at night, Princess Maria?¡± ¡°I¡­couldn¡¯t sleep, but¡­ I think I made a wrong turn somewhere,¡± Maria said calmly as she turned toward Judge Merdein, who was hanging in the air above them. ¡°It seems like I have shown you something very unsightly.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I believe it¡¯s only right for the guilty to receive their just punishments¡­¡± Maria mumbled as she rubbed her eyes over her blindfold. She then asked, ¡°Is this the guy? Is there really a judge who willingly allowed human traffickers to go crazy in the territory?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, why don¡¯t you just do a public execution? In the za in the center of the territory, for all the public to see¡­¡± ¡°Baris,¡± Davey called out after hearing Baris¡¯ question. Davey beckoned for the younger boy toe closer. Once Baris was within reach, he lightly flicked him on the forehead. ¡°Keuaack?!¡± Of course, a light flick from Davey still wouldn¡¯t be weak. ¡°Ugh!¡± Davey, who watched Baris groan and moan in pain, said, ¡°You will be the king of this kingdom. You are going to be its ruler, Baris.¡± Baris was not like Davey, so why did Davey throw away his shot at the throne? It was because a king always had to remain calm andposed even after being exposed to something dirty. Not wanting to see or do something like that, Davey had chosen to throw the position away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you homework. Think carefully about why I chose to execute them outside of the territory and not in the za in the middle of the territory. Also think about why I only chose to notify the public about something like this.¡± If Baris could find out the reason why, then he was capable of thinking on a much deeper level than anybody else. Baris was rendered speechless for a long time after hearing Davey¡¯s words. *** The morning that arrived after the break of dawn was quiet yet lively. Davey felt that everything was energetic enough to overshadow the chaotic events that had transpired the day before. ¡°Brother¡­ Excuse me¡­ Where are we going?¡± Tanya, who was riding a horse and was trailing behind Davey, asked carefully. ¡°I¡¯m going to show you a rare spectacle.¡± Tanya nodded. ¡°Hmm¡­ If that¡¯s the case, then I wish Baris would havee with us¡­¡± Winley, who was riding beside Tanya, heard her sister¡¯s murmurs. She said with a giggle, ¡°That idiot seems to have stayed up all night trying to find the solution to some homework that Big Brother has given him.¡± ¡°Homework?¡± Although Tanya looked over at him nodding in confusion, Davey did not give in to her inquisitive look. He didn¡¯t even offer her any hints. Tanya then said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard all about it, Brother. Goodness, I did not expect them to try and do that in the Heins Territory¡­¡± Winley cackled loudly as she caught up with Davey on her horse. Then, she asked quietly, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me the answer?¡± ¡°No,¡± Davey said as he ruffled Winley¡¯s hair. Winley looked up at Davey tearfully, then groaned, ¡°Ughhhh¡­¡± In fact, there was no correct answer to the homework that Davey had given to Baris. However, Baris could gain very important perspectives and insights during the process of thinking about it. ¡®What about you? Do you know?¡¯ ¡ªI know what you¡¯re thinking. As expected of Perserque, she had realized Davey¡¯s intentions through the actions that he had chosen to take. ¡ªBut every situation has its own problems, Davey. Your thoughts and ideas can¡¯t also be considered to be the perfect alternative either. ¡®You have to know that there¡¯s a big difference between having a choice and not having one.¡¯ After sharing his perspective with Perserque, Davey promptly shut his mouth. Not long after, Davey, Winley, Tanya, and Princess Maria, who was following Tanya, arrived at a wide open field that was near theke. In front of them was a seemingly ordinaryke and field, but the entire area already had plenty of people present. There were workers who hade to get a job. They were dwarves of the Yellowstone Tribe. Yulis, the youngest elder of the Red Tower, had also sent some mages in for support. ¡°Oh! You came, Wise Teacher. You didn¡¯t have toe, since we¡¯re still waiting for all of the materials to arrive. So, we still have to wait before we can start working.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work,¡± Davey answered leisurely as he dismounted from his horse. Elder Golgouda just smiled broadly and guffawed. ¡°Bahahahahaha! New technology is always interesting to me. But Wise Teacher, if we follow the designs in your blueprint, the construction process will surely be rough and slow, right?¡± Davey nodded quietly. Elder Golgouda was the leader of the Yellowstone Tribe, and the elder brother of First Elder Goulda. ¡°That¡¯s right. As far as I recall, we have to deal with this hugeke to supply each and every single part of the Heins Territory.¡± The construction was truly impossible right at this very moment. Even if Davey were to use magic to make it possible, the astronomical costs and the long construction period would be enough for him to wave the white g of surrender. ¡°ording to my estimates, construction will be done in ten years.¡± Davey sighed bitterly. ¡°In fact, it would take up to thirty years at most. No matter how simple you¡¯ve made the designs on this blueprint to be, there¡¯s a limit to how much a living and breathing being could do.¡± What they needed to do was to move the water in theke somewhere else and lock it there for them to be able to build. Only after the building process was done could they release the water once again. The design would then use several waterways to circte the water and let it pass through hundreds of thousands of spinning wheels. And the spinning wheels¡¯ movement would generate power and resonate with the mana stones to create mana power. What Davey wanted to build here was a source of power. Now that water had been distributed properly in the Heins Territory, the next step was to create a source of power that would illuminate their streets. After all, it was an entire waste of money to buyrge amounts of mana stones and install them one by one. Besides, the cost of maintenance was also crazy high. That was why Davey wanted to invest in this. He needed to invest some of his time and money to create their own mana power, and then use the excess power to let the money roll in. One good example would be establishing the very first amusement park in the Tionis Continent. ¡°We will finish the construction work in a month.¡± ¡°I have seen the requirements and the intricacies of the blueprint¡­ Is that¡­ Is that even possible?¡± Elder Golgouda asked Davey with a somber look on his face after hearing Davey¡¯s deration. No matter how much the elder thought about it, it was impossible for the dwarves to finish the construction work in that timeframe. ¡°Even if we do a piss-poor job at the construction, it will still be impossible to finish everything in a month. Just draining the water alone will take us half a year.¡± Davey nodded in agreement. Walking forward calmly, he then said, ¡°That would be true if we proceeded with the general and ordinary construction process.¡± Winley, Tanya, and Princess Maria all looked at Davey. They wondered what exactly he was going to do. ¡°But when did I tell you that we¡¯re going to do normal construction work?¡± Snap!!! Once Davey snapped his fingers, the dark mana within him began to tremble. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! At the same time, thousands of robed beings began to appear and walk forward. It was as if they had been waiting for thismand for a very long time. ¡°Goodness¡­ Bones?!¡± ¡°Are¡­ Aren¡¯t those skeletons?!¡± The people around Davey shouted at the unexpected urrence. However, Davey did not care. After all, they were not the skeletons that he had created. They were simply his previous workforce, the ones that he had taken from the necromancer who had appeared in the Pan Empire a while ago. ¡°Their numbers are small, but this should be enough to be considered a smallbor force.¡± Reinforced and strengthened skeletons could provide morebor since they had much more power than humans. They were also the idealbor force since they did not need to eat or sleep. ¡°Aside from them, there were a lot of those bastards who dared to y some tricks inside the territory. We wouldn¡¯t have that much of a problem when ites to ourbor force. Let¡¯s make them do all the dangerous work.¡± And what if they did not agree to work? Then, Davey would have no choice but to show them the majesty of the Code of Law once again. Besides, he knew how to handle the whip well too. Not long after, Elder Golgouda nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ The situation will change if we have thousands ofborers joining us¡­ But¡­to finish it in a month¡­¡± Davey simply shook his head, then said, ¡°Winley, Tanya, I told you I¡¯d show you a rare spectacle, right?¡± Winley nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Brother?¡± ¡°What are you going to show us?¡± Davey smiled at his two cute sisters who had curious expressions on their faces. He took out the materials that he had prepared beforehand from his Pocket ne. Around five or six pale green stones appeared in front of Davey. ¡°Brother? That¡­¡± Instead of answering Winley, Davey simply threw the pale green stones in theke. Each and every single one of those stones was quite expensive, but it was not that hard to make. After all, Davey only needed to nag and force Gnoass to make some. Then, as if to personally give them a performance, Davey raised one hand up. He put his palm up with his fingers spread out. Boom!!! A light green energy appeared and surrounded Davey as spirit mana emerged from deep inside him. The act of summoning a spirit was a rare spectacle in and of itself. ¡°What are the chances that a human will witness the summoning of a Spirit King in their life?¡± After hearing Davey¡¯sment, both Winley and Elder Golgouda widened their eyes in shock. They finally understood what Davey intended to do. Meanwhile, Tanya was sporting a very confused look on her face. She looked like she was doubting her ears when she heard the words ¡®Spirit King¡¯ being said. ¡°Ha¡­ I see¡­ The Wise Teacher is truly a gentleman who does things beyond a human¡¯smon sense.¡± ¡°Now¡­ I¡¯m more curious about the things that my brother cannot do.¡± Daveypletely ignored the two who were mumbling about how he would never fail at anything that he set out to do. He went on to release the surging spirit mana toward theke. Gnoass¡¯ power alone was not enough to make this construction possible, so Davey intended to summon one more. In an instant, the same magic circle appeared under Davey¡¯s feet and the center of the hugeke. Meanwhile, strong winds blew all over the ce. [In the name of the God of Origin, the one who epasses the entire world.] [The coldness that flows ording to the oath.] [The one part of nature that is free, transparent, and holds no shape.] [Your coldness is a symbol of warmth¡­ Your¡­] Davey spoke with a frown on his face. ¡°Bro¡­ther?¡± Tanya asked Davey with a worried look on his face. Noticing Tanya¡¯s reaction, Davey only frowned even more. He muttered, ¡°Ah¡­ Uhm¡­ What¡¯s the chant for summoning the Water Spirit King again¡­?¡± ¡ªDavey, are you out of your mind? There¡¯s no way that you have forgotten the chant¡­ Listening to Perserque¡¯sment, Davey furrowed his brows. He didn¡¯t like that she sounded so surprised. Feeling impatient, he quickly yelled, ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know! Let¡¯s wing it and go informal!¡± At that moment, theke¡¯s calm surface began to ripple and sway wildly. It was as if someone was throwing a temper tantrum. [My name is Davey O¡¯Rowane.] [Your name is the source of water.] [I am calling you as your contractor and hope that you pop out as quickly as possible.] Everyone watched a huge power swirling in front of them with tense expressions. They hadn¡¯t been there when Davey had summoned Gnoass. For Winley, Tanya, and Elder Golgouda, the summoning of the source of nature itself in the form of a Spirit King was a truly mysterious sight to see. Davey then uttered the final word that would allow them to witness this rare spectacle. [immy.] The Water Spirit King looked exactly like a human woman, except she was all blue and watery. However, if one looked closely, she looked quite simr to a female slime that Davey had seen in this redbeled book in his past life. And of course, Spirit Empress Yuriana had thought the same as Davey and had given her that nickname. The nickname was thebination of Water Spirit King Eim¡¯s name and the word slime. Davey was sure that the nickname would make Water Spirit King Eim furious. He even had to wonder if she would note out to keep her pretty face and dignity intact, but she had properly bit on Davey¡¯s aggressive bait. ¡ªHow dare you call me by a rude and vulgar name like immy, you bastard?! The Water Spirit King? How long had it been since Gnoass had been summoned? Did they think that Davey still could not call for them as he wanted? ¡°Right,e out. Come right out and work as my ve,¡± Davey murmured. The waters in theke rippled wildly, with crashing waves that sprayed cold water on Davey¡¯s face. It was just like a child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Thatdy has a nasty temper.¡± Chapter 260 As if to convey Water Spirit King Eim¡¯s anger, the small swirl of water continued to grow into a huge whirlpool. Davey, however, remained silent under the storm of water. He stayed that way until he was entirely drenched. ¡°Kyaack! Brother! What is going on?!¡± ¡°Be-Benefactor! I, I believe the Spirit King is very furious!¡± The small number of elves who hade to support and help with the construction were stunned silly by the situation they found themselves in. For these elves, the Spirit King was a very spiritual and sacred being who they could hardly see in their lifetimes. The elves had already seen Davey summon the Earth Spirit King Gnoass before. So, it was safe to say that seeing him summon another Spirit King was enough to have them foam at the mouths. Their hearts nearly dropped in horror and shock. Was it easy to summon one Spirit King after the other? Of course not. Even for elves who were known to have high affinities with spirit, the higher the spirit they tried to summon, the more spirit mana and affinity they would need. On top of that, the spirit that Davey was summoning with Gnoass¡¯ help was not just any ordinary water spirit but a Spirit King. Shwaaaaaaaaaa¡ª Not long after, another powerful jet of water shot at Davey once again. Boom!!! However, a giant made of earth popped out from behind Davey. As if he had been waiting for a long time, Gnoass reached his hand out to stop the jet of water from hitting Davey. The jet of water was like a de, sharp enough to cut down anything that stood in its path. Unfortunately, there was still a limit to how much power a Spirit King could exert in middle earth without having a contract. A Spirit King was a being who presided over nature, the source of nature itself. And for them to move nature to their will and userge-scale spirit magic, they had to move and follow a set rule. Needless to say, they could only move ording to the providence of the world. And of course, it was against the providence of the world for them to harm an individual¡¯s life. [Gnoass!] With the woman¡¯s clear and astonished shout, the whirlpool of water slowly died down. Everyone present felt tense and nervous after witnessing a Spirit King¡¯s tremendous power. This was a power strong enough to put pressure on everyone present in the entire area. Swooosh¡­ After the whirlpool of water disappeared, a woman finally revealed herself. Just like any water spirit, the woman did not sink under theke as she calmly walked on its surface. She created a ripple with every step she took. The woman was slim and around 170 centimeters in height, but no one could possibly mistake her for a human. After all, she was made out of water. [Was it you? The bastard who dared to summon me and call me by that vulgar name immy?] When Gnoass lifted his protective hand, Davey gave Eim a calm reply. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Water Spirit King Eim quietly looked at Davey for a long time before looking up to meet Gnoass¡¯ gaze. [You¡­] The Spirit King was not entirely a singleplete entity. Even if they were in their Spirit King form, Eim existed all over the world. After all, Spirit Kings were beings who epassed and existed in nature. They could be found in all ces with a few exceptions. However, it could be said that there was only one Eim, the Eim in front of Davey. This was because the Spirit Empress Yuriana, Davey¡¯s teacher in spirit magic and Demon Lord Ylgr¡¯s wife, had signed a contract with Spirit King Eim. [There are a lot of conditions to summon a Spirit King¡­ A pure will, a genuine and longing heart, as well asrge amounts of spirit mana. However, you only fulfill one of these conditions.] ¡°I am fully aware.¡± To be honest, Davey would struggle to summon a Spirit King with those conditions. That was why he had used Yuriana to deceive Gnoass during Gnoass¡¯ summoning before cornering him into signing a contract with him. It had been quite difficult to get the Earth Spirit King. Then, why would it be easy to obtain the Water Spirit King, right? And of course, the answer to that wasplete ¡®denial¡¯. Shwaaaaa!!! After looking at Davey in silence for quite some time, Eim suddenly manifested a whip made of water and swung it toward him. She hadn¡¯t shown up here to sign a contract with Davey. There were already many conditions andplications when summoning a Spirit King. And with the preparations that Davey had done, it should have been very difficult for him to summon the correct spirit. However, Davey was not one to give up. There was no chance that he would give up. Boom!!! As if he had been waiting for this moment, Gnoass stretched his arm out again and blocked Eim¡¯s water whip. Then, he broke his silence and spoke bitterly. [Calm down, Eim.] [Have you lost your mind?! Do you know who you¡¯re protecting right now?! That is a human! A human who dared to ridicule and make a fool of spirits like us!] The calm surface of theke began to surge once again as Eim stomped her feet angrily. [I was the one who cooperated with him to call for you.] After a brief exnation, Gnoass slowly rose up to his feet. He rose to his full height, reaching tens of meters tall, before wrapping earth around Davey in protection. Then, he spoke up again. [My contractor is the only trace left of that woman.] [¡­] Gnoass¡¯ expression turned somber before a brief silence nketed the entire area. To be honest, it was not that hard for Davey to notice Gnoass¡¯ shallow trick. ¡®I can¡¯t be the only one who goes on suffering like this!¡¯ Looking at the Spirit King¡¯s serious expression, Davey was sure that Gnoass¡¯ mind was ringing with this singr thought. That was how nasty this piece of dirt was. However, Davey did not call him out. And with the Spirit King¡¯s help, the results were very satisfactory. Things worked out really well. ¡°This should be our first time seeing each other in person, I believe?¡± Davey could say that he and Eim had been very close in the Hall. However, he was fully aware that the Eim who he had met back then was not the true Eim but an illusion that Yuriana had created. Since the real Eim had never met him, Davey was approaching her as if he had never seen her before. Still, he was very familiar with her personality and quirks. [Besides, you¡¯re already done for upon getting summoned here.] Davey took a while to set things up, but thanks to Gnoass¡¯ help in tricking Eim, he could finish the task quickly. [What are you talking about?] [You haven¡¯t noticed it yet? How about looking at your feet?] Only then did Eim look down at her feet. Spotting something in the depths of theke, she widened her eyes in shock. She could see a magic circle, a trap, that the evil Spirit Empress Yuriana had created to sign a contract with difficult and hostile spirits of other attributes. It was a magic circle not originally rted to the spirits of the four attributes, but Davey¡¯s specialty was illegal remodeling and renovation. [This¡­] ¡°Cough,¡± Davey coughed before stering a frivolous smile on his face. Flustered, Eim took a step back away from Davey. [Im-Impossible. This magic circle! There¡¯s no way!] ¡°It¡¯s good that you came out. I was a bit worried that another Spirit King would emerge, but thank you for taking the bait and showing up.¡± Davey had tricked Eim intoing out, since he did not want some other Spirit King. He was pleased that she had bitten the bait. When Davey took a step toward Eim, everyone present looked over worriedly. They could see him stepping on theke without any hesitation. However, their worried expressions slowly turned to wonder when a foothold made of soil appeared beneath his feet. The ground appeared to be alive and was following his will. As for Eim, she was flustered by Davey¡¯s approach. She could only step back whenever Davey stepped forward. She even made a huge sword out of water. Wielding the weapon, she shouted. [As, as the king who stood at the summit of the cold and detached providence, this is uneptable!!! This is a scam, a deception! This is a magic circle that subdues a spirit!!!] ¡°You must have forgotten how you came forward and deceived one of your own kind when the Spirit Empress signed a contract with the Spirit of Chaos, huh?¡± [Y-You¡­ How did you¡­? Ugh!!!] There was always a chance that a being at the level of the Spirit King would not agree to sign a contract with the other party. That was why Eim had wanted to choke Davey with water after having been called that degrading name ¡®immy¡¯. Then, she had nned to go back. However¡­ since she had made her appearance in front of Davey, then Eim would not be able to go back until the contract was signed. ¡°Coming here was definitely up to you. However, going back is not.¡± ¡®Ah, I really wanted to try this.¡¯ Davey thought to himself after directly speaking to Eim. Listening to Davey¡¯s sarcastic remarks, Eim shook in anger. She began to move recklessly, as if her reason had been swept away by her emotions. ¡°I am demanding a contract. You have been summoned by my shallow and meaningless wishes anyway. Besides, I have the power to offer this contract. Did I get that wrong?¡± After Eim fell silent, Davey called out, ¡°Rinne, the savior of mankind.¡± Davey continued to step on theke¡¯s calm surface. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for him to sink into theke right here, but he walked on firmly. It was as if he were walking on solid ground. Creak!!! ng!!! When Davey pulled out a shiny crowbar, Eim widened her eyes in shock. Davey could not use Red Ribbon or Blue Ribbon in this situation, because he was too strong. Even if they were having a disagreement right now, Davey did not want to give Eim any physical or non-physical injuries. Appropriate appeasement and threats were good tools to force such a spirit into submission. ¡°Spirit Empress Yuriana previously asked me to look after you guys. And since I can¡¯t go to the Spirit World, I have called for you here. You don¡¯t know how I feel and what I have done, but you¡¯re getting upset and are on the verge of wreaking havoc. If that is the case, then¡­¡± Davey had no choice but to pick up the rod of love. Of course, this would cause a lot of pain. Somehow, the shiny crowbar in his hands had an extraordinary effect of calming Eim down. [Lies¡­ She has died for thousands of years. There¡¯s no way that a young man like you has met her.] [Eim. He is speaking the truth.] Annoyed by Gnoass¡¯ repetitive answer, Eim ended up shouting in rage. [Whose side are you on, huh?!] Gnoass did not read the atmosphere and tension in the air before intervening. As for Eim, she was unnecessarily stubborn. Davey was not aware of these facts. He also did not expect that he would suffer this much upon signing a contract with spirits like them. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, then just keep on rejecting it.¡± Instead of words, the savior of mankind was going toe forward. Eim looked at the grinning Davey incredulously. She could tell that he was threatening her nonchntly. [Evil human!] ¡°Eim. I really need your power right now. It¡¯s to the point that I have to resort to something like this.¡± [You¡­] ¡°Just like you said before, I still cannot fulfill the other conditions. Perhaps it would take me years before I can formally summon you. And I am fully aware of that. However, I am in desperate need of your powers right now,¡± Davey said as he carefully wiped the earlier expression off of his face. He continued on seriously. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you, noble Spirit King. Help me out. Lend me a bit of your powers.¡± As Eim fell into a long silence, Gnoass spoke up. [Eim, the purpose of that longing and desire is to distinguish us, the Spirit Kings. He seeded in summoning you, albeit not officially, and has enough to fulfill the conditions of a contract. Do not forget that you have no justification to reject this contract.] Most importantly, Davey was thest and only vestige of the Spirit Empress. Those words seemed to have put a wedge on Eim¡¯s stubbornness. In the end, the silent Eim approached Davey with a sigh. She ced her index and middle finger together before cing it on Davey¡¯s forehead. She went on to say¡­ [The source of water.] [The water vein from the beginning of the world.] [In the name of the water that epasses nature, we acknowledge your summons.] Eim¡¯s voice turned solemn, her tonemanding respect and reverence. Vwooong!!! At the same time, arge amount of spirit mana turned into a huge stream of water that poured into Eim¡¯s body. With the arrival of their Spirit King, the water spirits began to flourish and thrive. [I, Water Spirit King Eim, ask you. Are you willing to be my contractor?] ¡°I am willing.¡± [From the moment this contract is engraved upon our souls, I will be your spirit. I will not allow you to sign a contract with another water spirit.] The short conversation continued until a st of cold air flowed out from Eim¡¯s hand to enter Davey¡¯s forehead. The moment the cold air made contact with his skin, a blue pattern appeared on Davey¡¯s forehead. Then, itpletely disappeared from sight. ¡°Wee, my new contract spirit, Eim.¡± [¡­Well, alright. Tell me what needs to be done that is so urgent and important. I am a very busy spirit, I have to solve that quickly and go back.] Davey nodded at Eim¡¯s grumpy tone. Pointing behind her, he said, ¡°That.¡± Eim looked at Davey in confusion. [What do you mean¡­?] ¡°Can you take out all of the water from theke and hold onto it for a while? We¡¯re going to do some construction for a bit. Gnoass! Are you ready?¡± [¡­Yes, contractor.] An urgent matter. That was right. It was a very urgent matter. However, Davey never mentioned anything about what kind of work Eim had to do nor did he confirm what Eim had thought she would do. Eim¡¯s blue face turned ugly upon that realization. However, she was no match for Davey, who had already learned enough in the Hall to know how to handle and master a Spirit King. Davey could easily force the Spirit Kings into doing this construction whether they liked it or not. Ignoring Eim, who was now shaking in anger, Davey pped his hands and said, ¡°Well then,e on. Let¡¯s all work properly. You are a Spirit King. If you don¡¯t do this properly, then I will make sure to spread all of the gossip about you to all spirits in the spirit world.¡± Lower level spirits might be timid and shy, but they were very talkative. By telling one of them a rumor, that particr rumor would immediately spread all throughout the spirit world. Chapter 261.1 Water from the hugeke rose into the air as dozens of gigantic water droplets, looking like translucent beads. At the same time, an earth-made giant scattered back into the ground, and the surrounding area began to change. This was a foolish thing to do. Any kind of construction work could not be finished in such a short amount of time. It was safe to say that construction work was simr to a war of attrition. In a situation where everything was not yet prepared, Davey was already being efficient by utilizing the power of intermediate-level spirits and not the power of a Spirit King. However, based on his own judgment, moving theke water and changing its terrain would give them a huge drawback if they chose to use an ordinary spirit¡¯s power. ¡°At this rate, everything should be done in a month.¡± ¡ªSummoning Spirit Kings and forcing them to do hardbor is unheard of. To think that you¡¯re actually making it happen. Speaking gently, Perserque handed Davey a bottle of mana potion with practiced ease. It had be a natural thing for her to periodically monitor Davey¡¯s condition and mana, then hand over enough mana potion to supply the amount that he had consumed. ¡ªI¡¯m telling you that converting simple mana to spirit mana is not usually easy to do. ¡°That¡¯s the first thing that I learned.¡± Davey could do it as naturally as breathing now. In his case, he could convert other mana into spirit mana. So, for him, even a basic mana potion could be spirit mana. This was also the most efficient method to make the Spirit Kings, existences who had poor fuel efficiency, work hard and dobor for a long time. [Hey¡­ Look, I¡¯m obviously a king who governs nature, a Spirit King. How long do I have to do this pathetic work?] [Give it up, Eim. It would be a lot easier for you.] Gnoass, who saw Eim approach Davey with a look ofplete and utter annoyance, created a replica of himself to speak to her calmly. [Don¡¯t you have any pride left in that body of yours?! Ha! It seems like the prideful and arrogant Gnoass that I know has died!] [That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how much of a lunatic our contractor is yet.] ¡°A lunatic? I believe you¡¯re talking too much, Gnoass.¡± [Please excuse me. Let me correct that. You¡¯re a psycho.] It was not an easy feat to create a dam on a huge tnd. They had to create a ce where they could trap the water and stack enough architectural structures to support it. Of course, no matter how talented the dwarves were, they would still take a very long time to aplish such a feat. That was the reason why Davey was leaving the construction work to Gnoass. Thud, thud, thud, thud!!! ¡°Ooooh!!! The ground is alive!!!¡± As if alive, the ground flipped itself over, mixed itself evenly, and spat out the impurities that had been mixed among them. Then, they began forming huge structures by themselves. The moment the loose soil hardened into the shape that it was intended to be, the dwarves charged in to start on the more detailed and borate work. Davey appointed the skeletons to work on the smaller and more dangerous things, since their fuel efficiency was the highest. After all, he only had to invest a bit of mana in them before they would stand up and move. They could even do that even if their bodies had been crushed a few moments prior. Obviously, from the perspective of someone who was merely watching from the sidelines, this was a ridiculously absurd and foolish construction method. This was a never-before-seen method wherein it could cut down years of construction and finish it in a short period of time. Most of the construction process was still handled and managed by the dwarves. Under their careful hands and with their vast professional knowledge, breathtakingly beautiful architecture began to rise from theke and its surrounding fields. The architectural structure was tall enough to go beyond any human¡¯s reach. Whenever his spirit mana was exhausted from working the Spirit Kings to the bones, Davey would drink some mana potions to replenish his mana. It was not that hard to work the Spirit Kings hard without any breaks, since it was just a matter of replenishing hisck of spirit mana, mana, and his mental fortitude. Three days after the start of the construction, while Davey was busy watching thepletely different construction site with Tanya, who always trailed behind him, he found out that the most efficient workers were the skeletons. Of course, there were alsoborers from the criminal organizations ck Bird and Jackal that they had caught. However, how much work could a living person with ordinary physical strength do, right? ¡°Is it¡­alright to leave those people alone? Brother?¡± ¡°Those bastards deserve to die.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± Were these bastards pitiful for being treated inhumanely and forced to do hardbor? Of course not. However, Tanya mumbled like she was sympathetic with them. ¡°Tanya.¡± ¡°Yes, Brother?¡± ¡°Those who should be punished must receive their punishment.¡± ¡°I know that, but¡­¡± These criminals would always rush toward Davey as if they were possessed, begging for his leniency whenever they saw him. This was even after they were already suffering from the harshness ofbor. They wanted Davey¡¯s forgiveness or for him to just kill them. However, Davey only gave them the same answer every time: I do not intend to listen to any of your opinions. Assembly Member Harleen and Judge Merdein had both been beheaded outside of the territory after Davey had made sure that they were guilty. It was a surprise that many people hade to watch their beheading. After all, these were two people who had betrayed the trust of the citizens of Davey¡¯s territory. Even to their final breaths, Assembly Member Harleen and Judge Merdein had begged Davey to spare their lives and forgive their sins. However, it was not Davey whom they had to beg for forgiveness from in the first ce. It was the citizens of the territory. The very citizens who they had betrayed the trust of. ¡°If my brother says so¡­¡± Tanya said as she stepped down, no longer raising any objections to Davey¡¯s method. Then, she slowly approached Davey and rubbed his shoulders. Shemented, ¡°Your shoulders are quite stiff, Brother.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Fufu¡­ The person who told me that my muscles were stiff is the very same person who does not care about his body at all. Let me massage you,¡± Tanya said as she squeezed Davey¡¯s shoulders with her small hands. ¡°Does it feel rxing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine already.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this because I enjoy it. Besides, this is all I can do for you after you¡¯ve brought me all the way here, Brother. But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m only taking care of you temporarily. You¡¯re staying here right now, but you¡¯re returning to the royal pce once things have stabilized.¡± ¡°But I like it here. I want to stay here with you, Big Brother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re at a marriageable age. If you stick to me every day like that, then you will miss all of the good groom candidates.¡± Tanya chuckled at Davey¡¯s joke. ¡°I still have a lot to learn from you, Brother.¡± Tanya was talking about archery. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not too sure about that right now. If possible¡­ I don¡¯t want to get married any time soon.¡± Even if Tanya did not mention that, Davey would never have forced her to marry either. Although he had interfered and canceled the marriage while they had been in the middle of its preparation, Tanya was still a young girl of sixteen. By modern Earth¡¯s standards, Tanya was at an age where she was still supposed to be a hardworking student in school. Davey looked at his sister smiling so happily, wondering what had happened. In the past, his sister would act timid and shy in front of him, but she had changed over time. Although, her elegance and gracefulness remained the same. Davey weed this change in her. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Davey could not take his own sweet time while watching the rapidly changing view of the construction site. The two Spirit Kings were discussing with the dwarves how they would proceed with the construction, but it was Davey who put in the immense effort of maintaining them. ¡°We have confirmed that there are still a total of three victims, two humans and one elf, that have not yet been sent home,¡± reported Monmider, the Captain of the guards. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°From what we could tell¡­they have already left the territory¡¯s premises¡­ Forgive us, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Did those bastards open their mouths to talk?¡± ¡°No matter how hard we torture them, it¡¯s very hard to get information from the members of the dark organizations. We¡¯re sure that they have already cut their tails off. And once those victims have been sold off¡­¡± Davey nodded after listening to Monmider¡¯s report. It would be very hard for them to find these people once they have left the territory, since their traces would disappear once outside. And Davey could not really put tracking magic on each and every single one of the citizens of his territory right now. If they were being realistic, it was safe to say that they could never find these three ever again. However¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± Turning pale at Davey¡¯sment, Monmider hurriedly bowed his head and shouted, ¡°Pl-Please kill me!!!¡± Davey would really kill the other person if they asked him to kill them. He stared at Monmider silently before opening his mouth and saying, ¡°Do you know why the humans and the elves have fought?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the ve hunt. Elves are beings who naturally have wlessly clear skin and soft features. And humans tend to favor and swarm toward mysterious beauties, whether they are male or female.¡± There was no way that greedy humans would have let an elf with a very likable and favored appearance go. With his eyes still closed, Davey slowly stood up from his seat. He said, ¡°But in my territory, the ce where I brought those elves back to the world, an elf has been captured and sold as a ve¡­¡± ¡°Your¡­ Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°There will be guests in the afternoon. Make sure to watch the surroundings.¡± ¡°Gu¡­ Guests, Your Highness?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Davey answered quietly as he dropped the expression on his face. White birds would be distinguished and detected by the same white birds while ck birds would be distinguished by ck birds. Thews of these dark organizations? Davey did not know about that, since there were no traces left of those mighty dark organizations in his territory anymore. Still, he could check whether they had connected a line somewhere in secret. Chapter 261.2 ¡°Hello, Prince Davey.¡± ¡°Right, I¡¯ve been waiting,¡± Davey said as he continued to scan the documents on his table. Standing in front of Davey were three ordinary-looking men in simr yet different uniforms. ¡°Echo. Gorgon. Alkaid,¡± Davey murmured,pletely silencing the three people in front of him. As he handed each of them a document, he continued, ¡°ck Bird and Jackal, crime syndicates active in the Central Continent, have done human trafficking here without any fear. This are the information about the people who have been kidnapped and taken from this territory.¡± Looking at the three men, Davey asked, ¡°Can you find them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­really hard to find those who have already been sold off.¡± Thud!!! Davey immediately threw arge bag of money on the ground in front of the men. He dered, ¡°A hundred gold coins. I will pay you in advance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Surprise shed across everyone¡¯s eyes. They were embarrassed by the money that had exceeded their expectations. ¡°I¡¯m notmissioning only one of you.¡± In fact, Davey intended tomission all three of the most famous intelligence guilds in the entire continent. ¡°You have to get this done even if you set aside other requests.¡± ¡°Are you telling me¡­that you¡¯re willing to buy the entire intelligence organization for this?¡± asked the man standing in the middle with squinted eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a bit short on money¡­to aplish something like that.¡± ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°You have to give at least three thousand gold coins per head.¡± Davey nodded at those remarks. Hemented, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how much the cost is. Find them as soon as possible.¡± Three thousand gold coins to find amoner at most? That was not a small amount. ¡°But even if you¡¯re willing to do that, we still can¡¯t find them for you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to stop thinking of me as some kind of pushover, Echo Guild¡¯s Deputy Master.¡± The man¡¯s eyes grew wide. Even the two other men who stood next to the man looked at Davey in surprise. ¡°Do not try to negotiate with me on something that can be done easily. You¡¯re not the only one whom I¡¯m making a deal with.¡± ¡°The time¡­¡± ¡°I will give you three days.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s a bit too much. Echo will reject this request.¡± Those words silenced the other two men. ¡°Really? If you don¡¯t want to do it, then you can quit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, do the Gorgon and Alkaid Guilds also share the same thoughts?¡± Of course, they wanted to say no. However, unlike the Echo Guild¡¯s deputy master, the two of them could not readily refuse Davey¡¯s request. ¡°You seem worried. Okay, let¡¯s raise the stakes. For any information you bring me about crimes that happen inside Heins Territory in the future, I will give this to you aspensation.¡± Thud!!! The three men widened their eyes imperceptibly upon looking at the jewel that Davey had just retrieved from his Pocket ne. ¡°You should know what this is since you¡¯re a member of an intelligence guild, right?¡± All assassins who came from the ancient era of heroes knew this myth and legend. One of the heroes in the Hall had taught Davey the Moonlight Steps and how to block and release his senses. Assassin King Hermesia was the one who had taught Davey the art of assassination. The jewel that Davey had shown the three men was the legacy and inheritance of the Laticia Kingdom. It was a jewel that had supposedly been stolen during Hermesia¡¯s lifetime and had disappeared from the face of the world ever since. ¡°I believe this is a legend to assassins like you. Am I right?¡± ¡°Is¡­ Is this real?¡± Although he was the one who had clearly said no, the Echo Guild¡¯s deputy master was the first to ask about the jewel that Davey had taken out. He muttered, ¡°The¡­ The Laticia Kingdom obviously disappeared from this world hundreds of years ago¡­¡± ¡°This is genuine. You can check it if you want to?¡± The jewel that was considered as the legacy and inheritance of the Laticia Kingdom could be identified simply by injecting mana inside. Once mana was injected in the jewel, it would emit a mysterious glow, a glow that only it could release in the world. However, if Davey were being honest, he would admit that the jewel was not genuine. Was it not enough to create a simr jewel with the same shape and effects? A good thing would always be a good thing, right? As for its historical value? Well, no one would know the authenticity of it since they had never seen the jewel before. In fact, the jewel being hailed as the inheritance and legacy of the Laticia Kingdom was not really made by someone with high craftsmanship. Needless to say, it was not that hard for Davey to make a replica that looked real enough. Then, that raised the question of where the real thing was, right? Davey was sure that those jewels were still slumbering inside Assassin King Hermesia¡¯sir. He hadn¡¯t touched their yet, but he was looking out for an opportunity to ransack it sometimeter. The jewel that Davey had shown them was just a beautiful gem on the outside. ¡°As far as I know, this is a magical jewel. As long as you possess it, you can use its power to block the surrounding area,¡± Davey said calmly as he tapped on the jewel. ¡°Well then, since Echo dered that they wouldn¡¯t do it, then they¡¯re out of the equation. Alkaid and Gorgon, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Please¡­ Please wait. Prince! We¡¯ll do it! We¡¯ll ept your request!¡± Hearing the Echo Guild¡¯s deputy master¡¯s flustered shout, the other two men stepped forward as if to keep him in check. ¡°What¡¯s the point of leaving it to the dark Echo? You don¡¯t have to leave your trust to a guild that has lost its credibility after prioritizing money. Let Gorgon take over. I¡¯m not sure about the information about them yet, but as long as we put our back into it, we¡¯ll be able to find them quickly. Three days are enough for us.¡± ¡°No. Alkaid can give Your Highness the information that you want in two days.¡± Davey smiled coldly at the men who were appealing to him. They sounded to be inpetition. ¡°Echo, do you have something else to say?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I was too short-sighted. Please give me a day. I will find them all within a day.¡± ¡°Echo! You should have amercial bottom line!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! If you think you¡¯re going to lose, then step back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh!¡± The expression that appeared on the Echo Guild¡¯s deputy master turned grim under the onught of insultsing from the other two men. ¡°If that amount ofpensation is at stake, then the story changes.¡± ¡°Well, if all three of you can¡¯t give up, then that¡¯s fine. Since there are three of you, and there¡¯s only one reward, let¡¯s do it this way. I¡¯ll give this to the person who gives me the information that I need first.¡± What about the other two? Well, in this line of work where their speed and credibility was at stake, beingte would be shameful. It was also enough for them to receive nothing. ¡°The deposit that I offered is not a small amount either. The choice is yours. If you think that it would be impossible for you to dopared to the two other guilds beside you, then you can step down,¡± Davey said. He could see the obvious desire for the jewel sh in everyone¡¯s eyes. That jewel was the most precious treasure to all assassins. Aside from being useful, the jewel itself had a tremendous symbolic value. Was the jewel cheap? Of course not. If that jewel¡¯s existence was known to the world, it would be sold as a collector¡¯s item for an exorbitant amount of money. However, that jewel was just one among the manymon jewels in Davey¡¯s eyes. ¡°Alright. Each of you will probably have to meet with your guild leaders and have a meeting. I won¡¯t hold you here any longer. You can startpeting now. Feel free to let yourself out.¡± The three men disappeared in an instant. Nothing more had to be said. Echo, Gorgon, and Alkaid were all very huge guilds that worked in the underworld[1]. Of course, they would definitely have information on medium-sized andrge-sized organizations like ck Bird and Jackal, especially with the rtionships that they had formed. This meant that they already knew but had kept their silence about the matter. They had chosen to refuse Davey¡¯s request because of their intentions to negotiate. It was also because of their credibility. Even if they tried to cover up those things to maintain their credibility, the story would change if thepensation that was at stake was very tempting. In the first ce, they did not have any obligations to protect human traffickers, who yed by their own rules. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to make you pay dearly for the things that you have done here,¡± Davey spat coldly as he looked down at the document that listed the information of the three missing people. ¡°I am someone who protects my citizens.¡± Davey thought that apetition between those threerge guilds was a very rare sight to see. However, he was confident that the results would soon be ced on his table. And just like he expected, they brought the urgent information in just half a day. Echo Guild was the most powerful among the three. They provided all of the information about the three missing people as well as the route that they had been taken, the people involved, and the destination. It only took half a day. It was obvious how determined thisrge guild that worked on a continental scale was with the results that they had given Davey. ¡°It¡¯s so easy to find people, huh?¡± Davey said, smiling coldly as he checked the information that the Echo Guild member had handed over to him. 1. The underworld they are referring to here is the dark side of the world, the criminal syndicates ? Chapter 262 91. Illegal Auction House Even a noble would struggle to meet with the high-ranking members of arge information guild. However, they realized that making contact with Davey would bring them a lot of benefits. That was why they had immediately responded and agreed to establish a connection with him. Even the king of a small kingdom could not meet with any of them so easily. ¡ªAren¡¯t you scamming them? You said that it¡¯s an imitation. ¡®They wouldn¡¯t know. The real thing has not seen the light of the sun.¡¯ In the first ce, the Laticia Kingdom¡¯s legacy and inheritance had gained its tremendous value from being the only one left. It was safe to say that no one in this world could distinguish the jewel that Davey had taken out from the original. They could only identify the authenticity of the jewel with its age. However, as long as Davey used another jewel from the same era or perhaps even older than that, then there was no way for others to find out. Well, the real thing had no chance of showing itself to the world, so Davey had nothing to worry about. There was a saying that went: If you don¡¯t get caught then it¡¯s a skill. And Davey believed in that wholeheartedly. ¡ªIf no one¡¯s watching then it¡¯s an assassi¡­ ¡®That¡¯s it.¡¯ It was a bit ironic, but Hermesia herself had taught that to Davey. ¡°Rinne, question. No matter how much Rinne calcted, Rinne cannotprehend why there¡¯s a need to mobilize all three of the information guilds. Rinne requests an exnation.¡± Rinne did not hear all of the conversation that Davey had previously had, so she was curious as to why he had done this. In fact, she was the one who could understandmon sense the quickest among them all. ¡°The answer to why I chose all three is simple, Rinne.¡± Rinne tilted her head with a nk expression. ¡°People in the underworld tend to pay a lot of attention to rumors.¡± The seigneur was willing to do whatever it took for the sake of just one of his citizens. With this information spreading out, Davey would certainly be able to gain a lot of things. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just simple calction?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a promise for protection. If they promise to protect us, then we will protect them.¡± That would happen for as long as Davey was alive. As expected of the best information guild, Echo was able to bring the necessary information that Davey had requested for the fastest out of the three guilds. Amazed, Davey murmured to himself, ¡°It seems like the guild that Aina belonged to is much greater than expected.¡± Although she was currently under a fixed contract with Davey, Aina Helishana had originally been an active member of Echo Guild. Since Echo Guild had a very capable and skilled assassin among them, it meant that they were not an ordinary information guild. ¡°Boltis Kingdom? It seems like the kingdom being so arrogant and snobbish about finding honor through their swords has fallen to a new low.¡± They were talking about the Boltis Kingdom, a kingdom that had surely made its mark in Davey¡¯s memories. The Boltis Kingdom was Rowane Kingdom¡¯s neighboring country. Aside from being located not too far away, it had long been fighting a war of nerves with them. It was a nation that respected the way of the sword and had once been called the Kingdom of Knights. However, as far as Davey could remember, the Boltis Kingdom was just a weak kingdom that did not even have the power to keep the Rowane Kingdom in check. Why? It was because of Baltian de Boltis, the Boltis Kingdom¡¯s Seventh Prince who had lost his mind and had signed a contract with the vampires. In a ce where many royals as well as the main figures of each nation had been gathered, he had almost turned into a monster and had killed countless people. For that reason, the Boltis Kingdom had to offerpensation to each and every single nation present. They had to pay such a big price that it was highly likely for the kingdom to be in debt. Once, it had been the nation keeping the Rowane Kingdom in check. However, the Rowane Kingdom had grown and developed sharply after the incident with the Duchy of Felicity. It was also because of that incident that the Boltis Kingdom had experienced a noticeable decline in their worth. All because of that very same prince. Since they had fallen to that point, it was very easy for Davey to clearly assess the situation. They had definitely set up an illegal ve auction. Although setting up an illegal ve auction would require capital, it would also help the poor Boltis Kingdom rake in a lot of money too. ¡ªDavey. I¡¯d rather we spend money to coax the other country¡¯s royal family and nobles to save our residents without any problems. ¡°That¡¯s also possible.¡± ¡ªThey won¡¯t be able to turn down your offer. Just like what Perserque said, Davey could stick to negotiations and deal with it in an easy manner. He didn¡¯t have to take the violent route. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s try it once.¡± Davey decided to talk it out first. If that failed, then he would personally handle matters himself. With that thought in mind, Davey wrote two letters. One would be sent straight to Boltis Kingdom, and the other was a report that would be sent to the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s royal family. *** The Boltis Kingdom was severely strapped for money. There was also no telling how much money their royal family was receiving from the illegal ve auctions. However, there was one thing that Davey was certain of. [We are unaware of any of your ims. If there truly is an illegal auction happening in ournds, then we would have already caught them ourselves. If you wish to undermine the prestige of our kingdom by spreading these false rumors then we advise you to quit right away.] The Boltis Kingdom chose to deny the rumors, even though they couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of who and what Davey was capable of. They were the closest country to the Rowane Kingdom, so they would have heard rumors. However, even if they were aware of such matters, they would not be able to escape criticisms of a political nature the moment they admit to being aware of the illegal ve auctions that were being held in theirnds. The Boltis Kingdom was already neck deep in debt from payingpensation to other nations. In the past, even themoners had dered that the Boltis Kingdom was a very good nation to live in because of their holy army. Unfortunately, the Boltis Kingdom of today was willingly raising the taxes to rake in more money frommoners to pay off therge amounts of money that they needed to deal with the aftermath of that incident. As the public¡¯s resentment grew, their criticisms also became brutal. So, at a time when they were trying topensate the other nations as much as they could, what would happen if the Boltis Kingdom received harsh criticism from abroad? The answer to that was obvious. They would just say that they should have stepped forward to deal with it from the very beginning. That was assuming they knew about what was going on. It would not be a big problem for the Boltis Kingdom to take on the victim¡¯s role. However, the Boltis Kingdom could not give up on their pride. They also couldn¡¯t let go of the dirty money that was constantly flowing into their pockets¡­ Davey slowly got up from his seat. He said matter-of-factly, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to make a move over there, then¡­¡± Davey had to personally go and pick up his own people. Doing an on-site arrest could give him the best results. *** Davey entered the Boltis Kingdom very easily. However, since the Boltis Kingdom was backing the auction house itself, there were concerns and fear of its copse if Davey were to suddenly appear in their kingdom. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t this very effective?¡± ¡ªToo small. Perserque, who liked bigger and stronger physiques, did not like how Davey had morphed into a smaller version of himself as a disguise. ¡°Do you want me to change to a more muscr one? ¡ªYou know, I shouldn¡¯t need to tell you this, but you should change into something that¡¯s not too eye-catching. Also, I don¡¯t really like some random muscr body anymore. ¡°Well, what should be a good one to change into then?¡± ¡ªIf it¡¯s your original body then¡­ Heup! Perserque¡¯s eyes widened in shock when she heard Davey¡¯s cough. Then, she quickly disappeared from sight. After that slight slip-up, Davey began to walk again albeit with a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. The Boltis Kingdom was in a very depressed mood. In the midst of this depressing air, the carriages that the nobles owned would sometimes pass by, looking all luxurious and extravagant¡­ It was clear that the ones suffering from Seventh Prince Baltian de Boltis¡¯ mistakes were not the nobles or the royal family but themoners. Of course, the kingdom¡¯s misdeeds and tyranny did not really interest Davey. The people of Boltis Kingdom were also poor and pitiful, but they weren¡¯t the ones that Davey hade here to save. Davey hade here to fetch the three Heins Territory residents who had been taken away to be sold in an illegal auction in this dark and evil country. Fortunately, one of the residents was an elf. Since an elf was considered a very valuable item in this ve auction, it seemed like the underworld organizers of this auction did not recklessly dispose of the three of them. They had originally been supposed to be separated so that there would be no traces left, but they had gotten lucky with that. The Boltis Kingdom was known for operating plenty of arenas, which was what they used as a cover to hold such illegal auctions in secret. ¡°Hmm? What the hell? Brat, this is not a ce for someone who smells milk like you.¡± Of course, not everyone could enter the secret auction house. Secret invitations had probably been sent to those who hadrge amounts of funds. Davey had often seen such auction hours in the movies in his previous life. Two rugged and burly men guarded the entrance, stopping him from entering the basement. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter with you, punk? This is no ce for a brat like you. Get lost.¡± Since he hade alone, with only Perserque apanying him, Davey looked like a small lonely boy in the eyes of the two men. All they could see was a weak and ordinary little boy. ¡°Why can¡¯t I enter? I¡¯m sure they said that the arena would be open today.¡± The arena was surprisingly one of the Boltis Kingdom¡¯s secret attractions. In the past,moners would enter these arenas and bet their money. ¡°The arena is not open today. If you want to see something like that, go to North Street. You don¡¯t belong here.¡± ¡°Then, are you saying that they won¡¯t do it here?¡± ¡°They, they won¡¯t do it here!!!¡± Davey closed his eyes and nodded at the man who had shouted in irritation. Then, he opened his eyes to look right at the two men. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen mee here.¡± Vwoooooong¡ª Upon Davey¡¯smand, both men frowned. They tried to say something, but their eyes soon zed over and their expressions turned nk. ¡°We¡­understand.¡± This result was unsurprising, especially since the men were ordinary people with no resistance to these kinds of things. With the gatekeepers out ofmission due to his hypnosis, Davey wore the mask that he had prepared beforehand to cover his face. He then wrapped himself with a cape before passing them by and going underground. It was terribly quiet for an arena. The silence was understandable if nothing was going on, but Davey already knew that a lot of people wereing and going from the basement. In fact, he stepped foot inside and could already see quite a few people sitting in the vast auditorium underground. Most of these people had covered themselves with a mask and a cloak, just like what Davey had done, to hide their identity. Davey sat on an empty seat at the back of the auditorium before silently looking around. He could see that the auction was already well underway, selling ves illegally and not rare jewels. Some nations made it legal to buy and sell ves. Those nations had given formal approval for ve traders to roam their streets. In these cases, the ves being sold had willingly be ves. This was because most of them had failed to gather enough money and could only write a memorandum that they were willing to be ves to repay their debts. As for the ones who had been enved for punishment, they were usually sent to work atbor sites under the nation¡¯s jurisdiction. As for such ves, they were rarely seen in the market. Both kinds of ves could potentially hurt people once they were sold, so there were restrictions ced upon them. They could only live with their owners. At the very least, they were also being granted human rights. Their owners would be asked to sign an agreement that they would be responsible for the lives of their ves and that they would act humanely toward their purchased ves. ¡®But this ce is different. They do not have such restrictions.¡¯ The ves sold in this illegal auction could be used for illegal experiments, sexual acts, and everything that was dirty and ugly. Those who had been caught and had been sold into very unwillingly would naturally reject their master. However, the organizers were very careful and meticulous. They had shackled most of their ves, so they couldn¡¯t rebel and could easily be sold in secret. And right now, these illegal ves were being sold one after another inside this arena. ¡°Our next merchandise is a rabbitfolk who we have caught from the Southern ins. They are an extremely rare species among the beastfolk. Our merchandise has good leg strength, so you can definitely use them as an errand girl. Of course, you don¡¯t have to worry about our merchandise running away since we¡¯re already done with their education and have properly ced restrictions on them,¡± the masked host murmured lowly as he pulled the fabric that covered the podium behind him to reveal¡­ A small girl dressed in translucent clothing. She was essentially dressed in rags, because she had not enough clothing to cover most of her body. On top of that, there was no light in her eyes. Perhaps she was heavily drugged. ¡ªHow can they do something like this? ¡®Humans are beings who cannot live without any enemies. There¡¯s nothing you can do with it.¡¯ Davey gave Perserque an answer while sitting cross-legged on his seat. He watched everything unfold silently. ¡°The rabbitfolk can get quite racy and lustful. Our merchandise is a very wless item and can be used as a sex ve. Especially since this girl is a virgin.¡± Someone who treated living beings asmodities would naturally be in ces like this. ¡°If you don¡¯t care about that, then¡­ They have low magic resistance, so they can be good for experiments too.¡± Another person who had a godplex and was willing to use another being for their experiments would be here too. ¡°If not that, then I can tell you that these legs are also very popr with gourmands. Ah! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. 300 gold coins right there! 300 gold coins, going once? 400 gold coins! Going once?¡± There was also a psychopath who had buried their humanity and was willing to eat another race. Perhaps they would even willingly eat the same race as themselves. Just like how Perserque had reacted earlier, there was no way that one would be able to avoid being nauseous in such ces. ¡ªCan¡¯t we just flip everything over? Can¡¯t we do that? Davey¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard Perserque urging him like that. Was the experience so unpleasant for her? He looked down at Perserque, who was crying and tugging at his arms. ¡ªI¡¯m sorry but¡­seeing this kind of thing is making me feel¡­ Thinking that perhaps something simr had happened to Perserque in the past, Davey nodded quietly at her strange dissatisfaction with the auction house. ¡®You¡¯re angry?¡¯ ¡ªDavey¡­ Do it for me, please¡­ ¡®I know. You don¡¯t have to beg. You want me to save her?¡¯ ¡ª¡­That¡¯s right. I really hate ve auctions¡­ It¡¯s making me feel unpleasant. I might have a bad memory that¡¯s associated with such a ce. Perserque was¡­Sword God Ares¡¯ adopted daughter, and she had met Ares through¡­ Davey initially did not want to care about anything except for the residents of the Heins Territory. However, since Perserque had expressed her thoughts, he was willing to spend some money to save the others. Anyway, he had greatly profited from one of the vampires¡¯ home base. Davey, who was sitting leisurely with his legs crossed, lifted the sign next to him. No one would me him if he was the only person who ended up buying all of the goods in the auction house. In such a ce, the rich always came first. Even the organizers worked for the rich. And since Davey was not going to cause a fuss right away, then he would just lower their guard and allow them to get caught up in his auction bids. In that way, he wouldpletely blind them from what was about to happen next. ¡°A¡­ A thousand! Going once?!¡± This amount would be roughly a hundred million won in Davey¡¯s previous life. Davey was not a soft-hearted person who did not know the ways of the world like his teacher. The moment he made a fuss here, these people, the very same people who had nned dozens of ways to escape, would quickly gather their merchandise before scattering and disappearing. If that happened, Davey would find it hard to find everyone. However, if Davey bought all of the merchandise, then there was only one thing left for them to run away with. And that would be none other than the money that they had gotten from Davey. Since Davey had decided to do this, he would save not just one but all of them. He would not do it like his teacher, who had only saved one. Chapter 263 The drugged rabbitfolk looked around with a dazed look on her face, wondering where she was and why she only appeared to be wearing rags. She was also receiving countless unpleasant stares from humans. Her eyes were zed over, her expression nk. Even her long ears were limp and lifeless. She looked exhausted. They had applied make-up on the girl¡¯s face to make her look pretty, but Davey thought they had been decorating the dying and had been forcing them to look presentable. The rabbitfolk girl was a part of the rabbit tribe, a minority that lived in the grand canyon between the central and southern part of the continent. They were a small tribe that hid themselves from the world. And ording to the United Nation¡¯s Bill proposed by the Pan Empire, the continent¡¯s most dominant empire, the rabbitfolk was a protected species that should never be enved. This applied to legal and illegal trades. As such, the presence of this rabbitfolk girl meant that this auction was both secret and illegal. With the organizers being this crazy, it was only natural for them to willingly and fearlessly sell the elf who had been taken from the Heins Territory as a ve. ¡°A¡­ A thousand! Sold for a thousand gold coins! Our rabbitfolk virgin is sold for a thousand gold coins to our guest at seat number 32!¡± Once the gavel struck the stand, two scary-looking men appeared from behind the stage. The burly men covered the rabbitfolk girl with a nket and dragged her back into the darkness. ¡°Now, now. I believe everyone is aware that you will only get your hands on our merchandise after making full payment, once this auction is over. I know that it¡¯s quite hard to wait, but please hang on your seats tightly and wait just a bit more.¡± Davey remained silent. ¡°Well then! Here¡¯s our next merchandise! I know that everyone has long been waiting for this very moment! So, without further ado, let us all see it for ourselves!¡± Unlike the ves who could be bought in the legal ve market, the ves being sold here were a part of the minority races. Even those who had been dered as a protected species in the entire continent could be found. Most of the secret auctions held in the Boltis Kingdom sold merchandise like these. They even had noble girls and boys who had been secretly sold to very after their families were embroiled in a political war. And of course, they also had other races among their products. The prices were so high that one could only click their tongue at it. However, everyone would also go crazy over such rare merchandise that appeared in the legal ve market. ¡°Three hundred gold coins! Going once?!¡± The host cried out fiercely. Davey calmly picked up the sign next to him again. ¡°Five hundred! Five hundred! Going once?!¡± Davey had been at the auction for the past hour. During that short time, he had bought ves like crazy, causing the people around him to gape in astonishment. Of course, he wasn¡¯t just spending one or two cents per purchase, and he would be spending a lot more money the more he bought. However, Davey did not care. As Davey monopolized the bids, the surrounding gazes on him began to change. They all felt like this was a strange situation. Even though their expressions were covered by a mask, Davey could tell what was going through their minds just by using Perserque¡¯s Authority. And it was along the lines of: Who the hell is spending such arge amount of money without any qualms? Illegal auctions of this nature were sought after by the rich and the powerful. In other words, the ones who were participating here were those who could easily and secretly clean up whatever problem came their way. Due to that reason, they seldom had a need to bluff their way into these secret auction houses. Aside from the stinging gazes, Davey could see some huge and burly men approaching from afar. He quietly took out a sparkling jewel from his pockets and threw it on the ground, then said, ¡°That¡¯s authentic. I have more money than you can imagine. If you¡¯re done confirming my wealth then get lost. If you try to annoy me one more time, I will make sure to catch all of you bastards and throw you in boiling water.¡± After listening to that short and intimidating speech, the burly men wore stiff expressions on their faces. They could see Davey, who was pretending to be a very rich yet trashy and scary guy, shouting crazily. One of the men picked up the jewel, bowed politely, and handed it back. ¡°Please excuse us. I hope you have a good time.¡± Davey ignored the men who walked away after apologizing. Then, he raised the sign next to him without any hesitation. ¡°Eight¡­ Eight hundred gold coins!!! Sold for eight hundred gold coins!¡± The host shouted loudly. Even the host was shocked by Davey¡¯s crazy behavior of buying the merchandise at almost twice the average market price. Still, men like him tended to y up the sales, so they could get more money. ¡°Well, then! There¡¯s only onest item left for this auction. I¡¯m sure you have already heard of the rumors. Legend has it that there¡¯s no other race in this world that can match their beauty! I can¡¯t believe that they truly exist in this world! Our next merchandise is none other than an elf!¡± At the same time, a blonde girl wearing the same ragged and skimpy clothes as the rabbitfolk slowly walked out from behind the stage. Right behind her were two very frightened girls holding therge cotton veil that was covering most of the elven girl¡¯s face. ¡ªThey are the three girls who have been taken from the Heins Territory. Davey nodded quietly at Perserque¡¯s words. ¡°Oh¡­ Ooooh!¡± ¡°She¡¯s really an elf!¡± The elves had not yetpletely shown themselves to the world. On top of that, both the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land and the Moon Forest were protected, so it was very rare for them to end up in such a ve auction. This was the very first time that an elven girl had appeared in an auction house. That was why it was only natural for everyone present to be especially greedy. ¡°It is said that elves do not grow old! On top of that, their lifespan is twice the average human¡¯s lifespan! Nothing to worry about them dying prematurely! And the magic tool that¡¯s hanging around the neck of this elven girl is none other than an artifact that hides one¡¯s race! The moment you win the bid, we can set an illusion and follow the image that her new owner desires. With this, no one would be able to recognize her at all!¡± It was a magic artifact that would create ayer of illusion, which would disguise the elf¡¯s ears and have them look human on the outside. And that was not all¡­ ¡°And you don¡¯t have to worry about them rebelling against you! The artifact on her neck is a very expensive artifact, even capable of suppressing one¡¯s mind and reason!¡± ¡°Stop the nonsense! Hurry up and take off the veil covering her face!!!¡± An impatient masked man shouted fiercely. Amotion started because a lot of people sympathized with the masked man. Unlike the other species which they could see from time to time in the market, this was their first time seeing an elf. Because of themotion caused by the overly excited and crazy crowd, the host began to sweat like crazy. With eyes darting all over the ce, he said, ¡°Yes! Then, without further ado, we¡¯ll take the veil off right away! Hey!¡± Trembling, the girls had fearful gazes. They slowly took off the veil covering the elf¡¯s face at the behest of the growling host. What greeted the auction house was a very beautiful girl with a nk look on her face. ¡°Oooh!¡± ¡°My goodness¡­ I must buy her!¡± A bitter aftertaste started to linger in Davey¡¯s mouth when he heard the shouts of the people in the auction house. Davey could see the two girls trembling even more. It was clear that they were overwhelmed by the crazed reaction of the people around them. However, the elven girl just stood nkly in the middle of the stage. ¡°Our merchandise is a virgin! If you buy this elven girl, I will make you a deal and give you those two ves for free! Without further ado, let¡¯s get started! The starting bid is 1,000 gold coins!¡± The crowd momentarily fell silent before everyone began shouting prices out loud. The price increased at a crazy rate. ¡°One thousand and one hundred! One thousand and one hundred, going once!¡± ¡°One thousand and one hundred fifty! One thousand and one hundred fifty!¡± As the prices went up, the auction house became increasingly noisy. Everyone was like impatient customers at a fish market, shouting noisily and creating a ruckus. Then, at that moment¡­ Tap. ¡°Two¡­ Two thousand!!! Two thousand!!! Two thousand! Going once?!¡± ¡ªDavey! ¡°¡­¡± Perserque shouted impatiently at Davey, because a crazy rich man had just calmly thrown a huge sum of money to buy the elf. Davey did note out here to save all the girls in this auction house, only those three girls on stage right now. However, if he made a fuss here, then the purpose of watching and participating in the entire auction would lose its meaning. Of course, even if he did make a fuss, he would most definitely be able to save those three girls. Tap¡­ Davey looked at the masked man who had raised the bid to two thousand. He quietly picked up the sign next to him. ¡°Two¡­ Two thousand and one hundred! Going once?!¡± Fwiiiit! The moment Davey raised the bid to two thousand and one hundred, the opponent quickly raised it to 2,200. To counter that, Davey threw out a bid for three thousand as if he was already sick of this act. ¡°Three¡­ Three thousand!!! Three thousand! Going once?! Going twice?!¡± When the masked man turned to look at Davey before calmly raising the sign beside him, Davey had to wonder if the man was growing annoyed by his behavior. ¡°Three thousand and five hundred!!!¡± Davey could tell that the man was nuts. He did not know what the man had to do with the underworld, but it was foolish of the man topare the depth of his pocket with Davey. After all, Davey wasn¡¯t betting anything. Needless to say, Davey had no reason to stop the man. He also did not have any reason to stop what he was doing. The bid went up to three thousand, four thousand, five thousand¡­ As the price reached five thousand and five hundred, the audience could only watch everything with gaping mouths. Some even looked at the two men as if they had totally lost their minds. After all, five thousand and five hundred gold coins was a tremendous amount of money. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Six¡­ Six thousand!!! Going once?!¡± Davey clicked his tongue at the host¡¯s loud cry before lifting his sign once again. ¡°Ten¡­ Ten thousand!!! Ten thousand gold coins, going once?!¡± Frightened and shocked gasps rang out across the auction house. Davey, however, kept his upright posture. He looked disinterested and nonchnt about the entire affair. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s truly amazing. Ten thousand gold coins!!! Going once? Going twice?!¡± At the host¡¯s cry, the masked man stared at Davey for a very long time. But in the end, he could only click his tongue in annoyance as he covered the sign beside him with his hands. ¡°Sold!!! The elven girl is sold for ten thousand gold coins!!!¡± The host said. Just like that, Davey had saved the people he hade here for. *** For such secret auctions, the guest¡¯s identity had to be cleared by the organization. Now that the auction hade to an end, Davey only had to bring back the illegal ves who were supposedly going to be sold to him. Davey had done a very daring act, an act that could draw the ire of many guests who attended the auction and turn them into his enemies. Of course, that would be dangerous. After all, they were people who could find out his personal information if they wanted to. However, they would never be able to determine Davey¡¯s identity even until their deaths, so it did not really matter if they tried to dig up his information. Still wearing his mask, Davey walked deeper into the auction house under the guidance of the organizers. There, he met a very unexpected person. ¡°I won¡¯t say this again. Hand him over to me.¡± ¡°Bu¡­ But, sir. Our ck market has its own rules¡­¡± ¡°You dare ignore my words? Bastard, do you not know who I am?!¡± As the masked man threatened, two more masked men appeared behind him with their hands gripping the hilts of their swords tightly. The man in front of Davey shuddered at the threat. He yelled, ¡°But¡­ But there¡¯s nothing I can do about it! If we break the rules of this ce, then we will lose the trust of our patrons!¡± ¡°That¡¯s none of my business. How dare trash like you talk about trust! You make dirty money! Perhaps you want me to reveal this auction to the world?¡± The monocle-wearing man turned stiff at the tant threat. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s better for you to negotiate with the person who has won the bid¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± the man murmured as he turned to look at Davey. The man was the very same man who had tried to buy the elven girl. ¡°Insolent,¡± the man said harshly once the men who had guided Davey here took a step back. He then growled, ¡°Bastard¡­ How dare you think that you can live and breathe safely when you¡¯ve disrupted my ns?¡± Davey just looked at the man calmly. Looking more rxed than before, he scoffed. ¡°Dare? It seems like the archbishop doesn¡¯t have anything to fear these days, huh?¡± Hearing Davey¡¯s provocation, the masked man appeared to be shocked beneath his mask. Davey could not really see the man¡¯s expression, but he could easily see the shock in the man¡¯s gaze. The men behind the archbishop immediately unsheathed their swords and pointed their des at Davey¡¯s neck. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything anymore. Hand over the elf that you¡¯ve just bought. If you give it to me now, with my generosity, I will¡­¡± ¡°Generosity my ass! Do you think I will fall for that? Crazy bastard.¡± Stab¡ª [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Suppression] [Inferior Shin-kick] ¡°Keheok?!¡± Davey interrupted the man and kicked him on the shin without any hesitation. Before the man could copse onto the ground, Davey snatched him by the cor and said slowly, ¡°Live quietly like a mouse. Of course, that¡¯s only if you don¡¯t want your identity and the things that you have done here to be exposed in your workce.¡± Well, it was more of a nation than a workce. The only problem was that Davey sat in a considerably high position in that man¡¯s nation. Of course, Davey did not mention that part. The man was thoroughly shaken by Davey¡¯s threat. He was afraid that his identity had been exposed. Of course, Davey did not have any concrete evidence to identify the man. However, he was in sole possession of a power that could give him a person¡¯s simple information regardless of whatever disguise they wore. ¡ªJust because they¡¯re wearing white doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯re necessarily living a clean and good life. The man¡¯s eyes widened after Davey¡¯s threat finally registered in his head. He muttered, ¡°Bastard¡­ You bastard¡­ How dare you do that to me¡­¡± ¡°And you should stop using the word ¡®dare¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It makes you sound vulgar and crude.¡± ¡®Ah¡­ I really wanted to try saying that.¡¯ The men, who were left in a daze from Davey¡¯s sudden suppression, finally broke free at this moment. They tried to strike Davey¡¯s neck with their swords. ¡°Kghhk¡­ Urk¡­¡± Before they could even reach Davey, the two men had already copsed on the ground. They choked, gasping for their breaths. ¡°Do you have any other business with me?¡± Davey asked the man, who was kneeling down on one knee and gasping in pain. With a frown, the man tried to stand up. He shouted at Davey, ¡°I¡­ I will never forget this humiliation!!!¡± The masked man then ran away and disappeared from sight. Davey ignored the men, leaving them behind. ¡°The ves?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ah! Yes! I will show them to you!¡± ¡°Not a single one is missing, I presume?¡± ¡°Of course! All fifteen of the ves that you have purchased have already been groomed and are waiting on standby!¡± ¡°They should not have a single injury on their body. I believe you said that you do not tolerate any single mark on your ves¡¯ bodies,¡± Davey said in a low voice. The monocle-wearing man had shivers running down his spine. He was especially nervous after having witnessed the earlier scene. The previous confrontation would have made anybody nervous, after all. ¡°Our ck market is known for our credibility! Whenever or wherever we are, you can trust the quality of our goods!¡± Davey nodded. As long as everything was secured, then there wouldn¡¯t be any problems. The only thing that Davey needed to do was to fetch the ves and bring them home. Of course, he had to punish those who had dared to kidnap and sell the residents of his Heins Territory. But then¡­ It had to be known that variables could appear and alter the course of events at any time. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a surprise attack!¡± The underground passage suddenly began to shake and tremble. ¡°What¡¯s going on?!! Report it to me, now!!!¡± The man with the monocle, who was guiding Davey to the ce where the ves had been hidden, grabbed one of the nearby men and shouted angrily. The monocle-wearing man was a prime example of those who were strong against the weak and weak against the strong. However, Davey did not care. ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­ There¡¯s a surprise attack!¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m asking you because I don¡¯t know that?! This shithead! I¡¯m asking you which fearless bastard dared to do something like this at such a critical moment?!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Therge man¡¯s eyes widened in realization. He yelled, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it! I¡¯m pretty sure they¡¯re the group of people who appeared recently and called themselves Warriors! The human at the vanguard is holding a silver greatsword!¡± Davey¡¯s footsteps stopped at the man¡¯s cry. ¡®A silver greatsword?¡¯ Chapter 264 92. The Main Protagonists of the Rumors and the Imperial Family Summons. Aside from the auction house, the rest of the building¡¯s underground structure was quite concealed. Clearly, the organizers weren¡¯t fools. Anyone would struggle to find out about this space. Davey could not even check whatever was in here since he had only entered the underground space through a simple device. Bang!!! Bang!! However, the loud explosions ringing in Davey¡¯s ears was a clear testament to the fact that someone was already going wild in here. ¡°How¡­ How can this be¡­? How did they discover this ce¡­?¡± Hearing the monocled man¡¯s embarrassed murmur, Davey stood still and quietly asked, ¡°The ves?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Excuse me. I have shown you something shameful. I will show you where they are right away. Perhaps our men will have already dealt with the intruders by that time. This is that kind of ce, after all.¡± The monocled man¡¯s meaning was clear. Even if they were doing illegal things, they were not stupid enough to set up a weak defense. And even if they were under attack, their credibility and their clients¡¯ trust in them preceded everything. Upon regaining hisposure, the monocled man quickly guided Davey to where the ves were. He moved swiftly along a hidden passage while mumbling nervously, ¡°This is a passage that we originally do not show our customers, but¡­ This is an urgent situation, so I have no choice but to guide you through this path. We¡¯re here.¡± It did not take too long for the monocled man to guide Davey to what seemed to be an old underground prison. There were many members of other races being locked up here, but the man ignored them all to lead Davey to thergest cell. ¡°What about the rest of these guys?¡± ¡°Ah. They are still undergoing our process to have them under control. We¡¯re supposed to put them up for auction two monthster, but¡­ Ah. This is it,¡± the monocled man murmured shortly as he opened the iron bars. There, Davey saw several women with nk expressions on their faces huddled together. He could see young girls and women who had gone beyond adulthood. The one thing all these women had inmon was the fact that Davey had won them in the bidding process at the auction house. ¡°It seems like the elf just came here recently?¡± ¡°Hahaha. The elf is sort of a special case. If we hold on to her for a long time and get caught, then it would not be easy to take care of the consequences.¡± ¡°The consequences?¡± ¡°Yes. I actually¡­think you should know it too. Actually, this elf ve was brought here from the Heins Territory. And as you know, there¡¯s quite a dangerous figure living in Rowane Kingdom¡¯s Heins Territory. What I¡¯m trying to tell you is that it isn¡¯t easy to take anyone from there and if you get caught then...¡± Davey nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you get caught, then he won¡¯t let you go.¡± ¡°Right? On top of that, Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane, the Lord of the Heins Territory, also received the title of Saint from the Holy Empire¡­¡± The monocled man trailed off as he looked back at Davey with a stiff face. Noticing that something was strange, the man then asked, ¡°How did you know that the elf ve came in just recently¡­?¡± ¡°Answer my question first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why did you take them even though you knew that you would be ughtered?¡± When the man¡¯s eyes widened at his short yet blunt question, Davey said, ¡°At this point, you should already know who is the one capable of spending so much money just to purchase ves, right?¡± ¡°No¡­ No way!!!¡± The monocled man shouted as his eyes grew wide in shock. Boom!!! Before he could even react, the monocled man¡¯s right leg exploded and spurted out blood. As if he had been struck by a bomb, his wound was spurting blood like a fountain. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaack!!!¡± Some of the women who still had their wits about them screamed at the terrible scene in front of them. ¡°Keuwaaaaaaack!!!¡± Davey quietly took off his mask after stepping on the screaming monocled man, who had copsed from the overwhelming pain. The monocled man looked up at Davey in disbelief. ¡°H¡­ How did you¡­? Here¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that you¡¯ve gotten wrong. So, I¡¯m going to let you know.¡± That was just how people lived. No matter how good or kind they were, they would eventually show gaps in their thoughts. Even if they lived kindly, they would eventually reach their limit and cross a line that they should never cross. And once that line was crossed, there would be no turning back. This ck market right here was the source of darkness that birthed the circumstances that had these people crossing the line. This was a fact of their situation, but¡­ ¡°If we¡¯re talking about a normal scenario, then no one would be able to find anything as long as they have been brought here. After all, the continent is very vast. We would eventually hit a threshold after searching very hard and very long.¡± In Davey¡¯s previous life, they had struggled to find people who had gone missing or had been trafficked, even though they had very advanced means ofmunication. However, it was not the same here. ¡°A human being will only take two kinds of actions upon being ced in such a situation. One, ept reality and repair their own barns and homes, making sure that it is stronger and sturdier to prevent something simr from happening again.¡± The second action would be applicable to those who could not ept reality. These people would continue to invest their time and money to recover what they had lost. Either way, both courses of action would not give the answer that Davey wanted so he had chosen neither of the two. ¡°Reality is reality. Of course, I have to make sure that the bastards who dared to reach their hands out and touch me and my people experience the bitterness of life. Only then will my anger simmer down,¡± Davey said as he pulled out two thin daggers from his Pocket ne to stab the monocled man. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaack!¡± The monocled man let out another bloodcurdling scream. The pain was so overwhelming that he could not even speak or form words to express himself. ¡°You will suffer this terrible pain for around half an hour before dying. You should know that the lives of the people that you have taken are quite expensive.¡± ¡°Urk¡­ Urk!¡± Davey walked forward slowly, ignoring the desperate struggle of the monocled man whose eyes had turned bloodshot from the pain. Most of the women who had been held captive only had nk expressions on their faces. Davey could see that only two girls still had their sanity intact, and they were none other than two of the three girls who had been kidnapped from the Heins Territory. ¡°You¡¯ve suffered terribly¡­¡± ¡°Sniffle¡­¡± ¡°Sob¡­ sob¡­¡± The two girls, who had seen Davey¡¯s face clearly, approached him. Their eyes grew wide in surprise upon realizing the identity of the person in front of them. Davey silently hugged the two girls and patted them on the back while saying, ¡°You must have been scared, right? Don¡¯t worry, I came here to find you.¡± The girls burst into tears the moment they saw the silent smile on Davey¡¯s face. They burrowed deeper into his arms to feel thefort that he was offering. ¡°Waaaaaaaah! It was so scary! We were so scared!¡± ¡°Waaaaaaah!¡± The two girls had never held a conversation with Davey before. However, being young, it did not matter to them just what Davey¡¯s rtionship to them was. What was important to them was the fact that their seigneur had personallye here to save them, the ones who had been taken away from their homes. Although it was slightly coldhearted, Davey told them that they had to go back now. He was aware that the two girls, whose minds had never been suppressed, must have felt immense fear. After all, they were witnesses to everything that had happened here. So, Davey had no choice but to silently pat their backs until they calmed down. Davey wondered if they weren¡¯t that far from where the surprise attack was taking ce. The loud explosions rang non-stop as he continued to calm the two girls down. ¡°Sob¡­ Your Highness¡­ Sister Mary¡­ There¡¯s something wrong with Sister Mary¡­¡± The blue-haired girl, who finally calmed down, pointed at the elven girl. ¡°That¡­ When the scary people put on that weird ne¡­ She became like that¡­¡± ¡°Mind Suppression¡­¡± Davey mumbled quietly as he pondered on what he should do. Then, he patted the girls slowly on the head before continuing, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our territory first. I¡¯ll figure it out and take care of it once we¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Re¡­ Really?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I told you that I¡¯ll protect you, remember?¡± Davey said, smiling gently as if he was soothing his children. Only then did the two girls show relieved smiles on their faces. ¡°Well, then¡­ Shall we go?¡± Davey did not care whether the group that had staged a surprise attack was a group of warriors or just someone who hade here to make a mess. All he needed to do was to take away all of the people who had been taken captive here. He had originally nned to ughter and make the humans in this ck market disappear from existence. But with how things were going, it seemed like there were others who were willing to take care of them, so he decided to just leave them alone. What was more important to Davey was the safety of the girls and women who had been held captive here and turned into ves. Punishing the organizers was a secondary concern to him. Vwoong!!! After the two girls left his arms, Davey reached his hand out into the empty space and¡­ [8th Circle] [Warp] Davey cast the ultra-high level space magic, Warp. It was the space magic that had the least after-effects. The moment the magic was cast, a deep blue crack appeared in front of him along with a transparent and thin barrier. He then said, ¡°Now, you can go inside, right?¡± When the girls trembled, Davey patted their heads to calm them down and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You will be home the moment you get past that crack.¡± After that, the girls nodded their heads firmly and stood up from where they were. ¡°I¡¯ll release the rest of them, so you girls go ahead first.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The two girls answered loudly with fierce determination on their faces. They wrapped the nket that Davey had taken out of his Pocket ne around themselves before stepping through the crack. ¡°Then¡­let¡¯s send the rest one after the other.¡± All of the ves here were under the Mind Suppression spell. There was no way that they would listen to Davey¡¯s words, because they would only listen to their owners¡­ ¡°Let¡¯s try to suppress this side then.¡± [6th Circle Dark Magic] [Voice of Specter] The dark mana in Davey¡¯s body circted fiercely, turning into ck smoke that escaped through his pores and entered the bodies of everyone present in this underground prison. Swoosh¡­ Then, Davey pulled out Red Ribbon to sh at the iron bars that trapped all of the women inside. He nned to save them all, so he wasn¡¯t going to leave just yet. cing the mask back on his face, Davey then gave orders to all of the ves who were staring at him with nk expressions through the neatly cut iron bars. He ordered, ¡°Line up quickly and cross that gate one after the other. Move.¡± No one answered Davey. However, as if they had been possessed, everyone slowly started to move and approach the spatial crack. ¡ªDidn¡¯t you want to reveal your identity and burn all of them down? ¡°That¡¯s not a very good option with our current situation. Let¡¯s leave the aggro to those guys over there and just help the people who have been taken captive first.¡± Perserque smiled softly as if Davey¡¯s words made her feel better. Just at that moment¡­ ¡°Stop right there!¡± Baaang!!! Someone, a woman, suddenly jumped down from the copsing ceiling and stopped Davey. And the moment the armored woman pointed her sword at Davey, a beastfolk garbed in ck clothing attacked Davey without any hesitation. A sharp dagger whizzed through the air and aimed for Davey¡¯s neck. Considering that there was no killing intent, Davey could tell that the man was just trying to subdue him and stop him from moving. The man had no ns to kill him. ¡°Where are you going to take these women?! Stop that right away!¡± The woman shouted coldly. The beastfolk dug his dagger deeper into Davey¡¯s neck. ¡°Don¡¯t try to y tricks with me! I can¡¯t guarantee your life if you move here.¡± ¡°Vendique! Stop that! No reckless killings!¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you already realize the reality of this situation? Do you think the situation that we¡¯re in right now is still a joke, huh? Roina?¡± The woman holding a sword frowned at the beastfolk¡¯s harsh and cold rebuttal. She looked embarrassed and flustered. ¡°B-But¡­!¡± ¡°Stay out of this. I¡¯m the one who is most suited to dealing with guys like this in our party,¡± the man shouted at the woman. Then, he whispered right into Davey¡¯s ear, ¡°Move a single finger and I will kill you. So, don¡¯t move.¡± Davey frowned. ¡°Let me ask you this, what in the world are you doing?¡± Just as the man was about to answer Davey¡¯s question, the sword-wielding woman named Roina screamed impatiently at Davey, ¡°All of the people here have been taken against their will! Where the hell are you taking them?!¡± ¡°And why should I tell you that?¡± The woman gritted her teeth. ¡°You bastard!!! You must be the one who bought all of the ves at the auction house, no?! I can see that terrible dark mana spreading all over your body¡­ You¡¯re a dark mage!¡± Davey sighed before he slowly circted the energy in his body. He was preparing himself to break the arm of the male beastfolk who was pushing his dagger into his neck. The male beastfolkpletely believed that he had overpowered Davey. Even the woman, who was keeping everything in check, seemed to believe that they were the superior party. Unfortunately, they were very wrong. ¡°You must be the ones who attacked this ce, huh? To be honest, you have brought so much inconvenience to me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Because of you, I have lost track of so many people.¡± Crack!!! ¡°Ugh?!¡± The male beastfolk stiffened once Davey snatched his arm and held it tightly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re doing good deeds. However, you should be aware of the fact that your good deeds are sometimes just a nuisance.¡± ¡°Roina! Dodge!!!¡± The male beastfolk cried out hurriedly. Davey lightly stomped his foot as a ck current of energy shot toward the armored woman. He did not intend to kill her. However, he found her too annoying, so he was going to make her sleep. Of course, they did not consider that the ck current of energy that Davey sent out was a simple suppression. ¡°Kyaaack!¡± The woman screamed as she threw herself on the floor and rolled away from the ck air current. When the woman finally stood back up, Davey mmed his elbow against the male beastfolk¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Urk?!¡± Davey kicked the male beastfolk, cracking a few of his ribs. He said, ¡°Stop being so nosy and back off while I¡¯m still in a good mood. You are making a mistake here.¡± ¡°Stop joking around! You think I don¡¯t know what you will do to those poor people?! You evil dark mage?!¡± The woman¡¯s incessant cries were starting to irk Davey, who responded by flicking Red Ribbon lightly. He had no ns of killing her, but he could still scare her easily. Although there was a considerable distance between Davey and the woman, he could still cover all of it in one go. With a single step forward, he was already in front of Roina and ready to subdue her. Roina¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw Davey move as if he was folding the space between them. She had never considered the fact that Davey would be this fast. At that point, Davey had to wonder if they truly were a mercenary party. If they truly were one, then why was it so easy to break through their vanguard? Davey gathered his dark mana on his left fist while cutting down the woman¡¯s sword with Red Ribbon. ¡°Kyack!¡± Roina copsed when she saw that Davey was ready to punch her. Swoosh¡­ vwoooong!!! At that moment, a ck and white me poured down from the sky. It was targeting Davey. ¡°Reina!¡± The flustered Roina shouted in relief from the ground. In that brief moment, this person hade between them to defend Roina against Davey¡¯s attack. Davey could tell that Reina was quite skilled. He also knew that people with such skills were hard toe by. Davey looked up at the person who had attacked him with furrowed brows. The one who had disrupted him was another woman, whose face was covered with a thick iron mask. Still, he could tell from her posture that she was rather aloof and dignified. She also looked and felt more mature with silvery white hair. For some odd reason, Reina felt familiar to Davey even though she had different features, hair color, and figure. ¡ªIllyna? Perserque mumbled in shock. She definitely shared simr thoughts with Davey regarding the woman named Reina. Reina felt so simr to Illyna de Pan that Davey had to wonder if this was how Illyna would look once she got older. Davey quickly shook away such thoughts. He knew Illyna, who could not wield mes that were ck and white. This was the very thing that made Reina and Illyna very different. ¡°Stop. You are not his match,¡± the woman said in a low voice. The air became cold as the atmosphere got tense. ¡®See, that¡¯s not even close.¡¯ Besides, Illyna did not have a reason to be here. After all, she was the one who had willingly entered the Pan Empire¡¯s secret training hall for her closed-door training. Chapter 265 The confrontation between Davey and the woman named Reina was quiet and tense. Compared to the two who had blocked him earlier, Reina was definitely the stronger one. The greatest proof of this was Aura de, the aura that mixed white and ck mes together to cover the de of her sword. Aura de was a symbol of a master. From what Davey heard, these people were a ragtag group of warriors. In this era, the ¡®warrior¡¯ title was never used as a joke. Anyone who yed around with a sword that emitted holy power would also definitely be an unusual sight. ¡ªDavey. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ ¡ªThe Abyss¡¯ Authority is not working. Perserque, who had used the Abyss¡¯ Authority ahead of Davey, said in shock. This prompted Davey to use the authority too. Szzt¡­ szzt¡­ [¡­] Strangely enough, the translucent window that appeared in front of Davey was only filled with dots. There was nothing written on it at all. ¡®Perserque. Is there an existence that the Abyss¡¯ Authority does not work on?¡¯ ¡ªThere¡¯s no such existence. As far as I know, the Abyss¡¯ authority will not work only if that being is beyond the physicalws of this world. Goddess Freyja is also a part of the great will of this world so it would still work on her. Needless to say, a human being was capable of escaping an authority that even a God could not escape from¡­ ¡®Ha! That¡¯s not even funny¡­¡¯ With a single look at the warrior group, Davey could tell that Reina was the leader of their ragtag group. Did warriors really have a special power like this? To ask that question would only get others to call one crazy. After all, the world could never be that easy. This special power was a separate matter from Reina bing a warrior. Also, the authority also would not make any mistakes or errors. There was definitely another reason why the authority did not work on the woman standing in front of Davey. ¡°Things won¡¯t go your way since we¡¯re already here!¡± The ragtag group was obviously misunderstanding Davey and his actions. ¡°Tell me once again. What are the things that would not go the way I want them to be?¡± ¡°Wh¡­ What?! Stop ying word games with me!!! Bastard! You¡¯re definitely the bastard who bought all of the ves from the auction house!¡± Those words alone proved to Davey that they had witnessed the entire auction. ¡°Aren¡¯t dark mages known for sacrificing a lot of humans?!¡± They weren¡¯t entirely wrong, but they were still mistaken. ¡°This is why stereotypes are very scary.¡± Roina rambled on until Reina stopped her. Reina then quietly said, ¡°Her words are slightly excessive but¡­ Since you¡¯re a dark mage, we can¡¯t let you go. Right now, the existence of a dark mage is very dangerous for this continent.¡± ¡°And who are you to decide that?¡± ¡°Are you telling me that a human who calmly enjoyed buying everything at this illegal auction house is a good human being?¡± Davey had finally confirmed their position on this matter. They had seen Davey, who had his mask on, participating in the auction and had assumed that he was buying all of the illegal ves to use them in a bad way. This misunderstanding should be resolved. However, Davey, who had been busy trying to figure out how he would get the ves out of their Mind Suppression as soon as possible, was annoyed by their constant ramblings. Besides, Davey didn¡¯t think that they would believe him even if he told them the truth. After all, they kept on telling him that he should stop ying around with them whenever he tried to exin things. ¡°Well, whatever you¡¯re thinking, you¡¯re definitely mistaken,¡± Davey said calmly as he flicked his finger. [4th Circle Dark Magic] [Strangling Chains] nk, nk, nk, nk!!! At the same time, ck chains shot out from the cracks in the ground. They bound the ves who were spread out to gather them together. Their destination? The gate that had been created through the crack in space. The gate would directly lead to the Heins Territory¡¯s seigneur¡¯s castle where Royal Attendant Bernile would be waiting. Although he was sending across a lot more people than he had initially nned, Davey was sure that his attendant would be able to take care of things neatly and quickly. After all, Royal Attendant Bernile was a quick-witted man. ¡°No!!!¡± Roina cried out in frustration. Even the male beastfolk who was embedded deep in the wall had a look of frustration on his face. As for Reina, the leader of their party, she remained silent. Davey had saved all the people that he needed to save, so he just had to find out the identity of the woman who was currently arousing his and Perserque¡¯s doubts. ¡°You look very familiar¡­¡± Davey murmured thoughtfully. Reina raised her sword as ck and white mes burst out from its sharp tip. She said, ¡°That¡¯s not very funny.¡± ¡°Very familiar, yes. But your ages are different and even your swordsmanship, too.¡± Ignoring Davey, Reina simply charged at him with her sword twisting slightly. She said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am. So, stop judging me as you please.¡± The white and ck mes grew sharply on Reina¡¯s de, overturning the entire space recklessly as they engulfed Davey. Perhaps she was now relieved that the ves she had been protecting were already gone beyond the gate? Or perhaps she was angry that all the captives had easily been taken away by Davey? No matter the reason, one thing was for certain. Reina recognized Davey as her enemy. From the outside, they looked just like a normal party of mercenaries. However, their leader was at Master rank. What kind of a great existence was a Swordmaster? A nation having one Swordmaster in their rank was already enough for the other nations to be wary of them. Of course, the number of Swordmasters in the entire continent was not that huge. In fact, each and every single one of them were upying their own ce. None would be foolish enough to y around and be a mercenary. Knowing that for a fact, Davey became even more curious about Reina¡¯s identity. ¡°Ha! I don¡¯t know how good you are, but as long as Reina is here, you¡¯re already done for! Bastard!¡± ¡°Quiet, Roina!!!¡± ¡°Well, what?! What did I say wrong?! Reina is a warrior! The Warrior chosen by the Divine Sword!¡± Davey cut down the silver greatsword that was being thrusted toward his abdomen without any hesitation. Baang!!! ¡ªThere¡¯s¡­ There¡¯s something that Red Ribbon can¡¯t cut through?! As long as something escaped thews of nature, Red Ribbon would not be able to do anything against it. However, if Davey¡¯s guess was right, Blue Ribbon would be unable to do anything in this situation too. As far as Davey was concerned, there was only one sword in this world that Red Ribbon could not cut through. And that fact alone left even more questions for him. After all, there could not be two of the same person in the world¡­ At that moment, Davey decided that he did not have to pay any attention to the circumstances or surroundings. He could just go as wild as he could. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Reina groaned. She was flustered by the powerful impact that had traveled through her silver greatsword after colliding with Red Ribbon. She was so flustered that she slightly lost her stance. Reina tried to increase the distance between them, but Davey was a step faster. He grabbed her by the cor, then raised his left foot and swept her feet off of the ground. Thud!!! Just as Reina fell and rolled on the ground, a colorless and odorless shockwave spread out. It wreaked havoc in the area. Bang!!! A powerful gust of wind soon blew across the underground space as a huge crater appeared right where Reina had fallen. ¡°Kyaaack!¡± The wind kicked up a dust cloud that only settled down after a while. When it finally cleared up, Roina and the male beastfolk were helplessly embedded in a cracked wall. They were quite far away from where Davey was. Ignoring the other two, Davey put pressure on Reina¡¯s corbone. As Reina coughed, Daveymented, ¡°You know, there¡¯s only one sword in the world that Red Ribbon cannot cut through.¡± Reina raised her head to look up at Davey. Davey could tell that Reina was not using some kind of trick to activate those ck and white mes. He was sure that the mes that had attacked him were divine mes created by holy magic. To be exact, it was the me of God. ¡ªWhy is there a ck energy surrounding the me of God¡­? ¡®It¡¯s distorted.¡¯ A distorted holy spirit and a twisted faith¡­ The sword that Reina wielded, the ck and white mes that she used¡­ They were all proof that Reina the warrior was very twisted. ¡°I¡¯ll see who you are for myself.¡± ¡°N¡­ No!!!¡± Reina was truly as strong as a Master-rank individual. However, that only indicated the level of her skills. No matter who she was, Davey would know the moment he saw her face. Just as Davey was about to force the mask away from Reina¡¯s face¡­ Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ Bang!!! A windde flew in from afar and tried to pierce through Davey¡¯s neck. Of course, the power behind the attack hardly threatened Davey, who could easily block it with one hand. ¡°Im-Impossible! You stopped a wind cutter with your bare hands?!¡± After the scream rang out, a boy and a girl in robes appeared. The boy looked shocked to see his magic being deflected so easily. The white-robed girl, bursting into a bright white light, yelled, ¡°O¡¯ merciful Goddess Freyja! Bring punishment upon the devil in front of me!!! Smite!¡± Dozens of light pirs shot up and trapped Davey. They hadpletely determined that Davey was a dark mage, and the priest¡¯s sacred attack magic was very effective against dark mages. However, did a fish ever die from drowning? ¡®I¡¯m a Saint, morons.¡¯ With the help of the curse within him, Davey was protected from all other curses or spells. As for holy magic¡­ it obviously did not affect him much either. ¡°Reina!!!¡± The male beastfolk shouted as he immediately jumped in to save Reina, who was pinned to the ground by Davey. Of course, this was the group¡¯s golden opportunity to save their friend andrade. With the light pirs restricting Davey¡¯s movements, they had to use the chance to save their leader. Davey gave them passing grades on their n of attack. He found itmendable that they had instantly staged an attack to rescue Reina. However, that didn¡¯t mean that their n would work. After all, Davey wouldn¡¯t just let them get away with everything while watching the light pirs appear around him. [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Suppression] [Forehead Flick] Davey stretched his arm out from the confines of the light pirs. Then, his hand shot up with a considerable amount of force to flick the male beastfolk¡¯s forehead with his middle finger. Did it look like a simple finger flick? Well, the male beastfolk who had been hit would definitely disagree with that. ¡°Keuaaaaack!!!¡± Noticing that the male beastfolk had enough energy to scream like that, Davey could tell that he had a strong physique. The group turned pale as they watched the male beastfolk named Vendique roll on the ground several times before getting stuck on the wall. The Swordmaster, who was obviously severely injured, could not believe that they had failed to inflict any damage on Davey despite the several attacks that they had staged. After separating the male beastfolk and Reina, Davey turned toward the girl who had shot the white pirs of light and said, ¡°This is how you use holy magic, brat.¡± [7th Circle] [Holy Smite] Thwaaaaack! ¡°Kyaaaack!!!¡± The white-robed girl screamed as a huge pir of white light fell down upon her. ¡°Essylt!!! Damn it! How can a dark mage use holy magic?!¡± Vendique cried out as blood dripped from his nose. None of them could tell that they had been hit by 7th Circle holy magic, which was the highest tier. ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled! It¡¯s a simple trick! There¡¯s no way that a dark mage can use holy magic!!!¡± The boy, who was a mage, gritted his teeth and hurriedly cast his wind magic in response. Davey could clearly see that the boy was going to use another wind cutter. If that was the case, then Davey thought that he should give the boy a gift. [7th Circle] [Tempest Cutter] Davey¡¯s mana, which was faster and stronger than the boy¡¯s own, surged up and created a thick de of wind that mmed straight down on the ground. The de of wind was so powerful that it entirely overturned the ground that the boy was standing on. The attack would, of course, not kill the boy. However, the impact forced him to roll on the ground. His body became limp afterward, as if he would be out ofmission for a while. From what it looked like, the shock was a bit too much for a weak mage like the boy to endure. In an instant, three people had been incapacitated. Thest person still standing was finally making a move. It was Roina, the girl with the bright and pesky personality who had stopped Davey earlier on. She was furious. Roina tugged on the shield on her back and charged at Davey. ¡°You bastard!!!¡± As her speed elerated, Roina¡¯s eyes turned red from anger. She was charging at Davey at a frightening speed. She looked just like a charging train. At this point, Davey was childishly determined to pay them back with whatever attacks that they were using. Holy magic for holy magic, dark magic for stealth attacks, magic for magic, and finally a mindless charge¡­ [Longsword] [Pdin¡¯s Style] The holy power slumbering in Davey¡¯s body began to move as he started to use the swordsmanship that had been created bybining the Sword God¡¯s Longsword and Pdin¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡®With the impact of this attack, everyone will return to the ring of reincarnation.¡¯ [Altered] [Dump Truck] Bang!!! Roina¡¯s thick white shield broke uselessly as she was sent flying from the impact of Davey¡¯s attack. Davey could tell that he had added too much power behind that attack. ¡ªDavey, you¡¯re acting like a kid. ¡®It¡¯s strange. It seems like I have unknowingly gotten too excited.¡¯ Perhaps it was because Davey¡¯s arms and legs had shrunk with his disguise. Even his tone of voice was different. He appeared to be asking Perserque to give him a break. Looking at Davey, Perserque smiled faintly. After overpowering everyone else and making them unconscious, Davey grabbed Reina by the cor again. As the woman was finally regaining her senses again, he quickly asked, ¡°What the hell are you?¡± Reina did not answer the question. Instead, she swung her sword at Davey. For Davey, that attack only raised even more questions. He found Reina¡¯s attack method very familiar. Despite the very short attack distance, she had used the method of increasing destructive power. It was the very same method that Davey had previously taught Illyna; it was swordsmanship that focused on destruction. ¡°The swordsmanship. Even the sword.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡± ¡°Stop your bullshit,¡± Davey said coldly. ¡°You are not Illyna, so why do you have Caldeiras with you?¡± Reina flinched. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a stupid pushover? Did you think that I would not recognize the sword that my teacher made just because the sword¡¯s shape has changed and its ego has copsed?¡± But was that really Caldeiras? The real Caldeiras was definitely still in closed-door training with Illyna. Reina remained silent, not offering Davey any answers. Davey sighed. He did not know if Reina was choosing to stay silent out of shock or because of any other reasons. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to answer me if you don¡¯t want to. I can just check it out for myself.¡± Since he could not read his opponent with Perserque¡¯s Authority, Davey had to see Reina¡¯s true face with his own eyes. Once Davey ced a hand on her mask, Reina snatched the wrist that was holding her by the cor. Just then, a strong sh of white light momentarily blinded Davey and left him in a daze. It was only for a few short seconds, but that was enough for Reina. During that time, she hadpletely disappeared from sight. Even her party members had disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªDa¡­ Davey¡­ Davey left Perserque, who looked at him with pity at the unfortunate turn of events. Then, he murmured, ¡°Wow¡­ She got me good there.¡± Reina¡¯s final move waspletely different from the typical traps and tricks being used by sly and cunning opponents. She had sessfully run away from Davey by reading the situation and adapting to her circumstances, a feat that could only be done by someone who had been toiling hard on the battlefield for decades. Chapter 266 What was the best thing to do in a fight? It was to win without even fighting at all. Reina had admirably thrown a wrench in Davey¡¯s n to fight by fleeing. Of course, she probably did not mean for this to happen as she did not know his true identity. All she had done was simply release the traces of holy power left in her sword to activate teleportation magic while keeping Davey away. After all, he was a difficult opponent for her to face right now. Although teleportation magic wasn¡¯t something she could use as it was magic at the 7th Circle, Reina had still escaped from Davey in some unknown way. However, Davey knew where her power hade from: Goddess Freyja. [A final helping hand to the poor child yearning for salvation despite her imminent death.] ¡ªDavey, is it okay if you don¡¯t follow them? ¡°With what?¡± Perserque looked at Davey like she didn¡¯t understand. ¡ªDo you think I am an idiot who is going to buy that act? I saw you embed a tracking magic spell in that girl before she left, and now you are pretending to know nothing? You might have to suffer from not knowing what is going to happen in the future, but you¡¯re not one to not get anything out of such situations. ¡®Idiot? Where did you learn that bad word from?¡¯ -From you. Just a little while ago. Perserque did not back down one bit. Davey could indeed track where Reina and her group had disappeared to. However, he undid the tracking magic that he had put on Reina without hesitation. ¡ªDavey? ¡°Now I don¡¯t have anything.¡± ¡ª...Are you joking around with me?¡± Perserque pulled on Davey¡¯s ear incredulously. Patting Perserque¡¯s head with his finger, Davey simply said with a bitter smile, ¡°Just let them go.¡± ¡ªWhat? ¡®Just¡­ Let¡¯s just let them do whatever they want.¡¯ Perserque looked confused by Davey¡¯s depressingment. She didn¡¯t understand his sudden change of heart. ¡ªWhy? To be honest, I thought you¡¯re going to go crazy from foolishly missing them in front of your eyes... ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let them go before checking, but¡­¡± Although he was still confused as to why Reina had been here, Davey no longer had to do any checks of his own. He already knew who Reina was. ¡°And we¡¯re going to see each other again soon.¡± Perserque looked a little puzzled. ¡ªDavey, why are you doing this? ¡°See for yourself.¡± Perserque could read Davey¡¯s most recent memories, especially those that had happened just moments ago. Davey could now remember everything. The bright light that Reina had desperately shone at him with herst hope was quite a shocking sight. ¡°Because I wasn¡¯t there.¡± Everything was different. ¡ªOh my, this¡­ This is possible? Perserque, who had put her forehead on Davey¡¯s to read his memories, froze in shock. The memories that involved the others were ordinary. The beastfolk man, the little mage boy, little priest girl, and the electricity-type swordswoman who had a bright smile were all ordinary but talented people. They were just following Reina as they aspired to be warriors like her. As for Reina, she was distinctly different from the rest of them. Aside from being a foreigner, she was the most familiar yet unfamiliar person to Davey. Why did Davey see what he did when Reina had grabbed him? The reason was simple when he thought of it. It meant that Goddess Freya, the being who had the ability to send Reina here, had thrown something at him. ¡°Perserque, who can your Abyss Authority read?¡± ¡ªEveryone within thews of this world¡­ No one can escape it, even if they are from another dimension¡­ But, if they are from another timeline¡­ This was the reason why Reina could not be read by Perserque¡¯s authority. ¡ªBut isn¡¯t it weird? Is that even possible? ¡°How can it be possible?¡± In a way, time itself was a physicalw that could be changed and distorted by gravity. However, they were forgetting one thing: the flow of time was controlled by the divine will. The past, present, and future could not exist together, but that was the reality in front of Davey. Davey could think of a lot of reasons how this had happened, but it would be best to hear it directly from Reina. Reina¡¯s strong yearning did not have the current version of Davey but the Heins Territory¡¯s seigneur version of him. They would be able to meet again if he waited there. Davey, who was left alone in the silent and ruined underground space, suddenly saw arge crowd of people rushing over to where he was. He stared at them from right where he stood. The guards of the capital of the Boltis Kingdom had realized the disturbance from earlier on. After all, it would be impossible for the Boltis Kingdom to not notice such a huge explosion. ¡°Don¡¯t move!! You are surrounded!¡± Dozens of soldiers pointed their spears at Davey with tense faces. As for the bowmen, they also loaded their bows and pointed their weapons at him as well. To them, Davey was a terrorist who hade to their kingdom and bombed it; whatever actually happened here did not really matter to them. ¡°You bastard!! How dare you cause a disturbance here! This is the Kingdom of the Great Sword! The capital of the Boltis Kingdom! I do not know why you caused this kind of terror here, but you are done now that I¡¯m here! Make this easy and retrieve your aur¡­¡± Davey interrupted the man who was shouting confidently. He said, ¡°Tell me your affiliation.¡± Davey wasn¡¯t in the position to say something to these soldiers as he wasn¡¯t a royal of the Boltis Kingdom. However, with the fact that people from his Heins Territory had been sold here¡­ Click. Davey, who took off his mask, stared at the man. ¡°I am Davey O¡¯Rowane, the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom. You are?¡± ¡°W¡­ What¡­?¡± ¡°I happen to have something to say to the Boltis Kingdom as well. How nice. I heard that His Majesty the King of the Boltis Kingdom is in critical condition. Is Duke Allua, who is taking care of state affairs in his stead, at the capital?¡± Flustered by Davey¡¯s unexpected question, the man hesitated. He yelled, ¡°D-Don¡¯t try to trick me! Do you think I would fall for that lie¡­?!¡± Voosh!!! Light spread all across the devastated area as soon as Davey gently waved his hand. Those who did not know any better would think that he had performed a miracle as a Saint. ¡°Oh¡­ Oh my¡­¡± ¡°M¡­ My Lord¡­¡± Upon looking at that sight, the soldiers fell to their knees. It was as if they had seen God descend from the heavens. ¡°If you have eyes, you should know if I¡¯m the real thing or not. You guys may not know why I¡¯ve caused this situation here, but I think Duke Allua may have an idea.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Captain Holson, captain of the East Door Defense.¡± ¡®A name can easily be revealed just by using the Abyss.¡¯ Captain Holson was silent. * * * Of course, the Boltis Kingdom denied the incident. However, they did not think to turn this around and use it to attack Davey. As they had eyes and ears, they knew what Davey could do with just brute force alone. Not wanting to sour the rtionship between them, Duke Allua tried hard to connect with Davey. He even dered that he could find everyone associated with the ck market from this incident forward. Even if it was just a formal deration, Davey found that to be sufficient. Now, the moment the Boltis Kingdom turned around to do something else, Davey would have a proper reason to take action against them. ¡°Wee, Your Highness,¡± greeted Attendant Bernile with a bow. Davey nced at Attendant Bernile and lightly nodded. He asked, ¡°How are the ones we¡¯ve sent over first?¡± ¡°Due to the overwhelming number of people you¡¯ve sent over, the process was a little dyed. We did manage to have them all shower and get checked out by a doctor without any difficulty. But¡­¡± ¡°Their minds aren¡¯t normal, right?¡± ¡°Yes, the doctor states that none of them have any physical problems. However, most of them have lost their minds¡­¡± It was a weird description, but it wasn¡¯t incorrect to say so. ¡°I apologize for sending across even more people than I nned. You probably weren¡¯t expecting that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright. I am just touched by your warm heart, Your Highness.¡± ¡°How embarrassing.¡± Davey clicked his tongue in disagreement. Bernile shook his head with a soft expression. ¡°No one would be able to save anyone in misery this quickly and realistically. But you did it, Your Highness.¡± ¡°And if this whole incident causes a bigger problem?¡± ¡°The person I know would have already prepared for all that.¡± Bernile chuckled. There was no way that Davey would be able to beat Bernile in this argument. ¡°Lead the way. I have to undo their mental subjugation,¡± said Davey. Attendant Bernile stepped back and bowed as if he had been waiting for Davey¡¯s order. He led the way. The seigneur¡¯s pce was bustling with people as the number of people had suddenly increased to about forty. The number included those Davey had rescued from the ck market and the ones who had been kept in that underground jail. ¡°...¡± Yuria frowned as she nced at the female elf who was staring into space. She said softly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t able to take care of them¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s my fault for not taking proper care of the territory.¡± ¡®And the two damn gangs that caused this situation.¡¯ Aina Helishana was heading to the capital of the Rowane Kingdom, working to find out who was behind this. She also had to figure out the whereabouts of the two criminal organizations. It would take a while for him to get the necessary information, since the organizations had a lot of members. However, Davey was ready to take action whenever the opportunity presented itself. ¡°But¡­I can¡¯t undo the subjugation orb even with my spirit magic. ording to Elder Goulda, it¡¯s going to take a while to break the orbs as they are made from a very durable material¡­¡± Yuria said. Davey nodded in understanding. ¡°An elf wouldn¡¯t be able to undo it since it was made for elves.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Do it like this.¡± Paching!!! Davey snatched the subjugation orb that was on the female elf¡¯s neck and crushed it with his bare hands. He also suppressed all the mana that was flowing out of it to protect her. ¡°Oh, how violent.¡± As the tough metal pieces of the subjugation orb crumbled to the ground, the female elf who had been staring into space finally regained light in her eyes. She moaned, ¡°Oh¡­ Oh.¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± At his question, the female elf looked up at Davey with a nk face. ¡°Prince¡­Davey? This is¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ve rescued you and brought you to the Heins Territory. Other than that, are you hurt anywhere?¡± Davey asked as he checked the female elf¡¯s pupils by holding her eyes wide open. He also checked the female elf¡¯s mouth by holding her mouth open. Then, he pulled up her shirt to reveal her stomach before cing two fingers on her. ¡°Kyahh?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m examining you. Don¡¯t move,¡± said Davey in a low voice as he had a habit of being all serious when he examined patients. The woman flinched as if she was fearful of Davey. ¡°Oh¡­ Yes.¡± In actual fact, she was somewhat embarrassed by the situation. After all, a man was touching her bare stomach without any qualms. Davey gave her a medical examination, but it seemed like she was thinking of something else. The woman lowered her flushed face. She was flustered by Davey¡¯s bold method of conducting a medical examination. Strangely, Yuria Helishana was snickering at the entire situation. ¡°I respect your taste, but know the ce and time. It¡¯s not just anyone, but your people.¡± Davey clicked his tongue disapprovingly. ¡°But you still rescued her, right?¡± Perhaps Mary, the female elf, being all flustered and confused was quite to Yuria¡¯s taste. ¡°Y-Your Highness. I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Exhaustion¡­ I expect a bit of a viral infection. Other than that¡­ What is this? Hey, what did you eat?¡± Davey used mana to look inside of Mary since they didn¡¯t have an X-Ray machine like on Earth, and he could see an unexpected drug in her stomach. It was an aphrodisiac, or a drug that typically caused hallucinations. ¡®What did these assholes give to a weak, growing elf?¡¯ While feeling disappointed in himself, Davey patted Mary on the head before pulling her into his arms. He stroked her back and burned away all the drug remains within her by releasing his mana. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I should have protected you. I found you toote.¡± ¡°...N-No! You saved me, Your Highness, right?! I-I¡¯m fine!¡± Mary shouted as she was flustered. Davey walked away from Mary without hesitation. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Davey thought that the first thing he should do wasfort Mary, who had just gone through something so traumatic. Only after she tried reassuring him that he believed that she would recover without any problems. Leaving behind the others who had dumbfounded expressions on their faces, Davey said to Attendant Bernile, ¡°Bring me the next group. I¡¯ll check every one of them.¡± ¡®Where am I going to use the art of medicine if I¡¯m not going to use it here?¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, what are you going to do with them?¡± ¡°If they want to return to their hometown, let them go. I¡¯ll pay for their trip.¡± ¡°And what about the ones who do not want to go back?¡± ¡°Give them a job at the pce.¡± If he yed his cards right, Davey would be able to have some beastfolk citizens in the Heins Territory after this. He chuckled when he thought of that. * * * Thud!!!! With a huge sound, five people fell onto the ground of a quiet warehouse. ¡°Agh!¡± They were none other than Reina and her group, all of whom had run away from Davey. ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­¡± Reina tried to catch her breath as she looked around at the others, who were all unconscious and still on the ground. Then, she picked up her sword with a tense expression. ¡®What if he follows me here?¡¯ It was almost a miracle that Reina had escaped from Davey. There was no way a person who didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid at the light of holy power would have been subdued by the sh of light she had created. Davey also could have held onto Reina at the end, so why did he ultimately let go? After being exposed to the sh of light, he had let go of her as if he was letting her run away. He could have killed her if he wanted, so why didn¡¯t he? More than that, how was he able to recognize her sword? ¡°Cough!¡± Reina coughed as theseplicated thoughts filled her head. Beneath her mask, a streak of blood was flowing down her face. She stumbled before copsing to the ground. ¡°I¡­don¡¯t have much time¡­ I have to gather the others¡­¡± She was thinking of Grand Duchess Kathryn and Saint Davey O¡¯Rowane, the seigneur of the Heins Territory. She had found out about Davey only aftering here. To her, he was the only variable here. ¡®I have to protect them¡­¡¯ Reina had to protect herself so that a horrendous future like that did note again. Her small hands gripped onto her sword, not letting go. Chapter 267 A week after the ck market incident, the construction of the hydropower and magic power facility went on without any issues. In the meantime, Davey prioritized the treatment of the people who had been captured by the ck market. He would never refuse any patient who reached out to him. ¡°Um¡­ Am I free to go now?¡± The rabbitfolk girl cautiously asked Davey as she curled up into a ball. ¡°Sure. You just have to rest well now.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m worthy of receiving this kind of treatment¡­¡± ¡°This kind of treatment?¡± Davey asked. All the beastfolk that were in the seigneur pce¡¯s treatment center flinched. ¡°Yes¡­ Our vige is a very small one in the south of the Central Continent. We have less than a hundred people in our vige, so¡­we can¡¯t afford to pay for this kind of treatment¡­¡± said the rabbitfolk girl anxiously. Looking at the frightened rabbitfolk girl who was worried about being sold as a ve again for not being able to pay for treatment, Davey gently tugged at her ears and said, ¡°Pay it off your entire life.¡± ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°Do nothing but breathe and work to pay this debt off until you die.¡± ¡°...Y-Yes!!¡± The rabbitfolk girl tensed up and answered shrilly. ¡°What if you work like that?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Do you think my livelihood will be better or improve if you give me everything you earn?¡± The rabbitfolk girl¡¯s eyes widened as she asked timidly, ¡°What does¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m rich. I have enough money that you don¡¯t have to worry about my livelihood.¡± Speaking calmly, Davey let go of the rabbitfolk girl¡¯s ears and rose from his seat. He said, ¡°Your treatment is finished. I have nothing more for you, so go back to your hometown. Go on, run away when I¡¯m giving you the chance.¡± ¡°...¡± Leaving the surprised rabbitfolk girl behind, Davey then called on one of thedies-in-waiting who were standing by. He ordered, ¡°Give them rtively ordinary clothing as well as a robe. Get some soldiers who are trustworthy, too.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Thedy-in-waiting giggled as if she was delighted and nodded. Then, she took the rabbitfolk girl¡¯s hand and led her away. She said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s go. I will give you some fresh clothes.¡± ¡°H-Huh?! Wait! I have already gotten more help than I¡¯m worthy of! I cannot get more¡­¡± ¡°I told you,¡± said Davey to the rabbitfolk girl, who was now silent and at a loss for words. ¡®It doesn¡¯t make any difference even if you give me all your life earnings. Do you think that would mean anything to me when I use a kingdom¡¯s annual budget on my territory every quarter?¡¯ ¡°Let me ask you one thing,¡± said Davey. When all the beastfolk stared at him, he continued, ¡°Did you ask for my help? No, you didn¡¯t. I just rescued you guys. I wouldn¡¯t have cared about you guys in the first ce.¡± To be honest, if it wasn¡¯t for what Perserque had said, Davey would have stopped after rescuing the citizens of the Heins Territory and destroying the ck market. ¡°So, take it when I¡¯m offering it to you. And stop making me repeat myself.¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re unnecessarily considerate. There¡¯s another way to ease their burden if that¡¯s what you¡¯re trying to do. Perserque giggled as she sat on top of Davey¡¯s head. As she gently stroked his head, Davey snatched her up and quietly put her into his pocket. ¡ªUgh?! Handle me gently! ¡®Be quiet. You¡¯re being loud.¡¯ Davey criticized Perserque before saying to the beastfolk, ¡°I¡¯ll send the people whose hometowns are in the same direction together. It¡¯s just a sudden change of heart so there¡¯s no need for you to repay me.¡± ¡°No way! Us ck Wolves never forget our debt!¡± The muscr man with wolf ears peeking through his navy hair stood up. He rushed over to Davey andid his crutches on the ground. He had broken his leg from resisting fiercely when he had first been captured by the ck market. Davey had fixed his leg, which was now limp due to theck of early treatment. ¡°I¡­ I am one of the forest kind. The ability to run through the forest is our specialty and pride. Unlike other humans who broke my leg, you fixed it,¡± said the muscr man as he knelt on the ground and bowed his head. ¡°I will run like a dog if you tell me to do so! I will die if you tell me to do so! I will not be able to go back to my hometown and livefortably unless I repay my debt to you. You rescued and saved me when I was dying!¡± Everyone else began to murmur among themselves. ¡°M¡­ Me too! I will do anything you want! Cleaning,undry! Cooking! Uh¡­ If not, I can even be of service to you at night!¡± Not long after, the short rabbitfolk girl who Davey had just treated walked over to him and twitched her ears. She looked up at him in earnest. ¡°Are you all crazy? Do you remember where you came from?¡± The rabbitfolk girl tilted her head in confusion. ¡°What does¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ve trade, you stupid. You got out of there, and you want to be a ve again? Are your ve instincts at it again? Are you insane?¡± The beastfolk frowned slightly as Davey bombarded them with criticism. Although they had stronger instincts, beastfolk were very simr to humans. They had a variety of instincts like sexual desires, anger, happiness, and hunger, but they had a different way of life than humans, who pretended to know nothing even after receiving help. That was why humans were so eager to enve beastfolk. ¡°Even if you guys save up hundreds of dors and give it to me, it won¡¯t make much of a difference. So, go back.¡± ¡°I cannot! Please¡­ Please kill me instead!¡± The wolf man shouted, almost begging. ¡°What will I say to my family if I go back like this?! What would I say to them if I received your help but did not repay you?! Please do not let me live as the shame of the ck Wolves!¡± Listening to the wolf man¡¯s desperate shout, Davey couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡®It¡¯s the hardest to deal with these damn stubborn dogs.¡¯ ¡°...M-Me too! The older sister who raised my siblings always said! She said that there are bad humans, but there are also good humans like you, Your Highness! She said that we must know how to repay the kindness we received! Please let us work!¡± ¡°T¡­ That¡¯s right! Although it may not be much, I will help, too! What should I do first?! Laundry? The dishes? I can do all of them! I don¡¯t care if you don¡¯t pay me a lot either!¡± As the rabbitfolk girl also started to beg Davey, the beastfolk who had been silent also began speaking up. ¡®Ah¡­ These guys are hopeless.¡¯ Davey, who couldn¡¯t help but frown, slowly backed away. ¡ªYou are actually quite weak against people like this. Davey could easily and confidently refuse those who would do anything for him, like pushovers and spineless people. However, it was hard for him to reject these beastfolk who were begging him to let them work for him. Atst, Davey turned away and said, ¡°Ah, whatever, you bastards! Do whatever you want then!¡± Crash! Davey clicked his tongue as he mmed the door behind him. ¡°Chuckle¡­ Big Brother.¡± Winley and Tanya were staring at Davey, and so was Princess Maria through her blindfold. ¡°I told you, Sis. I told you he was definitely going to do that,¡± Winley said. ¡°Chuckle¡­ Aw, Big Brother. You haven¡¯t changed one bit from before.¡± ¡°I see him quite differently now that I know that he¡¯s like that.¡± ¡°Come here, you.¡± ¡°Kyahh!¡± Tanya and Winley ran away from Davey yfully like they were mocking him, and a chuckling Princess Maria followed them. Not having the strength to chase after them, Davey simply shook his head and frowned. ¡ªIt¡¯s the sign before mana deprivation. Why don¡¯t you take a break now? ¡®No way that I¡¯m deprived.¡¯ ¡ªIf the Sage had used the amount of mana you used in real time, he would also die of exhaustion in an hour. ¡®What I have leftover is spirit mana, so don¡¯t worry about me.¡¯ The amount of mana Davey recovered per second was on another level. The quick recovery of mana was strictly based on one¡¯s level of power, and one would possess an unhuman rate of mana recovery upon reaching the level of Assimtion. Right now, arge amount of spirit mana was flowing out of Davey¡¯s body. It didn¡¯t matter for the skeletons who never got tired, but the dwarf craftsmen were different. As such, it was crucial for him to maintain the Spirit Kings Gnoass and Elliam to reduce the amount of stress on the dwarves. This way, he could also achieve the most effective speed of construction. ¡°Big Brother, has it been too long since you have summoned a Spirit King?¡± ¡°Ites one by one¡­ Anyway, yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± Davey could see Royal Attendant Bernile and Baris approaching him. ¡°With all due respect, Your Highness, I think that you may have to pause the construction.¡± When Attendant Bernile said that, Davey paused for a second. He thenmented, ¡°Are we out of materials? We should have enough money.¡± ¡°Yes, we have more than enough. The money from selling the jewels you have was so unexpectedlyrge that the finance department was sweating over it.¡± This was unsurprising, because Davey had sold dozens of precious jewels that were so rare that treasure hunters who devoted their lives to finding hidden treasures in ancient ruins would only chance upon them once or twice. As vampires were quite particr in their taste for jewels, most of the jewels that Davey had found were quite expensive. ¡°From what I know, the Alioui Merchant Company should be sending us materials nonstop.¡± ¡°That is also true, but¡­ Please take a look at this.¡± Royal Attendant Bernile pulled out a small envelope from his pocket. It was an invitation sealed with a wax seal in the shape of a two-headed dragon. The contents were simple: it was a request for Davey¡¯s presence at an uing banquet. However, it was not a collectively sent letter from the Lyndis Royal Pce¡¯s banquet department. It was a handwritten letter from the emperor. ¡°Well, publicly, I am the chosen Crown Prince. It¡¯s embarrassing when you are present, but I have received an invitation as well. I will escort you, so let¡¯s go,¡± Baris said. Davey silently stared at the letter. * * * Davey, who was on his second journey to the Lyndis Empire, skipped the tiring andbor-intensive physical route. He jumped through space while holding Baris by the neck. Where they ended up was right in the center of the Lyndis Royal Pce, three hundred meters above the ground. ¡°Huh! Ahhhh!!!¡± Of course, Baris, who had jumped through space with Davey inplete oblivion, iled around and screamed as he fell through the air. ¡°Brother!! I¡¯m falling!! I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯m going to die!!!¡± As he ignored the screaming Baris, Davey stared at the quickly-approaching ground. When they were just a few meters above the ground, he released his mana without hesitation. [7th Circle] [High Reverse Gravity] A gravitational magic spell that fully controlled their force of falling surrounded them. Then, Baris stopped iling about and stared at Davey with wide eyes. ¡°Who said I¡¯m leaving you to die? Stop acting weak.¡± There was no way someone would see them fall because the night sky was so dark. ¡ªAnd your meticulousness for silencing the surrounding, too. ¡°Ugh¡­ I¡¯m dizzy¡­ B-Big Brother, why did you teleport to such a high¡­?¡± ¡°The Lyndis Royal Pce has three defense magic barriers from three wizard towers.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Davey to break the barriers if he wanted to; he had broken the barrier of the World Tree, so how hard could it be for him to break the barriers created by a few boring men? However, he just chose not to do that since that would only cause a huge incident. ¡°Phew¡­ I thought it would at least take a few days even if the Lyndis Empire was close to the Rowane Kingdom¡­ But to arrive in less than an hour¡­¡± ¡°Wee.¡± While Davey brushed his clothes lightly to get rid of any dust or dirt, an old gentleman appeared in front of them. As if he had been waiting for them, the old gentleman bowed and said, ¡°I have been waiting for you, Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane. I am a servant of the royal pce. Please call me Gordon.¡± ¡°Baron Gordon. Did you know that I woulde here?¡± Baron Gordon looked a little surprised that Davey had figured out his rank, but he did not show it. In fact, the old gentleman was rather easy to read with the Abyss¡¯ Authority. ¡°Just a coincidence. However, all I heard from His Majesty was that you would arrive around this time.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± answered Davey calmly. Baris, who was stumbling about, quickly got up with wide eyes as he was here as a representative of the Rowane Kingdom. It was different for Davey, who was here on a personal invitation and not as an envoy. ¡°Ahem! T-Thank you for greeting us, Baron Gordon. I-I am Baris O-Rowane. I received an official invite from the empire.¡± ¡°I was waiting for you, Prince Baris.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Baris groaned as Baron Gordon¡¯s respectful and formal demeanor was too much for him to bear. ¡°The banquet has already started. Would you like to enter?¡± ¡°W-We cannot ignore the sincerity of the empire. Please, lead us there,¡± Baris said in a formal tone that did not suit him well. Baron Gordon quietly nodded before lightly pping his hands. When a few men wearing ck suits showed up at once and bowed toward them, he exined, ¡°They are the highest ranking servants of the royal pce. They will be able to escort you therefortably.¡± When Baron Gordon nodded, the servants respectfully took the coat that Baris was wearing. ¡°We will help you in getting ready.¡± ¡°T¡­ Then, please. Brother? Let us go.¡± Baris had lost a lot of his yful attitude as he was here for diplomatic reasons. ¡°Ah, Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane, please enter a whileter.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± As for Davey, he acted no different than his usual self. After all, he was here personally and not diplomatically. ¡°His Majesty would like to meet you alone.¡± ¡°Please lead the way. Baris, sorry, but go to the banquet first.¡± ¡°A¡­ Alright, Brother. I will be waiting.¡± As he wondered what His Majesty the King would have to say to him, Davey left Baris to follow Baron Gordon. They walked past the royal pce halls in silence. Only after they entered a quiet but enormous meeting room was he able to see the man who was looking for him. ¡°Your Majesty, Prince Davey is here.¡± ¡°Let him in.¡± Listening to that serious voice and feeling its strength, Davey walked into the meeting room. He could see Emperor Deorte dressed in formal attire. He understood that the emperor was getting ready to head to the banquet. ¡°Wee. Would you like to y?¡± Emperor Deorte pointed at something on the table as he sat in his chair, waiting. It was a game of Olde, a board game very simr to chess. ¡°From what I hear, you are very good at Olde. So? Would you like to y a game and ce a bet? I will give you a good gift if you win.¡± ¡°It¡¯d be a problem for me regardless of whether I win or lose. My opponent is unfortunate.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think someone like you would say that, Prince Davey. I thought you never go easy on anyone, whether that be an emperor or a God even. I hope you don¡¯t refuse as I have something to discuss with you.¡± Davey smiled. ¡°Of course, I will take that present with gratitude.¡± ¡®You¡¯re going to try to win against me?¡¯ This was where Davey could fully make use of his incredible memory. There were more than a few people who had brains faster thanputers in terms of calcting possibilities, and he was one of them. ¡®No way can he win.¡¯ Chapter 268 Even if Emperor Deorte did not want to, the things that he used were bound to be luxurious. His actions, appearance, and every single thing he used was directly associated with the face of the empire. If a modest king were to wear worn-out clothes in a worn-out pce, what would the other kingdoms say about them? [He is a modest king!] [We must follow his example!] Would they actually say that? No way. [It seems like that¡¯s how much money the Lyndis Empire has.] [Tsk tsk, how can an emperor be like that? How demeaning.] In a way, social phenomena could be seen as extreme brainwashing and mind games. Logic did not work most of the time. This hadn¡¯t changed from ancient times to modern times, not even in Davey¡¯s past life. ¡°They are amazing pawns.¡± ¡°They are made from the horn of a single-horned elephant. It¡¯s a rare animal with small horns, so dozens of elephants are needed to make one set of these pawns.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a luxury.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Emperor Deorte chuckled. It seemed like he actually wanted someone who could have a conversation with him without being afraid of his rank. ¡°All the princes, too. Everyone finds me difficult with the exception of that Alberth.¡± ¡°It is because your gravity is well-known in the Lyndis Empire as well.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ Fools.¡± ¡°Which will you take: first or second attack?¡± ¡°A pro yields the first attack,¡± answered Davey. Then, both Davey and Emperor Deorte spoke at the same time. ¡°I will take the second attack.¡± ¡°I will yield the first attack to you.¡± As a short silence nketed across the meeting room, the servant who was observing them from afar let out a dry cough. He seemed to be bewildered by the fact that someone could behave so recklessly in front of an emperor of an empire. ¡°...¡± ¡°Alright, I will take the first attack if you are confident. However, we only have a deal if you receive punishment upon losing.¡± ¡°What would you like?¡± ¡°If you lose, be engaged to the youngest princess of the Lyndis Empire. It would be an official marriage between kingdoms.¡± ¡°Is there a reason why you are judging a prince of a small kingdom so highly?¡± Emperor Deorte scoffed at Davey¡¯s question. He said, ¡°I think you know that better than anyone.¡± ¡°I know better¡­¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen, your actions seem like you are building something great step by step. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Well, alright,¡± Davey answered calmly. Emperor Deorte, looking slightly surprised, said, ¡°Your confidence is incredible.¡± Davey grabbed the cavalry pawn out of the several Olde pawns that were in front of him and took it out. He asked, ¡°Do you think that I will lose?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Hahahaha!!!¡± Emperor Deorteughed loudly as he became filled with the desire to win. ¡°Good! I will watch you myself! And I will show you how difficult it is to dare challenge an emperor of an empire.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to.¡± ck!! Davey¡¯s eyes shone as he ced a pawn on the Olde board without hesitation. * * * ¡°I heard you caused a big scene at the Boltis Empire.¡± ck! The pawn Emperor Deorte had ced on the board was quickly advancing. ck! However, it wasn¡¯t long before its advancements were blocked by the formation Davey had created. ¡°The citizens support me and follow me. And I will protect my citizens in my own way in return,¡± answered Davey. Emperor Deorte stared at Davey, who then added, ¡°This would be the usual best answer, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that you don¡¯t think the same way?¡± Emperor Deorte asked. ¡°I am just overprotective. I just can¡¯t stand seeing someone mess with my people.¡± Emperor Deorte chuckled. ¡°I heard you did not really hide that fact. Themoners may not know, but people like me have already heard the news.¡± What kind of lunatic would go to a country, determined to turn it upside down, just because he wanted to save three people out of the countless citizens in his territory? ¡°It was quite peaceful.¡± To be exact, Davey didn¡¯t touch the Boltis Kingdom; all he destroyed was the ck market. After that incident, Davey had purposely let the rumor spread to people who would hear about it and had hired the Echo Guild to kill all of them. He didn¡¯t have to do it himself as it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to ughter the organization rted to the ck market. ¡°It seems like there is something you want to ask me directly.¡± The general flow of the game led to Emperor Deorte fiercely attacking. However, unlike how Davey had given confident answers before, his formation was barely able to defend against the emperor¡¯s attacks. ¡°I took your pce. If you lose the protection of your wall, the only thing left are the priests and unprotected cavalry,¡± Emperor Deorte said as he knocked down one of Davey¡¯s priests. ¡°How old are you this year, Prince?¡± ¡°Seventeen, Your Majesty.¡± Davey would be considered an extremely young boy on Earth, but here, he was at the age of those who should be entering society. ¡°Hm, it seems like you have a lot of experience with the world considering your age. Usually, kids your age have a limit in perceptual thinking no matter their intelligence.¡± That was the reason why King Krianes of the Rowane Kingdom was not giving Baris the throne just yet and was teaching him state affairs. This was also why Prince Sullivan intensely protected and hid Illyna behind him even though she was the leader of arge army called the White Bird. There were other reasons, but a major reason was that theycked real-world experience due to their young age. ¡°Haha, alright. That aside, your Olde skills are below expectations.¡± ¡°My turn isplete.¡± Now, Davey¡¯s formation was heavily minimized. On the other hand, Emperor Deorte¡¯s formation was incredibly strong and threatening. It was clear that he was quite smart, since he was an emperor of an empire. After a short silence, Emperor Deorte asked Davey, ¡°Let me ask you a question.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Do you know about warriors?¡± After a moment of silence, Davey said, ¡°I am not sure.¡± ¡°There is someone who has a holy sword recognized by the Holy Empire. They are also stopping malicious acts within the Eastern and Central Continent.¡± ¡°Is that enough to call someone a warrior?¡± ¡°They are a warrior that the Holy Empire has approved of. Furthermore, the level of that warrior is different from themonly-seen mercenaries.¡± They were apetent Swordmaster; in terms of experience, they were more than that. The fact that a person of unknown origin was stronger than a Swordmaster, and was stopping malicious acts from happening with no regard for their own body, made the rumor of them being a warrior that much more convincing. ¡°In secret, I helped the rumor spread far and wide. Why do you think that is?¡± Whatever Emperor Deorte¡¯s intentions were, Davey could tell one thing for sure: he was trying to feel him out. ¡°No matter how low crime rates may be, criminal activity is bound to happen. It¡¯s an inevitable thing if people live there. However, it would be different if there was a ripple.¡± There was a being who stopped malicious acts; they showed up everywhere, and they simply punished evil acts without caring about theplicated problems with governments and money. Such a being would actually pose a great threat to the monarch, because the citizens would begin to follow the warriors and not the emperor. ¡°If you went out of your way to make a decision like that when the Lyndis Empire has a deep-rooted monarch¡­¡± The warrior¡¯s affiliation with the empire, or a strong rtionship equivalent to that, or¡­ ¡°Probably¡­a symbol.¡± It was a way for Emperor Deorte to have justification and increase his approval ratings. However, if he was talking about the warrior that Davey was thinking of, Emperor Deorte had it wrong. A symbol¡­ ¡®Only works when they are alive.¡¯ ¡ª... ¡°Ha¡­hahaha!! Hahahaha!!¡± Emperor Deorteughed heartily as if he liked Davey¡¯s answer. Then, he stared at Davey with a serious face. ¡°There was some resistance in the kingdom. To be honest, the reason why I epted the warrior is that they took care of what had happened in the kingdom.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°What would you have done?¡± Davey then offered his usual answer. ¡°I will not care if it does not challenge me. Those who have much to protect cannot make too many enemies.¡± ¡°The person I know has enough strength to ignore that, does he not?¡± ¡°Do you know who is the first person to die in a war?¡± Emperor Deorte was silenced by Davey¡¯s question. On the Olde board, Emperor Deorte¡¯s pawn at the forefront was quickly surrounded. Davey had made a dramatic move thatpletely changed the game. He had gone from struggling in the game to defending against attacks to bing the winner. ¡°The ones who boast at the frontlines. Your life will be short if you are brave. It is my victory, Your Majesty. You were a brave ruler, Your Highness, but you did not have enough cards up your sleeve.¡± If one wanted to stand and lead at the front, they should only do so after considering and solving the worst case scenarios that could happen. It was a very cowardly approach, but it was the safest. And the speed at which someone could create those scenarios was what set apart a great strategist from a mediocre one. Emperor Deorte¡¯s eyes widened at Davey¡¯s criticism. He muttered, ¡°What a blow¡­¡± * * * Emperor Deorte El Lyndis calmly epted his defeat. No matter how much he thought of it, he had been driven into this trap so absurdly. However, it was extremely difficult for a human to understand the game dozens of moves ahead and create a game in their favor. Realizing that he had been yed from the beginning, Emperor Deorte soon acknowledged his defeat. Of course, if there was a bet, there had to be an exchange of a prize. Now, Davey didn¡¯t have to do the most ufortable thing that could happen in the Lyndis Empire. After all, him winning meant that he didn¡¯t need to be engaged to the princess. Princess Aeria was the person that Davey found the most difficult in the world. She was an innocent and kind girl, so pure that he felt like he would taint her if he were to reveal his worldly, corrupt standards. However¡­ ¡°P¡­ Prince Davey.¡± Davey stared at Emperor Deorte like he required an exnation. Right now, Princess Aeria was greeting him with a flushed face. He didn¡¯t have a problem with her presence itself but the crown that she was wearing. It was none other than a crown that people wore when publicly dering an engagement. And¡­ ¡°Please take this, Your Highness.¡± Then, a person who seemed to be the royal attendant of the Lyndis Empire handed Davey a golden brooch. So, in the Lyndis Empire, they gave the man an engagement brooch and the woman a tiara for an official royal engagement. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± ¡°Yes, I ept my defeat. I will allow you to be engaged to Aeria.¡± ¡®This guy?¡¯ As Davey stared at him with a slight frown, Emperor Deorte attacked Davey with words. ¡°Do not forget, the one who first proposed an engagement with Aeria is¡­¡± It was none other than the Rowane Kingdom, and although Davey was doing whatever he wanted, he was still the First Prince of the kingdom: a prince who had forfeited the right to the throne. ¡®You should know what that means,¡¯ Emperor Deorte thought. Emperor Deorte was using King Kriannes¡¯ proposal for Davey to marry the princess as a means to stab Davey in the back. ¡°I was going to refuse. To take my precious and treasured Aeria with an engagement¡­ There was no way. But you won the bet. I have no choice.¡± ¡°It is an excuse. You said that I would have to marry the princess of the empire if I lose¡­¡± Davey flinched as he saw the princess tearing up as he spoke. ¡°Yes, I did not tell you to marry her. Marriage if I win, engagement if I lose.¡± Emperor Deorte was not going to give Davey a way out. And he knew full well that Davey could not ignore this in order to have justification for what he was nning to do. Davey felt his head starting to hurt from the emperor¡¯s ridiculous wordy. Chapter 269 93. Fighting for the Big Picture ¡°That prince is definitely an eunuch,¡± remarked Grand Duchess Kathryn bluntly. Alberth sighed. ¡°Grand Duchess, please refrain from uttering such remarks. Please consider that he¡¯s first and foremost the one who saved Aeria.¡± ¡°Then, what are we supposed to do? It¡¯s not like there¡¯s something wrong with his eyes. How can he just refuse to marry our cute Imperial Princess?¡± ¡°Who knows? Perhaps the reason why he can¡¯t ept her is because¡­¡± ¡°Because?¡± ¡°He already likes someone else,¡± Alberthmented. After a moment of silence, Grand Duchess Kathryn stated confidently, ¡°That¡¯s also a possibility. But ording to my own investigations, he is not seeing any woman at all.¡± ¡°You¡­did a background check on him?¡± Alberth questioned Kathryn inplete disbelief. Kathryn said with a cheeky grin, ¡°I just did a simple check. Just to confirm things.¡± ¡°First and foremost, you are the empire¡¯s Grand Duchess. Please act ordingly, you have responsibilities¡­¡± ¡°The most important thing for us right now is to make him agree to the marriage.¡± ¡°If Father steps forward, then everything will be done quickly¡­¡± In his youth, Emperor Deorte of the Lyndis Empire had made plenty of women cry for him. The problem was that the emperor, who could be their strong backing, was still on the fence regarding the marriage proposal. Emperor Deorte was already fully aware that Aeria was infatuated with the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s First Prince, Davey O¡¯Rowane. However, the Lyndis Empire¡¯s Imperial Family was very much crowded. There wasn¡¯t any urgency to marry off their youngest princess in a political marriage. Alberth and Kathryn really wanted to get Emperor Deorte¡¯s help to make Aeria¡¯s lovee true. But unlike Alberth, who cared about his younger sister, and Grand Duchess Kathryn, who wanted her to meet a good man, Emperor Deorte wanted to keep his cute daughter in his arms forever. They all loved the young princess, but the emperor¡¯s love was now a huge obstacle for the other two. If Emperor Deorte continued to have this lukewarm reaction to their proposal, then nothing would happen even if Aeria truly wanted it. Well, if they were being honest, their target did not seem to be very interested in Aeria either. ¡°What are you so worried about?¡± An unexpected voice suddenly rang out in the otherwise silent training hall, where Alberth and Grand Duchess Kathryn were currently brooding about what they should do next. ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty!¡± Alberth cried out in surprise while Kathryn just bowed her head silently. ¡°Speak. Tell me what you are so worried about.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ That,¡± Alberth hemmed and hawed as he tried to think about what to say. When he saw Emperor Deorte¡¯s eyes narrowing slightly, he blurted out, ¡°The Grand Duchess. The Grand Duchess will tell you about it.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, how long are you going to gatekeep and overprotect Her Imperial Highness Aeria?¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn asked in a straightforward manner. A sh of interest appeared in Emperor Deorte¡¯s eyes as he said, ¡°Gatekeep and overprotect?¡± ¡°Yes. A bird has wings and should be set free from its cage to roam the skies.¡± ¡°In other words, you want me to hand over Aeria, the apple of my eye, to that monster of the Rowane Kingdom? Is that what you¡¯re trying to get at?¡± ¡°Oh my, whatever do you mean by ¡®monster¡¯? I believe he¡¯s a good man who is still fairly within the means ofmon sense,¡± said Kathryn with a grin. Emperor Deorte suddenly grabbed a bow from the rack in front of Alberth, nocked an arrow, and shot the target in front of him. ¡°Tch, tch¡­ You¡¯d better stop.¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± Alberth protested loudly. ¡°Are you aware of Aeria¡¯s situation right now? She has been thinking about him all day! ording to the doctor, she even suffers from delusions! Do you know what this means?!¡± Those were early symptoms of lovesickness. The beastfolk princess was too pure, innocent, and kind. Surprisingly enough, this pure princess had fallen in love with a stubborn prince who had his own territory and would not ept her at all. And the deeper she fell in love, the stronger her symptoms of lovesickness would be. ¡°Alberth.¡± ¡°She is still fine for right now. That¡¯s right, there aren¡¯t any problems for now. She¡¯s a member of the Imperial Family who is just toiling around, knitting a woolen wrist guard with high-quality wool. But what if her symptoms continue to worsen?!¡± When Emperor Deorte was rendered speechless by his unexpected exmation, Alberth went on to say, ¡°Are you aware of the pain of those who suffer from lovesickness?¡± Emperor Deorte calmly nocked another arrow. As he pulled the strings of the bow, he said, ¡°Time will be her medicine.¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Aeria is not a human!!! Do you know what will happen to a member of the Nine Tail Tribe that suffers from lovesickness?! Your Majesty, this¡­¡± ¡°You are quite slow-witted. If you have eyes, then use them to see. Am I truly refusing to marry Aeria off because she is the apple of my eye? I just don¡¯t want her to suffer from not being the monster¡¯s main woman.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if she¡¯s the main wife or not! That man would have a huge impact on the Eastern Continent¡­ No, the huge impact would even reach the Central Continent. If he¡¯s such an existence, then who would look down on Aeria just because she¡¯s not the main wife?¡± Hearing those words, Emperor Deorte clicked his tongue and put down his bow. Ping! ng! ¡°You can¡¯t even see what is in front of you. How can I expect you to lead this empire?¡± ¡°Then¡­ Are you telling me that you will just leave them alone?¡± ¡°How did you feel when you saw that punk named Davey?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say that we allow Aeria to devote herself to a man who already has someone in his heart. Then what?¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± ¡°If we push for marriage, do you think Aeria will truly be happy?¡± ¡°It is the duty and responsibility of all members of the Royal and Imperial Families. It ismon for members of the Royal Family to have more than one woman by their side! Aeria is fully aware of this fact and she still wants it!¡± ¡°Foolish!¡± Emperor Deorte criticized harshly. When Alberth went silent, the emperor said, ¡°Did you forget the things that I, your father, have taught you?!¡± ¡°¡­Alright. Then, I¡¯ll at least let her give up on him all by herself.¡± ¡°By herself?¡± ¡°Please agree to that. I won¡¯t ask you to let her marry him, but please do something to end her anxiety and suffering. If Your Majesty will not step forward and help them get engaged, then at least let them beplete strangers!¡± Alberth¡¯s words were cruel and cold-hearted, but he wanted Aeria to be able to do something of her own volition. Although, this was something rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things. ¡°Your Majesty, just like you said, time will be her medicine. Only after she lets go of what¡¯s festering in her and hurting her would she be able to heal. Regarding this matter, I am of the same opinion as His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Alberth,¡± Kathryn said quietly. Emperor Deorte remained silent before pulling the strings of the bow once again. Then, he let go. *** ¡°What are you doing? Take it,¡± Emperor Deorte urged in a calm and casual manner. Davey silently held the brooch in his hands. The emperor was not giving Davey the brooch in front of everyone. Perhaps it was because he was thinking of the final variable, a variable that he couldn¡¯t predict, that Davey was capable of doing. He was also doing this so that his daughter would not be aughing stock. ¡°A moment, please,¡± Davey murmured as he flicked his finger lightly. Fwoosh!!! Momentster, a translucent barrier appeared and surrounded both Davey and Emperor Deorte. After casting the Silence Magic, Davey asked, ¡°Did you bring Princess Aeria here so you could block my retreat?¡± Understanding what Davey was trying to say, Emperor Deorte challenged, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°You already know what I am going to do.¡± ¡°Then, make sure to do it firmly,¡± Emperor Deorte said as his eyes filled with anger. ¡°This Emperor does not intend to criticize or belittle Aeria¡¯s love for you. If you choose to ept Aeria as yourpanion, then¡­ Of course, I will put my trust in you and leave Aeria in your care.¡± Davey wondered why the emperor was suddenly acting in such a way. ¡°Earlier, when we were ying Olde, do you understand the reason why I asked you that question?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a test?¡± ¡°Yes. And you have passed it with admirable marks. That¡¯s why I have decided that I can leave Aeria in your care and ignore everything else. However¡­¡± Emperor Deorte¡¯s voice then became a quiet murmur when he asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you afford to spare Aeria just the tiniest bit of affection?¡± Before Davey could give an answer, Emperor Deorte interrupted him to say, ¡°Make sure to properly reject her here. In this way, Aeria¡¯s heart can finally be at ease. She can be free.¡± ¡°Why do you have to do it in this way?¡± ¡°Prince Davey, you seem clueless to the disease that Aeria is suffering from right now.¡± Before Davey could express his thoughts, Perserque flew in front of him to stop him. ¡ªept her. This is just your own selfishness. ¡®Don¡¯t push me to do something that I don¡¯t want to do. I am fully aware of how bad it is to have several wives.¡¯ ¡ªThis isn¡¯t Earth, Davey! ¡®I don¡¯t want to do something just because someone else is forcing me to!¡¯ ¡°A disease?¡± ¡°It¡¯s lovesickness,¡± Emperor Deorte said with a sigh. ¡°Right now, she¡¯s just experiencing a crush, puppy love, infatuation. However, if we leave her like that, then her symptoms will worsen. Eventually, she will be bedridden.¡± Davey finally realized why Emperor Deorte had to do something so drastic. The emperor was right. If Davey was going to say no, then he had to say it firmly. And if he wasn¡¯t going to refuse the proposal, then he should just ept it. At this point, Davey realized that he was partially at fault. He had been rather lukewarm with his reception and responses up until now. After looking at Emperor Deorte in silence, Davey slowly turned around to face the turquoise-haired princess. The Imperial Princess was looking at them anxiously. She looked like a small animal that was very worried about Davey¡¯s refusal. In fact, this was the main reason why Davey had been avoiding this entire issue. Actually, where did Aeria even find the opportunity to get so attached to Davey? ¡ªThis might be a trivial thing for you, but it might be someone else¡¯s salvation. If you¡¯re going to reject her, then make sure to do so firmly. Do not hem and haw, and give her an indecisive response. It¡¯s alright if you ept her. It¡¯s also alright for you to say no. ¡®What are you¡­?¡¯ ¡ªDo not forget. This is not Earth. This is the Tionis Continent. The Tionis Continent hadpletely different ideas, culture, and other aspects from the world that Davey had originallye from. What might be known asmon sense on Earth might be unnatural here, and the same was true the other way around. ¡°Imperial Princess Aeria,¡± Davey called out as he released the Silence Magic. ¡°Yes, Prince!¡± When Princess Aeria looked up at him nervously, Davey said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot ept you right now. The world is filled with plenty of good men, I hope you can find someone better for you.¡± Then, Davey walked by Aeria and said, ¡°Your Majesty, let us be on our way. Didn¡¯t you tell me that there¡¯s someone who wants to meet with me?¡± It was the woman warrior. She had lived such a sad and pitiful life that all she wanted was to leave this world in her own way. At the same time, Aeria¡¯s eyes grew wide with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Perhaps Aeria did not realize that tears were already flowing down her cheeks. She was so shocked that she had stood still, allowing Davey to silently walk right by her. Indeed, this was the better option. If he had some time to spare, Davey would make sure to let Aeria meet a finer man, a better man than himself. ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Davey halted his footsteps, Aeria rushed forward and stuffed a box in his arms. Her expression was all teary and sad. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡­ I must have troubled you, right? Sob¡­¡± Aeria said with a quavering voice and a helpless smile on her face. ¡°This is a woolen wrist guard. The weather is very¡­ It''s very cold, Prince Davey. Please be careful not to catch a cold.¡± With tears still falling from her eyes, Aeria went on to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ That¡¯s why¡­ Please ept this gift¡­ This is a parting gift. I promise I won¡¯t bother you again¡­ But I worked so hard on it, so¡­ Please¡­ Sob¡­sob¡­¡± Seeing Aeria try so hard to suppress her devastation, Davey silently epted the woolen wrist guards that she had given him. Then¡­ Fall!!! Davey was not sure if it was because Aeria had grown dizzy from her tears. However, Aeria suddenly started to stagger until she eventually copsed. ¡°Aeria!!!¡± Hearing Emperor Deorte¡¯s startled cry, Davey regained his senses and hugged Aeria¡¯s falling body. Then, he quickly activated his mana to check on her. ¡°¡­¡± Aeria was burning up like a ball of fire. She had lost consciousness and would probably not wake up for a while. ¡°Did you say that the woman warrior is waiting for me at the banquet hall? Please arrange another meeting with herter.¡± ¡°You can just leave Aeria be. I will call a doctor and move her to the pce. Although the warrior is an unknownmoner, this Emperor cannot break his promise,¡± Emperor Deorte said in an unexpectedly cold voice. ¡°Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it your fault that Aeria has be like that? You¡¯ve already done enough by letting her go like that. How much longer are you going to make her suffer?¡± Emperor Deorte said angrily. Davey looked at the unconscious princess in his arms. Shockingly enough, he thought that Aeria looked more emaciated than before. ¡°That¡¯s a separate matter. There¡¯s nothing more important to a doctor than his patient.¡± Only then did Emperor Deorte fall silent. If only Davey had seen it then. If only Davey had seen the bloody smile that was gracing the damn Emperor Deorte¡¯s lips¡­ Chapter 270 After passing out earlier on, Aeria fell into a deep sleep. Sheid in her bed silently. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine after a bit of rest,¡± said Davey as he finished Aeria¡¯s examination. ¡°Perhaps this is rted to the disease that she had before?¡± ¡°That disease has already been purgedpletely. It will no longer harm the Imperial Princess,¡± Davey said firmly. He was sure that the earlier disease was no longer affecting Aeria. Emperor Deorte nodded at Davey¡¯s firm answer. ¡°But¡­¡± Davey trailed off before shutting his mouth. ¡®Whatever this is, it is progressing faster than I expected¡­¡¯ Davey had heard about a simrly extraordinary situation before. In fact, he had never witnessed such a rapid progression of symptoms even after applying the medicine that he had learned from Hypocria. ¡°But?¡± Emperor Deorte asked quietly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Davey said. ¡°You can go now. You can leave the rest to the Imperial Family.¡± ¡°Let me treat her.¡± ¡°What qualifications do you have to do so?¡± To Emperor Deorte, it was Davey who had dragged Aeria into such a situation. If he intended to shake Aeria offpletely, Davey should not show contradicting actions right now. ¡°You¡¯re still immature,¡± Emperor Deorte said calmly. He then headed toward the window before asking quietly, ¡°Do you know how I met Aeria¡¯s biological mother?¡± Davey looked over silently, then answered, ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Aeria¡¯s mother is a beastfolk. A fox beastfolk.¡± Anyone could infer that fact just from looking at Aeria¡¯s ears. ¡°Among the fox beastfolk, Aeria¡¯s race is a bit unique,¡± Emperor Deorte said calmly as he locked the window in front of him. ¡°A bit unique?¡± ¡°Nine Tails. Have you heard about them?¡± ¡°Nine Tails¡­¡± Davey murmured as he recalled something that had been said to him in the past. [My wife? You want to know who she is?] The man had said as he scooped up a bucket of alcohol. [My wife has already entered the cycle of reincarnation. She died at an early age. It¡¯s because of a chronic illness. And it¡¯s all because of me.] The man had said that it was a mental illness. His wife had died after the mental illness worsened over time. ¡°Let me tell you this,¡± Emperor Deorte said calmly as he approached Aeria. ¡°Aeria¡¯s biological mother was the scariest among all of my wives.¡± ck¡­ Then, Emperor Deorte took out a dainty ne, hung it around Aeria¡¯s neck, and headed toward the door. ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°This is your fault for giving Aeria hope. I have definitely warned you before.¡± Emperor Deorte had clearly told Davey that if he was going to refuse Aeria then he had to firmly refuse her. It was all about refusing the other¡¯s feelings before they could fall even deeper in love. One could not afford to give them any more hope. ¡°You. You still have a little bit of affection for Aeria.¡± Feeling a sudden wave of anxiety, Davey stood up from his seat. However, the emperor had already reached the door. Then, he said, ¡°For your information, a female Nine Tails will never show their tails to others. They only show them to their chosen mate. Do your best.¡± ck! ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty?¡± Why did Davey never think about it? Aeria was a Nine Tails. If she truly was a Nine Tails, then¡­ ¡°Ugh?!¡± Davey groaned, trying to move away from Aeria on instinct. Just then, Aeria¡¯s hands shot out. As her turquoise hair began to shine brightly under the moonlight, her firmly closed eyes suddenly snapped open to reveal glowing purple eyes. She lookedpletely different from her usual appearance. ¡°Im¡­ Imperial Princess?¡± Davey asked in a fluster as he tried to step back. Unfortunately, Aeria held onto Davey¡¯s hands tightly. At the same time, she slowly raised her body from the bed. Unlike her sickly appearance from moments earlier, she looked quite energetic as she lowered herself back on the bed seductively. Looking up at Davey with her big eyes, Aeria said with a subtle change in her voice, ¡°Sir¡­ Da¡­vey¡­¡± Before Davey could even move away from her, Aeria suddenly took out a small silver knife from her pockets and thrust it toward her heart. Bang!!! Just then, Davey moved reflexively. He leaned forward, pped the de away from Aeria¡¯s hands, and red at her. ¡°What is this¡­ Hmph?!¡± When Davey had leaned into her to p the de away, Aeria quickly snatched Davey¡¯s shoulders. Then, with movements she had never shown before, shepletely overwhelmed Davey and dragged him down onto the bed. Seeing that Aeria was getting on top of him, Davey instantly moved and tried to stand up. However, something soft, fluffy, and turquoise in color grabbed his hands to pin them down to the bed. The power behind this mysterious thing was beyond his imagination. Then, without any hesitation, Aeria shut Davey up with her own lips. ¡°Hmph?! Hmmmph?!¡± Davey immediately stopped struggling. Aeria still did not move away from Davey. She continued to tangle their tongues together for a little while longer before licking her lips. She said, ¡°You¡¯re quite a bad person. Why do you have to keep giving me hope and letting me down?¡± Even Aeria¡¯s way of speaking had changed. Davey could use his strength to easily overpower Aeria. However, one wrong move on his part and Aeria could get severely hurt. ¡°But I don¡¯t me you. Although my original personality respects your choice, I am not someone who will reject food that has been served on a silver tter right in front of me¡­¡± Aeria¡¯s eyes shed with purple light as she smiled at Davey. Fiddling with the ne on her neck, Aeria asked, ¡°Prince, do you know what this is?¡± ¡°Princess, what are you doing?¡± ¡°This is an artifact that is used to seal our race¡¯s instincts. It is to prevent something like this from happening.¡± If that was the case, then this entire situation had been caused by a single culprit. The culprit had awakened Aeria¡¯s sleeping instincts, and the culprit was none other than that goddamn emperor. ¡ªHmm. Right. Since you made a mistake, you should take responsibility. ¡®You punk.¡¯ Davey red at Perserque, who just shrugged her shoulders at him. ¡ªDavey, you¡¯re not yet perfect, you know? You canpletely stop any kind of curse and your magic resistance is extremely high. But, you know¡­ There¡¯s no way for you to stop a special ability, right? ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Special ability users were separate entities. As for the Nine Tails, they were a group of special ability users who consistently made a name for themselves in the Tionis Continent. And the Nine Tails¡¯ special ability was Opponent¡¯s Rut. Just like that, blood began to flow away from Davey¡¯s head. He was being forced to lose control of his strength. ¡°If you¡¯re going to leave, it¡¯s best that you leave now,¡± Aeria said calmly. Only then did Davey slowly exert his power. ¡°However, the only future waiting for a Nine Tails who has been abandoned by their partner is¡­¡± They would simply be awaiting death. This would be the only oue whether one was a male or a female Nine Tails. Simply put, this was the reason why their race was small in number despite the nature of their special ability. ¡°Did you think that my father has left me alone here with you because I¡¯m clueless as to why you¡¯ve rejected me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do something that you will regret, Imperial Princess. I cannot afford to give my heart to you, Princess¡­¡± ¡°Lies. You do not have anyone, right? That¡¯s all I need to know,¡± Aeria said with a strange smile. ¡°If that won¡¯t work, then just leave me. If you really do not have any room in your heart to ept me, then leave.¡± ¡®Damn!¡¯ Aeria slowly unbuttoned Davey¡¯s clothes while speaking calmly, ¡°You have seen my tails. Do you know the significance of a member of the opposite sex seeing the tails of a Nine Tails who havee of age for the first time?¡± It was an oath of eternal submission. ¡°The reason why you rejected me¡­should be due to my young age, right? After all, I¡¯m just a girl who hasn¡¯t even turned twenty. By your standards, I should still be young.¡± The heady scent of heavy arousal started to spread in the room. To be exact, that was only how Davey was perceiving the entire situation. This was because his blood was roaring in his ears and his senses had be extremely sensitive. Nevertheless, Aeria¡¯s words made Davey¡¯s eyes grow wide. Davey had never told anyone else anything remotely close to that topic. There was only one person who knew about that concern. Only one existence had gotten to read his memories¡­ At that point, Davey turned to look at Perserque, who immediately avoided his scathing and crazed re while whistling a soft tune. How the hell did it happen?! When the hell did it happen? No one else could see Perserque other than Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon¡­ [Davey, can you lend me Red Ribbon?] [Brother, I¡¯ll bring you with me to the empire.] [Lyndis Empire¡¯s invitation¡­] Davey had been yed. This situation had not been created by Emperor Deorte alone. Just how many people were involved in this scam? Davey red at Perserque, who simply smiled bitterly. She did not even try to deny anything. ¡ªEnjoy. The gentle smile that had always been on Perserque¡¯s face disappeared after she waved her hands. Davey lost the strength to struggle. With a nk expression, he looked up at the ce where Perserque had vanished. ¡°Make your choice. Since you want to live as you please, then I will also live as I please. Of course, none of it is your business. I can just quietly disappear after being rejected.¡± Aeria was still scared to say that she was going to die. Davey slowly loosened his clenched palms at Aeria¡¯spletely different behavior. He could tell that the princess was not lying. Also, even after being ced in this unpleasant situation, Davey still did not want the girl who was sitting on top of him to die. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ Let¡¯s talk about this, Imperial Princess.¡± ¡°Talk? But this will be the only talk that will happen between us though?¡± Aeria said as she gently caressed Davey¡¯s chest. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt. You¡¯ll definitely feel good. Talking with our bodies will be pleasurable and intense. Don¡¯t be scared. You can just close your eyes and hold my hand.¡± Davey thought that Aeria did not truly mean to say that. Anyone who had been subjected to a special ability user¡¯s mental suppression would obviously develop immunity. However, Davey had just been fully exposed to Aeria¡¯s powers, which was why it had taken him so long to get used to it. Perhaps, just like what the people around him had said, he had developed a bit of affection for the girl in front of him albeit unconsciously. ¡°Who do you think I¡¯m abstaining from these activities for, huh?! Damn!¡± Davey murmured as he looked up at Aeria. ¡°Princess!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look over there.¡± Seeing Davey gesture with his head, Aeria turned to look in the direction out of curiosity. Stab! Then, Davey deftly untied the tail that was pinning his arms to the bed and quickly stabbed Aeria¡¯s pressure point. When the princess copsed, the overwhelming power that had overpowered Daveypletely disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± Davey had subdued Aeria and put her to sleep. After the princess copsed silently, Davey lifted her up and ced her back on the bed. He tidied up her messy skirt, where her tail had been protruding from. He watched the turquoise tail gradually shrink before buttoning up her loose top. Davey murmured silently, ¡°So, this is my karma¡­¡± It seemed like his karma had already piled up to the point that it wasing to bite him back. However, it did not mean that Davey was stupid or inexperienced when it came to such matters. He just did not have the heart to reject Aeria firmly, which was how the situation had ended up like this. ¡ªDavey. ¡°Quiet. I¡¯m doing all of this because of someone,¡± Davey shot back in anger. Perserque stumbled back at the fire in Davey¡¯s voice. ¡ªDon¡¯t forget that I do not have a body, Davey. You won¡¯t be able to hold me in your arms at all. ¡°Are you telling me that you want to be resurrected?¡± Perhaps Perserque had forgotten that Davey was also a dark mage, a 9th Circle high-ranking dark mage. ¡®Bringing someone back to life is not that difficult for me, you punk!¡¯ ¡ªYou should not think about resurrecting me. Just resurrecting a member of the demon race¡­ Let alone the Demon Lord¡­ ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s up to me to decide what I will do,¡± Davey snapped back as he opened the door to stare silently at the waiting Emperor Deorte. Then, he took out a brooch and handed it over as he said, ¡°Engagement ceremony.¡± ¡°Did you finally make a decision? It seems like thatdy is right to say that you''re very stubborn.¡± ¡°How many people have been involved in this farce?¡± Emperor Deorte chuckled at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Who knows? You¡¯ll probably know the answer if you look at the people around you, no?¡± ¡°It seems like you have nned everything, huh?¡± ¡°Not at all. The promise that I made to the warrior is most definitely true,¡± Emperor Deorte said, lookingpletely satisfied. Chapter 271 ¡°Ah¡­¡± Aeria groaned as she came back to her senses. Her glowing purple eyes and shining turquoise hair had finally returned to normal. She was now back to her original meek and timid appearance, looking like a small animal. ¡°Have you finallye back to your senses?¡± Davey asked calmly. Flinching, Aeria turned to look at Davey. ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey?¡± ¡°Do you remember what happened? The day before yesterday?¡± Davey asked indifferently as he checked Aeria¡¯s pulse. With a soft exmation, Aeria had aplicated look on her face. She was flustered by Davey¡¯s nonchnt attitude. ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry¡­ I told you that I wouldn¡¯t show myself in front of you anymore but¡­ Because of the wind, I copsed and¡­¡± The Imperial Princess appeared to have no memory from when her instincts had awakened. ¡°Sob¡­¡± Suddenly, Aeria began to sob loudly on her bed. Covering her face with her hands, she said in a tearful voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I know, I shouldn¡¯t cry but¡­ It¡¯s just¡­ I guess I¡¯m just too excited.¡± Davey silently looked at Aeria, who continued speaking. ¡°When I first heard that I would be engaged to you, Prince Davey, I got so happy. Goodness, I was so happy. It felt like a pleasant surprise. I did not even think about how you would feel¡­¡± Seeing the princess get all teary like that, Davey patted Aeria¡¯s head. ¡°I just¡­ I just wanted to grow a bit closer to you¡­ I must have been too hasty,¡± Aeria said as she looked up at Davey. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Davey stood quietly before saying, ¡°Make sure to take the prescribed medicine.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°And¡­the engagement will proceed,¡± Davey said, making Aeria flinch. He then added, ¡°However, we don¡¯t know anything about each other.¡± When Aeria looked up at him with big and shining eyes, Davey said, ¡°So, let us get to know each other first and only make a decision once you have turned twenty.¡± Davey did not know much about Aeria, and Aeria hardly knew him either. ¡°I have epted the engagement, so you don¡¯t have to be too afraid of approaching me. Still, I would like it if we started off as being friends.¡± Patting Aeria on the head as her gaze trembled, he then added, ¡°I look forward to knowing you, Princess.¡± Aeria burst into tears once again when she saw Davey¡¯s smile. That particr smile had no purpose or deeper meaning. There was no repulsion or disgust. After all, Davey had nothing to hide. As he smiled, Davey thought that he could no longer deny the fact that he had gone a bit weak from seeing Aeria cry so pitifully. *** Creaaaaaaaaak!!! Thud!!! The huge doors creaked open to reveal the office¡¯srge interior before mming shut again. Since the meeting at the banquet hall had been canceled, there was no reason to insist on holding the meeting at that particr venue. ¡°Glory to the empire¡¯s Two-headed Dragon,¡± Davey greeted pretentiously as he nced at the people present inside therge office. Emperor Deorte was sitting on his throne with Prince Alberth and Grand Duchess Kathryn standing right next to him. There was also a five-person partyposed of a bright woman, a stern-faced man, a boy and a girl who both seemed a tad bit too young, and a white-haired woman with her face covered by a silver mask. ¡ªDoesn¡¯t her hair look whiter than before? Perserque voiced her doubts as she looked at Warrior Reina¡¯s hair. ¡®She doesn¡¯t have much time left.¡¯ Reina was the only woman in this world in which the Abyss¡¯ Authority did not work on. However, when she had escaped from Davey back in the Boltis Kingdom, the being who had sent her over to this world had shown her life to Davey. Davey then got to have a glimpse at the other side of the truth, a side that nobody else knew at all. Ignoring everyone who was watching him silently, Davey looked directly at Emperor Deorte. One had to distinguish and separate their public and private matters especially if they wanted to build a rtionship with one another. ¡°Let¡¯s have an Olde match.¡± Emperor Deorte frowned slightly and said, ¡°Prince Davey.¡± ¡°Then, would you like me to tear down your pce?¡± As Emperor Deorte fell silent, Prince Alberth and Grand Duchess Kathryn were both taken aback by the unexpected situation. Everyone else simply looked on in surprise. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s have one match. But this time, I won¡¯t treat you like I have done before.¡± ncing at the Olde board that Prince Alberth was setting up, Davey said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s high time that I stop going easy on you.¡± ck!!! ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Emperor Deorte hummed, feeling slightly flustered. Davey was attacking in apletely different way. He was no longer using a simr method to their previous matches. As the game of Olde progressed, everyone who was witnessing the match began to freak out. ¡°My goodness¡­ His Majesty is¡­¡± ¡°I did not expect this. He¡¯s helplessly being pushed back¡­¡± Olde was a game of strategy. It was simr to chess, which was a popr game on Earth. Here, various strategies and tactics could be deployed and adopted depending on the situation presented in front of them. From beginning to end, Emperor Deorte did not even have the chance to use any of his strategies. He noticed that he was at a great disadvantage and frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t even make a proper move.¡± ¡°You will lose in this next move.¡± ¡°How about giving me a chance?¡± ¡°That is the seventh time you¡¯ve said those words.¡± Although he hade to meet with the warrior party, Davey waspletely ignoring them. Still, things were going his way. [Hey, Essylt. Is that Prince Davey from the Heins Territory?] [Doesn¡¯t he look a bit too young? Isn¡¯t he around Roina¡¯s age?] [Amazing¡­ He¡¯s not even the least bit intimidated in front of Emperor Deorte.] [There are rumors about how amazing he is despite his young age. He¡¯s also very famous in the Holy Empire as the only person to receive a stigmata in the continent, a Saint¡­ Even the Saintess Candidate only hadpliments when talking about him, right?] The warrior party whispered amongst themselves. However, was there anyone in this office who could not hear what they were saying? ¡°Ha¡­ This Emperor has lost. I lost. I have beenpletely wiped out.¡± Emperor Deorte eventually had no choice but to admit his defeat. After all, Davey¡¯s piece had even eaten his final monarch piece on the Olde board. ¡°Fine. This time, I will do what you want.¡± Davey grinned. Public matters should be public and private matters should be private. These two matters should not be discussed together. ¡°Let¡¯s have a spar.¡± Flinching, Emperor Deorte said warily, ¡°Prince Davey¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty can just personally give your orders. As for me, I will definitely make sure not to hold a book under any circumstances.¡± ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯re going to beat up this Emperor?¡± At that question, the smile on Davey¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°I make clear distinctions between my private and public matters.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t take my anger out alone, can I¡­?¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Eventually, the tension was broken by the small boy who was observing the situation from afar. He could not help but burst intoughter. Of course, Prince Alberth could not sit back and let that slide. He said fiercely, ¡°How dare youugh at the Emperor?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± Emperor Deorte raised his hand at the small boy, who bowed apologetically. He said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. This Emperor did not act ording to my position. I have acted foolishly. Alright. Since everything¡¯s been done, you can show me your prowess.¡± ¡°I am grateful for your understanding.¡± ¡°But before that,¡± Emperor Deorte stopped talking before turning his head. Just then, the silent Reina slowly approached Davey. She bowed her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Davey. My name is Reina.¡± She sounded extremely polite, her demeanorpletely different from when they had first met. To put it simply, the entire warrior party did not recognize Davey at all. This was unsurprising, since there was nothing remotely simr between his disguise and his actual voice or appearance. There was no way for them to recognize him. Most importantly, they were not skilled enough to recognize and detect the dark mana that was flowing in Davey¡¯s body. ¡°Warrior Reina might be amoner, but it¡¯s thanks to her help that this Emperor was able to detect many disturbing movements in my empire. That is why I set up this meeting for you two to meet.¡± ¡°Then, are we going to consider this as a public matter?¡± ¡°This is a private matter.¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s leave it at that. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Warrior recognized by the Holy Empire.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ That is a title that I¡¯ve received. Although, my skills arecking and undeserving of such a title.¡± Davey felt a type of strangeness at Reina¡¯s elegance, something that seemed to have permeated deep within her bones. He also noticed that the others hadn¡¯t seemed to have noticed that for themselves. ¡°First of all, please forgive my rudeness,¡± Reina said bluntly as she raised her head to look up at Davey. ¡°The Demon Lord¡¯s resurrection is upon us. Because of that, the strongest and most dangerous among the Demon Lord¡¯s confidants is about to make its appearance.¡± Reina clenched her fists tightly as she forced herself to speak calmly. ¡°Once he and the Demon Lord are resurrected¡­the entire continent would be devoured by the mes of war. Everything would be toote by then.¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn smiled awkwardly at Reina¡¯s confident remarks. ¡°The Demon Lord and the Demon Lord¡¯s closest confidant¡­ That story is a bit too out of the blue.¡± It was true that Reina¡¯s words were a bit hard to believe especially for ordinary people. However, as a warrior, she had a lot of persuasive power. After all, warriors were saviors who only appeared and existed when there was a very strong adversary that the world needed to face. Simply put, her existence alone was proof that the Demon Lord was about to appear once more. ¡°The most dangerous out of them all¡­is the Immortal King.¡± Only one existence popped up in Davey¡¯s head when he heard those words. He murmured, ¡°The First Lich, Nyx.¡± Suddenly, the atmosphere of the entire office changed. Everyone looked at Davey with doubtful gazes. Reina turned to look at Davey cautiously. She asked, ¡°You¡­know about him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± If it truly was Nyx, then a huge war was definitely a possibility. After all, his army could have hundreds of thousands of men. And aside from having the Breath of Death, he was also capable ofmanding a great dragon that could create the Roar of Death. Once that dragon¡¯s roar reached the ground, only fear, terror, and death would remain. ¡°His seal will be released soon. Once his seal is released, we would all be helpless. That¡¯s why¡­we must kill him before his seal ispletely released.¡± Sounding slightly obnoxious and hateful, Davey asked Reina, ¡°And how do you¡­intend to kill him?¡± ¡°We will go to the area where he¡¯s sealed¡­ And before his seal gets released, we will stop him there and prevent him from appearing in the world.¡± Reina nned for them to kill Nyx before he awakened again. ¡°Listen here, Warrior.¡± ¡°What¡­is it?¡± ¡°Are you even aware of First Lich Nyx¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°That¡­ The Immortal King¡­is the ruler of all of the dead¡­¡± ¡°Really? The ruler of all of the dead¡­ Is that it?¡± Davey asked calmly, ¡°So, what do you want from me?¡± ¡°We need you to provide us with your power¡­ We need the Holy Stone and your blessings on our items.¡± Reina was unwilling to ask for help even though she was already on the brink of death. Noticing that, Davey found it all to be very hrious. ¡°You¡¯re just asking to get killed, then.¡± ¡°That would be up to us to decide. We have never lost.¡± Davey nodded quietly, then said, ¡°Right. Do whatever you want.¡± He looked at the status window that suddenly appeared in front of him. [The final salvation of the poor and the pitiful.] [If you save them, the first seal of the sealed jewel will be released.] [One special grade item in your Pocket ne will be unsealed.] Coincidentally, Davey was pretty interested in the entire situation. On top of that, he now had two rewards at stake. The fact that Goddess Freyja was willing to give such big rewards meant that Davey could not afford to overlook this particr situation. This also meant that it truly was the time for the seal that Surtr and Ares had ced upon them to be released. Furthermore, the fact that Nyx¡¯s awakening was going to happen a lot quicker than expected meant that the forces of the demons, vampires, and dark mages had not yet allied together. If it was something that Davey could think of now, then¡­ Chapter 272 94. Surtr¡¯s Legacy Everything had a cause and an effect. For example, b should only ur if there was a. There was no situation where b would ur without a. If that happened, it would be a tant disregard of the rules of the world. As far as Davey knew, only one thingpletely ignored this rule, and that would be the power of the other side of the coin. As long as thews and rules that they followed differ, they could never interfere with each other. However, they could still create fatal changes to each other. To put it simply, the two sides were at odds with each other. Warrior Reina, the owner of the Divine Sword, had asked Davey for supplies and protective equipment with the blessings of the Saint. She had also asked Grand Duchess Kathryn for her personal help. Of course, just because Grand Duchess Kathryn looked free did not mean that she could easily go and help them. However, Lyndis Empire¡¯s Emperor Deorte El Lyndis had graciously allowed Kathryn¡¯s dispatch. This silent agreement could be inferred from Kathryn¡¯s brief appearance in their party¡¯s meeting. ¡°How about you quit now?¡± ¡°I respectfully refuse that offer, Your Majesty,¡± Davey said calmly as he pulled out a variety of weapons from his Pocket ne. ¡°Greatsword, bastard¡­ You have plenty of spare weapons there. Are you really thinking of fighting a life-and-death battle with this Emperor?¡± Emperor Deorte asked with a stiff expression on his face. Davey spun the wooden club in his hand before saying, ¡°This is so you don¡¯t go around biting the people around you, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ There¡¯s nothing I can say to that. But why are we in a bare field? There¡¯s nothing here at all,¡± Emperor Deorte said calmly as he slowly raised the sword in his hands. The emperor was holding onto a precious sword, one that waspletely different from the wooden club that Davey had ced on the ground in front of him. And when he finally took off the cumbersome clothes that covered his body, he revealed a huge and magnificent physique that had been carefully sculpted for a long time. His body looked so tough and strong that it was a bit hard to look at. Emperor Deorte¡¯s magnificence had been hidden away by his title as emperor and his old age. However, it was an undeniable fact that he was a strong fighter and warrior. After all, he was the man known to have the same level of swordsmanship as Grand Duchess Kathryn. In fact, it was possible that Emperor Deorte had reached a more profound level of swordsmanship than Grand Duchess Kathryn. Perhaps the eyes of an ordinary man could not discern the true difference between their skills. ¡°I don¡¯t think you will be able to finish what you started all at once.¡± Thud!!! Once Emperor Deorte raised his greatsword, he released an overwhelming sword aura from his weapon of choice. No ordinary person could easily wield this greatsword, be it with both hands or just one. At the same time, Davey lifted his toes and kicked up the wooden club that had been on the ground in front of him. Thump, thump, thump!!! The impact of the kick was so strong that the wooden club bounced back to Davey, almost threatening to hit him. However, Davey stepped forward without any hesitation and snatched the club up swiftly. Baaaaaaam!!! Alongside an enormous shockwave, a loud and powerful sound swept across the entire field. Emperor Deorte¡¯s expression turned ugly. He felt the impact traveling up his arms after he had instinctively defended against the attack, which had seemingly been covered by sword aura. Davey was only using a simple wooden club, but he managed to produce such amazing results due to his force and abilities. He could strike and swing the wooden club at a speed that no one else could match. The attack was simply a batting technique that Dokgo Jun, Davey¡¯s swordsmanship teacher, had shown Davey when beating him up in battle. Although it was just a simple batting technique, it was true that it could be considered as a useful and efficient way of attacking. No matter how much Davey wrapped his wooden club with his Aura de, there was no way that it would have the same durability as a true and proper sword. However, the wooden club that should have been broken or disintegrated by now was still pressuring Emperor Deorte. Thud!!! As Emperor Deorte¡¯s expression turned ugly, a wooden sword in the shape of a longsword that had been stuck on the ground some distance away flew toward Davey¡¯s hand. It seemingly had a mind of its own. ¡°Ugh!¡± The heavy destructive power of the wooden club that Davey wielded was already hard to deal with. The worst part? Another weapon had joined the fight. Emperor Deorte immediately tried to get away from Davey, instinctively feeling that danger wasing his way. As the pressure pressing down on him only grew stronger, he quickly killed the mana that was flowing through his greatsword and created a barrier to protect himself. He had created a very solid barrier that could block any kind of magic at the 6th Circle. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Of course, that barrier was nothing to Davey. ¡°This?!¡± When a sh of red energy appeared from Davey¡¯s longsword,rge cracks began appearing on Emperor Deorte¡¯s steel-like defensive barrier. Emperor Deorte, trying to escape from Davey, suddenly stopped in his tracks. He waspletely stunned by the cracks appearing on his otherwise solid defense. Just then, a huge current of energy appeared and surrounded the wooden club that was in Davey¡¯s left hand. [Brutal Attack] [Battering Ram] Boom!!! The moment the wooden club mmed down, a huge shockwave immediately spread all across the bare field. The impact eventually broke Emperor Deorte¡¯s defensive shield apart and blew him away. ¡°Keheook!¡± Emperor Deorte gasped as his eyes grew wide from shock. After rolling a dozen meters away from Davey, he hurriedly stood up and grumbled, ¡°Urk¡­ That was very heavy¡­¡± Emperor Deorte then released his momentum. He was greatly shocked, since he never expected Davey¡¯s attack to be so rough and heavy. ¡°After experiencing it personally¡­ I can tell that you¡¯re truly a monster.¡± Emperor Deorte was the only one who could recognize the huge gap between their powers. Although he could not pinpoint the exact level of Davey¡¯s power, after personally experiencing the difference in their powers, Emperor Deorte was fully convinced that there were several walls of enlightenment that separated him and Davey. Baaaaaaang!!! Davey threw away the longsword, grabbed a greatsword with both hands, and jumped toward Emperor Deorte. ¡°Good!!! Come at me!!! Show this Emperor his own limits!!!¡± There was a high chance that Emperor Deorte would be seriously injured. However, his desire to win had clouded over his general sensibility. Since the emperor had decided to draw out all of his power, Davey answered in kind and amplified the power that he was using without any hesitation. After that, it was a constant charge. Davey used his light weapons to quickly attack and push Emperor Deorte back. At the same time, he used his heavy weapons to strike down and deal fatal blows. Surprisingly enough, Emperor Deorte could still raise his weapon and defend his open abdomen after his form had copsed. Unfortunately for him, that much would not stop Davey from dealing a blow. [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Suppression] [Heavy Blow to the Abdomen] Thuuuuump!!! The thin shield that Emperor Deorte had created around his body was eventually smashed away by Davey¡¯s heavy and rough blow to his abdomen. The blow was so strong that he was once again sent flying back. ¡°Kghkk¡­ Urk¡­¡± At this point, Emperor Deorte¡¯s instincts were telling him that there was a huge difference between hisbat experience and his opponent¡¯s own. ¡°Hoo¡­ hoo¡­¡± Emperor Deorte could barely catch his breath. He began to grumble andin, ¡°This Emperor has been running around on the battlefield for forty years¡­¡± He had umted plenty of experience through his long records of battle, so he found it ridiculous that he could not even fight back. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°I am Rowane Kingdom¡¯s First Prince, Davey O¡¯Rowane, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Hoho¡­¡± Emperor Deorte chuckled before coughing up a mouthful of blood. He copsed, no longer capable of fighting. He had used up an excessive amount of mana. His pride had also taken a hit, alongside the umtion of trauma and shock that he had received from Davey and his blows. Although his physical injuries looked almost fatal, the expression on Emperor Deorte¡¯s face was that of relief. ¡°I never expected that I would feel such helplessness at this old age of mine¡­¡± Emperor Deorte smiled as if he had received enlightenment. Davey, with his expressionless face, approached Emperor Deorte¡¯s copsed form and cast a recovery magic on him. Emperor Deorte silently moved his arm after feeling a sense of lightness wash over him. He could feel the high-ranking recovery magic Highness Heal engulfing him. He murmured, ¡°You even have the Saint¡¯s power¡­ Amazing. What is your secret?¡± ¡°Try exerting yourself until you feel like dying,¡± Davey answered calmly. Emperor Deorteughed helplessly. ¡°I see¡­ So, the answer is effort¡­ Well, this Emperor has lost. In the first ce, I agreed only because I wanted to see through you. I never expected that I would win.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet, Your Majesty,¡± Davey said calmly, his hand reaching out and calling for Emperor Deorte¡¯s sword in his hands. Then, he smiled viciously as he handed the sword to the emperor. ¡°We have to do it again. I¡¯m telling you, we haven¡¯t even started yet.¡± Emperor Deorte¡¯s face turned a shade whiter at Davey¡¯s terrifying smile. He was sure that it was not just a bad feeling. *** The Lyndis Empire¡¯s Imperial Pce Garden was a small yet luxurious ce in which the climate could be freely controlled with magic. The weather outside was definitely cold, but it certainly felt warm here. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Warrior Reina, who had been quietly sitting alone in the garden and watching the small birds fluttering around, eximed in surprise. She was shocked by Davey¡¯s sudden appearance. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Davey asked calmly, a sense of familiarity seeping into his tone of voice. Reina, however, only showed a slight change in her expression at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°Nothing. I was just¡­¡± Reina mumbled cautiously, her words trailing off at the end. ¡°I was just looking at the birds.¡± She covered her face with her silver mask and fell silent once again. ¡°It¡¯s a very ordinary scene, though?¡± ¡°The ce where I came from¡­has no small birds like these,¡± Reina mumbled bitterly before asking Davey, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking me about my mask?¡± ¡°Do you want me to?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± ¡°Then, that¡¯s that. It¡¯s not like I won¡¯t be able to recognize you with or without the mask on.¡± To Davey, a face was a face. He usually remembered a person through their own unique aura and energy. With this method, Davey would not have difficulty telling apart even twins who had the same fingerprints. ¡°Cough¡­ Cough, cough, cough!!!¡± Reina hacked, crouching down from the pain before she could reach out toward a flying bird. ¡°¡­¡± Davey remained silent, watching the blood flowing from beneath Reina¡¯s mask. Reina then carefully asked, ¡°I¡¯m quite unsightly, no? This is what a warrior is like, the hero who needs to stop the Demon Lord¡¯s resurrection.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no cure.¡± ¡°I know. It was my choice,¡± Reina answered quietly. ¡°However, you will still be able to live a bit longer if you quit right now.¡± Reina shook her head and said, ¡°All I want is for this world to remain the same¡­¡± Her voice carried deep resentment and sadness, but she was expressing it so subtly. Nobody would be able to feel it if they were not looking at her properly. ¡°You should quit now.¡± ¡°You are dissuading me again.¡± Davey nodded. ¡°The First Lich Nyx¡¯s power is not about having control over all of the dead.¡± Reina held her tongue for a moment, then said, ¡°I know¡­that he¡¯s an existence with the power of immortality.¡± It was not simply a matter of surviving with a life vessel. The moment Nyx was killed, he would just move to another host. The problem was that most of his power was attached to his soul, and this was all thanks to his special constitution. This meant that his strength would not disappear even if he transferred and changed bodies. ¡°That¡¯s not it. If, by any chance, the unsealing is a lie¡­ There¡¯s a high chance that you going there will be the trigger for him to be released.¡± Reina fell silent before looking at Davey. She muttered despondently, ¡°Prince Davey, I have no other choice but to go there.¡± ¡°For revenge?¡± ¡°Because I have to protect someone who¡¯s living here.¡± Davey believed that he knew who that person was. ¡°I¡¯m d that we did not meet.¡± Although surprised by Davey¡¯s statement, Reina remained silent. She had nothing else to say as she watched Davey leaving the garden. ¡ªWhere are you going? ¡°I have to take Rinne to somece for a while.¡± After observing Reina¡¯s reaction, Davey was sure of something. First Lich Nyx¡¯s seal was definitely going to be released. If that was the case, then should he seal him up again? Or perhaps he should beat him up and kill him? The choice that Davey made was simple. It had been impossible for Davey to do it back then. However, it seemed like it was now the time for him to take out the thing that Surtr had hidden and prepared in case that bastard awakened someday. Chapter 273 ¡°Your Majesty, I believe you have to get treatment from us doctors for quite a while.¡± ¡°This emperor is not that old yet.¡± ¡°No matter how healthy you think your body is, it will still give out on you if you continue to overwork it like this. On top of that, you have already been overworking your body for too long, Your Majesty.¡± Emperor Deorte, an old man who had been sitting on the throne for decades, smiled bitterly at the doctor¡¯s words. To be honest, aside from theplications that the imperial doctor had said, his body was truly fine. However, he felt so heavy andnguid after sparring with Davey. It was as if he had died hundreds of times. ¡®No. I would definitely have died hundreds of times from his hands.¡¯ If he had met Davey on the battlefield or if they were ced on two sides in a hostile rtionship, Emperor Deorte was sure that he would have died hundreds of times in the young boy¡¯s hands. Just thinking about the possibility had chills running down his spine. If only that boy showed up decades or perhaps years earlier, back when Tionis Continent had still been embroiled in a huge continental war. So? What would happen if the boy had shown up back then? Perhaps the one who would hold the hegemony over the Eastern Continent would be the Rowane Kingdom and not the Lyndis Empire. No, Emperor Deorte was sure that that would have been the oue. The Lyndis Empire might have the most talented warriors and soldiers. But even if they fought together andbined their strength, once they met that monstrous prince¡­ Was it simply because the boy had the power of the Saint? There was a possibility. After all, no real Saint or Saintess had appeared for the longest time. However, by all means, this was not a part of that question. Come to think of it, what kind of madman would dare to treat the emperor of the great empire that had divided the continent into three parts like a dog and drag him around to vent his anger? Even though they had only been sparring, Emperor Deorte could see madness shing in the boy¡¯s eyes during each attack. It was as if the young boy had been releasing the stress that had umted in him. The boy had also shown that he could freely handle the weapons that he had with both hands. However, it had to be known that ordinary humans could not do such a feat. And when Emperor Deorte had summoned his mana and created a solid shield around him, the boy had manipted the longsword at will, an achievement that all swordsmen dreamt of having, to summon it to his hands. Then, the boy had sought out the gaps in the emperor¡¯s defenses to leave cuts and shes behind. Did he see how Davey wielded the sword? No. Not at all. The only thing that Emperor Deorte had seen were shes of light. When he came back to his senses, his thick and solid shield had already broken apart like a rusty hinge of a door. It had failed to withstand the enormous shock from Davey¡¯s attack. ¡°Ugh¡­ Well, I won¡¯t die even if we do it twice¡­¡± The imperial doctor looked surprised at Emperor Deorte¡¯s groan. However, he did not say a word about it. ¡°Your Majesty, this is Grand Duchess Kathryn.¡± ¡°Enter,¡± said Emperor Deorte as he raised himself up to a sitting position. The door quietly opened to reveal the figure of a healthy woman wearing a military uniform. She walked over and bowed her head. ¡°Your Majesty. Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe greets the empire¡¯s Two-headed Dragon.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Emperor Deorte answered shortly as he looked up at Kathryn and gestured for her to step forward. When the waiting imperial attendant handed a carefully wrapped box over, he continued, ¡°This is the holy item that Prince Davey has made and left behind. This Emperor does not know the exact details, but the prince said that the party¡¯s priest would recognize it.¡± There were six strong, sturdy, and simple bracelets ced neatly inside the box. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it would make much of a difference with just a nce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°However, I can definitely feel something from within those items. But¡­ Prince Davey¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± Kathryn looked at Emperor Deorte in doubt. ¡°He¡¯s gone to¡­?¡± ¡°How would this Emperor know that? That guy is a very elusive person.¡± Even if they tried to predict what move Davey would make next, they would still be unable to figure it out. So, it was better to give up early and spare themselves the misery of trying to figure out the impossible. Not long after, Emperor Deorte showed his majesty and dignity as he dered, ¡°Go. Go and show them the power of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s Grand Duchess. Show it to those fearless bastards who wish to shake the bnce of our empire.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Keep this in mind. Your job here is not to ensure the safety and survival of the warrior.¡± Emperor Deorte felt sorry for the others. However, he was the Emperor of the Lyndis Empire. And Grand Duchess Kathryn was a very important figure in the empire, the figure who was in charge of the empire¡¯s defenses. She was also one of the few people that Emperor Deorte trusted. ¡°Make sure toe back alive.¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn bowed her head as she received Deorte¡¯s order. She did not raise her head for a long time. *** Davey needed to exercise more caution from the very beginning to find Surtr¡¯s second legacy. Was it because someone already had it? Or was it because he did not know the exact location? Both were questions that Davey did not know the answers to. However, the biggest problem was the fact that too long a time had gone by. It had already been close to 3,000 years since this legacy was first left behind. In fact, it was a miracle that Surtr¡¯s legacy had been maintained despite the long passage of time. What that meant was¡­ ¡ªSo, you¡¯re saying that this would be different from Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon¡¯s case? Back then, there had been ruins that specified the location of Surtr¡¯s secret workshop. This time, there were no such hints at all. The only thing that Davey could do was topare the map of the continent to the map of the continent in his memories, find the difference between them, andb through those ces. ¡ªFirst Lich Nyx¡­was definitely a very powerful existence¡­ Although he¡¯s said to be at the 8th Circle, the moment the chains that seal him are broken, he would send out 9th Circle attacks. The Lich was a master at the 8th Circle. However, Perserque judged that Nyx¡¯s abilities had reached the 9th Circle. ¡°Then, does that mean that he¡¯s stronger than the Demon Lord?¡± ¡ªIt seems like you¡¯re belittling my powers, huh? Perserque shrugged her shoulders and raised her nose up high. ¡ªIt¡¯s not like I¡¯m hiding anything. It¡¯s true that my powers as the Demon Lord only reached the 7th Circle. My magic skills could reach the 8th to 9th Circle. However, I couldn¡¯t keep up with Nyx when it came tobat capabilities. Above all, Nyx was a subordinate to the Demon Lord. This meant that he could not rebel against Perserque. ¡ªBut he could not use my powers. I¡¯m sure that he will be in trouble once he awakens. The problem was not Nyx¡¯sbat capabilities. Nyx was a schemer. In fact, the surefire method to deal with him was to quickly acquire the items that could kill him and repeatedly kill him as he resurrected time and time again. That would eventually put an end to him. ¡ªBut don¡¯t we just have to stop them from unsealing him? ¡°The seal would eventually reach its limits. In fact, ording to Ares, the seal should have long disappeared around 500 years ago.¡± The seal hadsted far longer than Davey had thought, but it was also probably the reason why the sealed bastard could wreak havoc. ¡°This is the map that¡¯smonly avable outside. And¡­¡± The Lyndis Imperial Administrator murmured bitterly, ¡°This is the new map produced by the Lyndis Empire a few years ago.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ There are so many vague ces marked here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Geographical maps used in military operations are strictly kept as state secrets.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even asking for your secrets,¡± Davey said calmly, prompting the administrator to look down quietly. ¡°I gave you the map at His Majesty¡¯s orders. Is there something else that you need?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine.¡± Anyway, Davey was now able to distinguish the difference in the geography from the past and the present. He left the administrator who had handed him the maps behind. Then, he scanned the map that was filled with vague marks. Since there were no satellites in this world, it was very hard to make a detailed map. On top of that, military maps were usually state secrets. If the emperor hadn¡¯t yed dirty to get Aeria engaged to Davey, Davey couldn¡¯t have easily gotten his hands on it. ¡ªThen, what are you going to do next? ¡°This,¡± Davey said as he ced his hand over the wide map and slowly pulled his mana up. [5th Circle] [Mind Map] This magic could bring out the information that was stored in one¡¯s head and create a hologram. Magic had originally been a skill that was created for war, so strategizing with magic was asmon as attack magic. Vwooooooong¡ª Not long after, the map of the past that was clearly imprinted in Davey¡¯s memory turned into light and slowly ovepped with the map that he had spread out on the table in front of him. The general form of the continent had not changed much. However, there were several changes in somerge and small ces. ¡°¡­¡± Davey remembered the approximate location of Surtr¡¯s numerous legacies as well as Ares¡¯ and Hermesia¡¯s legacies. That was right. Davey remembered most of the legacies that had been left behind by the Tionis Continent¡¯s heroes. ¡ªThree thousand years¡­ If you add up the long time that I slept, then¡­ It seems like there are more changes than I thought. In fact, the changes in geography from back then until now were very huge. The ce that used to be ake had now be a city, while the ce that used to be a fortress had be ake, a forest, or even a swamp. ¡°¡­¡± Davey silently looked at the map in front of him. Soon, afterparing the discrepancies between the map of today and the map of the past, he found some possible locations of these legacies. ¡°Around here, here, and here.¡± Davey waved his hand and quickly pulled out a light-made form in front of him. ¡ªI have never seen this magic before. ¡°We can¡¯t just throw the ball around to decide which ce to go only to find out that we went to the wrong ce. We have to find it in one go.¡± Perserque tapped the rotating numbers that were moving swiftly around Davey with her small fingers in amazement while Davey moved to calcte and substitute the numbers in front of him. ¡ªHow can you use magic in such a way? Your magic teacher is truly amazing. She had truly been great. After all, she had been a noble who had escaped the mage tower to reach a peerless and unrivaled level on her own despite the continent overflowing with great mages. Except for her bean-sized figure and her rough personality¡­the woman who deserved such great respect, Odin, had been Davey¡¯s magic teacher. ¡ªShe¡¯s a hero who had an excessive fascination with magic¡­ ¡°She was the craziest of the crazies. After all, she was also the one who made a mana heart in one of her eyes.¡± Ping¡­ Finally, the fast-moving numbers lined up for a moment andnded on one part of the map. Then, Davey pulled his mana up and showed the ce. ¡ªHere¡­ But there¡¯s nothing showing up on the map? ¡°There¡¯s still undeveloped forest area near the border. And monsters are also teeming in several ces around it.¡± The fact that there were many monsters present was proof of the legacy having stayed safe. ¡ªBut¡­ No matter how you look at it, our destination is a hugeke. Perhaps¡­it has sunk¡­ ¡°We¡¯ll know once we go there.¡± So what if it was submerged in water? It was an item that did not lose its efficiency and use just because it had been submerged deep under the water. Besides, there was no other choice but to dive into the water if it was truly submerged. Then, at that moment¡­ ¡°That¡­ Pr¡­ Prince Davey!¡± An urgent cry rang loudly from behind Davey. When he turned around, he saw a turquoise-haired girl running toward him with a very nervous expression on her face. ¡°Imperial Princess Aeria?¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Aeria asked with a troubled expression. Davey nodded. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s something that I need to get.¡± She would not stop him, right? Wouldn¡¯t she be too greedy if she was trying to do so? Aeria looked at Davey anxiously. After some hesitation, she carefully took out the thing that she hid behind her back and held it out to Davey. ¡°That¡­ It¡¯s very cold so¡­ this¡­¡± It was a blue woolen scarf that looked extremely warm andfortable. ¡°Please¡­take care of yourself. Next time, I will give you something that I worked harder on!¡± Davey wrapped the scarf around his neck and smiled at Aeria, who sent him off with a smile of her own. *** After leaving the pce with the scarf that Aeria had given him, Davey immediately created a magic circle and jumped over space using warp magic. Jumping to a location¡¯s coordinates without any confirmation was very dangerous. If there was a boulder at that exact coordinates, then the teleported person would have the very strange experience of bing one with a boulder. Davey was using a long-distance warp and not teleportation. So, if he wanted to go somewhere and something existed there, then the overwhelming mass created by the warp would crush and twist whatever obstruction it was to rece it with his existence. But what if the obstruction was a person? Davey was sure that a very horrible scene would unfold in that case. If he was lucky, Davey would arrive in that particr mid-sized forest that was on the border between the Lyndis Empire, the Rowane Kingdom, and the Holy Empire. It was a very dangerous ce teeming with monsters that no human could ever reach its depths. Monsters usually hid and lived in such forests to avoid human aggression. It was not that difficult for Davey to wipe out these monsters. However, being in a border area made such things¡­rather tough. Vwoooong¡­ A giant troll with a gigantic club in its hand was strolling around only to find the space in front of it being warped. Too curious to simply walk away, it wandered closely and reached out to the spatial crack. Shwaaa! At that moment, a girl¡¯s thin and white arm stretched out of the spatial crack to grab the troll¡¯s hand. She twisted the hand until it was no longer recognizable. Then, before the giant troll could even react, it was dragged into the spatial crack. Roar!!! A wretched and horrible scream rang loudly as a silver-haired girl stepped out of the spatial crack with a ck rebar in her hands. And without any hesitation, the girl used the rebar to m the body of the troll away. The attack was so quick. Only the tip of the rebar touched the troll, who was quickly ripped apart into dozens of pieces. The subjugation had been done in an instant. ¡°Rinne¡¯s initial subjugation is sessful. Rinne evaluates the subjugation as very efficient.¡± ¡ªYou¡¯d better teach Rinne the concept of mercy and grace. Davey totally agreed with Perserque¡¯s words. ¡°The smell is quite pungent.¡± The blood of a troll was a very good item, but it did not smell good at all. Since the body of the troll had been ripped apart, the stench of its blood covered the entire area. Rinne who had caused this entire situation, however, was walking barefoot in the pool of blood. It was as if nothing had happened. She did not care that her bandaged feet were turning red. ¡°What in the world are you doing, Rinne?¡± Davey asked. He felt slightly anxious when Rinne¡¯s eyes started to twinkle when she looked at a torn piece of troll¡¯s skin hanging somewhere. When Rinne suddenly dipped her finger in the pool of blood and ced it in her mouth, Davey was shocked by her behavior. He said, ¡°Rinne, that¡¯s disgusting. Don¡¯t eat that.¡± But then, Rinne licked the blood on her finger as if she was analyzing something. Sheter said, ¡°Large-scale cytosm analysis has beenpleted. Rinne has filled in the information about a new monster. The monster might look disgusting but the taste is outstanding.¡± Rinne jumped at Davey. Without any hesitation, she held out a piece of the troll¡¯s flesh that was still dripping with blood to him. ¡°Davey! Rinne evaluates that this will have a huge impact on Davey¡¯s restaurant business n. Rinne evaluates this greatly!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t do that, you rascal!¡± Restaurant business aside, anyone who ate everything that tasted good would definitely get sick eventually. Chapter 274 Physical aversion was a behavior brought about bymon sense in humans. It was a behavior that usually made them feel disgusted by creatures with many legs such as cockroaches. Rinne, a non-human, was obviously different from humans despite having an ego herself. At this point in time, it was safe to say that Rinne was like a human being when it came to having feelings and senses. But as long as her body was still made out of nonliving matter and machinery, Rinne was still a golem. Or perhaps, it was safer to say that her concept was more of a cyborg? However, even if Davey said no, the disappointed Rinne still did not want to let the blood piece of flesh go. Since she was a golem and not a human being, the basic range of her disgust was on an entirely different scale from humans. That was why she smiled brightly at Davey while waiting for praise as she trampled on arge centipede with her bare foot. ¡°Sir Davey, is this monster called a troll?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a troll. But looking at the color of its skin, it¡¯s not just a simple troll. I believe it¡¯s an Armored Troll.¡± This species was very slow yet still very tricky and difficult to deal with because of their skin, which was as hard as stone. Fortunately, their poption was very smallpared to the ordinary trolls, so they had never been a huge threat to humans. ¡°Quick analysis and link. Analyzing lifeforms in the surrounding. Multiple trolls have been detected.¡± The moment Rinne finished speaking, countless trolls appeared from the gaps between the trees. Shiiiiiing¡­ Rinne looked up at Davey with her lightsaber already pulled out. She said, ¡°Sir Davey, Rinne will tidy them up.¡± ¡°No. If you deal with them one by one, then we¡¯ll be wasting time on somethingpletely unnecessary. Well, our destination is ake, so¡­¡± If that was the case, then it was more efficient for Davey to call for someone who was very much familiar with the water. ¡°Heed my call.¡± [immy.] Ssh!!! The water and moisture seeping through the cracks of the forest gathered in the air before Davey. Soon, the shape of a woman could be seen. [Again! Again!!! Again with that strange name!!! Don¡¯t call me by that vulgar name!!!] Ignoring Water Spirit King Eim¡¯s outburst, Davey just pointed at the trolls and said, ¡°Clean them up.¡± Dissatisfaction painted Eim¡¯s expression as she began to shout again. [Ha! If you think I would listen to you, then think again¡­] ¡°Well, I won¡¯t force you to do it if you don¡¯t want to. Let¡¯s see, the summoning ritual for the Lightning Spirit¡­¡± [I¡¯ll do it!!! I can do it!!!] Eim clicked her tongue, her momentum increasing rapidly and fiercely. Eim was the Water Spirit King that Spirit Empress Yuriana, Davey¡¯s spirit magic teacher, had signed a contract with. And from what Davey had learned from his teacher, Eim had a fierce battle of pride with the Lightning Spirit King, something that he had fully taken advantage of. The trolls roared and screamed furiously the moment they saw Eim raise her momentum fiercely. Looking at the trolls¡¯ behavior, Eim¡¯s expression turned cold. She was already angry after being teased by Davey, so the fact that the ugly trolls dared to scream at her made her think that even they were looking down on her. [Impudent. Do you know who you¡¯re screeching at, huh?] Even if Eim was one of the gentlest spirits, she was a Spirit King. She wouldn¡¯t take it lying down if someone dared to look down on her. Shwaaaaaa!!! Davey could hear something moving around them. Looking around, he noticed that dozens of trolls had already moved to surround him and Rinne. Suddenly, the trolls suddenly shriveled up like mummies. It was as if all of the moisture from their bodies had been sucked dry. Fwoosh¡­ Blood was a liquid that was part water. No matter how high the trolls¡¯ regenerative abilities were, if the blood that delivered the nutrients all over their body had been sucked dry, then their regenerative abilities would be considered null. They would have no other choice but to die. *** The Tionis Continent was different from modern Earth in many ways, and this very forest was a good example. Unlike Earth, there were many ces, ces near the borders of each nation that had not been developed yet, that were swarming with monsters. Of course, there were also many such ces that were nowhere close to the borders. In general, these areas were usually those that remained out of humans¡¯ reach. Davey and Rinne walked leisurely along the forest that was filled with gigantic trees that were tens, perhaps even hundreds, of timesrger than the size of an ordinary human. ¡°Sir Davey, Rinne has analyzed that ordinary humans will not be able to distinguish the difference between pork and trolls if we cover it up nicely.¡± Rinne looked back at Davey with a bright and clear expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯ll make some for youter.¡± ¡°Sir Davey is very quick-witted. Rinne is very satisfied with this.¡± Only after Davey promised to cook a troll dish for herter was Rinne satisfied, finally leaving the subject alone. Simply put, the brat did not really want to do anything with the restaurant business or something. She just liked the taste that she had sampled when gathering data earlier on. All in all, it could be said that it was because of her deep interest in food. ¡ªYou¡¯re going to¡­eat trolls? ¡°Troll is a pretty humane alternative for meat, you know?¡± Was there anything that Davey could not eat when it came to his survival? A picky eater would not be able to survive at all. [Wait.] Eim, who was leading the way while turning all of the trolls that came their way into mummies, raised her hand made of water and stopped Davey from moving forward. However, the blood that she was sucking from the trolls continued to rush into the opened bottle in Davey¡¯s hands. Since Eim was a Spirit King, she could easily extract the blood from the trolls¡¯ bodies without leaving any wounds on their bodies and store it neatly. Still, there was plenty of blood being lost during this collection process. In fact, with the blood of a random troll, Davey could already fill dozens of ss bottles that wererger than the palm of his hands. This was all for the money. By handing over the blood of high-ranking trolls like the Armored Trolls to the Mage Tower or to any merchant store, Davey would be able to rake in a lot of cash. Did this make Davey into a scrooge? Why would someone with lots of money like him care so much about it? However, nothing was more dangerous than reckless moneybags. [There¡¯s a weird curtain here. It¡¯s a barrier.] Hearing Eim¡¯s warning, Davey reached out into what seemed like an empty space in front of him. Ting¡­ The invisible barrier rippled with a clear sound once Davey came into contact with it. ¡°It¡¯s good that you came here with us.¡± The barrier did not prevent physical ess. It would only appear and activate when someone went beyond it. ¡°It¡¯s a barrier that shows the illusion of flowing water and forces you back outside.¡± [It seems like you know it quite well.] ording to the Thousand-day cksmith Surtr, they had created a test to pick the right person to take the key that they had kept here. The problem was that the level of difficulty was higher than expected. One would probably think that the gap between the mages of the past and the current mages would have decreased as time went by. But that was not the case at all. Well, it had now be a blessing in disguise for Davey. Thanks to its level of difficulty, others had not yet found this ce. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± From what Davey heard, there was definitely an intruder system alert. However, he did not care about that at all. He just continued to walk inside casually. Then, Davey stood in front of the space that he believed the barrier was at, clenched his right fist, and punched. [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Breaker] [Pulverizer] There was nothing better than using brute force to break the barrier in front of him. Davey even chose a very efficient and quiet method, a method that waspletely unlike the one he had used to break the barrier that had protected the previous Elven Vige located in the Moon Forest. In an instant, a dark red energy appeared and surrounded Davey¡¯s right hand. Then, his fist shed and mmed down on the barrier. The attack was so heavy that anyone who saw it would feel like it would bend the very space around them. Bang!!! The space obviously looked empty, but something was definitely in there. Davey looked at the crumbling mana, the mana that copsed from his devastating blow. Only after confirming that the huge barrier had been destroyed did he make his next move. Although the barrier was no more, the forest remained rtively unchanged. However, whatever flow that the mana from the barrier had created was now gone. [This is the scent of water. There¡¯s water nearby.] Eim, who was leading the way and dealing with the reckless Armored Trolls, looked strangely sulky after seeing that there were no monsters from beyond the destroyed barrier. Just like Eim said, there was ake not far from them. Theke wasn¡¯t deep and its clear waters revealed the countless fish swimming within. Davey could look right through theke from where he was. ¡°Sir Davey, Rinne thinks that there¡¯s nothing here, though?¡± Rinne asked a question that was perfectly normal. However, Surtr would not have whined andined about the high difficulty of the test that he had set up if he had only blocked everything with a single barrier. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Davey said after staring silently at the water. Then, Rinne lifted the hem of her skirt and dipped her feet in the water. The water level was low for an ordinary human, but it reached up to Rinne¡¯s chest. This made it harder for her to move. ¡°Rinne evaluates Sir Davey¡¯s personality lowly¡­¡± ¡°If you think that it¡¯s unfair, then you can try and grow taller.¡± ¡°A very low assessment.¡± Despite Rinne¡¯s still expressionless face, Davey could not get rid of the feeling that she was feeling very indignant. Davey continued to move forward until he reached the center of theke. Then, he turned his head and called out to Eim, ¡°If you please.¡± [¡­Fine.] Even with a very discontented expression on her face, Eim still created a sh of light that wrapped around Davey and Rinne. Then, Davey threw himself into the water and dived down to the depths of theke. When he touched the ground under the water, the space surrounding them suddenly twisted and turned. Obviously, the deepest part of theke only reached up to his waist. However, once hepletely entered theke, the depths of thekepletely changed. The dozens of meters had suddenly turned into a great chasm. Wrapped in the water droplet that Eim had created, Davey dived toward the depths of theke. He left behind Rinne, who was busy looking around theke as she followed him. Afternding softly on theke bed, Davey tapped one of the numerous rocks that were scattered all over the ce. He then said, ¡°Rinne. Mankind¡¯s savior.¡± As if she had been waiting for Davey¡¯s order, Rinne floated over and handed the rebar to Davey. ¡°Let¡¯s break it down.¡± This ce did not hold much meaning anymore. After all, this space had already served its purpose. *** The second barrier was a fluid barrier. Unlike solid barriers which maintained its shape regardless of what happened inside and outside, fluid barriers were less durable. However, their fluidity was superb. This ce had turned from a canyon into ake after nearly 3,000 years had passed. When the barrier had first been created, there had been no water here. However, with water umting over time, it soon turned into ake. The fluid barrier had analyzed the changes in the surroundings before creating an illusion to match everything else around it. This was to mask the rock that Rinne had just broken apart. A transparent space unfolded from the depths of the shallowke as a bright light shed in front of Davey. The light made it look like there was nothing in theke. ¡ªGoodness¡­ I did not expect to encounter such a space here. What on earth did that human Surtr do after my death? Perserque muttered in amazement after looking around inside the cave that was covered in green light. Her surprise was justified, since most of the ruins, including this one, were made after she had been cut down by Ares and the Divine Sword Caldeiras. ¡°Sir Davey. The mechanism is in front of you.¡± Rinne, who was smoothing down her clothes, blocked Davey. There was nothing inside the cave at all. Of course, this could not be the only test that Surtr had created. Then, Rinne continued, ¡°It¡¯s a mechanical device¡­ It¡¯sing out soon.¡± Davey silently picked up a stone from the ground and threw it across the cave. Whiiiiir! Whiiiiir!!!! Bang!!! A huge de popped out of the empty wall, smashed the stone, and made the rocky pieces crash into the opposite wall. ¡°That firepower is no joke.¡± In this ce, there were not just one or two but dozens and perhaps even hundreds of secret and powerful traps installed. On top of that, the most dangerous thing was¡­ ¡°Can Rinne break it down?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s designed in a way that the entire cave will sink and disappear if you break it down recklessly. Leave it be.¡± Rinne tilted her head at Davey¡¯s remarks. They could not ignore the mechanical devices but they also could not break them down recklessly. Otherwise, the cave would copse. Did that make sense? ¡°Then, Rinne has a question. How are we supposed to break through?¡± ¡°We have to find the traps one after the other, avoid them, and break through the entire ce.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Davey nodded at Rinne¡¯s blunt answer. The mechanical device was not alive. It also did not contain any mana. Because of that, it was very difficult to find. ¡°I need the power of the Wind Elementalist or a mage but¡­¡± That was the best solution, but Davey had no reason to use such a method. ¡°How could Surtr, the one who created this, freely enter and exit this ce?¡± Rinne nodded as if she understood what Davey was trying to figure out. That was right. A switch should definitely exist somewhere in this ce. Because of that, there was no reason for them to touch things that they did not need to touch. These were the ruins that had been left behind by Davey¡¯s teacher, his teacher. ¡°I have broken through this thing hundreds of times before. The mechanical devices are horrifyingly meticulous that it would take a lot of time to break through one alone.¡± Creak, creak, creak, creak! Davey explored the wall near him. Then, he touched its smooth surface and pushed it. And without any hesitation, he inserted his arm and twisted it from the dark hole that had appeared inside. ng!!! At the same time, the traps that were being triggered to attack Davey stopped all at once. However, Davey still stopped Rinne from trying to enter the mechanism that he had resolved in an instant. Then, he looked sharply at the depths of the cave. At that moment, a heavy voice rang out as if it had been waiting for Davey to look over. [Problem¡­ You have proven yourself yet haven¡¯t proven yourself¡­] ¡°Human.¡± [¡­] ¡°What? Don¡¯t do something unnecessary and block my path. Get out of the way.¡± Davey was not the one who had made this dungeon, so he had to break through the traps one by one. This was because the Surtr who had made this dungeon did not know of his existence yet. However, Davey was already too used to this ce. Surtr had handed over most of the knowledge and know-hows of his legacies to Davey just in case. A test? Davey was not an idiot. He had already seen enough of that guy to know that there was nothing left to test. The only thing remaining was the old-fashioned and very familiar dungeon attack. Something like this¡­ Chapter 275 [Correct.] After a short silence, a faint voice rang out. Creak, creak, creak, creak!!! The interior of the cave suddenly started to change. The once open road was now blocked off while the closed wall became a passageway. ¡ªThat¡­ Just now¡­ ¡°It¡¯s a test of wisdom. There¡¯s also one for courage, cooperation, and many other things.¡± Then, this meant that¡­ ¡ªUnbelievable. You got it right without even listening to the question. What if you got the wrong answer? Davey pointed at the ceiling in response to Perserque¡¯s question. ¡ªThe ceiling? ¡°Well, to put it bluntly, that thing will copse on us.¡± Basically, it was set up so that the voice would exin the situation to the one who was taking the test while blocking off their path to retreat. This would effectively make the testee tense and nervous as the voice gave the problem that they needed to solve. However, Davey had been through far too many attempts on this for him to hear each and every question. Davey descended the stairs and entered the darkness, leaving Water Spirit King Eim and Rinne, who were both sporting strange expressions on their faces, behind. [Contractor.] ¡°Why?¡± [You¡­ You mentioned that you are acquainted with Yuriana, right?] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eim looked like she could not understand the meaning behind Davey¡¯s brief response. [That¡¯s impossible. Yuriana did not live on this continent. Moreover, she died over a thousand years ago.] ¡°That¡¯s right. I did not meet a living person,¡± Davey said, wondering if Eim had understood his words differently. Eim flinched before saying¡­ [By any chance¡­ Did she say anything else?] ¡°Do you want to hear that woman¡¯sst words?¡± Eim then vehemently denied Davey¡¯s implication. [Who¡­ Who said that?!] ¡°Get along well.¡± [Yes?] Eim, who was following behind Davey, quickly stopped in her tracks. She looked as if she had just seen her lover betraying her for another. [That¡¯s¡­all of it? Really?] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Eim said nothing after that, and Davey chose to ignore the soft whine that escaped her lips a momentter. As she continued walking behind him, she grumbled. [A bad girl¡­until the very end¡­] After that, they continued to walk further underground in silence. They paused only aftering to a fork in the road ahead of them. ¡ªUhmm¡­ There''s a fork in the road. Which one is the correct answer? To answer Perserque¡¯s question, yes. One of the two was the true path. And without any hesitation, Davey took out a luminescent artifact and handed it to Rinne. He said, ¡°Rinne, take the left. I will take the right.¡± ¡ªDavey? ¡°Is this an importantmand? Rinne wants to know. If this is an importantmand, Rinne will execute it without anyints.¡± ¡°Never ever look back and turn around. Just keep on moving forward. You trust me, right?¡± Rinne¡¯s eyes shed blue before she gave a brief answer, ¡°Command epted.¡± She walked toward the left path with the luminescent artifact in hand. There was no hesitation in her steps despite Davey not warning her about the pitfalls and obstacles that she would encounter along the way. Leaving Rinne to her own path, Davey walked along the right path confidently. Then, at that moment¡­ ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!¡± Rinne¡¯s desperate scream rang loudly. ¡ªTh¡­ This?! Perserque looked at Davey in shock. ¡ªDavey!!! It¡¯s Rinne! That¡¯s Rinne¡¯s voice! ¡°Sir¡­ Sir Davey!!! Save¡­ Save me!!!¡± With another desperate scream ringing in their ears, Perserque urgently pulled Davey¡¯s arms. ¡ªWe have to go and save her!!! ¡°Leave it be.¡± ¡ªWhat? Perserque frowned at Davey in disbelief. When she looked at Davey, who was pointing behind them, she could see that a wall had already silently blocked the path behind them. It prevented them from turning back. ¡ªWhat¡¯s this¡­? Hearing another cry, Davey patted the wall that stood between them and Rinne in silence. As the screams were already starting to irritate him, he muttered, ¡°Let¡¯s skip this part quickly.¡± Heuuup! Davey took a short break before punching the wall. Rumbleeee!!! At the same time, the wall that blocked the two paths started to copse. Shockingly enough, an unexpected figure walked out from the other side. ¡°Sir Davey, you¡¯re safe,¡± Rinne said as she ran swiftly and looked up at Davey. ¡°Safety has been confirmed. Rinne has checked the link with Sir Davey.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡ªWhat¡­ What is this¡­? Rinne had obviously taken the other path. Perserque and Davey had also heard her desperate screams in the middle of the path. So, why did Rinnee out from there once Davey broke the wall down? The answer to that was simple. ¡°Surtr was a very shrewd and clever man. The barrier outside was nothing. However, if you try to break the mechanism recklessly, then this ce would copse.¡± However, there should always be a warning. Originally, the warning would be heard after the person got the answer right. But since Davey had skipped the process and prevented it from saying anything useless, there was no way for them to hear about the warning separately. This test was a test of courage and cooperation. The key to this was how well they could work together in a situation where they might not be able to think straight. ¡°This is a very narrow-minded test.¡± Normally, it would be hard to notice something like this. However, Davey had always felt it every time. Rumbleeeeee¡­ Bang!!! Not long after, the wall where Davey and Rinne had met opened up to reveal the final passageway. As he walked in the darkness, Davey felt something lurking behind it. There was no way that they could not see in the dark. After all, it was only natural that the darkness would not have any effect on them. For Davey and Perserque, who was a member of the demon race and someone familiar with dark mana, they were both very used to the darkness. As for the Water Spirit King and Rinne, someone who could detect heat, it was also useless. ¡°Sir Davey, new lifeform detected. Subjugating¡­¡± ¡°Leave it alone.¡± Rinne tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Rinne cannot understand. Rinne asks for an exnation.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie,¡± Davey said as he passed by the monster and looked up at the ceiling. ¡°What generation are you from?¡± ¡ªGrrrrrrrr¡­ The moment Davey said those words, two yellow lights shed on the dark ceiling above them. The yellow lights were none other than amber eyes. ¡ªSo it¡¯s a Wyrm Alligator¡­ Wyrm Alligators were a part of the minority of gentle monsters that could live up to 500 years. Although it was known to be gentle, it was a species that could turn dangerously ferocious once its nest got robbed. However, this species was almost extinct on the continent. And the danger that it could pose once it was angry was greater than Davey expected. ¡ªGrrrrrrrrrr¡­ Davey slowly reached his hand out to the growling Wyrm Alligator that approached. It fully considered him to be an enemy. Then, he released a huge amount of dark mana toward it. [7th Circle] [Soul Separator] Thud!!! With a loud and heavy sound, the Wyrm Alligator¡¯s body twisted fiercely. ¡°You endured that? Let¡¯s do that one more time.¡± Thuuuuud!!! No matter how much a Wyrm Alligator could endure 7th Circle dark magic, there was no way that its body could escape from being eroded by the Soul Separator magic that Davey had ced upon it. In the end, Davey nced at the Wyrm Alligator¡¯s copsed body. He passed right by before tapping the small altar that was hidden behind its nest and activated his mana. He said, ¡°Tch. Hiding it until the very end.¡± Vwooooong!!! A bright light suddenly burst out as the empty floor beneath the altar twisted and turned to reveal a bigger altar. And the item lying on the altar was something that looked highly insignificant. However, it was enough. After all, Surtr had made this item and buried it here for the longest time just so it could kill one man and one man alone. *** Since Davey had already retrieved the item from the dungeon hidden beneath theke, there was no reason for that physical space to be maintained any longer. He decided to erase all of Surtr¡¯s traces from here. [Do you have no regrets?] ¡°Destroy everything.¡± Upon Davey¡¯smand, Eim just silently raised her hand and created a ripple in theke that briefly shook the ground. [I have destroyed the entrance to the dungeon. No one will be able to go in there anymore.] ¡°Right.¡± [I¡¯m going back. I can¡¯t continue to remain here as a summons.] ¡°It seems like you¡¯re worried about my spirit mana, huh?¡± [Stop¡­ Stop saying nonsense!!!] When Davey realized that she was being considerate and revealed a smirk, Eim gave an angry shout before scattering into droplets of water. After Eim disappeared, Davey saw Rinne carrying a bag filled with six Armored Trolls on her shoulder. He did not even know when she had brought a bag. ¡°Do you really want to eat that?¡± ¡°Rinne is very satisfied with this new taste data. It¡¯s not bad for dried beef jerky. Rinne highly appreciates sampling this.¡± Davey knew that Armored Troll would not taste good, but Rinne did not believe a word of what he said. So, he thought that it would be far more believable if he showed her how it tasted. After cleaning up the dungeon, Davey immediately pressed his index finger and thumb together. Warp magic was a very convenient magic. However, it could be a very dangerous magic if one did not know the exact location. Also, Davey was now going to a ce that was not very suitable for using warp magic. Fweeeeeeeeet! After cing his index finger and thumb in his mouth and whistling sharply, the space in front of Davey twisted and turned. Soon, what greeted Davey were the two Divine Beasts who were stabilizing the Monstrous Rock Giant in the Hyeon Kingdom¡¯s sacred forest. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck!!! The brat Fire Chicken roared loudly, revealing its majestic presence with a burst of a huge fiery pir from beyond the crack in space. ¡°Come down.¡± Of course, the punk hastily tried to manage its emotion. ¡ªKiiiiing¡­ Fire Chicken, who was screaming excitedly in the air, shot down like an arrow the moment it heard Davey¡¯s voice. The moment itnded, it immediately pushed its beak into Davey¡¯s open hand. ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps Fire Chicken thought that what it did was not working well. It immediately got on its back and presented its belly to Davey. Smiling at the Vermillion Bird¡¯s silly behavior, Davey stroked its bare belly and said, ¡°Want to fly as much as you want?¡± ¡ªKiiiing? ¡°It¡¯s the time for you to get excited, Fire Chicken.¡± Fire Chicken¡¯s eyes began to glow at Davey¡¯s words. A bird had wings, so it should fly in the skies. It must have been very frustrating for Fire Chicken to be cooped up in one ce. Seeing the punk happily jump around while pping its wings, Davey quickly grabbed Rinne by her armpits, hugged her, and kicked the ground. ¡°Sir Davey, Rinne feels unpleasant being treated like a child.¡± Rinne then struggled out of Davey¡¯s hold as she charged toward Fire Chicken¡¯s back. ¡ªKiyeeeeeck?! Fire Chicken, who was squawking proudly, stumbled on its feet the moment Rinnended on its back. ¡ªAh¡­ Rinne¡¯s weight is beyond extraordinary¡­ A golem was a golem, and Fire Chicken was unaware that the little silver-haired girl weighed more than 200 kilograms. Seeing Fire Chicken try its hardest to exert its power and maintain its posture to protect its pride, Davey felt like he was looking at a very proud child. He silently hugged Rinne from behind and climbed on Fire Chicken¡¯s back. The ragtag group of warriors foolishly believed that they could stop Nyx¡¯s unsealing and destroy himpletely. It might be possible if it was Reina. After all, it was true that she was extraordinary for her age. And if they had Grand Duchess Kathryn, someone who was hailed as the continent¡¯s strongest warrior, by their side, then they would not experience any major difficulties. But if Davey were to be honest, the First Lich Nyx was not an opponent that they could ssify as a simple target of subjugation. However, it was not that hard for Davey per se, just a bit troublesome. Reina, on the other hand, was far weaker than Kathryn in terms of abilities. So, why would it be possible if she was with them? It was because she could exert a far more powerful force in exchange for her life. She was already dying. However, she would be burning the rest of her life until she was snuffed out by thisst battle. She was thinking of burning all her life and sacrificing everything the moment a problem arose. If Reina truly became a warrior, then she might be able to prevent the danger. What she was trying to do was just a stopgap measure. Davey did not approve of this n. Was it because he felt affection and care for Reina? Was it because he believed in true justice? No. It was Davey¡¯s personal greed to let her do whatever she wanted to do. Also, there was not much profit on Davey¡¯s end if she died just like that. Nyx had topletely die in this situation, and Davey had to save the reckless warrior who wanted to die of her own will. He also wanted to flick her on the forehead after that. So, for Davey to win both rewards, he had to do both things. Unlike the jewel which was made of an unknown material and had abilities that he knew nothing of, Davey ced far more importance on the unsealing of one of the transcendental rank items in his Pocket ne. Besides, if the Abyss was truly trying to intertwine with this world, then Davey needed to take this opportunity to get more information. On that note, it was necessary for Davey to drive away the damn bastard who was trying to attempt to bring the Abyss to this human-filled world. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We don¡¯t receive many deals that I¡¯m strongly interested in that have such good rewards.¡± ¡°Rinne analyzes that Sir Davey is an expert at dealing the final blow.¡± Davey did not deny it. He would let them work hard over there before dealing the final blow to eat up all of the rewards. This n would ensure that everyone lived and survived, too. It was a win-win situation. He was just making good use of this fact of the matter. Not long after, Fire Chicken pped its wings open. At the same time, as if a signal had been fired, a burst of me exploded and the surrounding forest suddenly turned into the once distant skies. A sonic boom? It was not that difficult of a feat for a very determined Divine Beast. Chapter 276: See, It’s Just Like What I Told You ¡°This is a warning.¡± ¡®It¡¯s a useless and worthless death.¡¯ Reina could not forget how the boy had warned her with such a calm expression. The boy¡¯s foresight was far greater than what she had expected. ¡°Reina, do you not have an appetite?¡± Reina, who remained silent while holding a jerky in her hand, looked up at Vendique, the male beastfolk who had voiced his concern. She said, ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry, Vendique.¡± ¡°You should tell us if you¡¯re having a hard time. Let me help you.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°My life is yours.¡± ¡°Vendique, that¡­¡± ¡°You are the one who saved me from the brink of death. That¡¯s what you are to me. I owe you my life and I¡¯m willing to pay back that debt at any moment.¡± Reina chuckled behind her mask before saying, ¡°Perhaps¡­everything will be fine.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Reina said, saving her words and lowering her head to rub the surface of her mask. To put it simply, Reina had taken advantage of Vendique. She had crossed that parallel line between the future and the past. That was the reason why she could not live the same way as them. How long had she been in this timeline? To be honest, it was not that long since Reina had firste here from the future. Back then, Reina had wondered why she had to repeat living this hell. However, she also thought about it from another perspective. If she knew the future, then she could stop it. Surprisingly enough, the reality was a bit different from what Reina knew. However, the overall flow was still moving in the exact same direction as it had done in her own timeline. When she awakened here, she had lost most of her power. There was no one with her. The only things with her were her sword, which had bitterly endured until its ego copsed and disappeared, and the mask covering her face. And that was more than enough for her. Comrades? She could gather them. Her power? She could nurture it again. Reina judged her situation with harsh and cold reasoning. She would use anything and everything that she could get her hands on. There was no one she could trust. Besides, the existence that she had made a deal with had no reason to betray her. However, that being had forbidden Reina from doing two things. First, she should never reveal the truth of her existence unless it was to a being who had escaped the flow of fate. And second, she could never make contact with the version of herself in this timeline. After all, there was only one conclusion if they both faced each other, and that conclusion was the death of one of them. Due to the second prohibition, Reina was unable to use her position to move things. So, the first thing that she had done was to go and meet Vendique in the East. Back then, she had been told that Vendique had been thrown out of the intelligence guild. Vendique would have survived even if Reina had note. However, Reina had pretended to save Vendique, reaching her hand out to him and dragging him in as her own ally. Reina hadn¡¯t had any other choice, but she was sure that Vendique would be devastated to find out the truth about this. After pretending to help Vendique, Reina had then gone to the Holy Empire. She had cleverly used her sword and lied about a dream so that she could be recognized as a Warrior. It was not really that difficult for her to get the position of a Warrior. ¡°Salvation awaits the pitiful and the desperate¡­¡± Reina mumbled quietly, chuckling from behind her mask. This was not the world that Reina knew. In this world, the necromancer who wreaked havoc in the Pan Empire had been stopped quickly by the allied forces. The Lyndis Empire had also not been dragged into a cold war against the several small kingdoms under them, including the Rowane Kingdom and the Boltis Kingdom. In this timeline, she had awakened the ego of the divine sword earlier than she expected. Even the elves, a race that waspletely against mankind, had been moving as their ally. Both the Saintess candidates of the Holy Empire, two people who should have died already, were also still alive and well. But the most surprising thing here was the existence of the protagonist of the rumor that she had heard¡ªthe only Saint. Reina was sure that there had been no such existence in her memories. Those who were exceptional would naturally stand out. However, the Saint here was different from the Saint that she knew from her own world. In fact, she was not even sure if the boy existed in the world that she had lived in. This was what made it truly unbelievable for Reina. ¡°There¡¯s no hope for salvation¡­¡± Mumbling so that the others could not hear her, Reina slowly stood up from her seat. She looked like she hadpletely lost interest in her meal. If there was truly salvation, then her existence should not have be so twisted and distorted. So, whether it was revenge or her own salvation, Reina would achieve it herself. She did not have enough power? That was why they hade here before the seal of the First Lich Nyx had been lifted. Theycked preparation? For some reason, they had received the help of Grand Duchess Kathryn and had refused the help of the Saint, Prince Davey. To be honest, the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s Saint records were so clean that it was hard for Reina to believe. Who the hell was Davey? And why in the world had he looked at her like that? The boy¡¯s eyes had been colored with so much pity that she could not even bear to look at them directly. ¡°Vendique, once Grand Duchess Kathryn arrives, please find our transport so we can leave immediately. I will go and check the equipment,¡± Reina said. Vendique immediately stood up and disappeared from sight while Reina stroked the de of her cloth-wrapped greatsword. Right now, her sword had lost its ability to use polymorph magic and was only able to release a twisted, deformed holy mana. Back then, when Reina had desperately screamed for salvation and help, the only one that had remained by her side was this sword. She said to it, ¡°We will end everything here. Caldeiras, hang in there a bit longer.¡± Looking through the gaps in her mask, Reina suddenly realized that the surrounding air outside had turned strange. Obviously, a coastal city should be noisy. But the noise that she was hearing right now was not the hustle and bustle of peopleing and going¡­ ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaack!!!¡± They were the sound of desperate screams, the cries of those who were filled with fear. Reina sprang from her seat and immediately loosened the cloth that wrapped around Caldeiras. She ran outside of their amodations. Ping!!! ¡°What¡­is this¡­?¡± Reina was greeted by hundreds of thousands of fiery arrows that began to rain down on the city. *** Screams rang rampant in the city as a sudden attack from someone unknown had appeared in the skies above them. Seeing the torrential downpour of fire arrows, Reina realized that she could not dy any further as she gripped her sword. [Longsword] [Tearing Heaven and Earth] Swoosh!!! A powerful wind erupted from her sword as Reina released a very powerful and heavy sword energy. In just one swing of her sword, the rough and coarse fire arrows lost their momentum and broke apart in the skies. Thud!!! Thud! Reina did not stop there. She continued to swing her sword, releasing her ck and white mes. Her mes looked like a spinning top as they twisted around, rotating smoothly while smashing all of the arrows that they passed by. ¡°Haaa¡­ Heup!¡± Reina gasped. Not long after, she saw small monsters starting to climb ashore. Shockingly enough, the goblins that appeared were wearing metal armor that protected their vital points. Even their movements werepletely different from ordinary goblins. They moved intelligently and with such agility. Crackle!!! After stopping the downpour of arrows, Reina immediately changed directions. She went in the opposite direction of the fleeing and screaming residents of the coastal city of Valkass. She moved faster and faster, attacking the goblins that moved to attack the city. Was the goblins the beginning of the invasion? Of course not. The route of the invasion was strictly through the coasts of the city. The goblins were bad swimmers, so they actually needed a ship to enter the city through the waters. This n of attack was generally too smart for a goblin. After all, how could an ordinary goblin think of using a ship while wearing high-end armor and weapons to plunder? However, this was the reality that Reina was witnessing. Hundreds of thousands of goblins had suddenly appeared and charged toward the city. The goblins had already caught several young boys and girls from the coastal city of Valkass, dragging them to their ships while cutting down the others at random. ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± ¡°Save me!¡± Pandemonium broke out in the coastal city of Valkass. The scene was like hell itself. Valkass was originally a very small and peaceful city with no monsters nearby, so the soldiers protecting the city allcked experience. The king of the city-state of Valkass also never thought of improving the nation¡¯s forces. After all, who would attack them after they had expressed their neutral stance, right? And that proved to be the problem. The goblins attacking them meant that there was nothing absolute in this world. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaaar!!! To make matters worse, huge monsters started to appear as the huge shipsnded ashore. These monsters were none other than the trolls and hobgoblins, monsters known to be the epitome of resilience and regeneration. There were also ogres that looked to be over five meters in height, carrying huge weapons on their backs, appearing one after another. ¡°Reina!!!¡± Vendique, who had left to find the ship that they would use, rushed toward Reina. ¡°Vendique¡­ What in the world¡­?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t know. Ships from who-knows-where started to appear and ram into the harbor. The monsters all came out from those ships and are still continuing to do so!¡± Unless she was a fool, Reina would be able to understand what this all meant. It was obviously an attack that someone had deliberately staged, and it was a shocking surprise attack too. Vwoooong!!! As if they were aware of the situation, the skies turned dark as red stars began to twinkle from above. Reina, who had remained calm despite the sudden monster¡¯s attack, started to feel flustered. ¡°N¡­ No¡­ The seal¡­ The seal has been released¡­¡± Something or someone had moved a step faster than them. Reina knew that there was no guarantee that the ritual would be held at the same time as in her world. After all, this world was not the same world that she had lived in. However, this was still too fast. ¡°Waaaaaaaaaah!¡± ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Children burst into tears. Some of them even sobbed as they hugged the bodies of their dead mothers. The number of monsters was reduced to some extent since Reina had cut some of them down. However, the fact that they would flock again remained unchanged. ¡°No¡­ If we don¡¯t go and stop it right now¡­¡± Reina murmured worriedly. If they left right away, they would have enough time to stop First Lich Nyx from being unsealed. However, the results were obvious if they left this ce. Reina was left to make a very difficult choice with the sudden appearance of the hundreds of thousands of goblins. Should she throw it all away, or should she just watch as Nyx got unsealed? Just when Reina was about to shout out a decision after agonizing over the matter¡­ ¡ªKiyeeeeeeeck!!! A loud and majestic cry rang loudly from the sky as a huge presence appeared above them. At the same time, hundreds of balls of mes appeared in the sky, illuminating the darkness that shrouded everything before falling down in unison. When she turned to look, Reina saw the head of the troll that was approaching her get caught in the vice grip of a gigantic metal golem before getting mmed into the ground. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± A sh of blue light appeared from the metal golem¡¯s eyes, turning the troll¡¯s head into nothing. Then, the golem slowly looked at Reina before turning away. At that moment, Reina heard the golem muttering to itself as if it wasmunicating with someone somewhere. [Executingmand. Decepticon Fleet. Eliminating the monsters.] Chapter 277 Unlike the usual gigantic metal body that was characteristic of golems, the golem that appeared in front of Reina looked sophisticated and agile with its surprisingly human-like body. Whiiiir! Whiiiiiiir!!! The gigantic saw in the golem¡¯s hand roared loudly as it spun fiercely. ¡°Ah!¡± shouted Reina, who was left in a daze by the golem¡¯s sudden appearance, after seeing a huge ogre swing a human-sized metal hammer toward the golem. However, the golem wasn¡¯t going to react to her shout. Bang!!! In the end, a resounding roar rang loudly as the golem¡¯s upper body was bent by the heavy blow. No matter how sophisticated or amazing a golem was, it would still be stopped by a tremendous blow or shock. Reina thought that its inner workings were most likely damaged from that one blow. Whiiiiir!!! As if to defy Reina¡¯s expectations, the saw in the golem¡¯s hand once again whirred back to life and spun fiercely. Its upper body was still bent in its unrecognizable form, but the golem quickly jumped and snatched the ogre by the head. ¡°Roaaaaaar!!!¡± The armored ogre roared in embarrassment at the sudden fierce grip that was grabbing it by the head. It had firmly believed that the earlier shot should have been enough to kill the golem. However, the blue-eyed golem looked at the ogre as if it had no idea what it was trying to imply. Then, it ughtered the ogre mercilessly. What material was the golem made out of for it to easily rip apart an ogre, which was known for its tough skin? On top of that, the ogre was even wearing thick armor. Reina¡¯s mouth hung wide open at the incredulous scene that was unfolding in front of her. The golem dealt with the ogre in such a brutal and gruesome manner that even she felt sorry for it. Thump!!! Once the golem finished its report, Reina saw a blue re appear in the skies above them that tore apart the wings of the small gargoyles loitering in the skies. She was once again left in a daze when she saw several golems appear so suddenly, ughtering the monsters and saving the screaming people. The young mage, Mersil, looked around in amazement. ¡°These mes¡­ They arepletely harmless to humans¡­¡± Common sense would tell anyone that a zing fire released high temperatures. The only way to exin this mysterious me that went beyond thews of physics was to identify it as a special magic me. However, there was a problem¡­ There was not a shred of mana in it. ¡°Goodness¡­ It¡¯s true,¡± said Roina, the crusader and vanguard of the party, in amazement as she touched the mes that were licking the ground beneath them. In fact, she could not feel any heat or substance to the mes at all. However, she knew that the mes were not just a trick of the eye. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaar! The countless monsters that invaded the city shrieked upon being exposed to the mes. They soon rolled on the ground in pain and turned into ashes. The rain of fire was like the world letting out its anger and bringing forth divine punishment. However, the objects of punishment were limited to the monsters that had invaded this city, nothing more, nothing less. Reina was left speechless at the bizarre situation in front of her. She flinched only when Vendique shook her shoulders roughly and shouted in her ears, ¡°Get a grip! It seems like those bastards have noticed our movements and have hit us in advance!¡± ¡°This¡­ This¡­ This is impossible! It would take a lot more time before the militaryes over¡­¡± ¡°Impossible or not, the reality is right in front of us! Reina! Make a decision, now!¡± Reina fell silent at Vendique¡¯s cry. She looked up at the ominous red star in the dark sky. How could she forget? There was no way that she would forget the First Lich Nyx¡¯s power. It was so strong that it could affect the surrounding environment. And the fact that his growing resentment and influence was already starting to affect the world outside meant that his seal, a seal that hadsted for a very long time, wasing undone. ¡°Are we going to protect the city, or are we going to deal with that?¡± Roina, who was dealing with the monsters, Mercil, who was giving her his magic support, and Essylt, who was treating the injured with holy magic, all turned to look at Reina after hearing Vendique¡¯s question. ¡°If he gets fully awakened, we won¡¯t be able to stop him with our power alone. We will only be able to stop him for a while and temporarily buy us some more time.¡± But how many would die if they left this ce to stop Nyx¡¯s unsealing? Perhaps that was the best solution. After all, it was better to sacrifice this ce than allow the rest of the continent to suffer. Those thoughts came about when Reina recalled the memories that she had of the time when they had failed to stop Nyx¡¯s unsealing. Back then, droves of monsters had flocked to the cities to wreak more havoc than this¡­ If that happened, then this world would also meet its end. Reina hade here to protect one person, but it seemed like she would lose everything again. She stumbled as she clutched her mask with one hand. She felt pure and utter disgust for the miserable reality that they were in. This world was about to experience the doors of hell opening, just like she had experienced before. The reality continued to unfold the same way as it did before as if it was mocking her, as if it was telling her that the future would not change no matter how hard she tried. Reina had once failed to prevent the resurrection of the Demon Lord¡¯s confidants who had been sealed for three thousand years, with the first being First Lich Nyx. As a result, the awakened First Lich Nyx had turned the entire Eastern Continent into a sea of mes in just a short three months. Was it due to his immense power? Well, it was true that Nyx was strong. However, the bigger problem was the beings who appeared at his call. ¡°Do what you think is right. I will support your decision,¡± Vendique said. Reina clenched her fists and thought, ¡®I have to be objective. I have to be cold-hearted here.¡¯ Reina felt her body twitch as relief flooded her veins, knowing that those unknown golems with tremendous powers and that unknown firebird would be here to stop these monsters. On top of that, the army of the coastal city-state of Valkass had also started to make their move. Knowing all of that, Reina was sure that they would be able to defend the city even if the damage that they would incur would be severe. If that was the case, then¡­ Bzzt, bzzt¡­ At that moment, something unusual happened. Hundreds of ck cracks began to appear in the dark sky above them. Reina and her party could not help but look at the strange phenomenon in a panic. ¡°N¡­ No!¡± Reina, who had seen those ck cracks several times before, shouted frantically as she swung the sword in her hands. [Longsword] [Splitting the Mountains] Crack!!! The heavy sh flew through the air, cutting down one of the ck cracks. However, the cracks were spreading quickly with more than hundreds of them in the sky. Reina was going to struggle to stop them even with her power. It did not matter how strong she was, Reina would eventually face her own limits. She was a Swordmaster, so she could possibly end this with a lot more time and effort. However, the true problem here was the time that she would need and the sacrifice that she had to make. Hundreds of thousands of monsters had already started a simple attack through the ships, but even more of them were emerging from the cracks in the skies. It was a huge spectacle. ¡°Oh my god¡­ What is that¡­?¡± Mercil murmured with a stiff expression on his face while Essylt trembled beside him. ¡°Impossible¡­ Where in the world are all those monstersing from¡­?¡± muttered the assassin Vendique before his voice trailed off. Even if there were tremendously strong golems or a firebird that could burn monsters non-stop, this ce would still be destroyed. By the time this ended, the small areas and cities that surrounded this area would also bepletely destroyed. No, perhaps the damage would be even more than that. ¡®How¡­ How are the demons moving so fast?!¡¯ Reina thought, failing to make a swift decision. She forcibly hid her urgency as she continuously brandished her sword to break the cracks. ¡°First Lich, Nyx¡­¡± Whatever choice Reina made, the consequences would be devastating. Large-scale monster raids were also vivid in her memories, but this particr raid was by far the most ridiculous one of all that she could recall. There should be another half a year before Nyx, the Demon Lord¡¯s close confidant, would properly andpletely awaken to summon all of the demons, monsters, and demonic beasts that served under him. However, the reality presented in front of Reina was different. The devastation had pushed ahead of time. It was also very important for them to prevent First Lich Nyx¡¯splete unsealing, but they had to be alright with a tremendous amount of bloodshed to do so. They couldn¡¯t have their cake and eat it too. It was clear that the party had to choose between the two scenarios and make some sacrifices. In this situation, it almost felt like fate was toying with them and telling them that the future was fixed. The world was indeed cruel. Reina almost felt like crying about how unfair this world was. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you really just sit back and rx here? From the looks of it, he¡¯s already about to awaken. You won¡¯t be able to deal with him if you¡¯re toote, you know?¡± Just then, right before Reina could jump into a group of monsters with her sword raised high above her, a calm voice rang out. Reina and the rest of her party turned toward the voice in surprise. They saw a boy, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking down at them. How could Reina not know who he was? She considered him to be aplete variable. He was a new powerhouse that did not exist in Reina¡¯s own world. ording to the rumors, he was a very great and powerful person who even Grand Duchess Kathryn could not keep up with him. If she were to be honest, Reina simply couldn¡¯t believe it. This was also why she did not directly ask for Prince Davey¡¯s help. Davey should not have known that they were here. And even if he knew, he should not have been able to arrive right at this moment. However, the boy standing above them was clearly Prince Davey. After all, there was no way that Reina would forget the face of the person she had just met recently. ¡°You¡¯re still in a daze? What, are you thinking of losing both sides because you can¡¯t make a decision?¡± Reina was rendered speechless. *** Goddess Freyja had made a deal with Davey to save Reina. In the first ce, this was a deal proposed out of tant favoritism. In fact, Davey had already disposed of his expectations of receiving Goddess Freyja¡¯s love and affection very early on in this set-up. Also, this was the second time that the Goddess¡¯ will had used him for the sake of one person alone. Putting everything aside, Goddess Freyja had intended this to be a forced yet very favorable deal especially since she had even given Davey a glimpse of Reina¡¯s past. After some introspection, Davey had decided to ept the situation and the deal with Goddess Freyja. Even so, this situation made Davey feel a bit sorry for Reina. This was why he did not tell her to stop talking unnecessarily, wash her hands off of this situation, and sleep somewhere far away. He was sure that this was Reina¡¯s only goal, the reason why she was still living. ¡°You¡­ How did youe here¡­?¡± ¡°How? Didn¡¯t I tell you already?¡± ¡®If you go, you¡¯ll just die a useless and meaningless death.¡¯ ¡°What are you saying¡­?¡± ¡°This is not the ce where you were before.¡± Reina fell silent. ¡°I wasn¡¯t in that ce but I am here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The difference is very small, right?¡± ¡°What are you¡­?¡± ¡°The First Lich that should have run wild in the Pan Empire was subjugated in a very short period of time. Even the World Tree, who should have gone crazy in the Western Continent, is now showing favor towards the humans.¡± Davey¡¯s words were bing hard to understand thanks to the explosions that rang out from all over the ce. Still, Reina could hear him clearly enough to flinch at his words. This was only natural. The future that Reina knew was a future where the self-proimed immortal Lich had wreaked havoc and turned the entire Pan Empire upside down. It was also the future where the World Tree had brought ruin upon the West. But was that all? ¡°Something strange also happened in the Western Continent¡¯s Ming Empire, which allowed the flow of power in the West to remain steady and calm.¡± ¡°Who¡­the hell are you¡­?¡± Reina was starting to question Davey¡¯s identity. There should be no one in this world who knew of her true identity. That was why Reina had no choice but to be wary of Davey, who continued to speak as if he knew her well. However, Davey had no intention of rifying any of Reina¡¯s doubts right now. ¡°That¡¯s why, you should just go and do what you intended to do the first time. Go and stop that bald Lich bastard who is preparing to awaken on the ind.¡± ¡®These guys are different from the ones that you have been looking for.¡¯ Reina trembled. ¡°What can you do¡­alone? Humans will eventually reach their limits! No matter how great your abilities are, this is a threat that you can¡¯t handle on your own! I¡¯d rather everyone join forces and¡­¡± With a vicious smile tugging at his lips, Davey asked, ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Who said that I can¡¯t deal with this alone? Did Goddess Freyja say that?¡± Reina clenched her fists at Davey¡¯s provocation. ¡°This is not the time to make jokes!¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Davey said as he calmly pulled out his Divine Spear Longinus from his Pocket ne. Mage Mercil stared at Davey with wide eyes when he pulled out the spear, which immediately turned into a cross, from his Pocket ne. However, Davey ignored him. ¡°Go and clear the path. I don¡¯t care what kind of mindset you have, but you have alreadye all the way here. You should do what you intended to do. Besides, there¡¯s nothing for you to do here,¡± Davey said calmly as he gently tapped the spear on the ground. Thud! Just then, apletely unexpected change began to ur around Reina. Chapter 278 ¡°Hey! What the he¡­?!¡± Before Reina could finish speaking, a bright light appeared to surround her and everyone in her party. Noticing that it was a forced transfer magic with a strange flow of mana, Mage Mercil¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡°What, what is this?!¡± ¡°Sir Davey. The number of monsters is increasing every minute we waste here. This is the limit¡­¡± Everyone immediately turned to look at Rinne, who was covered in blood after killing hundreds of monsters. The sight of a little girl dragging an ogre before throwing it away to sidle beside Davey was very difficult for them to ept. ¡°There¡¯s danger¡­!¡± Someone shouted upon seeing a troll try to swing a huge club to attack Rinne from behind. The troll¡¯s club did end up hitting her, but Rinne simply stood still and did not even falter. Such a small body was definitely not strong enough to withstand such an attack. It was very easy for such a body to be meat paste from such a vicious attack. However, Rinne did not even stagger from the impact. All Rinne did was turn her head calmly to look at the troll. The troll was flustered. It was certain that it had attacked a small human, so it couldn¡¯t understand why the human in front of it was still alright after its vicious attack. However, the troll then made the mistake of staring at Rinne in a daze. Rinne immediately kicked the troll in the knees and smashed it down on the ground. ¡ªRoaaaaaaar!!! As the troll, whose legs had been trampled on and smashed to bits, screamed, Rinne immediately shed it with her lightsaber and split the troll in two. Countless people had died while several buildings had copsed. However, the hideous monsters continued to crawl out of the cracks that were still forming in the sky. Needless to say, the situation had gone so out of hand that brute force could no longer solve it. This was why Davey believed that indiscriminate surprise raids were no good. ¡°I know even if I don¡¯t look.¡± Since the opponent had dared to borrow the power of a being who rejected this world¡¯s providence, Davey had no choice but to use a cheat to bnce the board. And that cheat was none other than the being who existed and not existed at the same time through their link with Davey, God¡¯s will. ¡®You don¡¯t have it at home, do you? Show me the mone¡­¡¯ Cough. ¡ªDavey! Stop speaking nonsense! Their numbers are increasing! Davey tapped the cross-shaped staff once again, turning it into a grand cross. He also awakened the slumbering holy mana in his body. ¡®Wake up, youzy bums. It¡¯s time to work.¡¯ It was truly difficult to control the holy mana in Davey¡¯s body especially since they were struggling against hismand. However¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s see. If you don¡¯t move, then I¡¯ll beat you up.¡¯ Davey warned bluntly as holy mana began to move in his body. Not long after, a white stream of energy appeared and wrapped around him amidst the zing mes and rampant screams. Davey held the pole of the grand cross with both hands and ced it under the spiral of white light. With the tremendous amount of power and energy surrounding him, the monsters began to feel threatened. They immediately charged to where Davey was. However, they failed to reach him, copsing under the onught of attacks that Rinne released upon them. Davey started to transform the tremendous amount of holy mana swirling in the air around him into a huge magic circle as he slowly began to recite a prayer. [The God of Origin bestowed upon me the name of the Saint to protect the weak from those that coveted them.] Vwoooooooong!!! [By your name, I chose the job of a healer and a buff specialist.] [Please show us your noble and cheat-like skill once.] [Please remember that life is a true battle of life and death for these foolish people that are making a fuss in front of you.] A huge explosion roared to life as a holy mana that was slightly simr to Davey¡¯s own holy power appeared, vibrating fiercely in the air around them. It was a portion of God¡¯s power. This meant that Davey had just been given permission to do what he wanted to do. However, Davey still could not recklessly use the power even if he wanted to. The most powerful aid, the holy mana that enveloped God¡¯s will, showed an unprecedented amount of activity in Davey¡¯s body. Shwaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! A bright and powerful light exploded, instantly spreading across the entire city. At the same time, copsed buildings began to build themselves back up. It was as if time was rewinding for them. Even the dead and injured bodies of the soldiers and the civilians began to move slowly. The monsters that ran wild just a few moments ago came to a momentary stop as the dark clouds in the sky began to change. The power of First Lich Nyx was so strong that it could affect the environment¡­ Even then, that was nothingpared to the power that Davey was releasing now. Those who had received fatal injuries and were on the brink of death, or those who had just died, slowly began to recover and stand up. It was as if they had been resuscitated as strength began to course through their bodies once again. Then, a huge whirlwind of holy mana began to interfere with the cracks that appeared in the entire area. At the same time, dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of buffs fell down upon the soldiers who fought against the monsters who received debuffs containing God¡¯s power. A miracle was a power that could make the impossible possible. What Davey just used was one of the mildest magic from the First Saintess Daphne¡¯s strongest holy magic. But even though it was the mildest, the difficulty of using it was still the same. It was something that Davey could not normally use. ¡®I¡¯ll show you that I wasn¡¯t ying around.¡¯ [10th Circle Transcendental Holy Magic] [Dering Sanctuary] [Hear ye, in the name of God, I hereby dere the creation of a sanctuary. You brats who don¡¯t know how to fight a war.] A tremendous amount of holy mana burst out once again, changing the surroundings. It became as bright as the day in an instant. The light was so bright that it could hurt one¡¯s eyes. However, everyone in the area turned to look at Davey with their mouths gaping as the warm, bright, andfortable light engulfed them. ¡°This¡­ What¡¯s this¡­?¡± The one who was most surprised by this phenomenon was Essylt, a young and capable priest. As a priest who dealt with holy mana every minute of the day, she had noticed something despite not knowing what kind of holy magic Davey was using right now. Davey nced at Reina and her party, who were all staring at him with wide eyes, before snapping his fingers. The light that surrounded them glowed brightly as Davey said, ¡°I will send Grand Duchess Kathryn separately, go on ahead.¡± ¡°W-Wait!!!¡± Fwoosh!!! The light surrounding them glowed even brighter, cutting the shocked Reina off. In the end, the pre-prepared transfer magic threw them somewhere else. With no one else to worry about, Davey reached a hand out toward the bright light that poured from the sky above him. Almost all of the holy mana in his body had disappeared, but that did not matter to him. Vwoooooooong!!! The soldiers slowly stood up with confused and panicked looks on their faces. They could not understand why they were still alive when they had clearly died earlier on. Well, they hadn¡¯t exactly been dead. To be considered dead, their souls should have left their bodies to enter the cycle of reincarnation. This was the first principle being taught to necromancers. Knowing that, Davey gathered all of the souls of those who just died and tethered them tightly to this ce so they would not wander into the cycle of reincarnation. Then, he restored their bodies before nting their souls back in once again. It was only possible for Davey to do something like that because of God¡¯s miracle. God¡¯s miracle waspletely different from Davey¡¯s imitation of the power of God with his power at the 9th Circle. Most of God¡¯s miracles were transcendental levels of magic that contained God¡¯s power. ¡°Break time is over. Get back to work.¡± The dazed soldiers turned to look up at Davey, who spoke up. Most of the monsters that went on a rampage in the city could not move because of the tremendous and heavy light that weighed down on them. ¡°How long are you punks going to stay in a daze, huh? If a healer gives you a heal, then you should quickly charge forward and deal damage, you rascals!¡± The soldiers¡¯ eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s sharp order, which was enough to snap them back to attention. For the first time, they focused on Davey¡¯s figure. That was when they realized who it was that made it possible to create such a ridiculous miracle. ¡°A¡­ A miracle.¡± ¡°A miracle just happened¡­¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± They were not yet aware of the reality surrounding them, so they looked at each other with goofy smiles on their faces. As the embarrassment from the sudden appearance of a shocking phenomenon in front of them died down, they realized one thing¡­ At this moment, they were given the chance to kill those hateful bastards who were raiding their homes. ¡°The Saint¡­ The Saint is with us.¡± ¡°The Saint is on our side!!!¡± ¡°Kill those damn bastards!¡± The 10th Circle magic was not cast just for such a simple purpose. However, there was one effect that would, without a doubt, always be present. Since there was a lot of holy mana being used in this magic, it was something that could be used for something else, something with high proficiency. The holy mana began to bring forth a surge of power from the depths of their bodies as their minds began to clear up. With their bodies and minds strengthened, the soldiers had their morale reaching an all-time high. They grabbed their weapons once again and charged toward the monsters, the very same monsters that had frightened them earlier and forced them to run away. *** Fwoosh!!! Reina, who had drifted along the powerful flow of power, was once again dragged by the same power that engulfed them in light. Not long after, the very same power dragged her and her party out, ejecting them to the world once again. ¡°Ugh?¡± Reina gulped dryly as she bnced herself in the air after being thrown out mercilessly. She looked down at the ground beneath her and released some mana to reduce the impact of her fall. Before she could even question their situation, Reina saw her party falling from the skies with very loud screams. The strong and experienced assassin Vendique and the idiot Roina, the two people who were physical types, reflexively twisted their bodies and prepared for their inevitable fall. On the other hand, the mage Mercil and the priest Essylt could only p their arms in the air, struggling uselessly and shrieking in fear. Bang!!! Reina kicked the ground and jumped up to save the two. She swiftly and gentlynded on the ground, then made sure that the two were unhurt. In the end, she hugged the two who were gasping for breath and unable to calm down from the thrilling experience tofort them. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Ahhh¡­¡± Reina¡¯sforting words and actions helped the two to stop panicking. Aside from the two children, who were still breathing heavily, the rest of them had calmed down. And now that they had survived the disaster, they could not help but voice out theirints. ¡°Aaaaaah¡­ We almost got hurt badly!!!¡± ¡°Damn it¡­ That damn bastard¡­¡± Unless they were fools, they had ways of figuring out just who had sent them here without an ounce of mercy. It was none other than the boy who had appeared so suddenly amidst the monsters¡¯ raid. It was Saint Davey. Why did he show up there? How did he appear in front of them? Why did it seem like he was already prepared? All these questions filled their heads. However, the most important question to Reina was where they were and what happened to the city-state of Valkass. ¡°Where¡­the hell are we? It looks like a beach¡­¡± Booom!!!! A loud explosion burst out as if to answer Roina¡¯s question. All of them turned toward the sound, and there they saw¡­ ¡°Goodness¡­ This is unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ That¡¯s the power of the Saint¡­¡± Being imprinted in their eyes was the scene where a huge pir of bright light appeared and turned the dark sky into blue. And as if it was proiming to be more than simple holy magic, a huge cross with wings unfurling behind it appeared amidst the fluttering white feathers. The figure was so huge that they could see it clearly from where they were. While everyone was rendered speechless by the sight, a voice suddenly rang in Reina¡¯s ears and made her stop in her tracks. ¡®The God of Origin has dered¡­that God has blessed all of her creation. However, there is only one race that cannot receive her power. So, God dered¡­¡¯ When Reina turned around, she saw Essylt, who had just been gasping for breath a few moments ago, slowly stand up with eyes shining a bright white light. Then, she knelt down on her knees and pressed her hands together in prayer. ¡®¡­to the poor. Since you cannot receive my blessings, I will bestow upon you a name. Your name will be [Horne]. By God¡¯s will, you will be called a human being. I will yield my power solely to those that have received the first name. ¡®Repent and reflect. Receive the love of the origin. Let this be the only way to connect you to the Will of the Origin.¡¯ Reina, who had gone through a lot of hardships and difficulties, was someone who rarely studied about divinity and religion. That was why she could not understand what these words meant at all. However, she understood one thing. Although Essylt was still young, she was one of the few who had stayed by Reina¡¯s side until the very end and protected the world as the final resistance. Her talents were not as powerful as the transcendental beings of the previous generation. However, there existed a trace within her. Essylt was believed to be the only surviving child of one of the previous Saintess Candidates. But Reina did not hear the exact details since Essylt could not remember what happened back then. However, after what happened back then, Essylt had experienced a change in her body. Sometimes, a divine power would dwell upon her body and reveal a divination. In that world, the manifestation of Essylt¡¯s power was far more sophisticated than this. However, that did not mean that the words that Essylt uttered were mere nonsense. And Reina could tell that the one who created the unbelievable miracle that was happening far away, the fussy and cold Saint, Prince Davey, had released something that transcended the limits of the human realm and connected with the passage of God. ¡°What the hell¡­ Why is a being like that here¡­?¡± Reina mumbled in disbelief at the appearance of a human who transcended the limits, an existence that did not appear in her own world. At the same time, resentment started to darken her mind and heart. She wondered if her efforts were useless in front of the Saint. Chapter 279 The darkness that encroached her consciousness gradually overwhelmed her, as if wanting to erode her mind and corrupt her. Reina¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock as her mind shook from the darkness, which was something that she had kept in precarious bnce, gradually staining her mind. ¡®No. Get yourself together. I can¡¯t be devoured by this again. I¡¯m just doing what I can. Let¡¯s not forget the reason why I waited for this moment.¡¯ This was a moment of weakness, one that she would never have thought of normally. ¡®The one that creates miracles. The one that will rule. epting his will¡­¡¯ Essylt, whose eyes were shining white, staggered as she continued to mumble to herself. In the end, she copsed on her feet with ragged breaths. ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± ¡°Essylt? Essylt?!¡± Roina shouted in surprise after seeing Essylt copse. She rushed towards Essylt to support her. When the dazed and absent-minded priestess blinked her eyes open, she muttered, ¡°Ro-Roina? Why¡­am I here?¡± ¡°Get a grip of yourself! You just¡­¡± ¡°Yes? What did I¡­?¡± Seeing how clueless Essylt was, Roina immediately turned to Reina with a doubtful expression. The priestess appeared to have no recollection of what had just happened. ¡°Reina, just now¡­¡± Reina, who was lost in her own thoughts, walked by Essylt as she looked at the baptism of light that appeared from a distance away. She said, ¡°Who knows? However, there¡¯s one thing that I¡¯m sure of. This ce is obviously¡­the Ind of Tranquility.¡± ¡°Ind of Tranquility? Don¡¯t tell me this ce is¡­¡± ¡°Yes. This is the ce that we were supposed to go to in the first ce¡­ The ce where the Demon Lord¡¯s close confidant, Nyx, is sealed. I can feel the bastard¡¯s familiar energy nearby.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Only then did their entire party grasp the situation that they were in. ¡°We can¡¯t miss this opportunity. Let¡¯s go,¡± Reina said in a slightly hushed voice from behind her mask. *** ¡°Mercil¡­ That thing that we just experienced¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that¡­spatial movement?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t know that something like that was possible without a mana gate.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the answer for you either.¡± ¡°Can you do it? Or is it impossible for you?¡± ¡°As far as I know, there is only one person in the world who can move people from one ce to another without the use of a huge magical structure.¡± And that person was none other than the Red Tower¡¯s Great Sage. ¡°Spatial movement is magic that can only be cast by someone at the 7th Circle.¡± ¡°Then¡­ Does that mean Prince Davey is also a mage at the 7th Circle? I have never heard of any spatial magic among all of the holy magic in existence.¡± Roina was a crusader, so her words regarding this topic certainly bore some weight. She might be the party¡¯s fool, but Roina was a very talented intermediate-level Holy Knight who had been selected by the Holy Empire. However, after hearing Roina¡¯s question, Mercil could only shake his head in response. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. It¡¯s impossible tobine holy mana and mana. Illyna de Pan, Pan Empire¡¯s Sword Princess, can use holy mana because of the divine sword in her possession. However, she can only use the mana in her body.¡± ¡°Then, how do you exin that?¡± ¡°Be quiet. We¡¯re in an enemy camp. Our location will be exposed if you keep on talking like that.¡± Vendique, the male beastfolk, suddenly appeared in front of the two who were conversing. ¡°Kyaaack! Vendique! I told you not to appear in front of me so silently!¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting all of us in danger.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Vendique is right. We are in the enemy¡¯s camp. We can¡¯t drop our guards here. However¡­I did not hear Prince Davey chant any spell when he cast that spatial transfer magic. Perhaps¡­it¡¯s a special privilege that Saints have?¡± ¡°Really? To be honest, the rumors surrounding Prince Davey are so out of this world. I think there¡¯s quite a lot of exaggeration added to that,¡± Roina said. Reina, who was walking ahead of them, raised one hand and stopped everyone. ¡°Shh.¡± The moment she raised her hand, everyone¡¯s expression turned stiff from nervousness. They looked around vigntly while holding their weapons tightly. ¡°There are enemies ahead. Looking at their energy¡­ They are lower-rank undead mages¡­vampires¡­and controlled monsters,¡± Reina said as she hid her figure in the shadows. Everyone was greeted by the sight of several ck-robed figures and monsters loitering around. There were not many of them, but the energy flowing from their bodies was so cold and dark that it could make one¡¯s body tingle. ¡°What should we do? Do we fight them?¡± Roina asked, raring to jump up and fight. However, Vendique immediately dissuaded Roina and said, ¡°I¡¯ll draw their attention. Go while I distract them.¡± ¡°¡­Please.¡± Reina would usually dissuade them from such a choice, but not this time. Everyone looked at her suspiciously, but Vendique just nodded quietly and disappeared from sight. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Reina?¡± ¡°Quiet¡­ From this point on, you cannot talk. You have to walk as silently as possible. Do you intend to put Vendique¡¯s efforts to waste?¡± ¡°Reina¡­¡± Roina called out as she looked at Reina in astonishment. However, Reina just held the polymorphed Caldeiras, her greatsword, tightly. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! Not long after, Vendique caused amotion. He dashed around quickly to draw the enemies¡¯ aggro to him. He moved without drawing suspicion, appearing as if he hade here and identally got caught. It was as if he was trying to settle everything once and for all. Mercil was a very ingenious mage. He used his own magic to detect the enemies in the area, contributing greatly to their decision to infiltrate rather than fight. Bang!!! It did not take too long for Vendique to escte the entire situation. The moment the sounds grew louder, Reina immediately dashed forward. Everything was proceeding ording to n. ¡®This time¡­ I will make sure to seed¡­ I won¡¯t fail. I¡¯m going to kill them and protect myself¡­ To fulfill my promise with Caldeiras.¡¯ Caldeiras was the divine sword that reminded Reina of who she had been when she had lost her reason to the point of sacrificing its ego andpletely copsing. Reina had never forgotten Caldeiras¡¯ sacrifice and she would never ever forget. That was why she was not going to waste her second chance. Reina gritted her teeth as she moved as quickly as she could. She hade to this ce more than once or twice. This was also the enemies¡¯ hideout, so she had no need to hesitate. She urgently traversed the path to the bastard who she wanted to kill. ¡°Grand Duchess Kathryn¡­!¡± Reina shouted in surprise after noticing a familiar scent. There was a woman cutting the neck of the monster who was just overpowering her a moment ago. After that was done, she approached Reina and said, ¡°Warrior?¡± ¡°How did you get here¡­?¡± ¡°That rogue prince recklessly threw me here¡­ Ah, wait¡­ He told me that the Warrior will be here.¡± Simply put, Davey had told Grand Duchess Kathryn to help them. ¡°However, he¡¯s alone¡­ No. That sounds ridiculous. If he¡¯s using holy magic, then he can block the entry of additional monsters¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What are you saying?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Reina turned speechless at Grand Duchess Kathryn¡¯s absurd and iprehensible words. Grand Duchess Kathryn had truly outstanding power. It was very shocking for the entire party to witness how she could use her bare hands to rip apart a very dangerous monster. She did not even need to use her sword to deal with these monsters. ¡®As expected. She¡¯s truly strong, even in the past,¡¯ Reina thought. However, she immediately shook away the useless thoughts in her head. She proceeded to step inside a dark canyon and said, ¡°It¡¯s here. It¡¯s because of this that the monsters have invaded¡­ On the contrary, it¡¯s a phenomenon that has weakened the barrier. It doesn¡¯t sound good, but we can say that this is an opportunity for us.¡± ¡°Warrior, did you get a revtion? How did you find this ce so easily?¡± ¡°¡­A divine revtion. Well, you can call it that. What are you going to do? The danger that we will encounter inside will definitely be out of the ordinary.¡± ¡°I have received orders from His Majesty. He said that I should help the Warrior. Help. That¡¯s all. I am given the orders to protect my life. If you die there, then that¡¯s just your fate,¡± said Grand Duchess Kathryn calmly. Reina looked at Roina, the young boy, and the young girl who came with her. The three nodded quietly at her. ¡°Don¡¯t make fun of me just because I¡¯m young. I already risked my lifeing here. Besides, I have already made the decision to follow through and follow you no matter what happens.¡± ¡°Me¡­ Me too!¡± ¡°The meaning of my existence is dependent on the Goddess¡¯ will.¡± Hearing the three slightly cheesy and corny answers, Reina quietly drew her sword and cut down the huge rock that was next to the canyon. sh! Crack, crack, crack, crack! Thud!!! Although Grand Duchess Kathryn looked surprised by how neatly she had cut the rock, Reina ignored her and pointed to the stone cave hidden behind the broken rock. She said, ¡°We¡¯re entering.¡± *** After passing through the rock that had been cut apart, they entered a strangely silent passage. Most of the monsters that lingered here had disappeared and no one came to stop them. However, their smooth entry soon came to an end when they stepped foot in a huge clearing within the cave. Standing in front of them was a bizarre knight wearing ck armor over a white cloth and a woman wearing a robe. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± While Mercil and Essylt trembled at the pair¡¯s shockingly horrifying aura, Reina immediately raised her arm to protect the two. ¡°Go on ahead. The Warrior must have asked for my help because of them, am I right?¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn said. After a moment of silence, Reina said, ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I have great interest in such battles. Hmm¡­ My body has turned rusty since peace came to this continent,¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn said as her eyes and tail glowed a bright red. She no longer had a yful air around her. Her eyes and tail were the very source of her power, the very same power that gave her the moniker of Fire Fox. ¡°Let¡¯s warm up.¡± Just as Grand Duchess Kathryn spoke up, Reina immediately dashed forward and ran inside the passage that led to the deepest part of the cave. Bang!!! Of course, the knight at the entrance was not stationed there to simply watch them do whatever they wanted. He swiftly drew his sword at a speed rendered invisible by the human eye, then shed it toward Reina. However, the knight¡¯s attack was blocked by Grand Duchess Kathryn¡¯s sword. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look away from me,¡± threatened Grand Duchess Kathryn. She implied, ¡®If you don¡¯t want this sword to go through you.¡¯ The knight immediately pulled his sword away. He also widened the distance between him and Grand Duchess Kathryn as a strong and powerful aura burst out of the Grand Duchess¡¯ body. A sense of guilt overtook Reina, who wondered how many sacrifices had to be made for the mission to seed. Her grip on the hilt of Caldeiras grew ever so tight. ¡°Rei¡­ Reina! Is it okay to leave her alone to deal with those monsters?!¡± Roina cried urgently. Reina said quietly, ¡°She¡¯s the Grand Duchess, she will be able to survive that.¡± At the very least, Reina was sure that Grand Duchess Kathryn would not be beaten easily. Reina tried to console herself as she sped up, eventually reaching a huge open space. What greeted her was a huge cliff covered by never-ending darkness. There was a narrow path leading to the center where a huge and circr space floated in the air, which released a heavy and overwhelming magical aura. ¡°Goodness.¡± ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Reina¡¯s entire party went stiff and silent at the situation before them. ¡°Haaa¡­ It seems like there are intruders.¡± After a single short breath, a gloomy but clear voice spoke up. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d reach this step, especially after that monster had left to get a meal. Hmmm. I¡¯ll spare your life if you give me something in return.¡± ¡°You better cut that ridiculous and fake magnanimity that you¡¯re trying to show.¡± After that short conversation, the huge being stood up. He was three meters in height and was entirely made up of ck-colored bones. However, even if the being was all bones, the danger that he exuded was enough to make anyone faint. This being was the Demon Lord¡¯s confidant, the First Lich Nyx. Unlike his awe-inspiring name, the party could not feel anything from him. They could only fail to feel anything from their opponents in one scenario, and that was when there was an extreme difference in their power. In fact, this was something that Reina had already experienced beforehand. So, she raised her sword and quietly said, ¡°Nyx. You will die aplete death here.¡± ¡°Hooo¡­ A struggling prey. Well, that¡¯s good too. I also need to experience and adjust this body to the power that flows in me,¡± said the giant skeleton bluntly as he raised both of his hands toward the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be that strong since your seal has just been released.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Abyss. And just like you said, I have lost almost all of my powers,¡± Nyx said as the surrounding area started to shake. As the wide and empty floor began twisting and turning, he added, ¡°ording to the contract signed under the power of origin. In the name of Nyx, I order you.¡± Reina could tell by the frightening and overwhelming danger that shed in Nyx¡¯s blue eyes that his seal had already beenpletely unsealed. At the same time, a huge amount of dark mana, something that they had never felt before, began to engulf the entire area and force it to vibrate. ¡°Heed mymand.¡± ¡°Urk?!¡± ¡°Heup?!¡± What happened after was fatal to any mage. Reina was thrown back as she could not understand what was happening. It did not make sense that Nyx was already this strong. From what she could recall, it took years for Nyx to recover this much power after being released from his seal. Only years after Reina had staged a desperate escape from the enemies who captured her did Nyx regain most of his powers. If that was the case, then what the hell was this? Was the First Lich hiding his power in the first ce? Those questions shed in Reina¡¯s mind. ¡°Mercil! Get it together!¡± Mercil¡¯s gaze trembled as his mind copsed. Then, he raised one of his hands to his lips and said, ¡°This¡­is impossible. How can such a monster¡­?¡± The disy of power that Mercil had witnessed made him certain that it had transcended the limits of humans. As a mage, Mercil could directly feel and see the huge torrent of mana in the air. Meanwhile, his mana circle flowed backward and copsed under the onught of higher power. This was beyond feeling nauseous or dizzy. This was an entire backward flow of mana. Both powers of Mercil and Essylt were very important. Roina was important as well, being here to protect them both. However, from the very start, Mercil, who should have been one of the main pirs of this attack, was already rendered useless. ¡°¡­¡± Reina immediately took a stance, hiding her confused and dazed party members behind her. She released a ck and white me all over her body as she muttered, ¡°Are you throwing me in another world of pain? Are you trying to make me suffer again?¡± ¡®Then, please eat shit. You heartless Goddess. I have already lost once. I will never lose again even if I die twice. I have already lost that innocent and just heart that I had back then.¡¯ Tremendous killing intent burst out of Reina, whose power remained the same. However, her killing intent was so dark and intense that it was hard to see her as a Warrior. Right now, Reina looked just like one of the demons. ¡°Hahahahahahahaha!!! Your race has be so twisted! You have reached the point where you cannot be considered a human at all. Haha! There is no better contradiction than this!¡± Nyx guffawed as he raised a finger. Just as a heavy pressure weighed down the entire area, he said, ¡°Come. I have acquired power that is far stronger than the power I had before I was sealed. As my first victim, I will present you with death as a form of my respect.¡± [To all those that are chained to me, heed mymand. Answer the call of death.] [9th Circle Dark Magic] [Death Sentence] The 9th Circle of power was leagues beyond the 8th Circle of power. And as soon as Nyx gave thatmand, a huge clock appeared behind him and began to tick away. ¡°Once that minute hand finishes a turn, you will meet your death.¡± Chapter 280 Reina did not know much about magic, but she was certain of one thing. She knew that First Lich Nyx¡¯s statement dering their death once the clock¡¯s minute hand made a full turn was true. ¡°Wake up, Mercil!!!¡± The most ideal situation for Reina and her party was when Nyx¡¯s seal had been left untouched. However, with that situation now impossible as one of the seals had already been lifted, they had to kill him before he could recover his full strength. Even the Sword God had failed to kill Nyx, but Reina still had one method to kill the bastard in front of her. Of course, the method had a very low chance of sess. This was why Reina needed the help of three people. Mercil, however, was the most important part of her n. With him unconscious and foaming at the mouth due to Nyx¡¯s overwhelming power, he was out ofmission. Now, the n was flushed down the drain. Reina released the ck and white mes from her body and moved to attack Nyx. At the very least, she had to earn them enough time so that Mercil would be able to recover. In the first ce, the gap between her and Nyx¡¯s powers was so huge that she could only fight him with her final move. But if they copsed right here and now, then everything would be over. By now, Reina believed that Prince Davey had already exhausted most of his powers. There was also Grand Duchess Kathryn, who had left her trust in them, sacrificing herself by blocking the powerful enemies alone to allow them to go on ahead. These people had helped their cause. The mes licking Reina¡¯s body crackled fiercely and twisted together. Bang!!! At the same time, Reina shot forward like a cannonball. She struck down as if she wanted to split Nyx into two. ¡°Ho¡­¡± Something ck shed, blocking Reina¡¯s blow. However, she was sure that the impact of the blow had been fully transmitted to Nyx. Nyx, however, expressed no fear. His blue eyes just glowed with what seemed to be interest. Moving his hand slowly as if he was truly and genuinely curious, he said, ¡°Amazing. I did not expect the attack to contain this much power¡­¡± Bang!!! Following the movement of Nyx¡¯s hands, Reina was mmed against the ceiling. She fell to the ground before getting mmed back up again. ¡°Urk!!!¡± Reina groaned. She coughed up blood from under her mask due to the overwhelming force mming into her. At the same time, her steel mask began to crack apart. ¡°N¡­ No!!!¡± Reina shouted. She trembled as her mask slowly fell off. ¡°Reina! You were wrong! We have to retreat for now!¡± ¡°No! If we retreat now then everything would be in vain.¡± Even if she had to die, Reina would make sure to end Nyx here. That was what she firmly believed. So, she charged forward. It was a very stupid move, but she was sure that only one future awaited this world if they were to retreat here. ¡°Essylt! Please stabilize Mercil and wake him up! I will buy you some time!¡± The priestess Essylt grabbed her staff with shaking hands and nodded tearfully at Reina¡¯s orders. ¡°Roina! Please protect Essylt and Mercil!¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Roina answered solemnly, leaving her liveliness behind. She took out the shield behind her back and held it in front of Essylt and Mercil. She took a defensive position as a bright light burst out and covered them. [Holy Defense] It was the Holy Knight¡¯s protective barrier. However, it was still weakerpared to the rampaging power in the open space. ¡°It seems like you are waiting for that member of your party to wake up, huh? But what can a weak human do against me when he¡¯s already incapacitated by a reflux of mana from this torrential power that I released?¡± Bang!!! Reina deemed it unnecessary to answer Nyx, her sword striking down once again on the barrier that protected him with ck and white mes erupting from its de. However, the attack had already been blocked once. It would not be strange for it to get blocked another time. Instead of stopping, Reina brushed her sword to the side and changed the trajectory of her swing. She spun herself fiercely,nding one attack on Nyx after another. Shended three or four blows with a heavy and pressing weight, but the protective barrier that surrounded Nyx did not even shake or budge. Reina grew impatient, feeling that something was strange. She was aware that First Lich Nyx was very strong, but the opponent in front of her was far too powerful for his level. The power that Nyx showed right now was just too overwhelming that even Reina could not believe the situation in front of her. Having assaulted Nyx like a berserker letting loose, Reina¡¯s attacks had an obvious impact. In fact, every swing of her sword would shake the entire space and leave huge sword marks on the cave walls. Unfortunately, none of her attacks dealt any damage to Nyx. ¡°Interesting! This is interesting!¡± Of course, the minute hand on the clock behind Nyx kept on ticking. It had now gone past the twenty-second mark. Seeing that she had used up a third of her time in just an instant, Reina grew more impatient. She started to burn up her soul more, drawing out the power that she had sealed within her. At this point, Reina thought that she could not afford to hide anything anymore. She had to go all out to kill Nyx. Reina was growing weaker by the second as her life kept burning away. As for her attacks, they only grew stronger and more intense. The onught of her attacks did not stop even when her hands became bloodied and injured. Swoooooosh¡­ A thick and powerful force began to coat the de of Reina¡¯s sword. [Longsword] [Horizon] sh!!! Reina swung her sword horizontally, shing with all her might. She used the former Sword God¡¯s swordsmanship, the Longsword, which was actually very strong and powerful. Finally, a powerful blownded a scratch on Nyx¡¯s protective shield. Nyx had been leisurely defending against Reina¡¯s attack, watching her with interest as he casuallyunched his own counterattack. When that powerful blownded, he nced at the protective barrier that Reina had finally left a scratch on. Bang!!! At the same time, Reina was mmed once again on the ground. ¡°This is very interesting!¡± ¡°Urk¡­¡± ¡°N¡­ No! Reina!¡± Roina shouted urgently. All of a sudden, ck armored knights started to pour out of the crack from the barrier. They charged at Roina with one wave of Nyx¡¯s hand. To worsen things, Nyx, who had been standing still all this time, finally began to start his counterattack properly. ¡°You have my respect. I will no longer treat you with disregard and dishonor,¡± Nyx said bluntly and briefly as a powerful force began to swirl in front of him. With the appearance of such an overwhelming power, even the priestess Essylt copsed. ¡°N¡­ No! Essylt!!!¡± Roina cried loudly as she desperately cut down the ck armored knights who were attacking them. ¡°Ho. That Holy Knight over there is a pretty good seedling. But if I don¡¯t break and crush this budding seedling quickly, then you would pose a threat to my Lord in the future.¡± Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! Nyx, who was keeping Reina in check, raised his middle and index fingers to the sky. Stab!!! Then, a ck spear suddenly popped out from the ground and stabbed Roina. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Stuck on the ground, Reina turned stiff with crystal clear tears falling from her face as she watched the spear stab into Roina. She gradually stopped struggling. Even her breathing became rough at the sight of Roina copsing. Roina cried out painfully, ¡°It¡­hurts¡­¡± Reina¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot as she trembled. She met Nyx¡¯s gaze from the broken side of her mask. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± ¡°That mask is a very strange item. I¡¯m sure it is an item that suppresses demons¡­ My power is obviously lying dormant in there. Why do you have such an item?¡± Nyx murmured as he waved his hand, getting Reina to float in the air toward him. ¡°It would be a pity to leave something I don¡¯t know behind without any investigation.¡± Crack!!! With his huge hand, Nyx tore off the mask on Reina¡¯s face and broke it into pieces. Reina¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock. Crack, crack, crack!!! She immediately raised her sword and stabbed Nyx in the ribs. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Shocked by the sudden attack, Nyx lost his senses for a moment. He staggered back and lost his grip on Reina. Reina immediately took this opportunity to take out her sword and escape from Nyx¡¯s grasp. Vwoooong!!! At the same time, Reina copsed on the ground with her body curling up on itself. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaaaaah¡­¡± Reina shrieked. Although Reina had seeded innding an attack, she was also the one who had suffered from the biggest impact. ¡°Aaaaaaaaack!!!¡± Reina screamed in pain as wings made of ck light sprouted from her back. The wings lookedpletely different from the wings of any other living thing. Of course, it was made of light, but its form simply looked so artificial. ¡°This¡­¡± Nyx mumbled as his eyes shed brightly in surprise. Those wings clearly told him that they were made of his power. Of course, he would know. The power was something that he owned. However, Nyx just could not understand. He had never met this woman before, so why was she carrying an item and a body that contained his own power? ¡°Haa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± Reina gasped as she raised her pale and hollow face. ¡°No matter how I think about it, this is a very unusual situation,¡± Nyx murmured as he floated in the air while ck pearls began to appear around him. Reina spread her wings and flew as if she was keeping up with Nyx. Despite her still ragged breathing, she released apletely ck aura and dered, ¡°Even if I die¡­ I will make sure to kill you here.¡± At that moment, Nyx realized that he was shaking fiercely. Although the woman in front of him was weak, her tenacity and momentum were out of this world. Her voice and gaze showed fury and resentment as she moved to attack. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! At the same time, a dark ray of light fell upon Nyx. It was a very unexpected and unprecedented magical bombing. *** Inside the dark forest, the only surviving man gasped for breath. ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± He was close to death as he leaned on a tree trunk. Looking at the corpses that surrounded him, he could not help butugh derisively. This was how he was going to die, but the man had no regrets. After all, he had been an abandoned assassin and informant. Reina was the one who had saved him from dying that useless death. The man would do anything, even sacrificing his life, for Reina. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯m so freaking sleepy,¡± the man murmured listlessly as he tried to look around with his blurring vision. He had bought enough time for the party, but nothing really mattered now. Just then, he saw a figure approaching him as he believed that he had no lingering regrets. ¡°Let¡¯s stop being sentimental.¡± *** The current situation inside the cave was disastrous. Crusader Roina¡¯s condition after receiving a fatal wound was unknown. No one knew if she was alive or dead. There was also Mercil who was vomiting mouthful after mouthful of blood ever since his mana flow had been reversed. And as if the situation was not yet disastrous enough, the priestess Essylt had also passed out from being overwhelmed by the enemy¡¯s power. The party¡¯s situation was indeed disastrous. However, Reina¡¯s condition was the most serious of all. She was entirely dripping with blood. Only her ck wings allowed her to move as she attacked Nyx like crazy. And with every p of her wings, a part of her skin would turn ck. The ceiling had already started to copse, stones and rocks falling from above and reducing the ground that Reina could use as a foothold inside the cave. Despite having little to no room to move, Reina was still able to move smoothly and swiftly as she dug into Nyx while avoiding the downpour of 9th Circle dark bullets that he sent out. Her agility made her look like a performing acrobat. Bang!!! Although Nyx¡¯s attacks grew stronger as time went by, Reina continued to stand up to fight. She did not care about receiving hits from Nyx¡¯s dark bullets and being mmed to the ground. Reina was aware that she did not have much longer to live, especially since she was burning her soul. However, she still continued with what she was doing, her movements bing even faster. She also started to draw out the basic and primary power of her soul, a power that would allow her to enter the cycle of reincarnation. ¡°This is amazing! You have so much resentment and anger toward me that you¡¯re even willing to burn your soul! I can see it clearly!¡± Nyx cried out in surprise. Reina¡¯s gaze turned colder as sheunched a fiercer attack. Crack!!! As if to reward her recklessness, Reina¡¯s attacks started to reach Nyx sessfully, breaking his body down little by little. Her fierce offensive was simply a horrendous and gruesome suicide attack. Even the light armor that protected her had already been torn to pieces, with her arm hidden beneath so injured that bones could be seen. However, Reina¡¯s attack only grew more intense and desperate. At that point, even Nyx was bound to be shocked. The more the woman in front of him became injured, the darker her eyes became and the stronger she felt. As a mage, Nyx was very curious. What on earth did she experience for her to push herself like this? And Nyx, who fell into such useless thoughts, identally showed a gap in his defense that Reina immediately took advantage of. ¡°This!¡± Nyx shouted in panic as he cast a defensive spell in a hurry. Reina quickly broke Nyx¡¯s ck shield andnded an attack on him. After all, even if the ego had copsed, Caldeiras would still be Caldeiras. The sword in and of itself was very lethal for Nyx. Just as the sharp tip of the sword was about to smash Nyx¡¯s skull, the sword in Reina¡¯s hands stopped in the air. It was as if something had seized it in the air. Reina¡¯s vision turned ck as her entire body stiffened. Of course, since she could not move her wings, she fell helplessly onto the ground. And being incapable of controlling her fall, she suffered a devastating blow. That was when she saw the minute hand of the clock behind Nyx about to make a full turn. Although Nyx did not cast any magic, Reina had copsed from the overuse and overload of power. ¡°What a pity. As a mage, I find it interesting to find out what¡¯s driving you so much¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But time is not on your side. Although we are enemies, there are very few people who disy such tenacity as you. You have my respect.¡± Reina¡¯s teeth broke from her gritting them fiercely. Tears fell down her distorted and ugly face as she kept thinking, ¡®I have to win. I have to win no matter what.¡¯ However, the victor of this battle was already clear. Even after she had been given a second chance, Reina still failed in the end. Through her blurred vision, Reina saw the huge clock behind Nyx begin to emit a gloomy light. She watched as the minute hand kept ticking, sentencing her to her inevitable fate. And all she could do was bite her lips in anger, blood dripping down her chin. Reina felt like she was being punished. She wanted to ask Goddess Freyja, the progenitor, the creator of the world, what she had done wrong for her to experience something like this. Unfortunately, the Goddess could not answer her. She then began to wonder if her great suffering and failure was due to her own ipetence. She had to be useless to be punished in such a manner once again. The ck aura seeping out of Reina turned a shade darker as her will broke apart. Her pristine white aura was almost gone now, with only a few spots left in her body. Reina could not resist the darkness. After all, she had lost most of her strength and her body¡¯s activities were already slowlying to a halt. After seeing the minute hande ever so close to the number twelve, Reina slowly closed her eyes. She was about topletely close them to leave the misery and sorrow behind¡­ ck!!! When an abrupt and loud sound rang out right next to her ears, Reina¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She nced at the clock¡¯s minute hand, the source of the Death Sentence magic, which had stopped moving. ck, ck!!! To Reina¡¯s surprise, the huge chunk of mana that had created the enormous clock from a 9th Circle mage¡¯s magic suddenly became unstable. ¡°What¡­is this¡­?¡± Reina asked as she suddenly felt someone carry her up. ¡°Someone here doesn¡¯t know how precious life is. You¡¯re even trying to destroy my streak of sess by killing yourself, huh?¡± ¡°You¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up. It took a while for me to warm up.¡± Reina could hear the rxed and calm voice. Who the hell did that voice belong to? Her slowly darkening consciousness suddenly broke out of the water and became clear once again. For some reason, she could not tell what she felt. Was she feeling surprised? Confused? Whatever it was, they were all baseless. At the moment, only one thing was for certain. The rxed andposed feeling that washed over her was something that she had not felt in a long while. It had been quite a long time since she felt like she had slept properly. ¡°A total of 13,372 tries,¡± the man mumblednguidly as he raised the hand that was not holding on to Reina. At the same time, a blue sword emitting a terrifying aura appeared in the man¡¯s hands and moved swiftly. ¡°What¡­?¡± ¡°I havepletely memorized all of the joints and holes in your bones.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Doing this in hard mode doesn¡¯t mean that the first round¡¯s boss bes the final boss.¡± sh, sh, sh, sh!!! The blue sword moved swiftly, leaving afterimages behind as hundreds of hairline cracks appeared on the huge clock behind Nyx. ¡°I don¡¯t really ept watches unless they''re made by a world-renowned brand. Next time, bring Ca***r.¡± Chapter 281 Dong!!! The other side of the enormous clock suddenly twisted. Before anyone could react, the entire thing suddenly shattered and copsed. The enormous clock was entirely destroyed without a single explosion. ¡°How is it? Do you still have some lingering regrets?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you know, that thing I sent you¡­ I sent it so you could take it a bit easier.¡± From what it looked like, things did not seem to have worked out well. Reina¡¯s expression turned ugly after listening to what Davey had to say. ¡°Illyna.¡± Reina¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Anyone would have a hard time recognizing her because her appearance hadpletely changed. Even without her mask, her face waspletely unrecognizable with all sorts of scars. Unlike the Illyna of today, who was considered to be the continent¡¯s greatest beauty, the Illyna who had passed through the parallel world to be Reina could not be considered a beauty anymore. No, it was more apt to call her disfigured face disgusting. Her bright and glossy blonde hair was gone, bing dull and lifeless. Even her golden eyes had lost their luster, turning dark. Her white and smooth skin had also grown coarse, uneven, discolored, and even distorted. Of course, her entire body had been wrecked from the earlier fight. So, there was nothing more to say. She was an entire wreck. However, those aspects did not matter to Davey. This was because Reina¡¯s personality and nature was surprisingly no different from the young Illyna. No, in fact, Reina was just the mature version of Illyna. ¡°If you truly wanted to remove all of your connections, then you should have changed everything and not just your name. You should have changed the swordsmanship and the sword that you use too.¡± ¡ªDavey, I think you already failed¡­ ¡®Nyx¡¯s death won¡¯t solve this, because Reina doesn¡¯t even know what she wants.¡¯ In this situation, Goddess Freyja had made a deal with Davey to maintain their connection. She had even conveyed her will by sending him advanced payment. Needless to say, Davey had to keep his promise. ¡°I have signed a deal to save you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reina remained silent, as if she did not have any power to speak anymore. Momentster, her eyes widened. She shouted fiercely with a grating voice, ¡°Behind¡­ Behind you!!!¡± Bang!!! A gigantic ck demonic spear burst out and exploded before it could even reach Davey. It was suddenly blocked by a huge stream of water. ¡°The Water¡­Spirit King. Someone who is able to stop my magic and summon a Spirit King. Who the hell are you?¡± [Contractor. I don¡¯t have a goodpatibility with the demonic race. And with this level of power¡­] The 9th Circle was certainly not ordinary. Even Davey had not recovered his powers to the 9th Circle yet. Well, Davey had been sure that Nyx was still weak now, since he had just awakened from his seal. However, Davey could see that Nyx had gained his full strength as well as something additional. ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey,¡± Reina said in a quiet and hoarse voice as she pulled at Davey¡¯s cor. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°O¡­ Over there,¡± Reina mumbled as she desperately raised her trembling arms and pointed to one side. Turning over to look, Davey saw Roina, who was still hanging on after being stabbed by a spear, as well as the unconscious young boy and girl who had copsed on the ground. ¡°Eim. Let¡¯s do a baton touch,¡± Davey said with a nod. Eim, who was looking at Nyx warily, turned into a stream that surrounded the three injured people. ¡°Take this one too,¡± said Davey. All three people were in serious condition, but the one in the worst condition was Reina, who was lying in Davey¡¯s arms. [She¡¯s in a very terrible condition¡­ How in the world can a human being be pushed this far?] ¡°Is treatment possible?¡± [It¡¯s possible for the three¡­but it¡¯s already toote for that one. You, you only have a little amount of holy mana left, right? It¡¯s too difficult to treat her with my power alone.] Water spirits had the power of healing and recovery. However, not even a Spirit King could heal Reina, who had burned almost all of her soul away. [I can only heal the trauma that her body has sustained¡­ I will do my best.] Ping!!! Bang!!! Nyx did not want to be ignored, so he sent out five to six ck demonic spears toward Davey. However, they exploded apart before reaching their target. They had been blocked even without Eim¡¯s protection. ¡°Speak. What the hell have you done?¡± Not answering Nyx¡¯s question, Davey simply took out a small bottle from his Pocket ne and handed it over to Eim. ¡°There¡¯s not much left, but this is an elixir made of diluted God¡¯s Tears. It might be impossible to cure herpletely, but you¡¯ll be able to maintain her life for a while with this.¡± Eim remained calm as she received the bottle of elixir with a stream of water and absorbed it into her body. Shwaaaaaaaa!!! Then, Eim scattered half of her body and shot it to the sky, turning it into a light green rain. This was none other than the Spirit King¡¯s Miracle, [Healing Rain]. Davey was drenched by the pouring rain, but he did not mind it at all. In the first ce, he did not have any reason to reject the rain that contained recovery abilities. ¡°Since I¡¯ve solved this part, it¡¯s time to deal with my business now. What did you ask earlier? How did I get rid of your attack?¡± To put it simply, Nyx could not understand how his Death Spear, an 8th Circle magic, had exploded in the air without Davey defending against it. He also could not understand how his 9th Circle dark magic, Death Sentence, had been cut down so simply by a blue afterimage. Nyx could only understand how his second Death Spear had been blocked by Eim¡¯s power. As for the following Death Spears that had disappeared without reaching Davey, he waspletely confused. ¡°That¡¯s right. I cannot understand at all.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand? This is the first magic that mages learn upon reaching the 3rd Circle.¡± [Dispel.] Nyx¡¯s gaze trembled as he asked, ¡°Are¡­ Are you saying that you used Dispel?¡± Simply put, Davey was saying that he could interrupt and cancel Nyx¡¯s 8th Circle magic with a simple Dispel. ¡°What? You got a problem with that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible! You have to be at the 9th Circle to dispel magic at the 8th Circle at the very least!¡± Nyx was right. One had to be at the 3rd Circle before they could dispel magic at the 1st Circle. As for magic at the 5th Circle, one had to be at the 7th Circle for them to dispel magic of such caliber. As far as everyone knew, one had to be at the 10th Circle or above for them to dispel magic at the 8th Circle, or so the theory stated. ¡°Theoretically, the 8th Circle of magic should have been impossible for Dispel.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about regr circumstances, then it should still be impossible. After all, ording to theories and hypotheses, one has to be at the 10th Circle at the very least for them to cancel magic at the 8th Circle.¡± Nyx was obviously Davey¡¯s enemy, someone to be eliminated as the Demon Lord¡¯s confidant, the First Lich. And when it came to magic, Nyx was undeniably a great force. Davey always avoided unnecessary cruelty when it came to dealing with enemies. And as someone who had studied magic so intently, he did not want to deny all of the things that he had learned and umted. ¡°The 9th Circle is the pinnacle of magic¡­ There¡¯s nothing above that¡­¡± ¡°Why should it not exist, you stupid baldy?¡± ¡°Bald, baldy¡­¡± Nyx muttered, feeling shocked by Davey¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°The 9th Circle is not the end. There¡¯s no end in this world.¡± Just as there was no end to simple swordsmanship skills, there was also no end to magic. ¡°Are you telling me that a bastard like you has exceeded the 9th Circle and reached the 10th Circle?¡± Nyx asked Davey as if trying to confirm the ridiculous revtion. ¡°No. There is no such thing as a 10th Circle, stupid baldy.¡± There was 10th Circle holy magic, but the 10th Circle did not actually exist. The three stages of the 8th Circle: Perception, Assimtion, Materialization. The three stages of the 9th Circle: Comprehension, Realization, Transcendence. What existed above these levels was clearly different from the concept of the Circles. If Davey were to tell the truth, the magic that he used was different from what Nyx used. Apart from their mana volume, the depth of his enlightenment was also very different from the First Lich. However, Davey had absolutely no reason to give him any information. ¡°Bastard!!! How many times do you have to call me baldy, huh?! Are you making fun of me?!¡± Davey just shrugged at Nyx¡¯s furious cry. ¡®Look, if you make fun of that bastard for being bald, he¡¯s going to respond to you.¡¯ This was the method that Ares had used to agitate Nyx and cause him to weaken his defenses. Sword God Ares had been a gentleman. Although his outward image had shown him to be an outstanding swordsman and a very good man, the Ares who Davey knew had been a mad dog that bit tightly on his opponent¡¯s weaknesses. In that respect, Davey could say that Ares had been no different from the Heavenly Destroyer Dokgo Jun. To be honest, Davey could even say that Ares had been far worse than Dokgo Jun. ¡ªLooking at this, it seems like my father also had some brains up there. ¡®Do you think thatzy and ill-tempered guy said anything to me?¡¯ Absolutely not. ¡°This repeated provocation is intolerable! Good. The existence of a Spirit King is quite surprising! However, I will show you my true power, a power that is different from before!¡± Nyx shouted furiously as his gigantic body started to float again. Then, spreading his hands, Nyx erupted a violent and vast amount of dark mana like a volcano and covered the entire area. ¡°Urk!¡± Reina groaned. She was slowly recovering in Eim¡¯s arms, but her expression darkened. She seemed very surprised to see that the opponent who she had been fighting for so long had not yet shown her any of his skills. ¡ªUrk?! Davey, at this rate¡­ His mana volume far exceeds yours¡­ Nyx was known to be at the 8th Circle, but he had awakened earlier and borrowed the power of something that was not from this world. He also appeared to have done so unknowingly. No, to be exact, someone else was giving power to Nyx. Due to this reason, the weakening of the seal, something that could still go on for a very long time, had progressed at a faster rate. On top of that, the fact that the divine sword Caldeiras had failed to notice Nyx¡¯s unsealing was huge evidence that this was a very unexpected event. Now, Nyx had more power than what he actually had in his prime 3,000 years ago. However, the majority of the power was too different to be called Nyx¡¯s power alone. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this feel strangely familiar? Huh, Perserque?¡± ¡ªYeah¡­ ¡°The other side of the coin.¡± Davey had had a simr feeling when he entered the underground space of the vampires¡¯ ancient ruins. This was the very same unknown feeling that he had felt in the space where the gigantic Dragon Bones had been hidden. It was none other than the power of the Abyss. Perserque¡¯s expression grew solemn at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°Those bastards on the other side are doing whatever they want. I should at least put the breaks on you, so you will proceed with caution.¡± ng¡­ Nyx was releasing mana that went beyond the total amount that Davey currently had. Clearly, he was not a 9th Circle mage for no reason. Creak, creak, creak, creak! Thud!!! Unable to withstand the pressure, the ground beneath Davey¡¯s feet began to crack and copse. The surrounding dark mana, with no magic cast at all, began to crush the ground beneath Davey¡¯s feet, as well as everything around him. He could feel the pressure on him. This phenomenon was only possible if someone had an overwhelminglyrge amount of manapared to their opponents. It was a very inefficient method, a simple show of strength that had little to no use. Seeing this, Davey took out the ne that hung around his neck. The ne looked simple and dull, but it had a small jewel hanging from it. The jewel was none other than the mysterious item that the current World Tree, Al, had given Davey when she had awakened. It was something that Goddess Freyja had given him as a reward. As if it had been triggered, the jewel began to disy some changes. ¡°Let¡¯s try synchronizing then.¡± The jewel responded to Davey¡¯s voice excitedly as it started to activate. ¡°You like fighting with force? I also like fighting dirty like this.¡± Thud!!! A brief crash rang out in the area as Nyx¡¯s dark mana, which was running rampant all over the ce and putting pressure on Davey, suddenly faltered. It had seemingly turned rigid. ¡°How about this? Let¡¯s have a fight with brute force.¡± Shwaaaaaa!!! A bright light suddenly red up from within the jewel as pure, refined mana appeared and moved crazily within Davey. Soon, an entire Circle was created within him. The additional mana circle resonated with the mana circles in Davey¡¯s heart, rotating fiercely and roaring like a majestic beast that had awakened from its deep slumber. As a reward, the first use of the jewel had been activated. When Davey used the Abyss¡¯ Authority, he saw three lines being added to the jewel¡¯s description. [The Jewel¡¯s First Liberation.] [Limited consumable. Can be used for a limited time. Strictly restricted to Davey O¡¯Rowane.] [Complete synchronization of body and soul.] This was a smallpensation for pulling the rug on Davey during the situation with Saintess Candidate Alice, the situation where he had made a fuss. Davey¡¯s soul could be said to beplete, but his body wasn¡¯t. With the jewel¡¯s help, the two could finally be perfectly synchronized. Nyx¡¯s dark mana, which ran rampant all over the ce, was trampled on by the force that burst out of Davey. Nyx never imagined that his power would simply be overwhelmed by another power, especially since the mana in his body was tremendously vast. In fact, by simple calctions, Nyx¡¯s current power was as strong as the Demon Lord of the past. In terms ofbat capabilities, Perserque could easily triumph over Nyx. However, when it came to the amount of mana, Nyx, who had lived longer than Perserque, would definitely gain andslide victory. ¡°Urk?!¡± ¡°Come down,¡± Davey said as he looked into Nyx¡¯s shining blue eyes. He pointed at Nyx before pointing to the ground. Thud!!! At the same time, Nyx was crushed by the overwhelming pressure of the mana. He was sent flying down to the ground. Yes, this was a very inefficient and meaningless power struggle, but it was more than enough in this case. ¡°Keheok?! This¡­ This is impossible?!¡± ¡°How is it? Fucking awesome, right? I¡¯m very confident when ites to a battle of brute force.¡± Even in the Hall, there had only been a few heroes who could force Davey down on his knees with pure mana alone. It was a very meaningless and inefficient show of power that even those crazy bastards had failed to bring him down so easily. So, how dare Nyx try and do that to him, right? A vicious smile tugged at the corners of Davey¡¯s lips. At the same time, a strange sense of lightness and imbnce washed over him. It was as if he was tipsy from drinking alcohol. ¡ªDavey?! You¡­ What¡¯s wrong with you?! Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Nyx¡¯s gigantic skeletal body struggled fiercely against the overwhelming pressure, but he couldn¡¯t withstand it in the end. He was slowly crushed by the mana, as if being ttened by a huge press. Chapter 282: I Let Him Go The power that erupted from Nyx could change the sky and bring a red star out in the open. Instead of a natural star, it would be the ¡®stars¡¯ and ¡®constetions¡¯ symbolizing him and his power. And those red stars¡­ ¡°They¡¯re¡­disappearing,¡± mumbled Reina, who was now in a much better shape, as she looked up at the sky from where sheid down. It should not have been a surprise that the sky was changing, but the change held great meaning. It meant that the boy in front of Reina who was not yet in his twenties could overwhelm the No Life King, the Demon Lord¡¯s closest confidant. The boy could defeat the being who had ughtered and massacred countless humans in her own world. From what Reina could see, the power of Nyx in this world was far more devastating than the power of Nyx in her own world. This appeared to be unsurprising when someone like Reina had appeared in this world and blown the bloody wind of war in this continent. However, even the stronger Nyx was being trampled on. In this situation, he was like a child fighting against an adult. ¡°Keheok! ording¡­ ording to the contract made in front of all creations, from the origin of everything¡­¡± [Dispel.] Crack!!! ¡°Keuaaaack!!! Feast! Wail! Live under my feet¡­¡± [Dispel.] ng!!! Whenever a magic was forced to end using Dispel, the power that the mage was casting would reverse in flow and return to its caster. This was true whether it was in the 7th Circle, 8th Circle, or even the 9th Circle of magic. Nyx poured out magic after magic, but none of them werepleted. ¡°Hey. What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to get up?¡± Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Nyx¡¯s skeleton, the skeleton that was hard enough to withstand the attacks of a Swordmaster, was slowly breaking under the pressure of Davey¡¯s mana. The difference in their power was very obvious. Davey was just too strong. He was so strong that anyone who saw him would feel depressed, their minds wandering off into a daze as they watched him do something so nonsensical. The boy¡¯s power did not have an effect on the surroundings, but that was far from the truth. His power could influence the surroundings, and it was so vast that he had changed everythingpletely. Was this something that a single being could truly aplish? [Contractor¡­] At that moment, Reina heard Eim mumble incoherently to herself. Curious, she turned to look. Her eyes could not help but grow wide at the sight of Davey¡¯s smile. ¡°Urk?!¡± Reina groaned as her body twisted and turned from the creepiness of Davey¡¯s smile. The boy¡¯s expression was filled with pure madness and excitement, it was not an expression that should be seen on God¡¯s Saint. ¡°Hey! Stand up, you punk. Life is an actual battle, you know?¡± Crack, crack, crack!!! One of Nyx¡¯s shoulders got crushed as he failed to put up any resistance. Nyx tried to raise his hand to create a huge blue chain, but before the magic could manifest, it scattered into dust with just a sh from the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°Kghhk?! This, this is absolutely impossible¡­¡± ¡°Bite your tongue and clench those teeth. Ah, right. You don¡¯t have a tongue. How should I say it then? Fufufufu.¡± ¡°C-Crazy bastard!¡± Witnessing the Dispel which had been casted silently at high speed, Reina, who had fought a war for almost a decade, was shocked. She had never seen such a monster do such a ridiculous magic spell. Reina felt very scared when she looked at the boy. She felt like she had been thrown in front of a huge beast with no protection. ¡°Hey! Hey! Come, fight with me a bit harder!¡± Stab! Crack!!! For some reason, Reina felt anxious when she saw the boy¡¯s strange behavior of attacking like a mad dog. She could tell he did not even care about holding back. ¡°Keuhahahahahahaha! Die, bastard! Die!¡± ¡°Keheok! Kghk! Wa¡­ Wait!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that word!!!¡± That was when Reina saw Nyx preparing a move despite his entire body being crushed and broken to pieces. In the first ce, Davey¡¯s opponent was Nyx, the one hailed as the First Lich and the No Life King. As a Lich with no life vessel, Nyx would not simply die from a broken body. ¡®N-No¡­¡¯ The inexplicable sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and self-loathing that Reina felt when seeing the boypletely disappear¡­ It was as if they had all been washed away. She wanted to make a move. [Don¡¯t move. Are you not aware of the condition that you are in, human?] The Spirit King Eim, whose body had halved after releasing the light green rain earlier, gave a warning. However, Reina just clenched her teeth and moved her overworked muscles. ¡°I have¡­to stop him,¡± Reina said as she bit her lips to the point of bleeding. She forced herself to stand up. At the same time, she started to burn the remnants of her soul remaining in her body. [Human!!!] ¡°You have to let me go, Spirit King. Please. I¡­ I have to go¡­ Someone has to make a sacrifice¡­¡± Reina said, looking up at Eim with a determined expression. ¡°If Nyx dies like that¡­he will just be resurrected¡­ That¡¯s why¡­I have to do something so he would not get revived again.¡± Reina knew that Prince Davey was strong. However, no matter how hard he pressed on Nyx, the result would still be the same. As long as Nyx¡¯s source and origin was not dealt with, he would just continue to get revived. [Do you even know your body¡¯s current situation?] ¡°I am¡­fully aware. In the first ce, I don¡¯t have much time left to live. I only have a few days at most¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡± Reina had to do it herself. She did not have any reason to feel resentment, helplessness, or self-loathing toward the boy named Davey, who was just a child. Besides, everything was because of the darkness that lingered in her own mind. She already felt extremely tired from the darkness that kept on whispering in her ears that everything was caused by the hateful Nyx. Reina believed that she had to do it herself to pay for her inadequacy and the loss she had caused. She also wanted to pay for the sacrifices of the soldiers of the rebellion who had died trying to protect her. In this world, Reina was aware that her own self was still focused on training her swordsmanship. The version of her in this continent was still unaware of everything that would happen to her. So, Reina would do it herself. She would do it so she could protect the seventeen-year-old Illyna de Pan. Reina would exchange her life here to make sure that Nyx would bepletely destroyed. After all, she hade here intending to burn her soulpletely to put an end to everything. As Reina slowly stood up, a pair of wings made from ck light once again unfurled behind her. She gently stroked the de of Caldeiras, the divine sword that was already on the verge ofplete destruction, and said, ¡°Thank you, Caldeiras. This is thest¡­time. At the very least, we¡¯ll stay together until the very end.¡± Reina also felt immense guilt towards Caldeiras, whose ego had copsed due to her actions. The sword had sacrificed its own ego to awaken her consciousness and rationality after her spirit had broken downpletely from being kept prisoner by the demon race for years. After saying her short farewell, Reina burned the remaining embers of her life. Just when Nyx¡¯s hand, the hand that had prepared the unknown magic, was about to touch the boy, Reina squeezed out thest of her strength and thrusted Caldeiras straight at the First Lich¡¯s skull. At the same time, Nyx reached for Reina¡¯s chest. Reina was sure that her death would be inevitable once that hand made contact with her. There was not a single being from the rebel army that had survived that touch. Even the mediator had failed to maintain the bnce because of Nyx¡¯s overwhelming power. The boy should not die here. He should not receive any fatal wounds at this point. If the boy could not avoid it, then Reina would just kill herself to protect him. That was what she thought. However, Reina realized toote that the boy¡¯s reaction was faster than expected. Before Nyx could touch Reina, the boy had already held Reina by the waist and snatched Nyx¡¯s hand. As he pinched and broke the skeletal hand into pieces, Davey said firmly, ¡°Do not interfere with me.¡± Unlike the madness that the boy had shown earlier, the voice that spoke to Reina was cold and nonchnt. He sounded just like how he had been when first arriving here. ¡°Whether the bastard runs away or dies, I will be the one taking care of him. So, just watch over there,¡± the boy said coldly. As she was sent flying back, Reina groaned. ¡°Keuk?!¡± Just as she left Caldeiras behind and rolled on the floor, Reina saw the boy standing still. Reina wanted to be the one to stop the First Lich Nyx, but it was the boy who had stopped him. In the end, the one who was in the right was Davey and not Reina. This situation would end with Davey¡¯s death or the loss of the First Lich¡­ Despair shed in Reina¡¯s eyes. Up until the very end, the one who aplished nothing was her. Crackle¡­ Just as expected, a burst of purple me engulfed the boy¡¯s arm the moment Nyx touched him. That me would burn endlessly as it was an undying me. However, the boy just looked at his arm with a calm smile on his face. Then, he shook the mes off of his arm. Crackle!!! That was when Reina saw something very unexpected. The spark of death, the mes that no one could remove and extinguish, easily scattered and disappeared into nothingness. At the same time, the intangible and invisible barrier that covered the boy¡¯s arm broke apart. ¡°Do you have any idea how many times you have used that method when fighting against me?¡± The boy said with annoyance and not urgency or bitterness. *** Everything was futile. The magic that was cast toward Davey disappeared without even being able to show its might. Reina, who could not hide the disappointment in her lifeless eyes, and even Nyx, who had staged his final counterattack, were both rendered speechless. ¡°What¡­ What is this¡­?¡± ¡°What? This?¡± Davey asked. With a smile gracing his lips, he stepped on the remaining mes on the ground. The scene made Nyx¡¯s gaze tremble even more. Fwooosh¡­ As if on cue, the remaining bones in Nyx¡¯s body slowly began to disintegrate and disappear with the wind. That was only natural. After all, he was in a situation where his entire body had been overloaded after using an excessive amount of power. ¡ªDa¡­ Davey, are you alright? ¡®Hmm? Why? Did something happen?¡¯ Perserque, who was holding onto Davey¡¯s shoulder with a pale face, suddenly looked at him with an ugly expression on her face. Her usual gentle expression could not be found as she squinted at Davey. ¡ªDo you have no recollection¡­of what happened just now? Davey ignored Perserque as he whispered quietly to Nyx, ¡°This might be your first time seeing me.¡± ¡°What¡­ What the hell¡­are you going on about?!!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m already very familiar with you.¡± Davey had experienced almost 10,000 tries. If the First Lich in front of him had to resent someone, then he should resent thezy Sword God who was very much alive and well in spirit form. Crunch!!! Davey stomped on Nyx¡¯s skull. At the same time, the power that was raging and running rampant in the area slowly began to fade away. Davey still had some time left with hispletely synchronized body and soul, but he did not have any reason to brag about his own power. After all, there was no grand prize in sight. The dark sky and the red star, the symbol of First Lich Nyx, disappeared. All that was left was the sky and the setting sun. ¡°Apocalypse re. That¡¯s Nyx¡¯s inherent magic. It¡¯s pretty strong.¡± Davey could not even remember how many times he had been exposed to that power. He had suffered considerably trying to dig in countless times through that magic until he got a good grasp on its principles. By the end of it all, he was able to create his own method of dealing with that power. The most important part here was the changes in Davey¡¯s mind uponplete and perfect synchronization. [Davey. Put more than 70% of your holy mana in here. I will seal it to your soul.] [What the hell? Are you nuts? Why are you trying to seal it? Do you know how hard it was for me to gather this much holy mana¡­] [This m*therf*cking bastard, b*tch? Did you not hear what this noo-nim of yours said? How about putting it in here while I¡¯m still saying it nicely? Huh?] [Noo-nim? Hell would freeze over. You''re old enough to be called¡­] After that incident, Davey had to live with no sense of taste or smell for almost fifteen years. At first, Davey had asked the reason why Daphne had done what she did. However, after a hundred years, he realized why she had to do something like that. If one umted excessive amounts of power, they would experience side effects. Were the side effects that serious? Actually, it was not. However¡­ The problem was that whatever happened during the possession of his entire power would be a part of Davey¡¯s long and dark history. In fact, his crazy and dark history would continue if Reina did not step in the middle. ¡°Did you think Nyx would die if you did something like that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reina remained silent at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°True, if it was the Nyx that you knew, then he would die. From what I can tell, you came all the way here after seeing that one, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, he¡¯s still alive and running away, right?¡± Davey¡¯s words made Reina¡¯s eyes grow wide as she desperately struggled to get up. However, all he did was press her down on the ground again. ¡°I let him go,¡± Davey said as he reached inside his Pocket ne. In the first ce, Davey was not targeting Nyx¡¯s shell. He was aiming for Nyx¡¯s soul, the one that was fused with the power of the Abyss. Creak, creak, creak¡­ Not long after, a transcendental-ss item slowly took shape in Davey¡¯s hand and released a spark of light as it appeared in the world. This was one of the conditions that Goddess Freyja had allowed Davey to have for him to take this deal, the unsealing of a transcendental-ss item. It was the bow. A delicate and subtle light shone, emphasizing the vintage design of the longbow. It was seemingly showing off the weapon¡¯s greatness and majesty. Then, Davey took out another item from his Pocket ne. This item was none other than the item that he had taken from Surtr¡¯s second legacy, the very item created to eliminate Nyx¡¯s entire existence. It was a single arrow. Davey held the arrow that was emitting a bright light and gathered the mana that was running rampant in the area. Davey had let Nyx go because the result would not change whether he was here or not. Amidst the silence, Davey¡¯s eyes shed as he aimed his bow at the dark and empty space in front of him. Then, he slid a foot forward and supported the bow with his entire body before nocking the arrow on the bow. This was a very simple and crude bow shooting stance. However, he was not using an ordinary arrow at all. [Divine Bow Brionac] [Disdain Upon the Dead] [Inescapable Death] Thwaaaang!!! The arrow left the bow, leaving a devastating mess as it tore through the air and disappeared from sight. Perserque looked confused when the arrow, which was created solely to kill Nyx, disappeared from sight. However, Davey did not care about it anymore and just threw Divine Bow Brionac back into his Pocket ne. Then, a spatial crack appeared in front of Davey, releasing demonic energy that waspletely different from dark mana. It had seemingly appeared to protect Nyx. The dark crack which contained something unknown gradually grew in size until it created a huge circr distortion. Davey watched the crack in silence until a voice rang from deep inside. [Ah¡­ Aaaah¡­ My¡­King. Half¡­of my¡­dark soul¡­] The voice sounded unintelligible, but it seemed to signal the spatial crack to grow bigger. Then, suddenly, ck tentacles began to appear from within the darkness. In just an instant, the tentacles wrapped around Perserque, who quickly grabbed onto Davey¡¯s earlobes. ¡ªKyaack?! What¡­ What is this?! The slippery tentacles, which looked strangely simr to an octopus¡¯ tentacles, wrapped tightly onto Perserque. They began to drag her back into the spatial crack. Davey did not know what kind of power it was, but for the first time, Perserque, who could only be seen by Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, had materialized in the outside world. Perserque cried in a panic, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to!!! I don¡¯t want this!!!¡± She struggled fiercely,pletely forgetting her dignity and face. However, it seemed like she had grown too weak. She could not even resist a bunch of tentacles. [Wo¡­ Our¡­ Mother¡­] The dark and gloomy voice resounded in the darkness once again. Perhaps it was because Perserque¡¯s demonic energy was already weak to begin with, or perhaps it was simply impossible to use force to break out, the ck tentacles continued to drag her entire body into the spatial crack without giving her a break. Davey¡¯s eyes grew wide when he saw Perserque easily get dragged by the power that hade from the other side of the coin. This was a power that rejected even thews of the dead and did what it pleased. ¡®Hey! That¡¯s pretty useful!¡¯ Perserque, who was now used to Davey¡¯s rxed and easygoing attitude after sticking so close to him for so long, seemed to have realized something. She freaked out even more. ¡ªYou freaking bastard! ¡®Goodness.¡¯ Perserque frowned as she looked at Davey¡¯s expression, seemingly reading his mind. That was when Davey, who was smiling eerily, grabbed the space-distorting crack with his bare hands. Looking at that smile of his, Perserque¡¯s face turned even more pale and tears started to gather in her eyes. Davey thought that the octopus tentacles were just the perfect thing to use to bully someone. On top of that, the fact that it could materialize the body of someone who had died was also very attractive to him. ¡°Hey, you, over there. You look good, huh?¡± Davey ignored Perserque¡¯s expression as he continued to grab the spatial crack with his bare hands. He did not care about what Goddess Freyja thought about the bnce of this world. That was none of his business. He was prepared to rip everything away from this crack as long as it could help him in his grand and majestic goal in life! ¡°Let¡¯s help our dear Demon Lord to nurture her body a bit. Don¡¯t use this alone, share a bit with me.¡± ¡®Give me a bit of that. A single tentacle won¡¯t kill you, right?¡¯ For a moment, Davey felt like the bunch of tentacles that were dragging Perserque suddenly flinched. But that did not matter to him. Chapter 283 The spatial crack that gave power to Nyx came from the other side of the world. No matter how much that power could breakmon sense and reject the rules of this world, as long as both sides existed, they would need a passage to send something this way. This was probably why Goddess Freyja had sent the jewel to Davey. Although he had a limited time to use it, he still had sufficient use for it. Crack, crack, crack!!! Whatever bastard it was on the other side, they appeared to be flustered by Davey¡¯s action of grabbing Perserque to prevent them from dragging her back and sucking out some of their power too. Dozens of tentacles quickly shot out, wrapping around Davey¡¯s neck and arms to resist his pull. However, Davey ignored their resistance and continued to rip the spatial crack even further apart. Although the spatial crack couldn¡¯t be ripped apart by brute force alone, he did not care. Of course, the opponent put up a fierce resistance. A gloomy and unidentified voice began to confuse Davey as something eerie began crawling up and infiltrating his body through the scratches on his skin. ¡®That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you that you should share some of the good stuff with me. It¡¯s good to share nice stuff with each other, you know?¡¯ ¡°Ah, these rascals! Why do you have to be so cold-hearted?!¡± Stab!!! Davey stuck his entire hand into the spatial crack. His fingers were all covered with a crackling blue me. [9th Circle] [Hellfire] [Multiyered Detention] Hellfire magic was a magic used by me Mages found in ancient legends and fairy tales. This powerful magic could summon the mes of hell and destroy an entire city with just a single chant. A singleplicated 9th Circle magic was already hard to deal with, but there were now five of them to deal with. Striking the spatial crack with five Hellfires, Davey had no way of escaping from the side effects. The more power he used, the more severe the side effects he would suffer from. Knowing that, Davey could not help but feel impatient. There was nothing that he hated more than adding to his long list of dark history. In fact, this felt worse than being stabbed to death. ¡®Goddamn it. This side effect is so dirty.¡¯ Fwooosh!!! Unable to shake the bastards off with Hellfires alone, Davey ended up using a lot more mana than necessary. nk, nk, nk!!! ck chains suddenly popped up to bind Davey as a voice murmured in his ears. [If you give up now, there will be no bloodshed.] As long as there was enough mana, Davey could cast magic at the 9th Circle Realization stage. Why? Those words were manifesting power that was in ordance with the powers of this world. They were words quite simr to draconguage, anguage used by the dragons. However, in terms of quality, it was quite different from what the lizards used. Crack¡­ Crack, crack!!! The side effects started to manifest within Davey. However, [Language] of the 9th Circle Realization stage could only be manifested if there was an equivalent exchange. In terms of contracts, the price that Party B had to pay would definitely give excessive profits to Party A. This was how the realm of the transcendentals worked. Rip¡­ Rip!!! After tearing off as many tentacles as he could, Davey immediately created a blue mana sphere. To be exact, it was a ticking time bomb in his hands. It would be a very simple magic roasting, but Davey was sure that the other side would definitely be flustered and panicked by this. [9th Circle] [Atomic Explosion] Davey immediately threw the sphere into the depths of the spatial crack, which was already starting to close. He shouted, ¡°Get that! It¡¯s a bomb!¡± Fwiiiiish! Davey also did not forget to hold onto the edge of the spatial crack with his hands. He held onto it tightly, preventing the spatial crack from spitting out the attack that he had sent. Boom!!! A loud boom erupted from within the spatial crack as it closedpletely, its inner space twisting and turning. But why would Davey care? It was none of his business. ¡ªHaa¡­haa¡­ Perserque gasped with tears falling from her eyes. She yanked away the tentacles that wrapped all around her recklessly. Looking at Perserque¡¯s pale and horrified face, Davey wondered if she was still the same woman whom he knew from before. ¡ªDavey¡­ ¡°I got something good. Since I¡¯m done with my business, let¡¯s go.¡± Perserque trembled as she threw a horrified look at where the spatial crack had been. Then, she flew up to Davey¡¯s shoulder and copsed. All she could do was hug Davey¡¯s neck tightly with her head bowed down. ¡°Wh¡­ere¡­?¡± At that moment, Davey heard a desperate voice as he stepped forward. The voice belonged to none other than Reina. ¡°Where am I going? I¡¯m going back. Do you know how much time I have wasted on something so useless?¡± ¡°Ny¡­x¡­ Nyx is not yet¡­¡± Reina had only seen the copse of First Lich Nyx¡¯s physical body. She did not see Davey finishing him off. When Davey flicked his finger, she finally saw Nyx¡¯s soul floating from his body in silence. ¡°Unbelievable¡­ Are you really a human being?¡± Nyx said incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey¡¯s expression remained unchanged as he watched the soul float in the air. ¡°Although we are enemies, I admit that you are very powerful. For that, you have my respect. However, I am the No Life King, the First Lich and one of the Lord¡¯s confidants.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°With your power, you could definitely have hit me hard. But if you let me go, then you will regret this someday,¡± said Nyx as he could resume whatever activity he had in mind upon getting revived. Davey shook his head. ¡°Did you forget about that?¡± Nyx¡¯s gaze trembled. ¡°What¡­?¡± Davey nodded before pointing in a certain direction. ¡°Hmm?¡± Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! ¡°Keheok?!¡± The air rippled as Divine Arrow Brionac, the arrow that Davey had previously released, came back and tore through space. It carried a mysterious light, piercing through Nyx¡¯s soul. The arrow, which could traverse through space, was of course able to pierce through the First Lich¡¯s soul which was already crossing through space. ¡°Surtr made that arrow before he died. That arrow¡¯s sole purpose is to destroy youpletely. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to survive that.¡± A lot of conditions had to be met before Divine Arrow Brionac could be used. However, Apollo¡¯s Divine Bow was a transcendental-level weapon that could use any arrow in existence. ¡°Kghk¡­ Kghhhhk!¡± Nyx groaned with a trembling gaze. His soul, which had already separated from his physical body, was being dragged back to his body. As it started to disintegrate, he yelled, ¡°This¡­ This is impossible! There shouldn¡¯t be something like thi¡­!¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible in this world. If one thing does not exist, then I¡¯ll make sure to create it.¡± ¡°Keuhaaaaaaack!¡± Shwaaaaaaaa¡ª Davey held Reina in his arms, leaving behind the screaming Nyx whose body and soulpletely disappeared into nothingness. As they approached the other three people who were being protected by Eim, Davey asked, ¡°What about your lingering feelings?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the first ce, you had no way of feeling lighter and better even if you were the one to kill Nyx,¡± said Davey jokingly. Reina covered her face with her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t look¡­at me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡­look hideous¡­ No one¡­wants to look¡­at something like this,¡± Reina said hoarsely as she desperately tried to squeeze out whatever words she could out of her mouth. ¡°Rinne, what about your side?¡± ¡°Rinne has sessfully dealt with the high-ranking vampire. However, a high-ranking demon escaped during battle. Rinne has a very high evaluation toward the extremely powerful opponents this time,¡± Rinne said as she pped her wings andnded before Davey. Aside from her usual clothes having been turned to rags, Rinne had a bleeding woman hanging from her shoulders. This woman was none other than Grand Duchess Kathryn. In fact, the only thing that Rinne had done was to protect Grand Duchess Kathryn, who had fought alone against two powerful enemies. But looking at Rinne¡¯s torn clothes, it seemed like the enemies were very strong indeed. ¡°So, you still have some lingering feelings. Tch,¡± said Davey as he clicked his tongue and pondered about the next course of action. Should he do the treatment here? Or should he prioritize taking them back home first? Boom!!! In an instant, a magic circle muchrger than one of mere warp magic sprung beneath Davey¡¯s feet. It started to twist the entire space. Reina, who had been covering most of her face peeked through the gaps of her fingers when she felt the sudden surge of power around her. With great difficulty, she asked, ¡°What the hell¡­are you?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re curious, then give me 500 gold,¡± Davey said jokingly. Reina shut her eyes as if she had lost her spirit and remained silent. *** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The woman groaned faintly as she opened her eyes. The scene that greeted her was a bright but boring ceiling that calmed her down. The first thought that shed across the woman¡¯s head was a question, a question of whether she was alive or dead. She muttered, ¡°This ce¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ So, you¡¯re awake?¡± Reina heard the soft voice drifting toward her ears. She obviously should have died and not still be alive. She was sure that all of her organs had failed to withstand the impact of the opponent¡¯s force and had already stopped working. Although Reina¡¯s body had recovered to some extent thanks to Water Spirit King Eim¡¯s power and some strange drug, she had burned whatever she had recovered to try and force Nyx¡¯s body to copse. Back then, she was sure that she only had a few hours left to live. So, how did she open her eyes to the warm light pouring out of the window? In a daze, Reina turned only to see a girl looking at her with a worried expression. The girl was dressed in a sophisticated maid¡¯s uniform that had an elegant design, which was usually found in houses of nobility. She was also obviously a member of the rabbitfolk. At that moment, Reina thought that she had seen the girl¡¯s face somewhere. After pondering deeply, she remembered where she had seen the rabbitfolk girl before and her eyes grew wide in shock. This rabbitfolk girl had supposedly been sold as a ve in the illegal ck market that had been set up in the Boltis Kingdom. To be exact, she was the same girl who the strange masked man had taken away. Why was that girl here? Feeling confused, Reina realized toote that her vision was far too bright. Whenever she wore her steel mask, her vision had always been half ck and half white. But now¡­ ¡°Ha!¡± Reina shouted as she quickly raised her hands to cover her face. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ What¡¯s wrong?!¡± ¡°Please¡­ Please don¡¯t look at me,¡± Reina spat out in despair. ¡°My face is hideous¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ What do you mean by hideous?! You¡¯re really pretty!¡± Reina paused. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Please stop that and put your hands away. It¡¯s time to take your medicine. My Lord said that you should wake up around this time.¡± Reina wondered just who the little rabbitfolk girl was referring to as ¡®My Lord¡¯. Before she could even ask why the girl had such a happy look on her face despite having been taken in as a ve, the rabbitfolk girl helped Reina to sit up in bed. Fwoosh¡ª Reina¡¯s hair draped down her shoulders. It was no longer the dull and lifeless white hair that she had before. For some reason, her hair was now glossy and shiny. ¡°Ah¡­?¡± ¡°I have¡­ I have never seen anyone as beautiful as you! You¡¯re the Warrior, right? Warrior Reina?¡± ¡°¡­What the hell happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. My Lord just told me to let you take your medicine once you woke up. Then, I should go and bring you out¡­¡± Reina was not even given enough time to decipher the situation that she was in. With the rabbitfolk girl¡¯s help, she stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t have any difficulties moving your body.¡± ¡°Tha¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°Still, let me help you.¡± Reina, still feeling dazed, followed the rabbitfolk girl. As she walked and looked out the windows of the hallway, she saw a boy standing in the middle of a huge garden and operating a huge magic circle. There was no way that Reina could forget that boy, who was far more powerful than she had imagined. She had to wonder if he was even a human being or not. She even thought that the boy was Goddess Freyja descending on the ground in the disguise of a human being. Reina, who continued to move as if she was possessed, soon reached the garden where the boy was. ¡°Hmmm. If we improve this a bit more¡­ We can use it.¡± Reina did not know who the boy was talking to, but he sure looked very happy. ¡°What? Cut the crap. Do you know how hard I worked to get this? But you keep on telling me to throw it away?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you keep on running away, I won¡¯t be able to activate the cell and make it grow,¡± the boy grumbled as he halted his steps for a moment. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± The boy said to Reina and not the empty space in front of him. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Reina with a grin, the boy had an amiable expression on his face. He approached the silent woman and said, ¡°A promise is a promise. Since I told you that I will let you do everything that you want, then you can just tell me what it is and I¡¯ll make ite true. If things copse at this point, then that Goddess will take everything away from me.¡± There was both warmth and consideration to be found in the boy¡¯s words, but his next few sentences made the surroundings feel cold. ¡°I¡¯m saying this as a doctor, but you have already lost yourst chance at recovery. Your life span¡­ There¡¯s really not much time left for you.¡± ¡°How much longer¡­do I have left?¡± ¡°A week. Since you¡¯re not from this world, I cannot fix or treat what¡¯s wrong with you in the first ce.¡± The restoration of Reina¡¯s outward appearance was just a service from this dimension. Since she was a traveler not from this world, her case was considered to be abnormal. Davey was, in fact, more worried about Reina¡¯s wishes. He felt strangely choked up by her wishes. Did she truly only wish to solve everything by herself and die alone? Meanwhile, Reina remained silent at Davey¡¯s calm remarks. Chapter 284: The Wishes of the One who has Lingering Feelings ¡°A week¡­¡± After seeing Reina grow silent, Davey turned to his magic circle once again and said, ¡°If you haven¡¯t done something so useless, you would have lived for another year.¡± In front of Davey was a small table with a lump of mysterious flesh lying on top of it. The flesh was none other than a piece of the bastard that Davey had struck from the other side of the world also known as the Abyss. Despite being separated from their main body, the piece of flesh still moved constantly in search of Perserque. Also, as if on instinct, it was showing hostility to Davey, who was blocking its path to its target. ¡®This punk? You don¡¯t even have a main body yet you dare show me such an attitude? What a stubborn chunk of flesh, huh?¡¯ Under the influence of Davey¡¯s power, the flesh began contracting as if it was being crushed. Davey¡¯s entire power had disappeared along with the power of the jewel. However, as an after-effect of aplete awakening, the mana in Davey¡¯s current body had drastically increased. As of now, Davey could use the 9th Circle of elemental magic. As for dark magic, he could use its 9th Circle around once or twice. How about establishing a circle? The moment Davey established his first circle, the most difficult circle to establish, he could easily summon the other circles without any issues. Davey needed something from the bastard on the other side of the world. What he needed the most was their power to materialize Perserque; nothing more, nothing less. Perserque¡¯s soul was not an ordinary one. She had the soul of the Demon Lord. In fact, she was in her soul form now. With their power, it would not be impossible for Davey to materialize Perserque in this world. However, it would still be a bit tricky. For some reason, there was a seed that connected Perserque to the Abyss. Although those with power that broke themon sense of this world would have no idea about this, the seed connecting Perserque to the Abyss could actually materialize her in this world. And it was not just on a simple materialization level where she could only be visible to the world. Just by touching this piece of torn flesh, Perserque¡¯s figure would materialize in this world. However, that was not enough. Davey had ripped off this piece of flesh from his enemy. He could not just use it on Perserque without verifying how dangerous it was. From what he could see, he still needed a lot more time to dig deeper into what it could and could not do. But even so¡­ ¡ªI absolutely hate it, Davey. Perserque firmly resisted, nervously stepping away from the fleshy tentacle. ¡ªIt¡¯s creepy! I feel like my skin is crawling whenever it touches me! I absolutely don¡¯t want to do that! ¡®You¡­ You have such a weak stomach, huh?¡¯ ¡ªPervert!!! Perserque had never flinched or lost herposure when Davey tied her up with his Mana Stem before. ¡ªYou know that this is a different situation! You should¡¯ve known that I would feel disgusted physiologically! The Mana Stem was simply a rope made of mana. As for this fleshy tentacle¡­it was quite a different thing. ¡®But it¡¯s just going to be a simple bracelet.¡¯ ¡ªDavey. As long as that thing keeps on moving, I will absolutely not get near that. If you force me to touch that¡­ Perserque even made a decision to threaten Davey in her own way. ¡ªI¡¯ll stick my arm in your ear and make sure to shake everything inside. ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Seeing Davey smile, the woman who stood near him with a nk expression, suddenly asked, ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± ¡°Curious?¡± Davey asked as he snatched Perserque, who was hiding nervously behind him. ¡ªWh-What?! Thwack! Then, Davey immediately brought some of the unidentified flesh that he had ripped from the Abyss to Perserque¡¯s cheek. ¡ªHuh? Usually, the things that Perserque did not intend to touch would simply pass right through her soul form. Vwoooooong!!! However, this was not the case. The shameful figure of the former Demon Lord, the one who had thrown away her dignity, immediately appeared to the world. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡ªKyaaaaaaaack!!! You crazy bastard, what are you doing?! Perserque, losing her usual gentle and soft expression, pped Davey on his cheeks without any mercy. She waspletely pale. Because of that, the piece of flesh fell from her cheek andnded on Davey¡¯s hands once again. Of course, her body, which had materialized, also disappeared once again. ¡°Did you see?¡± ¡°That woman¡­in front of you just now¡­¡± Reina asked tersely, ¡°I did not understand at first¡­ But was it you?¡± ¡°Did you realize it?¡± ¡°I will never forget that face. That¡¯s Demon Lord Perserque, the Queen of all of the demons that started the continental war!!!¡± Reina shouted furiously as a de of aura appeared in her hands. ¡°Answer me, what kind of situation is this?!¡± Davey snatched Perserque once again. ¡ªI¡­ I don¡¯t want to! Let go of me!!! Davey! Let go of me right now! Davey ced the piece of flesh on the struggling Perserque¡¯s wrist for a moment. As he materialized her once again, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you see that she¡¯s a different person from the one that you know?¡± ¡ª¡­ ¡°This is not the world that you lived in. If someone took a different action in this world, that action wouldpletely change the future of this world. In the world that you lived in, Perserque had be a helpless Demon Lord who had been manipted by others. In your world, she had done whatever they had wanted her to.¡± Unlike what had been mentioned in the legends and myths, the Demon Lord Perserque of this world was a woman who loved peace. She was someone who promoted and emphasized the importance of life. In fact, this was one of the most important theories that the mages studied. But in this regard, the priests who entrusted everything to the Goddess¡¯ will and the mages who pursued the truth through their learnings were atplete odds. Of course, Davey was fully aware that even if the flow of fate changed because God had made contact with it, the general framework would eventually stay the same. ¡°What¡­does that have to do with the situation right now?¡± ¡°If you want me to tell you the results, then yes, Nyx has beenpletely destroyed. And Demon Lord Perserque, the one who you are concerned about, would not be resurrected in this world the way you thought it would go.¡± ¡°Fate is not so sim¡­¡± ¡°I made it so. I¡¯m someone who does what I want to do.¡± Davey was a creator or designer. If there was a future that would be unfavorable to his position, then Davey would not hesitate to change it and modify it until it was to his taste. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone what happened to you and your world. That¡¯s the penalty that you¡¯ve received, no?¡± When Reina fell silent, Davey walked away and also ignored Perserque, who pulled his cheeks and ears. Then, he asked, ¡°Let me ask you a question. Why would I know something like that?¡± Davey was notpletely included in the flow of fate that Reina was worried about. If there were plenty of parallel worlds, worlds that were simr to the world that she hade from, then Davey was sure that he would not exist in those worlds. The curse that Rho Aias had ced upon Davey worked with such a system. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of world you¡¯ve lived in, but this is what it''s like here. At the very least, Illyna de Pan and Davey O¡¯Rowane are acquainted with each other in this world. That¡¯s why I asked you why you had that sword when we had met each other for the first time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To be exact, I was the one who awakened Caldeiras before Illyna could even do so.¡± Did Reina think Davey would not recognize the sword just because it had changed forms? ¡°¡­¡± Reina asked cautiously, ¡°The masked man that we met in the Boltis Kingdom¡­was you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, what were you doing there¡­?¡± ¡°I went there to save my people. What, you haveints about that?¡± Reina remained silent, as if she had been rendered speechless. ¡°Why do you think Goddess Freyja had sent you here?¡± Reina froze before saying, ¡°To¡­ stop Nyx¡¯s unsealing¡­¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯s even possible? The enemy in this world is far more dangerous and powerful than the world that you lived in.¡± The world that Reina had lived in had been on easy mode. As for this world¡­ It was in Ultra Nightmare mode. ¡ªDon¡¯t be ridiculous! That¡¯s just like saying that you¡¯re an editor or something! ¡®You¡¯re noisy.¡¯ How ridiculous did Reina think the Goddess was for her toe to such a conclusion? ¡°However, if it wasn¡¯t for my existence, you would not have even thought of Nyx¡¯s unsealing! If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just all part of the process. At the very least, Goddess Freyja did not send you here to do something that you can¡¯t handle. In the first ce, if the bastard¡¯s seal had truly been a problem, everything would have been over with just a single revtion from her. Your appearance is not needed at all.¡± If it had just been about dealing with the awakening First Lich Nyx, who had been slumbering in the Ind of Tranquility, then it should have ended with that. However, Goddess Freyja had made a deal with Davey and had even brought Reina to this world. ¡°Then¡­it¡¯s because the Goddess wants to give me a second chance¡­¡± ¡°Just forget about that one. Live the life that you have lost unfairly.¡± In fact, Goddess Freyja hadn¡¯t brought Reina here as a Warrior. It had been Reina¡¯s choice to use the position of the Warrior. Since Goddess Freyja had already shown favoritism toward Saintess Candidate Alice, then she could also give her favor to Reina. That was the only reason that Davey could think of. ¡ªDaveeeeeeeeeeey!!! ¡®Noisy.¡¯ ¡°Everything happened because of your stupid choice.¡± ¡°You keep on speaking informally to me¡­ Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m a part of the Imperial Family? How old are you?¡± ¡°Seventeen.¡± ¡°I am ten years older than you. You¡¯re speaking to me as if I am a mere child. This is awkward.¡± ¡°Considering the period of your transformation, it seems like none of your previous appearance has been preserved.¡± ¡°My appearance has been a curse to me. You are clueless about the humiliation and disgrace that I have suffered because of this face I have.¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know? I have seen your life.¡± Although he actually had no intention of doing so, Nyx had been revived from the collusion of the demon race and the vampires. Then, he had started a continental war using his magic and his monsters. With his revival, the war against the humans had elerated rapidly with countless nations disappearing. The continent had been engulfed in tears and blood. Even the countless strong and armed men hoping to protect the humans had copsed with grievous injuries. Betrayed by the alliance of humans, the Pan Empire had been struck down. This had forced Illyna to be the demons¡¯ prisoner of war. That was when her hell had begun. First noticed by Nyx, the Demon Vanguards¡¯ Commander, she had been subjected to countless of his experiments. ¡°Was it the Unrivaled Angel Project?¡± ¡°How¡­do you know something like that¡­?¡± ¡°I know about something simr. I have done a few experiments of my own.¡± ¡°¡­Unrivaled Angel Project. It was a project that the demon race had started to create the most faithful and loyal servant to Demon Lord Perserque. The one who started the experiment was Astaroth, a Grand Duke and the Second-in-Command in the demon race.¡± Astaroth was the one who had an ability simr to that of an adapting animal. Due to that ability, Davey could now pull out teeth with ease after having had a long time to practice. The ck wings that appeared on Reina¡¯s back when she had fought against Nyx was due to the changes that the project had done on her body. As of right now, she was so experimented on that she could no longer be considered human. ¡°The side effects were also terrible. I couldn¡¯t sleep for years because of the terrible pain. And in the darkness of the underground prison, both the wings and the madness in my mind kept on ring up!¡± Davey had seen Reina¡¯s memories where her entire body twisted as she scratched the walls and screamed until her throat went raw. And that was not all. Her appearance had remained beautiful despite her exhaustion and madness, but¡­ The demon race had a simr appearance to humans, so this made her an even more valuable prisoner for the demons. Unlike male prisoners of war, the female ones often lived a more miserable life. ¡°Do not show me the light. I am a woman whose spirit and body have been broken. I am not the Illyna de Pan that you know. I am no longer that clean and pure girl. In the first ce, I have abandoned that name for a long time now. I am someone unworthy of your attention¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± Social constructs and customs varied from one world to another. The perspective of the people of this world varied greatly from the perspective of the people from modern Earth. A victim like Reina, who had experienced something like that, would not view the world in a beautiful light. Of course, that was none of Davey¡¯s business either. ¡°You¡¯re no longer Illyna just because you¡¯ve experienced something bad?¡± Reina was just a name that she used to refer to herself. However, her real name was Illyna de Pan. The Illyna de Pn who had lived through a dark life filled with countless hardships for all 28 years. Falling silent, Reina appeared to be choked up by the words Davey had uttered. She balled her hands into fists. ¡°And your face?¡± Unlike her body, Reina¡¯s face was covered in grotesque scars. It was as if someone had shed her with a heated knife. ¡°When I ran away from Nyx, I only had a piece of clothing and my bare body. I sustained these injuries during that time. Ha¡­ It¡¯s a relief that the mask that Nyx had made for me to control my madness was able to hide my hideous face,¡± Reina said with a crestfallen expression. She then asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°The First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom and the Seigneur of the Heins Territory.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I want to hear!¡± Reina shouted. Running toward Davey and grabbing him by the cor, she questioned him desperately, ¡°Your true [self]¡­¡± What did she want to say? Her face, which had been cleaned up after the treatment, expressed a strange anxiety and longing for something. ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Davey muttered briefly as he shook away Reina¡¯s grip and walked by her. Hemented, ¡°Once it gets dark, I¡¯ll be taking you somewhere good. So, make sure to leave that time free.¡± The night sky was dark, but the countless stars littering the nk canvas above made it such a beautiful sight. Unfortunately, the Heins Territory was not in the northern hemisphere, so they would not be able to see that level of beauty when it came to stargazing. However, the scenery was still beautifulpared to the scenery on Earth. The Heins Territory had not yet been fully developed. Only a part of it had been developed. Although most of thend remained bare, it wasrge enough to be a fiefdom. And since its size was considerable, it was a bit risky to develop it without any thought. The citizens of the territory had increased to 10,000, sond and housing prices had increased. But since they had expected this to happen, they had already established policies to counter fraudulent increases. Davey, who came out with Reina alone, silently walked along the bustling streets of the Heins Territory. ¡°H¡­ Hey. What are you thinking of doing¡­?¡± Reina mumbled as she followed Davey. Her eyes darted around nervously. It was as if she was feeling bare and naked without the mask on her face. ¡°I told you. There¡¯s something I n to show you.¡± Reina looked around uneasily. She hadn¡¯t even had a good rest. She had been nervous since the beginning, wondering where the enemy was going to pop out next. Perhaps her unfamiliarity with this rxed and peaceful environment made her quite uneasy. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. No one here wille to eat you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Startled by what Davey had said, Reina continued to follow him in silence. Not long after, Davey stopped walking to take in the sight of the active night market. Then, he said quietly, ¡°Boss. How much for one?¡± ¡°Oh? Wise, Wise Teacher! You¡­ You came again?¡± The dwarf who was manning the stall looked happy to see Davey. When his eyes drifted to Reina, his eyes widened. ¡°A human¡¯s growth is truly amazing. You were just a youngdy when you came here before.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a different person. How much for one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same as usual. As a special service, I¡¯ll give you a buy one get one free deal today,¡± the dwarf said with augh as he held out a chicken skewer to Davey. Then, the dwarf leaned forward and whispered to Davey, ¡°This is stronger than the ultra violence that you previously tried. How about it? Want to try?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take one then. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Fufufufu. Excellent choice.¡± Reina still had no idea of what was going on. Davey thought that it was necessary to show her the spiciness of this dish. In fact, Reina did not know how her body had changed. And it seemed like she also did not want what she wanted yet. As they moved to try the dish, Davey could see that the deal with Goddess Freyja had not yet been fulfilled. This meant that the Pitiful¡¯s Salvation was not yet over. Chapter 285 With just one look at the street food that was covered in zing red sauce in front of them, anyone could tell that it was very spicy. ¡°Can you handle spicy food?¡± Davey asked, prompting the dazed Reina to approach him. Reina¡¯s eyes narrowed to a slit when she saw the food that Davey handed over to her. She muttered, ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°What do you think? This ce is famous for its vor, want to try some?¡± ¡°The¡­Lord knows something like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯re my family.¡± With a gaze expressing slight trepidation, Reina¡¯s nose twitched as she sniffed the skewer. The one that Davey had previously tried with Illyna was far less fragrant and stimting in terms of smell. As for this one in front of Reina, its smell was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. Reina, in fact, looked more concerned about something other than the spicy fragrance that lingered in her nose. ¡°Because of the experiments, I have lost my sense of taste. It has been years since Ist tasted anything. In other words, I cannot taste anything. Well, are you trying to raise my hackles by making me eat something spicy?¡± ¡°If I were you, I would take it easy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but even if it¡¯s spicy, I won¡¯t be able to taste anything. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to get at, but at the very least I will not forget to show you my gratitude for saving our party,¡± Reina said as she looked up at Davey. Taking a casual bite of the skewer, she kept her calm expression. She appeared to have no problems at all. However, Davey simply raised three fingers and folded them one by one in a countdown. By the time he folded the third finger¡­ ¡°Ah? Urgh!!!¡± Reina¡¯s confident expression instantly crumpled as she copsed onto the ground. ¡°Ughh!!!¡± The more Davey looked at Reina¡¯s ugly expression, teary face, and crumpled figure, the more he saw the figure of the girl she had been. Just like the girl who Davey was very much acquainted with, Reina also tried to not let out a scream or make her suffering obvious. However¡­ ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaah¡­ Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± Unable to endure any longer, Reinapletely threw her face out of the window as she grabbed the fruit juice that Davey handed over to her and gulped it down as fast as she could. Only after doing that did she breathe a sigh of relief, her expression finally easing on her reddened face. Of course, she did not forget to re at Davey. Whether it was her younger self in this world or her current self from another world, she remained proud and egoistical. ¡°Bahahahahaha!¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re terrible. You have screwed over both women, the present her and even the future her. Reina looked up at theughing Davey with an even sharper re. Her expression had a distinct coldness, but it was slightly different from the usual expression that Davey had seen from her so far. ¡°Now, you look like a human.¡± Reina gritted her teeth. Normally, someone who ate something that spicy would immediately spit out and throw away the skewer. However, she did her best to chew it and swallow the mouthful that she had in her mouth. Pushing the skewer back to Davey, she demanded, ¡°Please eat it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Do you think this is edible for humans?!¡± ¡°Cough! Lady, even if you did not like it, for you to speak about it like that¡­ Well, it¡¯s your loss,¡± said the dwarf with a cough. Startled by the dwarf, Reina lowered her head in shame. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I didn''t mean it like that¡­¡± ¡°Bahahahahaha! Well, I believe this situation is simr to thest one.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Stop talking and eat!¡± Daveyughed as he reached for the skewer. ¡°It does not really have an effect on me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll¡­ You¡¯ll regret it,¡± Reina mumbled, unconsciously having a proud and confident expression sh across her face. ¡ªI think a gentle approach will have a greater effect? ¡®Let¡¯s raise her hackles a bit more.¡¯ ¡°Is that so?¡± [Pain Reduction] [Olfactory Dy] ¡ªThis is no different from when you cheated on that child, Illyna, before. It did not matter to Davey. It was their fault for getting deceived. Reina watched Davey chew and swallow casually. She expected that the spiciness would re out soon and bring Davey to his knees. She wanted to see his eyes and nose bing runny. However¡­ ¡°Are you human?! Why the hell¡­ Why are you acting all normal?!¡± That was a perfectly normal question. Davey just ate everything up before shaking the now empty skewer in front of Reina and saying, ¡°It seems like your cat¡¯s tongue is still the same as ever.¡± ¡°Eeeeek!¡± Davey ruffled Reina¡¯s hair furiously as he walked by her and moved on. He said, ¡°Follow me. We¡¯re going somewhere else.¡± ¡°H-Hey!¡± Reina did not notice that, ever since visiting the dwarf vendor, she had been entirely focused on Davey. She was no longer wary of her surroundings. A human should live like a human, even if they were at the end of the road. Seeing Reina¡¯s slight smile on her face, Davey began to walk to their next destination. *** Inside a loud and boisterous pub that was crowded with excited residents and mercenaries passing by the territory, the atmosphere was incredibly lively. ¡°This ce¡­¡± ¡°You should know this ce very well, right?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like noisy ces very much. I don¡¯t even like alcohol.¡± ¡°But I think you used to like it very much.¡± ¡°It has be more of a trauma. Those demon bastards also like drinking.¡± Illyna obviously liked lively ces, since she enjoyed listening to people talk with bright expressions on their faces. However, Reina was different. In the first ce, there was no suchw that stipted that she had to be the same as her younger self from ten years ago. It was only natural that she had changed. ¡°Wee! What can I get you?¡± ¡°Two barley beers. Also, some appropriate grub.¡± The pub owner chuckled and nodded as Davey took out some silver with practiced ease. ¡°I hope you have a good time, My Lord.¡± ¡°Quick-witted bastards.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha! If someone does not recognize Your Highness, then they¡¯re not a permanent resident of the Heins Territory but a spy. Those who don¡¯t recognize you due to a slight change in your appearance are most definitely outsiders.¡± ¡°How are things going these days?¡± ¡°After Your Highness¡¯ men knocked everything over, those gang bastards have disappeared. The ones who remained usually tend to keep to themselves,¡± the pub owner said, chuckling. ¡°That¡¯s that. Please bring us our drinks. And if I catch you putting in something likest time, I will definitely break your wrists this time.¡± ¡°Eyy. Your Highness, that herb is our family¡¯s heirloom. It has been passed down¡­¡± ¡°Shh. That¡¯s for you to consume, then.¡± ¡°Tch¡­ Fine, I understand.¡± Davey had worn a proper disguise so that he would not stand out. He now decided that he was going topletely change his appearance next time. However, there was no reason for him to go that far since he was just going out and roaming around the territory. ¡°Youe here often?¡± Reina asked carefully. Davey was definitely the Lord of this entire territory. However, it was very surprising for Reina to know that the Lord was used to drinking in such an ordinary pub. ¡°What does it look like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t think it looks bad¡­¡± Reina was unable to speak any further. Not long after, Davey handed over one of the barley beers that the pub owner had delivered to their table. He urged, ¡°It tastes fine. Have a drink.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°Think of this as the medical fee for you and your party. Drink up. If you don¡¯t drink, I will charge your party the medical fee. You have to remember that there¡¯s no such thing as medical insurance in this world, it will be very expensive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reina appeared discontent as she picked up the ss of alcohol, drinking everything in one shot. ¡°Goodness. So, you drink well. Here! Have another drink,¡± Davey said, pushing another ss of beer towards her. ¡°¡­What do you n to do by making me drink alcohol?¡± ¡°Stop thinking about useless things and take this.¡± ¡°Wa¡­ Wait a moment! Just now¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know!¡± Davey shouted, his temper ring up. Reina drank another ss, then said, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s delicious. Is this really beer?¡± One ss, two sses, three sses¡­ Reina continued to drink. It seemed like she was a bit wary of Davey¡¯s reasons for passing her drink after drink, but she did not drink everything in one shot anymore. However, what could she do? It was already toote. This was the pub that Davey always visited whenever he patrolled the territory, and the owner here usually sold the alcohol that he had mentioned before. Although the drink was called barley beer by the people, the owner¡¯s alcohol was very notorious for tasting too good. It was a drink that one would continue to drink without even realizing that they were already drunk. *** ck! Reina, who had be heavily drunk, red sharply at the empty ss in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s empty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Give me more!¡± ¡°No more.¡± ¡°M¡­ More!¡± Reina whined like a child throwing a tantrum. Pretending that he had lost, Davey poured Reina another drink. ¡°Take this.¡± Reina gulped down the beer as if she had been waiting for it. The pub should obviously be lively and boisterous. However, the pub was now empty. This was because the quick-witted residents had already noticed that something was going on and had started leaving. Davey never intended to do anything, but it seemed like they had misunderstood his act of drinking with a woman. No one here knew that the woman drinking in front of Davey was the rumored Warrior. Because of this, Reina¡¯sints resonated loudly throughout the pub. ck! Reina mmed the empty ss down, huping and ring at Davey nkly. As if something had snapped within her, she yelled, ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe to save me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Illyna who Davey was familiar with rarely showed a drunk side to her, so he found this disy from Reina rather unexpected. ¡°I saved you, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that! I was talking about when Nyx captured me and treated me like ab rat¡­ When those demon bastards held me captive¡­¡± Tears started to appear in her eyes as Reina continued to speak, ¡°How painful it was¡­ How dreadful¡­¡± ¡°Right. I know how you feel. Now, now. Drink some more,¡± said Davey as he offered Reina another drink. He did not say anything anymore. ¡°I¡­ I look pathetic, right? I ended up cutting off my men¡¯s throats because I lost reason and could not ovee the pain. My hands are filthy¡­¡± ¡°If you look at a human¡¯s body, their hands, feet, and tongue are always covered in germs. If we put it that way, then there¡¯s no one who is not dirty.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about me! I¡¯m not a pure and clean woman like you think! That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Is it really necessary to bring up the details and remind yourself of something unnecessary?¡± Reina gulped down another drink and promptly fell down on the table. ¡°If it was¡­ If it was going to be solved so easily¡­ Then, why¡­? Why did everyone have to die to protect me¡­?¡± In the world that Reina lived in, a rebel force had been created to resist the demons. And Reina had lost most of herrades from that force. Lyndis Empire¡¯s Grand Duchess Kathryn had obviously been in that world, as well as the others. However, all of them had died to protect Illyna. Why? Because she was the only one who had a way to kill Nyx. ¡°I failed¡­ All of them died¡­ I can¡¯t even kill Nyx¡­ Even I was left on the brink of death. But when I opened my eyes, I was already in this ce¡­ I¡­¡± Reina mumbled with tears in her eyes. ¡°Why the hell am I sent to this ce¡­?¡± ¡°That group you call the Rebel Forces fought until the very end. However, I don¡¯t know how many of them are left.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already a very amazing feat for someone to receive God¡¯s miracle, and you are no exception. It¡¯s not that easy to gain that much affection from God when you¡¯re not even a Saint or a Saintess.¡± Reina continued to hup and cry. ¡°From the start¡­ If I had known¡­ If I were in this world from the very beginning¡­ How nice would that be¡­ I, I also wanted to do a lot of things¡­ I wanted to fall in love too. I also wanted to travel and fulfill all of my immature dreams, just like the adventurers in the stories.¡± Reina kept on rambling, ¡°The Alpha Reinforcements and the White Bird, the people who followed me, would not have died and disappeared in vain¡­¡± Hearing the regret in Reina¡¯s voice, Davey said quietly, ¡°Right, right. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Now, I only have a week to live,¡± Reina answered regretfully before her voice trailed off. She was starting to get sleep when she said, ¡°If I could have¡­ If I was given the chance to live in such a pleasant world, then¡­ I also want to be greedy¡­¡± Davey stood up only after Reina had fallen asleep. ¡°Are you finally done with your business?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Here¡¯s a tip.¡± ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re giving me a lot. Your Highness, you don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ve been benefiting from rumors about your visits here. Pleasee anytime, I¡¯ll make sure to serve you to the best of my abilities.¡± Davey grinned at the chuckling pub owner before carrying the passed-out Reina on his back. ¡ªShe lived in a reality where she could not live the way she wanted to¡­ And she was just a young girl too. Mumbling bitterly, Perserque looked at Reina pitifully. ¡°That¡¯s not something that you can say. It¡¯s none of your business. You shouldn¡¯t feel guilty about it.¡± As someone who was considered the Demon Lord and someone with a history of fighting against her own father, who was Perserque to sympathize with Reina¡¯s situation? Besides, the Demon Lord Perserque in Reina¡¯s world was different from the Perserque in this world. In the first ce, Reina did not have much time left to live. If she hadn¡¯t done something so stupid, then she would have lived for much longer. Because of that, she only had a week left in her lifespan. No one could save her now. Reina was a fragment that should not have existed in this world, and she herself believed that she should not exist on her own. She only had one thought, which was to protect the Illyna of this world, even at the expense of her own life. However, deep inside her heart, she wished to live and smile happily. It was a lingering desire that she had hidden deep within her. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll take care of her until she departs.¡± None of the people here were aware of the memories of the very human who had fought alone for humanity¡¯s sake. Even if her own country knew, they would not be able to give her what she wanted. After all, it was something that went beyond what they could give. ¡ªAre you saying that this is the job of a Saint? ¡°In this world, no Saint has a fixed job scope.¡± Anyone could do good deeds in this world. In fact, Davey could tell that Goddess Freyja was cleverly using her God¡¯s Will. The rewards that she had offered Davey were quite clear-cut so Davey did not mind her schemes that much. However, when Davey opened his status window, he could see that the items promised in their deal were beginning to blur. It was as if they would disappear at any given moment. Chapter 286 The Central Continent was home to dense and lush forests that were mostly inessible to human beings. In other words, the winding paths within could only be traversed by monsters and beasts. However, one would be able to enter these forests through the Pan Empire. Trudge¡­ A ck knight slowly moved forward with the support of the surrounding huge trees. At a single nce, one could tell that his situation was not that good. His sword-wielding hand had be useless, broken in half and crushed. Even his armor, which looked as if it had once been sturdy and tough, was broken in several ces and revealed his hideous injuries. Trudge¡­ trudge¡­ Creak, creak, creak!!! The silent knight stopped in his tracks upon spotting a small forest monster, amon goblin, that blocked his path. A single goblin was not much of a threat, but they were vicious and hard to deal with when in a group. Realizing that the knight had fatal injuries, the goblin began measuring the distance between them. It was nning to attack. The knight just stopped walking. He stared silently at the goblin. ¡ªKiiiiiiik! Not long after, the goblin saw a gap that it could take advantage of. It immediately charged forward in a fierce attack. The ck knight raised his good arm toward the monster. His movement was so slow that it appeared almost impossible for him to reach the goblin in time. Crack!!! Suddenly elerating his movement, the knight snatched the goblin¡¯s head in an instant. Then, without any mercy, he mmed the monster into the giant tree next to him. The goblin¡¯s head exploded. ¡°Hoo¡­ hoo¡­¡± the knight breathed roughly from underneath his helmet. Grabbing his abdomen, he slowly copsed to the forest floor. He was suffering from extremely grave injuries. The knight gasped silently on the ground as he took off his helmet, revealing ck hair that spilled out. He threw up a mouthful of blood. ¡°Urk!¡± The man looked very much like a human being, but his eyes werepletely different from any regr human. His eyes were a bloody red, a trait of a demon. There was also a small horn protruding from his head, another trait of the demon race. For the demon race, their horns were a symbol of power, and even such a small horn showed that the man was a high-ranking demon. This was unsurprising. With the exception of the Demon Lord, thergest horn that a demon could have would only reach up to an average finger-length at most. The man¡¯s horn was already considered to be on therger side. ¡°Milpieu,¡± the man mumbled as he slowly turned to the side. The female vampire dressed in white watched the man, thenmented, ¡°Interesting. From what I can see, you have suffered fatal injuries that are far more than what a demon can handle.¡± ¡°Are you trying to analyze me?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re allies, I will make sure to be kind to you. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°Ha! The Alchemist Paracelsus used to be very wary of the demon race, but now it seems like you¡¯ve be daring enough to try and speak of bringing harm to us, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re an exception,¡± Milpieu retorted. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you furious? Anger and wrath are natural emotions that you should feel about now.¡± ¡°I have never asked for your help. I have more than enough ability to help myself.¡± ¡°But I can see a ring red light that tells me your life is endangered.¡± When the man remained silent, Milpieu said, ¡°Lyndis Empire¡¯s Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe, a member of the beastfolk, is very strong.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s really strong, but so was the little creature who joined her afterward.¡± The man could not call that creature a human. After all, the creature had a ring floating above her head and a pair of wings on her back. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her,¡± said Milpieu firmly. The man looked at Milpieu suspiciously. ¡°Howe? I believe we have to deal with such a dangerous being before they be even more powerful. This is so your Lord can be resurrectedpletely, and so the Demon Lord can be reincarnated.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t really be a problem. She¡¯ll gradually grow stronger, yes, but it is not that simple a matter,¡± said Milpieu. When the man¡¯s eyes narrowed at her words, she added, ¡°If you dare to touch her, a human will make a move.¡± ¡°And that someone is¡­?¡± ¡°The one who killed Nyx. His name is Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± After a moment of silence, the man said, ¡°Do you mean the human Warrior? Only one human managed to get past me because of the Grand Duchess. It¡¯s surprising that Nyx disappeared right after that.¡± ¡°Not the Warrior. The human is a boy who probably entered the area bypletely deceiving your senses.¡± Milpieu was stating that there was something or someone on the human side that the demons should absolutely not touch. The man decided to report it to their main forces. However, he found it very difficult to make contact with them at the moment. ¡°At the very least, I don¡¯t want you to die under his hands. Humans rarely visit this ce. You won¡¯t be found here until you recover.¡± The man nodded quietly. ¡°Don¡¯t die. You¡¯re the only one I like among the demon race.¡± Although the vampires and the demons were in an alliance, Milpieu¡¯s words were very novel. After all, it came from the mouth of a half-vampire who had always been wary of the demon race. Milpieu might be a half-vampire, but she was indispensable to the vampires. And as a half, she was distinctly different from ordinary vampires. The demon looked nkly at the sky above him after Milpieu turned into blood and disappeared from sight. Sinceing here from the other side of a spatial crack, the man had lost most of his power. However, the two beings who had stopped them from protecting Nyx¡¯s seal were so powerful that he had almost failed to escape. The man did not want to copse here. He still needed to find the slumbering soul of their Demon Lord. He had to find it before those who were greedy for power found her and crushed her will. Rustle¡­ At that moment, the shadow of a human appeared in the man¡¯s peripheral vision. No human was supposed to be in this ce, so his eyes could not help but grow wide in shock. The man knew that he could not fight here. He was so weak that any battle could possibly end his life. The man tried to gather his remaining strength somehow. However, his injuries were far too severe. Even his consciousness was slipping away from him. ¡°Huh? Hey, are you alright? Caldeiras! Lend me some of your holy mana!¡± Before he lost consciousness, he saw the beautiful blonde girl in ragged clothes rushing toward him with a shocked and bewildered expression on her face. *** Davey nced at the two people who walked by his side along the dark road that led to his castle. They were none other than Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe and the male beastfolk assassin, Vendique. ¡°Are you not going to sleep?¡± ¡°Reina¡­¡± Davey silently handed Reina over to the male beastfolk who approached him. Then, he said, ¡°She drank until she passed out.¡± Vendique looked at Reina silently before turning to look at Davey. ¡°Thank you for saving Reina.¡± After showing an appreciative gesture, Davey promptly ignored Vendique and turned to Kathryn. He asked, ¡°Grand Duchess Kathryn, how¡¯s the guy who slipped past you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time in a long time that I thought I would lose my life in a battle. Well, all I can say is that he¡¯s very different from the vampires.¡± ¡°The guy¡¯s a demon. And from what I could tell, he¡¯s also a high-ranking one.¡± If he could ess his full power, perhaps the demon man would be even more dangerous than Nyx. Of course, that was also assuming that the Abyss did not lend them any power. ¡°Hoo¡­ It¡¯s no wonder that he¡¯s extremely strong,¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn said, nodding in understanding. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll have to go back to the Imperial Pce right away.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Yes. I have to make an official report regarding this. Ah, Valkass Coastal City State has sent me a message asking me to thank you on their behalf. They said that they¡¯re deeply indebted to you and your kindness, and that they would make sure to repay you properly.¡± The city state of Valkass had almost been destroyed by a monster attack, so everyone there was clearly still shocked and frightened. This was also the reason why they were very grateful for Davey¡¯s help. When Grand Duchess Kathryn turned around to leave, Davey offered, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I n to enjoy my vacation since I am already away from the Imperial Pce. So, I¡¯m going to take it slow on my way back,¡± Grand Duchess Kathryn said cheekily. As Davey stayed silent, she added, ¡°I would appreciate it if you informed me of anything that involves him next time.¡± Then, she disappeared in front of Davey. Since Nyx¡¯s issue had been dealt with, Grand Duchess Kathryn had nothing else to do here. Only then did Davey turn to the silent Vendique, who was looking at him. He asked, ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± ¡°Reina¡¯s life span¡­¡± ¡°One week. She has spent one whole day now, so there should be six days left.¡± Reina¡¯s life span couldn¡¯t actually be predicted with much uracy, but it was obvious that she did not have long to live. ¡°Can she¡­be saved?¡± Vendique asked with a miserable expression on his face. Davey shook his head. ¡°Everyone has their own time.¡± ¡°Can you¡­not save her?¡± Davey said, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely impossible¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°At the very least, you can try and pray to the Goddess. You¡¯ll never know, there¡¯s a chance that the entire universe will move and make your desperate prayerse true.¡± Vendique was speechless, but he understood Davey¡¯s words perfectly. In this case, hoping for a miracle waspletely useless. However, instead of getting angry, Vendique tried to ask for other methods out of pure desperation. ¡°Is there really no other way? I¡¯m willing to give my life in exchange for her.¡± Thud!!! Davey punched the male beastfolk in the stomach. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Although Davey did not put any strength into the punch, the beastfolk was only strong enough to withstand part of the blow. ¡°You want me, the Saint and God¡¯s first servant, to desecrate a human body? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± One thing was for sure. There was no way for Reina to extend her lifespan with how her physical body was right now. ¡°Then¡­ Am I supposed to just let her go like that?!¡± ¡°Why should that be my business?¡± ¡°B-But¡­¡± ¡°If I were you, I would put my efforts into thinking of a way to send her off properly.¡± Vendique fell silent. ¡°Think about what you can do for a stupid woman who has been fighting bloody battles for almost half of her life.¡± The beastfolk¡¯s desperate expression grew darker at hisment, but Davey simply walked away and left him behind. People viewed the concept of salvation differently. Some thought that salvation was achieving happiness, while some thought that it was moving past regrets and lingering feelings. Davey did not say anything until he disappeared from Vendique¡¯s sight. Only after hepletely left the man behind did he turn and call out, ¡°Rinne?¡± At Davey¡¯s call, the silver-haired girl suddenly popped out from the bushes in a disguise. She had a head piece made of leaves and shrubs to camouge her with the surroundings. In fact, she looked just like a soldier trying to camouge and assimte with her surroundings. If Davey were to be honest, she looked a bit funny. *** Davey, who did not know why Rinne was hiding behind the bushes and watching him in disguise, just yed along. Only after everything was done did he ask, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Rinne turned quiet for a moment. She looked like she was agonizing about how she would exin this. After a while, Rinne raised her head and said, ¡°ording to Rinne¡¯s analysis, if Rinne did not do this, she would attract the attention of Sir Davey.¡± ¡°Where did you learn this useless thing?¡± ¡°Yuria Helishana. Rinne values Yuria¡¯s sense of humor very highly.¡± In other words, it was pure and utter nonsense. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Rinne came to deliver Aina¡¯s report.¡± The rxed and calm smile on Davey¡¯s face immediately vanished. ¡°We have identified two high-ranking nobles and seven low-ranking nobles who have ties with the criminal syndicates and have made a move in the Heins Territory. Collection of evidence has beenpleted.¡± ¡°Is that what she said?¡± ¡°Rinne believes that she can handle it. Rinne values assassinations highly. Rinne can finish it quickly the moment you give your orders.¡± ¡®What can¡¯t you do?¡¯ Davey immediately stopped himself from asking that question in his mind. He only said, ¡°No. Turn over all of the evidence to His Majesty. Let¡¯s leave this matter to Baris.¡± ¡°Rinne asks for the reason. Rinne¡¯s thinking circuits cannot understand the meaning.¡± ¡°Baris will eventually be King. That¡¯s why I have to slowly and gently let him make decisions regarding such matters.¡± If the boy was going to be King, he had to ease his way into dealing with such matters. ¡ªStop joking around. You¡¯re just more interested in that squirming flesh than dealing with that. ¡®Oh. It seems I got caught.¡¯ Even Rinne, who did not have contact with Perserque, seemed to feel the same way. ¡°That is a bit more urgent.¡± Davey could kill his enemies anytime he wanted. However, if he did not thoroughly check and confirm what his enemies were capable of, then he would not be able to prepare properly. Davey took out a small bottle containing the small flesh that was now twitching violently. Originally, the piece of flesh that Davey had ripped off was dozens of timesrger than it was now. However, after receiving stimtion through magic, its size had reduced. It looked like it was pretending to be dead. ¡°Very efficient skin tissue. However, it is something that hurts beauty. Rinne evaluates this lowly.¡± Rinne immediately took a step back and pulled out the crowbar when Davey pushed the flesh-carrying bottle toward her. ¡°Approach cautiously¡­ Approach cautiously. Rinne evaluates this lowly!¡± It seemed like the piece of flesh was a highly hated object. *** Reina¡¯s party had been with her through many life-and-death situations. Except for Vendique, the rest of her party had been assigned to her by the Holy Empire. However, the time that they had spent together had nurtured such affection between them that they could not believe the fact that Reina was already nearing her death. Perhaps it was that very reason that made theme to Davey, asking for his help. As for Vendique, he was now missing. They came to see Davey after witnessing how Reina had to nurse a terrible hangover early in the morning. However, they all ended up throwing in the towel. Just like what Davey had told Vendique, for them to try to save Reina at this point would deprive her of herst chance of entering the cycle of reincarnation. Simply put, once she died, Reina would bepletely forgotten by everyone. Meanwhile, Davey continued his experiment with the tentacle that he had ripped off. He found out that the listless tentacles that had been separated from its main body would multiply and grow on their own with the help of a certain catalyst. The tentacles were also inherently attracted to Perseque for some reason. Wherever Perserque was at the moment, they would immediately charge toward her upon securing their safety. [Shock] However, they flinched even from Davey casting a weak spell on them. Of course, the spell that Davey used was not a simple 1st Circle shock spell. It was a 1st Circle shock spell that had the effect of a 4th Circle one. For Davey, it was necessary to determine all of the risks involved with the tentacles. He needed to distinguish the factors that were harmful to Perserque and the ones that were not. ¡°Since I¡¯m going to make something for you, then I need to check its synergy with you, right?¡± Perserque peeked out from Davey¡¯s pocket only to be greeted by the tentacles banging against the container walls that they were trapped in. Then, Perserque rested her elbows on the lining of Davey¡¯s pocket before calmly and leisurely saying¡­ ¡ªYou just want to see me freak out. I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t let you do whatever you want. So, you better wake up and stop whatever you¡¯re doing. ¡°Ah. You¡¯re very cold-hearted.¡± ¡ª¡­ Perserque was rendered speechless after hearing Davey¡¯s blunt answer. Snatch!!! Once Perserque was off-guard, Davey immediately grabbed her before solemnly saying, ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re aware of the seriousness of this matter yet. I don¡¯t know anything about the other side. Do you know what this means?¡± ¡ªIf you¡¯re going to say that you don¡¯t know how to prepare for it in advance, then you can stop. I already know. Perserque nodded with a grave expression on her face. ¡°That¡¯s right. I do not intend to lose you. I also do not intend to resurrect you as the Demon Lord nor do I intend to respond and y along with whatever strange things those ck bastards are saying.¡± That was why this sample was very important to Davey. He silently activated a pre-prepared magic circle on the lump of flesh and injected his mana. Twitch¡­ twitch¡­ The moment Davey¡¯s mana entered the flesh of the Abyss, it began to twitch violently. ¡ªDavey¡­ ¡°Trust me.¡± Perserque avoided Davey¡¯s gaze as she blushed, a gentle smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She flew up andnded on top of his head. Then¡­ ng!!! A bunch of tentacles popped out quickly and roughly out of the small bottle, actively searching for Perserque¡¯s soul form. Noticing how Perserque¡¯s expression immediately turned pale at the slimy tentacles¡¯ sudden activation, Davey asked, ¡°You still can¡¯t get used to it?¡± ¡ªThis¡­ This is a natural reaction. It¡¯s disgusting. I really want to avoid it as much as physically possible¡­ Seeing how the tentacles reacted violently after having mana injected into them, Davey thought they were very dangerous. He had not expected that they would react in such a manner to mana. Davey, who was watching the unexpected situation closely, found something which promptly made his expression turn rigid and stiff. ¡°Ah. Don¡¯t tell me this¡­¡± At the same time, the tentacles, which were moving actively, suddenly spasmed and contracted as if they were being crushed by the magic that Davey had cast. In the end, the tentacles¡¯ movements slowly subsided. However, the expression on Davey¡¯s face did not ease. ¡°This is a bit more serious than what I initially thought¡­¡± ¡ªDon¡¯t take the Abyss like it¡¯s a joke. The Abyss can do what it pleases and is much more dangerous than you think. Perserque was anxious, since this was her first time seeing such a solemn expression on Davey¡¯s face. The changes that Davey was witnessing had grown far beyond what he had expected. However, he never meant to make the woman worry over something unnecessary. ¡°The range of activity is too spicy. Let¡¯s adjust it and turn it into a mild one.¡± Just then, small hands suddenly started to pull at Davey¡¯s hair. Even though he was joking around, Davey was watching the changes made by his mana in the lump of flesh closely and urately. From what he could see, it was immune to the physical and non-physicalws of this world. The finding was so shocking that Davey felt dizzy for a moment. Chapter 287 Being immune to the physical and non-physicalws of this world, they seemed to be saying that all of thews and proven theories that Davey usually used were useless. They only used and abided by thews of the Abyss. This was just a piece of flesh that had been ripped off from the Abyss, but what the hell was it, right? ¡°I¡¯ll have to look into it more closely.¡± Davey knew that he would not feel at ease without a thorough investigation. He was just like those people who yed games with perverted game ying habits, utilizing all of the best equipment that the first town had to offer before going to the next town. Besides, Davey only had two lives. But if these guys had the power to render the mutated ember useless, then he would be in a very precarious situation. Davey frowned when he ignored Perserque, who approached him. He pulled out a shamanic rattle bell out of his Pocket ne. Then, he promptly activated one of the powers that slumbered deep in his body. [5th Grade Sorcery] [Binding Sorcery] [Capture] Ring!!! Crackle, crackle!!! The clear ringing of the shamanic rattle bell spread across the area, resonating with the talismans that Davey had thrown out just a few moments prior. At the same time, a golden chain stretched forward and wrapped around the lumps of flesh, nibbling away at them. Poof!!! However, something strange started to manifest in the power that was used to bind the flesh. The sorcery began fading away, disappearing as if it had been absorbed. ¡ªDavey? At that moment, the air surrounding Davey turned cold and frigid. He appeared to be in a truly grave situation. ¡°I did not expect that it would absorb my sorcery and change it into its own power.¡± The lumps of flesh weren¡¯t necessarily immune to mana. Although it had low efficiency, a slight change in the volume of mana and its sequence was enough to make the 1st Circle shock magic work. From what Davey could see, the lumps of flesh could still be affected by higher ranking magic. In other words, he could still push them into a corner with a 4th Circle magic that had a higher mana volume. However, that was not important. What was more important was the fact that the lumps of flesh had epted Davey¡¯s mana and changed it, albeit slowly, into its own power. Clearly, it was a terrifying existence with the ability to ignore all existingws in this world and turn someone else¡¯s power into its own. ¡ªDavey, listen to me. The Abyss is far more dangerous than you think. The most efficient method is blocking all parts of the Abyss that could interfere with this world. ¡°So, you¡¯ll have to separate from me, then?¡± ¡ª¡­ Davey knew that there was no other existence who could prevent the spatial cracks except for him. This meant that he would constantly be exposed to the Abyss. In other words, Perserque, who was also tied to his being, would also be exposed and be taken away from him before he could find a way to deal with them. After all, it was still difficult for him to understand the power held within the spatial cracks that were trying to drag Perserque back. ¡ªThat would be the best way, Davey. Perserque said carefully after much contemtion. ¡°If you¡¯re going to say that you¡¯ll be the Demon Lord, then stop. If you be the Demon Lord in this situation, you know who will be your enemy, right?¡± ¡ªI¡¯m already dead. I¡¯m just a soul. It¡¯s just dying one more time¡­ Bang!!! Davey mmed his fist on the floor, effectively cutting off Perserque¡¯s words. He left a huge crack on the ground and shook the entire area. He warned, ¡°You better stop inciting my anger, Perserque.¡± ¡ªYou still don¡¯t know how dangerous the Abyss is. Perserque said, looking at Davey sadly. Then, she disappeared from sight. With a frown, Davey stabbed a tremendous amount of mana into the lumps of flesh. Vwooooooong!!! Receiving the additional mana, the lumps of flesh began growing once again. It seemed like they would grow bigger and stronger the more intangible forces, like mana, were injected into them. Davey already found it surprising that the lumps of flesh could ignore thews of this world. And now, he was met with another big surprise. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Davey could not help but frown at the mysterious and unidentified trace of violence that appeared in his head the moment he recovered the mana that he had injected into the lumps of flesh. The power stopped him from thinking properly, urging him to go on a rampage. He found it simr to the Berserker Magic that was mainly used by fighters. Davey paused at the thought. He had seen rampage before, right? It was a power that would make one lose reason as they destroyed everything around them. And the target of this fierce sense of hostility? This ce, also known as the front side of the coin. Perhaps, once the power that was burning endlessly in these bastards¡¯ bodies came to an end¡­ ¡°The Monstrous Rock Giant appeared much earlier than Shandra¡¯s clone.¡± In order for him to be sure, Davey had to catch the guys with simr cases like the lumps of flesh. And thankfully, Davey was acquainted with a group of people who had the widest of information in most parts of this world, the Alpha Reinforcements. The Alpha Reinforcements was a secret organization located in the northern part of the Central Continent. After writing a letter, Davey ced a ring on his finger and immediately activated it. Then, he tapped the jewel embedded on the ring and sent the letter as he had written it. If the Alpha Reinforcements had the information that Davey needed, then they would get back to him soon. After all, he was also a member of the Last Wisp, Alpha Reinforcements. ¡°Come to think of it, it has been a few months since Ist met with the other probationary knights.¡± Since the Alpha Reinforcements did not like making connections with the outside world, anyone who wanted to hear about their members would have no other choice but to visit their headquarters. However, it was also true that Davey did not really care if he heard about them or not. Well, everything was already in order. He would like it if they finished gathering information as quickly as possible, but he still did not rush them. He knew how ufortable people would be if they were rushed. Besides, there was still someone who he had to take care of before wanting to do that. ¡°Are you busy?¡± Reina, the white-haired woman, asked after waiting for Davey at his office for a long time. Davey quietly made eye contact with Reina. The woman had eaten something spicy enough to wreck her stomach and had drunk heavily enough to make her spill everything in her mind and heart the previous night. Considering that someone at the Master-level like her had cked out, it just went to show how much she had drunk. Davey thought that Reina would suffer terribly from a hangover because of that, but she looked surprisingly calm. ¡°Did you ask if I¡¯m busy?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Reina replied calmly as she pointed to the wine rack that was adorning one side of the office. ¡°Please apany me tonight, too.¡± Davey was quick to catch on to Reina''s intention, even though she did not give away much emotion on her face. Although Davey and Reina had just met, he was bound to be a special existence to her. To her, Davey was a partner, someone she couldin to about the things that she had kept hidden deep inside of herself. He was also the only drinking buddy that she could pour her mind and heart out to in this world. After all, she needed someone who could listen to her and sympathize with the life she lived. ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a simple wish, no?¡± Davey said, not having any reason to refuse Reina. *** Perhaps it was because Davey had listened to herints and showed her sympathy that Reina had already let go. She was now more greedy, finally doing what she wanted. After all, she had alwayscked the freedom to do what she wanted even as a young child¡­until now. Reina¡¯s existence was also not known to the entire world, so no one here could recognize her without the steel mask on. On top of that, she still maintained the beauty that she had in the past. Although she had grown older, she was still beautiful enough to be considered an attractive beauty. She looked just like those who took products to maintain their youthfulness and elegant appearance. The ones who visited the Heins Territory from the other territories or nations thought of Illyna whenever they looked at Reina. Davey and Reina also seemingly behaved like lovers. Due to that reason, strange rumors had been circting around the territory regarding Davey and Illyna, the Pan Empire¡¯s forbidden gem. However, the woman seemed rather pleased with the current situation, so Davey did not really care much about the rumors either. Even though she previously struggled to have a smile on her face, Reina did not take much time to regain her smile. Davey had been very considerate of her and her situation, after all. Unfortunately, from the third day onward, Davey stopped Reina from running into the people she knew. Feeling angry, she asked with a pout, ¡°Why won¡¯t you let me see them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a decision that I¡¯ve made in consideration of you. So, calm down and follow it.¡± Davey sounded like he was confining Reina, but he did not really care. This was the only way that he could think of. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left! You should at least let me say my goodbyes to them!!!¡± Listening to Reina¡¯s furious cries, Davey shook his head firmly and said, ¡°You will regret it. Listen to me.¡± Reina smiled coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m going to see them and tell them everything that I want to say. I appreciate everything that you have done for me, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can stop me from doing something like this.¡± ¡°Are you confident that you won¡¯t regret it?¡± ¡°Regret? At the very least, I¡¯m sure that I will regret leaving without saying my goodbyes to them,¡± Reina said after some thought. She mmed the windows of Davey¡¯s office open and rushed toward her party, who were all preparing to leave. She approached Mage Mercil, Priestess Essylt, and Crusader Roina. There were just the three of them left, since Vendique had disappeared to who knew where. ¡°Essylt! Roina!¡± Was she supposed to send them off with a sad smile? No. Reina approached them with a bright smile on her face, but she soon heard something very shocking. ¡°Excuse me but¡­ Who are¡­you?¡± Reina was a being who did not belong in this world. She was not supposed to be here whether it was in the past, the present, or the future. That was why her existence, which had finished its purpose and had lost her will and desire, would disappear and get erased from the world¡¯s book of records. The scene was neither touching nor interesting. It was just the natural course for someone who had separated from the cycle of reincarnation. However, what could they do? It was not as if she was just from another realm¡­ She was from another world altogether. ¡°What¡­is this¡­?¡± Reina asked, her expression turning nk and stiff. Mercil looked at Reina warily and said, ¡°Who are you? Why are you calling our names? I¡¯m sorry, but we don¡¯t even understand why we¡¯re even here¡­¡± Just as Reina froze, Davey jumped out of the window, grabbed her, and left the ce in an instant. No one even noticed that he hade and gone. ¡°Ugh?¡± Davey did not tip Reina off about this fact even though she was very quick-witted. Even a single hint on his part would have allowed her to reach this sad truth, but he didn¡¯t want to say much. He would have only if she had wanted him to tell her about it. ¡°See. I told you. You¡¯ll regret it.¡± ¡°This¡­ What the hell is this¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a natural phenomenon.¡± Reina was not a normal human being. She was a foreigner to this world, someone who had crossed over from another timeline for some reason. As long as she remained in this world, her presence would be considered as nothing but a foreign substance. And when such a foreign substance had fulfilled their purpose and was already facing death, their existence would begin to disappear¡­including from the memories of the people of this world. ¡°Natu¡­ral?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not from another realm. You¡¯re from another world. Did you really think that the world would tolerate traces of your life in this world?¡± Illyna de Pan already existed in this world, so Reina was never supposed to exist here in the first ce. It did not matter that she was of a different age and living under a different name. Reina, who was hanging on to Davey¡¯s arms, was rendered speechless for a long time. Chapter 288: Mage Tower Conference Davey took a long time to get to somewhere secluded and quiet. Only after seeing that nobody was around did he put Reina down. Thud! Reina, left with no strength to stand properly, fell to the ground. She sat there nkly before looking up at Davey in disbelief. She muttered, ¡°Just now¡­ What the hell happened just now¡­?¡± ¡°Look at your feet.¡± Reina quietly lifted the hem of her skirt. What she saw beneath her clothes made her eyes grow wide in shock. ¡°What the hell is this¡­?!¡± ¡°What do you think will happen if a foreign substance enters a human body?¡± Whenever an antigen entered the body, the body¡¯s natural course of action was to produce antibodies. In other words, thews of the world had begun to reject Reina¡¯s existence. God¡¯s Will and thews of the world were two separate matters in the end, even though thews had been created by God¡¯s Will. ¡°Then¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re being forgotten. I told you, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Reina turned pale, thinking that she had lost everything. She must have grown quite attached to her party without her knowing it. Those people were certainly therades who she had fought life and death with in her world. However, in this world, they were nothing more than inexperienced people who had never met each other before. ¡°This can¡¯t be¡­ Can¡¯t be¡­¡± Reina murmured sadly at the thought of disappearing without anyone remembering her. ¡°In the first ce, you already expected something like that to happen, right?¡± Reina looked up at Davey with wide eyes. She protested, ¡°This¡­ This is not the result that I was hoping for¡­ Ugh!¡± She stood up¡­only to fall back down and copse on the ground. She trembled from her strong emotions. Lifting her back up, Davey carried Reina to her room,id her on her bed, and sat beside her. ¡°¡­¡± Reina remained silent as sheid in bed. ¡°Your physical body doesn¡¯t have any problems, but your consciousness will slowly fade away. It¡¯s hard for you to stand up now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­dying right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± With a smile devoid of hope, Reina slowly raised her arms to cover her eyes. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± It had only been a week, but she had lived the happy life that she had lost. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be forgotten¡­¡± ¡°This happens to everyone.¡± ¡°Will you forget me too?¡± Choosing not to reply, Davey simply moved Reina¡¯s arms away from her face. He looked at her tear-streaked face. ¡°Why me¡­? Whye now¡­?¡± ¡°You regret it, no? You think everything was useless, right? You think that living for revenge was not worth it, right? If you did not recklessly run to get your useless revenge, you would have been able to live a bit longer than this.¡± Reina bit her lips, but she couldn¡¯t defend herself. She could only agree with Davey, who spoke the truth. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°You did not need to freeze to death. And if someone dared to hit you on the cheek, you should p them strong enough to send their teeth flying.¡± She was not a Saint or a Saintess, no? Reina slowly turned to look at Davey, who said, ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°I want to live¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­¡± Reina said, raising herself up and reaching for Davey desperately. ¡°How much time do I have left?¡± ¡°Around two hours?¡± ¡°Please hug me,¡± Reyna said as she struggled to get up. ¡°Even if everyone forgets about me, I don¡¯t want to forget. Although it was only for a very short moment, you still showed me the light.¡± Even if alone, she wanted to have a happy dream until the very end. ¡°It was only a short time, but I will never forget the light that you have shown me.¡± Davey waited for Reina to bury herself in his arms. ¡°Before you forget me¡­¡± Now, the existence of Warrior Reina would bepletely forgotten in the Heins Territory and the entire continent. Perhaps the achievements that Reina and her party had made would be remembered in a different way. Seeing that Davey did not do anything, Reina¡¯s hopeless smile grew deeper. She murmured, ¡°You were right. Thank you¡­for remembering me until my veryst moments in this world.¡± She grabbed Davey¡¯s arms and added in a tearful voice, ¡°Even if you forget everything, I will make sure to remember you. I will remember you if the Goddess would give me the precious opportunity to enter the cycle of reincarnation.¡± ¡®I will never forget this feeling.¡¯ Davey silently flicked Reina¡¯s forehead and sent her falling back down on the bed. Then, as if pouring cold water on her burning emotions, he said bluntly, ¡°What bullshit is that?¡± Reina said in surprise, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be able to forget you,¡± said Davey. When Reina fell silent, he added, ¡°Even if I wanted to forget you, I won¡¯t be able to do so.¡± Davey was an existence beyond this world¡¯s providence. He would not be able to forget anything. In a way, this could be called a curse, something that actually brought him pain. Davey, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened them. His eyes, which used to be red, had now turned to blue as he said, ¡°You want to live?¡± After a moment of silence, Reina said, ¡°Those words are very cruel. So what¡­ I want to live¡­¡± With tears in her eyes, she kept murmuring, ¡°No, if I must speak my true feelings¡­ I don¡¯t want to die¡­ If I can live, then I want to live¡­¡± She had finally found a good life, a happy life. If she could, she would want to keep living like this. Her desire for happiness had grown by far too much. It was far too much for her to feel at a moment like this. ¡°Then, clench your teeth and hang in there.¡± Reina¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise just as arge magic circle appeared beneath her bed. Then, it disappeared from sight. ¡°You said that you don¡¯t want to be forgotten. Don¡¯t you know? Miracles can happen to anyone.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be called a miracle if it simply happened to everyone¡­ Anyway, thank you. If I remember you, then I will give my life to you,¡± Reina said with a smile as she slowly faded into the light. Watching Reina disappear, Davey said, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I have a close rtionship with you in this world.¡± Reina, who was slowly disappearing into the light, smiled and nodded at Davey. ¡°Please take good care of me.¡± With that, Reina disappearedpletely. There was no saving someone who did not have any choice but to die. After she disappeared, only a small ball of light was left. Just like that, she had been forgotten by everyone. The one whose body and soul had separated from the providence of this world was Davey, not Reina. And this world¡¯s providence had seen herpletely use up her soul. That was how she disappeared. Davey was the only one who could remember Reina. Perhaps there was not even another soul who could remember this very day. Although he found this situation to be quite annoying, Davey still silently picked up the ball of light that Reina had left behind. The ball of light was none other than a brilliant white stone shrouded in bright light. However, it was not a simple gem. It was something that had been created by the soul¡¯s firm decision. Reina would think that she had beenpletely wiped out. However, she was still able to leave behind something, a fragment left by a sacred soul that had made many noble sacrifices. Unbeknownst to her, she had left behind something that was uniquely hers. And Davey did not miss it. Since there was still an existence who remembered her, as long as she had the lingering desire to live, then magic would still have an effect on her. [9th Circle] [Great Law¡¯s Limit] [Lace¡¯s Key] Davey would not be able to do anything against thews of this world, but he had found another way to make this work after fighting against Nyx. ¡ªHmm? Davey? What happened? Why do you look like that? ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± However, the entire process would take quite a while. If Reina still had the will to live when the time came, then Davey would do his best until the very end to save her. At this point, it was made obvious to Davey why the Goddess had used the word ¡®salvation¡¯ when making a deal with him. He also could not judge the situation carelessly, since he was aware of the weight of that very word. At the same time, in the status window floating in front of Davey, the items rted to the ¡®Final Salvation of the Poor and the Pitiful¡¯ disappearedpletely from sight. *** Even Perserque and Rinne could not remember Reina after she had disappeared. Just like that, the world continued to go on like usual. The achievements that Reina had made remained, but people remembered those feats as something that Davey had done. The situation became more troublesome for Davey after that, but he was seen as the Saint who had directmunication with the Goddess, so nobody doubted him. In fact, it was a funny situation. It was just too easy getting rid of all the traces that someone had left behind. It was as if everything had been a dream. ¡°Brother, I received an invitation from the Mage Tower. It¡¯s from Yulis.¡± Yulis was the youngest elder of the Red Tower and was of simr age to Reina. He was a humble genius who gave off a very gentle aura. It had also been a long time since hest contacted Davey. ¡°Princess Maria and Sister Tanya both went to the Moon Forest, because they like the bow and are very interested in elven archery. From what I heard, Miss Yuria had officially invited the two to visit the forest.¡± Baris, on the orders of the King, had returned to the royal pce to start dealing with state affairs. The only one left in the Heins Territory was Winley, who just received an invitation at the perfect moment. She eximed, ¡°Goodness! This is good news. Brother, I will go to the Red Tower!¡± Davey, who quickly processed the documents in front of him, paused. ¡°The Red Tower?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that Yulis will be officially presenting his thesis in a conference in the academy. I¡¯ve been invited to attend! This is like a dream! Ah, but from what I heard, only the best of the mages can attend¡­¡± Even if she looked young and energetic, Winley was still a 4th Circle mage. It would not be strange for her to be interested in magic and magical items. ¡°Good for you,¡± Davey said, slowly getting up from his seat while looking at the dormant lumps of flesh on the petri dish on one side of his desk. He then said, ¡°I have amission for the Red Tower, so I¡¯ll personally take you there.¡± The Red Tower was not really that far away from Davey¡¯s territory. However, this particr request he wanted to make had to be done personally. Why couldn¡¯t he just call for the representative of the Red Tower¡¯s branch here? Well, it was because Davey did not need some mage in the Red Tower. The one he needed to talk to was none other than Hellison Valestia, the Red Tower¡¯s mage who was hailed as the 7th Circle Great Sage. Only a mage at that level would have the materials that Davey needed to deal with this damned Abyss creature right here. ¡°Brother, will you go with me? Well¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. The letter also said that you cane if you¡¯re interested.¡± Winley waved the letter at Davey happily Davey nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s the academy¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you looking forward to it?!¡± Winley asked with her eyes sparkling, as if waiting for Davey to agree with her. Davey simply nodded in agreement. The academy was a ce where outstanding mages would gather together to discuss and debate their knowledge of magic. The conference was a very huge event where all three of the mage towers in the continent woulde together to discuss the limits of magic. In essence, it was a gathering of extremely proud people. Well, it could be seen as more of¡­a kindergarten¡¯s talent show? Chapter 289 ¡°Uncle!¡± Myuu¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw Davey holding hands and walking with Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon. She immediately jumped out of Yuria¡¯s arms and ran to Davey before hugging him tightly. Myuu was a half elf who had yet to be of age, so she could not leave the Moon Forest that often. And since Davey rarely visited the Moon Forest, Myuu missed him quite a lot. They were only able to meet here now because Davey hade to acquire some of the highest quality moon grass. The best moon grass were those being naturally grown in the Moon Forest. Davey had decided to get the moon grass personally since he was already close by. ¡°Uncle! You meanie! You said that you¡¯re going to see Myuu! You said we¡¯re friends!¡± Myuu said, mming her tiny fists on Davey¡¯s chest. Davey remained silent as he rubbed Myuu¡¯s cheeks and ruffled her hair. He said gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How have you been?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Seeing the angry Myuu sitting in his arms, Davey took out the cookie box that he had prepared in advance and showed it to the girl. Then, he said, ¡°What to do, then? This uncle even brought a present.¡± ¡°A¡­ A present!¡± Myuu shouted with her eyes shining in anticipation. When she saw Davey yfully wondering what he would do with the present now that she was mad, she soon turned teary. She cried, ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re a meanie¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m kidding. Here you go. Make sure to share it with your friends, alright?¡± After receiving her gift, Myuu immediately climbed out of Davey¡¯s arms and ran to where Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon were. ¡°Yuria.¡± ¡°I already heard about your request beforehand. You need moon grass that grows in this forest, no?¡± ¡°Yes. Although I do not intend to clean everything up, I will need a fair amount of them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I understand that you¡¯re also growing a considerable amount of moon grass in your territory. Is your stock not good enough?¡± From the elves¡¯ point of view, they were unhappy that Davey was trying to get his hands on the naturally grown moon grass that was located in the spirits¡¯ nest. ¡°I can¡¯t use the ones growing there. Unless I use the ones growing directly under the moonlight, what I n to attempt would simply be impossible.¡± Yuria tilted her head in confusion, but soon nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ The moon grass growing in your territory and those growing in the Moon Forest have slight differences. The moon grass can be used as a catalyst for a lot of magical reagents and tools but¡­ For what reason¡­?¡± Davey smiled at Yuria. ¡°I am going to make a replica of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone.¡± In fact, with the materials and supplies he currently had, it was still impossible for him to create a replica of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. However, with an element that ignored the absolutew of equivalent exchange, that oue would certainly change. Still, it was a far more dangerous venture than what Davey was expecting it to be. Yuria looked at Davey curiously, but she no longer asked for more details. She simply said, ¡°How many¡­do you need?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have enough here, so I will have to get some from the Divine Tree¡¯s Sacred Land. Picking too much from this area will weaken the power of the spirits.¡± Davey had to help maintain the Moon¡¯s Garden, so he could only take some moon grass and not risk jeopardizing the spirits¡¯ power. ¡°I have already contacted Saintess Emilia and Al. Emilia said that she woulde here herself.¡± ¡°Since the World Tree has given her orders, I will follow.¡± It might sound kind of ridiculous, but Al was a great being who could see the fate of others. Al had seemingly not forgotten about the deal she had with Davey, so she nned to cooperate with him. Unlike the previous World Tree, Al was quite open-minded. ¡°Uncle! Uncle!¡± At that moment, Myuu suddenly came running back to Davey¡¯s arms. She had crumbs all around her mouth, evidence of how hard and how fast she had eaten those cookies. Davey silently wiped away the crumbs before asking Myuu, ¡°Was it delicious?¡± ¡°Yeah! It was very delicious!¡± Myuu¡¯s bright smile inspired Davey to make her something that did not exist in this world yet. ¡°Myuu. Do you want Uncle to give you a present?¡± ¡°A present?¡± ¡°Right. Is there anything that you want to do?¡± Myuu tapped her lips and pondered deeply. Then, she pped her hands as if she had thought of something. With twinkling eyes, she eximed, ¡°What Myuu wants to do¡­ Hmmm¡­ Ah! There is one! Myuu! Myuu wants to study! Myuu heard that humans study in an academy with their friends! Myuu wants to study! Myuu will study and work by Uncle''s side!¡± Simr to how she had asked to meet Gnoass when they had first met, Myuu was still a child with simple wishes. ¡°You want to study¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because Myuu is a half-elf. It seems like she¡¯s very interested in both the life of an elf and a human,¡± exined Yuria. ¡°Myuu will do the same things that Uncle does when she grows up!¡± Davey was silent as he pondered over the matter. ¡®A university¡­¡¯ *** The conference would be held in Redria, the Red Tower¡¯s main branch, which was located in the magic city of Lindhall. The magic city of Lindhall was famous because of Redria, an institution that studied fire magic and was considered as the most powerful mage tower among all of the mage towers. Lindhall, with its huge magic structures and beautiful facades, was also arge city visited by countless tourists. It was quite the sight since it was built on top of a bridge that went across a hugeke. Clip, clop! Clip, clop! A carriage being led by two horses soon reached the entrance to Lindhall. The magic soldier wearing a neat robe reached his hand out and stopped the carriage at the gates. He asked, ¡°Where are you from?¡± ¡°Rowane Kingdom¡¯s Heins Territory. First Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane and Second Princess Winley O¡¯Rowane.¡± The coachman who drove the carriage was none other than the male beastman that Davey had rescued from the ck market. He had introduced himself as a wild boar beastman who originally took care of the horses. He had even showcased his skills and told Davey that he would never regret making him a coachman. ¡°Identity confirmed. Wee to Magic City Lindhall.¡± With a wave of the soldier¡¯s magic wand, the gates opened and revealed the splendor of Lindhall. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Winley¡¯s sparkling eyes grew wide with awe as she looked at the beautiful blue city. She eximed, ¡°Brother! Look! That water is Lindhall¡¯s specialty!¡± She was pointing at a transparent water-filled sphere that was resting on top of a gigantic w at the tip of a tower in the city center. The ten-meter-tall gigantic sphere was imbued with a magical purification system that purified the water before transporting them through the transparent tubes that were made with magic. It was an important facility in charge of delivering clean drinking water all over the city. ¡°Brother, do you know? That sphere of water is the heart of Lindhall. From what I heard, it is the reason they could supply the entire city with clean water and power.¡± Since she was very interested in the Red Tower, Winley had listened and learned about all of the information about this ce. And now, Davey was listening to all of the information that she was telling him. They had received an official invitation toe here, so Davey quickly spotted a familiar person waving at them the moment they arrived at the luxurious amodations that had been provided by the Red Tower. The man waving at them was wearing far more elegant and luxurious robes than usual. His robes were entirely lined with patterns that symbolized his position as an elder. ¡°Wee. It¡¯s been a long time since west saw each other.¡± Yulis was the Red Tower¡¯s youngest elder. That was why the other mages behind him were looking at both Davey and Winley warily. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time! Yulis!¡± Winley said, running to Yulis¡¯ side with a big smile. ¡°Cough!¡± At that moment, one of the assistant mages who stood behind Yulis coughed loudly. When everyone looked over at him, he said awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ Elder Yulis not only became the elder of the Red Tower but he is also the elder of the Central Tower. No matter how close you are¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Collin.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that, Elder. Not only are you now a member of the Central Tower, but you¡¯re also the one selected among all of the mages to be an elder.¡± ¡°I already told you that it¡¯s fine, no?¡± The man, despite seeing the ufortable expression on Yulis¡¯ face, still continued to speak with a firm and determined tone. ¡°Please do not forget the fact that every action of the elder reflects the mage tower¡¯s reputation.¡± Winley frowned. However, Yulis did not have a quick rebuttal. Perhaps it was because of his position as the elder of the Central Tower, but he would be in trouble no matter what happened here. ¡°These are my friends. Say something that insults them one more time and I will not let you go,¡± Yulis said firmly. Turning to Winley with a bitter smile on his face, he apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Winley.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ No, it¡¯s alright,¡± Winley said as she waved her hands in embarrassment. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s going to rain,¡± mumbled Davey. When Yulis turned to him with a confused expression, Davey exined, ¡°If you get hit by acid rain, your hair will fall out. There¡¯s such an old saying, I think. You have to be careful.¡± Yulis¡¯ eyes twitched when he saw Davey grin. He said quickly, ¡°Haha¡­ Please let it go just this once, Sir Davey. Ah! Let¡¯s not dilly dally here. The conference will begin tomorrow, so let me be your guide today.¡± Yulis walked ahead only to say, ¡°But¡­it seems like Sir Davey has another business to attend to.¡± ¡°I have to meet someone.¡± Confused, Yulis asked, ¡°You¡¯re meeting someone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I came to see Red Tower¡¯s Great Sage Hellison Valestia.¡± Davey¡¯s words lit a zing me in the eyes of Collin, the mage who had interrupted Winley earlier on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ Prince, did you send a notice in advance?¡± ¡°I have an invitation,¡± Davey replied calmly. Collin frowned. The man was a prime example of a fox borrowing the tiger¡¯s awe[1]. ¡°Even the king of a nation would not be able to meet with Great Sage Hellison Valestia. Let alone someone¡­¡± ¡°Collin!¡± Yulis raised his voice as his brows furrowed at Collin¡¯s disapproving behavior. However, Davey stopped Yulis and approached Collin. Some would say that one had to endure such poor treatment so they would not be in trouble. As for Davey? He would say that he did not know about that rule of etiquette. If Davey let this slide, then it was obvious that the man in front of him would think that what he had done was correct. ¡°Your name?¡± The man answered Davey¡¯s question with a frown, ¡°ss 4 Collin Vermils.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Collin. Great Sage Hellison Valestia is someone who not even the king of a nation could easily meet.¡± Collin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if you¡¯re a prince, you have to follow the proper procedures.¡± Ignoring Collin, Davey whispered into the man¡¯s ears, ¡°It¡¯s going to rain. Just like what I told you, acid rain can kill the roots of your hair.¡± Davey did not really know if it was real or not, but the truth did not matter. Either way, the man in front of him had no idea about what Davey was nting on his head. Just like how seeds nted on the ground would grow when watered with rain, the man named Collin would definitely experience something very exciting soon. It was not easy to change one¡¯s hairstyle with just a touch of one¡¯s hand. However, there was one thing that Davey was good at and that was removing hair. Soon, a drop or two of water began to fall from the sky. Then, it began raining. Needless to say, it was a very special kind of rain. Amotion broke out at the sudden drizzle, but Davey remained silent and just wrapped holy mana around him, Winley, and Yulis. ¡°Someone in a special position has the right to have an audience.¡± Davey turned around and said, ¡°A bet is a bet. I¡¯m here to get my board game.¡± There stood Great Sage Hellison Valestia. Everyone present turned to look at the old man with shocked expressions on their faces. ¡°G¡­ Great Sage!¡± A sh of surprise appeared on the old man¡¯s face as he approached Davey with a smile. Hemented, ¡°Hoho. Ah, this¡­ Young man, I wonder how far you have seen through this old man? Right, you probably knew from the very beginning, no?¡± ¡°An ordinary gramps would not have such a vast mana like yours in their body,¡± Davey answered with a grin. The old man grinned in return. ¡°It seems like even the Saint can see through something like this. Anyway, you came, Prince Davey.¡± 1. Someone that has no power but uses another¡¯s power and influence to bully others ? Chapter 290 The sudden appearance of an old man brought shock and astonishment to everyone in the area. After all, every resident of Lindhall City knew exactly who the old man was. Even the people passing them on the street were looking at the old man in surprise. This old man was none other than the only 7th Circle Mage, the Great Sage Hellison Valestia. Just from the reactions of others, one could see how high and special his position was. ¡°Right. Is this princess right over here the one who this brat Yulis has been praising so much?¡± ¡°Ah. My name is Winley O¡¯Rowane. As someone who learns and studies magic, it is my honor to meet with the continent¡¯s renowned Great Sage,¡± said Winley nervously. The old man burst into loudughter. ¡°Hoho. What should I do with thosepliments? This old man is nothing special.¡± ¡°N¡­ No! Great Sage! How can you lower yourself like that?!¡± Collin the assistant mage eximed in shock. Certainly, Hellison Valestia had the position with a privilege given by the Continental Alliance to not bow his head to the royal family or even the kings of nations. ¡ªYou¡¯re the one whose standards are weird. Usually, someone at the level of the Great Sage would be the object of everyone¡¯s admiration. Aside from his magic being at the 7th Circle, Hellison Valestia also had wisdom and insight. He was also well-known for having a big heart. All the more reason why he became everyone¡¯s object of admiration. The fact that a person like Hellison Valestia was greeting Davey and Winley, both of whom were not yet twenty years old, shocked all of the assistant mages. ¡®Those stubborn and arrogant mages are the same everywhere.¡¯ Stubborn, entric, and one-track minded¡­were traits that all mages had. ¡°What do you mean by lowering myself? How can it be wrong for me to greet someone in person when they deserve such a treatment?¡± Collin frowned slightly. ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°Stop. Are you still going to show more disrespect?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­sorry.¡± Collin¡¯s apology was insincere and done against his will, but Davey did not care about that. After all, the man had already paid the price for insulting him. ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re here for the board game.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hohohoho. A promise is a promise. Good,e. I¡¯ll guide you myself.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ll be having a private conversation. Then, I will guide Miss Winley separately.¡± ¡°Ah¡­yes. Please take care of me, Yulis.¡± Following behind Great Sage Hellison Valestia, Davey could see the brief show of malice and anger in all of the participating mages¡¯ faces. But what else could he say? He didn¡¯t really care about what would happen to them, since they did not even try to hide their malice toward him. As Davey followed behind Great Sage Hellison Valestia, he could see the malice and anger that shed in the faces of all of the participating mages. What else could Davey say? He did not really care about what would happen to them since they did not even cover their faces and concealed their emotions, attacking him directly with their malice. *** ¡°This ce is a bit shabby for the reception of the continent¡¯s only Saint, but please have a seat.¡± To be frank, the Great Sage¡¯s workshop was seriously cluttered and messy. It was surprising, because people generally associated the continent¡¯s Great Sage¡¯s workshop to be a room connected to a neatly organized library. Davey had been led to a ce within the Red Tower¡¯s headquarters, but it wasn¡¯t inside the mage tower itself. He was in a huge garden on the outskirts of the territory. In thisrge garden was a small shack that did not even follow the architectural design that was prevalent in Lindhall. ¡°It looks like you have been living here for a long time.¡± ¡°There is no other ce that calms me as much as this ce. How do you like the ce?¡± While listening to Hellison Valestia¡¯s question, Davey picked up one of the books that littered the ground. The room had not been cleaned, so a pile of dust was covering the book cover with a stale odor. It was obvious that the book had not been used for a long time. [Theory of Mana Distribution Based on Rotational Dynamics] To an ignorant person, this book would appear to be quite difficult to understand. When Davey opened the stiff and crusty yellow cover of the book, he was met with theplete exnation of what seemed to be a usible theory. ¡®Hmm, right.¡¯ ¡ªHmm? Was there such a theory? ¡®It¡¯s a rubbish theory.¡¯ Davey dismissed the theory bluntly. He finished reading through it as he chuckled to himself. Just by looking at the book''s title, one could already tell what the theory was about. In fact, it was actually one of the cornerstone theories in the current mage academy and society. All of the mages considered this one theory to be one of the best theories in existence. For Davey, however, the theory was just filled with contradictions. ¡°This book is covered with dust.¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°You probably don¡¯t read it because it¡¯s full of rubbish.¡± ¡°Hoho. The contents of the book and the theory were written by a well-known mage.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Besides, Sir Hellison, you neglected this book because you judged it to be a poor theory, no?¡± In the room were also books that did not even have a single speck of dust on them. Those books appeared to have been carefully and sincerely used. However, there were some books that were as dusty as the one in Davey¡¯s hand. It was clear they had never been touched. The old man chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should consider you to be too quick-witted or not.¡± Raising his hand toward the firece that was on one side of the room, the old man said, ¡°Sing.¡± [Fire] A fiery sh shot out from Hellison Valestia¡¯s fingertips, bringing the firece to life and getting rid of the cold air in the room. Then, staring at the crackling fire in the firece, Hellison shook his head at the book that Davey had handed over to him. He said, ¡°No matter how rubbish the theory is, you can¡¯t just burn a book like that.¡± After much consideration, Hellison Valestia did not burn the book. He stood up and ced the book on the appropriate shelf. Then, as he waved and murmured something, two chairs that had been buried deeply in a pile of books naturally and swiftly rose in the air before being set neatly side by side. And with another order, the dust covering the ground rose in the air, gathered in a lump, and shot straight to the firece. ¡°The mages would freak out if they find out that their revered Great Sage is living in such a small shack.¡± ¡°Hohohoho. That¡¯s actually not the case. Those youngins think that the secret to my magic skills lie in this ce. That¡¯s why they are all prepared to pour their entire life savings just for a chance to be invited here.¡± Hellison Valestia seemed to be implying that human beings liked to be inefficient. After spitting out his philosophies calmly, Hellison Valestia opened a cupboard and prepared tea with ease and familiarity. Then, he held out a cup to Davey and asked, ¡°Do you know why this old man invited you here, Prince?¡± Davey fell silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Who knows? I can¡¯t make a judgment that easily.¡± ¡°This punk. You like to tease this senile and slow-witted old man, huh?¡± ¡°It seems like you have already noticed that I did note here just to get my board game.¡± The Great Sage would have a different view of the world, since a lot of information woulde through him first. Because of that, Hellison Valestia could guess that Davey was not a person who woulde all the way to this ce for something so trivial. Davey hade for something personal, so it was not the perfect timing for him to ask for it. Noticing that Davey was slightly holding back, Hellison Valestia became more certain that the prince had some other business with him. ¡°Only one¡¯s sense and wit would grow with age. Hmm. No one will listen to what you have to say in this ce, Prince.¡± It did not matter whether this was in the mage tower or not. ¡°I would like tomission you.¡± After pausing for a moment, Hellison Valestia said, ¡°Amission¡­ Are you telling me that you hold something so great and significant that you have to request something of me?¡± Unlike Yulis, who had stayed with Davey for quite a while, this was only Hellison Valestia¡¯s second meeting with Davey. And even though this was only their second meeting, the old man was already certain that Davey was hiding something big behind his mask as the Saint. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have made quite a lot of magic mediums during your stay in the Red Tower. I need at least two sealing stones that are at least fifty years old.¡± Those items were not enough to make a replica of an object that could interfere with thews of this world. However, they were necessary ingredients. ¡°I see,¡± Hellison Valestia said with a nod. ¡°Fifty years¡­ The only thing that this old man has plenty of is time. I have tried many things in the past. So, I probably should have made a sealing stone of that size. To be honest, I think it¡¯s stuck in one of the corners of my storage since I can¡¯t find any use for it.¡± As Davey remained silent, Hellison Valestia said, ¡°Two of them. Alright, I¡¯ll give them to you. However, there¡¯s a condition. How about it? Would you care to listen?¡± Davey nodded. *** There were quite a lot of things that had to be made over a long period of time. Although Davey wished that he could use some time-eleration magic, he was in the position of serving the Goddess which prevented him from doing such a thing. As someone who possessed great power, he also had to bear huge responsibilities. It was basically a field of magic that even Davey dared not use since he had great amounts of holy mana in his body. ¡°Ah! Brother! Over here!¡± Winley waved furiously when she saw Davey approaching. Then, pointing to the empty seat next to her, she added, ¡°I made sure to save a seat for you, Big Brother.¡± This was the sacred academy, so there were no designated seats for anybody here. After all, everyone here were mostly nobles or members of the Royal Families. Every mage tower¡¯s goal was to get recognition from these people based on their skills. However, even if the members of the Royal Families hade here with open minds, some would still be slightly ufortable with sitting together with the masses inside the sacred academy¡¯s conference hall. Of course, those who felt ufortable had internalized the idea that they were a cut above the rest and were different from the masses since birth. As for Winley, she had no problems with such a seating arrangement despite being born a royal. This just went to show how well she had been raised. ¡°It¡¯s quite crowded and chaotic.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m really looking forward to the theoretical presentation.¡± Davey did not bring Rinne, who would only draw unnecessary attention with her wings and halo. In fact, she was probably suffering from Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon¡¯s uncontainable excitement right about now. ¡°Brother, aren¡¯t you interested in the conference?¡± Davey shook his head. ¡°What¡¯s the point of watching a talent show?¡± Just because Hellison Valestia was hailed as the 7th Circle Great Sage did not mean that all of the mages present in this conference were worthy of respect. Most of the prominent mages who attended this conference were at the 4th to 5th Circle. Only a handful were about to step into the realms of the 6th Circle. For mages, the 6th Circle was around a Master¡¯s level. Not long after, the buzzing hall with everyone gathered together, instantly fell silent. A wave of silence magic had swept across the mage tower. Then, a man slowly walked toward the center of the now silent hall, and he was none other than Yulis. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am thest elder of the Central Tower, 5th ss Yulis, and the host of this year¡¯s Magical Theory Conference.¡± As the silence magic was gradually lifted, everyone once again began to discuss and talk amongst themselves. The quiet surroundings were soon buzzing withments and conversations again. ¡°We will begin right away. Now, I will hand over the stage to Blue Tower¡¯s elder, 6th ss Bram,¡± Yulis said as he handed over the cylindrical rod in his hands to the uptight old man who climbed up to the podium. The old man quietly epted the rod and bowed his head to the younger Yulis. Well, Yulis was powerful enough to receive such courtesy from others. ¡°Nice to meet you. As usual, I wee all of your questions¡­ However, if you want to criticize my work, then I implore that you provide us with reasonable grounds.¡± Criticizing and using someone without sufficient evidence was a ridiculous act and one that was aplete waste of energy. The old man tapped the bundle of papers in his hand on the podium and said dryly, ¡°This is the research that we have been focusing on at Hex, a magical research institute affiliated with the Blue Tower.¡± Then, several letters began to rise and appear in the air behind Bram. [The Dynamics of the Existence of the 8th Circle Ring and the Resulting Limits in Life.] It sounded quiteplicated, but it was nothing much to Davey. Basically, it was a theory that stated that 8th Circle magic or beyond could not exist in a human being. The theory stated that the 8th Circle was a level that no human could handle. In other words, humans could never reach such a level because of their species¡¯ limitations. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re a mage who is beyond the 8th Circle, no?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, that¡­¡± ¡°The premise of the theory is wrong from the very beginning.¡± This was a standard problem and calction that usually urred if one was studying magic and had reached such a high level. However, the world was filled with variables that went beyond simple predictions and calctions. Besides, there was a living and breathing example of a human who had more circles than the 8th Circle, a level that someone could not handle with a mere human¡¯sputational power and amount of mana. Simply put, the theory was mere nonsense. Winley giggled at Davey¡¯s blunt statement. Chapter 291 The mages of the academy were usually acquainted with each other, so they would encounter a few new faces at a conference like this. Of course, most of these new faces would usually turn out to be disciples or acquaintances rted to these arrogant and proud mages. All mages, no matter their background, always had the same mindset. With all of them gathered together, it was obvious that the resulting arguments and debates would be very, very disastrous. Davey sighed, knowing that only this one oue was possible. This conference was no more than a ce for a group fight. Whether it was against other towers or against the other factions that divided their own towers, opposition would be unsurprising. The mages would keep each other in check while protecting those who they sympathized with. Even in the past, the theory, which had just started the debate, did not really matter that much. The mages did not care if it was right or wrong. All they cared about was criticizing the other person¡¯s knowledge and standing. After all, it was the surefire way of proving how superior they were against that one person. Of course, it was very ironic and funny to see a person so focused and absorbed in their own theoretical research trying their hardest to stop the other person from finding the loopholes in their theory. Also, mages constantly participated in such brutal debates because they always got the result they wanted. If they had just been fighting a meaningless fight all this time, it was highly likely that this conference would not be taking ce up until this age. ¡ªDoes this mean anything at all? ¡®They have their own reasons.¡¯ For example, a mage¡¯s study could only be established as aplete theory if he could ward off all of the persistent and opposing attacks with his own knowledge and prove his new theory. Regardless of that, the level of the mages present at this conference was quite high. There were quite a few 5th and 6th Circle mages. As for the majority of 3rd to 4th Circle mages, they were probably the disciples, sessors, or acquaintances of the higher level mages. The mages mostly questioned the existence of the 8th Circle because the Great Sage was only at the 7th Circle. ¡°ording to the rtive theory of the circle and the heart that was proposed by the now deceased elder of the Green Tower, ss 5 Fennel, the heart feels increasing pressure with the establishment of every additional circle. This creates an excessive burden on the heart.¡± To build muscles, one had to repeatedly lift heavy dumbbells to work them out. This was simr to someone who ran every day to condition their body and strengthen their heart and endurance. Mages needed to do the same. To develop the nucleus of their circle, they had to train and push their hearts and minds to the limits. ¡°Is your theory telling us that the 8th Circle cannot be physically reached? Impossible. Then, how can you exin the old records that have recorded details about the 8th Circle?¡± Of course, this counter argument was bound to emerge. After all, the mage who was presenting had thrown out such a huge bait. ¡°Based on this world¡¯s physicalws, the magnitude of the force would vary depending on the mass. Although our fist-sized hearts have a great potential for growth, it would eventually hit a limit to its strength. And ording to the findings that our research group has gathered, we have predicted that the 7th Circle is the maximum level that a human heart can reach through metamorphosis.¡± Simply put, they had concluded that even if a mage were to try to change their bones and undergo metamorphosis, their limit would be the 7th Circle. Basically, they were saying that no one would be able to reach the 8th Circle unless they were crazy and had a death wish. After murmuring among themselves, the mages began shouting out their own counter arguments. ¡°Isn¡¯t that conclusion too hasty? This is just a theory, no?¡± ¡°Absolutely. If we go by ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory, there are still a lot of inconsistencies and questions that we won¡¯t be able to exin yet.¡± ¡°Oho¡­ The results of the study have not yete out.¡± Varying opinions rang out across the conference hall. The mages present were all divided into two camps: one agreeing with ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory and the other opposing it. As both sides were engaged in a very loud war of words, Winley watched everything unfold before her with widened eyes. She mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s worse¡­than I expected.¡± To attend the mage tower¡¯s conference had been Winley¡¯s dream. Attending such a gathering meant that one had been fully acknowledged and recognized as a mage. However, after witnessing the scene in front of her, she was only left with a huge question in her mind. She found out that it did not matter how important the issue was or whether a theory was true or not. All that mattered in the conference was that the mages had argued and debated over something. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Brother, you told me that this is a rubbish theory. Right?¡± Davey nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°However, from what I can see, there¡¯s no big problem with the theory in and of itself. Right?¡± Winley asked. The raging war of words was slowly leaning toward an agreement with ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory. Aside from Davey, only two other people present at the conference would feel that something was wrong with the theory. The two people would be Yulis and Winley, both of whom had seen Davey use 8th Circle magic or higher. Just as Davey was about to think of a better way to exin it to Winley¡­ ¡°It seems like Prince Davey does not like listening to the conference.¡± ¡­a small voice rang out from somewhere in the hall. That statement alone plunged the entire hall into hostility and silence. *** The mages fell silent, no longer arguing on whose opinion was right. The most talented mages had gathered in this ce. In all of the magic towers, a mage would only be recognized as a true mage after undergoing a ritual and being reborn as an independent mage who had flown from the nest of their masters. There were cases where a mage would be independent before the age of 20, such as Yulis, and forge their own path. However, there were also cases where mages in their 30s and 40s would still remain with their masters and end up bing their masters¡¯ servants or assistants. Only after their respective mage towers had recognized them as an individual mage would they be able to leave their previous positions and be treated as an equal, a member who would be able to receive their respective tower¡¯s support. So, why was this being mentioned? Because there was a man showing a disgusting smile and trying to pick a fight with Davey. This man was none other than ss 4 Collin Vermils, who was one of the assistant mages who served Yulis. He had also been the one to have shown an unpleasant expression upon seeing Davey and Winley. Although he was dressed in a robe that did not represent the Red Tower, Collin was obviously a mage who still had not grown independent of his master. The fact that he had be Yulis¡¯ assistant mage was proof that he was still not an equal member of the tower that he was affiliated with. Simply put, he was using his master¡¯s influence and position to pressure Davey. Collin had openly shown, whether it was through the Abyss¡¯ Authority or through his facial expressions, his hostility toward Davey from the very beginning. In fact, the man was so devoted to showing his emotions inly that Davey, holding back augh, had to wonder what he was up to. As the air around them became chilly and frigid, Winley felt anxious. She looked around and clenched her fists. Even Yulis looked troubled by the sudden turn of events. Collin was confident, especially since the countless displeased mages all looked at Davey with unwee gazes. Davey, observing the social cues, could decipher the meaning behind the mages¡¯ gazes. They were intimidating him or feeling repulsed. They rejected his attendance at this sacred mage towers¡¯ conference, especially since he was not a mage. It was a fact that this conference was a very neutral and independent event, so no member of the royal family could simply participate at will Davey had no goodwill toward the mages, but he had no intention of breaking their tradition. That was why he had chosen to stay silent all this time. However, now that a mage had decided to challenge and humiliate him like that¡­ Who was Davey to reject this opportunity to put them back in their ce? He was going to y this game until he felt satisfied. ¡°Well¡­ I understand. You are someone who simply borrows the power of God through holy mana. We are people who create our own path and do not need to ask for God¡¯s love. Please bear with us even if you don¡¯t understand what we¡¯re talking about and are feeling bored.¡± The mages were trying to say that they were pioneers of their own path, so Davey, as someone who merely gained great power by asking for God¡¯s love, had no right to express his boredom during this conference. Noticing that the old man was great at ying with words, Davey replied with a grin, ¡°Of course, I understand. Mages are very stubborn people who think of themselves as the only people who easily understand the logic of this world through their own efforts alone¡­¡± The old man frowned. ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡± ¡°However, one has to express disagreement if they do not agree with what¡¯s being presented in front of them. A chicken will never turn into a pheasant,¡± said Davey with a grin as he slowly unfolded his arms. ¡°I don¡¯t really care if you ignore and belittle me. However, the Holy Empire will not sit still if you belittle holy magic and God like that¡­¡± The mages¡¯ displeased frowns became even more prominent. They were already agitated enough by Davey¡¯sments to show their difort and annoyance. ¡°Those are words that one would generally say. As for me? I have a different opinion. I¡¯m not a member of the Holy Empire, so I don¡¯t need to make a stand for them and fight for their honor,¡± Davey said calmly as he stood up from his seat. The mages should never expect Davey to be polite, because one of their own had decided to start this fight. ¡°But if I¡¯m going to be honest, I¡¯m a tad bit disappointed. It seems that all of the high and mighty mages here have already forgotten the very basics of magic.¡± The spite and vitriol dripping from Davey¡¯s words stung the mages¡¯ pride. ¡°You¡­ You think you can just say whatever you want to say, huh?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a fake who imitates magic using holy mana!¡± Just like Davey had expected, these mages had heard the rumors of him using magic. They all believed that he had been imitating elemental magic through holy magic. Well, none of the people present here were aware of the vast amount of mana that slumbered deep inside him. ¡°Ha¡­ This is understandable. How can the results of all the hard-working people here be of interest to someone who suddenly gained great strength and status at a young age? Especially someone who has made contributions to the continent.¡± ¡°Hahahahahahaha! That¡¯s right. Well, my grandchild is just like that. That¡¯s how young people are. However, once they get older, they will definitely learn a harsh lesson. Hahahahahaha!!!¡± Some of the hostile mages who did not have the justification of attacking Davey seized this opportunity to bully him. Winley could not stand how the mages were openly showing their hostility. With clenched fists, she was about to stand up to say something. However, Davey stopped her. Daveymented quietly, ¡°I guess you don¡¯t like my presence here.¡± Some of the mages quickly answered with great sarcasm. ¡°Oh. Please do not misunderstand us. We¡¯re just worried that you have been bored by us, Prince Davey. It¡¯s obvious that the theory is a bit difficult for you to understand. But since you¡¯re already sitting with us¡­ I ask for your understanding. You see, we cannot lower our level to yours.¡± Those using the harshest of words toward Davey were mages who agreed with ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory. They probably all belonged to the same faction. As for those who had raised their suspicion against ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory, they remained rtively silent by the sidelines. ¡°Tch¡­ Even in this ce, I still can¡¯t escape from mindless politics.¡± Unlike children, it was hard to change the minds and the opinions of older people. Not only were the older people hard-headed and stubborn, but their old age and pride also made it difficult for them to admit to mistakes and wrong judgment. Davey calmly walked onto stage and called the old man, ss 6 Bram, who was standing on the podium. ¡°ss 6 Bram.¡± When the old man remained silent, Davey continued to speak. ¡°This theory is quite novel, so I certainlymend that. I have no reason or intention to mock your efforts.¡± ¡°This is a theory that my colleagues and I have poured our efforts into for a very long time. I will never let you go if you decide to judge and criticize it without any justification.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Anyone would be angry if someone rejects the conclusion that you have worked hard to reach. I am here because I¡¯ve made a promise with the Great Sage. With that, I am going to get to work,¡± said Davey. Grabbing the white chalk, he approached the ckboard. ¡°May I have your attention for a moment, please?¡± When everyone turned to look at Davey silently, Winley sighed in relief. She rxed her hands and her calm expression returned. ¡°First of all, I am telling you that I am very interested in magic these days. That¡¯s why I have read a lot of the magic books that the mage towers have published,¡± Davey said calmly as he tapped some parts of the form that ss 6 Bram had written down. ¡°This, this, and this.¡± Davey rewrote the form on the ckboard before asking calmly, ¡°Aren¡¯t these parts all wrong?¡± The revised form had turned 1+1=2 to 1+1=0, a very different approach and form to the form that they had been debating earlier on. A handful of mages sneered coldly before bursting out inughter. ¡°Ha¡­ Hahahahahahaha!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Prince Davey, you truly do not know anything. Yes, that is a form. However, the alchemical forms that are generally used by the school of alchemies and the magical forms use differentws.¡± That statement was true. When it came to magic, the answer to 1+1 would either be 0 or 2. In fact, the answer could even be 10. The answer to the form would depend on the circumstances and the inverse of the calction. Also, the standard that they used as the basis for the split followed the non-physicalws of this world. ¡°What else should I be worried about? Haha. Prince Davey, these forms have their own separate justifications. Technically, they are not wrong if you look at them one by one,¡± said an old man, who sided with ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory, on behalf of Bram. The old man was being very sarcastic. Although he did not even understand what Davey was saying properly, he was alreadyughing at him and telling him that he was wrong. In the end, the mages allughed in ridicule, wondering if what Davey had to ask them was just something so trivial. Of course, Davey had indeed presented a very simple form that even a 2nd Circle mage would be able to easily solve. Davey, with a calm smile, said, ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± ss 6 Bram coughed loudly and said, ¡°Cough! I can¡¯t say anything since this debate is being held in my stead, but¡­ I have to say that this is making me a bit ufortable.¡± The other mages quickly added their own opinions too. ¡°Haha. I did not expect Prince Davey to be very interested in magic. If you want, I will give you a magic book from our tower. I wrote it myself!¡± ¡°Hohohoho. Or, if you want, I can teach you the basics of magic myself.¡± The mages showed no favor to Davey, tantly showing their ridicule with sneers and harsh words. Now, they were satisfied. After all, they were able to crush their opponent as they wanted and had shown how superior they were. Davey, however, hadn¡¯t attended this conference to watch this shitshow. He also had no intention of allowing Winley to learn the wrong thing. Everyone in the conference hall continuedughing for a long time. Seeing this, Winley was so close to jumping up and saying something again. After writing something beneath the form that he had revised earlier, Davey mmed the chalk against the ckboard to catch everyone¡¯s attention again. He said, ¡°Then, why is there this form?¡± The entire conference hall fell silent as he continued, ¡°It¡¯s the same form. However, non-physicalws are applied in this form. As for the other form, only physicalws are applied. So, you use the non-physicalws when you need them and discard the physicalws when you don¡¯t need them? What? It is romance if you do it, then it is an affair when someone else does it?¡± Humans had a tendency to interpret something that they did not know in a way that suited their own preferences. Needless to say, the provided form could be wrong, but the mages would think themselves as right oncemon sense aligned with their theories. That was how they could make fatal mistakes without even realizing it. The entire hall remained silent. It was as if they had been doused with cold water. Ignoring the silent crowd, Davey turned the board around to write a simplified form that was easy to understand. Assuming that the form that ss 6 Bram had exined was seen as correct, the simple form that Davey was presenting could easily debunk it. ss 6 Bram¡¯s theory was impossible to begin with. The mages had never seen the form that Davey had written before, but the form was easy to understand. Looking at its simplicity and understanding itpletely, they knew that Davey¡¯s form was urate and true. ¡°See. You¡¯re wrong.¡± After being proven that they were wrong with a sudden and unexpected form, the mages were rendered speechless for a very long time. Chapter 292: You Aren’t Ready Yet Amidst the silence, the only one who looked surprised was Yulis. Being quick-witted, he had analyzed the form objectively by setting aside his political position and pride. If the other mages did the same, they would have already noticed the message that Davey had left behind in the simplified form. After a while, some of the silent mages¡¯ eyes grew wide in surprise as they stared at the form. Davey, however, had no reason to care about them. After looking around the now quiet conference hall, he called out, ¡°Winley.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes, Brother!¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Davey said as he passed by ss 6 Bram. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this once again. Regardless of your theory being right or wrong, your attempt in and of itself was good. However¡­¡± As the old man remained silent, Davey said, ¡°You will develop further if you exclude politics and pride from your discussions regarding these forms. Only then can you develop even further.¡± ss 6 Bram remained silent as he stared at the ckboard for a very long time. He had already noticed something. Unfortunately, some of the more stubborn mages continued to criticize Davey. They were clueless as to the situation they were now in. Most of the mage towers viewed Davey favorably because of the moon grass. However, it seemed like the stubborn and arrogant men attending this conference did not care about such things. ¡°Stop!!!¡± ss 6 Bram¡¯s furious shout soon rang out loudly across the conference hall. He then murmured, ¡°Prince Davey is correct. The theory I presented is wrong, so I won¡¯t ept any objection.¡± Having already learned something from Davey¡¯s form, ss 6 Bram called out, ¡°Prince¡­ Prince Davey!¡± Davey stopped walking to listen to what the old man had to say. He did not turn around. ¡°Holy magic is on apletely different track from elemental magic. So, how¡­? How did you know something like this?¡± Magical forms had a very funny structure. To understand a theory, one had to know how to analyze forms. However, to do that, one had to create their own circle and be able to deal with mana. Only then could they reverse it and make their own calctions. Davey chuckled. ¡°When did I ever say that I can¡¯t use magic?¡± With a flick of his fingers, the conference hall that was covered in the light of the mana stones suddenly grew brighter. The light that the mana stones emitted became at least three or four times brighter than before. ¡°A mage who doesn¡¯t trust in the basics will eventually end up on a single path. The Great Sage has asked me to take a look, but it seems this is what he was aiming for.¡± The mages, astonished by the brightness that Davey had created, were rendered speechless. None of them could say anything even after Davey had disappeared from their sights. *** ¡°Brother!¡± Winley called out with a bright smile. As she walked alongside Davey, she eximed, ¡°As expected, my brother is the best! You havepletely rendered those mages in the conference hall silent, no? They were very confident in that theory, too.¡± Davey just quietly ruffled Winley¡¯s hair affectionately. ¡°Ugh¡­ Please don¡¯t mess my hair up.¡± After hearing the little rascalining and crying, Davey just murmured quietly, ¡°Winley, what do you think magic is?¡± Winley suddenly looked troubled at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°Ma¡­ Magic? Let¡¯s see¡­ It¡¯s a bit hard to exin. It¡¯s the research of newws that create phenomena that do not exist in this world by feeling, adjusting, and discovering the structure of the intangible mana that exists in nature.¡± Her eyes grew wide in surprise upon realizing something. After entering the 4th Circle, Winley could already be considered to be an advanced level mage. It just went to show how brilliant she was, and it was her brilliance that led her to realize a big problem. ¡°Brother¡­ Then, that form¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It was a dud.¡± ¡°Brother¡­ You¡­ Really¡­¡± Winley had a nk expression. Then, in a daze, she suddenly chuckled. ¡°Wait¡­¡± With wide eyes, she continued murmuring to herself, ¡°Wait¡­ That form¡­ Oh¡­ My Goddess Freyja¡­¡± Trembling, Winley asked Davey, ¡°Brother¡­ What were you aiming for when you presented that form?¡± Davey had written a wrong form for the mages in the conference hall. However, in the process of calcting and solving the form, a fact would be imprinted in an excellent mage¡¯s head: There¡¯s a different method, a method that escapes the conventional and is not bound bymon sense. And once that method was put forward, they would realize that the theory that ss 6 Bram had presented regarding the limits of the human body was twisted and wrong from the very beginning. As for the mages who would not let go of their stubborness, it would serve as a trap, something that they would never be able to understand in their lifetime. In fact, the form that Davey had shown was simr to the one before. However, he had tweaked it to help the mages understand everything a lot easier. The absolutews wereplete, so there was no room for even more pondering. If he had chosen to show the true,pleted form, then the mages would not have the room to grow and learn. But why would Davey need to enlighten those he did not even like? The form that he had given would give those who could notice his hints a chance to develop. As for those who remainedcent and satisfied in their position, they would never be able to develop further. They would also never understand the intricacies hidden in the form for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, they would be the type of people to mock andugh at Davey because the simple form that he had shown them was wrong. For those who were hardworking and exceptional, they would be able to benefit greatly. As for those who werecent and did not aim for something better, they would not receive anything good. Magic was very funny in that way. After walking for quite a long time, Davey and Winley finally reached their amodations. Looking at Winley, who still had goosebumps from what he had just done, Davey said, ¡°Go inside first. I have to go somewhere.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ If this is the case, how many forms are out there¡­?¡± Winley mumbled as she slowly reflected on her thoughts. Then, she looked up at Davey with wide eyes and asked, ¡°What? Where¡­are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to scout ahead.¡± After all, Davey had to go and attend to his reason foring here. He had only attended the conference with Winley because he had wanted to see if there was anything worth discovering in this area. But Hellison Valestia wanted him to do something in the Lindhall¡¯s Great Magic Academy. *** There were several academies all over the continent. However, Shakunt, the magic academy located in the heart of Lindhall City, the home of the Red Tower¡¯s headquarters, could be considered to be the mages¡¯ Harvard. ¡ªHarvard? ¡°It was a famous university on Earth known for being the best. Well, I don¡¯t really know if it¡¯s really the best or not.¡± For one, Davey had never been there. He only knew of the general consensus. ¡ªDavey, I¡¯m just saying this, but you seem to have plenty of mischievous sides, huh? Perserque was a very outstanding mage, so she had looked and studied the form from a very different perspective. ¡ªWhy didn¡¯t you tell Winley? Perserque was referring to one other trap hidden in the form. ¡°Oh, I got caught?¡± ¡ªStop being ridiculous. You do know that I¡¯m at least an 8th Circle mage, right? It was true that another big truth, one that was different from the single truth that Davey had told Winley, had been hidden in the form that was neither entirely right nor wrong. Unfortunately, none of the mages in the conference had noticed. The only one who had noticed it was the best mage that Davey knew of, Perserque. Vwoooooong!!! Not long after, Davey reached the gates of the Magic Academy Shakunt. He immediately stepped onto an automatic foothold. With a faint whir, a blue light shed and lifted the tile that Davey stood on before flying straight into the vast academy. It moved just like a maic levitation train. Davey stood on top of the moving foothold like ddin on his magic carpet and looked around the academy. He could see countless students dressed in the academy¡¯s uniform busily moving about. There were children as young as nine up to teens of about fifteen to neen years of age. The students¡¯ ages were quite diverse, since there was no restriction on minimum age for those who could enter the academy. However, those above the age of 25 could not enter the academy due to a restriction on the maximum age limit. Davey found this fact to be quite funny. After all, most of the students here were still at the age of attending high school in the world of his previous life. They were about his age, in fact. However, he did not find any humor in having to tutor students of the same age as him. But he was indeed stuck in such a situation. That was the counteroffer that Great Sage Hellison Valestia had given Davey. By doing this favor, Davey would be given more than two of those rare fifty-year-old sealing stones in exchange. ¡°Wee, Prince Davey. Great Sage Hellison Valestia had contacted me and told me that you¡¯reing. I will be the one to assist you during your fifteen-day temporary instructor job in the academy.¡± Indeed, Davey had unintentionally be a teacher. Davey truly had no reason to teach strangers magic. However, if all he had to do was teach widely known theories, then this would be a huge bargain for him. After all, the value of the sealing stone was far higher than what Davey had initially thought. ¡ªHowever, there will be strong bacsh from the mage tower if the Great Sage gives you the sealing stone. ¡®That¡¯s probably the reason why that old man sent me to the conference.¡¯ Most likely, Hellison Valestia had ns to manage the mages¡¯ grievances andints by having them in Davey¡¯s debt. Aside from being a 7th Circle mage, Davey thought that the old man was an exceptional genius who was well-versed in the cause and effect of one¡¯s actions. He was also a talented man with plenty of wisdom and knowledge. ¡®However, I won against him in Olde.¡¯ ¡ªGoodness¡­ How can a mage who has transcended the 9th Circle be so petty and narrow-minded¡­? For Perserque, Davey¡¯s reaction was quite surprising. ¡°My name is Severes. Although I¡¯m amoner with not much to offer, the Great Sage has seen something in me and has allowed me to be an academy professor. I am also the supervisor of Dormitory 4.¡± The man looked stern and strict. He gave off the impression of someone who would instantly grab a wrong-doer and have them regret having thought of making trouble. However, Davey could see why Hellison Valestia had sent this man to wee him. Severes appeared to be an upright man. He was a professor who hade here to teach, truly caring and loving his students. That was how Davey viewed Severes. Of course, excluding his inner thoughts, the man lookedpletely cold on the outside. ¡°I¡¯m Davey O¡¯Rowane. Although I am inexperienced, I will be working as a temporary instructor for fifteen days. Please take care of me.¡± ¡°No, no. The Great Sage has told me that you, Prince Davey, possess vast knowledge at such a young age. Also, you¡¯re the only Saint in the entire continent.¡± Davey chuckled. ¡°I know that you will start work as an instructor in two days. But, if you don¡¯t mind¡­would you like to take a look at the students?¡± Davey nodded at the suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s the reason why I¡¯vee here in the first ce.¡± Nodding, Severes activated something that seemed quite simr to the tile that Davey had used to enter the academy earlier. Then, the academy floors moved as if they were alive, and the stairs changed in direction. ¡°Prince, you will be teaching magic to the 2nd year students of the middle school division. They are a level below the graduating students who are about to enter the high school division. I¡¯m a bit embarrassed, but they are the students that I am in charge of.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The academies in the continent generally followed the university format of enrollment. However, it seemed like Shakunt Academy was following the integrated education system prior to high school. ¡°Timmy is quite mischievous, and Ellie tends to stray from the sses when faced with handsome men. Please be very careful.¡± Severes, with a cold expression on his face, showed off and bragged about his students. As they looked around, Davey suddenly heard the students¡¯ conversations. ¡°Hey! Did you hear?! The academy will have a temporary instructor this time!¡± Davey turned toward the direction of the voices. ¡°Ah. That? I heard about that too! I heard about it!¡± It was a conversation between a boy and a girl. Not long after, another girl joined in on their conversation. ¡°Oh my. I also heard about the news. From what I heard, the instructor will be the same age as us, right?¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ Someone of the same age as students at the 2nd Circle? Who¡¯s that instructor¡­? Ah, but what circle is the instructor at?¡± ¡°Who knows¡­? I haven¡¯t heard much¡­ I don¡¯t even know what the instructor¡¯s name is yet¡­¡± Davey, who was listening to Severes¡¯ boasting and the students¡¯ chatter, burst outughing at the following words that he heard. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny? What can someone of our age be able to teach us?¡± ¡°Yeah. My pride is a bit hurt actually.¡± ¡°Guys¡­ Guys, stop it.¡± ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be like this. We have to check it ourselves. If they want to teach us, then they need to have the appropriate skills. In other words, we have to test the instructor.¡± Based on Severes¡¯ introduction, the one who was talking naively and fearlessly would have to be Timmy. As he watched the students talking among themselves bluntly, not realizing that they were being observed, Davey realized how detached he was from this world¡¯s ordinary life. ¡ªDa¡­ Davey¡­? ¡®Testing me¡­ It seems like these rascals have big guts, huh?¡¯ Chapter 293 Shakunt Academy was the mages¡¯ dream school. It was a very prestigious school where talented mages, whether they were genius nobles, sons of aristocrats, or those who had received the sponsorship of high ranking mages, could enter. With a 90-year history, the academy was famous for being the academy that had enrolled the world-renowned Great Sage, Hellison Valestia. Thanks to the support of the mage towers, the buildings and facades of Shakunt Academy always looked new and magical. Most of the mages who had graduated from the academy would be famous, either being recruited by the mage towers or bing a kingdom mage to enjoy both wealth and honor. Magic was not a field that one could easily get into. One needed considerable talent to even stand a fighting chance of being recognized as a mage. Due to that reason, the children who studied in this particr academy often thought of themselves as the chosen ones. Mages also made up the lowest percentage in the entire continent. Even then, most mages were only at the 1st to 2nd Circle. A handful of them were at the 3rd Circle. ¡ªI just realized how talented your younger sister, Winley, and the members of the Alpha Reinforcement Mages are. Perserque was right. Even after receiving plenty of support, there were only a few students who had graduated from the academy and reached the 4th Circle. Regardless, everyone in Shakunt Academy was undeniably talented. Severes sighed, rubbing his lips with the tips of his thumb and index finger, as he stood in front of the door of an auditorium. Then, he looked back at Davey and said, ¡°The students should still be unaware that you¡¯re the one taking the ss, Prince Davey. However, rumors of them being taught by an instructor of the same age as them has already spread.¡± Davey was reminded of the conversation between the students who he had heard on their way here. ¡°That seems to be the case, yes.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you about what you¡¯ve discussed with the Great Sage or how you became a temporary instructor for 15 days. Of course, I also won¡¯t question your abilities. Since my master, the Great Sage, has chosen you for this job, then I will trust his judgment.¡± ¡°What does a teacher look like?¡± Davey asked calmly. Severes shook his head. ¡°The academicmunity does not believe that you, Prince Davey, is an exemry mage. If we followmon sense, magic is not something that can possibly grow and develop in such a short period of time. You¡¯re young.¡± After stating the general consensus, Severes expressed his own opinion. He had a slightly different take on the matter. He said, ¡°However, I don¡¯t believe the rumors surrounding you, Prince Davey, are fake.¡± There were many things in the world, and these things often did not follow the convention ofmon sense. Severes asked calmly, ¡°Instructor Davey, are your skills and abilities all lies?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°It would be nice if they¡¯re true. But even if they¡¯re false, I believe the students here would still be able to learn a lot from you.¡± Unlike the others, Severes was aware of Davey¡¯s fame and how well-known his achievements were in the entire continent. Looking down, Severes then said, ¡°Please¡­ Please be lenient. Even if the students are rude to you, please¡­¡± The old man had a cold appearance, but¡­ The tips of Davey¡¯s fingers twitched when he felt the professor¡¯s deep love for his students. Back on earth, the only such teacher who Davey had met was his elementary school teacher. He had to stop attending sses ever since middle school due to his illness. As for the teachers who he had encountered in this life¡­ [F*cking Davey, are you crazy?! You¡¯re f*cking crazy, right? Who told you to breathe like that? Huh? Do you want to never breathe again?] Davey¡¯s lessons in holy mana had given him resistance to abusivenguage and curses. [If you can¡¯t make that form onest time, I will make you burn under Hellfire for an entire week! Do it again!!!] Odin, the one hailed as the God of Magic, had forced Davey to figure out forms that she had never taught him. If he ever got it wrong, she would throw him into a pit of mes. [As expected, you have to experience the spirit magic¡¯s techniques personally. Don¡¯t you think so too?] ¡®Not at all, b*tch.¡¯ [How about sending you off and submerging your body deep under the sea for a month?] There had even been a time when all Davey could do was breathe. Back then, he had been trapped deep under the sea for so long that he had wondered if he was a fish or a human being. [A sword mind¡­ Kghhk! Mind of the sword. Oh my, my vision is blurring. Just read my mind and try to figure it out on your own. Kghhk!] Davey had almost lost his arm from the Heavenly Destroyer¡¯s relentless attacks in the Drunken Swordsmanship. [I¡¯m tired and sleepy. Just go and sh your weapon 200,000 times. Come find me once you¡¯re done.] Even the training that he had undergone under the simple and idiotic Sword God had been enough to bring chills to his spine. [You bastard. I told you to practice sorcery, what are you doing shing like that? Who told you that? Do you think daoist magic is a joke, huh?] [It¡¯s hyung.] [This bastard!] Even though they had been the heroes of their own era, they hadn¡¯t been true teachers who could teach well. If Davey were to be asked about whether they had been true teachers or not, he was one hundred percent sure that his answer would be no. Needless to say, the profession of a teacher had no weight or meaning to Davey. After all, his learning had all been done only because he had been prepared to die. At least, for Davey to teach someone, he would never do something so inefficient. ¡ªPfft. I don¡¯t know if a human being can live if they had to study like you did. ¡®I won¡¯t do that. You¡¯ll see.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t he a very detailed and caring teacher when he had taught Tanya archery before? But Perserque just snorted at Davey¡¯s rebuttal. ¡ªWhere did that caring teacher go when you took away her sight, threw her in the forest, and let her roll around on the ground? ¡®That¡¯s because it¡¯s a pressing situation.¡¯ ¡ªSure enough. Feeling an inch, Davey was just about to tug at the sneering Perserque¡¯s cheeks when the quick-witted woman vanished into thin air. ¡°Then¡­ Let¡¯s go inside. Ah, the Great Sage had said that it was better for you not to mention your name, Prince Davey.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I intend to do.¡± As long as the students knew Davey¡¯s name, whether they liked him or not, they would still end up bing students with proper ssroom etiquette. For Davey, it did not really matter if he was a world-renowned Saint or an unknown instructor to the students. In fact, the act of teaching someone else did not have any meaning or purpose to him. ¡®I¡¯ll save yo¡­¡¯ ¡°Cough.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I was thinking about something else.¡± Severes looked at Davey in doubt as he rapped on the door. Not long after, a light shone from the wooden door that had no knob. The wooden door began to change, opening up like an automatic entrance to reveal a dozen pairs of eyes. The students were already all seated inside the fan-shaped auditorium. Severes, with his already cold expression bing even colder, said, ¡°We will start the ss.¡± As he stepped onto the teacher¡¯s tform, he noticed that his words brought exhaustion and defeat to the faces of his students. He asked, ¡°Timmy, what¡¯s with your expression?¡± ¡°Ah. That, that is¡­ Professor.¡± ¡°Timmy Lendarogue, five points,¡± Severes snapped coldly, making the boy named Timmy jump from his seat. ¡°This¡­ This is ridiculous¡­¡± Timmy flinched in his seat. ¡°Do you have anyints?¡± ¡°N¡­ No, sir.¡± ¡°You have a total of 78 penalty points. If you get 100 penalty points, you will be expelled from the school. I suggest you gain more merits and clear up the penalty points that you have umted,¡± Severes said briefly, dismissing all of the students¡¯ints. Looking around at the students and spotting an empty seat, he could not help but frown. He asked, ¡°Where did Josiah go?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s uninterested in the ss, so she¡¯s not going toe, Professor.¡± ¡°As always, she¡¯s practicing magic all by herself,¡± a boy wearing sses answered timidly. Severes frowned for a moment, then said, ¡°Your ss will proceed as per usual. However, for the next fifteen days, things will be slightly different for you.¡± Immediately, the students looked at Davey with curiosity and anticipation. They had been waiting for this very moment. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Is he really our age?¡± ¡°So handsome¡­¡± Whispers and murmurs rang out in the ssroom. ¡°Doesn¡¯t his face look ordinary?¡± ¡°Not at all. A calm, rxed, and likable person like that is a very handsome man. Those people who glitter and shine brightly, the handsome and beautiful ones? We would eventually get used to their faces. We have to understand that it¡¯s the inside that matters.¡± Hearing someone openly praise him in a quiet voice, Davey thought, ¡®Since you said that I¡¯m handsome, I will cut you a bit of ck.¡¯ However, Davey hid his innermost thoughts and remained silent. ncing over at Davey, Severes coughed to silence everyone. He then said, ¡°Everything is ording to the academy¡¯s policies. Instructor Devy will be the one giving you lessons for fifteen days, starting from today. Even though it will only be for a short time, I expect you to show courtesy toward your instructor and not tarnish the academy¡¯s honor and prestige.¡± Severes¡¯ brief introduction brought a smile to Davey¡¯s face Davey said, ¡°My name is Devy. Although it¡¯s not the case for everyone, I heard that most of the students are the same age as me. Let¡¯s work well together.¡± Davey then wore a delighted smile on his face. This was his first time being formally introduced as a teacher, and he had always wanted to try this. Unfortunately, the students stuck to their earlier reactions. The boys, especially, were looking at Davey in disgust and disapproval. Perhaps they found it annoying that someone of the same age was going to act as their teacher and instructor. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, Instructor Devy. Ah, just in case¡­¡± Severes stopped talking and looked back at the students, who flinched at his gaze. He then continued, ¡°¡­please let me know if those children behave rudely and act unruly.¡± Seeing Severes bowing lightly and leaving the auditorium, some of the children stretched out as if they were finally able to rx. In fact, almost all of them were doing it. To them, Severes appeared to be a very scary and strict professor. As for Davey, they saw him as a friend and someone they could befortable with. The biggest reason for that was the negligible age difference between them. This made him appear to be far more agreeable and easier to approach. Davey smiled gently at the students who openly showed their attitudes. They acted as if the ss was already over even though he was still standing right in front of them. ¡®Right. This is how a student should be. Bright. Naive. Amicable.¡¯ This scene waspletely different from that ce where horrendous adults would torment, harass, and bully someone until the person almost gave up on their lives. However, there was nock of students who had the characteristics of bullying their ssmates. What should Davey do? Of course, he had to meet the expectations of his pure and naive students. ¡°First off, a promise is a promise. So, starting today, I will be your instructor for the next fifteen days. I don¡¯t know much about the reason as to why I am here, but I know our time together will end before the magic festival.¡± Everyone leisurely and nonchntly looked at Davey, who spoke calmly. ¡°I hope that we can get along during that time. Well then, do you have any questions?¡± The students began to raise their hands one after the other. ¡°Instructor! Are you really in your teens?¡± a girl with brown hair asked. Davey nodded. ¡°I¡¯m seventeen. Although it¡¯s a bit shocking, there¡¯s not much of a difference between your ages and mine.¡± ¡°Instructor, are you a mage too?¡± Davey nodded once again. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then, how many circles do you have?¡± Choosing not to lie, Davey answered firmly, ¡°I have transcended the 9th Circle.¡± His short answer silenced the entire auditorium. Based on what the students knew, the 9th Circle was the end. However, since magic clearly had no end, there was obviously no ceiling to its power. Someone who had gone beyond the 9th Circle would have to carry the word Transcendent in their name and delve into endless studying and learning. The distinction between circles would be meaningless, too. The meaninglessness of the circles was especially true for Davey, who had reached the level of the circles covering his entire body. ¡°Pfft¡­¡± At that moment, some of the studentsughed at Davey¡¯s calm and firm response. They looked at him as if he had spoken bullshit. Some students were evenughing provocatively, as if calling his bluff. ¡°Ahahahahahahaha! Instructor, stop lying!¡± ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s right. I almost believed you. It¡¯s obviously a lie.¡± As expected of children, they had all epted Davey¡¯s answer as a joke. ¡°Ha. Of course, you didn¡¯t need to ask that question to get that obvious answer. Do you think someone who¡¯s not even in his twenties can be at the 9th Circle? He¡¯s not even worthy. If you guys are sensible, you shouldn¡¯t make the new teacher ufortable by asking¡­¡± Thwack!!! The boy, who tried mediating between the students and Davey with a nonchnt expression on his face, was suddenly pushed back in his seat. A chalk had suddenly struck him in the forehead. With just one shot, the boy fainted. This was unsurprising, because the white chalk was embedded into his forehead. ¡°A¡­ A chalk?! Kyaaack! Celvice!¡± The girl sitting right next to the boy screamed, but her reaction did not matter. Davey just smiled gently at the textbook in front of him before tearing it apart. The academy only taught theories that looked legitimate on the outside but werepletely rubbish in terms of substance. Even if they died in this ce, Davey was sure that the students here would not be able to raise their circles. ¡°I will tell you the reason why I like being a teacher a lot more than I expected,¡± Davey said graciously, the benevolence seemingly painting him golden. The students felt a strange sense of dreariness. They felt a chill running down their backs. ¡°A teacher has the obligation to guide a student back into the right path.¡± If the students were no longer on the right path, it was Davey¡¯s job to bring them back to their original path. But how was he to do that if there was a copse of the teacher¡¯s authority? What if the students were members of royalty, nobility, and aristocracy? What should Davey do? Well, there was an old saying that went like: The king, the father, and the teacher are all one and the same.[1] Davey vowed to show the students a lecture that they had never experienced in their lives. After all, the teaching method of a mage who had transcended the 9th Circle was very novel and new. ¡°Well then, we will start our first ss. I have seen quite a lot of good ces where we can hold our lectures on my way here. Let¡¯s go there. Don¡¯t worry, you guys only have to do one thing.¡± As Davey had mentioned before, humans tended to grow rapidly when ced in extreme and dire situations. ¡ªWhere is the kind and benevolent teacher that you were selling to me earlier? ¡®This is quite kind and benevolent, no? I¡¯m pulling these hopeless brats back to the right path.¡¯ ¡ªYou¡¯re crazy¡­ After hearing his reply, Perserque looked at Davey as if he was very immature and childish. 1. It means that all three were the same and they must be treated with utmost respect and sincerity. ? Chapter 294 ¡°Let¡¯s see. Timmy.¡± ¡°¡­Here.¡± ¡°Ellie.¡± ¡°Here¡­¡± ¡°Allysa.¡± ¡°¡­Present.¡± Everything had an order. Each person had different mindsets and ideas, having different ways of thinking. Davey thought that education itself would not be a problem, since the students were still growing up and were still at the stage where they could absorb knowledge. However, if they had been denied their own way of life, they would be forced to face the situation as a problem and use theirst resort. Davey came out to the school grounds with the students in his ss. He ignored the students¡¯ suspicious res and continued to scan through the names on his roster. ¡°Molly.¡± ¡°Yeees~¡± ¡°Loisa.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Since this appeared to be Davey¡¯s rule, the students still answered whenever he called out their names. They were unwilling, but none of them ignored him. ¡°Josiah.¡± Davey eventually reached Josiah¡¯s name, the student who was branded as the troublemaker. Hearing no answer, Davey looked up and called out, ¡°Josiah Frances.¡± Amidst the silence, one of the bespectacled students raised her hand carefully and said, ¡°Uhm¡­ Instructor? Josiah¡¯s not here.¡± Davey turned and looked at the bespectacled girl. Then, he turned to the other side of the grounds where there was arge flower bed and said, ¡°You won¡¯t have another chance after this. Are you not going to respond? Josiah Frances.¡± ¡°¡­How did you know that I was here?¡± ¡°Can a teacher even be called a teacher if he doesn¡¯t know what his students are doing?¡± Davey answered nonchntly. A pretty girl with ck hair and a calm expression appeared from behind the thick overgrowth. ¡°Josiah?¡± ¡°Goodness, it¡¯s really Josiah.¡± Josiah Frances was a 4th Circle expert mage who seemed to be hailed as an unprecedented genius in the current Shakunt Academy. Mages of the 6th Circle were said to be equivalent to Sword Masters who dealt with the sword. However, if one looked at their percentage alone, it could be said that the growth of a mage was much lower than other upations. With such unfavorable circumstances, it would certainly be surprising to see a sixteen-year-old girl reach the 4th Circle Expert level. The problem here was that almost all of the academy professors were around the 4th to 5th Circle. Needless to say, it was understandable that Josiah had to think whether she truly needed to attend these sses as a student or not. ¡®In that regard, I can say that Winley is very amazing.¡¯ ¡ªYou sister-loving bastard. Winley, who was only fifteen this year, had reached the 4th Circle by studying magic through books alone. She did not even take sses in this academy to have reached such a high level. If Winley was a genius then¡­ In fact, Davey wanted to deny that fact. However, considering the fact that she had reached the 3rd Circle at fourteen, Winley could definitely be considered to be among the ranks of geniuses. ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m a little bit interested.¡± Josiah squinted at Davey as she walked forward, still sporting a bored expression on her face. She said, ¡°I was told that our new instructor is simr in age to us.¡± ¡°And so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I am here. I¡¯m just a bit curious. And just like I expected, it¡¯s very interesting.¡± Josiah looked Davey up and down before continuing, ¡°I don¡¯t even feel any mana from you, so how are you calling yourself an instructor?¡± Josiah¡¯s words caused a stir. How ridiculous, right? To find out that the instructor who would teach them magic lessons did not have enough mana to even be considered a 1st Circle mage? ¡°Jo¡­ Josiah! No matter what you think, he¡¯s still an instructor¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we follow the rules ofpetency and skills in this ce?¡± ¡°Even so¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand that this is the reason why those guys from ss A look down on us?¡± This was something that Davey had heard from Celvice earlier. They were students in ss F because their magic level was F-ss. It was, in fact, very disgraceful for someone to bebeled as a student of ss F when they were studying in this academy where skills and abilities were what mattered the most. ¡°Watch that mouth of yours, Josiah. Just because we lost the Magical Confrontation does not mean that we¡¯re individually ipetent.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Besides, you did not even participate in the magical meetingst time, no? Why are you ming everyone here when you¡¯re the very uncooperative one? We did not even have enough people to fight back then.¡± The students all gritted their teeth as they criticized Josiah. They were revealing their thoughts and feelings. ¡°What¡¯s the point of being called a genius and having a lot of circles? In the end, you still failed and were sent to ss F because you can¡¯t even fulfill the attendance!¡± After stinging Josiah right where it hurt with his words, the boy immediately covered his mouth and appeared to be flustered. However, it was all toote. Josiah¡¯s expression had already turned cold. ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I did not participate inst year¡¯s magic festival. I will not make excuses for that. However, a mage who does not even reach the 1st Circle is going to teach magic? Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± Josiah said, quickly turning around. Davey immediately snatched the back of Josiah¡¯s cor and dragged her back. No matter how much of a genius she was, she seemed to be a loner in this ss. On top of that, it seemed like rumors about her absence from the Winter Magic Festival being the reason why she had suddenly fallen to ss F had been circting among the students. ¡ªShe¡¯s obviously a victim too, but¡­she seems to be feeling guilty for dragging the entire ss down. ¡®A pretty face is always a problem no matter where you go.¡¯ ¡°Instruc¡­tor? What are you doing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask. It¡¯s not really up to me whether you choose to be rebellious or not. But, what are you trying to do right now?¡± Josiah frowned at Davey. ¡°Then, do you think a teacher like you is qualified to teach us? A teacher without a mana circle?¡± The students all fell silent. If Josiah was right, then they would truly be reluctant to listen and learn. They did not want to be taught by someone who could not even be considered a mage. They also found it undesirable for someone like that to take care of them until the Magic Festival. ¡°That is not for you to judge. Anyway, Ipletely changed my mind. Go and stand over there,¡± Davey said firmly. Josiah nervously pulled her cor away from Davey, then retrieved the wand from her waist. She murmured, ¡°Fight me, Instructor. If I find that you¡¯re a qualified teacher, I will see the reason for turning up for your sses. They might be too soft-hearted to show their unhappiness under your guidance, but¡­¡± She then said in a determined voice, ¡°But I¡¯m different. At the very least, I will determine if you are qualified to be our teacher¡­¡± Thud!!! Everything happened in a sh. Before she could even finish her words, Josiah had copsed onto her knees. She was no longer proudly holding her twinkling wand and pointing it toward Davey. Groaning, she frowned at Davey. ¡°Urk?!¡± Josiah could not understand why she was suddenly kneeling on the ground. ¡°How did this¡­?¡± ¡°A student will evaluate their teacher and decide whether the ss is worth attending or not? So, you¡¯re crazy! Goodness. Do you think your teacher is your friend? Do you think the world is such an easy ce? Someone who¡¯s merely at the 4th Circle is speaking haughtily like this? What? Do you think you¡¯re some kind of Great Sage?¡± Davey gave scathing remarks. ¡°Urgh¡­¡±Josiah frowned even more. Despite not knowing what had happened, she fought back against the pressure by releasing her own mana. She said, ¡°What the hell did you do¡­?¡± ¡°What did I do? I just received your answer well. You want to get quick results? Good. Since that is what you want, I will take that into ount and teach you ordingly.¡± Davey intended to nurture the students mildly and gently. However, since this was what the students wanted, then he would remove the mild and gentle teaching from his curriculum. He looked at the students and asked, ¡°Are you of the same mind?¡± The students hesitated at Davey¡¯s question. Although they had pretended as if it did not bother them, they were still very reluctant to trust in a teacher who was essentially a boy of their age. On top of that, the boy did not even seem to be a mage. What naive simpletons, no? Excited and stimted by the current situation, the students werepletely unaware of their impending doom. They could not even imagine what they would go through in the near future. ¡°There will be no exceptions. Run twentyps around the school grounds. Let¡¯s do this in the order of arrival. The first five can stop at 20ps. As for the rest, you can add 7ps for every person who surpasses you.¡± The students¡¯ faces were drained of color. Mages were more like schrs who studied theories and researched phenomena. Of course, this meant that their physical capabilities and magical abilities were very far apart. It could even be said that theycked stamina. Despite knowing that, Davey was asking the students to run twentyps around the school grounds. The students¡¯ faces turned stiff at Davey¡¯s order. It was an order that even knights-in-training would not be able to do well. ¡°You¡¯re not going? Then, I¡¯ll make you do it,¡± Davey said as he snapped his fingers lightly. Vwoooooong!!! The students suddenly floated from the ground before being thrown mercilessly toward the school¡¯s running track. ¡°Kyaaaack!¡± ¡°Eeeeek!¡± The students screamed in confusion. Then, they stood up and began to walk around. Those who were moving away from the running track in protest suddenly came to a stop at the edge of the track. ¡°What the hell is this¡­? A wall?!¡± Thud!!! Thud!!! There was obviously nothing in front of them, but the students could not leave the running track. It was as if they were being stopped by a firm and sturdy wall. Davey walked leisurely before reaching the edge of the track. He looked up at the students who could not hide their embarrassment before murmuring quietly, ¡°From this moment forward, you have to run as if you¡¯re going to die. You¡¯re free to use your magic, or you can simply run until you die. I don¡¯t care. However, you will receive the appropriate penalty if you fall behind, understand?¡± If the students got caught, then they would lose. That was what Davey was going for. At the same time, the space behind Davey began to crack and tear apart to reveal a very ominous and dreary ce. It was reminiscent of hell. Thump!!! Thump!!! And from within the zing heat of the crack in space, a gigantic skeletal hand shot out. ¡°Kyaaaaaaaack!¡± ¡°M-Monster!!!¡± The students screamed as they took several steps back, their steps faltering. Even the confident and proud Josiah stiffened up at the indescribable situation that they had suddenly been ced in. ¡°Now, here¡¯s a question. Timmy Lendarouge. Do you know this guy¡¯s name?¡± Davey asked. Timmy, who could not hide his fear, murmured absent-mindedly, ¡°The mage¡¯s natural enemy¡­ Balrog.¡± Balrog was a huge monster that lived mostly in volcanic areas. It had originally been a member of the demon race, but on the continent were a number of Balrogs who had lost their will and were running rampant. Balrog was very famous among the mages because it was a monsterpletely immune to magic below the 5th Circle. And so, due to the risks and dangers that they posed, there were records about their race having been exterminated under the leadership of the Pan Empire once before. ¡°You must have seen a lot of records about them in the ancient books, right? This is very overwhelming and shocking, no? You can count on the fact that chicks like you will be burned to ashes the moment you get caught by this guy.¡± There was nowhere else to escape. The only way for the students to survive was to run forward. Stuck in such a ridiculous situation, the students were dazed and thoroughly confused. ¡°Let¡¯s switch it up. Run twentyps. What does that mean? It means you have to be prepared to die. Run or die. Let¡¯s see what is the conclusion, you dying or the Balrog¡¯s summoning time running out? Ah, just to let you know, you¡¯re free to fight the Balrog to death.¡± They wanted a face-off, no? Then, their wish was Davey¡¯smand. Baaaam!!! The Balrog, a gigantic skeleton covered in mes, jumped out of the spatial crack and mmed its fist down on the ground. ¡ªGraaaaaaaaaaaaa! The students turned pale as their ears rang from the Balrog¡¯s roar. As their surroundings shook from the Balrog¡¯s every step, they had no choice but to take two steps back in fear. The Balrog obviously released a great pressure into the surroundings. It would not be strange for the students to lose strength in their legs and for them to copse onto the ground right now. However, the students continued to creep away. They did not know if they would even have the courage to run away, let alone fight against a balrog. ¡°No one wille to save you. You said that you¡¯re in ss F, right? From what I heard, you guys are notorious for failing your sses in the academy. If that¡¯s the case, then why would they care about some of you dying?¡± Josiah threw a fit and shouted at Davey, ¡°Is that something a teacher should say¡­?¡± ¡°A teacher?¡± Davey asked, a vicious smile stered on his face. ¡°I clearly remember you saying that you won¡¯t ept someone without a mana circle as your teacher. So, howe I¡¯m a teacher now?¡± Josiah¡¯s expression turned ugly at Davey¡¯s rebuttal. She snapped, ¡°I will absolutely not let you go.¡± ¡°You can only say that after surviving this. Move it.¡± As if suddenly receiving orders, the Balrog began moving toward the students. The first one toe to their senses was Josiah. She realized the direness of their situation and screamed, ¡°Everyone, run!!!¡± ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaaack!¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaaack!¡± The students were all crying, snot and tears running down their faces. However, despite their unsightly expressions, they still ran and ran without taking any breaks. ¡ªA wicked man¡­ ¡°Human beings have to be driven into a corner through an extreme situation to reveal their true nature.¡± ¡ªIn the end, you still are no different from your teacher. ¡°Not at all. At least, I¡¯m not driving them to their real deaths.¡± Davey stepped away from the running track, leaving behind the screaming students who were running for their lives. Once he stepped away, the Balrog that was releasing a tremendous amount of pressure suddenly disappeared from view. Yes, the Balrog had been a mere illusion. In the first ce, there was no Balrog. What Davey had done was block the running track so no one coulde to this area. Then, he casted a 6th Circle mass illusion magic on the students. ¡°At the very least, I did not leave them with nothing and let a real Balrog chase after them until they died.¡± It was true that Davey had been chased by a real Balrog that had been intent on tearing him apart. Back then, he had only been a rookie learning to feel the mana in the air. In the end, an illusion was still different from reality. ¡ªDon¡¯t tell me¡­ ¡°Not only that, but he even meticulously ced a holy buff on me so that my legs would not copse from fear. Although he made it so the Balrog only had half of its original speed, the distance between us was so narrow that I could feel the heat emitting from its body on my back.¡± Davey was even kind enough to cast an overall physical protective magic on the students so that they would not sustain any injuries whatsoever. And since the others could not see the Balrog running after them, the students just looked as if they were running on the running track¡ªa verymon sight to see in an academy. All things considered, Davey could definitely be considered as a kind teacher. ¡°How is it?¡± Perserque red at Davey. She looked like she was already done with Davey¡¯s grin as she mercilessly tugged at his cheeks. ¡ªIn the first ce, I don¡¯t think this stupid running lesson has anything to do with magic. ¡°Why not? The best way to know how an individual¡¯s mana was activated, distributed, and moved is to push one¡¯s heart to the limit by doing an extreme cardio exercise.¡± Davey did not know about the others, but for him, when teaching someone else, he believed that one should not cram their students¡¯ heads with simple theories and lessons. He believed that the first thing one should do was to identify the students¡¯ capabilities and individual characteristics. Only by finding out those things would he be able to find the most efficient way in teaching. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t have much time, everything would be useless if we don¡¯t prepare well. Remember that, Perserque.¡± ¡ªAt the very least, I am certain of one thing. Perserque said firmly. ¡ªYou are just as crazy as your teacher. Perserque might not know it, but it had been her father, the father who she missed and respected so much, that had ranked first when it came to teaching Davey using crazy and idiotic methods. As the thought of Ares appeared in his head, Davey felt a sh of anger. He thought, ¡®I should have set fire to Ares¡¯ quarters before I came back here.¡¯ Chapter 295 ¡°Aaaaaaaaack!!!¡± ¡°Run! Run faster!¡± ¡°What the hell! Is that person crazy?!¡± It looked like aplete disaster. The students ran around the running track in desperation, screaming and crying their lungs out. Of course, these students, who had never seen such a monster in their lives, would fear being chased by something this horrifying. The problem was that they were not like the apprentices who did swordsmanship training and were steadily honing their bodies for a long time. These brats were geeks who only used their heads and read books. In other words, their physical strength was like that of a rat¡¯s. However, they still ran for fear of getting caught and dying. Humans were said to be capable of exerting superhuman strength when faced with crisis. And since their bodies were in a much better condition than usual, the students were able to run crazily while screaming and crying. ¡°Kyaaaack!¡± When a girl fell down and shrieked in terror, a boy who ran ahead of her quickly came back, supported her back up, then ran forward once again. He yelled, ¡°Run!!! I will support you, so run!!!¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Sob, sob¡­¡± The children, still running and crying, finally thought of fighting back against the Balrog. Of course,mon sense dictated that a mage had to bepletely still and focused to be able to cast their magic. Even if one scoured through the entire continent, they would only be able to find a select few mages who were capable of casting magic while moving about. However, Josiah attempted to run and cast her magic at the same time. And as if to prove that her talent did not go to waste even after she had been sent to this ss, she was able to cast her magic. [Heed my call. Let your zing mes descend upon us!] The 4th Circle me magic, Fire Breath, flew in the air. ¡°Oh my, we can¡¯t have that, can we?¡± Of course, Davey was not going to sit back and watch them fight back. [Dispel] Fwiiish!!! When Josiah¡¯s fire magic evaporated into thin air just like that, the running children only frowned even more. ¡°We¡¯re done for¡­ Just like what we expected, any magic below the 5th Circle won¡¯t work against it!¡± one of the students mumbled desperately. They ran away from the Balrog even quicker now, speeding up like crazy. With how the students were running, Davey was sure that these brats would soon reach their limits. After all, they had already run the ideal number ofps that one could normally run. Thud!!! In the end, some of the students copsed from fear and exhaustion. They were unable to ovee the pain, desperation, and difficulty of the task that had been presented to them. However, since the ss was not yet over, Davey tweaked the mass illusion magic that had been cast upon the children. He showed the illusion of the copsed students burning and turning into ashes as the Balrog¡¯s mes devoured them. Seeing the others getting devoured by the mes and disappearing into ashes, the remaining children eventually burst into tears. And in the eyes of the students who were still running, the students who had stopped running were also being devoured by the mes. In the end, only a few survived up until the very end. Most of the students had either copsed or had been left behind. After recording the numbers on his clipboard, Davey pped his hands. Thwack! Vwooong! At the same time, the vicious Balrog vanished into thin air together with the barrier that had prevented the students from running away from the running track. Perhaps relieved that they had survived, the students copsed on the ground. Their gazes were nk and unfocused. ¡°This is why you should also train and develop your physical fitness. If you only train your brains, then you will never grow as a mage.¡± Timmy, who had been staring nkly into space, looked at Davey with a fire burning in his eyes. He screamed, ¡°You f*cking bastard!!!¡± Despite not having any more strength to get up and run, Timmy was still able to charge at Davey, grab his cor, and shake him. He yelled angrily, ¡°Those guys¡­ You killed all of those guys?! Are you even human?! One of them only just turned 14! Did you know that, huh?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± ¡°How could you be so cruel as to kill those children? What did they even do to you, huh?!¡± Timmy, who failed to control his anger, threw a punch at Davey. ¡°Who died?¡± asked Davey as he easily blocked the punch while shaking his head. He then nced at the surviving students after hearing Timmy¡¯s outrage cry. The students remained on the ground and were crying helplessly. However, their scathing gazes of anger, hostility, and fear toward Davey were unmistakable. At this point, none of them were interested in how everything had happened. The only thing that they were focused on was showing their hostility toward Davey, who had killed their ssmates. ¡°Timmy,¡± Davey said, grabbing the boy¡¯s wrist. Thump!!! Timmy could not even react in time. After flying up into the air and spinning around, he then fell helplessly on the ground. ¡°Keheok!¡± ¡°Are your eyes just there for decoration? A mage should always question and doubt everything around them regardless of the situation. Always keep that in mind,¡± Davey said before pointing somewhere else. With a wary gaze, Timmy looked in the direction that Davey was pointing in. ¡°Ti¡­ Timmy¡­¡± a student who had been devoured by the Balrog at the very beginning called out to Timmy. ¡°Molly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You¡­ How¡­? I saw you burn down and turn to ashes¡­¡± Timmy murmured with wide eyes as he finally registered the sight of the entire school grounds. The school grounds should have been devastated by the rampaging Balrog, but it looked just like it had before. It was as if they had hallucinated the entire situation just now. ¡°What the hell is this¡­?¡± Timmy muttered. ¡°It¡¯s an illusion. How is it? It¡¯s super realistic, no?¡± Timmyid t on the ground with a nk gaze. The urgent and desperate situation that they had been forced to experience was a lie. Everyone felt the strength draining from their bodies. ¡°ss is over. Go back, everyone,¡± Davey said. He checked the contents on his own clipboard before turning around. Boom!!! However, the students had no intention of leaving Davey alone. Davey twisted his head to the side, turning in the direction of a fireball that had just flown by him. He asked, ¡°Josiah Frances, have you gone crazy?¡± ¡°I would like to ask you that question! Are you crazy? You call this a ss?¡± Josiah red at Davey as she approached him with loud stomps. She was angry, but she had to stand on tiptoes to grab Davey by the cor. It was a rather strange sight, since she was far shorter than Davey was. ¡°I have met all kinds of teachers, but you take the throne for being the worst.¡± ¡°Well, what an honor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Josiah¡¯s re turned sharper. She was angry at the fact that Davey did not react to her furious words. She snapped, ¡°You¡¯re going to dismiss the ss after bullying your students? After teaching us a lesson that has nothing to do with magic?! What the hell did you even teach us, huh?!¡± Davey silently removed Josiah¡¯s hands from his cor before turning back around to walk away. He said, ¡°We haven¡¯t started ss yet. Today is just the first day, so I gave you a warm up. Everyone should go straight back to your dormitory rooms. Your bodies will probably scream in pain tomorrow since you¡¯ve run too hard today.¡± The students frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely report this to the academy¡¯s administrative office.¡± ¡°By all means,¡± Davey said. If it was aparison of who had greater influence and power, then he was very confident of his own power. *** Theints about the unruly new temporary instructor were buried much quicker than Davey had expected. Well, in the first ce, there was no one in this academy who had a higher authority and greater influence than him, someone who hade here under the Great Sage¡¯s orders. However, the students continued to strongly protest against the ridiculous ss, stating that their anger would not be appeased until they were heard. They were mad that they had been subjected to harsh lessons that did not even have any rtion to magic. Of course, the academy had no choice but to issue a warning letter and appear to be taking some action. However, it was entirely dismissed after a word was had with them. ¡®I¡¯ll make those brats fit to win the Magic Festival. If I fail, then I will take responsibility for the matter and donate 200,000 gold to the academy.¡¯ That amount of gold was no small amount. It was such a huge amount that even the loaded and wealthy Shakunt could not ignore the promise of such a donation. ¡®Did you think you could buy me with money, huh?!¡¯ The Principal had shouted at Davey with those very words, but¡­hepletely changed his mind after hearing the very amount that Davey was betting. ¡°¡­is too much to say to you. To say that, you must be very confident. However, please remember that it¡¯s not good to overwork the students. Please do not push them around too much.¡± In the end, Davey sessfully gained autonomy and independence over the lessons that he could give. Immediately after that, Davey led the students of ss F outside of Shakunt Academy. They headed toward a nearby mountain. ng!!! ng!!! Stone and dust relentlessly flew toward the students¡¯ faces as they used the pickaxes in their hands on the stone wall. ¡°Phtew! Phtew! Phtew! There¡¯s dirt in my mouth!¡± ¡°Damn it! We might be students, but we¡¯re still children of noble and prestigious families! Why do we even have to do something like this?!¡± Timmy yelled. Alyssa Yosefov, Timmy¡¯s best friend, appeared to share simr thoughts. She looked at the boy whoined and continued using his pickaxe, then said with a sigh, ¡°What can we do? We have to do it if the instructor tells us to.¡± ¡°Damn! I thought Professor Severes was the most evil teacher, but I was wrong! This instructor is the devil! Shit! I can¡¯t do this anymore!¡± Thud!!! In the end, Timmy threw his pickaxe down as he slumped on the ground. He protested, ¡°Hey! Quit it! That instructor¡­ No, what kind of instructor is he? How long will we listen to that scammer and do his bidding?!¡± ¡°But he clearly said that we will taste the bitterness of life if we don¡¯t do this as quickly as we could¡­¡± Molly Saelyn, the ss¡¯ biggest problem child, mumbled despondently. Josiah Frances answered firmly, ¡°Timmy¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t even a ss. I can¡¯t allow him to let you guys do such an unreasonable thing and abuse us as much as he wants.¡± After throwing her pickaxe down, she marched toward the exit. ¡°Josiah! What are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to negotiate with that man and put an end to this nonsense.¡± ¡°B-But Josiah¡­ If you do that, then your academy admission¡­¡± ¡°I will have no regrets. I have already prepared myself. It doesn¡¯t matter if I get expelled from the academy.¡± Leaving those words behind, Josiah went out of the cave with a determined look on her face. A very short momentter¡­ ¡°Eeeeeeeek! Let me go!!!¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s alright to goof around while your instructor is watching you closely, huh?¡± ¡°Kyaaaaack!¡± Josiah shrieked when Davey threw her from his shoulders to the ground. Davey said with a snort, ¡°I told you to do your best, but you¡¯re all goofing around?¡± ¡°Instructor! How can you call this a ss?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! How can this activity even help improve our magic skills?!¡± Davey picked his ears at the students'' grating cries, then asked, ¡°So, you won¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We won¡¯t! We will not do it!¡± In the end, the students exploded in anger. They even moved as if they were going to attack Davey in a joint attack. However, Davey only wore a vicious grin on his face. He said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll make you do it.¡± The students snorted at Davey, who was a boy their age¡­ No, they thought he was called Instructor Devy. ¡°Ha! Do you think you can trick us with your illusions again?! We¡¯re not stupid!¡± ¡°Right! You might be able to do it once or twice, but not all the time! Besides, it¡¯s not funny to learn under someone who¡¯s only pretending to be a mage by cheating his way forward.¡± Still with a vicious smile on his face, Davey stretched his palm out and formed a blue light above it. He said, ¡°So, you guys haven¡¯t figured out the situation that you¡¯re in yet, huh?¡± The students looked at Davey in confusion. How could a boy without any circles do something like that? Soon regaining their senses, they believed that the boy in front of them was just trying to cheat them again. Davey, or Devy in this case, nonchntly asked, ¡°Ellie Taysha, what kind of magic do you think this sphere of light is?¡± The girl, who was supporting her exhausted body with the shovel in her hands, frowned. ¡°It¡¯s very obvious that this is just a trick of the eye. No matter how hard I look at it, there¡¯s no mana emanating from it.¡± ¡°Wrong. This magic is¡­¡± Davey then turned his palm around, dropping the blue sphere and letting it seep through the cracks in the ground. ¡°¡­Terrible Shock (Great Earthquake).¡± The students frowned. Before they could even think that the boy was cheating them again, they registered another sensation. They were all aware that something would happen whenever that devilish psycho had that evil smile on his face. Thud!!! The entire underground cave began to shake at Davey¡¯smand. Only then did he say, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that yesterday¡¯s running was just a simple warm-up? This time, I won¡¯t be watching by the sidelines. You¡¯ll have to get through this all by yourselves. Ah, don¡¯t worry. I guarantee you that this is on a low difficulty levelpared to the lessons that I have been through.¡± Once he was done talking, Davey slowly disappeared from view. Before he waspletely gone from sight, he said, ¡°I left behind two days worth of food rations and emergency necessities, like medicine, in this ce.¡± The students now looked very uneasy. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die from dehydration, you better start thinking about how to survive. The items that will save you from your predicament are already in this ce.¡± This situation was no illusion. It truly was up to the students to believe what Davey was saying or not. In fact, they could even stay put and not do anything at all. Davey said with a smile, ¡°You aren¡¯t ready to learn proper magic yet. You better start thinking again. Think about your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the lessons that you have learned before.¡± Those words drained the color from the students¡¯ faces. Rumbleeeeee!!! The entire cave shook and copsed, blocking off the students¡¯ only exit. The situation was seemingly trying to prove that Instructor Devy was not lying. A teacher who should teach magic would trap his students in a dark underground cave, even going as far as destroying the entire cave and burying them alive. It was something that had gone beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. The situation waspletely unbelievable. Chapter 296: Hard Work and Labor Will Never Betray You ¡°Kyaaaaaaack!!!¡± Molly Saelyn shrieked as she curled up and trembled from fear. Rumbleeeee!!! As if it had been waiting for this very moment, the cave shook and copsed. The students¡¯ only exit was nowpletely blocked off. Upon realizing this fact, the students could not help but frown. ¡°Is this another illusion?!¡± ¡°This is not funny anymore! Is he looking down on us?!¡± ¡°Terrible Shock is a 7th Circle magic! This is not even funny! How can someone aside from the Great Sage use such magic?!¡± Jumping up from among the students, Celvice proudly dered, ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try. Illusion Deconstruction Magic is my forte.¡± He ced his hands over the pile of debris¡­before his expression went stiff. ¡°Celvice, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ How do I say this¡­?¡± Celvice, who was groping around with a nk expression, muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­this is an illusion.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ We¡¯re really trapped here?¡± Celvice copsed after hearing his ssmates¡¯ screams. ¡°Food¡­ Go and check on the food!!! As for those who can use Communication Magic, quickly contact the academy¡­! The academy professors!!!¡± The entire situation turned chaotic. Some students trembled in fear, some ran around in a panic, and a handful were simply resentful of this sudden situation that they had found themselves in. And of course, there were those who had quickly grasped the reality in front of them. ¡°Food¡­ There really are food rations here¡­¡± Josiah murmured as she dragged a huge sack out from the part of the cave that was still intact. The huge sack was filled with dried rations and a supply of water. ¡°That boy¡­ Did he bring us here with this n in mind from the very beginning?¡± ¡°Why in the world would he do that?¡± ¡°How the hell would I know?!¡± Being in such a stressful situation, the slightest hint of irritation made the students blow up from frustration and high emotions. Timmy, who was watching the others bicker and argue, hurriedly shouted, ¡°Everyone, shut up!!! If you all fight in this situation, then there¡¯s a chance that we might not be able to get out at all!¡± ¡°Ah, whatever! Let that guy pull us out of here or whatever! It is obvious from how he simply disappeared from sight that he can use magic as he pleased!¡± That shout effectively silenced all of the students. ¡°That¡­ uhm¡­ Josiah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Josiah remained silent. ¡°The magic that the boy used earlier¡­ Is it really Terrible Shock? T-The 7th Circle Magic?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­ But I am certain that the cave did not copse naturally. I think the spell being 7th Circle magic is impossible. I did not feel the flow of mana at all.¡± It waspletely impossible for the cave to have just copsed naturally. The students could see that very precise parts of the cave had been destroyed for it to have copsed like that. ¡°Still, he couldn¡¯t have done such a feat with the support of the academy¡¯s magic tools. If that¡¯s possible, then the mage towers would have already been flipped upside down, no?¡± ¡°However, I have never heard of someone using magic without a chant¡­¡± ¡°On top of that, I can¡¯t even feel any kind of mana in his body.¡± ¡°What the hell is that boy¡­? What is his identity¡­?¡± After the brief discussion, the students fell silent again. Then, the usually silent Molly Saelyn carefully raised her hand and said, ¡°Uhm, guys¡­ Do you remember when the instructor mentioned the 9th Circle¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ He really, truly meant it¡­?¡± The students had no choice but to entertain the least likely possibility as truth. Why had a boy their age been sent to be their temporary instructor? If they thought deeply about why the boy hade under Great Sage Hellison Valestia¡¯s rmendation, then there was a chance that the boy had spoken the truth from the very beginning. The more they thought about it, the more the students found it unbelievable. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s ridiculous. Do you think that even makes sense? The greatest mage, the Great Sage, is only at the 7th Circle. It¡¯s already a stretch if the boy¡¯s at the 7th Circle, but you¡¯re telling me that he¡¯s at the 9th Circle? Ridiculous.¡± ¡°Then, how do you exin the Balrog on the school grounds¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously an illusion artifact!¡± ¡°Right. However, we now know that that boy is definitely a mage. I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s done but he¡¯s definitely cheating. This is most definitely a very meticulous and detailed Illusion Magic.¡± ¡°Then, he¡¯s most likely a cranky and ill-tempered old man. Right?¡± ¡°If he¡¯s an instructor whose forte is in Illusion Magic, then everything would make sense.¡± Josiah frowned when she saw the other kids shouting loudly and impatiently. Their words were obviously hollow and not backed by evidence, but their current situation was convincing them that their perspective was the truth. For some strange reason, Josiah felt anxious. The thought that she might really die if she continued to listen and attend that crazy boy¡¯s ss rang the rms in her head. ¡°Someone that¡¯s not even twenty is already a 9th Circle mage?! Bullshit! Forget that, get up! We have to move a bit so we can get out of this ce!¡± The students, as if hypnotized, readily lifted their pickaxes and shovels and began to work. *** Having been in Davey¡¯s crazy sses not just once, but twice, the students of ss F were all reduced to rags in just a single day. The students all red at Davey, and nobody stopped Timmy who charged forward, grabbed Davey by the cor, and punched him in the face. Timmy screamed, ¡°Is this what a teacher should do?!¡± ¡°What? Are you dissatisfied?¡± ¡°Dissatisfied?! Are you asking if we¡¯re dissatisfied when we almost died there?!¡± Davey smirked at the cries of Timmy, who represented the students. Then, he picked up the pickaxe that Timmy had dropped and said, ¡°What did you think about this item that you used to get out of that ce?¡± Timmy flinched. With his eyes twitching, he stated, ¡°It¡¯s just a pickaxe.¡± ¡°Just a pickaxe? Are you a moron?¡± Davey snapped, his biting remarks making Timmy frown. He could not believe that the students in front of him only saw the pickaxe as just a normal tool. He continued, ¡°This is a pickaxe iid with enchant magic. If you just used normal pickaxes and shovels, you would have taken one whole month to get out of the cave. Perhaps you would have already frozen to death on the fifteenth day.¡± The quick-witted students immediately understood the situation, falling silent. Simply put, they realized that they had been using +15 max reinforced pickaxes. Since this was his first time formally teaching students, Davey had decided to put some effort into it. So, he had casted a 7th Circle High Enchant on the tools. After all, such a magic was sophisticated enough to make the impossible possible. ¡°Even if you gave us a magic pickaxe, it does not justify the fact that you tried to bury us students inside the cave. Is that something a teacher should do?¡± Timmy challenged. Davey pressed his hand on Timmy¡¯s head and turned him around. Then, he said, ¡°From what I heard, ss F is the ss of failures.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You mentioned wanting to reach higher. But you¡¯re here trying to y the knight in shining armor, questioning my methods that will allow you to reach such a height?¡± The academy¡¯s greatest talent, Josiah, might be in ss F. However, she alone could not win the Magic Festival. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to think that the others would be cking off just because you¡¯re all ying around and goofing off.¡± If they wanted to rise above the others, the students had to put in even more effort than they were doing now. With a big frown, Timmy shouted fiercely, ¡°Then, we should practice magic more, not this kind of nonsense¡­¡± He then suddenly stopped talking. Timmy Lendarouge was the ss representative. He often took the lead alone and led the entire ss¡¯ opinion. That was why Davey thought that he should make this point clear to the boy. ¡°You have to trust me. If you leave your trust with me, I promise to turn you into crazy psychos who no one would be able to ignore and belittle in this academy,¡± Davey said solemnly, effectively silencing Timmy and the rest of the ss. ¡°Your doubts and questions about my existence is what I am hoping for. Doubt and question me more. Continue to dig out information about my existence, think about who I am, and wonder about what I am doing. I have no qualms about that. After all, this is the homework that I have given you from the very beginning. However¡­¡± Davey retrieved a potion from his waist pocket and handed it over to Timmy before continuing, ¡°I will never tolerate any kind of questioning nor dissatisfaction regarding the contents of my sses. No opportunity knocks on your doors twice. If you don¡¯t want to attend my lessons, then you can refuse to attend. The academy would not put restrictions or penalize you like what they did with Josiah previously. But once you refused to attend my sses, it would be over. I will never look back at you and give you another chance.¡± The students looked at each other. Davey just told them that they could quit and leave. However, for some strange reason, they could not bring themselves to quit his sses. ¡°Will it¡­really be effective?¡± ¡°I have told you this before. A teacher is someone who will lead their students onto the right path until the very end.¡± That was the reason why Davey was willing to put in the effort to make the students undergo changes within the fifteen days of his stay as their temporary instructor. It was the fault of the kids, who were unaware of the harsh reality of the world, that they fell for Davey¡¯s honeyed words. *** A week of their temporary sses with Instructor Devy flew by in a sh. The students¡¯ neat and sparkling Shakunt Academy uniforms had quickly turned into rags. ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°On the first day, we got buried inside a cave. On the second day, we were forced to carry buckets of water while climbing a deadly mountain¡­¡± ¡°Ha¡­ On top of that, we were forced to fetch another round of water if both buckets ended up having different levels of water.¡± ¡°I have no words for the third day either. I really thought my limbs would get blown to pieces.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ The forest with explosive mana stones¡­¡± The students, with nothing but the uniforms on their bodies, had been thrown inside a forest littered with explosive mana stones and had been tasked to escape. They had taken an entire day and a half to finally get out of that forest armed withplete trust and reliance on each other. Unfortunately, their next task only proved to be even more daunting. They had to infiltrate the goblin settlement without using magic and steal the goblin chief¡¯s things. Even though goblins were considered to be weak monsters, there would still be a lot of them in their own settlement. Upon catching humans, they would tear the men apart while humiliating and disgracing the women. That was how vicious these monsters were. However, Instructor Devy had been relentless, pushing his students inside the goblin settlement. ¡®I¡¯ll save you if you¡¯re in danger. However, everyone has to seed. Our lesson will not end until everyone has seeded in the task.¡¯ The students had gotten caught. However, without fail, whenever the students who had infiltrated the goblin settlement had gotten caught in a crisis, weird artifacts spewing smoke had suddenly fallen from the sky. The artifact was one with an expensive magical additive, a scent, that drove away goblins. At that point in time, the students had no other choice but to work together and rely on each other again. No matter how much they looked at it, their teacher, Devy, was a crazy psycho. Otherwise, their teacher wouldn¡¯t let them jump and roll around until they almost went crazy. The students have never even been allowed to open a book on magic theory during the crazy psycho¡¯s sses that did not have any rhyme or reason at all. Anyone that would get caught reading such a book would be treated like some dirty mutt and beaten to death. This was because Instructor Devy had clearly given them a warning that the lessons would be led by the teacher and that the contents of the ss would be chosen carefully by the teacher. However, they still could not help but think that it was too much. ¡°Ah¡­ That boy¡­¡± The students, who trudged toward the academy cafeteria without even dusting off their worn out clothes, frowned at the boy who ate leisurely on one side. ¡°My appetite ising back just by looking at him.¡± ¡°Right. He¡¯s really handsome.¡± The girls, who found Davey handsome and just as likable as before, could not hide their irritation. Despite everyone¡¯s irritation and frustration over the unfavorable situations they had been in, no student skipped any of Davey¡¯s sses. Why? It was mainly because of the deration and promise that Davey had made on the first day. He had confidently promised them that he could help them grow. The students were very curious about Davey¡¯s identity, so they immediately tried to ask their families or use their own connections to find out. However, none of them had managed to get the correct answer so far. Needless to say, the students and most of the people around them did not know the identity of their instructor. ¡°If I were to be frank, I find this a bit unexpected. I did not expect you toe to ss regrly.¡± ¡°¡­I also don¡¯t know,¡± Josiah answered indifferently. Looking at Josiah¡¯s frown, a sign of obvious annoyance and irritation, Timmy grinned. Even though their bodies were exhausted from constantly experiencing hardships, the students were gradually getting used to it. In fact, they could already use their heads more. They also quickly realized that their crazy instructor never gave them problems that did not have a solution. The only issue they have been facing was that the solutions had always been out of the box. ¡°Oh my, who¡¯s this, huh?¡± Just then, when a very rxed voice rang out, Timmy turned around to see a group of people that he never wanted to see or run into at the academy. He muttered, ¡°Voshyr.¡± ¡°I thought beggars have appeared in the academy, but it¡¯s just the students of ss F, huh?¡± ¡°Keep that trap shut, Voshyr. If you don¡¯t have any business with us, then scram.¡± The boy, Voshyr, listened nonchntly to Timmy¡¯s scathing remarks before showing off his neat clothes. He said nonchntly, ¡°Well, it suits you. That ragged and tattered uniform is befitting of the ss of failures.¡± ¡°Hihihihihi.¡± Just as his group giggled loudly, Voshyr turned to Josiah Frances, who continued to eat without saying a word. He called, ¡°Hey, Josiah Frances.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Josiah remained silent and unbothered, Voshyr asked, ¡°I don¡¯t understand why a genius like you is looking like that?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to understand. Get lost.¡± ¡°How abouting back to us now? Even if you¡¯re a problematic student, the professor will still ept you back into ss A.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll have to pay a price. Do you know that you¡¯re famous? I heard that you¡¯ll willingly spread your legs just to improve your magic skills and career.¡± The eyes of the ss F students started to burn when they saw the other children mocking and sneering at Josiah. Obviously, they had never felt such anger before. They were ssmates, but they were ultimately still strangers who lived in different nations. After graduating from this academy, which ended in high school, their rtionships with one another would also end. That was why they usually did not pay much attention to the other¡¯s business. This was especially the case for Josiah Frances, who hade from a different ss and was not on good terms with the other ss F students. In fact, her rtionship with ss F had turned sour after her unauthorized absence during the previous Magic Festival. However, for some reason, the other students felt really angry this time. Timmy jumped up out of reflex with the muscles of his forearms bulging. Grinning widely, he felt like being a crazy psycho would be very helpful in such a situation. Just when he was about to grab Voshyr by the cor and punch him in the face¡­ Thwack!!! ¡°Fighting while eating in a public ce. Very good. Three penalty points for everyone in ss F,¡± Davey said calmly as he blocked Timmy¡¯s fist that was about to hit Voshyr in the face. He added, ¡°After eating, gather in the ssroom. From now on, we will hold our lessons in the ssroom.¡± Davey¡¯s words angered the ss F students even further. ¡°Instructor! Did you not hear what that crazy bastard said?!¡± Davey picked his ears at the loud and fierce cry. He asked, ¡°And so?¡± ¡°W¡­ What?¡± ¡°So? Does that mean that you can fight?¡± ¡°This damned boy¡­¡± Timmy said, gritting his teeth at the cold and heartless question. He ran out of the cafeteria soon after. Most of the ss F students ran after him with the same furious expressions on their faces. There were only a handful of them left behind in the area. ¡°What the hell? So, it¡¯s true. There really is an instructor that¡¯s the same age as us,¡± Voshyr spat out slowly, patting Davey on the shoulder and sneering. ¡°You must be having a hard time teaching those failures in ss F, huh? Why don¡¯t you juste to my family and be our exclusive mage instead of suffering in that ce? You seem like a kid. But if you¡¯re a mage, my younger sister will definitely find you to her liking and take good care of you¡­¡± Boom!!! The remaining students of ss F watched with gaping mouths as Voshyr, who was still sneering and mocking them, copsed on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m not a kid, you f*cker,¡± Davey said calmly as he turned to look somewhere else. He saw a man sporting a dirty look and watching the situation from afar. The man asked, ¡°So, you¡¯re Instructor Devy from the rumors. However, what the hell are you doing? How dare you touch Attending Mage Collin¡¯s promising ss A students?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I want to ask,¡± Davey said, throwing all politeness out of the window. ¡°Wh¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°Since they¡¯re still young and immature, the children can be excused. However, a teaching assistant like you should not do something like that,¡± Davey said as he grabbed Voshyr and threw him away. ¡°Keoook!¡± ¡°Vo¡­ Voshyr!!! Hey!!! You!!! Do you not know who Voshyr is? How dare you do this to him?! He is the next duke of Golia Duchy and is Attending Mage Collins¡¯ apprentice!¡± Just because everyone was equal when in ss did not mean that the hierarchy and ss system that ruled the world outside would disappear. The Saint¡¯s ranking far surpassed the rank of the royal family in this hierarchical system. ¡°So, what do you want me to do? Would you like me to drop some meteor in the duchy right here and now?¡± ¡°Wha, what?!¡± ¡°Or perhaps you want me to remove that pompous call girl, Attending Mage Collin, from the mage tower for good?¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy! How dare you insult us like this?!!! You¡¯re just someone who came here through nepotism, entering through the rmendation of the Great Sage!!! What authority do you have here?!!!¡± ¡°What authority, huh? It seems like you still don¡¯t understand the situation that you¡¯re in¡­¡± Davey said as his voice gradually trailed off. As he approached the man, a blue aura, the symbol of a Sword Master, appeared and covered him entirely. Then, he whispered, ¡°This is not a threat. However, the only people who cane after me in this academy are the students of ss F.¡± ¡°Hi¡­ Hiiiiieeeee!¡± The people in the surroundings were all embarrassed and flustered by the man¡¯s unexpected reaction to Davey¡¯s provocation. They felt confused. ¡°My students are already sensitive enough. Don¡¯t you dare try to touch them. If I see youing after them with your bullshit, then I¡¯ll make sure to break your neck.¡± Swooooosh!!! The blue energy surrounding Davey¡¯s body condensed and turned into a de that flew past the man, creating a thin gash on his neck and causing blood to drip down his throat. ¡®Even if they are cheeky and arrogant rascals, they are still my first disciples. Don¡¯t you darey a hand on them.¡¯ Chapter 297 A fight between two teachers was nothing new. This was nothing more than a useless fight of pride and ego between two individuals. Davey could tell that Yulis¡¯ Attending Mage, Collins, had a hand in this. After all, the man had openly shown Davey hostility since the Magic Tower conference and it seemed like he was extending it up to this point in time. ¡°Heup?!¡± ss A¡¯s teaching assistant was just about to scream when he finally realized that something strange, sharp, and scary had passed by his neck. Unfortunately, before he could let out a scream, Davey had already knelt down and grabbed him by the neck. Davey grinned at the teaching assistant. His killing intent instantly plunged the cafeteria into cold silence. Those who stood by the sidelines to watch the scene stepped back and shrank in fear. ¡°Go and tell this to him,¡± Davey said, his eyes glinting sharply. ¡°The useless fight of pride and ego between the Holy Empire and the Magic Tower is none of my business. However, this will be thest time that I will put up with your petty and mindless jokes.¡± Davey¡¯s voice was just slightly above that of a whisper. However, with every word that he uttered, the man in front of him turned a shade paler. ¡°My words¡­¡± Davey once again opened his mouth amidst the heavy and cold silence that weighed down on everyone else present. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Do you understand them?¡± The man nodded desperately at Davey. Even though he failed to answer with his own voice, his nod was enough to satisfy Davey. Hispliance prompted Davey to recover the power that he had spread around in the area. Collin, Yulis¡¯ Attending Mage after he had been appointed as an elder of the Central Tower, was a 4th Circle Master. Still, despite only being at the 4th Circle, he appeared to have a great influence on plenty of the mage towers. ¡ªIt doesn¡¯t make sense. Why would that guy provoke you for something so petty? Davey had no need to think about the reason. He was rted to the existence that annoyed the mages, who always tried to exin this world¡¯sws and principles with their own power. Yes, it was because of the Holy Empire. The mage towers were unable to get along and coexist peacefully with the Holy Empire. Why? It was simply because of the nature of their existences. After all, the Holy Empire imed that everything in this world was set under God¡¯s Will. And suddenly, a Saint acknowledged by the Holy Empire had appeared in the mages¡¯ home turf? On top of that, he was a boy of less than twenty years of age who was suspected of being a 9th Circle mage. In fact, this same boy had refuted the theory that they had been working on for a very long time to suppress the other opposing mages¡¯ influence and power. To put it simply, this was not just a matter of an individual¡¯s pride. There was a high chance that Collin was just the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps there were quite a few people who sympathized with his thoughts, egging him on while hiding under the waters themselves. That was the most likely reason why that guy had done something like this. Davey could tell that Collin wanted to create a fuss here by throwing ss A and his teaching assistant as bait. If everything happened ording to his ns, then the academy would no longer be able to protect Davey. Everyone knew for a fact that Davey was hiding something tremendously huge. However, they appeared to be under the illusion that, as humans living on this continent, they could never live freely and break the rules that they know. That was right. They were being delusional. ¡ªBut I think it¡¯s a bit too early to do that now? ¡®That¡¯s right. I can knock them down and turn everything over whenever I want, so¡­let¡¯s just wait a bit more this time.¡¯ At the very least, Davey would wait until he finished the fifteen days of teaching that he had promised his students. When he looked around, Davey caught sight of the ss F students looking at him stiffly and nervously. They called out to him, ¡°Instructor¡­¡± Everyone was fearful as they looked at Davey¡¯s unexpectedly fierce and cold re. As for the ss F students, they were looking at him differently. Davey had openly assaulted a student and threatened his fellow teacher. In fact, he was not a full-time teacher and was only temporarily filling in as an instructor. It was obvious to everyone present how this situation would conclude once the academy¡¯s administration learned of it. However, there was one thing that they hadpletely overlooked. ¡°Will¡­ Will you be alright?¡± Davey just ruffled one of his students'' hair when he noticed the worried look on their face. He asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Duke¡­ Duke Golia has made huge donations to this school¡­ If he knows about this, then¡­¡± the boy said to Davey as he looked at the teaching assistant and students of ss A, who were wondering if they should run or stay. The boy spoke no further, but he had already expressed his thoughts perfectly. In fact, this situation had been witnessed by the students of ss A, ss F, and all of the other sses. ¡°And so?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Do you have any reason to care about something like that? Go back. Instead of worrying needlessly, you better go back to the ssroom and calm your other ssmates down,¡± Davey said, then turned around to leave. The boy immediately grabbed Davey¡¯s sleeve and asked, ¡°What¡­ What about you, Instructor?!¡± ¡°There¡¯s some business that I have to deal with first. I¡¯ll go to your ssroom once I am done.¡± *** ¡°F*cking bastard!¡± Timmy shouted angrily as he kicked his desk the moment they got back to their ssroom. He yelled, ¡°What kind of teacher is he?!¡± ¡°Calm down, Timmy.¡± ¡°Do you think I can calm down?! It¡¯s not like you did not hear what that f*cking Voshyr said, no?!¡± Timmy was right that the other students had also heard Voshyr¡¯s words and were very furious about it. They had always known that ss A¡¯s Voshyr was notorious for having such a temper and personality, but for some reason they were angrier than usual at his antics. After all, didn¡¯t the bastard insult the entire ss, sexually harassed Josiah, and even treated their instructor like he was his servant?! However, they still could not understand the reason why they were so furious. This, of course, made them unable to vent out their anger. ¡°Stop it. Why are you making such a fuss when Josiah¡¯s all calm?¡± Serend Reta, one of the cool-headed students, asked calmly. However, the other students were unlike Serend Reta. They were still huffing and puffing in anger. ¡°But why did the instructor not allow us to fight?! Does he want us to act all subservient and be bullied forever by not allowing us to fight back in that situation?!¡± ¡°Come back to your senses! Are you saying that it¡¯s alright for a student to act violently and openly fight others inside an academy?!¡± The students of ss F shouted and med one another. They were already on the verge of fighting against each other. ¡°Josiah, are you alright?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to get worked up about.¡± ¡°But still¡­¡± ¡°Enough. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t heard the rumors going around the academy,¡± Josiah said calmly and nonchntly. She did not care about the rumors ndering her. Then, she asked, ¡°By the way, why are the others not here yet?¡± Then, the ssroom doors mmed open as the rest of the ss, including Molly Saelyn, burst inside with tears in their eyes. ¡°Molly! What¡¯s going on?¡± Timmy asked, hurriedly rushing forward to calm the crying Molly down. When Timmy hugged her, Molly cried even harder and said, ¡°Uwaaaaaah! What do we do?! What should we do?!¡± The other ss F students were very shocked to see Molly acting so uncharacteristically and showing her emotions openly. They immediately gathered around to try andfort her. ¡°What the hell is going on?! Molly, are you alright?¡± Timmy gently patted Molly on the back, soothing and calming her until she eventually stopped crying. Although she stopped crying, Molly still could not stop the hups. She then said, ¡°The instructor¡­ The instructor¡­¡± ¡°That guy? What¡¯s with that guy?¡± Seeing that Molly could not speak any further, another one of the students who came in with her said, ¡°The instructor said that students should not do that, but he did it himself¡­¡± ¡°What are you going on about¡­?¡± ¡°Instructor Devy pummeled Voshyr. He also threatened ss A¡¯s teaching assistant.¡± ¡°What?!¡± The students, who did not see the scene earlier, jumped up in surprise. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± ¡°He said¡­that they should not touch his students¡­ Sob¡­¡± In the end, the student who managed to share the story also ended up bursting into tears. As for Timmy and the students who had run out of the cafeteria first? They could not hide the confusion on their faces. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that¡­Instructor Devy chased us out and proceeded to knock them down by himself?¡± ¡°All because of us?¡± Voshyr was Duke Golia¡¯s direct descendant while the teaching assistant was a member of a fairly influential group in the mage tower. ¡°I¡­heard¡­him say that he¡¯ll kill them if they touch his students. Sto¡­¡± Suddenly, an air of despondency swallowed the entire ssroom. Josiah, who was left speechless among the dazed students, suddenly jumped up with her eyes wide. She said, ¡°This is¡­not good.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Josiah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trap. Whoever it was, they set up a trap to kick Instructor Devy out of the academy¡­¡± Josiah murmured with a grave expression. She had grasped the situation. She said, ¡°A teacher has assaulted a student and threatened his fellow teacher. What do you think this means?¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°It means that the instructor will be cornered.¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the situation, then it could be resolved quite easily¡­¡± ¡°Voshyr is a member of Golia Duchy, a family that makes huge donations to Shakunt every year. It would be nigh impossible to ignore their wishes even if our ss says no.¡± The students werepletely unaware that their instructor had made a huge investment and had a share of the magic tower. They were also unaware that their instructor was a VVIP customer who sold huge amounts of moon grass to the mage tower every quarter. Timmy was fuming after hearing Josiah¡¯s rational exnation. He shouted, ¡°This is ridiculous! Why are we the ones who should get punished when they were the ones who had picked the fight?!¡± ¡°Then¡­ What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­ However, we know for sure that Instructor Devy would be kicked out of the academy right away and be stripped of his chances in this industry. He would either be buried or be met with countless disadvantages until he¡¯s forced to give up¡­¡± The furious ss F students were now given a new direction to direct their anger toward. ¡°I have to go and argue with them! This isn¡¯t right! No matter how crazy and psychotic our instructor is, he doesn¡¯t deserve to be kicked out like this!¡± Josiah demanded. Timmy also clenched his fists and said, ¡°You¡¯re saying that those bastards are going to borrow the power of their families, right? Good. Since they want to drag their family into this fight, then we¡¯ll turn it into a family feud.¡± Timmy rolled his sleeves up and opened the ssroom doors, ready to pick a fight once again. But then¡­ ¡°Aaaaack!¡± He tripped over something only to be lifted up by the person who was on the other side of the door. ¡°What are you doing? I remember telling you that you should prepare for ss, no?¡± The entire ss F looked stunned as they watched their instructor enter the room as if nothing had happened. They murmured, ¡°In¡­ Instructor?¡± ¡°Take a seat. Our lessons¡¯ format will change from today onwards,¡± Davey said with a grin. Seeing their Instructor Devy¡¯s malicious grin, the students felt that he was acting in such a way to make them worry less about his job. To them, Instructor Devy was obviously a psycho teacher who always wanted to beat them to their deaths. So, they could not understand why his predicament was bothering them. ¡°There are only a few days left to conduct our sses. Since all of you have endured the basic training and were able to do well, we will now do more in-depth lessons.¡± The students could hardly concentrate on what their instructor was saying. In the end, Timmy, who was being carried on Davey¡¯s shoulder, protested loudly, ¡°Instructor! Did Molly tell us the truth?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard that you made a mess for us!¡± ¡°Ah, that?¡± Davey grinned. ¡°It¡¯s not because of you. Anyone who tries to attack fearlessly like that should be punished ordingly.¡± The students gnawed on their lips, thinking that their Instructor Devy was lying for their sake. They watched as their instructor nced at the textbook that had been prepared beforehand. The textbook was a basic one that usually apanied mages. It had been prepared with a lot of effort. However, such an education that forced them to cram everything in their heads truly did not have much of an effect. ¡°From now on, we will start practicing magic.¡± Hearing those words, Celvice immediately jumped up and said, ¡°No, Instructor! There¡¯s something more important than taking sses now!¡± ¡°That mouth¡­ Do you want me to sew it shut?¡± Celvice flinched and shrank after hearing Davey¡¯s words. ¡°Why do you care so much about those things? Thoseplicated and dirty issues of interest should be left for the teachers to deal with. If their students have strayed from the right path, it is the teacher¡¯s job to bring them back. If a teacher has done something that a teacher should never have done, then they deserve to be beaten up.¡± As the students had nothing else to say, Davey continued, ¡°More importantly, you are all my first disciples. What kind of teacher am I if I can¡¯t protect a single one of my students?¡± ¡°Instructor¡­ Sob¡­¡± Some of the students could not help but burst into tears, turning the heated atmosphere into a mellow and warm one. However, it did not take too long for the warm atmosphere in the ssroom to copse. ¡°We¡¯re going to start the ss. Starting from now, the ssroom would bepletely blocked from the outside world.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with those dumbfounded expressions? Starting today, we will be doing practical lessons. You have to think of all the hardships and difficulties that you have faced so far and bring out that anger for today¡¯s ss,¡± Davey said calmly as he cracked his knuckles. As a blue aura appeared and flowed all over his body, he continued, ¡°Bring it on. I¡¯ll make sure to break apart those who have clogged vessels and put a stopper on those whose vessels are too open. Anyone who can sessfully finish today¡¯s ss will grow to a point that you won¡¯t be able topare yourself to your previous state.¡± The earlier confrontation was one matter, and conducting lessons was another matter. ¡°If you rascals think that I will lower the difficulty of our sses just because of that fight, then you¡¯re sorely mistaken.¡± Even though their instructor spoke just above a whisper, the words sounded so chilling to every ss F student that they cowered and shivered from fear. Chapter 298 Davey ignored the frigid air in the entire ssroom as he pushed the podium away. ¡°Instructor¡­ What does that¡­?¡± The students could not keep up with the changes in the situation. They were left staring nkly at Davey. Simply put, their responses were much simpler than what he had expected. ¡°We¡¯re¡­going to fight you, Instructor?¡± Molly Saelyn, whose eyes were still red from crying, asked bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s right. What you need to do is simple. As long as you touch my cor, you will gain victory and the ss will end. However, the ss will continue if none of you seeds.¡± Timmy no longer felt dispirited. With a smirk, he said, ¡°Your cor? Instructor, don¡¯t you know how many of us are here? We are not even in the auditorium but a small ssroom.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how thisrge ssroom has be such a narrow space for you, but I am fully aware of that. So,e at me.¡± ¡°Ha! Do you think I won¡¯t be able to even brush your cor?!¡± Timmy shouted furiously as he charged at Davey. He had a fierce gaze, as if he was going to vent his anger over the current situation. Punch!!! However, Timmy crumpled onto the ground before he could even get anywhere near Davey. ¡°Kgh¡­ ack¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. Timmy Lendarouge. It seems like your blood vessels are clogged. Even if you¡¯re not a genius, this instructor will make sure to give you a makeover and let you have a new lease in life.¡± [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Suppression] [Light Abdominal Strike] Crack! ¡°Kghhk¡­!¡± Davey caught the rascal who could not breathe properly and let him float in the air. [Heavenly Destroyer] [Shifting Bones] Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud, thud!!! The sound of flesh being hit by something heavy rang across the ssroom. Timmy bounced in the air non-stop for a few minutes before copsing back onto the ground. ¡°Kghhhk¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems like I have to do this four or five more times.¡± After hearing Davey¡¯s murmur, Timmy immediately jumped up and increased the distance between them. ¡°How is it? Do you feel like it¡¯s easier to move?¡± ¡°H¡­ How¡­?¡± ¡°You guys will feel a pain that¡¯s worse than death. However, I will make sure to keep you still. Now, now. We don¡¯t have much time left. What are you guys doing? Come at me.¡± The students were all shocked by Davey¡¯s calm and rxed smile. Everyone gritted their teeth, hoping to punch him in the face once there was a chance. However, they could not easily achieve such a feat even though they clearly outnumbered him. ¡°You¡¯re noting? Then, even though it would be a bit troublesome for your instructor, I will go to you myself.¡± Baaaaaaaaang!!! The students all turned pale When the podium was smashed into pieces with just a light tap of Davey¡¯s feet, the students all turned pale. They could see him charging toward them. *** ¡°Kyaaaaaaaack!!!¡± ¡°Instructor! Instructor! I was wrong! Please forgive meeeeeeeaaaaaack!!!¡± Alyssa Yosefov, who was running away, screamed as she twisted her body away. On the other hand, Josiah, who was caught between two fists that grinded on her temples, threw her usual nonchnce and calm away. She cried and screamed, ¡°Damn you! Fire bolt!¡± The entire ssroom of ss F was in a mess. However, no one would be able to hear the students¡¯ screams. After all, Silence Magic and Rock Magic had already been casted around the ssroom. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s not easy to deal with him!¡± The students swung their staff recklessly at Davey while sporting despairing looks on their faces. They were terrified. ¡°Huhuhuhuhu!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯te here! You crazy psycho!¡± ¡°Did you just say psycho? You better watch what you say about your instructor.¡± Grab! The moment Davey twisted and snatched the staff, the student immediately let go of that one weapon he had and tried to step away. Stab! Of course, Davey had no intentions of letting him go. He immediately swiped at the student¡¯s feet and made him lose bnce. Then, he lifted his index finger and flicked him on his forehead. [Holy Magic] [Sacred Finger] The students would have nothing to gain from being aware of the fact that Davey was the Saint. In fact, their awareness did not even matter in this situation. They were, after all, still wondering just what kind of power that Davey wielded. They were not sure if he was using holy magic, the power of a sword master, or elemental magic. They hadpletely no idea. Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab!!! In the end, the student copsed while foaming at the mouth. This was after Davey had finished massaging all of the points that he needed to stab at with his index finger. ¡°He¡¯ll wake up after ten seconds. Next!!!¡± Davey said, looking around. That was when he saw Josiah preparing her magic amidst the fleeing students. From what it looked like, the girl had already noticed the changes in her body. ¡°Josiah Frances. When casting magic and preparing a huge attack, what do you think will happen if you show that to your opponent?¡± ¡°Who knows? At the very least, I will be able to get their attention.¡± ¡°Does this rascal not know what fear means?¡± Baaaang!!! Josiah¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw Davey lifting the broken podium easily and throwing it at her. She moved away hurriedly, casting the magic that she had prepared and jumping away from the podium¡¯s trajectory. ¡°Kyaaaack! You crazy psycho!¡± ¡°Psycho? I¡¯ll show you what a psycho is like!¡± Cold sweat dripped down Josiah¡¯s forehead when Davey suddenly appeared in front of her. Looking at him in the eyes, she quickly stuttered out an excuse. ¡°That¡­ In-Instructor? You¡¯re not going to beat up a weak and helplessdy, right?¡± ¡°Josiah Frances. My educational treatment is equal for all genders.¡± Stab, stab, stab, stab, stab, stab! ¡°Kyaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!¡± Dozens of students charged forward, trying to brush even the corner of Davey¡¯s cor. Unfortunately, none of their magical attacks and asional swing of staves could reach him. In fact, Davey was the one beating up a randomly chosen student at a time. ¡°Ugh¡­ Kghhk¡­ Damn you, you violent instructor¡­¡± ¡°If you still have the strength to talk, then I suggest that you run as quickly as possible.¡± Josiah felt like she was a frog on a dissection board. She red at Davey. Everything was a mess. Some of the students lost their fighting spirit, trying to creep back as far away from Davey as they could. They tried even harder to do so after seeing Davey take advantage of the gaps in their defense and hit them without any hesitation. The students began wondering if this was what pain truly felt like. ¡°The three rascals over there. Don¡¯t even think about running outside.¡± ¡°Hiyaaaaaaa!!!¡± Timmy shouted as heunched a surprise attack. His punch was much more ferocious than before. Opening the clogged vessels was like releasing a dam. After days of Davey¡¯s hellish training, the students gradually began to realize that slight changes were urring within them. The movement of mana in their bodies had be so active that their physical bodies felt so much lighter than before. Stab!!! Of course, despite the increase in their strength, they were still nothing but fledglings in front of Davey. Just like a snake, Davey snatched Timmy¡¯s arm and twisted it back all the while using his thumb, index finger, and middle finger to stab at his clogged vessels. Then, Davey stretched both of his hands out and spun it in both directions as if he was making a circle. [Heavenly Destroyer] [Tai Chi] [Merger Arts] [Yin Yang Fiery Sky] Boom!!! ck and white energy appeared, forming a huge yin-yang pattern, as Davey mmed Timmy on the ground. The attack was so powerful that the yin-yang pattern remained on the ground where Timmy had been mmed. ¡°Keheok!!!¡± After what he perceived to be a deadly attack, Timmy only felt his body bing lighter and more agile. In fact, he was not the only one. Most of the students, including Josiah, had realized the truth earlier on and had a creepy thought running through their heads¡­ ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not a masochist¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m definitely not feeling better, because I¡¯m getting hit¡­¡± As the rascals realized the change in their bodies and mumbled in disbelief, Davey smiled. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m sorry to tell you this but your instructor has the hobby of bullying others.¡± ¡°You madman!!!¡± The children once again spread out in a hurry. Realizing that it was useless to stage surprise attacks on their own, they started to cooperate with one another. Some of them moved to distract Davey while the others prepared magic that was very hard to avoid or escape from. Even if the students were mostly at the 1st to 3rd Circle, they could create a huge attack by casting magic and working together ¡°Celvice!!! Get away!!!¡± The students¡¯ magic shone brightly. The moment Celvice, who was enduring the attacks from Davey, stepped back, the students threw a huge fireball toward their instructor. [Heed my call!!! Burn everything to ashes!!!] [Fire Breath] Josiah was the only one who could cast the 4th Circle magic, Fire Breath, in this ss. But thanks to the help and support of the other students, she was able to cast a stronger magic spell that was very different from the Fire Breath that she usually used. Mages usually struggled to cooperate in such a manner, and Davey was sure that the students themselves were unaware of this fact. They were most likely just trying to match each other on instinct. ¡°Great! Good job!¡± Davey praised the students as he looked at the fireballing his way. Then, he raised his arm toward the Fire Breath and¡­ [Dispel] aaaaang!!! Just like that, the Fire Breath that the students had worked so hard for was easily dispelled. It disappeared before it could even reach Davey. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± ¡°Even if he¡¯s a Swordmaster, this is¡­¡± Davey addressed the panicking students, ¡°Both mages and Swordmasters use elemental mana. As long as you can see the flow, you will be able to use magic. Of course, that is to say that one has to memorize the form and follow the proper method of casting magic.¡± Even though he was lecturing them on the theories, Davey did not give the students a break. He reached his hand out and circted his mana before saying, ¡°Watch everything that I do. Look at how my mana moves and how it flows!¡± [Gather] Shwaaaaaaa! Davey used his mana to grab some of the students by the necks,pletely overpowering them and dragging them to his side. ¡°Don¡¯t move. Do you want Loisa Foren to die?¡± ¡°You crazy bastard!!!¡± How could a teacher hold a student hostage? The students could not help but watch Davey in disbelief. However, Davey ignored the students, kicked Loisa on the back of her knees to force her to kneel down, and hit her on the back a couple of times. ¡®This rascal is done. She¡¯s already fine.¡¯ ¡°You coward! Can you still be considered a teacher?!¡± ¡°How long can a mage use hand-to-handbat in a fight?! What are you, a knight?¡± Boom!!! The punk, Timmy Lendarogue, was the most aggressive amongst the students. Due to that reason, Davey made sure to take a lot of time when going up against him. Boom!!! Timmy stiffened up once his arm was dislocated from Davey¡¯s swift movements. He screamed, ¡°Keuaaaaaaaaaaack!!!¡± ¡°When you scream, you show a gap in your defenses to your enemies. Be careful with what you say and utter out loud. Even if it hurts, pretend that you¡¯re not hurting. A war of nerves is very important in all aspects of a battle.¡± ¡°Kghhhk¡­¡± Davey hit Timmy, who instinctively closed his mouth, on the back a couple times. He made sure to unblock the clogged vessels in Timmy before throwing the boy toward Josiah. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯te here!¡± ¡°Get out of the way!¡± Davey said as he left behind the two students, who mmed into each other. He then exined, ¡°Each mana has its own characteristic. Mana might be inanimate, but it is simr to a living creature. Do not lose too much of your mana. After all, mana is a mage¡¯s lifelongpanion.¡± ¡°Kghhhkk¡­ What ridi¡­culous¡­¡± ¡°Look closely?¡± Davey whispered calmly as he raised some of his mana in his body. ¡°This bastard hit me, so I am going to punish him, right?¡± As if Davey¡¯s words were the signal, his mana suddenly began moving ording to his will and beating up the panicked boy without any mercy. The mana being used was unprocessed and simple, but it still resembled the 1st Circle Magic Missile. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to reach this level right here and now, but I do expect you to be able to control your mana. How can you rascals be called mages if you can¡¯t even use 90% of your own mana?!¡± Boom!!! Attending these non-stop lessons, the students eventually lost their ability to even move. ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a masochist¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡± There were also several students who had curled up in shame. ¡ªYou¡¯re going to end up killing someone at this rate, Davey. What kind of lesson is this? ¡®No. The effects are sufficient enough.¡¯ After giving Perserque a calm answer, Davey approached one of the students who was not breathing roughly like the rest of the ss. ¡°H¡­ Heup?! In¡­ Instructor! I was wrong! Please forgive me!!!¡± ¡°We¡¯re done for today. Everyone, get up!¡± Davey said calmly, helping the student stand up. Everyone turned to look at him as he continued, ¡°You all did a good job. We will finish our basic lesson with this.¡± It would not be strange if the students were furious at the sses they had been made to attend. However, as they fought with Davey, they had all realized one thing. They had discovered that their mana grew more active and free the longer they fought against him. It felt like their broken bones were healed and they could finally move much more freely than before. At the same time, they felt confused. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder why their mana was moving freely around their bodies now. ¡°Timmy, what is the best magic that you can cast?¡± ¡°Fire¡­ Fire Bolt.¡± ¡°Alright. Try casting it once.¡± Timmy sat up and moved his staff silently. At the same time, his magic which used to be the size of a finger started bing bigger. It eventually grew to the size of a ser ball. This was a strange phenomenon. After all, Fire Bolt was a magic that could only be the size of one¡¯s palm no matter the mana being added into it. But now, it had grown so much that it looked like a 3rd Circle Fireball. Josiah, who was at the 4th Circle, found herself speechless. Her eyes had grown as wide as saucers as she looked at Timmy¡¯s Fireball that had grown three times bigger than normal. She muttered, ¡°What¡­the hell is this¡­?¡± ¡°The effects are awesome, no?¡± Timmy¡¯s eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°What¡­? How¡­?¡± ¡°What do you think the lesson was when I first gave you the pickaxe?¡± Davey asked, effectively silencing the entire ss. He said, ¡°It seems like you guys are still unaware. That pickaxe is a disgusting item that can suck away the mana in your body whether you want it to or not.¡± Being unaware of that fact, the rascals had continued to circte their mana and swing the pickaxe in their hands. When Davey had asked them to carry water, detect the magic stone bombs in the forest, and infiltrate the goblin settlement, he had been teaching them a way to hide their mana. Simply put, there had not been a single lesson that aimed only at working them to the bone. The students looked down at their hands nkly. They were speechless for a long time. It seemed like they still could not fathom the unexpected changes that had happened in their bodies. Looking at the dazed students, Davey told them about their next ss. After all, they had just finished warming up and were ready to take on another ss. He made eye contact with them as he said, ¡°This time, we¡¯re going to study theories. This lesson will be different from your boring lessons that simply crammed the theories in your heads. I don¡¯t want you to simply memorize the simple forme and principles.¡± The students then saw Davey throwing the remaining textbook in the ss away. Davey said with a grin, ¡°In this ss, I will make you deconstruct and interpret the form by yourselves.¡± ¡®If you fail, I will burn you with a Fireball. So, you have to be prepared for the consequences.¡¯ ¡ªIs¡­ is it because it¡¯s less hot than Hell Fire¡­? Davey ignored Perserque, who had watched everything from behind the scenes and spoke as if every single action of his had been absurd. Chapter 299 ¡°From what I heard, the ss F students are attending sses seriously these days.¡± ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Ah. I heard about that too. I also heard that no one approaches ss F these days because it¡¯s a scary experience.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The students of Shakunt Academy¡¯s middle school division spent most of their time taking lessons in their own ssrooms. Of course, even though they were allpeting against one another, there was no reason for them to stop getting along with their peers. Simply put, the cafeteria had be a ce where the students engaged in small talk and exchanged information with each other. Due to that reason, news of the incident that had happened in this very same cafeteria had spread far and wide among the middle school students of Shakunt Academy. It was precisely because of that incident that the ss F students had be a hot topic of conversation. There were even rumors about ghosts in ss F¡¯s ssroom that were circting fast and wide in the academy. ¡°Come to think of it¡­ None of the students of ss F havee to the cafeteria since that incident, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also a bit reluctant to approach their ssroom. I heard rumors that there are strange and unknown screams ringing through the gaps of the doors of ss F¡¯s ssroom.¡± ¡°S¡­ Scream?¡± Suddenly, a strange sense of tension hung in the entire cafeteria as the students gathered together to discuss the rumors in more detail. ¡°Me too, I heard that too. I actually heard someone scratching the doors and sobbing, asking someone to kill them.¡± The rumors had been exaggerated after being spread from one person to another. They had now be apletely bizarre story. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest here. Don¡¯t you think the temporary instructor assigned to ss F is a bit strange and mysterious?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I heard that he disyed the symbol of a Swordmaster during the incident back then. But who would be a Swordmaster at our age?¡± ¡°I know, right? The Pan Empire¡¯s teenage princess, the one being hailed as the genius of the sword, is still at the Expert level.¡± ¡°Maybe that instructor¡­ Maybe that instructor is doing something inexplicable to the students? For example¡­¡± The students thought that there was a chance of the temporary instructor using the ss F students as subjects in an experiment. The implication of those words made the students tremble with disgusted and fearful faces. ¡°Eyy. No matter how scary it is, do you think that is even a possibility? All of the students here are sons and daughters of nobles or aristocrats.¡± ¡°I know, right? But even if that¡¯s not the case, it¡¯s obvious that a strange aura is escaping from the ss F ssroom these days. In fact, when I passed by at night, I heard a ghost crying inside their ssroom.¡± ¡°What the hell¡­ That¡¯s scary.¡± Feeling creeped out by the rumored ghost stories, the students began to leave and scatter. The remaining students, who were from ss B and ss C, looked at one another before starting to dare one another. ¡°Shall we try going to ss F¡¯s ssroom?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Nope. The Magic Festival is just right around the corner. Everyone¡¯s too busy to care about such rumors. If I were you, I would just leave them be and practice some more.¡± ¡°Well, at the very least, ss F would be inst ce, no? Josiah Frances might have dropped to ss F, but she¡¯s alone. She would have no chance against arge group of people.¡± ¡°If Josiah Frances remains in ss F, she would have no chance of winning in the first ce.¡± The giggling students werepletely unaware of what the ss F students, who everyone ignored and belittled, were doing right now. *** To be honest, the lessons that Davey taught his ss had been nothing more than ways for his students to improve their direct use of mana. The students of ss F understandably had a lot of questions about what kind of theory they would learn in ss. ¡°Instructor, what theory will we tackle in ss?¡± ¡°Are you telling me that you still don¡¯t know what kind of person I, your instructor, am at this point?¡± ¡°Uhmm. That¡­ Are we going to do a group spar again today?¡± ¡°Who came inst?¡± A little boy who sat in the corner flinched as he raised his trembling hand. Then, he immediately buried his reddened face in his arms. ¡°We can do a group spar again, but if we do that too much¡­ You guys might start to think of it as a good thing. Then, the other students might think that all of you are perverted,¡± Davey teased. The students shook and trembled, shutting themselves up. ¡°I feel wonderful when I am getting hit.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°It feels refreshing to get hit.¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting hit but my body is feeling lighter and lighter. That¡¯s what you guys are probably thinking right now. Damn masochists.¡± ¡°No! We¡¯re not perverts¡­!¡± The students were aware that such thoughts were not right. They were also confident of not being masochists. However, it was true that they could not forget the feeling of those particr hits. In the end, the students who secretly hoped for a group spar could only bow their heads down in shame. Among them was a very unexpected student, too. Davey sighed and made ament. ¡°Josiah Frances, it seems like you have quite the unique preference.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t shut your mouth right now, I will throw a Fire Breath in that¡­¡± ¡°Oh, my.¡± Although the students could only grit their teeth and stay silent, they realized one important fact. Hard work andbor had never betrayed them. On top of that, the students had stoppedining about the lessons. This was after they had realized that the strange and weird hardships that they had gone through only brought about positive changes in their bodies. ¡°Our goal here is simple. You have to keep in mind that it would be impossible to increase your circles in the short amount of time that we have left,¡± Davey said, knowing for a fact that his students werepletely different from him. Then, he continued, ¡°However, even if you remain as 2nd and 3rd Circle mages, I will make it so that you can have the ability to apply and use a different level of magicpared to the others of the same rank.¡± Ultimately, it would be up to the students if they could do it or not. However, Davey was confident that he would be able to open up a path for them. ¡°First of all, this is the official announcement regarding the Magic Festival. The Magic Festival will proceed in the same format asst year. However, the academy has sent me a slightly unusual official announcement.¡± Everyone had to participate in the Magic Festival. If a single student was missing, the entire ss would automatically be disqualified from thepetition. ¡°There should be no problem. Everyone will participate this time.¡± ¡°Ah, by the way¡­ What is this?¡± Davey squinted as he continued to read the official announcement. ¡°For those who win the first ce, their reward would be¡­¡± The first ce reward was set to be an interview with Great Sage Hellison Valestia. Davey could not help but find it funny that meeting a single person could be the best reward. However, he also did not deny the fact that meeting this particr person was a great reward in its own way. ¡°The ss that gets first ce will have the chance to have a private meeting with Great Sage Hellison Valestia in the mage tower.¡± ¡°Goodness!¡± ¡°The¡­ The Great Sage!¡± For aspiring mages, the existence of the Great Sage was a very meaningful one. The fact that they could meet and have a conversation with him would be a great honor. To be honest, anyone would be grateful and delighted just to be able to see him from afar. However, for Davey, an existence who far surpassed the Great Sage as a mage, the reward could be seen as ridiculous. Regardless, a promise was a promise. Davey had no intention of mentioning the fact of his own abilities surpassing the Great Sage¡¯s. Such a fact would just make the students grow restless, and that would not be very helpful in their education at all. ¡ªYou have already be a teacher at this point. ¡®They have to study very hard,¡¯ Davey answered Perserque calmly. ¡ªStudy? ¡®Why do you think I¡¯m working so hard to teach these students?¡¯ The reason was because these students were Davey¡¯s first disciples. It was also true that he wanted to bully and harrass these dreamers who were full of desire for magic. However, Davey had no intention of doing charity work. He hade in exchange to see the system, the atmosphere, and the ss system of Shakunt Academy, the dream school of all of the mages in the world. ¡ªDon¡¯t tell me, you¡­ ¡®I will build a grand and majestic academy as soon as I return to the Heins Territory. I have to seek out teacher candidates slowly, but that is my next step. Magic, swordsmanship, medicine, holy magic, alchemy, archery¡­ Well, I want the academy to teach anything and everything.¡¯ Davey wanted to provide an opportunity for the citizens of Heins Territory who believed and trusted in him, even though he never really managed the territory by himself, to learn and study. It was also to provide an educational avenue for those who were talented butcked the money to join an academy. However, his greatest reason and motivation was to make Myuu¡¯s wish to studye true. Davey was someone who would do whatever he could with his own hands. In his previous life, he had lost out on many opportunities due to illness. In this life and world, he saw life as one that was filled with new challenges. So, if given the chance, he would do anything and everything that he could. Anyone who tried to build a school just for one person would be called crazy. However, Davey would willingly be the lunatic who did just that. ¡ªIsn¡¯t this more of a source of amusement for you, Davey? ¡®Well, that¡¯s also not wrong.¡¯ ¡ªHa¡­ What would the people of this world think once they know that you¡¯re living your life so carefree and nonchnt? ¡®Who knows?¡¯ After hearing that they would have a chance to have a private meeting with the Great Sage, the students looked at Davey with sparkling eyes. ¡°Instructor. If we listen to your lessons properly¡­ Can we win?¡± When a student asked a very obvious question, Davey lightly tossed the chalk up in the air before catching it again. He said, ¡°When you¡¯re on the brink of death, things would naturally follow.¡± This was the bitter truth that applied to this life. However, the students did not have to worry that much. Davey would make sure that their sses were of lower difficulty than the lessons that he had undergone. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. When you think that you¡¯re on the brink of death, follow along.¡± *** Davey¡¯s fifteen-day contract with Shakunt Academy went by in a sh. It was now a day before the Magic Festival. To teach his students forme, Davey made them undergo a more intense lesson. The students were initially very calm and rxed, believing that they could do anything after having endured the crazy sses from before. However, their bubbles eventually burst. They ended up struggling and wanting to escape from the lesson. Still, the students could see the obvious improvement in their skills. There would be no smoke without any fire. The rumors that surrounded ss F were not entirely false. During the course of their lesson, Davey pushed his students to their limits. Every time they went beyond their limits, the students saw their skills and power growing far beyond what they previously had. ¡°Hoho. There certainly are plenty of rumors. However, I have been in some kind of trouble after you assaulted a ss A student from middle school and even threatened a teacher.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Well, there was no need for me toe forward. Duke Golia, Yulis, and ss 6 Bram, the elder who was hostile to you, were the ones that worked hard to sort out the situation. Hohoho. It¡¯s a very spectacr sight to see the flustered Duke Golia shout furiously.¡± Duke Golia, the head of the Golia Duchy, was a fairly quick-witted noble. There was no way that such a figure would not be able to calcte the benefits and losses that would be incurred if he dared touch Davey¡¯s existence. The man was not only a very stubborn and arrogant mage, but he was also a politician through and through. Well, it was to be expected. The world was filled with unfair and unjust transactions and dealings. ¡°By the way, what lessons did you conduct for so many rumors to circte in the school? I have never heard about such a loud magic lesson before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. Checkmate. It seems like you¡¯re not concentrating enough. Ah, what about the thing that I asked for?¡± Great Sage Hellison Valestia, who was staring at the Olde gameboard, fell silent. During the first part of the game, he had still managed to push Davey back a bit. In the end, however, he still yed into Davey''s hand. ¡°I already felt this when we first met but¡­ Are you really a human?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a human.¡± ¡°This is amazing. How can a human use such a rough and unrefined tactic? How many steps ahead are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you only see what you need to see. More than that, why did you do that? The reward for winning first ce in Shakunt Academy¡¯s Magic Festival is too stingy.¡± Hellison Valestia burst out inughter. ¡°Hohoho. You¡¯re the only one who would call that reward stingy. This might sound like I¡¯m bragging, but for these mages, I¡¯m the person who they want to meet the most.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯re quite good at making jokes, old man.¡± ¡°Fufufu. The tower decided it on their own. It¡¯s not within my power¡­ Take this,¡± Hellison Valestia smiled as he quietly pulled out a box that had been hidden behind him and held it out. The box contained a stone that was emitting a subtle light. ¡°This is a sealing stone that is more than 50 years old, just as you¡¯ve asked. I can only give you one first.¡± ¡°Thank you. To be honest, I think this is too much of apensation for teaching the kids for a mere fifteen days.¡± ¡°Does it look like that? Well, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s too muchpensation for just fifteen days. This stone is worth more than any other expensive magic stones.¡± This was a magic stone, not an ordinary mana stone. On top of that, it was a magic stone that had been nurtured and refined for a very long time. It was something that even the people from the mage tower would have a hard time obtaining. In other words, its value would never be ordinary. ¡°So, what else do you want?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve already received enough payment from you,¡± Hellison Valestia said, tidying up the Olde game board. ¡°And it¡¯s not just me. Some of those who attended the mage tower¡¯s conference had realized the things that they have overlooked from the forms that you had inadvertently thrown their way.¡± As a mage, Davey was aware that there were many psychos among them who would sacrifice their hearts just to improve their magic skills. Was there anything that they would not do for the human who had given them enlightenment in such a situation? ¡°And think of the rest as some sort of investment. From this old man¡¯s point of view, you seem to be a great man. It is worth maintaining a close rtionship with you for the future.¡± Davey epted the box without any hesitation. ¡°But, if I¡¯m being honest, I want to know where you would use this sealing stone that has been refined for a very long time. No matter how I think about it, I don¡¯t think this sealing stone¡¯s efficiency would be enough for any practical use.¡± Davey said with augh, ¡°Great Sage, you should know that the sealing stone can trap some kind of power. What would you do if there was this poor and pitiful dying person who has been driven out of her home and has been forgotten by everyone?¡± Hellison Valestia¡¯s expression turned stiff. He murmured, ¡°Has been forgotten by everyone¡­ That¡¯s quite a terrible thing to imagine, no?¡± ¡°I know, right? Oh my. It¡¯s already time. In my contract, today is thest ss that I have to conduct. Let¡¯s have another chat next time.¡± The rules that made up this world¡¯s providence hadpletely erased the existence of the Warrior Reina. Now, except for Davey and the World Tree, no one was aware of Reina¡¯s existence. This would not change in this reality. Reina, the Warrior whose race had be a mix of human, demon, and artificial angel, hadpletely disappeared. Even if Davey forced her soul into a human body of his creation, it would still crumple and break the moment he put the soul inside. If that was the case, then there was only one way left. Leaving the Great Sage¡¯s small hut, Davey used Warp and immediately went to his private underground library in the Heins Territory. It was just like any other big, dark, and drearyb. Within this space was a huge test tube, the one that had previously kept Rinne in the ancient ruins. However, Davey had made some improvements on the test tube to be able to use it. If Davey could not afford to bring Reina back right away, then he would have no other choice but to bring the test tube out and use it. He initially struggled to use it, but thanks to Rinne¡¯s power of construction and deconstruction, he was able to devise a simple method to use it in the end. Perhaps it was because Davey had been distracted with the lessons with his students while making this, but the figure inside the test tube ended up having a slightly different face from Illyna. The face still looked familiar though. Yes, the naked figure floating inside the test tube had the exact same features as Reina. However, the most surprising part here was therge wings that grew out of her shoulder des. Davey did not make something like that. After all, he did not have the penchant for fairy tales and childish stories. The change just suddenly urred after alchemy and God¡¯s power hadbined together. ¡ªThat¡¯s no different than an angel, right? ¡®Those nasty wings were created by Goddess Freyja¡¯s will. I did not make that at all.¡¯ There was a chance that Goddess Freyja had intended to have a servant who would be able to use more of her power and had just used Davey to achieve this goal. She had used Davey by having him save Reina. Reina had now be an existence that was different from the apostles of God. She was like an angel but was not really one. She had turned into someone who was made by a human, being given a new lease of life by having a body that could exist in this world. Reina¡¯s body was artificial, having been created by materials that were readily avable to Davey. Originally, this project could never be considered sessful. However, Davey would be able to consider this a sess as long as he could stabilize her soul with the sealing stone. For the first time, a divine revtion appeared through the stigmata on Davey¡¯s back. [God¡¯s Will has made a deration. She would be bestowed the name of Valkyrie and would be hailed as [The One that Protects].] The body was already half-way done, so the only thing left would be the union between Reina¡¯s soul and artificial body. Now, what Davey needed was a vessel that could contain the power that would allow Reina to escape the rules of this world, which was hell-bent on erasing her existence. It was the only salvation for someone who had lost her home and reality. ¡ªIn what sense is this different from creating a human body? ¡°There¡¯s a huge difference between medical arts and taboo. This is not resurrecting the dead, this is saving the dying.¡± ¡ªIsn¡¯t that just a y on words? ¡°If you put it like that, then you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s taboo for a human with a severed arm to wear prosthetics.¡± In Reina¡¯s case, she had only lost her body because of lousy, misced rules and providence. Eva, Davey¡¯s alchemy teacher, had warned him to never create a human body. However, she had also mentioned something else regarding the matter. [Davey, there is a huge difference between taboo, medical arts, and alchemy. It is an alchemist¡¯s job to dig through the gaps and explore the real truth. I¡¯m not going to demand that you follow some sort of moral code or even ethics. You can do whatever you want as long as it¡¯s not something that you can be ashamed of. However, if something goes wrong, make sure to use your power to take care of it. It will be your own responsibility. If that time everes, remember that an alchemist should never shun the truth. You shall never forget to take responsibility over your actions.] The sealing stone that contained the power of the Abyss was not yetplete. However, it had already gained the power to reject the providence and could release a power that was simr to the stone that the Great Sage had given Davey. ¡ªBy the way, what are you going to do with the other sealing stone? Davey only needed one sealing stone to resolve the issue with Reina. However, he had asked for at least two sealing stones. Davey smiled at Perserque¡¯s question and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to use this to p someone in the back of the headter.¡± ¡ªI don¡¯t know who they are, but there¡¯s one thing that I¡¯m sure of¡­ Whoever you¡¯re going to hit in the back of the head must already be tingling right at that spot. The smile on Davey¡¯s face slowly disappeared as he continued to look at the test tube. Chapter 300: The Ones that Comply and the Ones that Flee (Trigger Warning: Sexual harassment) ¡°ss 6 Bram, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Collin, the one acting as Yulis¡¯ Attending Mage, asked irritatedly. He was bothered by ss 6 Bram¡¯s obsessive behavior. The man was fully immersed in his research, appearing to be possessed. ¡°What in the world are you going on about?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Prince Davey. Look at yourself, how long have you been raging about and running around like this?¡± ¡°Raging? Well, if I was a tiger, then I would have already roared to my heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Have you forgotten our purpose?¡± ¡°Collin.¡± ss 6 Bram, an old man with a short fuse and a dismissive personality, said, ¡°Listen, I am thinking of quitting.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It might just be a few words, but those few words from Prince Davey had allowed me to realize something greater than what I have been studying all my life,¡± Bram said calmly. He approached Collin and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°I have told you this over and over again, no?¡± ¡°He¡¯s someone from the Holy Empire! Do you think it¡¯s proper for someone from the Holy Empire toe to the mage tower and do whatever he pleases?!¡± ¡°Does it seem like he¡¯s simply the Holy Empire¡¯s Saint?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is the reason why you can¡¯t go beyond the 5th Circle yet.¡± ¡°Elder Bram!!!¡± ¡°Enough! I just want to reach the 7th Circle instead of receiving the cheers and admiration of unknown people. Are we done talking? I think with just a bit more effort I can finally see the end.¡± ss 6 Bram was very much aware of hiscking skills whenpared to Great Sage Hellison Valestia. However, he was still very confident in his skills and abilities as a 6th Circle Master. Bram had believed that his theories were wless. This was only natural, because he was proud of himself and what he studied. However, there was an old saying about slimes in a cave. Unlike ordinary slimes, a cave slime that was born inside a cave would also live within it. In other words, the cave would be its entire world. The form that the boy, who had looked at them with a gaze that questioned their theory, had presented was simply a path that proved their form wrong. That conference had changed everything, and Bram felt like he had been given an opportunity. ¡°Only then did I realize how our stubbornness has made us live such dull lives. With the way I am right now, I would have asked you to p me back then and wake me up from my delusions.¡± ¡°Elder Bram.¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t say anything to me anymore. You should quit as soon as you can too. I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a leery person. I suggest you stop following Central Tower¡¯s Elder Yulis just so you can keep watch on him.¡± Collin gritted his teeth at ss 6 Bram¡¯s words. Then, calmly approaching Bram, he said calmly, ¡°So, this is how it ends.¡± Bram remained unaware,pletely absorbed by his theoretical forms. Stab!!! ¡°Keheok?!¡± ¡°You¡¯ll die if you let your guard down, you know? Elder,¡± Collin said as he pulled his hood back, revealing the grim smile on his face. ¡°Co¡­ Collin¡­¡± ¡°This is a dagger coated in one of the deadliest poisons that I¡¯ve received from him. I heard this is a very fatal and deadly poison to those who have undergone metamorphosis.¡± ¡°Hii¡­ Hiiiieeee!¡± Bram screeched. His eyes turned bloodshot from rage as he hurriedly tried to cast magic. Before he could even finish casting his magic, he unfortunately coughed up a mouthful of blood and copsed onto the ground. ¡°The poison will only spread faster if you activate your mana. You might be someone capable of facing the reality of the matter, but that¡¯s not the case for me. If there¡¯s an easier and more convenient way, then I will tread that path. Farewell, Elder.¡± The suspicious smile that Collin always sported had bepletely different from before. Even his veins protruded from his skin in a strange way. In fact, most of his hair had also fallen off. Despite the great differences in Collin¡¯s physical appearance, ss 6 Bram¡¯s interest was elsewhere. The man murmured, ¡°Y¡­ You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ That poison¡­¡± ¡°Yes. I have gained the power of a 5th Circle Master in exchange for signing the contract. Once this n has been sessfullypleted, I will be a 6th Circle mage. Can¡¯t you understand? Compared to you, who have taken your entire life to gain more power, I can climb up to the realms of the 6th Circle in just a short period of time!!!¡± Thump!!! Collin kicked Bram roughly and violently. After making sure that the man had died, he put his hood back on once again. With a dangerous glint in his eyes, he murmured, ¡°Get rid of the body. We will now advance with our ns. We need to secure the offering safely. Get Teaching Assistant Rashkan to be our scapegoat.¡± *** ¡°Molly. Did you see where that guy went?¡± ¡°¡­Huh? Aaaah¡­ Yeah. I did not see¡­¡± Molly Saelyn answered with her head bowed in shame. Timmy clicked his tongue. ¡°What the hell is up with that guy? Today¡¯s thest day, so where the hell is he?¡± He red at the small box he had retrieved from his pocket irritatedly. The other students also had small boxes of their own, but Timmy felt very embarrassed to have it in his possession. ¡°Your condition?¡± ¡°G¡­ Good!¡± Molly Saelyn answered confidently with red cheeks. Timmy could not help but chuckle at Molly¡¯s response. He was not surprised by her reaction, since she had changed over the short period of time. He had changed as well. ¡°The Magic Festival has begun! What have we learned so far?!¡± ¡°Break everything down!¡± ¡°Let those bastards experience even just 1% of the hardships that we¡¯ve freaking experienced!¡± The main culprit of all the ss F students¡¯ suffering was the lunatic, who had made them go wild. Even the timid Molly Saelyn looked keen to join the rest of the ss in running wild, so Timmy thought that the situation had truly be serious. If he were honest, Timmy felt the same urge. The students had all been clueless before, but they realized that the lunatic could have killed them if he wanted. He could have simply worked them all to the bones. The students only came to that realization after starting to seriously learn and attend their theory sses. However, none of them could deny the sweetness of the fruits of their hardbor. The process was so hellish that none of them would want to go through it again, but it had brought all of them together. Due to that reason, they all oozed with confidence and pride. ¡°We can do this!¡± As Molly Saelyn squeezed between the other children and raised her small hands to cheer alongside them, Timmy shook his head. Molly Saelyn used to be so quiet and shy that speaking up made her embarrassed. She had changed, just like that. For a moment, Timmy wondered if the others had also changed. ¡°I can¡¯t see the instructor.¡± The biggest variable in ss F was none other than Josiah Frances, the student who used to turn up for a few sses and had distanced herself from the others due to her absence from the previous Magic Festival. At one point, she had started to regrly attend the sses. Timmy had asked Josiah about her sudden change, but he had been told to shut up. The only reason he could think of to exin her sudden perfect attendance was because she had quite liked the massage-style sparring practice. ¡°What¡¯s with that expression on your face? Are you f*cking belittling me because I¡¯m in ss?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Huh? N-Not at all. What are you saying?¡± ¡°I said, I can¡¯t see the instructor anywhere.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange. He definitely promised us toe. Since the contract period is over, he¡¯s no longer our instructor. But he definitely said that he woulde to see us perform in the Magic Festival.¡± Timmy frowned upon remembering the lunatic¡¯s sharp and clear expression. Their instructor had told them that they would definitely win the Magic Festival because victory was dependent on the individual¡¯s hard work and not interest in the festival in and of itself. ¡°Up until the end, this guy¡­¡± Even though Timmy was clicking his tongue, he looked like a child who was looking around and waiting for his parents toe and visit. ¡°Then, we wouldn¡¯t be able to give him our present¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and find him. Go and calm those madmen.¡± Josiah pointed at the students of ss F, who were grinding their teeth and shouting loudly, and patted Timmy on the shoulder. ¡°After all, you¡¯re ss F¡¯s president, right?¡± ¡°¡­Right. Don¡¯t mess around and ck off this time.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do it because I liked it either,¡± Josiah said calmly as she activated her mana. The students had learned valuable lessons from their vicious Instructor Devy, but they did not focus too much on theory. However, thanks to him, they were able to learn the most realistic path as well as the most important thing for a mage to learn: the basics. They were able to learn how to measure their opponent¡¯s mana, how to track, analyze, and interpret the way mana was being used. After learning that, they found out that their Instructor Devy was truly weird. Knowing that his mana was so light and non-existent, they even wondered if a human could truly have mana like that. On top of that, rumors about him being a Swordmaster had already spread far and wide. This further confused the students. How could a magic instructor be a Swordmaster? In the end, they could only conclude that their instructor was not an ordinary human being. However, the mana that they could feel from him was below that of an ordinary person, so they could easily find him in a crowd if they wanted to. Josiah left the southeast wing, where the students of ss F were located, and moved toward the central wing. Shepletely ignored the gazes that were being thrown at her. Then, at that moment¡­ ¡°Josiah Frances.¡± Hearing that unpleasant voice, Josiah stopped walking forward. She quietly turned to see Rashkan, ss A¡¯s teaching assistant. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°¡­I¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± Josiah flinched, shrinking like a small animal in front of a predator. Her fear seemed to have been imprinted deep in her mind. ¡°Ha¡­ You¡¯re not going to follow me?¡± Listening to that threat, Josiah instinctively stepped back. ¡°Well, fine. If you don¡¯t want to follow me, then you can go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, you¡¯ll be the one taking responsibility for this transgression.¡± The insidious and vicious smile painted on the man¡¯s face made Josiah stiffen. *** The Magic Festival held in Shakunt Magic Academy in the city of Lindhall had always been a sess. If the Duchy of Felicity held a swordsmanshippetition as some sort of festival under the name of the Continental Union, then one could say that the Shakunt Academy¡¯s Magic Festival was a grand festival being held under the name of the mage towers. Shakunt Academy was said to be filled with talented students who could immediately join a kingdom as an exclusive mage or be a recognized mage with a mage tower the moment they graduated. This was also the reason why the mage towers were willing to provide a significant amount of funding to Shakunt every year. It gave them the opportunity topete for one, just one, outstanding talent. As for the middle school students, they still had to take high school sses. This made the talent scouts less interested in them. However, if the ss F students¡¯ level of magic were to be spotted by any scout, then something interesting was bound to happen. In this huge forest,rge-scale magic battles, defense battles, siege battles, and several other events with special magical attributes and characteristics would take ce. As for Josiah, she was very much aware of the fact that her ss would automatically be disqualified with the absence of a single student. That was why she was very determined to attend this Magic Festival. ¡°Why are you acting so nervous? Come, follow me.¡± The problem was ss A¡¯s Teaching Assistant, Rashkan, who was a 4th Circle mage. He had less magic than Josiah, but despite the ring difference in power, there was a significant trench between a teacher and a student. ¡°I¡¯m¡­fine,¡± Josiah said stiffly as she sat on the sofa with a bowed head. Rashkan silently approached Josiah. He chuckled as he untied her ck hair, which now flowed down her back. Then, he caressed her head and said, ¡°You¡¯re growing beautifully.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s only natural. Compared to your father, your mother was a very beautiful woman even though she was a meremoner. Fufufu.¡± Josiah¡¯s parents were a part of a viscount, nobles to be exact. To be honest, they did not upy very high positions, but even high ranking nobles could not afford to touch them recklessly. In fact, her father was the Lord of a great merchant group that was famous in the Eastern Continent, the Frances Merchant Group. Although her father was amoner by birth, the King valued his talent greatly and granted him a peerage, turning him into a viscount. This just went to show how important and influential a merchant group was in a nation. With this in mind, even the family of a count or even a marquis could not recklessly touch Josiah and her family. However, the man in front of Josiah was different. Rashkan Frances could be considered to be a blood rtive. He was Josiah¡¯s uncle, so how could he do something so unspeakable to Josiah? ¡°Please¡­stop. I have to attend the Magic Festival this time.¡± ¡°Fufu. Didn¡¯t I tell you that I will let you leave once you listened to what I have to say? You¡¯re still as stubborn as ever.¡± The reason was simple¡­ ¡°Fine. You can go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, I would be left with no choice but to report what your brother has done.¡± Josiah¡¯s eyes grew wide at the threat. ¡°Th¡­ That.¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like that?¡± Rashkan said, sitting beside Josiah and nting his hands over her shoulder. All this while he kept on caressing Josiah¡¯s face. Josiah clenched her fists, having goosebumps from the breath on her skin. Rashkan chuckled when he lifted the girl¡¯s downturned face and saw the angry tears staining her face. He said, ¡°See, you can do it if you want to. All you have to do is listen to me well. Ah, you truly grew up beautifully. Just let this uncle of yours hold you. If you do that, you will be able to protect the glory of the mage tower, the safety of your brother, and the future of the merchant group.¡± This was Josiah¡¯s own business. She had not told anyone about it. Besides, she had no intention of betraying ss F. However, during the Magic Festivalst year, Rashkan had told her about her brother¡¯s unfortunate events and had told her that she was the only one who knew. That was how he had something to hold against her and molest her whenever he wanted. By the time she had escaped, the Magic Festival had already ended. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ You are my uncle¡­ Please stop this.¡± ¡°Oho! What does that have to do with anything, huh? How can your uncle look elsewhere when you, who have grown so beautifully, are strutting in front of me?¡± Rashkan said, sweeping the tears off of her cheeks while slowly reaching for her chest. ¡°I let you run awayst time. But this time, we have a lot of time. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send you back before the Magic Festival begins.¡± Josiah gritted her teeth. As long as she could endure this treatment, she believed that everything could work out well. If she could endure this kind of shame, then her friends would be able to safely participate in the Magic Festival. She could then ensure her brother and their merchant group¡¯s safety too. That was why she had to put up with it. ¡°No matter what you do, no one ising. Are you going to take it off yourself? Or perhaps you want this uncle of yours to take it off for you?¡± Rashkan said insidiously. Josiah sobbed softly as she slowly reached for the buttons of her school uniform. Unfortunately, the longer she took, the less likely she would be able to participate in the Magic Festival. Josiah thought that it would be better for her to do this quickly and be done with it. ¡°Good, good. What a good girl.¡± Rashkan chuckled as he stroked Josiah¡¯s head. It did not take too long for his breathing to turn ragged and his eyes to turn bloodshot. It seemed like he could not wait any longer. ¡®Instructor¡­¡¯ For some reason, the person who shed across Josiah¡¯s mind was her vicious and evil instructor, who had eerily dered that he would kill anyone who dared to touch his students. And for that same strange reason, Josiah missed the warmth that their crazy instructor had shown them, his disciples, when he had led them with a level of affection. ¡®Instructor¡­ Please save me¡­¡¯ This professor¡¯s office was very remote. No one would find out about this ce and no one woulde. Josiah knew that it was impossible, but she still hoped that the instructor who had always ignored her woulde and save her. Just when her hands trembled from the act of unbuttoning her school uniform, and her vision began to blur from her tears¡­ ck!!! ¡°Good job, good girl.¡± Splurt!!! The sound of flesh exploding rang loudly in the room. Chapter 301 Josiah Frances, who was overwhelmed by shame, gritted her teeth and continued to unbutton her school uniform. She went on until she felt blood suddenly sttering across her face. Her eyes widened in surprise. Who in the world would arrive in this remote office that no one could find? Josiah could only think of one man, but¡­ Unfortunately, it was not her reliable instructor. ¡°Keheok?¡± Rashkan, whose shoulder had been pierced by something, copsed on his knees. Looking at the man who had attacked him, his eyes grew wide. ¡°Kghk?!¡± ¡°I told you to get a hold of the offering. Why are you doing something so useless?¡± The mysterious man murmured. His features werepletely hidden from view due to his hood, which covered everything. After struggling for a while, Rashkan stopped moving. It was as if he had lost all of his strength. Ignoring Rashkan, the man called out to the trembling girl, ¡°Josiah Frances.¡± ¡°W-Who¡­ Who are you?¡± Josiah asked in a quavering voice. No matter how hellish the training that she had undergone, nothing could prepare her for the raw and unbearable disgust that wracked her entire being. ¡°It seems like you¡¯re not a coward, huh?¡± Once the man tried to move closer toward her, Josiah hurriedly backed away on the sofa that she was sitting on. She quickly rolled her body on the ground and casted a magic attack. ¡°Fireball!¡± Thanks to the hellish training that her demonic instructor had forced upon her and her friends in ss F, Josiah could react at lightning speed. She could instantly and reflexively react to her surroundings. Baaaaaaam!!! A fireball that was three to four timesrger than an ordinary fireball shot out from Josiah¡¯s hand. Even though she was still using the same amount of mana, the size and efficiency at which she casted the magic was iparable to before. ¡°¡­¡± As she began to chant another spell, Josiah¡¯s expression stiffened up even more. This was because the man in front of her was giving off a very eerie and vicious aura, an aura that she could not escape from with a single attack. sh!!! Before she could even finish chanting and casting her next magic attack, a cloud of smoke suddenly appeared in front of her. Then, a red de flew in and cut her arm. ¡°Ugh?! Kyaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!¡± In just an instant, blood spurted out of her now severed arm. Josiah was quickly overwhelmed by the terrible pain. Thud!!! Then, a punchnded on her and made her copse onto the ground. The mysterious man approached Josiah, who was traumatized from losing a limb. She stared at him silently with a fearful gaze. ¡°Think of it as an honor. After all, he, someone who you could never reach and see in your life, wants you,¡± the man said calmly as he held Josiah by the waist and turned around. At the same time, a woman silently walked out of a spatial crack that had suddenly appeared behind the man. She said, ¡°We don¡¯t have time. All of our ns will go up in smoke once that bastard finds out. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Shari.¡± *** ¡°The atmosphere is good,¡± Davey mumbled as he leisurely strolled around the lively academy grounds. He watched the many students walk in groups of twos and threes as he headed toward where the ss F students had gathered. Problems suddenly arose in Reina¡¯s body, so Davey had ended up taking a bit more time than expected. He had taken the time to do some adjustments. Still, he was arriving at the academy just on time. ¡ªYou better not do something useless. It would be better if you could just move there in earnest. Just like what Perserque had said, Davey was already on the verge of beingte. He quietly entered the wing where ss F was and opened the ssroom door. Swooooosh! At that moment, dozens of eyes immediately moved toward Davey. He then asked, ¡°What are you doing? The Magic Festival is about to start.¡± The students¡¯ expressions turned slightly ugly. They yelled in unison, ¡°Where the hell have you been?!¡± ¡°You rascals, my contract period as your instructor is already over. Don¡¯t expect me to be unnecessarily responsible for you. I¡¯m just here to observe,¡± Davey said calmly as he flicked the charging Timmy on the forehead. Then, he paused and asked the ss, ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Josiah¡­ Josiah disappeared,¡± Alyssa Yosefov carefully said amidst the buzzing students. ¡°Josiah disappeared?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Just like in the previous Magic Festival.¡± Davey was immediately reminded of one person. He did not know the exact reason of why Josiah had failed to participate in the previous Magic Festival, but he knew of one thing. Perserque¡¯s power had helped him to be aware of that fact. He knew that it had something to do with ss A¡¯s Teaching Assistant, Rashkan. In fact, he had wanted to get rid of the man, who was a hindrance. However, in consideration for his delicate rtionship with Josiah, he had chosen to give the man a simple threat. ¡°What the hell are you on about? Didn¡¯t I tell you that you will get disqualified as long as a single student is absent? Don¡¯t you guys know where your ssmate went?¡± The students gritted their teeth. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°She went out looking for you. Then, she disappeared!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! She went out to find you because she was worried that you wouldn¡¯te on time!¡± ¡°Josiah¡­ Josiah said that she would attend this Magic Festival no matter what. She was definitely not lying!¡± ¡°In the first ce, Josiah is not a liar!¡± Davey clicked his tongue at the students'' sharp rebuke. Then, he said, ¡°Alright. Everyone, just go to the Central Wing where the Magic Festival is being held.¡± The students remained silent, looking at each other with anxious expressions. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the things that I have taught you. Have confidence. As long as you use the things that you¡¯ve learned from me, then you will not fall behind the other sses.¡± ¡°Instructor¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and get Josiah. Don¡¯t worry, I will take responsibility for this matter. Even though my contract period is over, I still have to see that you finish things well,¡± Davey said, patting the head of the young girl who had called out to him anxiously. Then, he turned around and promptly disappeared. Not long after that, Daveypletely shut off all of the signals and began to move. ¡ªDo you know where she is? ¡®I don¡¯t know, so¡­ I¡¯ll have to look for someone who might have an idea.¡¯ If Teaching Assistant Rashkan dared to take Josiah again this time, then he would be facing a very ugly end. Davey swiftly moved through space until he reached a fairly old building. However, he was already frowning before stepping into the building. He mumbled, ¡°The smell of blood?¡± The overwhelming odor of blood lingered in the air, indicating that someone was here. Davey silently retreated, taking two steps back, and nced through one of the windows. Davey crouched down the moment he found a very weak flow of mana inside the remote research building. [Moonlight Steps] This was Davey¡¯s main movement technique. It was also his stealthiest and quickest step. In just an instant, ck smoke appeared and covered Davey to scatter his presence into the wind. When he materialized once again, he was already in front of the tightly closed window on the third floor. ng, ng, ng!!! After smashing the window without any hesitation, Davey entered the room that had the strongest odor of blood. The odor told him that something had happened just a few moments ago. He was also feeling a very familiar aura. ¡ªVampire¡­ ¡°I thought that they wouldy low, but it seems like there are still some of them left in the area, huh?¡± Davey said, slowly walking across the bloodstained floor. That was when he saw a man struggling on the bloodied floor. He could also see a girl¡¯s severed arm. ¡°¡­¡± Davey silently approached the struggling man before flipping him around with a kick. ¡°Ugh!¡± The man looked up at Davey with wide eyes. ¡°Teaching Assistant Rashkan, I¡¯ve warned you to not touch my students. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t leave you alone. Did my words not register in that thick head of yours?¡± As Rashkan trembled, Davey yanked the red de that was pierced through Rashkan¡¯s shoulder. Then, he activated and circted the holy power in his body. [Purification] [Highness Heal] Rashkan slowly began to recover after Davey had casted the high-ranking recovery magic, Purification, and removed the poison in his body. He coughed as he twisted his injured body. ¡°Urk! Kghkk!¡± However, he could not move much. Davey¡¯s foot was right on top of his chest. ¡°Are your ears not working?¡± Davey asked calmly. Rashkan snapped, ¡°In¡­ Instructor Devy¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. We¡¯ve met before, no? Don¡¯t you remember?¡± Davey asked calmly as he slowly removed his foot from above Rashkan¡¯s chest. However, before Rashkan could even get up, Davey moved to crush the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Keuaaaaaaaaaaaack!!! Ugh!¡± Rashkan screamed from the terrible pain, his lips twisting and his teeth chattering. Momentster, his lips were forced shut by an unspeakable force. ¡°You thought that I was joking, no?¡± The gruesome smile on Davey¡¯s face made Rashkan shake his head like crazy. ¡°Scream once more and I¡¯ll crush your other arm. Do you understand? Nod if you do.¡± Rashkan¡¯s breathing was shallow as he nodded desperately. It was only after Davey dispersed his sharp and oppressing aura that Rashkan gasped for breath. ¡°Where is Josiah?¡± Rashkan, after hearing Davey¡¯s question, answered with a quavering voice, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­know what you¡¯re talking ab¡­¡± Boom!!! ¡°Keuaaaaaaaack!!!¡± This time, Daveypletely crushed the man¡¯s legs. He red at him fiercely. As Rashkan shrieked and screamed at his overwhelming aura and power, Davey said, ¡°Rashkan Frances, speak bullshit one more time and I won¡¯t be responsible for your end.¡± Rashkan immediately nodded with clenched teeth. He said, ¡°4th¡­ 4th ss Col¡­ Collin¡­ took¡­ took her away¡­¡± Davey silently looked down at Rashkan before asking, ¡°Collin? What¡¯s the bastard¡¯s reason for doing that?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That¡­ Hiiiiiik!!! Please! I beg you! I¡¯ll tell you everything I know!¡± Rashkan screamed as he scrambled back. He immediately spilled all of the secrets, confessing everything. He even told Davey the things that Davey himself did not want to hear. Collin had ordered Rashkan to bring Josiah in and tie her down. However, Rashkan had brought the girl in and molested her just like what he had done before. Then, Rashkan had sustained a fatal injury by Collin while distracted by wanting to touch and take Josiah. Momentster, an unidentified woman had appeared through a spatial crack to take Collin and Josiah with her. Davey thought that there was a high chance of the woman being a vampire. ¡°Ah. Right. You wanted to do something like that with your niece, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s not my problem. I also shouldn¡¯t get too involved in a person¡¯s own affairs. However, you shouldn¡¯t go too far,¡± Davey said calmly as he turned around. From what it looked like, the slender arm that was lying on the ground belonged to Josiah. Davey approached the pale and bloody arm. Then, he quickly poured mana into it to preserve the arm before turning back to look at Rashkan. He asked, ¡°Where did the b*tch disappear to?¡± ¡°Th¡­ That¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to talk?¡± ¡°N-No! I¡­ I don¡¯t know about it either! She just appeared and disappeared¡­ I¡¯m just a lowly underling!¡± Davey began to ponder on what he should do. If they had already disappeared like that, then it would be very hard to find them. If that was the case, then Davey was left with no choice but to use a different method. After raising up Josiah¡¯s arm, he summoned dark mana and covered the entire arm with it. The arm shed brightly. [8th Circle Dark Magic] [Soul Link] At the same time, a magic circle bloomed underneath Davey¡¯s feet, synchronizing with the ck light that swallowed the arm. Rashkan¡¯s eyes grew wide as he watched what Davey was doing. As a mage himself, he was very much aware of how ridiculous and unbelievable the feat that Davey had just performed was. He mumbled, ¡°H¡­ How did you do¡­?¡± Davey ignored the mumbling Rashkan as he threw the severed arm in his Pocket ne. The chase was already over, but he was still unaware of the exact location. He couldn¡¯t simply warp himself over. Still, he had recovered to the 9th Circle, so he had another method avable to him. [Link] [8th Circle Magic] [Warp] In just an instant, blue magic circles appeared and ovepped with the ck magic circles that were floating in the air. Then, the magic circles spun fiercely as a spatial crack appeared in front of Davey. To track Josiah¡¯s whereabouts, Davey had created a link between Josiah¡¯s arm and her soul. After getting the coordinates, he began to cast the Warp Magic. There was a chance that a trap was waiting for him on the other side, but that was unimportant. Davey only had one goal here, and that was to bring back his hateful disciple, Josiah Frances, back safely. And that was not all¡­ ¡ªDavey! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening, but the more time you take, the more danger that child will be in! After hearing Perserque¡¯s words, Davey moved to enter the spatial crack. Just before he could leave, he stopped and nced back at Rashkan, who flinched and trembled in fear. He then reached his hand out and said, ¡°God has dered¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ What?¡± ¡°Eat shit.¡± [9th Level, Final Holy Magic] [God¡¯s Middle Finger] Baaaaaaaaang!!! A bright white light smashed the ceiling apart and crushed Rashkan, who remained conscious. Then, his body began to burn. ¡°Aaaaaaaaaaack!!!¡± Rashkan struggled fiercely from the pain of being burned alive. Unfortunately for him, the white mes persistently burned him. ¡°You will burn in mes for two hours. No more, no less. You can only go after that.¡± Chapter 302 ¡°Aaaaack!!! Uwaaaaaaack!!! Aaaaargh!!!¡± If Davey allowed Rashkan to run around like crazy, then the pain would definitely prompt him to leave this building and go somewhere else. Seeing the bloody bastard scream as if he had lost his sanity, Davey pulled out a candlestick from nearby and threw it at him. ck!!! The sharp end of the candlestick pierced through Rashkan¡¯s shoulder, causing him to get stuck to the wall behind him. He continued to scream, ¡°He¡­ Help me! It¡¯s hot! It¡¯s burning!!!¡± Davey ignored the screaming Rashkan and stepped through a spatial crack. It hadn¡¯t been long since the vampire had taken Josiah away, so Davey was sure that he still had some leeway. ¡°Isn¡¯t your authority a bit too prejudiced?¡± Davey grumbled to Perserque as his surroundings began to change. ¡ªMy powers are still unstable. For me to see the other person, they have to see me too. You already know this, don¡¯t you? Davey ignored Perserque¡¯s excuses as he took another step forward. Shwaaaaaa!!! Then, the scene before him changed, a dark corridor appearing right in front of his eyes. Davey had a high chance of getting the coordinates wrong or walking right into a trap that had been waiting for him to arrive. Fortunately, it seemed like there were no problems. He had arrived safely. But, of course¡­ ¡°A human came.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just like Lady Shari has said.¡± ¡°We have to stop him, at least until the sacrificial ritual is over¡­¡± Shwaaa!!! Dozens of vampires appeared and surrounded Davey in an act to buy time. However, before they could even finish conversing with one another, a number of vampires were already bleeding from fatal injuries. Swish!!! Leaving a blue afterimage behind, Davey shook off the blood on Blue Ribbon¡¯s de. For some reason, he felt bad as he watched the blood evaporate into thin air with the activation of Blue Ribbon¡¯s power. However, that was not important. Davey silently covered his nose as the distinct stench of vampire blood overwhelmed the entire area. Then, he looked around and reached his hand out. Shiiiiing!!! Red Ribbon promptly appeared and settled in Davey¡¯s outstretched hand, her de glinting a dangerous light. She appeared to be showing off her majesty. [Demonic Sword] [Ghostly Illusion] sh! With a single swing of Red Ribbon¡¯s de, dozens or maybe even hundreds of sword energy shes flew out and wreaked havoc. With the ceiling destroyed, Davey immediately jumped up to escape. ¡°Stop that bastard!¡± ¡°Stop him! Even if you die, stop him!¡± As he heard the vampires¡¯ cries ringing in his ears, Davey swung Blue Ribbon once again. Blue Ribbon was the enemy of anyone with demonic attributes and characteristics. This was because she had the power to cut down and destroy the vampires¡¯ excellent resilience and immortality. It was thanks to her power that the vampires, who never expected that they would die in one go, were cut down without even being able to resist. Thud!!! After cutting down the huge and heavy door that blocked his path, Davey turned into ck smoke and disappeared. He only reappeared after leaving red afterimages behind. Using Red Ribbon, he then smashed the walls of the old and huge castle along with the vampires within. Since Davey was unaware of the situation and the enemies who were in hiding, it would not be good for him to overdo things. Then again, he had poured 9th ss Holy Magic on Rashkan Frances after smashing his body to pieces. ¡ªThere will be no end if you continue like this. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to expand my reach,¡± Davey said calmly as he stretched a finger out in front of him. As a pale green light glowed at his fingertips, summoning a huge spirit, he said, ¡°Come out, Gnoass and Eim.¡± The earth shook as a huge earth giant emerged, knocking down some of the buildings in the process. At the same time, the moisture in the air gathered into water droplets, forming the figure of a woman. [Contractor.] [What¡¯s going on? Why are you so furious¡­?] The two Spirit Kings turned silent when they saw the expression on Davey¡¯s face. ¡°The two of you only need to do one thing. Nothing more, nothing less.¡± ¡®Destroy everything.¡¯ As if they had nothing more to ask or see, the two Spirit Kings dispersed. Baaaaaang!!! Along with loud explosions, the vampires¡¯ desperate screams echoed loudly across the entire area. The vampires had created their hideouts in many ces, and this was one that Davey had not previously found. Davey did not really expect the vampires toe out. However, perhaps due to the incessant and overwhelming attack, the vampires who had been hiding here all emerged and ended up copsing onto the ground. Finally reaching the end of the old castle, Davey felt the mana chain that was linked to Josiah¡¯s soul swinging harshly in his hands. The only time that such a phenomenon would happen was when the soul felt immense fear. ¡°We can¡¯t do it like this,¡± Davey said, realizing that he was running out of time. Then, without any hesitation, he drew a tremendous amount of dark mana in his body. [9th Circle Dark Magic] [Stigma] Crack, crack!!! The floor instantly crumbled to reveal an endless set of stairs in front of Davey, who descended with his Moonlight Steps. It did not take too long for Davey to encounter a huge door that was blocked by some vampires. ¡°What aplete and utter¡­monster.¡± ¡°How the hell can a human be this monstrous¡­?¡± The vampires looked at Davey and murmured in confusion. They were all as powerful as Pace, the vampire who Davey had previously met, but they were all extremely wary of the human boy. Unless they were idiots, they should be aware that a vast majority of their homes would be destroyed once their tails got caught. This meant that they now recognized Davey as an apex predator that was a risky and powerful opponent. ¡°Stop that bastard no matter what. His blue sword is dangerous. Be careful not to get cut down by its de.¡± ¡°Make sure to buy time even if you think death is a possibility. Do not let him in until the sacrificial ritual is over.¡± The vampires had a simple mission, but they were only as powerful as Pace had been. Davey, having recovered a considerable amount of mana to once again reach the 9th Circle, could not be stopped by them. He had, after all, awakened with the help of the jewel from before. To be precise, these vampires were as powerful as Pace. However, they did not have the power of immortality that was twisted and altered by the Abyss¡¯ power. Needless to say, they could only be considered to be low-ranking vampires. However, not all of the vampires were the same. There was a chance that they were having an internal fight and had been divided into several factions, which all fought for power. The vampires here were ultimately quite different from Pace and the other vampires that had mutated from being exposed to the Abyss¡¯ power. ¡°By my authority, you are allowed to use your Soul Power. Give it your all.¡± Upon receiving permission, one of the vampires reached his hand out toward Davey. Then, a tremendous amount of ck energy slithered out of his hand and created a huge spear. This was Blood Energy, the vampire¡¯s inherent skill. ¡°Soul Power. It seems like you¡¯re quite a distinguished noble.¡± Soul Power was a power that only a few selected high-ranking vampires could express. It was literally the embodiment of one¡¯s soul. The ck spear was most likely his soul turned into a weapon, amplifying his power. Soon after, the rest of the vampires began drawing their own weapons. The air suddenly turned heavy as their aura weighed down on Davey. ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you throwing a tantrum?¡± Daveymented with his eyes shing red. Crack!!! The slumbering mana in his body began to move, taking control of the entire area and recing the power that initially weighed him down. ¡°Kghhk!¡± ¡°What kind of power is this?!¡± The vampires were greatly shocked. They couldn¡¯t help but copse onto their knees. At the same time, a lump of mes began to form atop Davey¡¯s palms. White Nova was a very explosive power. However, it was tough to use, since it could burn up almost all of a mage¡¯s mana in a few uses. With that in mind, Davey had no choice but to use the 9th Circle me Magic that was Hellfire, the blooming mes. Crackle!!! Hellfire, which could burn everything down and remain burning for all eternity, began to mix with the dark mana in the surroundings. It became a ck me that even sucked in the surrounding light. Once the fireball waspletely formed, the vampires instinctively felt danger and immediately attacked Davey. Davey stepped forward with hispleted Hellfire, mming it toward the charging vampires. Baaaaaaaang!!! The entire area shook from the fireball¡¯s huge explosion. The huge stone wall and the heavy doors that the vampires were guarding sted open. Davey continued to walk forward with the Hellfire still burning fiercely atop his palm, leaving behind the ashes of the vampires who had disappeared without a sound. He was soon greeted by the sight of an unconscious and pale girl with a severed arm. Hanging from a huge cross, the girl was none other than the girl that he was looking for, Josiah Frances. There was a boy, who gave off a different aura from the other vampires, sitting in front of Josiah. He watched her silently. Davey¡¯s first impression of the boy was that he was calm andposed. His beauty was also undeniable. ¡°I¡¯m meeting a variety of beings, huh?¡± Vampires quickly appeared to protect the boy from Davey¡¯s approach. Among them was a vampire that Davey was very, very familiar with. It was none other than Vampire Shari, the one who had acted as Queen Lynesse¡¯s maid. She was also the very same vampire that had staged a surprise attack in the Duchy of Felicity. ¡°My Lord¡­ Please step back!¡± Shari shouted urgently. She looked and behavedpletely different to when they had first met. As the boy continued looking at him calmly, Davey attacked Shari without any hesitation and said, ¡°It seems like you took my kid.¡± His body turned into ck smoke before he reappeared in front of Shari. Shari¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw Davey suddenly materialize in front of her. She could not even react at all. Baaaaaang!!! Shari should have burned down from the Hellfire, her body turning into ashes that scattered in the wind. However, the boy standing behind her calmly raised his hand to block the Hellfire above Davey¡¯s hands. ¡°You truly are a lord, huh?¡± The Vampire Lord was the absolute ruler of their race. He was obviously a strong andmanding existence. After all, he was right at the top of the vampire¡¯s hierarchy. The boy extinguished the Hellfire, a magic that could remain burning forever, and looked up at Davey calmly. He said, ¡°We will surrender, human. I want to negotiate.¡± It was very ridiculous to hear the boy, the alleged Vampire Lord, calmly dere their surrender. It also did not help that dozens of sword des appeared right after he made his remarks. ¡°¡­¡± With the swords shing in an instant, Davey silently shook his hand that held onto Red Ribbon. Stab!!! However, the Vampire Lord escaped the attack with just a huge gash on his pale cheek. Compared to all of the opponents that Davey had met so far, the Vampire Lord¡¯s movements were more clean and agile. ¡°I refuse. If you were thinking of doing that in the first ce, then you shouldn¡¯t have taken Josiah,¡± Davey said calmly as he swung his sword once again. The Vampire Lord raised his hand in reflex and dodged Red Ribbon¡¯s de, using the power in his arms alone to push the sword away. As long as her de did not touch the opponent, Red Ribbon would not be able to cut them. She could only cut the opponents to her heart¡¯s content upon making contact with them. But of course, if the skill of the swordsman was unstable and weak, then it was all meaningless. Having instinctively felt danger from the des of Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, the Vampire Lord had blocked the attack without allowing the des to touch his body at all. ¡°You came all the way to this dangerous ce for one human? I don¡¯t understand. Do you not have any fear? Are you not afraid of death? Or are you just stupid? How can you charge into your enemy¡¯s camp without some sort of countermeasure?¡± the boy said calmly, pushing Davey away once again. The boy had a small build, but he could exert even more strength than Sword God Ares. If the boy in front of him was a real Vampire Lord, then Davey had to tread carefully and deal with him properly. However, the small Lord in front of him was definitely weaker than the Vampire Lord that he had faced before. After widening the distance between Davey and himself, the Vampire Lord snapped his fingers to summon a trove of vampires from all sides. The two Spirit Kings were still wiping out a tremendous number of vampires in the outer area, but there were still many vampires in this inner area. Davey felt like he waspletely out of luck. ¡°Go back right this instant. I have no intention of making you into an enemy at this moment. But if you want to save that human girl, then¡­¡± When the boy shook his head and his voice trailed off, the other vampires hissed at Davey and showed their firm determination to attack him. This was true even at the expense of their lives. ¡°¡­then, all of the vampires here would stop you.¡± The situation was obviously disadvantageous to Davey, who was the only person battling against the vampires who were surrounding him. If he were to be honest,ing to get Josiah like this had definitely been a wrong move. However¡­ ¡°You¡¯re going to stop me? Well, there¡¯s one good thing that I have learned from my magic teacher,¡± Davey answered calmly after seeing the boy¡¯s cold and ruthless smile. [9th Circle Great Area Magic] [Great Meteor Shower] This castle was filled with a lot of things that Davey was still unaware of. He also did not know how many vampires were surrounding him right now. However, he was certain of one thing: everyone was equal in front of the countless meteors that loomed above them. Chapter 303 Baaaaaaaaang!!! The half-broken spire, which was dozens of meters in height, received the brunt of the earth giant¡¯s attack. Vwoooooooooong!!! For a split second, the earth giant¡¯s blow created a vacuum that sucked in the air before releasing a powerful impact that shook the ground. Itpletely tore the spire apart. ¡°Even if you die, stop them!!!¡± The vampires who had staged an attack on Hyeon Kingdom never expected an invasion from such existences at all. However, they were still a bit different from the vampires that had first struck Davey. Basically, most of the vampires here were using their pure power and not the strange power that the other vampires had used before. Among them were vampires who could use power of a stranger kind, but they were few and far between. Simply put, the vampires here were pure-blooded vampires. Of course, vampires of that caliber were all stubborn and bull-headed. Every single one of them, including the women and the children, faced against Gnoass as if they were warriors. All of them were determined to sacrifice their lives in such a desperate struggle. However, most of their reinforcement troops could not answer their calls. On top of that, they were dealing with not one but two Spirit Kings. With these two facts in mind, they felt endless despair. Thwack!!! The vampires who were keeping Gnoass in check fell to the ground. A fountain of blood spurted from their bodies as a sharp whip of water cut them down. [Eim. Limit your consumption of power. Although our contractor has be much stronger, he won¡¯t be able to handle it if we use our powers indiscriminately.] [I¡¯m still wondering how a human, aside from Yuriana, can release that much power while supporting two Spirit Kings.] [The contractor¡¯s magic is an imitation. It is an imitation that produces the same effect with only a minimal amount of mana.] ording to Gnoass, Davey could not really summon a meteor shower even if he called for it. He was just inducing the same effects by ovepping the forces of nature. Needless to say, they were of the same magic with their levels of efficiency at pr opposite ends. Eim, who altered her figure to appear on Gnoass¡¯ shoulder, shook her head. Although the Spirit Kings weren¡¯t able to use the same power as what they had in the Spirit World, their consumption of mana was still very high. In order to minimize consumption, one had to achieve assimtion. However, it was not easy for a Spirit King to achieveplete assimtion with their contractors. [That¡¯s very crazy.] Gnoass murmured as he shook off the annoying low-ranking vampires, who brandished their bright red swords against him. [My goodness¡­] At the same time, Eim, who followed Gnoass, looked up at the sky in shock. She noticed that the sky was littered with hundreds of purple magic circles, which repeatedly fused and separated on their own. Gnoass, who was very much aware of how much power was needed to use those magic circles this recklessly, had to wonder how his contractor could stay in one piece. He found it ridiculous. [If we¡¯re talking about normal circumstances, then we can safely say that he¡¯s using most of his powers to allow us, the Spirit Kings, to materialize in this world¡­ But¡­ That¡­] [That is a magic that controls thews of nature. It¡¯sparable to Ifrit¡¯s powers.] Gnoass was right. Not long after, the magic circles in the sky finally fused into a gigantic one. This was its final form. The vampires gaped as they anxiously watched a catastrophe appear in the sky above them. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± ¡°What in the world? What is going on?¡± Despite their pride and ego, the vampires could not help but feel tremendous fear at the overwhelming existence that had appeared above them. Unlike ordinary humans, the vampires that had the power of [Blood Energy] since their birth were very sensitive to the flow of mana. They might not know the exact situation that they were in, but they could feel the severity of their situation. Not long after, the vampires¡¯ eyes grew wide as the shape and form of the magic circle changed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s impossible.¡± Some of the vampires even copsed on the ground with stunned looks on their faces. In fact, anyone would, especially after feeling such a huge amount of powering from the magic circle. They knew exactly what the magic circle was going to do. Just like that, dozens of fireballs appeared in the sky. This magic was less intense than Meteor Strike, a top skill of the magic world. If the widely known Meteor Strike was a rock, then the magic in front of the vampires was a pebble. Of course, the magic was several times more severe than the analogy given. There was quite a big difference between the two magical attacks, but the fact that there were hundreds of fireballs pouring down from the sky was like hell in and of itself. ¡°Protect¡­ Protect the Lord!!!¡± ¡°The Lord is in danger!!!¡± Instinctively realizing who the meteorites were aiming for, the vampires hurriedly left their nests and ignored the Spirit Kings who hade to smash and destroy their homes. Thuuud!!! [Eim, go back to the Spirit World.] [What do you mean?] [Once those meteorites fall, the terrain would be destroyed. It¡¯s not just one but hundreds of them. That would change the story. If I don¡¯t hold the fort down, then this entire area would change on the map.] ¡®So, this is why you summoned me. Evil Contractor,¡¯ Gnoass mumbled to himself. Since Gnoass had judged the situation to be like that, then Eim would also be able to reach the same conclusion. [What a reckless contractor¡­] The moment Eim vanished into droplets of water, Gnoass mmed both his arms on the ground. At the same time, the first meteorite fell on the ground. This sent out a huge shockwave, which began to destroy the entire area. *** ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯m not someone who¡¯s particrly drunk on heroism¡­but this is more like God¡¯s reproach to an egregious fate. What else can we do? This is the only way for us to find the final key¡­ We need that human who you¡¯re protecting¡­¡± ¡°The Demon Lord¡¯s revival? I¡¯m telling you, that will never happen¡­¡± ¡°That does not matter to me. The ones who want to revive the Demon Lord are the radicals who¡¯ve left my rule and the demon race. We just want to remain in this position and silently protect the survival of our species!¡± ¡®Goodness, are you from different factions?¡¯ The bastard that Davey was looking at right now was in a different faction from the vampires that he had encountered before. However, in the end, these bastards who kidnapped Josiah were just as heinous and vicious as the ones from before. ¡°You should know that you¡¯re not doing a good job regarding that, right?¡± ¡°For us, the nobles are far more precious than regr humans. Although I do not participate in bullying and taking advantage of the weak, you bastard do not have the right to judge us!¡± Baaang!!! Bang!!! The boy, the Vampire Lord, was unaware of the details of the magic that Davey had unleashed. He ended up being stunned once the casting of magic was over. It seemed like he could instinctively feel the danger after sensing the overwhelming amount of mana that had appeared and moved in the sky. As the magic fell from the sky, the vampires¡¯ current monarch, the Vampire Lord, seemed to have judged that having a conversation with Davey would no longer prove to be useful. He started to unleash an onught of attacks. The Vampire Lord was not the head of their race for no reason. The nameless boy showed Davey great fighting skills andbat experience. However, this was exactly what Davey had expected of him. Baaaaaang!!! The Vampire Lord¡¯s bloody red sword barely blocked Red Ribbon¡¯s attacks. Still, it was a sword made by a variant power and not by the physicalws of this world. No matter how Red Ribbon could cut down anything that was physical, the sharpness of the opponent¡¯s de could not be ignored. The opponent¡¯s weapon was, after all,parable to a divine sword. In other words, if Red Ribbon could not cut down the Vampire Lord, then the Vampire Lord definitely had the power to rival the Lord that Davey had met. ¡°So, you¡¯re just a half. You punk.¡± Bang!!! When Davey swung Blue Ribbon to cut down his blood sword, moving to cut down his arm, the boy chose to let half of his nails get cut in order to prevent any further injury. He also screamed, ¡°What the hell do you know, you bastard?!¡± ¡°I just made a blind guess, since you¡¯re weak for a Vampire Lord. I guess I did hit the nail right on the head, huh?¡± Davey said. The boy¡¯s expression turned stiff. He retreated while vomiting a mouthful of blood. A Vampire Lord was obviously a very strong existence. Although it could not move freely because of the restrictions ced upon it, the Vampire Lord was the root and source of the entire species. To Davey, it did not make sense that such a Lord would have a hard time blocking a few attacks and meteorites that he had sent. ¡°The Vampire Lord in my memories leaned toward the excessively strong side.¡± It was true that Davey had met and fought with a Vampire Lord who had been constructed based on Sword God Ares¡¯ memories. Davey had even spent quite a bit of time trying to kill the said Lord. It was not just the problem of force and blood aura, because the Vampire Lord was in possession of a very unique innate authority. And it was for that reason that Davey had ced the Vampire Lord as the most difficult enemy to deal with among all of the beings that he had fought against. ¡ªEven¡­if you include all of your teachers? ¡®Why add those humans to the list? Those humans were dozens of times stronger than any other existence.¡¯ Those who were beyondparison should be firmly excluded from any kind ofparison. Thud!!! Thud!!! The boy¡¯s expression hardened even further upon feeling the intense vibration that shook the room. He muttered, ¡°What a ridiculous way of using Meteor Magic¡­¡± ¡°In the next twenty minutes, the entire castle will copse into nothing. Let¡¯s finish it all before that.¡± It was none of Davey¡¯s business. He did not need to distinguish whether they were white or ck. He was just getting tired of eradicating these mosquitoes. The Vampire Lord¡¯s expression turned bitter. ¡°My Lord!!! We will make sure to stop that human, even at the cost of our lives! Please escape!¡± Not long after, vampires came bursting in to stand in front of the boy. They formed a protective circle. They were showing so much loyalty that Davey felt bile rise to his throat. Such a warm disy of the rtionship between a lord and his vassals would be able to touch people¡¯s hearts, but¡­ ¡°At the very least, I will let you depart this world swiftly and cleanly.¡± It did not matter what their goal was, because they were the rascals who had cut off his disciple¡¯s arm and had even kidnapped her. Their only miscalction was being tracked down and caught by Davey. ¡°Human, think once again. The nobles here are different from the radicals that have been driving your race to a corner.¡± The Vampire Lord, who saw his subordinates being ced in a situation where they might die, quickly analyzed the situation and promptly chose to negotiate once again. His cool-headedness and rationality had returned. ¡°Then, you shouldn¡¯t have dared to touch my student. Josiah is human too, no? And wasn¡¯t that bastard who you seduced, Collin, also a human?¡± To be honest, Davey did not care if Collin was alive or dead. However, the mastermind of the kidnapping still had not shown himself. The main reason why Collin had done something like that was because of this boy right in front of Davey. Even the main reason for this confrontation had been provided by the vampires themselves. ¡°Everything is so we can save our race. Of course, for me, the safety and survival of my own species is much more important than the life of a single human!¡± ¡°Very well said. And for me, the safety of my students is much more important than your lives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The boy realized that it was useless to try to fight Davey¡¯s logic with his own. The expression on his face grew determined as he looked up at Davey. However, no matter how Davey looked at the boy, there was no way that the boy was a proper Lord. Bang!!! Bang!!!! Meanwhile, the meteorites continued to fall on the ground, destroying the ceiling and crashing not too far away from where Davey was. They created a huge shockwave. ¡ªOh my! It seems like you have decided to just decimate everything and burn this entire area down to the ground¡­ Perserque¡¯s harsh criticism obviously reached Davey¡¯s ears, but it was the Vampire Lord¡¯s voice that reached him first. ¡°I¡­ I am an imperfect Lord. Human, I will give you my oath. If you let us go, then all of the vampires under mymand will no longer act hostile against humans. We simply need a true andplete Lord to lead the nobles of the night!¡± ¡°And you¡¯re using Josiah as a sacrifice?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Stop making a fuss, Vampire Lord.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one human! It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand how ridiculous that logic is, but all we need is that human girl!¡± Davey paused for a moment beforeughing at the boy¡¯s ridiculous words. He said, ¡°Then, let¡¯s remain in confrontation forever. Also, you should go back and relearn how to negotiate. You are not negotiating but throwing a tantrum.¡± The boy¡¯s fists shook. He could not even hide his troubled expression. The Vampire Lord was an existence that could bring about real danger. It was a being that stood at the peak of their race. To put it simply, if the Demon Lord was the king of the demons, then the Vampire Lord was the king of the vampires. Although they possessed tremendous powers, they were met with several restrictions. So, Davey never expected that he would meet with the Vampire Lord in such a location. No, to be exact¡­ ¡ªYou probably thought that the Vampire Lord was not in the house, right? After all, how could the vampires be living in such poor condition if their lord was present? The Vampire Lord was a pivotal existence to the vampires. They had the power to purify and strengthen the vampires just by existing and staying alive. However, that did not seem to be the case for the vampires that Davey had seen. As for the Vampire Lord, the boy was expressing weakness in not so subtle ways at all. Then, was the boy¡¯s existence a lie? Davey felt that that was not the case at all. That was why he judged that the boy was only half a Vampire Lord. ¡°Just a bit more¡­ A bit more and we could have witnessed the fulfillment of our race¡¯s long-cherished wish of achieving safety and peace¡­¡± the boy sighed bitterly, his expression mirroring his words. ¡°Fine. If there¡¯s no more room for negotiation¡­ A desperate struggle is our only solution,¡± the boy said as the whites of his eyes slowly turned red. Seeing this, Davey immediately thought of one of the Vampire Lord¡¯s authorities. He hurriedly moved to restrain the boy. A violent and ferocious aura burst out of the boy as his body zed with erupting mes. Wasn¡¯t this phenomenon quite familiar? This was the same as what Warrior Reina had done when she had burned her life to kill First Lich Nyx. Even if the boy was not aplete Vampire Lord, a lord-level existence was putting his life on the line just to stop Davey¡­ At the same time, all of the power that the boy released started to gather in his hand to form a gigantic blood spear. ¡ªThat looks a bit dangerous¡­ Perserque, who instinctively felt dangering from the Vampire Lord, hurriedly pushed the twin swords back into Davey¡¯s Pocket ne. She then looked in front with her hands sped tightly together. ¡°You¡¯re doing something that¡¯s not even fated for you.¡± [I implore you, Goddess Freyja. Let my sword carry out your will.] Davey ignored the gigantic blood spear that was slowly coagting into itsplete form as he gathered most of the holy mana in his body. [Let me bring judgment under your name.] ¡ªWhat¡¯s wrong with using a normal and proper prayer¡­? Daveypletely ignored Perserque¡¯sints. He continued with his prayer, a firm and determined look on his face. [Allow me to tread this thorny and difficult path. Let my steps be like the martyr¡¯s penance as he walks toward you.] Vwooong¡­ vwooooooooooong!!! Whether he won or lost the fight, the Vampire Lord¡¯s death was already determined. However, that was not the case for the other vampires. After receiving the Vampire Lord¡¯s orders, the vampires immediately scattered and dispersed, going far away from this ce¡¯s zing inferno. Davey originally did not have any intentions of letting them go. However, he just let them run away. [Let me guide the lost sheep with two of the shepherd¡¯s staves.] Shwaaaaaaaaa!!! Not long after, the gigantic blood spear waspleted. Its sharp tip pointed straight toward Davey. Then, as if determined not to give Davey any sort of reprieve, the Vampire Lord charged at him. At the same time, Davey¡¯s prayer ended. [Descend just one time and I won¡¯t kill you.] [10th Level, Transcendent Holy Magic] [God¡¯s Descent] [God¡¯s p] Davey¡¯s hands reached out toward the gigantic blood spear that seemed capable of piercing through everything. He muttered, ¡°You would have lived longer if you just chose to silently retire.¡± ¡°God¡¯s Descent¡­ What a load of bullsh¡­¡± What was the point of everything when the oue was already irreversible? A huge and pristine white hand, apanied by fluttering white feathers, devoured the boy who held onto the blood spear. It looked like the boy had been pped by the gigantic hand. Thwack! God¡¯s p, just like its name, smacked the iplete monarch and destroyed the blood spear in his hand. It also devoured and burned everything in its path. ¡®I really wanted to try this just once.¡¯ ¡ª¡­I told you not to do it! Chapter 304.1 Spirit King Gnoass was the one who prevented the falling meteorites¡¯plete destruction of the area. The Vampire Lord also helped to some extent. These two beings were the ones who effectively stopped theplete destruction of this ce. However, as the Vampire Lord had lost his powers, the aftermath shook up the entire ce. There were dozens of Meteor, the magic that had reached the peak of the 9th Circle, after all. It would naturally be hard for the Earth Spirit King topletely stop the destruction of the area with his powers alone. Well, it might have been possible if they were in the Spirit World. [Do it in moderation! Contractor!] Gnoass¡¯ints reached Davey¡¯s ears. Unfortunately for him, Davey was busy facing the boy who was slowly disappearing from the divine mes that he had unleashed before. Anyway, since Davey had recklessly brought out the Meteor Shower, the magic would have clear limitations. Without any sort ofmand from him, the magic would stop by itself soon enough. With the divine mes licking all over his body, the boy stood in front of Davey and said, ¡°I can¡¯t¡­go¡­yet. I have the duty to protect my race. I am the¡­Lord¡­¡± Looking at the boy, who appeared to be gruesomely desperate at how he endured the pain through gritted teeth, Davey could understand his desperation. As a Vampire Lord, the boy had the duty to protect the safety of his race. When the entire situation hade about, he did take into consideration the fact that they would be caught by Davey. In other words, he had gambled with his life. Needless to say, hasty and rash decisions were very dangerous. To be honest, these vampires did not pose any threat to Davey. In fact, the only thing that could bring a huge threat to Davey was aplete Vampire Lord whose body had ess to his authority. As for the Vampire Lord confronting Davey right now, he was also fully aware of this fact. The question was why did he do something like this despite having that knowledge? ¡°You are very tenacious when ites to survival. Why did you do this fully knowing that this was the only oue?¡± The Vampire Lord smiled bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to tell someone who¡¯s hostile to us.¡± ¡°Well then, you leave me with no choice.¡± With no room for further conversation, there was nothing more that Davey could do. Why do people resort to war? When two groups were at odds and had been going around in circles without giving in to each other, they would eventually reach the extreme and resort to war as their final choice. The ones who had been in conflict with Davey were, just like the Vampire Lord had said, the vampires¡¯ radical faction. As for the vampires¡¯ moderate faction, they had only carried out one action against him and it was all for their race¡¯s long-cherished desire. However, in the end, they had still attacked him all the same. There was also no more room for concessions. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think it matters. I have ced a contagious curse on some of your escaping brethren.¡± ¡°A contagious curse¡­¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s not much harm that would befall upon them once the trigger is pulled. However, it wouldpletely expose their location.¡± A helplessugh escaped the Vampire Lord as he said, ¡°You¡¯re quite a vicious and evil human being. However, it doesn¡¯t matter. The magic for the awakening has been safely activated. Human, I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t kill that human girl. Well, I don¡¯t really need you to understand anything. This is the only way for our race to go against those mysterious beings and not borrow their powers.¡± Davey raised his eyebrow. ¡°This bastard, are you testing me?¡± ¡°I beg of you. For thest time, please show mercy to my race and leave us a way out,¡± the Vampire Lord mumbled as he closed his eyes for all eternity. The iplete and imperfect Vampire Lord had fulfilled his duty, so he fell into an eternal sleep with a rxed smile on his face. Not long after, his body started disappearing into the wind. ¡ªDavey? Don¡¯t tell me, that child Josiah¡­ Perserque¡¯s eyes grew wide upon realizing something. Davey, however, simply approached the young girl without any hesitation. He also gathered mana on the tips of his index and middle finger to awaken Josiah. Thud!!! A light shockwave stretched out from Davey¡¯s fingertips and shot into the slumbering Josiah. Bite!!! Josiah¡¯s eyes snapped open as she lunged toward Davey. She quicklytched onto his neck with her fangs. Human beings¡¯ teeth were not sharp enough to pierce through flesh. However, the vampires had evolved, so they had considerably longer fangs that were suitable for blood sucking. ¡ªDa¡­ Davey? ¡°I know. Do not say anything.¡± Davey did not stop Josiah, who was sucking his blood like a newborn baby sucking its first milk. And just like a newborn baby, Davey patted Josiah on the back as if he wanted her to burp. Perhaps, this was a better oue. Vwoong¡­ Vwoooooong!!! After draining arge amount of power from Davey, Josiah, whose eyes shone with an eerie red light, slowly released her fangs from his neck. Davey felt his blood dripping from his neck to his corbone. However, he ignored it and stood up with Josiah in his arms. [First Grade Great Sorcery] [Human¡¯s Restraining Incantation] [Stronghold] Thuuuud!!! The fact that Josiah had sucked Davey¡¯s blood as if she was following vampiric instincts and trying to satisfy her blood cravings meant that she had sessfully be the bud of the next Vampire Lord. This was done by the boy that Davey had just killed. Yes, Josiah had be the next Vampire Lord. *** Davey ced the dazed Josiah down on the ground. Then, he ced his hand on the nape of her neck as he raised his holy mana. Just as Davey pondered to himself deeply, Perserque shouted. ¡ªDoes this even make sense?! How can a Vampire Lord be born into a human¡¯s body?! She found everything to be absurd and outrageous. ¡ªDavey, say something! ¡®She wasn¡¯t human in the first ce.¡¯ They had to keep in mind the possibility that Josiah had always been a vampire wearing a human mask. However, the most important thing here was that she had gone beyond her ordinary senses. The awakening was sessful, and Davey had been the reason for it. He had allowed Josiah¡¯s vampiric strength and powers to awaken by allowing her totch onto his neck. However, this was already a better scenario than expected. If things had continued as it had been, Josiah would have failed to endure¡­ Davey was not such a cold-hearted person that he would willingly rip apart the student who he had raised with affection just because she had be a vampire. The vampires¡¯ radical faction sought the revival of the Demon Lord while the moderate faction of the vampires hoped for the creation of their perfect monarch, wishing they could live modestly. Both had aspirations and goals that they wanted to achieve. But in the end, it was the moderate faction that had emerged sessful. ¡ªThen¡­ Are you going to kill that child? ¡®Are you nuts? If I was just going to kill her, I wouldn¡¯t havee all this way to save her.¡¯ Davey had always been aware that Josiah was different from ordinary human beings. He was just surprised that she turned out to be the bud of the Vampire Lord. After confirming that a light green pattern had appeared on Josiah¡¯s forehead, Davey quietly picked her up. The unconscious Josiah was still unable to grasp the situation. She remained dazed and unresponsive even as Davey lifted her up in his arms. ¡°Since this is the situation, there¡¯s nothing left for us but to take advantage of it.¡± Davey had sealed Josiah¡¯s will as a Vampire Lord, the will that had taken over Josiah¡¯s consciousness earlier on. There was no concept of sorcery in this world, so the First Grade Great Sorcery¡¯s seal that he had ced upon her would never be lifted. There was a slight chance of it being lifted if she were to encounter possible death, but¡­ Now that the Vampire Lord¡¯s will had been sealed, all that was left would be Josiah¡¯s own will. Josiah, whose ck eyes had turned red, looked up at Davey in a daze and asked quietly, ¡°In¡­structor?¡± ¡°This is the first time I have encountered a troublemaker like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With wide eyes, Josiah still had a nk expression on her face. She turned to look around before hurriedly trying to stand up and get away from Davey¡¯s grip. However, there was no way that she could stand properly. She was being held by Davey, who was walking about. ¡°Kyaaaack!¡± Josiah screamed as she covered her face. ¡°Goodness¡­ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m being held by the vicious teacher. This will be my lifelong humiliation.¡± Thud! ¡°Kyack?!¡± With herints and cries being quite grating and bad for the ears, Davey simply let Josiah go. Josiah, who fell down and bruised her hips, looked up at Davey tearfully. ¡°What are you doing?! How can you treat ady so roughly?!¡± ¡°Do I need to hold you when you feel humiliated by it? Besides, I have previously mentioned that I¡¯m the sort of instructor to treat my students equally regardless of their gender.¡± Josiah stopped screaming and began grinding her teeth. Then, she looked down at her arms nkly. She obviously knew that she had had one of her arms cut off. However, both of her arms were intact right now. Davey hadn¡¯t attached Josiah¡¯s arm, which remained in his Pocket ne. Josiah had regrown an arm upon bing the bud of the Vampire Lord. ¡°How can my arm¡­? Wait, where the hell am I?¡± ¡°There¡¯s about ten minutes left before the Magic Festival begins. It¡¯s toote even if you go now.¡± Josiah paused before asking, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote. ss F had lost.¡± Chapter 304.2 ¡°It¡¯s toote. ss F had lost.¡± With a lost and confused gaze, Josiah dropped her head in disappointment. ¡°How can this be¡­? Again¡­¡± Davey patted Josiah¡¯s head after seeing her helplessness. He said, ¡°There¡¯s something far more important than that. Listen.¡± It would not help Josiahter in life if Davey kept quiet about her circumstances right now. After all, didn¡¯t they say that it was better to get beaten up by the truth first? ¡°This discussion takes precedence. I need to confirm something. You. You¡¯re adopted, aren¡¯t you?¡± Josiah¡¯s eyes grew wider at Davey¡¯s question. ¡°What do you¡­?¡± ¡°The Frances Family adopted you.¡± ¡°I¡­don¡¯t know either.¡± Since Josiah was clueless, Davey chose to hit her fast with the facts. He stated, ¡°You. You are not human.¡± Josiah paused once again, then blurted out, ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a human. To be exact, you¡¯re a noble, a noble vampire.¡± Josiah screamed at Davey as if she found his words to be ridiculous. ¡°Wh¡­ What are you saying, Instructor?!¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m lying?¡± With a wavering gaze, Josiah murmured, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not a human¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Nothing has to change for you. I blocked everything and just left what you needed.¡± ¡°A vampire¡­ Vampire¡­¡± ¡°Congrattions. You¡¯re now the queen of those mosquito bastards. I could block everything, but I still left part of the powers for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I blocked that part too, then you¡¯d be dead. You can only use a bit of it though.¡± If she kept on suppressing her instincts, then she would eventually implode. It was better to let her know so that she could learn to cope with those instincts at some point. ¡ªYou¡¯re showing mercy. Ridiculous. ¡®You¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m not showing her any mercy at all.¡¯ Davey had helped Josiah settle down regarding the new situation that she was in. This meant that the vampires¡¯ moderate faction, who would probably be foaming at the mouth in excitement at Josiah¡¯s existence, would bepletely blocked from rushing toward her. The most convenient and optimum course of action was to crush the opponentpletely. But since the vampires that Davey had encountered were not the moderate faction, then he could use a very convenient method to promote friendshipter on with Josiah on his side. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. I¡¯ll exin it on the way.¡± ¡°What should I do now?¡± ¡°Well. First, for your fangs, you just have to stop yourself from going crazy and sucking blood. For the change of your eye color, it doesn¡¯t matter. Since you¡¯re a mage, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about dealing with holy mana either. All you have to do is live just the way you have been. Nothing has to change for you.¡± Since Davey had blocked most of Josiah¡¯s instincts as a vampire, the only thing that had changed for Josiah was her title. She had now gone from a ¡®human¡¯ to a Vampire Lord. However, nothing would change for her in the end. ¡®Ah! There¡¯s just one thing.¡¯ Josiah now had a very ridiculous regenerative ability that could restore even a severed arm in one go. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it great?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± The only thing that would change was the fact that the vampires would calm down with the birth of their new Lord, who was free from the cravings for blood. Davey would obviously eradicate the vampires¡¯ radical faction. However, he had judged that he should stop killing the members of the moderate faction and leave them be. ¡ªWhy? ¡®I caught a glimpse of the flow. Once Josiah is able to control her instincts, she would be able to help me slightly control the vampires.¡¯ Davey knew that something big was happening. Since that was the case, he had no other choice but to make preparations for all kinds of possibilities. He looked around the now empty old castle, the castle that hadpletely copsed and turned into ruins. He looked worried as he pondered about the way to go back. The boy, the previous Vampire Lord, had set up several traps just in case Davey had barged into this ce. It seemed like what they had tried to do here had been very important to him, so he had made meticulous preparations. Well, Davey hade here sessfully. However, for him to go back the way that he hade from, he would need to break down this space that the Vampire Lord had blocked with several Blood Poleis. ¡°That¡­ Instructor,¡± called out Josiah, who still could not understand her situation and was left in a daze, upon realizing something. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡­ Did youe to save me, Instructor?¡± ¡°Right. Shouldn¡¯t you be grateful?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Thank you. It was really scary¡­¡± Josiah replied with a smile, seemingly used to how Davey was. She then asked yfully, ¡°By the way¡­ Where are we?¡± ¡°An old castle.¡± ¡°I know. I can tell that much by the look of the ruins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the secret base of the bastards who caught you. To be honest, I don¡¯t know whether we''re in the eastern, southern, or western part of the continent. Safe to say, we¡¯repletely lost.¡± Josiah¡¯s eyes grew wide. Now realizing that something was truly strange, she asked, ¡°Instructor¡­ How did you get here? Also, I¡¯m sure I was dragged here by that weird guy¡­¡± ¡°Think in simple terms. I came all the way here to find you. All I need to do now is to take you back.¡± In fact, Davey was not doing this as an instructor but as the Lord of the Heins Territory. He wanted to crush Collins, the mage who had brought forth this situation. Unfortunately, things could not be exined so simply. ¡°Aaaaah. My head hurts¡­ I don¡¯t understand. I can¡¯t organize my thoughts at all.¡± ¡°You just need to think simply. Your teacher saved you. What should you think? You have to be thankful, right?¡± Josiah frowned. ¡°Hearing you emphasize that part is making me very nervous, you know? Instructor, whenever you show off like that, it means that you¡¯re going to rip the other person apart.¡± ¡°It seems like you¡¯ve seen right through me. Well, all I need is to draw some of your blood.¡± Whether she had chosen to be awakened as a Vampire Lord or not, Josiah was already one. That meant that she had a lot of power flowing through her veins. Well, Davey did not really care about the characteristics of her blood. All Davey knew was that the power was so attractive that he would like to pack some samples away. ¡°B-Blood?!¡± ¡°I just need a bit. I need some samples to check the variables¡­ Hmm, well. I need to do some experiments on it too.¡± It did not matter whether Davey had any ulterior motive with Josiah¡¯s blood or not. ¡°Goodness. How can a bully like you be a teacher¡­? Then, how did you evene here? From what you said, you don¡¯t even know where this ce is.¡± ¡°How did Ie here? I just followed you. I don¡¯t have any idea of how to go back.¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± Davey ignored Josiah and continued to think about how to get around the way that the vampires had entirely blocked up. Since he had used up most of his powers, including his mana, divine mana, sorcery, and even dark mana, he did not want to overdo it anymore. He only had enough magic to make one more warp. In fact, the Meteor Shower Magic had consumed a lot of his powers too. It would not be too hard for him to break the barrier by force. However, that meant that they would have to stay here for half a day or even longer. And from what he could tell, the death of the Vampire Lord had triggered something which further strengthened the barrier. The barrier had originally been set up so that Davey would not be able to track down the vampires that had escaped. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Instructor?¡± ¡°Josiah, keep this a secret from the others.¡± Davey believed that private lessons were illegal and unfair to the other students, which was why he wanted Josiah to keep this a secret. Lifting a hand, blue light started to gather in Davey¡¯s palms. He said calmly, ¡°Here¡¯s a problem. Exin the mana particle theory.¡± Josiah¡¯s head tilted in confusion. ¡°Mana¡­particle theory? Isn¡¯t that the theory that mana moves around like particles?¡± ¡°It seems like you know about it well. Then, since the mana are particles, how do you think the mana particles maintain their nuclei?¡± ¡°What do you mean? It¡¯s so hard¡­¡± ¡°Is it a bit difficult? Then, let me change the question. What do you think will happen if a sharp knife hits a bloated balloon?¡± The answer to that question was simple. ¡°It will explode.¡± If mana particles got hit by something sharp, then they would naturally further divide the particles. This was simr to something in modern Earth¡¯s physics, the one where one could create tremendous power through particle division. ¡°Look closely. There¡¯s a barrier around us right now. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t go out.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t really know it well, but let¡¯s just say that I understand for now.¡± ¡°Right now, you and I both are a bitcking in mana. Simply put, this is a very annoying situation for us. We can¡¯t break everything down in a rxed andfortable manner. Then, can you think of a way to break that damn wall with whatever¡¯s left of our power?¡± Josiah frowned and said, ¡°Is that even possible? How can you break a thick and sturdy barrier made with magic other than using magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible. There¡¯s a method to break the walls down without using a single spell.¡± The answer to that question was¡­by forcing all of the mana in the area to explode. Once that happened, then everything would break down. ¡®Let¡¯s go, Nuclear Fission!¡¯ ¡ªYou¡¯re going to make everything explode here?! You¡¯re a lunatic!!! ¡®Ah. Don¡¯t care! Just let everything explode!¡¯ Without any hesitation, Davey turned the blue mana that was gathering in his palms into a needle before stabbing it directly into the nucleus of a single finely woven mana particle in the area. This was an impossible feat if one had not achieved the highest rank and undergone assimtion. However, Davey was a mage who had reached a level that went beyond the transcendental level. He was someone who could do this. Needless to say, there was nothing impossible for Davey. The mana, which had lost the part that held them together, started to split into smaller particles. Then, these smaller particles began to move and hit the rest of the mana particles, triggering another split. Not long after, the mana exploded, creating a huge shock wave that devoured the area and shook the bnce. This was not a normal nuclear fission that would simply release kic energy. To put it in better light, the theory behind this phenomenon that Davey had created would create a huge fuss in the entire continent. On top of that, it was also very dangerous if used as a weapon. After all, this was like a wide-range magic EMP bomb. Chapter 305 The reaction was slow at first but the explosion covered a vast area. One of the particles split into two, then that two turned into four, and the four turned into eight¡­ Gradually, the process began to speed up until all of the mana in the area was broken down. As for Davey, he was at the center of it all. In order for a mage to use magic, they had to gather and attract the natural mana in the surroundings. Then, they would use their own mana as a catalyst and use all of the mana to cast the magic. With all of the mana gone, even if they broke down the barrier, Davey and Josiah would have no way to go back. However, if Davey could not even handle such a situation, then he did not deserve to be called a 9th Circle mage. ¡ªStop!!! If you continue with this, a chain reaction would ur! The mana will explode and get out of control! Perserque was more worried about the horrendous aftermath than the disappearance of the mana in the area. The fact that mana was present everywhere meant that once an explosion urred, it would create a chain reaction that would spread endlessly. However, Davey just dismissed Perserque¡¯s concerns. ¡®What the hell? You don¡¯t even know about this? It seems like you need to learn magic again.¡¯ ¡ªEeeeeeek! Perserque yanked on Davey¡¯s ears in anger. Josiah, who did not understand the situation, looked at everything nkly. Boooom!!! Eventually, the chain reaction reached a critical point. As a huge and powerful gale blew sharply inside the barrier, Davey sped up the chain reaction more. Then, he hugged Josiah and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Wh¡­ Where to?¡± ¡°Where to? Back home, obviously. What? Do you want to live here your entire life?¡± ¡°H¡­ How¡­?¡± ¡°Watch closely.¡± Josiah looked at Davey with wide eyes. Speechless, she was gnawing on her lips from nervousness and slight disbelief. She could feel a huge amount of mana flow out of Davey¡¯s quiet body. Then, a huge magic circle appeared beneath their feet with Davey at the very center. ¡°How¡­ How can a magic circle¡­?¡± Josiah murmured nkly. She was freaked out by the sudden appearance of the superimposing magic in this space, where mana hadpletely disintegrated and disappeared. ¡°Hold on tight, we¡¯re going over.¡± ¡°What? Kyaaack!¡± [8th Circle] [Space Discement] Thud!!! The mana slumbering deep in Davey¡¯s body immediately covered the space which was devoid of mana and created a magic circle. Josiah looked at Davey in shock. She could not believe the ridiculous sight that she was witnessing. She just saw her instructor using magic without muttering out a single chant. She yelled in shock, ¡°A high-speed silent casting while linking magic circles?!¡± Before the space waspletely reversed, Davey threw out a magic circle in the air. He had prepared this magic circle in advance. Crack¡­ crack!!! Then, Davey enclosed and captured the entire area once the particle division caught and disintegrated the barrier that had been set up by the Vampire Lord. What would happen if Davey moved this space, which was being subjected to a mana particle division, that he had captured and moved it to another ce? Perserque¡¯s eyes grew wide when she realized what Davey intended to do. ¡ªA catastrophe¡­ No, Davey¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Immediately after¡­ Boooom!!! After the space was reversed, the scene in front of Davey and Josiah changed from the ruins of the old castle to the familiar magic academy building. Then, the mana division began to spread all throughout Shakunt Academy. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang! After watching the non-stop explosions gain speed and momentum as time went by, Davey put strength in his legs and jumped down from the air with Josiah in his arms. He relied on his physical abilities to make this jump. Thud!!! However, due to his poor control, he caused huge cracks to appear on the ground uponnding. Fortunately, no one saw Davey and Josiah appear on the school grounds. In the first ce, this was an old and abandoned research building. In other words, nobody was here except Rashkan Frances, who was Josiah¡¯s uncle. Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Since Shakunt Academy was a ce that was rich in mana, richer than any other ce, the aftermath of the explosions had be even greater than expected. ¡ªAre you going to get rid of all of the mana in the entire continent?! ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m just going to get rid of the mana inside Shakunt.¡± Of course, that meant that all of the tools and equipment which required mana would bepletely out of order and dysfunctional. This also meant that the academy would lose a lot of money. However, this was none of Davey¡¯s business. ¡°Right?¡± ¡ªYou just feel that it would be a pity if the explosions reach your personal privateboratory. ¡°If that happens, then I¡¯ll just let you spend 24 hours with that tentacle thing that we¡¯ve snatched from the Abyss.¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s awful! Unlike Nuclear Fission, which could split raw materials endlessly, the Mana Particle Fission had limitations. The will¡¯s intangible power would cut off the entire space and prevent the spread of fission to protect itself. So, to not let it reach this point, there was a need to urately calcte the form and the rate of the spread to control the area of the explosion. If someone had told this to another mage, they would just getughed at and be told to stop speaking nonsense. Josiah looked up at the sky with her red eyes and nk face. She asked, ¡°What in the world did you do?¡± ¡°What would happen if a massive disaster happened during the Magic Festival?¡± ¡°Of course, they would stop it¡­ Oh my goodness. Are you crazy?¡± Josiah asked in shock, both of her hands snapping up to cover her gaping mouth. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. This is nothing more than a natural disaster. It would be hard to me anyone for something like that.¡± If Davey pretended to not know about this incident, would anyone be able to tell that he had been the culprit who did it? ¡°Go back, quickly. Those bastards¡¯ eyes are going to pop out while waiting for you.¡± The Magic Festival would be suspended as long as there was an unexpected terrorist attack. Most likely, the festival would be held once everything was over and the situation had calmed down. Only then would Davey step forward. During such times, he had the perfect opportunity to use his connections. Just one word from Great Sage Hellison Valestia and the entire academy would scramble to let the Magic Festival start again. Josiah looked up at the sky in silence for a moment. Then, she said, ¡°Instructor¡­ What the hell are you? That thing just now¡­ That¡¯s therge-scale Space Discement Magic, right? I¡¯m sure of it. I read in a book¡­that the 8th Circle magic only existed in theory. It¡¯s something that could not be casted by the human brain¡­¡± If she followed that logic, Davey would have to be higher than an 8th Circle mage. ¡°Don¡¯t try to skip out on your homework like that,¡± Davey said calmly as he pped Josiah on the back. Josiah immediately stepped away from Davey and screamed, ¡°Kyack!!! Again! This again!¡± ¡°I changed the color of your eyes. I¡¯ll send you my blood through someone in the near future. Always keep this in mind. Never bite a person¡¯s neck. A vampire¡¯s awakening has stages.¡± To be exact, a Vampire Lord¡¯s awakening had stages. ¡°However¡­ I have a lot of things I don¡¯t know yet! I don¡¯t understand. Why did I suddenly be a vampire?!¡± ¡°I will send you a letter through Central Tower¡¯s Elder Yulis. Just send a message to me when you¡¯re having a hard time. I¡¯ll write some advice and send it back over.¡± Josiah, who looked like she still had a lot to say, held back her words after being reassured by Davey. Despite her confusion and doubt, she nodded at Davey. ¡°Are you leaving now?¡± ¡°I have to go already. Do you think I have the time to y house for so long?¡± Perhaps Josiah had instinctively picked up on something. She suddenly asked a question that she originally would never have asked before. ¡°Then, Instructor¡­ Will we¡­be able to meet again¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking if we¡¯re going to meet again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ If we separate just like that, then I think that I will never see Instructor again¡­¡± As Davey remained silent, Josiah pleaded, ¡°Please say something.¡± In the end, Josiah burst into tears with a crumpled expression. With an ugly smile on her face, she stepped back from Davey and dered, ¡°I will never forget the grace that you have shown me, Instructor. Although I don¡¯t understand anything about it yet¡­ I will put my faith in you, Instructor.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll see you again. No, we will see you again,¡± Josiah said, turning her back to Davey and running toward the direction of the Central Wing without any hesitation. The speed at which she ran waspletely iparable to the speed that she had before, but she herself had not noticed it yet. ¡ªYou¡¯re just going to leave a Vampire Lord be just like that? If I¡¯m being honest, I think you¡¯ve got this situation wrong. If that Vampire Lord properly awakens, then¡­the mere power that she¡¯d have would be enough to threaten you. I¡¯d rather you add a few more restrictions upon her¡­ ¡°No. It¡¯s better to let her go.¡± ¡ªDo you think the title ¡®Vampire Lord¡¯ is nothing but mere bullshit? ¡°If I did not see any potential in her, I would not have let her suck my blood in the first ce.¡± Even if Josiah was one of his disciples, Davey could not just cover things up for her and let her go blindly like that. ¡°Also, we have to properlyy the groundwork for politicster on.¡± Even though it may sound like Davey was being irresponsible by neglecting this point, he had judged this to be the best choice for the moment. He could notpletely stop the girl¡¯s awakening, but at the very least he had dyed the awakening and bought himself some time. That was why Davey could still take things leisurely. ¡ªWhat if¡­ What if that child goes against you in the end? ¡°Well, I would have no choice but to hit her with the rod of love until she gets back to her senses.¡± Since Davey had helped Josiah with putting on the first button properly, then she had to do up the rest of her buttons herself. In the first ce, the position of a Vampire Lord was not reachable by anyone through experience alone. It could be said to be a position that one was born into. Of course, there were cases where an ordinary vampire had be a Lord. However, if a Vampire Lord was born, then all of them would unconditionally choose thetter instead. Simply put, since the boy, the previous Vampire Lord, had handed over the position to Josiah, then she was fully qualified to be one. With a title that was enough to be the Lord and Monarch of an entire race, he had clearly judged that she would have enough talent to control herself even without Davey¡¯s help. Perserque felt strangely ufortable after watching Josiah¡¯s back disappearpletely from their sights. However, she didn¡¯t have the opportunity to disappear with Davey further. Davey had already moved away from where he stood. Looking at the quiet research building, the ce that they had arrived at after crossing through space and leaving the old castle, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s still alive or not.¡± Davey was sure that the bastard had suffered greatly from the divine mes, but he was unsure if the man was alive or dead. He hadn¡¯t seen him yet. Entering the messed up research building, he saw that the man was still stuck on the wall. Fortunately, he was still alive and twitching. This man was none other than Rashkan Frances, the uncle who had molested his niece. ¡°Ghhhgk¡­ Urk¡­¡± Rashkan Frances was still stuck in the wall that Davey had left him in before. However, the state that he was in waspletely disastrous. It was a miracle that the man was still alive. His skin was already cooked to a point that it was hard and dry while his eyeballs had already evaporated from the intense heat that had shrouded his body. There was not a single strand of hair left behind on his body. A strange and terrible burnt smell also wafted in the area. Yet for some reason, he was still alive. Rashkan was supposed to still be on fire, but the divine mes had disappeared after therge-scale mana particles had split and divided. ¡°Ugh¡­ Uuuuuuuurk¡­¡± Perserque looked coldly at Rashkan, who was groaning and moaning strangely after his vocal chords had been burnt to a crisp. ¡ªYou should have just let him get ripped into pieces. Davey, who listened to Perserque¡¯s murmurs, silently used his holy mana and regenerated Rashkan¡¯s eyes. Once his eyeballs were regenerated, Rashkan could see again. He rolled his eyeballs around until he looked right at Davey. Then, as if he saw a ghost, he tried to struggle and resist. He was desperately trying to move away despite his immovable body. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this over with.¡± Davey was sure that the bastard was already losing his mind from being burned for a long period of time. However, despite having lost most of his rationality, Rashkan still could not shake off the fear that had already been imprinted in his body. ¡°Do you want to know why I regenerated your eyes?¡± Rashkan only groaned, not showing any other signs of movement. ¡°I thought that you should at least see who is the one beating you to death,¡± Davey said calmly as he raised the remaining dark mana left in his body. [7th Circle Dark Magic] [Sea Devil Prison] Crack!!! The floor beneath Rashkan¡¯s feet began to crack apart the moment Davey raised his dark mana. From deep within those cracks, several hideous and terrifying mouths started to appear one after the other. The mouths snapped as if they were ready to devour Rashkan at any given moment. They were beasts from the demon world, two-dimensional demonic beasts that could be used to do errands or whatnot. They were none other than the Sea Devils. ¡°For your information, the Sea Devil eats their opponents alive.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Ughhh¡­ Uuuuuuuuuuughhhh!!!¡± Rashkan groaned and desperately tried to move away from his position. However, he could not move an inch since his muscles had all been burned into nothing. Crunch!!! Crunch!!! Not long after, the beasts with the hideous and terrifying mouths bit on the desperately groaning Rashkan and dragged him into the dark crack. The man had tried to appeal to Davey and ask for his forgiveness through his desperate gaze. However, his death was already sealed the moment Davey had burned him with the divine mes. ¡ªAre you going to leave without even sparing them a nce? Those children have prepared some gifts for you. ¡°Is it necessary?¡± Perserque giggled. ¡ªStill, you have a great teacher-student rtionship, no? Davey pondered deeply for a moment. Then, he lightly stretched his arms into the air. Although he had used almost all of his mana, he could still use Message Magic, a magic that was more focused on the skill rather than the amount of mana itself. He was going to send his students a message. Besides, once someone became a 9th Circle mage, their natural mana recovery would be leagues beyond the ordinary mage¡¯s recovery. Davey used the link that he had with ss F and used Message Magic. Then, with all of his affection for them as a teacher, he said¡­ [Have your circles all gone to sleep?] It was very simple and efficient advice. ¡ªYour personality is the one that¡¯s neat. Those were Davey¡¯s final words as a teacher to his students. Chapter 306 Inside a small hut in the forest, a blonde girl had a frown on her face. Like a nagging woman, she asked the man, ¡°Ah. Hey, you did not eat your food again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man did not bother giving the girl an answer. In fact, he did not even look at her. ¡°Hey, look here. Are you a being that can live without eating?¡± The man continued to ignore the girl, who was Illyna de Pan. It was but a coincidence when Illyna had found the fatally wounded man inside the dense and thick forest. She had been very surprised to see another being inside this forest toward the end of her closed-door training. After all, this forest was only open to the members of the Imperial Family. For someone like her, who had not met anyone in a long time and had only been wielding her sword all alone, she found the man to be a slightly wee guest. Closed-door training was usually done in caves, and Illyna did begin her own training in that way. However, after undergoing a series of several processes, she began to use the entire forest as her training grounds. That was how she had found the man who had been on the verge of dying. After that, she had taken the man to the small hut that she was living in, treated his injuries, and had even provided him with food. The man hadn¡¯t been able to properly get up at first, but after a few days he had recovered to the point of being able to open his eyes and speak. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re skipping your meals when you were just in a very dangerous situation and needed urgent treatment. Are you trying to die again? After I¡¯ve saved you and everything?¡± Illyna said, approaching the man slowly with a frown on her face. She was annoyed by the man¡¯s silent treatment. Shiiiiing!!! The moment Illyna came closer, the man raised some kind of ck energy and aimed it at her neck. He was warning her to stay away from him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not surprised?¡± The man asked calmly, ¡°I thought you would have be wary of me the moment you saw me using dark mana.¡± ¡°I know a guy who uses dark mana very casually. Besides, I don¡¯t have any reason to be hostile to you just because you have dark mana, right? Can you clean up a bit for me? No matter what I think, this attitude is a bit too much for your benefactor.¡± Not doing anything, the man simply asked, ¡°Why did you save me?¡± ¡°Why did I save you? That¡¯s not a funny question. Isn¡¯t it natural to save a dying person? Well, as long as you¡¯re not a vampire.¡± ¡°You know about vampires?¡± ¡°Much more than you think.¡± Illyna had a very strong resentment against vampires. However, that was not the case for any other species and races. ¡°So, you¡¯re just a very unusual human being.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t save you so I can hear that. Listen¡­ Ah, what should I call you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah! You¡¯re really frustrating!¡± Illyna shouted angrily, reaching out to snatch the man¡¯s ck energy that was pointing at her neck. Shocked by her sudden actions, the man quickly wiped out the sharp ck energy in his hands. Just one wrong move and the situation could have be dangerous. She could have been seriously injured. ¡°See. You don¡¯t even want to hurt me,¡± Illyna said calmly. Sitting on the bed that the man was lying on, she held out a spoon to him from the soup bowl that she had prepared. She said, ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on with you, but your death will only make me very restless. I think I might even dream about it for the rest of my life. Listen, I helped you out of my own selfish reasons. Don¡¯t be mistaken.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do? Are you not going to eat and live? Are you just going to die stupidly like that without even struggling?¡± ¡°¡­You should have just left me alone.¡± ¡°What a funny thing to say,¡± Illyna said with a frown. Then, with a gentle smile, she said, ¡°If I¡¯ve left you alone, then you¡¯re probably already dead by now, you know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, stop annoying me. Just shut up and eat some of this.¡± The man stared at Illyna for a long time. In the end, he opened his mouth and let her force a spoonful of soup into his mouth. ¡°There we go,¡± Illyna said. Her face brightened as if she was no longer irritated. She gave the man spoonfuls of soup one after another. ¡°You know, my friend. He¡¯s a doctor, but he can also use swords, magic, and he even practices medicinal arts.¡± The man just hummed quietly. ¡°ording to that guy, even if the person is an enemy that should be beaten to death, you have to treat them first as long as they are sick. Then, you can beat them to death right after,¡± Illyna continued calmly as if she was recalling her friend fondly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t practice medicinal arts, so all I can do for you is some simple emergency treatment and inject some holy mana in you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rumbleee¡­ ¡°You must be very hungry. Here, have another spoonful of food. I have so many things in stock, so we will never be able to finish my supplies even if we feast until our stomachs explode.¡± The man clicked his tongue. ¡°You¡¯ll regret this decision one day.¡± ¡°Who knows? I¡¯m pretty sure you don¡¯t hold any animosity toward me, right? I know because I¡¯m pretty quick-witted.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m Illyna. Illyna de Pan. What¡¯s your name?¡± The man drank the soup for a very long time before slowly opening his mouth to answer Illyna¡¯s persistent questions. He said, ¡°Bel.¡± ¡°Bel?¡± ¡°Belial. You can call me Bel,¡± the man said with a calm expression on his face. ¡°Human, why are you in this forest? I don¡¯t believe this forest is a ce that humans can live in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for my training. You might not know this, but this forest is owned by the Pan Empire. So, I¡¯m training here so I can go beyond the wall.¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to ovee the walls to be a Sword Master?¡± ¡°Yes. From what it looks like, you¡¯re already a Sword Master. Perhaps even higher. I¡¯m so jealous.¡± Belial nced at Caldeiras, who was hanging on one side of the wall, and slowly closed his eyes. He muttered, ¡°You¡¯re a nasty one.¡± ¡°Nasty?¡± Illyna asked, unable to understand what the man meant. ¡°I will not forget the grace that you have shown me.¡± A bright smile appeared on Illyna¡¯s face as she thought, ¡®So, this is the sense of happiness that a doctor feels when treating people.¡¯ The smile on Illyna¡¯s face was a beautiful, bright, and naive smile. *** ¡°Huh?¡± Unexpectedly, a solemn funeral procession was currently being held by the mage tower in Lindhall. An elder, ss 6 Bram, had been killed. He had been one of the Blue Tower¡¯s great elders, a great man who had the potential to be among the 7th Circle mages. He could have been just like Great Sage Hellison Valestia. He had also been the elder who had said that humans, who had obvious limitations, would never reach the 8th Circle in their lives. Davey heard that ss 6 Bram had been killed while studying something in his personalboratory in the Red Tower. ¡ªThey¡¯re suddenly all in mourning. Even the atmosphere in the tower is depressing. ¡®We have to tread carefully.¡¯ ¡°Pleasee in,¡± Great Sage Hellison Valestia calmly weed Davey with an expression of regret and pity on his face. ¡°My condolences.¡± ¡°Even though¡­ Even though ss 6 Bram had different affiliations and thoughts, I was very happy to see the changes in him¡­ However, the Goddess is very indifferent to us.¡± ¡°Can a mage really believe in god?¡± ¡°Holy magic exists, so it is evidence of God¡¯s existence. How can I not believe her?¡± Hellison said calmly. The old man stood up from his seat and slowly poured two sses of wine. He handed a ss to Davey and said, ¡°This is an important drink. It¡¯s something that we drink when the tower loses an important star. Here, have a drink.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t refuse.¡± Possibly due to the drink being for a very special situation, the wine tasted a bit fresh and sweet in Davey¡¯s mouth. Hellison remained silent despite Davey¡¯s reply. He just swirled the wine in his ss, then murmured, ¡°Bram and I didn''t really get along well. We often got into arguments whenever we discussed our opinions.¡± Davey just silently listened to the old man¡¯sints. ¡°However, more than anybody else, I recognized his pure desire to explore and learn about magic. Even though I entered the 7th Circle first¡­ I thought that in ten years time he would be able to follow me and reach the 7th Circle too.¡± Listening to the old man¡¯s bitter mumbling, Davey calmly asked a question, ¡°Did you find out who the culprit was?¡± ¡°ss 4 Collin¡­ No, I think it would be more apt to just call him Collin. It was already decided that he¡¯s to be kicked out of the Central Tower,¡± Hellison Valestia said quietly as he took out a small crystal ball. ¡°This is the surveince video magic tool that was installed inside the tower. Collin was caught in one of the videos.¡± The crystal ball showed the scene of the two mages fighting until Collin killed Bram. Surprisingly, in the video, Collin was not showing magic that was at the 4th Circle. ¡°That¡¯s the 5th Circle Windless Cutter. And from the way he used it, it¡¯s clear that he didn¡¯t simply be a 5th Circle mage,¡± Davey guessed. Looking at Hellison¡¯s unsurprised face, he asked, ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°We¡¯re tracking him down but¡­we haven¡¯t heard any news yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for your loss.¡± Davey knew that Collin had already left his post to join the vampires¡¯ radical faction. How could they find a guy who had already hidden himself deeply? Davey had previously encountered the Collin who had been hostile toward him, but he had seen no signs of the man being instigated by the vampires. Just because Davey could see fate did not mean that he could predict the future. The only way for him to know about the changes that would happen in the future was to use Perserque¡¯s power. There was no other choice but to hope that the power that they borrowed from the Abyss, the Abyss¡¯ Authority, would provide a huge service. It was not a power for no reason. ¡°I¡¯m saying this, just in case, but I have seen several cases here and there.¡± ¡°Simr cases?¡± ¡°Things might just be a mere coincidence. However, from what I gathered with my meager knowledge and insight, all these cases seem to be rted,¡± said Hellison. Davey was surprised by how relevant this information was. The old man went on to say that there had been several cases of people suddenly disappearing through a simr route that Collin had taken all throughout the continent. One could say that it wasmon for people to go missing in such a wide world. However, strange events like Collin¡¯s disappearance were bound to be noticed. Davey left the Great Sage¡¯s office after having a brief conversation about the situation. Then, he headed to the room that had been prepared for him and Winley. And just like he had expected¡­ ¡°Davey, Rinne has evaluated that Rinne is highly dissatisfied.¡± ¡­an upset Rinne was waiting for him. She rushed over and grabbed the hem of Davey¡¯s shirt, openlyining with the same expressionless face she always had. Noticing that Rinne was very angry, Davey asked, ¡°How have things been?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see. Ah, there¡¯s one thing. There is a report about Miss Winley.¡± Then, Davey raised his head just in time to see Winleye out of their amodations. Winley¡¯s eyes grew wide when she saw Davey. She shouted, ¡°Brother!¡± She was currently wearing the same robe that was worn by the Red Tower¡¯s mages. She hadn¡¯t exactly been a member of the tower, but now that she was having the robe on¡­ ¡°I see, you¡¯ve joined the Red Tower.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You found out immediately. I wanted to surprise you. Hehe,¡± Winley said as she stuck out her tongue and arranged her messy clothes. ¡°Sir Yulis invited me to join the small research team that he has formed. He said that he needed the help of a talented young mage that has already reached the 4th Circle.¡± Davey nodded quietly at his sister¡¯s words. Josiah might be in a simr situation, but Winley was at a higher level in terms of magic. Although Winley did not study in the magic academy and had taken a different direction, her talents were still obvious. After all, she had reached this level by actualbat and practice. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to stay here for a while longer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit concerning to leave you here now, especially when the tower is now a chaotic mess.¡± ¡°Hnngghhh¡­ Can¡¯t I?¡± With just one look at Winley¡¯s expression, Davey could tell that she really wanted to stay here. He said, ¡°If you really want to, then you can.¡± Then, he looked at Rinne with a bright smile on his face. ¡°Rinne, how¡¯s Annabelle?¡± ¡°Rinne reports that she¡¯s been staying in the Heins Territory as a sry thief. Rinne reports that she is veryid back and rxed.¡± ¡°Then, we should bring the rascal here. She can protect and ensure Winley¡¯s safety in the meantime.¡± Annabelle was the only member of the new golem fleet, the Avengers Squadron. Although herbat capability was slightlycking whenpared to the Decepticon Fleet, her magical ability and efficiency were leagues beyond theirs. Taking that into consideration, Davey had deemed Annabelle to be the best prospect to protect Winley. After all, she would be able to stay by Winley¡¯s side without drawing unnecessary attention. Well, in the first ce, Davey had made the Avengers Squadron not for direct and frontalbat but for assistance from the rear position. Of course, the Heins Territory was quite far from the Red Tower. However, that was something that could be easily solved by using a couple of Warp Magic. ¡°Thank you, thank you very much! Brother!¡± ¡°However, there are conditions. Never overdo it. And if you¡¯re treated unfairly¡­¡± Winley had to, without hesitation, tell Davey. She had to tell Davey everything, especially if someone treated her unfairly. And if that happened, Davey would take down the tower with no hesitation. Winley smiled as if she was taking Davey¡¯s words as a joke. ¡°It seems like I need to have a conversation with our dear Yulis.¡± Why? Because even though there was a big age difference between them, the bastard kept on reaching out to Winley. ¡®It¡¯s useless to raise a daughter!¡¯ ¡ªThat child, Winley, is not your daughter. ¡®I don¡¯t care!¡¯ ¡°Davey, Rinne has something else to report.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Rinne tugged the leg of Davey¡¯s pants and handed him a small piece of paper, which had a code that was used for secretmunication. Usually, a magic crystal ball would be used formunication. However, a magic crystal ball was considered as a magical tool and one had to meet several requirements to use it freely. Fortunately, secretmunications and codes still existed in this world. The code was a small letter carrying the royal seal of the Rowane Kingdom. With a single nce, Davey could tell that it was a letter that Baris had sent to him. His eyes grew wide when he saw the contents of the code, then he frowned. The content of the code went like this¡­ Chapter 307: Watch Princess ¡°Brother, I¡¯ve been waiting for you. I was originally going to contact you when you¡¯re back, but¡­¡± Upon seeing the great hospitality that the exhausted Baris was showing him, Davey immediately flicked his brother¡¯s forehead. ¡°Aaack?!¡± Baris shrieked. He fell to the ground, looking up at Davey in embarrassment at the sudden turn of events. Then, noticing the change that had urred in his body, he immediately jumped up and exhaled. He eximed in awe, ¡°Ah¡­!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a simple fatigue recovery. How many days have you been awake?¡± ¡°Haha. Who knows? Probably a couple of days¡­?¡± A person would probably have gone crazy without getting any sleep for three days or more. However, Baris had held out pretty well. It seemed like the yful and mischievous boy was now gradually growing from being exposed to the actual workings of the kingdom. ¡°Is it hard?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard,¡± the rascal unhesitantly said with a smile. ¡°But I think that¡¯s because my passion has grown. As I learn how to manage the state and kingdom¡¯s affairs, I began to realize how hard our father is working.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Of course, I have made some mistakes over the course of my learning.¡± Baris chuckled, pulling out a letter from the inner pockets of his uniform. ¡°This is a report. I did some research with the help of the book that you, Brother, has lent me for a while. It seems like the reports about a fire breaking out of the Haoji Mines were true.¡± ¡°The culprit?¡± ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the work of a human. Please take a look at this.¡± Unlike on modern Earth where science and technology were spread far and wide, the Haoji Mines, with its poor technology, was a famous killing ground with abysmal human rights. Due to that reason, most of the miners being sent to that location were sinners or criminals. Of course, this was unsurprising. The Rowane Kingdom had aw that deprived the sinners and the criminals of any human rights. After leading Davey to the basement, where a bodyid on top of arge stone bed, Baris said, ¡°The rest of the bodies have been burned to ashes. There¡¯s only one cause of death. No matter how I think about it, all I can say is that a fire was set to burn all of the possible traces. However, we did find this one body.¡± He rubbed his exhausted and tired eyes, fixed his sses, and then removed the cloth covering the lifeless body. ¡ªThey suffered greatly. ¡®These f*cking bastards.¡¯ There was no need to determine the cause of death anymore. However, just to be sure, Davey ced his fingers on the corpse¡¯s neck and silently released his holy mana. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s the vampires, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And it¡¯s a pretty strong bastard too.¡± A radical vampire¡¯s body was always surrounded by a strange and mysterious power, since they always disyed their power of immortality. That made it easy to distinguish between the radicals and the moderates. ¡°Why did the vampires suddenly target the Haoji Mines?¡± ¡°Did anything seem different or peculiar?¡± ¡°That¡­ We went through the mines several times, but we found no signs that suggested they had gone to the mines to look for something. It¡¯s as if they had gone there for no reason and just decided to kill everyone before leaving.¡± ¡°Number of casualties?¡± ¡°There were a total of 282 corpses, with more than half of them lost or unidentifiable.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The fact that the vampires had gone to a very remote area without touching anything else meant that there was something they wanted. ¡°Speaking of, Brother, these are results that I have gathered by doing an independent investigation,¡± Baris said. He had clearly been wracking his brains and trying to make a hypothesis with all the clues that he had found. He continued, ¡°They deliberately caused the fire so it¡¯d be hard for us to figure out the exact number of people in the mines. Maybe they wanted to hide the number of people they have possibly taken from there?¡± ¡°Yes. For example, Carlus, Benedict, or Duke Bariatta.¡± Queen Lynesse Bariatta¡¯s life had been taken by King Krianes, so only those three still remained alive. ¡ªWe don¡¯t have any guarantee that those three would be the targeted ones. ¡®That¡¯s also true.¡¯ ¡°Baris, I want you to investigate a few more things.¡± ¡°Yes, Brother. Please tell me what you need me to investigate.¡± ¡°Check and see if there are simr cases in other nations.¡± ¡°In other nations?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°First¡­ I understand.¡± ¡°What about Carlus¡¯ body?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t found it.¡± Davey nodded quietly. He thought this sounded like a sharp knife being hidden beneath a thick cloth. ¡ªThey¡¯re most likely doing an experiment. ¡®It would not be easy to create the Demon Lord¡¯s body.¡¯ ¡ªWhen the timees, are you going to let me revive ande back? ¡®Stop joking around. You can¡¯te back.¡¯ Perserque frowned at Davey¡¯s firm words. ¡ªHowe? Davey, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve told you this. If you don¡¯t want the Abyss to be able to do anything when the timees, then you have to let me be revived as the Demon Lord. While listening to Perserque¡¯s persuasion, Davey smiled coldly as he climbed the basement stairs. He muttered, ¡°Do you think the Abyss is something that you can deal with so easily?¡± ¡ªWhat? ¡°The vampires¡¯ radical faction is now trying to revive the Demon Lord by using the power of the Abyss, but they have already been beaten so fiercely before. So why do you think they are being manipted again?¡± ¡ªThat¡­ ¡°And I have already told you this before. It¡¯s very obvious as to who will stand against you once you get revived as the Demon Lord.¡± Goddess Freyja was someone who surprisingly liked tragedy. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡­¡± Davey did not finish his sentence. Noticing that a little girl was waiting for him in the otherwise empty royal pce corridor, he muttered, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Hello, Brother Davey O¡¯Rowane.¡± As her clear but frightened voice rang out, the little girl clenched her fists. She refused to back down and avoid Davey. ¡°Aeonitia.¡± Aeonitio O¡¯Rowane was Queen Lynesse¡¯s youngest daughter. She was also the only surviving member of the Royal Family from the noble faction, who had staged a rebellion in the Rowane Kingdom. To be exact, Davey had let her live. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Davey did not really have any grudges against the young girl. In the first ce, she was a scaredy cat who never really got out of her pce much. ¡°Your Highness, the Princess!¡± At that moment, a maid looked at the two of them in shock. She rushed over from afar and hurriedly ran to Aeonitia, pushing her behind her back. She quickly bowed to Davey and said, ¡°For¡­ Forgive us, Your Highness, the First Prince. We¡¯ll go back immediately.¡± ¡°Cilly! Wait! I have something to say!¡± the girl protested loudly. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Once he saw the maid¡¯s panicked expression, Davey slowly reached out his hand and stopped the two of them. He asked calmly, ¡°Enough. What¡¯s the matter?¡± The both of them had stiff expressions on their faces. Before Davey could speak any further, the maid cried out, ¡°For¡­ Forgive us, Your Highness! I will bring Her Royal Highness away immediately!¡± This time, Aeonitia could not even move to stop the maid. ¡°Wait.¡± Davey stopped the two of them once again. Then, he looked at them with a more calm and rxed expression before asking, ¡°Do you have something to say to me?¡± Davey was aware that any form of unnecessary kindness would raise the vignce of the young girl. Therefore, he chose to show a moderately cold side to the girl, in hopes of giving Aeonitia more confidence to say what she truly wanted to say. ¡°Forgive us, Your Highness! Please¡­ Please spare our lives! Her Highness is still very young!¡± ¡°Did I ask you?¡± When the maid flinched at his cold voice, Davey said, ¡°You¡¯re meddling without any hesitation. And from what I can see, you¡¯re thoughtlessly ignoring a member of the Royal Family in front of another.¡± ¡°For¡­ Forgive me.¡± ¡°Aeonitia.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes!¡± the girl answered with a start as her expression remained stiff. ¡°Follow me. You have something to say to me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Seeing the girl nod in firm determination, Davey thought that she was much better than Carlus or Benedict despite her young age. She acted so differently that he even wondered if she was truly a child who hade from the same mother. The thought was so funny that it made Davey chuckle. *** Davey could not help but admire the First Prince¡¯s Pce, a ce located on the outskirts of the Royal Pce. He had not visited this area in a long time. It seemed like they were managing it much better than what he had thought. ¡°That¡­ Royal Concubine Anisha manages the pce in her spare¡­time.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good then. Although it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been here, it¡¯s still a ce that I¡¯ve lived in before.¡± Remaining quiet, Aeonitia nervously walked beside Davey and listened to him speak. ¡°Well then, this is tea made from the Elven Forest. It has quite a good vor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s a very awful tea¡­ ¡®As long as they don¡¯t know the ingredients, this is just a very delicious tea.¡¯ Perhaps aware of the truth about the tea, Aeonitia just silently looked down at her teacup. As for Davey, he looked at her with a rxed andfortable air around him. Although Aeonitia was the youngest daughter of Queen Lynesse, Davey¡¯s enemy, it did not mean that she was a sinner. After all, her mother¡¯s crimes were not hers. Besides, both her brothers, Carlus and Benedict, simply reaped what they had sown. ¡°At one point, there has been quite a lot of discussion about killing you.¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Aeonitia huped as she looked up at Davey carefully. In a frightened voice, she said, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°We might not be on good terms, but that does not mean that I¡¯m going to cut off our rtionship like I did with your brothers. Feel free to call me Brother.¡± ¡°So¡­ Sorry.¡± Aeonitia bowed her head and went silent for a long time again. A whileter, she quietly said, ¡°Brother Davey¡­ Do you not hate me?¡± ¡°You? You didn¡¯t do anything to me, though?¡± ¡°Th-That¡­ B-Because I¡¯m the daughter of a sinner¡­¡± ¡°Did you join the rebels?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Or perhaps you are in cahoots with them?¡± Davey smiled, watching the child in front of him savor the cup of tea and drink its contents slowly. Since Aeonitia had learned the Royal Family¡¯s etiquette from a young age, her posture and gestures were very good. However, the child still burned her tongue and immediately looked up in shock. ¡ªShe must be very nervous¡­ Tch, tch¡­ ¡°Carlus and Benedict just reaped what they have sown. However, we have judged that you are innocent. That¡¯s why we have left you all alone.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Now, seeing that you¡¯re willing to approach me¡­ That means that you have a favor to ask of me, right?¡± Davey was the First Prince who had given up his right to inherit the throne. He was also someone who rarely visited the royal pce. However, all of the nobles who came and went into the royal pce had no choice but to watch their words and actions when they were in front of him. What would happen if they crossed the line and stood out in front of him? Well, they had already seen it happen once before. A list of the nobles who tried to gain money by bringing in several underworld organizations to the Heins Territory had been handed over to Baris, who had taken action at the King¡¯smand and sent them all to be executed. Davey just wanted to show them that if they did something wrong, then they would be ced in a position where they had to be executed. However, to the current nobles, they only saw Davey as the huge hand behind the reign of terror. Aeonitia must have heard a lot of the rumors about Davey from the nobles who came and went to the royal pce. That was why she was very afraid of him. ¡°I¡­ I know that I shouldn¡¯t be asking you for something like this, Brother,¡± said the girl as she clenched her fists. Then, she bowed her head to Davey and said, ¡°Please send me to the engineering kingdom of Bettelstrock.¡± ¡°Bettelstrock?¡± Bettelstrock was a nation located in the Central Continent. It was fairly developed when it came to alchemy. To put it simply, it was a nation with very advanced technology. ¡°Yes. I¡­ I want to learn more about alchemy and engineering.¡± ¡°Then, why are you asking me for something like that?¡± Davey asked, feeling curious about the reason why. Aeonitia looked at him and said, ¡°That¡­ Because I¡¯m the daughter of a sinner¡­ I can¡¯t do anything beyond Brother Davey¡¯s sight¡­¡± Davey sighed. ¡°If you want to do something, then you can do it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°However, going to Bettelstrock is a no go.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s words. She immediately jumped up from her seat and shouted, ¡°Wh¡­ Why?! Bettelstrock has an academy with famous schrs! Any member of a noble or royal family has the right to enter that academy¡­!¡± The gist of what she wanted to say was: ¡®I want to go to that academy!¡¯. Davey¡¯s answer remained firm and steadfast. ¡°No can do.¡± ¡°W¡­ Why?¡± Davey had no other choice. Although the continent seemed somewhat peaceful, with the war between each nationpletely suppressed, he knew that that was only an illusion. Each of the nations had simply been left to deal with their own internal problems. The problem was that Bettelstrock was in the same situation as the earlier Rowane Kingdom with their prime minister faction and king faction. Davey could tell through his vast knowledge and experience that a civil war would soon break out in that kingdom. ¡°A civil war will soon break out there. You¡¯re just eleven years old. You¡¯re still too young to go there and endure such hardships.¡± Aeonitia was truly adorable and cute at eleven years old, and Davey truly felt that she was still too young to experience something like that. Davey watched as the girl¡¯s expression turned despondent before something caught his eye. He asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Aeonitia hurriedly covered the small mechanical device on her wrists in fright. To be honest, the bracelet looked a tad bit too crude and sloppy for ady who should be pursuing beauty and elegance. However, Davey did not care about that. The thing that caught his eye was the effect and use of the bracelet. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Did you make it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Aeonitia chose to stay quiet, Davey asked again, ¡°Did you make it?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s just a trifling item¡­¡± ¡°Can I see it?¡± Aeonitia, with a stiff expression on her face, held out her tiny hands toward Davey. Taking a closer look, Davey could see that the small mechanical device was truly crude, sloppy, and boring. However, the use and efficiency was very much faithful to the basics. And above all, the idea was novel. ¡ªIs that a watch? As Aeonitia looked at him uneasily, Davey said, ¡°You made something that can allow anyone to easily check the time, right?¡± ¡°That¡­ How did you know¡­?¡± ¡°Hey, how about doing business with this brother of yours?¡± Davey would provide and teach Aeonitia the technology. After all, the technology that Davey had learned from Eva, his alchemist teacher, was far above the technology that was wide-spread in this continent. ¡°What¡­do you mean by business?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t allow you to go to Bettelstrock, but I will teach you various techniques and technology. I can teach you as many skills as you want until you be of age. But in exchange, you have to provide me with all of your ideas.¡± Children¡¯s ideas were far more novel and unique than adults¡¯ ideas. It was already amazing enough that Aeonitia could make something like this with the engineering skills that she had learned from who knew where. Davey could also tell that Aeonitia was quite talented in this field. That rugged and shabby watch on her wrist was a testament to this fact. ¡°First, we should write a contract first. How about doing a 7 to 3 profit margin? Considering the fact that I will be providing you with the technical skill and the capital, I would be the 7. Of course, I will give you all of the support that you need. On top of that, I will show you all of the skills that you want to see in person.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°However, there are conditions,¡± said Davey as he smiled at the clueless look that his sister was giving him. ¡°Do you know about lifetime contracts, Aeonitia?¡± Davey¡¯s favorite contract was the ve contract that he often offered. As for his least favorite contract, it was the ve contract that others offered. Chapter 308 ¡°You¡¯re still quitecking. The knowledge and skills that you have are verymon. To be honest, I still don¡¯t know whether you will be able to enter Bettelstrock with your skills.¡± Well, it was not really that hard to enter Bettelstrock. After all, what was the use of a backdoor if Davey would not use it for his sibling? However, was he someone who would give a talent like that away? The answer to that was no. ¡°So, all you need to do is take your time and learn slowly.¡± ¡°Are you going to¡­teach me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This brother of yours can do a bit of alchemy and engineering, you know?¡± Aeonitia looked like she did not believe Davey at all. However, soon remembering the difference in position between Davey and herself, she immediately looked down. She quietly muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. If you hate me, then please just let me out of the pce. You can demote me to amoner if you want.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Davey said, standing up and stretching his hand toward the girl. ¡°It seems like you need to see it for yourself to believe me. Watch, then decide.¡± Aeonitia could not understand what Davey intended to do. She just looked up at her brother with a doubtful expression. However, she soon shrieked at Davey who was grabbing her hand, dragging her up, and hugging her. ¡°Kyack!¡± ¡°Be careful. I hope you don¡¯t get any motion sickness. If you¡¯re not used to this, you¡¯ll probably get an upset stomach.¡± Shwaaaaaaa! Before Davey was done speaking, all around them were dozens of magic circles that shed and appeared inyers. In a mere blink of the eye, the space around them hadpletely changed. ¡°Urk¡­¡± ¡°Wee to the Heins Territory.¡± Aeonitia looked around in surprise. It did not take long for her uneasiness to rise, and she started to curl up into a ball and shrink herself. That was probably because Davey had brought her to a dark underground area that only had the soft light of mana stones. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed,¡± answered Davey confidently. Well, he was sure about it, but he could still be making a mistake. He did notice that his sister was looking more wary than rxed. Creeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaak!!! When she heard the sound of something turning from deep within the dark underground corridor, Aeonitia flinched and immediately stepped back. However, Davey did not stop walking forward. Soon, they arrived in front of a huge door. Davey then touched the operating device and the huge door began to open. The pale and uneasy Aeonitia, who had been looking around cautiously,pletely forgot all of her worries. She stared in awe and shock at the scene in front of her. And just like any child her age, she eximed, ¡°Wow!¡± Aeonitia¡¯s reaction was unsurprising. After all, the undergroundboratory in the Heins Territory had been created solely to satisfy Davey¡¯s own greed. The Decepticon Fleet as well as the Avengers Squadron had all been made in thisboratory. Of course, the dwarves continued to do research here. They also invented new things while learning alchemy and engineering skills that were unknown to this continent from Davey. In other words, this undergroundboratory was almost like a secret research institute, the kind that would never be seen in other nations or territories. Engineers of three different races were working in theboratory and creating new things. And on one side of theboratory were huge golems, the Decepticon Fleet, standing proudly. ¡°A¡­ Amazing!¡± Aeonitia cried out with twinkling eyes. The cry caught the attention of the dwarves and elves who were working around theb. They all turned to take a look. ¡°Oh. Isn¡¯t that the Wise Teacher?¡± said one of the dwarves who walked over to Davey. He greeted, ¡°Wee, wee. I heard that you have been very busy these past few days.¡± ¡°Yes. I didn''t even have the time to rest my feet. Anyway, how¡¯s the progress on the technology that I have introduced to you?¡± ¡°Well, nothing out of the ordinary. If I were to be honest, we have already made a few proper improvements on the technology since Annabelle¡¯s creation.¡± Aeonitia looked at the dwarf warily. It was the same look that she had given Davey earlier on. ¡°Hmm? Who¡¯s this human girl?¡± ¡°My younger sister.¡± The dwarf looked at Davey in confusion. ¡°A younger sister? But doesn¡¯t the Wise Teacher already have those two beautiful sisters? You have another one?¡± ¡°This rascal doesn¡¯t really leave the pce much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter to me. Is there something that you need?¡± ¡°Aeonitia.¡± Hearing Davey¡¯s sudden call, Aeonitia almost fell back in shock. ¡°Can you show them that thing on your wrist?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± said Davey reassuringly. Aeonitia slowly stuck out her arm, showing off the rugged and crude mechanical device resting on her wrist. ¡°Hoo¡­ This¡­¡± The dwarven engineer¡¯s eyes shed when he realized the novelty of the idea. He did not focus on the technology that had been used. ¡°Hey! Come and look at this!¡± At the dwarf¡¯s loud call, the other dwarven engineers as well as the elven engineers, who were supplementing the devices with spirit magic, began to gather toward them. The color immediately drained from Aeonitia¡¯s face, either due to embarrassment or nervousness. However, it was obvious that she did not know what to do with the sudden attention. She was wary of many things, but the crowd was really overloading her mind right now. ¡°Goodness¡­ This is quite a novel item!¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Davey had never actually taught these people anything. Rather than teaching them from the very beginning, he would only tell them little by little about the technology that he knew of. Then, he had them fill in the remaining gaps by themselves. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Hmm. The technology is terrible. If I were to be honest, it¡¯s too rough and crude.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s expression darkened at the dwarf¡¯s cold and objective assessment. She did not know when or where she had started to take interest in this technology. However, it made her very interested in engineering and alchemy. ¡°However, the rest is very astounding! Please look here, Wise Teacher! How did she think of using the vibrating motion to tell the hours, minutes, and seconds?! Don¡¯t tell me, this is¡­¡± ¡°This brat made it herself.¡± That made the creation very amazing. It did not matter just how early someone had received education. After all, the development of technology in the Tionis Continent was much slower whenpared to modern Earth. It was absolutely shocking to see a child, who was only at the age where they should be attending the higher elementary grade, make a watch on her own. In this case, the technology being sloppy and crude did not really matter. ¡ªThat child, Aeonitia¡­ She''s quite a remarkable genius. If Winley and Baris were talented kids who grew to be geniuses after countless actual battles, Aeonitia was a true genius who pioneered in something on her own within the confines of her own room. All she did was focus on things that she enjoyed doing. Simply put, it was very hard toe by a genius like Aeonitia. At Davey¡¯s words, the elven and dwarven engineers looked at the young girl with even deeper gazes. ¡°Hoo¡­ You¡¯re still young, but you¡¯re already this amazing!¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ This is not your average idea, no? It¡¯s a very novel idea.¡± Interest began to grow in the eyes of the dwarves, the elves, and the humans who were working in theboratory. ¡°Wise Teacher¡­ By any chance¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re all going to make the mechanical device that this rascal has made. Of course, you have to make it properly. And the one spearheading this project will not be me but this brat.¡± The people of this continent used very ufortable and clunky watches. However, the watch that Aeonitia had created had the same effect as the ones on Earth despite having no simrity to them at all. ¡°That¡¯s good! You¡¯re really quite amazing for someone at such a young age! Bwahahahaha!!!¡± one of the dwarvesughed loudly, which prompted another burst ofughter in the room. Aeonitia, who was enchanted by the shocking and amazing appearance of theboratory, could not help but turn red when the engineers began to openly praise her. ¡°What do you think? This ce is quite a good ce, no?¡± Davey asked. Aeonitia, who was both embarrassed and speechless, looked up at Davey. She nced at the golems of the Decepticon Fleet, which were being carefully calibrated in theboratory, with sparkling eyes. With a nod, she eximed, ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s really amazing!¡± ¡°Then, shall we go somewhere else again?¡± Davey smiled, hugging Aeonitia and stepping into the air above them. The dwarves looked up at Davey with expressions that screamed, ¡®Ah, youth.¡¯ ¡°Wise Teacher does not have any mercy on his younger sibling either, huh?¡± ¡°Tch, tch¡­¡± ¡®You better pray that Aeonitia did not hear any of your words.¡¯ *** ¡°Did you wait for long? The contract was made in a hurry, but I based it on the draft that the Lord had made in advance.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hard work, Amy. You can take a break for the rest of the day.¡± ¡°B¡­ But there is still plenty of backlog in my work¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest. Take your break.¡± There were also a few things that Davey had to check on himself. Amy nodded as she ced a thick stack of papers on Davey¡¯s table. She said, ¡°Yes.¡± After Amy stepped back and left the room, Davey handed the contract to Aeonitia and asked, ¡°Aeonitia, you can read, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I studied very hard.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then, let me just point out the most important parts first.¡± Aeonitia was still in a daze, thinking about the appearance of theboratory that she had visited earlier on. She obviously wanted to achieve a reality where she could get away from Davey and achieve her own dreams. Whether she liked it or not, Davey¡¯s presence was enough to make her feel suffocated. However, since Davey had already recognized her talents, there was no way that he would let this younger sister of his be taken in by others. ¡°Firstly, all of the projects that begin under your name will be known to the continent under your name. And the same is true for the watch that you¡¯re wearing right now. It might still be a bit sloppy and crude, but with the best engineers teaching you their skills and helping you out, as well as the proper materials, you will be able toplete that device properly.¡± As Aeonitia fiddled with the watch that was fastened to her wrist absent-mindedly, Davey continued, ¡°Other than that, advising you on your technological skills as well as the expenses that you will incur for your project¡¯s materials will be covered by this brother of yours.¡± ¡°Can you really¡­do that?¡± ¡°I have a lot of money.¡± Aeonitia frowned at Davey¡¯s rxed tone. ¡ªYou¡¯re so annoying. Completely ignoring Perserque¡¯sment, Davey said to Aeonitia, ¡°I won¡¯t meddle with whatever you do. Even if you deceive the humans in thatboratory or you make things that will kill me, I will continue to give you my support.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Aeonitia asked,pletely unable to understand why Davey was doing something like this. ¡°Even if you worked hard for all of your life, there¡¯s no way that I would die.¡± Even an 8th to 9th Circle mage using all of their limbs to cast magic would not be able to kill Davey, what more someone who would only use a single machine. It was no different from dreaming big. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t think you will be able toe up with an idea that would pose a problem to the entire continent.¡± Unlike her brothers, Carlus and Benedict, who did not care about such things and would just charge recklessly into something, Aeonitia was a very realistic girl. ¡°Well then, shall we move on to the distribution of profits? As you can see, all of the profits on the items that you will create with the dwarves¡¯ help will be split 7 to 3. But since you still have a lot to learn, we have to take into consideration the cost of education and the materials that you will use. Because of that, our side will be the one taking the 7.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°You still have a lot of things going on in your head, no?¡± Aeonitia took out a very small notebook, which possibly contained all of the ideas that she hade up with and written down. ¡°Other than that, there are also the rights to your items, the costs of generating revenue for your creations, maintaining your dignity, and many more¡­¡± Davey continued to exin the important points of the contract. Aeonitia, who seemed to have been pondering over the things that Davey had initially mentioned, looked slightly lost. It seemed like these things were still quite difficult for a child to fully understand. However, Davey was taking advantage of that very fact. ¡ªShe¡¯s still a child, but you¡¯re already sucking up everything from her. You¡¯re very vicious. ¡®A talent is a talent. If we let her go, then we are the ones who will regret it.¡¯ ¡°Aeonitia,¡± Davey called out to his younger sister after refuting Perserque¡¯s scathing remarks. The girl, who was fiddling with her contract, had a dazed and nk look on her face. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?¡± Suddenly ced in a very difficult situation, she simply looked up at Davey with a nk expression. She was unable to make a proper judgment after being shown the amazingboratory and being told the contents of the contract¡­ Her brain felt like it would explode from information overload. ¡°Right. This is thest part. Hang in there.¡± After the girl nodded nkly, Davey continued, ¡°It¡¯s about the contract period. This brother of yours promises that you will be able to learn more and better alchemy and engineering skills than what you will be able to learn in Bettelstrock. That¡¯s what you want, right?¡± ¡°As long as I can learn a lot, then¡­¡± Running away from Davey was very important to Aeonitia, but her interest in alchemy and engineering could not be reced. ¡°Right. However, I will be troubled if the technological skills that I will teach you get leaked. So, this is the final point of the contract. This is a lifetime contract. Do you understand?¡± Davey said, smiling gently. However, Aeonitia just held the pen in her hand and spun it endlessly with a nk expression. Everything was almost over. ¡°I will pay you and make sure to protect you for the rest of your life. You can also do and research whatever it is that you want. I won¡¯t even force you to perform better. Just study as much as your heart pleases.¡± If Aeonitia did not produce good results, then they would not be able to gain money. However, that was something that a rookie like her did not know of yet. Aeonitia, who seemed to have fallen for Davey¡¯s promises, slowly reached out for the lifetime contract that was presented in front of her. She was just about to sign the paper when¡­ ¡°Davey. Rinne evaluates you lowly.¡± ¡°Shut up, you punk.¡± Thwack!!! When she heard Davey smack Rinne in the forehead, Aeonitia looked up at Rinne with sparkling eyes. ¡®Ah,e to think of it, there is no big difference in height between Aeonitia and Rinne.¡¯ Perhaps Aeonitia found it interesting to see a girl that looked to be her age. She murmured, ¡°That child is¡­?¡± ¡°Her name is Rinne. She¡¯s a golem.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s eyes grew wide. ¡®This is the perfect time!¡¯ ¡°How is it? It¡¯s amazing, right? All you have to do is sign that paper.¡± Aeonitia, without even realizing it, signed her name on the contract. She was too fascinated by the fact that Rinne, a golem, was acting like a living and breathing creature. Once the contract was signed, Davey patted Aeonitia on her head. He then turned to Rinne and asked, ¡°Rinne, what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°A report from Baris. A number of important criminals have been reportedly missing from each nation all over the continent. Their number has exceeded 200. All of the kidnappings are simr to the attack used in the Haoji Mines.¡± At this point in time, Davey still had no way of knowing what the vampires were up to. He grumbled, ¡°Those bastards are running something.¡± Chapter 309 ¡°How¡­is it?¡± Davey, who ignored Aeonitia¡¯s uneasy question, continued to look at the notes with narrowed eyes. He was fully aware that his younger sister did not have any proper education in alchemy or engineering. Aeonitia had been confined to her pce during Queen Lynesse and Duke Bariatta¡¯s heyday, and she was still not allowed to freely leave her pce. Fortunately, she loved reading books even at her early age. That was the reason why Davey could tell that she had read a book about alchemy and engineering in her spare time. ¡®This is much better than I thought.¡¯ Davey sighed, hiding his admiration. Aeonitia immediately looked up at the sighing Davey anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s¡­not going to work?¡± ¡°Can I ask you why you decided to make it this way?¡± ¡°Th-That¡­¡± Aeonitia hesitated to answer Davey¡¯s question, looking as if she was going to cry at any given moment. She murmured, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Sob, sob, sob.¡± Davey thought that Aeonitia was truly just a child, especially when she cried from being unable to figure out what the problem was and seeing the greed on Davey¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll do it again.¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s cold response. Thinking that Davey was disappointed in her, she insistently said, ¡°Th-That¡­ I¡¯ll do it right this time! I will make something better!¡± However, she waspletely unaware that she had gotten the situation all wrong. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to do it again.There¡¯s no particr w in the item.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s eyes grew even wider at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°I don¡¯t need some sort of great invention. Just tell me exactly what you wanted to achieve with this.¡± ¡°T-That¡­ A watch that everyone can easily use¡­¡± ¡°Right. If you add this and that to the watch, then it won¡¯t really be that expensive. Evenmoners will be able to buy it.¡± What mattered the most here was how inexpensive and easy to use Aeonitia¡¯s watch was. ¡°I¡¯m not going to argue with you if that¡¯s the case.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s eyes just kept on growing wider and wider with every word that her brother uttered. ¡°Then, you have to make an appeal. What made youe up with this idea? How can you make this happen? If you want to be an alchemist or an engineer, then you should have that much knowledge.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to remain under me forever, are you?¡± In fact, Davey did not want to let Aeonitia go since she was signing a lifetime contract. However, once she grew up and wanted to truly stand on her own, then Davey would tear the contract apart. However, he would only let her go after settling a few provisions. ¡°So, do you think you can make it possible?¡± ¡°That¡­ I read in a book that there¡¯s a White Tree, known for lightness and durability, among the trees in the continent!¡± Aeonitia hurriedly exined, ¡°It¡¯s¡­a light, cheap, and durable material. However, it doesn¡¯t have to be too durable! It can be used for a long time but not that long! And it¡¯s very inexpensive!¡± The brat was a natural. Although Aeonitia should be of elementary school age by modern Earth standards, having fun and ying around, she could already pull out ideas and thoughts to achieve her dreams. Even if a member of the royal family were sent to study at a very early age, they would still be children. In most cases, excluding Baris, Winley, and Tanya, young children who were raised ordinarily would often be immature and childish. And even though Aeonitia could have grown up to be a regr child, she had still grown up with a different mindset. ¡°Themoners should be able to use it too! I saw it in a book¡­ I saw in a book that themoners often do dirty and awful things, so they often get wet and muddy! Even the mercenaries! From what I heard, they often receive shocks and sustain impacts because they always fight!¡± That was the reason why Aeonitia had chosen the White Tree. If they used the White Tree as the main material, then they would not have to worry about the watch breaking down from water or huge impacts. After all, the White Tree was actually a mysterious tree that, with the exception of its roots, was waterproof. In the first ce, their ns would not be ruined just because of water alone. However, using waterproof wood would mean that they would be able to prevent the internal parts of the watch from being damaged. Unlike other trees, the White Tree was famous for feeding on both light and insects. It was also said to be very low on moisture content and tough enough to withstand shock, since it grew in areas with strong winds. It was also a material that anyone interested in alchemy could easily recognize. ¡°But there¡¯s a problem, no? You need to process the White Tree¡¯s wood to make this watch. So, how can you handle a tree that will easily break even if you use the sharpest and most delicate carving knife?¡± Aeonitia mumbled to herself. Then, with tears in her eyes, she said softly, ¡°W-Well¡­ If we spray water on the roots, the insides will probably turn soft from being full of moisture¡­¡± ¡°Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I¡­ I think¡­¡± ¡ªDavey, how is she? ¡®Frightened?¡¯ The idea came from an innocent child. Originally, most ideas that came from children would beughable. However, Aeonitia¡¯s ideas were uniquely specific and realistic. Davey admired just how much the girl had read. In fact, Tionis Continent¡¯s alchemy academies, the academies that Davey had gathered in his territory, had never even thought about using the White Trees in such a manner. Most of them were just looking at the White Tree¡¯s toughness and waterproofing effects. Aeonitia had actually given a great suggestion. Of course, they should not use water but a special solution. However, her ideas were surprisingly sharp and on point. Davey looked at his cowardly half-sister in interest, wondering if she could truly make this item. He said, ¡°I¡¯ve already contacted the dwarven craftsmen. If you go and talk to them, they¡¯ll help you and let you do your thing.¡± ¡°That¡­ Is it alright?¡± Davey shook his head and asked, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Uhmm¡­ It looks like everyone was doing something very important¡­¡± The craftsmen in theboratory were all busy producing an additional golem for the Decepticon Fleet and the Avengers Squadron. They also hadn¡¯t figured out how to properly implement and distribute the surplus electricity from the hydroelectric mana power nt facility that they had made, but¡­ ¡°They will help you.¡± However, there was no need to worry about troubling them. They also wanted to do what Aeonitia wanted to make. The things that the humans of this continent could not make due to theck of proper technology could be made in this territory. After all, the Heins Territory had dwarves, who were known for their technological prowess, and the elves, who dealt with spirit magic,municated with nature and nts, as well as used technology that could be considered to be beyond average ording to the Tionis Continent¡¯s standards. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Just try and make it as you nned to.¡± Aeonitia nodded, filling up with passion. Then, she scurried off to get started on her own little project. Right now, there was probably nothing that this child could not do. After all, there was an existence who would bring the ideas in Aeonitia¡¯s head into reality. ¡°There¡¯s no invention that they can¡¯t create if they all put their heads together.¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re really a very vicious human. Davey knew that it would not take long. He was looking forward to how much impact an 11-year-old girl¡¯s single invention would create. *** During the next fifteen days, Davey forced Amy to take a break. He sent her back to her hometown and used this opportunity to deal with the problems and issues of the territory that had been shelved one by one. ¡°My Lord, a letter hase both from the Royal Family and the Divine Tree.¡± ¡°At the same time?¡± ¡°Both letters coincidentally arrived at around the same time.¡± Davey took the letters silently. As he looked through them, he was able to pick up themon parts in both correspondences that had been sent to him. From what he read, the vampires¡¯ radical faction were continuing to gather people. However, they had no set patterns. It was not easy to pin them down because their movements were very unpredictable. Of course, that was just what it looked like on the surface. ¡°My Lord?¡± ¡°Right, good work. You can go back and get a break. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡± Being dismissed so quickly, Royal Attendant Bernile looked at Davey strangely. He said, ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t you take a bit of rest too?¡± Davey paused and said, ¡°Break? All I have left is time, though?¡± ¡°Impossible. I¡¯m sure Your Highness has never enjoyed your free time at all.¡± Davey smacked his lips, then asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Your Highness, I have been serving you for a long time. I can tell a person¡¯s psychological state when I look into their eyes to some extent,¡± Attendant Bernile said with a small smile. ¡°You¡¯re obviously very exhausted.¡± ¡°Is that so? I should go and relieve that exhaustion.¡± ¡°Then, let me suggest a good travel destination¡­¡± ¡°No. I will find a good ce where I can relieve my stress.¡± For Davey, there was nothing better than breaking things down to relieve his stress. ¡ªSo, you¡¯re finally going after them. ¡®Well, since they¡¯re in over their heads, then we have to drag them down at least once.¡¯ They should definitely be hit hard since they had been ying around when no one was looking. Davey stood up and opened the window behind him. Then, he stretched his arm out as arge eagle swooped down from the sky andnded gently on him. Eagles had sharp ws, so receiving them with one¡¯s bare arms would definitely cause serious injuries. But surprisingly enough, the eagle hadnded cleanly as if it minded its own ws. Davey had only seen one group in his life that used well-trained eagles as messenger birds. ¡°Attendant Bernile. I feel sorry, but I have to leave again. Please take care of the territory on my behalf during my absence.¡± ¡°Where will you be going, Your Highness?¡± ¡°Just like you said, I¡¯m going to relieve my stress.¡± ¡°Please have a safe trip.¡± Attendant Bernile did not ask Davey why. He calmly sent his master away, just like what any servant would do. [Member Davey, we have seen traces of the elements that you¡¯ve mentioned. There¡¯s an order from the top, asking to find out why they appeared. If possible, your presence is requested in the Knight Order¡­] Now, Davey was no longer an apprentice but a full-fledged member. The difference between the two positions was very big. This method was often used in strategies and tactics. This was the method where they would attract their enemies¡¯ attention by deploying various actions all the while taking advantage of the distraction to do something else. The kidnapping done by the radical vampires obviously had a purpose, but it was not their main goal. If that was the case, then they had to look elsewhere to discover what the radical vampires¡¯ true goal was. It should be able to escape the eyes of as many people as possible, so they would only be able to assign the smallest number of people on the task. The idea and strategy was much simpler than what Davey had thought. But unfortunately for them, Davey himself had quite a number of eyes in this continent. Davey, who noticed Rinneing from a distance, said with a cold smile, ¡°Rinne, let¡¯s go to your birthce after doing some countergank[1].¡± ¡°Rinne evaluates this very highly!¡± Since Rinne was a battle golem, being stuck in the mage tower for quite a long time had been very boring for her. She had also been stressed outtely. Once Rinne yelled out how much she appreciated this trip and clung to him, Davey activated the ring in his hand. *** Thud, thud, thud!!! ¡°Move quickly.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time.¡± Men covered in ck robes moved quickly through the dark forest. One look at these strange men, who looked every bit like a crazed fanatic, would make one think of them as dangerous. These men rode on blue-scaled lizards, rushing through the forest as if they were in some sort of procession. They were escorting a wagon that was being pulled by smaller lizards. In fact, they looked exactly like escaping thieves who had stolen something very important. However, there wasn¡¯t really anyone chasing after them. The ck robes that entirely covered the men helped camouge them in the darkness of the forest. However, they still moved quickly through the dark and cold forest to the point that their breaths had turned ragged. ¡°Stop!¡± After the man leading the troop cried out, the procession came to a halt. The men reared their lizards back, noticing their path was blocked by a huge boulder. ¡°The road has been blocked. This wasn¡¯t the case when we passed by here before¡­¡± ¡°It seems like andslide has urred after we entered the forest. Look over there.¡± When one of the robed men pointed that out, their leader looked up and noticed that a part of thend uphill had copsed. It was as if the boulder had fallen naturally from that ce. The sight made the leader cry out, ¡°We don¡¯t have time. Quickly get this thing¡­¡± Boom!!! However, the leader was not given enough time to finish speaking. A sh of purple light lit up the dark forest before striking a couple of his men. When a small silver-haired girl had flown out from the depths of the forest, the robed men could not even express their shock and fear. The girl had used what seemed to be an iron bar to strike them down immediately. Thud!!! The shockwave created by the iron bar spread out at a tremendous speed, a feat that no simple iron bar could pull off. It crushed all of the robed men that it struck. The sudden explosion made the lizards scream and go berserk. As for the surviving robed men, they had broken their ranks and were running around in a panic. ¡°This¡­ What is this?!¡± No one should have known that they were here, so how was this happening right now? The leader, however, wasn¡¯t given the time to shout and gather his men in this chaotic situation. The lizard that he was riding on copsed a momentter. ¡°Wee. You thought I did not know about what you¡¯re doing, right?¡± a veryid back and nonchnt voice rang out. The leader suddenly noticed that a red-eyed boy was standing in front of them. He hadn¡¯t seen the boy just moments ago, but he instinctively felt like the boy had been right in front of them this entire time. Not long after, a blue sword appeared in the boy¡¯s hands. And with a sh of that sword, all of the protective magic on the leader¡¯s body was destroyed. Then¡­the boy¡¯s hands moved swiftly, grabbing the leader¡¯s head and mming him down on the ground. 1. Appearing roughly at the same time as the enemy jungler in the samene ? Chapter 310 Thud, thud, thud!!! Rinne watched the robed men, who rode on blue lizards and were moving swiftly through the forest. She began to gather particles of light in her hands to create a crowbar in one hand and a hilt, which turned into a lightsaber, in the other. ¡°Davey. Waiting for orders.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch the items. Clean up a few of those guys and subdue the rest.¡± ¡°Carrying out the mission,¡± Rinne said, her eyes glowing. [Decepticon Fleet. Sniper. Permission to shoot, granted. Goal: Creating a Battle Line.] Booooom!!! As a sh of purple light flew through the forest at her mysterious and mechanical voice, Rinne shot up to the skies from her crouched position. She attacked the robed men. After watching the men¡¯s procession turn into hell on earth, Davey quickly approached the robed men¡¯s leader. [Moonlight Steps] [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Suppression] [Breaking Bones] Crack!!! Along with an ominous crack, the Frost Lizard which had been running at the lead suddenly copsed onto the ground. The leader was thrown into the air from his lizard¡¯s unexpected fall. At the same time, Davey snatched the leader¡¯s head and mmed him onto the ground. He said coldly, ¡°Wee. You thought I did not know about what you¡¯re doing, right?¡± Gurgle! The leader could not even scream due to the blood that was bubbling in his mouth. All he could do was gurgle and groan. In a single nce, Davey knew that the man was the target he had been looking for. As for the others, he found them to be quite unexpected. The surviving robed men quickly gathered in an instant to try fighting back. They resisted Rinne¡¯s attacks by casting a Hypnotic Magic on their lizards, who grew cold and quickly shot a Freezing Breath toward Rinne. However, what use did those attacks have on Rinne? Baaam!!! Unlike her pure and feeble appearance, Rinne fought in a tough and rough manner. In other words, she fought with no mercy. She pped away a sword that flew toward her with her bare hands while striking the attacker¡¯s face with her crowbar. Some people might grow afraid of Rinne, who fought against enemies without mercy. However, Davey was very much in favor of her fighting style. However, there was a problem. Davey and Rinne had subdued the procession easily, so they felt as if they hadn¡¯t released any tension at all. ¡°Davey. Humans,¡± Rinne reported as she pulled back the men¡¯s hoods. ¡°Try and cross-reference their numbers.¡± ¡°Matching. In-line with the expected number of kidnappers. Report. Davey¡¯s prediction is expected to be correct.¡± Then, Davey took off the leader¡¯s cone-shaped mask, the very same mask that was often used by fanatical zealots. He saw the leader¡¯s pale face and knew that he was an intermediate-ranking vampire. He guessed that this single vampire had brainwashed the other human men here. He couldn¡¯t help but feel impressed. After all, it was very difficult for them to find someone who was at this level. ¡°You have no idea how many traps I haveid in this forest looking for you.¡± ¡°Urk¡­ Hu¡­ Human¡­¡± ¡°Right. First, let¡¯s see what you were working so hard to steal,¡± Davey said, throwing down the vampire and rendering him immobile. Then, he removed the cloth that covered the wagon that had been escorted by the men. ¡ªUgh¡­ Perserque frowned when she caught sight of whatever was in the wagon. After quietly looking inside the wagon, Davey said, ¡°From now on, forget everything that happened here. Forget that you have met us.¡± His eyes shed as the 7th Circle Mass Hypnosis Magic engulfed the entire group of robed men. The original goal of Rinne and Davey had been to prevent this group from transporting the items safely. However, after seeing the contents, Davey had decided to change it a bit. Davey was aware that he would not be able to gain any information from the men as long as a ban was imposed upon them. It was also a waste of energy for him to use the Abyss¡¯ Authority in a situation where he was still unsure of what the opposing side wanted to do. By doing so, it would only be a great loss for them in the end. If that was the case, then the best course of action here was to take advantage of the loopholes of the imposed ban. The ban only applied to divulging information about the radical vampires. Simply put, there would be no problem as long as that information was not leaked. However, there was something that Davey had to check on before doing that. ¡ªDavey. Perserque called out to Davey after they had checked the contents of the wagon. ¡ªTell me, why are you just letting them go? ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡ªYou definitely told me that you won¡¯t allow my revival as the Demon Lord. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡ªSo, why are you allowing them to build a body for me? After a moment of silence, Davey said, ¡°Right. You obviously also don¡¯t want to enter a soft body that¡¯s made from taboo.¡± A body made out of mixing body parts from humans, demonic beasts, and plenty of other creatures was extremely dangerous. The power of that body was not really a problem at all. The only problem was how the radical vampires would use that bodyter on. ¡°Think carefully, Perserque. Why would the Abyss help the vampires?¡± When Perserque tilted her head in confusion, Davey said, ¡°They¡¯re trying to resurrect you as the Demon Lord. In that sense, they are no different from an enemy of the Abyss.¡± To the Abyss, all of the beings living in the front side of the coin were nothing but enemies. So, why was the Abyss helping the vampires? To stir up trouble? That was ridiculous. ¡ªThen¡­ ¡°There¡¯s a chance that the vampires will brainwash and seduce you once you settle down in that body, and then drag you back to the Abyss.¡± At the very least, that was the only reason that Davey could think of at the moment. ¡ªDavey, if I be the Demon Lord and your enemy, then I will be protected under the name of Goddess Freyja. No matter how reckless the Abyss is, there is no way that they would try and y tricks on the God that controls one side of the coin. Perserque was not wrong, because the scenario that she had described would usually be the case. That was also the reason why she always insisted on trying to take the danger alone by bing a Demon Lord. If Perserque became a Demon Lord and Davey¡¯s enemy, then the Abyss would not be able to touch her. And if Davey cut her down, then the Abyss would lose her once again and fail to find her whereabouts. That was how she had avoided them for three thousand years. The reason why her soul could not enter the cycle of reincarnation was not simply a matter of being sealed. Davey ignored Perserque as he continued to rummage through the items in the wagon. Then, he spotted a jar that shone slightly. He opened the lid and was hit by a very stale smell. Inside the jar was none other than the heart of some kind of living being. ¡°This is the heart of a demonic beast. This is definitely a heart from a strong and powerful beast.¡± During his sses in the Alpha Reinforcements, it was mentioned that one would be able to find demonic beasts that had absorbed other beasts¡¯ DNA to grow stronger. They did so by eating their enemies once they entered the Pandora Region. Although its characteristics were getting ever so close to an alien lifeform, the most important part here was the fact that the bastards had a rough idea on how to form the Demon Lord¡¯s body. ¡°They have almostpleted the body of the Demon Lord.¡± ¡ªThey¡¯re almost done? ¡°Creating a body is a taboo creation made using the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. It is one of the taboos listed in Goddess Freyja¡¯s list¡­ Yet, these bastards seem to be ignoring the taboo by using the power of the Abyss.¡± ¡ªJust in case¡­ What problems will arise if someone breaks the taboo? ¡°Who knows? Many problems will arise if one breaks the taboo. I, for one, know very little about it.¡± Davey had only heard about the taboos. He had rarely done any himself. ¡ªBut¡­ The Philosopher¡¯s Stone? ¡°There¡¯s only one vampire who can do something like this.¡± Alchemist Milpieu¡­ This was a possible feat for that pink-haired vampire. She was a very bizarre half-vampire that had a Philosopher¡¯s Stone in her body. Davey just wasn¡¯t sure if it was something that she was born with or it had been transnted into her by someone. ¡°The moderate vampires might not be a problem, but we have to eradicate the radicals. Since they¡¯re almost ready, then it¡¯s time to end this war.¡± Davey grabbed a fragment of the heart and poured out his mana. He had to properly camouge the heart with his power. He had to do this meticulously and carefully. Otherwise, he would be caught even before it had reached its intended ce. After pouring as much mana as the heart could take, he engraved two magic spells onto it. The moment one of the magic spells exploded, then the war would have already ended. *** ¡°Davey!¡± Once Davey appeared, two girls ran toward him with bright smiles on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The girl sporting pale pink hair and a stupid expression on her face jumped into Davey¡¯s arms without any hesitation. This dumb-looking girl had a strong sense of motivation in developing a rtionship with the opposite sex. ¡°Get off, Shayir! This is a disgrace. Act properly in front of Davey. He finally came after a long time.¡± ¡°Oops¡­ Sorry. Heehee. I¡¯m just so happy to see you after a very long time.¡± Although she had be a full-fledged member of the probationary unit, a child would always be a child. Even though they were now more exposed to the reality of the world and were far more talented than the students of the academy, the fact that they had been far removed from the world made them very pure and naive. ¡°How have you been? I can¡¯t see Illyna anywhere. Did youe by yourself?¡± When the twins began to chatter as if they had a lot to talk about with him, Davey heard someone grumbling from behind them. ¡°If you ask questions like that, then even a genius will stutter. These guys! Ask him one by one!¡± ¡°Heg!¡± Starting with Heg, the boy carrying a gigantic mace on his back, Pdin Fildyr and Lucia Shelman, who was Daphne¡¯s fanatic, also appeared. ¡°Goodness! Davey! It¡¯s been a long time! Since we met like this, the blessings of the first Saintess, Daphne¡­¡± Lucia¡¯s partner, Fildyr, immediately restrained Lucia who was about to begin her endless praising of Daphne. ¡°How about Alyssa Patrick?¡± Unlike the others, Alyssa Patrick was nowhere in sight. ¡°That¡­ Alyssa¡¯s a part of the Roaming Knights. There¡¯s also rumors about how her family has arranged a political marriage for her.¡± Davey nodded when the others whispered the rumors to him. Even though they were conscripted as Roaming Knights, they would onlyply with the conscription orders if it did not interfere with their own lives. It was the Knight Order¡¯s rule. Well, Davey had nothing to say about her absence. Alyssa was the one who had always teased Illyna about such subjects, but this time she seemed to be stuck in a very simr situation too. ¡°To be honest, I never expected you toe, Davey. You have ignored all of the conscription orders so far. So, what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I think I have to meet with the teachers.¡± Lucia Shelman immediately jumped up and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then leave it to me! I happen to have a matter to discuss with Teacher Boris! I¡¯m on my way there, so let¡¯s go together!¡± Davey nodded when the girl grabbed his arm and pulled him along. There was not much change in Boris Telman¡¯s huge build from the time that Davey had first met him with Illyna. Even his fighting style and preferred weapon had not changed. He was still wielding two unique greatswords. The only difference was that the swords hanging on his back were showing signs of use and traces of time. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Teacher Boris.¡± ¡°Member Davey, you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ Teacher Boris. I¡¯m here too¡­¡± ¡°Ah! So sorry about that. Can you please report to Teacher Sylia instead?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Boris¡¯ expression turned bitter at Lucia Shelman¡¯s question. He said, ¡°There have been suspicious and disturbing movements discovered in the Pandora Region following the tip that Member Davey has given. We have something to say to him about that.¡± If they were still apprentices, then Boris would not have told them anything. After all, it was dangerous to let them know something like that. However, after undergoing the very problematic test and having be regr members, the teachers no longer went around their backs to hide information from them. Since they were members of the Knight Order, the danger of telling them these things had reduced significantly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Everyone¡¯s waiting for you.¡± Davey nodded quietly. *** Davey went straight to the point after seeing all of the top ranking knights of Alpha Reinforcements and even the knights who were stationed in the Pandora Region gathered in front of him. He dered, ¡°We need troops to go to war.¡± ¡°War?¡± The knights expressed their doubts at Davey¡¯s deration. ¡°No. Listen here, Member Davey. What kind of bullshit are you talking about?! We looked into the things that you told us to investigate, but shouldn¡¯t you at least talk to us about what¡¯s going on?!¡± Davey nodded, wondering if he had gotten too straight to the point. He exined, ¡°The bastards that you found are none other than vampires. You have probably seen them in the Pandora Region from time to time.¡± ¡°We have already heard about them. Are they rted to this? Why are they doing this?¡± Davey looked at Teacher Boris and answered, ¡°The vampires¡¯ radical faction has joined hands with the demons and are trying to revive the Demon Lord. Obviously, leaving them alone would leave us in a pickle.¡± ¡°The¡­ The Demon Lord?!¡± Davey ignored the shocked cries of the knights around him and continued to exin, ¡°I have already sent the bomb. You¡¯ll have to decide by the time one of the bombs that I have sent explodes. Will our side copse ande to an end or will it be the vampires who die?¡± His gaze turned sharp as he continued to speak, ¡°ording to the rules of the Knight Order, there¡¯s no reason for the knights to refuse toe forward as long as the enemy has been identified. This is a threat to the entire continent and not just the secr world.¡± ¡°However, we¡¯re not even aware of the opponent¡¯s numbers or their strength,¡± one of the knights carefully said. ¡°Davey, it¡¯s true that you have overwhelming powerpared to all of the other members. However, you have to understand that the ck mages with the vampires and the demons who are backing them have attacked the knight order before. They were also the ones who had corrupted Gaor, the Captain of the traitorous knights.¡± Then, another one of the knights said, ¡°It¡¯s true that we have no reason to refuse. However, we haven¡¯t even properly recovered from the previous situation. We can¡¯t afford to transfer the defense knights who are protecting the Pandora Region¡­¡± ¡°So, to sum it up, you only have so many soldiers left.¡± The knights all nodded. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll provide you with soldiers,¡± Davey said calmly as he pulled out a test tube from his Pocket ne. The test tube contained a lump of purple flesh that was suspended in transparent solution. Davey had onest thing to test before he could safely settle Reina¡¯s soul into her new body. So, using all of his knowledge about the vampires, he had prepared a second bomb for them. If the first bomb would trigger a physical explosion, then the second would trigger a biochemical terror upon them. Davey nned to show his enemies no mercy. ¡°This is a parasite that infects vampires. Once it¡¯s released, it will devour its target before splitting into two, four, eight, and so on. On top of that, they listen well to the words of the strongest individual.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for you to discard thatmon notion that zombies are only restricted to and are exclusive properties of vampires and ck mages.¡± Davey smiled coldly. The knights all turned pale. Right now, Davey had created a bomb that would infect the vampires and turn them into zombies. He nned to force them to fight against each other. Chapter 311 ¡°So, what you mean is that you will infect them and make them fight against each other? Then, why do you still need troops?¡± one of the men in the conference hall asked. Davey remembered the man, who had been the one standing at the forefront when the previous Knight Commander Gaor had betrayed them. ¡°Please exin it in a way that is easy for me to understand. I¡¯m getting on with age, so I don¡¯t understand your n well.¡± The man was not the only one. Most of the knights in the conference hall were also confused. ¡°To put it simply, I want to increase the number of parasites that will infect and kill the vampires. The parasites are harmless to humans but very deadly to vampires. As long as they weren¡¯t decent high-ranking vampires, the vampires would all get infected. Then, they would be forced to bite and fight against each other.¡± In fact, Davey would never have thought of such a n if he did not have severed parts of that creature from the Abyss. Besides, biohazards were not necessarily limited to human beings, right? ¡°Then, what do you want our higher-ups to do?¡± ¡°The parasites cannot be transferred through air. Although they might look like organisms, they are still magical substances. In other words, we would need materials that can serve as their catalyst,¡± Davey said as he pulled out a small stone from his Pocket ne. The stone was discolored. It had turned ck, but it still looked smooth and glossy, a testament to how well taken care of it had been. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°A Mutant Wolf¡¯s teeth?¡± A Mutant Wolf was an evil beast that could be found all over the continent. However, only decent hunters knew of their existence. It was also a verymon evil beast that the Alpha Reinforcements had to deal with. ¡°Most of the items I need to make the catalyst can be handled and obtained by cing requests to the mercenaries. However, items like Mutant Wolf¡¯s teeth and Ice Scorpion¡¯s saliva are not that easy to get.¡± Having money did not mean that anyone could obtain everything that they wanted. Under such circumstances, Davey being a member of the secret knight order, Alpha Reinforcements, would prove to be of great merit. ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± After speaking, Davey stepped back and spoke no further. Then, he looked at the knights through the glittering crystal ball. ¡°At the very least, you won¡¯t have to shed the blood of innocent humans even if mistakes were made.¡± ¡°Then, what are you going to do with the higher-ranking vampires?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them myself. We just have to keep the non-threatening ones alive and kill the rest.¡± The knight order¡¯s higher-ups could not ept Davey¡¯s n. Whether he nned to kill everyone or not, his n was not normal at all. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a more refined method? No matter what you say, biochemical terrorism is¡­¡± ¡°Right, shall we go that route?¡± Davey asked, instantly silencing them. ¡°Non-believers are spread all throughout the continent, and they are hiding in secret ces that even the greatest information guilds would not be able to discover. If this turns into an all-out war, many people will die. Thends will also be polluted, creating and that would be unusable.¡± By then, perhaps the vampires would win the war. They would end up taking the humans as their captives, their prisoners of war, and turn them into livestock. They might even choose to have the humans bleed to death. As for the captives who would resist them, they would only be brutally executed or ridiculed harshly. Of course, the demons who joined hands with the radical vampires would treat the humans no differently. After all, they had no good feelings for the human race either. ¡°Is this something that would affect the entire continent? Or is this just a simple fight of the secr world?¡± The expressions of the knight order¡¯s higher-ups darkened. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s look at it in a positive light. It¡¯s not that hard to provide the materials needed for the catalyst. Member Davey, the materials that you¡¯re asking for are in the knight order¡¯s warehouse. We¡¯ll give you what we have in stock for now. We¡¯ll contact you through the messenger birds once we have obtained additional supplies.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Member Davey.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Davey turned to look at him, Boris said, ¡°I feel sorry for you. Also, I haven¡¯t thanked you properly.¡± The meeting with the knight order¡¯s higher-ups did not take too long. From the beginning, Davey was in a position where he couldn¡¯t possibly lose. Although it was a tad excessive that the parasites would only infect and harm vampires,pletely leaving the humans unscathed, the knight order had no reason to not go with this n. They could kill their opponents while minimizing the damage that they would incur, after all. After delivering some of the parasites to the Alpha Reinforcements, Davey briefed them on how to use the parasites. It was simple to use the parasite, also known as a kind of parasitic substance. As long as they could get the parasitic substance into the opponent¡¯s body, then everything would be over. There would be vampires who would be immune to the parasites, but most of them would sumb to it in the end. Davey was sure that the introduction of the parasite on the battlefield would create a big fuss. Would the power of the Abyss protect them? Absolutely not. Davey was confident that this biochemical warfare would cause fear within them. He was sure that they would remember this war forever. ¡°You messed with the wrong person, f*ckers.¡± After the meeting ended, Davey was sent off by his colleagues in the knight order, who all said that they would visit him once they had the time. Upon returning to Heins Territory, Davey entered his privateboratory, which nobody else had ess to. He immediately grabbed the sack that he had received from the knight order from his Pocket ne and threw it out. ¡ªHey, Davey. Did you really need to make a catalyst for the parasitic substance that you have created? Davey shook his head silently. ¡°Rinne¡¯s very quick witted. Rinne¡¯s sure that Davey has scammed them.¡± ¡®What a quick-witted brat.¡¯ ¡°Right on the mark. Rinne might be a very old existence, but Rinne¡¯s senses are still very fast. I am quick on the uptake. ¡°Right. Grandma.¡± After listening to Davey¡¯s answer, Rinne stopped speaking proudly and frowned. She had always kept an expressionless face no matter how she felt, but she was now showing her sense of dissatisfaction to Davey. ¡°Rinne?¡± Davey asked, noticing the change of expression on Rinne¡¯s face. ¡°Rinne evaluates this lowly. Rinne evaluates Davey¡¯s personality to be very low,¡± Rinne said with a frown as she moved away. Kicking the materials that were scattered on the floor like a sulking child, she grumbled, ¡°Very low evaluation¡­¡± Then, she went silent. ¡ªDavey. Exin it to me in detail. Is Rinne speaking the truth? ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Davey said calmly. He poured the items that he had received for the ¡®catalyst¡¯ into a reagent bottle. Then, he ced some other substances and materials into it before reaching his hand out. ¡°Temperature should be roughly around¡­¡± Davey mumbled as mes started to appear on his fingertips. At the same time, the liquid in the bottle began to change in color. After a few moments, Davey poured the mixture in a mold that he had prepared beforehand and left it to harden. He needed it to turn into small lumps of metal. ¡ªWhat¡¯s this thing for? ¡°It¡¯s a lithium battery.¡± ¡ªLithium? ¡°Well, it¡¯s simr to a lithium battery, but it doesn¡¯t circte electricity. It circtes the mana in nature. It¡¯s not a good product due to its inefficiency, but it is perfect for the watch to enable movements of the different parts. Also, the production method is very simple.¡± This battery would work semi-permanently as long as there was mana present. Well, that was unless the battery ended up broken by a strong impact or its battery life was used up. ¡ªThe mana does not supplement its durability? ¡°It can be done. But is there a reason for me to do so?¡± Perserque¡¯s eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s words. ¡ªI see¡­ We can sell more if the battery life has a limit. ¡°We¡¯re going to run a business here. We would incur losses if we improve the item and make it perfect.¡± The watch that Aeonitia had envisioned was but a simple watch. However, there was no way that the busy and ordinary people would want a refined and elegant watch. Davey knew that they would want the cheaper option as long as they could check the time anytime they wanted. Davey could tell that there would be a need for the lithium battery soon. Since he had to worry about it sooner orter, he thought it would be better for him to deal with it now. However, it would be shocking to the knight order if they found out that the raw materials that they had given for the war against the vampires was being used to make a part of the watch. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world! What, did they expect me to incur losses when doing business?¡± ¡ªYou¡¯re a very vicious human. ¡°This is how a person survives.¡± This was a misappropriation of materials, but that was just the way that they lived. Of course, it would be a different matter altogether if Davey had embezzled the materials and failed to achieve his original purpose. ¡ªThen, what about the rest of the materials? If you¡¯re talking like that, then that means you will use the rest of the materials for something else, right? Davey took out the materials that he had ced in a separate bag and spread them across the table. He threw them in a cauldron that he had prepared beforehand and mixed them until everything was dissolved. Then, he separated them into several test tubes. ¡°We¡¯ll use it here.¡± After that, Davey ced the sealing stone and a lump of flesh on a small magic circle that was painted on the one side of theboratory. The lump of flesh was a severed tentacle that had been ripped out of the Abyss, the very same lump of flesh that could exert power that transcended thews of this world. Perserque, whose face had turned pale, hurriedly hid in Davey¡¯s pocket the moment she saw the wriggling lump of flesh. ¡ªI can¡¯t stand how it looks. ¡°That¡¯s just its appearance. The power it has is very much useful to us.¡± Davey was trying to separate some of the powers contained in the tentacles and seal them in the sealing stone. It was the final step that he needed to take for the creation of Reina¡¯s body. Vwooooooong¡­ A while after the magic circle was activated, purple sparks began to pop out of the lump of flesh. Davey poured out the reagent that he had prepared earlier on the flesh. He said, ¡°Stay still.¡± Fwiiiiiiiish¡­ When the lump of flesh shrunk like a deted ball, Davey took this as a cue to move the mana that he had on standby to draw out the tentacles¡¯ power. ¡ªDid it fail? ¡°If it has failed, then it should already be frozen to death. Well, if this fails too, then we will be left in a pretty desperate situation where we have to look for another solution.¡± [8th Circle] [Custom Space] For insurance, Davey had covered the entire area with his magic to prevent his power from leaking into the surrounding area. It would keep his power suspended in the air and trapped by the mana that he released. Slowly, ever so slowly, the power began to seep into the sealing stone. Davey had already experimented on Reina¡¯s body several times, and he had deemed this to be the most perfect solution so far. When the sealing stone gradually decreased in size along with the light of the power seeping into it, Davey retrieved his Transcendence Demise from his Pocket ne. ¡ªT-The Transcendence Demise! Oh, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist saw that! Perserque, who hadn¡¯t given up on her lingering desire for the staff, left Davey¡¯s pocket with twinkling eyes. However, realizing that the lump of flesh was still beneath her made her shrink back inside the pocket. ¡°Grow, quickly!¡± Thud! The sealing stone, now the size of a fingernail, began to grow once again. Davey waited for it to grow to the size that he wanted as he kept adjusting it. When the sealing stone finally grew into the size of a human heart, Davey sprinkled the rest of the reagent from the bottle. ¡ªThat is¡­? ¡°It¡¯s to make it pliant and flexible. This would be the substitute for an actual heart. If it¡¯s hard and tough, then we could risk the possibility of incurring internal damage.¡± Perserque looked at the softening sealing stone in awe. It had also seeded in sealing the power of the tentacles from the Abyss within it. Davey had no regrets. After all, he had truly given his all under the conditions that he had. As for the tentacles? After the power had been separated from them and sealed up properly, the tentacles began to shrink and dry up. ¡°What a pity¡­¡± Davey did not use all of the tentacles, but he still felt that it was a pity that he had lost half of them with this attempt. Leaving the dried up tentacles behind, he took out Reina''s body that was floating in a tube. Then, he ced the soft sealing stone in the chest area and casted his magic over it. Dozens of magic circles appeared and ovepped above the soft sealing stone, releasing magic that gradually sank into Reina¡¯s chest. Davey watched the process unfold before him in silence. However, he could not help the frown that started to appear on his face as he silently observed Reina¡¯s body. ¡ªHuh? Why isn¡¯t she opening her eyes? Davey smiled as he lifted a small fragment up. Then, he said, ¡°The soul is here. If she opened her eyes like that, then that would be a problem.¡± After that, he pushed the fragment into Reina¡¯s forehead and turned around. Hemented, ¡°Her soul will settle down in a few days or so. Only after that will she be able to wake up.¡± The body that Davey had created for Reina could be said to be the embodiment of his greed and ambitions. It was still a prototype for what was certainly a non-human body. Just as he was thinking about that¡­ ¡°Ugh¡­ Uuuuugh¡­¡± ¡ªI don¡¯t think it will take a few days though¡­ The reaction came far too early. Chapter 312 Davey, who quickly turned around, held his breath at Perserque¡¯s unexpected response. He said, ¡°I-It shouldn¡¯t turn out like this.¡± Reina¡¯s hair had changed color, bingpletely white. However, it did not make her look old at all. The wings on her back were also spread out as if she was going to fly out at any time. ¡ªIt shouldn¡¯t? ¡°She still can¡¯t wake up right now.¡± After looking at Reina for a while, Davey turned to Rinne and said, ¡°Rinne, the bar.¡± ¡°Rinne does not understand. However, Rinne will carry out the orders.¡± Although she did not understand his intentions, Rinne still created a bar and held it out to Davey. ¡ªDavey?! Since Reina should not wake up yet, Davey moved to stop her in the scenario that she was waking up right now. ¡°Ugh¡­ Urghhh¡­ No, no more,¡± Reina mumbled under her breath. ¡°Phew. I almost ruined everything,¡± Davey said as he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. When he threw the bar back to Rinne, both Perserque and Rinne looked at Davey in doubt. ¡°Davey, Rinne asks why you suddenly attacked her?¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s right. I thought you were about to break Reina down. ¡°She can¡¯t wake up right away. We¡¯ll be in big trouble if she wakes up without undergoing the necessary adjustment period.¡± The biggest problem of Reina¡¯s existence right now was the rules of this world, which could eliminate her entire being. No matter how great the power of the Abyss was, allowing it to ignore the rules of this world, it could not afford topletely ignore the greatest rule of this world. Basically, what Davey had done with Reina was nothing more than cheating in this world. After all, this body was not the Reina that they had set out to eliminate. However, if Reina awakened without adjusting to the body and adapting to it, then the rules of this world would notice and everything would be instantly destroyed. ¡°I¡¯d rather destroy the body and rebuild it again than allow that to happen.¡± ¡ªAre you a psychopath? ¡°The n is a bit extreme, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to save her without doing that in an urgent scenario.¡± Thud! Davey then put a strange device that looked like an oxygen mask over Reina¡¯s mouth as he pushed her back into the tube that she had been in earlier on. Then, he ced his hands together and¡­he prayed. Well, he did not really pay attention to the prayer itself, but his mindset was quite reverent and pious. [Abracadabra.] [7th Level Holy Magic] [Sanctuary] After Davey turned the entire area into a sanctuary to stabilize her body, Reina no longer tossed and turned. She fell asleep with a calm expression on her face, finally stabilizing herself inside the divine area. ¡ªThen, when will she wake up? ¡°She¡¯ll wake up soon, but not immediately after the procedure. It would take a few days at the shortest and a month at the longest.¡± ¡ªSo, you settled a huge problem there. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen yet, so we still have to wait and see. You don¡¯t have to mind it for now.¡± ¡ªYour feelings are more than enough. Once Reina¡¯s soul sessfully settled in her body, then it would be time to use the rest of the sealing stone. Perserque might be thinking that Davey was leaving enough of the sealing stone for the vampires to create her body, and she did have a point. That was one of the reasons why Davey could not destroy the body so recklessly. The vampires were probably thinking the same. After all, the moment Perserque entered the body that they were making for her, then she would be resurrected as Demon Lord Perserque. No matter who or what Perserque was, an enemy would naturally be born to fight against her. Right now, Davey was trying to avoid the flow of fate where he would be Perserque¡¯s enemy. However, if that did not work and she was reborn as the Demon Lord, then Davey would have no choice but to be her enemy. However, since Reina¡¯s condition was much better than expected, then Davey could conclude that they were still in a good situation. ¡°We¡¯re almost done,¡± Aeonitia said to Davey as she offered the small box that she had brought along. Davey, who had returned to his office, stopped what he was doing. He opened the box to see that it contained a watch that could be perfectly worn on a person¡¯s wrist. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± The watch that Aeonitia had handed over was a masterpiece created bybining her ideas and the dwarves¡¯ technology. If anyone were to ask Davey if it was a great item, he would absolutely say yes. Although it was not high-quality, the watch that they had produced could be easily used by anyone from anywhere. The best inventions were not those that were too great for anyone to use or touch them. The best ones were those that were convenient and easy to use, just like Aeonitia¡¯s watch. ¡°However, there is a problem.¡± With a crestfallen expression, the girl said hesitantly, ¡°What is¡­the problem?¡± Then, Davey showed the lumps of metal that he had created to her. ¡°What are those? This is the first time that I have seen something like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s called a Mana Cirction Stone. However, unlike mana stones, you can¡¯t charge this with arge flow of power.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s still within its period of durability and there¡¯s mana around, it can maintain a small amount of power within it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°Of course, this lump of metal is not really that durable, so it would be scrapped after a few months of use.¡± Aeonitia¡¯s eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s words. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of such a material anywhere!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. How would others know of it when I¡¯ve made the stone myself?¡± Curiosity grew in Aeonitia¡¯s eyes as she asked, ¡°You made it yourself? Without any warning? In such a short amount of time?¡± ¡°Do I have to inform you whenever I n to make something? Is this not enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough! I really love you, Brother!¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s nothing for you to express your love over.¡± ¡°Heup!¡± Aeonitia had blurted out those words without registering them because she was feeling very happy. Upon realizing exactly what she had said, she freaked out and began stepping back. ¡°Th-That¡­ I was just talking nonsense¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Aeonitia immediately shouted. She was afraid that Davey would grow angry at her at any given moment. ¡ªSo cute. Perserque said, smiling softly at Aeonitia. She looked like she wanted to hug the little girl. Looking at Perserque, Davey took that as his cue to send the girl out. He told Aeonitia, ¡°Well then, that¡¯s all I will help you with. You can do the rest yourself, right? It¡¯s your job to exchange and coordinate your opinions with the technicians and engineers. I¡¯m waiting for your good results.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Aeonitia answered right away, not wanting to miss a single beat. After the girl ran away, Davey began to look at the contracts that he had ced in his drawer earlier on. He smacked his lips and said, ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to rake in the money from that hard work.¡± The document contained an exclusive contract with one of the merchant groups. The wrist watch that Aeonitia had made was a small watch that could tell the time by turning the hour, minute, and second hand with the power of the Mana Cirction Battery that Davey had made. In this world, themon ways to tell the time was either through the position of the sun, the giant clock towers, or through a magical tool. Most of them did not have the technology to create this small, cheap, and convenient small watch. Also, most people saw no need to make something like that. However, this item targeted ordinary people. Anyone would have easy ess to this watch, which would naturally create a diverse customer base. Davey could expectmoners, mercenaries, merchants, and even knights, who could not afford to spend too much money on things, to be their customer base for this item. ¡°The more they gobble up the kickbacks, the better it would taste.¡± ¡®Work hard, so we can get an exclusive contract.¡¯ Aeonitia would be the one working hard while Davey would be the one raking in the money. Rinne and Perserque, who were both watching Davey silently, frowned at Davey¡¯s vicious and evil smile. *** ¡°Aeonitia, what do you think is the most important thing when making a new product?¡± Aeonitia, who was carefully holding a small box in her arms, looked up at Davey and said, ¡°The¡­ The most important? Uhmm, beingpleted?¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± ¡°Then, taking into consideration the people who will use the product¡­?¡± ¡°What are you saying? Are you a phnthropist?¡± ¡°Th-Then, reflecting on the product¡¯s problems¡­?¡± ¡°Wrong,¡± Davey said, bringing his sister to walk the streets of the territory. Aeonitia turned silent after hearing that all of her earlier answers were wrong. All she could do was look at Davey in doubt as she wondered what the right answer was. ¡°The most important thing is¡­licking it with your saliva so the others will not dare to eat it.¡± Simply put, they had to get the copyright of the item and gain monopoly in the market. ¡®Wasn¡¯t there a simr system on modern Earth? It was the patent system, right?¡¯ ¡°We have to get a patent on the product that you¡¯ve made, and we can get that done at the schools of alchemy. It just so happens that Heins Territory is home to one of the schools of alchemy¡¯srgest branches here. Let¡¯s go there.¡± Aeonitia turned stiff. She said, ¡°For some reason¡­this feels a bit too worldly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s something that a little brat would say.¡± ¡°I have also received education as a member of the royal family,¡± the girlined as if she didn¡¯t like being ignored. However, Davey simply did not answer Aeonitia at all. ¡°Goodness! Wee, wee!¡± The Vercil School of Alchemy¡¯s branch manager rushed out to wee Davey, who had suddenly popped in for a visit. Whether it was a mage tower, a school of alchemy, or a merchant group, Davey would always be their VVIP customer. It was only the natural result, since Davey always personally visited such ces. ¡°Nice to meet you. This is the first time that we have met in person.¡± ¡°Oh my! I got a call that you¡¯ll being, so I¡¯ve prepared everything! Well, then! Pleasee this way! I will make sure that this visit doesn¡¯t disappoint you!¡± Seeing the branch manager rushing in to wee them, Davey said to Aeonitia, ¡°Do you see that? This is the position of Party A. From now on, you have to learn how to act like Party A.¡± ¡°That¡­ Is it important for me to learn? Even though I¡¯ll be an alchemist and an engineer?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten what goes into your research and product development?¡± ¡°Money¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯re quite brilliant, huh?¡± ¡ªIt¡¯s good that you¡¯re teaching the child some things, but¡­ Perserque, who clicked her tongue at Davey¡¯s behavior, was not yet aware that Davey¡¯s position would only rise as long as he could maintain an appropriate level of abusing his power. The branch manager of Vercil School of Academy had taken on a lower status when greeting Davey. With how he acted so differently, he was treating Davey like the divisionmander visiting the unit. ¡°Haha. Forgive me for myck of preparation.¡± The branch manager might have said those words, but it was clear from the high-end drawing room, the expensive tea being served, and the tense expressions of the employees working in the school of alchemy that they had been preparing immensely for this. Davey was sure that all of these things had been meticulously prepared and nitpicked before his visit. ¡°Haha. I¡¯m ashamed to show you this shabby ce.¡± ¡°No, this is more than enough. In fact, I think you¡¯re showing too much hospitality here.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Anything for you! But for you to personally visit us¡­ If you need anything from us, you should have just called us. I wille and visit you instead!¡± ¡°Nothing good wille from standing out too much.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± A veryplicated look shed across the branch manager¡¯s eyes. Davey just nodded at the branch manager before pushing Aeonitia forward. Soon after, the girl brought out the small box that she had been holding onto carefully. The branch manager¡¯s eyes widened as he assessed the item to find out what it was for. After all, schools of alchemy were also ces that dealt with business. Chapter 313 The branch manager clearly hadn¡¯t gotten his position due to sheer luck. He could instantly realize the value of Aeonitia¡¯s item. It was as if he had an abacus clicking loudly inside his head. ¡°What an interesting product, huh? Since you¡¯ve brought this item here and not the mage tower, this is most likely not a magic artifact.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a small watch powered by the force of motion and natural mana,¡± Aeonitia exined her first invention. Her eyes twinkled brightly like a child boasting about her favorite toy. ¡°Goodness¡­ The mana flowing in nature is able to draw on its power to make the hands rotate. Is this thing for real? Even the greatest problem in implementation, the source of power, has no problem whatsoever¡­¡± the branch manager said as he looked at the watch intensely. He checked out the watch as apletely new invention and something that he had no knowledge of. He looked through each part of the watch with an expression of wonder and interest. Not long after, the branch manager¡¯s eyes grew wide. He realized something as he asked, ¡°Goodness¡­ Who made this product?¡± ¡°Th-That¡­¡± ¡°Aeonitia made it herself.¡± ¡°The Princess?! Oh my¡­ This¡­ This is really amazing. And it¡¯s even made with White Tree! Crafting such a fine and meticulous product out of White Tree must have been a very difficult process!¡± ¡°I only processed it the way my brother taught me to!¡± ¡°Even the source of power is amazing! It is powered up by the power being generated by the mana circting in the area! Although the source of power can¡¯t draw much, it can still draw enough power to make the parts work! And it¡¯s running urately too!¡± The branch manager jumped to his feet as if he was in a craze. He said, ¡°Prince! Please allow me to take the lead in obtaining the patent rights for this product! I promise that I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡± When Davey simply turned to look at her in silence, Aeonitia asked, ¡°What, what should I do?¡± ¡°Why are you asking me? You have to decide on this. After all, you¡¯re the one who made the product.¡± ¡°But, but still¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay even if you encounter problems. Think of it as gaining experience and just do whatever you want.¡± Aeonitia pondered for a long time before nodding her head. She was still a young child, so she could not afford to think ofplicated problems. She soon said, ¡°Th-Then, I will leave it to you! What should I do?¡± ¡°First, please sign this contract. This contract will protect your product¡¯s patent rights under me, Heins¡¯ Branch Manager Eric of Vercil School of Alchemy. This way, no one will be able to use your technology formercial purposes without obtaining your permission.¡± At the very least, this contract would remain for as long as no war took ce. Eric, the branch manager, continued to exin with sparkling eyes, ¡°In addition, the Princess¡¯ name will be registered and certified as the manufacturer of this technology and product by all of the schools of alchemy and the Continental Alliance¡¯s three Emperors! Anyone who vites this contract will receive a tremendous penalty regardless of their social status! And that¡¯s not all. You will have no problem with regards to royalties and fame! Just the fact that you have created this product in your early teens¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ What do you mean¡­?¡± For Aeonitia, who was only interested in alchemy and engineering, theseplex problems were very much unfamiliar to her. The influx of words only made her feel confused. ¡ªHow about helping her a little bit? ¡°Just get to the main point.¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m very sorry. First off, I see nothing wrong with the technology. There¡¯s no record of a patent with this technology! Yes! It would be an honor if you would allow me to proceed with the processing of this patent, Princess!¡± The branch manager could be servile when needed, but his eyes showed the true extent of his passion. He looked like he wanted to look at the inside of the watch and observe the technology if he was given the time. ¡°In, in that case¡­ Branch Manager¡­¡± ¡°We can¡¯t take so much for such a great product! I¡¯ll only charge the minimum for the patent maintenance! However, please give me the right to study this watch aspensation¡­!¡± Looking worried by the branch manager¡¯s proposal, Aeonitia immediately turned to Davey and asked, ¡°B-Brother. What should I do¡­?¡± ¡°Decide for yourself.¡± ¡°U-Ugh¡­ S-So¡­¡± ¡°Please! I will make sure to take care of even the most trivial thing!¡± Seeing Branch Manager Eric beg as if he could not miss this opportunity, Aeonitia finally bowed her head and gave in. She said, ¡°Then, then please take care of me.¡± ¡°Thank you! Princess, you¡¯re a truly magnanimous and kind person! There¡¯s no greater grace and favor than this!¡± the branch manager said as he thanked Aeonitia over and over again. Then, he looked at Davey and also said his thanks, ¡°Goodness, Prince. You truly have a great sister. Considering that Princess Aeonitia is still in her early teens, we can safely say that she will definitely be recorded as one of the greatest alchemists in the continent¡¯s history in ten or twenty years¡¯ time!¡± Davey smirked. ¡°She should be.¡± The greater Aeonitia was, the more money would fall on Davey¡¯s hands. *** Aeonitia¡¯s watch was finally released to the world. The first wave ofments were mainly about how ridiculous it was, but the story began to change once products were being created based on the watches that Aeonitia had made and released by the merchant groups. Eventually, the title of Watch Princess was given to Aeonitia. Aeonitia¡¯s expression brightened by the day. She felt so happy that the item that she had created was being well-received. *** ¡°Josiah! Let¡¯s go together!¡± With a loud shout, a short girl used quick and short steps to follow behind a ck-haired girl. She yelled, ¡°Aaaaaah! Wait! Why are you going so fast?!¡± ¡°Ah? H-Huh¡­ No reason.¡± Just recently, an unknown shockwave had suddenly exploded and disintegrated all of the existing mana inside the magic academy. This incident had forced the Magic Festival to be suspended. And by some stroke of luck, the Magic Festival was going to be held again. This time, Josiah would be present for it. ¡°Josiah! What are you going to do?¡± ¡°What am I going to¡­? Who knows?¡± ¡°I think this thing doesn¡¯t matter at all, especially after experiencing those lessons from Instructor Devy. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡± Josiah smiled. The mere mention of that lunatic instructor was enough to make her sigh. She wasn¡¯t even sure if she was in a situation where she was in trouble or not. ¡°ss F!!! ss A!!! All participating members should prepare! We will be starting the Magic Battle from now on! ss A¡¯s representatives! Voshyr Golia! Silles Carryn! Jorsha Melkon! ss F¡¯s representatives! Josiah Frances! Timmy Lendarouge! Molly Saelyn!¡± The three-on-three Magic Battle had a huge influence on the score that the sses would gain for the Magic Festival. Due to that reason, none of the sses were willing to give up on it. ¡°Fatal attacks are restricted! Any action going against the specified rules will be considered as a foul and will mark your defeat!¡± Josiah, who was silently fiddling with the symbolic robe of her ss, looked at Timmy at the stern cry of the muscr man on stage. She said, ¡°Save your mana.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be the vanguard.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say that you want to do it alone?¡± Josiah smiled bitterly. ¡°We¡¯ve learned from that lunatic. It is better for us to die than get in trouble with that madman if we lose the battle.¡± Even if Josiah was a 4th Circle mage, she would still have a hard time battling against many people all by herself. This was despite the fact that all mages were proud of their talents. Timmy soon nodded in agreement, realizing the meaning of Josiah¡¯s words. With a shrug of his shoulders, he asked, ¡°Do what you want?¡± Josiah remained silent as she lifted her oak staff. Although Instructor Devy had kept silent about the matter, she was quick-witted enough to realize just how much of a monster she had be in just a few days. She hadn¡¯t really intended for any of this to happen, but since she was already in such a situation, she nned to make full use of it. On the other hand, the representatives of ss A were looking down on ss F. All of them were grinding their teeth, with Voshyr Golia leading them all. Voshyr Golia was unstoppable and violent, even in ss A. He was the son of Duke Golia, after all. Unfortunately for them, he was also ahead of others in skills and was quite good in his subjects. It did not help that the two people in front of him right now were the two who he very much wanted to teach a lesson to. They were none other than Timmy and Josiah. However, he was most angry at Instructor Devy. He was not even sure if the Devy bastard was whoever he imed to be, but his father, Duke Golia, had pressured him into never trying to find out his identity or try to provoke him. Voshyr truly could not understand his father¡¯s approach, because Devy was just an instructor who was the same age as them. He had also heard that the bastard had only gotten the temporary instructor position because of nepotism. He could not understand what was so great about that boy, who did not even have a circle or any mana within him. To him, Devy had be ss F¡¯s temporary instructor but the boy would only be holding back ss F¡¯s magic training. ¡°The most dangerous one in ss F is Josiah Frances. As for the other two, they¡¯re nothing more than dregs. There¡¯s no way that we would lose. Just like we¡¯ve prepared before, I will be the one interfering with Josiah¡¯s magic. So, you guys have to quickly overpower those two while I hold out against her,¡± Voshyr murmured coldly with a vicious smile on his face as he looked at the tip of his small wand. He did not really n on using his family¡¯s heirloom and treasure even though he had brought it along. This item would not only raise the user¡¯s mana drastically, it also allowed them to use magic without any preparation. After all, the item could memorize five magic attacks. Obviously, the increase in mana was a vition of the Magic Festival¡¯s rules and regtions. However, that did not really matter. Most of the professors here were on his side anyway. Besides, no one would be able to recognize the item¡¯s effects if he just pretended to chant shortly as he sent out the memorized magic. This heirloom was not hailed as a treasure for no good reason. It possessed a power that could be masked, so even a 6th Circle mage would not be able to notice it. Voshyr was confident that he would not be caught. Considering that he was also a decent 3rd Circle mage, he believed that he could sessfully confuse and distract Josiah even if he did not win. In the stillness of the confrontation, Voshyr smiled brightly at Josiah and said provocatively, ¡°I did not expect that a w**re can be a mage now. What has the worlde to?¡± ¡°If vulgar provocations are considered magic, then you¡¯d be considered to be quite good. You have the qualities of a Great Sage,¡± Josiah said casually. Voshyr frowned slightly at Josiah¡¯s dismissal. Josiah had always pretended to not care about him insulting her while actually feeling hurt. But this time¡­ In fact, he was aware that Josiah was not really a frivolous and loose girl. That was why he enjoyed insulting her in this precise way. However, now, he was the one being affected by Josiah¡¯s slightly different response ¡®Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡¯ Voshyr prepared to send the fireball magic that had been stored in his wand, which glowed at the tip. He raised his wand confidently. Boom! Voshyr immediately swung his wand the moment one of the judges raised his staff and fired the signal. Hemanded, ¡°Shoot! Burn everything! Fireball!!!¡± Of course, the fireball was none other than a 3rd Circle fireball that had been created after long hours of concentration. Even though it had been summoned with a short chant, it still had a very great effect. Voshyr was sure that even Josiah, a 4th Circle Mage, would be very surprised with this. Crackle!!! Just as mes burst out of the tip of his wand and created a red fireball, Voshyr smirked at Josiah, who was standing still with her staff in her hands. He scoffed, ¡°Josiah Frances, no matter how strong you are, a single mage is no match against many people.¡± Voshyr believed that everyone was surprised by his high-speed chanting and high-quality fireball. He could tell by the surprised expressions of the judges, the professors, and the students who were watching the battle. ¡°Hoo¡­ Goodness. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s using such sophisticated and fast magic casting when he¡¯s just at the 3rd Circle.¡± ¡°As expected of Duke Golia¡¯s son.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s the son of a great family of magic.¡± The mages of the mage tower, who realized the significance of the fireball, were very surprised. They evaluated Voshyr closely. ¡°As expected of the talented students of ss A. They¡¯ll definitely reach greater heights in this world.¡± The professors were busy praising Voshyr. ¡°Goodness! Is that a magic skill that someone our age can cast?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like aplete scam.¡± As for the students, they reacted in both shock and helplessness. Voshyr, who pointed his wand at Josiah, finally began to make his move. He felt sure that Josiah was shocked by his sudden disy of power. He wondered how she would react¡­but his expression soon stiffened at the harsh voice ringing in his ears. ¡°Where are you going? You damn XXX!¡± ¡°I heard that dried anchovies'' mouths are twisted because of the nonsense they spew even until their deaths. Did your circlee from your mouth? You thought I wouldn¡¯t recognize it even if you used Memorizing Magic, right? This is why you shouldn¡¯t let underhanded bastards be.¡± ¡°What¡­ What?¡± ¡°What, what? F*cker. Come at me. I¡¯ll make sure to cook you well in oil and turn you into the perfect fried fish,¡± Josiah said provocatively. Voshyr¡¯s expression turned grim and ugly as he formed another fireball at the tip of his wand. He fired the attack fiercely toward Josiah. He cursed, ¡°Damn b*tch!¡± It was obviously toote for Josiah to chant. Even if she could, she wouldn¡¯t be able to affect Voshyr¡¯s attack at all. ¡°Interpret. Tell everything apart. Dispel.¡± Contrary to Voshyr¡¯s thoughts, the fireball flying fiercely toward Josiah scattered into thin air. It disappeared before it could even reach Josiah. ¡°Compared to that lunatic, you bastards are nothing but ants crawling on the ground. Shut up!¡± p!!! Josiah swiftly charged forward, digging in with a tight grip on her staff. Voshyr, who was surprised by Josiah¡¯s sudden charge, could not even respond. That was when he heard Josiah¡¯s cold and sharp voice rang in his ears. ¡°Do you know the best skill I have learned from that lunatic instructor? It¡¯s beating f*cking bastards!¡± ng, ng, ng!!! Everything happened in a sh. Chapter 314: Heins’ Group Tour Although Josiah has not yet fully awakened as a Vampire Lord and was still unable to use the entirety of her powers, a vampire would always be a vampire. In fact, she was a perfect andplete Vampire Lord too. It did not need to be said that a Vampire Lord was a powerful existence that acted as the pir and the absolute monarch of an entire race. In fact, they were such powerful beings that even the lunatic Davey O¡¯Rowane would not be able to easily win against them. The elves had the Divine Tree, the World Tree, and the vampires had their Vampire Lord. As long as their Lord existed, the vampires could very well be considered as one of the apex predators. However, once their Lord was gone, they would be given a huge penalty where they would not be able to ovee their cravings for blood. As for the current Vampire Lord, who was Josiah, she could not use blood energy. However, she could certainly handle magic. In fact, Josiah had already undergone several changes. Her sensitivity to mana along with her skills in handling magic had increased tremendously. All of the students in ss F had achieved shocking changes and made outstanding achievements. However, Josiah was a bit different from them. ¡®I can see mana. I can already start seeing the flow of it.¡¯ Although she could see these changes in her the more she took sses, Josiah still could not openly use her powers. She had to be wary and careful. Otherwise, she would be met with a very dangerous situation. She could tell that her instructor¡¯s serious advice was not a lie at all. ¡°Keuoook!!!¡± Josiah snorted at Voshyr Golia, who flew back in an instant. ¡°Vo-Voshyr?!¡± Seeing their team member easily beaten like that, the two other representatives of ss A, who were still standing right next to Voshyr, immediately raised their wands and aimed their magic at Josiah. However, Josiah was faster. Her staff quickly flew in. Bang! Bang! ¡°Kyaaack!¡± ¡°Keuooook!¡± Even though she did not use any of her magic skills, it did not take too long for Josiah to beat up the three opposing students. The entire audience was rendered speechless at the shocking and ridiculous end of the battle. As for Timmy and Molly, who were both on Josiah¡¯s team? They just sighed and shook their heads at her. They were supposed to show a 3:3 magic battle, but Josiah alone had beaten their opponents up with her staff. This scene was so absurd and ridiculous that everyone present waspletely overwhelmed and shocked. ¡°This¡­ This is uneptable!!!¡± The man, who took the ce of the missing Rashkan Frances as the ss A¡¯s Teaching Assistant, shouted hastily, ¡°Stu¡­ Student Josiah Frances has broken the basic rule of the magic battle! She has broken the rule: ¡®Use magic to beat the opponent.¡¯!!!¡± The crowd began to sympathize with the Teaching Assistant¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right! This is not a martial artspetition but a magic battle! This situation ispletely uneptable!¡± Duke Golia¡¯s followers immediately stepped forward to try and reverse the situation but the three representatives who were supposed to fight against Josiah¡¯s team had been rendered unconscious. Noticing this scene, they were going toin and shout about the ridiculous situation. ¡°The match was won fair and square. What¡¯s wrong with winning a magic battle while using magic?¡± After his counterargument made the audience murmur among themselves, Professor Severes said, ¡°Josiah. Exin it yourself.¡± Josiah, at Severes¡¯ prompt, raised her staff silently and gathered the mana around her. Then, she said, ¡°Haste, Strength¡­ They are obviously magic. I casted both at the same time. If you have any moreints, then I will also mention the Dispel that I used in the middle?¡± Josiah¡¯s words silenced the entire audience. In other words, Voshyr¡¯s fireball had been instantly erased by Josiah¡¯s Dispel, which had simultaneously been casted with a double chant of Haste and Strength. Since Haste and Strength were both magic, Josiah did not break any rules. In the end, the audience could not hide their shock at the absurdity of the situation. ¡°I¡¯ve been hosting the Magic Festival for years, but this is my first time ever witnessing a match like this. This ispletely absurd,¡± one of the professors mumbled incredulously before raising the g in his hand. He yelled, ¡°We acknowledge Josiah Frances¡¯ use of magic! ss F wins!¡± The match waspletely ridiculous, but it earned Josiah¡¯s team an overwhelming victory. ¡°I want to drink some blood¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh? Did you say something?¡± After hearing Josiah¡¯s murmur as she looked at the three unconscious people in front of them, Timmy turned toward her in surprise. He stuttered, ¡°Just, just now what did you¡­ That¡­¡± ¡°Ah. It¡¯s nothing,¡± Josiah evaded the question with furrowed brows. Although she had never wanted it to happen, changes were already taking ce within her body. She was in the awakening stage. The desire to suck blood had also gradually begun to surface in her head. It was not that she could not stand it, but it just felt like she was constantly craving a particrly delicious dessert. [You can only suck my blood. You have awakened after sucking my blood. If you suck anybody else¡¯s blood, then only a disaster would ur.] With her instructor¡¯s words ringing in her head, Josiah forced down the desire and slowly moved away from the stage. The battle eventually ended with Josiah¡¯s two teammates not getting the chance to use magic. However, this was just a single battle, and the Magic Festival was just beginning. With the resumption of the Magic Festival, everyone had believed that either ss A or ss B would be the ones taking the overall victory. This was unsurprising, since the academy¡¯s sses were divided by the students¡¯ skill levels. However, the entire Magic Festival had thrown their initial predictions to the wind. The results were starting to dangerously favor ss F, who had just overwhelmingly trashed ss A. ¡°Save thee! Amidst these raging mes, I call forth¡­¡± ¡°Swing thee! Show thy fantasies in their dreams. Sleep.¡± Thud! The student trying to quickly chant and cast Firebolt fell down after being hit by the Sleep Magic casted by one of the more ordinary students of ss F. Whether it was the speed of their magic, the way they applied their magic, or how they adapted to the situations presented to them, the students of ss F were able topletely overwhelm their opponents. This silenced the audience. Everyone watching the Magic Festival wanted to deny the scene in front of their eyes, because ss F had cedst in the previous Magic Festival. There were also rumors about ss F being the home of the academy¡¯s lowest ranked middle school students. However, the situation in front of them seemed to prove otherwise. Whether in the individual matches or the group battles, the ss F students swept away all of the points. Their majesty and show of dignity left a terrifyingly strong impact on all of the viewers. ¡°Ready!!! Pass it over!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to beat you up, you bastards!!!¡± Crack, crack!!! In fact, three of the ss F students could only use simple endurance magic. They were the exception as the rest of the ss showed a high level of cooperation, helping andplementing one another well. Students from the other sses, who were preparing to cast their magic, lost their bnce and copsed when the ss F students casted some strange magic that twisted and changed the terrain. After that, the attack magic that the rest of the ss F students had prepared rained down and exploded on their opponents. They were not using fantastic or amazing magic, but the size and intensity of their magic were far greater than the magic being casted by other mages at the same level as them. Baaaaang!!! Loud explosions boomed in the field for a moment. In the end, ss F swept the victory for the final game even though they only suffered minimal damage on their side. They celebrated their victory by themselves, leaving the stadium without turning back. ¡°Good job, everyone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s much easier than I expected¡­?¡± ¡°How can those guys who only practiced nonchntly be able to win against us?¡± The ss F students smiled and giggled in celebration, but they came across as terrifying and creepy to everyone else. ¡°Hey, kids.¡± Even Professor Severes, who had always maintained a cold and expressionless face, could not help but look flustered at the students¡¯ dreary smiles. He asked, ¡°What in the world did you guys¡­?¡± ¡°Professor Severes. As long as you studied under that damn lunatic, you will be like this whether you like it or not.¡± Their Instructor Devy had never followed the standards of the academy or taught them proper lessons. He had simply forced them to transform through great suffering that had made them want to die. They had felt so bad about themselves whenever they had failed to understand whatever it was he had wanted to teach. However, the creepiest and scariest part about those lessons had been the way they felt refreshed and stronger from getting beaten by him so harshly. After being exposed to such harsh and brutal treatment, the students had started to enjoy the change even though they had always wanted to protest that they were not perverted masochists. ¡°He¡­ Hehe¡­¡± The fact that even Molly Saelyn, the most timid student in ss F, was sporting a very dark and vicious smile on her face would render anyone speechless. There was nothing more to say about ss F, clearly. ¡°Cough¡­ Instructor Davey¡­ What in the world did you do to these students¡­?¡± Professor Severes mumbled to himself as he watched the ss F students who were heading back to the waiting room. ¡°Hoho. It¡¯s really amazing,¡± an old man standing behind Severes said casually. ¡°Heup! Great, Great Sage!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°When, when did you arrive? If you have just given your word, then¡­¡± ¡°Fufu. The students are the protagonists of the Magic Festival. What good will it do them if this old man appears and interferes with the event?¡± The old man chuckled as he watched the ss F students disappear into the room. Then, he said, ¡°It¡¯s really very surprising. His younger sister, Princess Winley, is a great talent and is very outstanding. But it¡¯s his existence that is very terrifying to this old man.¡± Which crazy mage would be able to make the ss F students achieve something like that in such a short amount of time? Great Sage Hellison Valestia had lived as a Great Sage for a very long time. He was also someone who had been given the title of 7th Circle Mage. However, even someone like him had never seen a method that could allow the students to grow so much and at a very terrifying speed to boot. The growth of lower-ranking mages was leagues faster than the growth of high-ranking mages. However, anyone who practiced magic knew that their growth would stop at the age of ten. They would often even be stuck at the 4th or 5th Circle, being forced to live that way for the rest of their lives. ¡°Come to think of it, Instructor Davey was rmended by the Great Sage, right? From what I recall, Instructor Davey is obviously the Saint but¡­what the hell is he, really?¡± Hellison Valestia shook his head. ¡°Hoho¡­ This old man doesn¡¯t know any more than you do. However, there is one thing that I can tell you.¡± He, as a 7th Circle master-level mage, could not even fathom the true extent of Davey¡¯s vast mana. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying about that matter at all. Perhaps¡­¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t he an 8th Circle mage? That¡¯s a level that all of the mages dream of reaching,¡¯ Hellison thought. However, he held onto such an idea because he had never seen the existence of First Lich Nyx. ¡°Right. This means that ss F is the winner, no?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ Yes. I think that¡¯s the case. But if I¡¯m being honest, I still can¡¯t believe that this is the result.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Well, didn¡¯t we say that the ss that wins first ce would have a personal meeting with this old man?¡± Hellison said calmly as he listened to the voices of the ss F students exiting the waiting room. ¡°Isn¡¯t Instructor Devy a bit too much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We even prepared a present for him, but he just disappeared. And no matter what we do, we can¡¯t find him or figure out what he is doing.¡± Hellison chuckled, nodding at the words of the passing students of ss F. He said, ¡°I see. Using my authority as the Great Sage, I think I should give the students of ss F a tour of Heins Territory.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Tell the King of the Rowane Kingdom that this old man will personally visit,¡± Hellison said, his eyes twinkling in interest at what was about to happen in the near future. ¡°Severes, when you reach this age¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Great Sage?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll be very much interested in witnessing and experiencing some small and trivial things.¡± Everyone might be praising Hellison Valestia as someone wise and calm, but Severes, who had been with him for a long time and had seen everything up close, could tell one thing that others couldn¡¯t. ¡®This old man has found something interesting to do again.¡¯ Chapter 315 A three-week-long vacation was announced right after the end of the Magic Festival. Since the Magic Festival was arge event, Shakunt Academy had always given a holiday of three to four weeks to the participating students. It was like giving carrots to the students who had been subjected to the stick. After all, they had all worked hard in preparation for the Magic Festival. Just as promised, the ss F students were now entering the Red Tower to meet with the being who every mage dreamt of meeting, Great Sage Hellison Valestia. ¡°Hoho. What would these students think if the boy of their age, who they had fought with and bickered with for nearly half a month, was a mage that this old man could notpare to?¡± Just the thought of it alone brought a smile to Hellison¡¯s face. He grinned at the dozens of students who approached the Red Tower cautiously. ¡°Everything has been prepared for the private meeting, Great Sage.¡± ¡°Hoo. Right. Since we have already seen our dear buds arriving, we should go and wee them quickly. I can¡¯t be called a Great Sage if I can¡¯t even give blessings and advice to our mages with budding talents. Hoho,¡± Hellison said with an expression of interest on his face. He tossed his ride robe and walked toward the students with a spring in his steps. Creaaaaaaaaak! ck!!! Not long after, Hellison arrived at the drawing room where the students had been led to. He could not help but burst intoughter when he saw the nervous and jittery students sitting around and waiting for him. ¡°Hohoho. Make yourself at home.¡± ¡°We, we are meeting the Great Sage!¡± Timmy was the first to jump up, greeting Hellison and bowing nervously. The rest of the students followed suit except for one. It was Josiah Frances, who only looked at Hellison with a strange expression on her face. ¡°Ho¡­¡± ¡®What a strange child. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen a child like her before,¡¯ Hellison thought to himself. With a soft smile on his face, he moved to sit on the chair that had been prepared for him. He said to the students, ¡°Now, now. Just think of me as your friendly grandpa and rx. Otherwise, we would not be able to hold a conversation at all.¡± ¡°T-That¡­¡± ¡°Oho. It¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t mind. Hoho. Right. That¡¯s that,¡± said Hellison gently. Timmy, who was still bowing, slowly raised his head. His eyes were glistening from excitement. Great Sage Hellison Valestia was hailed as the greatest mage in the entire continent and was the absolute idol of all of the student mages. His existence could be said to be a dream of everyone, who aspired to be as powerful and wise as he was. Hellison waved his hand lightly,manding the mana in the surroundings to heed his wishes. The tables, which seemed to have already been prepared in advance, slowly floated forward to settle in front of the students. At the same time, teapots and teacups appeared and set themselves in front of the students as if they were alive. ¡°Goodness¡­ He¡¯s controlling mana without chanting¡­¡± ¡°This is very surprising!¡± The students were in shock, their eyes sparkling as they watched the spectacle in front of them. However, there was one student who watched everything with a calm gaze. ¡®Instructor.¡¯ Instructor Devy was the one who had given Josiah useless anxiety. She feared that she would never see him again. Even though he was only her age, he had jumped up to her rescue and had saved her from her kidnapper. He appeared to be more mature than his age, and he also gave off an awe-inspiring feeling. But for some reason, Josiah felt that Instructor Devy was different from Great Sage Hellison Valestia. ¡®It feels wrong¡­ In the first ce, Instructor gave off the feeling that he did not need any chants when using magic. If the Great Sage feels like he¡¯s seeing through the flow of mana and manipting it by inducing its movements, then¡­¡¯ Instructor Devy, who hade to save Josiah, appeared to be directly manipting the mana around him. It was as if he had be the mana itself. It was a strange feeling. It was as if he had gone beyond the concept of manipting and controlling the mana¡­ He had seemingly transcended. The fact that Josiah could not feel the same sensation from the Great Sage made her wonder about the true identity of Instructor Devy, the boy who had taught them for a very short time. ¡®Perhaps Instructor is a dragon that only appears in fairy tales.¡¯ Dragons were known as the race that had created magic. They were very muchmon in fairy tales, but nobody knew whether they truly existed in real life or not. That was why everyone dismissed their existence as nothing but a simple legend. ¡°Hohoho. Don¡¯t let it get cold. I originally wanted to meet separately with each of you. However, due to our current situation, we have been twisted into a knot and forced to meet like this.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not a big deal! It¡¯s already an honor for us to meet with you like this!¡± Timmy shouted. Hellison smiled from his seat and said, ¡°Right. You have learned under the teacher who this old man had rmended.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That lunatic¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Ah! No, it¡¯s nothing! It¡¯s no big deal! Hahaha!¡± Timmy hastily covered his mouth. He felt embarrassed at blurting out his inner thoughts, so he quickly showed an awkward smile. ¡°Are you talking about Instructor Devy?¡± ¡°Right, Devy. That¡¯s his name. Yes. So, what kind of person is Instructor Devy in your eyes?¡± The students answered Hellison¡¯s question as if they were possessed. ¡°A lunatic.¡± ¡°A psychopath.¡± Helllison¡¯s expression turned nk for a moment. Then, he burst into boisterousughter. He found the students¡¯ answers to be funny and interesting. *** The children initially had a difficult time talking with Great Sage Hellison Valestia. However, once the topic of Instructor Devy had been breached, the students talked about their experiences with fervor. In the end, Hellison, who nodded silently and listened carefully, was able to learn about what the students had experienced under the tutge of Instructor Devy. ¡°Goodness, did you know what the instructor told us back then?¡± ¡°Run or die. If you want to survive, then run as fast as you can. If you leave everything to your instincts, then you will be able to avoid the bombs.¡± Timmy and Alyssa Yosefov both grunted in assent. ¡°My goodness. He even told us that the universe woulde forward and help us as long as we desperately hoped for salvation¡­¡± ¡°What a truly irresponsible teacher!¡± When even Loisa Foren and Ellie Taysha nodded in agreement, Heliison could not help but grin. He could tell the students wereining and feeling dissatisfied, so he thought, ¡®I¡¯ve lived for a very long time, but this is the first time that I have heard of a ss being held like that. Hoho¡­¡¯ Although the process had been hellishly crazy, the results were clearly outstanding and undeniable. It truly was shocking. Hellison, who was listening quietly to the students, saw Josiah raise her hand. He said, ¡°Ho. You¡¯re Miss Josiah Frances, no? Alright, do you have any questions?¡± ¡°What in the world is that instructor¡¯s true identity? No matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a human at all.¡± ¡°Hmm. What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°About that¡­ I think the Great Sage knows exactly what I mean.¡± When Josiah spoke so rudely to the Great Sage, Timmy freaked out. He immediately spoke up to stop Josiah, ¡°Jo-Josiah! How can you say such words to the Great Sage?!¡± ¡°Hoho. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. So, Miss Josiah Frances, can I ask you why you thought of asking such a question?¡± ¡°I thought¡­ I thought that the Great Sage would be aware of what Instructor Devy is hiding from us. To be honest, I still can¡¯t bring myself to believe what I have witnessed from him. That¡¯s why I¡¯m willing to show disrespect just to ask this question. Who the hell is¡­Instructor Devy?¡± Hellison Valestia fell silent. With a slightly troubled expression, he said, ¡°If Instructor Devy decided to hide his identity until the very end, then we have to respect his choice.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Miss Josiah Frances. You know, in this world¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­There are all kinds of people. Let¡¯s see¡­ Right. Do you know about Heins Territory?¡± Hellison asked as he gazed at all of the students. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Heins Territory, then¡­you¡¯re talking about the ce where the First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom and the Saint, Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane, is living?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s an amazing person who has turned the barren territory into the richestnd in the continent in just a year. On top of that, the First Prince is also still young.¡± The students looked indifferent and unimpressed. ¡°Well¡­ To be honest, the Saint is someone who has received the love of God. That¡¯spletely different from receiving and undergoing long hours of training.¡± ¡°Of course, I still think that he¡¯s a very wonderful person, especially after word got out that he ended the undead situation in the Pan Empire.¡± This was the students¡¯ overall image of Prince Davey. They thought of him as someone who had saved countless lives as the Saint, someone who had saved plenty ofmoners from an unidentified epidemic, and someone who had made brilliant contributions in the fight against the undead corps that could have devoured the entire continent and turned it into a battlefield. He was also the prime example of a living and breathing deity who had brought an end to therge-scale monster invasion in a maritime city. ¡°They might be of simr age, butparing such a great figure to that bully of an instructor¡­ Heup! I¡¯m sorry! I have spoken out of line¡­¡± ¡°Hohohohoho!¡± Hellisonughed, finding the students¡¯ responses to be very funny. He then asked, ¡°Alright. Then, let me ask you this. In your eyes, is the Saint, Prince Davey, a great man?¡± ¡°Of course. A Saint who has saved so many people can already be hailed as a hero.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He could be said to be the living and breathing deity! From what I heard, there were already talks of his marriage with the Pan Empire¡¯s Sword Princess.¡± ¡°Huh? I heard something else. It¡¯s said that he¡¯s already engaged with the Lyndis Empire¡¯s Imperial Princess.¡± The students began to share their opinions about Davey one by one. ¡°Then, what kind of person is Instructor Devy in your eyes?¡± ¡°A psychopath.¡± ¡°A lunatic.¡± Although they said such disparaging words, they all agreed to one fact. ¡°A mysterious teacher who can change someone in a way that¡¯s beyond one¡¯s imagination.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t want to admit it. However, it¡¯s true that he has helped us improve our skills tremendously in just 15 short days.¡± All of a sudden, Josiah thought of something as she listened to her ssmates speak. ¡®Instructor Devy¡­ Prince Davey¡­ Don¡¯t tell me!¡¯ Although a possibility popped up in her head, she quickly shook that thought away. Prince Davey was the Saint, someone who dealt with holy mana. On the contrary, Instructor Devy was a mage, a mage whose level was hard to measure and had gone beyond the determination of circles. Besides, Josiah had never felt a shred of holy mana in Instructor Devy¡¯s body. Above all, it was not aughing matter to suggest that their instructor had been Prince Davey, a Saint, a living and breathing deity and a hero who had saved countless lives. Josiah was also sure that Prince Davey was someone who had a soft and kind smile, not the sneer and infuriating smirk that their instructor had always shown them. Perhaps Prince Davey was even a prince who always rode on a white horse, just like in the fairytales. This was something that Josiah believed to be true. It had to be said that rumors were not a true reflection of reality. As for Prince Davey¡¯s image, it was just something that Josiah had envisioned and imagined. ¡®If that guy is Prince Davey, then I¡¯ll torch my hand with a fireball,¡¯ Josiah thought, shaking her head. The thought of that alone was enough to bring disaster and despair to everyone here. In the first ce, the premise that Prince Davey and Instructor Devy could be the same person just felt wrong. After all, how could a Saint who used holy mana also be a mage? Sword mages existed, but there had been no instance in all of history that anyone could use both magic and holy mana at the same time. ¡°Speaking of Instructor Devy. Since he did not reveal and tell you his identity, it¡¯s only right that you don¡¯t hear it from me. Maybe he¡¯ll tell you himself. Or you might find out about his identity by ident. We have to show a modicum of respect.¡± ¡°R-Right,¡± Josiah mumbled bitterly, sping her hands together. ¡®I want to see you again. His¡­ I want to suck his blood again.¡¯ Josiah quickly shook her head. ¡®What, what am I thinking?!¡¯ Josiah, confused by her own thoughts, cautiously turned to look at Hellison. ¡°Hoho, alright. Well, I think I can still give you a bit of news about Instructor Devy.¡± ¡°Really? Where can we see him?!¡± ¡°Right! That instructor disappeared without even saying goodbye!¡± Hellison chuckled at the students¡¯ outburst. His smile was filled with interest, as if he was a child who had found a new toy to y with. ¡°That¡¯s right. He said that he¡¯s going to the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s Heins Territory. Perhaps he has some business there.¡± Hellison¡¯s words drew the attention of the students in the room. ¡°Perfect timing, no? Experiencing the world is just as important as studying. We can¡¯t just keep ourselves locked up in the academy, can we? So, what do you say? Would you like to go on a holiday to the Heins Territory?¡± ¡°Heins¡­Territory?¡± ¡°Yes. This old man happens to have a bit of a rtionship with Prince Davey. How about experiencing the big wide world and meeting the living and breathing deity, the Saint? At the same time, you can also take this opportunity to find Instructor Devy. Isn¡¯t this killing two birds with one stone?¡± ¡°Ah! I heard that the Watch Princess also lives in the Heins Territory! She¡¯s an alchemist who has made several great inventions even though she¡¯s just in her early teens¡­¡± ¡°Goodness! There truly are a lot of amazing people in the world!¡± Once these students had experienced the world, they would realize that the stereotypes and misconceptions that they had built for themselves were useless before reality. This was what Hellison intended for them to learn. ¡®A picture is worth a thousand words.¡¯ It was better for them to see and experience it themselves than hear thousands of words from him. Prince Davey¡¯s actions had led to the incredible growth in these students in just 15 days. Hellison could not help but wonder how much more these students would grow once they had broken out of their own misconceptions and stereotypes. Hellison also believed that the students would receive great enlightenment once they saw the boy, who had broken throughmon sense by having both holy mana and elemental mana in his body. So what if Prince Davey would eat some shit in the process? That would be very interesting. Perhaps it would even trigger some huge chaos in the Red Tower. However, Hellison believed that the Prince Davey who he knew was not so ruthless that he would resort to doing something like that. The saying that ¡°ignorance is bliss¡± was very apt for this situation. Chapter 316 ¡°It¡¯s almost finished. To be honest, I¡¯m still in a bit of a daze. This is the first time I have ever worked on something so quickly.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Now, all we have to do is wait for a while longer. Then, we can distribute power to the entire territory, even to the houses of themon people.¡± ¡°This time, Aeonitia ns to install a simple system of mana lights, notnterns, in every home. So, please help her out again.¡± ¡°Hoho. The young princess¡¯ imagination is always very surprising.¡± Davey could only nod at the report of Elder Goulda, who was in charge of technological assistance, as he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t have any more spare time, right? ¡°Cough¡­ The Yellowstone Tribe is only starting to get used to the working system. Most of the craftsmen and artisans are locked up in the workshop. I know that you have enough money to hire people to help us, but there¡¯s just not enough craftsmen and artisans to direct them in their work.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I knew that we would eventually reach this point, so I have already gently coaxed the best construction engineers in the entire continent,¡± Elder Goulda shouted confidently while handing a small letter to Davey. ording to the letter, the Redstone Tribe¡¯s dwarves would be willing to help in the necessary work to be done in the Heins Territory. This was provided that Davey would share one of his skills with them. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to worry about! I have decided to just pass on two of the numerous skills that the Wise Teacher has taught our Yellowstone Tribe. I¡¯m sorry to have done something like this without discussing it with you first, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Davey had no qualms with epting this proposal. In fact, he weed it. After all, everyone knew just who the Redstone Tribe was. Each of the dwarven viges had their own set of skills and specialties, and the Redstone Tribe that lived in the southernmost end of the Central Continent was home to the continent¡¯s greatest construction engineers. Their tribe was like the metropolitan city of the dwarves. With their help, Davey would only have to deal with the mostplicated part of the technology. As for the rest? It would be fine to leave it to the members of the Redstone Tribe. They did not use any well-kept secret, since they had used their techniques and technology to help build many buildings of the Three Empires. ¡°Redstone Tribe¡­ They¡¯re not so bad, no?¡± ¡°The most pressing matter for the Heins Territory is the number of craftsmen and artisans. We would need a lot of skilled engineers and craftsmen to develop fast. What do you think? I think it¡¯s best to leave the problems rted to the architecture of the academy that we will set up in the western part of the territory to them.¡± ¡°Good. Then, let¡¯s go and get that meeting done with.¡± Elder Goulda smiled at Davey with a bright expression. As if he knew that this would have been Davey¡¯s answer, he said, ¡°Perfect timing then. Two elders from the Redstone Tribe have arrived in hopes of meeting the Wise Teacher. They are currently waiting for you. They even made sure to bring you something so they can get a piece of the pie.¡± After listening to Elder Goulda¡¯s words, Davey was confident that there was nothing for him to worry about anymore. He quickly stood up from his seat and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet with them right away, then.¡± ¡°Oh! Your Highness!¡± Monmider, who was walking on the other end of the hall, rushed forward when he saw Davey step out of his office. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°That¡­ Letters came from the Pan Empire and the Red Tower.¡± ¡°The content of the letter?¡± Davey asked calmly. Monmider, who fell in step with Davey, ryed the contents of the letter, ¡°The letter from the Pan Empire contained news of the return of Princess Illyna from her closed-door training. It seems like she has crossed over the master¡¯s wall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± Bing a Sword Master before the age of twenty was quite ridiculous, since it was originally a realm that could not be touched just from sheer talent alone. However, Illyna was simply too talented. After all, she was someone who had the talent to awaken the ego of the divine sword and be its owner. Davey had shown her how to do that once, so he was sure that she could eventually reach that level on her own. ¡°Send her a present to congratte her. She wouldn¡¯t like any fine and delicate jewelry, so just send her a pair of wrist braces.¡± ¡°Then, the other letter is from the Red Tower. They are contacting us about their apprentices'' future visit to the Heins Territory. It seems like it¡¯s a request from Great Sage Hellison Valestia.¡± ¡°Refuse it. It¡¯s too troublesome,¡± Davey answered bluntly. Monmider hesitated before saying, ¡°That¡­ His Majesty King Krianes¡­has already agreed.¡± ¡°This old geezer¡­¡± Davey looked annoyed. Monmider¡¯s face twitched. He then asked, ¡°How should we wee them?¡± ¡°This damned ranking and status¡­ It¡¯s sickening and disgusting. I really have to gain independence soon¡­¡± Davey grumbled almost rebelliously. Monmider¡¯s expression did not change as he asked again, ¡°Should we get ready then?¡± ¡°Are you nuts? I¡¯m just saying it on the fly. It¡¯s a royal decree, so you have to ept it. That old geezer is taking my side because it¡¯s convenient for him. However, if I refuse to ept this, then things will get sour.¡± Monmider then pulled out a short list. He was the Captain of the Royal Guards, but the security of the territory was so good that he did not have much to do with his actual job. Not wanting to be a sry thief, he had started helping Amy with her work. ¡°Here is the list of the apprentices, along with the noble or royal families that they are affiliated with. The list has all the detailed information¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a bit busy so let¡¯s stop this here. Anyway, if you coax those snotty brats gently, then I am sure that they will explore on their own.¡± At that moment, everyone present looked at Davey with absurd and strange expressions. ¡ªThis will be your downfall. ¡°Davey. Physical age, 17. Judgment: nothing much.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Davey retorted calmly before going toward where the Redstone Tribe¡¯s dwarves, who would be in charge of the territory¡¯srge projects, were waiting. *** The procession from Lindhall, the home of the best magic academy, Shakunt Academy, to Heins Territory was uneventful. They usually would have chosen to use mana gates, but some of them had wanted to take the scenic route and enjoy this trip leisurely. In the end, they chose to ride horses for this journey. Mages tended to have weak bodies, but the ss F students had all grown stronger from their vicious teacher¡¯s type of harsh education. Their physical strength and endurance were really starting to shine. ¡°Miss Yosefov, are we really going to the Heins Territory? To be honest, it doesn¡¯t feel real at all.¡± ¡°Ah, Derrin. Well, to be honest, I know that we¡¯re going to see a great man. But I still do not understand the reason why¡­¡± Alyssa Yosefov said. A boy with a small stature tilted his head in confusion. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°No. I understand that he¡¯s a very amazing man. But even if he¡¯s an amazing man, he¡¯s not an amazing mage. So, why do we have to go on a field trip to meet with him? Can we even gain something from this trip?¡± Alyssa shared her honest opinion. However, the boy¡¯s attention waspletely focused somewhere else. He said, ¡°The Saint, Prince Davey, is really a great and amazing man¡­ I¡¯m sure he has a really cool personality, right?¡± ¡°From what I heard, his age is not that much different from ours. However, he has made countless achievements across the entire continent. I also heard that his holy magic is almost like God¡¯s miracle.¡± ¡°For real?¡± ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t seen him in person yet. But¡­ Hehe¡­ I heard rumors that he¡¯s very handsome. I personally heard it from ady who previously attended a ball and had seen Prince Davey in person. That¡¯s why I¡¯m quite looking forward to this meeting,¡± Alyssa Yosefov said. Derrin gently patted his horse¡¯s back as if he was coaxing it to go a bit faster. He said, ¡°You know, our house is a devout believer of Goddess Freyja. That¡¯s why I¡¯m really looking forward to this trip!¡± The two of them were not the only ones having such conversations. All the students from ss F had several questions about the procession. They also greatly looked forward to this trip. [The world is vast. Meet a lot of people and look at what you can learn from them. If you look close enough, you will be able to learn even from a three-year-old child. What more if it¡¯s someone who has made several achievements like that?] There was no way that the Great Sage would lie to them, right? After their talk with the Great Sage, the students had gained plenty of enlightenments. Because of that, they had considerable trust in his words that had emphasized how they should take a tour around Heins Territory. They were just a tad bit excited at the fact that the boy who they would be seeing had already aplished great things despite being the same age as them all. ¡°By the way, Heins Territory is really huge, right?¡± After entering the Rowane Kingdom and reaching the outskirts of Heins Territory, the students could not help but look at the wide ins in awe. ¡°The Saint, Prince Davey, is a very great man. Heins Territory was a dyingnd, with its entire area gued by a curse. It had a horrendous climate, so it had been abandoned for a long time,¡± Derrin exined. All of the students looked at Derrin, then asked, ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Derrin, you said that you know a lot about Heins Territory and the Saint, Prince Davey, right?¡± ¡°From what I heard, Prince Davey has only governed the Heins Territory for less than a year. He had first arrived here when there were only around 200 citizens. The territory was so dreary and barren that they had a hard time surviving the winter. But now, their territory is housing thousands of people.¡± ¡°The territory became famous in just less than a year?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s really famous, right? It¡¯s mainly because of their moon grass business. However, they¡¯re also known for being the only city that has epted the dwarves and the very popr elves as their permanent residents.¡± ¡°Elves¡­ I want to see them just once¡­¡± Timmy mumbled. Molly Saelyn, who heard Timmy¡¯s mumbles, pouted while Alyssa Yosefov pulled Timmy¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Aaack!¡± ¡°You deserve it.¡± Everyone ignored the frowning Timmy and turned back to Derrin once again. ¡°However, it looks so nice and pretty now. It used to be barrennd?¡± one of the students asked as they looked at the vast green field in front of them. It was the very same field that had not yet been touched by any human hands. ¡°ording to the rumors that I¡¯ve heard, Goddess Freyja was very much moved by Prince Davey¡¯s prayers and decided to bless thend. That¡¯s why they are able to grow vegetation now and even nt moon grass. On top of that, I heard that monsters don¡¯t evene here.¡± The students were all surprised by Derrin¡¯s vast knowledge about the territory and the Saint. ¡°You¡­ Why do you know so much about this ce?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Hahaha. Because my parents are passionate followers of Prince Davey¡­¡± ¡°But I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s very excited?¡± Josiah teased Derrin in good spirits, making the boy bow his head sheepishly. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s¡­ I can¡¯t?¡± When Derrin asked that ufortable question, Josiah felt embarrassed. She stuttered, ¡°Who¡­ Who said that you can¡¯t be excited?¡± ¡°Anyway. Tch, tch.¡± ¡°Actually, my older brother is a knight of the Pan Empire. Prince Davey had saved my brother¡¯s life before¡­¡± If that was the case, then it was very understandable. ¡°Prince Davey is a truly amazing guy. He¡¯s probably a very caring and wonderful person! To be honest¡­ He¡¯s my role model! He¡¯s a living and breathing deity! He¡¯s someone who fulfills the nobles¡¯ duty! A lot of people also praise Prince Davey. It¡¯s proof of how great he is!¡± Derrin burst out in pure excitement. ¡°If we¡¯re going topare, then Instructor Devy is quite simr, no? He¡¯s a Sword Master, right?¡± Since Josiah was the only one who had seen their Instructor Devy use magic properly, the rest of the students only believed that their instructor was a mere human who had the power that was equivalent to a Sword Master. ¡°Instructor¡­ Devy¡­ Haha¡­¡± Derrin said, his awkward smile turning into a sneer. ¡°If you¡¯re going to makeparisons, then make sure to pick someone better. Comparing Prince Davey to such a bully is an insult to the Saint!¡± ¡°S¡­ Sorry. Don¡¯t shout like that.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t say such nonsense ever again! Instructor Devy is amazing. However, he¡¯s an absolute loser when ites to being human.¡± ¡°R¡­ Right¡­¡± The students, who were being pulled along by Derrin¡¯s momentum, could only nod in agreement. However, none of them could refute his words. After all, they all held onto simr thoughts deep down in their hearts. A few days after they had departed from Lindhall with their carriages and horses, the students finally arrived at the center of the Heins Territory. They could not take their eyes off of the novel and splendid sight that the city offered to them. ¡°Look¡­ Look over there! The mage towers are all lined up together!¡± ¡°Goodness! Aren¡¯t those dwarves?! They also have beastfolk here?! Isn¡¯t that girl a member of the rare and elusive rabbitfolk?!¡± one of the students shouted with glittering eyes. He had caught sight of a girl who seemed to be a member of the rabbitfolk working as a maid and carrying a huge sack behind her. ¡°Oh my goodness. That beautiful woman is an elf¡­¡± ¡°But I think that¡¯s a man?¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± All of the students looked at the sight that was extremely hard toe by in the entire continent. However, that was not the only thing that surprised them. The territory¡¯s system of waterways and even the architectural style of the buildings that lined their streets were all sophisticated and beautiful. ¡°I want to live here¡­¡± ¡°Goodness, Prince Davey must truly be a very great man.¡± The students, who looked bewitched and dazed, slowly walked inside the lord¡¯s castle. Upon entering, they found a red-haired girl and a blue-haired girl running around the halls of the castle. ¡°Kyahahaha! Catch Red Ribbon~¡± ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Lwe, lwet¡¯s gwoo togwether!¡± the blue-haired girl gasped as she diligently chased after the red-haired girl who yfully teased her. ¡°Caution! Caution! Rinne judges that this has huge adverse effects on the efficiency of the physical body! Rinne demands a break!¡± a silver-haired girl with wings on her back called out while following behind the two children. The students were dazed upon witnessing that sight. They slowly followed a maid and entered the drawing room of the lord¡¯s castle. ¡°Please wait here for a bit. My Lord has contacted us and said that he would arrive here shortly.¡± The students nodded after the castle¡¯s butler spoke to them gently. Their eyes shone with anticipation. ¡°We¡¯re so sorry to pay a sudden visit as a group. We¡¯re truly grateful for your kind hospitality.¡± ¡°Hoho. It¡¯s alright. We have already discussed this earlier. My Lord is also awaiting your arrival, so you can just rx here.¡± The students¡¯ fantasies about Davey grew further and further away from the truth with the words of the old butler, who had introduced himself as Bernile. ¡°What kind of person is he?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ By any chance, is it possible to get close with him somehow?¡± ¡°Come on, we might just be students from noble families right now. But the other person is the number one candidate for the best groom in the continent. What else can we do, right?¡± The girls, who wanted to fulfill their dreams, and the boys, who respected the Prince Davey of their imaginations, were all curious about what kind of person he was. Just when each of their delusions about the prince grew bigger and bigger¡­ ¡°Thank you for your patience. His Highness, Prince Davey has arrived¡­¡± Before the old butler could even finish his words, the door slowly opened to reveal a boy dressed in a neat military uniform. The boy asked, ¡°Where are they from?¡± ¡°The magic academy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of magic academies? Whatever. What¡¯s done is done. There¡¯s nothing else we can do. That Great Sage geezer already knew that we¡¯re busy building our own academy and he still requested to have some kind of field trip in here¡­¡± The rxed and nonchnt voice grew louder and louder as the boy, who seemed to be talking to someone, entered the room. At the same time, the students¡¯ tension and nervousness increased. Then¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± Chapter 317 Two elders of the Redstone Tribe were waiting for Davey at one of the inns in Heins Territory. ¡°Oooh! You came!¡± ¡°Hoo¡­ You¡¯re such a young human, but you possess great skill¡­¡± The two red-bearded dwarves walked forward and openly showed their curiosity toward Davey. Their reactions were unsurprising, since this was their first time meeting with Davey. They both nodded as they reached their hands out for a handshake. ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you, the Wise Teacher! I have been wanting to meet you ever since we heard that you¡¯ve done us a great favor by recreating the Primordial Inferno!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Garm! And this old man over here is Gaerm!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Davey O¡¯Rowane. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you,¡± Davey responded in kind, following the dwarven etiquette. His actions brought great delight to the Redstone Tribe¡¯s elders. ¡°Hahahaha! A human who knows the dwarven etiquette! The more I look at you the more I grow fond of you!¡± ¡°Oho! You crazy old fogeys! Why are you showing that kind of attitude to the Wise Teacher? Have you forgotten just how much help and grace he has given our race?!¡± ¡°Eyy¡­ You Yellowstone rascals are always so hot-tempered. Tch, tch.¡± Garm clicked his tongue before taking out a box and handing it over to Davey. He said, ¡°Please ept this. Although our Redstone Tribe did not personally receive your grace, it¡¯d be a disgrace for us dwarves to not return the favor. Especially since you¡¯ve contributed to the recreation of the Primordial Inferno! This is a ne made by our vige¡¯s greatest craftsman! It¡¯s also an artifact that can contain magic!¡± Davey opened the small box to reveal a finely-crafted ne that had been delicately iid with small jewels. ¡°You will have happy moments if you give this to your precious person and help them wear it. Well, it¡¯s just half-superstition. Hohohoho!¡± Garmughed heartily at his own words. Looking over, Gaerm immediately knocked Garm¡¯s stomach with his elbow. ¡°Cough!¡± ¡°Shall we first go to the castle?¡± ¡°No need. We¡¯re here as engineers. We¡¯ve alsoe here on behalf of the other engineers and craftsmen. We already heard from the Yellowstone Tribe that you want to build an academy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Since you want the academy to be a ce where everyone, including dwarves, elves, beastfolk, orcs, humans, and other beings, could attend sses¡­it¡¯d have to be on a big scale. Alright. As long as you provide us with what we¡¯ve asked for, we will build it for you. Just give us three months.¡± ¡°Three months?¡± ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t really take that long. Our Redstone Tribe is thergest dwarf vige and all of our men are engineers and architects. We have thousands of craftsmen who could work on this. We¡¯re also very familiar with the use of magic tools, so we can speed up the process,¡± Garm said confidently. Feeling Davey¡¯s gaze on him, Elder Goulda said, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible. Well, Wise Teacher... It¡¯s a bit hard to admit this, but our Yellowstone Tribe will require two to three years to finish this construction project if we decide to take it on.¡± ¡°Alright. You said you wanted to learn technological skills, no?¡± ¡°Of¡­ Of course! We¡¯re not asking for too much! We just want you to share some of the skills and techniques that you have taught the Yellowstone Tribe!¡± This was a very easy deal for Davey, who thought it to be a no-brainer. *** ¡®Ah, that was perfect.¡¯ Elders Garm and Gaerm were both like reckless bulls, hurriedly leaving to deliver the good news to their vige. They wanted to get started faster than what Davey had expected. With the deal confirmed, Davey left Elders Garm and Gaerm in Elder Goulda¡¯s care so that they could personally see the technology and skills that would be shared with them. He returned to the lord¡¯s castle and saw Red Ribbon running around excitedly. Red Ribbon ran over to Davey and immediately hugged him. ¡°Ah! Daddy!¡± ¡°Oh my. You can¡¯t run in the halls.¡± ¡°Yeees~¡± Red Ribbon excitedly answered as Davey held her high up. Blue Ribbon, who had carefully been following her sister, stretched out her hands toward Davey. ¡°Blue¡­ Blue Ribbon too¡­¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Your Highness, the visiting students are waiting for you. Shall I guide you there?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Davey decided that the visiting students could explore Heins Territory by themselves. All he had to do was encourage and motivate them enough for a while. ¡°Where are they from?¡± ¡°The magic academy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there a lot of magic academies? Whatever. What¡¯s done is done. There¡¯s nothing else we can do. That Great Sage geezer already knew that we¡¯re busy building our own academy, but he still requested to have some kind of field trip in here¡­¡± Davey continued to speak as he opened the door to the drawing room. When he felt the room¡¯s stiff and depressing atmosphere, he felt his curiosity growing as to who the students were. ¡°Huh?¡± Davey blinked in surprise upon seeing the visiting students¡¯ faces. ¡°Hey. Timmy. Who am I looking at right now?¡± Alyssa Yosefov asked. ¡°An illusion,¡± Timmy murmured nkly in reply. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Do I have some problem with my eyesight¡­?¡± The other students also had the same reaction. Davey could see the dozens of students present in the drawing room. He knew all of them by name. Once a question popped into his mind, he asked, ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± Feeling dazed and absent-minded, one of the students quietly said, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ We¡¯re hoping you could give us an answer, Instructor Devy.¡± *** Faced with such an unexpected confrontation, Davey quickly understood how this situation hade to be. He thought, ¡®The visiting students are from the magic academy, and they havee at the rmendation of Great Sage HellisonValestia.¡¯ The gears in his head turned quickly and he soon came to a single conclusion. Now, he had to make careful decisions and quickly follow up with his actions. ¡°I will stop by the Red Tower soon. Leave my schedule nk.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?! Heup?! My, my Lord! My Lord, no! Her Highness Princess Winley is there¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it once I get there. Leave.¡± Attendant Bernile, who had been following Davey, bowed his head with a nk expression. ¡°Hnnghh¡­ Daddy?¡± Red Ribbon, who was sucking on her finger, looked up at Davey and asked. ¡°Da-Daddy?!¡± ¡°That¡­ That cute littledy, don¡¯t tell me¡­?¡± The students still had nk faces as they struggled to ept the situation before them. After a long silence, the bravest student, Timmy, slowly raised his hand and asked, ¡°Uhmmm¡­ Instructor Devy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why¡­ Why are you here?¡± Timmy asked, as if trying to make a final resistance. Davey stroked the hair of Red Ribbon, who was pinching his cheeks, before answering, ¡°Why am I here? What¡¯s wrong with me being here in my own house?¡± All of the students frowned as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water. Among them, the one who reacted the strongest was¡­ ¡°This, this can¡¯t be¡­ This is a disaster¡­ a disaster!!!¡± ¡­the little boy named Derrin, who was panicking and holding his head in his hands. *** Whenever humans experienced bad events, they would usually undergo several changes. The first stage was denial and the attempt to escape from reality. ¡°Ey¡­ This is a joke. Right?¡± ¡°You know what kind of person Instructor Devy is. Something is obviously going on here, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re simr in age, so they might be close friends.¡± The second stage was anger. ¡°No! Damn it! This is impossible, right?!¡± ¡°How can the Saint, Prince Davey, and Instructor Devy be the same person?!¡± The third stage was sadness. ¡°Sob¡­ Sob, sob¡­ The world is now ruined.¡± ¡°Everything has copsed. How can this world¡­?!¡± ¡°This is a disaster¡­ A disaster¡­ It seems like Goddess Freyja is punishing all humans for our greed¡­¡± The fourth stage was giving up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Red Ribbon tilted her head and looked at the students who had fallen silent. Then, she jumped out of Davey¡¯s arms and ran to Timmy, who was closest to where Davey was, and patted his arm. She asked gently, ¡°Hnngh¡­ Big brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Regardless of whether the truth of Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon was more shocking than their appearances, Timmy remained listless and despondent. Josiah Frances, who held a fireball in her hand, chanted sadly, ¡°Ruined¡­ The world is ruined¡­¡± From Davey¡¯s perspective, Josiah had lost most of her patience and calm demeanor upon bing the Vampire Lord. Watching the entire situation unfold, Davey could not stand still. He asked, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re all regressing as a group¡­?¡± He had never taught these students stupid things like to ignore the reality of any situation. It seemed like they had forgotten what he had taught them. ¡°Heup?!¡± Davey had a grim smile as he snatched Josiah¡¯s arms and dispelled the fireball magic that she was about to use. Finally epting the situation that they were in, the students slowly turned to look at Davey with stiff expressions. ¡°I-Instructor Devy¡­ Are you really Prince Davey?¡± ¡°Aren''t the names simr?!¡± ¡°How many people do you think can be both a priest and a mage?!¡± The shocked students began to debate among themselves. Their instructor and Prince Davey had simr names, but this situation of them being the same person just seemed¡­almost impossible. Itckedmon sense. ¡®Wait.¡¯ ¡ªI think the Great Sage wants these children to know your identity and realize what you are and what you¡¯re capable of? By allowing these children to experience something novel within theirfort zones, they could discover new changes and possibilities for themselves. It was a pretty good idea. However, it did not mean that Davey felt good about being used like this. ¡°Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, how about going to see something fun with Daddy?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Blue Ribbon wants to see! I want to see!¡± Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon answered Davey with excitement. Then, the students immediately turned their attention toward the two girls, both of whom had a deadly level of cuteness. ¡°I-Instructor. Are these two youngdies really your daughters?¡± ¡°Are they twins? But their hair colors are different¡­¡± ¡°Considering your age¡­ Weren¡¯t you too young when you had them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Even if you got married right after youring of age, there¡¯s still a limit to how fast you can have a baby¡­¡± Some of the students even questioned how Davey could have had two kids on his own. ¡°Rinne, prepare the Decepticon Fleet. You¡¯re going to have some practice.¡± ¡°Rinne epts the order. Is Elder Brain Rinne allowed to participate in the practice?¡± ¡°Do as you like.¡± ¡®I will show all of you hell.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. You all came here for a field trip, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Davey smiled at his students, who looked like they had lost everything in the world. He said, ¡°I heard the news. It seems like you won first ce in the Magic Festival. Good job.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Yes¡­¡± ¡°Since you came all the way here, I¡¯ll make sure to show you a field trip that you will never forget. Well then, let¡¯s warm up first.¡± *** The eastern area of the Heins Territory was not yet developed. It was still covered withrge fields and dense forests. After bringing the students to this area, Davey pulled out a cube and toyed with it in his hands. He tossed it up and down casually. It would have been nice if Annabelle was here to participate, but she was currently protecting Winley back at the Red Tower. On top of that, the Avengers Squadron was still in the process of expanding their ranks. This meant that Davey could not take them out to be used even if he had wanted to. All Davey could use was the Decepticon Fleet, but that was already more than enough. In this situation, the students were amazing subjects for Davey to collect more data for the Decepticon Fleet that had been upgraded to the Master-level. ¡ªHow can you use your own students to gather data for your golems¡¯ growth¡­? ¡°So? Who told them to freak out? What did they say? A disaster? It seems like they have gone crazy, no?¡± Looking at their surroundings, the students became even more alert and excited. Davey approached them slowly and asked with a smile, ¡°How does this ce look?¡± ¡°This, this ce?¡± ¡°Who, who knows?¡± Davey nodded at the students, who started to freak out and observe his every move. They wondered what he was doing to say or do next. Slowly stepping away from them, he then turned around and left the area. He said, ¡°I will make sure to let you experience something fun. I will let you have as much fun as you desire to y around and rest during the holidays.¡± The students¡¯ expressions began to change. They knew that Davey¡¯s words, which came across as positive news, were nothing good at all. ¡°Megatron. Permission granted for the use of chain saw and drill. Ops: Artillery Mode.¡± [Ops preparation. Complete.] After Megatron¡¯s answer rang in his ears, Davey said, ¡°I have already set up a barrier. So, let¡¯s y and have some fun.¡± Bang!!! As a purple missile suddenly shot out, one of the students who had been absent-mindedly staring at his surroundings jumped up in panic. He thought that he was going to be wiped out, since the missile flew right by his feet. ¡°Hiiik?!¡± Davey smiled at the panicked expression on the student¡¯s face. Then, he shouted loudly so that all of the students could hear. ¡°It seems like the Great Sage wants to give you all a good source of enlightenment. Then, I have to live up to that expectation, right? Megatron. CS Nausea Bullet at maximum output. Launch.¡± [Launching.] Boom!!! A vicious and scary bullet flew through the air. It carried a force that could easily drag a human down to the depths of hell. ¡®You don¡¯t have something like this in your house, right?¡¯ Chapter 318 The students¡¯ eyes grew as wide as saucers when the missiles, which shed with purple light, suddenly appeared in front of them. After being targeted by a missile, one of the students lost strength in his legs and fell down to the ground. He trembled. If he had just been a second toote, he would have already been torn into pieces and crushed by that missile This sense of crisis drove the students into a panic. It did not help that all they could see were vast ins and the dense forest. ¡°What, what the hell was that thing that flew over¡­?¡± ¡°It seems like the Great Sage wants to give you all a good source of enlightenment. Then, I have to live up to that expectation, right? Megatron. CS Nausea Bullet at maximum output. Launch.¡± A momentter, a voice from hell rang loudly in the students¡¯ ears. Then, dozens of purple missiles appeared in the sky above them. Looking up, they thought that they had experienced something simr before¡­ ¡°No way¡­¡± Poof! A disaster soon fell from the sky above. There was no explosion, but the students saw light being apanied by an eerie sound. Fwiiiiiiiiiish!!! ¡°What¡¯s this?! It¡¯s spreading on the ground! What the hell did that lunatic do again?!¡± The students had experienced a simr situation before, so they did have an idea of what they could do. With the ability to cast Shield Magic, they immediately casted a line of connecting shields to protect their peers. Unfortunately, their skill in Shield Magic was not strong and precise enough to prevent the flow of air. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s this smell¡­?¡± ¡°Keok?!¡± ¡°Heup?! Urgh!!! Ughhh!!!¡± All hell broke loose. With smoke stinging their eyes and covering the entire area, the struggling students copsed on the ground. Theypletely forgot to keep casting their magic. ¡°Keuaaaaaaaack! My eyes! My eyes!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s stinging! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± To the students, this situation hade as aplete surprise. They had thought that Instructor Devy, no, Prince Davey was going to do something else. Right now, their rtionship was not between instructor and students; their rtionship was between a high-ranking person, a Saint, and visiting students from a magic academy. However, taking that out of consideration, the students knew that their instructor was someone who would do unimaginable things willingly and with conviction as long as he was given a purpose. All of them were prepared for a possible raid, but none of them had expected the raid toe in the form of an unknown smoke that gave them what seemed to be motion sickness. They could not even control their bodies as their heads spun fiercely. Tears and snot stained their young faces as the smoke entered their bodies. In fact, their mouths hung wide open as they could not help but drool. It was literally hell on earth. The sudden appearance of the unknown smoke had dragged the faces of the sons and daughters of noble and royal families down to the ground. Some of the students immediately rubbed and wiped their faces clean of whatever stains they had. ¡°Aaaaaaaack!¡± ¡°My, my breath! I can¡¯t breathe!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rub your faces! Don¡¯t wipe it!¡± shouted the quick-witted Josiah at her ssmates. She had a red face and bloodshot eyes. After seeing the faces of the other students who had inhaled the smoke, she quickly covered her nose and mouth. ¡°We, we have to get away from this ce! W-We won¡¯t be able to breathe here!¡± The students finally realized that the smoke could not be dealt with through their shields, so they decided to escape from the area where the missiles continued to rain down and create even more smoke. Before they could run far away, they were suddenly brought into a desperate situation that brought back terrible memories. What was shame when they had been plunged into misery? All the students could only think about running away from here and breathing fresh air right away. ¡°Open up!!!¡± ¡°Kyaaack! I hate this! Let me go! I hate it!¡± Alyssa Yosefov mmed her body against the barrier with her hands still covering her nose and mouth. She could guess exactly how she looked without even seeing her face. ¡°You¡¯re doing well. Megatron, note that down. Refrain from using any killing move and just overpower them.¡± After that observation, the crying students heard a loud roar and flinched. They desperately tried to open their eyes only to see a metal giant with arge and bizarre saw in one hand and a gigantic and vicious drill, a weapon that looked like a weird cylinder, in the other. ¡°D-Dodge!!!¡± some of the students shouted in unison, instinctively realizing the danger in front of them. The metal giant took a huge step forward and began traumatizing the students, who would never forget this incident in their lives. *** The students were all lying on the messy and chaotic field with nk looks on their faces. Despite the exhaustion seeping through their bones, they still could not help theugh that escaped from their mouths. ¡°Ha¡­ We survived, right?¡± Timmy murmured in a daze as he slowly sat up. The smoke that had created hell on earth and the metal giant that had attacked them so suddenly had shown power that was beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. ¡°Molly. Molly, are you alr¡­? Pfft¡­¡± Timmyughed after helping Molly, who could not lift herself off of the ground, up. ¡°Don¡¯t look! Don¡¯t look!!!¡± Molly freaked out, covering her face with one hand and recklessly pping Timmy with the other. ¡°Uwaack! Ack! Stop! Stop!¡± Molly Saelyn was usually calm and timid, but she had shown a rather violent reaction. This was unsurprising because¡­ When the smoke had vanished, the students could finally breathe fresh air and¡­look at one another¡¯s faces. They realized that all of them lookedpletely disastrous, their faces dripping with tears, snot, and even drool. The noble and royal daughters of the Tionis Continent had learned how to groom themselves and mind their appearance from a very early age. As for the sons, they had been trained to restrain themselves and were educated to protect the women in their households. As for these students who hade from families that strictly upheld this type of education, it was only natural that they would react so strongly to having their appearances severely altered to such a state. This was especially true for the boys and girls with plenty of dreams. Molly covered her red face with her hands. ¡°Waaaaah! I won¡¯t be able to get married anymore¡­¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Sob, sob¡­¡± The male students were quite used to their own beaten up and ugly looks, so they couldugh and joke at each other¡¯s faces. However, the female students were all in mourning. ¡°Bwahahahahahahaha! Oyyy! Josiah. Your mug must be worth a lot of mo¡­ Keoheok!¡± Timmy, who was very enthusiastic about teasing Josiah whenever he got the opportunity, ended up flying through the air. He had been punched by Josiah. ¡°Clean¡­¡± Josiah used Clean Magic, quickly returning her face to its original state. She could not help but grind her teeth despite already trampling Timmy. She growled, ¡°You like that, right? You really like it to the point of dying, right?¡± Punch! Punch! ¡°Keok! Let¡¯s, let¡¯s talk it out! How can a nobledy act this violent¡­?!¡± Punch! ¡°You need to get hit.¡± Timmy, who had teased not only Josiah but many more of the female students, received the wrath of the girls who had finally cleaned their faces with Clean Magic. ¡°Die! TImmy!¡± ¡°Damn Timmy!¡± ¡°Keok!!! Keheok!¡± Although Timmy was the son of a duke, the importance of one¡¯s rankings and sses werepletely irrelevant to the students. Well, Timmy was just the son of the duke and was not the duke himself. In the end, the students were still sons and daughters of noble families. They did not receive any noble titles. Timmy became their punching bag. In the end, he could only roll away from the girls with a dying expression on his face while shouting, ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s that damn vicious teacher who created this situation! Why are you taking it out on me?!¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t care! The instructor is not a normal human. We won¡¯t be able tond any attacks even if we try to hit him!¡± ¡°What?! Are you trying to make us go against that damn lunatic?! It¡¯s better to hit you instead!¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right! T-Timmy was the one whoughed at us when he saw our face. D-Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s rude to do something like that?!¡± The atmosphere between Timmy and the female students was so bad that the other boys simply sat on the ground to watch. They did not even think about intervening for Timmy. ¡°He reaped what he had sown.¡± ¡°Did he forget how much the girls of our ss have changed?¡± How could these boys forget? During the Magic Festival, Josiah had trampled the representatives of ss A on her own. She had done it so easily that it was as if she had just dusted off her shoulders. The girls of ss F, who had always smiled and exuded adylike air due to their noble and mage backgrounds, had grown slightly twisted after having experienced hell for just a few days. ¡°By the way¡­ Where did those metal monsters disappear to?¡± ¡°I know right. They disappeared in an instant after trampling on us like that.¡± ¡°The instructor?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± As soon as the word ¡®instructor¡¯ came out, all of the students¡¯ faces turned dark and stiff. ¡°Is¡­ Is Saint Davey really our Instructor Devy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Somebody please tell me that that¡¯s not the case at all¡­¡± ¡°The world is truly going to get ruined. That guy is a disaster who has descended this world!¡± ¡°A Saint¡­ A Saint is an existence that conveys the words of God, right? Then¡­ Does that mean that God is disappointed in this world? That¡¯s why she has sent that guy down to destroy the continent?¡± One of the female students, who was dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief, carefully raised her hands amidst the discussion of conspiracy theories between her ssmates. She said, ¡°But, you know? Let¡¯s say that Instructor Devy is truly Saint Davey. Then, does that mean that we¡¯vee on this field trip just to meet the instructor and see what he can do as a Saint?¡± That was the most questionable part. All of the students knew that someone with holy mana would not be able to handle elemental magic. The elements wereplex and powerful, and they could only pair up with basic mana, which was used with the sword, and spirit mana. As for the other types? They were too harsh and ipatible with elemental mana. ¡°But why would a Saint be a magic academy instructor?¡± ¡°How would I know that¡­? Shit!!!¡± A student suddenly shouted in surprise when he looked up at the sky. ¡°They¡¯reing again!¡± ¡°That lunatic is making a move again!¡± ¡°R-Run!!!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this anymore!¡± Shrieks and screams rang loudly in the field once again as the four metal giants, that had suddenly disappeared earlier on, came back as if they had been waiting for this moment. This time, there was a metal giant with a huge shield and an agile-looking metal giant were added to the mix. Of course, there was also the most imposing golem with a drill, which now carried a silver-haired little girl with an expressionless face on its head. ¡°Rinne will also participate in the second round of battle. Message from Davey.¡± The students gulped dryly. ¡°You won¡¯t die. So, don¡¯t worry and try to desperately resist and fight back.¡± ¡°This, this crazy shit?!¡± Poof! Fwiiiiiiiiiiish! The students¡¯ expressions turned dark at the sight of the smoke which had given them motion sickness earlier on. ¡°Rinne evaluates stress relief very highly. Judging that the students taught by Davey can get through the crisis perfectly. Rinne will increase the difficulty,¡± Rinne said, gathering the particles of light in her hand and creating a dark iron bar. Before the students could even react, Rinne dug into their ranks, pulled a student by the leg, and spun him around slowly. No matter how one looked at this situation, she appeared to be ready to throw the student away. ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s not true, right? Tell me that¡¯s not true! I, I don¡¯t want this!¡± ¡°Evaluates this very highly.¡± ¡°Celvice!¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s toote. Let¡¯s sacrifice Celvice as bait and run away!¡± ¡°The, the smoke ising! Run!!!¡± ¡°Damn it! The wind is starting to blow in our direction! How can the weather be so damn erratic?!¡± The students shouted desperately as they charged into the forest without looking back. *** Since a decision had been made, then Davey¡¯s follow-up actions should be made quickly too. He threw a sphere of light that was charged with sparks before catching it with his bare hands. Then, he pulled out a very expensive yetpactmunication tool, which only covered a short range. However, it was a tool that would have no problems connecting him to the Red Tower¡¯s topmost floor. ¡°Great Sage.¡± [Hmm? If it isn¡¯t Prince Davey.] The old man sounded quite surprised. [This call must have been made using a short-rangemunication tool¡­ How can you contact¡­?] ¡°It seems like you made ss F do something interesting.¡± After listening to what Davey had to say, Great Sage Hellison Valestia roared withughter through themunication tool. [Shouldn¡¯t the students know who their teacher is?] ¡°That¡¯s for me to decide. It seems like you¡¯re quite busy, huh?¡± [Well, it¡¯s nothing. I just happened to have a sh of inspiration for my research. I¡¯ve been doing experiments since two days ago.] ¡®Oh my. That¡¯s perfect.¡¯ ¡°Since you¡¯ve sent them to find me in Heins Territory, then I thought that I should give you my thanks.¡± [Hoho. It would already be a relief if this old man¡¯s nosiness had helped you. However¡­did youe here just to say that? Where are you contacting me from? Tch, tch. You didn¡¯te in person, right?] ¡°I¡¯m already here. You don¡¯t have to insist on me doing the other,¡± Davey said calmly, a grim smile painted on his face. ¡°Well, you had good intentions. I could roughly tell what you wanted to show them by sending them here. But you know¡­¡± [Hmm?] ¡°They looked like they had seen the end of the world as soon as they saw me.¡± [What? Bwahahahahahaha! It¡¯s a natural response especially with how harsh your lessons were. Hohoho. Think of it as this old man¡¯s trivial joke.] ¡°There¡¯s no way you were unaware of it, right? Well, there¡¯s nothing to make a fuss or get angry about. However, I have to make sure to repay you for your grace and kindness. I¡¯ve prepared a small gift for you.¡± [A, a gift?] The flustered voice of the quick-witted old fogey rang in Davey¡¯s ears. Chapter 319 ¡ªDavey. You¡¯re aware that this could turn into an international dispute, right? ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. There¡¯s already a precedent, you know?¡± ¡ªStill¡­ ¡°Besides, when would I experiment if not now? The mage tower is the best subject to experiment on.¡± Davey was testing out items that nobody could ever use even in the future. He was the only one who could, because he did not want to release the items for sale anywhere. Besides, even if he released them, the only ones who would be powerful enough to decipher the principles behind it were mages at the 7th Circle or above. ¡°If the mages of the mage tower only focus on research, then they will be rigid and dull. They sometimes need to get some fresh air and exercise. If they don¡¯t do that, then won¡¯t their bellies stick out of their uniforms?¡± Hearing Davey¡¯s teasing voice through themunication tool, Great Sage Hellison Valestia felt a strange sense of uneasiness. ¡°I believe you¡¯re aware that Emperor Deorte of the Lyndis Empire had yed such a fun and interesting prank on me, no?¡± Hellison Valestia certainly knew about that one incident. After all, he was the Great Sage. He could infer various things from the simple information that he had gathered. [I am¡­aware.] ¡°It¡¯s quite simr to what happened back then, no? You don¡¯t need to worry. Well, this is not because I¡¯m holding a grudge against you.¡± [D¡­ Davey, don¡¯t tell me¡­! You¡­!] Davey slowly floated up into the sky, tossing a ball of light in his hands. Upon reaching the height that he wanted, he took out a bag from his Pocket ne and shook its contents out in the air. The bag contained dozens of capsules bearing an ominous skull on their surface. They were painted with bizarre colors. ¡°Great Sage, you have brought this upon yourself.¡± [T-This¡­ Why don¡¯t we calm down for a second? What are you trying to do here?!] ¡°Eyy. What do you mean by that? I¡¯m just giving you a gift.¡± ¡®Special delivery from hell.¡¯ Swoosh¡­ Davey tossed the capsules out, watching them float in the air and scatter around one by one. ¡ªDon¡¯t use Sword Maniption, a skill that all swordsmen dream of having, for something like this. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t care!¡± Ping!!! Following the movements of Davey¡¯s fingers, the capsules flew and pierced through the crevices, windows, doors, and even vents of the Red Tower. Once that was done, he threw the ball of light in hands up into the air. ¡°If you understand the principles behind this, then you¡¯ll discover that this is a very interesting object. Perhaps you might be able to reach the 8th Circle if you can understand this.¡± [W-Wait! What are you trying to do to the Red Tower?!] ¡°Eyy. I¡¯m not going to bring down the tower. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Poof! Sparks flew out of the ball of light as it settled on the peak of the Red Tower. Then, it burst open and released a green shockwave that engulfed the area. The surroundings soon shook from huge gales and loud tremors. Shwaaaaaaaa! ¡®Fission, let¡¯s go!¡¯ The chain reaction brought about by the particle division was very dangerous. Thankfully, this new weapon had been designed to recreate the same effect only within a limited range. ¡®Let¡¯s see if it works.¡¯ In just an instant, a special mana covered the entire Red Tower. Then, a series of explosions created shockwaves and evaporated all of the mana inside of it. ¡°That¡¯s why you should all exercise.¡± For mages, mana was like an extension of their bodies. However, Davey believed that they would not be flustered by this situation if they had been exercising and building up a strong body. They could probably even break the windows and jump out to escape the smoke that had overwhelmed the tower, right? ¡ªOrdinary people would die if they jumped out at this height, you know? ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care.¡± ck! Davey nonchntly opened the window at the top of the Red Tower. He could see Great Sage Hellison Valestia looking through themunication crystal in shock. ¡°D-Davey, you¡­ How did you get¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I rushed over here. You¡¯re not taking it too well, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s, that¡¯s very dangerous. The window is protected with a fouryered barrier to prevent trespassing. They¡¯re very dangerous. No matter how powerful you are¡­¡± ¡°A barrier? Was there even one?¡± Davey asked calmly as he spread his palms toward the open window. Four golden spheres appeared and spun above his palms a momentter. The old man might not be able to figure out the principles of what Davey had done, but he was smart enough to figure it out. ¡°Are you talking about these?¡± Feeling astonished, confused, and helpless, Hellison Valestia said, ¡°No way¡­ Are you telling me those spheres are the Barrier Magic ced on the windows? How¡­did you¡­?¡± ¡°How? You just have to rip them off and roll them into a ball,¡± Davey said casually. It was a lie. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous¡­ Were you also the one who detonated that unknown mana shockwave that engulfed the mage tower?¡± ¡°What do you think of it?¡± ¡°I have never seen or heard anything about mana evaporating and disappearing in a chain reaction like that. It¡¯s like magic specifically made topletely counter a mage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not magic,¡± Davey answered calmly. Hellison¡¯s eyes grew wide as he shouted, ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a weapon. Don¡¯t be like that, Great Sage,¡± Davey said, grinning as he entered the window and sat opposite Great Sage Hellison Valestia. He offered yfully, ¡°Let¡¯s y a game, shall we? However, the Red Tower will be held hostage. If you win, then I will teach you a very helpful magic, Great Sage.¡± The old man looked at Davey in silence. ¡°But if I win¡­¡± Davey would let all of the CS Nausea Bullets that he had nted in this tower explode. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯ve been holding back on you. But this time, I won¡¯t do that. I won¡¯t let you off.¡± *** ¡°Ugh¡­¡± the old man groaned. ck!!! At the same time, the Olde piece that he had put his trust in disappeared from the board. It had beenpletely surrounded by Davey¡¯s pieces. He did not even have the time to touch it. ¡°Hey Prince Davey. How, how about letting me off just once?¡± ¡°Eyy. What¡¯s the matter with you, Great Sage?¡± ¡°Hoho. Isn¡¯t what I did for the better? It wasn¡¯t such a big deal to have you cause an ident in the Red Tower, no?¡± ¡°Oh, I know.¡± Davey was fully aware that the old man had done that just to make fun of him and force him to jump to his own death. ¡°By the way, this game will be over in three minutes. You¡¯ll be in great trouble if you don¡¯t find a solution to your predicament.¡± The old man¡¯s expression hardened as he focused on the Olde board in front of him. However, he could only look back up at Davey with wide eyes. He asked, ¡°Eyyy¡­ You¡¯re having fun teasing this old man, hmm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Just like this.¡± The old man looked down at the Olde board in doubt as Davey moved a piece. Then, his eyes grew even wider. He eximed, ¡°No way!¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote to take it back, no? Shall we let it explode?¡± ¡°He, hey! Davey! Ask for something else! The Red Tower is already in a mess because of the unknown shockwave that exploded earlier! You were also the one who did the mana explosion in Shakunt before!¡± ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply at Davey, who was acting all innocent. He said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t do that. This old man knows that you¡¯re not the kind of person who wille here just because of that. What is it that you want?¡± ¡°Oh. I will be in trouble if you suddenly take the initiative like that.¡± ¡°Ey! I¡¯m starting to doubt if you¡¯re really a boy in your teens. I feel like I¡¯m seeing an old codger that has decades of experience in politics.¡± ¡°We¡¯re building an academy in Heins Territory. We expect it to be finished in a few months.¡± ¡°An academy¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of teaching swordsmanship, magic, medicine, spirit magic, holy magic, economics, alchemy, and liberal arts among other things,¡± Davey said, cing a piece down on the Olde board as the old man looked at him in interest. ¡°Right. Tell me about it in detail.¡± ¡°However, it will work on a different system.¡± The academy that Davey was building would work on a different system from all of the academies in existence here in the continent. ¡°Except for the failing students, all of the students who attend the academy will receive a full schrship.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be too heavy of a burden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing more profitable than selling weapons, you know?¡± Realizing what weapon Davey was talking about, Hellison Valestia muttered, ¡°That shockwave that engulfed the Red Tower¡­ If such a thing is revealed to the world, then¡­it would cause a huge impact.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. However, there¡¯s no other person who will be able to make it in the future.¡± If there was, then that would be a problem. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m confident of that because anyone who tries making this weapon should at least be at the 7th Circle Master level.¡± Hellison smiled despondently. ¡°I see. That¡¯s why you¡¯vee. You¡¯re warning me.¡± ¡°The Great Sage is an upright and sensible man. I believe you should know just what will cause a huge stir in the continent or not, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The schrship system is nothing new. Since that¡¯s not it, what¡¯s going to set your academy apart from the others?¡± ¡°The academy will ept students of all races, genders, and sses.¡± Hellison¡¯s expression turned stiff as he murmured, ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± ¡°If I was going to be afraid of someone opposing me, then I wouldn¡¯t have thought of making one. It¡¯s for the sake of the world, Great Sage.¡± Davey grinned as he continued, ¡°There are many who wish to learn but cannot do so. There are also many talented children who failed to reach their potential simply because they weren¡¯t given the opportunity to bloom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m building an academy. It¡¯s for those people. As long as they have the qualifications, then they will be able to learn everything that they want.¡± ¡°However, the academy might be condemned. That would be used as a pretext for discrimination.¡± ¡°That might be the case. But that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here.¡± Davey hade here to ask for advice. Seeing Davey¡¯s smile, Hellison Valestia could only smile bitterly. ¡°Hoho. It seems like you, young man, are very determined to drive this old man into exhaustion, huh¡­ Fine. What else do you want?¡± ¡°Put a word in for me to the mage towers. I need to find someone who will be the teacher for my school of magic. To be honest, I would like it if the Great Sage could serve as the dean, but we can¡¯t have you leaving your position in Lindhall. Besides, you¡¯re also a very busy man.¡± ¡°Alright. Then, I¡¯ll put a condition on my side too,¡± the old man said calmly. With a desperate gaze, he added quietly, ¡°The magic tool that created the shockwave¡­ Can you show it to me?¡± Davey quietly pulled out the ball of light that was emitting sparks from his Pocket ne. ¡°Ho¡­ This¡­¡± Hellison looked at everything that made up the ball of light in Davey¡¯s hands. He looked between the sparks with squinted eyes. Then, he asked, ¡°You¡­ Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Please ask away.¡± ¡°How did you make this route over here?¡± Davey answered nonchntly, ¡°Well, some lunatic threatened to burn me in Hellfire if I can¡¯t solve the core of this theory in three days, you see.¡± ¡°Hell¡­ Hellfire?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Davey was not lying. If he were to be honest, there had really been no normal teacher in the Hall of Heroes. Even the meek and timid Death Lord, [Rho Aias], had not been normal. *** ¡ªDavey, what are you going to do about all of the CS Nausea Bullets that you¡¯ve nted all over the Red Tower? ¡°Ah, that?¡± Davey, who was flying back to Heins Territory¡¯s field where the students of ss F should be busy fighting against Rinne, snapped his fingers. Ping! A small spark formed at the tip of his fingers. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll make it explode.¡± ¡ªGoodness¡­ The effects of the Mana EMP have not yet disappeared¡­ ¡°I told him that I left a small gift for him, you know?¡± Great Sage Hellison Valestia had lost the game of [Olde] against Davey, and Davey¡¯s annoyance over the situation was too strong for him to feel better from their conversation alone. ¡ªYou¡¯re terrible as always. ¡°It¡¯s something that we should discuss next time.¡± ¡ªIn the first ce, you received the list of the studentsing from Shakunt Middle School, no? The names of the ss F students should be there. Since that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t this be your fault? Davey paused at Perserque¡¯s remarks. Then, he said, ¡°Ah! I don¡¯t care! They should experience that so they can go and exercise!¡± ¡ªThat¡¯s not even funny¡­. If this turns into an international dispute, then you won¡¯t be able to get any advice from Great Sage Hellison Valestia. Well, Davey just threw everything to the back of his head. Chapter 320: The Unfortunate Warrior Opens Her Eyes Just looking at Rinne standing alone and towering over the young students, who allid on the field, was enough for anyone to deduce what had happened. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t want to anymore¡­¡± ¡°So terrible¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a disaster¡­ A disaster¡­¡± The students had given up on hiding their hideous appearances after having gotten hit and overwhelmed by consecutive CS Nausea Bullets. The second raid had clearly been on an entirely different level from the first raid. The unidentified metal golem¡¯s offensive had easily shaken off the students, who had already been in a miserable state with tears and snot running down their faces due to the earlier raid. Its offensive had been so terrible that the students had wanted to scream if their instructor actually intended to kill them. Left without a choice, the students had to release all of the superhuman powers that had slumbered in their bodies for their own goal of survival and flight. The students had no other thoughts than about their own survival. However, the one who had brought the deepest despair to the students had been the expressionless silver-haired girl. The metal tool in her hand became a vicious weapon once she was using her arm strength. The most appalling fact was about her magical defensive power, which was extremely outstanding and capable of rendering all of the students¡¯ attacks useless. ¡°Rinne, very satisfied. Exercise is very stress-relieving. Rinne evaluates this highly,¡± Rinne said to herself proudly with her chest puffed up and her hands on her waist. Looking over at her, the students lying on the ground felt angry. They questioned why they had to go through something like this. ¡°Look here! What the hell did we do wrong¡­? Heup!¡± one of the students bravely shouted at Rinne and expressed his dissatisfaction. However, he soon freaked out and backed away after copsing once again on the ground. ¡°Davey¡¯s orders. Rinne is just carrying out orders.¡± Although the silver-haired girl did not appear to be angry, the students met her eyes and immediately stoppedining. They felt like any moreints would only send them back into another round of hellish nightmare. ¡°Davey,¡± the silver-haired girl, Rinne, said softly. The students immediately followed the girl¡¯s gaze and saw a boy approaching from afar. ¡°In¡­ Instructor!¡± ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± Looking at the students suspiciously and sensing their dissatisfaction, Davey asked, ¡°Rinne, why do they still have the energy to talk?¡± ¡°Rinne failed to adjust the difficulty properly. Rinne requests for an opportunity to make up for this mistake.¡± ¡°Do as you please.¡± The students all turned pale when they heard Rinne and Davey casually throwing out their death sentence like that. *** In the end, the students of ss F were only able to return to the lord¡¯s castle after they had been pushed and tortured to the point of exhaustion. They all looked ready to keel over except for Josiah, who only looked slightly tired and could still walk normally. Davey gathered the students in one ce and used his holy mana to help them recover from their physical exhaustion and injuries. Seeing the warm and cozy holy mana wash over them, the students¡¯ expressions only turned darker. ¡°It¡¯s been confirmed¡­¡± ¡°Holy magic¡­¡± Their dark expressions morphed into shock. It was not a lie. They truly realized that Prince Davey was the Saint. *** ¡°Instructor.¡± Josiah Frances seemed to have been waiting for this moment. She approached Davey, looking up at him with hesitation in her eyes. ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Did you feel the desire to suck blood?¡± Josiah flinched at Davey¡¯s question as if he had hit the nail on the head. She asked, ¡°What the hell is this? It was fine at first, but¡­ After a few days, I kept on thinking about you, Instructor.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any interest in kids.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s not much difference between my and the Instructor¡¯s age, you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Please¡­give me blood,¡± Josiah said, her eyes turning red as she grabbed Davey¡¯s arm. She said, ¡°I can¡¯t take it any longer¡­¡± ng, ng, ng! Momentarily losing her sense of reason, Josiah jumped on Davey, sat on him, and both of them fell over. She began to sniff his neck and her lips parted slowly. Her fangs soon appeared to pierce through his skin. It was as if she was moving on instinct. Davey wasn¡¯t surprised by this. Even if her awakening as a vampire had been stopped midway, Josiah was still a vampire who instinctively knew how to suck blood. Since she had turned into a vampire, she could not withstand the desire to drink blood. However, the fact that vampires could not live without blood was untrue. Josiah was not an ordinary vampire but the Vampire Lord, the pir of their race. She was an existence that was a disaster in and of itself. Simply put, Josiah was an existence that Davey would have a hard time dealing with if he did not prepare well once she awakened properly in a few years time. ¡°Instructor¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­ I can¡¯t take it any more,¡± Josiah panted, looking down at Davey with a red face. When Davey pushed her forehead away with his palm, there was a strange glint in Josiah¡¯s eyes. However, it also felt slightly different. She looked at Davey not with a craving for affection but in a way that a predator would look at prey. ¡°Instructor, I¡¯m not sick. It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°You¡­ Are you telling me that you have sucked a human¡¯s blood?¡± Davey had to know the answer to this question. Thankfully, the girl shook her head in response. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know¡­ I just know about it¡­¡± ¡°Where did you learn such a perverse thing?¡± ¡ªI¡¯m sure it¡¯s from you. Davey immediately mmed Josiah¡¯s forehead away at Perserque¡¯s words. ¡°Kyack!¡± Giving Josiah a stern look, Davey grabbed her by the head before twisting his fists against her temples. ¡°Kyaaack!!!¡± Josiah¡¯s eyes grew wide at the sudden burst of pain, struggling fiercely against Davey¡¯s hold. However, he did not let go. ¡°What big talk for an unmarried woman, no? It seems like you¡¯re willing to be hugged by any man, huh?¡± ¡°Kyaaaack! W¡­ Wait!¡± ¡°What? You want my blood? Do you know how expensive my blood is? And you just came here to collect it like this?¡± ¡°You¡­ You said that you¡¯d give it to me!!!¡± Josiah, who had shown ridiculous behavior to someone of the opposite sex, was red with shame and ended up bursting into tears. At this point, Davey had already let her go. She ended up crying for a very long time. Who would consider someone like her as the head and leader of an entire race? What with her huping and crying? In fact, Josiah was someone who had an outstanding and calm personality. However, in the end, she was just a child. There was still much left for her to learn to be the leader of her race. ¡°Josiah Frances.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Take this,¡± Davey said as he threw a pack with waterproof magic casted upon it. He continued, ¡°Never use your fangs directly to someone¡¯s neck. No. Just don¡¯t suck anyone else¡¯s blood. You can only drink mine.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The more blood you drink, the farther you get away from your humanity.¡± Josiah¡¯s eyes grew wide at Davey¡¯s words. She asked, ¡°Is, is that true?¡± ¡°I would like to say that it¡¯s a lie. However, this is the reality of your situation.¡± Vampire Lords would not change just because they sucked blood. However, Josiah was currently in a transition period and was undergoing plenty of changes in a short period of time. Everything from mass umtion of power to a drastic increase in physical abilities and sharper instincts, everything was changing in her. That was why Davey believed that it was necessary to give her an early education. ¡°However, I can¡¯t forget the taste of your blood, Instructor. Do you know how hard it is to endure that? I want to quit the academy and stick by your side, so I can stick my fangs in your neck whenever I want,¡± Josiah said with a bright expression on her face while putting a straw in the pack and sucking its contents. ¡°You remember the taste of my blood?¡± ¡°I¡¯m drinking it right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Josiah immediately shook her head when she saw Davey¡¯s expression cool down. She exined, ¡°T-That. I don¡¯t actually remember it, but¡­ How should I say this? There¡¯s this voice ringing in my head that keeps on telling me that I have to suck the Instructor¡¯s blood.¡± It seemed like her instinct itself was not going anywhere. However, it was clear to Davey that herplete awakening as a Vampire Lord was proceeding faster than he had expected. ¡ªIt¡¯s quite strange. The speed, I mean. Davey, I think there¡¯s a huge change in their race itself. ¡®For example?¡¯ ¡ªFor example, the radicals are far more than the moderates right now. Even though they¡¯re radicals and have turned against their lord, it does not mean that they aren¡¯t vampires anymore. Davey, you know that Vampire Lords are not appointed through an election. An individual will be born to take on that position. Davey nodded quietly at Perserque¡¯s words. Perhaps it was truly the existence of the radicals that was making Josiah instinctively uneasy so she was moving on instinct. In other words¡­ ¡°A bomb just went off.¡± It was like saying that something huge had happened among the radical vampires, onerge enough that they could not handle it. Davey believed that those vampires had already noticed this fact and were trying to hide it from him. However, Davey had a biological radar that could feed him their situation in real time, and that radar was none other than the Vampire Lord herself. ¡°A¡­bomb?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Drink everything and go back to your room. I have already told Attendant Bernile to prepare rooms for you. Wipe your mouth before you go.¡± Josiah was not a young child yet she talked despite still having blood in her mouth, ¡°But I want to stay here longer.¡± Davey said with a frown, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to get hit, then go.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go.¡± Davey¡¯s expression hardened, his gaze turning stern as he watched the rascal step back without any hesitation. He said firmly, ¡°Josiah.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°Do not waver, ever.¡± Hearing Davey¡¯s solemn words, the gears in Josiah¡¯s head turned quickly as she tried to decipher the meaning of those words. However, in the end, she gave up and just smiled. She said, ¡°Yes.¡± After watching Josiah leave, Davey headed straight toward his underground privateboratory where Reina was currently asleep. ¡ªDavey. ¡°Back when I attacked them, I nted two bombs on the important materials that they were transporting. I haven¡¯t heard from one of those two yet, but I¡¯m sure that the other one has already exploded.¡± It was something that Davey did not have to think over. After all, the fact that Josiah¡¯s awakening was proceeding faster and her desire for blood had increased was proof enough. For the vampires, their lord and monarch was bound by their entire race. In other words, if their race ever turned unstable, their lord would also be able to experience the effects of that instability albeit only slightly. Even though Josiah still hadn¡¯tpletely awakened, she was most definitely their Vampire Lord. ¡ªDavey, more than that. Can we throw that away now? Perserque said as she pulled Davey¡¯s cor and pleaded. She pointed at the test tube containing the purple severed tentacle that was recuperating on its own. It was exactly what Davey had pulled out from the Abyss. ¡°I still have a lot of things to test and take note of.¡± It was thanks to this creature that Davey was able to create that Mana EMP. If he did not have what he needed, then he could rece it with something else. Without ess to the necessary materials for the Mana EMP, he had reced it with the tentacles that could ignore the rules of this world. It was also thanks to this lump of flesh that Davey was able to make the vampire-only zombie virus that he would spread with the help of the Alpha Reinforcement. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll probably throw it away after¡­thirty years?¡± ¡ª¡­ Perserque, who was experiencing physiological disgust from the tentacle, shook her head as if she felt sorry for it. ¡ªHow unfortunate. Why did you let yourself get caught by this bad man¡­? ¡°I never let go of anything that¡¯s already in my hands, Perserque.¡± Perserque waved her hand as if she wasn¡¯t interested in what Davey was saying. ¡ªSo, what are we doing here? ¡°Because it¡¯s time to wake Reina up. I was going to leave her for a bit longer, but we don¡¯t have any more time,¡± Davey said calmly as he looked at the woman sleeping inside the tube. Her white hair had been tainted blue, turning it into a beautiful and pale sky blue color. Davey drained the solution from the tube, opened the door, and took Reina¡¯s body out. Then, he wrapped her body with cloth before casting magic. ¡ªWarp? ¡°We¡¯re going to Hyeon Kingdom.¡± This was because Davey had a piece ofnd in Hyeon Kingdom. ¡ªIn the Guardian Deity¡¯s Forest¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the perfect ce to create a sanctuary.¡± ¡ªIs there really a need to make a sanctuary? ¡°There is. Perserque, you should stop thinking that I¡¯m fighting the vampires because of some twisted sense of justice.¡± ¡ªNo matter what you say, I still have no idea about what you want to do with a sanctuary. ¡°It¡¯s not that far. You¡¯ll know it when you see it.¡± Davey still held a grudge against the vampires. However, his goal had not changed since the incident at the Duchy of Felicity. Chapter 321 On the Western Continent was the Guardian Deity¡¯s forest, which was located in Hyeon Kingdom, the kingdom hailed as a sanctuary and known as the Nation of The Bow. A part of the forest had changed owners because of the events that had happened not too long ago. With the change of owners, there were two more beings that had taken residence in the forest together with the Guardian Deity, the Monstrous Rock Giant. These two beings were none other than Divine Beasts Vermillion Bird Fire Chicken and Azure Dragon Rumble. Crackle¡­ Fire Chicken, the Vermillion Bird, had been enjoying its most peaceful and rxing days since its birth in the forest. ¡ªKihyeeeeck! It thought that this was heaven on earth, the paradise that its father had always talked about. p, p, p! Fire Chicken waddled around the forest, pping its wings that were devoid of mes. Its eyes sparkled brightly when it caught sight of a fruit hanging from a tree. ¡®That! It¡¯s aoro fruit!¡¯ Fire Chicken remembered the fruit, which was the most delicious among the food that the humans had brought them for tribute. The Vermillion Bird pped its wings and lifted itself to pick the fruit with its beak. It roared triumphantly after getting the fruit. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeeeeck! How could such a majestic being roar loudly just for a single fruit? Divine Beasts were beings that could live without eating anything. However, for Fire Chicken, fruits and meats that tasted delicious were a must. After all, they were its favorites. Theoro fruit was a refreshing and sweet fruit that had opened Fire Chicken¡¯s eyes to a new world. Unfortunately for Fire Chicken, theoro fruit was a very rare fruit. In fact, it was also hard toe by even in this forest. Munch! Munch! For the gigantic Fire Chicken, a single piece oforo fruit was too small. That was why the bird savored the fruit, munching on it for a very long time and extracting its juices. Only after it had gulped all of the fruit¡¯s juices did it finish off the mashed fruit in its mouth. Burp! Haa¡­ ha, ha, ha! Although it did not eat a lot, Fire Chicken burped happily while pping its wings in satisfaction. In this forest, there was not a single existence that could go against it. The humans of Hyeon Kingdom viewed it as some sort of sacred and holy existence. As for Fire Chicken¡¯s father, who always bullied it¡­he had not visited ever since he had left the Vermillion Bird in this forest. It might sound twisted and crooked that Fire Chicken¡¯s father was not interested in its life, but that did not matter to Fire Chicken at all. ¡®I am the honorable and noble Divine Beast, Vermillion Bird!¡¯ ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck! Fire Chicken roared loudly, the mes within it kicking back to life. It began exploring the forest again. Its body had be heavy and fat from eating and ying around for weeks. However, that did not matter. ¡ªKihyeeeck!!! One of the wild beasts in the forest immediately stepped back in fright and bowed down the moment it saw Fire Chicken. Even a vicious and threatening monster could only flinch and cower before it! ¡®I am not weak! I am the strong and powerful Divine Beast, Vermillion Bird!¡¯ Fire Chicken, who seemed to have realized how amazing and unusual its existence was, pped its wings in excitement. It began ying around with the frightened monster. ¡®I am the King!¡¯ Fire Chicken roared haughtily as it began to torment the frightened monster by poking it with its beak. It kept doing so until the monster shrank back. ¡®Are you telling me that I was a thing of the past, huh?!¡¯ Thump, thump! ¡ªHiiiiiiing¡­ Even if the monster whined and groaned from the unreasonable violence, Fire Chicken continued to bully it with relish. Rumble!!! Then, at that moment, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and shot the monster down. The monster was burnt and roastedpletely. Fire Chicken¡¯s expression turned nk when the monster that it had been ying with suddenly turned ck. With its toy suddenly burned into coal, it prodded the monster¡¯s corpse with the tip of its wings. It was sure that the culprit behind this was that damn Azure Dragon. Fire Chicken red at Rumble. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck! ¡ªGrrrrrrrrrr¡­ Seeing Rumble return an angry re, Fire Chicken felt the embers of fury burning deep within it. After their father had disappeared, Azure Dragon Rumble had been strutting around without fear. It believed that no other being could possibly control it. ¡®How dare you! I am this forest¡¯s emperor!¡¯ Fire Chicken allowed the mes of its fury to burn. Soon, zing red mes burst out and covered its entire body as it shot up to the sky. ¡®Even if I¡¯m livingzily, it doesn¡¯t mean that I have fallen to the point that you can walk all over me. You damn punk!¡¯ The Vermillion Bird¡¯s eyes seemed to be conveying those thoughts as it red at the violent Azure Dragon, Rumble. The two looked like they were ready to fight at any given moment. The aftermath of the fight between the Divine Beast of mes and the Divine Beast of Lightning would be insane. It would not only affect the entire forest but even the entire nation of Hyeon Kingdom. However, that was irrelevant to the two uncaring Divine Beasts. ¡®Today, it will be either you or me. We have to sort out the food chain right here and now!¡¯ Fire Chicken, who felt this way, made the mes on its body burn brighter. Just as it was about tounch an attack at Rumble¡­ ¡°Are you guys kidding me?¡± Rumble, who was also about to make its move, stiffened. As for Fire Chicken, it simply froze in its ce. ¡°You think what you¡¯re trying to do is a good thing, no?¡± Fire Chicken turned its head, which creaked like a rusty metal door, at the calm and nonchnt voice. Even the Azure Dragon Rumble quickly turned to look, its long and thin flowing beard bing stiff and tangled. There, the two Divine Beasts found the devil standing calmly. ¡ªKihyeeck, kihyeeeeeck! Fire Chicken, who immediately extinguished the mes in its body, realized what it had to do right now. And that was nothing else than¡­acting cute! ¡ªHiiiiiing¡­ Hiiiiiing¡­ In front of its father, the proud, dignified, and imposing king of the forest could only do this one thing. That was unless it wanted to meet an early end as a piece of fried chicken. Having extinguished all of the mes on its body, Fire Chicken immediately approached the boy. Itid on its back, showed its belly, and rubbed its beak affectionately on the boy¡¯s hands. ¡°Oh my. Our dear Fire Chicken is quite quick on the uptake, no?¡± Even the Divine Beast that was well known for its anger management disorder could only try its best to control its anger in front of this human. Seeing Fire Chicken¡¯s behavior, the boy adjusted his hold on the woman with sky-blue hair and looked at the Vermillion Bird in satisfaction. ¡ªGrrrrrrrrrroaaaar¡­ On the other hand, the fearless Azure Dragon, Rumble, just watched the boy closely. It had apprehension on its face. ¡®That dumb earthworm,¡¯ the Vermillion Bird thought as it carefully carried on its back the woman with sky-blue hair that its father had handed over. Even without looking at what would happen next, Fire Chicken already knew what Rumble¡¯s oue would be. ¡°It seems like Rumble has be fearless. Is it because I haven¡¯t beaten you uptely?¡± ¡ªGrrrrrrrrooaaaaar!!! Azure Dragon Rumble wanted to protest that it had grown stronger over time. Not choosing to submit, it decided to oppose the human in front of it instead. Fire Chicken looked at Rumble with a pitiful gaze as lightning bolts began to fall and affect the entire forest. When it saw a spark appear on the boy¡¯s hands, it immediately buried its head on the ground and covered its ears. This was because it didn¡¯t want to hear the pathetic screams that would soon ring loudly in the area. *** [Supplementary] [Natural Disaster Series] [Summoning: Bolt from the Blue] The Lightning Control Magic that had swept away all of the Chimera that Count Lington had created in Ordem Territory, the territory under Baris and Winley, once again made an appearance. Since Rumble had already graciously created a thunderstorm with its powers, then the best course of action was to move with the flow and just take advantage of it. Without any hesitation, Davey controlled the lightning that the fearless Rumble had created and poured it into the Azure Dragon¡¯s body. ¡ªGraaa! Roar! Raaaaa! Arghhh! Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Rumble screamed and tried to escape. However, Davey¡¯s purple magic circle mercilessly led dozens of lightning bolts to target it at once Even though the lightning bolts carried heat hundreds of millions of degrees, they did not have much impact on the Azure Dragon, who was the Divine Beast of Lightning. Still, it could feel the pain. Although the brat struggled and roared in regret, Davey did not stop scolding Rumble until the Azure Dragon was drooping down. This was because he found the Divine Beast to be too rebellious. In fact, he had only stopped the magic because the brat, Rumble, had its eyes closed and tongue sticking out on the floor. ¡ªDavey! That child is going to die if you continue like that! Perserque cried out desperately after seeing Rumble copse like that. It was as if the Azure Dragon was going to die from Davey¡¯s attacks. Davey clicked his tongue. Approaching Rumble, he murmured, ¡°Shall I pull out your beard and make some tea with it? Or shall I pull out your scales and use them for handicrafts? If not that, then¡­¡± ¡®Shall we cut your flesh and make some boiled meat?¡¯ ¡ªRoaaaaaaaaaar!!! ¡°You cocky bastard, how dare you pretend to be dead? Want to get hit again, huh?¡± Rumble trembled at Davey¡¯s threat. It immediately rolled around and bowed its head. A dignified and imposing Azure Dragon? One of the Four Divine Beasts, a great being that protected mankind? Davey did not know about that. All he knew was that this disgusting and pathetic earthworm, who was supposed to protect this forest, had pretended to be dead after summoning lightning like crazy for fun and rebelling against its father after getting caught. ¡°You better raise that head of yours in five seconds.¡± ¡ªRoar!!! Davey finally smiled in satisfaction as he touched the scales of Rumble, who shivered and raised its head out of reflex. The gigantic Rumble flinched when Davey gently caressed its scales. ¡°My dear Rumble. It seems like I haven¡¯t properly taught you how to read the room and understand the situation, no?¡± Meanwhile, the Vermillion Bird, Fire Chicken, was showing its stomach, its body twisting cutely on the ground. It showed how obedient and good it was. When it saw the dark clouds of death hanging over Rumble¡¯s face, Fire Chicken could not help the delighted expression that shed across its face. If one had to freely interpret its actions, then it would mean¡­ ¡®This is the power of cuteness and obedience! This is the way and the truth of life, you moron!¡¯ Yes, Fire Chicken¡¯s expression could be interpreted as such. Davey smiled as he stroked the trembling Rumble and said, ¡°Fire Chicken is quick-witted, but it seems like my dear Rumble is still slow on the uptake. Maybe because you have just been born into the world?¡± ¡ªHiiing¡­ Hiiiing¡­ ¡°Did you do something wrong?¡± Rumble nodded desperately. ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± ¡ªHiiing¡­ The flustered Rumble whined and grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s not it?¡± When Rumble nodded once again, Davey asked, ¡°Should we do the inside? Or the outside?¡± ¡ªHiiiiiiing¡­ The Divine Beast struggled desperately, but it could never get away from Davey. ¡°You¡¯re sorry? Then, should I end your life as a Divine Beast? You attacked me without any fear, but you want me to end it and forgive you so easily?¡± ¡ªHiiiing¡­ Hiiiiing¡­ In the end, Rumble gathered all of the wisdom and knowledge that it had experienced in this world and clung desperately to Davey. Completely forgetting its huge size, Rumble flipped its body over and rubbed its nose against Davey. It was not a tiny being but a gigantic Azure Dragon trying to act cute, so the whole picture was a little weird. However, with this much proper education, Davey was sure that the Azure Dragon would no longer cause problems in the future. No, even if it caused one, Davey was confident that it would be easier to discipline it. He would not need any skill to make sure that Rumble would learn its lesson. All he had to do was twist the Azure Dragon fiercely like a mobius strip. Davey looked at Reina. Seeing that the power contained within her had been moving actively since entering the forest, he knew that he had chosen the perfect ce for this. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s over. Both of you have cintamani stones, right? Give them to me,¡± Davey said. The two Divine Beasts approached him with stiff bodies. Theyplied with his orders withoutint. They had no choice, because Davey needed the stones topletely awaken Reina. Chapter 322 Rumor had it that the Divine Beasts¡¯ powers were pure and clean. Unlike the Four Fiends, the Four Divine Beasts were creatures that fed and lived off of the good energy in the world. Their cintamani stones could be said to be the culmination of this energy and were the source of both the Divine Beasts¡¯ lives and powers. Although no one could see it, the Vermillion Bird, Fire Chicken, had a cintamani stone hidden within its body. This was unlike the Azure Dragon, Rumble, who had its cintamani stone in its mouth and was on disy for everyone to see. Of course, the two other Divine Beasts that weren¡¯t born to this world yet¡ªthe ck Tortoise and the White Tiger¡ªas well as the Core Divine Beast, the Yellow Dragon Qilin, also had cintamani stones within their bodies. However, it had to be known that Davey could not summon the Yellow Dragon Qilin in thisnd. The cintamani stone was a very important item for the Divine Beasts, so Fire Chicken and Rumble were very reluctant to hand their cintamani stones over to their father. They were like children who had been saving this precious stone for themselves, so their reluctance was understandable. The two Divine Beasts flinched, stepping back upon hearing Davey¡¯s request. Even Fire Chicken, who was usually obedient and big on acting cute, started to hesitate. ¡°You¡¯re not using them now anyway. What are you going to do with that power? Do you n to save them until they start giving you an interest? Just give them to me. I will make sure to grow them before returning them to you.¡± Knowing that he would be in a bit of a pinch without the cintamani stones, Davey showed Reina to the two Divine Beasts and asked, ¡°Do you see this woman right here?¡± When Fire Chicken and Rumble looked over at Reina, Davey continued, ¡°She¡¯s a brave warrior who has saved the world. However, because of the rules of this world, she is left in this situation where she is neither living or dead.¡± The two Divine Beasts flinched. Even if they had violent and explosive tempers, they were not a part of the Four Divine Beasts for nothing. They could understand what Davey was trying to tell them. Davey gently coaxed the two Divine Beasts like he was a parent telling his children old tales. He exined, ¡°She¡¯s sacrificed everything for the sake of the world, but she has ended up in this situation where she has beenpletely forgotten. Knowing her identity would not do you any good, but you¡¯d at least know that I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± Rumble had tears falling from its eyes while Fire Chicken gently touched Reina with its beak. Although they still harbored doubt against Davey, they looked at each other before retreating quietly. Vwooooong¡­ The Azure Dragon was the first to take out its cintamani stone. The Azure Dragon and the Vermillion Bird were the most violent and temperamental Divine Beasts among the four. However, they were also the ones who sympathized and paid the highest tributes to noble beings who sacrificed themselves. Their heartstrings were tugged by the story of the woman in front of them, who had sacrificed everything only to be forgotten by the world. Rumble released the small cintamani stone in its mouth and Fire Chicken materialized a golden cintamani stone on its chest before presenting them to Davey. Davey silently and gently stroked the Vermillion Bird¡¯s beak and the Azure Dragon¡¯s scales. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡ªGrrrrrrrr¡­ Davey turned his back on the two Divine Beasts, who cried slightly, and sent the two cintamani stones along with Reina¡¯s body up into the air. He then said, ¡°Rumble, get ready to fire your Breath.¡± When it was being addressed, Rumble looked surprised. Then, it immediately gathered its Breath of countless lightning bolts in its mouth. ¡°Wait for my signal.¡± Rumble¡¯s expression turned slightlyplicated as it watched Davey raise his hand. However, it still nodded quietly. Then, Davey created a magic circle beneath Reina¡¯s floating body. As the magic circle started to operate, the magic within it and the power contained within the two cintamani stones harmonized and entered Reina¡¯s body. Reina¡¯s pale face gradually became rosy as her body absorbed the brilliant five-colored light that had appeared. It looked like the scene of a wandering soul finally returning to its body. She was a human being who had shed her human body. Perhaps this act of revival, where she could no longer be considered a human, was more of an oppression rather than a salvation. However, there were still plenty of things that she had yet to see in this life. She could not die like this, being forgotten by everyone. [ording to the wishes of the Goddess of Origin.] [I have already paid the final installment, so you should check it out.] [9th Level Holy Magic] [Salvation] Finally, the bright light of Davey¡¯s 9th Level Holy Magic appeared and wrapped around Reina¡¯s body. Davey raised his hand, waiting for the perfect time for Rumble to shoot its Breath. ¡ªIf you also fail this time, then¡­ ¡°It¡¯s better to destroy her body than to let her disappear,¡± Davey muttered, knowing that this was most definitely taboo. If this attempt of his failed, then not only the body but also Reina¡¯s soul, which held onto the faint hope of living, was most likely going to be ruined. In that case, with a wrong twitch or signal, Davey would immediately pull the soul out and destroy the body. Reina¡¯s body continued to be wrapped by light as the wings which had been created ording to the Goddess¡¯ will fluttered. With her eyes still closed, she stretched her wings out like a holy angel descending on earth. During this long process, Davey stood waiting there with hundreds of magic circles. He was ready to fix any problems that would appear. Only when the process waspleted did he lower his hand and shake his head at Rumble. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± The light slowly dispersed. ¡ªGrrrrr¡­. Rumble stopped the Breath that had gathered in its mouth. Then, at that moment¡­ Thud!!! A bright light shot down from the sky to strike Reina. Perserque¡¯s eyes grew wide at the unexpected result. As for Davey, he did not care. He did not make the wings on Reina¡¯s back but Goddess Freyja herself. Perhaps Goddess Freyja wanted a true celestial to spread her will, so she wanted Davey to save Reina. Although, Reina was now just an artificial being made by man. Reina¡¯s figure was slowly reachingpletion after receiving two of God¡¯s blessings. Soon, the cloth that covered her disappeared to reveal a white fluttery uniform on her body. The remaining light only vanished when God¡¯s symbol had been created on her forehead, and this symbol was entirely different from the Saint¡¯s stigmata. Slowly, ever so slowly, Reina began to open her eyes. It was so slow that even Rumble and Fire Chicken were gulping nervously. Shepletely opened her silver eyes only after a long and torturous process. Her gaze reflected the mysterious aura she now had. Shwaaaaaa!!! Reinanded on the ground with her bare feet, her wings fluttering with every move that she made. Not long after, the wings turned into particles of light that scattered away and disappeared. The fact that the wings could materialize and vanish at will did not bring much surprise to Davey at all. Reina looked at everyone around her nkly. Then, she looked down at her hands and slowly approached Davey. After gazing at him quietly for some time, she asked, ¡°That¡­ How am I still alive?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before? You will live as long as you can endure and still have the desire to live.¡± She had endured well. Reina bowed, her shoulders shaking as she recalled the conversation that she had previously had with Davey before. In the end, she copsed on the ground and sobbed with her hand covering her mouth. ¡°I thought that was my end¡­ I, I thought I¡¯d never be able to experience that good life again.¡± ¡°Nobody here remembers you. All I did was let your soul settle down in a new body.¡± Davey had no way of having everyone who had known Reina to regain their memories of her. If he could, and had attempted to restore those memories, then Reina would be put in danger. ¡°It¡¯s alright¡­ It¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯s fine as long as you remember¡­ You remember me.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Sob¡­ Sob, sob¡­ T-Thank you. I will never forget the light that you¡¯ve bestowed upon me.¡± As Davey patted her shouldersfortingly, Reina stood up and buried her head in his arms. She was still crying. Even though she had been reborn as an artificial celestial through the power of God, it did not mean that she did not have any emotions. ¡®Wait. From what I remember, the celestials have no emotions and feelings. Well, either way, it¡¯s fine.¡¯ ¡°How is it? How does it feel to breathe fresh air again?¡± ¡°I really like it¡­ How much time has passed since I closed my eyes?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a little over a month ago?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The rough estimation was enough to put a smile on Reina¡¯s lips. Bowing her head, she said calmly, ¡°It must have been a very tumultuous time. To you, who have shown me the small light at the end of a tunnel and gave me salvation, I will make sure to keep my promise to you.¡± [My hands will carry out your will, my feet will follow your words. I will follow you until the embers of my life burn away and disappear.] Reina made an oath with utter reverence. It created a power that transformed into an invisible string, which connected her to Davey. Davey did not mind this much. Not long after, Reina raised her head to reveal a bright smile. This was how Illyna, the one being hailed as one of the continent¡¯s six greatest beauties, would look like once she grew up. Of course, Reina¡¯s outgoing personality had already changed over time, making it impossible for others to tell that they were the same person. Of course, Reina still looked very beautiful. And with her new body, there was an added charm and mystery that could shake the hearts of many. However, Daveypletely ignored her charms. Only amateurs would be interested in their own creation. ¡°You might have already noticed it, but you are not a human being anymore.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I can feel it. It feels strangely different.¡± ¡°Goddess Freyja has inserted her powers in your body and might try to use you in the future.¡± ¡°If that is God¡¯s will¡­and your will, then so be it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the same intentions as her.¡± The smile on Reina¡¯s face disappeared. ¡°Then, there¡¯s no need for it.¡± ¡°However, you should not throw it away. That power will protect you.¡± After Reina replied with a nod, Davey asked, ¡°Does it feel ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°None. There¡¯s absolutely none. In fact, I feel surprisingly light.¡± Davey nodded and said, ¡°You have to stay here for a while. You need to adjust to your bodypletely. Also, you have to stay away from me at this time to avoid the eyes of the providence of this world.¡± Reina tilted her head curiously. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just stay here for a while. Those two brats over there will help you out,¡± Davey said as he pointed at the two Divine Beasts, Fire Chicken and Rumble. Although she had a strange expression, Reina still said, ¡°If that¡¯s your order, then I will follow.¡± ¡°Aside from that, we still have to check one final thing.¡± A bright smile bloomed on Reina''s face. However, that smile soon morphed into an expression of terror when Davey surprisingly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go and face your past self.¡± ording to the doppelganger theory, if two beings were the same person, then one of them would most definitely disappear upon meeting each other. This was something that Davey could not overlook. If there was no problem, then that would mean that Reina¡¯s revival was perfect. If Davey were being honest, he wanted to avoid this final verification as much as possible. However, it was a necessary one. He had to know if this world¡¯s current Illyna and the parallel world¡¯s future Illyna could exist at the same time. ¡°We¡¯re going to meet¡­myself?¡± Reina asked nervously. Davey nodded and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°No¡­ That¡¯s not it. To be honest, I feel a bit flustered and embarrassed¡­ But, will that be alright? Aren¡¯t I intruding in your life?¡± ¡°What do you mean by intruding? I saved you. That¡¯s it. From now on, you take care of your own business. Whether you leave the Heins Territory for the Pan Empire or whether you take root in this ce and not with me, everything will be up to you.¡± Since Davey had already saved Reina, who was nowpletely cured, then whatever happened next would be her own responsibility. It was none of Davey¡¯s business anymore. Needless to say, meeting Illyna would be the final verification that would determine whether Reina waspletely cured or not. ¡°Is your name Reina?¡± ¡°Yes. I have grown quite attached to the name now. Besides, it¡¯s also the first name that you have called me.¡± Davey wondered if it was just him, or if the personality of the woman in front of him had already gone slightly twisted. A doctor¡¯s job was to save patients, but taking responsibility for their lives was not included in the job description. However, a strange stubbornness started to appear on Reina¡¯s face at Davey¡¯s insistence. Chapter 323: Unusual Language ¡°Belial! You skipped your meals again, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A voice rang from inside a small hut in the quiet forest. This forest was located near the Imperial Pce and was rarely used for closed-door training, so there weren¡¯t that many people. It was in this ce that Belial continued to recuperate with Illyna¡¯s help. The man sitting on top of a rock did not even turn his head at the girl¡¯s loud cry. However this was a daily urrence since Illyna had brought the man here, so this was nothing new to her. ¡°Haa¡­ I feel like I¡¯m always talking to a statue¡­¡± ¡°Human woman.¡± Human woman was how Belial referred to Illyna, even though she kept asking him to call her by her name. ¡°What?¡± ¡°When does the sun rise in middle earth¡­?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Illyna frowned at Belial¡¯s sudden question. She said, ¡°What on earth are you on about?! This demon. When does the sun rise? Of course the sun rises in the morning. That¡¯smon sense, you know?¡± ¡°I see. Does the sun rise at the same time every time?¡± ¡°Then, are you telling me that it shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Belial remained silent. Raising his finger, the smallrk that was fleeting around the garden slowly settled down on him. He then said, ¡°There¡¯s no sun in my hometown.¡± ¡°Belial, you said that you came from another ce, right? Where are you from?¡± ¡°ck ve Corps.¡± ¡°ck ve Corps? What¡¯s that? You know, you have to speak in a way that makes it easier for others to understand you,¡± Illyna grunted. Belial silently looked at the bird in his hand. His silence frustrated Illyna to no end. She was just about to speak up when¡­ Belial said, ¡°The demons were banished from thisnd a long time ago, so we¡¯re trapped in a ce that would never allow us to return to this ce again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The demons, who have settled and taken root in that ce, have been grinding their teeth and sharpening their weapons all their lives to fight against the people of this continent. Moderates, like me, were sent away after being branded as our race¡¯s traitor. All of the moderates have been sent to a huge concentration camp called the ck ve Corps.¡± It was a literal hell. On top of the trashy environment, the moderates were also subjected to constantbor and terrible abuse. It was a hell-hole that was rarely found even in the artificial demon world that had no sunlight. That was the kind of ce the ck ve Corps was. ¡°This is a much better ce to live inpared to that ce, even though there are many risks that are unknown to me here. The only reason why I¡¯vee here was because I was selected to be a part of the advance party after winning in the battle arena. Even though that ce is terrible, it¡¯s still the ce that I consider as my home.¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that a good thing? You havee to this ce and left that living hell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, but I still wish that I cane back home.¡± Illyna was silent. For some reason, she could tell that the man in front of her had been kicked out of his hometown. However, she still felt uncertain whether she should be wary of the man or she should sympathize with him. [Illyna. That man might be calling himself a criminal and a sinner, but he¡¯s most definitely a high-ranking demon. In terms of his position, I¡¯m pretty sure that he¡¯s among the best of the best. Even demons can cry andugh. I believe you¡¯ll regret what you¡¯re doing here.] ¡®Should I say that I¡¯m just following my feelings here?¡¯ [Is that so?] ¡®My rational side is saying that I should not keep him alive here, but a part of my heart keeps on shouting at me to keep him alive.¡¯ Caldeiras remained silent. Caldeiras had judged that Illyna did not have any special powers. As the divine sword, it might have epted the girl as its contractor and owner after being ownerless for a very long time. However, it was true that she was just a great and talented swordsman. She did not have any particr spirituality in her body. Nevertheless, the reason why Caldeiras was lending her its power and holy mana was because, for some strange reason, her senses and instincts were outstanding. They fit perfectly with the divine sword. [There¡¯s nothing we can do if you feel like that. However, since it hase to this, why don¡¯t you ask the human that¡¯s with Per?] Illyna instantly frowned and thought, ¡®No. What can I even get from such a cold-hearted person?¡¯ [You¡¯re upset because he¡¯s not paying any attention to you, even though you¡¯ve finished your closed-door training.] ¡®Do you know what kind of person that bastard is? In the first ce, it did not matter to that guy whether I came out of this ce or not. Besides, based on that bastard Davey¡¯s personality, he¡¯ll absolutely cut down anyone who he judges as hostile.¡¯ Illyna¡¯s expression turned slightly stiff as she thought, ¡®There¡¯s obviously something.¡¯ She was obviously not someone who had any kind of spiritual power. However, her senses and instincts had been outstanding from a young age. In fact, she had been able to obtain outstanding results by following her senses and instincts during some huge incidents. Her meeting with Davey was no exception. ¡°What? Do you have any other stories? Something about you or something else?¡± Illyna sighed and asked Belial, letting go of the weight she was feeling and putting it aside for the time being. ¡°There¡¯s none.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden silence that encroached the area. It seemed to suggest that Belial had nothing more to say. ¡°Do you not have any stories about your human friend?¡± Illyna tilted her head in confusion., ¡°Human friend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The human that can use swords, magic, and holy mana.¡± ¡°Aaaah¡­ Davey,¡± Illyna said, snorting. ¡°He¡¯s a freaking bastard.¡± ¡°A freaking bastard¡­¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No. It just looks like you haveplete trust in that human.¡± Illyna frowned, embarrassment coloring her cheeks at Belial¡¯s unexpected remarks. She then said, ¡°Complete trust¡­ Trust¡­ That¡¯s right. I do trust him. Except for his temper, you can consider him as a good man by nature.¡± Sounding slightly choked up, she continued, ¡°Well, what¡¯s the point of talking about him? He¡¯s a vicious bastard who¡¯s proud and likes to show off. He also often quarrels with others and loves to tease people until they cry.¡± Belial just listened silently to Illyna¡¯s rant. ¡°To be honest, I was so interested in his swordsmanship skills in the past that I raised the issue of an arranged political marriage with him. This was just so I could learn them.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that? I was coldly rejected.¡± Belial looked at Illyna in confusion. He muttered, ¡°I believe humans and demons have the same aesthetic sense.¡± ¡°Oh my, is that so?¡± ¡°Even from a demon¡¯s perspective, I can tell that you¡¯re quite the beauty.¡± ¡°Who knows? There are rumors of him being an eunuch. Although rumors like that have been circting, he¡¯s still the best candidate as a groom because of his abilities and position.¡± Young, capable, rich, and strong... There was not even an issue with regards to Davey¡¯s status. He was also someone who could ignore anything because he had received the trust of two whole empires. ¡°However, I can see that he¡¯s not really interested in women. I¡¯m not the type to dig a dried up well.¡± ¡°Dried up¡­¡± Belial murmured quietly. ¡°I don¡¯t know if he already has someone in his heart or if he¡¯s really just not interested in the opposite sex. Anyway, there¡¯s no other reason for me to cling to a guy who does not have any thoughts about me. It will all just amount to nothing even if you force it,¡± Illyna said calmly and stretched her hand out. The bird that was sitting on Belial¡¯s hand looked silently at Illyna. It just continued to cozy itself up in Belial¡¯s hand. ¡°It seems like animals like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Belial quietly looked at Illyna before looking down at Caldeiras in her hands. He said, ¡°Owner of the divine sword.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I heard that the divine sword has an ego. I believe it should already be crying out to kill me.¡± ¡°Caldeiras is someone who would cry out to kill you just because you¡¯re a demon.¡± ¡°I see, it¡¯s quite different,¡± Belial murmured, quietly speaking about the knowledge that he knew of. ¡°The ego of the Sword God¡¯s sword, Caldeiras, was rumored to be a sword of antagonistic violence toward the demons. From what I heard, 3,000 years ago, during the time when the ego could materialize, its hatred for the demons was even enough to drive it to madness.¡± Illyna looked at Caldeiras, which remained silent. ¡°A long time has passed, so there¡¯s bound to be some changes here and there.¡± Belial nodded before slowly standing up and saying, ¡°Grab your sword.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Us, demons, still acknowledge the Sword God¡¯s swordsmanship despite being enemies for thousands of years. The swordsmanship passed down in my family is a swordsmanship that was created by imitating the Sword God¡¯s Longsword. Although I won¡¯t be able to teach you the true and genuine Longsword, and it wouldn¡¯t be of much help, but¡­¡± ¡°Are you done? I¡¯m not so stubborn and reckless as to confront and fight against a patient.¡± Despite Illyna¡¯s refusal, Belial still raised the demonic energy in his body which created a huge change in the surrounding air. He said, ¡°You have to know that even if my body is in this state, I¡¯m still at a level that you won¡¯t be able to hurt me.¡± Illyna¡¯s face hardened at those words. After pondering and contemting for a moment, she slowly released the cloth that wrapped around Caldeiras and pulled her mana up. As mana burst out of her body from the unique mana flow created by Longsword, a bluish sword energy appeared at the tip of her sword and began to cover every part of her de. This was none other than the symbol of a Sword Master, the Aura de. ¡°An Aura de at such a young age. It seems like you¡¯re the reincarnation of the Sword God, huh? You¡¯re probably the first to achieve such a feat, no?¡± ¡°The second, to be exact. Because that damn bastard is not just a simple Sword Master.¡± ¡°I¡¯m getting more and more curious about him.¡± Thud!!! Illyna stomped her foot, twisting the ground beneath her. She flew out in an instant. Belial calmly raised his sword and shed down when he saw the explosive and heavy weight being applied on his opponent¡¯s sword. Bang!!! A powerful shockwave appeared and covered the entire forest. ¡°You¡¯re quick on the uptake. The others weren¡¯t aware that their swords would be destroyed if they recklessly shed their swords against my Longsword.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. My family¡¯s swordsmanship was created by imitating Longsword,¡± Belial said calmly as he walked toward Illyna and raised his sword to destroy Illyna¡¯s bnce. ¡°Ugh!¡± He moved to grab the falling Illyna by the neck. Then, at the veryst moment, he decided to grab her by the arm and push her down on the ground. Bang!!! Another shockwave soon followed. Then, Belial had no choice but to step down without achieving anything that he had aimed to do. ¡°Showing consideration despite being in the middle of a battle. This¡­¡± ¡°Human, do not think that chivalry is something that¡¯s unique to mankind. Although I am the only one left, I have always maintained our family¡¯s tradition. Whether it¡¯s an enemy or an ally, we never fight and bother the weak.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so grateful, I¡¯m already in tears!!!¡± Illyna said with irritation on her face as she pounced on Belial. Belial¡¯s words implied that Illyna was a weak underdog that he could overwhelm at any given moment. Bang!!! Bang!!! Tremendous shockwaves began to shake the otherwise silent forest. From their unhesitating attacks and powerful blows, Illyna and Belial both seemed to be sparring with many thoughts in their minds. Even though he had been weakened, Belial could still fully show off the power of a high-ranking demon. As for Illyna, she was putting pressure on Belial by showing strength and technique that¡¯s far beyond what she had before. [Illyna, just what are you doing right now? Have you forgotten that your opponent is a patient?] Illyna, who was caught in the excitement of fighting against a strong opponent, hadpletely forgotten about the fact that her opponent was a patient and was using her full power to fight against him. That was why Caldeiras¡¯ words had caught her by surprise. At the same time, Belial, who was brandishing his sword and parrying Illyna¡¯s attacks with the same fervor and power, panicked when she suddenly stopped moving. He had no choice but to force his targeted attacks toward a different direction. Bang!!! In the end, Belial¡¯s heavy sword mmed down and destroyed the ground. The impact made Illyna lose her bnce and fall on the ground. Belial rushed to help her with his hand reaching out. However, even he lost his bnce. An awkward silence nketed the forest as the two copsed on the ground, a subtle and ambiguous air surrounding them. After a long moment of silence, Illyna said, ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. But¡­would you mind moving over a bit?¡± Belial looked at Illyna nkly as he stood up slowly. He said, ¡°Please excuse me.¡± ¡°That¡­ It seems like demons are very polite. You said that we are enemies. So, why didn¡¯t you kill me then?¡± ¡°Killing just one of you will bring me no benefits,¡± Belial said calmly as he took back his sword. Although their spar had been terminated so suddenly, neither of the two looked dissatisfied with how it ended. ¡°You¡­haven¡¯t eaten yet, right? Today, I¡¯ll make sure that you eat. I will watch you. So, don¡¯t skip it.¡± ¡°Why are you treating me nicely?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just following my instincts.¡± Just as Belial fell silent¡­ ¡°Why? It was such a nice sight to see. Why didn¡¯t you continue?¡± Both Illyna and Belial whipped their heads toward the direction of the voice in surprise. ¡°Reina, subdue that rascal.¡± ¡°Belial. I thought you¡¯re one of the most respectable figures among the demons, but¡­¡± A sh of white shot forward before anyone could even react. The light was immediately followed by several pure white feathers fluttering down from the sky. Just like that, Belial, who was on guard, flew back as if he had been hit by a heavy weight. Watching everything unfold in an instant, the ck-haired boy leisurely said to Belial, ¡°Reina is no longer the half-dead person that you used to know. Ah. You probably don¡¯t remember her anymore, no?¡± Chapter 324 Davey was quite surprised to meet with a member of the demon race in this ce. He was doubly surprised by the fact that this demon was the same one from back in the marine city state. This was the very same ck-armored demon who had guarded the path that had led to where the 9th Circle Dark Mage, the closest confidant to the Demon Lord, the First Lich Nyx, had been. The fact that this demon was here had exceeded Davey¡¯s expectations. He found it hard to understand, because he was sure that the demon had undoubtedly received fatal injuries from both Rinne and Grand Duchess Kathryn back then. He never thought that the demon would be hiding in the Pan Empire after having fled. Belial could not understand what Davey was talking about. To him, this was his first time meeting Reina. Since the former Warrior Reina¡¯s existence had been deleted in this world, Belial understandably would have no recollection of having met her. It was very obvious that he had no memories of meeting Warrior Reina, who had been in her dying moments back then. With an enemy in front of him, Davey had no qualms checking out the demon¡¯s information. Using the Abyss¡¯ Authority, he could see that the demon¡¯s name was Belial. He could also see that he was a high-ranking demon. Apart from that, the only thing that Davey could see was the fact that Belial was just a naive and honest demon. Belial, who had been sent flying in an instant, looked confused. As for Reina, she held onto her sword of white light and was ready to subdue and kill the demon at any given moment. With an expression of betrayal and anger, she said, ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re trying to vite a weak girl¡­¡± It was hard to tell how the situation hade to be, but seeing one of the men that had made her life tolerable in her own world unexpectedly crushing the version of herself in this world was enough to infuriate Reina. This had been the only demon to have respected and recognized her as a knight back then. Needless to say, her sense of betrayal was justified. Illyna simply looked at everything in a daze. She could not understand the situation at all. As for Davey, he just watched the entire situation unfold in silence. ¡°W-What?¡± Illyna was the most flustered in this situation. With her blonde hair fluttering behind her, she stared at Davey nkly. Then, with an unconscious step forward, she called out to him, ¡°Davey? Why did youe here?!¡± She sounded uneasy, like a child having been caught doing something wrong. It was probably due to her bewilderment. ¡°Why did Ie here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t told anyone that I would be here¡­¡± Davey tapped his cor and said calmly, ¡°I found you through that. I was actually wondering where you¡¯re going.¡± Illyna immediately checked her cor, but found nothing. Looking at Davey suspiciously, she said, ¡°But there¡¯s nothing.¡± Ignoring Illyna, Davey walked toward Belial, who had been subdued by Reina. A momentter, he exined to Illyna, ¡°I¡¯ve nted Tracking Magic in your body.¡± ¡°W-What?! Are you crazy?! nting magic on the body of a member of the Imperial Family?! Do you know what¡¯d happen if you got caught?! I don¡¯t mind it, but what do you think the Pan Empire would do to you?!¡± ¡°Ah. That? It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Davey said calmly as he gestured for Reina to step down and grabbed Belial by the cor. He continued, ¡°That¡¯s something that¡¯s already been dealt with. You seem to be in the dark, but discussions regarding your safety and protection had been discussed since a long time ago.¡± ¡°My, my god¡­ I, I didn¡¯t hear anything about that!!!¡± ¡°Ah, just to let you know, it also has the function to listen in on your conversations.¡± ¡°Kyaaack! Perverted bastard!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie.¡± Illyna looked embarrassed. Davey wasn¡¯t exactly lying. After the war with the Undead in the Pan Empire¡¯s territory, Prince Sullivan had set up a private meeting with Davey and made one request. He had requested for Davey to protect Illyna and secure her safety secretly until the moment she became a Sword Master. Thepensation was a huge sum of money. In all honesty, Davey was not actually that obsessed with money. However, he hadn¡¯t been able to find a good enough reason to reject the request. After epting the offer, Davey had secretly nted a Tracking Magic on Illyna¡¯s body. Sullivan, the Pan Empire¡¯s new Crown Prince, had chosen to protect his younger sister in the dark. Even if he got hated and ostracized by Illyna, it would not matter to him as long as he could protect her from the others¡¯ dirty hands. And was he simply protecting his sister for the sake of their nation¡¯s prestige and honor? Of course not. With Belial looking at him silently, Davey said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re not in any kind of rtionship. However, at this very moment, I¡¯m fulfilling the position of her guardian. I¡¯m not so patient to keep a bastard like you who¡¯s been sneaking around alive. Do you have any excuse?¡± Belial kept quiet. Davey never thought that the demon could have been a problem. After all, the demon should not have been here. Suddenly recognizing Davey, Belial¡¯s eyes widened as he murmured, ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve had the pleasure of making each other¡¯s acquaintance, no?¡± Belial had actually never met Davey, but he could not deny whatever the boy had just said. Since the rules of the world had erased Warrior Reina¡¯s existence, that empty gap in everyone¡¯s memories had been reced by Davey. In fact, anyone putting all of the continent¡¯s rumors together would assume that Davey had been the one to resolve the problem regarding First Lich Nyx. Simply put, everyone believed that it was not Reina but Davey and Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe who had fought against ck Knight Belial, who had guarded First Lich Nyx¡¯s seal. ¡°I see¡­ So the human that she was talking about is you,¡± Belial said as he nced at Illyna, finally understanding whatever she had said before. ¡°It seems like your closed-door training has just ended. I came here to see you, but I am met with a situation that I can¡¯t even pass as a joke,¡± Davey said with a calm smile on his face. Then, with that very same smile, he looked at Illyna and asked, ¡°What shall we do with this guy, huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Speak. It seems like you know that he¡¯s a dangerous man and a member of the demon race. Just one word from you, and I can kill this guy in an instant.¡± However, Belial began moving even before Davey could finish speaking. Although he had lost most of his strength and power due to his injury, he was still able to create a sword in his hand by raising the ck demonic energy in his body. Using a very familiar swordsmanship, he immediately shook Davey off and widened the distance between them. Despite having suffered from a fatal injury, a Sword Master was still a Sword Master. An ordinary person would not be able to react to the speed and technique that he was showing right now. In fact, Illyna would fail to react at all. In this situation, it was clear just how great the Sword Master level was. For people like Illyna, who were able to reach the Sword Master level before the age of 20, they could all be considered as heaven-sent talents who were rarely discovered. However, that did not mean that Illyna was now aplete Master. She had just climbed to the ranks of a Master very recently. It was for that reason that Illyna could not keep up with the movements of Belial, who had surpassed the Master level. Bang!!! ¡°Keo¡­heok¡­¡± Belial was strong by Illyna¡¯s standards. Unfortunately for him, Davey was not a greenhorn who had just reached the Sword Master level. ¡°I never expected that there would be someone fearless enough to try and steal the biggest empire¡¯s precious flower. Even if I bully and tease her, I still have to keep that precious line in mind, you know?¡± Davey said calmly as he grabbed Belial by the neck and mmed him on the tree behind him. Davey could not help but squint at the demon, whose disastrous condition could be discovered with a quick scan of the body. Hemented, ¡°Your internal organs are all messed up. Even your blood flow is all twisted. Don¡¯t move. One more impact like this and you¡¯re as good as dead.¡± Davey did not really hate the demon race. However, it was very umon to give recognition and eptance to an enemy like Belial. Belial looked at Davey in exhaustion. With blood dripping down his chin, he said, ¡°What¡­ What a ridiculous speed. Are, are you sure you¡¯re a human?¡± ¡°If you want to doubt my existence, then you can do as you please. I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Just as Belial fell silent, someone else stepped forward and said threateningly, ¡°Please leave him to me. I can easily deal with this shameless and reckless man right here and now.¡± It was none other than Reina. Using her white sword energy, she created a sword and pointed it at Belial¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Reina¡¯s face up close, doubt shed across Belial¡¯s face. This was understandable. Reina¡¯s face had changed slightly but she still carried a huge resemnce to Illyna. Although Davey had changed her body based on his own preference, the basic features of her face as well as its shape hadn¡¯t really changed. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I thought you were one of the few demons who valued righteousness and grace,¡± Reina mumbled coldly as her eyes shot daggers at Belial. ¡°I did not expect that you¡¯re a very disgusting demon who¡¯d try to force a woman who¡¯s far weaker than you¡­¡± ¡°I have never seen you in my life.¡± ¡°Yes, you haven¡¯t, but I have already grown sick and tired of seeing your face,¡± Reina said, her hands shaking as she pressed her sword closer to Belial. ¡°Davey! Stop that! He¡¯s my patient!¡± Illyna hurriedly cried out. ¡°A patient? Even if the one who did the treatment is a quack, do patients really knock them down on the ground?¡± ¡°Stop ying around with your words! It¡¯s just an ident during a spar! Are you going to joke around with me even though you¡¯repletely aware of what happened?!¡± Davey looked at Belial silently. In the end, his expression rxed as he took a step back and said, ¡°Reina, put your sword away.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Reina said, immediately stepping down. She pulled her sword away as her attitude changed, but a vignt look still remained on her face. Belial, who was only being supported by Davey¡¯s hand on his neck, copsed on the ground and vomited blood. ¡°So, you¡¯re a Sword Master now. Congrattions.¡± Illyna turned coy, turning away to avoid Davey¡¯s eyes while saying, ¡°Hmph. You¡¯re quite quick on the uptake¡­¡± ¡°And you even finished your training this fast. Hmmm. Seeing that you¡¯ve grown prettier, you must have seeded with your metamorphosis.¡± ¡°Anyone who wields the sword like I do will get the hang of it quickly, no? And, and you won¡¯t get anything from me even if youpliment me.¡± Feeling better from Davey¡¯spliments, Illyna blushed. She had swung her sword until crossing the wall to be a Sword Master, and had undergone aplete metamorphosis. What? Was metamorphosis just some bullshit? Of course not. This was not a feat that anyone could achieve normally. As Davey patted her head, Illyna realized the situation that she was in and immediately stepped away from him. With wide eyes in shock, she asked, ¡°You¡­ Are you going to keep treating others like children?¡± ¡°Who am I treating like a child?¡± ¡°When I look at you from time to time¡­ I always see you treating others like children.¡± ¡®Ah. I got caught.¡¯ Illyna red at Davey as she moved to support Belial. She asked, ¡°Hey. Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Belial stayed silent, Illyna turned to Davey and asked, ¡°Davey, can¡¯t you save this guy? He doesn¡¯t show any signs of improvement even though I have given him the basic treatment. I¡¯ll make sure topensate you properly.¡± ¡°That guy is a demon.¡± After Illyna shut her mouth, Davey further exined, ¡°And he¡¯s not an ordinary demon. He¡¯s the demon who guarded the ce where First Lich Nyx was sealed. Do you know what that means?¡± Listening to those harsh words, Illyna bowed her head and avoided Davey¡¯s gaze. ¡°He¡¯s allied with the vampires that you want to kill so badly,¡± Davey reminded Illyna of the fact that she was already aware of. Illyna frowned slightly. ¡°I know¡­ I know that, but¡­ Whenever I think of Per¡­ I think that not all demons are bad¡­¡± ¡®Ah. Come to think of it, Illyna knows of your existence because of Caldeiras.¡¯ ¡ªThat¡¯s right. ¡°Whether he¡¯s good or bad, he¡¯s still an enemy.¡± ¡°I, I know that! I know that, but¡­¡± Seeing Illyna try to find the words that she wanted to say, Davey asked quietly, ¡°So, you want to save him?¡± ¡°At the very least, I don¡¯t want to pretend that I haven¡¯t seen him suffer and die a slow death. Besides¡­he¡¯s not really a bad demon.¡± Reina, who was standing next to Davey, gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Continue living with that kind of mindset and you¡¯ll be in hell.¡± Illyna red sharply at Reina when she heard her sarcastic remarks. She angrily strode toward Reina and said, ¡°Who are you?! Who are you to dare to pretend to know everything, huh?!¡± Reina smiled coldly at Illyna, who was raising her aura against her. From Davey¡¯s point of view, this was Reina trying to give advice to her past self. It seemed like Reina felt like it was only humane to wake her younger self from these thoughts, even if she had to do it harshly and unreasonably. ¡°Unlike what you believe, the world is not a righteous ce.¡± ¡°Thank you for the advice, but it will be up to me to judge. I believe in what I see,¡± Illyna said angrily as she took a step closer to Reina. ¡°Huh?¡± Illyna suddenly became flustered. Although Reina¡¯s face had changed slightly, she still looked just like the girl named Illyna de Pan who had crossed over to this world from a parallel one. The Illyna from this world was still 17 years old. On the other hand, Reina was already in herte twenties. There was a huge difference between them, but it also appeared as if there was hardly any difference at all. ¡°Da¡­ Davey¡­ this¡­ this person¡­ Who the hell is she?¡± Illyna took a step back and hurriedly turned to ask Davey. Chapter 325 Out of everyone, Illyna was the most flustered by the sudden turn of events. She stared at Reina speechlessly for a while. In fact, all she could do was look between Davey and Reina alternately without any idea of what to say or do. Davey simply gave some slight confirmation. He said, ¡°Say hi. She¡¯s someone who¡¯s very close to you.¡± Illyna replied with a frown, ¡°Someone close to me? You¡¯re telling me that I know her?¡± ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re the one who knows her best,¡± Davey said yfully. Feeling frustrated, Illyna pouted. ¡°What the hell¡­ What in the world is it¡­?¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that she¡¯s you?¡± Illyna¡¯s eyes widened in shock while Belial, who had been listening from the side, had a simr reaction. ¡®Well then, let¡¯s see how it goes.¡¯ ¡°What do you¡­?¡± ¡°Warrior Reina is Illyna de Pan from a parallel world. She was the Fourth Commander of the Final Resistance¡¯s Army and was one of the few who had survived mankind¡¯s defeat from the hands of Demon Lord Perserque, who had been sessfully revived and manipted through the vampires¡¯ schemes.¡± Reina had confided in Davey during their drinking sessions before her first death. She had expressed how lonely, painful, and sad her life had been back then. Illyna¡¯s gaze trembled after she heard Davey¡¯s exnation. She knew him well enough to know that he was not joking around right now. Staring at Reina in confusion, she said in a quavering voice, ¡°You¡¯re¡­lying.¡± Reina looked at Davey in doubt. Feeling unclear as to why Davey was doing this, she asked, ¡°Is this really fine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m doing this because I trust in the process.¡± Hearing that unexpected reply, Reina felt even more doubt toward Davey. However, she said nothing more. ¡®Now, it¡¯s time for the bait.¡¯ ¡°After having suffered fatal injuries during the fight against the Undead in the Pan Empire, she had be a prisoner of war in the Demonic Legion. In the years to follow, she had been subjected to horrible torture and unexinable shame.¡± Illyna balled her trembling hands into fists. She held them so tight that they could break. ¡°Do you want me to tell you what happened after?¡± With red eyes, Illyna turned to look at Reina. She seemed to be asking her if Davey was speaking the truth. The mana in the air around them began to shake. However, Davey appeared to be the only one who was aware of it. ¡°Everything that has been said¡­is true¡­¡± Boom!!! Before Reina could finish speaking, Illyna suddenly froze. In fact, everything had froze in ce and time except for Davey and Reina. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°This will happen if we keep on going about your past. See, your existence has been wiped out. That fact won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And once someone forces the others to remember and remind them of your existence¡­¡± Davey said calmly before spitting out a piece of flesh onto his hand. It had been stuck in his mouth. Upon reaching the 9th Circle, one would reach immunity toward almost all kinds of internal injuries. However, the shock that Davey had received went beyond the normal level and had managed to injure him. ¡°¡­There¡¯s a restriction.¡± ¡°Are¡­ Are you alright?!¡± Reina shouted in surprise as she rushed over and helped Davey up. She asked, ¡°Why did you do something so foolish?!¡± Her shout of urgency sounded so familiar that Davey was given the impression that, no matter how old she got, Illyna would always be Illyna. ¡°Do not try to experiment on this. If you¡¯re going to bring these facts to light just to create confusion, then¡­¡± Reina would disappear on the spot. Since Davey was not lying, Reina turned pale in the face. ¡°I spent a lot of money to save you, so don¡¯t try tomit suicide.¡± ¡°Goodness¡­ There¡¯s no human who will do something so stupid and reckless!¡± ¡°There is. Over here,¡± Davey said jokingly as he pointed at himself. Then, he reached his hand toward Reina¡¯s face and said, ¡°Curses were originally made for a good purpose. I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ll put a Recognition Interference Curse on your face. This is a semi-permanent curse. As long as I¡¯m alive, this curse will remain.¡± ¡°Are you saying that no one would view me as Illyna?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit simr. They¡¯ll see you as someone who looks like her, but they will never think that you¡¯re the same person.¡± This was not the only thing that Davey had prepared on his side. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ I wish you gave me a different face in the first ce¡­¡± ¡°Easy for you to say. Besides, what did you do wrong for me to change that pretty face, huh?¡± Reina chuckled helplessly. ¡°If I heard that before my first death, I would definitely have fallen for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case now, right?¡± ¡°Who knows? As long as you wish for it, then I will give it to you¡­whether it¡¯s my body, my soul, or my mind. But my soul is not as clean and as pure as you think. To be honest¡­ I find men a bit scary.¡± ¡°Take it easy. I don¡¯t like this and that either. Ah, close your eyes for a bit.¡± Vwooooong!!! When a dark energy surrounded Reina, Davey stretched his hand and flicked his finger to chip away at the mana that had hardened and surrounded them both. Once that was done, the surroundings, including Illyna and Belial, began moving again. ¡°Davey. Who the hell is this¡­person?¡± The dazed Illyna repeated what she had said to Davey before. It was clear that the entire conversation that had urred earlier on had been wiped from her memory. After all, she had stopped in time just now. Illyna, who was staring at Reina, tilted her head in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s strange? I was obviously¡­¡± Reina¡¯s face remained unchanged, but no one thought of her as Illyna de Pan any longer. Now, they just saw her as someone who had a slightly simr appearance to Illyna. This would mean that the Recognition Interference Curse, the 9th Circle curse, that had been ced on Reina was working properly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you staring tantly at someone else¡¯s face?¡± ¡°N-No. I¡¯m sorry for my rudeness. N-No, that isn¡¯t it¡­ Right! You! Who are you to judge me like that?! What do you even know about me?!¡± Illyna snapped at Reina as if she was being mean to the woman for no reason at all. Reina looked at Davey, who shook his head quietly. She then said to Illyna, ¡°It was a slip of the tongue. Please excuse me for my rudeness. I didn''t mean to offend you, Princess.¡± After listening to Reina¡¯s calm apology that belied her sadness, Illyna became flustered and embarrassed. ¡°No, well¡­ If you say it like that, then I have nothing more to say¡­¡± Unlike Davey, who liked to bite even deeper when his opponents lowered their tail, Illyna did not like any unnecessary disturbance to her life. And with Reina¡¯s business all done with, Davey¡¯s entire attention was now ced on the demon bastard named Belial. He called out, ¡°Reina.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this bastard¡¯s position?¡± ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t held any deep conversations. However, I¡¯m sure that he holds a very high position.¡± ¡°Is that so? You know more than I had expected,¡± Davey said. Then, he turned to look at Belial and asked, ¡°What made you guyse over to this ce?¡± Belial did not answer Davey¡¯s question but said, ¡°Came over¡­ Human, are you saying that you know where we came from?¡± ¡°Do I look like a dumbass to you? Do I look like the kind of person who will give you information without thinking things through?¡± Remaining silent, Belial looked at Davey with a searching gaze. He expressed no hatred, just caution and vignce. He then said, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m just a failure who has failed to finish his mission. I¡¯m not worth anything to be a prisoner of war. Although I am grateful that you did not kill me and have treated me humanely, this is a separate matter altogether.¡± ¡°What a pity. If you came at me, then I was going to use a very, very nice method to get information from you.¡± The two looked at each other in a quiet battle of nerves. Belial was fully aware that the only reason why Davey had not made a move on him was because of his consideration for Illyna. ¡°I might be a prisoner of war, but that human woman is like my benefactor. Even though we¡¯re enemies, I¡¯m not stupid enough to not be able to distinguish between grace and hostility,¡± Belial said as he stood up. Then, he continued, ¡°I will surely repay my debt to you.¡± Only then did Davey rx his grip on Belial, who disappeared after having said those honest and righteous words. Davey then stood up, looked at Illyna, and snapped his fingers. ¡°W-What?!¡± ¡°What do you mean? We¡¯re going to do what we always do.¡± Realizing exactly what Davey was nning to do, Illyna trembled and jumped up in shock. She quickly pulled Caldeiras out and stepped away from Davey. Shiiiiiing!!! Davey found Illyna¡¯s disy of fright to be rather hrious. ¡°There, there¡­is no need to do something like that, right?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t escape. We¡¯re going to do it. You punk, you won¡¯t even be able to receive this treatment anywhere else even if you¡¯re willing to pay.¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s not the point!¡± ¡°Just ept it, you rascal.¡± Grab! Reina was already on Illyna even before Davey could finish his sentence. All Illyna could do was struggle against her grip, cold sweat dripping down her forehead. Illyna¡¯s future self holding and overpowering her past self was quite the unusual sight to behold. Of course, her past self waspletely unaware of this fact. Illyna, who had reached the Sword Master level, was obviously a powerhouse. However, Reina had been a warrior for a very long time now, so a Sword Master was no threat to someone like her at all. ¡°It will only hurt at first. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll feel good in no time.¡± Just one look at Illyna and anyone would miraculously want to give her a massage. How strange, huh? ¡ªYou don¡¯t do that to others, Davey. Davey, if you let the world know of the effects of your massage, then you¡¯ll definitely rake in bundles of money. ¡®I absolutely refuse. I have no intention of doing this to others unless they feel good under my hands.¡¯ Crack, crack, crack¡­ ¡°Kyaaaaaaaack!!!¡± The terrible and disastrous scream was just a bonus for him. *** ¡°That damn human bastard!¡± A gray-haired man gnashed his teeth as he stared at the debris of the hugeb in front of him. He looked furious enough to rip and tear apart anyone who he could get his hands on at any moment. His look was also made even more vicious by the several gashes and burns that littered his entire body. Everything had gone ording to their ns¡­until they were about to finish processing the materials that they had acquired from the Pandora Region. As if the researchers had touched something that they shouldn¡¯t have, a huge explosion happened in theboratory. Clearly, they had touched something that had detonated a holy bomb. Due to the explosion, the body of the Demon Lord that they had been making was tremendously damaged. Even half of the sacrifices that they had taken couldn¡¯t be used anymore. It was a reckless and ridiculous idea to use holy magic to purify the hatred of the sacrifices. However, purifying the hatred that was needed to create the body of the Demon Lord was enough to anger the vampires. This was just what the human had intended. It seemed like everything was in the palm of his hands. He appeared to be aware of their research and their progress just by monitoring their supply and transport of materials. Nevertheless, the vampires were still doubtful if a human could create the absurd situation that they were now in. Still, this was their reality now. They had lost a considerable amount of time and the revival of the Demon Lord had been pushed further back. ¡°This won¡¯t work. It¡¯s time for us to show the pride and honor of us, nobles.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re done with preparations, then let¡¯s make our move.¡± Angered, the vampires no longer opposed the idea of war. All of them agreed and made the decision to move their army that had been on standby for a very long time. The winds of war were finally starting to blow. However, unbeknownst to these vampires, a secret organization had been waiting for them to mobilize their huge army. Chapter 326 ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± Illyna tried to catch her breath. She had red eyes, flushed cheeks, and drool dripping down her chin. She looked so obscene, but her prim and proper clothes remainedpletely untouched. ¡°What a very mysterious body.¡± The body was so mysterious that anyone would have the desire to touch and massage it. Anyway, it did not matter even after she had be a Sword Master expert; Illyna de Pan would remain the same. ¡ªLooking at the strength of her body, I can tell that the machine gun in your past life would not be able to pierce through her flesh, right? That was the beauty of full metamorphosis. Humans were the only race that could ovee their limits. After all, they had the most indefinite power. Upon undergoing metamorphosis, their bodies would naturally evolve and transform. Although their skin would remain soft and supple, it would be extremely tough armor when needed by absorbing mana. Davey silently pulled out a dagger to see how powerful Illyna¡¯s body had grown after being subjected to his fingers¡¯ magic. Crack, crack, crack, crack¡­ Illyna¡¯s body bore no cuts from the dagger. Instead, it transferred that impact back to the dagger itself and made it crack. ¡°Ah, wait¡­ I might feel this every time, but¡­¡± ¡ªYour body is even weirder. It usually wouldn¡¯t reach that point. No matter how immune to a thousand poisons a Sword Master¡¯s body was, the strength of Davey¡¯s body was on a whole other level of ridiculous. ¡ªBack then, you only underwent a metamorphosis once, right? Usually, for your body to reach this level of ridiculousness, you have to undergo metamorphosis three or four more times, right? ¡°How should I say this¡­?¡± This had happened to Davey once before. Back when he had tried to survive in a desert, he had identally gotten sucked underground and had been greeted by a gigantic sand worm with a mouth that was filled with thousand sharp teeth. It could even pierce through steel and crush anyone with a bite. Davey had almost died during their first encounter. ¡°After getting chewed on a few times, I eventually got used to it.¡± ¡ªThat¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the kind of thing that you can get used to, even if you want to. ¡°That¡¯s how my body got strengthened and reinforced. I was in my soul form back then. However, all of the power and strength that I¡¯ve gained there has been engraved and imprinted on my soul. And now, they¡¯re slowly getting applied to this body.¡± Davey had previously told Perserque that the first thing that he had learned from Hercules, who had been a survival specialist, was to turn his body into an unmatched monster. ¡°That guy constantly tested the limits of the human body. He was the barometer that determined how strong a human could be.¡± ¡ªHow solid and strong is his body? To answer Perserque¡¯s question and illustrate how strong and sturdy Hercules¡¯ body had been, Davey thought that the best answer was the battle that had determined the ultimate number one in the Hall. Back then, the heroes had not yet been as crazy as they were now. ¡°He blocked your father¡¯s Splitting Seas with his bare body. Well, in the first ce, that lunatic survival specialist never carried any armor or weapon on himself.¡± ¡ªGoodness¡­ One could only imagine how powerful and strong that sword strike had been to be able to split the seas, especially one that had been released by the Sword God himself. After all, the Sword God¡¯s Longsword was a swordsmanship that did not focus on the technique but its destructive power. In fact, there was no other hero, except for Hercules, who could receive such an attack with their bare body. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaah¡­¡± Davey covered the trembling Illyna with a nket. The smile on his face disappeared as he said, ¡°No one else will listen to us here. Show yourself.¡± He had picked up on some signs of movements happening outside of the door and knew that it was Belial. Then, he used his thoughts andmunicated with Perserque, ¡®Perserque. Can you watch Illyna for me for a bit?¡¯ ¡ªI guess this is something that I¡¯m not supposed to hear? ¡®I don¡¯t really care if you listen to it or not, but I would not really rmend you to listen to it.¡¯ Perserque looked at Davey in worry, feeling troubled by his words. After some time, she nodded in agreement and sat quietly on the simple bed inside the hut. ¡ªAlright. I don¡¯t have to stay by your side every second of the day. ¡°Alright,¡± Davey said and went out to walk silently with Belial for a long time. Belial followed Davey with a wary look on his face. After reaching a ce that was out of earshot, somewhere a bit further away from the hut where Illyna was, Davey flicked his hand. Vwooong¡­ A Silence Curtain was created even though Davey hadn¡¯t uttered a chant. After looking at the absurd scene, Belial asked Davey, ¡°What do you want to say to me, human?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for formality. I don¡¯t want to ask you this so bluntly, but you leave me with no choice. rify your purpose ining here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t matter what Illyna thinks. You will die right here and now,¡± Davey said with a solemn and grave expression. Belial turned pale as an overwhelming amount of mana began to weigh down on him. He was still injured and had to undergo recovery, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back even if he wanted to. Besides, even if he was in his normal state, he knew best that Davey was not an opponent that he could fight against. The gap between their power was just that overwhelming. ¡ª¡­ ¡°Silence, huh¡­¡± Shwaaaaa!!! Once Davey was done speaking, Belial immediately lost an arm. ¡°Urk?!¡± ¡°Does it look like I¡¯m joking?¡± Belial took a step back after seeing the grin on Davey¡¯s face. He could tell that Davey¡¯s smile held a different meaning from friendliness. After seeing the demon falter and retreat instinctively, Davey said, ¡°That arm. If you don¡¯t attach that within thirty minutes, then you won¡¯t be able to attach them again. Think about it properly.¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re really a crazy guy. Madness has been embedded deep in your soul and not in your body.¡± Hearing the demon¡¯s surprising criticism, Davey looked at Belial in surprise. He then recalled the demons that Ares had previously materialized for him. Among them had been one demon that could tell Davey¡¯s condition just by looking at him, and he had been¡­ ¡°Was it Regent Melprogue?¡± ¡°That¡­ You¡­ How?¡± ¡°No wonder. Melprogue¡¯s eyes can definitely see through my condition. A long time must have passed since his time. Then, you must be his descendant, no?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Belial gritted his teeth. ¡°Are you telling me that you¡¯ll keep your mouth shut until the very end?¡± ¡°Lunatic.¡± ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t told anyone about that.¡± Any human who lived for thousands of years while retaining each and every single memory would not be able to have their ego intact. ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a tad bit crazy.¡± Shwaaa!!! Not long after, Belial¡¯s other arm was cut off too. If others saw both Belial and Davey, they might find it ridiculous to see the demon getting pushed back by simple sword energy alone. Davey couldn¡¯t care less. He just asked quietly, ¡°What is your purpose? Seeing that your power is not showing a red light even after hearing that I will crush the vampires, you are not actually cooperating with the vampires to stir up confusion in this ce.¡± ¡°My purpose has long been gone the moment Nyx, the Demon Lord¡¯s closest confidant, had died.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the restrictions and prohibitions Nyx had engraved on your body? That punk is already dead, so they are all useless now.¡± When Belial looked away from him, Davey said, ¡°Oh, you¡¯re avoiding my gaze. I must have hit the nail on the head then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re particrly greedy. It seems like you¡¯re also a bit pessimistic about the Demon Lord¡¯s revival. And considering the fact that you¡¯ve been sent here by the current rulers of the Demon World with restrictions, it¡¯s a bit hard to say that you have the same purpose,¡± Davey said, smiling as he pointed out his assumptions one after the other. ¡°If you¡¯re a descendant of Melprogue, the possessor of the Demonic Eyes, then you can see the soul,¡± Davey added calmly as he used his mana to lift Belial¡¯s arms, which had fallen onto the ground. Vwoong!!! Belial could not help but look at Davey in shock when he saw the dark mana pouring out of him. He murmured, ¡°How can someone with holy mana¡­?¡± Vwooooooong¡­ With an incredulous expression on his face, he watched as his arms reattached themselves to his body. Then, he realized that he could move his arms again. He eximed, ¡°What in the world, you¡­ How much more do you know?¡± ¡°This is just what I can roughly tell. Melprogue was an extreme believer of Demon Lord Perserque. If you uphold your family traditions and values, then what you want is not just the revival of the Demon Lord but the safety of Perserque.¡± Noticing the slight change in Belial¡¯s expression, Davey continued, ¡°Want me to say more? The problem here is that you do not have any reason to refuse when the vampires told you that they would resurrect the Demon Lord. In fact, you could have weed it.¡± ¡°Damn it¡­¡± ¡°But you refused. What¡¯s your reason?¡± Belial looked defeated, looking at Davey as if he were a monster. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t listen to their orders, they have sent you here with the knowledge that you¡¯re the only one who can find the Demon Lord¡¯s soul. You¡¯ve noticed that something¡¯s wrong at some point, am I right?¡± Belial said through gritted teeth, ¡°The vampires¡­want to ce the soul of Demon Lord Perserque in the body that they¡¯ve created to have her act ording to their wishes.¡± Of course, they knew that Perserque was not an idiot and had been a Demon Lord who promoted peace. Nevertheless, they wanted to revive her because she had been the only Demon Lord who had the absolute power to attract all of the demons. ¡°You must have entertained plenty of thoughts the moment your restriction has been lifted. Once you found out who Illyna was, you stayed by her side. Why?¡± Davey was sure that Belial would escape not if he had wanted to. After all, the demon¡¯s trembling gaze at the sight of his eerie smile was evidence enough. ¡°There¡¯s only one reason I can think of. I believe you¡¯re trying to find the location where Perserque has been sealed. You must have determined that Perserque¡¯s soul was sealed somewhere around Illyna, the owner of the divine sword.¡± ¡°¡­I am looking for the Demon Lord¡¯s soul. Even if the Demon Lord has been sealed, I can still see her soul.¡± ¡°And so?¡± ¡°So, that¡­¡± Belial was seemingly set to protect the soul of the only remaining pure-blooded absolute existence to him and his people. ¡°I wish for the revival of the Demon Lord. However, I can never let her be used by those vicious bastards. And because that human woman showed me sympathy, I made use of her.¡± Human rtionships could still hide plenty of unsightly and horrible things despite sharing friendly connections with one another. Things had clearly been going well for Belial, but Davey did notice something strange about the situation. Perserque, in her spirit form, had always been by Davey¡¯s side. However, Belial had failed to see her¡­ ¡°You¡­ What¡¯s the level of your vision right now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sinceing here from the other side, I have lost control over it.¡± Davey did not know much about the Demonic Eyes, but he had experienced an overload like that at least once in his life. He hadn¡¯t taken this into consideration, so he had overestimated Belial¡¯s abilities. He now understood why Belial could not see Perserque despite having that ability and why Perserque remained undiscovered by his side. ¡°No one knows about this aside from me. How¡­ How in the world did you find out?¡± ¡°How do I say this? I¡¯ve lived in a ce where you won¡¯t be able to survive in your right mind. And once you go crazy, you will be able to see things that you normally wouldn¡¯t be able to see.¡± ¡®Weren¡¯t they called Tajja?¡¯ Tajjas were gamblers who cheated others just by changing something slightly, something that ordinary people would not be able to see. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can see what people think. Sometimes, I even mess up or get hurt on purpose. You know, I¡¯m really good at acting.¡± Davey could protect as many people as he wanted, but he could force no one to understand him. Also¡­ ¡®I¡¯m also in a situation where it wouldn¡¯t be strange for me to disappear at any given moment.¡¯ After a brief silence, Davey started to speak again, ¡°I just took a shot, but I guess I got it right, huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re truly crazy. If you¡¯re truly that good at guessing things, then there¡¯s no reason for the Demonic Eyes to be called Demonic Eyes.¡± Davey smirked. Suddenly shooting dark mana toward Belial¡¯s overloaded body, he said, ¡°Hey, you. Are you ready to give up your life for Demon Lord Perserque?¡± ¡°Why should I say anything to you, you bastard of a human?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to get a sense of what I will do and whether I will tell you my ns in the future or not. And everything will depend on your answer.¡± Davey grabbed the arms of the copsed Belial and said, ¡°I do not make any unnecessary investments. It would be normal for me to kill you on the spot, but if you¡¯re worth my investment¡­ I will keep you alive.¡± He showed Belial a calm smile. Anyone could hear of his n, but Perserque should never hear it. He never intended the silver-haired former Demon Lord, who always stood by his side, to hear this. It was also toote for him to stop the vampires¡¯ ns now. ¡°I¡¯m saying that you should party up with me.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°Both you and I have the same purpose. How about it? Want to give it a try?¡± As Belial remained silent, Davey stated, ¡°However, you¡¯ll have to pay a price.¡± Belial was very quick-witted. It seemed like he found a hint of something from the crazy smile that bloomed on Davey¡¯s face. ¡°Right. You need to pay a price.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Davey quietly told Belial the price that he had to pay, and this one thing was the most important thing of all. Chapter 327: A Hearing, The Saint’s Ambition ¡°Don¡¯te near me,¡± Illyna said as she stared at Davey vigntly. She looked like she would wield Caldeiras right away. ¡°You¡¯re doing this again?¡± ¡°Vicious bastard! Do you think you can get away by humiliating ady?!¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s not like this is your first time,¡± said Davey calmly. Illyna gritted her teeth. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a good method to get stronger! I refuse to be subjected to this disgraceful and humiliating treatment!¡± She was so obsessed with improving her swordsmanship that her eyes used to sparkle at the thought of getting stronger alone. She had even dered that she would do anything just to get stronger. However, the strong shock from the after effects of this particr treatment had been difficult for her to shake off. Listening to Illyna¡¯s determined cry, Davey asked, ¡°Why are you saying that? Are you looking down on the service that I have been giving you even if it¡¯s for your own good?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get it right, Davey. Do you think I don¡¯t know you? It¡¯s not like I have known you just for a day or two.¡± ¡®Oh, I got caught?!¡¯ ¡°To be honest, I did it because I like the feel of your muscles under my hands.¡± ¡°Eeee¡­ Eeeeeeek!¡± Illyna red at Davey. Ignoring her, Davey turned around and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget this. Big things will happen soon. Never step forward on your own.¡± ¡°¡­In the end, you¡¯re not going to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Illyna asked with aplicated expression on her face. Davey shook his head. ¡°Trust what others say for a bit. This is for you and the person who values you the most in the world.¡± He nced at Reina, who turned away from him with a strange expression on her face. He said, ¡°Reina, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Illyna looked at Reina, who was following Davey calmly. She tilted her head curiously after feeling a subtle strangeness from the woman. However, she eventually shook it off and called out, ¡°Davey!¡± When Davey turned to look at her, she said, ¡°You, You know! I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do here, but will you spare me some time after you settle everything?¡± ¡°Time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s someone that I really want you to meet,¡± Illyna said, her cheeks turning a bright shade of red. Davey turned back around after seeing the girl¡¯s silly appearance. Then, he activated his magic and nudged Perserque awake. Waking up from her nap on Davey¡¯s shoulder, Perserque rubbed her eyes cutely and spoke to him. ¡ªThat child. She¡¯s conflicted. When you met her in person, her heart turned restless again. Tell me honestly. Are you really that good at catching people¡¯s hearts? ¡®Who knows? I have no idea.¡¯ ¡ªTch, tch. Boom!!! The space in front of Davey twisted as a familiar forest unfolded in front of him. Then, he saw Vermillion Bird Fire Chicken and Azure Dragon Rumble quietly nking the Monstrous Rock Giant, who was recovering under a blue light. ¡°How much have you recovered?¡± [Human. It¡¯s been a while since west saw each other. You sound very urgent.] ¡°I have to take these two rascals.¡± [These Divine Beasts are truly amazing spiritual beings. It¡¯s fine, I can endure for the time being.] ¡°Alright, that¡¯s good. Fire Chicken, Rumble, let¡¯s go.¡± Davey was going to give the Divine Beasts the job of finding all of the mosquitoes¡¯ hidden bases and destroying them all. This would bepletely different from the previous vampire extermination. This time, Davey intended to nerf them and destroy a majority of their race. The two Divine Beasts disappeared in a sh of light and turned into cores thatid in Davey¡¯s palms. Then, he handed them over to Reina and said, ¡°Take these two guys with you. I have something for you to do.¡± ¡°As long as you order it, even if it¡¯s to take the head of a god, I will fulfill it.¡± ¡°Woah. You shouldn¡¯t say such harsh things in front of a Saint. Anyway, I want you to take on the role of Warrior Reina once again,¡± Davey said, pulling out a huge spear from his Pocket ne and handing it over to her. The weapon was none other than the Divine Spear Longinus in the form of a woldo[1]. Reina unhesitantly epted Longinus. However, her eyes grew wide as her form copsed from the weight of the spear. She turned pale and quickly raised the mana in her body to have a firm grip on the spear. Looking up at Davey in disbelief, she asked, ¡°This¡­ What the hell is this weapon¡­?¡± ¡°It usually weighs around 80 kilograms. However, if you lift it as a non-owner, it will be around 300 kilograms in weight. You managed to hold on to it without any difficulties. Amazing.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? This is a weapon?¡± ¡°Well, aspensation for its weight, there¡¯s nothing in the world that can destroy this ridiculous weapon. It would not receive any scratches at all. Also, that¡¯s the perfect weapon for you.¡± Heavy weapons were the perfect fit for the Longsword swordsmanship. Being so talented at it, Reina could use a woldo and not a holy sword to still execute it perfectly. Since Longinus was a weapon made with God¡¯s ore, Helixium, it was dozens of times more powerful than a sword that was made with orichalcum or adamantium. It could be considered to be the strongest weapon in the world once it awakened. After all, it could draw hundreds of times more power when being used. ¡°It has only been awakened halfway through. It¡¯s still dormant. You have made use of the power of the Saint slumbering in the holy sword and got mistaken as the Warrior. This weapon is the most perfect weapon for you to use as a warrior.¡± ¡°The objective?¡± ¡°Be the main protagonist in the extermination of the resurrected Demon Lord.¡± Davey was making thorough preparations to avoid variables in his ns, just like what that person had told him. *** Veffel was a small territory in the Sorn Kingdom located in the southernmost part of the Western Continent. It was a very small rural region with only 200 permanent residents, so they could only hire a small vignte corps to maintain public security. ¡°Father!!!¡± Yurich, one of the members of the vignte corps that was guarding the old wooden fence, rubbed his sleepy eyes when he saw his son rushing back to the territory. His son had been learning how to hunt and work in the forest himself. ¡°Goodness, you punk! You¡¯ll run out of breath if you do that!¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­ Father!!!¡± Yurich could not help but frown when he saw his son charging back to the territory while shouting loudly. His son had always been well-behaved. In fact, he had even boasted to everyone around him about how mature, wonderful, and good his son was. He might be shouting harshly and coldly at his son, but he was widely known as being a loving and doting father to his son. Right now, he could tell that his son was acting strangely. ¡°Father!!! Run!!!¡± Yurich tilted his head in confusion when he saw his son shouting so urgently at him. He immediately turned to the other members of the vignte corps and nodded. ¡°Open the gates. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with that rascal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Why is your son so panicked?¡± ¡°Well, maybe a wild beast hase down from a mountain somewhere?¡± Yurichughed and walked out of the now open wooden gates. Yurich¡¯s son looked at his father and turned even paler. He screamed, ¡°No! Father!!! Close the gates!!!¡± ¡°What? You rascal, what nonsense are you saying? Why are you in such a rush this early in the morning?¡± At that moment, Yurich¡¯s son screamed as if he had seen something scary. ¡°N¡­ No!!!¡± Just then, a huge shadow appeared in the sky above them. When Yurich raised his head to look, he froze in shock. He did not know what he was looking at, but he could see so many of them. In fact, every member of the vignte corps that guarded the wooden gate were looking at the sky with the same look on their faces. Almost all of them felt simr emotions too. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck! Then, the ground shook fiercely as the leader of the flying creatures roared powerfully. As the roar echoed, Yurich saw something walk out of the forest where his son hade from. His eyes grew wide in shock. What he saw was none other than a huge army that hade from hell itself. Crackle¡­ The leader of the flying creatures in the sky opened its mouth wide as zing red fireballs began to gather in front of it. There was no time to escape. In the end, the entire territory was devoured by its hellish mes. *** In just a few days, Sorn Kingdom, a small kingdom located in the southernmost region of the Western Continent, waspletely destroyed. This unprecedented news shook the entire continent. Ever since a peace treaty had been agreed upon and the Continental Alliance had been formed and signed under the name of the Three Emperors, there hadn¡¯t been a single kingdom destroyed from war in the past decades. Peace had remained for a long time. And those who had escaped the clutches of war had grown dull on their edges, forgetting how dangerous a war could actually be. In the meantime, the news about the Sorn Kingdom¡¯s copse spread like wildfire in the continent. The incident at the marine city state at the southernmost region of the Eastern Continent and the war with the Undead in the Pan Empire hadn¡¯t caused much panic because no nation had disappeared. Everyone was also generally unaware of the dangers that the enemies posed. However, the most recent incident waspletely different. The damage had been done by the ck Dragon and its hundreds of thousands of troops. The existence of a dragon, a being that could decimate and turn countless beings to ashes with a single Breath, was very terrifying. It boasted an overwhelming power that no Frost Wyrm could everpare to. The destination of the dragon and its troops? The Eastern Continent. They continued to destroy everything in their path with their attacks, charging forward. They posed an entirely different kind of dangerpared to the Undead, which had gone to war with the Pan Empire. Soon, another small nation east of the previously destroyed Sorn Kingdom was decimated and turned into ashes. This shook the entire continent once more. Fortunately, this unknown and mysterious army settled down in the capital of a ruined kingdom after destroying two consecutive kingdoms. It seemed like they were settling down to supplement their forces and take some rest. However, just because they quietened down for a moment did not mean that their might and prestige had disappeared. Of course, the three empires could not let this be. They immediately held the Continental Alliances¡¯ Central Conference and called for all of the representatives of the nations that were part of their alliance. With the help of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s well-known Special Aerial Unit, the kings and representatives of each participating nation from all over the continent began to gather. The Rowane Kingdom was no exception. Baris had been chosen as the kingdom¡¯s representative while Davey had been invited to attend the Central Conference in the name of the Saint. ¡°Rowane Kingdom¡¯s Representative, Prince Baris O¡¯Rowane, and the Saint, Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane, have arrived!¡± ¡°Let them in!¡± Davey opened the door without any hesitation after hearing the impatient cry from within. Upon opening the door, he could see dozens of nobles and members of royal families looking at him withplicated expressions on their faces. ¡°Endless glory to Your Majesty, the Emperor.¡± ¡°Wee, Prince Davey,¡± the old Emperor Deorte weed Davey. Behind him stood Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe with her usual rxed smile, waving at Davey in greeting. ¡°Hoo¡­ So that polite boy is the continent¡¯s troublemaker?¡± A dark-skinned young man, who was sitting to the Emperor Deorte¡¯s side, made thatment with his arms folded. He appeared to be very confident after recognizing just who Davey was. Among the crowd was also the newly appointed Crown Prince of the Pan Empire, Prince Sullivan. As one of the youngest present, he sat silently and weed Davey with a subtle gesture. ¡°Greetings to Lyndis Empire¡¯s Two-headed Dragon, the Central Pan¡¯s Little Lion, and the West¡¯s ck Horned Scorpion.¡± ¡°ck Horned Scorpion¡­ Someone who knows this Emperor¡¯s stage name is quite rare even within my empire,¡± the young man said in interest as his hands twitched restlessly. It was very understandable for the Emperor of the West¡¯s Contas Empire to have an immense desire to conquer others. After all, their empire was well-known for valuing strength and power over everything else. ¡°It seems like I¡¯m thetest to arrive,¡± Davey said, looking at the familiar figures who sat quietly on one side of the hall. He could see the Holy Empire¡¯s papal representative and one of the Saintess Candidates, Alice. She looked at Davey, curtsied silently, and then returned to her post. ¡°Since the situation is urgent, let¡¯s start right away,¡± Davey said without any hesitation and headed straight to his seat. Hepletely ignored the fact that the Three Emperors and the various royal representatives from the entire Continental Alliance were present in the scene. ¡°Before that, let us confirm something.¡± The young emperor, Great Emperor Contas, red at Davey as he called out with interest, ¡°Saint Davey.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you predict the eventuality of this situation?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Great Emperor Contas looked at Davey incredulously and sneered at his response. Sensing his displeasure toward Davey, the two men who stood behind him ced their hands on the hilts of their shamsirs. He raised his hand and stopped his men. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this Emperor¡¯s intelligencework. I am aware that you have signed an agreement with the Pan Empire¡¯s Crown Prince and have supplied them with funds so they could secretly produce a lot of weapons. You have also invested quite a lot of money in the mage towers so that they could mass produce Attack Magic scrolls.¡± ¡®Ho. This guy¡¯s intelligencework is really amazing.¡¯ ¡°That means that you have predicted this situation and are already preparing for it, am I right? Then, you¡¯ve withheld this information and did not say any word to the other nations, right?¡± Davey bowed silently as he thought, ¡®Is this guy quibbling over what is right and what is wrong and picking a fight with me during an important alliance meeting?¡¯ ¡°Great Emperor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s your intention in asking me this question, Great Emperor?¡± A man immediately jumped forward and yelled, ¡°Impudent¡­!¡± Thud!!! However, the yelling man quickly copsed from Great Emperor Contas¡¯ light punch. The young emperor then said, ¡°How dare you interrupt this emperor while I¡¯m having a conversation? Right. Do continue.¡± ¡°The answer to that is obvious. I just made some good predictions, and that¡¯s quite unsurprising. I trust that the Great Emperor is not lying, so you¡¯re speaking up to stir up trouble despite the urgency of the situation. Am I right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re very daring, Prince.¡± The people at the conference grew nervous at the anger seeping into Great Emperor Contas¡¯ voice. ¡®This guy. It seems like he still cannot judge the situation that we¡¯re in right now, huh?¡¯ ¡°It seems like the Great Emperor is still yet to receive the full status report, huh?¡± Daveymented as his bright smile faded from his face. Those who knew Davey turned pale. Davey was aware of why the young emperor had said that to him, but¡­ ¡°If you¡¯re trying to feel me out, then I suggest you do that after this conference.¡± It did not matter to Davey whether they were the emperor or the great emperor. He would not let this thing pass. ¡°Since you think that you still have the time to ask such useless questions, then why don¡¯t I help you gain some sense of urgency? I¡¯ll send some holy meteors to your empire right here and now, what do you think?¡± 1. A ded pole. Looks like guandao but smaller in proportion. ? Chapter 328 Rumble¡­ As the gigantic ck Dragon slowly fell asleep, the beings around it began to move cautiously in fear of awakening it. After all, it was a slumbering ferocious dragon. ¡°How¡¯s the ck Dragon?¡± ¡°Greetings, Grand Duke. As you can see, it has fallen asleep after filling its belly.¡± A pale vampire bowed his head toward the man bearing a horn on his head. The horned man, known as the Grand Duke, looked at the dragon before saying, ¡°This is just the beginning. The ck Dragon has not yetpletely recovered. I presume it¡¯s not yet satisfied.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Just a bit more. If we wait a bit more, then its will and consciousness wille back. Once that happens, it will definitely kill those hateful humans.¡± Listening to the Grand Duke¡¯s deration, the pale vampire grinned. ¡°Whether they like it or not.¡± ¡°We have put our lives on the line for this war. Once the Demon Lord gets resurrected, we will be able to seize thisnd back from those hateful bastards. Never forget that fact.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about the movements of those filthy human beings?¡± The Grand Duke asked as he started to move again. The vampire answered quietly, ¡°We have received reports that the nobles are gathering in the central empire, the Pan Empire. Perhaps they¡¯re trying to take measures against this situation.¡± ¡°Right. Did you dispatch our messenger? They are idiots that will only notice the power of the great demons and vampires if you say it to their face.¡± ¡°Yes. We also made sure to present them with a very unforgettable gift. Please don¡¯t worry. Even if they have that monstrous human on their side, our messenger will still be able to execute his orders perfectly.¡± ¡°Hmph. They¡¯re just mere humans,¡± the Grand Duke snorted as he grabbed the jewel emitting a ck light and made a move once again. *** ¡°I-Impudent!¡± ¡°No matter how young and vigorous you are, how can you say such a thing?!¡± ¡°You have to pay for your words, Saint!¡± The conference hall¡¯s atmosphere was tense as people began to scramble and refute Davey. As everyone looked at Davey in astonishment and shock, Baris sighed and massaged his temple with one hand. He never expected his brother to openly refute the West¡¯s Great Emperor. However, Davey hadn¡¯t caused this mess due to a bout of madness. With such a rare and good opportunity, he simply nned to make good use of it. ¡°Are you telling me that this Emperor should not pick a fight with you?¡± The Lyndis Empire¡¯s Emperor Deorte El Lyndis snorted in displeasure at the Contas Empire Emperor¡¯s ridiculous behavior. He said firmly, ¡°Great Emperor Contas, don¡¯t forget the main reason why we¡¯re currently here.¡± ¡°Hmph! I already know that you favor the Saint greatly, East¡¯s old fogey.¡± ¡°It appears to be a custom in the Western Empire to speak so crassly, huh? Then again, even your father did not and would not show such an arrogant attitude in front of me.¡± Great Emperor Contas frowned at Emperor Deorte¡¯s extremely displeased remarks. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is our Contas Empire¡¯s custom and tradition. Emperor Deorte, I respect you as a ruler and a warrior. However, I believe that anyone respectable will most definitely understand why I¡¯ve made this choice.¡± ¡°¡­What a shrewd rascal.¡± Quite a few people responded positively to thements of the Contas Empire¡¯s Great Emperor. They obviously had to take the matter seriously if they were in this situation and had found out that someone had kept the information for their own preparations. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get this straight. Saint Davey, you have spent a lot of money to buy new and custom-made weapons from the Pan Empire long before this situation unfolded. You even had those weapons loaded in warehouses in the Pan Empire. In addition, you¡¯ve also airlifted food rations and even invested in the mage towers so they could mass produce Attack Magic scrolls,¡± Great Emperor Contas said quietly. ¡°Goodness¡­ That¡¯spletely¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that he hadpletely foreseen this situation?¡± ¡°Then! Why didn¡¯t you inform us about the situation in advance?!¡± Dissatisfied and frustratedints rang out across the conference hall. Well, this was bound to happen the moment they knew what Davey had been doing behind the scenes. Whether Davey liked it or not, this interrogation was something that he had to endure at least once. ¡°That¡¯s right! If you had predicted that this situation would happen, you should have informed us in advance! If you had done that, then the two nations would not have been burned to ashes in just a few days!!!¡± Knock, knock. Having observed that the meeting had be a hearing, Crown Prince Sullivan could take it no longer. He rapped the table with his knuckles lightly while saying, ¡°Are we having an alliance meeting or are we having a hearing?!¡± ¡°The same goes for you, Crown Prince Sullivan! Exin yourself! If you knew about this, why did you hide it from everyone?!¡± Crown Prince Sullivan frowned to express his displeasure when several royal representatives had rode the Great Emperor Contas¡¯ momentum to question him. The biggest problem now was that some of the empire¡¯s princes were attending this conference. ¡°It seems like you stillck the ability to distinguish between huge and small matters whenpared to your older brother, huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re so ipetent¡­¡± Crown Prince Sullivan¡¯s gaze turned fierce and sharp, but the princes just looked back at him leisurely. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing right now?¡± Davey asked solemnly when he saw the princes¡¯ atrocious behavior. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just like what the Great Emperor has said, I have made a lot of preparations. But let me ask you this, what have all of you done while I was making such preparations?¡± ¡°What, what do you mean by that, Saint?!¡± some members of the royal families from other nations asked Davey indignantly. ¡°A while has passed since the Duchy of Felicity incident. There was also the war with the Undead in the Pan Empire and the monster invasion in the marine city state of Valkass.¡± The royal representatives, who had been making a scene, shut their mouths. ¡°Then, let me ask you this question. While I was busy dealing with those incidents, were all of you so ipetent that you felt no sense of incongruity and urgency during those moments?¡± ¡°We, we do not hear the voice of God! It¡¯s the Saint¡¯s duty to inform us of the words of God!¡± ¡°Did you think that a Saint is some sort of rm and Notification Magic that will whisper in your ears? Should I ry an oracle that God did not even bestow upon me? What, do you want me to fake an oracle?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s sphemy!¡± ¡°But you seem to expect such a thing from me¡­?¡± Bang!!! ¡°Even if you¡¯re the Saint, you¡¯re being far too rude! Is this what the Rowane Kingdom wants to convey to us?! Or is this the will of the Holy Empire?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Are you confident that you can handle the consequences of your disrespect?!¡± ¡°Enough!!!¡± Emperor Deorte roared indignantly to shut everyone up. Then, he turned to Davey and said, ¡°Prince Davey, do not ride along with their petty political moves.¡± Although he pretended to not side with Davey actively, Emperor Deorte was closely watching the situation and supporting Davey in secret. ¡°You have already seen three major events. You must have noticed that there¡¯s some kind of force influencing them, no?¡± Well, to be exact, Davey was still unsure whether all of the incidents were rted to the vampires or not. When Davey stood up to walk around the conference hall, everyone quickly fell silent. ¡°If you have learned anything from the previous events, then you should have already started to prepare for the future. Is it wrong for anyone to be anxious and prepare excessively for the future? Or¡­¡± The other nations had made the mistake of cherishing their national treasuries and ignoring all three of those disastrous incidents. They had disregarded the earlier incidents, which had not required their direct involvement. ¡°At the very least, you should have given us a heads up or something!¡± The oversized royal representative demanded before frowning at Davey¡¯s smirk. ¡°A heads up. Ha¡­! A heads up, that¡¯s nice. By the way,¡± Davey said as he slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his eyes momentarily shed with a red light. ¡°Why should I bear with your pettiness and ipetence?¡± ¡°Hii, hiiiiii!¡± ¡°Manatrinas Kingdom¡¯s Prince, are you confident that you can bear the consequences of this situation right now?¡± ¡°This disrespect is something that I absolutely cannot tolerate! Inform His Majesty right now¡­!¡± Davey then pulled out a small crystal ball from his pocket. A cute and adorable elven woman appeared on the self-operating crystal ball. [Sir Davey.] ¡°Emilia. How are the preparations?¡± [We cannot let the continent fall into a crisis. Our elven troops are not thatrge, but the nymphs and ents have sent us reinforcements. We are all ready to go to war.] ¡°From this point on, sharpen your soldiers¡¯ spears. Your target, the Manatrinas Kingdom.¡± While everyone¡¯s expression morphed into horror, Davey added firmly, ¡°Even though the enemy that threatens the peace of the continent is just right around the corner, there are still some people only fighting for the interest of their own nation. We consider them our enemy as well, so we will go to war with them.¡± The conference hall broke out in amotion. However, not a single one of the three empires¡¯manders stepped forward to stop Davey. ¡°H-Hey! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Finally realizing that things had gone south, the prince of the Manatrinas Kingdom looked between Davey, the Three Emperors, and the royal representatives. Trying to mediate the situation, he protested, ¡°This, this is against the alliance¡¯s ban on war in the continent¡­!¡± ¡°From this point on, the Rowane Kingdom will no longer take part in the Continental Alliance. This means that the Continental Alliance¡¯s agreement on the prohibition of war will no longer have anything to do with the Rowane Kingdom. Emilia.¡± [Are we¡­ Are we really going to attack humans?] ¡°The scariest thing when going to war is not the powerful enemies but the ipetent allies. We will go to war.¡± [¡­] Emilia sighed before turning away from themunication crystal, seemingly holding a conversation with someone else. Not long after, she opened her mouth again and said¡­ [Mother Divine Tree is in agreement with Sir Davey¡¯s opinion. Then, the allied forces of nymphs, elves, and spirit beasts will now march.] ¡°W-Wait!!!¡± The prince of Manatrinas Kingdom shouted urgently. Flustered by the prospect of the elves going to war with his kingdom, he turned to Davey with a terrified gaze and yelled, ¡°This, this is ridiculous! Why are we fighting when we¡¯re on the same side?! We have all gathered here to guarantee the safety of the continent!!!¡± ¡°The same side? I don¡¯t think we¡¯re on the same side at all. I believe you¡¯re the enemy¡¯s spy.¡± [Heed my words! Everyone, march. Our target, a small kingdom in the Central Continent, Manatrinas! With our fastest speed, make the kingdom surrender and take over everything! Do not forget! Our enemies are not simply humans but people who want to raze the continent down the ground!] Although she still wore aplicated expression, Emilia gave her orders with firm determination. The prince of Manatrinas Kingdom became even more flustered. He said, ¡°Who, who was the one that said that we should not find fault with each other and judge hastily?! Prince, Prince Davey! Calm down.¡± ¡°Why should I? Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted this situation to unfold? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re unaware of who our enemy is. It¡¯s the ck Dragon, a monster that decimated a kingdom in just a few days and is still pushing forward. With the entire continent on the verge of chaos, weren¡¯t you the one who¡¯s trying to take advantage of the future that may or may note?¡± Thud!!! Everyone¡¯s eyes grew wide from shock at the pressure that the bright and white holy mana Davey was releasing from his body. He was showing off his might as the Saint. ¡°Why are you not making an excuse?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Manatrinas Kingdom¡¯s prince. If you continue to act recklessly and do whatever you want, then the Contas Empire, one of the three pirs of the Continental Alliance, will not protect you.¡± ¡°The Pan Empire is of the same mind.¡± ¡°The Lyndis Empire will also stand firmly against you.¡± ¡°H-How can this be¡­?¡± Leaving the stunned prince who had copsed on the ground behind, Davey asked quietly, ¡°Anyone else who has aint?¡± ¡°¡­¡± With the consequences clearly shown for everyone to see, no other fool would fall in the trap that the Three Emperors had set for them. ¡°I do not have anyints. The marine city state of Valkass will follow the opinion of our greatest benefactor, Prince Davey. On top of that, if Prince Davey withdraws from the Continental Alliance, then our City of Valkass will treat the Manatrinas Kingdom with hostility.¡± ¡°W-We shouldn¡¯t make such rash and firm decisions. I, I just asked because I found it a bit weird, I didn¡¯t mean anything by it. Now, now¡­ Let¡¯s all calm down and reign in our anger¡­¡± Now that they had been caught trying to rip the others off, most of the princes and royal representatives were now making excuses with cold sweat dripping down their backs. They no longer tried to ruin Davey. ¡°Prince Davey, let¡¯s leave it at that for now,¡± Crown Prince Sullivan quietly said. Then, Davey connected the crystal ball once again and told Emilia to call off the march. Just like the aftermath of a storm, the entire conference hall was chaotic. However, no one dared to open their mouths again. Davey turned to Great Emperor Contas and asked, ¡°Great Emperor, you must have enjoyed the entertainment, no?¡± Then, he stopped at the head of the huge table and continued, ¡°We are unaware of the enemy¡¯s position nor goal. We don¡¯t even know the strength and number of their forces. Needless to say, we don¡¯t know where to start. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve been making arrangements in the Pan Empire, the central empire, so that we could easily transport and distribute weapons all over the continent when necessary. We were just afraid of causing major disturbance without any confirmation. Is that answer enough?¡± Cackling as if he found everything to be amusing, the Great Emperor said, ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­ Hahahahahahahaha! You¡¯re truly amazing! Truly amazing! Your foresight is greater than I expected!¡± Then, he wiped the smile from his face and said, ¡°I, Ixuzide Contas the Great Emperor of the Contas Empire, rmend Prince Davey as the Commander of this military expedition.¡± As if they had been waiting, Crown Prince Sullivan and Emperor Deorte immediately said¡­ ¡°The Lyndis Empire is of the same mind.¡± ¡°The Pan Empire is in agreement.¡± Several representatives from the other kingdoms looked perplexed as if they hadn¡¯t been informed about this. However, none of them was fearless enough to oppose the rmendation of the Three Emperors. After all, they had just witnessed the situation with the Manatrinas Kingdom earlier on. ¡°Prince Davey,¡± Emperor Ixuzide called out to Davey quietly. ¡°Your foresight and predictions are truly urate and amazing. Alright. This emperor admits the disrespect and rudeness that I have shown you earlier. You can do whatever you want. You can even take this emperor¡¯s neck.¡± ¡°Great, Great Emperor!¡± ¡°Enough! I am born a man and I will never take back the words that I have spoken! You bastards, how dare you tarnish the dignity of your monarch?¡± Without any hesitation, he presented his neck to Davey and looked strangely satisfied. Thankfully, things had worked out well. The Great Emperor had been fully aware that the representatives of each nation would nitpick and find fault with Davey once they learned that he had prepared for this situation in advance. Basically, what Ixuzide Contas had done was set fire from the very beginning. At first nce, one would say that he was very much against Davey. However, what he had done clearly sorted out and removed the problems that they would experience in the long run. Well, Davey found it cute when the Great Emperor had tried to see how he would deal with the situation. However, the remark that the emperor had made just now? That was perfect for Davey. He really, really liked that deration. ¡°There¡¯s no way that I will take the Great Emperor¡¯s neck. That¡¯s very wasteful. I would like it more if you listened and followed whatever it is that I want.¡± ¡®Listen well. This is the introduction of what I call Explosive Nepotism.¡¯ ¡°Instead of having me as the Commander, I would like to appoint someone else, and I hope that the Three Emperors of the greatest empires, with the Contas Empire¡¯s Great Emperor at the lead, would acknowledge her. Reina,e in.¡± The door to the conference hall opened slowly to reveal a beautiful woman with sky-blue hair flowing down her back. It was Reina. Chapter 329 Creaaaaaak!!! Everyone stared wide-eyed at the beautiful Reina who walked through the doors of the conference hall. She looked so calm andposed that even those proud and arrogant members of the royal and imperial families cowered before her. Reina had lived a very tough and rough life, so she would never be intimidated by countless gazes trained on her body. Davey nced at Prince Sullivan the moment Reina, with the huge cloth-wrapped Woldo hanging on her back, made her appearance. He was curious as to whether this older brother, who cherished and loved his sister dearly, would be able to recognize the woman in front of them. ¡°That¡­ Who is that woman?¡± However, it seemed like the curse was working properly. No one had judged that Reina and Illyna were the same person. ¡°Greetings. My name is Reina.¡± ¡°Reina¡­ There¡¯s no family name?¡± ¡°Yes, there is no family name.¡± Anothermotion broke out at Reina¡¯s firm answer. ¡°Goodness, aren¡¯t you amoner then?! Right now, amoner¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to make someone like that the Commander?!¡± Amidst the outraged cries of the people around them, Great Emperor Contas looked at both Davey and Reina silently for a while. Then, he lifted his leg from its crossed position and stomped on the floor. Crack!!! A loud crack echoed as the ground beneath his feet gave way, making everyone turn to look at him. ¡°Enough! Her existence is beyond yourprehension. Fools. Are you all so blind that you can¡¯t even recognize a strong powerhouse that has reached a level far beyond that of the Sword Master?¡± The warriors of a high level seemed to have noticed Reina¡¯s power in just one nce. To the others, they might just see Reina as someone weird because they could not feel any powering from her at all. However, the truly powerful ones could tell that Reina¡¯s body possessed arge amount of mana and holy mana. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°She is a Holy Warrior who has answered the call of God. Of course, there¡¯s nothing to worry about her ability to lead the forces and the soldiers,¡± Davey exined. Then, everyone looked at Reina suspiciously due to her outer appearance. Even though she was in herte twenties, she still looked very young in their eyes. Reina was older than her current self in this world when she had entered the Sword Master level. However, after undergoing metamorphosis, her outward appearance no longer changed or aged. Therefore, to the others, she looked just like a fair maiden who had just reached the perfect age for her beauty and charm to bloom. ¡°She came here for a great cause with the God-given weapon, Divine Spear Longinus. Feel free to show your doubt in her abilities.¡± With a smile, Davey said to Great Emperor Contas, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Is the Great Emperor Contas going to take back his words?¡± Great Emperor Contasughed as if he found Davey to be entertaining. He said, ¡°It seems like you have this emperor in the palm of your hands, huh? I have only tried to pull the rug out of your feet once, but you¡¯re able to take advantage of it and have already stirred the situation to this point, huh?¡± As Davey chose to remain silent, Great Emperor Contas added, ¡°Good! That¡¯s the spirit! Let¡¯s follow this momentum, then! Did you say your name is Reina?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In the name of the Great Emperor of Contas Empire, I rmend you as the Commander of the allied forces. Any objections?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°I have nothing.¡± With the three empires at the lead, the other nations, including the Duchy of Felicity and the marine city state of Valkass that had benefited and received Davey¡¯s help, all voted in favor of the rmendation. The kings and representatives of the other nations, who were wary of Davey¡¯s ever growing power, could only nod in agreement. They had realized that they had no more room to voice differing opinions or a space to retreat to. Just like that, the Commander, without showing a single ability, had been appointed through nepotism. ¡°This is something that we can¡¯t sleep on. Our dyed response has already resulted in the unfortunate copse of two countries. We cannot and will not lose any more! I ask the alliance to go to war!¡± ¡°Ipletely agree.¡± After most of the countries voted in favor of the request, Davey quietly nodded at Reina. Then, he moved slowly, raising his hand that zed with white mes burning on top of it. ¡°Prince Davey?¡± ¡°Before that, I believe you should all hear who our enemies are,¡± Davey said calmly as he reached his hand toward the open space at the center of the conference hall. Crack!!! The space twisted once Davey caught something in his hand. ¡°Keheok?!¡± With an unexpected scream, a pale man dressed in ck was dragged out of the empty space. Hended in the middle of the hall. ¡°Kghhk?! Urk!¡± ¡°An, an intruder!¡± ¡°Protect His Majesty!¡± The guards who protected the kings were flustered, crying out and drawing their swords all at once. However, Davey raised his hand and stopped the guards from taking action. He said quietly, ¡°You did a good job hiding among us. Don¡¯t go saying anything about glory and honor when all you¡¯ve been doing is hiding.¡± ¡°Ke¡­ Keoheok! D-Damn human! How?!¡± ¡°Do you think your atrocious act has gone unnoticed?¡± Davey asked calmly as he mmed the pale man on the ground. Then, he lifted the box in the man¡¯s hands and threw it out. The contents of the box, which had been dressed up as a gift, were¡­ ¡°It would be better if you don¡¯t look at it.¡± It was toote. Some of the people present in the conference hall had already seen the contents of the box. Some covered their mouths in shock while some looked in terror. ¡°What the hell! What in the world is that?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s the head of the Sorn Kingdom¡¯s King.¡± The pale man on the floor twitched before giggling creepily and strangely. ¡°Fufu¡­ Fufufufufufu. This is the price that you have to pay for going against the Nobles of the Night and the beings from the Demon World.¡± ¡°N-Nobles of the Night?!¡± ¡°Did he just say beings from the Demon World?¡± The pale man¡¯s smile deepened at the surprised reactions that his words had elicited. He then dered, ¡°Demon World¡¯s Grand Duke Astaroth has personallye to this world to condemn you. Our great Nobles of the Night have also made a move to condemn you, arrogant humans!¡± ¡°Nobles of the Night¡­ Don¡¯t tell me, vampires¡­?¡± Crown Prince Sullivan murmured. Anyone who heard his shocking remarks were taken aback. ¡°Kyahahahahahaha! All of you will die. No matter how many times you gather together like this, the results will not change! Whatever kind of resistance you show will all end in vain! The Demon Lord, who will open her eyes soon, will destroy all of you and return thisnd to its original owner!¡± Just like a performer showing off to his audience, the vampire turned to Davey and shouted, ¡°Davey O¡¯Rowane! How dare a measly human like you act arrogantly in front of the great Noble of the Nights?! This time, you will not be able to do anything! You, who are hiding under the ugly name of the Saint, will bepletely destroyed once the Demon Lord is resurrected! We will kill and take the heads of all of the humans in front of you, bastard¡­!¡± Shwaaaaaaaaa! As the vampire continued to pour out curses, a great level of malicious intent spread across the entire conference hall. It spread at a shocking momentum. It weighed down on everyone and made their eyes widen to the size of saucers, the color draining from their faces and their breaths turning ragged. Reina, with her Woldo emitting a bright golden energy, instantly beheaded the vampire. The vampire¡¯s body, which slowly swelled up to the point of bursting apart, deted in an instant. Its energy had beenpletely drained. Although vampires had quite a strong power of immortality, Reina¡¯s holy mana from God was powerful enough to send such a being with demonic attributes back to the arms of the Lord and God with a single hit. ¡°The vampires and the demons will start to advance again soon. We¡¯re running out of time, so I suggest we move right away. I¡¯ll takemand of the Central Alliance Army until the troops from all over the continent have gathered,¡± Reina said, shaking off the blood from her Woldo with a swish before turning around and leaving the conference hall. Just as Davey also quietly turned around to leave, a familiar voice called out to him. ¡°Prince Davey.¡± Davey looked toward the voice and saw Saintess Candidate Alice approaching him. ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while, Prince.¡± ¡°You look a lot more rxed andfortable now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you,¡± Alice said calmly while taking out a small cross and handing it over to him. She said, ¡°You obviously rmended a stand-in because you are going to move separately. This might look poor and shabby since you¡¯re the Saint, but I hope that God¡¯s blessings remain with you in everything that you do.¡± Davey smiled as he received the cross. He remained silent, not revealing any of his inner thoughts. Then, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard the news. Lina is the one chosen as the final Saintess Candidate.¡± ¡°Yes. Saintess Candidate Lina¡¯s hearts and thoughts are far more noble than mine. This will be thest time that I work as the Saintess Candidate. Once this is over, I will only be a simple believer and follower of God.¡± It seemed like Alice had given up all of her authority and power as a Saintess Candidate. It was the reason why the Holy Empire had amotion at one point in time. However, in the end, they still respected the woman¡¯s choice. ¡®It¡¯s all thanks to you,¡¯ Alice thought with a quiet smile. She then said, ¡°I have heard the rumors. It seems like you¡¯re building an academy where anyone and everyone can learn, no?¡± ¡°And pray tell, where did you hear such rumors?¡± ¡°In my dreams. For the first time, God gave me an oracle. Ha¡­ It was a voice that I have never heard before, a voice that I had longed to hear all my life,¡± Alice said with relief in her voice. She asked, ¡°Even though I¡¯mcking¡­ I wish to apply as an instructor on theology. If we return safely from this war, I hope you will consider this request.¡± ¡°Well, I have no reason to refuse.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Davey had found Alice¡¯s fiery temper to be a problem in the past. However, he could not deny the fact that she had always been a great priestess in a way. In fact, her abilities were the reason why she had been nominated as one of the Saintess Candidates. And there was no way for Davey to turn away someone so skilled, right? *** Reports about the humans¡¯ movements were being sent day in and day out. The alliance between the vampires and demons had also begun to make their move; they had sent scouting units in several directions while leaving a considerable number of their forces behind as their main unit. However, even their scouting unit was big in number. It reached around 150,000 people. They even had a huge variety of soldiers, from half vampires, blood beasts, and corroded and corrupted monsters to vicious and ferocious demonic beasts from the Demon World. The demonic beasts were overstimted after having forced themselves to enter the Tionis Continent, so they became even harder to control. However, that did not weaken them at all. Their ferocity remained the same. In fact, they now had the tendencies of biting anything and everything in their path. Gorgon, the high-leveled vampire who was leading one of the scouting units to suppress the humans¡¯ activities, was showing satisfaction over the Demon World Armor that had the effects of amplifying his powers. Wearing the armor alone could increase the vampires¡¯ blood energy tremendously. It also allowed them to partially control the ferocious demonic beasts and make them follow their orders. Looking at the army of 150,000 vampires and beasts, Gorgon could see their vicious gazes. He thought that nobody in the world would be able to stop the might of his troop. However, his greatest assurance was the being that the humans were most wary of, ck Dragon Gargas. ck Dragon Gargas had originally been a wise and sensible dragon. However, after being exposed to the Demon World¡¯s power for a very long time, the dragon¡¯s strength and resolve, including his reason, had eroded. Although Gargas had be weaker whenpared to the Magic Dragon, he was still a mighty being hailed as the sovereign of magic. His prestige had not gone away. ¡°Hmph. Bringing out 150,000 men just for a scouting mission? This is not funny. Why would they even be so wary of mere humans?¡± Gorgon mumbled coldly and irritably, kicking a goblin on the back of the head. ¡°This great being is being tasked to do a measly scouting mission?! This being¡­¡± Well, Gorgon was generally d that he had been given this opportunity. He stopped grumbling as he nned to use this opportunity to push forward and ughter all of those weak human beings! If he made a huge contribution here, then his lord and master would definitely spare him a nce. Besides, there was nothing that he needed to be afraid of. He had a troop of 150,000 strong soldiers, a very dangerous and viciousrge army, at the ready! ¡ªGrrrrrrrr! Just then, the goblin and the ghost wolf that had been sent for a reconnaissance rushed to where Gorgon was. Looking at them, Gorgon simply pierced through the head of the goblin without any hesitation. ¡ªKihyeeck! Gorgon then yanked his arm out of the goblin¡¯s head. The goblin died before it could even finish its scream. Without a care in the world, Gorgon even chewed on the goblin¡¯s brain as if he was eating some kind of delicious snack. With a vicious smile adorning his face, he guffawed, ¡°Ha¡­ Hahahahaha! What can those humans do with just a mere 50,000 strong troops?!¡± Gorgon was a vampire with very unusual powers. By eating his opponent¡¯s brain, he could ess their memories. Although he had just been using this power on monsters for reconnaissance missions, he was confident that his abilities would have more uses from here on out. There was a cheeky and arrogant human that Gorgon¡¯s lord was wary about. However, Gorgon thought that, no matter how powerful that human was, a human was still a human. There was nothing for him to worry about. Yes, Gorgon was an extreme noble chauvinist. He was an extremist that believed that any race other than their own noble one was too lowly and unworthy for him to care. ¡°Move! Youzy scums! For dinner, I will let all of you eat human flesh as much as your heart desires!¡± Their unit¡¯s original task was to observe the enemies¡¯ movements and hinder their ns until reinforcements had arrived. However, Gorgon was of a different mind. He firmly believed that with this armor that strengthened his powers and arge army behind him, he would be able to overpower and destroy these humans all at once. In fact, he believed that his troop was powerful enough to decimate the humans. Needless to say, he did not stop his troops¡¯ advance until he found countless human soldiers and cavalry men waiting for them in an open field. ¡°I see, so this is going to be a very easy and boring war,¡± Gorgon said, thinking about why these humans had recklessly and fearlesslye their way. But just as he was about to give the order to advance¡­ ¡°Hmm?¡± Chapter 330: Pure White Miracle and the Advent of the Divine Beasts The soldiers on the opposing side were clearly moving in a defensive formation, with only 50,000 of them. They were clearly boasting the fact that they were going to stop Gorgon¡¯s troops, which were made up of around 150,000 powerful monsters, with just their small number alone. Gorgon thought that perhaps they had gone nuts. Sending such a small troop with only a few cavalrymen at the vanguard was a very foolish and reckless move. This was something that only those who did not know the basics of strategies and tactics would do. The best course of action for an army this small would be to try and think of ways to lower their opponent¡¯s numbers. They should have opted to ambush the opponent orid traps for them instead of trying to stop them in such a direct confrontation. The situation waspletely ridiculous. With a contemptuous re, Gorgon sneered at the foolish humans in front of him. ¡°Ha! These bastards are not even funny. They want to confront my troops in such a manner? Are they fearless? Ha!¡± The vampires had twice or even thrice the number of humans involved in this war, so they had an overwhelming numerical advantage. And from what Gorgon could see, the human soldiers had varying skill levels. This was just like a fight between a well-trained Hell¡¯s Army and a bunch of mismatched and disorderly humans. Even a child could predict the oue of this battle. To daringly raise up their weapons to confront them despite knowing the ring difference between their troops was just reckless and stupid. Gorgon could only snort in irritation at the humans. Thump, thump. Soon, a figure sitting atop a horse slowly emerged from the center of the human troops. They removed the helmet to reveal their face. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a young chick?!¡± Gorgon cried out when he saw the woman with sky-blue hair in front of him. He yelled, ¡°How dare you try to stop this army?! It seems like you¡¯re fearless, huh?!¡± His voice rang out despite not using any amplification magic. The human army was agitated by Gorgon¡¯s loud voice, which rang in their ears. Their faces also showed fear and terror as amotion broke out. The stronger Gorgon and his army pushed them, the more frightened they would be. Gorgon, with his fierce momentum, approached the human army. ck gigantic minotaurs immediately followed, escorting him and increasing the agitation amongst the human troops. ¡°You¡¯re shaking. Are you afraid of me? Fufufufufu. You are, no?! You¡¯re definitely afraid! What can bastards like you do when you only know about peace? You can only scream and die helplessly in front of our forces!¡± The human soldiers¡¯ whispers registered in Gorgon¡¯s ears. ¡°Goodness¡­ What are those monsters¡­?¡± ¡°How can we win with our numbers? They¡¯re more than twice our numbers¡­¡± The human army had quite a few well-trained soldiers, but the number of newly conscripted ones far outweighed the veterans. Perhaps it was because they felt an urgent need to gather as many men as they could. This sense of urgency could be seen with how varied and messy the ages of their soldiers were. They had everyone from trembling young soldiers to resigned and hopeless old veterans. ¡°Human chick! You have to look at the situation too, bitch! All of the humans that follow and believe in you will be killed and devoured, and it will all be because of your dull judgment. Well, fufufufu, you won¡¯t be spared either, bitch. So, you don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll make sure to suck your blood dry until you¡¯re all skin and bones before killing you in a horrendous manner!¡± Gorgon dered. As red energy appeared from the depths of his body, a heavy killing intent and terrible malice encroached upon the surrounding area. The human woman, despite the drastic and dreary situation that they were in, simply got off her horse. She ignored Gorgon¡¯s provocations as if she was disinterested and chose to slowly unwrap the cloth that covered the woldo hanging on her back. ¡°Men, heed my words!¡± Reina, who had finished unwrapping her weapon, shouted loudly, ¡°I know that you are afraid. Of course, you are afraid. After all, the number of our enemies is twice that of our own. The risk and danger that we are going to face will be far higher than any other dangers that we¡¯ve encountered before.¡± Gorgon sneered at Reina, who was speaking calmly, and turned back to his camp. ¡°Perhaps all of us will die here. However, that is not a guaranteed oue,¡± Reina said. Raising the woldo in her hand, she continued, ¡°We have only one goal. We have to show those dim-witted vampires, who judged us and determined that we cannot do anything due to our peace-loving nature, what we are capable of.¡± The soldiers had to show the vampires how frightening mankind¡¯s resistance was. Thump!!! At the same time, a stream of golden energy poured down from the sky as an enormous amount of force gathered in Reina¡¯s body. ¡°Hmm?¡± Gordon stopped in his tracks, rmed by the sudden appearance of a powerful force. Then, he heard what Reina had to say next. ¡°Men! Have faith. I promise you, as yourmander, I will not allow any of you to die so easily. Cut down and kill your enemies. This is the only way for us to protect the ones who believe in us and the ones who are waiting for our return!¡± Reina cried loudly with a steady and calm voice. She raised her woldo to the sky and took a step forward. ¡°The Goddess is with us. In the name of the Goddess that has bestowed powers to the noble and dignified man that is helping us, we shall fight. We should not waste the efforts that he has done to prepare and protect mankind.¡± With another step forward, shemanded, ¡°All troops. Charge!¡± At Reina¡¯s cry, the soldiers slowly advanced forward no matter the crippling fear that they felt. This was not a mere fight between humans. The enemies in front of them were ones that threatened the lives and foundation of the entire humankind. If they chose to give up here and not fight, they would die. In other words, no matter what they chose to do, they would still end up dying. "Damn it, you bastard! That''s right. Let''s do it, whether it''s once or twice!" "Even if we don''t die here, we''ll die somewhere else! Come on!" Despite their fear and terror, instead of fleeing, the soldiers embraced the idea of killing one more enemy and it spread fervently among them. The high-ranking vampire, Gorgon, had no idea that their ability to push back the enemy was due to the dragon''s overwhelming force, which was capable of destroying the entire continent. Thud!!! Thud!!! Thud!!! The soldiers pounded the ground with the shafts of their halberds, gradually boosting their morale. Caught between a rock and a hard ce, they decided to advance. "Troops! Form a wedge formation!" cried Reina, and the soldiers synchronized perfectly as they raised their spears and assumed their positions. Gorgon turned to look at them, a sneer on his face. "Bite them. Tear them to pieces. Let those foolish prey who think they are noble and dignified experience shame." Perhaps they believed victory was already guaranteed, but the lower-ranking vampires remained fearless. Apart from the sudden change in morale and the heroic advance of the human troops, nothing seemed different. The vampire army still expected andslide victory, so they remained nonchnt and rxed. However, gradual changes began to unfold. Thuuuud!!! Expansive pure white magic circles, hundreds of meters in diameter, appeared in the sky as Warrior Reina led the vanguard. The soldiers and cavalry continued to advance, their expressions solemn as if they were oblivious to the massive magic circles above them. When the two armies drew closer and shed, the pure white magic circles in the sky erupted into shimmering dust. In an instant, a holy magic buff of terrifying magnitude enveloped each and every human soldier. Unaware of the sudden changes in their bodies, the soldiers charged fiercely at their opponents. They exhibited superhuman strength, as if they were willing to sacrifice their lives for this fight. Gorgon instinctively felt that something was amiss. His expression turned ugly as he unknowingly took a step back. This shouldn''t be happening. Though he didn''t understand what the white magic circle was, one thing was certain: if he didn''t destroy it immediately, he would be in significant trouble. Just as Gorgon hurriedly tried to raise the blood energy in his body to counteract the magic circle... ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeeck!!! A thunderous roar echoed from above, and Gorgon''s eyes widened in shock as he witnessed a gigantic bird covered in mes soaring through the sky, unleashing a zing Fire Breath in the midst of the vampire army. ¡°Keuaaaaaaaaaack!¡± The fearless advance of the human army, the mysterious buff magic circle, and the colossal fire bird in the sky¡ªthese sudden changes on the battlefield left Gorgon utterly bewildered. He could only stare nkly at the scene before him, a mix of embarrassment and confusion. Ultimately, the human soldiers realized that their bodies had be lighter and stronger, fueling their fighting spirit and morale to unprecedented heights. ¡°Kill them!!!¡± ¡°For my family!!!¡± ¡°The Saint and the Warrior are with us!!!¡± The cries jolted Gorgon back to reality. However, what he saw was the wedge attack formation of the human soldiers effortlessly pushing back his strong, brutal, and proud army, despite their smaller numbers. *** ¡°Will this really be alright?¡± Saintess Candidate Alice, who joined the war with a priest order, asked. But Davey silently observed the situation on the battlefield. At first nce, it was clear that the humans were at a disadvantage. Moreover, the enemymander had a keen sense, openly undermining the soldiers'' morale and psychology. "There''s no way the holy magic of the priestly order can reach them from here. I request permission for us to join the frontlines now..." "Just watch. The priests are responsible for healing and should avoid getting hurt, Saintess Candidate Alice." ¡°¡­¡± While it was the priests'' duty to heal the soldiers if they were injured, there was no one to heal a priest in case of injury. This was the harsh reality, and hearing it from Davey silenced Alice. However, it wasn''t just the soldiers who were affected by Gorgon''s taunts. Even the priests standing far away from the front lines felt fear. "Will... Will it really be all right? It seems we''re too far..." "Oh dear... We might all perish here..." "We should talk to the Saintess Candidate and the Saint so we can join the frontlines..." Davey paid no mind to the murmurs around him. He simply stood there and continued to observe the situation. He only took action when he saw Reina quietly raising Longginus into the air. "Alice, we shall begin now." "Yes?" "We must create the conditions for our soldiers to turn the tide of the battle," Davey said calmly, sping his hands together in prayer. Simultaneously, a radiant white energy surged from his body. [I wish to save the lives of countless innocent people. So, grant me this immense favor and allow me to borrow it without interest, with a 36-month installment n.] [9th ss, the Final Holy Magic] [Saint Sanctuary] Shwaaaaaa!!! Eyes widened as the sacred and divine sanctuary materialized before them in an instant. "What in the world..." The priests finally grasped the transcendental power of Davey''s holy magic, far surpassing what they had known. They couldn''t help but stare at him in astonishment. Yet, Davey paid no mind to their gazes, instead creating a passageway connecting the priests'' location to the battleground where the soldiers fought. "What are you all waiting for? Prepare to cast healing and recovery magic. The magic circle over there will activate the healing and recovery spells you cast here. Ah, there''s no need for buff magic," Davey calmly addressed them, spreading his arms wide. Davey had decided not to take an active role and directly participate in the war. This was the most effective approach. Davey would be responsible for the buffs. [Strength] [Hard Skin] [Stone Skin] [Agility] [Vital Pump] [Mana Conversion] As an immense, pure white energy emanated from his body, strengthening and reinforcement magic activated one after another throughout the area designated as God''s Sanctuary. Additionally, all selfless buff magic would more than double in potency when applied within the sanctuary. [Renovatio] [Reinforce the Mind] Davey bolstered their mental strength and physical recovery. [Divine Protection] He bestowed them with protective magic. Without hesitation, Davey also added amplification magic, the same kind he applied to the citizens of the Heins Territory during their goblin extermination, further enhancing their magic. In this way, an additional amplification wasyered onto the already intensified reinforcement and buff magic within God''s Sanctuary. The soldiers were now brimming with holy magic. [Saint Gloria] As Davey always said, a massive difference in numbers meant little when they possessed world-defying buffs. If they fought to the death, Davey would bring them all back to life. It was as simple as that. Chapter 331 In an instant, the tide of war changed. The soldiers gained confidence as they shed against their enemies, aided by the appearance of the gigantic sacred firebird. It seemed to be assisting them, and with the white specks of light fluttering around them, the soldiers'' fear slowly melted away, as if washed in a bright and holy light akin to a miracle from God. Even the elderly man, who had once struggled, now disyed tremendous strength and power as if he had been training for a long time. "Graaaaa! You bastards! Even if I die here, I''ll make sure to take you down with me, damn bastards!" The old man roared, hurling his halberd at an enemy and grabbing a dark wolf''s snout with his bare hands. He twisted the wolf''s jaw apart and swung its massive body around like a blunt weapon. His overwhelming disy of physical strength and muscles defied his age. This was made possible by the hundreds of pure white magic circles floating in the sky above them. "Ha! Ha!" A young boy, who had be a mercenary at a tender age and trained his swordsmanship topensate for his weakness, moved with shocking momentum after receiving the physical strengthening buff. His skill with the sword and increased power allowed him to swiftly cut down anything in his path. The initial wedge formation had long disappeared, but it no longer mattered. The battlefield had devolved into chaos, and maintaining a formation served no further purpose. The battlefield itself had be a disaster after the countless human soldiers received tremendous buffs on their backs. ¡ªVwooooooooo!!! The gigantic ck minotaur, which had been overpowering the human soldiers with its blunt weapon, roared as it took several steps back under the relentless human attacks. Eventually, it sumbed to exhaustion and sustained a fatal injury. The humans surrounded the fatally wounded minotaur and attacked it mercilessly from head to toe. It died in misery, having underestimated the humans who ughtered it like a swarm of worker ants. Despite their smaller numbers, the humans, with the buffs that made them seem more than human, clearly had the upper hand in the battle. Their victory seemed assured. ¡°This¡­ This is ridiculous¡­¡± And that was not all. Two beings posed the greatest threat on the battlefield. Shiiiiing¡­ sh, sh, sh, sh! With a single swing of her weapon, dozens of enemies were torn apart and shed in half. Warrior Reina, who fought at the vanguard, was simply a monster on the battlefield. Her presence and the way she effortlessly cut down anything that crossed her path with her woldo covered in a white aura de with flecks of gold silenced those who questioned her power. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeck! Simrly, the gigantic firebird disyed its majesty as it soared through the sky, devastating parts of the battlefield. Killing each soldier was an incredibly difficult task. Theirmander, a human woman, possessed a terrifying and overwhelming power that exceeded Gorgon''s expectations. Additionally, there was a firebird, which he believed to be a phoenix, that incinerated his troops and left them helpless, while sparing the human soldiers from harm. Gorgon''s troops were weaker than the main unit, which should never have been the case. Considering the strength of the corrupted monsters, powerful blood beasts, and the demonic beasts from the Demon World, this oue was unexpected. However, the humans quickly turned the situation in their favor, effortlessly manipting it as if they had been anticipating it. "Fools!" Gorgon shouted furiously as he stabbed one of the nearby humans through the neck. Their rapid recovery sent a shiver down his spine, but Gorgon remained confident that they couldn''t resurrect through magic after being instantly killed. ¡°Die! Bastard!¡± ¡°Go die!¡± Essentially, it felt like they would always rise again as long as they had a sliver of life left, which significantly boosted the soldiers'' morale and fighting spirit. Whenever Reina approached the area where Gorgon wreaked havoc, he would retreat. He refused to face the human woman with her formidable power, opting to run away instead. Gorgon''s instincts told him to retreat immediately, but he stayed and continued fighting due to his sense of duty. Gorgon was the one who defied the main unit''s orders and initiated contact with the human army, attacking them first. Allowing the enemy troops'' morale to soar like this and suffering defeat was unforgivable. Even if he survived the battle, returning with such disgrace would only lead to his death. Reina slowly approached the frozen Gorgon, pointing the de of Longinus at him, and said, "My benefactor told me to deliver this message to you." Silence filled the air. "An empty cart makes the most noise. Given your loud mouth and the fuss you made earlier, it seems you''re quite weak." "This... You damn son of a bitch!" Gorgon shouted, provoked by Reina''s taunt. Discarding his instinct and reason, he let rage consume him as he lunged at the human in front of him. Baaaaang!!! Gorgon unsheathed his enormous sword and swung it wildly at Reina, shouting like a maniac, "Bitch! I''ll personally tear your limbs apart! I''ll rip your body to shreds, drink your blood, and kill you myself, bitch!" Reina calmly lifted Longinus and deflected Gorgon''s frenzied strikes. Then, with practiced ease, she stepped forward, her mana surging. [Longsword] [Splitting the Mountains] sh!!! Her swordsmanship, characterized by overwhelming force, came into y. Although Reina wielded the spear Longinus instead of a sword, the heavy de of the spear easily sliced through Gorgon''s sword and body, instantly cleaving him in half. The attack was so powerful that it created a massive pit several meters behind Gorgon. Despite the death of the man leading a 150,000-strong army, his troops felt no sense of emptiness or dissent. The vampires, who held the lowest rank in the hierarchy, roamed aimlessly after losing their leader. Although stronger than humans, they couldn''t withstand the relentless and powerful attacks from the buffed madmen, and they were quickly overwhelmed. What made it worse was that their leader was in, leaving them in a state of hopelessness. However, the vampires'' noble pride prevented them from retreating or surrendering. Unlike the demonic beasts and blood beasts easily felled by the enemy onught, the vampires fought on. In the end, only one remained, but even that vampire eventually fell. Despite outnumbering the humans almost threefold, their reckless and unwavering assault led to theirplete annihtion. Reina wiped the blood from Longinus'' de and left those who were thoroughly frightened by her reckless style of fighting. She looked at the pristine de of Longinus despite having fought for so long with a sigh and mumbled, ¡°What amazing durability¡­¡± Then, she surveyed the soldiers who had fought alongside her. She slowly raised her spear to the sky, a promation of their victory. Witnessing this, deafening cheers erupted throughout the area. ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± They had expected to lose the battle, yet they emerged victorious by andslide. The soldiers'' morale skyrocketed. This wasn''t just a simple victory; the unexpected and astonishing method they employed had a profound impact on the troops. "Long live Warrior Reina!" Amidst the cheers, voices praising Reina rang out. "Long live!" The one who provided the buffs should have received the most praise, but that person merely observed from a distance. It was as if they had orchestrated the situation. *** Saintess Candidate Alice marveled at the incredible things Davey had aplished in this ce. The holy magic he wielded operated on a different level from what she had seen before. In fact, Alice had already witnessed traces of it during the incident in the Duchy of Felicity. Rumors circted that the lingering holy magic in the air resulted from the awakening of Caldeiras, Princess Illyna''s sword. Alice sensed the immense significance and awe-inspiring nature of Davey''s feat. The Saint standing before her was a genuine monster. ¡°Goodness¡­ what did I just witness in that short amount of time?¡± ¡°Oh, Goddess!¡± One of the intermediate priests from Freyja Religion, who participated in this war to treat the injured, had an incredulous look on his face. He said to Alice, ¡°My God¡­ Did I just witness God¡¯s Miracle?¡± ¡°What in the world¡­is he¡­?¡± "Even if he''s the Saint, this is beyond belief." "Though Saintess Candidate Alice believed in him, I was still reluctant to believe in him¡­ I''m ashamed of my previous doubts." Although he hadn''t actively participated in the war, the man before them had single-handedly turned the tide. While the soldiers considered it a miracle brought about by Reina, the priests who stood beside him knew that it was the man watching from a distance, Prince Davey, who had truly ended the battle. Davey possessed powers that even the Pope of the Holy Empire could not match, a realization that left the priests astounded. "Urk..." Prince Dave groaned, his body trembling. Yet, the sight only deepened the priests'' respect and awe. Their eyes gleamed as they looked at him. "Goodness... He doesn''t even care for his own well-being..." "Ah... This is the grace of God!" Davey''s groan and sneeze were caused by the dust from the battlefield, but the priests were so captivated by their reverence that they paid it no mind. This was the true face of the Saint, the protagonist of numerous rumors circting throughout the continent. However, there were still many aspects they couldn''tprehend. Thus, the priests left Davey to observe the situation while awaiting Alice¡¯s words. Saintess Candidate Alice, silently observing, finally spoke. "The Saint is someone who has received God''s love." ¡°However¡­¡± "And the more he loves and values life, the stronger he bes." The priests stared at Alice in astonishment, their eyes widening as they contemted her words. A profound emotion flickered across their faces once they grasped the meaning. "By God... That means he..." "How deeply does he care and love this world?" Even the Holy Empire''s Pope couldn''t rival his power. Without witnessing or using transcendental-ss holy magic, the priests had no way ofprehending the extraordinary nature of Davey''s abilities. They simply found it amazing and awe-inspiring. "But it''s truly astonishing. I never imagined I would witness someone bolstering the entire army like that..." "Indeed! A Saint who cherishes and loves the world!" Rather than delving into the intricacies of the holy magic, the priests focused on the underlying meaning of the power they had witnessed. Deeply moved by this disy, they knelt in prayer as if they had received a divine revtion. "Ah... Goddess Freyja, forgive our arrogance..." "We are forever grateful for allowing such a noble and magnificent existence to dwell among us..." "May God be with you..." Alice thought to herself, ¡®Believe what you want to believe.¡¯ Regardless of his sainthood, Davey''s disyed power was real, and it reflected the nobility of his heart. However, as Davey had repeatedly stated, each person was free to think as they wished. They were free to indulge in their own illusions. Chapter 332 ¡°Aachoo! Aachoo!¡± ¡ªWhy are you sneezing? ¡°Someone must be cursing at me.¡± ¡ªThat makes sense. Perhaps that princess is now cursing and chewing you out, no? Illyna must have felt betrayed by what Davey did. However, it was better for her to not participate in this war as much as possible. Because nothing good woulde out for someone who was crazy for revenge? That was not it. Getting revenge was sweet. Fulfilling it neatly and finding one¡¯s next goal in life would add vitality to one¡¯s life. What was it? ¡®Sleeping on firewood and licking galldder¡¯[1]? That old saying was not there for nothing. ¡ªHowever, this kind of reckless battle will be hard toe by in the future. Davey could do this again and again. However, the more they stayed in one ce, the more advantage they would hand over to the other side. He watched as the allied forces turned around and left, bringing news of victory with them. Then, he looked at the now ruined in, stained with a sea of blood and littered with the dead bodies of the vampires, blood beasts, and the Demon World¡¯s demonic beasts. If Davey moved in the name of the Saint earlier, now it was time for him to move as the Arch Necromancer. Davey took out a small bottle of reagent from his pocket ne, poured the contents on the injured portions of the heads of some of the blood beasts, and stretched his palm over them. [Revive] A different magic to revive and turn someone into an undead from the Divine World¡¯s resurrection magic unfolded. This was an iplete and unfinished magic created by a necromancer who worked his entire life to try to save his wife. Even though he tried so hard to create this magic to save her, he still failed to use it on his wife. Why? Because he died. Vwooooooong¡ª Davey did not care what the blood beasts looked like right now. The moment the dark mana shot out from his hand and dissolved in their bodies, the mangled corpses of the blood beasts sprang up like animatronics charged with electricity. They pranced around with ferocious momentum and energy leaking from their bodies before gathering in front of him and turning quiet. ¡°Go back to your home.¡± ¡®Go. Bite them and infect everything. Don¡¯t ever think that a zombie apocalypse is a disaster that only affects humans. I am going to send an express delivery of the special Abyss¡¯ biomarker virus just for you, for you, and for you!¡¯ Common sense would dictate that this virus, a virus that only targeted and affected vampires and the blood beasts rted to them, should not have existed in this world. Such a selective virus was something that could only be seen in movies, and it was extremely inefficient and impractical. But above all, the reason why this virus should never have existed in this world was because the rules of this world would never leave such an unconventional thing unattended. However, the creature from the abyss that Davey had obtained was a creature that lived on the other side of the coin and was something that could easily ignore the rules of this world. Davey had found out about it while experimenting with the creature of the abyss and found that it could turn another into the undead. The problem was that the undead virus had turned into a zombie virus. Davey collected the virus reversed by the power that exempted it from the rules of this world and transformed it into a surprise gift for the vampires. The virus had a lot of side effects and was very, very dangerous. However, that was none of Davey¡¯s business. After watching the blood beasts disappear from his sight, Davey turned around and took out amunication crystal ball and tried to connect to someone on the other side. ¡ªDavey, speaking of that ck dragon¡­ Can that child Reina handle it? ¡®¡­I haven¡¯t seen it in person, so I can¡¯t tell. However, if it has the power of a real dragon, then there¡¯s no way. But if that¡¯s not the case then she has a chance.¡¯ ¡ªThen, whether we like it or not, we will still have to face it? ¡°That¡¯s why the World Tree is making a move.¡± It was a tremendous burden for Al. However, with her presence, the dragon would not pose a problem. The reason Davey was able to defeat Yggdrasil was because he targeted its one weakness, its youth. But with Al, that weakness did not exist. In this war, Davey intended to portray Reina as the protagonist, garnering praise from the entire continent. Reina''s mere existence would attract the attention of all nations, and her actions would have a significant impact on the continent. If they continued using this strategy a few more times, Reina might be capable of aplishing it on her own. Although it was unexpected, monopolizing the attention of the entire continent seemed troublesome to Davey. However, Reina had worked hard to gain recognition and praise as a Warrior, and she deserved the rewards she would receive. ¡°It¡¯s me, Davey.¡± [Member Davey! We have been waiting for you to contact us.] ¡°The preparations on our side are already done.¡± [Our side has already started to move too. We have been attacking them by surprise and using gueri tactics to infect them with the virus. If I were to be honest, this feels a bit strange.] The man on the other side seemed a bit skeptical about the inhumane method that they were using in this war. ¡°The more the teachers and the knight order do their best, the more humans will be able to live and survive in the continent. So, I will leave it to you.¡± [I understand.] The humans on the continent were unaware of the existence of the Alpha Reinforcements Knight Order. That''s why the knight order decided to continue hiding and assisting behind the scenes. They operated covertly, obstructing the enemies'' path and nting the virus along the way. This way, no one would recognize their contributions. However, they had chosen this path because their secret organization was built for that sole purpose. Davey initially wanted to reveal the existence of Alpha Reinforcements to the world, but he respected their wishes and refrained from doing so. He knew that the noble and honorable knight order would quickly sumb to corruption if they became involved in politics and worldly desires. *** "Davey, you rotten bastard! How could you do this to me?!" Illyna fumed inside the empty hut, her body trembling. She hurriedly stopped her swinging hands, which had narrowly missed hitting the wooden table in her room. Luckily, it wasn''t Caldeiras. Swooosh! However, it was toote to stop the swingpletely. She had cut off a corner of the wooden table with the sharp de of her sword. Illyna continued to fume, anger weighing heavily on her chest. Illyna was caught off guard when she was informed that she was on probation. Her brother, who resided in the imperial pce, had suddenly sent his troops to raid the small and peaceful hut where Belial was staying. Illyna, who regrly brought food and medicine to Belial, arrived at the hut toote. By the time she got there, Belial had already fled. In reality, there was no reason for her to keep the demon by her side. She had brought him along merely because she saw him in danger of dying when she found him. Even if Belial''s injuries were notpletely healed, she knew he wouldn''t die since he had reached the Sword Master level. However, she had grown fond of the demon. He listened intently to her stories, and she considered him a good friend. Belial had be apanion in a slightly different sense from Davey. Illyna never intended to let the demon go like this, so she was endlessly frustrated. She immediately confronted her brother and argued with him. Her brother imed that he went there because he had heard that Illyna was harboring a foul being, which vited and tarnished the dignity and pride of the imperial family. And indeed, he found Belial there. In the end, Illyna was reprimanded for her actions that undermined the prestige and honor of the imperial family and was locked up in the imperial pce. Of course, Belial had escaped. However, thanks to the experience she gained after spending a long time with that crazy bastard, Illyna was able to deduce the true culprit who had brought her into this situation. It was none other than Davey O''Rowane. The rotten bastard had gone to her brother, Sullivan, and divulged everything about Belial. Because of that, she was now unable to leave the imperial pce. Why would that bastard do such a thing? Even after pondering deeply, Illyna couldn''t figure it out. No, she had no way of knowing the true reason. It was all a ploy to make it easier for Belial to leave her side after Davey struck a deal with the demon. They also nned to tie her to the imperial pce, knowing that she would immediately rush out upon hearing that their enemies this time were vampires. As a regr human, Illyna couldn''t infer such things, even with the clue in her hands. [You have to calm down, Illyna. Anyway, he¡¯s supposed to leave. Right?] ¡°I¡¯m not mad at Belial! It¡¯s Davey! That bastard hit me on the back of the head. Does that bastard get antsy if he can¡¯t torment and harass me for just a single day?!¡± At Illyna¡¯s cry, Caldeiras answered with a murmur, [I¡¯ve heard this from Ares before. He said that kids like teasing and bullying the one that they like.] ¡°¡­¡± Illyna turned stiff at Caldeiras¡¯ words. [Perhaps that guy, Davey, is like that too?] A deep shade of red appeared on Illyna''s cheeks at that question. However, she immediately shook her head and said, "Who said I''m interested in him?! I don''t care about that bastard anymore." [Hmm¡­ Really?] ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± [You always told me that lying is bad, but¡­] Illyna blushed even darker at Caldeiras'' sigh. She looked like a child caught in the act. Davey had casually visited her, but he immediately noticed that she felt ufortable in a few ces after her intensive training. He used the excuse of wanting to touch her to give her massages, but he honestly did it to help resolve her problems. If Illyna were to be honest, Davey had helped her a lot. But when she wanted to repay him, he refused. In fact, he firmly rejected her spontaneous proposal. Illyna believed she had moved on from that rejection since a considerable amount of time had passed. However, she still felt a different kind of emotion every time she saw him. And because of that, she couldn''t shake off theplicated feelings she had for him. ¡°Your Highness! Your Highness!¡± Illyna, who sat in frustration on her chair, slowly ced the cup of tea in her hand on the table. She tilted her head in confusion as her personal maid rushed in urgently. ¡°Have, have you heard the news?! There, there are vampires! A monster called a vampire has appeared¡­¡± News traveled fast in the Imperial Pce. However, Illyna had received the newste. ¡°What¡­do you mean by that?¡± Illyna jumped up from her seat as she asked her maid with a serious look on her face. The maid gasped in shock and hurriedly ryed the news that she had heard outside. Four days ago, at the southernmost end of the Western Continent, a dragon and an entire army of monsters appeared andpletely wiped out two nations. To address this army threat, a Continental Alliance Conference was held. During the conference, they discovered that their enemies were vampires and demons. They subsequently dered war on the entire continent to achieve their own goals. With Davey leading the charge, they brought forth Warrior Reina, a beautiful woman with sky-blue hair, and appointed her as themander of the allied army. The reason why a woman with no notable aplishments could attain such a position was probably because of Davey''s intervention. However, that was not Illyna''s primary concern. She was entirely focused on another matter. ¡°V-Vampires? The vampires came out in the sun?¡± The maid nodded with fear in her eyes when she noticed Illyna¡¯s strange fixation. Baaaang!!! Illyna immediately transformed Caldeiras into a brooch, pinned it onto her clothes, and rushed out. However, the moment she opened the door, five or six knights, along with her brother, blocked her path. ¡°Get out of the way, brother.¡± ¡°You cannot go out, Illyna.¡± ¡°You dared to meddle with the news that flows into the princess¡¯ pce. It seems like you¡¯re out of your mind to dare use our empire¡¯s funds and talents on something so trivial?¡± ¡°Oh, you shouldn¡¯t worry about that. I used my own money for that.¡± ¡°Let me out. I will join the war.¡± ¡°The authority to lead White Bird has been temporarily transferred to me. You. Stay here and wait.¡± ¡°I also want to go and fight!!!¡± Illyna cried loudly, ¡°Brother¡­ You obviously know how our beloved mother had died, so why¡­¡± Sullivan sighed lightly and approached Illyna. Then, he said quietly, ¡°Are you going to waste Prince Davey¡¯s efforts to keep you out of harm''s way?¡± When Illyna flinched, Sullivan continued, ¡°He might seem like a cold-hearted man, but he¡¯s a good man who protects the people that he holds dear. Let me ask you this, Illyna. Do you think that such a strong and powerful person like Prince Davey has tied you up in this ce just for a simple reason?¡± "It''s my life, so it should be my choice," Illyna retorted, her voice carrying a chilly tone as she tried to pass her brother. "He, too, has lost his mother. Think about it. Consider why he stopped you from seeking revenge," Sullivan spoke briefly, passing by Illyna, who hade to a halt, and leaving her room. In the end, all Illyna could do was tremble and copse on the spot. She curled up and sobbed pitifully. How hard had she trained with her sword just to kill those vampires? She had even joined Alpha Reinforcements to gather information about them. And now they were telling her to stay put, relinquish her sword, and watch as the vampires openly revealed themselves? ¡°Davey¡­ You¡¯ve got the wrong person. Caldeiras, didn¡¯t you tell me that you can find out Davey¡¯s location as long as you wanted to?¡± [Well, yes, since Per is sealed in his stigmata.] ¡°Please find him for me.¡± Destroying the vampires was Illyna''s lifelong goal, and no one would be able to stop her from achieving it. 1. a saying that refers to nursing vengeance and remembering the humiliation they suffered. ? Chapter 333 Chapter 333 The news of the allied forces''ndslide victory against the scouting enemy unit was very wee for those anxiously waiting to hear about the battle''s oue. However, there were still many enemies remaining, some yet to be revealed, making it premature to im significant damage to the enemy army. The high-ranking vampires, demons, and even the ck dragon posed the greatest risk and could be considered the most formidable forces in the enemy army. In fact, the ck dragon had burned two nations to ashes. It was the biggest risk factor in this battle and could be said to be the greatest force in the enemy army. Of course, the allied forces had not revealed their full strength and troop numbers. ording to the agreement among the allied nations,rge armies from across the continent were finally mobilizing. The fact that this was an all-out war between two sizable armies remained unchanged. "He''s truly amazing. With Prince Davey here, this war will probably end in andslide victory," someone remarked. "That''s right! May God''s mercy reach those evil and wicked people," another responded. "I am not themander and will not lead anyone in this war, Saintess Candidate Alice," Davey replied. "Please, I know you well enough. Trivial matters won''t tie you down," Alice insisted. Davey simply shook his head at Alice''s rebuttal. "You''ll know it when you see it." After hearing Davey''s words, Alice chose not to say anything further. *** The enigmatic and secretive knight order known as the Last Wisp Knight Order or the Alpha Reinforcement Knight Order had reached a momentous decision to intervene in the affairs of the continent, despite the unprecedented nature of their involvement. This organization had always refrained from leaving their own territory or taking action unless the continent faced the imminent peril of annihtion. In fact, they had covertly operated in the pr regions, preventing the activity of malevolent beasts that posed a threat to the entire continent. "Hoo... I''m feeling nervous," Shayir Renda, one of the twins, sped her spirit''s hands, her body trembling as she spoke. "I understand... This is probably the first time you''ve ventured out into the continent since you were very young." "I heard that the outside world is really scary... That''s what I thought, but when it came down to it and we finally went out, I realized it''s not that bad!" Damur shouted enthusiastically. Alyssa Patrick, observing the situation, calmly advised the boy, "Damur, please keep quiet." "Smack... This is just how I am." "Damur, every time you speak about something, it always happens without fail." "Kyahahaha! That''s true." After hearing Alyssa''s calm response, Damur couldn''t help but frown. However, he knew there was nothing he could say in the end. He was aware that this was simply the consequence of his own actions. Besides, Damur was a very timid and cowardly person, so he chose not to argue with her. [Crackle!Unit A. Please respond.] ¡°This is Unit A¡¯s Unit Leader, Alyssa Patrick.¡± [This is Unit Commander Boris. Report your situation.] ¡°We have safely arrived at our target location. Preparations for the injection of the sample virus areplete. We¡¯re already tracking our target object.¡± [It¡¯s now time for us to start the operation.] ¡°Acknowledged. We will now start the operation.¡± It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot". [May the tide of war be always in your favor. I hope for your safe return.] ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, teacher,¡± Alyssa said, a soft and gentle smile on her face. Boris, who was on the other end of the crystal ball, spoke with a kind and benevolent voice. [Alright. Do not overdo it. Understand?] ¡°Please don¡¯t worry. We might not be able to do something as big as Sir Davey, but we have already prepared as hard as we could for this. We only need to move ording to the n. We will be able to do it.¡± Alyssa raised her hand toward the small number of vampires and blood beasts that were moving quickly over the ridge and said, ¡°Everyone, stay vignt and always be on guard. Let¡¯s start.¡± Baaaaaaaaam!!! Unit A of the Alpha Reinforcement Knight Order consisted of young boys and girls who had sessfully passed the organization''s rigorous examination, making them official members of the order. These children were exceptionally talented and far surpassed their peers. The twin elementalists immediately tapped into their spirit mana, harnessing the power of the intermediate spirit, Syim, to rapidly spread the pre-prepared drug for easier infection. The virus, created by the order''s newest member, Davey, an unprecedented and unmatched monster, had already proven its effectiveness to most of the knights. This virus had no impact on other living beings and specifically targeted vampires and simr creatures, such as blood beasts, who possessed vampire-like powers. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s an attack!¡± ¡°How dare these human bastards!!!¡± As the lower-ranking vampires attempted to move stealthily and swiftly, they suddenly found themselves startled and on high alert, shouting and scanning their surroundings. In that moment, Pdin Flidyr, his shield held firmly before him, charged forward with tremendous speed, barreling over the vampires in his path. The members of Unit A in the knight order were skilled individuals, but they were well aware that defeating even a single vampire would require great effort. These vampires had been enhanced and possessed a remarkably high level of resilience, surpassing the order''s knowledge of their survivability. However, their objective this time was not to eliminate the vampires. ¡°Keuaaaaack!!!¡± The vampire shrieked. He immediately stepped back with a frown, cradling the arm that had been shed by the human enemy¡¯s sword. Seizing the opportunity, dozens of blood beastsunched an attack on the members of the Alpha Reinforcement Knight Order. However, the knights swiftly synchronized their movements, countering the onught as if they had anticipated it. Simultaneously, the twins continued to disperse droplets of liquid with the aid of their spirit''s wind, sweeping the entire area. ¡°These filthy rats!!!¡± The knights of the order adhered to a precise timing when engaging the vampires, solely focused on immobilizing their limbs. This action infuriated the vampires, causing them to grind their teeth and unleash their blood energy. "We''ll conclude it here! It''ll be perilous if we proceed any further! Retreat!" a resounding cry echoed, apanied by the re of a horn. The order''s knights nodded in agreement, swiftly withdrawing from the battle, using their swords to fend off the pursuing vampires. "Filthy humans! How dare you think you can escape this ce alive!" the vampires bellowed in rage. The boy, wielding a massive mace, chuckled at the vampire''s outburst. "I picked up this trick from myrade, you scoundrels! Heg will surely blind you!" Shwaaaa!!! With those words, Heg took out a small scroll with one hand, tore it apart with his mouth, and threw it into the air. ¡°He told me to say this when we do this! Just like the Lord said, ¡®Let there be light.¡¯¡± Although he did not know who the Lord was, he still faithfully uttered the words. [Light Attribute Modified Magic] [4th Circle] [Stun Grenade] At the same time, all of the children of Unit A closed their eyes and shielded them with their arms. Booooom!!! A light, a very blinding light, exploded along with a loud sound. And for the unprepared vampires, who were already weak against anything attributed with light¡­ ¡°Keuaaaaaack!!!¡± ¡°Keheoook! My, my eyes!¡± The vampires shrieked, clutching their burning eyes as they writhed on the ground in agony. The blood beasts, too, howled as they lost their vision. After enduring the searing pain and rolling on the ground for a considerable time, one of the vampires cautiously opened his eyes. What he saw made him furrow his brow. "Damn it! They escaped!" the vampire shouted, his voice brimming with anger. The other vampires, gradually recovering their vision, likewise realized that the humans who had audaciouslyunched a surprise attack were nowhere to be found. Fury emanated from the body of one vampire, seething over the fact that they had fallen victim to a mere guerri tactic. He snarled, "Grrrrrr!!! Damn bastards! The moment I find you, I''ll kill you! I''ll drink your blood until you''re drained and withered, tear you apart, and end your life!" On the contrary, there were those who appeared visibly relieved. ¡°Hoo¡­ It seems like we¡¯re able to preserve our lives once again.¡± ¡°Even if I received the power of immortality, because of that damned human, I still fear for my life every day¡­¡± It waspletely unusual for a single human to keep all of the vampires on their toes. "I can''t wait for this war to end. The blood beast assigned to me this time has finally started to listen to me. He''s still quite weak, so I left him at the hideout. I have to wait for him to grow first. So, I have to go back there once this mission is over." "Ooooh. That''s really great news. I hope your blood beast will grow quickly and be a dignified and majestic one." "Thank you for the well-wis¡ª" The vampire frowned, his words trailing off. "What''s the matter?" "It''s nothing. I just feel a bit... strange." "Isn''t it because you forgot to eat your meal again?" The vampire shook his head at hisrade''s words. "That''s not it. I already know that this mission will be a bit dangerous. So, I caught some wild animals and cleansed their blood in advance just in case I got hungry." "Then, it''s most likely because you drank too much. What a silly matter, tsk, tsk..." "Still..." The vampire didn''t even get to finish his words. He curled in on himself, clutching his belly and groaning loudly. "Urrrrk..." "Huh? Hey! What''s the matter with you!" The vampire''srade shouted in doubt and worry, patting him on the back. However, the vampire''s intense pain made it difficult for him to move freely. He could only breathe heavily and manage to say, "I... I feel strange..." Then, as the vampire struggled to articte his words, he suddenly stiffened. Just as hisrade was about to offer assistance, a piercing scream filled the air. "Kyaaaaaack!!!" The vampire on the ground abruptly leaped up and bit hisrade''s arm. "Keuaack! You crazy bastard! What''s gotten into you?!" Shocked, therade pulled his arm out of the vampire''s mouth. The distinct scent of vampire''s blood permeated the air, indicating a proper bite had taken ce. "What... What just happened¡­?" "Hey! Have you lost your mind?!" "N-No! I didn''t do it on purpose!" "Seriously..." "I''m... I''m sorry! I never intended to harm you!" "Look at yourself. It seems you''re not fit for battle. Your stress has twisted your stomach into knots. Go back quickly. Once you return to the main unit, the demons there will provide treatment." "Ah, you mean that subus who uses those strange and mysterious medical skills?" "That''s right. Hurry and go. Haaa..." However, the grumbling vampires remainedpletely unaware that most of their kind here were already experiencing the same sensation. *** Reports from the Alpha Reinforcement Order began to arrive, revealing that aside from the vampires assigned to keep Davey tied to the main unit, there were multiple special units moving across the continent. With knowledge of their origins, Davey easily deduced their intended routes. Riding on Rumble''s back, he took to the skies to monitor their movements and inform the Alpha Reinforcement Order where to strike. Meanwhile, Davey refrained from touching the enemy''s supplies, which only increased their avable resources. Despite their status as criminals or individuals with a history of misdeeds, they served the purpose of being sacrifices fueled by hatred. Davey decided to utilize them as they were. Although he had initially used Repentance Terror to render their assets useless, anything more would jeopardize his ns. Observing Reina as shemanded the main troops to mobilize, Davey flicked his finger, knowing that the news would soon arrive. He was confident that the virus he had nted in the vampires'' special units had already been transmitted to them. Additionally, the blood beasts he had revived with Revive magic and infected with the virus would have surely spread it by now. The time for results was approaching. "There''s trouble, Commander!" shouted a messenger running toward them from a distance. Reina turned to Davey, sensing the gravity of the situation. "We''ve observed unusual movements within the vampire ranks! It appears to be a civil war!" reported the messenger. Reina nodded, unfazed by the cause. She quietly instructed one of the generals behind her, "Prepare for an attack. We''ll push them back all at once." Davey acknowledged Reina''s decision with a nod and turned to leave. "Where are you going?" Reina asked. "I''m abandoning my military duty," Davey replied. "You''re... deserting?" Reina questioned. "Why? Are you nning to apprehend me?" Davey challenged. Reina simply shook her head in response, stating, "I have no idea what someone like you is thinking." Davey also made it known to Saintess Candidate Alice that he would be abandoning his military duty before confidently turning away from the main unit and departing. Chapter 334 Chapter 334 Graaaaa¡­ Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawread dot ]. Hundreds of dozens of vampires howled and growled as they trudged around the area. The situation appeared utterly dreadful, as if the entire ce was being terrorized by arge-scale zombie magic. However, these creatures were quite different from the zombies created by conventional zombie magic. Unlike the slow, light-sensitive, and mindless zombies, these peculiar monsters, resulting from the transformation of vampires into zombies, possessed lower intelligence. Moreover, they exclusively targeted other vampires and showed no signs of sluggishness. In fact, they were swifter, had sharper fangs, and were sturdier than ordinary zombies. The reason behind this disparityy in the fact that the host of the transformation was not a human, but a vampire. The worst part? The symptoms manifested solely in vampires, leading them to attack their fellow brethren. This revtion sent shockwaves among the vampiremunity. Questions arose regarding the origins of these vampire zombies and how they became entangled in this predicament. It wasn''t just low-ranking vampires; even intermediate-ranking vampires would mutate and turn if they left the vampire bite untreated for an extended period. Once transformed, infected vampires could not revert to their original form and relentlessly sought out and attacked other vampires in their vicinity. Only by severing their heads could they be stopped. Furthermore, the virus responsible for this zombification was not exclusive to vampires alone. Even beings infused with vampire blood energy, such as the blood beasts, could be susceptible to zombification. As this relentless wave of zombification continued to spread, the main unit suffered significant losses in troops. From the vampires'' perspective, this event was both unforeseen and suffocating. They were beings who corrupted humans, animals, and monsters with their blood energy. Witnessing their own kind turning into feral zombies, relentlessly seeking to sink their teeth into their necks, was an unsettling experience that they struggled to adapt to. The vampires, who had never anticipated such a turn of events, were naturally flustered. However, their embarrassment stemmed from more than just the unexpected nature of the situation... ¡°Don¡¯t leave a single one of them behind!¡± Baaaaaaaaang!!! A colossal iron spear descended from the sky, triggering a massive explosion apanied by a deluge of metal arrows. The high-ranking vampires, with their considerable power, could withstand such assaults. However, the situation grew increasingly perilous for the lower-ranking and intermediate-ranking vampires, as well as the blood beasts, who found themselves under relentless attacks of this nature. The sudden and bizarre zombie crisis, coupled with the relentless offensive of the allied human forces, made it impossible for the vampires to continue their advance. Despite their preparations for the war, these unforeseen changes forced them into a retreat. The allied human forces celebrated with a sense of jubtion as news of their consecutive victories reached them. Reina''smanding skills, which had previously been doubted and questioned, proved to be remarkably astute and daring. With each battle fought, the humans managed to vanquish the vampires that held control over several fortresses, expediting the process of reiming the lostnds. Meanwhile, Davey, having openly dered his intention to abandon his military duty, ventured into a deste location. "I have been waiting for you," a calm and quiet voice echoed through the area. ¡°The location?¡± ¡°It¡¯s over here.¡± The man, who blocked Davey¡¯s path, handed over a small piece of paper. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any regrets?¡± ¡°I have dedicated my life to the Demon Lord. There is no greater honor for me than moving and serving her.¡± Perserque raised her doubts and suspicions when she saw the man turn around after speaking without any hesitation. ¡ªWhat in the world did you say to him? Why is he so willing to help you like that? Perserque was unable to overhear the conversation between Davey and Belial, yet she had a strong conviction: the two men were coborating towards a shared objective. It seemed somewhat amusing to witness two adversaries, a demon and a human, working side by side. However, the nature of their alliance was inconsequential. Belial, in particr, held no allegiance to the demonic race. They were creatures consumed by hatred, waging this war on their own terms. ¡°I will now tell you the current situation in the main unit.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After sighing quietly at Davey¡¯s calm reply, Belial said, ¡°There are currently two high-ranking demons that have crossed over from the artificial Demon World to this ce. It is very hard to cross over to this ce, so the probability of sess is very low.¡± ck Dragon Gargas and Belial, a sinner from the ck ve Corps, hade here with great difficulty. "The lower-ranking demons may have rtively fewer restrictions to ess this realm, but beings of considerable power require multiple restrictions to sessfully cross over. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Grand Duke Astaroth did not arrive here with his primary form, but rather with a clone." Indeed, even lower-ranking demons faced certain limitations when traversing into this world. Originally, the demons had nned to widen the rift between the realms using the power of the First Lich Nyx and seize the opportunity to send the majority of their forces through. However, Davey and Reina''s ying of Nyx had thwarted their ns. "Now, they are left with only one option. They aim to restrain you as much as possible while attempting to resurrect the Demon Lord. With the power of the Demon Lord, they can bring a vast number of demons to this realm with minimal restrictions. Moreover, they could utilize that power to address any threat you pose." To these demons, the existence of the Demon Lord Perserque was akin to a longstanding legend¡ªa supreme entity who would lead andmand them. However, the reality was that Grand Duke Astaroth and the vampires had conspired together, seeking to manipte Perserque should she possess differing views from their own. ¡ªIn the first ce, someone whocks the ability could easily get swept away by others¡¯ schemes and tricks. The problem was that they viewed Davey as an existence that was akin to a nuclear bomb. ¡°Other than that?¡± ¡°There is a weapon that the vampires have been preparing for a very long time. As far as I know, it¡¯s supposed to be a chimera, but¡­¡± ¡°That would not be a problem.¡± ¡°There¡¯s just one more thing,¡± Belial said. After some pause, he spoke with his eyes glinting sharply. ¡°They are not here right now, but there is someone who will participate in this war soon. They look like any other demon, but they are very bizarre individuals with a strange power dwelling within them.¡± Davey tilted his head and asked, ¡°A strange power?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called the Abyss. And it¡¯s the reason why our Demon Race is able to step foot in thisnd once again.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s nothing more, no?¡± Davey said, pulling out a small pill from his Pocket ne and handing it over to Belial. ¡°This is a stimnt. It will allow you to hold out and endure for a while.¡± Belial chewed and swallowed the pill without any hesitation. Then, he quietly felt the power that began to surge in his body. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact you once the ritual starts.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see each other again soon.¡± Belial nodded quietly before disappearing. Davey also turned around without any hesitation and left the ce. *** The atmosphere within the main unit''s camp was filled with jubtion, fueled by their remarkable winning streak. "Ahem, ahem... Just as I expected, my luck is truly exceptional," eximed Verran, a member of the Korn Kingdom''s ducal family, relishing his good fortune. "Young master, we have received word that you will be deployed to the front lines," a knight politely entered his tent, delivering the news. Verran nodded contentedly and remarked, "Going to war, huh? How could I possibly miss an opportunity to rue des and earn merits?" With only his weapon in hand, he left the barracks, seemingly with no other thought than the exhration of battle. Verran''s older brother was initially designated to participate in the war, but Verran''s insatiable greed drove him to seize the opportunity for himself. Eager to gain recognition from his family, he dispatched his trusted right-hand man to handle the arrangements, allowing him to take his brother''s ce. Unlike his older brother, a seasoned member of a prestigious knight order, Verran was a young and inexperienced rookie. Yet, through his cunning schemes, he found himself leading hundreds of troops as the representative of the Korn Kingdom. Fortunately for Verran, luck seemed to favor him at every turn. Whenever he teetered on the brink of defeat or faced imminent danger, he managed to escape unscathed or exploit a split-second opportunity tounch a sessful counterattack. ¡®Perhaps I¡¯m someone that God truly loves!¡¯ Verran entertained the notion that he, like the two revered saintess candidates and the famous Prince Davey O''Rowane, was a chosen individual favored by God. His extraordinary luck in the war reinforced this belief, fueling his confidence and ambition. He imagined that if he truly possessed the favor of God, he would be bestowed with great power and influence. The thought brought a satisfied smile to his face. The remarkable abilities exhibited by Prince Davey and the priests, such as their buffs and healing spells, surpassed everyone''s expectations. Soldiers on the verge of death were revitalized, imbued with superhuman strength, and fought with exceptional skill against the strange and dangerous monsters. While these monsters posed a grave threat to humanity and the future of the continent, for Verran, they were merely adversaries standing in his way. His unwavering belief in his own luck and the potential favor of a higher power fueled his determination to ovee any obstacle in his path. In fact, with Prince Davey openly abandoning his military duty, the buff magic was not able to function properly. However, they were able to win their battles continuously thanks to some kind of luck. As Verran observed the vampires around him, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of superiority. To him, they seemed far beneath his own capabilities, almost as if they were too dangerous and difficult for others to handle. He marveled at how effortlessly his sword cut through their ranks, as if he had achieved a state of enlightenment in his swordsmanship. These thoughts swirled in Verran''s mind, fueling his confidence and pride. As he prepared to mount his waiting horse, Verran''s gaze fell upon a woman emerging from a nearby tent. Her sky-blue hair was carefully braided, and despite being past the age of marriage, she exuded a captivating beauty that defied time. In Verran''s eyes, she was not just beautiful but divine, a presence that seemed deserving of recognition among the renowned beauties of the continent. Holding a spear, the emblem of a warrior, she set off purposefully, heading towards her own destination. Intrigued by her aura and intrigued by the mysteries she held, Verran couldn''t help but feel a newfound curiosity and admiration for this enigmatic woman. ¡°¡­¡± Verran moved slowly, eventually stopping whatever he was doing. Verran''s admiration for Warrior Reina only grew stronger as he observed her throughout the battle. Her brilliance, strength, and divine presence captivated himpletely. Despite hermoner background, the guarantee of support from the saint and the three emperors of the continent elevated her status to that of nobility. Verran couldn''t help but imagine a future where, if they emerged victorious in this war, Reina would receive prestigious titles such as count or even higher. In his mind, Verran foresaw countless suitors vying for Reina''s hand in marriage. Many would be drawn to her stunning beauty, while others would be enchanted by her formidablebat skills. Recognizing that Reina possessed the ability to release an aura de, Verran surmised that she was likely a Sword Master or perhaps even higher in skill and status. To Verran, this revtion only fueled his determination to marry Reina. By doing so, he believed he would secure a lifelongpanion whose appearance would remain eternally beautiful, thanks to the cessation of aging once one reached the level of a Sword Master. In his mind, marrying Reina would grant him not only a devoted partner but also a woman of timeless allure. ¡°Sluurrp¡­¡± Verran quietly followed behind Warrior Reina, who was walking somewhere solemnly. He had heard that the famous saint, Prince Davey, was nothing but an ordinary, unnamed, weak, and dying prince before he received his stigmata. As he slowly approached her, he tried to find a way to speak to her. Deep in thought, he nodded to himself. ¡®Hmm, that''s right. I''m more than enough to be her spouse. Although I haven''t made any contributions now, as long as the goddess would look at me properly and give me the same power as Prince Davey, then I will be able to make enough contributions in the future¡­¡¯ Verran firmly believed that he would naturally be a great being, the object of envy for every person on the continent. In fact, he was fully convinced that he would surpass even the saint, Prince Davey. His confidence stemmed from his exceptional skill with the sword, something he was highly confident in, as well as his extraordinary luck that had repeatedly aided him in this war. Chapter 335: Black Wings that Brought Forth Heavy Snow Chapter 335: ck Wings that Brought Forth Heavy Snow aaang!!! The metal chains that had tightly bound the ck scales of the colossal, slumbering creature were instantly released. ¡ªGrrrrrrr¡­ The ck lid, adorned with the same ck scales as the hundred-meter-tall colossal creature, gradually opened, revealing a pair of yellow eyes with razor-sharp, vertical pupils that gleamed with an ominous intensity. Gargas, the ck Dragon, was once a wise and rational being. However, after being corrupted and brainwashed by the demons, he lost his sanity and reasoning. The entire continent was well aware of the existence of this immensely powerful dragon. Gargas was the monster responsible for reducing two nations, including the Sorn Kingdom, to ashes in a mere instant. "Go. While we may not have precise information on the whereabouts of the human named Davey O''Rowane, if he is not within their main forces, it is the perfect opportunity for us to strike," Astarothmanded. The immensely powerful dragon, Gargas, devoid of reason and consumed by violence following the iplete transfer to the other side of the world, could not be controlled without the intervention of Grand Duke Astaroth''s power. Struggling restlessly, Gargas slowly shifted his yellow eyes toward Astaroth upon hearing his words. A low growl escaped Gargas'' throat as Astaroth entered his line of sight, causing Astaroth''s face to pale in response to the dragon''s ferocious and violent aura. Fortunately, Astaroth''s worst fears did not materialize as the ck Dragon Gargas, observing Astaroth in silence, unfurled his wings and took flight into the skies. "Ahem... Even though we have corrupted that wretched lizard, a dragon remains a dragon. Their resistance is quite formidable," Astaroth remarked, acknowledging the formidable nature of the dragon despite their attempts to manipte it. Controlling the dragon in this manner was not their initial n, as they would not have needed such measures if Gargas still possessed his sanity. However, since the dragon had lost his reason, Astaroth had no alternative but to exert control over him. ck Dragon Gargas, in his original state, exceeded Astaroth''s capabilities of control. Had the dragon''s power diminished? Yes, to some extent. However, his power still surpassed the threshold of what could be deemed a colossal cmity. In the humans'' arsenal stood the formidable monster named Davey O''Rowane, but on this side, they possessed the indomitable ck Dragon Gargas. Regardless of the oue of this battle, the aftermath would be devastating for both sides. Neither faction would emerge unscathed from the sh. Grand Duke Astaroth observed the awe-inspiring sight of the colossal dragon soaring away. He then turned his attention to Gluttony, the high-ranking vampire leading their allied forces, and inquired, "What is the status of that peculiar virus?" "We are already addressing it. However, as we search for a solution, we have chosen to iste and contain those who have been infected," Gluttony responded. "Bring forth all the high-ranking individuals and make preparations to advance. We must be willing to stake our lives in this all-out war. Instead of remaining idle, let them serve a purpose in this conflict," Astaroth stated, his words causing a sour expression to form on Gluttony''s face, as they seemed to undermine their pride as a noble race. However, Gluttony could not defy Astaroth. Astaroth possessed immense power and was an ally to the vampires, holding the upper hand in their rtionship. Without his support, they would likely have continued hiding under their wed leader, forsaking their thirst for revenge. "Iprehend," Gluttony acquiesced. Astaroth observed ck Dragon Gargas releasing his pent-up anger by creating massive blocks of ice and sheets of snow, inadvertently biting his thumb. A dangerous glimmer flickered in Astaroth''s eyes as he murmured, "Regardless of the war''s oue, our victory is assured in the end. No matter how much you try to thwart our terrorism or how much you think you know, you wretched fool will not be able to prevent the resurrection of the Demon Lord." *** Reina had grown increasingly wary of the peculiar-looking boy who had been trailing her for a considerable period of time. Although there were young men from noble and royal families involved in the war, with humans from various nations uniting under the alliance''s banner, Reina couldn''t shake the feeling that this particr boy was different from the rest. The boy was leading the vanguard on behalf of the Korn Kingdom. However, Reina couldn''t fathom why the kingdom had entrusted such a young, seemingly naive, and immature boy with such a critical role. Despite her puzzlement, she chose to disregard his odd behavior and ascended the watchtower of the fort in silence, diligently surveying the state of the battlefield. The victory or defeat of this war would depend on how many cards they have hidden and could still take out. And those cards had bnced the disproportional scale of the fights that they had fought so far. However, if their enemies were hiding something again, then they needed to find a way to counter that and respond ordingly. Davey, who had revived Reina, had ced a significant amount of trust in her. Having dered herself as Davey''s loyal supporter, Reina was determined not to disappoint the trust he had bestowed upon her. After descending from the watchtower, Reina, known for her cold and distant gaze, turned her attention to the boy named Verran, who had been shadowing her. Verran, thinking he had gone unnoticed, was caught off guard by the sudden address and could only clear his throat repeatedly, attempting topose himself. "Ahem! Ahem! It''s nothing! I just happened toe across you lost in thought," the boy stammered awkwardly, his eyes darting around as he approached Reina. "This is none of your concern, Verran of the Korn Kingdom. You have witnessed a side of me unbing of amander-in-chief. Please excuse me," Reina dismissed the boy abruptly. With a turn, she emanated a chilling and silent aura, making it clear that she expected him to cease his surveince. However, it appeared that Verran saw this as an opportunity. "Goodness. I never expected you to remember me, Warrior Reina," Verran spoke cautiously, maintaining a soft tone and a friendly smile on his face. Unfortunately for him, he had misjudged Reina''s thoughts and intentions. "I am currently themander-in-chief. Please refrain from addressing me as if we are personally acquainted," Reina responded sternly, making it clear that she desired a more formal interaction. "Ah... I apologize for that. Ahem! Ahem!" Verran replied awkwardly, his face turning slightly flushed as he attempted to discern the meaning behind Reina''s gaze. In a quiet voice, he asked, "Why do you have such aplex expression on your face?" "It has nothing to do with you," Reina replied coldly, dismissing his concern. "I don''t think so. If something is troubling you, please tell me. Though I, Verran, am still young, I will do everything in my power to help you as someone who has been blessed by the gods." ¡®Loved by a god?¡¯ Reina thought, regarding Verran as if he was delusional. "You im to have received the love of a god?" she asked skeptically. "Ah, you see, I haven''t shared this with anyone yet... but I believe that Goddess Freyja has bestowed her blessing upon me," Verran replied, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Reina¡¯s eyes grew wide in shock. She immediately moved the soft and gentle holy power inside her body. However, even after checking with her divine power, she saw nothing special in the boy. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± "Ahem, ahem. Please listen. You see, I have had quite the luck on the battlefield. It felt like more than just simple luck after going through several life-and-death situations. I believe that God has favored and blessed me. Otherwise, there''s no other way to exin what happened, right?" Verran eagerly exined, his voice filled with conviction. Reina let out a sigh, thinking to herself, ''I''ve heard that there are all kinds of crazy people in this world, but...'' She regarded Verran''s ims of divine love as nothing more than his own misinterpretation. However, before she could respond and offer a warning, a calm and familiar voice interrupted their conversation. "What an interesting young man," the voice remarked, emanating a sense of calm and nonchnce. "Wh-Who''s there?!" Verran eximed, his eyes widening in shock as he frantically scanned his surroundings. Reina turned her head to see Davey, the protagonist of the rumors that had been circting within the main unit, strolling casually toward them. "Sir Davey," she acknowledged with a respectful nod. "Any issues?" Davey inquired, his gaze shifting between Reina and Verran. Reina maintained herposed demeanor, carefully choosing her words in the presence of others. Deep inside, however, bittersweet emotions stirred within her chest. "Thanks to your efforts, everything is going well," she replied with a measured tone, offering a smile in response to Davey''s own. This exchange only served to further embarrass Verran, evident by the flush on his face. Though Reina paid no mind to his reaction, it seemed that Davey took notice. "You mentioned that you received God''s blessings?" Davey inquired, his curiosity piqued. "Ah... Yes! That''s what I believe!" Verran responded confidently. Davey regarded the boy with a smirk, shaking his head at his unwavering conviction. He warned, "You''lle to regret those words." "Regret?" Verran questioned, his confusion evident. Davey could only chuckle, finding amusement in Verran''s perplexed reaction. It seemed that the boy had yet to understand the weight and consequences of his ims. Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV. ¡°Get ready. The ck Dragon will soon make a move. I¡¯m sure you haven¡¯t forgotten it yet, right?¡± The atmosphere shifted abruptly as Davey''s words cut through the air. Reina couldn''t forget, for she carried a deep-seated grudge against dragons. It was not the ck Dragon, but a member of the dragon race that had inflicted a severe wound on her face during her escape from the demons'' stronghold. Rage and fury simmered in her eyes, fueled by the memories of that encounter. The dragon race had be her lifelong enemy. "I have prepared the trap," Davey continued, his tone unwavering. "All you need to do is deliver the final blow." Reina nodded quietly in response. *** Davey, in less than a month, had defied the very providence and rules of the world by bringing Reina back to life. While the circumstances of her revival were beyondprehension, his intentions now were clear. Reina couldn''t help but sigh as she rode at the forefront of countless soldiers. Davey had long since disappeared once again. He had scattered magic throughout the area before announcing his intention to abandon his military duties and departing. It wasn''t that Reina didn''t understand what he was trying to do. Despite using harsh words and iming that they would die no matter what, he was giving his all to ensure that not a single person would perish here. Reina believed that perhaps this was Davey''s kindness, an aspect unnoticed by those around him. "Due to some internal issue, our enemies will be highly vulnerable to our surprise attack. However, that doesn''t mean their numbers have decreased. Their forces are still growing even now. We must assume that victory will elude us unless we strike now." After her brief speech, Reina raised her spear and dered, "Let''s swiftly end this and return home. All troops, charge!" A calm smile graced her lips as she issued themand for her troops to charge forward. The soldiers responded with shouts, surging forward toward the vampire formation. However, their advance came to an abrupt halt as a colossal shadow fell upon them. Looking up, they beheld a massive creature, measuring a hundred meters in length, swiftly soaring through the sky. The speed of its appearance caught Reina off guard. She had anticipated its arrival in this war, but not this soon. Doubts filled her mind, suspecting that she and Davey had made an error in judgment. She attempted to order a retreat, and even the soldiers seemed paralyzed by fear in the face of the colossal dragon looming above them. "What are you doing? Press forward!" a voice whispered into Reina''s ears. Startled, she recognized the voice as belonging to Davey. "Carry out your duty as the dragon yer. I have yed my part from behind the scenes," the whispered voice persisted, audible only to Reina. "Follow my instructions, Reina." [God, please listen to my pleas. Lend me the power to subdue this wicked and vicious evil dragon.] "God, I implore you to grant me the strength to subdue this wicked and malevolent dragon!" Reina''s face flushed with embarrassment, yet she swiftly raised her hand and cried out. In response, immense chains crafted from golden light materialized from the heavens, ensnaring the colossal form of the ck Dragon, which emanated a menacing aura. "Look, golden chains!" exmations of surprise rippled through the surrounding soldiers. However, Reina paid no heed to their astonishment. She focused solely on reciting the words whispered to her by the mysterious voice. [God, please listen to my pleas. Even if this youngmb of yours gets stuck in the devil¡¯s path, I will make sure to pay you back!] Reina did not know what it meant. She thought that it was better to just recite the lines first. Boom¡ª At the same time, the effects of the very, verystrange prayer began to appear. Dozens of pure white meteorites began to rain down from the sky above them. Chapter 336 The soldiers, taken aback by the colossal dragon''s presence, were astounded by the sudden appearance of the golden chains. Their astonishment deepened as they witnessed ethereal white magic unfolding in the sky, apanied by Reina''s quiet prayer and raised hand. Though the meteors that materialized above them were smaller in number and sizepared to typical Meteor Drop Magic, they proved more than sufficient. "In the sky..." "Oh... by the Goddess..." Both the soldiers and their vampire adversaries gazed upward, their expressions filled with disbelief, as the pure white meteors began their descent. Some even dropped to their knees in prayer, recognizing the sacred and divine nature of the falling meteors. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaaaaaar!!! ck Dragon Gargas, who had lost his reason, could only struggle furiously against the golden chains that had suddenly appeared in the sky to restrain him. ng, ng, ng, ng!!! Bang!!! Gargas fought fiercely, breaking numerous golden chains that bound him. However, the remaining chains tightened, pulling him down toward the ground and threatening to suffocate him. Bang!!! Simultaneously, small white meteors rained down from the sky, relentlessly striking his body one after another. Legends and myths surrounding dragons and their scales often contained vague and ambiguous information. However, the heroes of the Hall had always emphasized to Davey the significance of understanding the enemy, alongside self-improvement and empowerment. ¡ªA dragon¡­ It¡¯s really been a long time¡­ ¡°You must have seen quite a lot of dragons before?¡± ¡ªA few¡­ However, I don¡¯t know much about them. Perserque, who was watching the situation on the battlefield with Davey at a distance, said bitterly. ¡ªGargas, the dragon, had been an ally and supporter of my father. After my death and the downfall of the demon race, he must have departed from this ce. The rest is history. Perserque continued to speak, unable to hide the bitterness that had bubbled up within her. ¡ªDavey, remember this well. While you may perceive the course of destiny, you cannot manipte it to your liking. The grand current of fate will inevitably follow its intended path. Ultimately, you and I will be adversaries. As long as Davey remained alive, he would be the sole adversary facing Perserque. The issue at hand was that they had no means tobat this particr fate. ¡ªI will once again be the Demon Lord. ¡°Stop speaking nonsense.¡± ¡ªEverything will eventuallye to that conclusion. If I meet my demise at your hands, the Abyss will lose its reason to meddle in this world, and the course of fate will no longer be distorted. Yes, only by doing so will you escape God''s judgment... "You should be quiet now," Davey said, grabbing Perserque and cing her in his pocket. He smiled calmly and gently as he looked at ck Dragon Gargas. "Can''t escape the flow of fate? That''s a well-known saying." The dragon scale was an invaluable treasure,parable to the powerful magic Barrier. With the exception of the dragon''s inverse scale, it was said that all other dragon scales possessed the strongest 9th Circle defensive magic, capable of nullifying any magic up to the 7th Circle. Although Gargas had be a corrupted dragon, weakening his magical defensive power to the 5th Circle, he was still a dragon¡ªa being beyond the average wyrm-rank creature and a master of magic. It was said that he could withstand the onught of several 9th Circle spells. However, Davey paid no mind to that. He remained where he was, not moving forward. Bold actions required caution. They needed to seize the opportunity to quickly kill Gargas before he regained his strength and wits. ¡ªGraaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! The pure white meteors collided with Gargas¡¯ scales and turned them into dust. [Were you the one who did it? Really, you always show me something more incredible than thest time¡­] It wasn''t surprise that tinged Reina''s flustered voice, but rather a sense of novelty. After all, she and Perserque had witnessed Davey''s monstrous abilities during the incident with Nyx. They had seen him effortlessly overpower a 9th Circle Dark Mage with the sheer force of his mana. So, what she witnessed now wasn''t particrly astonishing. However, Reina had a mistaken belief. While it was true that Davey skillfully manipted the holy magic, the source of the holy mana he used, or at least most of it, wasn''t his own. ¡°It¡¯s your power. Well, try not to die and your power will probably reach the 8th ss every 50 years.¡± Despite having thetest hardware, there was one drawback to this arrangement: the software was outdated. That was the only disadvantage they faced. Reina had been reborn as the sole member of the angelic race, thanks to the power of Goddess Freyja. Unbeknownst to her, her body housed an immense amount of holy mana, far greater than someone who had never properly prayed in their entire life. The magnitude of this holy mana was truly extraordinary. Thud!!! Thud!!! The meteors descending from the sky were not mere manifestations of mana, but rather massive clusters of pure holy mana. These celestial projectiles held a power that went beyond conventional magic. As for Gargas, the corrupted and demonic dragon, who had strayed from his true origins due to the influence of vampires that defied the divine, there was no alternative but to sumb to this overwhelming force. [Ugh¡­ I feel like I¡¯m losing my energy.] ¡°The only thing I have done here is to materialize the holy magic. Most of the raw material used is yours.¡± To be precise, Davey''s role was to assist in the execution of the skill. During his training sessions with his holy magic instructor, Daphne, she often utilized Davey''s own holy mana tounch attacks. She would exclusively rely on his holy mana and never use her own. This was a skill she had not been able to aplish during her lifetime. However, spending an extended period in the Hall had transformed the Saintess into a formidable entity. The fact that Daphne could discern and manipte the unique code and structure of someone else''s holy mana, appropriating it for her own attacks, seemed quite unfair. Yet, Davey could never forget the way she yfully overwhelmed him with a seemingly effortless stomp of her foot. How could such a seemingly light action have such an impact on a person? Well, the answer would be clear when her actions summoned hundreds of pure white meteors that would crush and overwhelm their adversaries. [Hahahaha! This is our God¡¯s Drop Kick. You XXX f*cker!] Davey had always wondered when drop kicks became capable of crushing opponents into ttened fish jerky. The sheer humiliation of being crushed like an ant by an overwhelmingly powerful attack was enough to ignite a burning resolve within him. He swore never to experience such a thing again. Naturally, if he had endured such a humiliating defeat, it was only fair to share that experience with others to alleviate his own frustration, right? Davey dedicated a significant amount of time to perfecting that technique after their sparring sessions. However, in the end, he failed to master it. [My holy mana? My body¡­ Hooo¡­ My body has holy mana?] ¡°You must have forgotten, huh? You brat, you¡¯re no longer human. You are a member of the angelic race. Angelic race. God¡¯s Servant.¡± [I am your sword.] There was a reason why Davey managed to resurrect Reina without encountering any difficulties, despite it being his first attempt. ¡°From now on, focus and give it your all in subduing Gargas. Leave the flow of the battle to me.¡± [Yes.] Without any hesitation, Davey turned his eyes away from the battlefield and looked at the girl who was approaching him. Hemented, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Too many lives had been lost.¡± A hint of sadness could be detected in those words. ¡°The embers of war will continue to take away the hopes of many.¡± Despite the victorious streaks and the assistance of Davey and Warrior Reina, casualties were an inevitable part of war. Even in the midst of a post-apocalyptic situation caused by the zombie virus, the losses incurred by both sides were significant. Those who survived fought fiercely to secure their own survival, resulting in the loss of countless human lives. The Forest Alliance, led by Emilia andprising elves, ents, and nymphs, waged their own war, bravely blocking and ambushing the vampires'' attempts to scatter their offensive. However, even they experienced substantial damage in the process. ¡°That¡¯s why we have to finish everything quickly and safely.¡± The more brutal and cruel a war was, the faster it would end. ¡°Now is the perfect time. Run as fast as you can and hit them from the sides. Once Reina moves to tie up Gargas, we will get the chance to exterminate them.¡± Emilia carefully untied the crown on her head after hearing Davey¡¯s words. Then, she looked up at him and said, ¡°There would still¡­be a lot of them left.¡± They were uncertain about the number of high-ranking vampires present. It was reasonable to assume that those who had received the power of the Abyss had reached at least the level of a Sword Master or higher, making them formidable adversaries. Their immediate concern, however, was dealing with the vampires who had resisted the targeted zombie virus. "Continue your tasks and advance forward. Focus solely on organizing the aftermath," Emiliamanded. "Please take care of yourself," Reina expressed her concern. "Thank you for your concern," Davey replied, a smile gracing his face. Emilia smiled back, turned around, and patted the Fairy Elk''s neck before mounting it. "Everyone has done an excellent job following my lead thus far. The enemies are currently in disarray. If we don''t take down the ck dragon now, we''ll face even greater sacrifices in the future," Emilia murmured, drawing a small dagger. ¡®Although you don¡¯t like working and cooperating with humans, please endure it a bit more.¡¯ Despite not harboring any goodwill toward humans, the elven elementalists and archers fought alongside them. Their loyalty stemmed from their connection to the previous generation World Tree, Al, and their saintess, Emilia. Many of these elves had existed alongside the World Tree for generations, fostering a deep sense of allegiance. Davey left Emilia and her disciplined troops, who continued their march, and swiftly headed toward the areas where distress signals had been sent. After assessing the signals, he directed his attention to the location with the strongest signal, cing his hand inside his pocket ne. As the soldiers on the other side were effectively carrying out their duties, it was now time for Davey to focus on his own tasks. Holy mana gathered in his palm as he extended it toward Reina, who was exerting pressure on ck Dragon Gargas. Water droplets formed at the tips of his fingers, gradually taking the form of a beautiful woman. [Contractor.] ¡°What¡¯s this? You look quite troubled?¡± [¡­It¡¯s nothing. What¡¯s the matter?] ¡°Do you see that guy over there?¡± Eim''s eyes widened as she followed the direction indicated by Davey''s pointing finger. Her surprise was evident as she witnessed Dragon Gargas, devoid of rationality, restrained on the ground and utterly disoriented. [I see, he¡¯s a member of the dragon race¡­ He¡¯s also above the Wyrm-rank. However, it seems like he has less than half, no, a third of his power from before.] ¡°Go and help the humans to deal with him.¡± [I understand.] Davey left Eim, who responded calmly, and ascended to the highest vantage point. Despite the challenging situation without him, they had the Spirit of Water, who possessed immense holy mana, along with two divine beasts. It would be illogical for them to lose to someone inferior to even a dragon. The dragon race''s threaty in their Breath and magic abilities. However, for a wyrm-rank dragon, these aspects were generally weaker and more manageable. Moreover, being devoid of reason, Gargas would be unable to utilize magic effectively, right? Ultimately, Gargas was nothing more than a resilient and formidable mass of flesh. Before long, a gigantic longbow emerged from Davey''s Pocket ne. Observing this, Perserque could only mutter bitterly. ¡ªI wanted to see the Transcendence Demise onest time though. ¡°You sound like a pervert that wants to make love with magic,¡± Davey said, clicking his tongue. Then, he held the longbow tightly and pulled the strings without any hesitation. Not long after, fierce winds began to gather at the end of the bow. ¡ª¡­ Davey focused the power at the tip of the bow, taking aim at Gargas to test its strength. With one eye closed, he tightly gripped the string that held the brilliantly glowing arrow, crafted from dense mana rather than physical materials. [Distance, 1200] [Attribute, Demon] As an archer''s descendant in his previous life, Davey may not have been exceptional in archery, but he was confident in his abilities. He smirked, thinking, ¡®Let me show you the precision of a sniper''s shot from dozens of kilometers away, using a bow.¡¯ [Great River Death] [Light Expansion Gun] ¡°I¡¯ll take off a wing.¡± [Yes?] Davey paid no attention to Reina''s somewhat childish question and focused on releasing the bowstring. In a blinding sh of light, the arrow sliced through space, severing one of Gargas'' massive wings. It was a remarkable feat considering the distance of several kilometers between Davey and the dragon. "Now, onto the next target," Davey remarked calmly. Gargas was just one part of the equation. The high-ranking vampires were starting to disrupt the flow of the battle, and Davey knew they would be a formidable challenge. They had likely been waiting for the perfect moment to reveal themselves and fight with everything they had. That''s why Davey had chosen to abandon his military duties and position himself at a high vantage point ¨C to be ready for their arrival. Chapter 337 The ck Dragon was categorized as a Wyrm-rank creature? "Hey, punk! Huh?!" Crack, crack, crack! Orichalcum, renowned as the sturdiest and most unyielding material, was noughing matter. It retained its exceptional properties, unaffected by any special circumstances, and possessed the ability to regenerate and restore itself continually. This remarkable quality was achieved by infusing the restorative abilities and unique powers of a dragon bone into the metal. Why was this being mentioned? Well, even if the punk currently before Davey had be a defective product, with most of the dragon''s body falling below the original standard, it still held numerous valuable parts. Davey didn''t want to discard anything. However, a single sh of Davey''s arrow effortlessly tore through the dragon''s wings, reducing it to mere bones. "You''re a Lord-rank being? Quit joking! Should I grab your wings and give you a round of apuse, huh? How about I extract your teeth and put them to good use, huh?!" Thwack!!! Crack, crack, crack!!! The fluttering wing, which had previously remained partially intact, was now forcefully torn apart from the dragon''s body. ¡°I¡¯m still not done with you!¡± ¡ªWhat in the world are you doing¡­? "I''ve always wanted to give this a try," Davey calmly replied, noticing the incredulous look Perserque was giving him from the side. ¡ª¡­ ¡°Reina, take care of the other wing.¡± Davey swiftly turned around, his vision sharpening as he focused on the right side. The broader his field of vision became, the less likely he was to notice objects in close proximity. Nheless, it made no difference whether Davey could spot them or if they had already detected his presence. Thwack!!! Davey would have effortlessly peppered them with bullets long before they could reach his position. For Davey to utilize the Light Expansion Gun, the skill he employed to pierce through ck Dragon Gargas'' wing, his body had to endure an incredibly demanding load. This load came from the unique and independent technique known as the Eye of the Sky, crafted by the God of Archery, Apollo. The Eye of the Sky was one of Apollo''s primary techniques in Divine Archery''s Sniping. It was not an innate skill possessed by the elves; rather, it was an independent skill developed by Apollo when he had recently ascended to the rank of Bow Master. By imbuing his will into the wind, he could perceive distances far beyond anyone''s imagination and trante them into enhanced vision and eyesight. Davey''s head throbbed as a torrent of information flooded his mind through his eyes. However, he did not falter. His eyes, fixated on the swiftly passing scenery, gradually decelerated until he felt akin to an eagle gliding through the sky, searching for its prey. ¡°Let¡¯s get one guy first,¡± Davey said, spotting quite a few robed vampires running across the field. And as he honed his eyesight, he began discerning the level of their blood energy. They were all master-ss vampires, ranking above the first lieutenant level. Their entry into the war had a high potential topletely tip the bnce of power. The soldiers of the allied forces were, at best, ordinary soldiers who had received buffs from support mages and priests. Even if the vampire army''s forces weren''t exceptionally formidable, their basic foundations still surpassed those of ordinary soldiers. The ordinary soldiers had to fight for their lives just to stand on an equal footing with them. This was precisely why the experts and master-level fighters of the allied forces chose to focus on controlling the vampire army''s offense instead of seeking out the most powerful individuals among their adversaries. They aimed to minimize casualties and prevent a massacre of their alliance''s soldiers. So, what would happen if the high-ranking vampires joined the fray in a situation like this? It would undoubtedly present an arduous battle for the humans. Davey clenched his teeth as he witnessed the overwhelming might of the enemy forces. However, heposed himself, drew back the bowstring, and aimed his arrow at the heart of one of the high-ranking vampires sprinting across the field. ¡®Do you think it¡¯s more efficient to aim for the head?¡¯ This type of question was often posed during shooting training in the military. However, regardless of whether the shot hit the enemy''s body or head, they would still meet their demise. So, for Davey, it didn''t matter if he hit his enemy in the head. He wasn''t concerned about his scores like in FPS games. His sole focus was on striking his enemies. Even after a thousand years, Davey still vividly remembered the words his friend had shared with him. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! In that critical moment, a gleaming golden First River Death sliced through the air, leaving an afterimage in its wake as it obliterated the upper body of Davey''s intended target. Whether he aimed for the vampire''s head or chest, it made no difference. The result was the same¡ªtheir entire upper body was shattered. Through his keen eyes, Davey observed the vampires'' reactions as they became flustered and panicked, swiftly bracing themselves for any potential surprise attacks. ¡®It¡¯s toote for that, bastards.¡¯ Thwack!!! Another vampire met a silent demise, unable to even scream, as they were struck by another lethal arrow. Although the shot didn''t have a significant immediate effect due to the vampires'' immortality, Davey realized something as he relentlessly delivered killing blows that shook them to their very core. With each restoration of their bodies through immortality, their power gradually diminished. The special troops, a unit that relied solely on power and strength, were fundamentally different from ordinary members of their race. If Davey continued his assault and weakened their power to the extent that they couldn''t control it any longer, then the situation would be...worth watching. ¡ªGoodness¡­ How far is your target? Perserque, poking her head out of Davey''s pocket, asked with a hint of curiosity as she shielded her eyes with one hand. The sight of the arrow''s vanishing sh, which traveled beyond the distant mountains, had left quite an impression on her. ¡ªI can¡¯t even see it. ¡°The distance is roughly around twenty kilometers.¡± ¡ªWhat? Perserque looked appalled when she heard Davey¡¯s words. "Apollo''s Divine Archery''s Sniping was initially designed for long-distance shooting. If shooting at a range of approximately one to two kilometers was considered sufficient to earn the title of God of Archery back then, then every elf would be hailed as the God of Archery." In reality, a sniper rifle equipped with a high-magnification scope could effortlessly reach distances of up to two kilometers. ¡ªThen¡­ How far can that yboy called the God of Archery shoot? "I don''t have aprehensive understanding since that individual has resided in the Hall for thousands of years. However, from the limited information I''ve gathered, it appears that there is no limit to the distance he can cover." During the Hell''s Apocalypse held in the Hall, Apollo had employed this technique to yfully toy with and control Rho Aias. No matter what one did, things that were already on a grand scale would only continue to expand further. ¡ªThat¡­ Your teacher in dark magic, Rho Aias. You clearly said that¡­ ¡°That¡¯s right. She¡¯s a monster who could beat everyone except for one.¡± ¡ªI don¡¯t have to ask you how it went. I can already tell. As far as Davey could recall, it was during that time that the serene and mild-mannered Rho Aias underwent a transformative moment. It marked the inception of the creation of the only dark magic capable ofary-scale destruction. "Dark magic, inparison to conventional elemental magic, exhibits a significantly stronger affinity for destruction." Why? Because dark magic is inherently less pervasive than elemental magic. Davey had consistently stressed this point when discussing the Hall of Heroes. In essence, the Hall served as a gathering ground for the most exceptional creatures from numerous worlds. Thwack!!! Even while conversing with Perserque, Davey continued his relentless sniping of the enemy. However, he noticed the conspicuous absence of the chimera, the high-ranking demon, and the Abyss-rted demon that Belial had warned him about. The vampires were overwhelmed by the astonishing disy of destructive power unleashed by Davey''s relentless sniping. Their attempts at regeneration proved futile, and they eventually copsed. The sheer force of Davey''s attacks was so immense that it would send their bodies flying even if they had cast shields or protective magic. The level of devastation surpassed that of a simple attack, especially with its ability to prate formidable defenses. However, this relentless assault quickly drained Davey''s energy. Fortunately, he had conserved his mana during his preparations. His current position was crucial for observing the ebb and flow of the war across the vastndscape, where numerous battles were being waged. Despite Reina''s exceptional skills, it was impossible for her to cover all the ongoing attacks scattered throughout the area. Suddenly, silence descended upon the surroundings. It seemed that, following a relentless barrage of shots from Davey, the vampires had opted to conceal their presence to the best of their abilities. They desperately attempted to hide their sense of being while fervently searching for Davey''s location. "Well, you''re all still within my grasp," Davey remarked with confidence. Thwack!!! In the midst of the deafening silence, another radiant sh materialized, rending the air as it surged forward. Having traversed a considerable distance, the arrow unleashed its devastating force, obliterating the upper body of a vampire in an explosive disy. The vampire, determined to regenerate swiftly, initiated the process, but Davey swiftly drew his bow once again, unleashing a flurry of arrows. ¡ªDavey, enough! You¡¯re already sweating like crazy! ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. Belial will soon contact me.¡± ¡ªBelial? What in the world are you guys trying to do? "The vampires are on the verge of initiating the ritual to resurrect the Demon Lord. Even if I manage to thwart their ns here, they will inevitably gather enough sacrifices to proceed with the ritual. In the end, the resurrection ritual for the Demon Lord will proceed. I''m not acting recklessly here. There''s a possibility that they may perform a ritual to ensnare your soul as well." Considering the involvement of the Abyss, it would be too perilous for Davey to prevent them from a distance. That''s why... "I must personally confront them and bring their ns crashing down myself." ¡ªDavey, I need to be resurrected as the Demon Lord. This is an established fact. You told me that you can see the flow of fate and avoid it, no? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡ªBut I don¡¯t want that. I do not want to see you put yourself in danger like this. Davey didn''t inquire whether Perserque arrived at this conclusion out of concern for him or for some other motive. Regardless, the result would remain unchanged. "Let me be perfectly clear. Unless I perish, you will never be the Demon Lord." sh!!! Upon hearing Davey''s statement, Perserque swiftly waved her hands, causing the dirt on the ground to fly towards his eyes. Naturally, Davey had no intention of allowing such an attack to hit him without resistance. However, as he skillfully dodged the ambush, he noticed the change in Perserque''s expression, which had turned serious. ¡ªDavey, it''s crucial that you bepletely honest with me. The bond between you and me... But then, at that moment¡­ [Davey O¡¯Rowane.] ¡°I don¡¯t see any movements from that chimera.¡± [It¡¯s not yet making a move. It¡¯s with Gluttony, one of the vampiremanders. Perhaps they are waiting for you toe here so that they can take advantage of the gap and drive the humans away.] ¡°Let them do as they please. The ritual?¡± [I will hand over the coordinates using theputation method that you have told me.] To put it simply, it was extremely risky for Davey to trust the coordinates provided by someone who was considered his enemy. However, given the limited time avable, Davey had no other choice. ¡°Trust will be paid with trust. Your loyalty and allegiance will be paid with faith and belief.¡± [¡­I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re just brave or in reckless. The coordinates are¡­] After receiving the coordinates from Belial through the imntedmunication magic, Davey swiftly stowed away his bow, Divine Bow Brionac, and retrieved Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon to fasten them around his waist. With his preparationsplete, he contacted Reina and Emilia, informing them of his imminent departure. "I''m about to move. Please take care of the battlefield in my absence," he conveyed to them. [Please go ahead. I will never betray your expectations and let you down.] [I am only following my mother¡¯s will. Since my mother has epted the ns that you have made, then I will also trust you and make sure to finish the rest.] This did note as a surprise to Reina and Emilia, as they had already discussed this n to some extent before. Following his conversation with them, Davey gently ran his fingers along the sheathed des of his swords and whispered, "Red Ribbon, Blue Ribbon, let''s embark on a journey with Dad, shall we?" *** Upon receiving reports of their current situation, the vampire forces felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. The resistance from the humans proved to be far stronger than anticipated. Additionally, a mysterious virus had infected their lower-ranking vampires, transforming them into uncontroble monsters and severely weakening half of their forces. This unexpected turn of events had greatly hindered their progress. To make matters worse, they were now being targeted by an elusive sniper whose range seemed boundless. Whether it was the high-ranking vampires, the intermediate and lower-ranking vampires involved in a special operation, the blood beasts, or even the demons, all of them had fallen victim to the sniper''s attacks. Their presence mattered little as the attacks could prate through any concealment. It was an absolute disaster. ¡°Damn it¡­ That monstrous bastard! What the hell is he?!¡± ¡°ording to reports, more than half of the high-ranking vampires have been targeted and shot by the unidentified sniper. They should have tracked the source of the attacks and devised a countermeasure,¡± one of the surviving high-ranking vampires grumbled. He had managed to escape back to their hideout upon realizing the gravity of the situation. However, he was not alone in his plight. Many others in the hideout had faced simr circumstances. "But the sniper doesn''t attack this location," someone remarked. "No matter how powerful they are, they won''t be able to prate this underground ruin supported by solid bedrock." "We have made the remnants of the humans'' old civilization our home. We can''t tolerate this level of humiliation." The vampires sighed in frustration as they muttered to themselves. They had no choice but to endure the attacks from the Saint, the Warrior, and those human bastards until they could resolve the situation. However, despite the current challenges, the vampires remained confident about the oue of the war. Their optimism stemmed from the belief that ck Dragon Gargas would soon regain consciousness and unleash his full power. As long as they survived, they believed they could turn the tide in their favor. A cold voice reverberated through the room, startling the high-ranking vampires as a two-meter tall giant approached with aposed expression. "The shooting has ceased. Move out.¡± "...Grand Duke." Olga, the vampires'' Grand Duke, appeared alongside the monocled half-vampire Paracelcius Milpieu. The high-ranking vampires cast nervous nces at Olga, feeling the weight of his presence. "Gluttony has issued an order. The humans possess greater potential than we had previously investigated. At this stage, the damage we will suffer is inevitable, regardless of the war''s oue," Olga stated inly. In other words, they could no longer prolong the situation. They would have to proceed with their ns, even if it entailed greater risks. The vampires nodded in agreement. "All of you, make your way to the underground cells immediately. Release the enhanced chimeras and proceed to the frontlines." "Understood." "Buy us some time. Once the Demon Lord awakens, victory will be ours." "Can the Demon Lord eliminate that monstrous human bastard?" "Indeed, that is possible." The vampires began to retreat at his words. Or at least, they attempted to retreat. "It should indeed be possible. As long as the Demon Lord is fully resurrected," a calm voice resonated as a blood-red hand emerged from Olga''s chest, clutching his heart. "The shooting stopped? Naturally, how could I shoot you if I''m already here to kill you?" Shock rippled through the faces of all the vampires present as they beheld the smiling human boy, his red eyes slowly lifting to meet their gaze. "Human monster! How¡­ How did you get here?!" Chapter 338: A Trap for One Person Alone "Kghkk..." "Lord Olga?!" Davey paid no attention to the startled and terrified cries of the vampires surrounding him. He leaped down from the back of the man who stood over 80 centimeters taller than him. "Should I make myself taller? This form feels a bit outdated." ¡ªA height of 180 centimeters is not that short, Davey. ¡°I was just saying.¡± Thud!!! The vampires'' already pale faces turned even paler when they witnessed how effortlessly Davey took the life of their Grand Duke without them being able to react. "How? We didn''t even sense..." one of the vampires stammered, their disbelief evident in their voice. "You called me a monster? Well, in my eyes, you guys are the real monsters," Davey retorted with a jesting tone, emphasizing their fangs with his finger, which only served to worsen their already unpleasant expressions. Poof!!! But before the vampire could finish speaking, Davey had already passed them, his tone indifferent as he said, "Make sure to run as fast as you can and jump as high as you can." Time was the most crucial factor in Davey''s n. If he failed to meet the deadline, his entire strategy would be twisted and shattered. That''s why he was taking his biggest gamble here. "Rinne, follow the manual closely," Davey mumbled briefly, attempting to take a step forward. However, he suddenly noticed a string of bright red blood under his feet, hindering his movement. "Heok... Kghhk! How dare you... Where do you think you''re going?" the gigantic man shouted angrily, struggling for breath. Davey turned his head slightly to nce at him while murmuring to Perserque, "Doesn''t he look quite muddy and filthy?" ¡ªDid you just say filthy? Fufu¡­ Although the man couldn''t hear Perserque''s voice, it appeared that the vampire had been provoked enough by Davey''s words alone. The provocation caused the blood restraining Davey to tighten even further. The droplets of blood dripping from Olga''s body coagted into sharp spears, moving as if they were alive, following hismands to shoot straight toward Davey''s body. Baaaaang!!! However, Davey effortlessly deflected the first of the blood spears that nearly reached his body. ¡°Did you say your name was Olga?¡± ¡°Bastard! I won''t die yet! I will not die until we have achieved our race''s long-cherished desire!" Olga cried out, and the blood spears transformed into metal bullets aimed at Davey''s body, hurtling toward him at an rming speed. Perserque appeared slightly surprised as she witnessed the bullets moving dozens of times faster than before. The velocity of the man''s attack was so menacing that it seemed capable of piercing through multiple bodies. It made Davey question whether the vampire named Olga had truly been critically wounded just moments ago. Shwaaaaa! Of course, that didn''t mean that Davey was foolish enough to be defeated by Olga. If he were to be bested by a single vampire like this, he shouldn''t have allowed himself to be in this situation in the first ce. As a human with much to protect, there was a limit to how reckless and impulsive Davey could be. Davey''s eyes shed as a tremendous amount of mana swirled around him, freezing the entire area and halting the blood bullets that hurtled toward him. All of Olga''s blood bullets and spears came to a sudden stop in mid-air. "Impossible..." Olga mumbled, his gaze empty as he stared at Davey. One of the blood spears trembled vigorously as Davey snatched it from the air. He turned to the vampire and remarked, "If you truly wished to stop me, you should have mustered all your forces." They should have united their strength to halt Davey''s advance. Assuming the stance of someone hurling a javelin, Davey wrested control of the blood spear from Olga andunched it back at him. The spear pierced through the vampire''s forehead, causing his body to copse after sustaining another fatal blow. "That immortal ability of yours is incredibly vexing." Shwaaaaaa!!! In the end, Olga relinquished his resistance. He seemed to understand that he was already in a situation where he could not be revived, especially after witnessing a sh of blue, a power he knew could nullify his immortality, immediately following the blood spear. "You monstrous bastard... I don''t know how a bastard like you managed to find this ce, but it''s futile. We have alreadypleted all the preparations," Olga grumbled. "I am not someone who would cower and flee in fear of a trap when carrying out an assassination," Davey responded. Once someone set their sights on their opponent''s neck, fully prepared to deliver the fatal blow, there was no turning back. "Urk! When did an assassination turn into a massacre?" Olga questioned. Davey answered Olga''s query by calmly reciting his creed, "It remains an assassination as long as no one witnesses it." "You''re a crazy bastard..." sh! As Olga''s head fell to the ground, Blue Ribbon''s afterimage reappeared. Whenever the vampires'' immortality was nullified, their heads would be severed. For high-ranking vampires like Olga, the result was death. Baaaaang!!! Davey could hear the murmurs of entities converging at the location where Olgay motionless on the ground. With Blue Ribbon suspended in the air, he retrieved Odin''s staff, the Transcendence Demise, and closed his eyes in concentration. After a moment, he opened his eyes once more, activating his powers and channeling an immense amount of mana into his hands. Despite having already depleted a significant portion of his mana during the Eye of the Sky''s usage, he still possessed an ample reserve. His mana capacity had significantly increased since his previous encounter within the Divine Tree. A brilliant white me materialized at the palms of Davey''s hands, spinning rapidly and emitting a high-pitched, grating sound reminiscent of a high-speed electric saw. ¡®This ruin is very tough and sturdy, no? It will not copsepletely.¡¯ ¡ªDavey! No! Think about it a bit more! ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t care. And if you keep thinking about useless things, then you will absolutely regret it, Perserque!¡± As the spinning circle within Davey''s heart aligned with the corresponding circle in his body, it felt as if a gear had found its rightful ce. In that moment, the familiar yet incredibly unfamiliar sensation of the circle spinning in reverse started to manifest, apanied by a distinct reaction. ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s that bastard!¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to use some kind of magic! Stop him!¡± ¡®It¡¯s toote, you f*cking bastards.¡¯ [Reverse 8th Circle] [zing Fireball] [White Nova] ¡®I¡¯ll strike no matter what. You have to think carefully about who you¡¯re trying to put in that shitty body.¡¯ Thud!!! Davey gently tossed the white me onto the floor, observing as it detonated like a powerful bomb, obliterating the surrounding area. Satisfied with the destruction it caused, he calmly walked away, leaving behind the aftermath of the explosive mes. *** Baaaaaaang!!! Harnessing the power of dark magic, Davey conjured a massive pir of ck mes,ying waste to everything in his path. Unlike his initial arrival, when he operated in secrecy, he now strode confidently and openly, almost unting his presence to all who crossed his path. Perserque observed this change in his demeanor with curiosity, but Davey offered no exnation, leaving her to wonder about his motives. Bang!!! As the vampires seized the opportunity and charged through the crumbling wall, ready tounch a surprise attack, they found themselves ensnared by the ck mes that clung to their bodies. It was a trap that had been triggered, engulfing them in fiery tendrils before they could reach Davey. ¡°Keuaaaaaaack!!!¡± ¡°I, I can¡¯t extinguish the mes!¡± The vampires let out agonized screams as they desperately tried to extinguish the mes that clung to their bodies, even resorting to pouring water and manipting the air around them. However, the ck mes persisted, mercilessly burning them. Undeterred by their suffering, Davey pressed forward, his demeanorposed despite theckluster defense of the main unit. He moved through the pathways that presented themselves without a specific destination in mind, causing Perserque to appear puzzled by his seemingly inefficient movements. ¡ªSomething feels weird¡­down there, Davey. ¡°¡­¡± Davey''s eyes narrowed as he stepped into the expansive cavity indicated by Perserque. The sight that unfolded before him was a vast and seemingly endless underground space, shrouded in a dim, eerie blue-green glow. The source of this faint illumination remained elusive, making it difficult to discern the true nature of the surroundings. The underground chamber resembled a colossal base hewn from natural stones, with multiple pirs crisscrossing and intertwining around a central pir. This intricate structure provided substantial support, hinting at its enduring construction over an extended period. ¡°Amazing! This smells so good. Ah, I found it toote.¡± ¡ªIt seems like they have been living here for a very long time. From what I can see, this is a building designed to cover up an underground facility. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the lingering power here that the vampires were able to escape pursuit. It dawned on Davey that this underground ruin had retained its functionality even after the passage of 10,000 years, much like the one beneath the Heins Territory. Thetter had wreaked havoc, causing drought and decimating the entire territory despite thepse of time. Therefore, it came as no great surprise to him. "Well, let''s refrain from engaging in futile endeavors from this point onward," Davey remarked, his tone tinged with a hint of resignation. He couldn''t help but recall the countless instances where his curiosity had led to the shedding of copious amounts of blood in those ancient ruins. The unexpected appearance of Hercules'' clone had surpassed his expectations by far, leaving Davey uncertain of his ability to contend with him should he resurface. Bang!!! Davey casted Fly Magic on himself as he slowly descended to the underground facility. That was when he realized the identity of the light. And when he approached that light, a ck spear flew straight toward his forehead. Grab!!! Davey reached out toward the spear in reflex, snatching it from the air and trying to throw it back to the person who had sent it to him. All the while he was using his Fly Magic. However¡­ Crackle! The spear that had flown at Davey was not an ordinary spear. Before it could even leave his hands, a spark appeared on the spear and it turned into chains that bound him tightly. ¡°¡­¡± Two men emerged from the darkness, their hands sped behind their backs. One was a young man with long gray hair, while the other donned a fedora hat and a trench coat. Silently, Davey cast a nce at the peculiar restraint that bound his body. This power... it felt strangely familiar, reminiscent of something he had encountered recently. It was the power to defy the providence of this world. He had believed that they could no longer traverse beyond, having already destroyed the crack that connected to the other side of the world. However, it seemed that belief had been nothing but an illusion. "Ah... The foolish human has arrived. I never expected you to venture this far without realizing you''ve been deceived." "Deceived?" "How can someone who has been lured in like a moth to a me be considered smart, when you willingly arrived here without realizing it would be your grave?" taunted the enigmatic man, his face concealed beneath bandages. With an expression filled with curiosity, he advanced toward Davey. Sensing the presence of another person behind him, Davey remained undeterred. His focus was solely on the bandaged man. Thud!!! Thud!!! Gigantic men, standing over two meters and eighty centimeters tall, appeared and surrounded Davey. Like the man with bandages, they also wore fedora hats on their heads and trench coats on their bodies. They were not human. "Ah. You created them for me?" "The power of each and every one of them might not match yours, but..." If eight of them were to unite against him, the situation would change. These individuals firmly believed that Davey would no longer be able to use any of his powers in this ce. Davey calmly gazed at the palm of his hand, his mana remaining still. As a result, everything the enemies had prepared to eliminate him began to manifest one after another. Bang!!! At the same time, seven of the unidentified assants surrounding Davey raised their hands, tightening the seal on him with their strange power. Meanwhile, another assant charged at him, utilizing his heavy weight and enormous size. Before Davey could react, the assant swiftly threw a punch, imbued with unimaginable power. However, with his hands still bound, Davey subtly shook his wrists. From a hidden pocket within his sleeves emerged a small watch¡ªthe very first watch made for him by the daughter of his enemy and his younger sister, Aenotia, after he had given her a chance. Upon ncing at the time, Davey frowned. He stated, "This won''t suffice." Crack!!! Everyone in the scene believed that the eerie and spine-chilling sound signified that the assant had sessfully struck Davey. However, the reality was far from it. "There''s still plenty of time remaining," Davey dered in a chilling tone as he stepped on the head of the fallen giant. "No way. Are you telling me that''s all?" The man with long gray hair, who had appeared behind the bandaged stranger, was utterly astounded. As a Grand Duke-ranked demon, he could sense the dark mana swirling around Davey and the length of his horn, yet he couldn''tprehend how Davey managed to harness his power. And that bewildered expression was an added bonus for Davey. "H-Hey! Didn''t you assure me that no matter how powerful that human is, he wouldn''t be able to wield his power?! What in the world is this..." "T-That... It appears he also possesses a power that originates from another realm." ¡°What I have is something that¡¯s way over your heads, you f****ing bastards.¡± ¡®You¡¯re curious about how I was able to do it, right? Well, keep on being curious then.¡¯ Chapter 339 The chains effectively sealed Davey''s powers. However, they failed to acknowledge the presence of qi in his body. Well, it was a technique he would likely be unable to employ again. Crack!!! Crack, crack!!! Filthy and sturdy, that was Davey''s initial impression. Even as he stepped on and trampled the giant''s head, it managed to endure and withstand the pressure. Of course, it had stopped moving, shocked by the assault. However, if Davey left it alone for a while, it would undoubtedly resume pestering him. Yes, they were indeed bing quite bothersome. Davey had unintentionally elerated the timeline by ransacking and swiftly destroying their hideout, quicker than he had originally anticipated. Thud!!! Contrary to the expected helpless appearance, Davey swiftly subdued one of the giants in the blink of an eye. As a result, the other giants, who were responsible for maintaining the power to seal him, immediately assumed a threatening stance, ready to attack at any moment. In addition to their remarkable durability and strength, these giants possessed strange powers. This was unsurprising considering their connection to the Abyss through their creator. Due to this fact, Davey couldn''t disregard their movements and attacks. When facing an unfamiliar opponent, one had to exercise extreme caution and care. Thump!!! Thump!!! ¡°Perhaps¡­I should take action myself.¡± Observing the unconventional nature of Davey and his approaches, the bandaged demon cautiously advanced toward him, extracting a power that emitted an eerie light. Simultaneously, a peculiar and unsettling force permeated the surroundings. In response, the seven remaining giants in trench coats swiftly converged on Davey''s location. Shiiiiiing. It was crucial for Davey to determine whether these individuals were operating within the physical or non-physical realm. Without hesitation, Davey employed sword maniption, effortlessly shattering the restraining power. Seizing the Red Ribbon from the air, he swiftly thrust it into the heart of the nearest peculiar man. Stab!!! As anticipated, the tip of his sword effortlessly pierced through the body of the individual. Crack, crack, crack!!! He proceeded to sh the sword upward, severing the giant''s shoulder. However, it appeared that this action had triggered a response. Crackle, crackle, crackle!!! The chains that bound Davey''s powers remained in effect, rendering his mana heart, holy mana, and dark manapletely frozen. ¡®As expected of something crafted in the Abyss.¡¯ Nevertheless, there was still a power within Davey''s body that eluded their grasp¡ªthe power of ''qi.'' Simr to mana, qi could be manipted to enhance various aspects of the body, including strength and flexibility. Although its efficiency was slightly lower, Davey could still utilize it. However, it had the drawback of a slower recovery speedpared to the other forces within his body. From the strange man''s body, a surge of ck energy surged forth and swiftly enveloped Red Ribbon''s de. Grab! Red Ribbon''s de appeared firmly trapped, as if ensnared by an imprable and resilient force. It seemed to be part of their scheme to seal Red Ribbon using this mysterious power that Davey had yet toprehend. Without hesitation, Davey chose to leave Red Ribbon behind and swiftly drew out Blue Ribbon instead. Determined, he attempted to sever the ck tentacles that had emerged from the entangling ck energy, ensnaring Red Ribbon. Bang!!! Well, Davey would have seeded had it not been for those individuals who, appearing as if they had been anticipating this precise moment, suddenlyunched a coordinated attack against him. Despite managing to sever the intangible energy binding Red Ribbon with a swing of Blue Ribbon, this time tangible and physical tentacles emerged, ensnaring Blue Ribbon. Unlike living beings, Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon were swords with egos, marking a significant distinction from others. "Now that you''ve lost the swords you take such pride in, what else do you have to show us, huh?" the man provocatively taunted Davey. In response, Davey retrieved the shamanic rattle, associated with the Tripitaka, from his pocket ne. Simultaneously, he unfurled a fan, employing it to deflect his assant''s fist. He tapped the shamanic rattle against the giant''s body, while mysterious light talismans materialized from an unknown source, scattering throughout the area. Crackle, crackle!!! A resounding and fierce sound of rotation echoed through the vicinity as zing red mes erupted from the ground, reducing one of Davey''s assants to ashes. Ring!!! The talismans flickered with a brilliant radiance, swiftly darting through the air as Davey vigorously shook the shamanic rattle in his hands once more, following his sessful deflection of the assant''s attack. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! This time, blue electric currents materialized, enveloping the assant who suffered the impact of the scorching heat and high-pressure currents. He copsed on the spot, his body rigid and motionless. However, their onught showed no signs of relenting. They were beings devoid of fear, driven solely by their relentless determination to attack Davey. Ultimately, the bandaged man had to create an opportunity for himself to take action. Vwoooong!!! Crackle, crackle!!! The moment the ck chains, infused with an unknown energy, emerged and once again ensnared Davey''s body, the assant who had been attacking him halted and took a step back, observing him as if keeping him under control. The man extended his arms, unleashing the peculiar power. "Oh, this is astonishing.¡± "Strictly speaking, these rascals aren''tbatants. Some chimeras were specifically designed to uphold and create this barrier.¡± Davey remained silent, absorbing the words of the bandaged demon. "Grave! What''s the oue?" "We''ve sessfully captured him. No matter how monstrous he may be, as long as he belongs to this world, he won''t be able to escape.¡± Upon hearing the demon''s deration, Davey attempted to break free from the chains as he had done before. However, this time, the chains only constricted tighter, refusing to yield. "So, it''se to an end," someonemented. "Don''t approach him recklessly. He once closed an entire rift with his bare hands alone. I can''t guarantee your safety if you foolishly attempt to get near him.¡± The chains binding Davey''s body tightened, exerting immense pressure as his assants unleashed a surge of purple energy. It felt as though they aimed to squeeze everyst ounce of life from him. In the midst of this intense situation, Davey, maintaining his typically impassive expression, suddenly voiced a thought that had crossed his mind, "So, what''s your n once this is over?" The demon responded with a calm and rxed demeanor, chuckling softly as he admitted, "Well, not much, really. To be honest, me and mypanions are quite drained from restraining you like this." He snickered, under the impression that Davey had ceased resisting. Quietly, Davey shook his wrist to nce at his watch. The hour hand had reached the desired time, although the minute hand still had a significant way to go. After checking the time, Davey deftly flicked the watch back into his sleeve. ¡®There¡¯s still around ten minutes¡­ It seems like I have to wait a bit longer because of the distance.¡¯ Observing Davey''s continued silence, Grave, the bandaged demon, turned to the other demon, Grand Duke Astaroth, and urged, "Let''s proceed swiftly. Time is running out." "I understand," Astaroth replied. "Even if the Demon Lord is resurrected, he won''t pose much of a threat." "However," Grave continued, "the requirement for me to be present in the ceremonial hall still stands. Although I detest it, we have no choice but to bring this individual along." "He''s powerless to cause any trouble, right? Do as you wish," Astaroth calmly responded, appearing to have let go of the apprehension and caution he had disyed earlier. *** Compared to what Davey had witnessed thus far, the ceremonial hall exuded a distinct atmosphere and ambiance. Upon Davey''s entrance, the gazes of everyone in the hall shifted to a state of terror. However, upon noticing the presence of the ck chains restraining him, a collective sigh of relief escaped them. Davey''s eyes fell upon Demon Belial, who stood silently cradling his greatsword on one side of the hall. On the other side, he spotted Milpieu, the pink-haired vampire, distributing some sort of magic stone. At the moment Astaroth appeared, a girl dressed in alluring attire, whom Davey presumed to be a subus, approached him with a measured pace. She spoke softly, "Father, you''re here?" "Yes, Liline. We havepleted the preparations.¡± "That human over there..." "Yes, indeed. He is the most dangerous individual among humans. Fortunately, we have sessfully captured him," replied Astaroth, acknowledging the subus''s observation. Liline Orlouge, her face framed by hair that shimmered like stars, cast a peculiar look at Davey. She chuckled softly. "He doesn''t appear as evil as the Grand Duke described him." "Liline Orlouge, never forget that humans are creatures driven by hatred. They are the wicked beings who have disced our kind from our rightful position in this world.¡± "But..." "Never forget, Liline. If you dare to show sympathy for these human bastards, I will not hesitate to discipline you, even if it means forcefully restraining you. Please, do not betray the memory of yourte father, Bertrand, and Ishavi.¡± Liline, the subus, nodded in acknowledgment. "Indeed, just as Father said." The ceremonial hall presented a truly bizarre sight. Resting upon a glowing, colossal magic circle created from blood was the lifeless form of a small girl with silver hair. It was evident that the bodycked a soul, rendering it essentially a lifeless corpse. Despite its crude construction, the body possessed a delicate beauty, with hornsrger than any other demon''s. There was no mistaking it¡ªthis was Perserque. Some of those present must have seen Perserque''s appearance before... "Behold! This is our Demon Lord, an unparalleled being from 3,000 years past, possessing the power to resurrect our entire race. She is so incredibly mighty that none can rival her in the future!" eximed Grand Duke Astaroth, his voice brimming with jubtion as the moment of their Demon Lord''s revival drew near. "What are you waiting for?! Commence the ritual at once! Grave, the Demon Lord''s soul?!" At those words, Grave turned his head slightly, directing his gaze toward Davey. "Hey, Perserque." ¡ª¡­ "What have you been doing during my absence?" Davey inquired, his voice directed towards Perserque. He could observe her trembling shoulders from where she resided in his pocket. Perseque remained silent, offering no response to Davey''s question. "Well, it doesn''t really matter," Davey calmly replied, seemingly devoid of any intention to resist. "And the sacrifice?" he inquired further, seeking information on that particr matter. "The final sacrifice''s hatred is still potent. I have kept him until now," Milpieu responded tersely, while a group of robed humans emerged from a self-opening door. Among them was someone familiar to Davey. "Oh? It seems he has grown tired of coal mining these days, huh?" Davey remarked, recognizing him as none other than Carlus O''Rowane, the Second Prince of the Rowane Kingdom who had put him in aa. Following the destruction of the Bariatta Ducal Family, they were both branded as notorious criminals and sent to the Haoji Coal Mines forbor. Despite the tauntingments, Carlus remained silent, his eyes vacant and seemingly unconscious. He obediently followed the orders of the vampires, standing motionless in the designated sacrifice spot, unaware of his impending death. Davey, however, held no concern for Carlus''s fate. Witnessing him be a sacrifice and suffer until his demise was already a profoundly satisfying revenge. "Do you know that if the resurrection of the Demon Lord fails, this entire area will be obliterated?" Davey inquired. Astaroth snorted, "You insolent fool, have you forgotten the predicament you are in? That rxed expression on your face will soon vanish." "How can you revive the Demon Lord without her soul? Furthermore, does the Demon Lord''s soul even still exist?" Davey challenged Astaroth, turning his attention to Grave, whose body was consumed by bandages. Grave appeared as though he had been consumed by the Abyss. To the other demons, Grave was viewed as someone who had made a pact with the Abyss. However, in Davey''s eyes, Grave resembled a being devoured by the lurking darkness of the Abyss. With slow and deliberate movements, Grave approached Davey, eventually kneeling before him, bowing his head. His voice quivered. "Ah... Aaaah... My lord... My queen... My mother¡­ Your body is prepared." However, it was not Davey who reacted to those words. Vwoooooong!!! The stigmata on Davey''s body reacted as Perserque soared into the air. Tearfully, she locked her gaze with him and said¡­ ¡ªDavey¡­ Forgive me¡­ Upon hearing Davey''s nonchnt response, tears continued to trickle down Perserque''s cheeks, perhaps due to a sense of guilt. Grave, the demon, had lost his original essence, consumed by the Abyss, bing a part of it. It was through this connection that he was able to locate Perserque. The realization struck a chord within her, causing her tears to flow. ¡ªYou have shown me a lot of things in this world, allowing me to experience the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows. ¡°Who said I did those things for you?¡± ¡ªI know that''s what you''re going to say. However, I will never forget the moments I''ve spent with you. That''s why I believe this is the best way to protect you. This, for me, is more than enough. Tears continued to well up in Perserque¡¯s eyes as she showed Davey a bright smile. Then, she slowly approached him and kissed him on his forehead. ¡ªLooking at you like this makes my heart ache. You know, I''m telling you this, but actually, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have feelings for you. After that, she slowly flew up. Once Perserque died, the Abyss would lose her and would be unable to interfere in this world. At the same time, the demons would also lose their powers. The flow of fate where Davey had to fight the Demon Lord had not been changed. Just one more sacrifice, and it would be the perfect scenario. Davey nodded silently at Perserque''s words. After realizing that Davey had already given up on her, Perserque slowly descended onto the body lying inside the magic circle. Then, a bright light enveloped the sacrifices, and the ritual for resurrection properly began. Just as Davey had deceived Perserque to save her, it seemed like she had also deceived him to save him from this trap. Wasn''t that very touching? The ritual continued in silence, apanied by an intense re of light. However, it was taking quite a long time, and everyone was watching the situation nervously. Ten silent minutes had passed since the ritual began. At that moment, a grin settled on Davey''s face as he flicked his wrist and checked the time on his watch. Perserque had made quite a number of mistakes here. It was because she usually did not take Davey''s words seriously and chose not to ponder over them. Grave, eroded by the Abyss, was not a demon but a creature of the Abyss. It seemed like he was very grateful to Davey for doing him some charity work, didn''t it? After all, everything would be for naught the moment Perserque became the Demon Lord. Tick, tock¡­ tick, tock¡­ Not long after, the scheduled time arrived. A loud and brisk music erupted, resonating through the otherwise silent ceremonial hall. The source of the music? A dainty bracelet adorned with a small mana stone. The bracelet was an artifact designed to emit a loud sound when someone wearing a simr bracelet approached. Bam, bam, bam, bam~! Bam, bam, bam, bam~! Babam! All their gazes turned to Davey as they watched him wave a watch, which they hadn''t noticed him take out earlier, and say, "The goods have arrived. We can start now, Belial." Silence hung in the air as Belial, who had been silent throughout the exchange, nodded. He then drew his greatsword and swiftly severed the neck of the vampire standing next to him, a precise strike that left no room for a scream. The high-ranking vampire copsed, his once-immortal power shattered by Belial''s devastating attack. Simultaneously, the chains that had bound Davey were released, as if they had never been there to begin with. Everyone believed that Davey had remained still and quiet because he was powerless to resist. Little did they know that Davey had been biding his time. And it was also because... "This is what you call acting, you bastards. Well done on initiating the ritual. No matter what I tried, there was no way I could have started it." Essentially, a demon''s tradition could only be performed by demons. This was something Davey had been powerless to change. He gripped the chains and gave a light tug, twisting the mana within them and shattering the once-strong and unyielding chains into fragments as if they were delicate ss. Bang!!! ¡°W-What?!¡± Just like Davey had always said, ¡®Thest hit will always be mine.¡¯ Chapter 340 All of them looked at Davey incredulously when they heard his words, and their expressions deepened when they saw Davey casually breaking the chains that bound him tightly. In fact, it felt like they were dreaming. For a moment, they felt like the chains that tied Davey up were not really a big deal. However, those who were aware of the power and force incorporated in those chains could only stare at him in shock. "Grave!" The demon''s Grand Duke Astaroth, who was proceeding with the ritual, called out to Grave after witnessing Davey''s light and easy actions. However, he couldn''t hide theplicated look in his eyes as he turned to look at the human they thought they had sealed. "H-How?!" Grave was certain that escaping the chains'' binding would be difficult. This was because the power hidden within the chains that bound Davey was neither the demon''s demonic energy nor the vampires'' blood energy. The power dwelling inside those chains was none other than the mysterious power of the Abyss. There weren''t any real problems with the way it was used for restriction. After all, it operated on differentws. And that meant Davey could use it in reverse. "How many experiments do you think I conducted with that guy I stole from the other side of the world?" Davey firmly believed that he shouldn''t recklessly pick a fight with an opponent he knew nothing about. In this fight, he was the one who knew half about the enemies, while his enemies didn''t even know half of him. And that difference was quite significant. Bang!!! At the same time, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who were also bound by the chains, responded to his will. They easily broke off the chains in their bodies and settled gently in Davey''s hands. All the surviving vampires and demons present in this ceremonial hall looked at Davey in terror. Even Perserque, who was undergoing the synchronization of her body and soul with the ritual, opened her eyes wide and stared at him in shock. "S-Stop that bastard! We can''t let him disturb the ritual!" However, none of them charged at Davey or attacked him immediately. So, Davey took the time to reach into his Pocket ne and retrieved a strange lump of metal, which he promptly threw into the air. ¡ªDavey¡­ What did you do¡­? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I already told you this from the start.¡± ¡®There¡¯s no way you¡¯ll be resurrected as the Demon Lord.¡¯ ¡ªN-No! Davey! Stop that! Perserque shouted urgently, having realized the nature of the item Davey threw into the air, albeit a bitte. It was only after the lump of metal started to twitch and react that she grasped its significance. Davey paid no attention to Belial, who had caused immediate chaos, and instead focused solely on the metal lump floating in the air. It was none other than the power of the Abyss that had been reversed. Shwaaaaaa! Suddenly, beams of light burst forth from the metal lump as numerous cracks marred its surface. In an instant, an abundance of tentacles extended and ensnared Perserque''s arms, legs, neck, and waist. ¡ªKyaaaaack?! I don¡¯t want this!!! Perserque let out a piercing scream, her face contorting with a mix of distress, revulsion, and repulsion. Taking control of the metal lump, Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon emanated a brilliant glow, casting an eerie atmosphere that illuminated Davey''s sinister grin. "Well then, excellent work, everyone. Now, all that remains is for me to devour everything within this ce.¡± Shwaaaaaa!!! With a swift motion, the bright red sword in Davey''s hand gleamed as it cleaved Grave''s body in two. After all, there was no reason to spare the most dangerous man in the room, was there? The surviving vampires and demons attempted to resist and confront Davey, but they all crumbled in an instant. A maniacal grin adorned Davey''s face as he had already unleashed his true self. "I appreciate what you have done. However, a debt is a debt, isn''t it?" "H-Hi... Hiiik!" Shwaaaaaa! A sh of blue appeared as Davey swung Blue Ribbon, the swordlight destroying Grand Duke Astaroth¡¯s shield. It was immediately followed by a sh of red light that severed the demon¡¯s arm. Observing that Astaroth was able to evade the fatal blow and only lose his arm made Davey realize the immense power of a Grand Duke. However, Astaroth was still not as potent as that ck dragon bastard. Comparatively speaking, all the demons were formidable individuals. Nevertheless, it required a substantial amount of power for them to cross over from the artificial Demon World, where they had been banished. Thus, even if their main bodies managed to cross over, they would still be unable to exert significant force. What if it was merely a clone? "Stop that bastard! If we fail here, there will be no future for our race!" "Die!!!" They desperately resisted, charging forward despite the risk of losing their lives. In response, Davey manipted Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, allowing them to float freely in the air as he forcefully pped his hands together. [8th Circle Earth Magic] [High Ground Break] Thud!!! The ground twisted and turned, a crack opening up like the jaws of a gigantic alligator and swallowing all of the vampires who attacked Davey. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! However, Davey did not stop there. The earth broke apart, trapping the vampires and floating freely in the air. Then, Davey raised his palm and clenched it into a fist. Simultaneously, a tremendous pressure weighed down upon them until they burst into pieces. It was a horrendous scene to watch, but Davey did not stop. aaang!!! The resistance posed by the demons and vampires was fierce. Liline Orlouge, the subus beside Grand Duke Astaroth, charged at Davey''s nks with her huge side sword. On the other side, Gluttony, the man who seemed to be the leader of the vampires, attacked Davey''s rear. Bang!!! Davey stretched his hand forward without hesitation, grabbing the tip of Liline Orlouge''s side sword with his index, thumb, and middle finger. Then, he kicked her away. "Ugh... Don''t you get tired?!" "I''m someone who can send missile dropkicks to anyone, whether they are a man or a woman. So, you better clench your teeth, Miss Subus." Thwaaaack!!! Liline felt as if a huge bat had hit her as her body flew back and got stuck on the wall. It was just one kick, but Liline seemed to have already fainted,pletely motionless and silent as debris from the walls behind her fell down around her. The ceremonial hall was aplete mess after it had suddenly turned into a battlefield. However, the battle did notst long. This was because not many of the vampires hade here, despite the fact that many of them were still alive. When Belial caught the head of thest resisting high-ranking vampire and pierced through his heart, the battle had ended. After looking at the ritual''s magic circle, Davey saw Belial slowly approaching Perserque, who now had a physical form after being bound by the tentacles. The teary Perserque frowned in confusion when she saw Belial kneel down on one knee and bow to her. ¡ªYou¡­ What in the world are you doing? "It''s a pleasure to meet you. My Lord, I am willing to give you my everything," Belial said calmly as he slowly looked up. "The fact that your soul has been kept safe is all thanks to God''s grace." "Belial, we don''t have much time. Move to the magic circle before it gets extinguished." Belial slowly stood up at Davey''s words. "Forgive me for whatever disrespect I will show you from here on out." It seemed like those who survived the onught of Davey''s attacks had yet to understand the situation they were in. That was when they saw Belial enter the center of the magic circle and devour the current of power swirling around it, created from the sacrifice. This power was meant for Perserque''s soul, so she could devour it the moment she was revived as the Demon Lord. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! At the same time, something wrapped around Belial, transforming him into a giant pupa protected by a cocoon. Everyone fell silent, stunned by Belial''s unexpected betrayal and the dire consequences it entailed. ¡ªDavey!!! What the hell are you doing?! Perserque''s cry echoed the thoughts in everyone''s heads. Although their purposes differed, both Perserque and the vampires aimed to resurrect the Demon Lord. Davey held Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon lightly before cing them in his Pocket ne. He scoffed, "Why do you think I allowed you guys to tie me up and drag me here for such a long time?" "W-What?!" Grand Duke Astaroth, now missing an arm, asked grimly. In Reina''s own world, Astaroth was one of mankind''s greatest horrors, a being that had wiped out humanity. In this world, he had received the Abyss'' buff and had be even stronger. For him, this task was incredibly easy. At the very least, he was no weaker than Nyx, who had existed since their ancestor''s time. ¡ªDavey¡­ Don¡¯t tell me¡­ "That''s right. This is the usurpation of the Demon Lord," Davey said calmly, nodding toward the cocoon. "The next Demon Lord will not be Perserque but Belial." "Why on earth... Why on earth are you doing this?! What will you gain from this, you bastard?!" It wouldn''t matter whether it was Belial or Perserque who became the Demon Lord. If it was Perserque, she would be controlled by some kind of force upon resurrection. As for Belial? He was already Davey''s enemy, so it wouldn''t make a difference. But in the end, the oue would still be the same. This was why Astaroth couldn''tprehend why Davey had to go through this process. "Of course, it''s different." Crack, crack!!! Not long after, Belial finished absorbing all the power of the Demon Lord through the ritual and began to break free from the cocoon. Witnessing this, Davey raised one hand lightly and said, "The difference lies in whether Perserque bes the Demon Lord or not." "W... What?" "Listen, Demon Grand Duke," Davey said calmly, waving the mana gathered in his hand to create a massive shockwave that dissipated the mana in the area. Those who were preparing tounch a surprise attack became flustered as the power they had gathered suddenly vanished. Then, a girl who had been hiding on one side of the ceremonial hall emerged with a surprised expression. The girl had sessfully concealed herself thanks to the power of the divine sword, but she could no longer conceal her presence after thismotion. "Your skills have improved greatly, huh? Illyna." "Davey... What the hell are you doing?" Illyna asked, her face stiff with disbelief. "The Demon Lord''s usurpation? What in the world are you trying to aplish with the enemies that attacked mankind..." Davey disregarded Illyna''s trembling and instead inspected the now cracked cocoon. Then, he turned to Astaroth and asked, "Do you know the conditions required to be the Demon Lord?" Astaroth gritted his teeth, his hand putting more pressure on his severed arm. He replied, "As long as the Demon Lord exists, no other demon or living being can be the Demon Lord... But now, with the Demon Lord''s position vacant, there are two ways to determine who will im the title... "The first method can be executed in the absence of the Demon Lord. One can be the Demon Lord through a formal ceremony. If they survive after epting the power of the former Demon Lord, they will ascend to be the new Demon Lord. In this method, there is no need to kill others. "The second method is the usurpation of the newly emerged Demon Lord. It requires killing the previous Demon Lord in battle." What they were doing here was the second method. With Perserque, who was attempting to re-emerge as the Demon Lord, restrained, Belial took advantage of the opportunity and forcefully seized Perserque''s power. Then, he proceeded with the Demon Lord''s ritual. Perserque might still possess the power of a Demon Lord, but she was already dead. The only way for her to regain her position as a Demon Lord was to be resurrected with her full power. Thus, they had no choice but to perform this ritual for her. If they could keep Perserque restrained for a while and strip away her power while safelypleting the ritual, she might not be the Demon Lord and could possibly continue living. In the end, they had prevented the worst oue, where Perserque would be the Demon Lord. As long as Belial was alive, Perserque would never ascend to that position. However, with Belial as the Demon Lord, there were still numerous ways for the demons to reinstate Perserque as the Demon Lord. "I waited for a long time," Davey said calmly as he approached Illyna. Then, he added, "It took you quite a while toe and find me." None of them understood why Davey kept ncing at his watch. Even Illyna wore a puzzled expression on her face. It seemed that none of them had fullyprehended Davey''s intentions yet. Crack, crack! Crack, crack! The cocoon shatteredpletely as Belial emerged, emanating an immense power that far surpassed his previous state. Though his eyes remained closed, his appearance had undergone a significant transformation. Davey could discern traces of the Abyss'' power within Belial. It made him wonder if this was why the Abyss and its creatures actively aided Perserque''s resurrection as the Demon Lord. If the previous Belial was an entity Davey could easily dispatch, the current Belial belonged to an entirely different realm. The energy radiating from his body was so potent that Davey would need to exercise extreme caution if he were to engage in a desperate battle with him. Yet, this was precisely why Davey utilized Belial to strip Perserque of her position as the Demon Lord. Davey had no knowledge of Belial''s newfound power and had to approach it with utmost wariness. "Ha... Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Fool!" Astaroth and Gluttony, who had been staring nkly, gradually snapped out of their daze. They erupted into maniacalughter at the sight before them. "Anyone who bes the Demon Lord through this magic circle will be under our control! Human! I don''t know how you manipted Belial, but the result remains the same! It does not matter who it is, as long as we have our king!" They believed that it made no difference whether Belial stood by Davey''s side. As long as they could dominate and manipte him as they intended to do with Perserque, it would suffice. Truly, it didn''t matter whether the resurrected Demon Lord was Perserque or Belial. The demons and vampires had already achieved their goal once the Demon Lord was brought back. They would gain the power to reshape the continent and drive away the alliance of humans from the Tionis Continent. However, did they believe that Davey had orchestrated this situation without being aware of their intentions? "Let me ask you again. What are the conditions required to be the Demon Lord?" "What¡­?" ¡ªA demon qualified to be a Demon Lord¡­ Davey, don¡¯t tell me¡­ Perserque¡¯s eyes grew wide. It was as if she had finally understood what Davey intended to do. ¡ªStop!!! Do you not know how dangerous what you¡¯re trying to attempt is?! The Abyss is far greater than what you think¡­! However, disregarding Perserque''s desperate cries, Davey continued to advance toward Illyna. An unsettling smile adorned his face as he lightly patted the bewildered Illyna and uttered, "Thanks, Illyna. Let me borrow this once more." "What... What do you mean?" "This," Davey replied cryptically. ck!!! Davey forcefully tore off the brooch from Illyna''s chest, causing her to struggle against his grip as hepelled Caldeiras to activate. In that moment, a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu washed over Illyna, but she could only stare nkly ahead, realizing that she had beenpletely deceived by Davey. Since Belial''s escape, she had been manipted from the start. Why did Davey resort to trickery? Because he couldn''t simply borrow Caldeiras without giving rise to rumors, except in a situation like this. Davey turned his gaze toward Belial and aimed Caldeiras at him. With determination in his voice, he dered, "Belial has be the Demon Lord by absorbing the power from the resurrection magic circle you created. I know there may be some sort of deception within it. Since you admitted that he would be a pawn in your n, forcing a continental war, I cannot leave him be. I have no choice but to fight him, don''t I?" Even if Davey spared Belial at this moment, they would inevitably sh in the future, potentially igniting another continental war. Caldeiras'' voice resonated in Davey''s ears. Simultaneously, he released his sacred mana, the very same energy he had been conserving for this precise moment, and spoke calmly... [Goddess Freyja.] [I¡¯m sorry, but I have you and the former Demon Lordpletely deceived. Well, I¡¯ll dly receive any punishment.] [I hope you grant mercy to this foolish Saint who has strayed from the righteous path, attempting to sever the bonds that bring forth bloodshed, sorrow, and anguish in the future.] ¡°Belial, it¡¯s time to pay the price.¡± [Transcendent Circle ck Magic. Subordination Magic.] [Lord of Geas] The curse, carefully crafted by Rho Aias, manifested with just enough potency to avoidplete rejection. As a result, the curse began to take effect, drawing out both the holy mana that Davey had cautiously conserved and the dark mana within his own being. Trapped within an imprable barrier, even a powerful Demon Lord like Belial slowly opened his eyes and extended his hand toward Davey. He dered, "In ordance with my oath and loyalty to Demon Lord Perserque, I offer my life in exchange for hers. By the authority of the Demon Lord, I ept Davey O''Rowane as a challenger in the Demon Lord''s Usurpation Battle. If you emerge victorious, you shall be the next Demon Lord." The second method to attain the position of the Demon Lord was through the Demon Lord''s Usurpation Battle, where the previous Demon Lord had to be in. "Perserque, I warned you, didn''t I? Unless I am defeated, you will never ascend as the Demon Lord." If Perserque truly intended to protect Davey through her betrayal, she should have grasped the significance behind his previous words. It wasn''t just the demons or the vampires who were mere pawns in Davey''s grand scheme. He manipted everyone and everything, even deceiving the very deity of this world, if only for a fleeting moment. Shiiiing!!! Davey swiftly darted forward, leaving behind a white afterimage, as Caldeiras emitted a radiant white light. Before anyone could react or Illyna could even scream, Davey closed the distance and thrust the de of Caldeiras into Belial''s heart. "As trust is given, trust shall be repaid. Loyalty and allegiance deserve faith and conviction. What a fitting saying, wouldn''t you agree?" Belial spoke his final words. Even as the newly appointed Demon Lord, Belial remained true to his ancestors'' ideals and disyed unwavering loyalty to the Demon Lord by sacrificing his own life. He was a demon with a genuine and devoted heart, incapable of epting the maniption of his master by others. "Thank you for your unwavering dedication," Davey remarked. However, this was all part of a trap designed for a single individual. The vampires and demons hadid a snare for Davey, yet unbeknownst to them, Davey had been meticulously setting up his own trap for Perserque for a considerable length of time. His sole intention was to resurrect her as a unique demon girl with extraordinary powers and, above all else, to prevent those despicable individuals from ever turning her into the Demon Lord again. Chapter 341: Divine Punishment Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon were both powerful swords. However, the Divine Sword Caldeiras, a divine sword with the power to y the Demon Lord, was crucial in annihting Belial in a single blow. Ares, the Sword God of the past, had personally used Caldeiras to strike down his adopted daughter, Perserque. He had obliterated her body and imprisoned her soul within the sword. Davey did not explicitly inquire about Ares'' intentions at that time. [A rival¡­ The Demon Lord is my rival and antagonist, you know? You f****ing bastard¡­ You¡¯re really a f***ing crazy bastard.] Davey attentively listened to Caldeiras'' words while he extracted the sword that had shattered Belial''s dominion, causing all of the Demon Lord''s power and authority to be drawn into it. Perserque, having defeated all the other demon candidates and ascended as the Demon Lord, had absorbed their powers. However, all of that power, apart from the Abyss'' Authority inherent to Perserque, was assimted into Davey''s own abilities. Or, to be precise, Davey attempted to absorb it. Yet, Goddess Freyja''s will posed a formidable obstacle, rendering it exceedingly challenging for him to seed. Thwack!!! A sh of brilliant light materialized as an immense surge of power erupted from his body, dispelling the absorbed power masses as if they were non-existent. Ultimately, only one power remained within Davey. Apart from the Abyss'' Authority, there were six powers meant to be assimted into Davey''s body. However, five of them had vanished entirely, as if they had returned to the arms of God. ¡®So, you''re confronting me like this merely because of what I did?¡¯ Although the majority of his power had been stripped away, it held little significance to Davey. By ying the Demon Lord, he had obtained the qualifications to assume the role himself. In other words, he had effortlessly attained the position, which was more than sufficient. While Davey couldn''t yet discern the precise nature of the remaining power in his body, there was one thing he was certain of¡ªthe demonic energy, an exclusive power of the demons, had already begun to settle and coil around his form. ¡®Wee. Have you not encountered a human body before? It can be challenging for a neer like you to handle the multitude of experiences and memories contained within. Moreover, the senior residents within this body can be quite demanding, can''t they? And it appears your senior counterparts possess quite the irritable disposition, am I correct?¡¯ The mighty storm generated by the forces within his body gradually subsided. Following that, Davey surveyed his surroundings. The Demon Lord, the greatest adversary? How absurdly amusing to utter such words in this situation, don''t you think? Despite having be a Demon Lord, there wasn''t much disparity. As a human, no horns sprouted from his head. However, his red eyes had deepened in hue, turning a darker shade of red. Grand Duke Astaroth and Gluttony, the leader of the radical vampires, cast helpless nces at Davey. Even Perserque, her tears flowing due to the constricting tentacles, stared at him nkly. Andstly, there was the astounded Illyna, who bore witness to Belial''s demise right before her eyes. Although she hadn''t formed a strong bond with Belial, given their short acquaintance, it seemed Illyna was profoundly shaken to witness the demise of the demon she had once saved, by her own sword. "The war shall conclude here. I, as the Saint, the Antagonist, and the Demon Lord,mand you all to retreat. Each of you must return and ry this message." ¡®If you dare crown Perserque as the Demon Lord, be prepared to face my resistance and witness the annihtion of this world.¡¯ The Demon Lord''s Usurpation Battle could only be repeated after a certain period of time. Nheless, Davey would not reject them. If they disregarded their lives, they were wee to confront him. Naturally, Davey would spare no effort in annihting them, leaving not even a speck of dust behind. Although Davey left his words unfinished, the surviving demons appeared toprehend his intentions. "This...can''t be happening... A human...has be the Demon Lord..." "The oue is right before your eyes." "What do you know?! Do you understand the immense suffering our race has endured in that destend?!" "So? Is your response to invading the Tionis Continent?" "How can you me the descendants for the mistakes and misdeeds of their ancestors?!" Astaroth''s expression seethed with grotesque and horrifying anger. A human had stripped them of their sole hope, rendering rationality impossible for him to maintain. "I believe I have already conveyed this to another wretched fool before?" ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you were truly in an urgent situation, then you should not havee here to fight. You should havee here to ask for help.¡± This was the difference between them and the Divine Tree that was now in Davey¡¯s hands. However, Davey did not have any regrets regarding the way he handled the demons. Thump, thump, thump!!! Astaroth, standing in a daze, copsed to the ground, appearing utterly devoid of strength. And it was not just him but also the demons present in this ce. The demons were not beings forsaken by God. If humans were bestowed with Warriors, demons were granted the Demon Lord. God had been fair in bestowing blessings upon both races. Apart from the messed up system like the Demon Lord''s Usurpation Battle, the Demon Lord possessed the authority to kill lower-ranking demons at will. Hence, Davey did just that. Even if their clones perished, their main bodies would not. Well, at the very least, they weren''t expelled, right? As for the leader of the radical vampires? Gluttony could only kneel, his trembling hands rendered helpless as Davey employed Caldeiras to sever his head. Perserque let out a loud yelp. She unleashed a surge of power, finally breaking free from the clutches of the tentacles. Then, she regained her original size and swiftly dashed towards Davey, gripping his cor and shaking him fiercely. Her physical form remained intact primarily due to the remnants of the tentacles still clinging to her arms and waist. ¡ªDo you have any idea what you have done?! What are you going to do after breaking god¡¯s rules?! Do you want to die?! Are you so crazy that you wanted to die?! After witnessing Perserque''s concern for him rather than her own safety, Davey simply seized her horns and averted his gaze. ¡®As expected, an ergonomically designed horn is the best handle.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s done is done. However, what did you say to me back then?¡± ¡ªWhat¡­ What? ¡°That it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have any feelings for me?¡± Bang!!! Davey pressed Perserque against the wall, his hands mming beside her and causing the wall to copse. Silently, he extended his hands toward the falling debris and cast a shield spell to shield them. ¡®Hmm... it appeared that the book iming that striking the wall like this could stir the hearts of women was misleading.¡¯ ¡°Your body is not yet perfect. However, you will be able to talk, eat, walk, see, and do everything you want to do right away.¡± Perserque gazed at Davey with a perplexed expression, seemingly unable toprehend his words. Nevertheless, Davey simply shook his head in response. It was at that moment when he noticed a silver-haired young girl, burdened with an enormous casket on her back, descending gradually from the sky. ¡ªRi¡­ Rinne¡­ ¡°Davey. Rinne haspleted the high-speed delivery. Rinne evaluates thepletion of this mission very highly!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I give you the highest rating,¡± Davey said calmly as he destroyed the Demon Lord¡¯s body that was in the center of the now empty ceremonial hall. Kihyeeeeeeck!!! Simultaneously, an immense number of tentacles surged forth from the obliterated form, a manifestation that defied any notion of a conventional human body. ¡ªHnghh?! ¡°Kyaaack?! What the hell is that?!¡± Davey clicked his tongue in annoyance at the frightened cries of Perserque and Illyna. "These fools have created such a crude vessel. It''s unlikely to function properly. Rinne, take care of it." Instantly, Rinne conjured a massive gun and obeyed Davey''smand, obliterating the repulsive body. Although it belonged to the Demon Lord, it was merely an empty shell devoid of a soul. However, its interior had be twisted due to the forced amplification of the container they had created. Yet, that was its sole significance. Shortly after, Rinne eradicated the magic circle inscribed on the ground with herser, deftly drawing a new one as if she were well acquainted with the process. Then, she retrieved a breathtakingly beautiful woman with a petite, unclothed form and positioned her at the center of the freshly traced magic circle. "Let us borrow thisnd for the magic circle, shall we?" This presented Davey''s sole opportunity to free Perserque from his stigmata with the aid of the Abyss creature donning the mask of the demon, Grave. Thus, he seized Perserque by the arm and guided her into the magic circle. Vwooooooong!!! The magic circle activated instantly, aligning Perserque''s soul with the body brought by Rinne¡ªthe very same body Davey had prepared for emergencies. Perserque might not have full ess to her powers, only being able to utilize her authority. However, as time passed, her soul would strengthen, eventually enabling her to gradually reim her primary expertise: magic. ¡ªDavey!!! Davey!!! Ignoring the resounding and enraged cries of the imprisoned Perserque within the magic circle, Davey shifted his attention to Rinne and requested, "Escort Illyna and Per back to the Heins Territory and convey to them..." ¡®I will be back soon.¡¯ The instant those words escaped his lips, a dazzling column of light descended from the heavens, engulfing Davey. There was no chance for God, struck on the back of her head, to remain motionless like that. Nevertheless, Davey possessed unwavering confidence that he would endure, even in the face of God''s retribution. At present, the entity that Goddess Freyja needed to restrain was still alive. When Davey turned to observe the Abyss creature, Grave''s body had already vanished to an unknown location. Even the silent alchemist Milpieu''s form was absent among the vampires. Davey had not acted rashly; he had contemted countermeasures. He did not engage in this endeavor merely to be obliterated by divine punishment. [Bestowing judgment upon the lunatic, Davey O''Rowane, who had disrupted the course of destiny, the verdict was passed: 7th Rank Judgment. Denial would entail the annihtion of the soul.] The message regarding the divine punishment left Davey with no option for refusal. Moreover, the tone conveyed God''s intense anger. To such an extent that Davey deemed himself fortunate that Goddess Freyja had not immediately disposed of him. ¡ªDavey! Stop this! Where the hell are you going?! Amidst Perserque''s tearful and desperate cries, Davey gradually faded away within the radiant pir. "Those who have vited thews shall face judgment, Perserque. However, I remain the Saint. I doubt the goddess will dispose of me so easily." Davey was also eager to witness the true essence of being the Saint. He had already been informed of this by a seasoned predecessor who had undergone a simr ordeal, thus he was not entirely ignorant of what awaited him. He made no resistance as his form vanished, merely nodding in acknowledgment to Rinne, who offered a silent salute. ¡®Hmmm. Her posture is different from before. I taught her well.¡¯ "Protect Perserque at all costs. And ensure she is treated with utmost respect," Davey instructed. "Rinne prides herself as an efficient and highlypetent golem for escort missions," Rinne affirmed, nodding as she approached Davey with her bandaged feet and patting her chest proudly. Once Perserque''s soul settled back into her body, she would be visible to everyone and regain the freedom to pursue her desires. Since Goddess Freyja and the world''s providence would be preupied with Davey, there would be no sanctions or restrictions on her resurrection. The radiant light had already engulfed most of Davey''s body, leaving only his face and one arm exposed. Helplessly, Davey averted his gaze from Perserque''s desperate and vulnerable expression. But at that very moment... "Where do you think you''re going, you bastard?! Who gave you permission to die, huh?! No way in hell!" Illyna, unaware of the entire situation, rushed forward as soon as she saw Davey disappearing. It seemed her body moved on its own, snatching Caldeiras from the ground and grabbing Davey''s arm without hesitation. "Hey, you brat," Davey muttered, dumbfounded by Illyna''s irrational behavior. "Huh?" However, Illyna could only utter an unintelligible response as the brilliant light enveloped Davey''s entire being. "Kyaaaaack!!!" Thump, thud, thud!!! When Davey regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by gritty, dry sand. He nced down slowly, noticing the blonde girl who had fainted on top of him. In the world, there was no one unaware of how terrifying a divine punishment could be. How could this girl simply rush towards him and grasp his arm? For a moment, Davey wondered if Illyna had lost her sanity. This divine punishment was entirely distinct from the well-known one recognized by the world. Consequently, Illyna found herself in a situation where she had to apany Davey throughout the judgment process. The fact that Perserque, who had always been by Davey''s side, was nowpletely separated from him engendered a sense of bitterness within him. After all, it had been quite some time since he had been left alone in solitude. However, due to some strange twist of fate, he would not be facing this judgment alone. Davey was uncertain whether he should express gratitude or scold the girl standing before him for recklessly risking her life. All he could do was burst intoughter at the sight of the unconscious girl, who fearlessly grasped his arm and attempted to save him without regard for her own safety. First Saintess Daphne had also defied God''s will to save the life of a destitute and wretched man, resulting in her facing judgment. During that time, Daphne overcame the trials presented by the judges and obtained God''s forgiveness. However, Davey had no way of knowing if a simr oue awaited him in his own situation. Davey exploited the sole loophole in the longstanding rules governing the existence of the Demon Lord and the Antagonist and presented the goddess with a deceitful narrative. Essentially, Davey''s actions amounted to ying the Demon Lord. However, who in their right mind would dare confront the Demon Lord in a battle for usurpation? And that wasn''t all¡ªDavey employed a powerful dark magic to momentarily distort the world''s rules,pelling Belial to engage in the usurpation battle. The result? The Antagonist triumphed over the Demon Lord. Davey now embodied the roles of the Saint, the Antagonist, and the Demon Lord simultaneously. In essence, as long as Davey remained alive, there would be no future Antagonist or Demon Lord emerging in the world. Although he might not possess the full extent of his former power, the title of Demon Lord held great significance to him. "When you think about it, it''s rather amusing, isn''t it? Haven''t you been striking me on the back of my head? You even fed me falsehoods. You should have anticipated that something like this would eventually ur." If the goddess had made a rational judgment, she would have recognized that Davey had not vited any rules of the world. Instead, this seemed more like an expression of Goddess Freyja''s dissatisfaction with his actions and deception. If that were truly the case, Davey wouldn''t have to be entangled in thisplicated situation. As Davey carried Illyna on his back and continued walking, he contemted his circumstances. "A desert..." In this expansive desert, the only sensation he encountered was an incessant gust of cool wind. Illyna, having already undergone metamorphosis, could withstand such conditions for a considerable durationpared to ordinary individuals. Nevertheless, it remained unwise to linger in a ce like this for too long. It was only after Davey exercised his authority and essed his status window that heprehended the nature of the judgment bestowed upon him by Goddess Freyja. [If you are unable to absolve yourself of your crime in the presence of the Seven Judges who oversee and evaluate the burdens and sins of the living, your soul will be annihted.] ¡°Judge? Did I just read Seven Judges?¡± Davey knew the structure andposition of this world bore resemnce to something familiar. How dare they pass judgment upon someone within a world crafted in the dreams of the goddess? Chapter 342 It would take a lot of time to create a world, even under the will of the Goddess. However, ording to what Davey had heard from Daphne, there were plenty of other worlds in existence within this world. Basically, it was already aplete world that had been created through God''s will. It wouldn''t be strange if this world came and went. After all, this was a world created in the dreams of Goddess Freyja. If one were to delve into theplexity of this world, they could keep digging and still find it to be a very intricate and detailed ce. However, the simplest and closest exnation for this was a dream. Simply put, it was a world that was naturally created because of God¡¯s will and could easily disappear the moment it fulfilled its purpose. "And that''s why it''s full of bugs. Well, I won''tin. As long as I find that opening, I''ll be able to escape from this ce." "Ugh, ughhh¡­" Illyna woke up with a groan. She regained consciousness only an hour after Davey had started moving. It was a very challenging task for an ordinary person to walk for that long while carrying another person on their back. However, for Davey, who could swing a metal bat weighing a ton without straining a muscle, Illyna was as light as a feather. Despite being the smallest, the biological golem Rinne topped the list as the heaviest being. "Ugh¡­ My head¡­" Illyna groaned. She cradled her throbbing head as she slowly opened her eyes and looked around nkly. "Ha! Davey!" "Are you finally awake?" Despite Illyna still being in a daze despite hearing the calm question, Davey, without any hesitation, removed the hands he used to support her. ¡°Kyaaack!¡± Davey left the shrieking Illyna, who had not yetpletely regained her senses, behind and chose to silently enhance his vision to survey the surroundings. However, all he could see was the endless desert. There was no refuge in sight, no ce to escape from the scorching sun. ¡°¡­¡± "It hurts¡­ You! Are you serious?!" Illyna shouted, gritting her teeth. However, her face twitched as she saw the stern and serious expression on Davey''s face. "Illyna." "Huh... Oh?" "Have you lost your mind?" Davey asked, silencing Illyna. "Do you think you can just follow wherever I go?" Illyna remained silent, unable to respond for a while. Then, she protested, "B-But how can you stay calm when you see someone disappearing right in front of you?! And it''s even a divine punishment! That!" "It seems like you''ve witnessed this before, huh?" This phenomenon wasn''t verymon. Illyna could only grit her teeth and answer, "When I was young... I saw a corrupted priest from the Holy Empire kill countless people and face divine punishment... How could I ever forget that horrifying scene..." She murmured gloomily, "You''re a Saint, aren''t you...? So, why did you receive divine punishment?" Illyna didn''t know much about the situation back then. The connection between the Demon Lord and the Antagonist was something only known to those closely rted to Davey. Davey took a few steps forward, raised his arm, and rolled it to loosen his muscles. Then, he closed his eyes momentarily before responding, "First of all, let''s start by destroying this worthless ce." [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Great Rift] [Asura¡¯s Overlord Fist] This was the same fist that had shattered the barrier covering the elven forest where Yuria Helishana lived before. However, back then, it had been greatlypressed. That''s why it looked entirely different now. After all, it was an attack capable of dismantling and tearing apart such a worthless space. Illyna''s eyes widened as she witnessed a dark red energy manifest in Davey''s clenched fist, while his left foot slipped back. ¡®Let¡¯s see how long this space canst.¡¯ Boom!!! Dark red mes erupted and engulfed the area, apanied by a resounding explosion. The spot Davey struck was an empty space, yet even before his right fist made contact, his left hand had already snatched and pulled something from within¡ªa barrier that had kept him confined in this ce, something simultaneously existing and non-existent. From Davey''s perception, it appeared to have been designed to fade away gradually. It wasn''t a significant concern. What unsettled Davey was the presence of those entities that had imprisoned him here, observing him like perverse voyeurs. Crack!!! Just like shattering ss, the dark red mes collided with the empty space, generating ck sparks that fragmented the surrounding area. "Kyaaack?!" Illyna shrieked, looking up at Davey with despair, curling up in response to the sudden emergence of fierce winds around them. "As I thought, you won''t be satisfied even after I break down the prison and escape," Davey remarked. Before him, the same vast and endless desert materialized. However, this time it seemed less harsh than before. "Thirsty?" Davey asked, gazing up at the sky. Illyna, still in the same position, nodded quietly in response. She then said, "My mind is a mess... I can''t understand why you killed Belial. And now... I don''t even know what''s real anymore." Silently, Davey retrieved his Transcendence Demise upon hearing Illyna''s words. "Desert Horn Moths. Despite their appearance, they contain a significant amount of water." One only needed to catch one and extract the liquid from them. With these moths at hand, anyone trapped in the desert wouldn''t have to worry about dehydration. "What?" Illyna questioned. "Bang!!!" Davey eximed as he struck what appeared to be the empty desert in front of him. "Hmm. This must be a dream derived from the Tionis Continent." For survival experts, the presence of Desert Horn Moths indicated that this environment was highly suitable for survival. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeck!!! A loud shriek resonated as Davey mmed his staff, filled with mana, onto the sand. The sand waspletely upturned as dozens of repulsive bugs, half the size of a human, leaped into the air and took flight. There had been nothing visible on the sand, yet they suddenly sprang up as if appearing out of thin air. "Urk?! That''s disgusting!" Illyna screamed, raising Caldeiras and attempting to strike them down. However, Davey swiftly extended the Transcendence Demise in his hands and halted the de of her sword, saying, "What are you doing to our valuable source of water? Step aside." Vwoong!!! Vwoong!!! The gigantic and repulsive moths, disying hostility with their violent wing pping, appeared so hideous that no one would initially, or perhaps even after a second nce, associate them with something edible. In reality, these insects resided in the Great Desert at the western edge of the Tionis Continent. They were ssified as aggressive monsters, camouging themselves as sand by lying t on the ground, deceiving and attacking unsuspecting passers-by with their sharp teeth and robust horns. Davey held one of the Desert Horn Moths, now transformed into a clump of blood, in his hand, illuminating it with the light emitted from his staff. The Transcendence Demise was renowned as a legendary support tool for mages. Since Davey wielded such an exceptional staff, it was only natural to assume he possessed magical abilities. There was this old saying from the scriptures. It said, Battle mages are the best. [CQC for Staff] [Crushing the Stupid Head] Boom!!! After smashing the head of the scoundrel attempting to strike at his neck, Davey twirled his Transcendence Demise. He then wore a cold smile and proimed, "We won''t need to worry about water for now." Considering it was for two people, Davey would gather twice the amount he typically acquired. Illyna couldn''t rid her face of theplex expression as she observed Davey humming to himself, seemingly relishing the circumstances. *** Illyna de Pan, a princess raised in a beautifully pristine environment, couldn''tprehend why Davey merely crushed the Desert Horn Moth''s head. "That... um... Davey. What on earth are you doing? Those creatures are man-eaters... why can''t you just exterminate them?" she questioned, her voice filled with disbelief. It was as if she pleaded with Davey not to jest anymore, as she had grown tired of his jokes. However, Davey silently twisted the crushed moth''s head, extracting its bodily fluid and pouring it into a leather bag. He exined, "The vor is quite distinct. It''s an acquired taste. Nheless, it''s more than sufficient for hydration. And it''s not poisonous. Don''t worry, it''s perfectly safe to drink." Davey thought of the elf, Yuria Helishana, who possessed an entric pte and would likely jump at the chance to dissect this creature and utilize it as a tea ingredient. "I-I don''t want to... Davey, Desert Horn Moths are considered pests... I''ve never heard of anyone consuming pests before," Illyna expressed, her voice filled with reluctance. "Such knowledge isn''t widespread, you see," Davey replied. Even mercenaries, who had endured numerous hardships in the field, wouldn''t be familiar with thismon practice unless they operated in the desert. However, for those living in the desert, it was widely known. Illyna instantly recoiled, her face disying horror at the thought of drinking insect fluids to survive in the desert. After all, as a princess who had been raised infort under the protection of her imperial family, she had never encountered such fare. "I''ve bought us some time by breaking the barrier. However, enduring this ce without sustenance is no easy feat. Here, drink it," Davey urged, offering the brimming bag of insect fluid. Illyna''s face paled upon seeing the bag''s contents, and she instinctively took several steps back. "I-I won''t drink it!" she protested in distress. That''s when she heard Davey''s threat. "Should I force you to drink it then?" "I''d rather you kill me, you wretched fiend! Have you no manners toward ady?" Illyna eximed. "Ah, I truly couldn''t care less," Davey retorted. "Kyaaack! Stay away from me! I''d rather bite my tongue and perish than consume that repugnant bug!" The issue was that the Desert Horn Moth appeared so repulsive that Davey couldn''t retort and call Illyna immature. Well, it was true that he had endured an entire month without a single sip of water before mustering the courage to try consuming the bodily fluids of these insects. And he couldn''t definitively say whether he liked it or despised it. Despite their repulsive appearance, Desert Horn Moths were quite generous with their bodily fluids. As for the taste, Davey could confidently assert that it was rather sweet. However, if one knew the truth of its origin, it would likely induce sickness. Observing Davey tip the waterskin into his mouth and drink the liquid without any hesitation, Illyna frowned. She couldn''t help but gaze at him, unable toprehend why he willingly consumed something so revolting. "What did the royal family ever do to you? And what kind of experiences have you gone through to approach this so casually?" Illyna''s question evoked a bitter memory within Davey. "If you were forced to survive in the desert for several decades, actions like this woulde naturally to you," Davey truthfully responded. However, it seemed that Illyna dismissed his words as a joke. Yet, Davey had genuinely lived in the desert. To be precise, he had endured there for 50 years. "First, we must secure our food and water. Even if you''ve undergone metamorphosis, enduring this harsh environment will be challenging," Davey exined. "N-No! I''ll die if I drink that!" Illyna protested. "Haven''t you grasped your predicament yet? Who said you came here to assist me? If you refuse to drink, then what is your n? Are you waiting for rain to magically appear for you to quench your thirst? Abandon that notion. Just observe the climate and weather; it''s utterly impossible," Davey reasoned. "If we examine our surroundings closely, we might discover an oasis..." "What nonsense. How naive you are, mydy. This is the desert. If you can''t find water to drink, are you nning to resort to drinking your own urine? Get a hold of yourself!" Davey eximed. Illyna''s expression turned both horrified and shocked upon hearing Davey''s words. "U-Urine?! You pervert! Have you lost your mind?" "What good is refinement and following etiquette if it leads to your death? That''s why you should drink it before others see," Davey insisted. Finally realizing that Davey was not joking, Illyna clenched her teeth. Fortunately, she stopped protesting at this point. Perhaps it was because she, too, was a swordsman and the leader of the Whitebird, someone who had experienced various hardships and difficulties in battle. If she had been nothing more than a sheltered flower in the imperial family''s greenhouse, she would have beenpletely oblivious to the gravity of the situation. "I came here to receive divine punishment. However, you recklessly reached out to me and got involved. You must understand that it will take considerable time before we can escape this ce," Davey warned, causing her pupils to tremble. "And I''m telling you, even if I have to force you to consume something as repugnant as this, I will do it. It''s what''s necessary to ensure your safe exit." This was Davey''s way of expressing gratitude to Illyna, who had extended her hand without hesitation despite knowing that he was disappearing due to divine punishment. "Do we not know when we''ll be able to leave?" Illyna inquired. "We are being observed by certain individuals. There''s no need to reveal the obvious without reason. Just be patient," Davey replied. Davey believed it would be advantageous for him if those beings made the first contact. Well, they might assume that Davey had no knowledge of them whatsoever, but that was far from the truth. He thought it wouldn''t be a bad idea to show those arrogant bastards, who considered themselves judges, just how foolish they were for attempting to pass judgment on him. Chapter 343 Night fell swiftly in the desert, casting its dark veil over the aridndscape. Fortunately, Davey had stumbled upon arge rocky area, offering them respite from the scorching sun. Silently, he carried Illyna on his back as they made their way toward the sheltered refuge. The condition of the ce was not ideal for immediate rest, but if there was no suitable resting ce, why not create one? Utilizing a Fire st spell, Davey drilled a hole into a massive rock, fashioning a makeshift cave. He then collected the mmable parts of the Desert Horn Moths and other desert creatures he had captured, arranging them into a zing fire. ¡®Do you have any idea how difficult it is to start a fire in a desert without any trees?¡¯ Silence enveloped the night, with Illyna choosing to remain silent, perhaps out of consideration for not disturbing Davey. Despite her fatigue and exhaustion, she refused to utter a word, determined not to show any sign of weakness as she grew more at ease. In response, Davey quickened his pace, intentionally making it challenging for her. However, Illyna remained resolute. Then, she finally asked, "Davey... Do you understand the nature of divine punishment?" "I am well aware," he replied. "In that case... Those who receive divine punishment... What bes of them?" "It varies depending on the circumstances. What you witnessed is the usual oue, where they are reduced to ashes and judged on the spot. My situation is different." Indeed, Davey''s case was highly unusual. To put it simply, his actions warranted a higher level of judgment. There was a significant likelihood that he would endure eternal suffering within this space specifically created for his divine punishment. "Instances of great turmoil that disrupt the divine order are often dealt with swiftly, obliterating them on the spot. However, there are also punishments and judgments such as this," Davey exined. "So, are we going to die here?" Illyna asked, her voice filled with apprehension. "Your soul will be obliterated. What do you think? Isn''t it a clean solution?" Illyna''s expression turned shocked at his response. She buried her face in herp and murmured, "Belial... What he did... Did he choose it willingly?" "How would you like me to answer that?" Davey retorted. "If you dare suggest that you were the cause of it all, I''ll hit you." "Well, what can I say? I am indeed the cause," Davey admitted without denial. Punch!!! A fist flew toward Davey without hesitation, its sharpness and speed apparent. However, Davey calmly raised his palm and effortlessly blocked the punch, retorting, "I did not agree to being hit." "Mean bastard... He''s still a living being," Illyna muttered. "Are vampires any different?" Davey countered. Silence hung between them as Illyna struggled to respond to his challenging question, her tears welling up. "If you insist on your twisted and biased logic, I suggest you keep it to yourself," Davey coldly criticized, further unsettling the girl before him. "But..." "What right do you have to pass judgment on something he chose for himself?" "He''s pitiful..." Illyna finally managed to utter through her tears. "I don''t know much about him... but I couldn''t bear to see him die in vain... I didn''t save him only for him to meet that fate..." Such an emotional attachment to a life they had saved was amon sentiment among those who possessed medicinal skills. With limited experience in saving others, Illyna''s attachment had likely exceeded the norm in this case. "He epted my offer because he desired it. He found satisfaction in his fate," Davey stated. Silence pervaded the air, and Illyna, bound by her knight''s oath, understood the importance of showing respect. "Sacrifice is an overrated word," she murmured. "But you, more than anyone else, should understand how difficult it is for someone close to you to disappear." "You know nothing about me," Davey replied. "Isn''t that precisely why you protect others so fiercely? Your half-mad nature drives you to extreme measures in safeguarding those around you." Davey remained silent, absorbing her words. [Mother! Don¡¯t die! Please!] Memories of being cursed and ridiculed flooded Davey''s mind for no apparent reason. He remained silent but yfully ruffled Illyna''s hair. "Hey! What are you doing?!" she protested. "Stop talking nonsense," Davey replied. Illyna refrained from asking further questions. She had learned about Perserque''s existence through Caldeiras and respected Davey''s boundaries by not prying into Belial. Despite her frustration with Davey''s radical behavior, she understood that she had no right to question him or point fingers recklessly. After all, she was still an outsider. Davey focused on the meat in front of him. They were fortunate to have obtained desert monsters for food. Davey had skillfully processed the creatures, ensuring they were safe to eat. As Illyna observed Davey''s movements, a thought crossed her mind, and she cautiously asked, "Davey, will you protect everyone dear to you like this?" "...Losing someone is a terrible feeling," he admitted. "Then who will protect you?" Davey found himself momentarily speechless at the absurd question. "Protect me? From whom?" "Do you n to bear everything alone like this? I know you more than you think. As far as I can tell, no one knew about this n except Belial, right? Even Perserque, the beautiful Demon Lord, had no knowledge of it." "The more people who know, the more disadvantageous the n bes," Davey exined calmly. Illyna smiled helplessly at hisposed response. "I want to be stronger." Silence hung between them. "I want to be strong enough to hold onto someone and never lose them, just like you did this time," she continued silently. "And I will protect you, who protected everyone until the very end, even when no one came to protect you." Her bright smile caught Davey off guard, and she asked, "So, feeling better now?" Davey grinned, watching Illyna fidget. He chewed on the cooked meat of the edible monster, swallowed, and slowly rose to his feet. He remarked, "These bastards won''t even give me time to be emotional.¡± Illyna''s eyes widened at both Davey''s words and his manner of devouring the meat before him. Bewildered, she asked, "What are you talking about?" "They''ve arrived," Davey responded calmly, taking hold of the Transcendence Demise and stepping out of the cave. Illyna hastily grasped Caldeiras and trailed closely behind him. *** The ce to which Davey had been dragged was an illusion, a realm created by the will of God within her dreams. In other words, this fantasy world where Davey would face judgment was not an ordinary realm inhabited by humans. ng, ng, ng¡­ From a distance, hundreds, perhaps even more, of gigantic beings could be seen slowly marching toward them. In their hands, they held massive and sharp sickles attached to ck chains, seemingly meant for restraining someone. Despite therge number of beings, Davey felt that they were too few. However, what was truly strange was the cold and eerie aura emanating from each and every one of them. "Davey... What are they?" Illyna asked, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I don''t know either. I have never encountered anything like them before." However, one thing was certain to Davey. These beings, the inhabitants of this world, held deep hostility toward him and Illyna. Observing Davey casually twirl the Transcendence Demise and point the dragonheart toward the ground, Illyna''s anxiety grew. She voiced her concerns, "It doesn''t seem like they have good intentions, no matter how I look at it." There was no denying it. After all, they were specifically heading toward the cave where Illyna and Davey had taken shelter. If they weren''t their intended target, then who else could it be? "In schrly circles, it has long been believed that hawks are excellent medicine for those who struggle tomunicate. I''ll tidy up a bit and join you. Stay back," Illyna dered confidently as she followed closely behind Davey, who took a step forward, and drew Caldeiras, which was currently dormant. "I should be the one saying that line." "It hasn''t been that long since west talked, has it? I will protect you. Do as you please." Davey couldn''t help but wonder where she found such unwavering confidence. However, he could see that there was no way to dissuade her from her resolve. So, he abandoned his attempt to persuade her and forcefully stomped his foot on the ground. Bang!!! Sand flew out of the area as Davey shot forward. ¡ªGrrrr! The bastards in front of Davey snarled and swung their sickles, intent on attacking him. The formidable weapons, with their sharp and menacing des attached to thick and heavy chains, could be considered quite impressive. Davey swiftly twisted his body, narrowly evading the swinging sickles. His form grazed against the chains as he gathered mana on the tip of the Transcendence Demise, delivering a powerful strike to one of the creatures. As he approached closer, he noticed that these creatures, adorned in fur pelts, had a single eye on their faces. They also sported sharp fangs and robust horns atop their heads. Based on their appearance, they resembled dokkaebis, beings often found in fairy tales and folklore. ¡®Who¡¯s the best mage? The battle mage.¡¯ Davey sted one of the dokkaebi¡¯s head off. However, a strange feeling lingered in his hands, prompting him to activate his status window. ¡°F*cking sick.¡± There was no way that someone as small-minded as Goddess Freyja would allow Davey to roam freely in this ce so easily. [Davey O¡¯Rowane is prohibited from killing.] Originally, the attack could have easily left a huge crater behind. However, the head did not even explode. This was due to the restrictions imposed by Goddess Freyja''s power, which prevented Davey from killing. Instead of creating a crater, the dokkaebi stood up andunched another attack. Davey felt as if his limbs would be severed by the chains that unpredictablyshed at him the moment he lowered his guard. The peculiar thing was that Davey''s attacks seemed to pass through the creatures, as if they were mere illusions. No matter what he did, it seemed like he was fighting a losing battle. [Longsword] [Great Spinning sh] sh!!! Then, the sound of something being shed by a sharp object reached Davey''s ears. However, it wasn''t Davey who hadunched the attack, but Illyna. When it came to offense, Davey surpassed his enemies by far. However, due to his restrictions, he couldn''t inflict any injuries on them. On the other hand, Goddess Freyja had no reason or grounds to restrict Illyna, someone who had simply been caught up in this judgment. Unlike Davey, who was in the defendant''s position, Illyna was essentially an outsider in this world. Quietly manipting his mana, Davey gripped the Transcendence Demise tightly in his hand, his thoughts drifting in that direction. Muscle reinforcement, speed enhancement, mana shield. With his abundant and overpowering mana, he cast several buff spells that a mage could cast onto Illyna. "Illyna, take a deep breath." "Heup!" She drew her heavy sword, which felt as weighty as lead, and followed Davey''s instructions without hesitation. "Rx your wrists. Let your thighs endure." Thud!!! "Now, swiftly draw your sword and deliver the most powerful and weighty downward sh you can muster." [Transcendental Longsword] [Mystical Speed, Quick Draw] [Piercing Moonlight Sword] As she swiftly drew her sword, a heavy pressure enveloped the surroundings. So what if Davey couldn''t cut them down? Illyna could assist him in doing so. "Look! What did I tell you?! Didn''t I say I''ll protect you?! I don''t know why you were so confident about fighting earlier when you can''t even do anything to them, but this strangely feels good, Davey! Hahahahahaha!" Davey couldn''tprehend what was so enjoyable about doing something he was restricted from doing. Well, he didn''t understand what was going on in her mind, but she appeared genuinely happy with her actions. Illyna beamed brightly, identifying her opponents and swinging her aura de with wild abandon. True to her words, Davey currently had no means to deal with them. In truth, it wasn''t entirely impossible for him if he wanted to. However, he believed that further offending Goddess Freyja would put him at a disadvantage. And that was something he deemed highly inefficient. Meanwhile, Illyna, who relentlessly cut down the dokkaebis, was growing as a Sword Master. Her progress was remarkable. Despite only witnessing the sword strike once, she had the talent to make the skill her own. It was as if she was proving that she wasn''t the descendant of the Sword God for nothing, disying an unexpectedly fast growth rate. Before long, she stood between Davey and the dokkaebis, shouting, "You have to go through me if you want to harm Davey!" The dokkaebis were generally at a level that Illyna could handle, so it wasn''t overly challenging for her. As for Davey? He was restricted due to the goddess''s wrath for his actions. Thus, he had no choice but to keep his hands at bay and observe. "Well, do your best." "You have to grant one of my wishes if we make it out of here." "I''ll probably consider it." At Davey''s response, Illyna released a wave of blue mana, seemingly content with that answer. Then, she prepared tounch another attack, following the initial movements of her leading skill. However... Bang!!! The serene sands of the desert suddenly twisted and contorted as a massive snake, tens of meters in length, emerged. Simultaneously, Davey thought he should provide a little stimtion to those cursed monitors that still peeped at them like perverted voyeurs amidst this chaos. "Goodness... why is that thing so enormous?" Illyna wondered, gripping Caldeiras'' hilt tightly. "Davey... You can''t kill those monsters right now, can you?" "..." "I believe we should retreat for now... That opponent doesn''t seem easy to deal with." In response to her words, Davey casually stretched out his hand. He exined, "Prohibition on Killing." "What?" "This is the penalty imposed by Goddess Freyja upon me." In essence, it meant that no matter how powerful the strike, his adversaries would never die. "However, do you know what this implies?" Confused by Davey''s question, Illyna tilted her head. Meanwhile, the colossal snake slithered among the dokkaebis, lunging forward as if it aimed to swallow Davey in one gulp. "Even if I strike them relentlessly, they won''t perish. In simple terms, they''re the perfect sandbags." Had they set up this trap to trap Davey, rendering him helpless? Unfortunately for them, Davey firmly believed that if they blocked route one, he would take route two. And if they attempted to obstruct route two, then he would pursue route three and devour them whole. Thud!!! Davey unleashed a powerful punch at the swiftly approaching snake, sending it crashing to the ground. With its fang firmly grasped, he wore a pitiful smile and uttered, "Lead us to the judges or trial supervisors who sent you." There was no reason for Davey to follow their orchestrated trial. Besides, with this massive snake, they would be able to traverse the vast desert in no time. In the standard procedure of intimidation and threats, showcasing one''s power and asserting demands came first. If the opposition refused toply, it was crucial to demonstrate that actions spoke louder than words. Of course, the gigantic snake had no intention of heeding Davey''s words, even if it understood them. It lunged at him once more, disying its ferocity by opening its mouth wide as if to swallow him whole, despite his grip on its fang, keeping its head in ce. Undeterred, Davey seized Red Ribbon and fearlessly stabbed the snake''s gums, an eerie smile gracing his face as he remarked, "You don''t want to cooperate? That''s fine. We have plenty of time together. It just so happens that I need someone to help me relieve some stress, and your size makes you a perfect candidate. Let''s have some fun, shall we?" With deftness acquired through battling dragons in the past, Davey extracted hundreds of teeth from the snake. The simple task of extracting teeth from a lesser creature like a snake posed no challenge for him. "Although weck anesthesia, there''s no need to fret. I''ll ensure a clean extraction by snapping them off neatly." For a moment, Davey sensed a trembling quality in the eerie yellow eyes of the giant snake. Perhaps it wasn''t mere imagination. After all, the snake exuded a simr aura to that of a divine beast. However, the issue at hand was that Davey possessed great confidence in dealing with mythical-ss creatures. ¡®From what I heard, snake soup is really good for one¡¯s stamina.¡¯ Davey intended to make the snake realize that its inability toprehend his words was actually a fortunate circumstance. Chapter 344 Bang!!! Compared to the enemies they had encountered thus far, the number of dokkaebis wielding sharp sickles with ck chains was smaller. However, the danger emanating from each of them was slightly distinct, to the extent that it felt strangely menacing. Shwaa!!! Illyna took a deep breath as she witnessed the dokkaebis falling, their bodies drenched in crimson blood. "Is it because of this ce...? Somehow, they''re harder to deal with.¡± Her mana wasn''t faring well in this environment. The consumption here was ridiculously high. Even though she was employing the same techniques as in their world, her mana reserves were depleting rapidly. Nevertheless, Illyna couldn''t afford to stop. If sheid down her sword, the only one capable of eliminating their enemies would vanish. She had to persist under Davey''s guidance, for she alone could protect him. Strangely, Davey''s attacks weren''t inflicting fatal injuries. Hence, this time... ¡®Finally, I''ll be able to put that arrogant bastard in his ce!¡¯ The disparity in their strength didn''t matter. Illyna was already content with extending her hand to him in his time of need. Without questioning why she found satisfaction in assisting Davey, she amplified her efforts to overpower the dokkaebis effortlessly. Shwaa! "Ugh!" During the process, she sustained a minor injury. However, that was just the beginning. In the midst of this never-ending battle, she was able to grow at an astonishing rate. Despite her almost mechanical movements in dispatching the dokkaebis, she suddenly noticed that their numbers had significantly dwindled. With the dokkaebis posing less of a threat, Illyna finally became aware of the presence of the most dangerous opponent¡ªthe gigantic snake. As she turned her head to assess the snake''s situation, she was surprised to find that the once overwhelmingly powerful creature had vanished. Only Davey remained. "Davey?" The snake had clearly disyed intense fury, as if it would devour Davey without hesitation. So, where did it go? Illyna tightened her grip on Caldeiras, whose power had diminished after ying the Demon Lord, and cautiously approached him. "What?" "Stay calm." "..." An incredulous expression briefly crossed Illyna''s face as she hurried toward Davey. Then, she scrutinized him from head to toe. "That... you didn''t just toss it away as a joke, did you?" "It''s true." "Why am I even asking? Ha... But more importantly, where''s the gigantic snake?" "It fled." Illyna looked perplexed upon hearing Davey''sposed response. She inquired, "Wait, weren''t you nning to ride on it?" Unbeknownst to her, she was slowly assimting and following Davey''s unorthodox path. In response to Illyna''s awkward question, Davey revealed a rope made of light, obtained from an unknown source. "It needs some education," Davey remarked as he tugged on the light rope firmly. Tighten!!! Thud!!! ¡ªHiiiiiiisss!!!! The desperate cry of a snake resounded loudly from somewhere. "You brat, where do you think you''re going? You''ve barely taken a few hits, and now you''re running off to find your mommy? Why are you so weak? Get back here!" Thump, thump, thump!!! Illyna couldn''t help but think that the person standing before her was truly a monster, witnessing him effortlessly pulling the gigantic snake out of the sand. *** Giving the slightest glimmer of hope to the tormented opponent was the most effective way to shatter their mind and spirit. Unlike the dokkaebis, who relentlessly attacked their target devoid of emotions, this snake, which Davey believed to be the imoogi [1], disyed a sense of fear. This indicated that the imoogi was a higher being with emotions. "You''re still going to watch? In that case, what''s your judgment based on the current situation?" Davey taunted, locking eyes with the imoogi as he dragged it along the sandy ground. "Care for an encore?" ¡ªHiiiiiiisss!!! The imoogi''s pupils quivered, its body trembling as Davey gently stroked its scales. The imoogi was fully aware of the stark size disparity between them. After all, it was enormous enough to devour the human before it in a single gulp. Yet, having experienced a few strikes, it understood that this was not the end. It couldn''t contend with the diminutive human standing before it. That''s why it made a desperate attempt to escape. "You must be thrilled to be pulled back, aren''t you?" ¡ªHiiiiisssss!!! ¡°Goodness, even if you don¡¯t like it¡­¡± p!!! "You must endure it.¡± The imoogi''s body spasmed, writhing in a desperate struggle from the powerful blow it had received. "Why are you making such a fuss? You won''t die either way, will you? It will only hurt a bit," Davey remarked. His objective was to deliver a strike powerful enough to kill the imoogi in one blow. Yet, due to the restriction imposed by Goddess Freyja, no matter how forceful or heavy his attacks were, no actual damage would be inflicted. However, the excruciating pain from each sessive strike would undoubtedly be overwhelming. In essence, Davey''s approach was to inflict pain worse than death. It was, simply put, the most effective method. Punch!!! Punch!!! ¡°Hey! Hey! Come here, you bastard! What are you doing, huh?¡± ¡ªHiiiiisssss!!! ¡°You, what did you just say? Come here, you punk!¡± Punch!!! Punch!!! The imoogi could barely manage a dry gulp amidst Davey''s relentless onught. The pain was excruciating, driving it to the point of wishing for death, yet it remained unable to die. Meanwhile, Davey was certain that if he continued holding onto the imoogi for much longer, Goddess Freyja would impose sanctions upon him. Taking that into consideration, he had made ns ordingly. However, it appeared that the goddess had ceased her interference. Davey spected that there must be a limit to how much she could meddle, so she was likely assessing the situation before imposing any further restrictions. Yet, there was also the possibility that this infuriating goddess intended to manipte Davey into doing something else under the guise of divine punishment. Could there be something more to it? The circumstances that led Davey to be limited in his use of power reminded him of a deeply unsettling n. However, he promptly dismissed the thought by shaking his head. Surely, it couldn''t be like that, right? That was what Davey desperately wanted to believe. He was unaware of any other motives, but if Goddess Freyja had orchestrated everything to ask something of him, then there could only be one thing. "I don''t think that''s the case." "Huh? What?" Illyna asked, puzzled. "The divine punish... Hmm? It''s nothing," Davey responded calmly, his gaze fixed upon the trembling imoogi that had copsed before him on the ground. The imoogi, a highly intelligent creature, hade to a realization of its predicament. Understanding that Davey would not release its hold, and feeling the immense weight and overwhelming pressure he exerted, the imoogi made the choice to submit and obey. ¡ªHiiiisssss¡­ The imoogi let out a desperate cry as it bowed down before Davey, causing a smirk to form on the human''s face. "You should listen when others are still speaking nicely," Davey said calmly, then turning to Illyna. "Let''s go. There are a total of seven gates. This is just the beginning. The more we drag things out here, the more annoying it gets." Illyna tightly held onto Davey''s hands and carefully climbed onto the imoogi''s head. Davey held onto her firmly to ensure she wouldn''t fall as he twisted the hair that had sprouted on the imoogi''s head. "Let''s go, Poppy." Beads of cold sweat dotted the imoogi''s head as it freaked out upon hearing Davey give it a dog''s name. It was quite remarkable to see a scaled creature sweat like that. Perhaps it was a special talent? "Kyaaaack! It''s too fast!" "You''ll get used to it in no time." "Ugh..." Initially slow, the imoogi gradually picked up an astonishing speed. Illyna, taken aback by the sudden eleration, clung tighter to Davey''s arms. Over time, she grew ustomed to the speed, her eyes widening in awe as she witnessed the imoogi soaring through the skies using an intangible power. "Wow..." Though all they could see was endless sand, the aerial view was still breathtaking. A shimmering river came into their sight, flowing amidst the vast expanse. "..." While Davey silently observed their surroundings, Illyna seemed captivated by the simple beauty of the scenery. She asked, "Davey! What''s that over there?" "The River of Souls. It''s like a gxyposed of the souls of the deceased." "That?!" "Quasar." "That, over there?! Isn''t that the God of Night Creas'' Tears?!" "What God of the Night? That''s just a ck hole. Can''t you see the ck object in the center? It possesses immense gravitational force and absorbs light. Its surroundings only appear bright." Was this supposed to make sense? But this was the reality before them. "A ck hole?" "That''s correct. It''s a celestial body. Wherever one exists, that ce would bepletely devoid of life." "Hmmm..." Despite the presence of a quasar, an astronomical body emitting blinding and powerful light, there was also a nearby ck hole disying immense gravitational force. This ce was filled with phenomena that would typically be nonexistent in the world. Well, the scenery was undeniably beautiful. It seemed Illyna was content to etch this beauty into her memories rather than seeking answers to the doubts arising in her mind. "You asked if I had gone crazy, right?" Illyna looked up at Davey after admiring the phenomena scattered across the sky. "I believe being able to witness this view is enough for me to risk my life." "So, you''ve truly lost it." Illyna yfully stuck her tongue out at Davey in response to his words. ¡ªHiiiiisssss!!! The surroundingndscape began to change gradually, as if signaling their departure from the desert. And there, at the edge of thend, stood a massive gate. "How...? Once we enter through this enormous gate, we won''t be able to leave, right?" Davey listened to Illyna''s observations while silently surveying their surroundings. The hostile stares of those individuals who had been watching them vanished the moment they mounted the imoogi. Slitheeeer¡­ The imoogi made an immediate attempt to slither away, but Davey grabbed onto its beard, preventing its escape. "Where do you think you''re going? I don''t know much about this ce, so I won''t let you run away until I find a way out of this world, understand?" Upon hearing Davey''s words, the imoogi''s eyes gradually grew unfocused. Davey didn''t particrly care about its reaction since it wasn''t a divine beast that he had nurtured himself. Creaaaaaaaak!!! The huge gate slowly creaked open as a ring red light leaked from the other side. ng, ng, ng, ng! A chain suddenly shot out from the other side and tightly wrapped around Illyna. By the time Davey regained his senses, he was greeted by a horrifying sight beyond the gate. "..." Before himy nothing but a vision of hell. "Oh my... What in the world is this?" "..." The ground was adorned with countless spears and swords, impaling souls that appeared to be human and writhing in agony. [Creating a terrifying and horrifying scene proves to be an effective method of pressuring the defendant undergoing the trial.] That was what Davey thought. It appeared that Goddess Freyja had utilized the memories she borrowed from Davey to their fullest extent for this purpose. ¡°Wee. This is the First Trial¡¯s territory, the ce that judges the soul, the Boundary of [Death].¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you''re alive or dead; once you set foot in this ce, the work you''ve done and the life you have lived will be judged by the Lord of Death.¡± ¡°For those deemed innocent, you will safely enter the territory of the next judge.¡± ¡°For those judged guilty, you will suffer in this hellish ce.¡± Davey raised his head upon hearing the arrogant tone. There, he saw a being exuding great momentum, apanied by four men who appeared to be twin pairs, standing beside him as if assisting him. The two pairs of twins, engaged in a ry-like conversation, suddenly ceased and spat out the same words, "How dare you raise your head? The one receiving judgment should bow in the presence of the judge, Death himself." Davey covered Illyna''s eyes to shield her from witnessing the suffering, bleeding, and pain of those around them. "Cover your ears." Illyna raised her trembling hands and immediately covered her ears at Davey''smand. To ensure she wouldn''t open her eyes, Davey cast a Blind spell on her before carrying her. He gently tilted her head upward to minimize the shock. The figure before Davey was a narrow-minded judge who based his judgments on assumptions rather than considering both sides of the situation. He didn''t even bother to nce at the full picture before reaching a verdict. Davey wiped any expression off his face and slowly looked up at the Judge of Karma¡ªa gigantic dokkaebi. The judge gazed back at Davey,pletely devoid of emotion, resembling a machine. "Right. You''re going to judge me?" "..." The two pairs of twins attempted to wield the gigantic halberds in their hands, but they froze and fell silent when they witnessed the giant dokkaebi shift his gaze. "What should I call you?" "Impudent! The One that will Receive Judgment, show courtesy to the Judge!" Illyna startled at the sudden emergence of the heavy and overwhelming pressure emanating from the figure before them. However, Davey steadied her and responded silently, "Courtesy? Why should I bother with such an inconvenience in front of a judge who haphazardly pronounces beings as criminals?" Baaaaang!!! Chains swiftly flew from all directions, tightly binding Davey''s body the moment a resounding bang reverberated throughout the area. "The Chain of Karma shall determine your guilt or innocence. The more lives you have taken, the redder the chain shall be. If you are innocent, the chains shall remain ck." The chains restraining Davey instantaneously turned crimson as those words concluded. "Guilty," one of the four men dered nonchntly, as if delivering a sentence. "So, what is the verdict?" In response to Davey''s question, the silent judge finally said, "The One that will Receive Judgment, state your name." "Davey O''Rowane." "The One that will Receive Judgment, Davey O''Rowane. You have shed too much blood andmitted heinous acts. This is your verdict." 1. a gigantic snake capable of evolving into a dragon ? Chapter 345 The dokkaebi judge slowly opened his mouth again. "The One that Will Receive Judgment, Davey O''Rowane. You will be given a chance to speak before your judgment is finalized." "What is your reason for giving me the chance?" Davey asked. "I believe you know it better," the judge replied. Davey nodded quietly, his gaze shifting around the surroundings. "Kill... me..." "Anguish..." These beings, screaming in pain and anguish after being pierced through by the des of hell, were probably the ones who had received judgment before Davey. He had no way of knowing if they were beings that had originally existed or were just created in this dream world. However, there was one thing he was certain of. "When ites to someone''s judgment, how do you judge them?" Davey inquired. "Judgment is made by weighing the karma of the One that will Receive Judgment. It is my responsibility as the judge overseeing the Karma of the [Dead]," the judge exined. "What are your criteria?" Davey questioned further. "The taking of another''s life," the judge responded. Davey grinned. "Then that means someone''s karma will inevitably grow if they identally step on an ant, right?" "Just because you and the ant are of different sizes does not mean you have any reason to step on them," the judge stated. Those words made it clear to Davey that this was apletely unreasonable world where logic did not exist. Since that was the case, he had no qualms about what he would do next. Silently, Davey created a fireball in his hands. "The One that Will Receive Judgment! Davey O''Rowane! What do you think you''re doing here?!" The jury eximed as they watched him y with the fireball. Though the power he had umted in his body might have been lost upon entering this ce, the power in his soul remained. For Davey, who had been slowly regaining his powers due to the stark disconnect between his body and soul, his soul being unleashed like this provided him with the freedom to do as he pleased. "This is my final question, Judge in charge of the murderer''s karma," Davey dered. ¡°...¡± "What right do you have to pass judgment upon me?" Crack. The sound of something breaking and shattering faintly rang in Davey''s ears. In the first ce, they had no qualifications to pass judgment. "Kill or be killed. How do you judge people in situations like that?" Davey questioned. "Thews stipte that those who bring harm to others will be judged in the same manner once they die ande to this ce," the judge responded. "And what qualifications do you have to pass judgment and make such decisions?" Davey challenged. "What?" the judge reacted. "I took care of and dealt with the person who harmed me. Do I have any reason to entrust such matters to you? You are not even one of those shameless and brazen gods. You are merely pretending to be one. You do not have the right to judge others," Davey asserted. Upon hearing Davey''s words, the two pairs of twins from the jury jumped up. Then, a huge spark emerged between them as their skin turned a bright purple. Slowly, their bodies began to merge until they fullybined together. ¡®If youbine two magistrates, then¡­ Hmm. That¡¯s not it.¡¯ The four members of the jury quickly merged, emitting a powerful energy from theirbined bodies. Then, the dokkaebi judge slowly rose from his seat and grasped the gigantic saw knife by his side. All the tortured beings, suffering in pain, vanished as if they were nothing but illusions when a massive spark appeared and consumed the ce. The once hellish location transformed into an empty space. Witnessing this, Davey immediately released his hold on Illyna, simultaneously dispelling the blinding light magic he had cast on her. "The One who Will Receive Judgment. By choosing this path, you have forsaken the path of reincarnation," the judge dered. "That''s where you''re wrong, you judgmental bastard," Davey retorted. mes erupted, engulfing the dokkaebi judge''s body as he wielded the gigantic saw knife. With his power unleashed, the empty space turned crimson, withva appearing and flowing throughout as the previously cool and refreshing air burned away into nothingness. These mes were no ordinary fire; they were mes that consumed the soul. "Firstly, I am in my spiritual state, not dead. I am merely a wanderer sent to this ce by the will of someone of higher rank, a rank you can''t even fathom. And secondly, it doesn''t matter whether you acquit me or convict me. I am someone who never had a path to reincarnation in the first ce," Davey dered. Illyna looked at Davey in shock and awe upon hearing his words. However, he didn''t give her any time to process as he embraced her, holding her hands tightly and cing Caldeiras in her grasp, activating it and pointing its de toward the judge. "What are you doing?!" Illyna eximed, her face turning red. But her resistance quickly subsided as she heard Davey''s next words. "Stay still. I will teach you the Sword Maniption Technique," Davey instructed. In response, she shouted, "Use me however you want! I''m ready!" In simple terms, what was happening here was... "This is nothing but the rightful punishment for those who attempted to deceive the world''s providence..." "If there are unjust and corruptws, we must tear them apart and amend them immediately." Was an unfairw even considered aw? Indeed, unfairws should be abolished and amended to serve everyone. However, those whocked the power to do so could only live inpliance with suchws. No one had the right to judge someone as good or evil based on such ludicrous standards. With those standards, the winner between two individuals seeking to kill each other would be deemed good, while the loser would be med and considered evil. "Come. Show me your resolve!" Davey challenged. The mes enveloping the dokkaebi judge''s entire body began to flicker as Death Energy seeped through his pores. The dokkaebi''s divine mes were not ordinary mes; they were transcendental in nature. Normally, fighting against water or mes was already challenging. However, the difficulty was further heightened due to the ridiculous penalty imposed on Davey by Goddess Freyja, prohibiting him from killing. This meant that Davey couldn''t deal with the situation solely with his own hands. As always, quick-witted Illyna understood Davey''s intentions. And because of that, Davey didn''t need to handle everything personally. ¡®From what I can gather, Goddess Freyja intends to force me to break the taboo in this ce.¡¯ There was a strong possibility that she hoped Davey would break the taboo and lift her divine restriction, allowing her to unleash her powers and act freely. If he did so, she would have a justification to tighten her leash on him. Goddess Freyja, who had ced Davey in this predicament, must have assessed that her control over him had weakened. As a result, she chose to restrict Davey and reinforce her hold on him. Was it a divine punishment? That was merely an excuse. "Close your eyes and follow the movements of my body. Rx," Davey instructed, waiting ten seconds after she closed her eyes before proceeding. He gradually activated the holy mana within his body. This served as evidence that the ce did not impede his usage of holy mana. In an instant, a tremendous amount of holy mana flowed around him. Davey remained unaware of the intricacies of the Demon Lord''s power, making it somewhat challenging to harness it at this moment. Therefore, he chose not to utilize it. Additionally, holy mana that emted the power of a higher-ranking divine being would be effective against foes like the dokkaebi before him. Awoooooooo!!! The first to attack was the purple giant wolf, formed after one pair of twins from the jury merged. The several-meter-high wolf vanished in an instant, only to reappear with its mouth wide open, seemingly eager to swallow Davey whole. "Urgh..." The force it exerted was immense, so much so that it began to disrupt the gravitational field of the space, causing unease and nervousness in Illyna. However, Davey paid no attention to it. He simply allowed Illyna to follow his movements as he grasped her hands holding the sword. He was confident that by demonstrating it once, Illyna would be able to learn it. With her exceptional talent in swordsmanship, Illyna had the potential to grow even further if given the opportunity. Her talent was unmatched. However, mastering such advanced sword maniption to assist Davey was a different matter. It would undoubtedly take her a significant amount of time to fully grasp and learn the technique, despite her remarkable abilities. Davey moved Illyna''s hands slowly and gently, guiding the spinning motion of Caldeiras and releasing it into the air above them. Vwoooong!!! At the same time, the holy mana extended from Davey''s body and gradually merged with Illyna''s mana, blending together until they became one. Thebined holy mana enveloped the sword body of Caldeiras, causing it to float in the air. Davey then directed the sword''s tip towards the charging gigantic wolf. "Ah..." Illyna eximed, closing her eyes and experiencing the unexpected yet natural and precise movement of the holy mana within her body. Her flushed cheeks and slightly parted mouth revealed herplete fascination. However, Davey should have realized that Illyna''s reaction wasn''t solely due to the state of the sword, but for another reason... As the wolf drew closer, Davey unleashed the united andpressed holy mana, his hands moving slowly on Illyna''s hands. A tremendous and dazzling sh erupted, engulfing the surroundings and cleaving the purple wolf, which had aimed for Davey''s neck, in half. But the surge of sword energy didn''t stop there. It continued its trajectory, piercing through the air and reaching the body of the colossal dokkaebi judge, who wielded a massive saw axe. "It appears the scales are tipping in this direction, don''t you think?" Davey remarked. ¡°...¡± "By judging others as evil based on your own biased standards, you have be one of those evils." Ultimately, the judgment of good and evil depended on the oue of one''s victories or defeats. Davey might be self-centered, but he would never lose a fight, whether it meant remaining good or turning to evil. What if he were to lose? Then he would indeed be evil. Such was the nature of life for all beings in this world, a rule they lived by. It also answered the question of whether Davey preferred to bully others rather than liberate them through death. *** In this unidentified world, Davey immediately recognized that it was far from being a typical realm. The sight of the River of Souls confirmed his suspicions that this was not the ordinary underworld. Instead, it was nothing more than a crude replica of the afterlife. Consequently, the existence of proper rules in this world was out of the question. With the demise of the dokkaebi judge, the overseer of the Dead''s Karma, a significant transformation urred. The multitude of condemned souls, subjected to dreadful punishments, were suddenly liberated, causing a massive dispersion of souls that scattered in every direction. Boooooooom! Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack! Simultaneously, the region engulfed in mes and the deste desert, both territories without an owner, began to crumble and copse. "Could this be considered as theplete annihtion of the world?" "Indeed. This world has lost its purpose and its intended targets.¡± "Just like that, the world that existed within the realm of the gods'' dreams... Ah, you truly surpass understanding.¡± It was understandable. Davey had, after all, obliterated a world to make his own stand. "Ordinarily, the deceasedck the power to exact vengeance upon judges in this manner. Most of a living being''s power resides within their physical form." While it was possible to store power within the soul, the amount paled inparison to what resided within the body. When Illyna and Davey crossed the gates of judgment, they were considered deceased. Consequently, their physical powers were restricted, and they could only utilize the strength of their souls. However, Davey''s situation differed. His soul had been fortified within the Hall after departing from his body. Moreover, Davey was not known for his physical prowess but rather his mental strength. With his body restrained and limited, the disparity between his soul and body vanished, allowing the power within his soul to awaken fully. Even though he was prohibited from killing, it was not overly challenging for him to eliminate such adversaries. He simply needed to employ Illyna''s body as a vessel for his own power. It was a convoluted and twisted logic, but circumstances forced him to employ such peculiar reasoning. As Davey clutched Illyna tightly, they ascended higher into the air, looking down upon the sea of moltenva and flowing rocks beneath them. It was evident that Goddess Freyja''s will had interjected itself into the realm of death presided over by the dokkaebi and the four jury members, intending to eliminate all living beings within. The concept of eradicating that which was deemed no longer useful was prevalent in this scenario. "Speaking of Goddess Freyja..." "Yes?" "I find her to be unexpectedly ruthless. Don''t you agree?" "I can''t say for certain, but once you discover the truth, you may no longer view Goddess Freyja as the benevolent deity you once believed her to be. It would be best to retain your current perception." To Goddess Freyja, humans were merely one of the races inhabiting the world she cherished. Despite being revered as a benevolent deity, her actions couldn''t be unequivocally deemed as benevolence. Her ultimate objective was to safeguard the world and maintain the delicate equilibrium between life and death. If someone from the Holy Empire, who regarded Goddess Freyja as the patron deity of humans, were to hear such a statement, they would immediately cry sphemy and potentially ignite a war. "What is the name of the Sword Maniption Technique you demonstrated earlier?" Illyna inquired. "It''s called Splitting the Stars," Davey replied. It was a technique that resembled a sword descending from the heavens, effortlessly cleaving through anything in its path. Considered one of the most challenging techniques within the Longsword discipline, its effectiveness varied greatly depending on the practitioner''s skill. "I honestly have no idea," Illyna admitted calmly. While she had been confident in her ability to learn anything Davey taught her, the overwhelmingplexity of the sword technique left her feeling despondent. She recognized that her experience was still insufficient to attempt mastering such a technique. "But I don''t believe it''s impossible," Illyna said, mustering a smile. However, her smile quickly faded as she solemnly expressed her hope, "I pray that those who have umted good karma but received unjust judgment find their way to a favorable destination." Illyna bitterly observed the departing souls, knowing that despite being used as mere test subjects by Davey, they would inevitably be reborn and granted new lives. This amalgamation of souls contained both the virtuous and the wicked, yet the biased judge of this world had disregarded this fact. Soon after, a fissure materialized in the sky. Davey swiftly elerated and hurled himself into the rift, venturing toward the new world. "I''ve heard there are seven trials. That means we have six more gates to pass before leaving this ce." "Will you be alright? You mentioned that you can only depart if you''re acquitted." "If it doesn''t work, I''ll just overturn everything like I did earlier." Of course, unless Goddess Freyja decided to intervene once again. "What if Goddess Freyja decides to intervene?" "That''s highly unlikely. However, if by some chance she does, we''ll devise a strategy that best suits the situation," Davey exined. Illyna was taken aback by Davey''s words. "Is it dangerous?" "Well, half of our sess will depend on luck." There was always the possibility that things wouldn''t go entirely in Davey''s favor. If that were to ur, he would have no option but to resort to the methods he had diligently concealed. During his time learning survival skills from Hercules, it had be customary for them to engage in conversations. [A powerful enemy threatens your home! What will you do?] [The answer to that is very simple. Stopping the enemy¡¯s attack is nothing but a mere stopgap measure. The best course of action is¡­] [Hunt your enemy before it could even pose a threat to your home and survival.] Following that teaching, Davey found himselfpelled to learn the overpowering yet reckless body reinforcement method. This method was none other than the same technique used by a monstrous being capable of casually shrugging off world-catastrophic-level magic attacks with their bare body. Chapter 346: Taboo’s Karma The world beyond the crack bore a striking resemnce to the realm governed by the judge overseeing death. The desert remained the same as before. "Oh my god... It''s hot. So hot..." Illyna murmured, tormented by the intense heat. She contemted removing one of her outer garments to find some relief. As a member of the Imperial Family, she had received education in etiquette and culture, and the mere thought of undressing in front of a person of the opposite sex was unthinkable. However, the scorching heat put her in a predicament. In the end, she made the decision to remove her outer garment, revealing the sleeveless outfit beneath. "Phew... That''s better." The fact that even a Sword Master could not withstand the sweltering heat indicated that the temperature was so extreme that ordinary humans would only be able to endure it for a few minutes at most. Davey raised his hand and employed a magic spell to measure the temperature of their surroundings. The level of heat? Extremely, unbearably high. "What''s that?" "A temperature-measuring magic." "Hmm... So, what''s the temperature?" "It''s the perfect temperature for getting steamed to death." Davey observed as the petals on the buds that bloomed at the tips of his fingers slowly unfurled. After assessing their number, he closed his eyes gradually. Then, he retrieved a waterskin from his pocket ne and extended it to Illyna. "Make sure to keep yourself hydrated." "I... I don''t want to..." "If you wish to survive in this ce, you must." Davey''s words coerced Illyna into epting the waterskin, her eyes welling up with tears. Eventually, the tears cascaded down her cheeks the moment she opened the cap and caught a whiff of the scent. "It smells absolutely dreadful..." "It has a strong chestnut flower fragrance, which may be somewhat challenging to bear. However, it will undoubtedly keep you hydrated." ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Illyna could only grit her teeth, closing her eyes and biting on the opening of the waterskin to suck its contents into her mouth. "Urk!" Illyna vomited, a gloomy and depressed expression shing on her face as she expelled about half of what she had drunk. "So sorry..." "It''s your first time. Everyone needs enough time to get used to it." Davey silently left Illyna, who was ring at the waterskin, behind and began summoning the spirit mana within his body. He wasn''t sure if he could summon Gnoass or Eim in this ce, but it was worth a try. Bzzz, bzzz... bzzz!!! Before long, a small spark danced lightly in his hands as grains of sand gathered in his palms. It seemed like the spirits were responding to his call. However... Fwoooooosh. The sand waspletely crushed and destroyed. "Hey, Davey. You can use magic, right? There must be some kind of water magic that can draw moisture from the air around us..." "Let''s move on." "Hey!!!" Illyna jumped up in surprise, realizing that she had been deceived. Her mouth, wide open as if to attack Davey, was filled with the stench of the Desert Horn Moth''s fluids that she had just drunk. "..." Illyna immediately withdrew, covering her mouth as her face turned red, tears welling up as she cried, "I have never experienced something so shameful in my entire life..." Feeling utterly embarrassed, tears threatened to stream down her cheeks once again. Davey silently reached into his Pocket ne and pulled out a bottle filled with water. Fwoooosh... Perhaps due to the lingering power in this ce, the water bottle in Davey''s hands instantly turned to dust as he took it out of his Pocket ne. Holy power was the prevailing force in this ce. It meant that Goddess Freyja had imposed restrictions on Davey, forbidding him from retrieving food and water supplies from his Pocket ne. For a moment, Davey couldn''t help but wonder what Freyja hoped to gain by subjecting him to such unfavorable conditions, aplex mix of emotions swirling in his chest. ¡ªKiiiik? Then, a strange cry floated into Davey''s ears. Illyna, who had been sobbing while rubbing away her tears with the back of her hands, lifted her face and gazed in the direction from which the sound hade. "What''s that?" When Davey turned to look, he saw a huge ck bird about half the size of a human calmly observing him. ¡ªKiiiik? The bird, which made eye contact with Davey for a few silent moments, tilted its head and let out another strange cry. Silently and slowly, Illyna stood up from the ground at the sudden appearance of the gigantic bird. She approached Davey and tried to say something but immediately shut her mouth. ¡®Well, a person¡¯s mouth can smell like insect fluids. So what?¡¯ "What? Is the judge presiding over this world over there?" Davey opened his mouth, maintaining eye contact with the bird. "How can a bird possibly answer you?" Illyna asked, a giggle bubbling out of her mouth. However, the bird nodded in response, causing her to release a strange cry of her own, "Kyaack!" Illyna immediately grabbed Davey''s arm, frowning at the bird''s bizarre actions and behavior. [This is a ce that judges your greed. I am the judge who judges your Greed''s Karma.] The voice that rang in their ears was the crisp and bright voice of a young boy. "Is that so?" [The realm of the judge who presides over death has copsed. Is it because of you?] "..." [This is an unprecedented scenario. In my heart of hearts, I wish to erase the existence that dared to harm another judge, but...] The bird mumbled the end of its words, its head returning to its original position. [The final judge is keeping an eye on you.] The bird spoke calmly once again as it pped its wings and soared into the skies. Then, the surroundingndscapes began to change at its whim. [Following the special trial''s regtion, I will now guide you to where the final judge is.] In that ce, Davey would be subjected to the trial and judgment of the six other judges. After that, he would receive the judgment of the final judge. "Are you telling me that there will be no verdict that deres me innocent?" [There is a possibility of being judged innocent. All of the karma, except for the Dead''s Karma, has the potential to judge you as innocent.] "That will be almost impossible." [However, even though you have umted a lot of Dead''s Karma, you were not able to receive proper judgment. Instead of being judged, you killed the judge in charge of the Dead''s Karma and even destroyed his realm. It is impossible for you to not be subjected to some sort of punishment.] Amidst the bird''s words that judged others as they pleased, Davey realized that he was led to the middle of a space that resembled an amphitheater, hundreds of meters in height. Illyna hurriedly grabbed Davey''s arm, her eyes filled with shock at the sudden change in her surroundings. "Where is... this... Ugh!" At that moment, an immense amount of pressure appeared from all sides, weighing down on Davey. The pressure was overwhelming, although not to the extent of defying gravity. Nheless, it was heavy and suffocating. The intensity of the pressure was such that Illyna could not even bring herself to raise her head. Eventually, she copsed on the ground, gasping for air and trembling. However, she refused to let go of Davey, tightly gripping the hem of his pants with her index finger and thumb. "..." Davey remained silent, surveying the shining and glittering amphitheater. The brightness was so intense that it would be difficult for anyone else to see clearly. What he saw around him were dokkaebis of various colors and forms. There were blue dokkaebis, red dokkaebis, green dokkaebis, ck dokkaebis, and many more. Some of the dokkaebis bore a striking resemnce to the two sets of twins that had served as members of the jury. Silence permeated the entire amphitheater as Davey silently gazed at whaty before him, the intense light bearing down upon him. For some reason, he felt a peculiar sensation, although he couldn''t quite grasp why. "This divine punishment feels too mundane..." Davey unintentionally voiced the thoughts that shed through his mind. "Let the outsider out." A solemn voice resounded, and at the same time, Illyna''s body was enveloped in light, vanishing from Davey''s side only to reappear a few distances away. Illyna, who had been sent far away to where the court''s jury was seated, attempted to rise and run back to Davey. However... Thud!!! Thud!!! Something stopped her. It was as if a wall blocked her path in the empty space in front of her. Moreover, Davey couldn''t hear her voice at all. "Now, there is no one to obstruct the flow and aid the One Who Will Receive Judgment, Davey O''Rowane. The judges can now make clear and fair judgments." "Yes, Final Judge," the ck dokkaebi answered, rising in response to the grave and solemn voiceing from an unknown source. The ck dokkaebi was unusually shortpared to the others. "I am the Judge of Greed, responsible for passing judgment on Greed''s Karma. Are you the One Who Will Receive Judgment, Davey O''Rowane?" "..." Davey didn''t answer, but the ck dokkaebi approached him as if the response didn''t matter at all. Vwoooooong¡ª Then, he stretched out his hand toward him. The expression on the face of the ck dokkaebi with the voice of a young boy turned dull. "This is different from the Killing Karma. You havemitted a crime that you should never have done. That is why the contents of the trials and judgment have been changed." As soon as the dokkaebi''s words changed, something like a video appeared in the sky above them. [Grow up well. From now on, you will all be my seed capital.] The video showed Davey leisurely mumbling to himself as he looked at the huge field in front of him. Baaaaang!!! Davey watched the video above him silently. When he tried to move, something dug into the ce where he was in an instant. Thuuuuud!!! It was none other than a huge hammer that promptly crushed the ce where he had just been. "The judgment will now proceed. We will begin the punishment of the One that Will Receive Judgment, Davey O¡¯Rowane, who dared to harm a judge," the ck dokkaebi continued to speak as his huge hammer slowly transformed into a cane. "You have artificially cultivated countless lives and sold them away to satisfy your own greed." "Is it a habit for you, judges, to try and find ridiculous faults in a person so that you can kill them?" "Our judgment is fair and epasses all living beings." "If you''re truly fair, then there should be no living being left alive in the world." Why? Because ording to their criteria, one would immediately be a sinner the moment they tried to pluck a nt or consume meat to survive. For Davey, he had no reason to entertain such nonsensical logic. He simply looked at his status window and assessed the situation repeatedly. Now that Illyna was not by his side to assist, it would bepletely impossible for him to defeat them all at once. When he nced at her, he could see that she was still screaming and pounding on the invisible wall. She seemed incredibly furious. Strangely, Davey felt as if he could hear her voice from over there. "That''s why there is a trial." "Your greed is actually not that significant. It''s neither above nor below average. The level of your greed is quite low considering your abilities. Furthermore, you haven''t profited personally from it; instead, you have used the money to save countless lives. Taking all these factors into ount, the One that Will Receive Judgment, Davey O¡¯Rowane, you have been deemed innocent." Unlike the judge responsible for the Dead''s Karma, the ck dokkaebi had allowed some room for consideration and delivered a very unexpected judgment. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! The ground cracked as another ck dokkaebi charged at Davey. "However, you have been found guilty of harming the judge in charge of the Dead''s Karma. You will receive punishment from all the judges. May you survive all their attacks." Ultimately, they meant that he had to fight against them under the worst possible conditions. ''Shall we try using the power of the Demon Lord?'' Davey contemted. However, the power he had obtained from killing Belial, the Demon Lord, was still a chaotic mess, rendering it unusable for now. Boom, boom!!! Thuuuud!!! Deep in contemtion, Davey was suddenly struck by a heavy blow from a massive hammer on his arm. The impact caused the veins on his neck to bulge, fueling his inner frustration. ¡®Is this dokkaebi nuts?¡¯ "If a person is thinking deeply, then you should stay put and wait!!!" Thwack!!! As if on instinct, Davey brushed off the iing hammer and grabbed the dokkaebi by the head, dragging him toward him. Then, frustrated and irritated, he put his all into the punch, ensuring a lethal blow to the attacking dokkaebi. Then, he made contact with the dokkaebi. Well, the impact of the punch alone could be considered a one-way ticket to hell. However, it was alright since they would not die in his hands. Booooom!!! "Huh?" Davey hummed, unable to hide the incredulous expression that shed on his face as the ck dokkaebi flew away the moment his punch collided with his face. [Davey O''Rowane is prohibited from killing.] The prohibition on killing that Goddess Freyja had enforced upon him was still intact. However, he was able to kill his opponent. Chapter 347 "It''s still there, though?" Davey murmured in the otherwise silent amphitheater, his tone unable to hide the absurdity he felt inside. "Was it trashed?" However, the prohibition was still in effect. This meant Davey would not be able to kill any living being. Did that mean he could take advantage of a loophole? Davey was the only one who had received a restriction and was prohibited from killing. That meant there was only one thing that could exin it. Probably, there was only one condition, and that was that he should not deal with them with his own hands. If he met that condition, then he would be able to move more freely. It made sense up to that point, but... ¡®I wish they could just leave me be and let me go.¡¯ However, the reality was that Davey''s situation could only be described with the word ''despair''. Simply put, there was no way for Davey to take advantage of this loophole since he could not summon his divine beasts and spirits¡ªbeings that could fight for him¡ªin this situation. Baaaang!!! It was actually not a problem if they could not die; however, did the Judge of Greed die? Well, the answer to that was obvious. Each of the dokkaebis seemed to have an inherent power. The Judge of Death had the power to release extremely hot and zing mes, and the Judge of Greed? He had an overwhelming vitality. Well, whatever it was, Davey found it very, very annoying. Bang!!! Bang!!! Davey silently reached his hand out toward the Judge of Greed, who instantly regenerated and attacked him once again without even looking at the dokkaebi. He stretched out his index finger and thumb, gathered mana at the tips of his fingers, and pointed down. Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!!! At the same time, an independent and intangible pressure appeared,pletely ignoring their momentum that affected gravity and dragged the Judge of Greed to the ground. Davey, who saw the dokkaebi not groan once as if he did not feel pain after being overpowered, could only sigh while saying, "Let''s start with the next judgment." To get out of this ce, Davey needed to face off against all of the judges. But despite Davey''s words, the Judge of Greed continued tounch ferocious attacks on him as if he was not yet done with his job. The problem here was that Davey''s condition was just too good. In other words, even if transcendental-level individuals like the judges attacked him, their attacks did not really pose any threats to his life. Except for the prohibition on killing ced upon him, Davey''s situation had reached a point where he only needed to manage the use of his vast power. ng!!! The fist and the huge hammer collided; however, the sound of the collision seemed as though two thick metals had strongly collided. With his slightly bent fingers, he stopped the hammer. Then, he twisted his wrist and forced it to change directions before slowly digging into the dokkaebi¡¯s abdomen. After doing so, Davey took a short breath. The main point here is that they would not die. "If you''re done with work, then you have to go home quickly," Davey said sarcastically. His movements looked a tad bit slow as he punched the pit of the stomach of the ck dokkaebi in front of him. "Ah¡­" For the first time, words spilled out of the mouth of the ck dokkaebi during their fight. The Judge of Greed tried to block the attacks of Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who flew sharply at him from who knew where. The two des effectively hindered the dokkaebi¡¯s movements. [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Death Fist] [One-inch Abdominal Crushing Punch] Bang!!! The dokkaebi''s body twitched from the loud explosion that erupted within him. Not long after, Davey stretched his right index finger and moved it in the air as though he were tracing something. Even if their bodies had reached the transcendental level, as long as they walked on two feet, the map of their meridians would not change. Before the judge could react, Davey had already poked his finger on his body''s meridians. What Davey performed was none other than the technique: Striking Meridians. Since he couldn''t kill them, he could only restrict their movements. *** Thud!!! The Judge of Greed''s face did not show any expression as he copsed on the ground after losing control of his body. The fact that the dokkaebi could not get up after copsing on the ground meant that the method had worked perfectly. "Next," Davey murmured calmly as a dokkaebi with a gigantic build approached him. Behind him were three other dokkaebis. This waspletely unlike the Judge of Greed, who came out alone. For a moment, Davey had to wonder if they wereing in with numbers now. Davey could not tell who was who by the color of their skin. So, instead of asking them who they were, he just turned to look at the crystal balls in their hands. "The Corrupt''s Karma discerns whether you covet mindless carnal desires. As the judge in charge of Lust''s Karma, I will judge whether you have built up Lust Karma in you." The expression of the dokkaebi that handed Davey the crystal ball was as calm as the Judge of Greed. Currently, one of the dokkaebi''srades has died while the other was rendered immobile. However, the dokkaebi in front of him showed a calm and cold expression, to the point that one would feel that it was eerie. It was as if he was not angry at the fact that Davey had made a mess of everything regarding the rules they had made. ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Illyna, struggling against the transparent wall by smashing her fist against it, paused at the words of the Judge of Lust and turned to look at Davey. However, Davey was unaware of it. All he did was ce his hands on top of the crystal ball, wearing an exhausted look on his face. ng!!! No, he was actually just about to ce his hand on it, but the crystal ball broke apart before his fingers could even touch it. "What the hell is this?" What would happen if the crystal ball broke before they could even check his karma? However, when Davey looked at the Judge of Lust, the dokkaebi with bright red skin, to ask for an exnation for the broken crystal ball, he saw a satisfied look on the judge. "The One that Will Receive Judgment, Davey O''Rowane, your head is filled with impudent and profane thoughts. This could already be judged as something that deserves severe punishment. However, I can see clearly that you have controlled yourself and have not umted karma regarding this at all." ¡®What¡¯s with this f*cking bastard?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Unless one were an idiot, there was no way one would be unable to understand the meaning of the dokkaebi''s words. "Because of that, I, the judge in charge of Lust Karma, have judged that the One who Will Receive Judgment, Davey O''Rowane, is innocent." The Judge of Lust dered Davey''s innocence without hesitation, and he showed no intention of reversing the judgment. Anyway, it wouldn''t matter whether he was guilty or innocent. However, for some reason, Davey wanted to be judged guilty for something like this. "Change it." "What?" "Judge me as guilty." "You are as innocent as a newborn. I salute your uprightness. You can even ovee a human''s basic desire for reproduction just like that." "This damned dokkaebi. Are you making fun of others right now?" "I have no idea what you''re talking about. I prioritize Lust Karma more than any other providence or rule. More importantly, I''m pretty sure I heard something break." Davey gritted his teeth at those words. "Your Lust Karma is as clear as that of a newborn. Why do you want to be deemed guilty?" The dokkaebi was probably unaware that his words were making Davey feel more irritated. Seeing Davey frown openly, the Judge of Lust immediately manifested a gigantic spear in his hands and stepped away from him. "The Final Judge has given his orders. Davey O''Rowane''s punishment for the murder of the judge in charge of Dead Karma will be postponed. It will be resumed once you finish undergoing all judgments." At the same time, three dokkaebis stepped forward as if they had been waiting for this moment. They were the ones in charge of envy, arrogance, and anger. All three of them reached their hands out towards Davey simultaneously. It seemed like they were going to make their judgment at the same time. The three dokkaebis closed their eyes for a moment and remained silent, their hands still stretched out towards Davey. The tension in Davey''s body had alreadypletely disappeared after receiving the judgment of the Judge of Lust earlier. He just stood there silently, waiting for them with the attitude of wanting to do things at his own pace and finish everything as quickly as possible. Whatever Goddess Freyja had nned, it wouldn''t happen unless the divine punishment had been given and all the judges had passed judgment on him. "I, the judge in charge of Opportunity''s Karma, will give my judgment." "I, the judge in charge of Anger''s Karma, will give my judgment." "I... Envy..." After a moment of silence, the three delivered either a highly unexpected judgment or perhaps an entirely predictable one. Davey was found guilty. Well, that was to be expected. Generally, the used would more often than not be dered guilty. In fact, all except for the previous two had found Davey guilty. As Davey nced at the dokkaebis surrounding him at a certain distance, he realized there was still one more judge. Didn''t they inform him that there were seven trials? "I''m pretty sure only six judges have passed judgment on me." So, what about the remaining one? The Judge of Greed, previously rendered immobile, suddenly disintegrated before reappearing once again. It seemed that he hadpelled his own body to reconstruct just to regain movement. Then, he announced, "In ordance with the will of the Final Judge, Davey O''Rowane, who haspleted the six judgments and trials, the final judgment shall now be given." Simultaneously, the other dokkaebis drew their weapons and raised them skyward. "The Final Judge is the Judge of Indolence. The Final Judge will personally deliver the judgment." Upon hearing those words, a radiant pir of light enveloped Davey. He couldn''t help but frown when he suddenly caught sight of a human figure swiftly emerging from within the dazzling sh of light, which nearly blinded him. ¡®Right. Let¡¯s see who this distinguished judge is¡­¡¯ The nonchnce and leisure in Davey¡¯s voice had disappeared. This was no longer a prank; this was a true and genuine provocation. Davey¡¯s face remained nk as he looked at the human approaching him. Unlike the other judges, the Final Judge was a small human being. Her small physique and young appearance made her stand out from the rest, to the point that he could consider her unusual. However, what bothered Davey the most was the outfit the little girl in front of him was wearing. It was none other than a blue sterile suit, a uniform specially designed to be worn inside aseptic rooms, so as not to bring pathogens in or get anything from inside the room. And it was something Davey was very familiar with. ¡°Let¡¯s begin the judgment of indolence. Can you see me now?¡± The child, no... the young girl who had been silent earlier, spoke up with the exact same voice as that person. When Davey remained silent at her question, the girl looked up at him, her eyes shing sharply in her otherwise expressionless face. Then she repeated her words, ¡°I asked you if you can see me now?¡± ¡°Hyeon...¡± Davey had a hard time spitting out words from his mouth. He even felt like the scene in front of him was strangely hazy and blurred. ¡°My figure will definitely be someone that you know. The image that I, the Final Judge, am showing in front of you is the image of the person that suffered the most from your indolence andziness.¡± ¡°What?¡± Davey mumbled, his expression despondent as he sat down on his heels. He had been very surprised by the familiar appearance that appeared in front of him at first. However, the words of the Final Judge were the ones that brought far greater shock to him. Davey¡¯s eyes grew wide from shock. He could not help but grit his teeth when he realized that he was unable to control the trembling in his hands. All he could do was watch the little girl smile brightly as she slowly approached him. ¡°That¡¯s right. I will be judging your own karma.¡± ¡°Hyun-Ah...¡± It was as if a trigger had been pulled in his head at that moment. He could feel his oldest memories, the memories that he had kept locked up on one side of his head, appearing vividly in his mind. Davey considered forgetting as a blessing. After all, for someone like him who could not forget the face of his family from his previous life, even after a thousand years had passed, it was more of a curse to him. Chapter 348 Thump!!! Thump!!! Illyna felt her heart constrict, no matter how hard she banged on the transparent barrier that held her prisoner, she could not break it. Despite allowing her to move within a certain area, the barrier stood still andpletely prevented her from approaching Davey. There were times when she felt like it stopped her from moving a certain distance, and times when she felt like the ground beneath her feet had disappeared and the space was twisting in and on itself. However, the most upsetting thing about this barrier was the fact that no one outside of it could hear her cries. Ridiculous, that was the only way she could describe the words she heard from them. Illyna felt like she wouldbust from anger, knowing that there was no way to refute those beings with her in this state. Davey was now in an unfamiliar position called the Antagonist; despite being the Saint who followed God''s will, he had willingly chosen to be the Demon Lord for the silver-haired girl from before, who was the previous Demon Lord. Because of that, Davey had incurred the wrath of God and was dragged into a divine punishment. He was currently in a very ridiculous and unreasonable situation. Thump!!! Thump!!! ¡°¡­¡± It wasn''t long since Illyna had dered that she would protect him, someone no one was protecting, yet here she was. She couldn''t even think of a way to break this space open on her own. Well, it wasn''t like she hadn''t harbored thoughts about how amazing her existence was. She might not know about anything else, but she had the talent and passion for the sword. Even Davey, a monstrous existence, had admitted that she was a step ahead of him in terms of passion and talent. Perhaps it was because Davey had admitted she was great, words that brought greater impact than the words tens of millions of people had told her, that she became keener on practicing the sword. Because for some reason, Illyna didn''t want to disappoint the man''s expectations. ¡°If I can just recall that level once again, then¡­¡± If only she could, then she would use the sword maniption level of swordsmanship once again. Illyna had always made it her goal to reach a level where she could move her sword by controlling it with her mind, since it was a high-level concept for Sword Masters. Also, the delight and ecstasy that she felt when she used the technique Splitting the Stars, with the help of Davey, was something that she wanted to feel again. Baaaaang!!! However, Illyna was fully aware that her current level of skills would make it nigh impossible for her to recreate such a situation. She was someone who had made huge efforts to be a Sword Master, making sure to remember all of the movements that Davey had done when he wielded his aura de during their spar and using them as her inspiration. She also worked hard to learn all of the tricks and know-hows that Davey had taught her and made them her own. Illyna closed her eyes and tried to recall the ecstasy that she felt for a split second back then. Even though she did not know if she could do it or not, she decided to do everything that she could to break out of this space. Seeing Davey fight all by his lonesome self when she was in the same area brought about a very unpleasant feeling in her. But then, at that moment, the voice of the dokkaebi, who was talking about the Lust Karma, drifted to her ears. Those words made her stop in her tracks, her eyes nervously drifting to where Davey was, forgetting everything that she was doing. Davey might not be an extremely handsome man, but he was good-looking enough to be seen as attractive. Techniques, poprity, knowledge, force, financial prowess, and even status¡ªhe had it all. His specs were so overpowered and bizarre that one would call it tragic if they looked at him closely and ridiculous if they looked at him from afar. Because he did notck anything, rumors about him as the most sought-after and the best groom candidate in the continent have been circting in the Pan Empire. ¡®How many nobledies anddies from royal families have he courted and made his lovers?¡¯ Illyna thought. However, the following words gave Illyna pause: innocent. He had not built up any Lust Karma. Unless one were a fool, there was no way they would be unable to understand those words. "Goodness... His specs are so high, but he never had a lover?" That did not mean Davey did not have any Lust Karma. The Davey that Illyna knew was the type of person to strongly ask someone to close their eyes for ten seconds, and that was not for holding hands and sleeping quietly. His attitude and expression truly reflected those words. There was no way he would leave his lover alone unless they were out of his reach... ¡®If he hasn¡¯t taken someone¡¯s hand yet, then¡­¡¯ Perhaps Davey was simply such an outstanding person that it made it difficult for others to approach him recklessly. ¡®If I can do something for him here, then¡­¡¯ "What, what am I even thinking?!" Illyna pped herself on the cheeks, shocked at the thoughts that appeared in her head. She felt so ashamed to think about something so immature and shameless despite being in such a grave situation. Illyna had vowed to herself during her closed-door training that she would be more mature so that she would no longer worry the people around her. Illyna quickly shook her head, pping herself on the cheeks again before grabbing the hilt of her sword. She''d rather try than regret not being able to do anything. She did not expect much since Caldeiras'' ego was still slumbering. However, she grabbed her sword tightly, believing that she would be able to make it. But just when she was about to pull up her energy and raise her momentum to strike down her sword and force the barrier to explode... Illyna failed. In the end, she could not swing her sword down. A girl, who seemed to be of the same age as her and wearing an unusual garment that waspletely different from the garments from Tionis Continent, appeared. The agitated and flustered look on Davey''s face upon the appearance of the girl made Illyna stop in her tracks. "Davey?" Illyna doubted her eyes for a moment, wondering if her sight was ying tricks on her. After all, this was the first time that she had seen that shocked expression on Davey, as well as the cacophony of emotions that shed on his face. *** If anyone asked Davey what kind of life he lived in his previous life, he would say that it was not a very good life. ¡°How can you do something like that?¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Ha, I¡¯m going nuts.¡± Davey had a hard time getting the words out of his mouth. How could he ever forget? He had always been gued by a curse that never allowed him to forget. However, all of the memories of his past life had been forcibly sealed in the darkest recesses of his memories so he could not recall them. They were his family, his family that he no longer would be able to see. He was only left with the memories of the faces of his older sister, his uncle, his younger sister, and even his parents. ¡°It¡¯s something that you have to feel for yourself.¡± The figure in front of him lookedpletely simr to his younger sister. However, her manner of speech and aura werepletely different. Unlike his younger sister¡¯s thick and lower-pitched voice, the judge in front of him had a clean, youthful, and energetic voice. ¡°Now, then. Tell me what you have done to this child.¡± Davey slowly clenched his trembling hands into a fist. His trembling hands had turned white with how hard he was clenching them yet he still could not say anything. He was very confident when facing the other judges,ughing at them and calling out their bullshit. However, he could not utter a single word in front of the Final Judge. If he could, he would like to emphasize again that not being able to forget was a curse. Each and every single scathing remark that he inadvertently threw and each insincere response that he had given did not disappear from his memory at all. ¡°Shall we see it for ourselves?¡± The girl said, spreading her hands out without any hesitation and creating arge translucent spear in between them. And through thatrge translucent sphere, Davey was able to see the faces of the people that he missed so much. The first thing that appeared in the sphere that was floating in the otherwise deathly silent amphitheater was a twenty-three square meter white room with arge bed smack in the middle of it. And on the bed was an ordinary-looking man, who was sleeping soundly as if he was already dead. ¡°You of all people should know who he is, no?¡± Davey gritted his teeth at the question. There was no one in this world that would fail to recognize their own self. The man sleeping with around five to six intravenous solutions attached to his body inside this special hospital room was none other than him. And that was all. *** The quiet room looked too bright and too white for anyone who saw it to immediately understand that it was a special hospital room. Everything inside the room was tagged with a blue sticker, whether an electronic device, a book, paintings, or even photographs. At that moment, someone entered the silent room. [Oppa, I¡¯m here. Are you sleeping like a log again today? This guy, you are not a sloth!] "Oh my God! A f*cking three-legged octopus came in by itself and began to talk¡ªunbelievable! Aren''t you busy in school? Why do you have the time toe here in your spare time?" [Of course, I came here to check on my oppa.] ¡°That¡¯s disgusting. Go away. Stick your Tibetan Fox-like face somewhere else.¡± The girl in the illusion had the same face and outfit as the girl in front of him. She immediately frowned when checking the contents of the bottle of medicine ced on the side. [Ha! Oppa, have you gone crazy? I obviously told you to take your medicine on time, no?!] The stubborn girl red at Davey''s figure lying on the bed weakly and grumbled. [We don''t know when the doctors will perform surgery on you. Did you exercise? Since Uncle has been working hard to support your hospital bills, then Oppa should also do something! How long will you continue to lie like a salted fish on your bed?!] Davey, probably twenty-one years old around that time, had lost the will to live after being subjected to painful treatments and the mental exhaustion of someone who did not know when they would get better. He was gued by the guilt of forcing his uncle to work abroad to pay for his bills to cure his illness and burdened by the fact that his family desperately wanted him to undergo this treatment. He grabbed his head and gritted his teeth upon seeing the image of his younger sister patting his back and massaging his body despite being angry at him for continuing to lie down in a daze like that. ¡°Why bother? I won¡¯t do it. I will not.¡± At that point, Davey had wanted to die; he wanted to die so that he would be free from his pain, and he would be able to let the others around him be free of that pain too. [Are you nuts?! Do you want to see unnie copse and cry again?! You must have gone really crazy.] His younger sister grumbled angrily after hearing Davey¡¯s calm murmurs, her annoyance seeping through the way she tapped on his back. [What in the world is wrong with you these days?!] "Did I want this to happen to me? Why do you have to let me build myself up to get treatment?" [Wow. You¡¯re really trash, you know?] "You can''t even fathom how f*cking sh*tty this is! I''m already delirious with all of the medications and needles that they put in my body every single day in the name of tests and examinations! The treatment is not even effective, yet I''m still enduring the pain! I''d rather die than go through something so painful again!" [Didn¡¯t you know that everything that they have been doing is for your sake, oppa?!] "F*ck it! Do you think I''ll buy that bullshit? Are you buying into that bullshit? If I''m going to die either way, then I''d rather die now! I can''t do this anymore! How long am I supposed to live like this? Do you think that if youe in once and sympathize with me, everything will be over? I f*cking experience this shit 24/7! It''s already been years! Do you want me to pretend that this is not painful and hard for me, even though everything is already hopeless? Huh? Tell me!" [Oppa¡­] Davey was that one person portrayed in the media, the one who was sick yet had the gall to get angry at their family that took care of them. Actually, he never expected that he would reach that point in life. However, the hysteria had started to encroach upon him as he grew older. By the time he reached eighteen or neen, the medication he was taking slowly stopped working. Naturally, his situation worsened, and he became extremely sensitive. And because of several factors, his mental stress reached the limit. It was to the point that the thought that he should just die instead of getting treatment shed in his head several dozens of times in the end. [Oppa, you¡¯re really so mean.] In the end, the girl sobbed as she pleaded to him. [Unnie, uncle, and even I, all have been working non-stop so that we can see you recover, oppa. It''s been ten years since you got this sickness, oppa. However, everyone has been working hard for you. Yet, here you are grumbling and crying just because you feel pain? Then, what about unnie? What about unnie, who has been feeding and taking care of you, huh? Oppa? What in the world was unnie doing this for, then?!] ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m begging you! Please, leave me alone and live your own lives!¡± Fierce and agitated conversations, this was the kind of thing that always happened between Davey and his younger sister, Hyun-Ah. They had always fought like this. At first, the two of them cared for and cherished each other just like how a brother and a sister would. However, as his situation grew worse, their conversations began to turn fierce. "Go. Tell this to noona too. Don''te back again. Please, please leave me alone and live your own lives! Because of me, you can''t even live your own lives, what the hell is this?! Even uncle! Why does uncle, who only met me once, have to pour so much money to pay for my hospital bills?!" [Oppa¡­] ¡°I already know. I heard yesterday that there is no cure.¡± The girl flinched. She looked like she had been caught with something that she should not be caught with. [No¡­ Oppa, please listen to me for a bit. That¡­] ¡°Quit it. Did you think that I wouldn''t know if you didn''t tell me? I heard that I only have a few months left to live. Just let me die... Please... Just let me die. If I die, then you wouldn''t have to work hard like this anymore!¡± Davey shouted at Hyun-Ah, tears flowing down his cheeks as he was ovee with emotion. Back then, the only thing he could do was worry everyone about his condition. He had been weak, and even though he knew he should not do something like that, he still willingly crushed his family¡¯s heart under the pretext of caring about them. Unaware of the ways of the world after living inside the walls of the hospital room, Davey stopped his sisters froming to the hospital using such a very stupid and hurtful method. However, that was not the main point here. The most painful thing for Davey was seeing his family not live their own lives because of someone like him that carried an incurable disease. But what did they say? Life was filled with blessings in disguise? ¡°Enough¡­¡± Davey mumbled and closed his eyes, his body curled up and trembling as he tried to block the soundsing from the video on the translucent sphere in front of him. ¡°I told you, that¡¯s enough.¡± This was a sore spot for Davey. At the same time, it was the most unforgettable and most pitiful moment of his life. ¡°Why? This is the life that you have chosen to live. You know full well what happens after this, no?!¡± ¡°I am warning you¡­ Do not provoke me any further. Judge.¡± The Final Judge, who had taken the form of Hyun-Ah, slowly loosened her hair after hearing Davey¡¯s low and somber voice. The familiar ck hair and the familiar scent of the shampoo fluttered in front of him. This was the image of his precious younger sister. ¡°What can you even do? The Great Will has ced a restriction upon you. Unlike the other judges, I know the truth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you even stop me as you are now? That¡¯s impossible. Humans are pitiful beings that will only realize the mistakes that they have madeter on in life. Did you think you would be free of that?¡± Davey waved his hand, arge amount of mana flying towards the judge. Even if he could not kill that damned judge, he would make sure that he shut that trap. However, faster than his attack, the goddess ced another restriction on him. [Davey O¡¯Rowane is prohibited from using force.] There was a prohibition on killing and even using force. Two taboos had been ced upon him, effectively sealing all of his avenues for battle. It was a restriction that waspletely iparable to the restrictions he had received when he fought against World Tree Yggdrasil. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®You are already fully aware of my temper, yet you brought me to this situation under the pretext of divine punishment. And you even dared to bring up some of my past life''s memories, something that I treat like the dragon''s reverse scale.¡¯ Now, Davey knew exactly what Goddess Freyja wanted. She wanted to force Davey¡¯s strengthening under the pretext of a divine punishment. It seemed like she was very afraid of the Abyss. If that was what she truly wished for, then Davey would show her and let her experience what the green tree frog felt when it lost its mother[1]. Changes began to appear in the gears of Davey¡¯s soul, deliberately misced since that very first spar and training. Slowly, they started to align and fit together. The chains, created by the energy of the prohibitions weighing down on Davey¡¯s body, gradually fell apart as they were swallowed by the ck energy seeping out of his body. The world was made with God and providence. So, if he could not achieve anything with the prohibitions and restrictions that God had ced upon him, then he had no choice but to willingly get away and shed his body, under the rules of providence, for a very, very short moment. Thuuuuuuump!!! White eyes that glinted sharply appeared in the dark. 1. A story about a green tree frog doing the opposite of everything that its mother said ? Chapter 349 Davey trembled from the fierce energy that surged within him. It was a powerful, uncontroble rage, a feeling he had never experienced before. The judge, a true bastard, had reminded him of the terrible regrets and inexcusable behavior that he had buried deep within the darkest recesses of his memories. ¡®I have never felt such intense fury and rage before¡­ Hmm¡­¡¯ ¡°You should never do things that you can¡¯t take responsibility for, Judge.¡± A beautiful smile lingered on the judge''s face in response to Davey''s words. It appeared rather lovely to him, considering it was the face of his beloved younger sister. "Then why don''t you gaze at it further, endure the pain, and gain awareness so that you may repent, huh?" The voice from the video resonated once more, causing Davey''s movements toe to a halt. [Oppa! They found a cure! They found it! Oppa, you can get better now! You have to exercise! They said that you need to exercise a bit harder and then you can try it! Oppa, promise me, okay? Work hard on exercising and build up your stamina, okay?] ¡°Alright. I will exercise hard.¡± It was a lie. [The doctors said that it¡¯s possible to do it now! You¡¯ll live! Ah! A day like this finally came in our lives! My college entrance exam will be in a week! Isn¡¯t it amazing? The exam date will ovep with the day of your surgery, but I¡¯ll let you see! I¡¯ll pass and get into the Medicine Department. Then, I will take care of your body and healthter, oppa.] ¡°So, the squid is talented, huh?¡± [Ha! We¡¯re on the same boat! If I¡¯m a squid, then aren¡¯t you a baby octopus, oppa? What a dummy.] ¡°Hiss.¡± Davey''s eyes slowly turned ck, casting a creepy gaze. Simultaneously, a ck vein appeared on the back of his hand, only to vanish soon after. It seemed that the anticipated reactions were already manifesting. "Is this what you consider divine punishment? Merely showcasing some fabricated memories?" Davey questioned with a tone of disdain. "This is not divine punishment; this is your own karma," the judge replied. "I''m not addressing you. Stay silent for a moment," Davey retorted, raising his blurred vision to observe the illusion before him, then shifting his gaze skyward. But what was the use of appealing to an emotionless god? Davey regarded his own form as he was being wheeled into the operating room. He seemed to possess unspoken words, evident by the expression on his face upon beingid on the operating table. By his side, his older sister wept while offering a reassuring smile, assuring him that everything would turn out well. Even the figure of his younger sister, engrossed in her studies, believing that Davey would be fully cured once the ordeal was over, appeared on the sphere. He observed the illusion for a moment before straightening himself up. In that instant, his eyes lost their light entirely, now entirely consumed by darkness. Sinister tendrils of ckness extended chillingly throughout his body. Thud!!! Then, a fierce tremor shook the entire area. ¡®Those who have transgressed taboos shall face the punishment in the name of God. Prepare yourself, for you are about to witness the true wrath of God¡ªa force iparable to the divine retribution you have bestowed upon me.¡¯ Davey dered, employing the God''s Voice he had learned from Daphne. He moved cautiously, ensuring he did not cross that forbidden line and retain his humanity. Davey had acted swiftly, seizing the opportunity and minimizing any ambiguities, averting a grave crisis. However, if it was God, and not anyone else, who demanded that he break the taboo, who was he to defy? After all, he was neither an innocent nor a foolish sheep to be deceived by such a test. Since they had brought this upon themselves, Davey resolved to respond to their earnestness in his own way, proudly embracing the forbidden act. Fwoosh¡­ A chilling stream of air swept through the surrounding area, only to vanish abruptly. Simultaneously, Davey''s contorted body began to twitch, gradually reverting back to its original form, with the exception of his eyes. [His heart rate is falling!!!] [If we continue administering this medication, the patient will surely die!] [Bring the stabilizer right away!!!] The frantic and urgent cries within the illusion were experiences unfamiliar to Davey. The realization that his ownziness had led to the surgical failure and his departure after hitting his family''s sensitive spot would haunt him indefinitely. That was why Davey had made a vow to strive harder and live diligently. He was determined to match the level of dedication and hard work exhibited by his sisters for his sake. It had been quite some time since someone hadst prohibited him from doing something. Davey turned his head slowly, locking eyes with Illyna, who wore a resolute expression. However, he quickly averted his gaze, choosing not to look at her any longer. As if they had been awaiting this precise moment, all the judges, including the final judge who bore the likeness of Hyun-Ah, advanced toward Davey, weapons in hand. Silently, Davey extended his hand and embraced her. He knew that the girl before him was not his sister, yet upon seeing her familiar figure, he suddenly found it incredibly difficult to articte the words he had intended to speak. ¡®I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t keep my promise with you, Hyun-Ah.¡¯ Despite the difficulty, he managed to articte the words within his mind andplete his bitter act of repentance. Crack, crack, crack, crack! A jarring and grating sound reverberated through the air as the space around them twisted. Davey maintained his hold on the young girl with one arm, while his other hand reached out, as if poised to scratch at something, as he moved forward. A sharp glimmer shed in Davey''s eyes, while a sinister and unsettling smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Since you dared to meddle with that which should never be touched, you must have been prepared to witness bloodshed, haven''t you?" he uttered, his eerie smile transforming into madness¡ªa stark contrast to his cold and detached gaze. This was the madness that engulfed him, corroding his sanity whenever his power was unleashed. It was a damnably insane state, one that revealed the depths of his dark history, surfacing when his soul and body became synchronized. ¡°Is that your answer?¡± Rip!!! Davey''s hands contorted into w-like shapes, descending as if to tear at something, apanied by the resounding sound of shattering within the surrounding space. [Killing Prohibition] [Force Restriction] Despite the two restrictions imposed by God, the power swirling in Davey''s hand emanated from the karma of the taboo. It radiated a brilliant light, spinning like a tornado, effectively dismantling the oppressive barriers that had hindered him. With the prohibitions vanishing, there remained no impediment to utilizing his abilities. Davey, existing now as a soul, gradually achieved synchronization. Finally, he unleashed the dormant power inherent within his soul. [9th Transcendence Dark Magic] [Lord of Nightmare] In a fleeting moment, Davey assumed the role of the master of nightmares, capable of transforming his own fears into tangible realities. Channeling an immense surge of dark mana, he enveloped a vast expanse, conjuring a nightmarish realm that ensnared everyone within its grasp. Swoosh!!! Swoosh!!! In this dream world, distinct from the realm of reality, the resistance against formidable magical assaults was drastically diminished. Consequently, the effects of Davey''s powers were amplified significantly, surpassing those experienced on the Tionis Continent. The impact was so immense that it reverberated throughout the entire world, shaking its very foundations. Crack, crack, crack!!! As the space surrounding them contorted and fractured, apanied by the ground beneath their feet splitting apart, the remaining judges, excluding the Judge of Indolence, swiftly seized the opportunity andunched their assaults against Davey. Bang!!! The initial assant to charge towards Davey was the Judge of Greed, wielding a colossal hammer. However, Davey effortlessly evaded the attack by slightly tilting his head and seized the hammer with his bare hands, deflecting it with ease. In that moment, he unleashed the dark mana he had acquired upon assuming the role of the Demon Lord. Boom!!! Another explosive eruption ensued, but this time, something peculiar urred. The Judge of Greed, known for their ability to regenerate incessantly, vanished without leaving a trace. With a resolute step forward, Davey pressed on, asserting his presence. Thump!!! The already crumbling ground copsed at an elerated pace as Davey reached out for the two nearest dokkaebis. Despite their attempts to distance themselves from him, tendrils of dark light shot forth, ensnaring their bodies and dragging them back towards him. "Ugh!" A groan escaped the Judge of Opportunity¡¯s lips. Simultaneously, the blue sword, Blue Ribbon, materialized and emanated a gentle glow as it ruthlessly cleaved through the dokkaebi. Perhaps due to Davey''s earlier ying of one of the judges, the subsequent attacks intensified in ferocity. Three swords charged directly at his forehead with relentless force. Instantly, Daveyprehended that evading the assault was not an option, having just vanquished the judge who had held him back despite being torn in half. Consequently, he raised his bare hand and intercepted the three-pronged attack. While it might have been easy for Davey to fend off or deflect ordinary swords with his bare hands, his adversaries were the judges themselves. A single misstep could result in severe injury. Stab!!! The sword impaled Davey''s hand, yet he exerted his strength to twist his arm, altering the trajectory of the weapon. The judges'' eyes widened in astonishment at Davey''s audacious and daring move. This sequence of actions granted Davey a brief respite, allowing him to reposition his body and seize the opportunity tounch a counterattack. Even if his reaction against the opponent was slightly dyed, Davey managed to identify the gap and exploit it to strike back. Without a moment''s hesitation, he swiftly raised his right leg. Thump!!! Davey''s lightning-fast kick sent the colossal dokkaebi hurtling through the air. Despite its desperate efforts to regain its footing andunch a counterattack, the dokkaebi struggled to withstand the tremendous impact of the kick, hindering its ability to retaliate effectively. Typically, the gigantic dokkaebi was renowned for its resilience, capable of enduring assaults that would easily incapacitate other dokkaebis due to its exceptional physical strength. Nevertheless, Davey believed that if one strike was insufficient to vanquish it, then perhaps a second strike would serve as a fitting gift. Without granting the still tumbling dokkaebi an opportunity to recover and retaliate, Davey joined his hands together, stretching them out before pointing his fingers toward the sky. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Simultaneously, the shattered fragments of the fractured ground levitated in the air, coiling around the dokkaebis. Their rapid movements transformed them into razor-sharp projectiles, mercilessly crushing the dokkaebis in their path. The dokkaebi confronting Davey fought desperately, striving to escape the onught. However, Davey calmly raised his finger and pressed it against the center of his own forehead. Vwooooong!!! A crimson energy swirled and coalesced at the tip of Davey''s finger. Without a moment''s hesitation, he unleashed it upon the formidable dokkaebi. A ferocious tempest of des materialized, engulfing the dokkaebi in its destructive force. Eventually, the dokkaebi ceased its struggles and fell into silence, sumbing to the relentless onught that pushed the judge to his limits. From an objective standpoint, one might argue that the number of judges posed a significant threat, making the battle perilous and fraught with risks. However, for Davey, who had harnessed the forbidden power of the taboo, taught to him by Hercules, these adversaries were nothing more than mere pests. The final judgeunched a punch towards Davey, only for him to deftly evade the attack and swiftly sever the audacious fist. As he hurled the sword into the air, Davey brought his foot crashing down upon the ground. While certain dokkaebis possessed enough strength to withstand Davey''s assaults, what about the others? There was no need for him to hold back his power. Davey resolved that he would not experience a sense of satisfaction unless he unleashed every ounce of his might upon these ursed dokkaebis. Thus, he extracted a dark red energy from the center of his forehead. ¡®This is gonna sting.¡¯ [Blood Demonic Attack] [Thousand Limitless Blood Technique] Baaaaaang!!! The dark red energy detonated, unleashing a sphere of engulfing mes that consumed everything in its path. Only the remnants of the devastating explosion and the lingering darkness of the mes remained, evidence of the ferocity of the attack. After ensuring that Illyna had not been swept away by the onught and was standing before him, Davey finally turned his attention to the young girl who stood in front of him. Her body, too, was crumbling and disintegrating, as if deeply intertwined with this realm. "Anyst words?" The girl remained silent, her gaze fixed upon Davey for a prolonged moment. Eventually, she let out a sigh and slowly opened her mouth. "Everything is in ordance with the Great Will..." "Do you believe it is unfair?" The girl fell into silence, her gaze meeting Davey''s in contemtion. "At the very least, some of those you have judged must have found it unjust," Davey continued. "You may have evaded it for now, but that does not mean it will vanish. The One who Will Receive Judgment," the girl responded cryptically. "At least, not now," Davey retorted. As the world surrounding them began to fade away, the girl, who resonated with the essence of the world, also gradually dissipated. Though she did not possess the same soul as his sister, her appearance undeniably resembled the precious younger sister Davey had left behind in his previous life¡ªthe source of his deepest regrets. Davey averted his gaze, deliberately avoiding eye contact, before taking several steps through the air. nk, nk, nk!!! ¡°¡­¡± "What''s wrong? Why are you crying?" Davey questioned, perplexed by Illyna''s tears. Though trapped within the transparent wall, her gaze remained fixed on him. Given her awareness of his capabilities, he didn''t expect her to be particrly astonished by his achievements in this ce. While most of his newfound power from the Hall exceeded her own abilities, widening the gap between them, there was no surprise evident in her eyes. Instead, her expression held a subtle and delicate quality that Davey found difficult to decipher. "Davey, close your eyes," Illyna pleaded through her tears. Without hesitation, she reached out for him before he could react, her slender and fair fingertips gripping his cor and gently pulling him closer. As her soft touch lingered in his face, a mixture of emotions swelled within Davey, including a faint sense of embarrassment. Chapter 350 ¡®This¡­ First off, did you make a mistake?¡¯ Those were the words Davey contemted whether he should say or not. However, Davey couldn''t even utter a word as Illyna moved faster than him, swiftly lifting her heels and taking action. Illyna''s actions left Davey genuinely puzzled. It felt as if time had frozen, and everything hade to a standstill. That''s how unexpected her actions were. The first thought that crossed Davey''s mind in that moment was, ''Has this rascal finally lost her mind?'' Just as embarrassment started creeping up on Davey due to the shocking turn of events, he suddenly realized that something had escaped from his body through his mouth. It was only then that he halted his intended action. Davey wondered if there was truly something in his body that he was unaware of. However, Illyna abruptly distanced herself from him, resembling a shy little girl, before hugging him and patting his back. "It''s alright... It''s fine... It''s not your fault..." "What?" Davey asked, attempting to step away from Illyna. He wasn''t very ustomed to her behaving this way. Nevertheless, Illyna refused to let go and clung to him even tighter. "How difficult it must have been for you..." "What the hell? Did you eat something bad? I told you not to just pick anything and eat it! Stop that!" Davey said, pulling Illyna away and pinching her cheeks. However, the princess only ended up crying loudly, "Waaaaaah! Still! Huhuhu... Still!" "Still what? Are you still not going to let go?" ¡°Hup!¡± "Snap out of it! And keep your snot away from me. Just go away." "..." Illyna started to hup, her eyes still moist with tears, and her face showed her efforts to console him. Ever since Perserque had separated from him, his ability to see through people had significantly weakened. It was a trade-off. Well, Davey didn''t have any regrets, nor did he think of asking her to return the favor for saving her. After all, that power was temporary, something he had borrowed in the first ce. However, he still retained a small portion of Perserque''s Abyss Authority. The reason for it still eluded him. He didn''t know if it was merely residue or if something had changed within his body after using the power for so long. Nevertheless, it remained within him. For those who didn''t know her, Illyna used to be a person who was cold and distant, although that aspect of her had greatly weakened. Regardless of her thoughts, her expression and aura were so icy that it made it difficult for anyone to approach her. Grip!!! However, in this shattered world, Illyna continued to whimper and sob for a long time. By the time she finally calmed down, most of the world had already been reduced to pieces, except for the small space where Davey and Illyna remained. "Sob... Even so... Even so, you don''t need to worry. I will protect you no matter what. It doesn''t matter what kind of life you had in the past, I will ensure that you have a happy life in the present!" "..." Upon hearing those words and witnessing her earlier strange and inappropriate behavior, Davey''s eyes widened as he realized something. "Crazy," he muttered as he firmly grasped Illyna''s shoulder. "Kyaaaack! That hurts!" Illyna screamed and red at Davey. However, Davey''s gaze was fixated on something else. Illyna''s toes were already flickering, resembling a malfunctioning hologram. It was a sign of sacrifice. This only urred when a pure soul was used to pay the price for breaking a taboo. Davey had no choice but to offer a great deal in exchange for the cursed double-edged sword of power, the taboo''s karma, that he had received from Hercules. "Illyna." Though he found it absurd, Davey still looked at the girl in front of him, just to be certain. Then, he swiftly grabbed her ears and pulled them down. "Kyaaaack! That hurts! Davey, what the hell are you doing?!" "Did Goddess Freyja force you to do this?" "Did Goddess Freyja tell you to die in my ce?" Davey asked, noticing something in Illyna''s hand. The object in her hand closely resembled the item carried by Saintess Daphne. It was none other than a holy stone passed down in the name of God. It was an item capable of manifesting miracles imbued with divine intent or an equivalent power. In other words, Illyna had utilized the power of the holy stone to lessen the price that Davey had to pay by making contact with him. *** ¡°Give it to me while I¡¯m still speaking nicely,¡± Davey said sternly, reaching his hand out toward Illyna. ¡®No¡­ I will never yield this to you.¡¯ Illyna immediately jumped up, taking a couple steps away from him while hugging the holy stone to her chest. She treated it as if it was something precious, yelling, ¡°No! I can¡¯t let you die!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to give it to me? So, you think you can handle it?!¡± Davey shouted. Illyna flinched, fat tears running down her cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s extinction, you know!!! They¡¯re going to remove your existence in both dimensions!!!¡± ¡°Do you think you will be able to do anything if that¡¯s in your hand?! Don¡¯t make me say it again! Give it to me, Illyna.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Illyna answered firmly, pushing the stone in her mouth. ¡°Take it if you can! Go on, take it! Bleeeh!¡± ¡°Hiss!¡± ¡°Hup!¡± Annoyed by her childish provocations, Davey reached out to forcibly take the stone away. However¡­Illyna identally swallowed the stone when she suddenly huped. ¡°Hey!!! Spit that out!!!¡± ¡°Ugh! Urk!!!¡± Unfortunately, Illyna disregarded Davey¡¯s words and curled in on herself. She had no intention of spitting the stone out. ¡°Cough¡­ cough, cough! I, I don¡¯t want to! I don¡¯t want you to disappear!¡± ¡°So you want to disappear instead?¡± ¡°No! I won¡¯t disappear!¡± Thump!!! Illyna flinched, as if something had exploded within her, before losing consciousness. Her body sagged and slowly floated in the air. ¡°Nice to meet you, you f*cking damned Goddess.¡± Grab!!! Did she believe she could simply toy with people? Davey firmly grasped Illyna''s cor, or rather, the entity that had taken control of Illyna''s body. The blue eyes were evidence that the being inhabiting Illyna''s form at that very moment was none other than a fragment of Goddess Freyja''s Will. In truth, Illyna did not possess any holy mana within her own body. Her ability to wield it was only made possible by the presence of Caldeiras. However, there was now a substantial amount of high-level holy mana swirling around her. Goddess Freyja''s Willcked any emotion or personal identity. It was merely an immense will that supported the world in ordance with its providence andws. Silently, Goddess Freyja gazed down at Davey. Shortly after, she extended her hand toward him. Shwaaaaaaaa!!! She did not utter a word, but an immense wave of information flooded into Davey''s mind. In his mind, he witnessed how the future of the world had shifted and transformed after the tightly woven threads of fate between the Demon Lord and the Antagonist unraveled. Goddess Freyja, who could see the future, was left with no choice but to make a decision. That decision was to forcefully empower Davey, ensuring that his power would reach a certain level and maintain the course of fate. Under the guise of divine punishment, she summoned Davey to this ce and pushed him to his limits. However, as things reached their climax, Davey lost control and activated the taboo''s karma. The Goddess had intended topel Davey to shatter the constraints ced upon him and this world. That was her perfect scenario. However, there was one crucial aspect she had overlooked. Great power alwayses with a great price. Hercules'' inherent power allowed him to surpass conventional limits. For someone with the audacity, confidence, and unwarranted strength to challenge the Authority of the Goddess, they must not forget the other side of the coin¡ª the rules and providence of the world. Naturally, this meant that Davey would have to pay the price himself. The Goddess had forced him to strengthen and reshape his body as she desired. But when things took a turn for the worse, even Goddess Freyja was left dumbfounded. As a result, she made a choice. She cast aside Illyna and opted to save Davey. Rather than letting Davey vanish, she chose to save him and advance the future she had foreseen, even at the cost of a single human life. It was a cold and calcted judgment. However, Davey was not willing to let it go unnoticed. Clutching Illyna''s body, he strained his neck to reach for a small cross from his pocket dimension. The cross symbolized Goddess Freyja, though it held no inherent power. Yet, if the one wielding it was a saint, the story would be quite different. "So, you abandoned Illyna to save and use me?" Davey questioned, his voice filled with determination. Goddess Freyja averted her shining blue eyes, and from Illyna''s toes, her body began to fade away. Why? It was because she could no longer bear the burden of the price she had taken from Davey. "Bring her back this instant," Davey demanded. The Goddess remained silent, offering no response. Bang!!! Davey¡¯s fist was blocked by a transparent membrane. ¡°Oho. As expected, the god is a god.¡± Crack!!! As Davey''s attack struck, the barrier contorted and warped under the influence of the taboo''s karma he had momentarily unleashed. The power of the taboo''s karma was formidable enough to invalidate and neutralize the goddess'' power, albeit slightly weaker. In other words, it couldn''t fully nullify the entirety of the goddess'' power. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Davey''s cold gaze remained fixed on Goddess Freyja as he forcefully pounded his fists against the barrier. He understood that the goddess had never harbored any genuine affection for him, merely exploiting him for her own purposes. While Davey had initially epted this arrangement withoutint, the current situation had exceeded all bounds and be an abuse of power. After several forceful strikes against the transparent barrier, Davey ceased his assault. Goddess Freyja appeared angered by his defiance, yet she continued to exert herself in an attempt to protect and save him. It seemed that she had exhausted all possible means of dealing with him. A wicked and cunning grin spread across Davey''s face as he tightened his grip on the cross in his hands. "Right. So, you''re saying you''ll keep doing this, huh?" Davey taunted, flipping the cross in his hand. Since the damn goddess had decided to meddle in his affairs, he would have no choice but to resort to threatening her. "Should I just plunge this into myself and reverse everything?" His words caught her attention, causing her blue eyes to lock onto his. In response, Davey raised the cross, waving it in her direction with a merciless and chilling smile. "Maybe I should just drive this in. It seems like it''s time for us to sign the divorce papers, don''t you think? After all, you''re clearly indicating that we should part ways, right?" ¡®Ah. I don¡¯t care. There¡¯s nothing sentimental going on between us either way.¡¯ Regardless of the potential consequences or upheaval it may cause in the world, Davey was resolute in his determination to drag Goddess Freyja down and bring about their mutual demise. The intensity of his threats caused the goddess to tremble involuntarily. After observing him silently for a prolonged moment, she extended her hands once more. Vwoooooong! Simultaneously, a status window materialized in front of Davey, the previously distorted and unintelligible words gradually transforming into a clear and legible form. Within moments, the immense power that had entered Illyna earlier dissipated from her body. Exhausted and devoid of strength, she copsed onto Davey,pletely helpless. [The contents regarding the price of extinction that Illyna de Pan had taken over changed ownership, now ced under the name of the Goddess, while Davey O''Rowane assumed the rest. Both beings had obtained a tremendous chance of survival.] Just like that, the extra life that Davey had been saving for the longest time had disappeared. [Goddess Freyja will pay 90% of the price.] Davey''s face lit up with a smile. It was a waste of his ember, but he knew that Goddess Freyja had thoroughly considered this before agreeing. It was time for him to stop bargaining. "You should have done this in the first ce." However, Davey momentarily forgot that Goddess Freyja was a very petty goddess who held grudges for a long time. [In the name of the Goddess, a portion of the price will be chosen and reassembled to be applied to the Saint who doubts God, the disgusting Davey O''Rowane.] "What?" Davey mumbled as a light surrounded his entire body. At the same time, certain parts of his body began to undergo slight changes. [For a total of one month, with two-week intervals each time, a phenomenon where your body will transform will ur. This will be applied and maintained in the name of the Goddess.] A strong will prevented Davey from breaking free from the imposed restrictions as he pleased. Then, something ck and long started to flow down his back, obscuring his vision. The slithering ck mass was connected to Davey''s head, making it easy for him to discern its nature. It was his hair growing longer. "Huh?" Davey furrowed his brow as his hands reflexively reached for his neck. Meanwhile, the power of the goddess, seemingly unwilling to entertain objections or protests from him, enveloped Davey and Illyna in light, transporting them back to their original world. Chapter 351: Dear Guest, It’s Time for You to Leave. Baaaaaaang!!! Davey contorted his body, struggling to regain his bnce after being carelessly thrown back into the world. He swiftly reached out and caught Illyna, who had also been tossed alongside him, ensuring a safending. With a flick of his hand, he brushed away the bothersome hair that obscured his face and instinctively groped his chest. ¡®Ack! Aaaaaah¡­¡¯ A brief sigh escaped his mouth when he touched his muscr chest. ¡°Phew¡­¡± A brief silence enveloped the surroundings as Davey absentmindedly assessed Illyna''s condition. She remained unconscious due to the lingering effects of divine possession. After confirming that she had no major injuries, he decided to leave her undisturbed. Furrowing his brow, Davey leaned against his hand, supporting his forehead. Without hesitation, he tapped into his mana and gathered moisture from the air. Unlike the dream world, the Tionis Continent did not impose any restrictions on his ability to ess water through his powers. [Water.] Ssh!!! "Kyaaaack!!!" Illyna eximed, startled by the sudden ssh of cold and icy water. Her eyes widened as she frantically looked around, and then her gaze settled on Davey. Quicklyposing herself, she sat down and stared at him, her head tilted in confusion. "Who are you?" Davey''s eyebrows furrowed in response. "What? Who are you?" Illyna clenched her teeth in frustration. "Who? I''m asking you who you are?!" Crack!!! "Kyaaack!!!" Illyna screamed, tears welling up in her eyes as Davey forcefully cracked her joints. "Kyaaack!!! Hurts! That hurts! It hurts!" Despite being at the level of a Sword Master, a status considered a strategic weapon by the public, Davey paid no heed to her pain. "Aaaaack!" Illyna shrieked as her body twisted from the struggle and the pain when Davey pressed his fists against her temples and spun them. "Are you out of your mind, princess?" As if recalling the sensation of Davey¡¯s painful massages, Illyna pleaded desperately for mercy. "Kyaaack! Davey! So, you''re Davey! Alright, alright! Just let me go first, please!" However, Davey didn''t release his grip. He only stopped after determining that the girl had genuinely reflected on her actions. Completely exhausted, Illynay silently on Davey''s back as he carried her along. "That... You''re Davey...right?" "That''s right." "Then, why do you look like that...?" Davey halted in his tracks, then said, "Get down." He patted Illyna¡¯s legs before setting her down. Then, he stretched his arms. Illyna immediately recoiled, her eyes shifting nervously as if she expected Davey to do something to her. However, Davey wasn¡¯t paying attention to her at all. "Davey?" "How long were we there?" "About five days, I think?" Davey silently nodded. "By the way... What happened to you?" Illyna asked earnestly, finally able to get a proper look at Davey''s appearance. "You..." She gazed at Davey intently, her voice tinged with nervousness. "You have an enviable appearance right now¡­ Hmm.¡± "..." That was true. "What''s going on? Did you suddenly develop an interest in cross-dressing or something?" "I beg you. If you could just shut up for once, the world would be at peace." "Hmph. What? Are you saying disaster strikes every time I open my mouth, huh?" Davey was already content that his body hadn''t changed much. However, he wasn''t certain about how he would look in two weeks, which was when the next transformation would ur. "Maybe I should try voodoo?" His target? Goddess Freyja. He felt that his anger would only subside after creating a straw doll and piercing it with hundreds of nails. There were various methods to change one''s body, such as Body Alteration Dark Magic or the Bone Shifting Arts of the Dark Arts. Illusion magic could even create the appearance of a different body. There were plenty of options, but Goddess Freyja, with her grudges, had altered Davey''s appearance without considering the consequences. "Wow... Wow... Your muscles have vanished. You... What on earth? Have you turned into ady or something? Goodness... A prince has be a princess. This is quite shocking..." Davey simply grabbed Illyna''s hands and ced them on his chest. "Kyaaack! What the... Aaah..." Illyna eximed, taken aback by Davey''s sudden action. She appeared somewhat embarrassed, but her expression quickly shifted to one of disappointment. "What the hell... Is this a washboard...?" Illynamented, forcing her eyes wide open as she closely examined Davey''s body. "So, the only things that have changed about you are your height, build, and face?" "The gender has changed." "What? So, you''re a woman with those washboard abs?" Davey shook his head in response. ¡°What the hell? If you¡¯re not a man and not a woman then¡­ Wow! No way?!¡± Illyna immediately withdrew, a startled look on her face. Davey let out a sigh and cast a mirror magic, a spell based on the principles of light reflection. The mirror of light materialized in front of him, functioning as a full-length mirror that disyed his appearance clearly. Now, Davey possessed a shorter stature, long hair, and a slim body. It wouldn''t be urate to describe him as slim like a woman; rather, he had a slimness more typical of a male. Would it be too self-indulgent to say that he looked good? However, the fact that his appearance had be aesthetically pleasing didn''t matter to him. It only served as a reminder that due to that cursed natural disaster and the petty Goddess Freyja, he was forced to remain in this unfortunate state for the next two weeks. Knowing that he had transformed into this or that wasn''t something that could bring anyone joy. "Right. Once I finish all my tasks, I''ll make sure to prepare a straw doll.¡± ¡®I shall repay this favor of yours with my own. You¡¯re not the only one that¡¯s petty. I¡¯ll make you see.¡¯ Setting aside the matter, Davey looked at Illyna, who was staring at him in amazement. "Hmmm... If you style your hair nicely, you could instantly join the list of continental beauties." "Enough. And stop saying things like that from now on." "I don''t want to. I don''t know how far I''ll be able to go, but if you''re in trouble, at the very least I won''t be someone who just stands by and watches." "I''m telling you to take care of yourself." "I''ll be the judge of that. Don''t you think you owe me one or two lives?" Davey contemted Illyna¡¯s words. He truly appreciated her consideration. The cost of bearing the price of a dimensional extinction was severe. The fact that she had shouldered half of it meant that he had only given up one life. He had used up his remaining ember, but since he used it to save his life, he believed it was a more worthwhile use. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡­ Davey watched Illyna as he began to rotate the meat skewers he had taken out, sitting inside a small cave. "So much has happened in such a short amount of time. I still can''t wrap my head around everything." Davey had conversed with Belial and manipted him into bing the Demon Lord who he eventually overthrew. After killing Belial, Davey became the Demon Lord himself and forcefully put an end to the war. Following that, hepelled Perserque into the prepared body, leading the Goddess to punish him by forcing him to express his power and prematurely strengthen his body. "What I witnessed during the process..." Illyna''s question trailed off as she continued to watch Davey rotate the skewer. "Is that your past?" "That''s correct." "When was it? He looked like an entirely different person. Could it be...your past life?" "What do you think?" "Do you think I would ask if I knew? Pass me one." Illyna then bit into the meat on the skewer, her face contorting at the peculiar taste lingering in her mouth. It seemed the meat''s vor was off, since she fell silent. Davey retrieved the necessary spices from his Pocket ne. Proper seasoning was essential for a delicious taste. Illyna observed curiously as Davey sprinkled some spices onto the meat in her hand. She hesitantly took another bite. Illyna''s eyes widened as she savored the vor, momentarily halting her chewing as she looked at him. Only after that did she continue eating with satisfaction. "At that time... You feel guilty about it, don''t you?" "No." "Don''t lie." Illyna smiled helplessly, lowering her gaze. "It was the first time, you know? The first time I''ve seen you shed tears of regret and guilt." However, Davey frowned at her words. "Cry? Have you lost your mind? Who cried?" "But my eyesight is fine." Davey raised his hand upon hearing Illyna stating the obvious. "Was I crying, or is your vision impaired?" "N-No." Illyna shifted her gaze, her face paling as she answered. This was because Davey had an overwhelminglyrge me flickering around his palms. Although the heat didn''t reach her, Illyna could sense it was a high-level fire magic. The thought of it being directed at her made her turn pale. "You better keep your mouth shut while I''m still being considerate." ¡°I don¡¯t even have any intention of bragging about something like this. Beeeeeh!¡± Illyna stuck her tongue out before resuming her meat consumption, a smile soon forming at the corners of her lips as she ate eagerly. She appeared to relish this first proper meal she had in days. Although Illyna had grown up as a princess and had only dined onvish and elegant meals, she still had some experience living without a roof over her head and eating simple fare during her training with the knights. That aspect of her upbringing made her existence less burdensome and bothersome. "What would you do if you could meet again?" Illyna asked, throwing a deep question at Davey. "If we were to meet again?" Davey looked at Illyna, contemting her words. Illyna carefully poked at the bonfire between them before asking, "Isn''t she your younger sister? Your younger sister from your previous life..." "That''s correct." "What would you do if you had the chance to meet your family again?" Davey closed his eyes in response. "The brother who was unaware of his younger sister''s feelings has already sumbed to his illness and passed away." Shin Hyun-Ah''s brother was already gone, nowhere to be found. Illyna remained silent, merely nodding to indicate that she had heard. "By the way, this seasoning is incredible! What is it made of?" Illyna asked, impressed by the vors. Davey took out a small barrel from his pocket ne and waved it at her. "This? Let me see..." "Once I return to the Imperial Pce, I will instruct the chef to prepare this. I had no idea that adding something like this could enhance the taste of the meat. So, what is it made of?" "You gather mantis legs and carp eyeballs, dry them for twenty days, and grind them into powder." This was none other than the ingredient created by the entric gourmand elf, Yuria Helishana. *** Davey had no idea where they had been thrown in the Tionis Continent. They spent the night quietly in this unfamiliar forest, and only as dawn began to break did Davey rise to his feet, leaving the sleeping Illyna behind. Due to his current short stature, his range of vision and movements had changed slightly. However, there wasn''t a significant difference between Davey''s previous appearance and his current appearance, which resembled that of a ten-year-old. Thus, it didn''t cause him much inconvenience. It was said that a sexless body was the most suitable for battle among all genders, as there were no inherent limitations. Reflecting on this, Davey believed that Goddess Freyja had given him this appearance because she had a predetermined n. To the creator of the world, Davey''s existence was nothing more than a bothersome and repulsive being. The tricks he employed must have appeared ridiculous and childish in her eyes. Yet, she was still ensnared in his web and deceived. Perhaps that was why she still existed. Shwa!!! Shwa!!! Davey snapped off a branch and swung it through the air without hesitation. The blessings, curses, and divine punishments wielded by Goddess Freyja were akin to natural disasters. Could humans truly defy natural disasters and emerge victorious? Davey would wager that it was absolutely impossible. And that was precisely why Goddess Freyja acted the way she did. No matter how skilled he believed himself to be or how remarkable the heroes of the Hall were, everything within thisnd and sky would be powerless against the existence that created it all. Davey propelled himself forward and scaled a towering tree, reaching heights of tens of meters. Once he climbed around a hundred meters, he activated "Eye of the Sky," a skill bestowed by the God of Archery, Apollo. His eyes widened as his vision expanded from several kilometers to tens of kilometers, inundating his mind with vast amounts of information. Indeed, since he had entered the dream world using the power of a god, he could also employ this power to discern their location. There must have been a reason why Goddess Freyja hastily augmented Davey''s strength and bolstered his powers. It was possible that the Abyss erosion was progressing more rapidly and extensively than she had anticipated. So, why did Goddess Freyja cast Davey into this particr ce? The answer was simple: The fissure of the Abyssy nearby. It was also the domain where Grave, the demon who had eluded Davey, struggled to survive. Thump¡­ Thump¡­ It had been fifteen minutes since Davey had departed from the location where he and Illyna had stayed. He walked silently, suppressing his aura and minimizing any sound. As he ventured forth, he came upon a scene: a riverpletely shrouded in darkness, with a man standing before it. Silently, the man stood in front of the oozing, repulsive crack. However, he appeared oblivious to Davey''s presence. The demons were unable to openly defy themands of the Demon Lord. With Belial''s demise, Davey had assumed the role of the Demon Lord. As long as he held that position, the conflict between demons and humans could be considered resolved. Furthermore, many of the high-ranking vampires had perished. Even Gluttony, their primary instigator and leader, had been in. If things proceeded favorably, they would eventually disperse and seek hiding ces. Otherwise, they would be apprehended and taken as prisoners of war. Once these two factions were dealt with, the forces capable of shaking the entire continent would have effectively vanished. It could be said that the threats to the continent had been eliminated. However, the most significant adversary of the Continental Alliance remained elusive. It was those individuals whom Davey had to confront. After all, the prelude to the war was nothing more than a sh between those beings and him. ¡®Just think of it like: Davey O¡¯Rowane, [The Invisible Hand].¡¯ ¡°So, you¡¯re here?¡± "Hmm? Heok?! You bastard, how?!!!" The man shrieked, copsing in surprise the instant heid eyes on Davey. At present, the bandage concealing Grave''s face had been unraveled. The visage beneath did not resemble that of a demon or a human. It was nothing more than a ck, vacant countenance. They were the origin of Perserque''s power. They resided within the Abyss. Their forms were nonexistent. Whatever they may be, their intent was resolute¡ªto abduct Perserque and return to their own realm. Crack!!! Swoosh!!! Before anyone could react, the branch in Davey''s hand swung swiftly, slicing through the air. Simultaneously, Grave''s upper body was severed from his lower body. "Keheok?! Who, who are you?!" Grave eximed in bewilderment. "It''s me. Don''t you recognize me?" Davey asked casually as Grave stared silently at him for a moment. Perhaps it was because he was an extraordinary individual? Even without recognizing his external appearance, Grave still knew who resided within the body. "This cursed bastard!!! Why target my waist again?!" "If their waist is their lifeline, shouldn''t you pay more attention to that part?" Davey retorted. As Grave extended his palm and released an unfamiliar ck force, Davey swiftly extended his hand in response. A taboo was activated, and a cold aura emanated from his hands. However, before anyone could react, the light had already reached Davey''s hands. Light was inherently intangible. However, such simplistic rules could easily be bent within Davey''s body. After all, this power originated from Hercules and was attained by Davey upon reaching this stage. The source? Their bodies. "Dear guest, why do you still linger here? It''s time for you to depart," Davey dered, crushing the hand that pierced through his own before seizing Grave''s head. There was no resistance. A firm grip was all it took to crush it effortlessly. Since Davey''s soul underwent another awakening, the power at his disposal had more than doubled. At this rate, it wouldn''t take much longer for him to reim the strength he possessed within the Hall. ¡®No. I shouldn¡¯t do that. It¡¯s more than enough right now.¡¯ ¡°Get out of my ce, you f*cking bastard!¡± The power of taboo might have significant effects, but its range was limited and easily weakened with a mere thought. Moreover, it had a lengthy cooldown time. However, that was more than sufficient. It appeared that Goddess Freyja had purposefully sent him to this location, the very ce where the Abyss crack existed, knowing this fact well. Without hesitation, Davey cast Grave into the river, now transformed into a viscous ck tar. Then, Davey extended his finger toward the struggling figure. ''Ah, I''ve been wanting to try this.'' "Can you perceive the disparity in our powers?" [9th ss, Final Holy Magic.] [God¡¯s Middle Finger.] ¡°Eat god¡¯s shit!¡± Then, a sh of light pierced through the dark river. Chapter 352 The force behind the white light had significantly weakened. It seemed that Goddess Freyja''s power had also diminished. If that wasn''t the case, then it was likely due to the weakening of the countless connections that God had established in this world. Whatever the reason, Davey was certain of one thing. Purifying the now ckened river, or perhapske, all at once was a daunting task. If the influence of Goddess Freyja was not functioning properly, then the power he had received from her and could wield would be weaker. For the time being, Davey had no choice but to rely on his own power rather than the holy mana within his body. "Do you think we''ll back down just like that?!" Grave, who had been dragged and sucked into the dark, ckke, screamed at Davey upon his reappearance. It seemed he was quite resilient and determined. "You bastard! You will never surpass our unity. The gates will open without fail. The day the gates fully open will be the day you die¡­" Grave cursed, his body slowly being pulled back into the murky waters of theke. It appeared that he no longer had the strength to pull himself up and return here. While studying the uses of the tentacles, Davey discovered that they still faced limitations and restrictions in this world, despite being quite immune to its rules and providence. The world''s providence was not a simple program. It wouldn''t allow the opponent to continuously exploit and escape. They might have had an easy timeing here before, but that didn''t mean they would find it easy to return, especially after being forcefully dragged back to their original location. Boom!!! At that very moment, a pir of light descended, piercing through the darkness and illuminating the surface of the murkyke. The water rippled and trembled under its radiant glow. Simultaneously, an enormous mouth resembling that of a crocodile emerged from the depths and engulfed Grave in one swift motion. Then, an appendage extended from the colossal creature''s massive body, gradually exerting force against the pir of light. Astonishingly, it was able to push back the 9th ss, Final Holy Magic. ¡®These bastards are the real ones, huh?¡¯ Bang!!! There was nothing before him, yet an unseen force collided with Davey, sending him hurtling through the air. In that instant, he experienced the sensation of being a baseball struck by a powerful bat, the impactunching him away. The intense pain coursing through his body added to the overwhelming assault he endured. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®This hurts a bit.¡¯ The nonchnt smile vanished from Davey''s face as he observed the immense crack suspended above the darkke. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the exact spot where the pir of light had emanated, and became aware of a presence staring back at him from within the depths of the crack. Although invisible to the naked eye, the gaze that bore into him exuded an unsettling aura capable of instilling sheer dread. Taking a step forward, Davey uttered the first words that came to mind, "So, the big shot is making an appearance, huh?" Davey had no way of knowing or determining whether their intentions involved emerging from that location or not. Bang!!! As another attack hurtled toward him, the air surrounding Davey shifted, and a barrier materialized, forming a protective shield around him. The barrier intercepted the iing assault, deflecting it harmlessly away from Davey''s position. Crack!!! The issue was that the barrier did not hold for long. The intangible, odorless, and colorless attack effortlessly pierced through several dozenyers of defensive magic that Davey had meticulously erected around himself. Its sheer power was capable of causing ripples in the air. However, Davey was no fool to let himself be attacked a second time. Despite being unable to perceive anything within the void before him or sense any mana movements in his surroundings, he extended his hand and gathered the mana present in the nearby area. Baaaam!!! Simultaneously, the telekic magic without any specific attribute unraveled, expanding to a magnitude that surpassed anyone''s expectations. It detonated, distorting the space surrounding Davey in a violent disy. Utilizing the resulting rebound, Davey propelled himself away from the vicinity while conjuring two fiery orbs on the tip of his finger. Without dy, he hurled the fireballs toward the abyssal void concealed beyond the spatial rift. Bang!!! The attack, clearly aimed at Davey, detonated, but it was already toote. Davey had swiftly distanced himself from his initial position. The two minuscule fireballs he had unleashed also exploded, engulfing the entire area in a devastating inferno that belied their small size. This marked Davey''s second encounter with the Abyssal crack. The first crack had beenparatively small, with a cluster of tentacles reaching out in an attempt to drag Perserque back. However, the current crack was immense, easily amodating a dozen of the cracks he had previously encountered. How long had they been preparing for it to grow to such proportions? Previously, Davey had managed to tear apart the smaller crack with his sheer strength, aided by the power of the jewel that allowed him to harmonize his body and soul. But now? The goddess had intentionally imposed restrictions on him, making it arduous for him to regain his power. When Goddess Freyja had cast him into this predicament and entrusted him with the situation, Davey had initially perceived it as an exaggerated reaction in the absence of an immediate crisis. However, a formidable and potent being like her would not act in such haste if there were no imminent perils. Davey retrieved a handful of talismans from his Pocket ne and tossed them into the air. Then, he brought his palms together, his eyes flickering rapidly. [2nd Grade Binding Arts] [Lightning Restriction] The several dozens of talismans suddenly turned into hundreds as gigantic ck spears poured out of them and pierced through the now stillke. After all, at this point, the 9th ss Holy Magic had already beenpletely offset by whatever had popped out from theke¡¯s depths. Davey was not sure if it was because it had a certain immunity against the powers that existed in thisnd or if it was because the being that had popped out was covered with plenty of elements but it was not that goodpared to the lump of flesh that Davey had experimented on before. Bang!!! Not long after, its body shook fiercely from the impact of the attack. However, Davey did not stop there. With his hands still together, he quickly rotated the power in his body. With the spears that he sent earlier, the ckenedke¡¯s body began to shake fiercely once again. Guwoooooooo!!! The monster, which had changed its form from water to a sticky and creepy tar, roared loudly as the spear pierced deeper into its body. Just like Davey had expected, the 2nd Grade Sorcery Lightning Restriction was working. It was an art that would release spears that would pierce through the opponent and absorb its power thereby depriving them of their power and suppressing them. But after seeing that these beings did not getpletely suppressed and restricted even after being pierced through by dozens of such spears, Davey had realized that the cheat-like power of immunity to all powers truly made these beings extremely resistant. Of course, that did not mean that there weren¡¯t any countermeasures against them. [8th Circle] [Corona Break] Davey gradually began to make an impact on the creature, employing attacks at the 8th Circle and beyond. This approach was informed by his previous experimentation on a lump of flesh, which had shown signs of developing immunity when subjected to forces at the 4th to 5th Circle level. Clearly, this adversary before him would likely be immune to attacks at the 5th Circle level. Thus, Davey initiated his assault at the 8th Circle, resulting in a noticeable reaction. However, he was well aware that he would need to utilize even higher levels of mana to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of his attacks against this formidable opponent. Despite being sealed with sorcery, the monster persistently strained against the restraints, gradually weakening the seal due to its amorphous and elusive form. Describing its shape was a challenge in itself, as itcked any discernible regrity, resembling nothing more than a shapeless mass of flesh. Thwack!!! In response to Davey''s attempt to seal its body, the monster exhibited signs of anger. Suddenly, its eyes shed, and without warning, another colorless, odorless, and intangible attack wasunched toward him. ¡®I''ve already told you, and I''ll tell you again. You might be able to attack me once, but I won''t fall for the same trick twice.¡¯ Davey delved into the viscous creature using Blink. He noticed that sorcery, inparison to magic, holy magic, and dark magic, had some effect on this entity. With this in mind, he wanted to test whether martial arts, something akin to skills and techniques in this world, would also prove effective against it. [Ice Demon God¡¯s Arts Pinnacle Skill] [Supreme Ice God¡¯s Field] The Ice Demon God''s Arts was a renowned skill among those who followed the Evil Path. It originated from Dokgo Jun, the one who had taught martial arts to Davey. Davey had stolen this martial art and learned it for himself, making it his own. However, there was one thing that Davey could guarantee. He would be able to harness more power using the Ice Demon God''s Arts than its true owner and master. Martial arts, an art dedicated to enhancing firepower, differed greatly from the swordsmanship in this world, which relied on mana volume, purity, and precision. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! His inner qi froze the air around them, forming an icy path resembling a colossal dragon extending its body, casting an eerie chill over the surroundings. The massive ice storm further impeded the already sluggish movement of the sticky creature from the abyss. However, this effectsted only briefly before dissipating. Baaaaang!!! The colossal monster from the Abyss expressed its displeasure, as if the encroaching ice had be exceedingly bothersome. In an instant, the sluggish mass of flesh began to undergo transformation. The previously solid, ck lump of flesh started multiplying and morphing into repulsive clusters of tentacles. This was a form that Davey was all too familiar with, resembling the tentacles he had extracted from the abyss and experimented upon. [We are one.] Davey sensed a profound connection as the eye materialized in the center of the massive fleshy mass that had emerged from the crack. It seemed tomunicate with him through a spiritual link rather than conventional means of physicalmunication. [We are the gathering of the entire Overminds¡¯ Will.] ¡°¡­¡± [The day our Will bes perfect will be the day our wish wille true.] "Enough with your iprehensible babble," Davey muttered in frustration, channeling his power to create a colossal 8th Circle Fire Magic spell. He had exhausted every method at his disposal to control the situation. That''s why he had to unleash the destructive power and reduce the creature to ashes before it posed an even greater threat. Even if the monster could withstand the assault, Davey was determined to persist and unleash relentless attacks until it reached its breaking point. Bang!!! To his dismay, the creature emerging from the crack exhibited a vitality and life force far surpassing Davey''s expectations. It continued to multiply and adapt, rendering his attacks less effective over time. Even the formidable 8th Circle Fire Magic proved futile against its resilience. The talismans and restrictions he had ced on the creature were gradually nullified and released, not simply due to their loss of power, but because the opponent was growing stronger and more dangerous. "Hmmm..." Davey let out a sigh, realizing he could no longer afford to leisurely indulge in his experiments. He extended his right hand and fixed his gaze upon the monstrous being from the Abyss, a sense of urgency recing his previous nonchnce. [I am telling you that this will be the end. How can you, a small and trivial being, fight against this body that is made with the wishes of tens of millions of beings?] [We are¡­] [¡­one.] The multitude of voices echoing in Davey''s head only served to irritate him further. As a final attempt, he conjured a Hellfire and hurled it at the Abyssal being, but its impact proved minimal. What a truly formidable body it possessed, swiftly adapting to even the 9th Circle of magic. If such a creature were unleashed upon the continent, it would spell doom for all living beings, swiftly devouring and destroying the world in a matter of moments. Davey contemted the situation at length before firmly resolving his course of action. Brushing aside his obstructing hair, he took a step forward and began to draw upon the forbidden power. Depending on how he wielded it, the restrictions and consequences imposed on his body would vary whenever he invoked the power of taboo. Having already endured the penalties, it was only fitting that he utilized it to its fullest potential. The 9th Circle Magic was no longer effective, and his holy power had waned with the weakening of the Goddess. The only remaining efficacyy in his sorcery, albeit diminishing as the monster grew ustomed to it. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to give it his all and fight back. Delving into his Pocket ne, Davey retrieved the towering staff known as Transcendence Demise. He nced at the disregarded restrictions afflicting his body, their influence negated by the power of taboo. If his attacks proved futile and he could only watch as the creature escaped through the crack, then perhaps it was time to test its endurance against Transcendental Dark Magic. ck smoke coalesced within Davey''s palms as he infused the dark magic, renowned for its destructive prowess, with the essence of taboo. The amalgamation of these powers rendered it an unstoppable force, an ultimate adversary in its own right. Gradually, the ck smoke assumed the form of a colossal skeleton, akin to a voracious ck hole devouring everything in its path. When the smoke dissipated entirely, not a trace remained within a hundred-meter radius, including the gigantic monster itself. ¡°Goodness. It¡¯s much stronger than what I thought?¡± Chapter 353: The Legacy of War "Well..." Davey muttered, realizing that this was a prime example of a miscalction on his part. The sight of an area spanning hundreds of meters vanishingpletely aligned perfectly with Davey''s original intention. His adversary remained an enigma, disying an unwavering resilience even against the formidable 9th Circle magic. It was evident that if the entity managed to draw closer, its power would only amplify. Daveyprehended the urgency of incapacitating it before it could make any further advances. However, he faced a pressing constraint of time, making it impossible for him to gather enough strength for a decisive strike with his current abilities. It became abundantly clear that a mere ordinary attack would fall short. Davey had no choice but to resort to the forbidden arts as his sole option. However, a nagging sensation of going too far lingered within him, even considering the desperate nature of his original n. The employment of transcendent dark magic surpassed his initial expectations, as it was a power that defiedprehension, no matter how proficient he was in magic. This particr transcendent dark magic was crafted with precision, meant exclusively for the Death Lord, Rho Aias. It was an exceptionally demanding spell that only she possessed the ability to wield. Though he had acquired significant knowledge in dark magic and necromancy from her, spells of this caliber remained elusive in practice, confined to the realm of theory. Being knowledgeable and being all-powerful were two distinct realms of mastery. How, then, had he managed to sessfully cast such aplex and exclusive spell? The answer had eluded him until now, shrouded in mystery. As it turned out, it was surprisingly straightforward. Transcendent dark magic, unique to the Death Lord, could only be wielded by her alone. To ess its power, he had two options: either be her or borrow her power. Both options seemed imusible, yet this event had unveiled a potential solution¡ªa transformation of his physical body through the forbidden arts. It involved a gic mutation¡ªa temporary defiance of the natural order, altering his DNA to mirror that of Rho Aias. At one point, he had questioned the necessity of memorizing such knowledge from Hia. Little had he known that it would prove to be immensely helpful in the end. "Ugh..." But, as expected, he couldn''t evade the inherent limitations that apanied this feat. He had seeded in crafting only a minuscule fragment, norger than a finger joint, which he then magnified through the application of a transcendental spell. The immense power exerted by this magic had drained nearly all of his mana reserves, leaving him fatigued and his vision obscured, as if enveloped in a dense fog. "Haa... Haa..." As he took shallow breaths, attempting to regainmand of his mana, he noticed something strange on one side of the enormous crater that now surrounded him. A small stone, radiating a dark glow, caught his eye. "What''s this?" He slowly pushed himself to his feet and made his way over. Picking up the small stone that hadnded on the ground, he squeezed out thest remnants of the abyssal power in him to activate the status window. Zoom~ Beep! And then, he checked its contents. "This is..." Something else caught his attention. * * * While Davey was upied contending with the colossal entity from the abyss, Illyna had been in a deep slumber, unaware of his endeavors. As he made his way back to the cave, she gradually awakened, her eyes fluttering open. Quietly assessing her condition, he found that she had made substantial progress in her recovery. Without dy, he transported her to a sprawling in, intending to provide her with a serene and expansive environment. Woong! The sight of a massive transfer magic circle seemed to captivate Illyna, who curiously scanned her surroundings. "Are we heading straight to themand center? The war isn''t over yet, right?" Her question was unsurprising, given her recent absence from the events. "No, I won''t be the one wrapping up the war. Reina will take care of it." Upon hearing Reina''s name, Illyna mulled it over and then nodded. Even though Reina was renowned as a hero, Illyna had personally met her. "So, it''s that Reina," grumbled Illyna in a dissatisfied tone."So, what''s the n now?" "We need to return to our territory." Only then did Illyna seem to grasp the situation. "Teleportation magic... It never ceases to amaze me... I wonder if I could learn something like this too?" "It''s 200 million gold per circle, and teleportation magic is an 8th-Circle spell. So, I can get you trained up quick and easy for a total of 1.6 billion gold. Deal?" "Forget it, who needs to learn that?" Illyna shook her head firmly, demonstrating quite clearly that she had indeed spent a lot to learn from him. Whoosh!!! After setting the coordinates, he gestured with a flick of his hand toward the air. A radiant light enveloped the entire area, yet to their surprise, the scenery around them remained almost unchanged. "Huh? What, what just happened?" As Illyna looked around in confusion, Davey maintained his silence and simply pushed his hand into the empty air. "Did we...move? We''re still in a forest, aren''t we?" "Exactly." Withdrawing his hand from the void, Davey unveiled a colossal item gripped tightly within his grasp¡ªa magnificent bow known as the Divine Bow Brunaak. Whoosh!!! With tremendous force, he pulled the bowstring back, even though there was nothing visibly attached to it. Illyna watched him with a mix of confusion and growing familiarity, as if she was beginning to understand his idiosyncrasies. Crack!! Crack!!! After a brief silence, a massive lightning arrow began to take shape on the bowstring. Davey silently stared into the distance for a moment, then released the bowstring. [Strong Shot] [Steel Heart] Thump!! The arrow became a beam of blinding light, tearing through the air with incredible speed, surpassing the sound barrier with a resounding sonic boom. Defying the conventional limitations of bows and arrows, it sliced through everyrge tree in its trajectory, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. With a chilling tearing sound, the beam found its target, striking with precision, before everything fell into an eerie silence. "Ah... Ahya... My ears are ringing... What the heck did you just do?" "Let''s go." Caught off guard by Davey¡¯s abrupt actions, Illyna watched with a puzzled look. However, she hurriedly followed when he began to stride away and leave her behind. "What on earth... Ah?" As Illyna hastened to catch up with Davey, her eyes were captivated by the sight that unfolded where the arrow had struck. Shock overcame her as she beheld a colossal vampire, pierced through the heart by the arrow, lying motionless on the ground. Surrounding the fallen creature were numerous other vampires, visibly drained and fatigued from their ordeal. Adding to the grim scene, a handful of fallen individuals were encircled by these menacing creatures, their fate uncertain. They were barely more than children, around fifteen boys and girls. Each of them was dressed in a robe, unmistakably marking their lineage as magicians. They all bore the marks of minor injuries, but some were grievously wounded, their pale faces a stark reminder of the impending threat of death. Among the onlookers frozen in shock, a vampire was the first to break free from the trance. With a strained expression, Davey slowly moved forward, approaching the group of vulnerable children. "Human girls?" Davey¡¯s expression turned cold. "No, no! Run away!" A few of the confused youngsters, apparently oblivious to the gravity of the situation, shouted urgently in their direction. "Darn it! I''m the least injured! I''ll draw their attention, so save those twodies first!" At that moment, a boy with a conspicuously cheeky demeanor let out a loud shout. As if they had been coordinating their actions for a long time, two other boys swiftly broke through the vampire encirclement and made their way toward Davey and Illyna. "Excuse me!" Before he could finish speaking, one of the boys scooped Illyna into his arms. The remaining boy was ready to carry Davey and move. It would''ve been the ideal scenario, had Davey stayed put. "Argh! My head! You''re pulling my hair!" "Step aside." Blushing, the boy reached out to grab Davey, and that only served to further irritate Davey. Due to the changes that had happened to his handsome face, unnecessary misunderstandings were beginning to form. As Davey contemted turning this troublemaker into a pincushion with hundreds of pins, he slowly let go of the head. Then, he audibly cracked his knuckles, and took a step forward. He muttered, "In my own front yard¡­" Who gave them the right to settle here? Pesky mosquitoes. They were the worst kind of troublemakers. They were radical vampires who had changed the tide of the war only to suffer immense losses in return. But that was not Davey¡¯s concern. He hade here with a singr goal: total annihtion. He nonchntly swished the healing potion he had retrieved from his Pocket ne, doused it over the head of the boy who had rushed to his aid despite his injuries, and then kicked him square in the back. "You''ve got three broken ribs, two ruptured organs, and a dislocated shoulder. If you don''t get treatment, you''re looking at a lifetime of hardship." "What?!" Caught off guard by Davey¡¯s blunt prognosis, the boy''s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Davey¡¯s voice had be rough and gravelly, a mere shadow of what it had been. The sensation of speaking was almost surreal. Ignoring the gobsmacked boy, along with the other boys and girls who were too taken aback to speak, Davey strode toward the nearest vampire with an annoyed expression. He said, "Human girl, halt." "I''d rather not." "So you''re just begging for death, huh?" The vampire brandished his razor-sharp fangs and, with blood-red eyes, lunged at Davey. He seized Davey¡¯s slender neck and started to snarl menacingly. "A bit more pressure, and your frail human life could be snuffed out in an instant." His warning was followed by a swift nce at the surrounding vampires. "Let''s move. Take this girl as a hostage. That monstrous human from the Heins Territory is supposedly a saint when ites to the value of life. At the very least, while we have a human hostage, they won''t dare attack." "One isn''t enough. We should take a few more." The vampires continued their exchange, formting their ns. "Drop your weapons, unless you want to see this girl''s life taken." Finally, the vampire gripping Davey¡¯s neck issued a low warning to the other boys and girls, whose faces twisted with a mix of annoyance, confusion, and distress. Admittedly, it was a frustrating sight to behold, a human willingly walking into captivity and essentially mocking the situation. Well, Davey had to admit, they had learned quite well from their tutors. With this thought, he decided it was high time to stop dragging this out. He turned to the boys and girls, who were hesitantly lowering their staff. "I''m certain you were taught that weapons are your lifelines," Davey muttered, and then lightly tapped the hand of the vampire that was throttling his neck. Tap-tap! At this gentle touch, he scowled and bore his gaze into Davey¡¯s. Davey yelled, "Who''re you calling a girl, you flea-bitten son of a¡ª" Crack! Davey casually seized his arm, snapped it, and pinned the vampire down. He then dered, "I warned you. Enough with the theatrics in my front yard." He was sure he had made this point clear before. The reason he had located this ce was simple. The forest was adjacent to the Heins Territory. His actions left not just the dumbfounded vampires frozen in ce, but also the boys and girls¡ªthe students of Shakunt''s ss F¡ªwho had been facing off against them. They all stared at him in utter disbelief. Chapter 354 As the leader of Shakunt¡¯s ss F, Timmy Lendarogue was deeply trusted by his ssmates. But now, he felt his heart burning with distress. Their journey had begun with such promise, yet it seemed to be spiraling toward disaster. Looking at the situation, he couldn''t help but me his owncency for their plight. After all, his rash decision to leave the Heins territory had ced the lives of seventeen trusting followers in danger. Reality and theory could diverge, but in this case, the chasm seemed vast. ss F had been molded by Davey, a teacher who was considered a monster. They had be notorious for their reckless actions, earning thebel of ''monsters'' within the school. However, the real world was a different story; it was crawling with actual monsters. Davey often referred to them as big fish in a small pond. He warned Timmy and his ssmates againstcency and urged them to practice more. Had they listened to his advice, they might not have found themselves in this predicament. The vampires surrounding them were exhausted and tense, on the brink of a breaking point. The air was thick with tension, just a spark away from igniting a horrific bloodbath. Despite the looming danger, Timmy had confidence in his magical prowess. He had even dered his intent to aid the war effort, even if it meant going alone. The group had thus split down the middle; about half, led by Josiah Frances, had decided to stay back within the safety of the territory, while those who shared Timmy''s conviction had followed him out of the Heins territory. Up to that point, everything had seemed fine. Some might have seen it as a daring adventure, driven by the youthful ambition of the students. But from the outset, things began to unravel. Unforeseen by the students, the war had abruptly ended, and thest remaining vampires had scattered. The students had not anticipated these stragglers to have already reached the Heins territory. In fact, it was likely that the vampires had their own objectives, although the specifics remained unclear. Eventually, this unexpected encounter led the students into a fierce battle. One particrly formidable vampire, towering in height and incredibly strong, had them cornered, pushing them to the verge of death. The vampires were unrelenting, allowing no room for conversation. As the group grappled with their predicament, Timmy watched a lightning arrow streak in from the edge of the forest. It struck down the formidable vampire in a heartbeat. It resembled magic, yet it couldn''t be traced back, indicating that it wasn''t magical. But if not magic, then what was this lightning arrow? While Timmy was preupied with analyzing the magic, two women, seemingly uninvolved in the battle, appeared before them. Timmy and his ssmates were unaware that one of them was a familiar human they all knew too well. * * * The change in atmosphere was palpable and instant. The woman appeared petite, with a slim and small build. Her body seemed nearly devoid of mana, making her an unlikely candidate to instigate such chaos. "Argh... Aaargh!" "Hurts, doesn''t it? Is it painful?" "Yes, it hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" "Good, that''s why I''m breaking it." With a swift and harsh crack, Davey effortlessly broke the vampire''s arm. He then cracked his knuckles, balled his hand into a fist, and met the oing vampires with a fierce re. [Demon Yigr¡¯s Supression] [Breaking Bones] Davey thought, ¡®Go on, try taking a hit¡­ Hold on a sec! It struck your bone! You should have heard that.¡¯ Crack! "Ugh!" Amid the eerie sound of splitting bones, one of the vampires fell to the ground, his eyes wide with shock. Davey thought, ¡®I guess you guys aren''t immortal anymore, huh?¡¯ The rogue vampires, now horrifically mutated, had gone so far as to grant the power of immortality even to their lowliest ranks. It was evident that the presence or absence of certain entities from the abyss affected this situation. The vampire Davey had annihted with his transcendent ck magic exhibited a force that perfectly mirrored the subtle sensation marking every instance of the vampires deploying their immortality. Naturally, once the entity providing them power through the rift disappeared, it was inevitable for the vampires'' twisted immortality to vanish. A sense of foreboding had been there, but the confirmation was chilling nheless. "Gulp...gulp..." The defeat of one vampire within a split second had a chilling effect on the rest. They instinctively recoiled from Davey, sensing that something had gone terribly wrong. One of them, desperate to survive, reached out toward a nearby girl, intending to take a hostage. "Don''t move, or this one dies." Well, hostage situations were Davey''s forte. Holding the subdued vampire by the back of his neck, Davey warned the others, "I was faster. Hands off! Or else." "Ugh... You vile human!" "Who tried to snatch a hostage first?" "This despicable woman..." Crack!! One particrly angry vampire was suddenly flung backward by an unexpected impact, and he sttered against a solid rock. Concurrently, a pure, brilliant light began to form in Davey''s hand. [6th Level] [Holy Fire Ball] Zwoosh!! The vampires, sensing the impending danger, started to distance themselves from Davey. Unfazed, he pointed his radiant hand toward one of them and released the amassed light. "Didn''t I tell you not to move?" A massive column of light, tens of centimeters in radius, shot toward them. The vampires, realizing the imminent danger, tried to flee. "Argh, aaaaargh!" But before they could make their escape, they were engulfed by the sacred me, reduced to nothing more than ashes. ¡®Quite the spectacle,¡¯ Davey admitted. Lower-ranking vampires, who were not blessed with the true power of immortality, had no choice but to ept their demise when inflicted with a fatal wound. "No, you can''t be-!" one vampire cried out in realization of the attacker''s identity. But even before his cry could fully escape his lips, Davey swept his legs from beneath him. As he fell, Davey pressed his hand against the vampire''s forehead, grinning like a madman. "Don''t call a perfectly fine man a woman." [8th Level Holy Magic] [Large Holy Fire Ball] Boom!!!! An enormous shockwave apanied by a concentrated holy me swallowed him whole, resembling a dragon''s breath. As anotherrade turned to nothing but ashes, the remaining vampires scattered in a desperate attempt to escape. "They''re getting away!" several students eximed, yet Davey made no move to chase the fleeing vampires. "Go on, Illyna. It''s up to you now." "You... just you wait and see." She disyed a sly grin that swiftly hardened into an icy mask of determination. Then, she drew her silver greatsword, Caldeiras. Suddenly, a blue aura erupted from her, and a sharp energy de formed at the tip of her sword. Thump!!!! The agility of a sword master was an asset, a strategic weapon even. The wrath she felt facing the bane of her existence was immense, further augmented by the prank Davey had pulled on her. She vanished in a sh of her sword, leaving the students to bear the brunt of the shockwave. They copsed to the ground, staring nkly ahead. "What in the world... What just happened¡­?" they murmured in disbelief and shock. Davey approached them, scanning the fallen students bleeding on the ground. Even though they had undergone intensive training in a short period, they were still not ready for actualbat. "You''re fearless, aren''t you? Running headfirst into battle, do you even know where you are?" The students fell silent, unable to respond. Davey nced at them once more before reaching into the void again, retrieving several bottles of potion. Davey sprayed the concoction over those who were critically injured. The students looked at the potion with curiosity, wondering what it could be. It wasmonly known that there was no such thing as a miracle cure-all potion that could heal everything simply by being consumed or sprayed on. "Shaira Minsti,e here." Upon hearing Davey''s somewhat lighter voice, a girl with her hair tied in a ponytail looked at him startled. "H-how do you know my name..." "Molly Saelyn, Alyssa Yosefov,e out and stop hiding." The students whose names Davey called were visibly surprised and slowly approached him with widened eyes. It seemed they still had not figured out who Davey was. Undeniably, it was not a matter of facial recognition; the issue was that Davey''s stature had significantly diminished, making it hard for them to recognize him. "Um... Who are you? How do you know our names..." Alyssa Yosefov questioned the woman before her with a cautious look on her face. It was inevitable that she would be confused, as it was unusual for a stranger to suddenly know them so well, despite having saved them. In response to Alyssa''s cautious approach, Davey gently rolled up her sleeve. "Eek¡­" Her swollen, reddened arm came into view. It was a clear fracture, and a nasty one at that. "It''s aplete fracture. It needs to be set correctly, so grit your teeth." Snap! "Aaaaah!!!" Alyssa Yosefov copsed, screaming in pain, causing the other students to stand up abruptly. They looked at Davey warily. "Why are you doing this? Who are you?" ¡®I''m your teacher,¡¯ Davey thought. Just as Davey was about to respond to the question, a boy with an annoying look on his face appeared from behind and blocked Davey''s path. "You idiots! Is it right to be wary of the person who just saved your lives?! Such poor manners, even in front of ady! Are all royalty and nobles like you? Did you think she is our crazy teacher?" ¡®Crazy teacher?¡¯ Davey thought. In contrast to Davey''s surprise, the other students nodded in apparent agreement. Satisfied with their response, the boy named Celvice turned to Davey and smiled brightly, despite his broken ribs. It was impressive how cheerful he could be despite his injury. "Haha, sir, I don''t even know how to express my gratitude! Oh, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I''m Celvi..." Mid-sentence, Davey''s small handnded on Celvice''s baby face. Normally, Davey could have grabbed his entire face with one hand, but due to his shrunken size, he could only grab Celvice''s cheek and jaw. "I do remember telling you to think carefully first when assessing an opponent." "Arghhhhhhhh!!!" "Celvice, do my words amuse you?" "Uh... Aaargh!! This... this touch!! Could it be, Mr. Davey?!" As he screamed in surprise, Davey instinctively pulled his hand back and stepped away. His clear embarrassment was evident, a slip-up he couldn''t recover from. ¡®What''s with this kid? Scary,¡¯ Davey remarked inwardly. * * * The students'' gaze keenly followed Davey''s movements, their eyes reflecting confusion. "Um... Mr. Davey?" "Yes?" "Are you really... I mean, you''re the Saint of the continent and also..." "A psychopath teacher!" "Who called me a psychopath?" One student cringed and hid at Davey''s question. However, he was soon dragged out in front of Davey due to the relentless heckling of his peers. Such was the warmth of their camaraderie. "You traitors!" "If you want to die, die alone." "Don''t drag us into this." ¡®So heartwarming indeed.¡¯ Davey was amused. "So, a psychopath, huh?" "Ahahah..." The boy let out an awkwardugh as he observed Davey''s smile. "But are you really our teacher? You¡¯re a woman... Aargh!!" The punishment was swift. "Te-Teacher! I''m sorry! I was wrong!" Watching the boy scream, Davey wore a sinister smile as he increased the pressure. Thud!! Thump!! While Illyna''s mana raged wildly, indicating that she had started dealing with the vampires, Davey''s focus remained solely on the students. "Just one more time," Davey said quietly, his gaze fixed on him, "If you make another uncalled-forment about me being a dy'' or ''woman''..." Davey fell silent, causing those around him to nervously swallow. He ran a finger across his throat and smiled coldly. He said, "I trust you can figure out what would happen. Do I truly appear to be a woman to you? Are your eyes merely for show?" Davey thought, ¡®Currently, I''m genderless. My appearance has changed ordingly, but the only elements that could possibly make me look feminine are my hair and facial features.¡¯ "Well... Your physique does seem more masculine than feminine." "Honestly, it''s easy to get confused. These days, who judges someone based on their body? They look at the face first. The great alchemist Bleeping, who studies humans, said that when people meet, they first focus on the face. And your voice seems to have be more neutral than before, Teacher." Davey shifted his gaze to the protesting student, who immediately backed off, trembling as if he had seen a ghost. What was the point of having a conversation with these students? Meanwhile, another student pped his hands and said, "That''s right. The silver-haireddy asked us to bring you to her if we ever saw you, Mr. Davey." "Silver-haired? Oh... That incredibly beautiful person..." "Really?" "What''s with you guys? Didn''t you guys only met her once by chance?" "How can we forget such a beautiful person?" Upon hearing one boy''sment, the other boys agreed, and the female students couldn''t help but disy jealous expressions. She would definitely be looking for Davey. It would be polite to go to her quickly if she was throwing such cute tantrums. "Oh! Speaking of which, representatives from the alliance came to our territory! They said you disappeared!" "That''s right! That''s right!" Davey thought, ¡®Is the war notpletely over yet? And I''m being used of desertion for not going back?¡¯ "Who can stop me when I say I''m knocking off work?" ¡®I''ve done enough,¡¯ Davey thought. Chapter 355 Unfamiliar sensations overwhelmed Perserque as everything she saw, smelled, and tasted felt new yet bitter. She had longed for a physical form, but the cost of attaining it was steep. Among all the losses she had endured, the absence of a certain individual was the most significant. The silver-haired girl had refrained from eating for two days already. "Is the food not to your liking?" the green-haired girl, Tanya, cautiously asked. Perserque paused, then shook her head. "No... it''s fine." Unfamiliarity lingered. She had existed for a long time, spanning nearly three thousand years. Much of that time had been spent in slumber, but it was undeniably an eternity for a living being. She had spent ages as the Dark Lord without needing to respect anyone else. Even her imprisonment within a sword hadn''t altered that. Her speech mannerisms felt the most out of ce. "I heard from Rinne. She said you''re going to marry Brother..." "Ah..." Upon hearing Tanya''s remark, Perserque''s eyes widened momentarily before she looked away. ''Davey, you jerk...'' What kind of madness had he instigated in her absence? First, Rinne, who had seemingly been waiting for her, escorted her back to their territory and kept a watchful eye on her. Then, the servants showed her utmost respect, treating her like royalty. To top it off, rumors about her impending engagement circted. Even Yuria Helishana, the leader of the Moon Forest Elves, had approached her when she was shocked after awakening and offered her a ring blessed by a spirit, intended for the wedding ceremony. These events had unfolded within just three days. It had been exactly three days since she had arrived. As she still found it incredibly hard to move away from her bed, she refrained from going out too much. She would only feel guilty if she copsed, burdening the people of Heins territory who served her respectfully under Davey''s orders. Eventually, Perserque asked everyone she met to pass a message to Davey when they saw him: "You will get it from me when you are back." She knew that the message wouldn''t reach him properly, but she yearned to confront him about his actions and ensure his safety. "Ah..." Lost in thought, Perserque realized she was a bit too concerned about him. She tightly shut her eyes. "Are... Are you not feeling well?" "No, I''m fine. I just don''t have an appetite. I''m sorry to worry you." Perserque''s voice resembled a rolling marble. Tanya smiled. Perserque would have understood if suspicion and caution had been the immediate responses to the appearance of a girl with horns¡ªa symbol of demons¡ªand an unclear origin. Yet, those who followed Davey treated her with overwhelming respect unconditionally, as if her word wasw. From a demon''s perspective, it was almost guilt-inducing as their respect was overwhelming. "Sigh... Please try to eat a little. If you feel unwell, I''ll call the doctor." "Thanks... I mean, thank you, Princess Tanya." "I''ve heard that you''re someone very important to my brother. That makes you as good as a sister to me." "I... I don''t think I can live up to such expectations, Princess." "Oh, you''re so modest." Tanya, shing a bright smile, handed Perserque a gemstone. "This is a stone blessed by spirits. It''s said in the legends to ease difort. I brought it for you." "Thank you. I''ll treasure it." Under normal circumstances, she would have been rxed. But her current state of anxiety made suchposure impossible. "Rest well." Tanya smiled and left the room. The moment the door was closed, Perserque''s expression hardened. "Foolish girl..." Perserque wanted to chastise herself for her foolishness, as she was the one who had brought about this situation. Silently sighing, she gazed out the window at the clear, sunny sky. Even if she didn''t know where she belonged, she knew where she didn''t. The world didn''t recognize her, and to Perserque, it felt as awkward as if more than half of her body was paralyzed. "It''ll be okay... It has to be." Was it because she had grown attached? Even the simplest movement felt odd, distracting her. Her thoughts were consumed by the fact that Davey had dragged her away from the Dark Lord''s throne, assumed the position, received divine punishment, and then vanished. She couldn''t possibly be unaware of the divine punishment. The problem was that the punishment Davey had received was more severe than she had anticipated. She struggled to predict whether Goddess Freyja, who had crafted the grand flow of destiny, would forgive Davey for disrupting it or if she would be enraged enough to bestow divine punishment. But that wasn''t the only issue. The fact that Illyna was also caught up in this and the anxiety over the abyss''s potential actions now that she was no longer the Dark Lord weighed on her. What about the position of the Dark Lord? The seat of the Dark Lord imposed certain constraints. It required her to bear the responsibility of the demons in exchange for immense power. Davey, the new Dark Lord, had recently waged a war against humans. If this fact became known across the continent, nothing good woulde of it. She had more than a few things to worry about. "So pleasee back soon..." She wished she could berate him for his actions. As she internally voiced theseints, suddenly, the tightly shut door opened again. Turning her head instinctively, Perserque was slightly surprised to see a little girl peeking in from beyond therge door. "Aeonitia... Princess." She almost reflexively addressed her in a familiar way but quickly corrected herself. This was the first time Perserque and Aeonitia were meeting one-on-one. Aeonitia, the quiet little girl who had just entered, gracefully brushed back her hair and lowered her head. "I''m sorry for intruding without any prior notice." "Not at all. Please,e in." "I''ve heard you''re a wizard. A very skilled one. But this is my brother''s bedroom. You seem...familiar with it." Perserque instinctively reached toward the cab, then hesitated. This girl was incredibly observant. Despite her young age, Aeonitia had remarkably keen eyes. "What do you mean?" "Oh, nothing. Just that... I''ve never seen you with my brother, but you seem very familiar with his room." Aeonitia adjusted her small horn-rimmed sses and murmured cautiously, "So, this implies that you''vee here frequently." At this matter-of-fact statement, Perserque responded with a wry smile, much like one would smile when seeing a precocious sibling. "Oh, you''re sharp, Princess." "Please, speak freely. I''ve already heard the story." That she was to be married to Davey. Marriage¡ªwhy did that word sound so strange? Perserque, who was silently clenching her fists, quickly used her demonic energy to open the cupboard, selecting the least peculiar tea leaves that Yuria had prepared and putting them in a teacup. She didn''t know what he had said, but the word "marriage" still felt incredibly awkward. She was aware that she felt something different for him, but that was a separate issue. "I presume you''ve spent a long time with my brother." "Why do you think so?" "Because your habits are simr. As if you were once one body." Aeonitia¡¯s observational skills were extraordinary. Tanya and Winley¡ªtheir skills were good, but their talents weremonly seen on the continent. Many could reach such a level with the right circumstances, effort, and talent. But Aeonitia was different. Only then did Perserque understand why Davey had described Aeonitia as having unparalleled talent, albeit in a different way from Illyna. Illyna, who had developed her own swordsmanship just by watching, and Aeonitia, who, despite her young age, had an extraordinary ability to observe, a rich imagination, and the ability to make cool-headed judgments, made his connections truly surprising. Just as Perserque was about to slowly pour hot water and offer it to Aeonitia, the usually quiet area''s silence was broken by ruckus for the first time in a while. "Hey! Are you trying to dodge an inspection?!" Without a word, Perserque nced outside the window and spotted a few men bearing the emblem of the alliance, leading some knights. "The Holy Empire has made an announcement." "Announcement?" "Yes, a divine revtion has been received. Annihte the demons and vampires. Public execution of the demons and vampires. It seems that the Holy Empire is now actively hunting down any demons or vampires they can find. They say that anyone who hides or aids them will be referred to the heresy tribunal¡­" How long had it been since the war ended? As she expressed her surprise, Perserque suddenly realized that the knights and the men leading them outside the window were looking toward Davey''s bedroom, where she was. "Sister! Duck!" At the same time, Aeonitia grabbed Perserque and pulled her down. "I heard a rumor. They are the ruthless Pdins looking for demons and vampires. It''ll be very troublesome if we''re found out." The Pdins'' trials were quite infamous. They autonomously referred those deemed as demons to trial, with an almost one hundred percent conviction rate. The moment guilt was confirmed, they were well-known for sentencing entire families to the stake. Without Davey, the central figure, the Heins territory was more insecure than ever. But wasn''t this strange? Their arrival was too well-timed, as if they knew there was a demon here. Perserque''s expression subtly hardened. Chapter 356 After the war ended, the tasks at hand were to recover from the damage, eliminate the remnants of the enemy, and take care of post-war rewards. Thendscape had started shifting oddly five days prior when the war abruptly came to an end. An old proverb stated that too many cooks spoil the broth. Whether the cooks spoiled the broth or the broth spoiled the cooks, what mattered was that these individuals, each with their own agendas, began contemting how to exploit the war''s oue. This seemed to apply to the Holy Empire as well. Apart from the Three Empires, the Holy Empire was essentially thergest country. With its formidable military force, its status couldn''t be casually disregarded even by the Three Empires. Its already exceptional power was further reinforced by the fact that ny percent of the continent''s believers worshipped the Goddess Freyja, spanning across all countries. Would the Holy Empire, which had endured for over a thousand years, be without any issues? Perserque could only firmly shake her head. She slowly raised her head and nced out the window once more. If it weren''t for the horns adorning her head or the color of her pupils, there would be no suspicion that she was a demon. However, considering the nature of the Pdins, they would easily identify her as such. Indeed, when she was sealed in Caldeiras, she had witnessed Illyna''s outrage upon hearing the tale of a woman and her entire family being burned at the stake¡ªa woman who was branded a witch for her bewitching beauty. As a result, the Emperor of the Pan Empire was infuriated,pletely withdrawing support for the Holy Empire and quelling the Pdins'' momentum within it. If the Pdins were to be active again, it would spell trouble for her. Currently, she was not powerless, but she couldn''t erase her existence. Feeble illusion magic would only arouse suspicion. Perserque was about to quietly raise her head and assess the situation when she realized that the knights of the Alliance, who had been joking with Chambein Bernile, had vanished. Simultaneously, Aeonitia''s eyes widened as she leaped up and made her way outside. "Stay here! You absolutely cannote out!" Perserque wanted to prevent Aeonitia from rashly venturing outside, but in a situation where even standing up was challenging, she had no choice but to remain silent. "What do you think you''re doing? This is the imperial chambers. How dare you intrude upon the castle without an appointment!" "We apologize foring so abruptly, Princess. But we also need to verify," the man''s voice said. Tanya swiftly arrived, her somewhat subdued protest echoing from behind the door. "That is outrageous. This is the bedroom of the saint that you yourselves recognize. Is it permissible for someone from the Holy Empire toe in so brazenly?" Perserque closed her eyes slowly as she listened to the conversation. She then opened her eyes once more, and it was as if the door was gradually turning transparent, revealing the scenes happening behind it. "We know that very well. How could we not know that this is the bedroom of the Holy Empire''s saint? However, we had no choice because there was a report. Please forgive us." "What you are doing right now is extremely rude." "Why won''t you move aside? If there really is no problem, you could just show us." "There has never been such a thing. Even if you call yourselves the Pdins of the Holy Empire, it''s unprecedented to brazenly invade the room where a member of a foreign imperial family stays, isn''t it?" Following Tanya''s voice, Aeonitia''s protest continued. "If there is no precedent, then this will be one." "We will definitely protest this to the Holy Empire. The moment my brother returns, you are doomed." Aeonitia gritted her teeth, evidently livid. The Pdins and Holy Knights of the Alliance, who appeared to have intentionallye looking for trouble, took another step forward. "Do as you please. I''ll even give you my head if there are no issues. But you must know this: what we are doing is by decree of Goddess Freyja," the man asserted. Perserque clenched her fist. If her demon existence were to be discovered here, it would be troublesome. Thus, she needed to find a way to quickly escape from here. She still couldn''t use spatial transfer magic, and if she used magic to hide herself, she had a high risk of being detected. How should she handle this? Maybe if she just hid her horns... ¡®No, that''s not going to work,¡¯ she thought. If these men who seemed to havee with a clear intent were to cast a suspicious eye on her... ¡®Then, maybe...¡¯ Upon making a decision, she began to gather her demonic energy. While she was unsure about many things, she did not want the people here to suffer because of her. In that case, she should boldly reveal that she was a demon... "No... No... How should I handle this...?" Just as she was in the throes of her dilemma, a physical altercation had begun. Perserque bit her lower lip. "Excuse me, please step aside. If you continue to be uncooperative, we will have to use force," warned the man from the Holy Empire. "Do as you please. The moment you draw your swords, the entire territory will turn against you." "We are the Pdins of the Holy Empire and also the leaders of the Alliance. It seems you''re not fully aware of the current situation... The Saint, Davey, is currently being sought within the Alliance for the crime of desertion. Are you aware of this?" Tanya and Aeonitia recoiled at the man''s threatening words. Immediately, the Holy Knights moved to physically restrain the two women. "Hey, let go of me!" "What are you doing? How dare youy your hands on the princess of a country, especially within her own territory!" Their struggle intensified. Tanya, though proficient in archery,cked physical strength. Aeonitia, being a young child with virtually no physical abilities, was even more disadvantaged. "No!" Tanya''s scream incited an uproar within the castle. Woosh!! ng! "Unhand her! How dare you toy your hands on a princess in her own territory?" Dozens of soldiers, led by Captain of the Guard Monmider, appeared. In a tense standoff, the Holy Knights swiftly drew their swords. "This is the territory of Prince Davey! How dare a member of the Holy Empire intrude upon the dwelling of the only Saint on the continent! Aren''t you afraid of divine retribution?" "How many times do I have to repeat myself?" The Holy Knight advanced toward Monmider and¡­ Bam!!! He kicked Monmider away. "Ugh!" The kick, imbued with holy power, was too much for Monmider, who had only just started to harness mana. He groaned, "Ugh...!" "Captain!" "You¡­ You bastards!" ng!! ng!! With swords shing, the atmosphere turned frosty. Aeonitia''s eyes widened in shock, and Tanya covered her mouth in surprise. "Ugh¡­ Ugh..." Monmider coughed up blood. As Monmider tried to get up, the Holy Empire''s Pdin slowly approached him, gently pushing down on his shoulder and meeting his gaze. "Look here, Captain of the Heins Territory." "..." "Should I stop for a sword wielded by someone of your mere rank?" "I will repay this insult..." "Do as you please. Oh, it seems like I''ve forgotten something..." With a sigh, he drew a thin, needle-like knife. Whoosh!! Without hesitation, he stabbed Monmider''s shoulder. "Ahhhhhh!!" "Noo!" "Monmider!!" The cries of the two princesses and Monmider''s scream of pain echoed around. "It seems like they''re hiding a demon. Arrest the guards and take the two princesses into custody with care. Send a message to our home country and initiate the trial as soon as we received a response." "Hey, let me go!!" nk! nk! The room was filled with the sounds of armor colliding as the Holy Knights overstepped their boundaries, restraining the two princesses and subduing Monmider. Perserque, who had silently observed the situation, slowly rose to her feet with her fists clenched tightly. She took a short breath, propping her body up with her staff. There was no choice. The Pdins'' "trial" was not a trial, but a process of conviction. She couldn''t understand why the Holy Empire was doing such a reckless thing. But now that it hade to this, she would protect those three people. Slowly, demonic power began to gather in her hand. Yes, she was in a withered state, but she had once been the Demon Lord. She was anything but ordinary. Suddenly, the monotonous creak of a wooden window opening echoed in her ear. Creak... Creak. Quiet footsteps that seemed to take control of the surrounding space began to echo. Perserque was frozen in ce, surprised, and then slowly turned her head. She felt a slender hand lightly stroking her head. "Patients should stay in bed. If you ignore the doctor''s words, you might get a painful injection." It was a leisurely and quiet voice. Perserque looked up with a nk gaze at the person who had spoken to her. The intruder had long, ck hair and stood about 160cm tall, with a slender physique. She had never seen this person before. "Who..." But she couldn''t finish her sentence. It was hard to tell whether the slender figure was male or female, and her eyes widened as she looked at them through the power of the abyss. ¡®This can''t be. He''s not supposed to look like this.¡¯ "Da... Davey?" After pondering for a moment, Perserque called out to the figure walking past her toward the bedroom door. "Davey?! Is that you, Davey?!" "Yes." The voice was softer than usual, but the feeling was unmistakable. What had happened while Davey was being punished by the gods? Regardless, she couldn''t hide her joy. It meant that he had returned safely. Who cared if his appearance had changed a bit? They had spent more time together, joking and conversing for several months, than most people would in several years. Creak... Davey opened the door without hesitation and looked straight at those trying to break into the room using the hilts of their swords. Perserque, in turn, looked at Davey''s back¡ªa smaller back than she was used to. But then again, only his appearance had changed. He was still Davey. "Who the hell do you bastards think you are, crawling in here?" Boom!!! With a strange noise, a couple of holy knights were flung out through the wall. "Huh?" Visible perplexity appeared on the faces of the people outside. Among them, the most dumbfounded was the Pdin of the Holy Empire. Davey turned his head nonchntly, noticing Monmider bound by ropes and the two princesses being dragged out. After a moment of silence, he spoke to the Pdin. "Hey." "Who...are you?" "None of your business, bastard." Swish! A red sh was the only visible sign of his swift movement. The next moment, the Pdin''s head was flying. Despite being a Pdin with significant power, his end came disappointingly quick and clean. "Who dares toy a hand on them?" His voice was chillingly cold, and he seemed genuinely furious. He had never been this cold, even in simr situations. Perserque, sitting on the floor, watched him with wide eyes from behind. Chapter 357 The event unfolded quickly and silenced the scene. Thud... Thud... Amidst the silence, a man strode forward unflinchingly, his frosty expression contrasting with his otherwise handsome features. "You have three seconds to exin this situation to me." His calm voice only intensified the silence. "Three." In truth, he didn''t care about the exnation. "Ding, time''s up." Thwack!!! He kicked the headless body away and yelled at the guards, sparing only the fallen Monmider. "Do something. Round them all up. The charge? Disturbing the peace and causing a fiasco." The power of a Saint exceeded that of the royal family in certain circumstances. "Yes... Yes!" Intimidated by Davey, the guards swiftly moved to restrain the Pdins. "This strange witch dares to impersonate the Saint! In the name of Goddess Freyja, I shall smite this witch¡ª" There were always a few hardliners among the Pdins. The Pdin who could not ept the female figure as Davey raised his sword with conviction. He was swiftly struck in the groin and sent crashing into a wall. It was a merciless attack. Thwack!! "Are you blind? Who looks like a witch? Take them away before I decide to kill them all." Davey was already in a foul mood and had no intention of letting these fools off the hook. Regardless of the Pdins'' motives, they had threatened his siblings, injured a loyal servant, and, most importantly, had been chasing after Perserque. With his thoughts clouded by matters concerning his family, Davey saw no reason to be lenient with the Pdins. Amidst the silence, he approached Aeonitia and Tanya, both visibly trembling. He asked, "Are you injured?" "Are... are you Brother Davey?" Tanya asked, clearly startled. "Yes." "H-How did you...?" "I had a bit of a rough day. I''ll be back to normal soon." As Davey shed a reassuring grin, Tanya''s eyes widened. She seemed taken aback because, even though everything else seemed familiar, Davey''s physical appearance waspletely different. Aeonitia trembled sporadically. Fortunately, they were both rtively unharmed. Davey sat down, leaving the quickly suppressed and humiliated Pdins behind, and focused on Monmider, who was vomiting blood. "I''m... I''m sorry. I wasn''t good enough..." "No, you did well." As Davey gently ced his hand on Monmider''s forehead, a warm glow radiated. The light infiltrated Monmider''s body, and his bluish, discolored skin gradually regained its original color. "Cough! Thank you, my Lord!" Although his words acknowledged Davey, Monmider still looked at Davey with some uncertainty, as if trying to reconcile the Davey in front of him with the Davey he knew. "I did tell you to be cautious of people." "I''m, I''m sorry." "Go inside and rest for now. And keep an eye on those damn fanatics." "Yes, my Lord!" Upon his order, the guards promptly dispersed. It felt as if a storm had just passed. Davey remembered something simr from the past. Even though he now held a noble title, there was a time when he had executed a priest for harassing Amy, who was his personal maid at the time. The issue was the difference in hierarchy between a low-ranking clergyman and a high-ranking Pdin of the Heresy Tribunal. ¡®So is this a serious issue? No,¡¯ Davey thought. Silently, he stroked Aeonitia''s head. She looked up at him, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "You really...are Brother Davey, right?" "Yeah." "But... Gasp! No¡­ It''s nothing." Having been through so much due to the rebellion, Aeonitia was quite perceptive. "Luckily, both of you were not seriously injured. That must have been scary, though. Go to your rooms and rest." Davey noticed that Tanya wanted to talk to him. First, however, he turned his head to Amy, who had rushed over upon hearing themotion. "Gasp!" Amy was flustered and unsure of what to do. Her eyes kept darting around until Davey finally spoke to her. "Amy." "Yes! My Lord...! My Lord?" Her response came out of reflex, but as she looked at his face, she still seemed perplexed. However, there was something familiar about Davey''s appearance. "My Lord? You... It''s you, right?" "Yes." "I''m sorry, my Lord! I failed to attend to the two princesses¡­" "It''s okay. From now on, we cut off all transactions and financial support heading toward the Holy Empire." Amy¡¯s eyes widened. The Holy Empire traditionally received a certain amount of taxes from affluent territories and provided periodic support to its clergy. ¡®Clergy support? Let them starve and suffer,¡¯ Davey thought. "Freeze all funds heading toward the Holy Empire. Also,pletely sever all other transactions with them." The Pdins may not have been acting under orders from the Holy Empire. However, regardless of their intentions, it was not a concern of Davey''s whether there was internal discord within the empire. It was only natural for those who couldn''t even manage their own house to suffer the consequences. "I won''t ept any objections. Do you understand?" Davey emphasized his point in a cold voice. "Yes, my Lord!" Such a measure would inevitably cause discord between the Holy Empire and the Heins territory. Considering the Holy Empire''s influence and their importance, it was an extremely dangerous act. Yet, he did not retract his decision. ¡®Let''s see who bleeds more. This is just the beginning.¡¯ He looked at the blood-stained corridor for a long time, leaving Amy behind as she hurried away to carry out his orders. Blood had been spilled in this manor, where there should have been none. A bitter sigh escaped his lips as he silently surveyed his surroundings. "Sigh... Ugh..." At that moment, he heard someone approaching from behind him. "Davey... I''m sorry..." It was a voice filled with sorrow. The owner of the voice believed that this situation had urred because of her, and she appeared visibly upset. Slowly turning his head, Davey grabbed her horns and pushed her against the wall. Thud!! "Gah!" A rather cute scream escaped Perserque, who was being pushed back. "Haah¡­ I''ve been waiting for this." "Huh?! Get, get off!" Realizing Davey¡¯s intentions, she panicked and iled about. She protested, "Don''t make a fool out of me! Is this what you wanted to do aftering back with that bizarre look?! I am not a toy! Let me go!" Davey observed Perserque as she cried out and struggled with a flushed face. After a while, he slowly released her and then embraced her. He asked, "Does it hurt anywhere?" With a flushed face, she avoided his gaze and muttered softly, "...No. But what is all this talk about getting married? You live such a reckless life, but this is going too far." Her voice was faint, but he could hear it clearly. "So?" he asked, slightly furrowing his brows. With her eyes looking visibly startled, Perserque nodded briefly before she continued. "Again, I don''t have a preference for younger men! And if you were going to resurrect me, you should have put me in a human form! What''s the reason for putting these massive horns on my head, especially knowing about the war between demons and humans!" The horns of the Dark Lord, simr to those of demons, symbolized their power. Perserque, unlike previous Dark Lords, had acquired a significant amount of power. As a result, her horns were muchrger than those of other demons, which were about the size of a finger joint. Hers seemed more appropriate for a dragon. "The horns look nice¡­ They were designed to befortable." "My horns are not meant for satisfying your desires. From the start, if I didn''t have these horns, I wouldn''t have been suspected... Huh?" As she shot back coldly, Davey reached out and grabbed her horns. She looked at him perplexed¡ªher horns had simply detached from her forehead and were now in his hands. Her forehead now looked like an ordinary human''s, with no scars or injuries, as if the horns had never been there. "Didn''t you know? You can remove them; they respond to mana." The shock on Perserque''s face wouldn''t go away. ¡®Your physical body, in a sense, is the flesh of a demon beneath the skin of a human. It doesn''t tire easily, it changes very little over time, and even if it''s injured or broken, it can heal itself by utilizing mana. This technology is also currently employed by the Decepticon Fleet and the new Avenger Golems,¡¯ Davey thought. * * * Several days had passed since the Pdins had stormed the Heins territory. Squeak¡­ The door opened quietly, and Alice, the former Saint candidate, walked in, wearing her in white outfit. As she was escorted by the central Pdins, there were only two people in her sight: Lena, the soon-to-be Saintess and the only remaining Saint candidate, and Cydelis Shoren Harezelem, the current Pope of the Holy Empire. "Your Holiness." "I am d that you arrived safely, Saintess Candidate Alice." "I am now an archbishop. The Saintess Candidate position is too much for me." "Ah... Haha... Alice, it''s been a while," Lena said. "Yes, it has. Have you been studying a lot?" "Hehe... Well..." "Sigh... You''re always like that." "I''m, I''m sorry," Lena shrunk under Alice''s reprimand. "I''m not ming you specifically. But now that you''re the only Saintess Candidate, you should at least handle some pressure. You can''t live a leisurely life forever, can you?" Lena turned gloomy as Alice scolded her. She was just a youngdy who loved to go outside whenever she wanted to eat delicious honey bread, see the lively streets, and enjoy beautiful sunsets. Unfortunately, the Saintess position could not be held with dreams alone, except for the monstrous prince of the Heins territory. Who would doubt that he was a Saint after witnessing his tremendous power? Of course, most in the Holy Empire were unaware of his abilities. "What is it that you wanted to tell me before I leave the Holy Empire? Also, you even called Lena here," Alice asked with a short sigh. Pope Cydelis broke out in a cold sweat and let out a sigh. "That''s the thing. As I told Lena, the Heresy Tribunal of the Holy Empire has split. Someone is causing discord in the Holy Empire. They took advantage of our attention being drawn to this war." "Heresy... Tribunal..." Alice gritted her teeth at those words. It was not a term that evoked good feelings. After all, it was a gathering of fanatics. "What''s the problem? It won''t be relevant to me since I am about to leave the territory..." "The problem is that they im to have received a divine revtion to find and kill the demons. We don''t know if this revtion is real, but those fanatics have begun to stir up quite a fuss." "That''s not good. So... what should we do?" It didn''t have anything to do with her anyway. She was about to leave for the Heins territory. "The problem is, it seems they''ve turned the Heins territory upside down. They took advantage of Prince Davey, the Saint, being absent." "Oh..." Alice''s eyes bulged. Cold sweat trickled down her back. "Don''t tell me... They caused somemotion there..." "They did." It was a calm response. But the voice didn''t belong to Pope Cydelis or Lena. It was a familiar tone, but oddly low. "Huh?!" Surprised, Alice turned her head and saw a girl leisurely sitting in one corner of the reception room, ying with her hand. Well, she was a bit androgynous to be simply called a girl. "Who¡­" "I am the owner of the territory." That one sentence made Alice''s face turn pale. "Right now, I''ve ced seven spells of the 8th Circle at two thousand meters in the air. You have ten minutes to exin yourself before I start dropping them." Davey stopped for a moment, then added, "Not enough? Should I add more?" He spoke in a jesting tone, but Alice could tell. His facial expressions conveyed that this person, presumably Prince Davey with his appearance changed, was genuinely upset. "Those damn fanatics need to know who they''ve messed with." ¡®You''re out of luck,¡¯ Davey thought. His smile did not resemble the one he had on his face while taking care of everything and treating patients on the battlefield. This smile was not warm but chillingly cold. Chapter 358 There was no need to confirm the specific location and manner in which Davey''s magic was manifesting. Boom! "Oh, we''re in trouble! Your Majesty! We''ve detected massive mana in the..." One of the priests who had noticed the magic cast in the sky rushed in and widened his eyes upon spotting Davey. [Sleep] Thud¡­ Davey believed that senseless killing was unnecessary. "I merely put him to sleep," Davey said as he withdrew his hand after reaching out to the copsed priest. Except for Lena, both the Pope and Alice quickly grasped the absurdity of this act. For every magician, an incantation was required to cast even a low-ranking magic spell. It was beyond ridiculous for someone like Davey, known for defyingmon sense, to cast a spell so quickly and forcefully that a high-ranking priest couldn''t even notice it. This only made Alice more nervous. "Sister Alice... No, Archbishop." "Your Majesty, please entrust this matter to me," Alice said, her face wearing a bitter expression as she quietly bowed her head. "Alice, it''s a bit regretful to see you in this situation again." "That''s true. Ideally, I should be leaving to be a professor in charge of academic affairs at the Academy." "That offer is still valid, as long as you''re sure that you''re not involved in thismotion." Upon hearing Davey¡¯s words, Alice became anxious. The implication was clear: if she had any involvement in the disturbance, she wouldn''t be let off easily. On the contrary, Alice felt a bit puzzled. Prince Davey had an extremely unsaintly and ferocious temperament. He was greedy and very single-minded. However, he was also very rational. He adhered to an incredibly simple principle: if you did well, you would be rewarded, but if you did wrong, you would be punished. Why, then, did he force his way here and start this show of force without any consultation or reasonable assessment of the situation? This was not just a show of force; it was almost a threat. "Don''t worry. I''m aware that the Church and the Heresy Tribunal have been in conflict for a long time," Alice responded. ¡®The entire church wouldn''t suddenly stab me in the back, would they? Unless there''s a divine decree or something. The leaders of the church aren''t insane enough to barge in without any procedure, especially when facing an opponent who is not amoner but a powerful force on the continent. Even the church would be careful when dealing with the Lord of Heins territory, a major trading partner. It''s just a small territory, but every major nation considers Heins a more significant threat than the Rowane Kingdom,¡¯ Alice thought. "This is purely the Heresy Tribunal''s arbitrary decision," Alice added. The Heresy Tribunal was a real nuisance. They couldn''t be discarded, but their madness exceeded the normal level. "Well, nevertheless, there are quite a few people in the Church who benefit from their power." ¡®Why else would the blood-soaked Heresy Tribunal still exist? Just for their mission? Unlikely,¡¯ Alice thought. "Davey! It''s been a long time! This is the first time we''ve met since our encounter in the Pan Empire!" Lena, the Saintess Candidate whose mind was filled with flowers and who embraced kindness to the core, appeared genuinely pleased to see Davey. She had been exceptionally friendly toward Davey from their initial meeting. As Lena moved to approach him, Alice quickly grabbed her and whispered in her ear, "Please, stay still for a moment." Someone needed to assess the situation and determine what to do, but Lena, lost in her flowery world, seemed unconcerned about that. More importantly, Davey, who was currently smiling, appeared even more unsettling to Alice than before. His physical appearance had changed, but that distinct eerie aura remained. "That''s right, Saintess Candidate Lena. I heard the news. You''ve been chosen as the final candidate." "Ehehe... That''s too kind," Lena said, cing her hands on her shoulders and looking innocently pleased, like a child. From the start, Lena had no interest in political fights. She was just incredibly kind and naive. Davey''s icy smile slightly softened at her smile. Alice did not miss this opportunity. "I heard the news. The Heresy Tribunal apparently received a divine message and conducted a rough investigation on your territory," Alice said. "Well, it happened." Who would threaten a nation just because they underwent an investigation? "I deeply regret that. However, please understand that this was not the official stance of the Holy Empire. I swear to God, neither the Pope, nor Lena here, nor myself had any knowledge of it." "If you swear, well, I still have to do what I have to do." Speaking tly, Davey pushed his hand into thin air while sitting. Arge staff was drawn into his hand. "Grow!" Wooong! Something invisible changed once again. Alice sharply sensed massive clumps of mana hanging in the sky, which began to condense like arge meteor. "It''s not the first time the Heresy Tribunal has conducted such a forceful investigation because they received a divine message. I understand that. But here''s the thing." ¡®They crossed the line without any fear,¡¯ Davey thought. "If there''s no guilt, there''s no problem. The intention is good. But the process was a bit rough, so my people got hurt," Davey added. ¡®I''ve heard that the Heresy Tribunal is often used in the Holy Empire to deal with corrupt clergy or to wield power,¡¯ Davey thought. "Firstly, calm down, Prince Davey. It doesn''t do any good for both of us if the conflict with the Holy Empire deepens," Alice hurriedly tried to calm him down but then abruptly shut her mouth, realizing her verbal mistake. "Doesn''t do any good..." Bang!! "It''s a disaster! Your Majesty! In the Heins territory¡­!¡± Thud! The second cleric fell. "Are you curious what that cleric was trying to say?" "..." "Heins territory has severed all trade with the Holy Empire. We have also ceased all donations that we used to provide." The amount of donations was so substantial that the Holy Empire had initiated a new mission project. Upon hearing this, Alice''s vision darkened. Indeed, Heins territory was amassing wealth far beyond what a single territory could generate. The Moon Pull project, which facilitated trade between the elves and dwarves... The Holy Empire, which used to receive modest donations from each territory, suddenly acquired arge sum of money thanks to Heins territory and eagerly embarked on a new mission project. "And then, some ursed Pdins invaded the investor''s house, assaulting and threatening the investor''s family?" ¡®What should be done in this case? Should the investment be recovered?¡¯ Davey thought. "First of all, the trade with the Holy Empire is over, and no more donations will be given." If another territory had made this decision, it would have been in great trouble. "If you don''t like our decision," Davey murmured tly, his eyes shing. At the same time, the bright outdoors started to darken. He then added, "It looks like it''s going to rain." Drop¡­Drop¡­Thump¡­Whooosh! As he spoke, an untimely downpour began. Alice rushed out with a pale face and cried, "Please calm down first!" "That''s not a very good answer." Roar! Suddenly, a thunderstorm erupted. It was not a mere coincidence of a natural phenomenon. The aura emanating from Davey''s entire body was far from ordinary. Roar! Crash! "Oops, my bad." And then, as if to make that threat a reality, a sudden bolt of lightning illuminated a stronger force. "Kyah!" Lena screamed, her eyes wide open, and asked, "Are you angry, Prince Davey? That''s not good... Your face is so pretty..." How should he respond to her innocent concern? As Davey''s smile subtly grew colder, Alice panicked and abruptly intervened. ¡®This crazy flower garden for real!¡¯ "I understand! We will take the issues you''ve raised into consideration! You can cease the trade as you wish! But no war! Absolutely not! This is not solely a problem between you and the Holy Empire!" At Alice¡¯s desperate cry, Davey nodded quietly. "Do you think I came here to start a war when we have the continental war prohibition treaty? I came only to notify you." ¡®Since when did you care about that? You even shook the Hyeon Empire upside down.¡¯ These words remained unspoken on Alice''s lips. Alice knew. She knew what Davey, who was aggressive and uncontrobly fierce, had done in the Hyeon Empire where his younger sister had been treated unfairly. "If you can identify those responsible for the misconduct in the Heins territory, there won''t be a problem." "Give me just one month. I will resolve this situation within a month. Even though you''re Prince Davey, it is the Holy Empire that should intervene in this matter, not you. I believe you are well aware that doing so will not benefit your reputation." At that, Davey grinned. "Alright then. Archbishop Alice seems willing to help, and it wouldn''t be good to be too enraged. However, a month is too long. Let''s make it three days." "T-Three days?! No way! The Heresy Tribunal is an independent body from the leaders of our Holy Empire! We do not influence each other! Three days is too short! At least two weeks..." "Three days." "Prince Davey! How can you resolve something that normally takes thirty days in just three days?!" "Three days." Roar!!! As if time was running out, the magic slowly started to rumble. "I''m going crazy! Really!! One week!" "Three days." "..." Seeing Davey''s unyielding stance, Alice looked at the Pope as if she had walked into a trap. The Pope shook his head slightly. "Okay. Three days... But promise me you won''t intervene." Observing her grumbling eptance, Davey grinned. Simultaneously, the thunderclouds outside vanishedpletely, and the magic dissipated as if it had never existed. "Well..." "Well, it''s true that three days is too short," Davey replied. "...What will it take for you to extend the deadline?" Despite knowing she was being manipted, Alice still made the suggestion. Since the Heresy Tribunal, a faction of the Holy Empire, had caused this chaos, there was no point inining about being dragged along. ''Ah... Ahhh!! Damn fanatics!!'' While cursing the fanatics in the Heresy Tribunal inwardly, Alice maintained her benevolent smile on the outside and asked,"Within reasonable means..." "Please store this in the sanctuary. Then I''ll extend the deadline to about a week." Seeing the ck stone that Davey was holding, Alice''s eyes narrowed. "What is...that?" "It''s an enhancement item for my hobby. It''s valuable since I obtained it with difficulty and it''s not avable elsewhere now." ¡®My projects have been advancing slowly these days. With this, I think I can create unique pieces that further surpass the boundaries,¡¯ Davey thought. At that, Alice thought, ¡®What does this man think the Holy Empire is, really?¡¯ Chapter 359 To Illyna, Perserque was familiar, yet odd in some ways. Due to her injuries, Perserque had spent thest few days either sitting on a bed or moving around in a wheelchair crafted by Davey. "A human... No, a demon can be that beautiful¡­? No wonder there are legends about subuses." Illyna was well aware of her own beauty. Not out of vanity, but rather she urately gauged others'' perceptions of her. Illyna was one of the six continental beauties. With the youngest princess of the Lyndis Empire quickly rising to the status of a continental beauty, the count had increased to six. So there were quite a few so-called ''national treasures'' on the continent, to borrow Davey''s words. Rumors even circted that Illyna herself upied one of these six spots, so she had quite a bit of confidence in her appearance. "She is genuinely beautiful...." In all her life, Illyna had never felt inferior in terms of her physical appearance, but the beauty of the demon named Perserque was so intense that it led to an unexpected bout of petnce. Whether adorned with horns or not, Perserque''s appearance had an allure that seemed to draw people in. She was the Demon Lord who had fought against the Sword God three thousand years ago, a close friend of her sword Caldeiras, and then, it seemed, a woman Davey was interested in. Her elegant demeanor was lightly tinged with mischief, her faint smile irresistible, and on top of that, her captivating silver hair and red eyes. She seemed like an artwork sculpted with divine dedication. Illyna knew well that this was not just an image born out of Davey''s imagination; she had once seen Perserque''s spirit in a vampire''s hideout. That spirit closely resembled her current form. Illyna had been aware of Perserque''s existence for some time. She knew that Perserque was growing fond of Davey as they spent time together. However, upon finally seeing Perserque in person, it was almost startling how hard it was to look away. Illyna had heard about the struggles Perserque had been through. She had also heard that before bing the Demon Lord, Perserque had been the most cherished person to the Sword God, Ares. So, Illyna should have been d that Perserque was doing well. But why was she feeling slightly conflicted about Davey getting along with Perserque? She should have been happy for the good news, but strangely enough, she felt as though she was losing her friend, Davey, to Perserque. "Friendship is about empathy, not possession...." Illyna left a note for Davey stating that she would be returning to the Pan Empire. Dismissing her feelings as a product of fatigue, she took her leave. She then reached out to the person who had helped her the most when she was full of worries. "Sage Hellison... It''s Illyna." "Ah, the Princess hase to this old man again." "Please, just like usual... Sage." At her weak mumbling, the elderly man across the crystal ball looked at her, surprised. "Hm, you seem troubled. What''s wrong?" "Just... nothing really. I''m just feeling a bit confused." With a calm smile, she asked a question, "You helped directly in the war?" "Ha, what''s the use of an old man cooped up in his room? I should help whenever I can." "I see." "Tell me what''s going on," Helison asked with the kind smile of a grandfather. Illyna sighed before finally opening her mouth. "It''s about someone else''s story. Not mine, really. It''s just something I heard, seriously." She then exined the situation, insisting that it was not about her several times. Listening to her story silently was the prestigious great sage of the continent, Hellison Valestia, who looked at her like a grandparent watching a grandchild''s cute behaviors. "You''ve grown so much since you were a child." Listening to his calm words, Illyna was confused and shook her head. She asked, "What do you mean by that?" "It means you''ve fallen for the prince. And what you''re feeling toward thedy, is a feeling anyone would naturally have. It''s called jealousy." "No, I said the story is not about me!" Hellison Valestia only chuckled at Illyna''s blushing and her flustered denial. "Okay, okay. Let''s say it''s not about you. Yes," "Really... Are you going to keep going on like this, Sage?" "So, what do you want to do?" "I... I don''t know." "The emotions and desires are natural. It''s normal to feel jealous when you like someone. I was even worried because you seemed to have no interest in men at all. Haha!" With augh, Helison casually implied that the story was about Illyina herself. At this, Illyina could only sigh, having lost the energy to respond. "Jealousy... What a ridiculous thing to say." It was unthinkable. What could she possibly becking to make her like that psychopath? She had wanted to protect him because he seemed vulnerable in her eyes, and because he was an important friend. It also angered her that while he protected many people, no one was there to protect him. It made her wonder why no one understood him, even though he invested so much effort in others. These were the thoughts she was trying to rationalize. "Now, let me ask you something. If, as you say, it''s truly good that Davey and Perserque like each other, why can''t you even ry a single word of congrattions to Prince Davey?" "That''s because..." "You couldn''t do it, could you? You felt that if you congratted him, he would drift further away. Isn''t that right?" Illyna stiffened at his words. * * * "Josiah Frances, stop drinking!" Josiah Frances, sipping Davey''s blood from a leather pouch, shrugged nonchntly. "Stop drinking, you crazy bloodsucker. Are you not going to save precious blood? Are you going to drain it all?" "Gurgle, gurgle! Gurgle!" Josiah expressed her dissatisfaction while drinking blood. All Josiah had to do was remove the leather pouch from her mouth to speak, but she seemed too reluctant to do so. After sucking thest drop, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and smirked. "Hehe, it''s delicious! Sir, could you stay like this forever?" "Do you want to experience extreme survival in a cave again?" "No... I mean it tastes better now!" To Josiah Frances, Davey was nothing more than a mentor with delicious blood and an advisor. Since the Pdins came to the territory, Davey had sent all the students of ss F back to Shakunt. But Josiah Frances decided to stay. Josiah decided that this ce was safer for her than Shakunt, given the social atmosphere. She was a vampire, specifically the head of the vampires. To outsiders, she might have seemed like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment, as all the moderate and radical vampires were viewed as despicable mosquitoes. Josiah was different from the other students. Upon seeing Davey, she had noticed something. The way she recognized Davey was simple: it was the scent of his blood. After awakening as the Vampire Lord, she often distinguished people by their unique scent, which only vampires could perceive. Naturally, even if Davey¡¯s physical appearance changed, his genes and aura did not change, so to her, he was still her mentor. "By the way, have you heard the news about the vampires?" "Yes. To be honest... I''m not sure if I should be here," she said with a bitter smile, "To be honest... even though they are my kin... I don''t really feel like they are. I''m a vampire, but besides sucking blood, I feel more like a human." At her words, I quietly nodded. As she had not fully awakened yet, she was closer to being human, possessing only the traits of the Vampire Lord. "So, sir." "What is it?" "In two weeks, you''ll change into a different form, right?" "That''s right." "Will the taste of your blood change then?" "What if I be a grotesque monster?" Davey could not be sure how his body would change, so he threw that question out there. At his words, she seemed to ponder for a moment before smiling faintly and saying, "Regardless, I''m not sucking it directly. Well, even if you be a monster, you''re still you." All she cared about was drinking delicious blood. "You haven''t been drinking anyone else''s blood, have you?" "The scent of blood from anyone other than you is bitter and unpleasant. Yours is mild and clean. Hmm¡­ What are you doing?" "Designing." At his words, she looked curiously at the blueprints on the desk and asked, "What is it for?" In response to her question, Davey silently tapped his finger on the desk. Then, after organizing his thoughts, he slowly said, "Physically mutated golem." He had even prepared a name. "The name is Dirro." "What... Why are you so bad at naming?" "What''s wrong with it?" "No, there are so many other cool names..." "Just wait and see. You''ll end up saying it''s amazing." What he was designing was indeed a metal doll. He was considering making it the second version of Annabelle, the prototype of the Avengers Squadron. However, he made up his mind after seeing the fragment dropped by the giant creature that emerged from the abyss. It could be a dangerous and uncontroble creature, but if he could extract only the purified characteristics from the fragment, he could manipte it however he wanted. "There''s already something simr, but it was actually very dangerous and uncontroble. So, I toned it down a bit, purified it, and extracted only what was necessary." "What exactly are you, Teacher? You''re treating alchemy as if it''s nothing." Magic, swordsmanship, sainthood. Now, Davey was even creating a golem that had never been seen in the alchemy school. "You just have to do anything. Alchemy and magic are simr in a way. Consider the difference between the two at some point. It''s homework." "If you had utilized that talent elsewhere, you would have been truly amazing..." "Just wait and see, and you''ll say it''s amazing." Whatever crossed his mind, Davey was resolute in bringing it to life. That was his mindset as an alchemist. "By the way, the dwarves are diligently constructing the academy." The construction of the academy in the Heins territory was steadily advancing. Davey was aware of the considerable time it would take to erect such a massive structure, but he desired itspletion at a faster pace. ''If it can''t be done, make it possible,'' Davey thought. The power of spirits and magic artifacts, the technical skill of the dwarves, and the relentlessbor power of skeletons¡ªmoreover, even the physical abilities of those enhanced by the holy buff. The construction that would take a month could end in just four days. In other words, construction had just started, but the building was already starting to take shape. The Red Rock Tribe of dwarves, who were great architects, were suspicious enough to question whether the construction was subpar because of the substantial progress. "Um... Teacher," Josiah, who had been deep in thought, looked at Davey. "When the academy is established, there will be a magic department too, right?" Davey quietly nodded. "That''s right." "Did you find a teacher to teach magic?" "I''ve already found one." He had already spoken with a potential teacher, a skilled 6th-Circle Elder Mage who had been dedicated to training Winley O¡¯Rowane. "Then... I want to transfer. I want to learn at the school you''ve created, Teacher. And I will teach the juniors what I''ve learned from you too." The genuine emotion in Josiah Frances'' determined eyes shone through. "So you''re going to give back to the students because you were fooled?" "Hehe." Josiah stuck out her tongue and slipped something small from her pocket into Davey¡¯s mouth. "This is a bribe! You must hire me without rejecting me when I pass the test!" As she said this and ran away, Davey used his finger to remove what had entered his mouth. It was a small fruit seed. Davey realized that Josiah Frances enjoyed such sweet food. While Davey was smiling, he encountered Bernil, the chief steward who had entered the room when Josiah exited. "Bernil? What''s the matter?" "Your Highness... A serious problem. The matter you were concerned about..." At these words, Davey¡¯s face, which had been rxed in the long-awaited peace, slowly hardened. He immediately asked, "What about the medicine stocks that were supposed to be reserved in the territory?" "They are all prepared." "Contact the Coalition for Disease Control. I''ll go treat them myself." The war left not only casualties. A dreadful disease spread due to the remnants left behind when certain entities died and were destroyed. In a situation like this, the disease was the biggest enemy. Chapter 360 Unlike Rinne, who usually preferred to stay close by Davey''s side, Aeonitia and Amy, hisdy-in-waiting, needed to study the economy to manage the territory. "Wow. I bought them directly, but there are so many of them," Amy eximed, met with Aeonitia''s silence as she looked at the herbs in the box with twinkling eyes. "People perish when they hoard instead of giving." The more money one made, the more one needed to keep it circting. "Aeonitia, what do you think is the biggest source of revenue for the Heins territory?" "Exports," came the quick answer from Aeonitia, without needing deep consideration. The Heins territory was rapidly expanding, but it was still a bit of a stretch to be self-sufficient. In the end, most of the money the Heins territory made was indeed from exports. It was essentially pulling money from outside since there was hardly anything to be self-sufficient about. For now, it was good. Like the economic bubble of the Earth, the Heins territory could only be wealthier by livingvishly through exports. So far, so good. "But it''s not always good, you see. Why do you think that is?" "Hmm... Why is that?" Amy cast a curious nce, while Aeonitia raised her hand with sparkling eyes. "Me! I think I know!" "Alright, Aeonitia. Give your answer." "Exporting is about bringing in money from other ces. Unless you''re a phnthropist, other countries can''t keep running a deficit to prop up the Heins territory. Eventually, they''ll tighten their belts and try to reduce the volume of trade!" "What else?" Davey''s question left Aeonitia red-faced and silent as she had not thought any further. On the contrary, Amy raised her hand and said, "I think I know! It''s because the economic independence of the Heins territory''s people would drop significantly, right? Heins territory is currently enjoying a huge boom. Thend prices keep rising, surpassing the limit, and continuous investments are being made." "Right. When people live too well, they tend to bezy first. So, if an economic twist were to happen even once..." Davey did not finish his sentence, but both, being quite sharp in economic matters, would understand what it meant. "There may be no problems for now, or even for the next few decades, maintaining this situation. But that isn''t the end, is it? What happens after? It''ll be chaos." Bubbles are bound to burst eventually. The Heins territory also had its share of bubbles. The biggest disadvantage of the Heins territory''s exports was that they were luxury goods, not necessities. They were not like Earth''s oil, which was an essential element. "So what should we do?" "You have to maintain good diplomatic rtionships. Quite ironic, isn''t it? Now, that''s enough advice for now. Aeonitia, separate the necessary materials and have them moved to theb. Amy, unload the rest of the medicine in the central square of the castle." As Davey spoke, the two began to move quickly. Afterward, Davey nced around the massive warehouse where boxes of medicinal herbs were stacked several meters high. At the same time, a silver-haired girl poked her head out of his pocket. A miniaturization spell. It was one of the lower circle spells she could use, not originally a lower circle spell, but her magic system was a bit different from ordinary mages. As she was always sitting on his head, shoulder, or in his pocket, it seemed like this was morefortable for her even when she got a physical body. "How ironic, isn''t it? Saying that a dictatorship could solve this easily." "There were elder states in the past where I lived, Davey. The downside of those states was that as people''s quality of life improved over time, patriotism plummeted." "Ha... To protect their dictatorship, they develop the country and feed the people well. Humans are disgustingly cunning." It was a matter of sacrificing the golden goose for immediate gain or feeding it for long-term prosperity. People who live in peace tend to forget danger. In some ways, the Heins territory was like walking a tightrope. * * * Davey returned to his private undergroundb with Rinne, who had fetched all the bottles of reagents he needed from deep inside the warehouse. There, he could see the dwarven engineers struggling in the Avengers squadron workshop. Mainly, Elder Golgoulda of the Yellow Rock Tribe, their foremost elder, was producing the doll golems of the Avenger squadron. He should have been focusing on the matters of the Yellow Rock Tribe. However, he was fascinated by the new golem technology, spending sleepless nights here and leaving his tasks aside. "Oh! You''re here! You''vee at just the right time!" Puzzled by Elder Golgoulda¡¯s outcry, Davey asked, "Are there any problems?" "No, no problem at all! Didn''t you advise us to test the shard she left behind? So, we first sessfully implemented it into an arm!" Rarely did the dwarf get this excited, huffing and puffing with exhration. "Wow¡­!" Davey¡¯s face lit up. If this was sessful, and when the stone left behind at the Sanctuary of the Holy Kingdom was neutralized, it would be like creating another one. "Wha-what are you trying...?" Perserque looked at Davey anxiously. Davey dered confidently, "Let''s test it right now!" "Wait!" Elder Golgoulda hastily woke up the sleeping dwarves, began barking orders, and swiftly gathered and arranged the equipment. They positioned a magical device adorned with a drawn magic circle, and carefully ced a small metal doll''s arm on top. Though resembling a human arm on the surface, its internal structure was far from human. The Avengers squadron primarily consisted of specialized golems with limitedbat capabilities. Therefore, despite their seemingly feeble appearance, they were practical in their own right. Anabel, in particr, was an optimally designed golem for covert missions and instilling widespread fear. "Go! Start it now!" The elder dwarf proudly eximed, prompting one of the dwarves to insert a mana stone into the power slot of the equipment. Wooong!!! Simultaneously, a faint light spread out, causing the magic circle to glow, and the previously immobile doll''s arm slowly began to move. So far, everything was going well. "Huh? The form is..." Rinne, showing interest in the new body, gazed at it with sparkling eyes, her expressionless face revealing her fascination. Meanwhile, Perserque narrowed her eyes with a subtle unease. And her intuition was correct. Suddenly, the area below the wrist started melting, gradually transforming into a slime-like liquid. Before long, the slimy hand morphed into numerous bundles of bluish tentacles. "We''ve seeded in creating such precise and abundant changes! If this continues..." "That''s good, although it''s a bit unstable..." "But, Davey? What do you intend to do with that?" Perserque asked as she looked at Davey with a pale face. In response, Davey shed a bright smile. "I''ll use that fellow whenever you don''t listen." His words were not entirely serious, but he hoped they would dissuade her from acting impulsively. Perhaps due to her traumatic memories of the tentacle creature, Perserque grew even paler and retreated into her pocket. She trembled and pleaded, "P-Please..." "Just watch," Davey calmly reassured her, though her unease persisted. Of course, it wasn''t as if he had no genuine desire to do so. Pusheek! "Wha... What?!" For the experiment, a small amount of mana was injected into it, but the doll''s tentacles hardened like ster due to an overwhelming overcharge. "T-This... is a failure..." "Damn..." Bitter words escaped the mouths of the dwarves and Davey. Perhaps it was because they had failed to utilize all the characteristics of the abyssal tentacle creature. Eventually, the doll''s tentacles hardened, losing all the unique properties the creature possessed. "Sir, I apologize. I can recreate it..." "No, we don''t have any more materials." "That''s unfortunate..." "But it''s alright. I''ll acquire more powerful materials soon." Before that, it seemed that Davey needed to make some adjustments to the blueprints. "What will you do now?" "For now, I need to go to the Pan Empire. I have to contact the Coalition for Disease Control. As for the design... Well, I''ll work on it there." * * * "Finance Minister, report." "Yes, Lord. We are currently dispatching medicines from all directions to the Coalition for Disease Control, but due to our inadequate preparation, it is far from sufficient. Therefore, we are prioritizing major cities..." The man, gesturing as he exined, fell silent as the Pan Empire¡¯s Crown Prince, Sullivan, opened his eyes to shoot a re. "Umm..." "Finance Minister Grunui." Upon hearing Crown Prince Sullivan''s chilly voice, Grunui, with his short stature, trembled and looked at him. Sullivan bore a striking resemnce to the Pan Empire¡¯s Emperor, who, despite his current frailty and near-death state, had achieved numerous aplishments in his youth. Unlike the former Crown Prince, who was moderate, he, the current Crown Prince, was known for his merciless nature. In fact, there were records of him fatally beating an aristocrat with his bare hands for engaging in illegal and corrupt activities not too long ago. His authority was anything but weak. "Report again." "Well, to be honest, our current financial situation is quite challenging. Providing blind support is virtually impossible at this point." Sullivan rubbed his forehead upon hearing Grunui''s report, knowing the Finance Minister''s statement was correct. He then asked, "So, what do you suggest we do?" "The Pan Empire has long been the guardian of peace on the continent. Now, we need to relinquish that role and distribute the burden to others..." "As soon as we do that, countries with different intentions will start to fragment. Are you suggesting that we undermine the peace my father has established?" Finance Minister Grunui broke out in a cold sweat in response to that question. The air became thick with an intense energy, making it difficult for him to speak. "T-There... There is one option." Upon hearing those words, Sullivan nodded. "Impose taxes on goods from the Heins territory in the Eastern Continent, which currently imports thergest amount of goods. If not, we will have no choice but to reduce the volume of imports." "The Heins territory of the Rowane Kingdom heavily relies on exports for its revenue. Indeed, a significant amount of money flows out of our empire." Grunui desperately tried to convince Sullivan, saying, "We have faced too many crises in rapid session, from the war to this massive outbreak! My Lord, we must approach this rationally. Even with a military ally, there are economic aspects where we must not yield an inch." Crown Prince Sullivan sighed at that. Would Prince Davey closely monitor this situation? It was rather amusing how the Pan Empire hade to be concerned about the opinion of a prince overseeing a small territory. ''Well, he''s not wrong.'' If the gue hade without a war, they would have been able to handle it more easily. However, it was the Pan Empire that had to support the refugees from the two countries devastated by the war with vampires and demons, in addition to providing assistance for war recovery. Now, they were also burdened with supporting the continent-wide outbreak of the gue. The situation was undeniably a string of misfortunes. If they were to relinquish their position now, the already precarious continental political situation would quickly deteriorate. ''I have no choice. I''ll have to pacify Prince Davey¡¯s anger somehow.'' "Very well. Then... About the Heins territory..." "Your Highness. Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane has arrived from the Rowane Kingdom." At the sight of Davey, who appeared as though he had been observing the situation, Sullivan felt a chill run down his spine. It would not be surprising if he had overheard the conversation. Finance Minister Grunui turned pale upon hearing the news of Davey''s arrival. The situation was downrightical. "Let him in." The giant doors creaked open, and Davey, dressed in formal attire, strode in. It was quite rare for an outsider to enter the national council hall, but this time the circumstances were somewhat unusual. The hearts of the nobles had already somewhat settled. No matter how friendly the Rowane Kingdom was, the Pan Empire''s priorities were its own. Therefore, they couldn''t find pleasure in the arrival of the person responsible for their budget deficit. "Wee, Prince Davey." "It''s been a while, Crown Prince Sullivan." The nobles wore ufortable expressions at Davey''s disy of decorum, calmly bowing his head. They knew he was a powerful figure. That was why they were tense, wondering what he might do. "I''ve heard the news. It seems arge-scale epidemic has begun due to the aftermath of the war." Sullivan groaned at these words. As he had suspected, it was because of this. He had no choice but to make concessions and rack his brains to secure as much as he could. While Sullivan was pondering this, an unexpected question came. "The Pan Empire''s finances aren''t that abundant, are they?" Stunned by the question, Sullivan froze, his face hardening. "What do you mean¡­?" "I will provide most of the medicinal supplies from the Heins territory for this incident. Also, I will personally step in to treat this epidemic. It seems even the Coalition for Disease Control is having difficulty finding an easy cure for this illness." Sullivan''s eyes widened incredulously. "But why would you¡­?" Davey did not seem obligated to hold any significant position on the continent, so why would he need to expend a massive amount of resources to address this situation? In response to Sullivan''s doubts, Prince Davey gave a simple, yet unexpected, answer. "If the Pan Empire wobbles, it also causes us trouble. Moreover, are people more important, or is money? Money can be earned again, but if people die in droves, where will you recover the shattered public sentiment? For my sake, the Pan Empire must continue to stand as the central guardian state." "Prince Davey..." "When it''s time to step up, one should. Rinne." Following Davey¡¯s call, a small, silver-haired girl appeared from behind him, striding barefoot toward them. Then, she began to speak. "Total Prusilim sap, 7 tons, Efutika medicinal herb leaves, 2.5 tons..." As the girl listed a staggering amount of medical supplies, prepared since who knew when, Crown Prince Sullivan rose abruptly from his seat. He felt a surge of gratitude, an overwhelming urge to rush to Davey, embrace him, and thank him repeatedly. Prince Davey smiled as if he had anticipated this reaction. Sullivan felt a chill run down his spine. It was shocking that this great empire had been manipted by the mind of one man. But it was even more shocking to see himself and the loyal subjects of the Pan Empire finding a beacon of hope in his words. Chapter 361: Monochrome Calamity Surprised gazes poured in from all directions. The nobles from the Pan royal family who sided with Sullivan were filled with surprise and puzzlement at Davey''s arrival, as he seemed to offer a solution to Sullivan''s ongoing concern. It was indeed amusing that he hade to make this proposal at such an opportune time without fully understanding the situation. Eventually, one noble couldn''t hold back his doubts about Davey and started to speak. "However..." "Enough." Crown Prince Sullivan rose from his seat, cutting the noble off with a single hand. He then said, "Finance Minister Grunui. If we ept the prince''s offer, what will be the state of our empire''s finances?" "That, well... If the quantity Prince Davey spoke of arrives on time... We will have enough to navigate through the situation, yes." Grunui seemed to share the same sentiment as the noble. There was no such thing as a free lunch. Davey hade bearing medicines and pharmaceuticals worth a small country''s budget. It was only natural to harbor suspicions. Trying to grasp Davey''s intentions, Grunui attempted to read his expression, but Davey kept his smile intact and said, "Do you doubt me?" "No, not at all..." "Well, I wouldn''t me you. Suddenly receiving such substantial aid isughable," Davey said indifferently and met Sullivan''s gaze. He added, "But as I said earlier, there are only two reasons." Given the Heins territory¡¯s current state, Davey could not afford to let the Pan Empire show signs of weakness or instability to other countries and disrupt the flow of peace. If war had broken out, the situation would have taken precedence and necessitated drastic measures. However, there were always alternatives if not for war. "If the Pan Empire wavers, the Heins territory will also take a significant hit. This matter has already been discussed and decided with His Majesty Krianes O¡¯Rowane of the Rowane Kingdom. And the second reason is, again, does one need a reason to help another person?" Surprise spread across some of the nobles'' faces at Davey''s words. "We will not refuse your aid. We will not forget your help. For the peace of the continent, which my father had wished to preserve, the Pan Empire will remain a steadfast guardian nation and strive to maintain continental peace in a neutral manner." "Thank you very much, Prince Davey." Sullivan stood up, hurried to Davey, took his hand, and grinned. "Is that so?" When Davey smiled, Sullivan''s face hardened for a moment. "Then, remember. The favor..." Davey spoke so quietly that only Sullivan could hear what he would repay the favor with. Upon hearing his request, Sullivan''s eyes widened in surprise. "The medicines and pharmaceuticals have already been summoned to the royal warehouse. I will now head directly to the quarantine area where the patients are isted." "Ah! We will lend you our royal Griffin. With a Griffin, you can get there quickly..." "No need." Davey stated that he would simply use spatial transition. Crown Prince Sullivan, who did not seem to understand Davey''s words, tilted his head, but Davey finished speaking and hurriedly left the conference room. And then, in a ce where no one could see, Davey took a quick breath and scrunched his face in annoyance. Clink! And as if on cue, the thin mana shield wrapped around his body shattered. Simultaneously, his field of vision lowered, and he caught sight of his annoyingly greasy, rapidly growing hair that seemed to sprout endlessly no matter how many times he cut it. It had been almost two weeks since he had assumed this form. The remaining time felt like an eternity, even though it wasn''t much. His body was unable to alter its appearance with illusion magic. So, what if he utilized other tools to externally conceal it? The oue proved sessful, but the duration was too short. Without uttering a word, he reached for the ne and extracted the shattered magical artifact crafted from precious mana stones. Not merely a mana stone, but a mana crystal, hundreds of times more potent. Despite utilizing the entire mana crystal for the illusion magic, it could not endure for more than a few minutes before shattering into pieces. "Ah, goodness..." The impact of the magic was undeniably potent. It had been proven that enveloping his physical form with illusion magic was not to be taken lightly. "Rinne, how long did the transformationst?" "Exactly 7 minutes and 28 seconds. I consider that quite impressive." "It''s no easy feat to maintain." That was the duration that Davey¡¯s costly illusion artifact, crafted with an investment of magical gemstones, managed to sustain. Davey gently caressed Rinne''s head, finding sce in the gesture as he let out a brief sigh and pressed forward. "Let''s continue. After all, my form will change again in a few days." Feeling a twinge of irritation, he quickened his pace, determined to ovee whatever obstaclesy ahead. * * * "Uh... Ugh..." "Oh¡­ Ah..." The scent of death permeated the air, apanied by the agonized moans of the dying. Was this what hell looked like? With the conclusion of the war, the Tionis continent was engulfed in the cries of suffering. The epidemic, which had erupted simultaneously in numerous cities, surpassed the realm of a mere post-war issue. "He has...passed away." "Damn..." Baron Gorneo, a former member of the Coalition for Disease Control, who had dedicated himself to teaching aspiring medical students, uttered a rare curse. Before himy a patient whose half of their body had turned an ominous shade of ck. "Medicine...is meant to heal the sick, not to bring the dead back to life, isn''t it, Bernardo?" Baron Gorneo questioned, as the young doctor approached him with a perplexed expression. "Yes, my lord." "Good. How long has it been since you started learning from me?" While observing the disfigured face being covered with a cloth and the patient being taken away, Baron Gorneo slowly walked out of the tent, roughly cing a medicinal cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. "It has been two years." "Tsk tsk, such a young man fearlessly walking into hell." "Hell? There''s no better battlefield for a doctor than this," Bernardo dered firmly, prompting Baron Gorneo to chuckle. "Do you truly believe so? You could sumb to that diabolical disease at any moment, you know." "More precisely, I am here to rescue those suffering in hell." With a determined gaze, Bernardo met Baron Gorneo''s eyes. The baron took a deep drag from his medicinal cigarette, infused with the pungent scent of herbs, and let out a brief cough. "Keh... Keh... I can''t quite get used to these medicinal cigarettes." "If we don''t have the blessed leaves, we doctors treating the patients may not survive either. Didn''t two of our colleagues, who neglected their own well-being, end up bedridden just a few days ago?" "Aren''t you afraid?" "My lord, no one is without fear of dying on the battlefield. Yet, everyone picks up their weapons and fights." Bernardo''s words prompted a sigh from Baron Gorneo. This was not the first time Baron Gorneo had experienced such a situation where a disease defied all divine power. ''Yes, it''s simr to the time in Ordem territory.'' The terrifying disease that had gued the Ordem territory, causing people to melt to death, was aptly named the Melting eleration Virus. The current situation presented a mixture of improvement and deteriorationpared to the past. During that time, Prince Davey, an entirely unexpected variable, had emerged and showcased miraculous medical techniques. However, in the present situation, there was little to rely on. "My lord." Thanks to the simple and convenient wristwatch created by the Rowane Kingdom¡¯s youngest princess, who was barely ten years old, there was no need forplex procedures to check the time. "My lord, it''s almost time for the central meeting." * * * Honestly speaking, the conference room had been inplete disarray just five minutes ago. The doctors, who should have been focused on saving patients, showed no signs of motivation. Perhaps it was only due to the swift response of the Pan Empire, where most of the patients were located and quarantined, that the disease had not spread significantly. "The contagion is extremely high. If we make even a small mistake, this damned wave of death will sweep across the entire continent in a matter of months." Even with these words, the doctors and nobles attending the meeting appeared distracted. "Do you hear me? This disease is truly dangerous. We don''t know the transmission route, making it difficult to respond and prevent. And in this situation, there is no clear solution..." The murmuring grew louder and louder. "Hey, when will the shift change?" "Your Excellency, you are scheduled to switch shifts with Count Populis in three hours. Then, your allocated time will be over." "Why should I care if those filthy peasants are dying of disease¡­? I can''t believe I studied medicine just to save those kinds of people." Indeed, such individuals existed too. "Endless debates without any solution. I would rather spend my time acquiring more valuable ves, which would be more economically beneficial." "Oh, Count Baltis, I heard you have been collecting beastfolk vestely." "Ahaha, is that so? Actually, I recently purchased a catfolk sex ve. She''s quite exquisite..." Meanwhile, Baron Gorneo calmly continued his briefing. "Currently, we believe the virus is transmitted through water and birds. The symptoms that appear shortly after infection include vomiting, seizures, abdominal pain, hallucinations, and so on. We have seen countless cases like these. The skin bes filled with blood, causing ck spots all over the body, and in severe cases, the entire body turns pitch ck..." "So, what is the conclusion?" Impatience filled one of the nobles who had been idly chatting. These were medical aristocrats, not just members of the Coalition for Disease Control. Their status was not low, so even Baron Gorneo, a former member of the Coalition for Disease Control, had to calmly and patiently exin everything. "Please request assistance. This is not a disease we can defeat quickly. We have reached this stage of the outbreak, and we still haven''t found the exact cause. We need to report to the Tri-Imperial Majesty and secure more manpower and funding..." "Do you know how much money is being invested in the Coalition for Disease Control?!" an enraged voice resounded in the room. "You there! Aren''t you even sorry to His Majesty the Emperor, who generously funds even an ipetent council member like you?! Huh?! What exactly are you doing? You can''t even find the cause of this minor epidemic, yet all you do isin." At the outburst, council members who supported Baron Gorneo attempted to shout back, but he stopped them and said calmly, "You''re right. With our current knowledge, it is nearly impossible to eliminate this disease quickly. However, that does not mean we give up on the patients. So, I implore you. If it is too challenging to provide immediate manpower and funding, please seek help from Prince Davey from the Heins territory." Baron Gorneo''s expression revealed wounded pride. If possible, he did not want to rely on that man''s assistance. Relying solely on one person was never the right approach. Unfortunately, the situation was so dire that he had little confidence in resolving it without him. "Ha! Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane, Prince Davey O¡¯Rowane. What''s so special about that brat..." "That''s right. What can that little prince do against a disease that even divine power cannot cure?" "Could it be that he''s been diverting funds allocated to the Coalition for Disease Control to bribe him?" "Come to think of it, Baron Gorneo did visit the Rowane Kingdom before and had a meeting with him." "Hmm..." "You people! If you n to squander the imperial treasury on useless endeavors, I will personally beat you and that Prince Davey you conspired with to death on the spot! Do you understand?!" Baron Gorneo was taken aback by the usatory re directed at him. Beat to death? Who was going to beat whom? Chapter 362 The central nobles of the Pan Empire, Count Burning and Duke Digg, met in secret. "Prince Davey has made an appearance again." "This isn''t good. Since when did our mighty Pan Empire start being influenced by the whims of a prince from some minor kingdom?" Duke Diggined irritably. Count Burning sighed. "We have no choice. His power is not merely that of a Swordmaster, which is a term for a single legion. If the reportedbat prowess is true, he possesses a national-level battle power within a single territory." With overwhelming Holy Magic and magical prowess, in addition to alliances with elves, dwarves, and various foreign races emerging from the forest, it was true that the empire would feel threatened if Davey decided to wage war. "We cannot let him do something this time." "Do not worry. I have already sent my people to the quarantine zone where the epidemic is currently spreading. They are continuously dying the disease control team''s efforts to treat the illness. Well, Prince Davey is nning to go, but how could he possibly contend with a disease that even holy power can''t cure? He was lucky to cure a major disease before, but this one is different." "Hmm. You''re doing well. Even if countless people die off, the crown prince can''t do much about it. We can seize this opportunity to deal him a huge blow." "A powerless crown prince who entrusts everything to a mere prince. Haha." "What does it matter if a fewmoners die? But given the severe nature of the disease, we should ensure the aftermath is properly handled," Duke Digg said thoughtfully. "Don¡¯t worry. There is a magic squadron responsible for incineration after quarantine in the Coalition for Disease Control. I''ve greased their palms, so they will act at the right time," Count Burning replied with augh. "As expected, those useless livestock ves infected with the disease should all be buried." Duke Digg gave a sly smile. "Before that, we have to reduce them to ashes. Haha." Count Burning agreed, adding his own thoughts. "Now, let''s toast. If this goes well, the crown prince''s dignity will be greatly shaken. And then, we will slowly take the White Bird of that na?ve Princess Ilyna into our hands." "Everything is ording to the intentions of the Twelfth Prince." Their conversation ended; the smiles of the two nobles in the ndestine meeting turned even more sinister. * * * The only people who trusted and followed Baron Gorneo from the Coalition for Disease Control were a few members and a senior researcher named Penicillin, who was sent from the Alchemy School. "You''ve been working hard." "Senior Researcher Penicillin, I''m sorry for this embarrassing situation." "No, I''ve seen your noble efforts to save the patients here. The ones who are wrong are those corrupt nobles who consider the lives of the patients to be like the lives of flies." "Sigh... It''s because of myck of ability." "How can a person be perfect in everything? Humans are imperfect beings. My mentor always used to say that. Human beings are imperfect, which is why they constantly strive for perfection." "Uh, ugh... It hurts so much..." Hearing the cries of the patient in pain, Baron Gorneo firmly held his hand and said, "Just bear with it a little more. I will definitely save you..." In the past, he was not like this at all. He used to believe that medicine was solely the doctor''s domain, and it did not matter if there was no assistance from others. His reasoning stemmed from the belief that interventions from uninformed individuals could pose greater dangers than benefits in medical procedures. However, his perspective shifted after the incident in the Ordem territory. He came to realize that his arrogance hindered his effectiveness in medical practice. Subsequently, he actively sought help in various ways, eagerly embraced new knowledge, and gained fresh insights from a few medical theories presented by Prince Davey. As a medical practitioner, he felt a profound sense of indebtedness to the young prince for his guidance and support, enabling him to further his development in the field. ¡®Calling Prince Davey would be the answer¡­but relying on him isn¡¯t right.¡¯ Asking for help and relying on someone for everything were two distinct things. Withplex thoughts swirling in his mind, he assessed the patient''s condition and let out a sigh. Unfortunately, the medicine he had prepared this time proved ineffective once again. There were no alternatives left. In fact, the symptoms worsened for a few patients, and they sumbed to the illness abruptly. Each time a life was lost, he felt a pang in his heart, witnessing the young doctors shedding tears. "In the past, I had the privilege of discovering a certain fungus that was named after me, and I represented the Alchemy School here. However, I am well aware that it was because of exceptional doctors like you that the fungus I discovered could be utilized as medicine," Penicillin said. "Senior Researcher Penicillin." "Ignore the nonsense spouted by the aristocrats. Just apply your medical skills." Though both of them had gained recognition in the medical field throughout the continent, this disease carried an overwhelming danger, far from something they could dismiss lightly. "The ck Death... Such a brazen disease..." Penicillin muttered bitterly, shaking the medicine bottle he had retrieved. "These medicines I have prepared should offer some assistance..." Crash! "Ahhhhh!!!" Several patients within the treatment area began screaming out in pain and agony almost simultaneously. Some were gasping for breath, convulsing and writhing in distress. "Please, stay conscious!" "Hey! Quickly, get the sedatives!!" Chaos ensued. The young doctors were bewildered as they witnessed the sudden agony of the patients, while those with more experience desperately tried to attend to each situation. Baron Gorneo was no exception. He swiftly rushed toward a patient being treated by Bernardo, a second-year doctor and apatible alchemist named Penicillin whom he had brought along. He asked, "What''s the situation?!" "Well, um..." "Stay calm! If a doctor panics, the patient will surely die! Analyze the situation calmly!" He had nearly killed a patient in the past due to his hasty attempts at treatment. If it hadn''t been for Davey''s assistance, he would have inadvertently caused the death of an innocent patient in the Ordem territory. Hearing Baron Gorneo''s stern words, Bernardo nervously examined the patient''s body. Despite the risk of contracting the disease, he touched the patient without hesitation. After a gulp, he said, "The fever is severe. He continues to experience reflux symptoms, and his throat is swelling, making it difficult to breathe. The bacteria have spread to the lungs, and there is pusing out!" "Then we must immediately drain the pus from the lungs!" Baron Gorneomanded. Bernardo looked at him with a pained expression. "But if we make a mistake, this patient will die!" "I can''t save everyone! Don''t forget, if not you, then there is no one else who can save this patient now!" At Baron Gorneo¡¯s impassioned shout, Bernardo tightly gripped a surgical instrument with trembling hands. He carefully sterilized it by pouring disinfectant into a tube, closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. Taking a deep breath, he began the procedure of draining the pus from the patient''s lungs. "Suc¡­ Sess! ck pus is starting toe out of the lungs!" The patient''s convulsions appeared to gradually subside, demonstrating the effectiveness of the procedure. However, suddenly... "Cough! Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!" With a final agonizing scream, the patient convulsed and fell limp. "Ah..." Bernardo''s eyes widened in shock, and the faces of Baron Gorneo and Senior Researcher Penicillin turned deathly pale. "How could this..." "How can there be such a dreadful disease..." Their extensive knowledge had proven futile in treating the disease. What could they possibly do now? At that moment, a little girl who had been brought in with the same illness witnessed the lifeless man and her eyes widened in astonishment. She cried out, "Brother? Brother!!!" The girl, in a desperate effort, crawled toward the man and began to sob. "Brother! Wake up! Brother!!" Bernardo, Baron Gorneo, and Senior Researcher Penicillin could say nothing. A life had been extinguished because of theirck of skill. "No... No! You said you''d buy delicious food for our siblings when the war was over! Why are your eyes closed? Please, open your eyes!" A soldier, with a grimace on his face, pulled the weeping girl away. He sternly stated, "Dposition poison will be released from the deceased patient! Stay away! Do you want to die too?" "Let me go! My blood brother is dead, what''s the point of me living?" The girl, who screamed these words, clutched onto Bernardo''s clothing and sobbed. "Doctor! No, master! Please...! Please! Save my brother! Please! You''re an excellent doctor!" "I''m sorry... I''m sorry," Bernardo, unable to control his trembling body, could only repeat these words. Life was precious. It did not discriminate based on rank. Whether noble, royal, ormoner, Bernardo, who had learned from Baron Gorneo, felt an overwhelming sense of guilt for the loss of life. "No! No! He can''t leave us like this! Brother!" Hearing the girl''s heart-wrenching cries, Baron Gorneo slowly extended his hand and ced it on Bernardo''s shoulder. He said slowly, "Bernardo... We cannot afford to stand still here. We must fulfill our duties as doctors." "I... I must immediately research a new drug... I can''t bear to witness more people dying," Penicillinmented, tears streaming down his face as if his heart had softened. With bloodshot eyes, Bernardo clenched his teeth and slowly looked at the lifeless body. Firmly holding the patient''s hand, he covered the patient''s eyes with his other hand. His voice quivered as he solemnly dered, "The current time... Imperial time¡­ The patient...is deceased..." The pronouncement of death... Initially, Bernardo couldn''tprehend why it was necessary. After all, the dead are dead, so why go through such trouble? That''s what he had thought. But now, having experienced it firsthand, he understood. It was a ritual to acknowledge the patients who had passed away under his care. This was also a burden he ced upon himself¡ªthe burden of guilt. Bernardo was about toplete the pronouncement of death when... Crash¡­ With the sound of something breaking, someone marched in withrge strides and forcefully shoved Bernardo''s shoulder. "Who died? Move it, jerk." Startled by the cold voice, Bernardo turned his head. Standing before him was a person, their long hair flowing freely, devoid of any protective attire or artifacts to shield against bacteria. At first nce, they could be mistaken for a girl, but their physique was surprisingly robust for a woman. Above all, they were adorned in men''s royal attire. Whoosh! Before his eyes, the girl thrust a broken, sharp tube directly into the patient, administering a drug that was considered absolutely forbidden. Bernardo could only stare in shock, rendered speechless and unable to react to the situation, his eyes wide with disbelief. But then, fueled by a surge of emotions, he grabbed the cor of the girl dressed in men''s clothing and shouted, "What do you think you''re doing?!!! Do you see this patient as some sort of toy?!!" Bam!!! "Urgh?!" A heavy punch flew toward Bernardo. "What did you say, you idiot?" Chapter 363 As silence enveloped the scene, all eyes were fixed on the unfolding spectacle. Among those present were Bernardo, sprawled helplessly on the ground; Baron Gorneo, who had fallen into shocked silence; Penicillin, the lead researcher; the lifeless body of a man; and the girl who clung to him, her desperate sobs piercing the air. Within this hushed stillness, the only movement came from the enigmatic figure¡ªa figure that left everyone with a chilling sensation as if they had been plunged into icy cold water. "Yikes!" "The ones who should maintain the utmostposure in a clinic are not the supporting alchemists, the priests, nor the patients undergoing treatment." Speaking those words with an air of coldness, the enigmatic figure¡ªwhether a boy or a girl¡ªjerked Bernardo up by the scruff of his neck. Despite Bernardo''s considerable size, the slender figure effortlessly lifted him as if he weighed no more than a feather. "Cough!" "It''s the doctor who treats the patients. The moment the doctor panics, no one can properly treat the patient. Understand?" Davey''s words were met with agreement, and a heavy silence followed. "Baron Gorneo, who¡¯s this person''s mentor?" the enigmatic figure asked. "I... I was. Bernardo was my student," Baron Gorneo replied, his voice filled with apprehension. "I see. A doctor''s mindset then..." Silence lingered in the air as the conversation continued. "First and foremost, a doctor must never waver..." "Yes, I understand." A charming smile graced Davey''s face as he patted Gorneo''s shoulder. Though his voice was now delicate for a male, it seemed reasonable to assume he was a woman dressed in men''s clothing. Lost in his thoughts, Bernardo suddenly felt a strange tremor from the hand he had been holding¡ªthe hand of the patient who had been pronounced dead. It was a pulse. "Oh, no?! The patient!" Bernardo eximed in shock, quickly turning to assess the patient''s condition, momentarily forgetting the ongoing conversation. His eyes widened. Normally, the only way to revive a patient experiencing cardiac arrest was through forceful chestpressions. However, it was evident that the patient''s heart had started beating again. The sound resonated through the silent room, faintly echoing in everyone''s ears. "B-Brother?" the girl, overwhelmed with surprise and joy, ced her hand on her brother''s cheek. p! "Back off. You''ll get infected. If you die, do you think your brother will feel better?" The girl recoiled. "From now on, I''ll save all of you. Just worry about getting your treatment." "Is it, is it really true? My brother and I...and everyone else here can be saved?" "Yes." "Oh¡­ Oh... It¡¯s a miracle... The Holy Maiden... You must be the Holy Maiden mentioned by the Holy Empire!!" "¡­" A firm answer often brought great relief to people. "Damn it. It¡¯s because of this hair that I don¡¯t look like a man." Davey¡¯s face soured while everyone else finally felt a sense of relief. * * * The situation was aplete mess when Davey arrived. A patient had just stopped breathing. Fortunately, Davey was able to resuscitate them with shock therapy, but it was certainly a desperate move, relying on luck. That was how critical the situation was. And what if it had failed? Davey would have done whatever it took to save the patient. He was not the kind of doctor who allowed a patient under his care to die needlessly. Meanwhile, he entrusted the soldiers with the care of the girl, who had likely fainted due to the sudden release of tension. Then, Davey turned his gaze to the three individuals who were looking at him in bewilderment. "What are you all doing? The next patient is not human, right? You there,e forward and bring me the patient''s medical report. Baron Gorneo, please provide a briefing on the current situation. And...who is this? Are you an alchemist?" "Ah... Yes, I am the chief researcher, Penicillin." "Oh, Chief Researcher. It''s an honor to meet someone famous." Davey gave him a big smile. When Penicillin blushed and stepped back, Davey added, "I am a man too, so please don''t misunderstand." "Ahem! Ahem!" Penicillin seemed flustered as if he had been caught making a major mistake. He soonposed himself and said with his head drooped low, "Well, then, make more sterilizing reagents." What was it called? Sulking? Eventually, as Davey was about to leave, he heard Baron Gorneo''s voice. "Could you be... Prince Davey?" "Yes." His unwavering response brought astonishment to the faces of the other two. "Prince Davey O''Rowane!" "Oh my..." They seemed hesitant to believe. "Rumors say you''re an extraordinary warrior who can single-handedly y an ogre..." "Word is, you''re a beast who can crush a knight''s head with one hand..." Davey couldn''t help but wonder how his public image had be so exaggerated. He turned his head silently and looked at Baron Gorneo, who avoided his gaze. "Well, I didn''t lie. I am Prince Davey. It''s just... The rumors are a bit exaggerated..." It was not all fun to watch an old man like him at a loss for what to do. Davey sighed briefly and without hesitation, threw away a few sewing needles he was holding and picked up the medicine again. "What''s the name of this disease?" "It''s called the ck Death. The victims die from ck spots all over their bodies." "Simr to the melting eleration virus?" "Ah...yes. But the color is different, and the symptoms are slightly different." "That''s right. But you''ll need to change the name. The name of the disease should reflect its symptoms." At Davey¡¯s calm words, Baron Gorneo''s eyes widened and he asked, "Are you saying you know what this disease is?" "I know. I''ve treated over 30,000 patients with this disease." Davey was a member of the Coalition for Disease Control and had treated nearly 30,000 people. He was now a professor at the Medical Academy. It would be ridiculous to think that Davey did not know about the disease. Davey smiled broadly at Gorneo''s expression of disbelief. "So, will you trust me? Or will you doubt me likest time?" "I have to believe! Of course, I believe!" Davey''s smile deepened as he exined further, "This disease is initially caused by the influence of sr wind and ultraviolet rays, not ck but white, so there are many misunderstandings. The treatment method is the same, though." When Bernardo and Penicillin looked at Baron Gorneo with surprised faces, the man nodded without a shred of doubt. Baron Gorneo then said, "I will take immediate action. And Prince Davey." "Yes?" "Thank you... Really thank you foring." "There''s no need for a doctor to hesitate when ites to saving people." Of course, Davey did not have a continental doctor''s license. Even though Davey called himself a quack doctor, none of the doctors here could call him one. * * * "Is it simr to the ck Death?" "ck Death? If it''s the ck Death from your past life..." "It''s simr, but the nature of infection is slightly different. Andpared to the real ck Death, the transmission speed is a bit slower," Davey said calmly, ncing at the patient who had been frothing at the mouth until a while ago and had now stabilized. He then added, "It takes quite a bit of time to treat. You must stay here for at least a month." "What about the treatment medicine?" "I have to make it. However, this damn disease that has spread all over the continent varies ording to the time. So, after figuring out the disease here, I have to make medicine to match it," Davey said calmly and went inside the tent. There were several nobles and Baron Gorneo there. "Oh... Prince Davey O''Rowane. It''s an honor to see someone as famous as you on the continent. I am..." "Prince Davey, I am Count Geliman. I''m d to meet you here. I''ve never seen such a beautiful prince. You are a true work of art." "They used to ignore and look down on Prince Davey¡­" Bernardo mumbled. Ignoring Bernardo''s mumbling, Davey shook hands with them and smiled broadly. "Pleased to meet you. But shouldn''t you let go of my hand? I''ve just been dealing with a patient." Then, the nobleman who was shaking his hand dropped it in surprise. "Cough! Cough!" "Tsk." Briefly clicking his tongue, Davey passed by them indifferently. ''This damn bitch...'' Someone was muttering behind Davey, but he could hear it all. Without hesitation, Davey summoned dark magic and delivered a swift p to the back of the person''s head. p!! "Ugh!" Something invisible hit the back of the person¡¯s head and blew him out of the tent, causing several people to scream and run toward him. Davey thought, ¡®Your goddess of hair will run away to her hometown. You seem to be particrly careful about and proud of your hair, but the curse of balding will start. What use is all your care in the face of the disaster of the baldness curse?¡¯ "I''ve prepared a map as you asked... A map that reveals all the terrain of the region..." Baron Gorneo still seemed puzzled about why Davey¡¯s appearance had changed in such a manner. While Davey was reviewing the meeting materials he had prepared, he pointed to a specific ce on the map, where there were symbols representing the quarantine areas. "Do you see this spot?" "Yes... It''s the quarantine area where the disease broke out across the region." "By examining the map, you can discern the cause of the disease and the route of infection." "The map?" Baron Gorneo appeared intrigued. "Baron, take a look at this river. See where this river originates." Baron Gorneo looked perplexed, then shook his head. "On the Formark ins... Ah!" At that moment, his eyes widened. "That''s correct. The Formark ins is where demons, vampires, and the allied forces waged war. It was the site of a great victory, where Heroine Reina led a small army and vanquished the enemies..." "The bacteria that originated there could have traveled all the way here on a single life form. Hence, the territories adjacent to this river are in this state." Baron Gorneo gave a silent nod. "But in such a case, why hasn''t it been noticed until now?" "You should consider all possibilities, Rinne." Just then, a silver-haired little girl entered the tent, barefoot. Most of the people present were wearing protective clothing and equipment to safeguard themselves from bacteria, but Rinne and Davey had none of that. They looked as if they were going on a pic. "Davey, I''ve collected the freshwater fish you requested. Rinne highly regards her fishing abilities." As she spoke, Rinne pped the wings on her back. The feathers on her wings were damp. It seemed to have taken longer than expected... "You should have caught it with your hands instead of fooling around." "But Rinne''s wings are excellent at attracting freshwater fish." "Tsk." What could Davey say to her as she argued with sparkling eyes? Davey took the freshwater fish, which was about tens of centimeters long, and smiled brightly at the puzzled Baron Gorneo. "This little guy is the culprit." "Isn''t this a freshwater fish called Janar? Its shell contains many substances that boost antibodies, so it''s often used as a medicinal ingredient." Davey nodded. "Yes, indeed. The shell is effective in blocking bacteria. That''s why this disease urs. The virus causing this Monochrome Mdy disease is highly susceptible to other viruses. Therefore, it concealed itself within this fish and multiplied, preventing other viruses from infiltrating." The shell of this fish was highly nutritious in terms of immunology. In other words, once the Monochrome Mdy virus safely entered, it thrived and resisted other viruses. "But how did the virus¡­?" Davey pulled out a small knife nearby and sliced open the belly of the fish as he spoke. Without hesitation, he reached in with his hand and pulled something out. "Ew!" Everyone around Davey looked astonished, because he was now holding arge parasite that was approximately 5 centimeters long. "Ew!" The nobles openly grimaced at the grotesque sight, and some even ran away, trying to control their gag reflexes. However, Baron Gorneo didn''t avert his gaze. "It''s a Niberin parasite. I know it''s a harmless parasite, but..." "That''s correct, but¡­" Whoosh!! As Davey burned and destroyed the parasite with a me, he brushed off his blood-soaked hand and said casually, "Have you ever heard of a story where two non-toxic liquids meet and suddenly be highly toxic?" "Is, is that possible?!" "Why not? It''s right in front of you. This is it." Chapter 364 Davey pulled out another parasite from the belly of therge freshwater fish called Janar, in addition to the one that had been turned into ashes. "Ugh! Get that away! Not here!" Unable to bear the horrific sight, one of the nobles covered his mouth with his hand and scolded Davey, "Damn! Just looking at it makes me want to puke!" All emotion vanished from Davey''s face. "You find this disgusting?" "What, what?! Did I say something wrong?!" "Does this look disgusting to you?" At Davey''s question, the man shuddered even more. "Heavens! Is it supposed to be cute?! Ah, damn! I fear it mighte up in my dreams!" "Well, it is disgusting. But that''s not the important thing, is it?" Davey asked, with an impassive expression. "You seem to be a member of the Coalition for Disease Control." "Yes, yes! I am Viscount Rutismar." The man¡¯s face contorted as if he desperately wanted the parasite removed from his line of sight. "I am well aware of the tales about you, Prince Davey. But to bring such a dreadful creature into this important conference room! Are you in your right mind?" "That''s what I want to ask." Holding a parasite presumed to have germs of the Monochrome Mdy disease, which closely resembled the ck Death, Davey tightened his grip on it and incinerated it. Then, he approached Viscount Rutismar again. "Eek! Don''t, don''te near! Your hands, those horrific germs!" Although the man recoiled in fear, Davey silently approached him and said, "Yes, germs. Indeed, they''re germs. But if you wish to solve this situation, you shouldn''t react like that, Count Rutismar." "..." "You''ve never treated patients here, have you?" Davey asked coldly. "What, what?!" "So, you''re not interested in what this means." ¡®He should know, he''s no fool.¡¯ However, Viscount Rutismar red at Davey, stuttering as if his pride had been hurt. Hidden in Davey¡¯s pocket was Perserque, who could observe him more urately than Davey, whose abyss power had greatly weakened. She had evaluated Viscount Rutismar in two ways: as a beneficiary of nepotism and as a quack doctor who had never treated a patient. Here, there was nobody else besides patients, doctors, soldiers, and knights who transported the sick or cleared away corpses. If he was a quack who had never treated a patient, despite being a member of the Coalition for Disease Control and havinge this far, the implication was obvious. Feeling extremely insulted, Viscount Rutismar red at Davey and turned around. "First of all, there''s no guarantee that the parasite spreads the disease!" His rebuttal was indeed a possibility. Despite what Davey said, it must have sounded like nonsense to them. Immediately, Viscount Rutismar and his party started arguing. "First and foremost, this is an isted area under the independent jurisdiction of the Coalition for Disease Control! This is our jurisdiction!" "I did not allow outsiders toe in and cause a mess!" Davey nodded, then took out arge letter and waved it in front of Viscount Rutismar. "I hereby fire you in the name of the Deputy Chief of the Coalition for Disease Control.¡± With that deration, he shed his hand across his neck as Viscount Rutismar¡¯s face reddened. "The reason why the Three Empires and each country support the Coalition for Disease Control financially is to protect those who really need help." ¡®Not to provide a position and pocket money for people like you old bastards.¡¯ "F-Fired?! I can''t ept this unfair treatment!" "Think whatever you want. This ce is off-limits to anyone except personnel, isn''t it? Get him out," Davey calmly stated. His words were met with silence all around. However, as soon as one of themittee members saw the emblem Davey held, which symbolized the authority of the Three Emperors, he hastily eximed, "The mithril emblem symbolizing the authority of the Three Emperors!" There was no way they could miss the significance of Davey possessing it. Then, they finally acknowledged that Davey truly held the power of the Deputy Chief. The knights and soldiers, one by one, stepped forward and began to escort Viscount Rutismar out. "Let go of me! This is unfair treatment! Prince Davey! You cannot do this to me!" "Why not? If there''s a useless troll, we have to quickly get rid of them." ¡®Sorry, but your dirty internal dealings and positions are none of my concern.¡¯ "Let go of me!! Let me go!! Prince Davey!! Prince Davey!!" As he watched the screaming Viscount Rutismar being dragged away, Davey casually dusted off his hands and opened his mouth again. "Any otherints?" Those who had been taking the same position as Viscount Rutismar averted their eyes all at once. They realized that they had made a mistake. As a silent calm took over, Davey moved forward with satisfaction. "Now that we''ve dealt with the nuisance, let''s start the treatment quickly. It''s not a disease that takes long to cure if you know how, Senior Researcher Penicillin." "Yes... Yes!" Senior Researcher Penicillin, startled, looked at Davey. "I''ve heard that Senior Researcher Penicillin is quite skilled in antigen collection and antibody production." "Yes, that''s correct." At that, Davey took his hand and drew upon divine power. Although Senior Researcher Penicillin looked at him with aplex expression, Davey ignored him and gave his body a thin coat of divine power. ''Divine power has gotten weaker.'' Divine power was a magic that imitated the power of a god. In terms of difficulty, it was much easier thanmand magic or elemental magic. However, as the influence of God on thisnd weakened, divine power naturally weakened as well. And there was only one reason why the power of divine magic had noticeably weakened: the influence of Goddess Freyja on thisnd had significantly diminished. Goddess Freyja, who had previously shouldered the brunt of the repercussions intended for Davey under the guise of divine punishment, was now facing difficulties due to her impact on thisnd. ¡®I''m going to experience a severe regression in the level of divine power if I''m not careful.¡¯ Davey was the cause of this situation, but he had decided not to care. He should be d that he did notpletely drive away the influence of the goddess from thisnd. "What are you¡­?" "I just gave you a simple blessing, just in case. Your task, Senior Researcher, is to collect the parent virus of this disease, the Monochrome Mdy virus, from these creatures through the sample that Rinne has brought. Simple, isn''t it?" Penicillin started sweating. "Simple, isn''t it?" "Yes..." From Penicillin¡¯s reluctant answer, it seemed that this was no easy task. "But don''t worry. Whether you''re a nerd or a researcher, there''s one thing inmon. Everything is possible if you work hard enough." "Right... That''s the true nature of Davey that I know," Perserque whispered. "I didn''t ask him to do the impossible," Davey replied quietly. In response to Davey''s rebuttal, Perserque remained silent. "Then, Your Highness, are there any remaining tasks for the disease?" Upon hearing that, Davey moved forward quietly. "We need to check that now. Baron Gorneo, please separate the patients with particrly severe symptoms." All the clues were inside the patients'' bodies. The culprit was bound to be there. * * * "This is it... This is where we have isted the patients whose conditions are the worst. Whether they undergo surgery or not, they are almost at the brink of death," Bernardo, who reced Baron Gorneo to assist Davey in categorizing the patients, exined. Davey quietly nodded in response. Then, he slowly approached a patient who emanated the smell of death. The woman, with ck spots all over her body, appeared as if she could perish at any moment. Observing this patient who was unable to engage in proper conversation, Davey wordlessly conjured light at the tip of his finger and examined her pupils. As usual, he opened her mouth to assess her oral condition and proceeded to examine every part of her body, from the chest to the navel and private areas. Hypocria was undoubtedly a remarkable doctor. She had attained her status as a godlike healer solely through her medical skills, devoid of any hint of magical elements. Having learned from her, he did not consider his medical skills to be inferior. Woong!! Also, she was unable to treat or diagnose patients using holy or elemental magic. Davey was different from her in these aspects. Woong!!!! With the increasingly strong resonance of mana, blue mana left an afterimage along Davey¡¯s fingertips. What Davey was searching for was an unusual mana reaction. If Monochrome Mdy arose from simple gic mutations, there would have been cases in the past. However, this ursed disease was an isted urrence, never seen before. Unless it was something from such a distant time that it was scarcely mentioned in historical records, if it was a recently emerged disease, there must be only one reason. While Davey silently assessed the patient''s condition, a sound of someone having a seizure could be heard in the distance. "Prince Davey!" "I told you, don''t panic." Davey''s words made Bernardo flinch. "Go and fetch a scalpel." Davey''s instruction elicited vigorous nodding. Before leaving the Ordem territory, Davey had given Baron Gorneo a small notebook. It contained information that would prove helpful for medical knowledge. If Baron Gorneo read and absorbed the contents of the notebook, he would be equipped to handle such situations. While Baron Gorneo hurried off to find a scalpel, Davey approached the patient whose condition had significantly worsened, causing them to have a seizure. "Oh my god!" Bernardo hastily followed, covering his mouth with one hand and frowning. "If it has progressed this far..." "A tumor has formed within the blood vessel. If we don''t perform surgery right now, this patient will die." Baron Gorneo trembled as he looked at Davey. "But where in the blood vessel has the tumor formed?" "Just watch and learn." Baron Gorneo¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Silently, Davey inspected the sterilized scalpel that Baron Gorneo had brought. It had been a while since Davey had felt such a grip. With skillful precision, Davey rotated the de of the scalpel and swiftly made an incision in the patient''s torso, pressing down on the wound with his other hand. "Where the blood has clotted, there''s bound to be a clue. Don''t merely rely on your eyes; use your fingertips to observe." "..." Bernardo swallowed his saliva in response to Davey''s words. It was challenging to determine where and how the blockage urred just by visual inspection, but considering the symptoms and time, Davey could roughly identify the location of the blockage. "Found it." Soon after Davey''s eyes sparkled, he infused mana into the patient without administering any anesthetic. [Pain Relief] Then, Davey also blew in holy magic. [Bleeding Control] [Holy Coating] It was a spell created to prevent severe injuries from causing blood loss. Except for Baron Gorneo, the other members of the Coalition for Disease Control who followed Davey simply stared nkly at his actions. They were supportive of Davey like Baron Gorneo, but they couldn''t help feeling a bit intimidated by him. It was understandable. How much experience could a young prince have? They considered Davey to be something unusual and difficult to ept in a traditional sense. As soon as the two spells took effect within the patient''s body, Davey made an incision with the scalpel, causing blood to flow out, indicating internal bleeding. "Ah, aargh! Internal bleeding!" "How can this be?" If the body cavity became filled with blood, it would be impossible to locate and treat the wound. As Davey fell silent for a moment in a situation where surgery seemed impossible with their current medical technology, one of themittee members cautiously approached him. "Your Highness, we can''t do anything... The disease has progressed too far, and it''s even causingplications like internal bleeding. In this situation, cutting into the body and performing surgery would be like killing the patient right away!" "The patient will die anyway if we don''t do anything. We will proceed with the surgery." "Of course, it''s impossible... What?" Without proper medical equipment, the surgical procedure itself differed from what Davey had experienced in his past life on Earth. It seemed nearly impossible for them, but Davey unhesitatingly plunged his hand in. Let''s not forget. Although Tionis'' medical techniques differed from those on Earth during Davey''s previous life, he was not merely at the level of Tionis. As the sole disciple of Hypocria, who was renowned as a godlike doctor, Davey possessed exceptional skills and knowledge. Chapter 365: Those Who Stripped Off Their Humility for Power Concentrating his senses at his fingertips, Davey proceeded to dissect the body. The few medical staff and council members, who had been carefully holding the patient''s limbs during the suffocating surgery that could end in tragedy with a single misstep, could only stare in awe at Davey. Swiftly and efficiently, as if he were navigating through water, Davey maneuvered his hand, and at a particr moment, his eyes shed with revtion. ''Here!'' Without hesitation, he inserted the scalpel and cleanly excised the tumor. Leaving behind the speechless witnesses of this inexplicable surgery, Davey furrowed his brows. "What are you doing? Are you trying to kill the patient? Bring the gauze and suction device immediately!" His voice was thin, naturally resulting in a high-pitched cry that reverberated. Thanks to that, those who had been dumbfoundedly observing his surgery quickly sprang into action. Davey swiftly cut and stitched the problematic area. If the internal bleeding was left untreated, it could instantly prove fatal for the patient. A drop in blood pressure and an increase in bleeding could lead to death from excessive blood loss. Following that, Davey promptly sutured the blood vessels and organs that were the sources of internal bleeding, effectively stopping the bleeding. He then swiftly extracted the blood from inside the body using the suction device provided by the council members and meticulously closed the wound. The patient, who had been convulsing on the brink of death, now slept peacefully with a serene expression. Turning toward the dumbfounded onlookers, as if they had witnessed an unimaginable spectacle, Davey said quietly, "What is it? How long do you n on gaping?" "I can''t believe this... Did you just perform surgery on that patient?" an elderly council member slowly approached and examined the patient after asking Davey, seemingly in disbelief. "Is there a problem?" "Oh, oh... That can''t be. Even seeing it with my own eyes is utterly ridiculous..." He stared at Davey, astounded. Even the slightest mistake or misstep could have instantly imed the patient''s life. The time it took to make an incision in a trembling patient''s body, remove the problematic tumor, and manage all the internal bleeding caused byplications was shorter than a typical surgery. "To develop a cure, we need to understand the underlying cause in addition to the Monochrome Mdy virus antibodies. Doctor Oruk." "Y-Yes! Please speak, Your Highness." "Although it may be bothersome, please investigate their dietary habits, activity range, and any peculiarities. The answers are always embedded in our lives." With Davey''s words, the doctor hurried off as if entrusted with a once-in-a-lifetime mission. * * * Swoosh!!! The river current flowed downstream. Descending from the giant mountain range and passing through the Formark ins, therge river was known as the Yosk River, one of the lifelines of the Central Continent. It had long provided drinking water and sustenance to small territories and viges in the region. Ssh! Rinne dipped her wings in the river and with a powerful upward motion, created a resonating noise. She clenched her small hand toward the giant fish known as Janar, which leaped into the air. Whoosh! Clink! Simultaneously, particles gathered in her hand, forming something substantial. "Rinne''s spear. Very strong!" Woosh! She seemed pleased with the green metal spear that effortlessly pierced through the freshwater fish. Nodding several times, she then hopped over to Davey and presented the skewered fish. "Did you always fish like that?" "Rinne evaluates wings'' high lure ability." "But those wings weren''t made for that." The freshwater fish Janar brought by Rinne also had parasites. Initially, almost no animals were free of parasites. The problem was how many of them carried the deadly pathogen. "The current outbreak is affecting 80,000 people, with an additional 20,000 casualties. Too many people have died in a very short time. This situation probably started spreading before the war ended." With multiple problems urring simultaneously, even those who had previously been unconcerned started to realize the gravity of the situation as numerous people began to die across the territories. The issue was that the disease had already spread extensively. Fortunately, due to quick responses afterward, proper istion measures had been implemented, preventing further severe outbreaks. "Of course, that''s just buying time. For now, only the territories around the Yosk River are affected. But wait a bit longer. The moment Janar, which carries this parasite, goes out to sea, it''s going to be chaos." "Lord Davey, what if that happens?" "We need to find a cure before that. That''s why we have gathered these medicines." There were many minor diseases, but the most severe was the Monochrome Mdy. If left unchecked, it would im many lives, much like the ck gue on Earth in Davey''s previous life. However, because Davey had discovered it, they bought a little bit of time. "Once it breaks out, if there are no antibiotics, you die. The problem is that we can''t identify the remaining cause..." Due to theck of crucial clues, Davey sighed heavily. Even the best physician cannotprehend every mutation of a virulent germ. The more dangerous the disease, the more cautious one must be. Davey had been speaking confidently, but from the beginning till now, he had to rely on all the knowledge in his head. The fact that divine power did not work meant that the virus had been created in a new way. So that means something unintended was the cause. "Daddy!" From far away, Davey saw Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon, who had been ying, running toward him. Leaving the kids near the water''s edge without supervision was risky, but they were under the care of Perserque, who was in his pocket. Ever since she learned that her horns could be detached, she had been removing her horns and hiding them somewhere. Perserque, who hade up to Davey as she swung her silver hair, chuckled. "Red Ribbon has a gift for Daddy!" Soon after, Red Ribbon, with something hidden in her small hand, offered it to Davey. "It''s tasty! Very tasty!" Seeing her so excited and cuddling up to him, Davey gave Red Ribbon a broad smile and picked her up. Despite the change in his appearance, he was still their father, and that gave him a sense of stability. "So, what gift did Red Ribbon give me¡­?" While Davey spoke, his expression froze as he saw what she had given him. "Huh?" Seeing Davey¡¯s face, Red Ribbon became nervous and tilted her head in confusion. "Is Daddy angry? Did Red Ribbon do something wrong?" Perserque slowly came forward, seeing the child about to cry, and asked him, "Davey, rx your face. Are you trying to make the children cry?" "Perserque, where did you get this?" Perserque tilted her head, then said, "Where did I get it? You don''t know about Vetro mushrooms? They are a delicacy that the people of these territories always have at their table. They taste good, so I was looking forward to them too..." Vetro mushrooms... They wererge, ugly mushrooms with a brownish hue. They had a rich and savory taste with high nutrition. Davey was seeing this mushroom for the first time, and he just found out... "This...is a poisonous mushroom, isn''t it? And an extremely toxic one at that." In the world where Hypocria once thrived, an identical mushroom used to flourish¡ªthe Alemandria. As far as Davey''s knowledge extended, it stood as one of the most covert and treacherously toxic mushrooms known. Consuming Alemandria or Vetro mushrooms alone posed no immediate threat, but when exposed to a specific disease, it spawned a nightmarish affliction. It was then that a realization struck Davey: these mushrooms were a dietary staple for the people in these territories. In essence, the majority of the poption had consumed these mushrooms, along with Janar, the carrier of the parasite. Davey held Red Ribbon up and said, "Red Ribbon, you have helped Daddy." "R-Red Ribbon did well?" "Yes, you did very well!" "Kyahahaha!" Now that they had identified the cause of the disease, all that was left was to create an antibiotic and cure it. * * * It was three dayster. "Damn it... That damn bitch!" Bang!! Viscount Rutismar, stripped of his position due to his sh with Prince Davey, seethed with uncontroble rage. The table where he sat bore the evidence of his heavy drinking, strewn with empty bottles. "How dare he... How dare he threaten my position!" he eximed. There were limits to a human''s capabilities. The disease control team had spent years constructing rules and systems. It was not a realm for a novice to meddle in, relying solely on medical skills and power. "Compose yourself," Count Geliman advised. "Nevertheless, this disease is ultimately incurable. Unless we fullyprehend its nature..." "But the prince knew about the disease. It was as if he could see through us." Initially, they had no intention of treating the disease. In fact, they were aware of its spread but had chosen not to intervene. The greater the crisis, the higher their stature would rise. This was especially true with the Pn Empire''s control over the disease control team, amidst a state of political turmoil. Prince Alejandro of the Pan Empire, the Twelfth Prince, harbored ambitions of toppling Crown Prince Sullivan, the current wielder of power. To achieve this, Alejandro needed to establish his own aplishments and shatter Sullivan''s momentum. The outbreak of the war had been fortuitous, and their early discovery of the disease had been advantageous. If the disease were to escte on arge scale, Sullivan''s position would inevitably crumble, while Alejandro''s would naturally ascend. The perfect scenario unfolded after the deaths of approximately one hundred thousandmoners. But this damned Prince Davey was ruining everything. By some means, he had uncovered half of the disease''s cause and, with his audacious skills, sessfully performed surgeries, saving those on the brink of death. A few days ago, he had returned and began identifying the cause while developing antibiotics. As the crisis began to abate, the Pan Empire spread this information to every region, temporarily banning the capture and consumption of Vetro mushrooms and the freshwater fish Janar to prevent further outbreaks. Indeed, the number of new cases, which had been increasing by the dozens to hundreds daily, halved overnight, and then halved again. "We have no other choice now," stated Geliman, his bald head glistening, with a somber expression. "We must resort to our final option." "Ourst option?" "If things continue as they are, Crown Prince Sullivan''s momentum will surge while Prince Alejandro''s will wane. But Prince Davey remains oblivious to our machinations. Hence, we must exacerbate the situation before he achieves sess." Geliman''s words drew the attention of Marquis Poplis, Count Baltis, and Viscount Rutismar. "I have already dispatched the troops. How could Prince Davey, engrossed in his antibiotic development, possibly know about the events urring here and there? Your only task is to report to the royal family: Prince Davey''s treatment came toote to make a significant impact. Ultimately, most of the quarantined patients perished. To prevent further outbreaks, all the corpses were incinerated.¡± "With the demise of tens of thousands peasants, we might be able to overthrow the Crown Prince. I have already given the order." "But if Prince Davey discovers our scheme..." "If it were Davey, he would turn you wretches into living corpses." As Geliman''s words hung in the air, an eerie presence loomed over the room and everyone froze in ce. Viscount Rutismar slowly turned, his eyes bulging at the figure looming above them. A chilling aura crawled up his spine. Chapter 366 The conversation in the dark abruptly came to a halt. The four members of the Coalition for Disease Control, along with the associated nobles, widened their eyes and trembled in fear as an uninvited guest intruded upon their discussion. They were acutely aware that if news of their conversation were to leak out, it would ce them in a perilous situation. "Who... Who is there?!" Count Baltis eximed in shock. In unison, the four nobles swiftly unsheathed the ornamental swords hanging at their waists. Shh... However, for them, who had lived sheltered lives free ofbat, distinguishing a figure hidden in the dark was no easy task. Moreover... "Uh, uh!" The surroundings began to darken, as if the lights had gone outpletely. "It''s an assassin! It''s definitely an assassin!" Viscount Rutismar shouted out loud. It was only then did Viscount Rutismar realize what this instinctive sense of danger meant. Cre-e-eak... At the same time, a chilling metallic ringing sound echoed from the silent void of darkness. "Ah, ahhh!!!" In the pitch-ck surroundings, where they could not see an inch ahead, the panicked noble, Marquis Poplis, began swinging his sword wildly. "You... You brute! Cease this immediately! Do you even know who I am?" "Ah, argh! Marquis Poplis, halt your sword swings... cough!" The other nobles urgently shouted, narrowly avoiding being struck by the indiscriminate swings. However, Marquis Poplis did not cease his actions. Eventually, a piercing scream resonated, followed by the sttering of something warm. Only then, trembling, did Marquis Poplis take a couple of steps back. Shhh... Simultaneously, the veil of darkness that had obscured their vision, preventing them from seeing even an inch ahead, began to slowly dissipate, revealing the scene around them. Viscount Rutismar, Count Geliman, and Count Baltis, with a sword impaled through his shoulder, trembled in pain. "Count... Count Baltis..." "Ugh..." It was only at that moment that Marquis Poplis realized his sword had not struck an intruder, but had instead injured Count Baltis. Startled and taken aback, he instinctively stepped back in surprise. Bang! However, something heavy kicked him in the back as he was retreating. Thump! Rolling on the ground with a wretched sound, Marquis Poplis quickly turned his head, trying to identify the cause of his current predicament. However, to his dismay, he saw nothing. "Who is it?!" he eximed, his voice filled with frustration and desperation. "Stop hiding and show yourself!" But, of course, there was no sign of the intruder. The dimly lit tent provided little space for someone to conceal themselves. Yet, the invisible presence left no trace, instilling an eerie sense of dread and intensifying their fear. "Run! We must flee outside!" Viscount Rutismar finally realized that escaping the darkness meant making their way out of the tent. Without hesitation, he sprang to his feet and hurried towards the exit, not daring to look back. Shhh... But he never saw the light. Just as he was about to reach the tent''s entrance, his legs lost all sensation, as if enveloped by pitch-ck smoke. "Ugh!" He fell grotesquely, finally realizing the terrible truth that their lives were entirely in the hands of this assassin. Escape was impossible. "Why are you doing this! Show yourself! Name your price! Yes! I''ll pay double what the client offered! No, triple... I''ll give you four times!" It was an obvious negotiation, but effectively, it was a proposal that often worked on assassins. Of course, it depended on who they were dealing with. "Four times..." A voice that could not be identified as male or female seemed to ponder briefly, then spoke quietly. "From what I can see, you don''t have the ability to pay that price." sh! At that very moment, a glint of silver shone, and the four nobles could feel their bodies slipping out of their control. "Even assassins don''t regard human lives so casually," the cold voice persisted, as if pronouncing a judgment. Emerging from the darkness, a woman dressed in ck became partially visible. Around her, pitch-ck entities appeared to swirl like living beings, guarding her. ''Dark¡­ Elf¡­'' "Without a doubt, you will pay the most dreadful price in the world." * * * "What¡­ What is this?" "It''s a Vetro mushroom." Confused, Baron Gorneo asked a question when Davey showed him a thoroughly dried mushroom. "Oh¡­ Yes, I know that¡­ But what¡¯s the issue with it?" "Baron." "Yes¡­ Your Highness." "This mushroom is poisonous." Baron Gorneo disyed a momentarily stunned expression. "What?" He exhibited the epitome of a perplexed reaction, his cognitive processes struggling to keep pace with the conversation''s progression. "That cannot be possible. The Vetro mushroom has enjoyed immense poprity as a regional delicacy for an extensive duration. Its natural growth is attributed to the distinct ecological conditions found in the vicinity of the Yosk River. Moreover, it boasts an exquisite vor." "Ah¡­yes, I know it tastes good." "Indeed, the locals have been consuming this mushroom for a long time¡­ But you''re saying it¡¯s poisonous?" "Well, the taste itself is satisfactory. The problem lies in its deadly toxicity whenbined with another substance. A hidden bacterium within the parasite encounters the Vetro mushroom, and theirbination gives birth to a horrifying disease. The people here have been unfortunate. They could have enjoyed consuming mushrooms without any issues until now." Baron Gorneo released a deep sigh. "I find it hard to believe that the mushroom we''ve been consuming as a staple is actually poisonous..." "It''s indeed unsettling. After all, the more dangerous a predator, the more stealthily it stalks its prey." In a way, mushrooms were a type of fungus, and it was unwise to blindly ce trust in them. Baron Gorneo and the other assembly members who sided with Davey also gazed at the mushroom with disbelief. "If it''s difficult to believe, I can demonstrate it to you," Davey remarked casually. He tore the mushroom apart, and then Penicillin solemnly handed him a sample of the antigen. "When these twoponentse into contact without being digested, they produce apound that is fatally toxic. The Monochrome Mdy doesn''t spread through the air but infects through saliva or blood. There have been numerous cases of individuals getting infected simply by sharing a drink with a carrier." Davey''s words silenced everyone. He sprayed the solution containing the antigen from the test tube onto the mushroom and observed calmly. Soon, something astonishing began to ur. Sizzle... A very faint, smoke-like substance started to diffuse. "Huh?!" "Heavens..." The quantity was too insignificant to pose any considerable danger, but if it had spread within the body, there would be nothing more to discuss. "We should promptly inform the Disease Control Unit responsible for this region about this revtion," one of the assembly members, who suddenly stood up, voiced agreement with the majority. "Nevertheless, ever since we identified the parasite in the freshwater fish, Janar, as the root cause, the number of new infections has been decreasing rapidly. What matters now is finding a cure." "Hmm..." Everyone fell silent at that remark. "But finding a cure will require a substantial amount of time..." "Why do we need time? If we''ve identified the cause, we should swiftly find a solution." Davey, standing before them, projected an air of someone who had already sessfully cured this disease. "The Vetro mushroom was the culprit... Baron Gorneo, we are fortunate. If it had been something else, we would have struggled for weeks." Upon Davey''s request, Baron Gorneo leaped to his feet. "Just tell me what you need. I will personally arrange for everything required." "Please instruct the knights to bring arge quantity of watermelons. Hmmm... I have all the other ingredients, but I didn''t anticipate needing fruit." "Watermelons? For detoxification?" "Nothing surpasses fruit when ites to detoxifying the body." Davey''s words spurred them into action without a trace of doubt. After all, they knew better than anyone that questioning Davey would not heal the patients. * * * Several days psed, during which everyone anxiously observed the situation at the treatment center. The effectiveness of this medicine would determine their ability to ovee the dreadful disease. For those who were fumbling in the dark, this endeavor held immense significance. However, the individual leading this undertaking, Davey, remainedposed. Davey had treated this disease countless times before. He had dealt with numerous emergencies and even encountered unexpected assaults. Compared to those experiences, the ailment guing the Tionis Continent was merely child''s y. Truly, this continent was blessed by the gods. It was no wonder that mana was abundant here. "The red veins are vanishing from the patients'' eyes! It''s having an effect!" The blood-red lines in the patients'' eyes began to fade, and the hazy patches on their retinas cleared slightly. The oue was remarkable because Davey, a saintly doctor who employed holy magic, could enhance the effects of the medicine. Although diseases exhibited resistance to holy magic, it still proved sufficient to augment the efficacy of the drug. With a gentle touch of light magic at his fingertips, Davey examined the patients'' pupils and confirmed that the medication was functioning as intended. "We did it!! We can save everyone!!" "Woohoo!" In their tion, the doctors forgot to maintain silence within the treatment center and embraced one another. At that moment, Davey realized that a few nobles, who had shown little interest or even harbored hopes for the situation to worsen, were conspicuously absent. These nobles, led by Viscount Rutismar, were nowhere to be seen. However, it didn''t matter. Whether they were present or not, their presence would not have been beneficial. Baron Gorneo, also caught up in the joyous atmosphere, approached Davey. He tightly grasped Davey''s hand, conveying his happiness. "You truly are incredible, Prince Davey! From saving a dying patient with a single touch and swift surgery, to swiftly identifying the cause and developing an effective remedy in such a short span of time! You are the true hero who has saved countless lives here!" Davey modestly deflected the praise, but deep down, he couldn''t help but sport a wide grin. Of course. Who else could have intervened in this treatment process? If it hadn''t concluded in this manner, it would have been a disappointment. Just then, Davey suddenly felt dizzy and swayed on his feet. "Uh?" "Prince Davey!!" Baron Gorneo was startled, and he shouted while providing support to Davey. Simultaneously, Perserque, who had been covertly observing the scene from a pocket, swiftly reverted to her original form and carried him, uttering something loudly. As a peculiar sensation twisted his physical being, his consciousness was abruptly transported elsewhere. What he witnessed there was an urgent message from the gods. Chapter 367: Now, Destined for Darkness, Not Sainthood The hallucination that suddenly struck Davey was too difficult to express merely as a magical phenomenon or a physical abnormality. The feeling closest to it was when he first acquired the ember in the capital of the Lyndis Empire. It was very simr to when Goddess Freyja, who had created a virtual human from Earth resonating with Davey¡¯s memory, called him into her world. However, it was slightly different this time. Back then, it was a holy, graceful, and quite beautiful view of the cosmos. Now, what Davey saw was a world covered in pitch-ck clouds. Whisper, whisper... Every time Davey looked down at the ground, the rapidly changing worlds were scenes he had never visited before, yet was familiar with. Those from the Hall of Heroes often turned their memories into reality based on their imagination, engraving direct battle experience onto Davey. The continent of Berdel, where Demon Lord Yurg lived; the Yurgian continent, where the alchemist master Eva resided; the magical civilization of Atrellia, where Odin, the so-called God of Mages, made her home; the world of Hypocria, on the verge of an apocalypse with numerous diseases and strange illnesses; the continent of Borde, the homnd of Astrea, the master of spear technique who boasted himself as the Conqueror and great Emperor of the Pdia Empire; both Death Lord Rho Aias and Mute, who taught Davey the art of being a bard; the continent of Peslisa, the hometown of Muse; the continent of Lux, the homnd of Shane Scrift, an elemental summoner with a unique ability, who controlled three grandmaster-level absolute elementals just like Shandra Minea; and a ce presumed to be Earth, the world of Davey''s previous life. All were different, but one thing remained the same. The divine blessing that covered those worlds began to wobble and crack. What did this imply? As the abyss began to move properly, the protection of the gods that had been guarding numerous worlds began to weaken. And there was no need to contemte what would happen when that protection shattered. Goddess Freyja, who weakened her influence to strengthen Davey, mustered her strength and conveyed a single message: The situation was growing increasingly serious. As the sky turned dark and a thunderstorm began to gather, someone swiftly approached Davey from within. It was an angel whose face Davey could not see. However, unlike before, this angel was not a graceful and beautiful figure. They appeared to have engaged in a long battle and were covered in wounds. All this represented the state of the gods. Even for a god, the price this time was not light. ¡®So why did they provoke it carelessly?¡¯ Davey thought. Goddess Freyja and Davey had a business rtionship, so Davey knew she was trying to use him, and he just yed along. Apart from that, it was none of his business. The silent angel who approached Davey soon opened his left hand and ced something golden in it, carefully closing his hand around it. And then, everything around Davey changed in an instant. "Davey... Davey." The quiet voice was warm andforting. "Davey, are you conscious?" As Davey opened his eyes to the soft touch on the back of his head, he soon saw a familiar face. "Perserque." Upon his murmur, Perserque disyed a relieved smile. "You... You suddenly copsed. Do you know how shocked I was?" "Were you worried?" "...Yes, I was worried." She shyly acknowledged it with a slight blush, and Davey found himself without words in response. "Congrattions on returning to your original form, Davey." "What?" There were still two weeks remaining until the transformation would beplete. Yet Perserque said Davey had returned to his original form? With a sense of confusion, Davey slowly got up and realized he had indeed reverted to his original form, not the small figure from before. Davey silently clenched and unclenched his hand, attempting to reawaken his senses. The movement felt strangely familiar, as if he had been doing it for a long time. He was puzzled as to why such a change had urred when he hadn''t even paid the full price. Perhaps something had changed without his knowledge. Amidst this, he noticed a foreign object in his other untouched left hand. Slowly opening it, he recognized a golden key, somewhat in but with a unique shape. "Davey? What''s that?" "I don''t know either, Perserque. Can you check it out?" "...No, I can''t see anything." Davey let out a sigh. It was unclear whether he couldn''t yet reveal its use or if it served an unknown purpose, much like the previous jewel. Regardless, he soon deduced who had given it to him¡ªthe faceless, battered angel. It was evident that Goddess Freyja had presented it to him during theirmunication. Silently turning the key this way and that in his hand, he closed his eyes quietly. "Let''s just hold onto it for now." "Isn''t that...?" "Don''t worry about it." Davey stood up slowly, disying nonchnce. Previously, the height difference between him and her was almost nonexistent. However, now that Davey had returned to his original form, she was petite enough to fit in his arms. By Earth''s standards, Davey supposed he would be considered tall. "What about the horns?" "I didn''t want to inconvenience anyone, so I hastily removed them." In response to her answer, Davey silently nodded. "How long has it been since I fell asleep?" "It''s been three days. Do you realize how worried we were about you not waking up all that time?" Davey wore a bewildered expression. Three days remained, still sufficient time for the transformation. "How are the patients?" "Thanks to you copsing after revealing the treatment method, the treatment itself is progressing smoothly." That was all Davey needed to know. If things were going well, there was no need for him to involve himself. Perserque stood up after him, gazing up at him, then closed her eyes and became enveloped in light. She transformed into a small figure and climbed onto his shoulder. "This is definitely morefortable." "How long are you going to maintain that form? Are you only going to utilize the body I worked hard to create?" "What difference would it make? This body is just a boundary dividing whether I''m dead or alive," Perserque said indifferently. Davey released a deep sigh. He then nced at the situation outside the tent. Compared to three days ago, the scent of death was noticeably fainter. "The treatment process is going smoothly under the guidance of Chief Researcher Penicillin and Baron Gorneo," Perserque exined. Davey nodded in response. "That''s all I needed to know. There''s nothing left for me to do now." A sense of leisure washed over him. From the beginning, these issues were meant for others to handle, not him. Taking charge of everything from start to finish would not have been beneficial for anyone. Rising from his seat, Davey made his way toward the tent where Chief Researcher Penicillin was, intending to gain a brief overview of the situation. He noticed people here and there who widened their eyes upon seeing him, but he paid them no attention. Upon entering Penicillin''s tent, Davey spotted a person he had never seen before quietly leaving. The individual was dressed in the same attire as Penicillin, an alchemist''s outfit, and wore a gloomy expression. As their gazes met, the person silently bowed their head. It appeared that they didn''t recognize Davey just yet. After all, not many people knew Davey''s face; they only knew his name. Continuing past the person into the tent, Davey could see Penicillin hastily organizing some documents. "Oh! Your Highness! I heard you had woken up! I was just about toe and see you." "No need. I''m not sick or anything. But what are all these things?" "Oh... These are...nothing significant." They were clearly alchemical academic books and a golem design. "Alchemical academic books and a golem design?" "Oh, you recognize them. Yes, that''s correct. The man who left earlier was an elder from the golem school. In fact, he gifted these to me." ¡®He came all the way to the quarantine area to hand over designs and academic books?¡¯ Davey had a strange feeling. "The thing is... Actually, I was supposed to review the designs based on the academic books but I yed hooky and ran away. So the elder of the golem school came looking for me to hand them over." It was a bit surprising that an alchemist with a major in human anatomy was given those things. "Truth be told, he has a keen interest in creating golems that closely resemble humans. As a result, he frequently seeks assistance from alchemists specialized in human anatomy," Davey nodded in understanding. "Chief Researcher Penicillin! Pleasee in!" Penicillin was startled by the apprentice''s loud call as he entered the room. "Oh my! Please have a cup of tea in the meantime. The treatment is progressing well. All we need to do now is observe the situation," Penicillin reported. "It''s all thanks to you, Prince. Now I can focus on this task with ease," he continued before leaving the room. Davey quietly nodded. Left alone, he leisurely surveyed theboratory, enjoying the rxed atmosphere. Traces of his passion for alchemy were scattered throughout the space. While looking at the academic books in silence, Davey chuckled, "Quite impressive." The books demonstrated the amount of passion he had poured into his work. However, from Davey''s perspective, they seemed somewhat clumsy. After all, right beside him was the pinnacle pursued by the elder alchemist of the golem faction¡ªa golem with self-awareness, Rinne, the essence of a super-ancient civilization golem with Deus Ex Machina, the god of machinery, at its core. "Davey, is this a golem?" "Yes, just like you." "It is of very low quality. I analyze that it''s not worthparing with Rinne, whom Davey created." "I suppose. If they knew that, would the alchemy skill on this continent have stagnated?" The world where Davey''s alchemy master, Eva, had lived was distinctly advanced in alchemy. Despite Tionis''plex development, it couldn''t match that level. "Davey, what about Rinne''s sessor?" "Wait a bit for Dirro. And soon, a new youngest member will be born in the Decepticon Fleet." "Youngest!" Her eyes lit up at Davey''s words. Then, Rinne eximed, "A name! Rinne wants to decide on a name!" "A name? Alright, go ahead." Davey gave his approval. Pondering for a moment, Rinne tapped his lips with one hand before saying, "Starscream!" "...do as you please." With Davey¡¯s approval, Rinne was extremely pleased. Her eyes sparkled. "Davey? Davey?" In the midst of Davey''s conversation with Rinne, he suddenly felt Perserque tugging at his cheek and asking, "Why are you like this? You can''t focus at all." Puzzled by her remark, Davey looked down, and a frown formed on his face. He had doodled all over the golem design that the elder of the golem faction had given him, using his pen. He had crossed out mistakes and addedments. Not only that, he had also pointed out errors in the academic books brought by the golem faction and attachedments to them. It was as if he had unconsciously marked them. Normally, he would not have shown such a disheveled appearance. Perhaps due to losing consciousness, his concentration had been scattered, and something felt off. "Oh, my..." Since there was only one sheet, it felt too awkward to throw it away. Without uttering a word, he nced at the design and stood up from his spot. "Well... I actually made improvements, so it should be fine. If I keep quiet about it, they''ll think that Researcher Penicillin did it." Even though Davey carelessly addedments that went beyond the technical skills of this era, it didn''t really matter. Moving almost hastily, he left his spot and headed outside the tent. * * * Immediately after Davey''s departure, Elder Francis, who had brought designs and academic books seeking the assistance of Penicillin, silently approached Penicillin''s tent. Penicillin was a genius but preferred to utilize his alchemical skills in the healing of people. However, Francis, also known as a puppeteer, understood that Penicillin had the potential to excel in the art of humanizing golems. While trying to persuade Penicillin with convincing materials, Francis had momentarily left the area out of frustration. It was during this interval that Francis encountered a peculiar young boy, although he held no interest in him. "Listen, Penicillin..." As Francis reentered the tent, he soon realized that Penicillin had disappeared as if he had fled, causing him to sigh. He would have to engage in a lengthy argument once again. Just as he was contemting this, he reached out to tidy up the academic books and golem designs he had brought, or so he attempted to do. However, what he saw were scribbles drawn with colored ink. "What is this¡­?" His words ceased. Silence enveloped the space so deeply that even his own breath could not be heard. Chapter 368 Thump! With a reflexive m on the table, Francis''s eyes flew wide open in disbelief. "Oh... Ahhh..." His hand trembled uncontrobly as he continued to trace the academic text. "My goodness... My goodness..." Incredulous, he repeated "my goodness" over and over again, hastily scanning through the entire academic text. Then, as though entranced, he stared at the marred blueprint before sinking down onto the floor. His face went nk as he sat down, pulling at the blueprint on the table. Then, he frantically scanned the one that had fallen to the floor. "Incredible... Incredible!!" With a shout, he jumped up. Francis found it astounding. He had no initial reason to enter this istion area. Among the various branches of alchemy, he held a significant position as an elder in the golem faction. Within the faction, he dedicated his life to creating wless artificial life, treading the fine line between taboo and non-taboo. His focus was not on the bulky and rigid golems but on crafting artificially conscious humans. In fact, his numerous papers on golem studies within the alchemy faction had achieved remarkable milestones in the realm of artificial intelligence golems, which were previously dismissed as mere fantasies. He was known as the Puppeteer, the father of the puppet, in academic circles. Some envied him as a puppet enthusiast, while others recognized him as an astonishing alchemist who forged a new path. His ultimate goal was to create a golem that closely resembled a human without viting the alchemist''s taboo, much like the Divine Sword Caldeiras. From that perspective, he had already surpassed the taboo, yet no one condemned him. He had been researching bio-golems but had never delved into the crucial matters of birth and lifespan. Chief Researcher Penicillin, with his expertise in human anatomy, captivated Francis as a valuable research talent. Penicillin was renowned for his entric and innovative ideas, and given Francis''s encounters with alchemists specializing in human anatomy, he was keen on observing Penicillin''s potential. Francis believed that if Penicillin wholeheartedly devoted himself to the study of bio-dolls, something monumental might emerge. However, even if Penicillin offered assistance, Francis would only provide the bare minimum, setting clear boundaries and not exceeding them. Today, like always, Francis hade to seek Penicillin''s insights on the blueprints he had toiled over for years. He grew impatient with Penicillin''s evasive behavior but carefully considered the situation. Upon returning from checking reports in the researchb that followed him in the academic world, Francis was confronted with a few words that fundamentally challenged the stereotypes he had spent decades constructing and the blueprints he had struggled to create. Thements were deeply written, apanied by carelessly drawn check marks. If someone unaware of the context were to see this, they would be outraged at the desecration of such a precious blueprint and its inherent value. Yet, Francis did not sumb to anger. "Huh? Elder Francis, why are you on the floor¡­?" Snatch!! After supporting Baron Gorneo by providing necessary medical supplies, Penicillin returned to find Francis sprawled on the floor. As he approached him to speak, Penicillin recoiled in surprise when Francis looked up at him with a madman''s gaze before he lunged forward and tightly grasped both of his arms. "Let go, please! I''m not interested in men!" "Listen, Penicillin! You''re incredible! My eyes didn''t deceive me! You truly are a genius sent from heaven!" Penicillin was taken aback by Francis'' fervent reaction, silently staring back at him. "I beg your pardon? What is all this¡­?" Penicillin mumbled, his expression one of bewilderment, and then shifted his gaze to the blueprint on the ground. "Oh my goodness! Who dared to doodle on this valuable and expensive blueprint¡­?!" "It''s not a doodle! It''s a revolution! A groundbreaking perspective! In all my years of studying and researching in this field, I have never encountered such a paradigm shift! Our conventional wisdom has beenpletely overturned! Do you grasp the magnitude of this?!" "Ah... yes." Trembling, Penicillin responded. Francis, almost resembling a madman, let out a roar. "You! Join me! With your help, we can create a masterpiece that will be immortalized in history!" "Please, release me, Elder!" "Penicillin! I will give you anything you desire! In return, your expertise..." "What in the world are you talking about, Elder?!" In the end, Penicillin could no longer bear it and forcefully shook off Francis'' hand. "I have no idea what you''re talking about, Elder. What is happening all of a sudden¡­?" "Thisment! This critique! And these incredible perspectives! Weren''t they what I asked of you? What I entrusted to you! You have discovered and pointed out all the problems and improvements in the theory and blueprint I created in such a short time! It''s truly astonishing..." "That...wasn''t me." Francis came to a halt. "What did you say?" "Who did what...to that blueprint... Didn''t you bring it, Elder? I left immediately after you did." "Then... Who did this¡­?" His face filled with terror, Francis began to tremble. "Then who left behind such amazing insights and disappeared?! Tell me! Who could casually enter your tent and write down this knowledge¡­?" "Well... To be honest, I told anyone in need of assistance toe in, but..." Penicillin calmly murmured as he slowly walked away. He then approached the guard stationed at the entrance of the tent from the disease control team and asked, "Sir knight, has anyone other than me and Elder Francis visited here?" The guard pondered for a moment and then shook his head. "No, apart from Prince Davey... Um, if I''m not mistaken? His appearance has changed suddenly, so I''m a little confused. In any case, nobody else was here except Prince Davey. He left just a few minutes after you." Penicillin chuckled wryly upon hearing those words. "This is quite a predicament, Elder." Francis''s eyes widened. "Wait a minute. You mentioned someone being here." "Prince Davey? Oh, yes, he was here. We had a conversation. Don''t you know him? He''s the prince who currently holds the greatest influence on the continent. Moreover, he single-handedly defeated the devastating disease that was rampant in this quarantine area, as if it were just amon cold from a close friend. He''s renowned for his saintly deeds." "That..." "Honestly, Elder, you are so engrossed in doll-making that you neglect to keep up with the news of the world. You should take care of yourself, at least for the well-being of your disciples." Under normal circumstances, Francis would have dismissed such nagging, but his mind was upied with other thoughts. "That... That must be it." His eyes gleamed, and he abruptly stood up, dashing off like a man possessed. "Prin-Prince Davey!!! Prince Daveyyy!" Penicillin found it rather amusing to witness the typically serious Francis in such a flustered state. He muttered to himself, "Good grief... Has he eaten something that didn''t agree with him?" * * * "The divine created the world." The sound of footsteps reverberated in the silent underground passageway. "And the world brought forth life." As the tranquil murmuring came to a close, a moan echoed through the corridor. Uhnnn... Simultaneously, a faint light illuminated the figure responsible for the voice. It was indeed the sound of Davey''s footsteps. "Life diverges, evolves independently, develops..." Tap... Tap... "Uuhh... Uhh..." "Uhh..." "Living together, developing, and evolving." Davey said in a calm voice, "Do you know where this passagees from?" In response to Davey''s indifferent question, a groan emerged from the bound and gagged man beyond the light. He stared at Davey in terror. "Viscount Rutismar." "Davey, do you really need to act so imposing?" Perserque asked. "...Just keep quiet for now! Before I stick horns on your head with glue." Davey sulked at Perserque¡¯s yful opinion, which unnecessarily lightened up the mood. After coughing a few times, Davey resumed his solemn expression. "It is the content of the first verse of Genesis, the first chapter of the Bible," he said calmly, smiling brightly and snapping his fingers. Whizz! "Ughh!" At that moment, the men''s mouths, which had been tightly shut, regained their freedom in an instant. "Huhuk! Look, Prince Davey! What on earth is going on?" "R-Right! Let''s talk it out through nonviolent means, okay?" If these men were incapable of assessing the situation, they would not have survived this long. However, their inability to grasp the situation had led them to their current predicament. Fear was the only emotion they felt after being suppressed by an assassin and dragged into this unknown underground. The secrecy of this ce was so pervasive that anyone could die without anyone knowing, and there was no one to rescue them. "You have quite a few obedient soldiers," Davey remarked, causing Viscont Rutismar to flinch. "Tell me, Viscount Rutismar. What did you order them to do?" Davey''s question made him tremble violently. Swish!!! "Nooooo!!!" As his fingers were sliced off, leaving behind a bright red afterimage, Viscount Rutismar screamed and writhed on the ground. The other men who were witnessing the situation beside him were shocked and iled about, as if attempting to break through an invisible barrier. They were likely startled by the eerie aura that surrounded Davey. Count Geliman, whose hair had fallen out due to Davey''s curse of baldness, involuntarily urinated himself and trembled in fear. "Would you care to answer?" Davey asked grimly. Rinne was by his side, having formed something resembling a gun barrel in her hand. She then suggested, "Davey, should I blow off one of their legs?" "Wait." "Rinne, highly praised for her marksmanship. She can control life activities right before their cessation." "Wait." "Rinne, low chance of missing the opportunity." "You don''t have to dirty your hands with this," Davey stated, causing Rinne to withdraw with a slightly dissatisfied expression. "You don''t have to speak if you don''t want to. Aina." After Davey¡¯s call, a Dark Elf dressed in ck emerged from the shadows. She had gone to great lengths to hide from him, and her stealth skills were sharper than ever. "Can you see me here?" "If you tell me why you''ve been hiding in the shadows, I''llply with your wishes." "Shut your mouth." Aina drew her sword with a cold voice. "Extracting confessions is my specialty." She was an assassin, a Dark Elf who was favored by both spirits of light and darkness. She was a special being among her kind. Chapter 369 His fear of Davey seemed to have seared into his very bones as Viscount Rutismar let out a shrill scream. "Ahhh! I said to kill! I told them to kill, I swear! Kill all the sick! If so many die, Sullivan''s position is bound to be severely shaken! Of course, there would be a chance to dethrone him! So... so..." "So? Did you discover the disease early and leave it untreated?" "Yes, that''s right! I left it as it was, allowing the disease to spread!" "I see. Then I show up and suddenly start treating the disease, and you lose your shit." Upon hearing Davey''s words, Viscount Rutismar wailed as if pleading, tears welling up in his eyes. "P-Please, spare me! I was wrong! I won''t do it again..." Crack! Suddenly, a heavy impact echoed, and Viscount Rutismar¡¯s knees buckled beneath him. Aina had swiftly broken his joints, causing him to copse onto the ground. Looking down at the man convulsing as if shocked, Davey said slowly, "Stop making excuses." Sensing the chill in Davey¡¯s voice, Viscount Rutismar trembled violently. "So?" "T-That''s all! That''s all I swear! Please, spare me! I won''t do it again!" Davey remained silent at Viscount Rutismar¡¯s fervent pleading. Then, Davey opened his mouth again. "What''s the usual protocol in the Pan Empire for such cases?" "He''s a bastard who attempted to kill countless innocents. Sometimes I''m so thankful to be the Crown Prince because I have the power to burn these devilish creatures." A figure slowly emerged from the darkness as the voice echoed. "Gasp! Your Highness Crown Prince Sullivan!" "Do you know where you are, Viscount Rutismar?" "T-That is..." "The underground prison of the Pan Empire. You all plotted something equivalent to treason," Sullivan said calmly as he approached Viscount Rutismar. Then, without hesitation, he drew his sword and stabbed it through the man¡¯s shoulder. "You tried to kill countless innocent people for your own gain." "Ahhhh!" "Anything else to say?" When furious, Sullivan wasposed and rational. But he was just as cold. While he adhered to a line in front of Illyna, he showed no mercy to those who crossed it when she was not around. "Ahhh!!!" Sullivan yelled as he twisted the de further into Viscount Rutismar¡¯s flesh. "Families who were dreaming of a future with their children were destroyed because of you bastards. Young men who were struggling to care for their sick mothers died because of you. Because of you!" "..." Silently watching the enraged Sullivan, Davey quietly retreated. "Because of you... I''ve had to stain my hands with the blood of my own kin once again. And also, because of you, the Pan Empire could not save countless pitiful souls." Speaking monotonously, Sullivan made a calm deration. "I swear, I won''t kill you easily." When Sullivan drew his dagger, Davey restrained him and said, "Go. I''ll handle the corruption within the empire." Sullivan paused and looked at Davey. "These guys..." "Aren''t you the priority? If I were the Twelfth Prince, I would have quickly fled from the Capital as soon as things turned out this way." At Davey¡¯s words, Sullivan gritted his teeth. "I have embarrassed myself." "Leave it to me and go. I happen to have some things to say to these guys too." Since assuming the role of the Demon Lord, a gradual change had begun to manifest. The anguished cries of the victims, distinct from those of necromancers, echoed in Davey''s ears. Their desperate pleas for vengeance reverberated, threatening to inflict insomnia upon him. The throne of the Demon Lord bestowed immense power upon Davey, but in return, it demanded responsibility. Ultimately, Sullivan turned his back on the nobles, including Viscont Rutismar. "I sincerely apologize for meddling in this matter. As the Crown Prince of the empire, I have disyed a disgraceful side of myself." In response to Sullivan¡¯s words, Davey simply waved his hand dismissively. Then, Sullivan quietly passed by Davey and vanished into the darkness. "Well, now that nobody will hinder what I am about to do," Davey dryly remarked, his smirk widening as he gazed at them. "In life, it is natural to harbor some greed and act selfishly. I have recently reconsidered this, but who am I to judge and punish you?" Viscount Rutismar lifted the corner of his mouth, as if finding a glimmer of hope. "I will grant you forgiveness." At Davey''s words, Viscount Rutismar nodded vigorously, as if the end of hope was now a golden dawn. "But..." Wooong! A ck magic circle materialized beneath the feet of the four nobles, including Viscount Rutismar, causing their expressions to contort. "But will they grant you forgiveness?" The void that had been created. The arbiters that had been summoned. The merciless power of punishment designed for a sole purpose. Observing them squirming above the ck magic circle, Davey nonchntly grasped the horn of Perserque to his head. "I am not the Saint you all perceive. I am the Demon Lord, resolute in tormenting you to the depths of Hell. Perhaps you are unaware, but I have been seated upon the throne of the Demon Lord for quite some time now. I may notprehend intricate matters, but I can handle this." [Hand of Resentment] ¡®Now, move. Souls filled with resentment. I will aid your revenge.¡¯ Crack! The white hands that emerged from the magic circle were grotesque, adorned with sharp, blood-red thorns on each knuckle and palm. Thwump! "Krrrrrrgh! Krrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!!!" Countless hands reached out and pierced through their bodies, beginning to tear them apart. Flesh was shredded, and eyeballs popped out. Without a word, Davey pushed Perserque back into the pocket and covered Rinne''s eyes. However, Rinne gently parted his fingers with her own slender ones and continued to watch the gruesome spectacle. "Even if you survive, you won''t be able to live, and even if you die, you won''t be able to die." The magic of the undead. The indescribable pain of decaying flesh and rot. The bodies of the nobles, torn apart and subdued by thorned hands, slowly started to decay. They all released desperate screams. "Ur... Urghhhhh!!!" They began to dissolve like something soft and squishy. Meanwhile, they incessantly muttered something. "Do you desire death? Why? I told you, I forgave you. But will these hands forgive you? These hands, conjured by summoning the vengeful spirits in by you." The horrific screams of the nobles, who had caused countless deaths for their own power, echoed in Davey''s ears as if they were etched from the very beginning to the bitter end. * * * Rumors began circting throughout the continent. They revolved around the Coalition for Disease Control''s sessful handling of the highly dangerous epidemic that had gued thend. With a mortality rate of nearly 100%, the dreadful disease had stirred public opinion and instilled anxiety among the continent''s inhabitants. This cmity had unfolded on the heels of a massive war. However, as news of the disease''s eradication spread, trade routes that had been frozen solid began to reopen, and the continent seemed to regain its vibrancy once more. Naturally, the council members, who had been the backbone of the Coalition for Disease Control, recognized the individual who had made the greatest contribution to this cause. They unanimously praised this exceptional person, asserting that without their efforts, so many lives could not have been saved in such a short span of time. As rumors rapidly spread among merchants, guards, and bards, the reputation of a single individual soared to extraordinary heights. Being hailed as a Saint proved to be a remarkable blessing, exceeding all expectations. Conversely, as the prestige of the Saint reached unprecedented levels, the media began exerting unbearable pressure on Lena, who was soon to be the Holy Maiden. After all, the sole distinction between a Saint and a Saintess was their gender. Davey appeared to possess overwhelming abilities, power, and wealth¡ªhe seemed tock nothing. Due to his status as a Saint, many people believed that his elevated position was a testament to the divine love he received. In the eyes of the people, the appearance of a Saint or Saintess signified an individual who could dominate their era, despite the stark contrast with reality. There was a growing curiosity about the extent of power Lena, who would soon be conferred as the Saintess, would disy. In fact, some nations attempted to establish rapport with her before she officially assumed the role. "Uh... My head hurts," Lena murmured with a gloomy expression as she nced at a book. Alice furrowed her brows upon seeing her. "You''ve been causing amotion for days without getting any sleep. And now your head hurts? Really? Should I make it actually hurt?" Alice grabbed the thick corner of a Bible and began swinging it around, gritting her teeth. Startled, Lena recoiled and vigorously shook her head. "I''ll read the book!" Alice sighed as she checked on the condition of the Saintess candidate, Lena. It had only been a week, which was not a long time at all. The thought of Alice being unable to sleep for days as she dealt with this troublesome fanatic was infuriating. Theck of sleep and the stress had caused her skin to break out, and her hair was in terrible condition. Nevertheless, she had never allowed herself to fall behind in terms of appearance. For a clergywoman, maintaining one''s appearance was considered a sacred act. Neglecting the physical attributes that God had bestowed upon oneself was seen as disrespectful. The pressure from Prince Davey was intense, but the main reason for her current deterioration was the relentless handling of the religious fanatic group. "Archbishop Alice... Here''s the report." "Thank you." "Who dares to cause more trouble when I can''t even sleep? These troublesome individuals..." Alice received the document and let out a heavy sigh, her hand tightly gripping the paper. The report includes the following: (1) Western Sangtroelle, a minor territory. A vige under the fireline. Captured five girls suspected of witchcraft. After interrogation, extracted confessions and executed their entire family as a public example. (2) Eastern Ashiria Kingdom, in the territory of Fort. The third daughter of the lord exhibited unusual power. Not magic, but the ability to levitate objects in thin air, which was deemed as a dangerous witch''s power. She was detained and questioned but died before confession. (3) In the Northern continent of the East, a self-proimed celestial maiden has appeared, suspected to be a heretic. Multiple inquisitors have been dispatched. (4) ording to revtions, it is suspected that there are demons and vampires within the Heins territory of the Rowane Kingdom. Investigations are not easy due to the authority of the saint, but we continue undercover investigations under the pretext of acting in the name of God. They continued to cause trouble under the banner of God''s revtion and disregarded the orders from the religious organization''s headquarters. They ran amok while keeping their main base hidden. With God''s revtion as their vague justification, they believed they had nothing to fear. However, there was no longer any reason for the Holy Empire to tolerate their actions. "Priest Murius, please send a message to the Pope. I will go see him." "What should I convey to him?" "Do the scriptures instruct us to coddle a mad dog with love? No, a mad dog needs to be tamed, even if it requires force. You understand, don''t you? We must crush these fanatics by waging a holy war." Since internal conflicts were not ssified as a war, it would not vite the continental peace treaty. The Heresy Tribunal was, after all, a part of the Valchas Empire. "A holy war?! But..." "If they provoke Prince Davey once more, it will lead to catastrophe! That''s why we must crush them before they cause any further trouble! Do you understand?! We cannot allow these troublesome individuals, who fail to grasp the gravity of the situation, to recklessly jeopardize everyone''s lives!" ¡®There are people you can provoke and people you shouldn''t.¡¯ Alice had always believed that one should absolutely avoid the worst-case scenarios. However, she did not know what was happening at that very moment. Prince Davey was... "¡­is this really the key to the dimensional gate?" Davey twisted the golden key he held in the air, creating a crack, all the while sporting an expression of disbelief. Chapter 370: Fragments from Another Dimension "I really can''t figure it out," Davey sighed, looking at the golden, antique key in his hand. He was well aware that none of the items bestowed upon him by Goddess Freyja were ordinary: the embers that could revive the dead, theplete synchronization of his soul and body that defied all rules, and the gemstone that allowed him to unleash his full power and potential in a brief moment. And now, a key. The problem was that, unlike before, this key had been hastily given to Davey as Goddess Freyja''s influence rapidly waned. It also meant that if she dyed any further, she wouldn''t be able to hand it over to him. It left him with mixed feelings. He certainly felt a sense of urgency. But what exactly did she want him to do with it? "Even with the power of the abyss, all I can determine is that it''s a key to a door. But I don''t know which door it''s meant for..." "Is its power less useful than you thought?" "Urgh..." Perserque, seemingly at a loss for words, let out a groan as she yfully tugged on his hair. "Ouch, stop pulling." "But I don''t want to~" Ignoring her yful antics as Perserque continued to twist his hair, Davey stared at the key for a while, realizing that reaching a conclusion was proving difficult. Since he had the ability to see the solution to the problem, he might as well cheat a little. "Huh?!" Suddenly, Davey jumped up, almost causing Perserque, who was happily ying around, to lose her bnce and fall off him. Perserque, who had been grinning leisurely, gave him a strangely dissatisfied look. However, he remained fixated on the key, not saying a word. * * * Creak! A slender woman, cloaked in green, gracefully emerged from the enormous tree where she had been resting. Her smile exuded a sense of tranquility. At first nce, she appeared formidable, yet no one harbored any ill will toward her. "It''s been a while." "Not that long, really. Anything of note happened?" She leisurely extended her hand toward Davey. "What could possibly trouble me? Thanks to you revoking the diplomatic rights of the Divine Tree''s sanctuary, even if a new Divine Tree is discovered, there''s no official visitation here anymore. Now, I only need to protect it from the ve hunters, as I always have." Davey widened his eyes at her words. "Are there still those audacious enough to target the elves?" "No, there aren''t. After the enormousmotion you caused, who would risk their life attempting such a feat?" She chuckled and reached out her hand to him. "Give it here. Let me have a look." Upon her request, Davey casually retrieved the key and tossed it to her. Such a nonchnt demeanor toward the World Tree might be considered disrespectful and punishable, but Al and Davey clearly did not share a bond where suchplexities mattered. They had formed a resolute alliance for a single purpose. Woong... The key, suspended in midair, gentlynded in her hand, emanating a peculiar energy while enveloped in a sphere of light. She closed her eyes, resonating with the key in silence, and then slowly opened her eyes, causing the light to fade away. "It''s definitely a key meant to unlock something." "I''m aware of that." Upon hearing his words, she pursed her lips. "You impudent brat, it''s not just any ordinary door. It could be..." Her voice trailed off as she spoke calmly, "A dimensional gate." Davey furrowed his brow deeply in response. "A dimensional gate? Are you kidding me?" "Do I look like someone who jokes around?" With a silent nod from Davey, she tossed the key back to him. "Take it. If the goddess bestowed it upon you, there must be a valid reason." "In the end, I still can''t figure it out." "You''ll have to figure out how to use it on your own." The conversation came to an end. Just as Davey was about to turn his back and leave, her words stopped him in his tracks. "Davey. The goddess''s protection is waning." "..." "What on earth did you do to her?" "Karma." After his brief response, Davey grabbed Perserque and traversed through space, leaving Al behind. She looked at him with aplex expression and let out a sigh. He didn''t catch everything she muttered, but he heard something along the lines of, "How in the world did the goddess choose such a reckless psychopath as her groom¡­?" * * * Perserque quickly fell asleep upon their return to their territory. Her soul was still in an unstable state, constantly craving rest. She preferred her small physical form, which allowed her to nap whenever necessary. Davey gentlyid her on the bed before taking a seat himself, focusing his attention on the key. Rinne, who had been observing from the sidelines, cautiously approached. "Master Davey, I highly value Rinne''s analytical abilities. May I request permission to analyze this object?" "Go ahead." Davey tossed the key to Rinne, who eagerly caught it, her eyes sparkling. Almost immediately, blue letters began to rapidly scroll in her eyes. After exactly 10 seconds, Rinne reached a conclusion. "Rinne''s analytical abilities are severelycking. This appears to be a defective item." Her honesty was unwavering. In the end, neither Rinne''s material analysis, Perserque''s insight, nor the power of the World Tree''s Seed could determine the key''s true nature. Davey continued to absentmindedly toss and catch the key until he eventually opened the window and leaped outside. "Maybe it opens when I spin it in the air, huh?" Davey joked. Rinne nced at him with an expressionless face, although her eyes seemed to hold a hint of disdain. "Master Davey, that statement is highly uncertain." "Well, you never know, right? Watch this. I''ll hold it up in the air and say, ''Open.''" As if such a simple action would yield any results. Zzzap... "Huh?" In an instant, the key Davey touched to the air reacted, creating a massive rift. Zzzzzap!! Daveyughed it off, but Rinne, who had been observing the situation, widened her eyes. "Rinne... It seems like this is the real deal?" "Warning. A significant energy reaction has been detected. Master Davey, this is highly dangerous." "This..." Without uttering a word, Davey extended his hand toward the rift and absentmindedly muttered, hoping that if it could open, it could also close. "Close." Zzzzzap!! Thud! And just like that, the rift that had effortlessly opened began to slowly close. "...Let''s go again." Davey had no intention of sparing mana for important matters, even if it meant using Warp several times a day. This was what they called hard work. Without hesitation, Davey turned around. Al looked at the spectacle Davey was showing more seriously than he had thought. She then said, "Davey." "I understand what this means." "Dimensional movement magic is originally impossible. It''s because of the goddess''s blessing. But this key opens that door. And the fact that the goddess handed it to you means that her blessing is weakening. And, there must be something there that needs your power. It means that problems have urred not only here, but also in other ces." "Huh... So this really is the key to a dimensional gate?" Davey mumbled in disbelief and soon tapped the open dimensional gate. "Do I have to go there and do something that the goddess wants?" "...It seems likely." Davey activated the status window with a t voice. "Remove the presence in the abyss beyond the rift. In exchange, gain 1 stack of Reincarnation. Unlock 1 transcendent item." ¡®Will it enhance my physical strength now?¡¯ Davey soon made his decision. Simultaneously, Rinne clung to his leg, and without hesitation, Davey flung himself into the rift, saying, "I''ll be back, so please keep an eye out for me." "Aren''t you afraid?" "Afraid? Why wouldn''t I be? I''m scared to death." Davey said calmly, and without hesitation, he plunged into the rift. Simultaneously, a massive spark echoed, warping his sight. Instead of the grand garden where he had been moments ago, he found himself in a deste space. "Master Davey! There''s a massive energy reaction ahead!" Rinne, who had been clinging to his leg, shouted and blocked his way. Whirring and nking sounds filled the air. When he looked up, he saw an old, massive train charging toward him. It was not exactly charging; the ce where he was standing happened to be the train tracks. The problem was not the train itself, but that it was half-covered with a massive ck material. Upon closer inspection, it resembled the trains he knew but had a significantly different shape. Of course, the important part was not the train, but what was clinging to the supposed lotive. At a nce, it was impossible not to recognize where that thing came from¡ªthe abyss. It appeared as though the abyss had not only influenced Tionis but was also reaching out to other dimensions. With widened eyes, Davey realized he could not avoid it. He grabbed Rinne''s shoulder, pulled her back, and clenched his fist. He was not sure what was happening, but a small number appeared in his vision: 30:00. It was a countdown, the maximum time he could stay here with the dimensional key. What was expected of him here was to deal with that monstrous entity presumed to be from the abyss. Hunt one, get two rewards. This was indeed a sweet deal. "Let''s quickly finish it off and go back," Davey muttered and clenched his right hand into a fist. He then threw a punch at the monstrous train, or rather, something resembling a train, charging fiercely at him. [Heavenly Destroyer Demonic Blood Explosion] A demonic figure in crimson emanated from his hand as he aimed straight at the front of the oing train. Crash!!!!! Simultaneously, the massive train, with its overwhelming weight and speed, crumbled and distorted at the front. The following train cars wereunched into the air, and the monstrous entity of the ck abyss was also knocked back. ss shattered, and items from inside spilled out. At the same time, humans drenched in the stench of death began to pour out. They were not ordinary humans; they were humans with the stench of death on a train. "What''s going on? Are all of you heading to Busan[1]?" Davey''s response was quite simple. 1. Busan is a city in South Korea and a movie called ¡°Train to Busan¡± is about the zombie apocalypse. ? Chapter 371 Thud!! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh..... The humans, emanating a deathly aura akin to cast-away corpses, may appear human on the outside, but they were entirely distinct on the inside. Surely, any ordinary human would have been fatally shocked. However, these beings nonchntly began to stand up, as if they were immune to pain. But that wasn''t all. Apart from these grotesque humans, Davey''s primary target was the enormous ck life form. The monster from the abyss was not deceased; instead, it was rapidly regenerating, gradually lifting its massive body. The brute, expelled from the train, possessed a somewhat monstrous form, with a body that reached nearly 10 meters and dozens of slender tentacles squirming upon it. "If Perserque were to witness this, she would undoubtedly be startled." That was the first thought that crossed Davey''s mind. ¡®Of course, unlike her, I find such forms quite interesting.¡¯ "Rinne, check it out." "Trust my precise analytical capabilities once again." With a short response, particles gathered on one of Rinne¡¯s arms. Zing!!! Simultaneously, a brightly glowing lightsaber materialized in one hand, while the other hand conjured a staff. "Ah... Ahhhhhhh..." "Kyaaaaaaa!!" The creatures, unfazed by the destruction of their bodies, swiftly charged toward Rinne and Davey. sh!! As Rinne positioned herself in front of Davey, she swiftly thrust her lightsaber straight through the heart of the first charging monster. Poof! The light sword effortlessly pierced through the monster''s body, reducing its heart to shreds and cauterizing the wound. However, despite the fatal blow, the beast relentlessly advanced toward Rinne. With a gaping hole in its torso, it viciously tried to sink its teeth, dripping with saliva and blood, into her. Boom!! With a horrifying crunching sound, Rinne swung her staff once more, smashing the monster''s head and causing blood to stter across her face. "Master Davey, I''ve detected multiple viruses in the target''s blood. While it poses no threat to the biogolem, it''s lethal to humans," she analyzed. "It seems they''re truly headed to Busan." These creatures resembled zombies, but they were unlike the asional zombies found on the Tionis continent. They possessed wicked intelligence and inexplicably outstanding physical abilities. "Kyaaaaaaa!!" As one of the creatures was destroyed, the rest indiscriminatelyunched attacks on Rinne and Davey. Rinne''s eyes flickered, and soon a powerful light gathered at the tip of her staff. "Control your power!" "Rinne! High assessment!" Thud!!! From the beginning, Davey was aware that the staff he held was no ordinary dark staff. As he witnessed the devastating power that obliterated everything in its path with a resounding st, a sudden realization struck him ¡ª there was something amiss with the countdown before him. [24:42] "Initially, it was thirty minutes. Rinne, how long have we been here?" In response to Davey''s question, Rinne deactivated the lightsaber and caused the shattered staff to disperse into particles. "Rinne''s biological clock is highly urate. Approximately 2 minutes and 32 seconds have psed since Master Davey and Rinne arrived here," she replied. Only two minutes had passed. Around five minutes had vanished from the time limit. What on earth was happening? Grr¡­ Before Davey could discern the reason, it wasn''t the assumed zombies that caught his attention, but the ck abyss life form. Seizing the opportune moment while Davey''s guard was down, it plunged its tentacles into the ground, rapidly ensnaring him from below. [We are.] [One.] [One purpose.] [Everyone will be one.] Eerily familiar and strange sensations reverberated within him. It was always this way when dealing with the abyss creatures. Despite his arms, neck, and legs being tightly constricted, and the creature squeezing with an intent to rend him apart, Davey discreetly checked the time once more and silently gathered his mana. [6th-Circle of Fire] [Burn Body] Like a fire spirit, Davey''s body synchronized with the essence of me, igniting with an intense ze. The tentacles withered away within the fierce red mes almost instantly, prompting Davey to swiftly sever them. He then nced at the clock. [23:05] "Bingo." Indeed, the initial time limit was set at thirty minutes. However, despite only two minutes psing, nine minutes had inexplicably vanished, seemingly due to this phenomenon. After forcefully tearing off the constricting tentacles, Davey once again concentrated his mana for the experiment and observed Rinne entering a frenzy. Once more, she materialized particles, swiftly forming a colossal, savage, and horrifyinglyrge chainsaw. "Rinne, it''s deemed highly effective against zombies." Buzz!! Buzz!! Buzzzzzzz!!! With a bone-chilling sound and a chainsaw fiercely spinning, Rinne fearlessly plunged into the midst of the monsters. While the chainsaw appeared ordinary on the surface, its intricate internal structure made it practically impossible to replicate, rendering it a weapon exclusive to Rinne. As she swung her chainsaw, the monsters began to fall one by one, blood gruesomely sttering. As her pace quickened, time seemed to elerate, passing faster than normal. Conversely, since Davey was not utilizing his powers, the temporal eleration appeared to slow downpared to the beginning. "The more power you use, the faster time runs out, right?" Davey contemted. To vanquish the creature within the time limit, a powerful strike was necessary. The challengey in the fact that the rate at which the time limit was diminishing surpassed his expectations, intensifying the risk of being expelled before he could take action. "I should only exhaust the remaining time when I have a foolproof n to eliminate it," Davey determined. If that wasn''t the case... "Without utilizing my powers, I must find a way to confront it within the time limit using alternative means." The certainty of having only one opportunity remained. Thus, Davey had no choice but to think creatively. "Rinne, take down one of them and retreat," Davey instructed. Following Davey''smand, Rinne swiftly dispatched one of the monsters, or rather zombies, with her chainsaw, then leaped toward another nearby. With a powerful punch, she shattered its attacking mouth, tore off its arms, and promptly brought it down to the ground. Rinne''s savagery bordered on brutality, yet instillingmon sense in her proved to be a formidable task. Being inherently different from humans in terms of self-identity and preferences, Rinne swiftly neutralized the zombie''s offensive capabilities, gripping it by the back of its head, mming it onto the ground, and swiftly retreating. "Whether it''s you or me, using power reduces our remaining time here. Therefore, we must find a way to confront that creature in the remaining 20 minutes or so," Davey exined. "But, but..." Rinne struggled to articte. While dragging the iling zombie, Rinne suddenly halted. Ignoring Davey''s retreat, she pointed toward the monstrous abyss creature, its colossal tentacles in motion. "Mr. Davey, I believe a single powerful magic spell should suffice," Rinne suggested. "Let''s keep that in mind," Davey replied, narrowing his eyes. It didn''t seem as simple as Rinne envisioned. Davey grabbed a rock from the railway tracks, infused it lightly with mana, and then focused his gaze on the abyss monster. With a forceful stomp of his left foot, a massive explosion erupted, generating a tremendous shockwave where his foot made contact with the ground. Utilizing that force, Davey hurled the stone toward the creature. [Throws of Power] [Precision Steel Bullet] Crash!!! The scorching, radiant stone soared through the air, and upon sensing its presence, the abyssal monster extended its tentacles to block the attack. However, the stone pierced through the creature''s tentacles effortlessly, leaving behind a massive hole in its body. It was an unquestionably fatal blow. Another 40 seconds vanished with that single strike, leaving only about 20 minutes remaining. But the challenge was far from over. "Warning, rapid cellr activity detected in the target. It''s exhibiting hyper-fast regeneration. Detailed analysis suggests the presence of an organ responsible for this regeneration." "Since we''re expelled once we run out of time, we need to proceed with caution," Davey warned, receiving a nod of agreement from Rinne. "Davey, let''s make strategic use of the surrounding terrain." "Easier said than done," Davey muttered, swiftly surveying the surroundings. Unfortunately, there was nothing in sight that could serve as a weapon. The most effective approach would be to unleash an attack so powerful that even with a potential rebound, the creature wouldn''t survive. Davey and Rinne would undoubtedly be expelled from this ce, but as long as they dealt with their primary target, it wouldn''t pose a problem. The undead monsters charged relentlessly toward Davey, while the abyssal creature remained motionless, emitting a strange noise. With a peculiar expression on his face, Davey began slowly gathering mana in one hand. "We only have one chance." Only one. The optimal choice would be to annihte everything in sight. Swordsmanship, martial arts, or archery with limited range were not viable options. They had no other alternative but to select the most efficient method: casting a spell that would obliterate the entire area before time ran out. After contemting their options, Davey raised both hands. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!" "Kyaaaaaaaaak!" Meanwhile, the dozens of zombies rushing toward Davey and Rinne unexpectedly multiplied, now numbering in the hundreds. These superhuman beings, surpassing the limits of human strength, moved with relentless determination. Individually, their power might not be too threatening, but their sheer numbers made them a formidable adversary. "Well, I guess we''ll just blow them up first," Davey remarked, feeling uncertain. When no other solution presented itself, causing an explosion seemed like the best course of action. Davey rapidly manipted mana in his hand for a moment. If they were to eradicate this ce quickly, nothing beat a physical explosion utilizing recoil. Considering Rinne''s surveince, which confirmed no biological reactions in the area, this approach wouldn''t pose a significant problem. [9th-Circle Beyond Neb System] [Quasar] It was at that moment, just as he was about to cast a spell mimicking a mini-neb explosion, that he abruptly halted. Without hesitation, hepletely dispersed the spell''s tuning. In this new ce, he felt different from usual, prompting Davey to give up on the choice of attacking without hesitation. And in the very moment he abandoned the spell... Ting!! Something metallic flew into the thin air. Psssssssssst!!! The metallic object emitted white smoke like a smoke bomb, quickly obscuring their vision and scattering the zombies'' offensive. "Davey, biological response detected, approaching quickly," Rinne reported. Simultaneously, Davey spotted a small boy wearing a peculiar cape rushing toward him with 16 minutes remaining. The boy discarded an additionalyer of cloth and disyed a strong vitality that had previously gone unnoticed. "Over here! It''s over here!" the boy shouted urgently, grabbing Davey''s hand. Davey reached out and turned over the hood of the boy''s cape. "Ah?! What are you doing?!" the startled boy eximed. But as Davey stepped back, the boy swiftly put the hood back on and held onto Davey''s hand. "I''m Eva. Evanov Ban. Let''s talkter, let''s run for now!" the boy urged. Eva, the self-proimed greatest lunatic mad scientist? Wait, he looked familiar... Chapter 372 "Starting today, I will be teaching you alchemy. My name is Eva. I have a longer name, but just remember me as Eva." He was regarded as the god of alchemists, the father of alchemy, and the living embodiment of the alchemical revolution. Hoenheim, a man who had aplished remarkable feats, rising from nothing to attain nobility, was undoubtedly Davey''s alchemy master. Eva van Hoenheim was the esteemed title earned for his achievements, while the name Evanov remained unfamiliar. Nevertheless, there was no denying that the young boy before Davey bore a striking resemnce to him. As Davey followed the boy who introduced himself as Eva, he continuously checked his watch and suddenly a thought came to mind. ''Is he the one? Or is he rted somehow? Whatever it is, that''s not what is important now.'' Not everything could be understood through observation alone. ''Using high-level magic now would be premature.¡¯ Not only magic, but an attack capable of inflicting fatal damage on creatures of the abyss was far too risky. A single failure would result in the entire deal falling apart. The flow of mana, the mechanics of air, spatial coordinates, density¡ªeverything was different and twistedpared to the world Davey was familiar with. He had attempted to unleash small-scale 9th Circle magic known as Quasar, but doing so would have significantly reduced its firepower or carried a small chance of wasting time without the magic manifesting. That''s why he dispersed the magic without hesitation. He needed a few more minutes to grasp the rules of this ce. Bang!!! Bang!!! "Grrrrrrrrr!" "Kiaaaaaaaaaa!" The horrific screams of the attacking zombie horde created a truly chaotic scene. Until a moment ago, zombies had been crawling up the quiet wall, not only chasing Davey and Rinne but also forcing them to change direction from their intended escape route. Thoughcking intelligence, their hunting instincts were unnervingly sharp. "Over here!" However, the boy leading Davey seemed surprisingly sturdy. At first nce, he appeared to be around 11 or 12 years old¡ªa far cry from the age at which one would expect someone to handle such a situation with expertise. "Over here!" Eva swiftly entered the ruins, using the surrounding tools to block the zombies'' advance. He then broke a bottle from his bag, creating a toxic smoke that obstructed their path. "What''s that?" Davey asked. "It''s a toxic smoke that inhibits the viruses parasitizing the host''s body. It''ll buy us enough time to escape," Eva exined. The young boy, with determination in his stride, led Davey and Rinne toward a hidden entrance in a dpidated warehouse. It opened to a small basement. Though musty, Davey entered without hesitation, attentively observing and confirming the mana around him. Once Rinne and Davey were inside, Eva followed suit and firmly locked the door behind him. "Phew..." Descending into the basement via adder, Eva released a brief sigh and lit a nearbyntern as if it were a routine task. As Davey''s eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began noticing signs of someone having lived here. Artificially grown nts, filters attached to peculiar devices¡ªit was nearly impossible to determine how long they had been taking refuge in this ce. "Have you eaten?" Eva asked. "It''s been a while since I''vee across another survivor, so I''m a bit excited. Just wait a moment, I''ll fetch some simple food." * * * Evanov crawled through a small hole and returned with two bowls of peculiar porridge. He exined to the pair, "It''s made from specially cultivated ingredients found here. It should suffice as a snack." Upon hearing his words, Rinne brought her nose closer to the bowl and her eyes lit up. She eximed, "I detect significant enhancements to taste data. Rinne greatly appreciates this!" Rinne''s reaction indicated that the porridge was either an extraordinary delicacy or an exceptionally potent vor that tantalized the taste buds. As the owner of an exquisite pte, Rinne possessed highly sensitive taste receptors. "So, where did you twoe from? This ce has been contaminated, even in the air, due to the recent bombings by the military..." the boy inquired, showing a maturity beyond his years. In response, Davey posed a question of his own. "Evanov, is it?" "And you?" the boy replied. "I''m Davey O¡¯Rowane, and this is Rinne." Instead of responding, Rinne simply sipped the porridge, her eyes gleaming. "Davey... Davey O¡¯Rowane. That''s a rather unique name. Where are you from? Kunts? Kelesedora? Shuprent?" "From the eastern continent of Tionis." Upon hearing Davey''s answer, the boy''s expression furrowed. "Tionis? Where exactly is that... You''re not experiencing memory confusion or any physical difort, right? I''m not sure if I''ve brought back someone infected with the RC Virus." "RC Virus?" Davey inquired. "That monster that was chasing you. Even if you destroy its vital organs, it keeps moving. It''s a savage cannibal that utilizes human muscle to its maximum capacity. Once it catches you, it tears you apart, gnashing and gnawing." As Evanoff spoke, Davey narrowed his eyes in quiet contemtion. "You''re not familiar with the RC Virus?" "Not at the moment." "Hmm... The RC Virus is a rage control virus. ording to the analysis of the samples, it was initially created for a noble cause, but something went wrong during the production process, transforming it into a deadly virus. It''s what has devastated the Yurgian continent." "I see. Yurgian continent..." Davey mumbled to himself, taking a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. It had a peculiar taste, simultaneously sour and sweet. "It tastes good, doesn''t it? I''ve been eating it here for so long that I''m getting tired of it, but the vor is quite remarkable." "...The quality of this grass porridge seems simr," Davey paused, pondering, his curiosity piqued by the enigmatic boy before him. "Do you happen to know someone named Eva van Hoenheim?" "Eva...van Hoenheim?" After brief contemtion, the boy nodded. "Of course. If I didn''t, that would mean I''m a spy for the RC Virus carriers." There was no way a zombie could be a spy. "Eva van Hoenheim, the most remarkable alchemist in the history of the Yurgian continent. He passed away at the age of 44, but his numerous achievements continue to exist and protect the survivors, giving them life," Evanov calmly exined, pointing to a flower bed reflecting on the side. "That''s also an invention of the great alchemist Eva van Hohenheim. And this, and this." Davey silently nodded in response to Evanov''s words. "How long ago did this person live?" "What... You don''t know that either? Even as an 11-year-old, I know that," Evanov remarked. "Well, it''s possible not to know," Davey replied. "He lived 2,000 years ago. Anyone aspiring to be an alchemist must know Eva van Hoenheim, the father of alchemy." Chuckling, Evanov poured out his story. In just a few minutes, he spoke so much that it made Davey think he must have had a lot pent up from not being able to converse with people. "It''s been like this since I was little. Eva van Hoenheim. And my name is Evanov Ban. Our names are simr, aren''t they? So, before this incident, people around me used to ask if I was the hidden descendant of the great alchemist. Ha. Funny, right? There''s no way a descendant of someone from 2,000 years ago would still exist," he said sarcastically. However, Davey could confidently affirm that Evanov was indeed a descendant. Everything about the boy¡ªthe mannerisms, gaze, appearance, and even the taste of the habitually prepared porridge¡ªpointed toward his lineage. "And those things?" Davey inquired. "Ah... those are things I''ve created. It''s a bit embarrassing, but I''m also an alchemist," Evanov admitted. His innate talent for alchemy was genuinely impressive. Even if Davey were to mention that Evanov resembled Eva van Hoenheim so closely that he must be a descendant, he would likely be dismissed as a madman. ''Professor, your descendant is right here. I have had my share of misfortune because of you, right? Could I give you back a little trouble?¡¯ He would obviously say no, but Davey had a desire to do so. * * * Evanov continued to chatter away, oblivious to the limited time Davey and Rinne had. He spoke about trivial matters, but he couldn''t seem to stop himself. Perhaps he longed for a conversation with another person. He shared his dream of bing a great alchemist like Eva van Hoenheim. Once the monstrous ck abyss creature wreaking havoc above vanished, he nned to leave this ce and make his way to a city of survivors. Despite the triviality of his stories, he appeared genuinely happy. Beep. [05:00] The deadline was slowly approaching. "Huh? Where are you going?" "It''sing." With Davey¡¯s words... Kaboom!!! Rumble Rumble!!! A section of the underground hideout crumbled noisily. "Uh, aargh!" Evanov eximed in surprise, quickly reaching for a weapon resembling a holstered gun at his waist. "Run! There''s a secret passage that leads outside from within! The RC virus carriers may be fast and strong, but theyck intelligence! They can be dangerous in their instinctual actions, but ultimately, they''re just mindless brutes!" Evanov emphasized that the real dangery not in the virus carriers but in the colossal ck lifeform that had recently emerged. This abyssal creature was not supposed to exist in this ce, and its presence posed a far greater threat than the zombies. "That thing survived a massive hydrogen bomb attack by the military. If youe across it, consider death inevitable!" Even as they ran, Evanov continued to speak. Without hesitation, Davey reached out and grabbed the back of his head. "Ugh!" Kabang!!! Suddenly, several appendages burst through the wall, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier. Evanov stood there, startled, witnessing the giant ck lifeform with countless tentacles slowly approaching. His eyes widened in disbelief. "Uh-oh!" In a sudden burst of courage, he aimed the small gun-like weapon he had been holding for self-defense at the approaching creature. Huping nervously, he fired a burst of metal rounds at the massive tentacle. Whether they hit or missed, it was evident that such a weapon would have little to no significant effect. "Damn it! I don''t know what''s happening, but this is our chance! Run!" His cry was filled with desperation. Davey watched as Evanov fled for his life, silently checking the remaining time. [04:02] Only a brief moment remained. Just a fleeting moment to gather mana and once that time reached zero, Davey would fail toplete the trade. But was he going to let this opportunity slip away? Absolutely not, especially with a person who appeared to be a descendant of his alchemy master standing before him. If there was any debt he could repay to them, he could at least save their lives once. The priorities started to blur, and the scarcity of time caused his mind to whirl in confusion. Kaboom!!! "Arrrgh!!!" Evanov, who had been leading Davey and running at a rapid pace, froze in his tracks as he witnessed the massive ck tentacles bursting out from the front of the underground passage. He had never encountered a situation like this before, with abyssal creatures relentlessly pursuing him. Evanov had gravely underestimated the capability of these creatures, as they had the power to create such a dire situation at will. "Kyaaaaa!!!" "Kuhaaaa!!!" Bang Bang Bang Bang!!!! Soon, the RC virus carriers, or simply zombies, began flooding into the underground space. What was peculiar was that the abyssal creature had its tentacles embedded in their bodies. Something was amiss. It appeared that the creature was controlling the zombies, using them as its puppets. As they became surrounded on all sides, Evanov trembled uncontrobly. Despite surviving alone for a considerable time, this situation was unlike anything he had experienced before. "How... How could our fortified secret passage...?" In response to Evanov''s despairing mutterings, Davey gently patted his head. "Mr. Davey?" "Don''t worry. I can save more than just one person." Upon hearing Davey''s words, Evanov let out a cynicalugh. Laughing? This was noughing matter, kid. Observing Evanov''s resigned smile, it became evident that Davey needed to perform a miracle for him to regain hope. After careful calction, Davey extended his hands, ensuring a perfect oue. One hand prepared for spatial transfer magic¡ªwarp¡ªand the other brimming with immense energy. Whether time rapidly dwindled or not, whether Evanov was taken aback by the sudden change or not, Davey locked his gaze on the abyssal creature''s tentacles and spoke with determination. "Rinne, countdown from 10 seconds. Incinerate everything that approaches during that time." "Executingmand." Clink nk!! As the forbidden technique was currently deactivated, utilizing transcendent ck magic was not feasible. In terms of sheer firepower, Davey concluded that the only option was to unleash the pinnacle of the 9th Circle transcendent elemental magic. Witnessing Davey''s transformation, Evanov''s eyes filled with horror. Chapter 373 "What on earth is this?!" Eva eximed, utterly bewildered by the inexplicable event unfolding before them. It defied all understanding, defying thews that governed the principles of physics and delineated the boundaries of reality. The small orb before them emitted a deep blue glow, seemingly absorbing the very air around it. From the moment Eva first encountered Davey, he sensed an air of strangeness. It began with a tremendous roar, as if a colossal weight had been hurled into the sky and then plummeted back to the ground. It was precisely that sensation that had led Eva to the silver-haired girl of remarkable beauty and the handsome ck-haired boy. The boy, d in a suit slightly divergent from conventional attire, donned clothing with a vintage design too distinct to dismiss as a mere prank. Instinctively, Eva realized that these two individuals were the cause of the resounding noise. He also noticed an approaching horde of carriers infected with the RC virus and ominous ck entities. Eva hesitated, caught between the urge to save them and his limited resources. After all, he was not the renowned alchemist Eva van Hoenheim, who had supposedly saved humanity in the past. Furthermore, there was the possibility that they themselves were carriers of the RC virus. However, Eva''s momentary indecision quickly dissipated. ¡®Do you need a fancy reason to save a life?¡¯ Based on the fact that the other carriers of the RC virus were attacking them, Evanov concluded that the silver-haired girl and the ck-haired boy had not been infected yet. He swiftly pulled the pin of a smoke grenade he had as a backup and hurled it into the air, taking advantage of the diversion to lead them quickly to his hidden shelter. The shelter was a meticulously constructed refuge, borne out of countless hardships, stocked with essential supplies, and equipped with an escape route. Having resided there for a significant period, Evanov had developed a fondness for the ce. Meeting new conversational partners and unexpectedly receiving visitors brought about an unusual sense of excitement. Despite not being able to determine their trustworthiness, Evanov willingly shared his story with them. He admired the silver-haired girl as she enjoyed the soup he had offered and appreciated the boy who attentively listened to his tale. It had been three long years since the ursed RC virus had spread, and Evanov had been hiding in this shelter since the age of eight, losing his parents about two years ago. He had survived as a lone wolf, relying on his unique, genius-level talent. Now, Evanov pondered whether there might be a way for him and his newfoundpanions to make their way to the city of survivors. He didn''t want to lose these rare conversation partners, these long-awaited guests, in vain. Suddenly, his joyous musings were abruptly interrupted. The location, buried five meters underground, had never been detected by the carriers of the RC virus or the ck entities. But could this time be different? His personal devices sounded rms, indicating a breach and sending distress signals. While a hideout might provide safety, it grew increasingly dangerous as space constricted. Ultimately, Evanov had no choice but to leave. Making a rational decision to abandon the ce swiftly and cleanly, he gathered a few necessary items and hurriedly guided the two individuals into a secret underground passage. Surely, they wouldn''t follow him there. Never. However, it seemed that "impossible" wasn''t a concept that applied. Evanov was dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of a colossal monster, its tentacles attacking like a trap. Topound matters, carriers of the RC virus started pouring in. Evanov''s nail gun was only capable of incapacitating a single enemy, and he couldn''t fashion a suitably powerful weapon with the avable equipment. Despair settled upon Evanov as he realized that his nail guncked the firepower needed, and neither the boy nor the girl possessed proper weapons. But then, the boy, who had been silently following him, stroked his own head and uttered, "Can''t we save at least one of us?" Monsters closed in on them, akin to a fox chasing a rabbit, while they remained unarmed, defenseless, with no obstacles to hide behind. What could they possibly do in such a dire situation? Just as Evanov was about to ask, he witnessed something he had never seen before. Something that defied thews of physics began to take shape in the boy''s motionless hands. One hand held a radiant red orb, while the other held a ck sphere. The boy swiftly brought his hands together, crushing and twisting them as if to shatter them. Then, as time began to flow, the carriers of the RC virus, the cursed zombies, surged toward Evanov and the others. However, their advance was halted by the silver-haired girl''s swift movement. Evanov could only watch in bewilderment, rubbing his eyes, as she wielded des of blue light in both hands. Meanwhile, the boy silently formed a massive sphere in his hand. Initially red, it gradually turned white over time, eventuallypressing into a dazzling blue sphere. What had initially been several tens of centimeters in size was now reduced to a mere fraction of a finger joint. "Rinne,e back," Davey said, nonchntly yet familiarly. The silver-haired girl, who had been fervently wielding her luminous sword, extinguished it and swiftly clung to the boy''s leg. In that moment, Evanov, who had been standing in a daze, witnessed a narrow space enclosing himself, Davey, and Rinne distort and iste itself. "I''ll handle that abyssal creature. You take care of the rest," Davey stated matter-of-factly. Stunned, Evanov instinctively closed his eyes upon seeing a small, brilliant blue sphere suspended in the air. Its radiance was so intense that it pained his eyes. A faint, resonating sound echoed. Gradually, amidst the subtle currents, Evanov cautiously opened his eyes and beheld a sight that defied thews of physics. A colossal blue me engulfed the entire area, reducing everything to mere ashes. "Oh, my God..." Evanov uttered, seemingly overwhelmed, as he sank to his knees. The aqueous blue me, resembling water-drenched fire, eventually dissipated, and Evanov slowly emerged from the distorted space. The virus carriers that had posed a threat to his life moments ago, the ominous ck entities that had faced repeated hydrogen bombings by the military, had all vanished without a trace. As Evanov turned his head toprehend the situation, he realized that both the boy and the silver-haired girl had disappeared, as if they were mere illusions. He wondered, ¡®Is this a dream? Am I the Evanov of the dream, or is the Evanov of the dream the real me?¡¯ Unable toprehend the situation, Evanov simply gazed at the charred remnants scattered on the ground. Thoughts began to swirl in his mind, contemting whether the vanished individuals could have been the apostles of God, a notion rejected by alchemists. Then, a sudden realization struck Evanov. He felt an unfamiliar vibration emanating from his pocket. Reaching in, he retrieved a small cube. Startled, he threw it into the air and widened his eyes in astonishment as the cube rapidly expanded, splitting into two and transforming into peculiar, agile golems. "User registration is required. Please state your name," both golems, nearly identical as twins, announced. Although their appearances were alike, Evanov, well-versed in alchemy, recognized the distinction. These golems were not merely superior in design. Despite their human-sized stature, their strength was overwhelmingly formidable. The question lingered in his mind: Why had these golems been in his pocket as small cubes? Evanov, stunned by the surreal turn of events, had no doubt that Davey was the mastermind behind this perplexing urrence. He couldn''t help but feel deeply troubled about how to articte his bewildering experience. * * * With a massive spark, Davey was able to return to the Garden of the World Tree while carrying Rinne in his arms. "Whoa!" Davey instinctively extended his hand and activated the status window to assess the situation. He found himself mildly taken aback by the information disyed within. [Special Additional Mission Completed, Additional Mission: Ensure the survival of the Second Star of Hope on the Yurgian Continent.] There was no doubt about who the Star of Hope referred to. "You weren''t gone long, how did things go?" the World Tree asked. Davey quietly replied while looking at the changing text in the status window, "I just yed a game." "A game?" ¡°Yes, a game-like stupid mission.¡± Once the data output wasplete, the contents of the status window underwent aplete transformation. [Unlocking 1 Transcendent Weapon, 1 additional Transfiguration Stack, 200% increase in total Dimensional Keys] [Achieved the title, Starbreaker.] Davey came to the realization that the additional rewards were contingent on the oue of a specific action. Furthermore, he discovered that the key he possessed was not a one-time use item. This meant that it could serve as a perfect training location that could be utilized periodically. Chapter 374 [Unlocking 1 Transcendent Weapon, 1 additional Transfiguration Stack, 200% increase in total Dimensional Keys] [Achieved the title, Starbreaker.] ¡®As for the Transcendent Weapon, I''ve always had a set one in mind. I''ll pass this time.¡¯ The scenario differed greatly from the days when Daveycked a proper weapon. However, what truly captured his attention was something entirely different. Metamorphosis by Force: 1 stack. It took Davey quite some time to grasp the implications of this discovery. In his current state, achieving metamorphosis by force seemed almost impossible. His previous metamorphosis had been forcefully induced, and it wasn''t a proper metamorphosis by force in the true sense. Therefore, the significance of this newfound ability to reincarnate was not lost on him. However, a question lingered: Did metamorphosis by force stack? Metamorphosis by Force: 1 stack... Although there are no immediate changes in my body, it appears that the process is not simply a one-time transformation per stack. On the other hand, I can''t determine the exact number of stacks required. Considering the current circumstances, I probably don''t need too many processes of metamorphosis to regain all my power in the Abyss.¡¯ Regardless of the potential of his physical body, the entity that had been supporting him had exerted considerable effort. The goddess was willing to go to great lengths to maintain her own existence. However, with her influence now weakened, Davey realized that he had a chance to confront her before it was toote. He narrowed his eyes at the World Tree, which observed hisplex expression intently. * * * "Hmm... Hand it over, I''ll take a look," the World Tree requested, extending a branch toward Davey, who handed over the Dimension Key that he had kept in the subspace. Al, being aware that this was no ordinary item, examined it with curiosity. "Hmm... The more I see, the more impressive it bes," Al murmured as she immersed the key into a green sphere and levitated it in the air. She then swiftly diminished the radiance and returned the key to Davey, stating, "The core power of the key remains unchanged. It appears that it can be used again after a few hours." "Thirty minutes... No, a few hours of cooldown time for just an hour''s usage..." Davey quickly checked the status window. [Survival of the Second Star of Hope. Upon sessful survival, add 1 metamorphosis by force stack. Grant additional reward.] "Now you''re tantly bribing me with rewards." At Davey¡¯s grumbling, Al tutted. "Such a disrespectful fellow." "This goddess! Do I look like the kind of person who would fall for such a small reward?!" Bang! Davey mmed his hand on the sturdy wooden table, letting out a frustrated shout before he sighed. "...Given the wide range of rewards." "Tch." ''A proper metamorphosis by force without any risks...'' Although Davey was uncertain about the required number of stacks, his intuition told him that it wouldn''t be too many. "Master Davey, Master Davey," Rinne called out, grabbing the hem of his clothes with a slightly dissatisfied expression. "What''s the matter?" "Master Davey, why did you transfer Rinne''s youngest sessor?" Rinne''s face appeared emotionless but clearly reflected her dissatisfaction. "Ah... That?" Davey suddenly remembered the twin golems he had entrusted to Evanov. "Rinne had high expectations for the new sessor. However, Master Davey''s arbitrary decision is greatly disappointing." "What is their main task?" Davey asked, tilting his head. "Disrupting the scene...and gathering information." "Well, keep an eye on them." Rinne made a strange expression upon hearing Davey¡¯s response, but she remained silent. Evanov Ban was someone who closely resembled Eva van Hoenheim, Davey''s alchemy teacher. It was hard to ignore the encounter with Evanov, who had been born 2,000 years after Hoenheim''s death and was presumed to be his descendant. Even if not immediately, it was clear that their paths would inevitably cross again. However, the real concerny elsewhere. Evanov Ban bore such a strong resemnce to Eva van Hoenheim that it wouldn''t be inurate to call him a descendant. Many other elements aligned perfectly as well. But there was something off. Reflecting on his conversation with Evanov, Davey sensed that something was amiss. "...Rinne cannot fullyprehend Master Davey''s thoughts. However, Rinne highly values Master Davey''s decision." Eventually, Rinne, suppressing her dissatisfaction, withdrew. Davey turned to leave, heading back to his territory. He told Al, "I will return. Just to rify, do not unleash the elves to hunt down the remnants of the vampires, disregarding the demons. It could escte the situation." Just as he was about to leave... "Wait a moment." The World Tree, who had been quietly observing Davey, halted him. "What is it?" "It seems you have forgotten something," Al said calmly as she slowly rose from her slender form. "That thing about titles. Have you examined it closely?" Her words left Davey puzzled. "Titles?" "Yes. If I understood correctly, that status window is essentially a collection of powers bestowed by the gods. There cannot be anything meaningless in it." Titles, in a sense, were like boasting. However, Davey couldn''t imagine there being a title that nobody could see. Without a word, he activated the status window, and soon he noticed a change in the title section of his status window. Title: Starbreaker (+) "A plus mark?" * * * A new symbol had appeared next to the title. Did it exist before? As Davey retraced his memory, he realized that it had indeed been there, but he hadn''t paid much attention to it. A title that couldn''t be boasted about to others was more than just a title. It indicated that it had an effect or a purpose. [Starbreaker] -Current efficacy is not manifested. Unlock when using 1 Metamorphosis by Force Stack. "Are you using this as a currency?" ¡®No, if it''s metamorphosis by force, it''s metamorphosis by force. What does it mean to use this as a currency again?¡¯ As Davey silently touched the plus mark for a long time, a semi-transparent window began to appear in front of him. [Disciple of the Mad Heroes of the Roaring] [Indomitable Will] [Welfare Assaulter] [Scammer] [Dream Builder] [Savior] [Crazy Experimentalist] ¡­ ¡­ When had he umted so many titles? There were an astonishing number of titles stacked up. Naturally, when Davey noticed something new, he couldn''t help but want to check it. But just as he was about to examine the first title... "Your Highness!" Amy, who had spotted Davey from a distance, hurriedly ran toward him. "Amy?" "Your... Your Highness... Haah... Haah..." She was panting heavily, struggling to calm herself down due to her usualck of stamina. Woong!! As Davey cast a simple recovery spell on her, Amy suddenly perked up, her eyes widening. "It''s a big deal! You have to see it for yourself!" At Amy¡¯s exmation, Davey noticed an irritating phrase in the list of titles he was checking. He furrowed his brow in annoyance and decisively closed the status window. [The Innocent Virgin] -Increased chance of being favored by the opposite sex by 50%. -Emission of aura that esctes heated atmospheres. Increases sess rate of wooing by 1%. ¡®Is this damned title pitying me now?¡¯ * * * "Hmm, this is the first time we''re having a conversation," the voice said from the darkness. A streak of light pierced through, revealing a figure in a ck robe holding a holy Bible in one hand. It was a young girl, her bright smile contrasting with the seriousness of her attire. She began to speak. "Although it was difficult to arrange this meeting, I''m d to finally meet you. I am Clonnie O''Priscille, the 1st ss Inquisitor of the Heresy Tribunal." Her formal greeting, typical of the holy country, created a strange juxtaposition. "Firstly, I want to apologize for summoning you to this ufortable ce. Normally, the protocol would be to immediately execute anyone involved in heretical and anti-godly actions. However, I wanted to have a conversation with you." The girl maintained her bright smile, radiating infinite mercy. "Please don''t look so stern. Despite being a 1st ss Inquisitor, I prefer to guide heretics toward repentance rather than resorting to violence." No response was given, but her smile remained unwavering. "It''s hard to believe, isn''t it? I understand. Even I find it ridiculous at times. The blood-soaked Heresy Tribunal may appear terrifying to you. But I hope that, one day, this ce will transform for the better." She gathered her hands together with a bright smile. "Recently, God has given an order to the leader of the Heresy Tribunal: [y the demons and vampires. Destroy those who defy God] and [When their blood is sprinkled on the ground, the true blessing of God wille].¡± "The Leader couldn''t hold back his tears when he received the order. For us, believers who worship God, receiving such an order is nothing short of a miracle," she eximed, herughter echoing through the room as she spun around with her arms outstretched. "I''ve never personally received a divine order, but the word of Goddess Freyja is absolute. Therefore, the Leader''s order is also absolute." "Many people use us of being fanatics who burn and kill anyone we dislike. But that''s a misconception. We differentiate between the truly guilty and offer them a chance to repent. The Goddess of Mercy shows mercy to those who acknowledge and repent their sins." With a bright smile, she slowly rose from her seat. "Oh, it seems our time for conversation ising to an end. It was delightful talking to you. Remember, I hope you find forgiveness. If you repent, your sins will be washed away, and the Goddess of Mercy will embrace you once more, even if you have strayed from the path." Her pupils momentarily contracted as she maintained her bright smile. "That is, if you are innocent." Swoosh¡­ She turned around, her oversized cloak trailing behind her, and issued amand. "Commence the purification." "Ugh..." "Ughhh!!!" Simultaneously, screams reverberated throughout the area as numerous knights of the Heresy Tribunal, positioned behind Clonnie O¡¯Priscille, hurled bright red torches. The tangled mes erupted, filling the air with the sound of agony. However, Clonnie O¡¯Priscille, the one who had ordered the purification, slowly turned her body, knelt down, and began to pray. "God has spoken. Demons and vampires are creatures that defy God. Those who aid them also defy God and must undergo purification. No being can escape this absolutew." A surge of white holy power overflowed from her surroundings. With a bright smile, she gazed upon the raging red inferno, her expression filled with joy. Trembling, she spread her hands wide, causing some helmetless knights to flinch at the sight, but none dared to utter a word. "Ah ha... Ah ha... Ahahahahahaha!!! God is calling you! Your sins!! He shall incinerate your sins! And from the ashes, pure and untainted white shall emerge, free of any transgressions." Her monologue continued amidst the harrowing screams. ¡®Yes, the essence of purity, bone powder. Do you know why bone powder is white? It is because it is sinless and pure. Dear citizens of the Colldom region in the Kingdom of Furas, if you repent for the sin of being deceived by the devil''s guise, assuming the form of a young girl, God will embrace you.¡¯ She prayed fervently. One knight cautiously approached and tentatively spoke up. "1st ss Inquisitor." "What is it? I am in the midst of an important prayer." "Well... Are you sure you''re alright? In the event that Prince Davey, the Saint, intervenes..." Upon hearing his words, Clonnie''s eyes widened. "Yes! I am waiting for him!" She screamed with a face twisted by madness. "What sins does he possess! He is a holy being! If he has sins, they must be burned and purified! It must be done! Even if he wields great power, everyone is equal in the eyes of God and faith." Chapter 375: Title "Haa... Haa!!" A boy sprinted desperately through the forest path, his teeth gritted as he nced back at the little girl clutching his hand and running after him. The girl was his sister. Although they were not nobles, they had lived rtivelyfortably among themon folk due to their parents'' good fortune. The situation they now faced was nothing short of shocking. Who could have imagined? The Freyja Sect was dominant across the continent, but that did not mean all other religions were oppressed. There were sub-gods acknowledged even within the Freyja Sect. The Sun God, Sylus, and the Moon Goddess, Krias, were prime examples. In the beginning, the main Goddess Freyja created the Sun God Sylus to illuminate the world. Then, to allow Sylus to rest, she created the Goddess of the Night, or the Moon Goddess, Krias. This was mentioned even in the ancient scriptures of the Sect''s main monastery. The Sect saw no reason to oppress the minority who worshiped Sylus and Krias, as everyone knew these two deities were derivative beings of the main Goddess, Freyja. The siblings'' parents were among the few followers of the Sun God, Sylus. The territory where they livedrgely operated on an alchemical energy system that harnessed sunlight. This was where special cells, forming the energy core of golems used for building castles, were produced and were famous among the alchemy circles. Given the focus on harnessing the sun''s power, it was natural that the entity of the Sun God, Sylus, was held in higher regard than anything else. Most of the people in the Furas Kingdom''s Coldum territory, where the siblings lived, were believers in Sylus rather than the main Goddess Freyja. Despite it being a small territory with only 100-200 inhabitants, this was a significant issue. "Haa... Haa! Brother... Brother!" The cute little girl, panting as if on the verge of death, whimpered. "Don''t stop! Run! We have no choice but to keep running!" The desperate escape seemed to have no end in sight. But one thing was clear: no matter what, he had to get his only sister out of this forest. To escape from those madmen. "Ahh!" But unlike her brother, who had grown tough through hard work alongside their father, his sister, weak of body, could not keep pace. Seeing her legs give way, the brother hoisted her up. "Get up! Quick!" But the situation was too dire for the girl, whose strength had left her legs. "Br-Brother... I''m scared..." "I''ll carry you! Quickly!" He tried to carry his sister and run, but as just a boy himself, there was a limit to how fast he could go. Szzzing!! Whoosh!! "Aaargh!" Inevitably, while struggling to run with his sister on his back, the fleeing boy was pierced in the leg by a silver arrow. "Aargh!" He screamed in agony, falling and releasing his sister, rolling on the ground with gritted teeth. "Ahh!" The little girl, terrified, tried to rise with great difficulty. If only it weren''t for the ominous metallic sound emanating from her neck. "No..." "No, don''t!" Despite an arrow piercing his leg, the boy desperately screamed at the sight of the silver sword hanging around his sister''s neck. And into the boy''s ears came a detestable voice, a girl''s voice. "That''s not going to work. It''s not. What would we do if you just ran away?" With the clink of chains, a teenage girl with striking golden hair appeared. Thepassionate smile on her face and the symbol of the main Goddess Freyja, the tightly held cross, made her appear infinitely merciful. However, the boy knew better. That mad zealot, what unspeakable deeds she hadmitted in her own domain! Not only the neighbors, but even his own parents had been mercilessly killed. There was no way they could have been unaware of it. Wham! As a stoic knight harshly subdued him, the boy desperately reached out his hand to protect his little sister. Could it have been because of her umon beauty, which was not typical ofmoners, since their childhood? The young girl, who had grown up beautifully, taking after her mother''s genes, was indeed a beauty who held the hopes of many within the domain. Yes, her face was the problem. The lord, who had his eye on his younger sister, tried to arbitrarily take her away under the pretext of sponsorship. Was it fortunate? At the very moment he tried to snatch away his sister with his eyes wide open, the prince of the kingdom, who hade to inspect the domain, sternly reprimanded the corrupt noble and protected the sister. However, the lord, bearing a grudge, reported his sister to the Inquisitors. He imed she was a demon in human form. His evidence was as follows: the potential of her umonly beautiful appearance. The fact that she had bewitched the majority of the people in the domain was the reason. Was there a need for any other reason? There was not. Eventually, the Inquisitors stormed in. The domain was reduced to ashes, and the number of survivors from the domain was minimal. It did not seem like the lord had wanted all of them to die, but the situation had already reached this point. "Stand up. I distinguish between sinners and evildoers and am infinitely merciful to sinners." With a broad smile, she pulled out a small cross from within her robe and thrust it toward the little sister. The brother tried to stop it with all his might, but...the cross had already gradually turned ck. "Oh my, she really was a demon. There''s no helping it. We must burn the sins and purify her into a pure being. Prepare the cross. I need to offer prayers for the repenting sinner." At that moment, as the knights tried to bind the girl... Whooom!!! A giant shadow from the sky momentarily darkened the ground before disappearing. "Hmm?" "What was that huge thing in the sky just now?" The knights and the 1st ss Inquisitor, Clonnie O¡¯Priscille, realized a bit toote that something had flown across the sky. They looked up, but the sky that had been dark just a moment ago was now perfectly clear. "1st ss Inquisitor, just now..." "Don''t waver. Evil always tries to shake our faith at our sides. That''s why we must steel our hearts and perform our sacred duty." With aposed statement, the girl was lifted. The knight who appeared, carrying arge coffin, took out a folding cross from within it, set it up, and tied the girl on top of it. "I''m sorry. In order to repent for your sins, we must hang you on a cross made with sincerity... This is also a trial, so please repent." "P-Please, save me. I... I don''t want to die..." "Oh my, you can solve everything by repenting. The divine Goddess Freyja is waiting with an open heart for your repentance." As she said this, mes began to flicker on Clonnie''s hand. "The divine me will purify you." "I... I don''t want this... I don''t!! I don''t!!!!!" She screamed and struggled with all her might, but the girl''s weak strength was not enough to break free from the restraints of the cross. Then, just as the me was about to engulf the cross and her body, everyone witnessed it. They saw the bright red me being sucked away before it could consume the cross. "What''s this?" Clonnie, slightly perplexed, frowned as she watched the girl''s execution. "1st ss Inquisitor!" At the knight''s shout, Clonnie lifted her head and saw a giant being standing confidently in front of her. Her eyes widened slightly. The being, covered in mes, was none other than the legendary bird of me¡ªa phoenix, as if from a fairy tale. Screech!!! After the phoenix let out a resounding roar and devoured all the fire, it turned its gaze downward toward Clonnie, who stood there in silent astonishment. Slowly, a determined expression spread across her face as she began to unsheathe her sword. Shrring¡­ ng!! But before she could even draw her sword, a strong impact struck her weapon, causing it to retract back into its sheath and fall to the ground, partially embedded. "..." "Burning a perfectly healthy girl in broad daylight." It was a calm female voice. "It seems true that when the public enemy disappears, only conflict remains." Clonnie, with dted pupils, stared at the woman speaking withposure. Her gaze toward Reina, the woman in question, was filled with intense hostility. "Ah, the Warrior of Light. Rumors precede you, Reina. Why do you interfere with this sacred heresy trial?" Clonnie questioned. Reina took out a small crystal ball from her bosom. Then, she inquired, "Why interfere...? What crime has this childmitted that would warrant setting her ame?" "That? Bewitched by demons, or perhaps a demon themselves. Of course, all, whether sinners or viins, shall be saved by the mercy of our benevolent Goddess Freyja..." Clonnie responded. "Crazy woman." "..." "I must have been insane to think we could have a conversation. More importantly, it seems you possess fire-based abilities." Boom!!! With a deafening sound, several knights were swiftly stepped on and suppressed by the phoenix''s fiery talons. The remaining knights hastily drew their swords. But in a sh, a thundercloud descending from the sky burned them to a crisp while they still wore their armor. Witnessing the swift cleanup of their surroundings by the two divine entities, Clonnie said to Reina with contracted pupils, "A hero who should stand for God''s duty is corrupted... It is truly regrettable." At her genuinely remorseful tone, Reina coldly sneered, "There''s no one more dangerous and difficult tomunicate with than a fanatic. You fit that bill perfectly, you madwoman." As Reina calmly spoke, she twirled her spear with a nod. Simultaneously, Clonnie O¡¯Priscille, who had slowly drawn her sword from its half-buried sheath, enveloped her body in eerie mes and began to speak, "The holy trial sent down by God, the path of thorns... I will dly tread upon it..." With her words, mes began to ripple across the area. The silent Reina sought a way to subdue Clonnie when the eyes of the phoenix, which was suppressing the knights, ignited. "How dare you! Your paltry fire dares to challenge mine!" Enraged that Clonnie''s fire tried to overpower its own, the furious phoenix decided to unleash its anger without restraint. Shocked by the sudden onught of the phoenix, Clonnie looked up at it, but the phoenix began to peck mercilessly at her with lightning speed. While she was advantageous in handling mes, this situation equally favored the phoenix. The heat, which even prated through the mana shield, differed slightly from that of Reina''s. ¡°You! You! You!¡± Peck! Peck! Peck! Peck! "What''s this?!" This situation was beyond Clonnie''s expectations. * * * "¡­" Amy was exceptionally reliable. While not particrly outstanding in the economic field, her ability to maintain the status quo made her incredibly capable. That was why Davey entrusted her with the territory. The talent to sustain a territory for a prolonged period without crossing any boundaries was, in a sense, the most impressive. "..." Davey narrowed his eyes at the numerous fallen goblins, trolls, and ogres. This ce was still undeveloped but part of the territory. Davey had periodically dispatched the Decepticon Fleet to clear out goblins, especially. But why had so many monsters appeared in the middle of the territory? "While the magicians of the Magic Tower and the territorial guards worked hard to prevent further damage... three people were seriously injured during that time." "Where did these bastardse from?" Amy shook her head in response to his question. "Nowhere. It was as if the air itself split open, and they emerged from it." As she spoke, Davey pressed the skin of an ogre. There was something subtly different about this ogrepared to the ones on the Tionis continent. "Any other abnormalities?" "Well, they disyed power far beyond the average monster...and there were witness statements..." "Tell me." Amy hesitated before speaking. "Their eyes glowed blood-red...like berserkers. They said it was the most chilling gaze they had ever witnessed in their mercenary lives..." Simr instances had urred before with the petrified giant and Chandra Minea''s avatars. While examining the traces of the monsters, Davey discovered something unusual. "Bring the witness." Amy looked puzzled by his stern expression, but he was focused on that trace. It was a feather that didn''t belong to goblins, trolls, or ogres. However, that feather felt incredibly familiar. Undoubtedly, it was a feather from one of the three Grandmaster-ss beasts, Azure Sky¡¯s Storm Dragon King Megalodria, the transcendental being. Chapter 376 The sudden sh with the eerie monsters had taken its toll. The state of the remaining survivors was worse than anticipated. Many were stricken with terror to the point of incapability, some even appeared unable to move properly. "When did this start happening?" Davey asked. "A few days ago... This has been the situation since we returned from the reconnaissance mission. I didn''t want to trouble you, so I didn''t mention it..." "Amy." At Davey¡¯s soft call, Amy jumped and bowed her head. She apologized, "I-I''m sorry, my Lord." "I''m not ming you," Davey said calmly, cing his hand on her head. "You''ve taken on too much alone all this time. It''s not just about thest few months. You may have had to do things you didn''t want to do because they were orders, things you didn''t want to do while governing the territory, but you did them because of discipline." "..." "That was wrong." Davey sat on the infirmary bed, reaching out to the men shivering with fear. [O mighty Freyja who oversees all creation.] "I consider you an important talent. Remember what I told you: think of this not as a military rtionship, but as a rtionship between a boss and an employee. If something is efficient, you should always speak up, and if something isn''t right, you should address it. What good is it to keep everything to yourself because of what you think I would think?" [Here, miserable souls are gathered, all seeking mercy, all stricken with fear.] "But, but..." "Would it have been a loss if I had stopped what I was doing toe here after you told me about this? Or would it have been a loss if I had been unaware of their suffering, even though I was closest to them?" "I-I''m sorry..." "Everyone in the territory is my family, including you. Even though I don''t govern directly often, I trust you that much. It''s right for you toe to me for help when you''re struggling. But I hate it when petty and pointless reasons keep you from efficient methods. Who is the person in front of you? Is it simply a superior who is hard to deal with and a royal of this country? Or is it the person who has given you faith?" At Davey¡¯s words, Amy lowered her head again. "Can you do it?" "Yes!" "That''s good. I trust you. You should trust mepletely, too." ¡®Pointing out what''s wrong and giving opportunities. I believe that''s the right way for a leader to rule. Goddess Freyja, don''t fret about your weakened influence, please take good care of everyone here.¡¯ [8th Level Holy Magic of Blessing] [Grand Purification] Whoosh!!! As the warm and bright light began to envelop the soldiers, a sense of calm gradually began to creep into their trembling bodies. "Master Davey, the current condition of the subjects is extreme fear. It''s anticipated that purification magic may not be sufficient." "Perhaps." The reactions were too uniform to be just fear. It was a deeply ingrained fear that seemed artificial. Davey could only interpret it as a deliberate imposition of fear that needed to be erased with purification magic, much like Lysol. There was no other way to perceive it except as a characteristic that forcefully engraved fear. ¡®If you want to challenge me, you''d have to bring at least a transcendent-level ck magic that engraves fear. You''re out, you bastard.¡¯ Whoosh!!! Crash! With the sound of something breaking in the air, the soldiers and knights began to fall all at once. As the stimuli that had kept the fear-ridden soldiers alert disappeared, those who had been enduring pain and sleeplessness could no longer resist the overwhelming urge to sleep and copsed. "Prepare a simple meal. They''ll probably sleep soundly for half a day. When they wake up, they''ll be hungry, so distribute the food. And give them a break to rest." "Yes." "Just a word of thanks for your hard work... No, I''ll deliver this message myself." "Yes!" Amy responded energetically. Leaving the cleanup to her, Davey headed straight to the bedroom where Perserque was sleeping. "Hmm... Davey?" "Perserque, take a look at this." As she moved away from Davey, the power of the abyss vanished, leaving only the bare minimum. That was why Davey needed her assistance. "This is..." As she stared at the massive feather Davey handed her, her eyes narrowed slightly. Simultaneously, a faint light filled her red eyes, causing them to widen. "Azure... Sky''s Storm Dragon King..." At this point, there was no room for denial. "It''s a feather from Megalodria." "I thought as much. We hit the jackpot." As she looked at him, seemingly questioning where he obtained it, he sighed, took the feather, and tossed it into subspace. "Davey, what''s going on here? If it''s Megalodria, then surely..." "Yeah, one of the three notorious Mythical Beast Kings of Lux Continent." "How do you have a feather from such a mythical beast?" In response to her question, Davey hesitated, then slowly opened his mouth. "Well, that''s..." As he fell silent, wearing a serious expression, she mirrored his seriousness. "I guess we''ll have to figure it out." "..." ¡®I understood it was a feather from Megalodria, but how was I supposed to know anything else?¡¯ "How am I supposed to know what''s going on with the guy who left the house?" Davey recognized that something had happened, but he did not know exactly what. In such cases, there was only one reliable source of information. * * * "So, you came to me again for this issue, is that it? Do you have any idea how far it is from the Eastern Continent, where you are, to the Divine Tree''s Land in the West?" "Well, I had to exhaust all the mana I have and use warp three times just to get here. I''mpletely worn out. Why don''t you step out of the room and get some fresh air, Elder?" "You little brat!" Despite the World Tree''s teasing reprimand, Davey maintained calm. "If it''s the Eye of the World Tree, it should at least be able to see beyond the sky." The most valuable source of information would be Aina Helishana, the dark elf working with Davey. Even an information guild had its limitations when it came to gathering information. And she was the only ally who could casually ess those restricted areas. "Al." "Alright, alright. You cheeky brat, you certainly know how to make use of people." "So, you''re going to do it then?" "I have to. Why else would I team up with you?" Her goal was to maintain and preserve peace. If Megalodria was as deranged as Shandra Minea''s avatar, it would pose a significant problem for her as well. "So, what did those who witnessed the massive mythical beast say?" "They only saw its shadow." The sole piece of information Davey obtained from the soldiers and knights of the Heins territory, who regained consciousness after a powerful purification magic, was that they caught a glimpse of an enormous shadow engulfing the sky. When they attempted to look up for further observation, their memories vanished. Ultimately, all they could recall was the sight of the immense shadow and the feather Davey had shown. "But if your ount is urate, does that mean the rampaging beast spared them despite its loss of sanity?" "If it''s the Megalodria I know, he wouldn''t sumb to madness so easily." After all, he was the mentally strongest among the three mythical beasts. As Davey spoke, she closed her eyes and fell into silence. An intangible current began to radiate from her body. At first nce, the World Tree appeared as a mere towering tree, but that was far from the truth. Its roots spread across the continent, and the seemingly modest World Tree possessed the power to interact with everything in the world. A potent surge of energy erupted, moving swiftly and seamlessly. Like a spirited gust of wind, the energy flow extended high into the sky. When she opened her eyes again, some time had passed. "He is not present." Upon hearing her words, Davey let out a sigh. "He wouldn''t be easily found, would he?" "Just a mythical beast evading the scrutiny of the World Tree?" "The issue is that he is more than just a mythical beast." The distinction between a Mythical Beast King and an ordinary mythical beast was strikingly apparent. "With this, we can be reasonably certain that he still possesses some sanity." "That''s likely. If he hadpletely lost his mind, he would have at least revealed his whereabouts." Davey''s judgment was that an individual driven to lunacy, someone who hadpletely lost their sanity, would not possess the capacity for thought or the ability to decide to conceal themselves. Those who had been driven insane by forcefully traversing dimensions relied solely on their instincts. Particrly, someone as mentally resilient as Megalodria, who could be deemed a visionary, likely had a decent chance of resisting the tides of madness. "If rted informationes up, I''ll deliver it to you directly." Davey quietly nodded. "But what happened with that?" "Are you talking about the title?" "Yes, the title." Davey waved his hand lightly, and simultaneously, the lingering power of the abyss within him swiftly brought up his status window. "Indeed, there are abilities attached. However, it appears that they all require a Metamorphosis by Force Stack 1 to activate." Al, who was well aware of Davey''s circumstances, didn''t need to overanalyze his words. "If the dimensional key remains functional, why not give it a try considering what has transpired?" At her suggestion, Davey nodded quietly. Metamorphosis by Force Stack 1. He only possessed a single stack at the moment, but that was precisely why he harbored no significant regrets. ¡®I don''t know where I can use it right now, let alone how much I need to umte.¡¯ As he pulled down the titles marked with a plus sign, he suddenly stopped at the veryst title he had obtained, Starbreaker. [Star Breaker] - Current efficacy not manifested. Unlock when Phantom and Skeleton Stack 1 is used. "Starbreaker..." It was an excessively arrogant title, but after a while of contemtion encouraged by Al, Davey cautiously extended his hand. With boldness, he invested the only Metamorphosis by Force Stack 1 he possessed. If there was a chance to umte more in the future, it was worth exploring the potential of the title. Indeed, there were titles that could be activated even without utilizing a Metamorphosis by Force Stack. [The Innocent Novice Sentenced to Innocence] - Likability increases by 50% to the opposite sex. - Emit an aura that esctes the heated atmosphere. Sess rate of flirting increases by 1%. It was such a lousy title. However, if even this lousy title yielded some effect, Davey concluded that a title with unlock conditions would possess extraordinary performance. Thump!!! Crack! As soon as he lightly tapped the plus sign next to the Starbreaker title, the sound of something shattering began to echo. And then... The hidden effectiveness of the title began to manifest. Its impact was rather astonishing. "Wow... has the goddess finally gone mad?" Davey couldn''t help but utter in disbelief. Chapter 377 [Starbreaker] (A title bestowed on one who mimics a celestial explosion - Do you desire the power to shatter stars? If so, a regr saving n is your answer.) -1st unlockpleted. -Title equipped: Mana Affinity +50% -Absorbs 10% of the user''s maximum mana every 2 hours [continuous effect]. (The absorbed mana will not disappear even if the title is removed) -Consumes a stack of metamorphosis by force for the 2nd unlock. "Is this goddess joking with me right now?" ¡®Even an unscrupulous merchant would not pull off this sort of trick.¡¯ "There isn''t a shred of business ethics here," Davey muttered, feeling frustrated as he let out a sigh. His mana affinity operated differently from a standard magician''s system. He utilized a full-body blood circle and created a heart circle when necessary, manipting them as needed. This resulted in a significant difference in mana consumption and recoverypared to conventional methods. Essentially, it was a system devised by four magical prodigies, highly dangerous yet offering substantial returns. In essence, this method minimally interfered with mana consumption. The periodically siphoned mana would quickly regenerate thanks to mana affinity, which facilitated mana regeneration. "You don''t seem pleased." "One must have a reason to be pleased, don''t you think?" Davey replied, feeling the need to vent his frustrations somewhere. Catching his gaze, Perserque flinched and distanced herself. Then, with her usual rxed expression, she said, "Davey, don''t start acting out." "Oh, you caught me." ¡®Quick to notice. Well, I have no choice but to change targets now.¡¯ In this world, there were precisely three individuals perfect for tormenting. And in that moment, he felt an urgent need to dispel this god-awful mood. * * * A sword engulfed in crimson mes unleashed a massive firestorm in an instant. "Upon themand of God! The faithfulmb of the Shepherd shall answer!" the girl proimed resolutely. With her fiery red bob, the girl''s hair seemed to ignite. A radiant white light swirled around her, manifesting into multiple buff spells that heightened her strength. ng! In a swift motion, the girl swung her sword, aiming to strike down the colossal phoenix¡ªor rather, the giant fire chicken¡ªthat relentlessly attacked her. However, before her de could slice through its wing, it was thwarted by a powerful blizzard. Silence fell. Clonnie, who consistently wore a gentle and benevolent smile, suddenly unleashed a fierce assault on Reina. Her narrowed eyes showed determination and focus, surprising Reina with Clonnie''s astonishing strength. Reina, with her extensivebat experience and memories, recognized that Clonnie possessed power, speed, andbat skills far beyond what her age should allow. "Huff..." Gasping for breath, Clonnie retreated, wiping a bleeding cheek, and began to gather divine power. "The power of a hero is not an empty boast," Reina remarked. "That''s my line. It''s rather extraordinary for you to possess such power at your age," Clonnie replied. Reina''s strength was unparalleled on the continent; few could defeat her. In fact, she was Illyna de Pan, a remarkably talented swordswoman with extensive experience from surviving battles for over a decade longer than the current Illyna present. Her mastery of the sword surpassed that of a Swordmaster and delved into the realm of swordy. However, the fact that she struggled to subdue her opponent despite multiple attempts highlighted the immense power wielded by Inquisitor Clonnie O''Priscille. "Hmph!" Seizing an opportune moment while Reina was lost in thought, Clonnie swiftly threw her sword. Caught off guard by the sudden abandonment of her weapon, Reina was momentarily taken aback and attempted to step back. Boom! A massive cross of light appeared, binding her in ce. "Whew... Finally caught you. Even if you''re a warrior of light, I didn''t expect you to disregard me to such an extent," Clonnie said, her voice resolute. "That''s really surprising," Reina replied, feeling unphased. Clonnie approached her, the sound of her metallic armor echoing in the air. She then looked at Reina and asked, "What''s so surprising?" "How old are you?" "...I''m 18 years old." "Isn''t it abnormal to have such strength at that age?" "Such words from a young person like you sound like a demon¡¯s whisper. I will never be captivated by evil." "It''s a joke, right? A teenager overpowering a Swordmaster. Even a monster wouldn''t be able to do that." Clonnie responded to these words with silence. "So... that would be normal... But why does this world have so many monsters that defymon sense?" "I don''t understand what you''re trying to say, but my poweres from my faith in God. Therefore..." Cutting her sentence short, Clonnie stretched out both of her hands. "As long as my faith in God remains unshakeable, I will never lose! You, the Warrior of Light, known for ying dragons. Just as I have suppressed you now!" A chilly smile crossed her face. "Repent! Repent! Repent! If you repent, God will embrace you again! We are here to purify the sins of you and those who shield and cover up all sins! Repentance is up to the individual!" Shing!! Clonnie took out a small dagger from her bosom and brandished it. She dered, "Now! It''s time to repent." At those words, Reina, who was still bound to the cross, sighed briefly. "Didn''t you hear me? I can''tmunicate." Did Clonnie sense something off in Reina¡¯s tone? In the moment Clonnie turned around with wide eyes, a voice came. "Highly rated by Rinne!" Bang!! A dropkick from Rinne, whose weight exceeded 200kg, mercilessly struck Clonnie. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Clonnie rolled several times on the ground like a powerless golem before slowly lifting her head. A man''s voice reached her ears, its tone surprisingly rxed and colder than she had anticipated. "What did she say?" the man questioned. "Well... I was acting independently, and even the allied forces had no knowledge of my whereabouts. How did you know toe here?" Clonnie inquired. "Have you forgotten who created your body?" The detached tone neither teased nor mocked, and it belonged to the boy who appeared in Clonnie''s fading vision. She reached out desperately toward him, her words slurred. "Your... pro... mise..." she struggled to articte. However, her physical body could no longer withstand the damage, and she fell unconscious. * * * Initially, Davey was unaware of the situation as he approached for a conversation. The reality unfolded before him, leading to a somewhat amusing situation. Observing the peacefully fallen Clonnie, Reina walked toward Davey, seemingly unscathed. "It''s the 1st ss Inquisitor of the Heresy Tribunal, Clonnie O¡¯Priscille. She came here with the purpose of conducting a heresy tribunal, as her title suggests. Coincidentally, I had a simr destination, but it seems she arrived here ahead of me. I can only imagine the state of the sanctuary now, and what little we managed to salvage..." Reina''s words trailed off, her gaze carefully shifting to the side. Two trembling siblings, unable to rx, were within sight. "That''s all. Reports came in from the knights who went in a different direction toward the territory. There was no sign of life left... Everything was razed to the ground." In contrast, Davey lifted the unconscious Clonnie O¡¯Priscille, setting aside his frustration regarding the title he had been given. Despite the weight of her heavy armor, the girl herself was so fragile that it did not pose a burden. Slowly carrying her to arge tree, he gently released her into the air and snapped his fingers. Whoosh!!! At that moment, the tree trunks near him swiftly extended, reaching out and firmly entwining around Clonnie. [Wake] Simultaneously, the woman, who had fainted due to the awakening magic Davey had employed, jolted heavily. "Wake up." sh!! Once the awakening magic was activated again, the previously fallendy, Clonnie, slowly began to open her eyes. Davey had heard rumors that she was unreasonably strong and a madwoman who would not listen to reason. However, he needed to extract the location of the ursed Heresy Tribunal from her. The Kingdom seemed determined to wage a holy war against the uncooperative Heresy Tribunal, and Davey knew that it would not be an easy task. "Ugh..." Soon after, Clonnie, who appeared to have a throbbing headache, shook her head violently and looked at Davey. Then, she opened her eyes wide, showing an expression of pure joy. "Ah... Holy Saint, meeting you is a..." "Enough. Just tell me the location of the Heresy Tribunal now." At his words, her eyes widened. She had a rather cute look, but Davey was well aware that she was a lunatic who would happily burn people with that face. "Why are you seeking the location of the Heretical Inquisition?" "Why indeed. To crush them all." In response, her eyes widened once again. "Crushing them... I cannotprehend that from my perspective. But I am certain that there is a devil beguiling your noble self." "Devil or nonsense, I don''t care." "Indeed." Clonnie seemed unconcerned about being entwined or about Davey''s true nature. She continued, "Even if it offends you, it appears necessary to subdue you and liberate you from that wicked devil." "Wicked devil? Speak with coherence, please." "Your bones will emit a purer white light than anyone else''s. They will be beautiful because the bones of the purified are the whitest." Restrained, Clonnie could only move her head. She leaned closer to Davey, shouting with a voice filled with madness. "Repent! Purify! Repent, noble Saint! Your pure, innocent bones are not meant to warp in the hands of the devil and turn ck!" "You shouldn''t concern yourself with other people''s bones." If she would not listen to reason, there was nothing Davey could do. He had to extract the information forcefully. "So, I''ll extract the information myself." "Ah! It''s a trial! It''s a trial! I am being tested! Oh, Goddess Freyja! Forgive my sins!" Clonnie seemed consumed by madness, shivering violently and crying out, her eyes bulging. "Come forth! I need your power!" "Davey!!!" And then it happened. Just as Davey was about to extract memories directly from Clonnie''s mind, he nced at her once more at the sound of Reina''s desperate voice. At that moment, Davey quickly raised his head to the sky, which until a moment ago had feltpletely empty. What Davey saw there was a gigantic shadow, a bizarre mix of ck and blue. It was a massive creature with four pairs of wings¡ªa familiar entity to him. ¡®Why the hell are you there?¡¯ Shriek...... Boom!!!! And then, before Davey could fullyprehend it and widen his eyes in shock, that grotesque shadow moved with astonishing speed, releasing a tremendous breath that incinerated everything in its path. Chapter 378: Title (2) Apanied by an eerie and gloomy aura, the pitch-ck mes devoured all the light they touched as they descended to the ground. Their heat wasparable to Hellfire, a 9th Circle magic that would simply burn the opponent with mes surpassing the concept of temperature. And as for their size? They were so huge that they couldpletely engulf the entire forest. "Tch." Davey clicked his tongue, his teeth gritting fiercely when he saw the descending Breath evaporate the huge amount of mana he had sent out from his outstretched hand. The power of Breath was truly amazing. No, it was far more than he expected. It didn''t matter if Shane Scrift had died a long time ago. In the first ce, this guy''s lifespan and life recovery were on apletely different level from his. Among all the mythical beasts under Shane, he was hailed as the King of the Mythical Beasts. Basically, this bastard would only grow stronger over time. After carefully observing the opponent, Davey judged that they weren''t using their entire power in the fight. Simply put, they were in a very disadvantageous situation. However, it was noughing matter to see a weakened being like the guy in front of him possess such powerful firepower. Grit, grit, grit¡­ Reina''s legs screamed from the overwhelming pressure that suddenly appeared. With her pale face, she alternated her gaze between the Breath weighing down on them and the surrounding area. Of course, Breath wouldn''tst long after being shot out. So, even though Davey had used a huge amount of mana, he was still able to stop the Breath''s descent in one go. "Heup...!" Davey took a short breath as he stared stiffly at his trembling right hand. The bastard was much stronger than he had expected. Well, it was true that Megalodria had grown stronger over time. However, Davey didn''t like the fact that he had miscalcted this. In addition to the trembling, his fingertips still burned as if they hadn''t escaped the influence of the Breath. "Heup?! Goodness! Your arm!" Perserque cried out in shock. After all, it was rare for her to see Davey injured like this. "I know. That''s why you should stay away for a moment," Davey said calmly as he picked up his swords. With one of his arms broken, he threw Red Ribbon into the air using his working arm before picking up Blue Ribbon. It was quite inconvenient, but it didn''t matter that much to him. Meanwhile, Reina quickly pulled out Divine Spear Longinus and pointed it at the gigantic presence in the sky, casting a huge shadow upon them. However, before she could raise her aura and momentum, a ck stream shot out from the figure that had turned the sky ck, overpowering her. She wasn''t subjected to any kind of power or such; she was simply overwhelmed by fear. The fact that it could instantly neutralize a strong individual at the Sword Saint level was a testament to how strong Megalodria was. "Ughhh... Ugh..." Reina was gripped by bone-chilling fear. However, in her desperation, she managed to release some of her aura and create a huge protective barrier around her. She wanted to protect the two demonkin siblings who were right behind her. Anyone could see the consequences if the siblings, who were clearly ordinary people, were exposed to this overwhelming fear and terror. Even trained knights and soldiers would instantly panic in the face of this power. "You have always been resolute and determined since the first time we met," Davey said as he twisted and turned his broken arm, using holy magic to attach the bones together. It was only a temporary measure, but it was enough as long as he could move. After grabbing Red Ribbon with his right hand, he immediately crouched down on the ground and looked up at the bastard above them. Why did this bastard suddenly show up here to protect the inquisitor? That question shed through Davey''s mind. However, there was no way he could figure it out at this moment. Initiate a conversation then? Obviously, that would only work if Davey had the upper hand. If he tried to use his trap and provoke his opponent without any guarantee, he would be begging to be killed. And their current situation? Well, they still didn''t know who would be the one left behind and fall. So, the wisest decision was to keep his trap shut. Although the Azure Sky''s Storm Dragon King didn''t truly exist in this world, Davey had already fought against it. And based on his experience, martial arts was the thing it had the hardest time dealing with. [Heavenly Destroyer] Davey raised his arms, pointing both of his swords at Megalodria as he unleashed the fierce and violent dark red energy swirling around his body. [Quick Draw, Sword Maniption] [Heavenly Twin Collision] Swoooooosh!!! It was a sword art crafted with arrogance and determination, aimed at piercing through the sky. And since Davey''s opponent was the ruler of the skies, he needed to confront it with this level of determination. The shadow of Megalodria pped its four pairs of wings, reaching for the two swords hurtling toward it. However, Davey would not allow it to have its way. ¡ªGrrrrrrrrrr!!! The Azure Dragon, which had a violent and ferocious temper, quickly bound its body and interfered with its movements. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck!!! Simultaneously, the Vermillion Bird, momentarily flinching from its Fear, erupted with overwhelming rage andunched massive fire spears toward Megalodria''s wings. As a grandmaster-level mythical beast, Megalodria, the Azure Sky''s Storm Dragon King, possessed Fear with unparalleled power. It was already a daunting task for one of the Four Divine Beasts to maintain consciousness, let alone engage in a battle and emerge victorious against it. However, this didn''t imply that the might and power of the Four Divine Beasts had vanished. A fleeting opportunity emerged, courtesy of the Fire Chicken''s anger management disorder and the Azure Dragon Rumble''s inherently violent temperament. Two shes of light seized that exposed opening. Stab!!! A terrifying sound reverberated through the area as Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon pierced through Megalodria''s body. However, they didn''t linger there, swiftly making a sharp turn and hurtling towards the ground without further action. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaaaaaar!!! The blow, stronger than what Megalodria had anticipated, caught it off guard. However, soon after, the colossal dragon erupted in anger from the inflicted damage. It chose to bite Azure Dragon Rumble, who was entwined around its body, and flung it aside. Megalodria''s red eyes shed with intensity as it observed Rumble colliding with Fire Chicken, who had unleashed a barrage of fire shots at it. [Break, you trifling bastard!] Dark clouds instantly began to gather in the sky. Fire Chicken instinctively felt the danger and tried to escape. However, Megalodria swung its five-toed front foot in the air. ¡ªKihyeeeeeeck!!! The attack ripped through space, sending Fire Chicken crashing to the ground. Immediately after, Megalodria redirected its attention to Davey, its red eyes shing once again. Simultaneously, enormous tornadoes materialized in the vicinity, devouring everything in their path. Davey simply waved his hand dismissively at the creature before him, who appeared to be issuing a warning through its actions. Megalodria, having never encountered or even acknowledged Davey before, regarded him as an insignificant being unworthy of its attention. However, for Davey, he had grown weary of the mythical beast''s presence. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡®Isn¡¯t it time for you toe down now?¡¯ Davey might not have any way to kill it immediately, but the bastard Megalodria must have already noticed by now that he was not an easy opponent. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!!! Megalodria, ring intensely at Davey and building momentum, suddenly staggered. Something began to pull it downward from the previously inflicted wound¡ªan ethereal thread of mana entangled in the dripping blood. Of course, whether Megalodria fell immediately or not didn''t truly concern Davey. If one attempt wasn''t enough, he would strike twice, even thrice. Azure Dragon Rumble, enduring the earlier impact, ascended and collided with Megalodria''s body once more. Thud!!! Davey¡¯s eyes narrowed as he watched the bastard reel back from the heavy impact. He was still not going toe down? Baaaaaaaang!!! Naturally, Fire Chicken wasn''t one to be outdone. It transformed into a vibrant red me and encircled Megalodria, creating rings of fire that entrapped and immobilized the creature. Having endured three consecutive attacks in session, even the King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, had no alternative but to sumb and copse onto the ground. [¡­] Refusing to ept the loss of its regal presence and aloofness as a king, Megalodria contorted its body, averting the imminent crash onto the ground, and forcefully mmed its foot down. The impact of his four feet striking the ground generated a colossal shockwave that shook the earth. However, Megalodria and Davey remained unaffected, standing firm amidst the ensuing chaos. Megalodria possessed the head of a dragon, four pairs of injured wings, a formidable body covered in scales and feathers, and a pair of blood-red eyes that sent shivers down the spine of anyone who beheld them. For Davey, this appearance was all too familiar, to the extent that he felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to witness it once more. [You dare.] "Indeed, I dared," Davey remarked with a touch of amusement. "It''s ratherical, isn''t it? Megalodria, renowned as a mighty and wise king who adhered to providence and rule, now stands before us." Megalodria recoiled in response to the heavy sarcasmced within Davey''s words. However, the conversation could wait for another time, couldn''t it? Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Ignoring Reina, who remained in a state of stunned disbelief, Davey gripped Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon tightly in his hands, attentively observing as Megalodria gradually lifted its body. This individual before Davey, the King of Mythical Beasts, was renowned for its wisdom. Witnessing someone of such stature crumble and be partially unhinged from the impact of the dimensional shift power had made Davey acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. Vwooooooong¡­ A dark red energy started to swirl around the de of Red Ribbon, snapping Davey out of his contemtion. He took a brief breath and examined the figure before him once more. Davey intended to obtain everything he needed in a single stroke. Considering the devastation his arm had endured, the cost he had to bear seemed rtively inexpensive. [Come, you insect.] ¡°I¡¯ll go, so don¡¯t move.¡± Crack!!! Under the sudden pressure, the ground beneath Davey''s left foot cracked, unable to withstand the force as he positioned himself near Megalodria. Sensing Davey''s direct charge, Megalodria promptly opened its massive jaws, unleashing a powerful surge infused with raging tempests. When Daveyunched his assault, it mattered little to him whether hended a perfect strike or not; as long as he made contact, that was what counted. Deception and trickery held no value for him, as they would only increase the risk of injury. Qi surged within Davey''s body, causing ck veins to protrude from his skin. Even the blood vessels in the whites of his eyes bulged, threatening to burst. [Heavenly Destroyer] [Quick Draw] [shing Barriers] A loud cry rang from within Red Ribbon¡¯s de as a dark red light devoured the entire area, including Megalodria¡¯s attack. *** Could a single person''s sword strike be powerful enough to devastate a forest spanning hundreds of meters in radius? Davey, a monstrous figure concealed behind a human facade, engaged in battle with a creature capable of instilling fear with a single nce, and aplished exactly that. Observing the unfolding spectacle, Reina instinctively gathered her power, bracing herself for the shockwave generated by the forceful attack. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! However, the sheer force of the collision between Davey''s attack and the monstrous creature shattered all of Reina''s defenses without mercy. "Kyaaaack!!!" Reina screamed, tightly shutting her eyes in anticipation of the impending blow, clutching the two demonkin siblings in her arms. Yet, her body unexpectedly lifted off the ground due to the powerful shockwave. Unable to resist her curiosity, she reluctantly opened her eyes. The battle between the two behemoths was an intense disy of violence and ferocity. Feeling her mana rapidly depleting, Reina hurriedly tried to retreat from the radius of the aftermath. However, escaping the range of destruction proved to be a formidable challenge. If that was the case, Reina was determined to protect the two children in her arms at all costs. Confident in her exceptionally resilient body, which surpassed human capabilities, she braced herself for the next wave of devastation, prepared to sacrifice herself to ensure the safety of the youngsters. However, Reina''s eyes widened in astonishment as a silver-haired girl emerged from behind her. The girl held a staff that Reina recalled seeing before. Strangely, the girl seemed unfazed by the fierce battle unfolding before her, her attention solely fixed on the staff she held. "Fufu... You have no idea how long I''ve yearned for this day toe. My goodness. Look at this form, this magnificence. Come to me. I shall cherish and wield you with utmost sincerity for the rest of my days," the girl eximed with excitement in her voice. "You..." Reina recognized her, but the being standing before her now was vastly different from the one she knew. This was Demon Lord Perserque, the tyrant who had ruled with terror and malevolence in the parallel world where Reina originated. Yet, in this world, she appeared as nothing more than a pitiful girl, swept away by Davey''s obsession. The unmistakable proof of her identity as Demon Lord Perserque was the enormous horns adorning her head, which seemed remarkably easy to grasp with one''s hands. [Imand thee in the name of the Demon Lord of the Abyss.] Not long after, a mysterious voice emanated from the lips of the silver-haired Demon Lord Perserque. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Reina sensed an uncontroble sense of delight and excitement embedded within that enigmatic voice. Simultaneously, an immense and formidable barrier materialized before them, surpassing the power and scope of Reina''s own barrier. It spread across the entire area, enveloping everything, including the spot where Reina stood. Chapter 379 The fight, a battle that would only conclude with one of them dead, came to an abrupt end. Megalodria, disying a cowardly retreat, chose to flee with his tail tucked between his legs. In the lull that followed the intense sh, Davey wordlessly reached for his bleeding arm, attending to the wounds he had sustained during the encounter. [Highness Heal] Vwoooooong!!! Due to the erosion power of the bastard, healing and recovering for Davey proved to be quite challenging. However, that was inconsequential. The phrase "Time will heal all wounds" was remarkably fitting for the circumstances. Davey''s body, being the Saint''s body,menced a self-purification process, purging the poison inflicted by Megalodria''s power. This marked the first instance, since Davey''s return from the Hall, where he engaged in an unprepared battle, utilizing nearly all of the mana within his being. Even during his encounters with the deranged World Tree, Yggdrasil, he had not found himself in such an extreme predicament. Vwoooooong¡­ Reina approached Davey, surveying the utterly devastated forest surrounding them, and inquired, "Are you... alright?" "It''s as you see," Davey replied, attempting to downy his condition. However, the blood dripping from his broken arm and the gaping wound on his abdomen, exposed through his torn clothes, betrayed the severity of his injuries. "This is the first time I''ve witnessed you being hurt like this. Unbelievable," Reina murmured, her body still trembling slightly from the lingering aftermath of their earlier battle. "Some battles can be won through trickery and deception, while others cannot. That guy didn''t even unleash the full extent of his power... If that bastard fought at his best, this injury would pale inparison," Davey exined, dismissing the gravity of his own wounds. "Nevertheless... he''s frightfully strong. My body feels immobilized in his presence..." ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s a grandmaster-level mythical beast.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reina, fully aware of the weight behind the term "grandmaster-level," immediately adopted a serious expression. "Where on earth did such a monstere from..." Davey remained silent, listening to Reina''s murmurs without offering any response. The fact that Reina, who hadn''t flinched or lost her ground when facing the corrupted ck Dragon Gargas, was now paralyzed with fear in the presence of Megalodria, spoke volumes about the immense power possessed by the formidable creature. Megalodria was in an entirely different leaguepared to the Shandra Minea clone Davey had encountered in the past. There were only a few clues as to why a powerful being like Megalodria woulde to this ce and protect the members of that cult-like order. However, the greatest confusiony in determining whether Megalodria had gone insane during his dimensional travels or if he had be poisoned and subsequently lost his sanity. If the King of the Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, were to hear those words, it might already be frothing at the mouth. In any case, Davey had never been on good terms with that guy from the very beginning. Among the three Mythical Beast Kings, Megalodria had provoked the most intense reaction from Davey upon their encounter. Thus, Davey considered it fortunate that Megalodria had chosen to retreat instead of engaging in a life-or-death battle here and now. After all, once a person chose the path of confrontation, there was no turning back. Unlike Reina, who anxiously watched Davey for no apparent reason, Perserque appeared rather rxed. However, she was genuinely shocked to witness Davey''s arm breaking in such a manner for the first time. After dispelling the barrier magic that had protected Reina earlier, Perserque took a deep breath and approached Davey, clutching Transcendence Demise tightly to her chest. Due to the staff''s immense sizepared to her own, she resembled a child dragging a toy that was infinitelyrger than her. "Davey." "No. You can''t have it. Give it back." "Give it to me! I''m absolutely confident that I will cherish and treasure it for the rest of my life!" "You can only use the staves I made specifically for you." "Please, Davey!" ¡®I don¡¯t care, I can¡¯t hear you.¡¯ In the end, Perserque had no choice but to return Odin''s staff, the [Transcendence Demise], to Davey upon hearing his firm and resolute words. However, her face bore an expression ofplete heartbreak, as if she had been torn apart from her lover. Perserque pouted and repeatedly opened and closed her hands, unwilling to let go of the sensation of holding the staff. Before long, she shrank her body and flew swiftly toward Davey''s pockets, presumably attempting a silent strike. *** The atmosphere within the small territory, which Clonnie O''Priscille had swept away along with the inquisitors under hermand, resembled anything but a somber mourning house. It was chaotic, devoid of the solemnity one would expect. The unfortunate souls who failed to escape found themselves apprehended by the inquisitors and subjected to untested procedures masquerading as trials, only to meet brutal and swift execution. "From this point onward, I will refrain from interfering," Davey dered. As a foreign nation, hecked the grounds to meddle in their internal conflicts. His position within the royal family bestowed him with both power and responsibilities. While going wild here wouldn''t be overly difficult for him, his status posed a challenge. "I understand. That''s why you entrusted this task to me, right?" Reina responded. It was one of the reasons why Davey had urged Reina to assume the role of the Warrior and receive the protection of the Three Emperors of the empires. With her position, Reina held the authority to intervene in matters that Davey, due to his status, was unable to address. In essence, Reina''s existence would help maintain peace across the continent, akin to the UN¡ªa union formed by the alliance of several countries¡ªon modern Earth. "You can''t bring the dead back, can you?" Davey remarked. "Except for you and Perserque, anyone revived will have no future," he continued. There was no means to resurrect those who had already perished. Or rather, to be precise, there existed a method for revival. However, Davey had no intention of sacrificing his own lifespan for that purpose. Would a Saint be expected to make such sacrifices for the greater good of others? If Davey were merely a Saint, such thoughts might have crossed his mind. However, being both an alchemist and a necromancer who dabbled in taboos, he wouldn''t so easily choose to reverse the cycle of reincarnation. The knights under Reina''smand had already arrived at the small territory and begun the task of recovering the deceased. One of the knights responsible for ssifying and moving the charred bodies approached Reina slowly. "Commander Reina, our search isplete," the knight reported. "Thank you for your hard work. How... How many are there in total?" Reina inquired, her voice filled with trepidation. ¡°There are a total of a hundred and seventy three bodies.¡± ¡°That¡¯s terrible¡­¡± Reina closed her eyes and mumbled bitterly. This wasn''t the first instance of people being subjected to heresy trials and massacred under the guise of heresy. In the past, the Inquisitors had been granted overwhelmingly convenient power as the Holy Empire''s covert force. The same applied to all nations that served and followed the religion of Goddess Freyja. Of course, the inquisitors had to exercise caution when dealing with nobles and aristocrats. However, for those without power, especially those whose lives were considered less valuable than livestock, they posed no obstacle to the inquisitors. This was true for the people of this small territory. Nevertheless, it was too much. History had seen many heresy trials, but these unforgivable trials and senseless ughter were unprecedented. If they continued to act recklessly, they would eventually face repercussions, despite being the Holy Empire''s force. Although the Inquisition operated independently, they still had to bow their heads before the empire. However, their current behavior seemed far from normal. "Well, if Megalodria, a Mythical Beast King-level being, is aiding them, then it''s possible. They could act like gangsters, and no one would be able to resist them," Perserque, who emerged from thergest pocket of Davey''s coat, remarked, while Davey nodded in agreement. Though not visible to others, Davey, with his activated Demonic Eyes, could clearly perceive the dense aura of death swirling in the air. Numerous individuals had suffered unjust and agonizing deaths. There were two ways to address this situation. One option was to subdue them by force and disperse them. The other was to soothe their vengeful spirits and allow them to ascend. Davey chose thetter path. He had no reason to act hostile toward these innocent and unfortunate souls. Thus, Davey retrieved a light-stringed musical instrument from his pocket ne. "A musical instrument?" Reina looked at Davey with confusion as he unexpectedly produced the instrument. Davey gazed at her and shook the lyre in his hands. "The death energy here is too intense. These souls are filled with lingering resentment, preventing them from ascending sessfully. I will use this to help them cross over." The departed often clung tenaciously to the world of the living. However, if they lingered without crossing over, they would eventually transform into malevolent spirits. As the Saint, Davey desired for them to abandon their resentment and forsake the idea of bing evil spirits in his presence. Even if they resisted, Davey wouldpel them to do so. Strum, strum, strum¡­ Everyone, from the soldiers to the knights carrying the bodies, and even Reina herself, fell silent, their attention fixed on Davey as the soft melody of the lyre filled the air. Even Perserque and Rinne turned to watch Davey silently. Ignoring the gaze of those present, Davey''s fingers danced along the strings, lightly plucking them as he yed a long and gentle piece of music. "The sound... it evokes heartbreak." Davey infused his mana into the music, allowing it to spread far and wide, soothing the vengeful spirits surrounding him. The techniques of a Magic Minstrel were quite straightforward. For stringed instruments, they simply needed to infuse a unique mana into each strand of the instrument''s strings and let it resonate. Once the instrument was yed, the mana would spread, and its effects would manifest. There was also another method that required calctions, simr to using magic. However, the crucial aspect for Magic Minstrels was the caster''s will. ¡®Leave behind all of your resentment and take a huge leap toward reincarnation. I will take on your lingering feelings, so forget everything and leave in peace.¡¯ Magic-infused music was nothing but music spread by mana. However, Davey now had the effects of his title with him. Davey had been using the title ¡®Exploding Star¡¯ just in case he needed it, but he would definitely change it if the need arose. And right now, Davey was using the title [The One that Calls for Repose] to make his listeners feelfortable and at ease. Achieving that effect was more than enough. The audience remained silent for a very long time after listening to Davey¡¯s somber performance. Simultaneously, significant transformations began to unfold. Silent blue light emerged from every corner of the territory, emanating from the ces where individuals had met their demise. The luminous energy congregated around Davey, swirling and floating before ascending into the sky. "Oh my god... So, this is the true power of a Saint..." murmured one of the knights who apanied Reina, his gaze fixed on Davey in a dazed state. Some of the knights even dropped to their knees, sping their hands together in prayer. They acted as if they had witnessed a divine miracle. In a world where divine miracles weremonce, it was not unusual for them to reach out to their deity in moments like these. However, the situation on Davey''s side was actually quite distinct. ¡ªResentment¡­ Vengeance¡­ [Right, I understand that you harbor resentment. However, what other choice do you have? You are already deceased. Would you prefer to linger as a vengeful spirit and potentially harm innocent beings? If you were tomit such acts and I caught you in the act, I would not hesitate to tear your limbs apart. But it wouldn''t stop there. It is in your best interest to ascend at this very moment. I will ensure that your desires are fulfilled and your grievances are resolved.] Since the Inquisitors had crossed the line, they would all meet their demise at Davey''s hands. Well, a war was already inevitable the moment the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition issued orders to suppress Heins Territory. ¡ªYou! Why are you trying to make us ascend?! Souls with lingering resentment were incredibly aggressive and ferocious. There was even a soul that continued to attack Davey, despite his efforts to calm it down. Through his Demonic Eyes, Davey could see the state of their souls. Although they were once innocent and good citizens, the intense hatred, fear, and pain they experienced before their deaths had stained their souls ck. ¡ªYou better quit that! I will make sure to kill you! ¡ªCurse them! Curse them all! It was so hot back then! ¡ªI¡¯m going to burn them all! I¡¯m going to possess someone and burn them all to death! Davey did not know the original state of their souls. However, he still tried his best to sympathize with them and understand the pain that they were in before carefully spitting out words that would calm them down. [Guys, you haven¡¯t been beaten in your soul form, no? Want to give it a try?] ¡ª¡­ Sometimes actions spoke louder than words, didn''t they? The music infused with mana gently unraveled the hardened soul, purifying it and allowing it to ascend. Davey looked around slowly, taking in the scene before him. ¡®Get in line, you punks. I¡¯ll quickly clean you guys up and send you up.¡¯ Chapter 380 After purifying the spirits, there was nothing left for Davey to do here. Should he punish the wicked? No, that was not his job at the moment. While he might be in the position of a Saint, he was still, first and foremost, a member of the Rowane Kingdom. Basically, Davey could only interfere with matters rting to the inquisitors. As for the nobles involved with them? It was not his responsibility to deal with them; it was their own job. "If this happened in the Rowane Kingdom, then¡­" "At the very least, the nobles of the Rowane Kingdom knew that their lives would be wasted if they tried to be my enemies." There was only one thing that Davey demanded from the nobles of the Rowane Kingdom: he wanted them to take it easy. No matter how much they wanted to exercise their nobles'' authority, if they suppressed themoners who supported that authority, destruction would be their inevitable fate. Although the Rowane Kingdom worked with a centralized governing system, after the purge of most of the nobles led by Queen Lynesse and the Bariatta Duchy, the nation''s stability had improved to some extent. Davey found it amusing that despite the chaos and idents that gued the continent, the Rowane Kingdom remained peaceful. As long as Davey was a part of the royal family and had the right to inherit the throne, he would still have the responsibility to deal with and uphold things in the Rowane Kingdom. Bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz!!! Poof!!! After the fight with Megalodria, Davey''s mana and holy mana were both almost depleted. However, thanks to his title, his ability to recover had increased significantly, allowing him to replenish his power quickly. Davey cast a frightening series of warps by repeatedly replenishing and squeezing out the mana in his body, quickly reaching the Holy Empire where a huge army was gathering. He didn''t think much about Clonnie O''Priscille, the me attribute trait ability user, after she went missing. From what Davey could see, he would encounter her sooner orter based on her temperament alone. Even if she were to die, she would still make an appearance when necessary. She wasn''t a problem. However, the crazed King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, who protected the rabid and wild inquisitors, posed a bit of a problem. "What would happen if he could use his full power?" "If a grandmaster-level being decided to run wild, the continent would copse instantly." Why? Was that impossible? In fact, even Davey, who was at a significant disadvantagepared to Megalodria, could still make the continent copse if he wished. What more if it was someone on Megalodria''s level? However, just because this war had begun didn''t mean that Megalodria should recklessly charge forward like a headless monster. For someone who could instantly turn the entire continent into ruins, he could take his time and slowly erode away at it. Why was this possible? Because the Tionis Continent was currently experiencing a severe shortage of talent. If no one could fight back against Megalodria, the entire continent would have no choice but to be dragged along. That was the reality of the situation. So, what would happen if the King of Mythical Beasts, someone on par with or perhaps stronger than Davey in terms of firepower, went on a rampage? The result would be as clear as a movie on a Blu-ray DVD. How did an organization like the Last Wisp, Alpha Reinforcement,e to be? It was because even in the past, the ancestors were fully aware of the dangers that this continent would face. Compared to the past, it was true that the current Tionis Continentgged behind in everything, whether it was techniques, skills, or force. Even if one put it nicely, this truth would remain. After all, in the past, everyone was forced to develop and grow to survive. However, now, the continent was at peace. "Prince Davey?" Archbishop Alice, who was looking at the papers in her hand with an ugly expression on her face, trembled. She saw Davey walking quickly through the white corridor, which seemed to symbolize purity, leading to the hall where she was. ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing right away.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Whatever you¡¯re trying to do, stop it and order your troops to go back.¡± Alice¡¯s eyes narrowed at Davey¡¯s words. "I have no idea what you''re trying to say, Prince. Even if we ignore what happened to you, what the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition did has already crossed the line. They have ignored the orders of the Holy Pope and started to act on their own, wreaking havoc throughout the continent," she said, her brows furrowing deeply. "I have even ced the name bestowed upon me by Goddess Freyja on the table." Alice looked indignant for some reason. "What I mean is the Goddess did not bestow her mercy upon me to bring good to those bastards. At this point, no matter what you say, they won''t listen, so it''s better to show them our might." What she wanted to say was: ''This is real life, you f*cking bastards.'' "The soldiers..." "It''s already toote. We have already dispatched arge number of Temr Knights to the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition''s Hall. We have also divided the Holy Empire''s soldiers into the first division and the second division and are ready to go to war at any moment." At first, Alice was in a hurry to dispatch their troops, fearing that Davey would overturn the entire Holy Empire. However, they realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately sent another group right after the first dispatch. "Once thest army departs, I will also go and join the battle myself." Alice gritted her teeth despite her calm words. "Idiots. Weren''t they aware of the war that has been going ontely?! Didn''t they know that the Continental Alliance has banned war?! And what did they do? They jumped on the current momentum in the continent and created a civil war, breaking away from us in one go?!" she murmured irritably. "A person''s life is iparable to an insect''s life. These garbage are making meugh. Didn''t they know that each and every life is precious?! So, why did they kill so mindlessly like that?!" One of the priests beside her coughed loudly, surprised at her sudden outburst. However,pletely overtaken by her anger, she did not pay them any mind and continued spouting words and curses. "So? Why are you telling me to make the soldiers turn back?" At that moment, Davey realized he hade toote. If he had known this would happen, he should have restrained Megalodria and not let him leave like that. Well, that was nothing but a mere thought now. "The inquisitors are humans too." "I know that." "Even if they are crazy fanatics, they still use their brains." Alice frowned at Davey''s words. "What are you trying to say¡­?" "Do you not know what they believe in and why they are fighting against the Holy Empire''s main church?" Alice suddenly turned rigid at Davey''s words. "Right now, they have a grandmaster-level mythical beast with them. If you continue to march like this, then every one of your men will die." Bang!!! The door burst open, and a priest rushed inside even before Davey could finish his words. "There''s a problem, Archbishop!" the priest shouted, delivering his report as he ran toward Alice. "An urgent report came in from Alecsied Ind where the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition''s Hall is located..." Alice turned pale at those words. And Davey? He grabbed the priest''s shoulders and asked, "Where is the exact location?" "Location? What do you mean?" the priest stammered. "The coordinates. Tell me, now!" The priest hurriedly pulled out a long report upon hearing Davey''s words. "I''m sure it''s here. Please, please wait...!" The priest scanned the document and quickly handed it over to Davey as soon as he found the coordinates. Using only the coordinates for warping was a very dangerous and unwise decision. However, if things continued as they were, a disaster would unfold, and the entire continent would be turned upside down. But for Davey, this was enough. He grabbed Alice''s arm, who was still confused, while waving his other hand in the air. Vwoooong!!! Thud!!! At the same time, a huge and intricate magic circle that emitted a blue light appeared on the ground beneath them. "What... What are you going to do?!" Alice eximed, her voice filled with fear. "Unlike me, that bastard can afford to waste mana since he has a huge reservoir. Even his basic powers are highly destructive. If we leave him alone, all of you will die." As long as the opponent had the grandmaster-level King of Mythical Beasts on their side, their original n would not work. Right now, Davey still couldn''t figure out why Megalodria was protecting the crazed inquisitors. Well, understanding that would mean understanding the process. As for the oue? Essentially, the bastard had be partially insane and was hostile toward Davey. Before unraveling that mystery, Davey needed to bring the battle to a temporary halt and prevent the ughter of innocent soldiers from the Holy Empire. What Davey intended to do might buy them a few days at most, but that would be enough. "W-Wait a moment! You''re just going to use space transfer magic like that?!" Alice cried out in fear as Davey continued to wave his hand in the air, their movements swift and precise. Wherever Davey''s fingertips passed, particles of light appeared and formed characters in the air, helping him create and rapidly calcte a form. "These aremunication coordinates! I''ve heard that you''re skilled in magic, but usingmunication coordinates for space travel ispletely impossible! We''re going to die in vain...!" Alice eximed. "You''re being noisy. Shut up," Davey retorted sharply, causing Alice to flinch and promptly close her mouth. Bzz, bzz, bzz¡ª! Daveypleted his calctions and sessfully created the form. As Alice had mentioned, casting space movement magic without urate coordinate data could lead to disastrous oues, such as being trapped in the Earth''s mantle or beingunched out of the atmosphere. However, if Davey couldn''t perform such a simple task as calcting a form, then he had no business presenting himself as the disciple of his magic teacher. The tools at Davey''s disposal were his theories, experience, and insights. Without hesitation, Davey employed his form and activated the magic. Boom!!! Not long after, dozens of coordinates appeared in front of him. When he swung his hands, the coordinates scattered all over the ce. Since he could not use the existing space movement magic, then Davey had no other choice but to use expedient methods right now. Without any hesitation, Davey sped his hands together and recited his own version of a prayer. [Let¡¯s just skip it and start.] Vwooooooong!!! At that moment, Alice and the priests inside the hall stared at Davey in astonishment as they sensed an immense surge of divine power emanating from him. It was a power unlike anything they had ever experienced before. In disbelief, they watched as a holy energy, surpassing their wildest imagination and seemingly impossible for a single individual to possess and control, began to envelop the entire hall. [I want a miracle. Do you want to see the church break down? Then, give me a miracle. Want to see me give up the position of a Saint? Then, give me a miracle.] [Your poor and pitifulmb is going to gamble with his life right here and now. If you don¡¯t want to see me die, then you better grant me your grace.] Crack, crack!!! The space in front of Davey began to twist and contort. In an instant, the scene before him transformed, revealing the towering figure of the colossal King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, soaring proudly in the sky. His massive form cast a dark shadow over the terrified and frozen soldiers of the Holy Empire who had arrived to face their adversaries. Chapter 381: The Martyr and the Protective Mythical Beast Fwoosh¡­ Bright red drops of blood, a stark contrast to the darkness, began to gather and coalesce into the form of a woman. "Urk..." The woman, a marquis-level vampire and a member of the radical faction, vomited a mouthful of blood. Among all vampires, this woman was considered special and entric. "This is not interesting," the woman murmured, a frown marring her face. Her sole concern was finding something truly captivating. Initially, she had no desire to participate in any kind of battle. However, due to a single human, the radical vampires, whom she often utilized, had copsed and vanished. That particr human had defeated them in war. To make matters worse, there was a human Warrior scouring and eliminating the remnants left from the conflict. But that wasn''t the end of it. She believed that the human she was interested in, Davey O''Rowane, had created and spread the virus among them. The woman was evidently just a half-vampire. It had originally been very challenging for her to tap into the powers of a low-ranking vampire, let alone a high-ranking one like a marquis-level vampire. However, there was one aspect thatpensated for this w in her body. Despite being nothing more than a half-vampire, with the core of the Philosopher''s Stone embedded within her, she could exhibit resistance and power on par with pure-blooded vampires. It also allowed her to resist that monstrous virus. However, this didn''t mean that she waspletely unaffected by the attack. In fact, unlike the moderate faction, who had fled long ago, the members of the radical faction had either transformed into monsters or been killed. The tragedy had left only a few of them behind. The problem arose when she encountered Reina while wandering around the continent for her own purposes, and she narrowly escaped death. For someone like her, Reina''s force and power were beyond shocking. Since the vampires had made this decision, they had gathered information about humans from various fields and had be aware of the extent of mankind''s strength. However, all of their ns had been ruined by the very first variable to appear: Davey O''Rowane. If it had been just Davey''s existence, they could have easily found a way to maneuver around him and the risks he posed. The problem arose when the second variable and powerhouse emerged in the form of the Warrior of Light, a scenario they had not expected. Reina, a young woman, possessed an unmatched force. Well, that was except for that monstrous human they were familiar with. The bigger issuey in Reina''s knowledge. How could one corner vampires? How could they inflict fatal injuries upon them? These were the things that Reina, the human, knew well. Unlike Davey O''Rowane, who used overwhelming power to dismantle them, Reina, who stood with the weak, utilized her knowledge and tricks to confront the vampires, who sided with the strong. And with her immense force, the oue became a catastrophic disaster that struck fear into the members of the radical vampire faction. Most of the vampires had been in, leaving only a few clinging desperately to life. At this point, Milpieu realized that she could no longer continue her experiments and studies with the radical faction. She could only save her own meager life by breaking away from their ranks. However, due to the grave injury inflicted upon her, the terrible virus that spread among the vampires during the war had an opportunity to wreak havoc in her body. "Ugh..." Milpieu could only groan, her screams muffled by the blood, something vampirescked, that gurgled out of her throat as she copsed onto the ground. "I can''t die like this... There''s still something I have to do..." If Milpieu were to die in this state, everything she had done so far would be in vain. So, she desperately summoned the strength within her body, retrieved the medicine she kept, and shoved it into her mouth. The medicine''s bitter and pungent taste swirled in her mouth. However, her blurred vision did not recover for some reason. "Blood... I need blood..." Milpieu mumbled with great difficulty before eventually copsing on the ground. The copsed Milpieu felt someone stepping lightly on the ground and approaching her. As the steps grew closer, the scent of blood also grew thicker which made her twist her neck and raise her head on instinct. And through her hazy vision, the half-vampire saw the figure of a girl with ck hair and bright red eyes that glinted underneath the mage¡¯s robe that covered her body. *** Fwoooooooooosh!!! The wind whipped loudly around them as they stood on Alecsied Ind. This small maritime ind, with a diameter of only a few kilometers, was situated in the northernmost part of the continent and belonged to the Holy Empire Valcias. It also housed the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, an independent division within the Holy Empire. In fact, even within the Holy Empire, it was quite difficult to obtain information about their precise whereabouts. This small ind was originally not a ce where many people would gather, especially if they had no special business there. Essentially, it could be described as empty. However, such a description was highly inappropriate given the current situation. A confrontation had unfolded between the 28,000 soldiers of the Holy Empire Valcias and the 5,000 Heresy Pdins. The inquisition had blocked all entrances to Alecsied Ind, as if they were willing to protect it at any cost, even their own lives. This was a Holy War, the result of the civil war initiated by the inquisition within the Holy Empire. When viewed from above, it felt as though the entire ind was packed with people. One could observe a significant disparity in numbers between the Holy Empire''s main church and the independent group, the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition. However, anyone with eyes could discern that fighting based solely on numbers was utterly meaningless in the current situation. ¡°Urgh!¡± Archbishop Alice, whose face had already turned pale, hurriedly covered her mouth before vomiting. She fell to her knees after transferring through space. Pat, pat! Davey silently patted her back, and Alice could only cover her mouth with one hand, shame coloring her frowning face as she asked, "What...in the world is that?" "Well, how do I say this? Basically, that''s him," Davey calmly replied, looking up to see ring red eyes staring down at him from the sky. The moment Davey appeared, Megalodria ceased sending out its Fear. Its nonchnt aura gradually transformed as its red eyes shed, and its four pairs of wings, now recovered, pped. Dark clouds instantly began to gather in the sky. Perhaps due to a battle already underway before Davey''s arrival, bodies were scattered across the ind. Those who survived were being overwhelmed by the pdins of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition. This was the result of their initial attempt to charge into battle, a battle they were forced to retreat from without aplishing anything after Megalodria made its appearance. The reason for the current lull in the battle was most likely the presence of the damned King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, floating in the sky and overlooking the battlefield. "Goodness... What creature is that?" Alice wondered. "Out of the way," Davey instinctively grabbed Alice''s shoulder and pulled her behind him upon realizing that the bastard had been staring at him for a prolonged period. He quickly extended one of his hands behind him, summoning his mana. For once, he had to consider the amount of mana remaining in his body and how much it wascking. If he intended to attack Megalodria consecutively, he had no choice but to utilize something other than mana. The problem was that he found himself in an unfavorable situation where he couldn''t use his dark mana, which had gradually transformed into demonic energy after his awakening as the Demon Lord. Observing Rinne''s firepower, he could tell that it was impossible for her to even graze Megalodria''s skin with her most powerful strike. As for Perserque, her magic was exceptional and efficient. However, the issue was that she had not fully recovered yet and could only defend herself and those around her once. ¡®This is why it¡¯s better if no one is watching¡­¡¯ Davey thought to himself as he pulled out all of the remaining mana in his body. If it was not enough, then he would have no other choice but to borrow some mana that had gathered in Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon. [8th Circle] [Mirror Force Reflection] Boom!!! A storm of incredibly powerful and intangible spears shot through the air the moment Davey cast his own magic. It was just one shot, but the attack carried immense power, akin to Divine Spear Longinus'' one-shot, one-kill nuclear-bomb-like spear attack. However, the most dangerous aspect of this attacky in the fact that it did not rely solely on attack power or brute force. It focused on stealth, making its trajectory and shape difficult to grasp. This attack was Megalodria''s primary specialty, and Davey was intimately familiar with it. What did that mean? It meant that he could easily detect and deflect it. The instant the attack made contact with Davey''s magic, the powerful force of the attack mmed his outstretched hand away. ng, ng, ng, ng!!! Even the 8th Circle defensive magic was instantly destroyed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± As his magic was forcibly destroyed, Davey became the one to bear the rebound. However, despite the pain, he couldn''t afford to be dazed. He had to demonstrate to the bastard in front of him that, even if it was a lie, he couldn''t be killed by its power at that moment. In truth, Davey desperately needed time. However, he wasn''t foolish enough to reveal such a weakness to his opponent, who was currently flustered by the deflection of his main specialty. Essentially, what Davey needed to do was put on a facade of false bravado and make Megalodria believe that he would be the one to lose if the fight continued. Shiiiiiiing¡­ After grabbing Blue Ribbon, Davey immediately pulled out all of the mana stored in the two des¡¯ body one after the other. ¡®Red Ribbon, can you lend Dad your mana?¡¯ ¡ªYeah! Red Ribbon can do it well! Red Ribbon can endure it! At the same time, Blue Ribbon brought out one of her two powers, the spirit mana, and fused it with Davey¡¯s own spirit mana. [Come out, you idlers. It doesn¡¯t matter how much spirit mana you use, make it look like you guys are all big and strong. Come out looking all cool and majestic.] As if responding to Davey''s words, the space tore apart, and streams of water began to gather in the air. The ground twisted and turned, forming a giant figure that protected the soldiers of Valcias. The disy of power was so magnificent and majestic that the onlookers could only gaze in awe at the two Spirit Kings from the ground. With the arrival of Gnoass and Eim, the aura surrounding Megalodria gradually grew heavy. Their appearance alone conveyed an immense sense of power. Gnoass manipted the ground as if it were an extension of his body, while Eim summoned vast amounts of water, shaping it in the air and around the ind. Davey also summoned the two divine beasts, Vermillion Bird Fire Chicken and Azure Dragon Rumble, positioning them to surround Megalodria. Azure Dragon Rumble was naturally aggressive, and his appearance seemed to indicate a strong dislike for Megalodria. On the other hand, Fire Chicken responded with intense anger, fixing a sharp re upon Megalodria. It was as if the creature felt that Megalodria had taken attention away from his own father. In essence, Fire Chicken was fulfilling his duty even without any specific orders from Davey. ¡®Since he¡¯s doing a good job and acting very well, I¡¯ll make sure to give him a delicious snackter.¡¯ ¡ªKihyeeeeeeeeck!!! Witnessing the enraged Fire Chicken, the silent yet angry Rumble, and the presence of the two Spirit Kings, Megalodria couldn''t help but look at Davey in astonishment, now fully aware of the concealed power beneath his exterior. The abrupt appearance of these four colossal beings cast a nket of silence over the entire area. It was so hushed that not even a breath could be heard. However, Davey wasn''t finished yet. He further intensified the already oppressive atmosphere. ¡°Listen well. This might be your first time seeing me.¡± ¡®But I know you very well.¡¯ Davey emphasized this fact to Megalodria. ¡°If you want to fight, then let¡¯s go. Last time it was Shandra Minea, now it¡¯s you. Let me guess, is Behemoth going toe over next? However, let me tell you this. If you¡¯re thinking of going against me by yourself, then all I can say is you¡¯re batshit crazy.¡± [What an arrogant human.] Megalodria reacted to Davey¡¯s words properly at first. However, when its eyes shed red, it struggled to voice out its thoughts. [I¡­ am¡­ the king of¡­ mythical¡­ beasts¡­ Shane¡¯s¡­ second¡­ mythical beast¡­] Observing Megalodria struggling to speak, Davey approached his two Spirit Kings and two Divine Beasts with a deliberate pace. "What you''re doing now is nothing more than a mere disturbance to me. I am not a knight, so I won''t y the role of a gentleman who waits for his opponent to reach their optimal state before striking. If my opponent is weakened, I won''t miss the opportunity to deliver a decisive blow. And right now, you are indeed weakened, aren''t you?" Did Megalodria truly believe that Davey would let this opportunity slip and wait for him to recover? In response to those words, Megalodria tightened its front paws, disying signs of nervousness. Davey''s mana was on the verge of depletion, but Megalodria also needed time to recover from his excessive use of power. Moreover, the current situation was unfamiliar to both of them. They both understood the need for recovery. However, Megalodria only perceived Davey as a dangerous opponent, guided solely by its intuition. It remained oblivious to the fact that the human before it also required time to recuperate. [Human¡­ You¡¯re dangerous.] The pdins of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition all turned to look at Megalodria in shock when they heard its somber voice ring. [I¡­. Cannot die in this ce yet.] After leaving those words, Megalodria pulled all of its remaining power, drawing out all of the power in it to¡­postpone the battle. Crack!!! Crack, crack, crack!!! Megalodria used its own power, the power of storms, to cut off the space around it. It created a dome that surrounded it and the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition¡¯s pdins. Then, it secured a space that could protect them and maintain their safety beforending on the ground and grumbling. ¡°This shameless bastard!!!¡± Davey angrily shouted as he rushed forward. Bang!!! Bang, bang!!! Bang!!! Davey swung the heavy Longsword multiple times in his attempts to strike at Megalodria. However, due to the shattered space and the severed mana connection, he was unable tond a solid blow on his opponent. Both the forces of Valcias and the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition stood motionless, unable to intervene, as they witnessed the confrontation unfolding between Davey and Megalodria. They could only watch in awe, unable to take a step forward. [Three days¡­ This space will remain for three days. I admit the fact that you¡¯re a dangerous bastard. That¡¯s why I cannot beat you with my current state.] No. If Megalodria fought with Davey right here and now, then it would have a higher chance of winning. Wasn¡¯t it a moron? Well, this was the reason why people should know how to bluff their way out well. "Damn bastard!!!" Davey shouted furiously as he swung his sword at the disconnected space in front of him. He even resorted to punches and kicks, but to no avail. It was only natural. Since the space had already been severed, it couldn''t be broken by attacks that hadn''t crossed that crack between dimensions. "Since it hase to this, then fine. Recover? Sure, go ahead and recover. Let''s finish this once you''re fully restored," Davey said calmly as he turned around. Simultaneously, the furious expression on his face vanished, reced by a calm and serene countenance. His rapid shift from enraged fury to nonchnce was akin to removing a mask, leaving no trace of what had just transpired. Alice, who observed the situation from a distance, couldn''t help but frown in confusion as she witnessed Davey''s sudden change in expression. The same bewilderment filled the faces of the pdins and soldiers from the Holy Empire''s main church¡ªthey could only stare at him nkly. ¡®Good acting should be able to trick both enemies and allies, no?¡¯ Megalodria was now very conscious of Davey. The space would only break once it fully recovered. That meant that Davey¡¯s safety was also guaranteed for three days. ¡®You might be able to trick him but you can¡¯t trick him forever¡­ Right¡­ You still have to subdue him in three days, no?¡¯ ¡®That guy will be hell bent on killing me. However, I have to suppress him without killing him. Only by catching him will I be able to know why those crazed beings are being sent here.¡¯ Why couldn¡¯t Davey just talk with it? Although he could hold a conversation with Megalodria, Davey could tell that the mythical beast was brainwashed, albeit notpletely. Engaging in a conversation with someone who was not in their right state of mind would make it challenging for Davey to discern the truth from lies. If Megalodria had been brainwashed and fed him false information, it would put Davey in a precarious situation, not Megalodria. Ultimately, Davey concluded that he would only be able to extract urate answers from Megalodria once the brainwashing had been lifted and he had returned to his normal state. It was only then that he could engage in a meaningful conversation with the King of Mythical Beasts. ¡®But what in the world are you going to do in those three days? Your body is already working to its limits to recover your powers. There¡¯s no other way to speed it up any more than this¡­¡¯ ¡°There¡¯s one,¡± Davey answered as he grabbed the key, which was emitting a golden light, from his Pocket ne. The key was none other than the dimensional key, a dimensional key that was now fully charged. Chapter 382

Chapter 382

Thanks to the imposing disy of power by the two Spirit Kings, Davey was able to sessfully bluff Megalodria and force it to cut the space between them and seclude itself. All that remained now was to ensure that Megalodria remained unaware of being deceived. After all, once Megalodria realized that it had been tricked, it would realize that it could safely dispose of Davey. And if it had nothing to worry about, it would most likely be furious and instantly reconnect the space that it had severed. "That guy, despite his bad temper, is known to be very rational," Davey sighed. Well, what could he expect? That guy is still half-crazy, so things worked out. Then, he called out, "Archbishop Alice." "Huh¡­?" Alice replied. She was dumbfounded, aplex expression on her face as she looked at Davey. "Send back all of your troops," Davey said firmly. Alice frowned upon hearing the determination in Davey''s words. "What do you mean by telling me to recall all the troops?" "You have three days of guaranteed safety. As long as he remains like that, the Holy Empire¡¯s Temple Knights and the Inquisitors will not be able to engage inbat." A fight would only ensue if both parties coulde into contact. However, under the current circumstances, it was impossible for them to make contact. That''s why Davey said those words. "Then¡­" "I''m telling you that I''ll destroy them in three days'' time." Once those three days were up, Davey would then destroy the entire inquisition. Alice took a deep breath upon hearing Davey''s words. "But, this is a civil war¡­" "How many people know about Alecsied Ind?" "Only a few¡­" "Then it''s fine. Even if I go wild here, no one will know." Davey lived by the words: If no one saw you kill, then it¡¯s an assassination. That meant that if no one saw him go wild here, he would just let others steal his thunder. "If you want to be recognized for punishing the inquisitors, then feel free to do so. As for me? I''ll just blow up these rotten bastards and take away the King of the Mythical Beasts." Alice pondered for a moment after hearing those words. She realized that there was nothing she, the Holy Empire''s pdin, and the Temple Knights could do against a monster that could make their bodies tremble with just one nce. She was also quick-witted and must have understood that Davey''s words implied he couldn''t guarantee their safety if he went wild on the ind. After all, he was considered a monster of the same magnitude as the gigantic monster before them. "We''ll...leave the ind and return to the continent," she said. "Then go as far inside the continent as you can. I don''t know how far the aftermath will reach." Davey grinned. He hadn''t tried such a n before either. Then, he called back the Spirit Kings that had been facing off against Megalodria. "You can stop pretending now. It''s bing quite difficult to maintain the act." [Contractor. I have quite a lot ofints.] ¡°Whatints? Why do you have a lot?¡± Gnoass, who had initially appeared imposing with an enormous body, now shrank his form before speaking... [Back in the territory, all I did was y around with dirt, goof around, and wait nkly for the contractor¡¯s orders.] [We thought that we could finally show off the majesty and power of the spirits when we were summoned here on the scene of battle. However, all you asked us to do is bluff.] It appeared that it wasn''t just Gnoass who felt that way, but also Eim. The two Spirit Kings were spirits who had previously formed a contract with the continent''s great hero. Essentially, they were expressing their discontent because they were being utilized in a manner that differed greatly from their previous experiences. [I¡¯m a Spirit King, but all I do is be a mere construction worker. Is that even fair?] [Such a trivial matter can easily be settled by a high-ranking spirit and not a Spirit King.] Davey smiled at the two Spirit Kings that were openly protesting andining to him. ¡±How long are you going to y the hero, huh? If you¡¯re asked to do this, then you have to do it, no?¡± They were both talking too much. Ting! Davey handed arge spirit stone to each of the two Spirit Kings as he flicked the key in his hand and opened a rift in space. "I obtained these spirit stones from the Divine Tree. While you may not be able to summon your usual group, they should be enough to call forth several intermediate-ranking spirits. You have one hour. Just one hour of time," Davey exined. The Spirit Kings, visibly dissatisfied with Davey, fell silent as they epted the spirit stones. Then, Davey turned to Rinne, who remained in abat stance, and said, "Rinne, Decepticon Fleet." "On standby are Sniper, Juggernaut, and Megatron. Rinne highly values theirbat abilities," replied Rinne. "Have you confirmed if they have recharged?" Davey inquired. "Report. After circting the magic stone for mana recharge, each individual has over 90% power remaining." Upon hearing this, Davey activated the key. "Open Sesame." Davey wasn''t sure why themand to activate the key was like this, but it didn''t matter as long as it worked. The crack opened, revealing its magnificent presence. Perserque, witnessing this phenomenon for the first time, stared wide-eyed at the other side of the rift and murmured curiously, "Oh my god. This crack in space is absurd... No magic theory can exin such a phenomenon." "If it could be exined so easily, do you think I would still rely on something like this?" Davey replied. Theories could only exin concepts at the human or transcendental level. Anything beyond the realm of gods would be futile to exin. Davey considered the key a highly wed item. While it could transport him to another world, the time he could spend inside would decrease with each use of his powers. Even unconsciously releasing his power would diminish the time avable. In other words, the time consumption rate was too rapid. In such a situation, the best approach was to conserve his power for as long as possible and extend his stay. Fortunately, the time he could spend in that world had doubled after sessfullypleting the previous mission. It was a significant advantage for him. Shwaaaaaaaaa!!! Thud! ¡°Huh?¡± At that moment, the crack that had opened suddenly snapped shut. Simultaneously, a new sentence appeared in Davey''s activated status window. [The survival of the Second Star of Hope that has fallen into crisis. Metamorphosis Stack: 1; Additional 100% capacity added to the Dimensional Key¡¯s maximum capacity.] [Capacity in current possession: [90:00].] ¡°Eh?¡± ¡®I haven¡¯t done anything yet though?¡¯ The Second Star of Hope was a young boy named Ivanov Ban, who was likely the descendant of Eva van Hoeinheim, whom Davey had met previously. However, Davey couldn''tprehend why he suddenly received a reward when he hadn''t done anything yet. Perserque, unaware of the full situation, looked at him in confusion. However, Rinne was different. Rinne''s eyes widened as she grabbed Davey''s cor and eximed, "Sir Davey! Sir Davey! Rinne will exin the reason!" "What is it?" Davey asked. "The twin golems! Rinne''s sessors! Rinne believes that this is obviously the work of the golems we attached to the target!" "Ah... No way?" Davey blurted out unconsciously upon hearing those words. He had left those two golems behind to gather information and protect Ivanov Ban. In Davey''s absence, the golems had guarded the boy andpleted the mission on his behalf. What was even more surprising was the fact that they had managed to restore their power by circting and operating their mana, which had consumed Davey''s precious golden time. Davey could not help but stare nkly at the sudden turn of events. However, he quickly snapped out of it and checked the title window to activate the Starbreaker. [Starbreaker] (A title given to the one that can mimic a portion of an exploding celestial body.) ¡ªThe 1st Seal has beenpletely lifted. ¡ªMana Affinity will increase by +100% upon title equipment. ¡ªAbsorbs up to 10% of the title user¡¯s mana in just two hours. ¡ªThere is a high chance of lifting another seal upon using the additional Metamorphosis Stack(1) In the first ce, Davey had brought out the dimensional key for this very purpose. Since hecked the means to subdue Megalodria in one fell swoop, he intended topensate for his shorings through this artifact. Without hesitation, Davey embraced the challenge. A radiant light materialized before him, apanied by the appearance of a treasure box. Like in games of chance and gambling, therge treasure box began to vibrate vigorously, while the emitted light grew increasingly intense. Perserque and Rinne anxiously watched the treasure box, wondering what item would emerge. The same curiosity gripped Davey. If his predictions were correct, the desired effect would manifest. However, there was also the chance that it might not ur. Rattle, rattle, rattle, rattle! ck! The treasure box opened not long after. Davey looked at it in silence as he confirmed its contents. [Unsealing has failed. Additional Metamorphosis Stack (1) has been consumed¡­] It failed? He had to try again? ¡°This f*cking bastard!!!¡± ¡®This damn gambling system!¡¯ The Temple Knights, who were preparing to retreat, and Alice, who was staring at the bright light, looked at Davey nkly when they heard him curse. ¡®What? What are you looking at? A Saint is a human too! Am I not allowed to curse?!¡¯ *** The dimensional key required a few hours before it could be reactivated. Despite the twin golems'' valiant efforts in safeguarding Ivanov, which cost Davey ny minutes of his time, he had failed to unseal a portion of the title. Ultimately, Davey had no choice but to wait for the next opportunity. Thankfully, the gates remained connected to the Yurgian Continent, Ivanov''s home world, so as long as the twin golems continued protecting him, his stacks would be restored. Ring! After six hours, the cooldown of the dimensional key finally expired. Davey promptly seized the key and activated it once more. ck! Just like before, his entire ny minutes disappeared while the rewards appeared. [The survival of the Second Star of Hope that has fallen into crisis. Metamorphosis Stack: 1; Additional 100% capacity added to the Dimensional Key¡¯s maximum capacity.] [Capacity in current possession: [90:00].] Unfortunately, the time did not increase, but Davey managed to sessfully acquire another Metamorphosis Stack. At this moment, most of the Temple Knights had already boarded the ship to flee from the ind, leaving only a handful of Holy Empire officials behind at the scene. Under their watchful gazes, Davey stood before Megalodria and joined his hands together in prayer, "Goddess Freyja, I pray..." [Unsealing has failed. Additional Metamorphosis Stack (1) has been consumed¡­] ¡°You damn goddess!!!¡± ¡®Who among your believers prays sincerely and interacts with you like I do, huh?! There''s truly no point in believing in God¡­¡¯ The second attempt was also a failure. [Your desperate Little Lamb is praying for luck.] [Unsealing has failed. Additional Metamorphosis Stack (1) has been consumed¡­] ¡°Damn you!¡± The third attempt was also a failure. [Hey! Just make it work for a bit! Are you kidding me, huh?!] [Unsealing has failed. Additional Metamorphosis Stack (1) has been consumed¡­] The fourth attempt? Another failure. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang! Bang!!! Davey stomped the ground in anger, making the ground shake tremendously and attracting the attention of everyone in the area. ¡°F*cking goddess.¡± Were his words considered sphemy? Well, Davey did not care. ¡°God is dead.¡± "Are those words... something that shoulde out of a Saint''s mouth?" "I don''t care! She''s a damn bastard if she doesn''t help me, whatever!" By now, an entire day had passed, and most of the Holy Empire''s troops had escaped on a ship. Only a few individuals from the Holy Empire remained to face the enemy, including Davey and Alice, which surprised Davey. "What''s wrong with Rinne?" "Rinne has determined that mishandled potatoes are toxic and should not be consumed," Rinne exined, while Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon yfully teased Rinne by pinching her cheeks. As for Perserque, she initially watched Davey with curiosity but soon lost interest, choosing instead to stroke the Transcendence Demise. Alice, however, looked at Davey in confusion after witnessing his peculiar actions without showing signs of recovering his strength and power, even after a whole day had passed. "Um... Prince Davey? What on earth are you doing?" "Just wait there. I only need this to seed." On one side, Rumble and Fire Chicken yfully fought each other, while on the other side, Decepticon''s Golem Megatron, previously defeated by Rinne, sat silently with a menacing electric saw in its hands, resembling a motionless stone guardian. "What is that fierce golem over there?" Alice sighed, her words trailing off. It seemed she had given up on understanding Davey and his actions. Davey was aware that Alice must have been feeling bewildered. After all, her preconceived notions of how a Saint should behave were being shattered before her eyes. Before long, Davey sensed the dimensional key reactivating as its cooldown timer ended. Without hesitation, he opened the gates, causing his remaining ny minutes to vanish as another Metamorphosis Stack appeared on his status window. It felt like an automated process¡ªnothing more, nothing less. With trembling hands, Davey sped them together and devoutly recited a prayer, a prayer he had never performed before in his life. This was the first chapter of the Prayer of Origin, unknown to any member of the Holy Empire. [Goddess Freyja, the God of Origin. This foolish youngmb is calling for you. May you please grant me your light as I walk through this trial¡­] [Through your mercy and benevolence, please bestow the light of hope to your suffering believers¡­] [I vow in my name to serve you for a lifetime¡­] [Amen¡­] Ring!!! [The unsealing has seeded! The second ability of the title ¡®Starbreaker¡¯ will now be released!] ¡°¡­¡± ¡®You damn bastard of a goddess.¡¯ Chapter 383

Chapter 383

"Keuaaaaack!" The pdin, who had been dragged into a room and thrown onto the floor, shrieked in pain. "First Judge Clonnie, I have brought the sinner." "Thank you for your hard work," responded Clonnie, dressed in red armor. She smiled benevolently before turning toward the statue of the goddess, ced on one side of the underground prison, and reciting a short prayer. [Please forgive this sinner and allow him to atone for his sins...] A suffocating silence draped over the area for a moment. The man who had overpowered the pdin looked at Clonnie with contempt. However, neither he nor the rest of the people inside the underground prison stopped her from what she was doing. "Then... let''s begin the trial." A loud grating sound resonated through the area as Clonnie stood up and approached the captured pdin. She asked quietly, "Do you know why you have been brought here?" "I have nothing to say to heretics who have gone against the teachings of the goddess." "Oh, my. A heretic speaking about heresy to people who specialize in catching heretics," Clonnie said calmly, mercilessly pping the pdin. p!!! ¡°Kghhk!!!¡± Clonnie O¡¯Priscille was a teenage girl, but she possessed an unusual amount of power and strength for someone her age. Consequently, a single strike from her would certainly not be weak. "I would rather you... kill me... than insult me like this!" Clonnie simply grinned in response to the pdin¡¯s pleas. "Every life is considered precious. Purity is paramount, especially for those who repent and receive the mercy of the goddess," Clonnie spoke calmly, gathering power in her palms as she grabbed the pdin''s chin. She then pressed the divine object, shaped like a cross, closer to the pdin and continued, "The goddess'' messenger has bestowed upon us this divine object. It possesses the power to distinguish between believers and heretics. If you are a heretic, this item will turn ck." Upon hearing her words, the pdin spat at Clonnie''s cheek. "L-Lady Clonnie!" eximed the people who were protecting her, startled by the act. In their rush to reach Clonnie, they identally trampled the captured pdin. "Please, stop. We all adhere to the teachings of the goddess. His punishment wille after the revtion, once all of his sins have been exposed," Clonnie calmly stated as she wiped the spit from her chin. Using the same hand she had used to wipe her chin, Clonnie grabbed the pdin and activated the divine object. Vwooooong¡­ The cross that she firmly believed would turn ck¡­ ¡°He is¡­not a sinner.¡± ¡­did not change. ¡°What¡­?¡± . Even the standby pdins, who were there for protection, looked on at the scene in disbelief. "Ha... Hahaha... Hahahahahahaha! That''s right. God has taught us to remain benevolent and always show mercy. He did not teach us to kill indiscriminately like you! Go ahead, kill me! I will die, but know that I am pure and clean. I will die as a martyr!" Clonnie, listening to the pdin''s words, rose slowly as she gazed at the cross. Then, she said, "Lock this man up again." "What?!" "Those who aren¡¯t heretics are not subject to our punishments. They are the people we are meant to protect." "B-But he is the enemy!" "The enemy?" Clonnie''s smile vanished from her face. "The only ones we are supposed to punish are heretics and demonkin. That is what the revtion has said. Since when did we allow our personal feelings to interfere with the sacred trial of heresy?" Caught off guard by Clonnie''s decision, the pdin looked both absurd and embarrassed. "Heretics must be purified andpelled to repent. However, if they are not heretics or demonkin..." Clonnie grasped her head tightly as she groaned, "Ugh!" Clonnie appeared to be in pain, her brows furrowing, as someone slowly emerged from the flustered pdins and impaled the captured pdin''s body with a sword. "L-Leader!" Clonnie, supported by one of the surprised pdins, struggled to look up at the uninvited guest who had entered the room. It was then that she saw a middle-aged man exuding an air of benevolence and kindness. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that, First Judge Clonnie.¡± ¡°L-Leader.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Punish the heretics and the demonkin. That is what the revtion that the goddess has bestowed upon us.¡± ¡°B-But that man¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a heretic.¡± Clonnie''s eyes widened at the man''s short and firm words. "But... the divine object..." "He''s a heretic. There was just a slight problem with the divine object." The man¡¯s words were a stretch, but he continued with the charade, a grin on his face. "Clonnie, have you forgotten? Have you forgotten how your parents were mercilessly ughtered by those demonkin when you were young?" "Demon...kin..." Madness began to taint Clonnie''s shaking pupils. "Demonkin... that''s right. The demonkin, all of them, should be purified." "That''s right. Who am I? Who is this person standing in front of you?" "God''s... messenger. The one who received God''s revtion." "That''s right. The great and mighty Goddess Freyja has sent an Apostle of God to fulfill the mission she has bestowed upon us. This being is currently protecting us from the corrupted saint who has been possessed by the demonkin and the fallen Holy Empire." "He may appear possessed by the demonkin, but through the formal trial..." "Dear me. This is also your issue. Being too rigid and honest isn''t always the correct answer," he said calmly, pushing Clonnie to the ground. "Lock her up in the tower. First Judge Clonnie dared to question my decision as God''s Messenger." "B-But Leader..." "Oh? Are you going to defy the words of God''s Messenger?" The man''s eyes briefly gleamed with sharpness. Witnessing the glint, the pdins could only nod slowly and drag the unconscious Clonnie away. As for the pdin who had been stabbed earlier, he vomited a mouthful of blood while ring at the man with bloodshot eyes. "Orthodox... Heresy Inquisition Leader Collosus Griam..." "Hoo... It seems you know me well. Are you a first-ranked pdin?" "Bastard! Your wicked deeds have gone too far! God taught us to show mercy and never engage in mindless killings!" Collosus Griam simply grinned at the pdin''s dying words. "Indeed. God truly taught us how to show mercy. But what mercy did that god, who taught us mercy, show me?" "What¡­?" "Anyway, it''s nothing. I have dedicated my entire life to serving God. I have chosen to tread this dark path, doing the dirty work and even shifting me onto others. I don''t mind if others don''t know what I''ve done, but what about God? She didn''t even acknowledge me or the things I did," Collosus said calmly as he walked forward. "When I first encountered her, it was merely a coincidence. I saved her on a whim." "Who...are you talking about?" the pdin asked. "Ah, there''s no need for you to know. Let me continue my story. She was quite a beauty, so I saved her. But it turned out she was an existence I couldn''t treat so carelessly. I felt fear, the same fear I experience in the presence of God." And so, he obeyed her. Did others know what happened to him after doing so? That existence¡ªGod''s Apostle! An immensely powerful being who called himself Megalodria! His existence could be described as the epitome of power! And he couldn''t even defy her! A faint smile appeared on Collosus'' face. "She said she hase here to find someone of her own kind. From what I heard, the person she was seeking arrived here a few decades ago. But she never heard anything from them, so she came in search of them." "Where... Where did that persone from?" the pdin questioned. "That... I don''t know. The only thing that matters to me is the fact that she entrusted me with the authority tomand God''s Apostle, Megalodria." The pdin clenched his teeth. "I found it strange when the inquisition suddenly started acting irrational, but..." "They might be individuals driven solely by the desire to punish heretics, but they are humans too. In order for them to kill the people I wanted them to kill, I had to manipte their minds. Especially that unique and special individual, Clonnie O''Priscille." Silence hung in the air. "She was already formidable from the beginning. I don''t know why she possessed such power, but... Ah, right. I believe she was called a Trait Ability User? From what I gathered, they are individuals capable of dealing with a variety of abilities and powers. Regardless, when she was young, she witnessed her parents being devoured by the demonkin. As a result, she harbors a strong aversion toward heretics. However, for a lunatic like her, she ispletely sincere and naive, particrly when ites to non-heretics. And that is her greatest w." Collosus, upon discovering that Clonnie couldn''t fully utilize her powers, brainwashed her entirely. By her own volition, she incinerated those whom the false divine object had deemed heretics, using her overwhelming power. What was the truth? Did it matter whether she knew or not? She was nothing more than a mindless killer with blood on her hands. Collosus grinned, his smile concealing a hideous darkness entirely distinct from Clonnie''s madness. "You''re insane! Absolutely insane! How dare you deceive your own subordinates?" the pdin eximed. "That''s right. So what if I''ve gone mad? As long as I achieve what I desire, it''s all fine..." Collosus retorted. "The Saint and the Archbishop will undoubtedly hold you ountable for all your evil deeds. You should beg for God''s mercy, you damned heretic!¡± "A heretic is someone who betrays God. But you know what? It''s not heresy when your opponent worships the same God." The pdin regarded Collosus with revulsion upon hearing his words. "Anyway, the Saint will meet his demise at the hands of God''s Apostle. God''s Apostle is an incredibly potent being. So why don''t we wait for the oue, hmm?" Collosus suggested with a chilling grin. *** [The unsealing has seeded! The second ability of the title ¡®Starbreaker¡¯ will now be released!] Ping!!! Davey listened intently to the sound ringing in his ears, his gaze fixed on the shifting contents of the title. After a moment, he was finally able to take in everything and assess the situation. [Starbreaker] (A title given to the one that can mimic a portion of an exploding celestial body.) ¡ªThe 1st Seal has beenpletely lifted. ¡ªMana Affinity will increase by +100% upon title equipment. ¡ªAbsorbs up to 10% of the title user¡¯s mana in just two hours. ¡ªUpon title equipment, the title user can control mana by his own will. ¡ªAdditional mana will be absorbed ording to the will of the title user. The words added to the title were simple, yet they held immense significance for Davey. This line represented the installment savings n that Davey had longed for, allowing him to withdraw funds whenever he desired. It was his best option at this moment. "Good. I have dedicated my life to reaching this moment," Davey dered confidently, springing up from his seat. All the beings present, previously upied with their own activities and idly passing time, turned their attention toward Davey. However, he paid no heed to their gazes. He simply approached the crack that separated the disconnected space and halted the ongoing conflict. As time passed, the number of pdins in the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition had dwindled significantly, recognizing that they couldn''t continue fighting due to the space being disconnected. Nheless, the remaining individuals watched Davey''s approach with nervous anticipation. Meanwhile, Megalodria, adorned with red and blue scales and feathers, and towering several meters in height, remained curled up with closed eyes. It was engrossed in restoring its strength. Thump!!! Thump!!! Amidst the tense gazes of everyone present, Davey finally reached the crack that had split and torn the space between them. He tapped on it forcefully with his bare hands, mustering his loudest voice. "Hey, you punk! Open this damn door!" Naturally, there was no way the cracked space could be repaired instantly. After repeatedly striking the crack with strength, Davey squinted. He had finally grasped the pattern of the fracture. "It would take around a day and a half, almost two days..." There was enough time. Since the n was already in motion, all he needed to do was prepare to execute it. Vwoooooooong! Davey immediately extended one hand and released his mana. Simultaneously, magic circles emitting a brilliant purple light appeared in the sky above him, on the ground beneath his feet, above his head, and in front, behind, left, and right of him. Magic circles began to manifest and envelop the surrounding space. Like dust being drawn into a vacuum cleaner, the mana in the vicinity started flowing into Davey''s body. With a substantial amount of mana in his hands, Davey swiftly calcted countless magical forms in his mind. Then, he cast his mana, unleashing its power. ¡®I will show you why a pre-casting mage is called a cheat.¡¯ *** A day had passed since Davey initiated the maintenance of the magic circles around him. Rinne, who had finally realized that Davey was already engaged in a task, swiftly recalled the golems she had released and positioned herself by his side. Perserque quietly nestled into Davey''s pockets, observing the unfolding situation. Red Ribbon and Blue Ribbon transformed back into their sword forms and hung from Davey''s waist. As for Alice? She had chosen to hide far away, disregarding Davey''s warnings, and kept a watchful eye on the events. "You''ll probably need another day for this... to work. But are you okay? Continuing without sleep?" Perserque anxiously inquired, observing Davey standing motionless like a statue ever since he activated the magic circles a day ago. "I''m fine," Davey replied, moistening his lips a few times before answering. "This should be sufficient." Davey''s statement captured the attention of everyone present. "Everyone, please move as far away as possible." Rinne promptly took Perserque, who was still in her small form, and stepped back to a safe distance. Then, Davey slowly, painstakingly began to manipte one of the magic circles. Vwoooooooong!!! Simultaneously, an immense amount of mana surged, forming a colossal vortex of five-colored mana that converged around Davey. Then, as if propelled by a powerful current, the vortex soared skyward, drawing in more mana. This was the culmination of the magic that Davey had diligently prepared, crystallized on his fingertips over the course of several days. Perserque observed the extraordinary mana flow in the air, sensing a growing sense of danger. Rinne, likewise, swiftly pulled Perserque along, increasing the distance between themselves and Davey, driven by an instinctive sense of crisis. Following suit, the Azure Sky''s Storm Dragon King, Megalodria, a being attuned to the mana''s movements, slowly opened itsrge reptilian eyes and fixed its gaze upon Davey. ¡®Goodness. You found out about my n, but you¡¯re already far toote.¡¯ ¡°How much time do we have left?¡± Megalodria could not hear Davey¡¯s voice since the space between them had been cut off. However, it was looking at Davey and his shit-eating grin. [Reversed 8th Circle] [zing Fireball] [White Nova] The reversed magic known as White Nova was a modified version of the spell Davey had used against the World Tree, which had perished at his hands. It was a creation of the deranged mage Odin, often referred to as the God of Mages. This magic prioritized destructive power over efficiency, rendering it highly inefficient. During his previous encounter, Davey had been a mere 8th Circle mage, exhausting all the mana within his body. However, this time he had advanced to be a 9th Circle Mage, and he had spent several days gathering and umting mana to charge the reversed 8th Circle magic. Additionally, he possessed the title of Exploding Star, which optimized mana efficiency andpensated for magic with low efficiency. "Well then, it would be nice if time passed swiftly, don''t you think?" Megalodria took several cautious steps back, nervously observing Davey. The King of Mythical Beasts was well aware that it wouldn''t emerge unscathed if directly struck by this attack. Its pale face appeared even more ghostly against the backdrop of its blue feathers. Chapter 384: The Storm Dragon King and the Hall’s Lunatic

Chapter 384: The Storm Dragon King and the Hall¡¯s Lunatic

Just one nce was enough to tell that the attack was extremely dangerous. Perserque, who sat on Rinne¡¯s shoulders, pondered deeply before releasing the cloth that wrapped the staff cradled in her hands. The staff in question was none other than the Transcendence Demise, which Davey had reluctantly given to her. However, he had imposed a condition that she could only touch it momentarily. Unfortunately, Davey was preupied with the arrival of the King of Mythical Beasts, Azure Sky¡¯s Storm Dragon King Megalodria, from another dimension, and didn''t have the opportunity to retrieve it from Perserque. Perserque''s contemtion didn''t take long. She leapt off Rinne''s shoulder, using her mana to levitate and return to her original form. Rinne immediately stopped running and observed the peculiar Perserque. "Rinne has a question. We are in the midst of fulfilling Sir Davey''s orders. It would be best for Rinne to escort Lady Per and retreat swiftly," Rinne suggested. "Just wait a moment," Perserque responded calmly, closing her eyes. Simultaneously, demonic energy, a power unique to demons, began to seep slowly from her body. The body Perserque currently possessed wasn''t the one created by the demons. As a result, she had to undergo several processes to harness her soul''s demonic energy and adapt to her new form. Consequently, she hadn''t fully regained her former power. Given their dire situation, Perserque had no choice but to employ this efficient method to extract power that surpassed her current capabilities. However, she understood she could only summon a limited amount of power. Therefore, she decided against utilizing an excessive amount of demonic energy to aid Davey. Additionally, Archbishop Alice was retreating alongside them, and Perserque couldn''t afford to inadvertently cause harm to Davey. Nevertheless... "This individual is different," Perserque murmured. The Transcendence Demise in her hand was unique. Gazing affectionately at the staff''s unparalleled power, which only Davey could fully unleash, Perserque resonated with the mana surrounding her. "As I suspected, returning this to Davey would be a tremendous waste." [Grow quickly.] Boom!!! With her words, the gradual increase in mana, which also expanded the sphere of zing white mes, suddenly surged at an overwhelming speed. The Transcendence Demise possessed the ability to amplify or diminish the effects of magic. Although Perserque could only tap into a fraction of its power, it proved to be more than sufficient. Reverting to her smaller form, Perserque calmly floated back and settled on Rinne''s shoulder, wearing a serene and refreshed expression. "We know nothing. Let''s go, Rinne." "Rinne greatly values Lady Per''s decision," Rinne affirmed, giving Perserque a satisfied thumbs-up after witnessing the distant transformation of the white light. "Oh my god... You''re all insane... What?! Are you truly determined to reshape the entirendscape right here and now?!" Alice, the only one who expressed disbelief and hesitation, eximed. Her eyes remained fixated on the escting magic, far beyond their current location. *** The surge of mana didn''t directly extend across the severed space, yet the gathering and manifestation of power right before Megalodria sent a shiver through its feathers, leaving them rigid. ¡®Something¡¯s wrong! The opponent is a very special human.¡¯?Megalodria had no choice but to think this way. Storm Dragon King Megalodria had been a long-timepanion of the Mythical Beast Summoner, Shane Scrift, revered as the Supreme Hero. Through his journey, Megalodria had climbed the ranks, eventually earning his current title as the King of Mythical Beasts. Reflecting on his vast memories and experiences, he realized that encounters like this were rare. At first nce, the human before Megalodria appeared to be nothing more than a child. However, witnessing the human effortlessly block his attack with a single broken arm made Megalodria realize that his situation was far from favorable. In fact, Megalodria could barely sense any mana within the boy''s body. Even for someone like him, who had lived for an extensive period, this phenomenon remained inexplicable. The only conclusion he could draw was that his own condition had deteriorated to the point where he couldn''t measure the immense mana possessed by the boy standing before him. As expected, the boy proved to be truly formidable. Megalodria, already utilizing a significant portion of his power to resist the brainwashing, quickly surmised that victory wouldn''te easily in this battle. During their confrontation, Megalodria was involuntarily transported back to this small ind. It was an actpletely contrary to his own will, and it was there that he encountered the boy once again. The boy''s words were strange and surprising. He spoke as if he not only knew Megalodria but also the other two beings hailed as the King of Mythical Beasts. Megalodria couldn''t help but suspect a connection between the boy and the enigmatic woman who had invaded the Lux Continent. With such thoughts racing through his mind, Megalodria found himself in an intensely tense state. He couldn''t afford to die like this. The best course of action was to regain his strength, overpower the boy, and escape this ce. To achieve that, he had to postpone the fight, even if it meant resorting to force. Megalodria hadn''t anticipated that things would unfold in this manner. ¡°My¡­ My god¡­ What the hell is that¡­?¡± Some of the pdins from the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, who were on standby, murmured in shock at the sight of a pure white sphere materializing in the dark sky. The sky itself was obscured by the gathering dark clouds, a result of Megalodria''s powers. The sphere emitted a blinding light as it spun vigorously above them, growing in size while devouring mana from its surroundings. This spectacle left the pdins awestruck. Megalodria had severed the space and bought himself at least two or three days to umte his power. However, it didn''t take long for him to realize that his actions merely granted the boy more time, not himself. Although Megalodria couldn''t hear the boy''s voice through the barrier of the severed space, he could read the boy''s lips mouthing, "It would be great if you could unleash this as soon as possible, right? Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to deliver a powerful blow." Only then did Megalodria realize, "Ah, it wasn''t me who needed time. It was him." Assured that he had bought enough time, the boy openly began to prepare, seemingly unconcerned about his defenses. It appeared as if the Spirit Kings and unidentified beings he summoned to confront Megalodria on the ind were nothing more than empty threats. Megalodria had made a grave error in judgment because he couldn''t gauge his opponent''s mana. In the end, he had inadvertently given his opponent ample time to prepare, leaving himself with no choice but to confront and fight the enemy immediately. He wished he could somehow mend the rift and engage his opponent right away. However, Megalodria knew it wouldn''t unfold so smoothly. There was a high chance that the boy wouldn''t miss the opportunity to strike the moment he saw Megalodria attempting to repair the rift. It simply wasn''t a viable option. The problemy in the fact that Megalodria couldn''t guarantee his own safety once the magic, in the form of the pure white sphere, directly struck them. ¡°Call¡­ Call the leader right away!¡± the pdins cried out in a hurry. Not long after, a man garbed in ck robes emerged from the church of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, his gaze fixed upon the radiant sphere of light that rivaled the sun. "What... What should we do, Leader?" "What kind of magic is this...?" Despite the fear evident in the pdins and priests of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, their leader, Collosus Griam, exuded an air of confidence. He then spoke words that divergedpletely from Megalodria''s expectations. "Do not be afraid, for God''s Apostle is with us." The impact of those words was immense. ''No.'' Megalodria yearned to refute them, but the power eroding his will had grown too strong, rendering him incapable of mustering the energy to speak. His head throbbed intensely, as if it were on the verge of splitting, yet that human before him spouted utter nonsense. "At first nce, that magic may appear terrifying, but it is nothing more than an empty fa?ade. Don''t you agree?" Grrrrrrrrrrr! Megalodria felt an overwhelming urge to scream at Collosus Griam upon hearing that question, but he was unable to do so. The power eroding his rationality prevented his voice from escaping, allowing only a growl to emerge. ¡®Gather all your priests and prepare defensive magic. It is the only way you might survive this ordeal. If that thing strikes you, there won''t even be time to utter your final words,¡¯ Megalodria desperately thought. "Behold! God''s Apostle reveals his magnificent and formidable form!!" eximed one of the priests. "That''s not it! Can''t you see my feathers? They''re all standing on end!" Megalodria tried to convey, but his voice failed to reach them. "I see!" "As expected of God''s Apostle!" Megalodria, unable toprehend the source of their blind faith, once again abandoned his overestimation of the human race on this continent. Even the most foolish fool wouldn''t disy such idiocy. ¡®You damn fools! That''s not it at all! Cast defensive magic and create defensive magic circles immediately! Hurry! Time is running out. Otherwise, even my hard-earned life will be¡­¡¯?Megalodria''s thoughts trailed off, unable to be voiced. "Well then! Let us all pray! We are under the protection of God''s Apostle. There is nothing for us to fear! Who am I?! I am someone recognized by God''s Apostle! I am different from that wicked and corrupt saint who employs sorcery and witchcraft!" Collosus dered, rallying the pdins who immediately raised their weapons and cheered with fervor. ¡®Damn it,¡¯ Megalodria thought, desperately searching for a way to escape this dire situation. All he desired was to survive and break free from the bondage that forced him to serve these individuals. If that meant pushing his body to its limits, as long as he could separate the space from that magic... "Please, look at that!" a voice eximed. As if influenced by some unknown force, the magic cast by the boy suddenly expanded multiple times in size. Cold sweat trickled down Megalodria''s body. He felt as though a dagger loomed directly above his head, his feathers bristling while the scales on his body quivered and trembled. ¡®This... This isn''t right, you bastard,¡¯ Megalodria thought, astounded. How could a mere human, a receable existence, possess the power to magnify such a colossal magic several times over? At that moment, Megalodria''s mind went nk. He knew that even if he exerted all his strength, it would be difficult to halt that magic. He gazed at the detestable individual who unleashed this spell, only to see an eerie smile gracing the boy''s face. It was as if the boy knew exactly what thoughts were racing through Megalodria''s mind... ¡°Don¡¯t worry! No matter what kind of magic that is, it is nothing in front of God¡¯s Apostle!¡± ¡°Wooooooooah!¡± ¡°As expected of God¡¯s Apostle!¡± These fanatical believers, convinced that Megalodria was God''s Apostle, held firm in their belief that he could ovee any obstacle. The cracks in space would soon mend themselves... In fact, some of them were already beginning to heal. However, despite this knowledge, Megalodria remained unable to use his voice to warn them. Caught in the midst of the frantic situation, he had no choice but to exert every ounce of his strength to ensure his own survival. In the end, all Megalodria could do was gather and shape an immense breathposed of lightning. ¡®Ha¡­ I don¡¯t care what happens to you bastards anymore.¡¯ Megalodria did not care about what would happen to them anymore. ¡®I will survive this one way or another. I will cut off the space once again and protect myself.¡¯ Megalodria intended to create the illusion that he hadpletely eradicated the space surrounding him, enabling him to escape. However... "The crack has closed!" eximed one of the pdins, referring to the rupture that had formed due to the spatial disturbance. "Now! Let''s attack! The enemy is vulnerable! We have nothing to fear!" Upon Collosus Griam''smand, the pdins charged toward Davey O''Rowane, the boy at the center of the conflict. But Davey was not one to be intimidated by their oing momentum. "Have you waited for this moment? How should I put it? My apologies, but I think my gift for you might be a bit too generous. You won''t be able to protect a single soul here." Regardless, no one would dare to restrain Davey or hinder him from causing havoc. And so, Davey redirected the immense zing white sun that had grown exponentially in the sky toward the ground. Thud!!! Witnessing the overwhelmingly powerful sphere of light descending toward the ground, Megalodria unleashed the entirety of the Breath he had amassed. The oue was clear. Megalodria, enveloped in energy to repel the attack, regained his senses and immediately voiced his thoughts. It wasn''t themanding and majestic voice of the King of Mythical Beasts, but the tone he had often used with his contractor in the past. "Ha... Damn it... Do as you please. I no longer care." The water that encircled the ind, as well as the ind itself, evaporated and vanished from view. All that remained in the aftermath was the receding brilliance of the blinding sh of light. Chapter 385

Chapter 385

Boom!!! A huge explosion erupted, apanied by a deafening sound that echoed throughout the area. The magic spun fiercely, carrying mes capable of burning anything they touched. Its power had grown to an immense scale, thanks to the Transcendence Demise, a move Davey presumed was executed by Perserque. "Hoo..." Davey knew that despite being the one who unleashed the magic, he wouldn''t be safe from its aftermath. As soon as he witnessed the crack mending, he released the magic and swiftly ascended into the air. His eyes narrowed sharply as he observed the white sphere of mes sweeping away everything in its path, including the sea and the entire ind. Although the magic didn''t consume the entire continent, the resulting shockwave alone was enough to trigger a tsunami at its weakest. "Hmm... Let''s handle it," Davey muttered. The moment those words escaped his lips, a colossal, colorless shockwave hurtled toward him. Reacting swiftly, Davey drew out Blue Ribbon and swung the de, simultaneously twisting his body to evade the tremendous power of Breath. It could devour anything and even rend and twist space itself. [Longsword] [Splitting the Mountains] Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Shwaaaa!!! Although Davey wielded Blue Ribbon, a sword with a cheat-like and overpowering ability, it remained impossible for him to fully suppress the shockwave at once. The resounding sounds confirmed this fact. Boom!!! A portion of Megalodria''s Breath was forcibly redirected upwards, apanied by grating sounds. Davey could only shake his head in disbelief as he witnessed the clouds in the sky rupture under the tremendous force. "Look at that, someone is recklessly strong, huh?" Even after delivering an immensely powerful blow, it appeared that Megalodria still possessed enough strength tounch a counterattack. Gradually, the light faded, revealing the unfolding aftermath of the tragedy before Davey''s eyes. The ind had beenpletely upended when the difficult-to-control White Nova collided with it, causing it to shatter. To be honest, the power Davey unleashed was more than enough to obliterate this small ind. However, he was somewhat surprised to see certain parts of the ind withstand the impact of the magic. "This..." he murmured. What emerged was an ancient ruin, over 10,000 years old, simr to those found in certain parts of the continent. Some of the stones protecting the ruins disyed an unusual resistance to mana. While Davey hadn''t conducted a thorough analysis yet, he could discern their identity based on the color and structure of the walls. There was a high possibility that the foundation supporting the ind itself was connected to these ancient ruins. Descending from the sky, Davey kicked the scorching ground several times before closing his eyes. Slowly, he reopened them, taking in the scene once more. [Gnoass.] [Eim.] The Earth Spirit King and Water Spirit King appeared in an instant. It was as if they had been waiting for this moment. Both of their expressions were grave and somber as they drew the maximum power that they could produce. ¡°The enemy¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯sing. Gnoass, spirit harmonization.¡± [Contractor. With the current state ofmunication between us, that¡¯s impossible.] "I am the one who makes the call. Move it," Davey said with a smile, as a blue light flickered from within the smoke. Simultaneously, a violent and piercing wind hurtled toward Davey. The speed and range of the attack were overwhelmingly intense, leaving him with no means of evasion. Such was the sheer threat posed by the attack. [Then, you have to take responsibility for your own safety.] Simultaneously, Gnoass'' colossal body disintegrated into a pile of dust, which then transformed into ethereal light that permeated Davey''s being. As a result, his ck hair changed to a shade of brown. Interestingly, while Davey was intimately acquainted with Gnoass, the spirit remained unfamiliar with him. This disparity rendered any straightforward calctions utterly futile and rendered them useless. Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! Davey crouched down, witnessing his skin rapidly thickening and bing robust as the bone-chilling wind mercilessly battered his exposed body. Boom!!! A colossal shockwave erupted, causing the wind to abruptly shift its course and collide against his form. Shwaaa!!! "Hiss!" Davey hissed, crimson droplets of blood sttering onto the ground. Yet, he had no time to dwell on such matters. With a sense of urgency, he firmly grasped Red Ribbon, who had been swirling around him, and closed his eyes momentarily. [Heavenly Destroyer Ghostly Sword] [ughter in the Dark] It would be foolish of him to attempt to locate his opponent amidst the dense smoke obstructing his vision. Davey abandoned his reliance on sight and relied on his senses to intercept the iing attacks. Dozens of red sword des shot out from his weapon, shing through the gray haze. Baaaaaang!!! Megalodria abruptly emerged from the shroud of smoke, emanating an aura of fury provoked by the attack thatpelled him to reveal himself. "It hurts, doesn''t it?" Megalodria appeared worn and exhausted, with three out of his four pairs of wings lost and some of his feathers charred. Although he had suffered considerable power loss, his resilient scales endured the assault. Surviving and even mounting a counterattack after facing such a one-shot kill magic was an impressive feat for a grandmaster-level entity. [¡­] Observing Megalodria''s silent, red gaze fixed upon him, Davey lifted Red Ribbon and directed it toward the beast. Recognizing that engaging in conversation at the moment would serve no purpose, his priority was to bring Megalodria under control and remove him from the situation. Davey remained uncertain whether the King of Mythical Beastsprehended his intentions or not. However, Megalodria puffed out his chest and emitted a resounding roar. In that very instant, another colossal bomb materialized,posed of suffocating winds and intense pressure¡ªan attack capable of warping and distorting space. The destructive force surged relentlessly toward Davey. *** Amidst the ongoing catastrophic battle, an individual quietly emerged from a small hole in the ground. This person was none other than Collosus Griam, a man who had held a position of power for a considerable duration as the leader of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition under the Holy Empire Valcias. Collosus had long considered himself someone who had made significant sacrifices for God''s cause. "Ah, aaaah... This is not good," he murmured. The loud and formidable explosions erupting all around far surpassed his expectations. Collosus possessed keen eyes and could discern that the boy was utilizing extraordinary magic. However, because he had managed to survive and remain unharmed, thanks to the power bestowed upon him by the woman who granted him his current abilities, he understood that the magic was not entirely invincible. When that woman imparted a portion of her power, recing his own strength andpelling the colossal King of Mythical Beasts to be his subordinate, Collosus believed there was nothing in this world he couldn''t aplish. He firmly held the conviction that there was nothing to fear. After all, even the immensely powerful ck dragon that had caused a tremendous upheaval across the entire continent paled inparison to the King of Mythical Beasts, who radiated a presence akin to the sun. But... but... things had taken an unexpected turn. Could a young boy, born and leading a life entirely disconnected from divinity and holy power, truly grow so potent in such a short span of time simply by receiving the stigmata, the symbol of a saint? And contrary to Collosus'' belief that not a single hair of the apostle could be harmed... Bang!!! [Groaaaaaaaar!] The scene unfolding before Collosus'' eyes waspletely different from his expectations. The Azure Sky''s Storm Dragon King and the King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, were unable to keep pace with the boy. Collosus had assumed that Megalodria would easily evade the first attack with a slight movement. However, he was proven wrong as the beast suffered a fatal blow. This severe injury hindered the King of Mythical Beasts'' movements and became a primary reason for him continuously being pushed back by the boy. The greatest concerny in Prince Davey''s power. Collosus discerned that the prince''s abilities were not derived from holy magic. Moreover, he wielded a swordsmanship that surpassed that of a Sword Master. Prince Davey''sbat prowess was so formidable that Collosus couldn''t help but question if such immense power could truly emanate from a human body. Additionally, the prince exhibited magic at the 9th Circle, which emerged whenever his opponent''s defenses revealed a gap. Of course, this didn''t imply that Megalodria''s status as a grandmaster-level being had been utterly discarded. ng!!! Prince Davey crashed onto the ground, blood trickling from his chin amidst the resounding echoes of space tearing apart. Yet, Megalodria showed no signs of relenting. Swiftly, the beast ensnared Davey with his tail, mming him repeatedly onto the ground in rapid session. Ordinary individuals, and even masters who had surpassed human limitations, would struggle to survive such a relentless assault. However, an obsidian vortex of energy, distinct from dark mana, manifested around Prince Davey''s body as he shattered the tail constricting him. Then, akin to a deranged individual, he unleashed a barrage of attacks. The speed was so staggering that Collosus struggled to keep up. What was worse, with each collision between Davey''s attacks and Megalodria, a tremendous shockwave radiated outward, relentlessly hammering against the shield shielding Collosus. ¡®It¡¯s fine¡­ It¡¯s going to be fine¡­ Her power is not something that will be broken by that bastard¡¯s attacks.¡¯ Collosus firmly believed that he would remain unscathed regardless of the circumstances. Even if every pdin and priest of the inquisition were wiped out, he considered his own safety paramount. After all, as long as he survived, he could recruit recements. However, a disquieting sound of cracking and shattering reached his ears, unsettling him. "No, it can''t be!" Collosus eximed in surprise as he gazed up at the shield that had been shielding him. At first nce, the gray protective barrier appeared to be holding steadfastly. Yet, after enduring several stray attacks, it began to fissure and splinter. Boom, boom, boom, boom!!! Baaaaang!!! ¡°Keuaaaaack!!!¡± Once again, ck energy surged out from Davey''s body, coalescing into sword-shaped des that swiftly hurtled toward his adversaries. The des not only targeted Megalodria, who evaded the assault by rolling away, but also homed in on Collosus, who had never even considered evading the attack. The impact caused the shield to quiver and tremble with great intensity. It was at that moment that Collosus realized the gravity of his predicament, his feet desperately attempting to carry him away from the scene. In the current situation, the woman to whom he had pledged his loyalty was absent, rendering him devoid of her protective presence. Even the King of Mythical Beasts, Megalodria, was incapable of shielding him. The only defense he had was the gray shield, and if it were to be destroyed, he would be left utterly defenseless against the aftermath of the sh between these two monstrous beings. Swoooooosh!!! Bang!!! In Collosus'' desperate attempt to flee the ind, he witnessed a stream of ck energy surging right in front of him. Caught off guard, he stumbled and copsed onto the ground, his eyes widening in fear and astonishment. As he turned his head to nce behind him, he caught sight of the boy wearing a devilish smirk, watching him intently while engaged in the ongoing battle with Megalodria. . "This... This bastard?! Impossible!" Collosus eximed, his disbelief echoing in his voice. The realization struck him like a thunderbolt¡ªthose stray attacks were not random but intentionally aimed at him. The understanding caused his jaw to quiver. Collosus had never anticipated experiencing the same sense of fear and terror he had felt when facing the woman who had be his master. Yet, as he stared at the boy before him, he couldn''t escape those emotions. Although the impact of the boy''s power was lesser than that of the woman, there was an ominous and gloomy aura surrounding his strength. ¡®That¡­ That guy is the Saint that is being hailed as this continent¡¯s hero?¡¯ A chill ran down Collosus¡¯ back as he urged his stiff legs to run once again after watching the two continue to fight once again. *** After observing the surviving member of the inquisition fleeing from the battle, Davey calmly closed his eyes. He knew that whether or not he pursued, the individual would resurface eventually, once he had decimated the entire area. Davey had yet to fully examine the power that hadpelled Megalodria into submission. He believed it to be the power of the Abyss, which also seemed to epass Collosus Griam, the leader of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, who had survived the explosive aftermath. In truth, Davey only needed to activate a small portion of Taboo''s Karma to counteract that anomalous power. He had confirmed this when he directed several sword energies toward the protective shield shielding Collosus. Slowly, Davey opened his eyes and directed his gaze toward Megalodria. He judged that it was sufficient for now. He had no intention of killing the mythical beast. However, as others had warned, subduing someone was far more challenging than simply ending their life. And that was precisely his objective¡ªto suppress Megalodria. Like the stumbling Megalodria, Davey''s own body exhibited signs of distress. One of his arms had been crushed to the point where instant healing was impossible. Numerous wounds and injuries adorned his body, causing blood to trickle and stain his clothing crimson. ¡®He¡¯s a really difficult guy to catch.¡¯ Davey crouched down slowly as Megalodria¡¯s glinting red eyes looked at him. Then, he reached for something inside his pocket ne. The Mythical Beast Summoner was a trait ability user. Trait Ability Users were beings that were born as mutants and would appear sporadically all over the world. Davey could not raise Megalodria because he was basically not born as someone that could raise a mythical beast. However, that did not mean that there was no way at all. Of course, Davey still had to go through some trial and error to achieve the effect that he wanted. That was why it was necessary that he keep Megalodria moving in the way that he wanted him to. [Transcendental Weapon¡¯s Liberation] Davey took a deep breath as he pushed his hands deeper into his pocket ne and searched through the translucent items that were floating around before finally grasping what he was looking for. [Heavenly Demon¡¯s Card Album] The Heavenly Demon¡¯s Card Album was something that he received from his card maker teacher. ¡®Right. Let¡¯s go with this one.¡¯?Davey acted swiftly, without a moment of hesitation, as he opened the card album and retrieved one of the nk cards. He threw it into the air, and instantly, a brilliant light emanated from within the card, expanding in size until it transformed into a gigantic card several tens of meters tall. The radiance intensified, giving rise to multiple colossal cards that tightly enveloped Megalodria''s body. The spinning cards exerted a strong force, making it difficult for Megalodria to resist. "This is a monster ball, you bastard," Davey eximed upon sensing Megalodria''s reaction to the unusual phenomenon. Without dy, Davey activated his pre-casted magic, causing a massive magic circle to illuminate beneath his feet. Apart from Perserque''s unique power, the Demon Lord''s magic possessed theoretical peculiarity surpassing that of ordinary magic. It exceeded Davey''s expectations by a significant margin. This magic required demonic energy, and since Davey had be the Demon Lord, it meant he already possessed a certain amount of demonic energy within his body. [Demon Lord¡¯s Transformation Magic] [Great Gravity] The gravitational field of the entire area shifted, causing everything to feel unusually heavy. In this altered environment, Megalodria''s movements became sealed, and the intense light emitted by the rapidly spinning cards mirrored the cards'' movements, persistently wrapping around Megalodria''s body. ¡®This mythical beast¡­is mine now.¡¯ Chapter 386: The Missing Princess

Chapter 386: The Missing Princess

The fact that Davey was brought to the brink of death just by trying to subdue and suppress Megalodria was something he had to reflect upon. There were times when he was caught off guard because he had grown toocent during the fight. This was due to his familiarity with Megalodria. The fight itself should not be prolonged any longer. They fought openly, like true and honorable men, without resorting to trickery. Megalodria was originally a mythical beast known for his overwhelming power in fights. However, he was currently in a half-paralyzed state, affecting both his rationality and body. With several other factors affecting the situation, Davey was left with only one choice¡ªto engage Megalodria in a direct fight rather than a war of attrition. If this battle turned into a war of attrition, Megalodria would have enough time to rapidly recover, putting him at a significant disadvantage. If that happened, Davey''s first shot would be rendered useless. Not long after, the light that had wrapped around Megalodria''s body transformed into chains that slowly dragged him into the gigantic card. Since Megalodria had almost lost half of his rationality, he was sessfully dragged inside without being able to struggle properly. Swoosh¡­ Then, the gigantic card transformed back into light, returning to its original size, and flew straight toward Davey''s hands. Several shes appeared on Davey''s hands the moment the cardnded in his grip, as if they had been inflicted by a de. However, Davey did not release the card; instead, he held onto it tightly. Swoosh¡­ After a while, the card, which had been trembling fiercely, gradually came to a halt. Even the invisible des that had cut his hands vanished, as if Megalodria had finally ceased resisting. ¡°Phew¡­ It¡¯s quite hard to catch one, huh?¡± Locking Megalodria in the card was a perfect solution for the current situation. However, it wasn''t enough. Megalodria was notoriously challenging to form a contract with. Even if Davey managed to confine him in the card, it didn''t guarantee an easy process of raising and signing a contract. "Dragon King, hold on for a moment. I will release you soon," Davey whispered to the card, roughly wiping away the red blood dripping from his forehead. Then, he flung the card onto the ground and stomped on it a few times. "Argh! You damn lizard bastard! If you''re caught, then stay put. Are you still acting rebellious?!" Despite not wanting to vent his anger on Megalodria, the subtle sense of rebellion emanating from the card was hard to ignore,pelling Davey to react. Realizing his response was too intense, Davey picked up the card and brushed off the dust. He briefly observed the gigantic figure of the giant now depicted on the card before carefully plucking three or four strands of his hair. "Hmph!" With that, he released his qi, creating four clones in a single motion. While they might not possess significantbat power, they were more than capable of assisting in the search for the individual who bestowed power upon Collosus Griam from the Abyss. The notion that someone had surpassed Megalodria andpelled him to serve Collosus Griam was utterly absurd. Were they suggesting that someone had traversed dimensions just to capture the mythical beast? It seemed preposterous, didn''t it? However, Collosus Griam had managed to survive the devastating White Nova, reducing the ind and its surrounding seas to dust. Clearly, his survival couldn''t be attributed solely to his own abilities. Davey was certain that it was the power of the Abyss, a repugnant force he was all too familiar with. That damned Abyss, right? He was already aware that a rift connected this world to the Abyss. However, he didn''t anticipate the extent to which beings crossed over. Due to the Abyss''s power, capable of warping the rules and providence of this world, Davey had no choice but to transform Hercules'' power, the Taboo''s Karma, into sword energy and send it toward Collosus. Fortunately, it proved effective. When Davey visited the ancient ruins in Hyeon Kingdom, he initially believed there wasn''t much benefit in encountering and battling his teacher''s clone, Hercules. But now, it seemed his assessment had beenpletely mistaken. Baaaang!!! "Keuaaaaaaaaack!!!" A terrified shriek echoed in the distance, followed by a resounding explosion. ¡®So, you were here!¡¯?These were the words Davey longed to utter as he pushed through his limping leg, gradually making his way toward the source of the sound. *** Collosus Griam copsed onto the ground, his body trembling. Despite his unwavering faith in the shield that protected him, he appeared greatly flustered, as if he hadn''t anticipated this turn of events. As Davey arrived at the scene, his clones, which had encircled Collosus and relentlessly attacked him with all their might, silently dissipated into the air. ¡®Goodness, my precious hair.¡¯ Naturally, Davey made sure to burn the strands of his hair that were fluttering about. ¡®May you be reborn as two strands in your next life, enriching my head with fullness and my hair with abundance.¡¯ Having experienced the curse of hair loss a few times in the Hall, Davey never wished to endure such a horrendous affliction ever again in his life. "Collosus Griam," Davey called out, causing the man to gaze at him with a nk expression. "We have much to discuss, don''t we?" Collosus trembled at the question, shouting at Davey, "Why the hell are you doing this to me?! What have I done to you, you bastard?!" "How should I put it? Youmanded them toy hands on the Demon Lord. Do I need to borate further?" The man clenched his teeth in response to Davey''s direct and straightforward words. "As I suspected! There truly is a demon by your side!" "And so?" "..." "Are you going to pretend to be a righteous and virtuous believer now?" Davey asked calmly as he once again struck the shield protecting him. "Do you believe you have the authority to pass judgment on others when you have ughtered countless innocent humans with your false revtions?" "As long as you stand beside the demons and defend them, your words are nothing but meaningless noise!" "The deity that the demons worship is none other than Goddess Freyja, you despicable bastard." Bang!!! ¡°Urk!!!¡± Collosus shrieked, feeling frightened when Davey punched the shield that covered him once again. Bang!!! Bang! Bang!!! The once sturdy shield began to crack under the relentless assault of Davey''s punches, its form gradually distorting. Each time Davey''s fist connected with the shield, Collosus would shut his eyes and let out a scream, desperately attempting to scramble away. However, he couldn''t escape far due to the protective barrier that surrounded him. Bang¡­! Davey relentlessly pounded on the shield until his hands were covered in blood. Eventually, he waspelled to cease his assault, causing the frightened leader of the inquisition to look up at him. Ignoring Collosus'' gaze, Davey stared at the gray shield, then down at his bloodied hands. "Ha... Hahaha... Hahahahahahaha! You think you can shatter this protective shield, huh? This is a reinforced shield, you damn bastard!" Silently, Davey listened to Collosus'' outburst, unmoved by his threats. "..." "My master wille and save me soon! Once the princess arrives, you''ll be in deep trouble, you bastard!" After hearing Collosus'' cries, Davey immediately abandoned the idea of relying solely on his own powers to break the shield. As he had anticipated, it would only be possible to shatter this force that twisted and distorted the rules and providence of their world by utilizing Hercules'' Taboo''s Karma. Swoosh¡­ The screaming andughing Collosus abruptly flinched upon seeing ck energy lightly swirling around Davey''s fists. "Well, there''s still one shot left." Bang! The destructive force of the blow was just as potent as before, but the effect was unmistakable. Particrly, Hercules'' power proved to be fatal against both gods and the Abyss. The protective shield, which had withstood Davey''s relentless assaults, finally shattered. As for Collosus? All he could do was scream and desperately try to scramble away from Davey after losing the protective shield he had taken such pride in. Davey seized him by the cor and continued calmly, "The judges of the inquisition have a fondness for fire, don''t they?" "S-Spare me!" "I''m going to ask you a few questions now. Don''t pretend you don''t know. You havemanded Megalodria and pushed him into a corner, so you must possess valuable information, right?" Davey said withposure as he pushed the trembling leader of the inquisition against a rock. Then, he drew upon his surging inner qi. [Samadhi Fire] [Dark Magic Curse¡¯s Stigma] [Combining Qi] [Fire of Interrogation] ¡®Didn¡¯t you guys like ying with fire? Am I wrong?¡¯ "Kghkk... Keuaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!" Collosus screamed in desperation, his eyes bulging with agony coursing through his entire body. The mes Davey wielded inflicted the sensation of being burned, yet they did not actually consume or scorch anything. "Who granted you this power? You better reveal everything you know about that individual," Davey demanded. "I-I''ll... I''ll speak! I''ll tell you everything!" "You weren''t nning on speaking? It appears that the leader of the Heresy Inquisition is quite reluctant to share information, huh?" Crackle, crackle, crackle!!! "Keuaaaaaaaaaaack!!!" Collosus shrieked, his body convulsing and saliva dripping onto the ground. When Davey''s eyes, now purple in color, locked with his, he realized that Collosus was teetering on the edge of madness. But did he think Davey would allow him to descend into madness? The growing mes abruptly extinguished. "Heuk... Ha... Ha... Ha..." "Now, let''s hear it," Davey urged. "I-I''ll... I''ll tell you. I''ll tell you... H-her... Her name is..." "You still refuse to speak? Alright, then let''s let you burn a little more." "Keuaaaaaaaaaack!!!" Another desperate cry pierced the air as ck mes once again engulfed Collosus'' body. "I''ll tell you!!! I told you I''ll tell you everything!!!" "Ah, this guy... Why are you so stubborn? Do you have to be this obstinate? Fine. Consider me impressed. I''ll ensure you burn thoroughly, don''t worry!" At this point, Collosus finally realized that Davey had no intention of listening to him at all. "It''s not just one or two people you''ve burned to death, is it? From a necromancer''s perspective, when you burn that many souls and they coalesce, you won''t be able to sleep at night." Collosus'' face turned ashen at Davey''s words. "That''s why... let''s keep you burning for half a day." Crackle!!! "Kghhk... Kghhkkkkk!!!" Collosus was subjected to torture on the deste shores of the now-ruined ind, masquerading as an interrogation. The torment only ceased when the sky darkened and the tide crept up to their feet. The leader of the inquisition stared nkly at Davey, murmuring incoherent words. Davey gazed at Collosus, then swiftly took out Red Ribbon and severed his neck, closing his eyes momentarily. There was a restraint ced upon Collosus'' body. Davey wasn''t foolish; he no longer conducted himself as he had in the past. Wasn''t there a saying that went, "If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you"? It sounded dreadful, didn''t it? It was as if one had to be a monster to deal with another monster. Such was the twisted logic that governed this realm. ¡®But¡­ you know what? It¡¯s also possible to look at it from the other way around.¡¯ If the Abyss stared at him, he would stare right back. Just as the Abyss intruded upon this realm and recognized him, he encroached upon them and devoured them in his own way. The Abyss was not bound by the rules of this world, but that didn''t mean they were entirely immune to its influence. They simply operated by their own set of rules. In other words, once Davey deciphered the rules of the Abyss, dealing with them would be much easier. While it was impossible to release Collosus Griam from the restraints ced upon him, Davey could still buy enough time and dy his death, forcing his awakening to extract all the information stored within his mind. "She came to find her own kin..." It wasn''t enough for that entity to overpower and subdue the three Kings of Mythical Beasts; she even brought them to another dimension because she wascking something. Her name was [Urd]. Urd''s purpose was rather straightforward. She came here to search for her younger sister, Princess Verdandi. However, even after gaining control of the Lux Continent, she still failed to locate her sister. Consequently, she set her sights on the Tionis Continent, encroaching upon this world. ¡°Verdandi¡­ Was it Verdandi?¡± Davey muttered, frowning at the very familiar name as he pondered over Urd¡¯s matters. ¡®Hold on, wait¡­¡¯ Davey turned the name over in his mind until he finally realized where he had heard it before. He wondered why the name felt so familiar and then recalled that Aeria El Lyndis and Illyna de Pan had mentioned it. "She''s definitely... one of the six beauties of the continent," Davey murmured. The name Verdandi carried a significant degree of recognition. However, the reason for her poprity was not overlyplex. Unlike the other beauties who hailed from noble and royal lineages among the Six Beauties of the Continent, Verdandi''s existence remained rather obscure. Information about her was scarce, contributing to her enigmatic aura. Chapter 387

Chapter 387

Verdandi was the name of a beauty with amoner background who became famous for being courted by countless suitors from royal and noble families. While the name Verdandi was not particrly unique, it did not entirely rule out the possibility that she could be the one. For Davey, the most efficient approach was to inquire among those who were paying attention and had a keen interest in the happenings on the continent. ¡®Now, who else is alive in this ce aside from me?¡¯ The ind had beenpletely razed to the ground, leaving behind only the ck remnants of the Heresy Inquisition''s church. The sea had also copsed, contorting its shape and creating a treacherous whirlpool that deterred any reckless approach. Naturally, the impossibility of entering this ce now also meant an impossibility of leaving. Collosus, who had perished, was not particrly significant. He had merely been an obstacle employed by the Abyss princess, Urd, to orchestrate this chaos. Davey silently turned around and approached the remains of the Heresy Inquisition Church, his fingers gesturing toward the ashen remnants of the ruined structure. The soot left by the burnt church stained his shining red hands, gradually transforming them into a dark hue. "So, there''s an underground chamber," Davey remarked. Not too far from him, Davey discovered a door leading to an underground space, constructed from ck rocks. The raw material, despite being rtively easy to process under extreme heat and pressure, had surprisingly withstood the impact of the White Nova¡ªan irony that Davey found rather amusing. He extracted the Divine Spear Longginus and utilized its substantial weight to forcefully strike the misaligned hinges of the door. Once the hinges gave way, Davey grasped the Red Ribbon and severed it. As he anticipated, the Red Ribbon, capable of cutting through anything physical, effortlessly sliced through the robust ck rocks, splitting them into fragments. Thud!!! After shattering the doors, Davey gazed intently at the obscure passage that descended into the depths. It didn''t take long for him to ascend the stairs and venture into the darkness, seemingly driven by an unseen force. *** The underground prison of the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition turned out to be far more expansive than Davey had anticipated. Its eerie silence was particrly unsettling, considering its purpose as a prison. Not a single indication of movement could be felt, and not a sliver of light prated its depths. Davey strolled leisurely and unaffected through the deste halls of this subterranean prison, shrouded in a foreboding atmosphere that seemed to hold the imminent presence of spirits. Thud!!! As Davey continued to walk, a loud and startling noise rang out not too far away from him. ¡°¡­¡± Most people would have instinctively screamed and fled the moment they heard that deafening sound. However, Davey continued his stride without hesitation. "It would have been quite interesting if I had brought Illyna along with me," Davey mused aloud. "Well, whether it was Illyna or Imperial Princess Aeria, it would have been fun. Princess Aeria, being naturally shy and timid, would have been easily frightened in a ce like this. And as for Illyna? She always puts on a facade of toughness and strength. I wonder how she would fare in a situation like this." After descending the stairs for an extended period, Davey finally arrived at the origin of the earlier noise. Employing the Red Ribbon, he severed the massive stone gates, revealing a chamber littered with shattered fragments of statues, presumably depicting goddess figures. It appeared that while the underground prison hadn''t copsed, the subsequent earthquake had taken its toll. Within that space, Davey spotted a girl. She sat silently, adorned with red hair and donning heavy armor. "Wasn''t your name Clonnie O''Priscille?" Davey inquired. She was the girl known for possessing a formidable power as a Trait Ability User. Davey observed her in silence before extending his fingers toward her and snapping them loudly. Snap!!! "Ugh..." Clonnie groaned, slowly lifting her gaze to meet Davey''s. Her eyes appeared vacant, as if she hadn''t yetprehended the situation she found herself in. Evidently, this girl was an ardent fanatic. If Davey were Collosus Griam, he would have certainly exploited her to his advantage. It puzzled him why she was confined in this ce. "You two are acquainted, aren''t you?" Davey asked. "...Ah... Aaaaaah... It''s the leader..." Clonnie smiled brightly, despite the pain and exhaustion. "Are you here to pass judgment on me?" "Why would you think that?" Davey inquired. "Because you''re shining." Davey fell silent at her words, his gaze fixated on the cross hanging around her neck. ording to Warrior Reina, Clonnie used this cross to determine if someone was a heretic or not. If the cross turned ck, they were deemed heretics. If the color remained unchanged, they were innocent. In reality, the reason the cross did not react in front of Davey was that Collosus Griam, who had used it to deceive Clonnie by iming it was a divine artifact, had already perished. However, she remained oblivious to this fact. "I thought you were tainted. That''s why I wanted to put you on trial. But your existence is noble and sacred! Noble! No one is allowed to besmirch your reputation! You are the one who has received God''s love!" "There are only a select few in this world who have received the Goddess'' love." "No, not at all. The Goddess loves all her creations, even the heretics who have rejected her. That''s why we burn them, to cleanse their sins and transform their bones into white purity." Clonnie''s conviction was unwavering, leaving Davey speechless. "It is evident that you are not a heretic. I have no right to judge and purify you. Perhaps your bones are already pure and white," Clonnie said, her face adorned with a pure and benevolent smile. "The revtion you speak of is a lie," Davey chose to reveal the truth. "Yes? What... What do you mean? The leader of the Inquisition imed to have received the revtion and was granted the protection of God''s Apostle, along with a bestowed divine artifact..." "The so-called God''s Apostle you mention is a mythical creature. And as for the divine artifact, it''s nothing but a counterfeit. Around 80% to 90% of the people you have in are not heretics, but innocent bystanders," Davey divulged, his words devoid of any sugar-coating. He then tossed a dagger before the bewildered girl. "You don''t need to contemte the veracity of my words. You have hidden behind your beliefs and ughtered innocents without delving deeper into the truth." "...I... I killed the very people I was meant to protect and not the heretics?" "That''s correct." Davey left those words hanging as he passed by her, not bothering to free her from the chains that bound her. "Make your own choices." Without hesitation, Davey left Clonnie, who stared nkly at the dagger lying in front of her, and continued his unhurried progress. He had heard the sound of the wind emanating from behind Clonnie, indicating another concealed space within this underground prison. So, he went further inside only to see the same ck rocks, which formed the foundation of the ind, in front of him. Davey, without any regrets, used Red Ribbon and cut them down. Rumble!!! The wall swiftly crumbled, revealing a natural cave hidden within. Davey''s gaze fell upon a small jewelry box situated at the far end of the space, emanating an aura of traps. Despite the apparent risks, Davey effortlessly reached the jewelry box, only to discover that it could only be opened with a key. However, he disregarded this requirement entirely and forcefully broke it open, retrieving the ck stone nestled inside. To the casual observer, it may have seemed like an ordinary ck stone. However, upon closer inspection, one could discern another underlying power swirling within it¡ªthe altered power of the Abyss, an enigma to all present. "So, there''s something like this here," Davey remarked, rolling the ck stone in his palms. It was then that his attention was drawn to the inscriptions on the cave walls. Though the words were penned in aplex religiousnguage, Davey found them rtively easy to decipher. From what he gleaned, it appeared that one of the previous leaders of the Heresy Inquisition had obtained this ck stone from the ancient ruins concealed on the ind, sealing it within this location. The inscriptions further revealed that they were ignorant of the stone''s purpose, but it exuded an uncanny chill upon contact and whispered strange voices in their ears. Consequently, it was deemed a heretical object¡ªaplete rejection of God. This prompted the previous leader of the Heresy Inquisition to seal and conceal it here. Davey believed that even the current leader of the organization, Collosus Griam, remained oblivious to the stone''s existence. In fact, Davey had descended into the underground prison solely to ascertain if any relics resided there. His expectations had not been in vain. It could be said that Davey had thoroughly plundered the grave, leaving no misceneous items behind. Ancient ruins held an air of profound mystery. Concealed from prying eyes, they housed numerous astonishing truths and artifacts. While Davey''s knowledge of such ces was limited, he held a steadfast belief¡ªone born of instinct¡ªthat the Abyssal beings had been expelled tens of thousands of years ago due to a monumental sh with the entities from the Tionis Continent. As Davey emerged from the natural cave and returned to the underground prison, the metallic scent of blood greeted him. For fanatics who lived solely for their faith, their lives held little significance. And when such individuals realized that their existence had strayed from their own truth and beliefs, they had only one extreme option¡ªto engage in what they knew best. *** Considerable time had psed since the incident involving the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition. The Holy Empire Valcias had officially dered to the continent that they had thwarted the Inquisition''s coup d''etat. Furthermore, they announced a reduction in heresy trials and expressed their intent to transform the Heresy Inquisition into a more peaceful organization. The Tionis Continent bore resemnces to Earth''s medieval period, but it differed significantly in many ways. Unlike that era, where the prevalence of very and serfdom was rampant, the Tionis Continent boasted a high standard of living. It was a world where evenmoners could live with bright, content smiles on their faces. The development of alchemy and magic contributed to the cleanliness of the streets and houses in this world. However, the most astonishing aspecty in the citizens'' exceptional aesthetic sense. "Three months..." Davey murmured, tapping his fingers on the table while gazing at the card and the ck stone before him. It had been three months since he had dismantled the Orthodox Heresy Inquisition, and thus far, he had discovered no information regarding the ck stone. Regarding Verdandi, Davey currently endeavored to determine the whereabouts of one of the continent''s six greatest beauties. She represented a crucial element in his ns. However, he could not help but suspect that someone deliberately obstructed the dissemination of her information. Progress with Megalodria, who was sealed within the card, had also been minimal. Davey nned to form a contract with the mythical beast once it returned to its normal state¡ªthat was his first step. However, the card asionally trembled, as if urging Davey to release Megalodria from its confines. In truth, Davey harbored little desire to extract the Card Album that contained those deranged individuals. The primary reason was its challenging nature to handle. Moreover, he could only bring it out of the Hall because it was constructed with his own soul. Meanwhile, the Heins Territory busied itself with the auctioning of moon grass, a practice conducted every quarter of the year. Davey merely needed to monitor the weather and soil conditions where the grass grew. As for sales, he entrusted the task to the mostpetent individuals and relied on their periodic reports. Responding to their trust and loyalty, which far exceeded his expectations, Davey reciprocated with his own trust and loyalty¡ªa sentiment he had previously conveyed to the demon Belial. "Your Highness, everything has been arranged," Amy reported, apanied by one of the dwarves. "Very well," Davey replied calmly as he rose from his seat, retrieving the antique scissors from his desk and cing them into his pocket dimension. "Let us proceed with thepletion ceremony." Davey had already recruited a sufficient number of professors and instructors for the academy. With the construction now finished, it was time for him to establish wide-area protective magic and partake in a celebratory toast with a champagne bottle. As the chairman of thergest academy on the continent, shouldn''t he indulge in a bit of grandeur? Davey believed that the protective magic he employed should surpass that of the magic towers¡ªa sentiment that would alleviate his slight embarrassment associated with the title. Chapter 388

Chapter 388

"I apologize." "Do you still have no leads?" "No." Aina Helishana, delivering the report on behalf of her information guild, lowered her head slowly in response. Davey had tasked her with uncovering information about Verdandi, one of the Six Beauties of the Continent, but she had only managed to find very limited details. The other beauties among the Six Beauties of the Continent were widely known, making their information easily essible. However, from the start, information about themoner named Verdandi had been shrouded in ambiguity and vagueness. Aina Helishana presented all the information she had gathered over the past three months. Typically, three months would be enough time for her to acquire knowledge about even the color of underwear belonging to a member of the royal family. However, this did not hold true for Verdandi. Verdandi was a woman enveloped in countless rumors, making it incredibly challenging to uncover urate information about her. Although she was the lonemoner among the Six Beauties of the Continent, it was said that her beauty surpassed all others, captivating anyone whoid eyes on her. This was why she had ascended to that esteemed position so swiftly. Davey found it ironic to judge others solely based on their appearances. However, this tendency was consistent across all worlds. People would always harbor jealousy and envy toward those who possessed beauty and charm. Nevertheless, he wouldn''t condemn them solely for such superficial reasons. "Most of the information I''ve gathered consists of rumors and hearsay. I''ve organized them to the best of my abilities," Aina exined. Davey scanned the document in his hand as Aina concluded her report. "The name is Verdandi. We haven''t been able to confirm her age, but based on ounts from individuals who im to have met her, it''s estimated to be between 40 and 70 years." "Are you kidding me?" Davey abruptly halted and turned to face Aina, causing her to flinch. ¡°Hup¡­¡± "Speak properly. I asked you to gather information, and all you bring me is this useless trash that can''t even confirm whether she''s 40 or 70 years old?" "Well... Every person I encountered provided different testimonies. Furthermore, she disappeared a long time ago, and most of the recent information about her consists of mere sightings. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to gather information about someone who moves around like a ghost?" Verdandi was once a renowned beauty of the continent, but a considerable time had passed since then. It wouldn''t be surprising if she were an old woman now. However, sporadic rumors about sightings of her, still retaining her ethereal beauty, had managed to keep her on the list until now. Davey nced at the report, feeling dissatisfied, and let out a sigh. "Do you want to be fired?" "Ugh..." Aina flinched in embarrassment, her hood almost slipping off her head. "Information regarding Verdandi is ssified as top-tier special information within the information guild. It''s not that I didn''t want to tell you; it''s that I can''t disclose it." Davey needed them to hand over that information. How could he navigate the continent if he didn''t even know her whereabouts? "The only thing I know is that she is one of the Six Beauties of the Continent. It''s said that she used to dance and sing with the gypsies long ago until a member of the royal family spotted her and brought her to a royal banquet. The nobles who witnessed her radiant appearance spread countless rumors about her, cementing her position. However, she vanished once again. That happened thirty years ago. It''s quite amusing to still refer to her as one of the Six Beauties of the Continent even today..." The crucial point was that people continued to encounter her asionally after that. All those individuals testified that she remained as dazzling and beautiful as she was thirty years ago. It wasn''t imusible since those who experienced a transformation at a young age would retain their youthful appearance throughout their lives. "So, you''re telling me she''s ying hide and seek?" Ultimately, Davey had no choice but to let the matter go. It wouldn''t be efficient to pursue her at the moment, especially when he had no leads on the woman named [Urd], who had caused significant turmoil three months ago. Fortunately, he had discovered a way to counteract the Abyss''s corrupting influence on Megalodria, currently slumbering within the card. At the very least, he would be able to extract some clues from Megalodria regarding the woman named [Urd]. "Wee." Davey turned to face the old man who greeted him, while Aina, who had been trailing behind, disappeared into smoke. "You''ve worked hard, Attendant Bernile." "Not at all. This job... I asked you to entrust it to me, didn''t I?" "It seems like you enjoy it, huh?" The old man, who used to maintain an expressionless face while answering Davey''s questions, now disyed a sense of satisfaction in his eyes behind the monocle. "There are many people in this world who desire to learn. However, due to various circumstances, their opportunities for education are limited. Many talented individuals among the lower-ranking nobles andmoners are deprived of the chance to learn simply because theyck the means." "Is that so?" "I thought you created this academy for those people, Your Highness?" Davey shook his head in response. "That''s not it, though." "Eh?" "No, did you think I was some kind of phnthropist?" Bernile looked at Davey with disbelief upon hearing the disdain in his voice. He coughed to hide his embarrassment. "Goodness, my mind must have grown rigid with age. I failed to grasp Your Highness''s thoughts and intentions properly. But what is the reason..." Davey gazed at the enormous fence surrounding them. The academy grounds wererger than any other academy in existence. This was all thanks to the efforts of Elder Golgouda and Elder Goulda of the Yellowstone Tribe, who had shared their architectural techniques with the renowned architects of the Redstone Tribe, recruiting them for this project. The academy was a culmination of the Spirit King''s powers, magic, alchemy, the skills of the continent''s best engineers and architects, and a substantial amount of money. It was surrounded by four tall spires in each cardinal direction, with numerous elegant buildings in the center. Despite being constructed in a matter of months, it exuded beauty and sophistication. "The reason..." The academy remained nothing more than an empty building. The necessary materials and supplies had yet to be procured, and there were no professors or instructors to teach the students. Without them, no students woulde to this ce. Thus, it was merely an empty building undergoing renovations, awaiting its owner. "Attendant Bernile, you are aware that when people gather, they form groups. And as these groups develop, they eventually be nations, correct?" Bernile nodded in agreement. "Yes, that''s right." "Humans live within such a system. If there is a better system avable to them, it is only natural to adapt to it. However, the instincts with which humans are born are not easily discarded." "Hmmm... Can you please exin it in a simpler manner?" Davey grinned. "Consider this as mere spection. Let me ask you a question. What do you think is the most challenging aspect to achieve within a group?" Bernile closed his eyes, silently contemting Davey''s question. It seemed he finally grasped Davey''s intentions as he replied softly, "Equal opportunities. Even if the world emphasizes equality, as long as individuals exist, true equal and fair opportunities will never exist." "That''s correct. It''s equal opportunities. Now, let me ask you another question. Why do you think I created this academy, emphasizing equal opportunities, even though I''m no phnthropist?" Bernile fell silent immediately, his gaze filled with doubt as he tried to discern Davey''s intentions. "No way... Are you suggesting that you''re aiming for support funds?" "You''re quick-witted. That''s very good." Davey had established the academy with good intentions. Just like other academies, they did not adopt a system where they would receive support funds and subsidies under the condition of monopolizing the students'' career paths after graduation. In other words, it would be up to the students and the nation that hosted them to decide where the talented graduates of the academy would go. They had no concrete evidence to prove how sessful the students studying at their academy would be in the future. But they could consider who the chairman of the academy was. If the professors and instructors were responsible for the students, then the chairman was responsible for them. If the professors'' skills did not meet Davey''s standards, he could easily mold them to his liking. "But, Your Highness..." At that moment, Attendant Bernile spoke quietly. "Your intentions are good. However... there may be only a fewmoners who would be willing toe and learn in the academy." Davey looked at Bernile silently upon hearing his words. The attendant was a wise figure, and he had presented Davey with the fundamental challenge of this n. "Your Highness, I''m sure you have observed how themoners live their lives." "That''s correct." "The people of Heins Territory now have more leeway than before, thanks to Your Highness'' grace. With the abundance of welfare programs, the desire of young citizens in our territory to study and learn has also grown. Finally, they have the means to do so." A child was precious to every parent, and every parent wanted their child to excel and be an outstanding student and individual in the academy. However... "It''s different for the other territories. Your Highness,moners typically live day to day. Most of them are illiterate. How do you n to bring them in? Even if their children are talented, what will their parents think?" "It''s foolish to send their children to a foreignnd just to study. It would be better for them to put their children to work." "That''s true." Commoners often remained indifferent to theirck of learning opportunities and literacy. In fact, many people in this world believe they could live just fine without recognizing letters and words. "No matter how much knowledge they cram into their heads, it won''t matter if they go hungry tomorrow. They need to think about other means of survival. In the end, education is only essible to the middle ss and above, those who can afford it." Davey silently nodded at these sharp and urate words. They may have excellent lessons, swordsmanship, and magic, but without enough students, it would all be in vain. Gathering students posed the greatest challenge they faced. "That''s a valid point. However, it''s not something we need to address immediately. So, Attendant Bernile, what do you think is a good solution to this problem?" "Well..." "You have no suggestions?" Bernile bowed silently in response. "Forgive me, Your Highness. This old mancks ideas." "It''s alright. The issue you''ve raised is a fundamental problem." While children from noble and royal families would readily enroll in the academy if the professors and instructors were outstanding, the challengey in attractingmoners. Convincing them to be students was an entirely different matter. Davey had no choice but to find a way to entice them to join the academy. Changing society''s mindset in a short period of time was simply impossible. ¡°Then, what will you do?¡± ¡°A war broke out just recently, Attendant Bernile.¡± Bernile¡¯s eyes grew wide at the implication of Davey¡¯s words. "First, I n to set a precedent and shift the societal atmosphere and mindset. Our primary focus will be on war orphans. These children face immense difficulties in their day-to-day lives, and they have limited options for their future. They will be the first graduates of my academy. I will take them in and transform them into exceptional individuals." Bernile stared at Davey in silence before bursting intoughter. *** [Tch, tch. Humans are always like this. They are useless.] Those were the first words that reached the man with bloodshot eyes as he walked slowly. Times had changed. It had been thirty years, and the world had nearly forgotten about her. Once hailed as the most beautiful woman on the continent, she possessed a beauty that left the entire world in awe. With countless rumors, some abruptly ending and others blown out of proportion, only a select few knew the truth about her identity. However, one thing was certain among the people: the woman who had wandered with the gypsies thirty years ago had vanished. She was only remembered because she would asionally reappear before someone''s eyes. "Oh..." The man, his face adorned with a thick beard, moved silently upon seeing a young woman, seemingly in her early twenties, sleeping peacefully in a rocking chair. She slumbered deeply, her ck hair cascading over the backrest of the rocking chair, swaying gently as if lulling her into an even deeper sleep. A book on magic rested on her chest. The man watched her in silence, memories of the past flooding his mind. [Child, you have been abandoned. At this rate, you will die. Who would say anything about an abandoned child dying? You are nothing but an insect in the eyes of others.] [¡­Let go. I¡¯m a busy person. If you grab my clothes one more time, I will make sure to burn you to death.] At first, she looked so cold and terrifying as she stood alone amidst the horrifying scene of devastation. There were countless people dying and tearing each other apart around her. [¡­Fine. Let go. Well, I¡¯ll just think of this as research on human beings. You can just clean my house. However, keep in mind that I will throw you in a pot and eat you if you bezy.] Countless memories shed in the man¡¯s head. [Why aren''t you eating? Don''t think about it. You''ll taste better if you gain a bit more weight. Stop talking nonsense. Come, eat this too. And that one too.] [I hate foolishness the most. Whether it''s singing, dancing, or swordsmanship, it matters not to me. Well, you miscreant, you seem full of hatred, so a sword suits you better. Right. I''ve been using this as a toothpick. Give it a swing.] [You foolish brat! Who will do myundry if you get hurt, huh?! Eat this and go to sleep! Hurry!] ¡°Mother¡­¡± the man murmured as he slowly went down on his knees. Chapter 389

Chapter 389

There were dozens of colorful and beautiful buildings, along with countless facilities and an integrated system incorporating amazing technologies inside the academy. It was much more than a simple academy. These buildings had been created with significant financial resources and could be considered the epitome of extravagance. Considering the academy''s simultaneous construction with the waterways and the water-powered mana nt in the territory, the financial situation was inevitably strained. However, Davey had no regrets about proceeding with the construction of these facilities. They were bound to be constructed sooner orter. Although the cost was substantial and strained the territory''s coffers, it was not inherently a bad decision. The sales of the moon grass they had sold quarterly were enough to cover the territory''s financial losses, but the items created by the little girl in front of Davey contributed the most to the territory''s revenue. "Your contribution here is the greatest, Aeonitia." "Well, I just did whatever came to mind. You''re the one who shared the most knowledge with me, Brother." This was why Davey loved ve contracts. The little girl was not ustomed to praise and shyly twisted her body. At present, Aeonitia knew that Davey was not a threatening person. She understood that he wouldn''t harm her even if she made mistakes. However, she couldn''t easily let go of her cautious nature. Despite her overwhelming position, she never allowed herself to becent, and that was why she thrived in this environment. "Alright, feel free to tell me if there''s anything you want to create. I''ll ensure you have the necessary knowledge and funds." "..." "However, you need to persuade me. You have the right to surprise and impress me. If I like it, I''ll provide the funds." Davey, apanied by Aeonitia, walked around the academy and observed an empty lot. "What''s the matter?" Aeonitia had made significant contributions to the academy''s architecture. However, it wasn''t solely because she was the Watch Princess and had generated a substantial amount of money from selling her watches. She possessed such immense talent that even the dwarves of the Redstone Tribe were awestruck by her abilities. Her childlike naivety and purity allowed her to conceive unique, dreamy, and beautiful designs that deviated from the typical structuresmonly seen in public. This distinctiveness was precisely what lent the academy''s buildings their unfamiliar yet captivating beauty. "It feels a bit empty here." "Ah..." "At the very least, this is a ce where children wille to study. Even if we deem it an inefficient use of space, we can still adorn it with a sculpture that evokes emotions and instills a sense of calmness." Aeonitia gazed at the vacant lot, contemting Davey''s words as if delving into their meaning. "Now, think about it, Aeonitia. Let''s create a pond here. It wouldn''t be too difficult to divert the waterway system to this spot. By allowing the water to flow, we can prevent it from stagnating and bing foul." Listening attentively, the girl slowly closed her eyes, visualizing Davey''s description in her mind. "On one side, we can ce a naturally formed stone and construct an artificial waterfall. It doesn''t have to be overly tall; it can even take the form of a fountain with water cascading from above." "Ah..." "In the center of the pond, let''s position a beautiful statue. Additionally, we can introduce some carp and fish into the water. We could even employ some elementalists to invite water spirits to reside here." A flush appeared on Aeonitia''s face as she absorbed Davey''s words. Although he was certain that his vision differed from hers, Davey knew that she had undoubtedly conceived her own stunning rendition of thisposition. "Oh my! How beautiful!" Aeonitia eximed, opening her eyes and looking up at Davey. "Right? It will be magnificent, won''t it? A serene space where students can find respite as they pass by." "Yes! Just as my brother said! It will be a marvelous ce, and it could also serve as a romantic rendezvous for couples to exchange sweet words." Davey smiled softly at his sister''s exuberant outburst. "Then let''s make it happen." "Yes?" ¡°What? You should make it.¡± Just like that, the smile on the girl¡¯s face disappeared. *** Davey stared at the unassuming doll in front of him, tension evident on his face. They had already faced multiple failures, leaving no room for further mistakes. "Good... Good," he muttered. It wasn''t only Davey who anxiously observed the situation. Elder Golgouda, the primary figure behind the Avengers Squadron, and Rinne, who had arrived with unwavering determination to witness thepletion of her new sessor, were both present. Annabelle, having undergone adjustments once before, sat on a rocking chair, ying with her elven ears while staring nkly at Davey. "Well then... Let''s begin." Davey couldn''t help but question why a seemingly ordinary-looking man had be so grotesque and unsettling. This was actually a fragment of the Abyss that Davey had salvaged when erasing the existence of the gigantic creature that had invaded the Tionis Continent. When they initially attempted to utilize it, it started moving in search of Perserque, forcing Davey to neutralize it. However, Davey didn''t stop there; he took it to the Holy Empire''s sanctuary for further purification. At present, it appearedpletely frozen. Due to this process, the power of the Abyss had significantly weakened, yet its extraordinary abilities remained intact. Davey had then remodeled it using various reagents and magic circles, sessfully transforming it into the heart of Dirro, the second golem of the Avengers Squadron. As soon as Davey installed the heart into Dirro, the faceless construct began emitting a radiant light. "Rinne holds her new sessor in high regard!" Rinne eximed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. However, the others present in the undergroundboratory watched the scene with apprehension. Another failure would mean the abandonment of the Dirro Project. For Elder Golgouda, who regarded the golem as his second child and wished to prevent its destruction, and for Davey, who had invested considerable resources and effort into its creation, this experiment had to seed. Swoosh¡­ Finally, the light enveloping Dirro''s body gradually receded. Simultaneously, the doll autonomously stood upright, its form trembling as though it were liquid before reverting to its original shape. Creak¡­ Davey detected the approach of someone who seemed to have been awaiting this very moment. It turned out to be Annabelle, clutching a doll in her hands. Expressionless as always, she drew closer to Dirro, her face nearly touching the new golem''s radiant visage. While studying Dirro''s features, her head slowly tilted at an unusual angle. Although her body remained still, her head had twistedpletely to the side. "..." "Hey. Who designed that system?" Davey''s bitingment caused someone to flinch, but Annabelle paid no attention, pushing her neck to its limit. Before long, a juvenile and childlike voice emerged from Annabelle''s mouth. "Annabelle has concluded that she doesn''t like this." Bzzzzzzzz!!! Then, Dirro sprung into motion, his hands transforming into liquid that contorted and morphed into numerous tentacles. These appendages swiftly ensnared Annabelle''s entire body, lifting her into the air. Rinne''s eyes gleamed even brighter at the sight, further affirming her high evaluation of her second sessor''s capabilities. "Hey, you lunatics..." Davey muttered, his gaze shifting toward Elder Golgouda, wondering what other additions they had made without his knowledge. "Cough..." Elder Golgouda quickly averted his eyes, avoiding Davey''s questioning gaze. While Davey had established the basic personality of the new golem, the design had been left to the others. As Annabelle''s eyes gradually turned ck and her head shook within the grasp of the tentacles, her body becamepletely covered. Despite her skirt being flipped upside down and the sudden turn of events leaving her flustered, Annabelle, being a golem, had no sense of shame or difort in her peculiar posture. "Searching. Search has beenpleted," Annabelle stated, her voice devoid of emotion. After concluding her search, dark mana began to coalesce behind her. Simultaneously, her distinct dark magic intertwined with a pre-cast magic circle. Then, a colossal ck shadow materialized behind Annabelle. This towering entity forcibly tore apart the tentacles enveloping her, snatching Dirro, who stood motionless, and hoisting him into the air. The tables had turned in an instant. "Let''s... y," Dirro murmured as his body was drawn closer to Annabelle. Annabelle, now ghostly and limp, gradually approached Dirro''s location, as if she had transformed into a lifeless specter. p!!! "Shut down," Davey''s voicemanded, abruptly ending their tense standoff. Davey alone held the authority to deactivate these golems with a single word. No one else possessed that power. After shutting them down, Davey grabbed Rinne''s remorseful head and turned to face Elder Golgouda, who was apanied by several dwarves. "Elder Golgouda." "Ahem! I, I just wanted to see my children develop their own personalities! I never anticipated they would end up fighting each other." Davey wasn''t certain why they harbored animosity toward each other, but one thing became clear from witnessing their interaction. Despite being part of the same squadron, both Dirro and Annabelle, as biological golems, exhibited considerable hostility toward each other. Unlike the Decepticon Fleet, which focused on firepower, the Avengers Squadron was designed for infiltration andmunication. As a result, it was expected that conflicts would arise among team members due to their need for basicmunication and judgment skills. "We, we will rectify it swiftly, Wise Teacher!" "No. Just let them be. It''s already done. Besides, it''s amusing to watch their shifting egos sh." Ultimately, it didn''t matter much. The sess of their future endeavors would hinge on how effectively the Elder Brain, Rinne, could coordinate and manage their tasks. Currently, she seemed to be cheering for the two biological golems to fight and sh. "Wait..." Davey''s smile grew faint as he noticed his trembling pocket, prompting him to speak. "Perserque, do you wish to emerge?" "I absolutely detest it! Don''t even entertain the thought!" As expected, Perserque would find it challenging to get along with Dirro. *** And so, the second member of the Avengers Squadron waspleted with the item obtained from the Holy Empire. Throughout the process, Davey had opened the gates to the other dimension each time the key was activated. Currently, he surveyed the stack of items the twin golems had amassed through their diligent efforts. "Twenty-four stacks," he noted. The quantity seemed rtively small for a three-month period. However, realizing that the dimensional key''s cooldown time did not guarantee his ability to open it as desired, Davey ceased using it punctually. Furthermore, the total duration he could spend within the dimension had only increased by thirty minutes since then. This meant that he could now utilize 120 minutes inside. Considering he had a mere thirty minutes during his initial attempt, the avable time had already quadrupled. "But it seems they haven''t established connections to other dimensions yet, only linking it to the Yurgian Continent." "Until when will you rely solely on those golems? You need to personally assess the situation from time to time." "I should. But before that, I must ensure the territory can function properly even in my absence." After thepletion of the academy, Davey received various updates. The Pan Empire, known as the Empire of Swords, had expressed their intention to send some of their top Imperial Knights to the academy in the Heins Territory. It was highly likely that the astute Prince Sullivan had taken the initiative to reinforce his empire''s forces. He must have anticipated that Davey would prioritize strengthening and developing the academy''s faculty to provide a solid education to their students. And that was precisely Davey''s n. "The academy''s purpose is to educate students. The war orphans we will amodate have already faced immense hardships. Once we have gathered them, we will wee them here. They have lost their parents, individuals who were distinguished and perished as heroes defending thisnd, leaving them with no other means of livelihood. Naturally, we will assume responsibility for their well-being." These children had lost their parents while protecting thend. Although Davey couldn''t save their parents, he was determined to treat their children well. It would be inappropriate if their welfare couldn''t be ensured under such circumstances. Thus, war orphans from across the continent were being sought in the Heins Territory. Presently, Davey surveyed the knights assembled before him. Among them, at least one or two were highly skilled experts and master-level knights. ¡°So, you¡¯re from the Pan Empire.¡± The knights from the Pan Empire bowed their heads respectfully in response to Davey''s words. "It is an honor to meet the renowned Prince Davey. I am Olman, the Chief Imperial Knight. Although my skills may pale inparison to the prince''s, I will give my utmost best in this ce and strive not to disappoint the orders of His Highness, the Crown Prince," humbly said the knight, who held the rank of Sword Master. "Well, it''s the intention that counts. After all, both students and professors are human beings," Davey replied, cing a hand on Olman''s shoulder and offering his assistance. The man gazed down at Davey in silence. ¡®He¡¯s tall and he¡¯s got a good build. This is the perfect body for swinging swords,¡¯ Davey thought with a smile as he checked the man¡¯s physique through his armor. "Moving forward, all of you will instruct the students of this academy, irrespective of their ss or social status. They may not all be aspiring warriors, but it suffices to impart them with basic swordsmanship skills. The rest, you can handle as you see fit. Any objections?" Davey inquired. The knights responded by shaking their heads, indicating their agreement. "They are the families left behind by the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of this continent. Even if theye from humble backgrounds, we must uphold the honor that their families rightly deserve, don''t you agree?" Davey emphasized. ¡®As expected of country-driven knights.¡¯ It appeared that these were the sentiments of the citizens from an advanced nation. Well, Sullivan would never have dispatched knights who would cause trouble while teachingmoners. If he had done so, he would only suffer significant setbacks. "However, if we simply settle for that, we won''t be able topete with the other academies. The mere presence of a Sword Master teaching at this academy would be sufficient to put us on par with them. But that''s not good enough. I need something that will make the students want to stay here. Something that will make people insist on attending this academy instead of returning to their normal lives at home." A wide smile spread across Davey''s face as he retrieved a wooden sword. "All of you,e at me. My priority is to turn the faculty into formidable warriors before allowing you to instruct the students." ¡®Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die easily. I believe I will be able to get satisfactory results after a week of hard work, no?¡¯ Davey was skilled at tailoring his teachings to suit each individual''s attributes, a talent he excelled in. However, he couldn''t afford to solely focus on the knights, as mages from the Lyndis Empire and the Mage Towers would be arriving soon. He needed to address their training as well, requiring him to act swiftly. As Davey uttered his next words, the knights'' expressions turned grave. "Come at me with all your might." In an instant, they unsheathed their swords, reacting swiftly to Davey''s cold expression. Their movements were so rapid that they seemed to have witnessed a ghost. From that moment onward, anguished cries echoed loudly from within the lecture hall where Davey was instructing the knights. As a result, tales of a ghost haunting the academy began circting even before it officially opened its doors to the public. Chapter 390: Experts or Professors, As Long As You Put in the Effort then Everything Would Work Out

Chapter 390: Experts or Professors, As Long As You Put in the Effort then Everything Would Work Out

Upon the arrival of the faculty in Heins Territory, Davey warmly weed them with a sumptuous meal and exceptional hospitality. It was crucial for them to rx and feel at ease on their first day. Following this, Davey elucidated the ideals and vision of the Heins Territory''s Academy, seeking their agreement. After all, the academy would not function smoothly if any of the professors were dissatisfied with the system. Ultimately, while the talent of the students held significance, Davey ced paramount importance on the professors'' abilities. During his time in the Hall of Heroes, his singing terrorized all the heroes present, creating a serenade akin to hell. However, with the guidance of his music teacher, Muse, he had be a decent minstrel. This exemplified thepetence of Muse as an instructor and illustrated the vital role professors yed. . Davey didn''t disregard the talents of his faculty, but it wasn''t sufficient for this institution. Consequently, he had them sign a contract that would remain in effect for a considerable duration, requiring them to never disclose what they learned within the academy to the outside world. However, this was not an immediate concern, at least until their individual abilities improved. Now, Davey once again revealed his true nature to the others, leading him to realize an important point. He seemed to understand why the astute Crown Prince Sullivan had promptly dispatched his leading imperial knights to him. Nevertheless, there was a strong possibility that they woulde to resent him. "Keuaaaaaaaaaaack!" A burly man with a robust build rolled on the ground, his screams obliterating any semnce of dignity as his hefty bastard sword soared through the air. "This is quite serious..." Davey remarked, observing the scene with a calm demeanor. The onlookers in the lecture hall stared in disbelief at the sight of a Sword Master-level individual helplessly tumbling to the ground. Davey shifted his gaze to the fallen knight, who struggled to rise, while toying with a wooden shortsword in his hands. After a brief moment, he discarded it and instead picked up a branch hanging from a weapon stand. "Let''s start with the junior course." "Kghk, kghhhk... P-Please wait," the knight managed to utter. "What do you mean, wait? You''re not the only one in need of improvement," Davey responded calmly, snapping his fingers in the knight''s direction. [Highness Heal] Without dy, a potent healing magic was applied to the knight''s body. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open as the intense pain he had been experiencing dissipated. Overwhelmed by an immense surge of holy mana, his body underwent a forceful and rapid recovery. Davey observed the disoriented knight and offered a cold smile. "Well then, let''s start anew. There''s only one thing I can do for you." That one thing was to help them recognize whom they were pitted against¡ªan adversary infinitely stronger than themselves. As Davey spoke, the expressions of the knights in the hall turned grim. With their discerning eyes, they realized that Davey''s power extended far beyond that of a mere saint. The rumors surrounding him were not exaggerated in the slightest. Only a short time had passed since the previous incident. While his wild disy had been kept secret, it meant that there were still many who remained unaware of who Davey truly was. Now, Davey taunted the knights before him by yfully swinging the branch in his hand. "...I won''t bear responsibility for the oue! Don''t regret this!!!" one of the knights eximed, clearly taking offense to Davey''s behavior. With sword energy surging, he charged forward andunched an attack against Davey. Swiish!!! p!!! To everyone''s surprise, an unexpected and unfamiliar sound emanated from the slender branch as another knight was sent flying through the air. "The sword is a knight''s life. However, ultimately, a sword is merely a tool wielded by the knight," Davey dered, emphasizing that weapons alone were ineffective when there existed an overwhelming difference in abilities between knights. "Well, I hadn''t anticipated this oue. But don''t worry, I''ll grant you some hands-on experience," Davey remarked with a smile, causing the knights to pale in response. Observing the situation from a distance, Archbishop Alice murmured, "Oh... As expected, it won''t be easy for these knights. After all, they rely on their physical bodies." The high-ranking priests apanying her all nodded sympathetically. "Yes, indeed..." "By the way, it''smon knowledge that the Saint, Prince Davey, is an exceptionally remarkable individual. But how can someone be so talented at such a young age?" one of the priests pondered aloud. "I''ve never heard of a Saint skilled in swordsmanship." A hush fell over the group upon hearing thement. "Ahem. I must say, I wholeheartedly agree. In fact, there are rumors circting in our mage tower about Prince Davey. It''s quite well-known among the F ss students of Shakunt." The F ss students of Shakunt were notorious for their failures and troublemaking tendencies. Despite Davey''s brief stint as their instructor, he had transformed them into formidable individuals. This fact had be widely known among the mages. "In truth, I assumed that the prince employed a different method. I mean, no matter how I observe him, I can''t sense even a trace of mana in his body," the mage continued. Alice nodded in agreement. "The same goes for his holy mana. It''s as if he possesses mana that is not only ordinary but even less than ordinary." Davey nced at the onlookers who observed the distressed knights. He then disrupted the knights'' equilibrium by releasing his sword energy andunching it directly toward the group. "Do you think you have the luxury to dawdle like that?" Davey questioned, causing Alice''s demeanor to stiffen. "Holy magic might not involve circles, but it relies entirely on the overall amount of holy mana within a person''s body and their proficiency in manipting it, Archbishop Alice." Silence enveloped the area as Alice gazed at Davey, her expression unreadable. "Why are you staring at me like that? Right now, I am your superior, Archbishop Alice," Davey proimed with a grin, effectively sealing their fate. "Just wait a little longer. Once the knights have adapted, the priests will be next." Upon hearing those words, Alice and the high-ranking priests turned pale, fully aware of the impending trials awaiting them. *** The rumors spread like wildfire. Numerous academies had been established with the aim of admitting students "regardless of their ss." However, this was unprecedented. Typically, academies only disregarded the distinction between members of the nobility and the royal family, but none of them eptedmoners. Was it because they looked down onmoners? Yes, many academies were guilty of such prejudice. However, there were practical reasons behind their reluctance to admit lower-ss individuals. Financially supporting and subsidizing the expensive tuition formoners, who often struggled to make ends meet, was a significant burden for most institutions. Indeed, there were ces willing to provide education to talentedmoners. However, given the current state of the continent, it was challenging to offer opportunities to all individuals who desired to learn, regardless of their talents. Hence, it was only natural that all eyes turned to Heins Territory. Moreover, the founder of the academy was no ordinary person. The reputation and influence of Davey O''Rowane, the only Saint and an incredibly influential figure on the continent, carried immense weight. Rumors abounded regarding Davey''s extraordinary powers that defiedmon sense. Anyone who had heard these rumors would already be aware of his exceptional abilities. In fact, the nations on the eastern side of the continent, who sought to destabilize the Rowane Kingdom, were less concerned about King Krianes O''Rowane, known as the Tiger, or the Sword of the Kingdom, Marquis Peiltris. Their primary focus was the individual known as Prince Davey. "Kathryn! Kathryn! Have you heard the news?!" A young girl burst into the room, her vibrant turquoise hair trailing behind her. She was so excited that her ears perked up cutely above her hair. "Oh my, Your Imperial Highness. Regardless of my familiarity with you, I am still in a position that requires me to prevent a member of the imperial family from running about like that." "Ah, I know! But more importantly, have you heard the news?!" The girl, Aeria El Lyndis, continued with her enthusiastic outbursts. Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe, despite the girl''s excitement, maintained a nonchnt expression. She wondered what had stirred the usually calm imperial princess into such a frenzy. As always, it was a struggle for Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe to resist the temptation of kidnapping the adorable girl with her radiant turquoise hair and keeping her close. However, both the emperor and the crown prince of the Lyndis Empire, the strongest powerhouses in the east, would not tolerate such actions, even if she were a girl. "Very well, Your Imperial Highness. What news do you wish to share?" "Prince Davey has established an academy! Andmoners are allowed to attend and learn there! He created the academy with the intention of providing everyone an equal opportunity!" Kathryn''s gaze momentarily averted from the princess upon hearing those words. ''Ah, that story.''? In truth, it was not entirely urate. Davey had built the academy so that children, including Myuu, could attend and receive an education. However, that was something Aeria should not be aware of, and Kathryn was not at liberty to divulge. "Well... that person... He may be a bit entric and have a vtile temper, but he lives a life based onmon sense, you know?" Common sense? Which man would dare to challenge the strongest powerhouse and the Emperor of the mightiest empire as Davey had? To Kathryn, Davey was a person who lived a life that defiedmon sense. However, she couldn''t deny the fact that she also acknowledged him. Despite being born a noble and a prince, Davey ensured that his people had ess to the most basic and essential necessities, and he would protect them at all costs. He also possessed a strong sense of right and wrong. If someone did wrong, they had to be punished. If they did good, they would be rewarded. Kathryn held a high opinion of Davey''s character in that regard, except for one thing. "Your Imperial Highness, may I be honest with you?" Kathryn asked. "Yes?" Aeria replied. "What is it that you like about Prince Davey?" Aeria''s face turned bright red at the question. "W-Well... What do you mean?" "Ah, forget it. It''s true that he is the most eligible bachelor on the continent. He is sought after for political marriages, and maidens from noble and royal families alike drool over him. But has that guy ever sent you a letter, Your Imperial Highness?" Aeria blushed even deeper. "A letter? What... What nonsense are you talking about?! I don''t think I''m worthy of receiving a letter from the prince..." Kathryn let out a frustrated sigh. Thanks to Emperor Deorte''s efforts, there had been talk of an engagement ceremony between Aeria and Davey. However, Davey hadpletely overturned the emperor''s ns. He had suggested starting over as friends first, which may have sounded good, but it was nothing but empty words. "I''ll be honest with you, Your Imperial Highness. Do you know what my husband heard when he visited Heins Territory to settle some trading matters?" Aeria''s expression grew solemn as she heard Kathryn''s words. She frowned, as if she were a child hearing something she didn''t want to hear. "I-I don''t want to hear!" "There is already a woman by Prince Davey''s side." "I-I don''t want to listen!" Aeria must have already heard the rumors. After all, unless Davey was celibate or already had someone in his heart, it was impossible for him not to be moved by Aeria''s presence. "So, I wondered if it would be eptable to use the excuse of polygamy to ce our Imperial Highness by his side." Aeria fell silent. "However, that guy''s thoughts are innocent and pure, unlike his appearance. Indulging in debauchery is not part of his vocabry," Kathryn said calmly before asking, "Do you have confidence in yourself? I''ve heard that he already ns to marry an incredibly beautifuldy with silver hair, you know?" Kathryn was well aware that provoking the girl in front of her was unwise. Aeria belonged to the Nine Tails Race. She could say no, but her instincts told her that she would die if she didn''t receive Prince Davey''s love. It was the harsh fate of their race. But what could they do? It was the reality they faced. "It''s not toote, Your Highness. You can still rify your thoughts and feelings... If we''re toote, your own nature will suffocate and crush you until you die. That''s how horribly selfish the Nine Tails Race can be." "I don''t want to!" Kathryn looked at Aeria in surprise as she heard the determination in her voice. "I am willing to do anything to seize any opportunity... I wanted to take the long road and wait for the prince, but..." Kathryn asked, "For example?" Aeria''s eyes widened as she pondered deeply. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "W-What... What should I do? I don''t know how to seduce a man." In the end, Aeria wept alone. She had been suffering from her illness for a long time, so she was unaware of the basics of the art of seduction. ¡®Goddess Freyja!¡¯?Kathryn smiled when she saw the princess¡¯ flushed face. ¡°Then, Your Highness¡­ How about we do this first?¡± An insidious smile hung at the corners of Grand Duchess Kathryn¡¯s lips. Chapter 391

Chapter 391

The inside of the academy, which had not yet been named, was devoid of students but filled with zombies. No, they weren''t exactly zombies, but rather people who had turned limp as they dragged their bodies around¡ªa rather spectacr sight, if one were to ask Davey. They were the prime example of what humans would be if driven to their limits. "S-Save..." Davey walked out of the lecture hall, feeling at ease, leaving behind mages on the brink of death and faculty members barely clinging to life. Just as he expected, whether they were experts or professors, there was nothing that a human being couldn''t endure. However, Archbishop Alice did not respond to him. She hadn''t slept well for a few days and was begging for mercy. Of course, when it came to mental power, Davey was no stranger to such hardships. Having experienced even more grueling training, this was nothing but a simple warm-up for him. Davey believed that the speed of their growth was already sufficient for the faculty. All that remained was to secure students who would evolve into formidable individuals. He ran his academy like a business, but that didn''t matter. It was the necessary approach in this field. He embarked on this journey because of his promise to Myuu¡ªto provide her with an education. If he could assist the families of the fallen soldiers and treat them well, that would be more than enough. Different nations? They had all fought together, risking their lives for amon cause. What did it matter where they came from? "Davey, have you not taught Baris or Winley in the same way?" Aeonitia asked, concerned. "Each person has their own path to growth," Davey calmly replied, his gaze fixed on Aeonitia and the dwarves creating arge pond on one side of the academy. Aeonitia seemed teary-eyed and reluctant, but she was working hard. At least her body betrayed no falsehoods. "Aina," Davey called out to the figure lurking in the shadows after a brief silence. "Yes?" "Do you still have no information about those two women?" "We still haven''t found any information about the woman named Urd." Davey hadn''t expected any immediate breakthrough in gathering information about her. "After investigating the characteristics of the woman named Verdandi that you mentioned, I discovered something." "Why mention it now?" "Then, I won''t tell you." Aina pouted. Her response was deeply disappointing, capable of leaving anyone dumbfounded. But Davey was different. He touched the ring on his hand and called out, "Dirro." Swoosh¡­ At that moment, a liquid substance dripped onto the floor, gradually solidifying into a figure. Due to the added functions, Davey had to wait and determine if Dirro needed the ability ofnguage andmunication. Hence, Dirro stood silently, awaiting Davey''s instructions after forming its body. "Tie her up," Davey ordered. In an instant, Dirro transformed one of its hands into numerous tentacles and directed them toward Aina. "Ugh?!" Aina stifled the scream that threatened to escape her lips and took arge step backward. "That... No matter how you look at it, it''s a bit too..." she weakly protested, her face alternating between pale and red, her breaths ragged. "Speak. I will be the judge of whether your information is good or bad," Davey interrupted Dirro and warned Aina quietly. He knew all too well that Aina Helishana, this ursed dark elf, had peculiar inclinations and saw such perverted actions as a form of reward. "There was a passing mention of an angel''s existence in the Heresy Inquisition''s Heresy Judgment List," Aina nced at Dirro as she slowly ryed the information she had acquired. "An angel?" Davey queried. "Yes. It is said that an entity referring to herself as an angel has made several appearances, healing the wounded and the disabled." "So, what does that have to do with Verdandi?" Davey believed that the woman named Verdandi was likely a princess wielding the perilous power of the Abyss. Her primary objective was probably to sow chaos in the Tionis Continent, yet she was healing and aiding humans? It made no sense and raised doubts. "There are countless Trait Ability Users in the world. It''s usible for anyone possessing a Trait Ability to perform such actions," Aina exined. "Davey, do you think someone on this continent would assume the title of an angel?" That was the pivotal question. In this world, the concept of angels was associated with the Divine Race. Therefore... "It''s worth investigating." "Thest reported sighting of Verdandi was in the northernmost region of the Eastern Continent, where rumors about an angel-like figure originated." Even the location was intriguing. "However, rumors concerning Verdandi in that area are conflicting. Considering the rumors about the so-called angelic being, a thorough investigation is warranted." "Speak. What do you desire?" "Lend me Annabelle." Davey furrowed his brow in confusion. Annabelle was a biological golem that still required several adjustments. Davey had initially designed her for stealth purposes, giving her the appearance of an elf. However, something had gone awry during the process. She had developed peculiar traits, often behaving like a ghost, reminiscent of the spirits seen in horror movies back on modern Earth. The major concern was that her actions and demeanor emitted an eerie and foreboding aura, capable of invoking extreme fear. "Annabelle?" Davey questioned. "I may require dark magic at some point during the process," Aina exined. Davey nced back at Rinne, who was silently trailing behind him. Rinne nodded, her eyes turning blue, and muttered... [Code ess: 857-262. Granting Annabelle permission for a solo mission. Temporarily transferring ownership from Davey O¡¯Rowane to Aina Helishana.] In the case of living dolls and golemscking a proper ego, the owner''s imprint was of utmost importance. Having temporarily transferred ownership of Annabelle to Aina, she bowed quietly to Davey and reminded him, "And...do you remember what I told you before?" Davey smiled. "So?" "You promised that you would lend me a helping hand someday... Don''t forget this promise," Aina said, her voice carrying a tinge of bitterness, as she vanished into smoke. *** Another week had passed just like that. Now, anyone Davey encountered on his path would jump and tremble in fear at the mere sight of his figure. Initially, they had been filled with enthusiasm. However, as time went on, they began toprehend the harsh reality of training under Davey''s leadership and the arduous journey to be stronger within a short period. It amused Davey to witness their once passionate gazes transform into pure terror as soon as they caught a glimpse of him. Knock, knock, knock. ¡°Sir Olman.¡± ¡°Cough!!!?Urk! Cough!!!¡± The warehouse, meant to be an abandoned ce to hide their supplies and goods, should have been deserted. However, as Davey entered nonchntly, he spotted Sir Olman coughing violently among a stack of boxes the moment he called out. "Hmm, you should let me know when you''re hungry." "Prince, Prince Davey... Why are you here in this ce¡­?" Olman was still a nobleman who had entered the elite course and risen to be the Pan Empire''s chief imperial knight. He was a man of strong moral principles and possessed enough talent to be a Sword Master at a young age. Yet, at that moment, this gentleman was squatting amidst a pile of boxes, stuffing potatoes into his mouth. ¡®Maybe I should put some chocopie here somewhere?¡¯ ¡°Cough¡­ Cough, cough, cough!!!¡± Startled by Davey''s sudden appearance, the very object of his fear, Olman found the potato he had stuffed in his mouth getting lodged in his throat. In the end, Davey had to approach the knight, pat him on the back, and offer him a bottle of water he had retrieved from his pocket ne. "What I wanted to ask you is, what are you doing here...?" Olman, his face pale, looked up at Davey and asked, his voice filled with desperation, "Prince, Prince Davey... Do you perhaps hold a grudge against me?" *** "Aaaaaaaaack!!!" Archbishop Alice screamed, hurling whatever item she could grasp, disying the behavior of someone in a state of hysteria. "A monster... That guy is a monster!" Alice, who had been designated as one of the Saintess Candidates since childhood, had lofty ambitions. She would do anything and everything as long as it didn''t cross the line of bing the Saintess Candidate. She worked tirelessly, even sacrificing sleep, until she saw the light. As a result, she was known to possess an astonishing amount of holy mana, except for a select few, within the Holy Empire. However, the method Davey had instructed them to follow in order to enhance their proficiency in handling holy mana was utterly reckless and ignorant. For priests, the emphasis should lie not in their mastery of holy magic, but rather in maintaining a devout heart and mind. However, Davey had told them... [Let''s first improve your proficiency. Then, I will reveal to you the truth of the world and the god you serve. A sincere and faithful heart? Do you believe I can assist you in refining and remodeling yourselves with that? It varies from person to person. You all aren''t new to this, are you?] Then, he had imprisoned her within a magic circle brimming with holy mana, subjecting her to suffering. [Let me make this clear: proficiency is the most vital aspect of holy magic. From now on, I will strip you of all your holy mana and use it against you, Archbishop Alice. If you wish to survive and continue living, you must ensure that I don''t take everything away from you, understand? Haha.] Thump¡­ thump¡­ The sound of footsteps echoed from a distance. It wasn''t Davey''s main body; instead, it was just a clone formed from a strand of his hair. His true self was upied with searching for the scattered knights who had hidden themselves from him. It was indeed surprising that Alice was being manipted by nothing more than a clone. However, that wasn''t the crucial point. What mattered was that he was drawing near. Creak¡­ Alice looked at the boy, who was sporting a bright smile on his face as he entered the room, with dark circles under her eyes. She immediately prayed a desperate plea to Goddess Freyja, ¡®Goddess Freyja. Please grant this sufferingmb of yours a handful of your benevolence and mercy¡­¡¯ A miracle would definitelye to find her as long as she believed. ¡°Prince Davey¡­ As one person to another, please¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± But there was no miracle. *** The mages who hade to Heins Territory on the rmendation of Hellison Valestia were mostly at the 4th or 5th Circle. Some had been enticed by rumors about Prince Davey, while others were solely influenced by the sage''s endorsement. Yulis was originally intended to join them, but his involvement was significantly dyed due to an ongoing project he was working on. These mages, willing to sacrifice even their souls in pursuit of knowledge, believed that by arriving early, they would have more opportunities for learning. However, everything had taken a twisted turn from the very beginning. [You''re all different from the others, right? Each one of you is a strong and resilient adult. Your endurance must be exceptional, so I''ll raise the intensity a bit. From now on, your task is to decipher the forms I''ve written on the paper I''ll provide. How? That''s for you to figure out. However, if you can''t solve it within an hour, then...] What followed was a baptism of hellish magical attacks. Mages were considered superior beings in the world, but at this very moment, they were nothing more than helpless fish on the chopping block. Hell would be unleashed the moment they failed to solve the enigmatic form they could only attempt to decipher through random guesswork. Naturally, in order to survive, the mages had to give their all. They were consumed by an unprecedented desperation to solve this problem, surpassing any previous instances in their lives. Though they weren''t entirely without assistance, as numerous reference books were provided for consultation, they questioned if there had ever been a moment in their lives when they practiced magic and studied forms with such relentless dedication. Thump¡­ Thump¡­ The echoing sound of the footsteps of the sinister Saint resonated in their ears. It appeared that their time had run out once again. "Oooooh... Goddess Freyja, I implore you..." pleaded an elderly man, seemingly around seventy years old. However, as a mage who had not worshiped any god in his lifetime, his plea for the goddess'' mercy was heartfelt but straightforward. Chapter 392

Chapter 392

There were many people who came to Heins Territory''s academy to be professors. All of them were obviously prominent figures on the continent and were skilled enough to teach others. However, the standards would differ from one person to another. The one who experienced the most significant change was Sir Olman, the Chief Imperial Knight of the Pan Empire. It was true that he was strong enough to be treated as a Sword Master wherever he went, but... "Fufu... Fufufufufu... This is mine... I''m telling you, this is mine... I won''t give this to anyone." What did Sir Olman look like now? He appeared so pitiful, still holding onto his potato that he would not let go anytime soon, to the point that one would wonder if he was truly a Sword Master. He hadpletely abandoned his noble dignity and pride, opting to devour the potatoes in his hands like a man who had been starving for days. One might wonder how a dignified person could turn into something like that in just a few days, right? A person would only change and be like that after being subjected to extreme circumstances. Sir Olman''s current appearance was nothing more than that of someone desperately trying to survive and live. "Hmm. Very good," Davey said as he left the academy''s main building with a satisfied expression. As he stepped outside, he saw the dwarves gathered together, working hard to install something. "Elder Goulda, what is that?" "Wise Teacher, you''vee at the right time. I was just about toe and fetch you." "You''re looking for me?" "That''s right. We want you to test drive this right away after we finish the final touches." The dwarves of the Yellowstone Tribe presented Davey with arge carriage, with several other cars lined up behind it. "In fact, we made this using the excess magic stone that Brother Golgouda used when making Dirro. Using your form, Wise Teacher, we devised an automatic cart that can move without horses. Well, you still have to control the cart yourself, but you know what I mean." Opening the front of the carriage, Davey saw a small magic stone linked between two mana stones. It seemed like they had borrowed Megatron''s self-moving system. "It''s not perfect yet, but this is its limit. We need to personally see and experiment to determine if it will move and roll." They could make it themselves, but they needed the help of a skilled mage to activate the magic circles. That''s why they were also looking for Davey. ¡°Isn¡¯t the academy quite big? That¡¯s why we thought, ¡®What if there''s such transportation inside thepounds?¡¯ The little princess Aeonitia came up with this idea.¡± "It''s fine," Davey said, cing his hand on the magic stone with skilled ease and quickly calcting the form. Then, he extended his hand. "Please give me the ck iron knife." "So, the problem is with this, huh?" The dwarf held out a ck carving knife to Davey, speaking as if he had already expected it. After that, Davey drew out a bit of his mana and began modifying some of the forms written on the magic stone. He only needed to slightly soften the surface before carving the form again. It was a simple process and didn''t take too long. Both he and the dwarves were quite familiar with it. "This is good enough. The output might be low since the magic stone is small, but it''s enough to transport people." "Ho... The content is a bit difficult to understand. That''s quite a shape!" Davey finished the work in an instant. Then, he infused the stone with his mana, causing the luminous stone installed in front of the carriage to shine on its own. "Oh! It''s working!" Perserque poked her head out when she heard the dwarves¡¯ loud and excited shouts, her face disying an expression of interest. "Ho... That''s quite an interesting object, isn''t it?" "Do you want to try riding it?" Perserque immediately smiled at Davey''s question. "I''m not going to refuse." "I''m going to take this out for a test drive." "Ahaha! Of course, of course! If you encounter any problems, please feel free to let me know!" Davey lightly jumped onto the carriage, and Perserque returned to her original size,nding gently next to him. She touched here and there, gripping the handle until finally pressing a button lightly. Beep! Perserque gripped the steering lever with one hand, looking around to figure out what to do. Davey silently observed her, his foot pressing down on one of the conveniently ced pedals near their feet. Creak! Simultaneously, arge amount of mana surged forth as the carriage elerated at an astonishing speed. "Kyaaaaack?!" "Handle it well, or we''ll crash," Davey warned. Startled by his words, Perserque tightened her grip on the lever. Fortunately, she managed to steer the carriage before they collided with a wall. "Davey!" "It''s only fun if it''s fast." Of course, once released, the carriage could only operate below the speed limit to prevent idents. *** In the end, Perserque crashed the carriage in a rather graceful manner. However, the speed of the carriage was not fast enough for someone like her. Moreover, she had no control over its movements as Davey''s feet were the ones on the pedals. "This..." The wooden parts of the carriage were shattered, while the metalponents were crushed and twisted. Fortunately, the front section, where the driver should be, sustained minimal damage. Nevertheless, it was safe to say that the dwarves'' hard work had been sent on a one-way journey to destruction. "This is all because of you!" "Can you see this? Are you going to me me again?" "I was clearly trying to slow it down." "Did you press the brakes?" Davey was the one who operated the brakes, while Perserque had stepped on the elerator. Compared to modern-day automobiles on Earth, this carriage was still rtively underdeveloped in that aspect. However, Davey had no intention of personally working on it and remodeling it to his liking. Since the dwarves were capable of doing it themselves, it would be more beneficial for their growth if he allowed them to continue. It was already quite remarkable that there were no casualties before the ident. However, considering that Perserque and Davey were the ones behind the wheel, it wasn''t that surprising. "Would a monster who can withstand a direct collision with a dragon be hurt just because they crashed into a tree?" "Ah, I think I broke my arm?" "Liar." Perserque nced at Davey, tears welling up as she surveyed the broken carriage. "Oh dear... What should we do?" Davey couldn''t help butugh as he watched Perserque mutter to herself, attempting to figure out how to inform the dwarves about the incident, knowing how hard they had worked on it. "You''reughing? Do you find this situation amusing?" "We won''t release it to the public until we''vepleted a safety inspection." Perserque fell silent at Davey''s words. Nothing was more important than ensuring the safety of the carriage. After all, Davey had no intention of allowing anyone to get hurt within his academy. "Stay here. I''m going to check the barrier for a moment." Perserque simply sat down and waved in response. This was the spot where Davey had ced the core of the barrier that surrounded and protected the academy. The method he used to create the barrier was simple. He constructed a small barrier and expanded it using the Transcendence Demise. Several magic stones and mana stones served as catalysts to maintain the barrier. In essence, the barrier was powerful enough to withstand a few small-scale meteor spells. Did it sound familiar? Of course. This was because its system was quite simr to the barrier erected around the Elven Forest, known as the Moon''s Forest, not far from Heins Territory. Davey entered the forest within the academy, walking slowly and carefully so as not to further damage the grass. As he strolled, he caught sight of a small pond and approached it. "Hmm... The barrier itself is being maintained properly." This academy would be Heins Territory''s pride. However, Davey had actually created the barrier with the intention of using it as a shelter for the territory in case of emergencies. Given the vast area of the academy, it would be an ideal ce to hide and protect those seeking refuge from danger. Thud!!! At that moment, Davey''s ears picked up the sound of something falling not too far away. Rinne attempted to rush toward the source of the noise, but... "Rinne, wait a moment," Davey halted Rinne. He then drew out Blue Ribbon as he slowly made his way through the grass surrounding the pond. With a calm voice, he said, "Did youe all the way here just so I could kill you?" The woman, lying on the ground with severe injuries, slowly raised her gaze toward Davey upon hearing his question. "An uninteresting human and an intriguing research subject..." "Rinne insists that Rinne is not a research subject. Rinne strongly disapproves. If you refer to Rinne as a research subject once more, Rinne will invoke the Savior of Humanity." The pink-haired woman, still copsed on the ground, gradually lifted herself up and adjusted her slightly damaged sses after Rinne''s warning. Paying no attention to Blue Ribbon in Davey''s hands, she stated, "I am seeking asylum." Davey remained silent for a long time after hearing the woman¡¯s words. "I have heard about it. My familiar informed me of your sh with the Heresy Inquisition. Human, I know the person you are searching for." Davey frowned at that. Although the woman in front of him seemed to be the least significant, she was the most cunning and strategic vampire. After all, she had managed to survive thus far. "Her name is Urd." Davey immediately raised his sword. "Reveal everything you know." The value of her life would only increase slightly if she possessed the information that Davey required. *** "You have to promise me first that you will ensure my safety." "Have you forgotten your position? You are not in a position to make demands in front of me." Furthermore, she was currently deep inside enemy territory. This ce was the most dangerous for her. "I am an enemybatant. The moment I reveal my face, I will be executed. Despite being a half-blood, a vampire is still a vampire." Davey nodded in agreement. This was a hidden space, and there was no one nearby, which was why she didn''t fear being discovered. However, Davey didn''t really care whether she lived or died. His only concern was the potential usefulness of the information she possessed. "I can no longer achieve my goals while in hiding. For the time being, I need a ce to conceal myself." Davey simply looked at her in silence before stating, "But I don''t want to." "The conditions I am presenting do not warrant your dislike. I can hide myself effectively even in the heart of enemy territory. Besides, you can acquire the talent you seek." "Talent... Well, you''re talking nonsense there." She may have been taken aback by Davey''s sarcasm, but she continued to persuade him. "I have conducted extensive research. I am skilled in creating the Philosopher''s Stone. Among my kind, I am hailed as Paracelsus." "You made a Philosopher''s Stone?" Davey''s interest was piqued upon hearing the mention of the Philosopher''s Stone. The current state of alchemy on the continentcked the necessary technology and materials to create the Philosopher''s Stone and other items like Rinne''s heart, the Deus Ex Machina (The God of Machinery). "I am confident in my abilities. It''s not a bad deal, is it? Don''t you find it intriguing?" "Not at all. I don''t think so. Do you think I''m crazy enough to bring someone who poses such a danger and make them a professor? This ce is meant to protect the students. No sane person would ept such a proposal." "I do not kill. With the Philosopher''s Stone, there is no need for me to sumb to my vampire instincts." "And so?" "Blood. I no longer need to feed on blood. I can maintain the facade that I am not a vampire." "Then, why are you so intent on hiding your existence?" Davey would have preferred if she asked them to stop pursuing her. Milpieu calmly answered Davey''s question. "Urd, the one known as the Abyss Princess... I owe her my life. However, she would attempt to kill me whenever I didn''t act ording to her wishes." "Urd... That woman?" "..." Milpieu silently rolled up her sleeves, revealing a grotesque sight. ck veins crawled along her thin, pale arms. "She did this to me. It''s an incurable condition. In fact, it''s still consuming me as we speak." As she spoke, Davey clenched his fists. sh!!! Milpieu¡¯s eyes grew wide when her left arm fell on the ground. ¡°Urk¡­¡± She swallowed her scream as blood dripped down from her now severed left arm. Unlike humans, vampires had an unusually small amount of blood in their bodies, so losing this much was negligible. However, a peculiar phenomenon urred. The stump that remained after severing her left arm suddenly sprouted another arm, as if it were regenerating. "It''s engraved in me. It won''t disappear. Even if you cut it off, it will just sprout again," she continued, not hearing any response from Davey. "That woman named Urd knows much more about thisnd than you may think. She''s a truly fascinating research subject, but at this moment, I believe my life is far more valuable." Smoke began to emanate from Davey''s hands as he channeled the Heavenly Destroyer Arts. He then said, "Continue. Where can I find this woman named Urd?" "I cannot pinpoint her exact location. However, thest time we met, she was in the east and mentioned that she was searching for her younger sister." "I don''t want something obvious." "And...she mentioned that she¡¯s searching for her own heart." ¡®A heart? What kind of bullshit is this?¡¯ ¡°I heard that it is in the form of a ck stone.¡± Milpieu''s words triggered a memory in Davey''s mind as he reached into his Pocket ne and retrieved a suspicious object. This object was obtained from the secret underground chamber beneath the Heresy Inquisition''s prison¡ªa ck stone. Silently holding the ck stone in his hands, Davey prompted Milpieu to speak. Slowly, she began to exin, "I followed her orders and remained loyal to her, so she deemed me her minion." "And?" "Stop her. However, she is immensely powerful. I know you are strong as well, but her existence is otherworldly. Therefore, I will help you prepare. I will provide you with all the information I have gathered about her and help you identify her weaknesses." "What do you want in return?" "Urd instructed me to gather information from you in exchange for my life. However, even if I were toply, the only oue I foresee is death." Considering that she was already on the brink of death, it seemed wiser to align themselves with the side that allowedmunication. Davey briefly contemted the deal being offered before responding, "It is only fair that you provide something in return. That information." "She will begin her actions during the full moon. The full moon is emblematic of her powers," Milpieu revealed. ¡®If it was the full moon, then¡­ it should be tonight.¡¯ "Where can I find her?" "Do you intend to confront her in battle?" "No, for now, I will observe the situation," Davey replied. Since he couldn''t guarantee victory if they were to fight immediately, it was prudent to gather information on her first. "There is a chance that she wille looking for you first. I will assist you in identifying her," Milpieu offered. "Good. I need to see my enemy firsthand before deciding how to deal with you. Any objections?" Davey asked. "No.¡± Davey couldn''t help but sneer at her swift and unwavering response. ¡®A double agent... It seems I need to make it clear to her that acting high and mighty will only result in a broken nose.¡¯ Chapter 393: The Abyss Princess

Chapter 393: The Abyss Princess

The night of the full moon, Davey felt like they were aiming for this very moment after learning that the full moon was tonight. Milpieu had told him that Abyss Princess Urd would not kill him right away since she had judged that he was not a threat to her at the moment. And Davey knew that it was the truth. After all, she had only ordered Milpieu to get to know him. ¡°It¡¯s either she¡¯s strong enough to act all rxed and nonchnt even after hearing all of the things that I have done in this ce, or¡­¡± Or perhaps she was an idiot who could not even make a proper judgment even after being presented with all of those facts. However, Davey was leaning more toward the former than thetter. Considering that Urd had the power to subdue three grandmaster-level mythical beasts¡ªcreatures that could overturn an entire continent even with just one of them¡ªand force them to be subservient, she was extremely powerful. And if her power was intact, there was a high chance that she had grown considerably stronger over time. ¡°I think I will be in trouble if we sh now.¡± Davey could tell that Urd¡¯s basic hardware specs were overwhelming. That was on top of herbat sense, skills, and awakenings. With all of that in mind, he would be at a great disadvantage. He ended up epting Milpieu. She had made a vow that she would not let her identity as a vampire be known and a very suspicious promise that she would never do anything unnecessary to the humans here. It would not be toote to put restrictions on her for the most part. However, he actually did not want to do it since the power of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone could twist whatever curse or restriction he would ce on her body, making it hard to guarantee if it would work well. For Davey, he found it regrettable that he would just leave Milpieu alone and ept her proposal just like that. ¡°But I still find it strange.¡± Even though she had obtained a physical body, Perserque still had not let go of her hobbies. ¡°Why? Why is the Abyss Princess, the woman named Urd, not actively using her powers?¡± Her question was, in fact, the same as Davey¡¯s question. In fact, given the current level of the people on the continent, even Davey, who was judged to have lower hardware specs than Urd, could easily shake and overturn the entire continent. This meant that Urd could shake the entire continent and do whatever she wanted to do, whenever she wanted to. So, why the hell was she being so silent? It was a mystery that they still could not figure out. Whether Milpieu was lying or not, Perserque would know. Nothing could get past her, after all. And thanks to Perserque, Davey was able to find out that the words Milpieu said were true to some extent. ¡°We can only assume that she has several restrictions ced upon her. Whether this is a trick or a n, there¡¯s no reason for her to waste time like this with such overwhelming hardware specs.¡± Davey did not know how long she had been living in this world, but considering her knowledge and grasp on the flow of this world, he could assume that Urd had spent more time than what he initially thought. If that was truly the case, and she had really been in this world for a very long time, then there must have been a reason why she had been hiding and biding her time. ¡°This type of person, the one that I can¡¯t figure out what¡¯s going on in their heads, is the worst.¡± Davey would rather they y a trick on him or juste out aggressively. All living things that followed the flow of causality would eventually show their purpose once someone overturned the flow of causality. However, if the opponent had opted to behave inconsistently andmitted iprehensible movements, then it would not be easy to find out what they were thinking. If he could not find out what they were thinking, then he could not deal with them, let alone fight a proper psychological warfare. ¡°This is quite amazing. I never expected that the day woulde when you have to think about another being¡¯s behavior pattern.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t read minds.¡± Davey could only make inferences, but it was very dangerous to infer about the opponent¡¯s ns recklessly, especially if he did not even have the basic data on them. ¡°And? The full moon has already risen that high in the sky. What do you think is going to happen? If that vampire named Milpieu deceived you and made you look the other way, then¡­¡± ¡°Rinne is watching over her, so it will be fine. There¡¯s nothing that will feel more awful than that,¡± Davey murmured as he looked at the academy from the windows of the Lord¡¯s Castle. A strange sense of calm and quiet enveloped him as he looked at the four huge spires rising from within the academy. The Lord¡¯s Castle was usually quite active at this time of the day. But strangely enough, even the castle grounds were covered with silence. It was to the point that he could hear the insects¡¯ cries so loudly in his ears. A beat of silence passed between Davey and Perserque as a strange sense suddenly enveloped him. ¡°Something¡¯s strange.¡± Davey immediately jumped up, his instincts screaming at him from the subtle coldness that suddenly started to prick at his skin. It had been quite a long time since he felt such a fierce reaction from his instincts. ¡°Davey?¡± ¡°I just felt something very strange. Wait a minute,¡± Davey said as he jumped out of the window and climbed the walls of the castle with familiar ease until he reached the top of the castle¡¯s spire. Then, he squinted his eyes and looked around. ¡°I can feel it. I feel like something¡¯s about to happen¡­¡± Just when those words left his mouth, a very faint yet familiar mana, moving from a distance, registered in his senses. ¡°Davey? Davey!¡± Perserque, who was behind him, cried loudly in surprise. However, he had already left. Davey hoped that this was not the case. However, he knew that the thread would follow wherever the needle went. There was only one person that the owner of this mana would follow. *** A neat and antique, albeit not fancy, carriage carrying the symbol of the Lyndis Empire, the strongest powerhouse in the east, galloped along the road. Just one look at the carriage, and anyone could gauge the status of the person riding in it. ¡°Your Imperial Highness, we will soon reach Heins Territory.¡± ¡°Kathryn¡­ Is this really alright?¡± Aeria looked both nervous and uneasy as she asked the grand duchess. ¡°Since ancient times, rtionships between men and women often started with matters of the flesh. Prince Davey is an unconstrained person. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to be with him using normal methods.¡± ¡°B-But for a woman to do something like this first¡­¡± ¡°Certainly, when ites to matters regarding escorts, the men find it very rude when women make the first move.¡± However, one had to take into consideration the type of guy that they were dealing with first. ¡°Prince Davey is more like a free and wild mercenary than a noble. Forget all about those old-fashioned, elegant yet boring etiquettes. As a single woman, all you have to do is keep in mind your sole purpose, and that is to capture the opposite sex.¡± Aeria remained uneasy even after hearing Kathryn¡¯s advice, but she did not refute her words. She was fully aware that her current rtionship with Davey was not like the ordinary ones. If she continued to wait like that, then she would not end up with the situation that she hoped for. ¡°First off, you have to remember that being too aggressive would bring about severe adverse effects. You have to know that the most important part here is to make a light fuss. Your Imperial Highness, you know about my husband, right? You should use the method that he used to seduce and chase after me.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the Grand Duchess¡¯ husband, then¡­¡± The Grand Duchess¡¯ husband was rumored to be quite devoted to his wife. If one looked at his skills alone, then he could only be described as a low-ranking noble that could not evenpare to Kathryn. However, Kathryn loved him deeply. Of course, he was also known as someone who was severely henpecked. In fact, there was no one in the empire that did not know about the story of the Grand Duchess¡¯ marriage and honeymoon phase. However, the most important part was not about this. It was about another matter. The Grand Duchess¡¯ husband was known for having a great talent for seducing women. He was aware of Kathryn Carabe¡¯s free and unrestrained personality and had quickly understood that he would never be able to captivate her using the usual methods of romance that were known in the continent. So, he had judged that he needed another way. ¡°ording to my husband, you have to bnce that ticklish feeling. Your Imperial Highness, you have to take advantage of your weakness. It¡¯s not good to grumble andin unnecessarily. If you like them, then you can show off your good feelings for them. However, do not cross the line. You have to keep that ticklish and nervous atmosphere between you two¡­¡± Creak¡­ The conversation between Kathryn and Aeria stopped when the carriage also came to a halt. ¡°Sir Belross, is something the matter?¡± Kathryn asked as she slowly walked out of the carriage, helping Aeria stabilize her posture. ¡°T-That¡­¡± It was quite funny to see Belross, the Imperial Family¡¯s Sword Master, and someone who could be considered among the ranks of the Lyndis Empire¡¯s heroes, serving as a coachman for the Imperial Princess. However, Belross, who felt the same way as Kathryn toward the princess, had volunteered to be the coachman himself. ¡°Huh?¡± Kathryn turned to look in front of them after hearing Sir Belross¡¯ stuttering words and saw a girl blocking the path of their carriage. No, in fact, she looked to be in her mid-twenties and was a bit too mature to be called a girl. The ck-haired girl, dressed in a ck mage¡¯s robe, looked at them with a troubled expression on her face and asked, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry. I know that it¡¯s very rude to block your carriage¡¯s path, but I¡¯m currently lost. Can you please help me?¡± She spoke with a bright smile that was filled with charm on her face, mesmerizing the escort knights who turned to look at her. Kathryn, on the other hand, felt a subtle yet strange sense. ¡®Something¡­ feels weird¡­¡¯ Her instincts, honed by her long experience on the battlefield, were telling her that something was off. However, looking at it objectively, this was not that strange. It was not a rare urrence to find mercenaries, wanderers, treasure hunters, or merchants getting lost in the forest. ¡°Of course. Kathryn, please help this person,¡± Aeria, who was gentle and kind down to her very core, extended a helping hand to the woman. It was as if she did not feel a strange sense of ipatibility from the unknown woman. ¡°Hoho. I¡¯m very grateful.¡± The woman smiled gracefully as she approached them. ¡°However, it¡¯s getting dark. It seems like it would be difficult to go deeper into the forest.¡± Kathryn pondered deeply after hearing the woman¡¯s words. Just as she said, it would not be wise to go deeper into the forest since it was already getting dark. On top of that, the knights needed to rest. There was a high chance that their carriage would overturn if they continued to venture forward. In fact, they could just use light stones. However, it would not be very beneficial to them in the long run, especially with how dark this forest was. ¡°I happened toe across a good ce to camp around here. Would you like to go there?¡± Aeria looked incredibly delighted by those words. ¡°Is that true? I would be grateful if you could guide us to that ce!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a problem. In fact, I¡¯m the one that¡¯s grateful. You look like you¡¯re a pretty high-ranking noble, yet you listened to a low-ssmoner like me,¡± the woman said as she guided the people to the nearby camping site. ¡°Grand Duchess? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sir Belross, who was acting as the coachman, asked. However, Kathryn just shook her head, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Perhaps it was an animal¡¯s instincts or their beastly sense of crisis? All in all, it was very hard to exin what she was feeling. Kathryn could not help but doubt herself. Why was she wary of that wanderer? Not long after, the carriage, led by the woman, entered the forest and soon arrived at the perfect camping site. Perhaps it was because Krias¡¯ bright moonlight was being reflected by the des of wild grass, but the surrounding area looked very bright. ¡°There is a stream nearby, and we can reach Heins Territory by daybreak. It seems appropriate for us to camp here.¡± Aeria pped her hands in delight after hearing Sword Master Belross¡¯ words. ¡°I see. Everyone must be exhausted. We should get asfortable as we can and get some rest.¡± Belross grinned. He looked like he was looking at his cute granddaughter when he looked at her. ¡°Even though this old man is quite old, I¡¯m still very healthy and strong, Your Imperial Highness.¡± ¡°No. You promised that you would stay with me for a very long time, Sir Belross.¡± ¡°I found this ce after getting lost here. It seems like I was very lucky to find it. Have you eaten yet?¡± The gazes of the knights, who were busy talking amongst themselves, immediately gathered to where the woman was the moment she took off the hood of her robe. The woman, with her long ck hair hanging down her shoulders, was certainly stunning. She looked extremely attractive and beautiful. ¡°We have already finished our meals a long time ago.¡± ¡°Ah. Is that so? To be honest, I have been wandering around the forest for a few days now and I haven¡¯t eaten anything yet¡­¡± The woman said as she rubbed her stomach. ¡°Oh my. We can¡¯t let that happen. Sir Litta, please give her something to eat.¡± At Aeria¡¯s words, one of the knights took out some jerky and quickly handed it over to the woman. ¡°Please have some.¡± "Oh dear. Thank you. This looks like very delicious beef jerky," the woman said as she fiddled with the jerky in her hands. Seeing that, Kathryn slowly rose from her seat. "But¡­my body is a bit unusual. So, I can¡¯t eat beef jerky. I have to eat something else." "Get down!!!" Kathryn, who realized something, immediately screamed. Bang!!! But before she could even finish her words, a red light shed briefly, which was immediately followed by the pungent scent of blood. Chapter 394

Chapter 394

"Keheok¡­" Kathryn groaned. She nced around the now bloody campsite, then looked at the woman who had just closed her mage''s robe lightly. The Grand Duchess was undoubtedly a high-ranking warrior, her strengthparable to that of Reina, the Sword Saint. This became evident when she defeated a Frost Wyrm Bone Dragon despite its aerial advantages. However, the woman had employed an attack so swift that Kathryn couldn''t even react to it. It didn¡¯t seem like magic, yet it was also somehow different from the typically condensed aura of knights. Instinctively, Kathryn wrapped herself around the princess to protect her. Slowly rising from her position, she noticed Aeria''s eyes wide with fear and her body trembling fiercely. The entire campsite had transformed into a field of corpses. Crack, crack, crack¡­ Kathryn clenched her palms into fists, feeling her bones protest from the force of her grip. She red at the woman standing freely among the corpses, seemingly unaffected by the blood sttered on her face. The woman''s vertical pupils alone made Kathryn tremble. ¡°Fufufu,¡± the woman chuckled lightly, turning her head and retracting the red whip that had shed from her fingers. ¡°This¡­ I had intended to let you go with as little pain as possible.¡± ¡°Identify yourself. Are you an assassin sent to kill her Imperial Highness?!¡± Kathryn demanded. If the woman truly were an assassin, Kathryn would have to apud her bravery for daring to attack the imperial princess, who was under the protection of the Grand Duchess, a powerhouse of the Lyndis Empire. In fact, the woman herself seemed like a confident and formidable monster, having killed almost everyone in the area before Kathryn could even respond. Where on earth had such a monstere from? Kathryn quickly pulled the trembling Aeria behind her, scanning her surroundings. Most of their dependable and capable imperial knights had perished, clueless about what had struck them. Even the benevolent and outstanding Sword Master, Sir Belross, had suffered a fatal wound. Though he was still breathing, it wouldn''t be surprising if he passed away at any moment. Swoosh¡­ swoosh¡­ Whether they were fine or not, the ck-haired woman didn''t care. She simply reached out her hand, and a red whip shot out, seemingly absorbing the gray smoke floating in the air. "Hmm..." the woman sighed briefly. "I''m sorry. It won''t work if I don''t consume your souls." Following her words, another thick whip shot out from her index and middle finger, and she continued calmly, "So, I suggest you close your eyes. I''ll make sure it won''t hurt." Reacting on instinct, Kathryn moved to block another sh of red light. However, she realized that all sensation in one of her arms had disappeared, even though she had wrapped it tightly with thick and sturdy mana. "Ah..." "Your Imperial Highness!!!" Kathryn screamed as she saw bright red blood seeping through the simple and light pink dress of the girl behind her. The turquoise-haired girl stared nkly at her pierced abdomen. The blow was so strong that she couldn''t even scream. All she could do was copse helplessly to the ground. Aeria was not someone who couldn''t fight. In fact, she had a very high affinity with spirits from birth and could summon spirits of the lower and even the intermediate level. However, her enemy was just too overwhelmingly strong, and she hadn''t had the time to summon any of them. "You damn b*tch!!!" What the hell was going on? Kathryn could tell that the opponent was not merely an assassin who came solely to kill Aeria. Perhaps it was just their bad luck that they had encountered someone like her? After all, there were people like her all over the continent, and they were often referred to as witches. However, the witches Kathryn was familiar with were not as strong or as terrifying as the woman in front of her. Most of them were just people with strange powers. "Your Imperial Highness... This is a joke, right? Haha..." Kathryn wept as she held Aeria''s body. This couldn''t be happening. Kathryn was protecting the princess, so how could she die right in front of Kathryn''s eyes? Aeria had been suffering from illness for as long as Kathryn had known her. She had already been saved and had finally started seeing the light. And now, her pitiful life ended so abruptly, right in front of Kathryn. "Please say that all of this is a lie. Please!" Kathryn cried, tears dripping down her chin. She had always felt sorry for Aeria, a child who had been suffering because of the customs and traditions of the beastfolk since she was young. Kathryn had fallen in love with Aeria''s naive and innocent personality and had vowed to protect her with her own hands. For Kathryn, who had no children of her own, Aeria was like a lovely daughter or a cute niece. She felt immense joy when the child finally took off her mask and saw the light again. So, why? Why did she have to die like this? What did she ever do wrong? As she wallowed in her sadness, an energy akin to mes red up all over her body. Kathryn slowly got up. Even though she had lost an arm and was still shedding tears, she seemed to havepletely forgotten her injuries as she red at the woman in front of her. "I''m sorry. I didn''t want you to feel any pain, but you''re much stronger than I thought," the woman said calmly, aggravating Kathryn, who gnashed her teeth at the woman''s words. ¡°I live off of the souls of humans. That¡¯s why I have to eat you for me to live.¡± ¡°F*cking b*tch,¡± Kathryn cursed, her body curling up briefly as she shot forward. She was extremely fast, to the point that she left a clear afterimage behind her. Baaaaang!!! ¡®I will kill this b*tch with my own hands. I will avenge Aeria and make this wench pay for Her Imperial Highness¡¯ death by tearing her limbs off one by one!¡¯ A loud, earth-shattering explosion erupted in the silent forest. *** "I don''t have a hobby of inflicting pain on others," the woman continued to speak calmly, still fine and unscathed. In fact, even her mage robe remained clean, without a speck of dust on her long hair or skin. On the other hand, Kathryn was now in her grip, covered in blood. "But this is quite amazing. I never expected that there would be strong humans like you," the woman said smoothly as she let go of Kathryn''s shoulder. Thump... Kathryn copsed to the ground. The woman retrieved her red whip once again, indifferent to whether Kathryn had the strength to get up or speak again. She whispered to herself, "I will do my best to ensure that you leave this world without pain. I''m sorry, but I have to eat. I have to live too, don''t I?" Kathryn''s eyes filled with resentment at the woman, who now smiled in a crazed manner. If they were closer to Heins Territory, she would have definitely asked for help from the lord of the territory, the boy considered the strongest in the world. However, he was too far away for her to seek assistance. "Just close your eyes and wait. I will let you leave this world without pain," Urd said as she raised her hands and then gently lowered them. Kathryn could tell that Urd intended to decapitate her. Yet, she had no strength left to resist the blow. All she could do was close her eyes, giving up and wallowing in regret, ming herself forcking the power to fight against such a being. But then, she saw a boy standing behind Urd. "Ugh?" Urd flinched at the unexpected turn of events as the arm about to strike down on Kathryn was forcefully stopped by a fair yet firm hand. A sh of light appeared in the pair of bloody-red eyes, eyes that looked at her with a dark, daunting, and eerie gaze, as the boy''s sword severed her arm. Shwaaaaaa!!! The sh of red light came from none other than the sharp and smooth de. Urd immediately increased the distance between her and the owner of those bloody-red eyes, and the interest in her eyes began to wane. "Ah¡­ that''s no fun," Urd murmured calmly as she looked at her severed arm. Then, the boy with red eyes walked slowly out of the darkness. "I don''t have a single ounce of patience in my body. What bad luck, huh?" the boy said calmly as he approached Kathryn, who had copsed on the ground. He then dragged the cut-off arm of the Grand Duchess and let it fly toward the severed part while rousing his holy mana. He asked Kathryn, "Why are you here?" Kathryn remained silent, facing theplex and pointed question. No, she was in a situation where she could not speak. A warm light slowly spread out and restored her body. The brief fight had left her with significant wounds¡ªshe was basically in tatters. The hideous injuries she had sustained couldn''t be easily healed even with recovery magic. "It¡¯s only been five minutes and you¡¯ve already made such a mess.¡± The boy slowly stood up and looked at his surroundings, his eyes growing wide as if he had found something. He stopped in front of the ce where Aeria''s lifeless body had copsed. ¡°¡­¡± Aeria was still and silent. Her body had not yet cooled down, but her heart had already stopped working. Kathryn desperately wanted to shout, ¡®Please save Her Imperial Highness!¡¯ but she knew that it was impossible even for a Saint to revive a dead person. However, Kathryn truly wanted to save Aeria. Of course, no miracle happened. The boy''s eyes narrowed, his hands trembling as he caressed Aeria''s cheeks. And in that silence, a red whip snapped forward and wrapped around his neck. "Oh my, Davey O''Rowane? I thought of checking you out because you''re quite famous. So, you''re the gatekeeper of thisnd?" The antagonist. That was right, the presence of the antagonist was the one that blocked all threats on every continent. However, Kathryn couldn''t understand the underlying meaning from the woman''s words. "But that''s strange. I don''t think the gatekeeper carries two roles, no?" In this continent, the Demon Lord and the antagonist should be on opposing sides. "The Demon Lord is the gatekeeper and also the antagonist... You''re quite special, huh? I think I understand why it''s so difficult to bring this continent under my control," Urd said calmly as she tightened her grip on the whip. A simple swing could easily cut off the boy''s neck. However, the boy remained silent and continued to touch Aeria''s cheeks. As he slowly wiped the blood off of her cheeks, he closed his eyes and murmured, "Choose... What choice should I make¡­?" The boy only pondered briefly. "Well, it''s better to lose money now than regret itter, right?" the boy said as he reached into his pocket ne without hesitation and pulled out a red stone. Inside the stone was a bright red ember, resembling the flickering light of someone''s burning soul. Chapter 395

Chapter 395

Davey had estimated that Aeria''s death had happened around fifteen minutes at most. Just in case, he tried to cast some recovery magic, but it did not work. ¡°Her body doesn¡¯t ept recovery magic? This is why they have bad luck¡­¡± Davey mumbled bitterly as he puffed up his half-numbed lips. The Final Magic: Resurrection existed in the divine world. However, using it was a choice that should never be made. It was a spell that could reduce Davey¡¯s life expectancy, and it did not work by simply dying seconds, hours, days, or months earlier than his fated death. It meant that the flow of fate around him would change. In other words, all of the situations and circumstances that were rted to him would change. Everyone¡¯s fate might seem simple, but it was veryplicated. In fact, each strand of fate was intricately intertwined with each other. Davey had broken away from the flow of fate and had run wild. Now look at him; Goddess Freyja had been grinding him non-stop. Aeria was not someone who was supposed to die here. Davey did not know about others, but he felt sorry for this girl. For some reason, he wanted her to live happily on whatever path she chose. She was a pitiful child who had lost her appearance, something that was considered to be the most important thing for the women of this continent, ever since she was a child. Although Davey had treated plenty of people so far, he had grown a bit attached to her as a patient. Compared to other patients, he had been checking on her condition periodically. He was actually unsure if this was proper behavior between a doctor and a patient. Davey couldn¡¯t tell if this was because of how grateful she was or because she showed pure affection toward him. But whatever it was, it wasn''t appropriate. ¡®Choice¡­ What choice should I make?¡¯ Once he made his choice, he would not be able to reverse it. With the time limit set, Davey knew that there was only one obvious answer. In the end, he pushed his hands inside his pocket ne. He suddenly wondered if this was the reason why the goddess gave this to him. Even so, he still used it without any hesitation. Vwoooooooong¡­ A bright light shed as the stone slowly disintegrated, releasing the small fire from the embers deep within it. Then, the mes dripped down and permeated Aeria¡¯s copsed body, quickly healing the fatal wound that she had sustained. Davey ced his hand on her chest and felt her heart. The heart that had once stopped had slowly begun to beat once again. [Highness Heal] After using recovery magic to stabilize her condition, Davey slowly stood up and turned his head. Most of the knights here had died, except for one person, Sword Master Belross. Thanks to his sturdy and exceptional physical prowess as a Sword Master, he was able to barely cling onto his life despite having received a blow that could have killed him instantly. Davey silently approached the man and used high-ranking recovery magic on him. After that, he nned to send those who survived and could endure being transferred, except for Aeria, to the Heins Territory using transfer magic. ¡°Rinne. It¡¯s me. ce the entire territory inside a defensive barrier. We¡¯re in an emergency. If you lose contact with me, set the red alert.¡± An urgent voice rang from the other end of themunication device, but Davey did not care. He casually threw the device back into his Pocket ne. ¡®I don¡¯t need to crush her.¡¯ The woman, who had her red whip around Davey¡¯s neck, watched him with interest. ¡°You¡¯re Urd?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s right. It doesn¡¯t matter who you are,¡± Davey said calmly as a blue light shed brightly. [Heavenly Destroyer] [Mystical Speed, Quick Draw] [Piercing Moonlight Sword] The entire area was ruined by the blue sword aura that split into dozens of swords. Each sword aura covered and destroyed dozens of meters of thend around them, yet they did not reach any of the recovering knights, as well as Kathryn and Aeria. Shiiiiiiiing¡­ With a somber and firm expression on his face, Davey pointed the tip of Blue Ribbon¡¯s de forward. Then, he raised his left hand and supported his right wrist, his left foot pushing back as if he were gaining momentum. He looked like he was about to push something. Crack, crack, crack!!! The force on his foot broke the ground even further, creating several dozens of meters of cracks behind him. However, it did not matter. The entire area had already been demolished, so what did it matter? Besides, Davey nned on leaving no trace for anyone to see in the future. Not long after, a huge amount of mana particles began to gather on the de of his sword. Seeing that, Davey used his swordsmanship skill without any hesitation. [Transcendental Longsword] [Cleaving the Heavens] Shwaaaaaaaa!!! The sword aura rose high up in the sky, its tip touching the clouds before shing down with all its might. The overwhelming weight of the sword fell down, looking as if the attack would split the earth in half. Of course, it did not end there. Davey immediately followed it with another attack, targeting the still dazed Urd. Blue Ribbon¡¯s sword de trembled and flew out from the impact. However, with just one swift movement, a very familiar long spear was in Davey¡¯s hands. The spear was none other than Divine Spear Longinus in the form of a woldo. [Pdia-style Gctic Spear] [Tearing the Mantle] Scratch, scratch, scratch!!! A sharp de in the form of a w appeared and scratched the ground several times, turning the earth upside down. The attack looked so violent and fierce that it seemed like it could truly cut through the mantle. Just a single one of Davey''s attacks was enough to inflict severe damage. However, he still did not let his guard down. If the opponent was someone at that level, then the fight would never have turned out this way in the first ce. Davey''s attacks created a cloud of smoke that blocked his vision. He had no choice but to raise his senses to the extreme, with both hands holding Longinus and Blue Ribbon. However, he did not see or feel anything specific. Nevertheless, his instincts were telling him that a huge amount of something was moving toward Aeria. That something was the power of the Abyss. Davey immediately hugged Aeria and jumped into the air the moment the space warped and distorted, creating a ck hole. And what surprised Davey very much was what he saw sticking out of the darkness behind the crack in space. Whooooooooooosh¡­ A gigantic monster with a snout that was hundreds of meters long appeared and opened its mouth to devour both Davey and Aeria. This creature was none other than Behemoth, the Tyrant of the Undersea and the third King of Mythical Beasts. Megalodria, hailed as the current king of all Mythical Beasts, was a very wise and rational creature. That was why it was not easy to erode his spirit and consciousness. However, that was not the case for Behemoth. Behemoth had been living on instinct since birth, following his instincts and attacking Davey faithfully. Just the thought of his limbs getting torn apart in an instant made shivers run down Davey¡¯s spine. Davey had used a short-range spatial movement magic, a magic weak enough that Aeria''s still unconscious body could endure. However, subjecting her body to the same magic twice would not be good for her. ¡°This damn b*tch.¡± Urd was good; she was aiming to defeat him, but she pointed her fangs at Aeria. ¡°You¡¯re quite delicate. You¡¯re different from other humans. You also look quite good,¡± Urd stated calmly as she appeared through the thick cloud of dust. Then, she smiled brightly as she brought out her bright red whip. ¡°Don¡¯t resist. I don¡¯t have the hobby of causing pain while I¡¯m killing someone.¡± A sh of red light appeared, turning over the already ruined ce once again. Right now, this area was the only one that had been destroyed. However, Davey could tell that there was a high chance that this ce would bepletely removed from the map if they continued to fight here. In the end, he was left with only one choice: quicklye up with a solution and finish this quickly. Davey put down Aeria as he pulled out Red Ribbon and dug into Urd¡¯s defenses. The moment her red whip wrapped around Red Ribbon, Davey immediately and without any hesitation punched Urd in the stomach. [Fierce Abdominal Strike] Booooooooom!!! The sound created by the collision of Davey¡¯s fist and Urd¡¯s stomach was so loud that it made Davey wonder if he truly hit skin and flesh. Davey stared at his stinging fist in silence and immediately called for Blue Ribbon, who was floating in the air. ¡°It¡¯s disgustingly hard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do something so meaningless. Stop resisting.¡± Davey stared at the sky at Urd¡¯s words. Milpieu had mentioned to him that Urd¡¯s powers came from the full moon. And it seemed like her powers were being amplified now that the full moon had gotten closer, bigger, rounder, and brighter than before. ¡®If that¡¯s the case, then¡­¡¯ Then, Davey had no other choice but to drag Urd to a ce where there was no moon. The moon was currently up in the eastern part of the continent. It was also time for the sun to set on the edge of the western part of the continent. So¡­ this ce was not really a viable ce to fight with her. Davey immediately gathered mana in his hands, throwing a tracking artifact on Aeria before digging into Urd. He grabbed Urd¡¯s neck and tried to twist it away from her shoulders. And with familiar ease, he silently cast the 8th Circle Space Movement Magic, Warp. Bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz!!! However, Urd twisted her body and flicked the magic away before the warp could even form. Urd instantly broke the spell and attacked Davey, his body flying in the air from her attack. Thwack!!! The attack was nothing but a light punch. However, Davey could feel that the blow had broken a part of his body. ¡®Wow. This is much more than I thought.¡¯ Even though this was the thought that shed in his head, Davey still began to try and quickly figure out a way to deal with the woman in front of him as he slowly tried to stand from his position. However, he couldn¡¯t do it so quickly. He watched as Urd approached him. ¡°You¡¯re out of luck. I really need to eat something. Also, there¡¯s something that I need to find in this ce quickly before going back.¡± Davey looked around him as he listened to Urd¡¯s spiel. Aeria was quite lucky; she did not receive any major injuries yet. However, the surrounding area was not so lucky¡ªit was alreadypletely ruined. With the night going deeper, the moon would also grow bigger, which meant that Urd¡¯s powers would also grow stronger. Davey slowly moved his broken arm and pushed it into the air. Davey was confident that his software was considerably higher than Urd¡¯s. He could tell that herbat skills were quite lousy. This meant that there was a way for him to win this fight right away. However, Urd¡¯s hardware was just far too overwhelming. Davey could tell that it would be hard for him to win right away. In fact, he could only guarantee his victory if he could undergo another metamorphosis right this instant. He currently had twenty-four stacks of metamorphosis with him. Since there was no mention of him undergoing metamorphosis, there was a high chance that he needed to gather more. In the end, he had to cancel the idea of trying to win this fight by undergoing metamorphosis. That meant that there was only one method left¡ªa ce where there was no full moon, or a ce where even though there was a full moon, they would still be very far away from it. That was the ce where he could blow her away. Davey mindlessly and slowly reached his hands out to her, as she sat on top of his body, looking at him with excitement. Thinking that Davey had found resistance to be futile, Urd reached her hand out and touched his cheeks. ¡°You¡­ As expected, you¡¯re really amazing. You look quite delicious, but I feel like I want to keep you. Let me introduce myself. I am Urd, the princess of the Abyss. Although I¡¯m not the strongest among all of the princesses, I¡¯m still strong enough to protect you.¡± Urd, who did not care why Davey grabbed her arms, continued on calmly, ¡°My hometown is currently undergoing a transition period, and that is why we need a stronger power. A potential puppet. So, why don¡¯t you be my pet? You will either be of simr position or higher than the three Mythical Beasts Kings that I have obtained earlier.¡± Davey, who had grabbed her arm, moved to grab Urd¡¯s cor firmly. ¡°Did you think it would go the same way as before? You don¡¯t know me as much as I don¡¯t know you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Urd mumbled in surprise, her eyes growing wide as she looked down at Davey, who mmed the key that he had taken out of his Pocket ne on the ground. ¡°Open. Sesame.¡± Vwoooooooooong!!! Swoooooosh!!! At the same time, huge cracks appeared on the ground. Just like that, Davey, together with Aeria and Urd, whom he was grabbing by the cor, were sucked into another dimension. ¡°You have been staring at the full moon for a while. Why? Is there something good there, huh? You damn b*tch?¡± ¡°¡­¡± . Then, they began to drift away from the moon. Davey had no need to mention to Urd that Milpieu had betrayed her. However, he still needed to mention what he knew about her to keep some tension in her. That way, she wouldn¡¯t dare to touch him so recklessly. ¡®I know more about you than you thought.¡¯ Davey was very good at bluffing like this. Urd¡¯s eyes widened imperceptibly, her pupils shaking as she lost the light of the moon on her body. Davey immediately reversed their positions, his body now towering over her as he raised his right fist. He had already healed his broken arms by constantly activating his holy mana. Urd was a beauty? She was beautiful enough to topple nations? Well, Davey did not care! If someone hit him on his left cheek, then he had to pull out all his opponent¡¯s teeth on the right side of their face for him to be satisfied. It did not matter if the opponent was a man or a woman; he would do the same to either of them. In fact, Davey did not want to rush and confront the woman named Urd. He knew that she was strong. However, since they had been forced to fight, it was not in Davey¡¯s nature to act all scared and stall for time. His creed and motto of eliminating his enemies by any and all means would never change. Urd, who felt the enormous power in Davey¡¯s right fist, realized that the boy in front of her had hidden his power. On top of that, her strength began to weaken too. ¡°You better grit your teeth, you f*cking b*tch.¡± ¡°W-Wait!¡± Baaaaaang!!! Even though they were still in the process of being sucked inside the crack in space, a fight had already broken out between them. Davey¡¯s fist finally mmed into her face, forcing Urd to shake and tremble. As if on instinct, Urd made her body scatter until she disappeared from the ce where she was currently in. Chapter 396

Chapter 396

Davey did not even entertain the idea that Urd, who had scattered into nothingness inside the rapidly changing crack in space, had fled. This was because Urd had nowhere to run. Besides, she was clearly just flustered and not frightened when she escaped. Urd might be very strong. However, she made one mistake. While she had overwhelming physical abilities, when it came to calctions, utilization of force, and state of enlightenment, she was nowhere near Davey. However, the state of her physical abilities gave her the confidence to judge Davey as an iplete predator. And this judgment made her rx and choose to y around with him. In the first ce, Davey¡¯s existence to Urd was just a bit unusual. He was just someone who gained a bit of fame in his own world. Nothing more, nothing less. When Urd disappeared from Davey¡¯s sight and turned into ck smoke, Davey could tell that she was wandering around him and trying to find an opportunity in the turbulent torrent inside this cracked space, just like a beast watching its prey. Her attention was now solely focused on Davey. It seemed like she had lost interest in the still unconscious Aeria. Each and every world had a moon. However, there was nothing she could do inside the crack between two dimensions, right? However, the moment they crossed through this crack and arrived in the other dimension, Davey would have no choice but to use his power. And the bigger the gap in their power, the more he would use. That meant that the decrease in the time that he was allowed inside that space would also hasten. Even though the time he could spend inside the other dimension had increased to 120 minutes, he was still at a huge risk. There was even a chance that all of that time would evaporate tens of seconds after their arrival in that ce. Shiiiiiing!!! Baaaaaang!!! That was why Davey decided to feed her a big sh*t before they got out of this turbulent crack in space. Davey immediately punched her regenerating body. Urd screamed loudly. She felt like the forearm, which she used to block the attack, was going to fall off again after she had reattached it. Although Urd had the ability to block even the strongest attack from an ax with her bare body, that power existed in a dimension from a different orbit than this dimension. Bang!!! Bang!!! Davey, who was continuously evading Urd¡¯s fierce and sharp attacks, still had enough leeway to observe the torrential current of space that was swirling around them. He could see that Urd¡¯s power had weakened. The moon was the source of her power, and it existed in each and every single world. It could be said that she was strongest during the full moon, but that did not mean that her strength would disappear just because the moon was not full anymore. However, that was not the case here. The torrential space between two dimensions did not have any celestial bodies, let alone the moon. This meant that Urd had be infinitely weaker than when Davey first met her. Crackle!!! The red whip in Urd¡¯s hands snapped forward, digging into his defenses sharply like a snake aiming to dive in for its prey. One wrong move, and the sharp attack would definitely cut off Davey¡¯s limbs. However, he knew that it was still not yet time. He still had to wait a bit longer. Davey quickly gathered a thick clump of mana around him to offset the attack. Bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz¡­ Davey immediately moved, using what he had prepared earlier, the moment he saw a tiny bit of change from beyond the crack in space. Urd might have excellent hardware, but her software was just average. In other words, she was very inexperiencedpared to Davey. It seemed like she did not need to resort to small tricks because she was far too strong. Since there was no danger to her life, she did not have to be wary and just do whatever she wanted to do. However, having very strong power could sometimes be a hindrance to a person¡¯s growth. Urd had never met anyone that she felt would be a threat to her. Even so, a talented person would never be bitten twice as long as they had experienced it before. Of course, the price that she had to pay was not cheap. The more she let her guard down and allowed a fatal blow on her body, the stronger Davey¡¯s resistance and attacks became. Such an alignment of coincidences had created a single fatal wound in Urd¡¯s body. Davey continued to mix real and fake attacks, tricking her eyes whilending one attack after another and escaping from her reach. And the moment she looked away? Davey would be sure of his victory. Meanwhile, Urd¡¯s intuition was telling her that something was wrong. Her body reacted first as she tried to get away from Davey. However, Davey grabbed her by the cor and tied her tightly to his side. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Urd finally realized that there was something ck in Davey¡¯s hands. She struggled to twist away, but since there was no moon in this ce, she could not get away and build a proper defensive measure against him. In the end, her panic created a gap, a weakness, in her defenses. Davey, with familiar ease, grabbed a bottle of holy water from his Pocket ne and sshed it on Urd. ¡®The Goddess is with us, you f*cking monster!¡¯ Of course, the effects of the holy water were quite weak. However, he did not spray it on Urd to put a debuff on her in the first ce. It was just a trick to amplify Davey¡¯s powers. ¡°Get lost.¡± [Devil Ylgr¡¯s Crowd Suppression] [Close Proximity] [F*cking Fierce Abdominal Strike] Davey''s fist flew from a very close range, something he had not done earlier. Surprisingly enough, the punch elerated for a very brief moment and struck Urd fiercely in the pit of her stomach. When the attack collided, it did not sound like Davey''s fist hit metal, as before. The power of the Abyss that protected Urd''s body followed its own rules, and this power could only be destroyed in two ways. One could use a force stronger than the power of the abyss to crush it or utilize the Taboo''s Karma, a power independent from the rules, just like now. However, Urd was so powerful. After all, she had subdued grandmaster-level mythical beasts so easily, right? So, the first option was a no-go. Davey had no choice but to use the Taboo''s Karma, his free-pass authority that allowed him to escape the rules of the Abyss freely. Crack, crack, crack!!! The ck energy that gathered in Davey''s palms struck Urd''s body, making her snap and fly away as if she had been hit by something huge. Urd mmed to the other end of the crack, breaking through the rapidly changing and turbulent walls of space around them. Without any hesitation, Davey grabbed Aeria and jumped into another crack that appeared nearby. Locking Urd up indefinitely through the cracks between dimensions was the only thing Davey could do to deal with her. It was his best choice when fighting against Urd. It would not be easy for her to escape the tumultuous torrent raging between the dimensions. After all, it was like hell on earth where one could not distinguish where the north, south, east, or west were. If she was unlucky, then the space would twist, and she would be trapped in this space forever. A crack appeared in the sky and spat Davey out. With Aeria in his arms, he had no other choice but tond on his back. Crack!!! The sound of the wooden floor breaking resounded loudly in the area. Stab!!! At the same time, a sharp pain bloomed on Davey''s back, his body only stopping when the pungent and fishy smell of the liquid that permeated the wooden floor beneath him wafted to his nose. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± Davey felt his body taut with tension, his heart jumping fiercely in his chest, after experiencing a reckless fight against an inexperienced yet powerful being. He originally did not intend to fight her. However, he noticed Kathryn''s excessive use of power and hade to find her just in case. And when he arrived, it was bingo. Davey firmly believed that he should not collide with the opponent for a while if he could not kill the enemy on the spot. But the moment he realized that Aeria had died, his scales tipped for a bit. He had taken Urd off guard and forced her to get stuck in the crack of space between the dimensions. However, Davey was fully aware that he would not be able to do this again next time. Urd was inexperienced, but she was not stupid. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Davey closed his eyes and took a short breath as he slowly rose from the wet and fishy floor with Aeria still in his hands. Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish. There was this faint noise that he found annoying ever since theynded in this ce. Davey was now able to look around the dark space after using some of his dark mana. The magic that he used was none other than Dark Eyes, a dark magic that allowed him to see through the dark as if it was in the middle of the day. Davey did not have much time. He only had a hundred and twenty minutes in his hands, two hours. Compared to when he started this, it was quite a long time, but it still was not enough. Not long after, Davey frowned at the view that he saw. ¡°Even if we¡¯re unlucky, it shouldn¡¯t be like this, no?¡± The liquid that stained the floor was none other than blood. There were also chunks of what seemed to be flesh scattered around in the area. There was no problem up until this point, but... Swish, swish, swish¡­ ¡®Those damn bastards are the problem.¡¯ In fact, a weak light wrapped around them as if it were protecting them. This faint light allowed Davey to see his surroundings through the crack on the floor above them, which broke apart when Davey and Aeria fell from the sky. What he saw around them were creatures that were taller and bigger than a person. They had antennae that were far longer than an entire person, and six legs thicker than an ordinary human''s limbs, with a hideous and gruesome outer appearance. ¡°Cockroach¡­¡± ¡®This¡­¡¯ ¡°This should not be a ce where they can thrive and live.¡± Davey tried to use his mana, but seeing that there were hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of these gigantic cockroaches, he realized he didn''t have enough time to deal with them. So, to handle the situation, Davey pushed his hand inside his pocket ne and took out his card album. Currently, he had two active cards in his possession. One contained Megalodria, who was currently sleeping. The other one was the only card that survived when he returned to his body from the Hall, which contained the triplets. "Come out, you crazy bastards." Davey picked the card with the three strange-looking figures using his index and middle finger, and threw it in the air. With a sh of light, the figures depicted in the card appeared in front of him. These bastards had been created when Davey split his soul. The Card Maker, Heavenly Demon, had advised him to make a card with his clones, which would not be lost no matter what happened. Thus, Davey created a powerful guardian using his soul, resulting in these three strange beings. The bastards that appeared had quite thin and scrawny physiques, wearing shabby leather uniforms. One held a shamshir, another a bastard sword, and the remaining one carried a vicious-looking ax. They had pale and gray skin with thin, bony bodies, resembling skeletons from afar. However, they were not actual skeletons; they were created from the reflection of Davey''s soul. They would not disappear even if his soul moved, and their power grew along with Davey''s soul, making them as strong as him. "Clean up all of the bugs here," Davey ordered the three, but they seemed more interested inughing and ying amongst themselves. Kahahahahahahaha! Davey frowned at their disregard for his words. As they giggled and cackled, one of them approached Davey, gently touching him and pointing at him in a yful manner. Their actions conveyed a clear message: they had no intention of obeying his orders. ¡®Look at this bastardughing so happily.¡¯ As if sympathizing with him, the other two began to giggle andugh too, which deepened Davey''s frown. "You better stop," Davey warned, but the three continued their mirth. In frustration, he mercilessly kicked one of the bastards on the back. "F*ck you. Go and do what I tell you to do, you bastards!" This was the reason why Davey was very reluctant to release them from their card. The one he kicked saw his blood on the floor and began to panic. The other two raised the fallen guy up and made a fuss before he could even calm down. Then, the bastard red at Davey, seemingly annoyed. "What? You want me to pluck your eyes out? Bastard." The bastard flinched when Davey acted as if he was going to hit him with his elbows. They would never forget the pain of being hit. The three bastards backed away from Davey as he threw a bright light to allow them to see the situation. With the dark underground space brightened, they saw thousands of gigantic cockroaches all over the area, including some that Davey had failed to spot with his Dark Eyes. At the same time, one of the three lunatics shivered. His blue eyes moved as he said, "Enemies! Kill!" "Go!" "Bwahahahaha!" ''Look at these bastards! So, they can talk, huh?'' When one of them spoke, the other two giggled as if they found something fun and interesting. They charged toward the group of cockroaches without any hesitation or fear, disying an attitude and temperament that far exceededmon sense. ¡®Who in the hell did you look after, huh? Tch.¡¯ Baaaaaaaang!!! Then, loud explosions began to shake the area. Shwaaaaaaa!!! After realizing that time was running out, Davey quickly burned off a section of the area and sterilized it beforeying Aeria down. Her heartbeat was still weak. Thanks to the mutated ember, she did not need any other first aid treatment. However, what Davey used was not just a simple mutated ember. He also utilized the title [The Ember that Protected One¡¯s Final Moments], and its effects were quite profound yet simple. Chapter 397

Chapter 397

[The Ember that Protected One¡¯s Final Moments] (A title given to those who have resisted the roots and origins and have sessfully resurrected themselves with the Fleeting Ember) ¡ªUpon title activation, you can use the miracle of the Two Moons. ¡ªThe First Moon¡¯s Miracle. (Within an hour, the extinguished embers of the dead will be rekindled into a weak fire. Penalty exists.) ¡ªThe Second Moon¡¯s Miracle. (Nullified and voids the First Moon¡¯s Miracle and penalty.) ¡ªThe Wish of the Burning Embers. (Applied at all times to the effect recipient.) There were three effects. And for Davey, it felt like he had taken on a very dangerous gamble, one that he did not know when the penalty woulde. Vwooooooooong¡­ Davey ced his hands above Aeria and raised his holy mana to check her condition, all the while keeping an eye on the fluctuation of time. The Yurgian Continent had a power that was simr to mana, but mana did not truly exist there. That was the primary reason why alchemy and science were extremely developed in that realm. And since that was the case, Davey confirmed that his time in the Yurgian Continent would reduce depending on the amount of mana he used. Considering that this unidentified world was a ce where both mana and holy mana existed, it was likely that his time here would be reduced at a normal speed. [110:32] ¡°Bingo!¡± Vwooooooooong!!! The moment Davey confirmed that mana and holy mana existed in this world, he immediately raised his holy mana to the extreme and poured everything into stabilizing Aeria''s body. Davey had used a considerable amount of mana and dark mana during his fight with Urd, but he still had a substantial amount of holy mana in reserve. He also took out some disinfecting solution, needles, and a scalpel from inside his Pocket ne. Bang! Bang! Bang!!! ¡°Bwahahahahahahaha!!!¡± ¡°You!!! Die!!!¡± ¡°Go, go!!!¡± Although the three lunatics were running wild as they attacked the flock of cockroaches around them, no one came to disturb them. This was because Davey had cut off the space around them for a moment. Well, in fact, there was no need for Davey to cut off the space since the three lunatics did their job perfectly. They might look crazy, but their power was actually on par with their card maker¡¯s own fighting power. After all, the stronger their master¡¯s soul power was, the stronger they would be. There wasn¡¯t much of a problem with them except for the fact that they were quite difficult to control. Davey quickly rubbed Aeria¡¯s body to loosen up her muscles before tearing her dress around her abdomen to expose her bloody injury. Then, he immediately poured the disinfecting solution and moved his scalpel forward. [Pain Relief] [Hemostasis] He took a short breath after using two magic spells in a row. Then, without any hesitation, he cut her wound open and began his surgery. It was necessary for him to know whether Aeria¡¯s life had been damaged only by the creatures of the Abyss or by something else. Davey had, in fact, encountered creatures from the Abyss before. He even received an injury from them once. It was just a small cut, but the biggest problem was the traces of the Abyss. It permeated through the wound and spread from that area. And just as Davey had expected, Aeria¡¯s wounds, which could not heal properly even after he applied holy magic, were covered with something dark. He took another short breath as he closed his eyes and raised the mana in one of his hands, slowly cing it above the affected area with his other hand. Then, he slowly opened his eyes as he tore apart the dark power and burned it without any hesitation. *** Crack, crack, crack, crack!!! ¡°Bwahahahahahahaha!¡± One of the lunatics, the one with blue eyes, approached Davey whileughing grotesquely. His eyes stared silently at Aeria, who was covered with a nket and fast asleep, before turning to look at Davey. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Fufu,¡± he chuckled briefly and gestured instead of speaking to convey his message. The bastard made a circle with his thumb and index finger, poking it with his other index finger to insinuate something. Davey immediately grabbed a nearby fragment of what seemed to be a cockroach shell and mmed it into his head without any hesitation. m!!! The bastard flew back, apanied by a loud thud. However, it did not end there. The other two lunatics also approached and did something strange. One of them poked Aeria''s cheek, seemingly trying to move sneakily and kiss her. Kick!!! Of course, Davey kicked the bastard away. As for the remaining one? He looked at Aeria silently. Then, he slowly got up and began to unwrap his leather pants. ¡°You have three seconds to stop what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Bwahahahahahahaha!¡± The final lunaticughed strangely and raised both of his hands as if he was surrendering. At that moment, a cockroach, which seemed to have survived their onught of attacks, appeared right behind him. It was very shocking to see a cockroach that was bigger than a human being attacked like that. Boom!!! But the bastard did not even think of pulling the ax that was hanging on his waist. All he did was stretch his fist back, and the cockroach¡¯s head had already exploded. Although they always threw temper tantrums and acted immaturely, they were very strong and capable. Of course, Davey did not even intend to give credit to these bastards. It was not once or twice that their clothes burst and exploded because of their reckless behavior. Without any hesitation, Davey took an empty card out of the card album and stretched it out toward them. ¡°Get out of here, you damn punks!¡± Each and every single one of them was troublesome. Who the hell did they resemble?! A loud shriek, or was thatughter, rang in the area as the three bastards got sucked inside the card. And this is what was written on the card... [Mischievous Clowns] Davey looked at the card in silence. He immediately ced it back in the card album and shoved it back inside his Pocket ne. Aeria¡¯s condition had now stabilized. Davey was still unaware of the penalty he had received. However, it seemed like it was not rted to his life since he had not experienced any problems as of yet. Tick¡­ tock¡­ tick¡­ tock¡­ They could only stay in this world for two hours at most. He had spent most of his time doing surgery, which significantly reduced his remaining time. He did not have much time left to stay in this dimension. Tick, tick¡­ tick, tick, tick, tick, tick! Davey ced Aeria on his back as he slowly stood up the moment he saw the time start to blink and show signs of their return home. He then moved around the area, climbing above the ce where they fell. ¡°¡­¡± Then, the time ran out, and the surroundingndscape began to change. However, the change that Davey expected did not happen. The clock, which was floating on one side of his vision and had been blinking and making noise since earlier, suddenly stopped moving. The goddess¡¯ influence had weakened, and it seemed like she was in a very bad shape. Davey silently looked around and realized that they were in the middle of a silent red sea devoid of waves and tides. Just like in Noah¡¯s Ark, the sea was very quiet, save for the cockroaches around them. However, he found it quite ironic that the sea, which should be blue, had turned red. As expected of a strange world, no? Davey ced Aeria on the wooden deck and sat down himself. Since the key was still releasing power, he could surmise that the situation would resolve itself sooner orter. It did not matter how many hours this would take. Anyway, Davey needed a break the most right now. *** ¡°U-Ugh¡­ hmmm¡­¡± Aeria groaned, waking up around fifty minutester. Considering that she had undergone major surgery, it was quite surprising to see her wake up this early. She quickly sat up, the nk look on her face morphing into that of surprise when she saw Davey. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaaaah!!!¡± Davey immediately ran to her and hugged her from behind when he saw her suddenly go into a seizure. Her body struggled against Davey¡¯s hold, her tears dripping down her cheeks as Davey covered her eyes with his hands. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± Since Aeria was an elementalist, spirit mana would immediately gather around her whenever she experienced a seizure. Even her Nine Tail race¡¯s special trait ability was overflowing. Davey had expected that she would experience seizures, but he did not expect her to not stop crying. ¡°Aaaaaaack!!!¡± Davey could tell how frightened and sad she was from the hot liquid that dripped down the hands that he was using to cover her eyes. Davey hugged her tightly and continued to try to stabilize andfort her. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Princess Aeria.¡± ¡°Aaaah¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Davey.¡± Even the mention of his name did not calm Aeria down. All Davey could do was wait for her until she calmed down. He was fully aware that the moment he loosened his grip on her, she would try to harm herself. After all, she would not be able to ovee her fear. That was how bad her condition was. If Aeria harmed herself using the power of the Nine Tails, then it was not just a matter of self-harm, the situation would grow dire to the point that it would probably be suicide. Davey only removed the hand that he used to cover her eyes when he felt that her hups had slowly died down. And the sight that greeted him was nk and hollow amber eyes. ¡°That¡­¡± Aeria said slowly not long after. ¡°How much do you remember?¡± Aeria shook her head at the question. ¡°How¡­ much¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There was obviously a bright red sh that flew in¡­¡± It seemed like she only remembered up to the point where she died. It could not be helped. This was normal. Although Davey did not think too much about it, he still exined just in case, ¡°We¡¯re in a different dimension. You are alive. Many of the knights that escorted you have died, but Grand Duchess Kathryn and Sir Belross are still alive and well. For the time being, we are safe.¡± Aeria flinched at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaaah¡­¡± She buried her face, which had turned red after realizing whose arms she was in and who was stabilizing her condition, in her hands. ¡°What¡­ What do I do¡­¡± Perhaps she thought that Davey would not hear her since she mumbled in a very small voice. However, Davey could clearly hear her and the confusion in her voice. She looked lost for quite some time, only for her face to turn red once again when she recalled the fact that she was sitting in Davey¡¯s arms. ¡°My goodness¡­ Oh my god¡­ I¡¯m so close to Prince Davey¡­¡± With Davey¡¯s good hearing, he could hear all of Aeria¡¯s small muttering to herself. In the first ce, the two of them were very close to each other, so it was no different from her thoughts being disyed out in the open. Aeria¡¯s face had turned as red as an apple, her body trembling fiercely. She looked quite cute. Even her ears were constantly perking up and drooping down. It seemed like she was thinking of getting away from Davey because it was inappropriate while also thinking of digging deeper into his arms. Eventually, Aeria, who looked out at the sea beyond the deck silently, decided to sitfortably and dig deeper into Davey¡¯s arms. It seemed like she had decided to ept this dream-like situation and enjoy it a bit longer. Davey could clearly feel her warmth as well as the slight tremble in her body, a tell-tale sign of her nervousness. Then¡­ ¡°Prince¡­ Did I die once?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Davey did not even think about lying to her. Aeria tilted her head slightly and nced up at him when she heard his words. ¡°Is that why¡­? Strangely, my head is in a mess. Why was I going to the Heins Territory?¡± Davey¡¯s expression turned stiff at those words. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t really remember the reason why I was heading to Heins Territory.¡± A frown appeared on Davey¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. How can you not remember the reason?¡± Aeria tilted her head and tried to think desperately about the reason. ¡°Heins? Heins¡­ Heins¡­¡± But¡­ ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry. I have no idea where the Heins Territory is¡­¡± ¡­it seemed like she could not remember the Heins Territory. Having short-term memory loss after a big ident was nothing but a simple medical problem. However, the memories that she had lost were quite unusual. ¡°You don¡¯t know where Heins Territory is?¡± Aeria had once visited the Heins Territory. In fact, she had happilye to the territory to hand a gift to Davey. But she couldn¡¯t remember that? ¡°Excuse me, Imperial Princess Aeria.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°Do you remember the Firefox, the Grand Duchess?¡± ¡°Eh¡­ Yes? Aaaaah. Yes. I remember,¡± Aeria replied cautiously. ¡°How about your brother?¡± ¡°I, I remember¡­ Brother Alberth.¡± ¡°And do you remember Lyndis Empire¡¯s Emperor Deorte?¡± . Anxiety and fear started to appear on Aeria¡¯s face as she answered Davey cautiously, ¡°Yes, I remember.¡± ¡°Then, please tell me¡­¡± Davey asked slowly. He needed to verify this. ¡°When was the first time that you met me?¡± Aeria looked at Davey in doubt when she heard his question. ¡°Of course, in the Imperial Pce¡­¡± Davey did not expect this to happen. Aeria and Davey¡¯s first meeting was not in the Imperial Pce. At that moment, Davey firmly realized that there was truly nothing free in the world. Chapter 398

Chapter 398

As Davey continued to listen to Aeria''s words, he sensed that something had changed. He considered whether it might be an aftereffect of her near-death experience, but he knew deep down that it wasn''t the cause. He was convinced that some external force had tampered with her memory, likely resulting in short-term memory loss. Despite this, Davey thought it wouldn''t be a significant issue. Aeria had lost her memories of their first meeting and all information about the Heins Territory. What remained were her feelings of tenderness and affection for Davey, as well as the knowledge that he had cured her illness. Her open disy of affection, characteristic of the Nine Tails Race, further confirmed this. However, there were still scattered fragments of her memories. When she heard about the survival of Grand Duchess Kathryn and Sir Belross, she appeared relieved, but she didn''t seem to care about the death of the knights who protected and escorted her. Davey knew Aeria well enough to understand that she was a selfless andpassionate girl who would grieve even for themoners who sacrificed themselves to protect her. This discrepancy in her reactions puzzled him. "Uhm¡­ Is there something wrong?" Aeria asked, sensing his concern. Davey shook his head, deciding not to burden her with his unconfirmed conjecture. He didn''t want to add to the distress of the already vulnerable princess who resembled a small, pitiful animal. "No. There''s no problem," he replied with reassurance. . ¡°Phew¡­ That¡¯s fortunate.¡± "What''s fortunate?" Aeria asked, her face still red with embarrassment. "It''s because you are being subjected to this because of me... I''m afraid I have caused you another inconvenience..." Not knowing what to do next, Aeria yed with her fingers, and a very small sound rang from her stomach, signaling her own hunger. "Ugh..." Flustered, Aeria turned even redder, her body trembling. She nervously looked at Davey with eyes that seemed like they were going to cry at any given moment. For someone like her, who grew up beautifully inside a protected space, this situation might definitely be a source of shame. Of course, Davey was not the kind of person to mind such things. However, there was nothing he could do about how she felt. Aeria most definitely did not want to show others her embarrassing side. This was only natural, especially if someone was in front of the person they held dear in their hearts. "Let''s first have a meal," Davey suggested. In fact, there were quite a lot of ingredients ready for them to consume from the bottom of this ship. It was not like they could not eat it, right? All Davey needed to do was cast some purification magic, and it could be eaten. However, there was no reason for the two of them to eat those things, especially when they had something else to eat. Unlike the world where the judges and the dokkaebis were, the world that he fell in with Illyna, there seemed to be no major restrictions regarding food in this ce. So, he was free to take out whatever he had in his Pocket ne. "S-Sorry..." Aeria spoke carefully, her voice stained with tears. Davey just silently covered her with a nket and stopped himself from taking out the three clown bastards from the card album. Well, there was nothing else that he could do. He did not know what these lunatics would do. They might not be able to control themselves with Aeria right next to them. So, Davey pulled two strands of his hair and created a clone that he left beside the surprised Aeria before slowly standing up. "W-Where are you going?" Aeria asked with a trembling voice. Davey answered calmly, "No matter what I do, I can feel something gross and strange. I have to check it out. Wait here for a moment." ¡®Don¡¯t even think about following me with your body¡¯s current condition.¡¯ The words were unsaid but Aeria could tell that was what Davey had wanted to say. So, she remained silent and bowed her head carefully. *** Davey felt not even a single movement inside the ship where he and Aeria had fallen. The only living beings in the ship were the cockroaches that Davey first encountered when they arrived here, which the three lunatic clowns had cut up in excitement. The atmosphere surrounding the ship was eerie and gloomy, to the point that a ghost might pop out at any moment. However, Davey could sense that the ship had been constructed with a great purpose in mind. As he walked past the deck, Davey reached the door leading to the interior, which appeared to be the cabin. The door was covered with shes that were obviously made by someone: the culprit likely being those cockroaches. Creaaaaaaak¡­ Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh¡ª As Davey expected, the moment he opened the door, he could hear something stirring in the darkness. Without hesitation, he swiftly took out his card album and summoned the three lunatic clowns once again. Vwooooooong¡ª At the same time, the three gray-skinned crazy lunatics appeared with dignified and majestic postures. Kahahahahahahaha! One of the bastardsughed loudly with his teeth shing against each other. ¡°Bwahahahahahahaha!¡± There was also one that burst out in a strangeughter. ¡°¡­¡± As for the remaining one, he stared silently at Davey with shining eyes as his hands trailed toward the string that tied his pants to his waist. There were no children in existence that could be said to be perfectly healthy. "If you don¡¯t want to go back, then you better behave and organize yourselves. Try to take that hideous thing one more time, and I will cut it off myself," Davey warned coldly. Thest guy clicked his tongue before taking out his weapon. Then, he turned his shining eyes toward the darkness to look at the beings that were making a sound there. [Light] "Five minutes is more than enough, right?" Davey asked, but the three clowns didn''t bother answering. Instead, they pulled out their aura des and charged at their opponents. As mentioned before, their temper might be unruly, but their power was remarkable. They would grow even stronger as Davey''s soul found his original power. Although they were only slightly stronger than a Sword Master, given who they were, Davey could confidently say they were formidable opponents. "Bwahahahahahahaha!" One of the guys guffawed strangely as he attacked the hiding cockroaches. In response, the cockroaches fought back, but... Fwoosh! Bang! The lunatics ran wild, massacring every single one of the cockroaches without a care in the world. Ignoring the mess they were creating, Davey slowly walked past them. The ship was covered in stains, presumably blood, but there wasn''t a single trace of a corpse to be found. "Did they eat everything?" Davey wondered as he continued walking. After a few moments, he arrived at a ce that was firmly locked behindrge doors. Davey silently examined the door before snatching one of the lunatics, who was riding on the back of a cockroach like it was a sled, and brought him to his side. "The master key," Davey demanded. The lunatic red at Davey in dissatisfaction but then took out his ax and mmed it against the huge wooden doors. Crack!!! At the same time, therge and thick wooden door copsedpletely, revealing the messy and broken interior of the room to Davey. The cabin was huge, and it appeared to be themand room, which was not surprising. However, one thing caught Davey''s gaze and attention inside the room¡ªthe pattern carved on the most eye-catching and visible stone. The pattern allowed Davey to quickly deduce where they were and why this ce looked the way it did. The pattern he saw was none other than the twin-headed dragons, the symbol of the Lyndis Empire''s imperial family, and it was stained with blood. Two worlds could not exist under the same sky; it was set so that only one would prevail. Thus, there was only one exnation for this. *** "What do I do¡­? What should I do¡­?" Aeria twisted her body in embarrassment before gazing at the serene and calm sea in front of her. The sea was exceptionally tranquil and peaceful. This should have made her feel very scared, but for some strange reason, she felt relieved just because the person named Davey was there with her. ¡®I wonder why?¡¯ The reason was actually simple. For Aeria, Davey was a reliable person, someone she could feelfortable with. Regardless of his powers, she found herself both relieved and excited that he was with her. However... "But... Why do I feel this way whenever I see Prince Davey...?" Since when did she harbor such feelings for him? When did she develop a crush on him? Aeria was certain that her feelings for Davey were genuine, but no matter how hard she tried to find the reason why she felt that way, she couldn''t remember. Aeria had a vague sense that she liked the man, but did that mean she loved him just because he was handsome? Was there no other reason? That was the point that felt a bit strange to her. There must be something more precious, something like a deep connection or necessity. The girl desperately tried to trace back her memories and recall the reason behind her feelings. ¡®Just a bit more¡­ I just need to think about it a bit more¡­ Only a bit more and I¡¯ll get there¡­¡¯ Aeria thought as she constantly tried to find the scent of something from a while ago, something that for some reason she could not remember. As she thought like that, a sudden ringing struck her head which made her reel and stumble. ¡°Heuuup¡­ urgh!!!¡± Then, her eyes grew wide as she copsed on the ground. ¡°Ah¡­ Aaaaaaaaaaah¡­ aaaaaaaaah¡­¡± A loud and desperate scream was ripped out of Aeria¡¯s mouth. ¡®Why did I forget?¡¯ She was alive, but she had died before. It was a terrible nightmare, a night when they were raided by that strange woman, and she was killed while Kathryn was left on the brink of death. Even Sir Belross had been left in a state where they did not know whether he was alive or dead. Aeria had experienced it personally. So, why did she fail to remember the deaths of the countless knights who followed and escorted her? "Aaaaah¡­ Aaaah¡­" Although her eyes were wide open, they werepletely out of focus. Her already weak body had copsed as she scratched the wooden floor with her shaking hands. She looked like she had broken down. Scratch, scratch¡­ scratch¡­ In the end, the nail on her index finger broke. Tears continued to drip down her cheeks. She wanted to cry out, to shout at the world. However, her voice could note out of her throat. Thump, thump, thump, thump¡­ Squish!!! The sound of someone running rang in her ears as warm hands wrapped around Aeria''s copsed body. "Ah¡­ Aaaaaah¡­" "It''s alright. It''s fine. Everything''s okay." "Aaaaah¡­ P-Prince¡­ Knights¡­ The knights¡­ Because of me, those knights!!!" Why on earth was she heading to that ce called Heins Territory?! She couldn''t even remember that ce or the reason why she was going there! If it weren''t for that, then she would not have died, and those knights too would not have died. "It''s okay. It''s alright. All of them have survived. All of them are alive." Despite Davey''s calm and serene voice, Aeria still failed to calm down. She hadpletely fallen into a panic as she continued to groan and cry, like a broken doll. "It''s alright." Davey could have found it both irritating and annoying, but he continued tofort Aeria as if he was treating something very precious and dear. "Everything is fine, Imperial Princess." Why did she feel stable andforted in this man''s arms? Aeria could tell that she obviously loved this man. But she could not remember the reason why she loved him. It was true that the man had treated and cured her illness. However, Aeria was sure that it was not because of that. "I believe we have to look around some more. I believe this is a very familiar ce to us." Aeria''s shaking pupils turned to Davey, her expression still stiff and scared. "P, Prince¡­" "Please get some rest. I will be here until you wake up." The moment Davey''s words ended, Aeria felt drowsy. In the end, she copsed and fell asleep without even responding to Davey. *** Chaotic and confusing memories? Bullshit. Aeria had a short-term memory loss. No, to be exact, it was not a short-term memory loss but aplete erasure of memories. [The most precious things that the target cherished dearly in their entire life will be deleted.] At first, Davey thought that the penalty would be given to him. But after thinking about it, why would the penalty be given to him, right? However, the most ironic thing here was the fact that the most precious thing that she cherished dearly in her life was not her family or something else, but her memories of Davey, someone she had only met a few times. It started with Aeria forgetting about the information about Heins Territory as well as her first meeting with Davey. This confused her greatly. The problem was that this was just the beginning. From this point on, she would start to forget more about Davey. She would forget how she met him, what happened in the imperial pce, and so on, until this very moment. Davey could not actually say anything. For one, he felt that it was very miserable that the most precious thing in her life was the memories and things rted to one person. However, there was something a bit strange about the process of the deletion of her memories. Why were her memories erased, but her affection for Davey did not get erased? Was it because Aeria still remembered him? Originally, if her memory of their first meeting had been erased, then it would not be strange for her affection to either disappear or be halved. The Nine Tails Race''s trait ability could only be expressed based on their memories and instincts. Davey did not know when everything would be deleted. However, after evaluating things calmly, he could say that this was truly the best way to save her. Right now, the sea where they were currently at was most important. The Moon of Beginning, Syras, and the Moon of the End, Cryas. There was only one world where these two moons existed and that world should be somewhere else. There was only one variable that Davey was aware of where the same world yet different circumstances existed at the same time. Davey immediately activated the God of Archery Apollo''s Eye of the Sky, strengthening one of his eyes to the extreme. After scanning the area, he slowly released his magic and extended one of his hands forward. [Tempest(Storm)] Davey gathered a massive amount of mana, transforming it into a storm. With the force of that storm, he propelled the enormous ship forward, sailing toward the dark mass ofnd he had seen earlier. Once he confirmed the ship''s condition and that they were sailing smoothly on the calm sea, Davey carefully carried the unconscious Aeria. In the meantime, one of the three lunatics caught sight of Davey and immediately approached, his hands trailing toward theces of his pants as he taunted. Kick!!! Without hesitation, Davey delivered a swift kick to the bastard''s stomach. However, the guy simply stared back and clicked his tongue before turning away. ¡®This lunatic¡­¡¯ "Main Body," one of the clowns, who had been ying around earlier, asked Davey in a strange tone of voice, "Think hard." "That''s right. I''m contemting. I''m pondering whether I should mention her memories getting deleted or not." Although she cherished those memories dearly, she wouldn''t know what they were once she forgot about them. The question here was, should Davey let her know and allow her to remember, even for a very short amount of time, or should he not say a thing? It was bound to be a source of concern for him in so many ways, wasn''t it? Chapter 399

Chapter 399

Everything had been fine because the sea was calm and quiet. However, the storypletely changed once the sails were unfurled, and the ship started moving. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± In a way, one could say that Aeria¡¯s reaction was only natural. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Ugh!¡± Aeria looked like she was suffering from terrible seasickness. It was to the point that she had to cover her mouth and force herself to endure her nausea. She might be a beastfolk and had a very good affinity with spirits and nature, but that did not mean that her physical ability would be as good. Teary-eyed, Aeria tried desperately to hide her ugly appearance from Davey. However, Davey grabbed her by the shoulder as he ced his index and middle fingers at a spot right under her ear. ¡°Urk!¡± Aeria flinched in surprise, her eyes the only ones moving. She looked as if she had been frozen in time. She looked so surprised that both her face and her ears were dyed red. The physical contact must have been very unexpected and unfamiliar to the girl. ¡°There. You¡¯re all good,¡± Davey said as he slowly pulled his hand away from her. Aeria¡¯s dazed eyes grew wide as she hurriedly tried to say something. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I numbed some of your sensory organs. This wouldst for a while. It will probably lessen the effects of your seasickness.¡± ¡°Th, thank you.¡± Aeria retreated shyly. Then, her face suddenly turned curious. However, she shook her head as she patted her cheeks lightly. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± ¡°If you feel ufortable somewhere, please tell me right away. If you pretend to be fine even if you¡¯re not, then we might miss the perfect time to deliver treatment.¡± Davey¡¯s calm words surprised Aeria once again as she immediately scampered away. ¡°N, no. This. Wait¡­ What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Aeria¡¯s actions and behaviors made Davey realize that a gap had already started to appear because of the deletion of her memories. She was already showing a bit of distance now, but in a bit more time, her affections for him would most probably also be erased. ¡®Perhaps that¡¯s the best way.¡¯ Seeing that her memories were being erased more precisely than he had thought, Davey thought that there would be no problem. However, the penalty was called a penalty for a reason. It was necessary for Davey to ponder what it truly meant for the things that she held dear to disappear without a trace. No one would think that what Aeria was experiencing was simple if they could just see her expression once. *** ¡°Where¡­ are we?¡± Aeria asked, an uneasy expression on her face. The scene around them looked like it was a scene from hell, especially with the dark red sky above them. Although Davey could not feel much around them, he could tell where this ce was. ¡°This is the maritime city of Valkass.¡± Aeria nodded as she followed Davey. ¡°Ah, Valkass. I also know about it well¡­ yes?¡± However, she paused in her tracks and turned stiff. Davey ignored Aeria and slowly scanned the enormous curtain that covered a portion of the city. ¡°Did you just say Valkass? That¡­ Isn¡¯t it located in the southern region of the continent¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. This is the very same Valkass.¡± Aeria could not hide her embarrassment at that. This was because the city in front of her was in ruins. It looked like it had been hit by dozens of gigantic meteors. ¡°That, that can¡¯t be¡­ From, from what I know, it¡¯s a peaceful and thriving city¡­¡± ¡°Have you ever been here?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­ I was told that I would be able to get medicine here that can cure my illness¡­¡± Aeria murmured sadly. ¡°B-But just like the prince said! This is a different world. Ah¡­ Uhmm. Even though you say that it¡¯s a different world, it¡¯s still a bit hard for me to understand how that works. But¡­¡± ¡°This is the Tionis Continent. However, the timeline is a bit different. I believe they¡¯re living in a timeline that¡¯s a decade or so from the timeline that we lived in. It also is a world that has plenty of other possibilities and circumstances from the world that we lived in.¡± Aeria was rendered speechless for a very long time when she heard Davey¡¯s words. *** Davey actually did not intend to do anything in this world. This world waspletely different from the world where he currently lived. In this world, all the people around Davey had died. As for the country that was supposed to be here? It died and disappeared without even seeing the light. His only lingering attachment to this ce would be Perserque, who would have been the Dark Lord, but even that was something he could not do anything about. The ship docked on the shore, and they were able to set foot onnd. But before they could even pass through half of Valkass, an unidentified curtain appeared andpletely blocked Aeria from moving forward. Davey thought that he could probably get through that curtain somehow. However, it did not let him in either. It was like a referee blocking him from making a false start and pushing him back to the starting line. Davey was someone who would not give up just like that. So, he tried to touch the curtain. And for a very brief moment, he noticed an instant change in his body. The change was simr to the effect of the activated jewel he had before, theplete synchronization of his body and soul. At least that was what he felt during the brief contact with the curtain. However, the truth was it was not really synchronized. In the end, Davey had no choice but to bring Aeria back to the ship in regret. This was because he could not break the curtain without using a considerable amount of force. In fact, Davey wanted to see it at least once. What was the world that Reina desperately tried to protect and how it was now? After all, her death spelled the end of the resistance. That meant there was no longer any hope for the surviving human beings here. There was no need to exin anything to Aeria. It seemed like she opted to stay quiet and did not ask any questions for fear of Davey finding her annoying. However¡­ to put it simply¡­ there was nothing that they could do in this ce. They still had more than three more days left here. Since the entire city had been ruined, there was nothing to see anymore. If Davey did not speak, he felt like they would remain quiet for days on end, especially if Aeria left him alone. After all, she was someone who did not draw any attention nor asked to be paid attention to first. ¡°It¡¯s called the Parallel Universe Theory. Simply put, this is the same world as ours. However, the events that happened and would happen in every world would change depending on the actions of the person in each world.¡± Aeria looked confused at Davey¡¯s words. ¡°Then¡­ is that really possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible. If you choose one of the two, then the unchosen world would disappear from existence. This world is practically an illusion.¡± But for some reason, this world was created. Perhaps no other case like this would exist in the wide span of the universe. ¡°Then, this ce¡­¡± "If you look at it closely, it''s just a little irregr. But don''t worry too much. This world''s rules and providence are already twisted. It will probably disappear not long after." All Davey needed to do was to protect the world that he belonged to. He did not have any reason to save or protect the rest of the worlds in existence. "Prince Davey¡­ You¡¯re truly kind," Aeria said as she stared at the bonfire. After a while, she carefully opened her mouth again. "You must have said this out of consideration for me, right?" "It''s just because I''m bored. There¡¯s pretty much nothing we can do in this ce." Davey was just like an extremely busy person who was suddenly left with nothing to do and was left anxious. He just couldn''t sit still and waste his time doing nothing. His body was in dire need of recovery, so he was circting his mana non-stop, but that alone was not enough. "Hehe. But I still think it¡¯s because you¡¯re being very considerate of me," Aeria said, sighing briefly. "You think it¡¯s weird too, right? All of those knights are seriously injured while trying to protect me, but¡­ I feel very much at ease just because the prince is by my side¡­" "Humans will always think of themselves first before others. That¡¯s instinct. Those that are truly selfless are extremely rare. It¡¯s not wrong for the Imperial Princess to think that way." It might not be the truth of one''s life, but it was also not wrong. All living beings had this instinctive self-defense mechanism. "That¡­" Aeria flinched, the end of her words turning into an indistinct murmur. "Do you want to say something?" "N-Not at all! What am I¡­" "You can speakfortably," Davey said softly. Aeria, whose face had turned a deep shade of red, avoided Davey''s gaze as she said, "Don''t you find me annoying, Prince Davey?" "What do you mean by annoying? We''re on a very quiet deck, having a conversation partner is not too bad, don''t you think so?" "That, that''s not what¡­" Aeria mumbled, her face turning even redder. However, she could not hide how the corners of her mouth curled up. It seemed like she was strangely happy. "Just rest for a bit more. There''s nothing much we can do here anyway." Aeria nodded quietly at Davey''s words as she crouched down and buried her face in her knees. Silence fell upon them. And since Davey had umted enough fatigue tost him a lifetime, he did not resist the drowsiness that washed over him. It felt like all of his fatigue and exhaustion came together and decided that it was time to show themselves. It was like telling him, Now! This is the perfect time! Under the gentle rocking of the ship, Davey ced an rm magic around them to notify him of any kind of invasion and slowly fell asleep with his back against the wall. Thud¡­ thud¡­ The overly exhausted Davey, who had fallen into a dreamless sleep from which he would not wake up so easily, woke up to someone''s painful moans and groans. This ship only carried Aeria and Davey, along with the remnants of the trapped cockroaches. The cockroaches could not groan or moan, so the source of the sound was very obvious. "Imperial Princess¡­ Aeria?" When Davey opened his eyes, he saw her sitting by the ship''s deck wall quite a distance away from him. She had her head bowed down and her hands clenched tightly on the railings near her. "Ah¡­ Aaaaaah¡­" Seeing Aeria behave strangely, Davey slowly stood up and approached her. ¡°Ah¡­ Heup¡­ aaaaaaaaaah!¡± Aeria¡¯s hands were covering her mouth tightly to stop herself from crying out loud in desperation and helplessness. Davey had seen many sides of Aeria. However, this was the first time that he had witnessed her like this. She looked extremely unstable. ¡°Did you get seasick again?¡± Davey asked Aeria. He thought, ¡®Did the magic that I cast on her already disperse?¡¯ But then, Aeria, who had been sobbing pitifully, jumped up from her seat and ran to where he was. Then, she buried her head in his arms. "Aaaaaaaaah¡­ Aaaaaaaaah!" Davey could not help but frown when he saw her expression. Aeria looked like she was suffering immensely, which left him at a loss of what to do. Why was she suddenly acting like this? Davey caught a glimpse of Aeria''s expression when she rushed into his arms. Her expression looked quite distorted with desperation. ¡°What, what should I do, prince¡­? I feel strange¡­ My head¡­ Something is wrong with my head! What should I do¡­? What do I do¡­ Sob, sob!¡± Aeria tried desperately not to show the ugly version of herself to Davey, but she could not help but ask for help despite the tears that marred her face. "Please calm down. What in the world is happening?" Davey handled her carefully and gently, trying to calm her down. However, he found it hard to do so. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me...¡¯ Davey did not want to let Aeria know about it, so he had chosen to remain silent. However, the moment he tried to speak, Aeria, who had buried her face in his chest, pushed him down. She quickly climbed on top of him, wiped the tears from her face, and pleaded, "Prince¡­ please, I beg you¡­ I don¡¯t want to forget everything like this¡­" "Damn it¡­" Just as Davey had expected, the penalty had made Aeria aware that her most cherished memories were slowly disappearing from her head. "I don¡¯t want to forget. Please¡­! I¡­ I can¡¯t even remember what the prince looks like! I can¡¯t even remember your name! I really¡­ like you¡­ I hold you very dear to my heart¡­ I love you so much, but¡­" Aeria''s desperate cries continued, "I don¡¯t want to forget the prince like this¡­ I want to carry you in my heart for the rest of my life¡­" This was the first time Aeria had openly and strongly expressed her intentions on her own free will, not because someone told her to. Aeria had always done her best to cover up both the good and the bad in her to avoid causing anyone trouble. But now, she had reached her breaking point. She looked like she was in terrible pain as she begged for the truth. "My memories rted to the prince are disappearing one after another¡­ Please help me. I¡­ I don¡¯t want to lose my precious memories with the prince like this¡­ There¡¯s something weird happening to me. Please¡­" "Imperial Princess, there''s only one way to solve your problem," Davey said. He felt Aeria flinch above him as he continued, "And that is to nullify your resurrection." There were two miracles. The First Moon¡¯s Miracle had saved her life by taking away her most precious thing. So, the answer was obviously to use the Second Moon¡¯s Miracle, the miracle that would take away her life and the penalty in exchange for her regaining all of the erased memories. There was a huge gap between them, and it was a very difficult choice to make. "I don¡¯t want to forget¡­ I also don¡¯t want to experience something as painful as dying¡­ But what I would hate the most is to lose all memories of the prince and the moments I spent with you!" Aeria sobbed loudly as she buried her head in Davey¡¯s chest. "If I have to live like that, then¡­ I¡¯d rather die with all of my memories with you¡­" Then, Aeria stood up. As a member of the Nine Tails race, a race that was excellent in seduction, her eyes looked very alluring despite her sad gaze. She looked down at Davey as she sat firmly on his stomach. Then, with familiar ease, she bent down and ced her lips upon Davey¡¯s. Her actions were impulsive, not instinctual, and that brought about a different effect. At the same time, nine turquoise tails popped out from beneath her skirt. The light of the dark red moon above made the tails shine more brightly and take on a reddish tint. "I''d rather¡­" Davey could hear Aeria¡¯s way of speaking change under the desperate tone of her voice. "...you kill me¡­ That way, I won¡¯t lose any more memories of you¡­" "Let¡¯s stop talking nonsense now," Davey said, trying to reason with her. However, his words only made Aeria grab onto his cor tightly and say, "Then¡­ I want you to leave your mark on my body. Take me¡­ Before I forget you like this¡­ Make sure that I remember you even if it¡¯s just through my body¡­" Chapter 400

Chapter 400

Aeria felt that it was excruciatingly painful to forget the person she had held dear in her heart. So, she believed that it was better for her to die than to experience that pain. If that wasn''t possible, then at least leave a trace on her so her body would remember him. Davey couldn''t bear to watch Aeria screaming in such desperation. She had not been like this when she was suffering from her illness. He couldn''t fully grasp the despair she felt when her hope was ignited and extinguished simultaneously. No, he didn''t understand it at all. Frowning, Davey grabbed Aeria¡¯s hands and sat up. He held her back, as she continued to cry and cling desperately to his chest, and said firmly, ¡°Keep it together.¡± Aeria flinched when she heard Davey speak informally to her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­! I don¡¯t like this! I hate this! We finally met! I finally gathered the courage toe and meet you! But what did I find on my way to Heins!¡± However, she experienced another bout of panic attack. ¡°I will remember. Even if the Imperial Princess loses all her memories, I will make sure to remember you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that!!!¡± Aeria shouted furiously as she fell from Davey¡¯sp. Her anger, something that was rare for her, red up. ¡°I like you! I am the one who likes you more! So, why should you be the only one to remember me! I have to remember you! I¡¯m the one who likes you. I¡­ I adore you and love you so much¡­¡± Aeria looked desperate and bitter, making Davey feel terrible for choosing to save her. ¡°You can take everything else from me, just not these memories. Please¡­¡± Aeria pleaded with tears in her eyes. Davey silently closed his eyes in response. The power of the title would take away what was most precious to her. However, that was in exchange for doing the impossible, settling her soul back in her body. One wrong and rash move here, and Davey might have used the Second Moon¡¯s Miracle. In the end, there was no absolute and clear answer to this situation. ¡°Please listen carefully, Imperial Princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Memories aren''t perfect. Except for special cases, memories tend to be vague and unclear. That''s why it doesn¡¯t mean your memories will bepletely erased just because they have disappeared from your head.¡± Why couldn¡¯t babies remember what had happened to them when they were young? There were quite a lot of hypotheses about it, but Davey believed in one. They could not remember it because they needednguage to recall something. If one could not describe and remember something with words, then they would not be able to retain memories of that time. That was the theory Davey believed in. Of course, one might think their memories had disappeared, but that wasn¡¯t really the case. Their memories must have remained in their heads, whether it was their sight, smell, or touch, but since they could not articte them, they could not bring them out. "Then, does that mean¡­ that¡­ I can remember you?" "I''ll make sure that you remember," Davey said, trying to reassure Aeria. He was spouting lies. Still, it seemed like his intentions shone through, and Aeria finally looked relieved. Her expression aged ten years as relief washed over her. Davey''s lies were not entirely impossible. In fact, the penalty explicitly mentioned that her memories would be erased. However, that did not mean there weren''t any variables. Regarding the Heins Territory¡­ The fact that she awakened her instincts as a member of the Nine Tails race and cried out the reason why she came to the Heins Territory was a variable itself. Her memories of the Heins Territory had been deleted, so why could she remember the ce? That could only mean her memories were notpletely erased. If that were not the case, it could also mean that the deletion process itself was still very much unstable. It was quite a sad thought for someone to forget another''s existence. On the contrary, it also meant that she could not remember the memories of the person she cherished the most. Either way, it would be very painful. "I can''t solve the problem regarding your memories right away, but I''ll try to find a way. Before that, I can make a simple wish of yourse true." Aeria pondered deeply for quite some time after hearing Davey''s words. Then, she ced her hand on her chest, took a deep breath, and said, "For one day¡­" She voiced her words out carefully, "For one day¡­ Please do not say no to me for one day." It was her final wish to remember Davey. So, after considering the request for a moment, Davey ended up nodding in consent. "Will that be enough?" "Yes¡­" Her answer was very brief. *** Aeria was a very pure and naive person, but that did not mean she was a fool who knew nothing. However, knowing something and actually doing it were twopletely different matters. Just for one day out of the four days they were going to be stuck here, Davey would forget everything else and focus solely on her, just as Aeria wished. Why was he so attentive and caring toward her? Upon deep reflection, he could say it was because there was no other way for him to express his sympathy toward someone so brilliantly pure yet so pitiful. Her sense of purity and naivety was something others would not be able to replicate. Even in their situation, where everything seemed like almost a lie, she still appeared content. What Aeria wanted wasn''t exactly Davey''s attention. She simply desired to stay by his side, converse with him, and make eye contact. That was more than enough for her. "Prince! There''s a bite! Something took the bait!" Aeria eximed excitedly. "You''re quite good. Reel in the line slowly. Slowly," Davey advised. Aeria firmly grabbed the wooden handle of her fishing rod and tugged fiercely. As someone born with a weak body, Aeria was shocked as she got swept away by the force of whatever had taken the bait. If it weren''t for Davey hugging her waist, she would have already been dragged into the sea. After holding her from behind, Davey quickly took control of the fishing rod and started reeling in the line. ¡°Take it easy.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°Now!¡± Plop!!! A gigantic fish was pulled out of the red sea by the hook of the fishing rod and flew through the air. However, the fish looked a bit unusual. Aeria couldn''t help but turn pale at the sight of a snail fish that was over a meter in length and almost the size of an adult human being. What was strange about it was the fact that it had a farrger head than normal and four legs to boot. Perhaps some kind of radioactive material spread in the sea in this world? Actually, this fish was not something that could be caught so easily with a mere ordinary fishing rod. However, the reality was already right in front of them. ¡°Kyaaaaaack!!!¡± Aeria screamed cutely. Davey quickly held Aeria to stop her from falling down. Then, he stretched his other hand out toward the bizarre snail fish, which was falling from the sky with its mouth wide open as if it wanted to swallow Aeria in one bite, and gently swung it down. [7th Circle] [Great Spark] A powerful electric current shed in an instant, turning the gigantic snail fish that was trying to eat Aeria into a baked fish. Just like that, it crashed helplessly on the deck after being exposed to the 7th Circle electric magic. ¡°Haaa¡­ Haaa¡­¡± "Its size is very shocking." "Is, is fishing supposed to be like this? Do they risk their lives just like mercenaries¡­?" Aeria, who had never seen real fishermen in action, found the experience of hooking and catching a fish quite novel and shocking. Seeing her like that, Davey couldn''t help but feel mischievous, a smile curling up the corners of his lips. "Of course. The sea is filled with dangerous creatures. There are also creatures with dozens of squirming legs sticking all over their bodies." Davey¡¯s words were so ridiculous that if someone thought deeply about them, they would think, ¡®This guy is a fraud!¡¯?However, Aeria was far too naive. She looked like shepletely believed the words that Davey had said. ¡°G-Goodness¡­ I had no idea that getting fish for food would be this hard.¡± Davey desperately tried to rein in hisughter. This was quite a novel and refreshing response. He could never get this kind of reaction from Perserque, who was not that much different from Davey in terms of knowledge, or Illyna, who had gained quite a lot of experience out in the world. Davey felt like teasing and deceiving someone with this pure reaction was quite enjoyable. ¡°Kyaaack! Prince! The, the snail fish is burnt to a crisp!¡± Aeria, who had never grilled a fish in her life, instantly burned the snail fish that she had caught. She made a mistake in controlling the strength of the me while cooking. ¡°Ah¡­ That¡¯s mine¡­¡± She had been hungry since all they ate were snacks and side dishes on the ship. That was why she was trying so hard to adapt to eating outdoor meals. After several incidents like that, Aeria now could pout and grumble at Davey whenever he stole her part and ate it up. ¡°Pfft¡­ What even is that¡­? Pfft¡­¡± In the end, Aeria thought that being pranked like this was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Since she was making her dreamse true, the depressed look on her face quickly disappeared, reced byughter. At first, Aeria continued to hide her emotions, perhaps for the sake of protecting her dignity as a woman of imperial lineage. However, after spending time here, she realized that there were no restrictions that would stop her from doing whatever she wanted. And finally, she removed that thinyer of gauze that had covered her entire personality and let loose, showing off her true self. This might be something that she would never experience again in her life. The day passed by quickly. The two moons slowly rose to the dark night sky above the dreary and quiet sea. Aeria seemed quite happy that she was able to use temperature control magic and set the temperature around them just right. As she sat on the nket, Aeria looked up at the sky and said, ¡°It really feels like a dream. If this is my dream, then I hope I don¡¯t wake up.¡± In this world, there was no other intelligent life form except for Davey and Aeria. No, there were definitely some beyond that curtain. However, at the very least, there was no one else aside from them outside of that. Aeria was also aware of that fact. However, she seemedpletely happy to simply be with Davey alone in silence. ¡°Prince, do you see that star over there? Kathryn told me that it¡¯s a star that roams the sky, creating a tail of light, every ten years. She said that if I make a wish on that star, then it wille true.¡± ¡°Are you going to make a wish?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Aeria''s face flushed, and she smiled brightly at Davey. ¡°What are you going to wish for?¡± ¡°T-That¡­¡± She quickly buried her face, which had turned bright red, on her knees. Her body trembled slightly as she curled deeper into herself. ¡°I, I can¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°What is it? Is it rted to me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®It really is?¡¯ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Aeria thought that it was quite a shameful wish to say out loud. "If not now, then when will you have the opportunity? Go on, tell me." The embarrassed Aeria slowly opened her mouth after hearing Davey¡¯s words. "...want to..." ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°My, myp¡­ I want to lend myp to the prince.¡± Davey fell silent. Then, he grinned and asked, ¡°That¡¯s your wish?¡± ¡°Ah. Yes¡­ That¡¯s it.¡± Davey slowly stretched his hand toward the sky after hearing Aeria mumble to herself. And when he waved his hands, the stars began to fall, creating tails of light, circling the skies just like in those fantasy stories. It was quite hard to make a real object spin around. However, it was not that difficult to make something fall as much as he wanted. Seeing the surprise on Aeria¡¯s face, Davey said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve witnessed the stars creating those tails of light, then your wish shoulde true.¡± Davey kept his thick and shameless face. It did not matter whether Aeria was surprised or not. Suddenly, Davey felt a strange gaze watching him and Aeria for a very, very brief moment. It felt like the gaze of a transcendental being, not the gaze of a living and breathing life form. Chapter 401

Chapter 401

¡°What¡¯s¡­ the matter?¡± Aeria asked anxiously when she saw Davey suddenly looking around with a solemn expression on his face. However, the gaze that looked at Davey suddenly disappeared as if it had never been there from the very beginning. In this world, Goddess Freyja did not make a deal with Davey. Considering the fact that she did not throw a request at Davey like the other times when the dimensional key was activated, he thought that there was nothing that he needed to do this time. However, that did not seem to be the case. After feeling the gaze disappear, Davey just silently pulled Aeria¡¯sp near him andid his head down on them. ¡°Kyaaaack!?¡± Aeria shouted, her face turning red as she quickly avoided Davey¡¯s gaze. ¡°Your wish came true.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It seems so. It really is like a dream. Even though this will only be a single night¡¯s dream, I think I will never be happier.¡± Aeria¡¯s voice sounded weak as she murmured quietly. It was proof that the penalty was going toe soon. Perhaps, once she woke up again after a good night¡¯s sleep, she would have already lost a lot of her memories about Davey. Or maybe she would havepletely forgotten about him. Davey, who silentlyid his head on herp, realized that her gaze was directed at him. Then, as if possessed, she gently lowered her head and kissed him. It was very fleeting. It seemed like she had been unaware of what she had done, as if she had been intoxicated by the moonlight shining upon them. Davey was shocked into a daze by the sudden kiss. ¡°¡­¡± Aeria, who seemed to havee back to her senses, immediately raised her flushed face and covered her mouth. There was a helpless expression on her face. With Davey sitting up, she immediately jumped and bowed to him to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Then, she desperately tried to exin. However, Davey¡¯s gaze was already looking at the curtain that was blocking half of the city. He was certain that something had changed. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I did it unconsciously and¡­¡± Aeria said as her head drooped once again. This time, it was not because she was forced to do it. It was natural, so natural that anyone that saw her would feel nice looking at her like that. ¡°¡­¡± Just like that, Aeria fell asleep. Well, it was only natural. After all, she had been crying non-stop earlier and had done quite a lot of tiring things. As Davey watched Aeria sleep quietly and deeply, he had no choice but to admit that just as he had feelings for Perserque, there was also, to some extent, something strange for Aeria. Davey slowly stood up and carried the sleeping Aeria. Then, he installed rm posts in all four directions before pulling out some soft leaves from within his Pocket ne. Each leaf was half the size of an adult human and was piled up to create a bedding. Afterpleting the fluffy bed, he carefully ced Aeria down and covered her with a nket. Then, he took out a card from his card album. Swooosh¡­ At the same time, the three lunatics appeared. ¡°Protect Aeria. Everything should be alright. However, if Ie back and something is wrong with her, then I will make sure to crush you all with my own hands.¡± The clown with the ax shook his pants and danced yfully as he looked at Aeria. Then, the clown with the bastard sword cked his teeth and said, ¡°Make. Love.¡± ¡°If you keep on joking around with that trap of yours, then I will kill you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ignoring the bastard who stepped away with dissatisfaction, Davey turned to the one that looked the most sane and normal and said, ¡°I believe there will be no danger that wille your way. But just in case, make sure you protect Aeria.¡± Perhaps she would lose all of her memories of him by daybreak, and she would no longer be embarrassed in front of Davey. No, it was more like she would be wary of him. After all, there were only a few small gaps up until this point. That was the reason why they did not encounter any big problems. However, their real problem would be just ahead of him. But no matter how crazy these bastards were, Davey had one way to make them listen to him. ¡°If you remain obedient and there¡¯s no problem with your mission, I will let you do whatever you like.¡± It was a lie, but it did not matter. Whatever the consequences were, it was the fault of those that got cheated for believing in him. If Perserque had seen him, she would immediately click her tongue and would say that he was the epitome of the word ¡®double standard¡¯. *** It was a bit hard for Davey to determine where that gaze came from. But he had to find it. So, after leaving Aeria¡¯s protection to the three lunatics, Davey disembarked and entered the maritime city of Valkass until he reached the curtain that blocked his entry. He then proceeded to knock on it a few times. The curtain was a bit fascinating. Although he had not properly investigated it yet, there was one thing that he was sure of. The gaze was following his every move. The reason why he deemed the gaze to be from a transcendental being was that the range was so wide, to the point that he could not pinpoint where it wasing from. Thump¡­ Thump, thump¡­ After knocking twice, Davey forced his hand through the translucent curtain. However, there should be no way for his hand to enter that. After all, it had blocked his entry. Bzz¡­ bzz¡­ But the ouepletely defied his expectations. ¡°Oh?¡± The curtain, whichpletely blocked his path when he first came here as if he was some sort of intruder, suddenly let his hand through. And for some reason, he felt like he heard someone¡¯s strange voice during the process. [Do not be afraid.] Davey did not hear the words properly, but he could tell that the voice was saying something along those lines. As the faint whisper traveled through his ears, changes began to appear in his body that had passed through the curtain. It was as if the limit that had been ced on his body had disappeared. All of his powers started to run freely as if they could only move around in this ce. It was as if the tides of the world hadpletely changed once he went past the curtain. The power that was running rampant in his body began to overflow and affect Davey¡¯s surroundings. There wasn¡¯t much difference from what happened with First Lich Nyx when he was crushed simply by Davey releasing his mana. However, that was not important. The crucial thing to consider here was what happened. Did his body and soul fully synchronize after passing through the curtain? Whatever it was, Davey concluded that this world was weird. When he turned around and walked out of the curtain, he was left speechless when the synchronization between his body and soul began to disappear. It was like a switch had been turned off. Boom!!! . Just as he was pondering about it, something huge swooped in, as if it had been waiting for this moment, from the sky. Davey could tell that it was a ck Dragon-like existence, a being that wasn¡¯t there a few moments earlier. To be exact, it was a monster from the dragon family. They were beings that were raised and nurtured by the demons. Although their temperament was quite violent, they were beings with strong power that wasparable to the demon race. There were no signs of their existence. Of course, that was only natural. If the curtain was there, then Davey would have no knowledge of something of that size waiting for him on the other side. Besides, it was an extremely huge being. There was no way that Davey would not know if it was under normal circumstances. ck Dragon-like existences would grow from ten meters up to thirty meters in length and would mainly consume meat. Aside from their lethal ck demonic energy breath, they also use their sturdy and invincible body to attack. Their scales were known to be very durable and resistant to attacks made with des. Even their wings were notorious for rendering each and every method avable to those onnd useless and leaving their enemies furious for not being able to do anything to them. Their biting force was as destructive as the biting force of crocodile-type monsters. As for their mana? Well, they had an abundance of it, which made them a rare species ssified as a high-ranking monster. Normally, such a monster would have tucked its tail and left Davey alone. This was because Davey¡¯s mana was so vast that even a 9th Circle mage would find it hard to breathe in front of him. The synchronization of the body and soul was usually something impossible. However, thanks to the [Jewel]¡¯s special power, he was able to sync the power that he obtained in the Hall with his body, albeit only for a short period of time. That jewel was sent to him through Al, the resurrected and current World Tree, by Goddess Freyja. It was something that the goddess had created by condensing her own power. But¡­ What in the world was this curtain? Why did it bring forth ridiculous changes in his body the moment he entered it? Perhaps, everything that was happening to him was because of the irregrity of this ce? After all, this world should not exist. Since that was the case, anything that happened here could never be exined withmon sense. Everything was possible here. Davey waspletely lost in his thoughts, ignoring the ck Dragon-like existence that was slowly rearing its head to attack him. ¡®Wait. If I can do anything I want in this world, then¡­¡¯ Perhaps he would be able to find a way to let Aeria remember. Davey¡¯s mouth grew into a wide smile at the thought, his head turning to look at the ck Dragon-like existence that had opened its gigantic maw to devour him in one go. Boom! A loud boom rang in the area, and the mouth that had already enclosed upon him slipped open, allowing him to walk out. At the same time, Red Ribbon appeared. The sword danced in the air before settling in Davey¡¯s hands. Thump¡­ Davey saw a brooch falling off of the ck Dragon-like existence¡¯s horn. It seemed to have been cut off by Red Ribbon¡¯s sharpness. The brooch carried the demon¡¯s pattern, the insignia that symbolized a very familiar and dear girl, Dark Lord Perserque. This world¡¯s Perserque was one of the greatest contributors to the demon¡¯s easy domination of this world. She was the same girl from the world that Davey lived in. However, because the process was different, the result was also different. In this world, she was nothing but an unlucky girl. Swoosh¡­ After Davey had walked out of its mouth and left without any hesitation, the scales on the dragon-like existence¡¯s body began to shift. When the distance between them had grownrge, the dragon-like existence¡¯s limbs, as well as its entire disproportionate body, were cut to pieces. Thud, thud, thud¡­ thud, thud, thud¡­ ¡°An intruder!¡± ¡°A human? How can a human be here¡­?¡± ¡°What the hell? He¡¯s just one human! Move!¡± Whatever it was, there was one thing that mattered. The difficulty of this world might have reached the extreme. However, the Abyss did not interfere here. This meant that it was aplete downgrade from the ultra nightmare difficulty level that Davey had cleared before. And for someone like him, who hadpleted the synchronization, the only oue would be a disaster. Aplete and utter disaster. In fact, Davey was not really concerned about these guys. He looked up at the sky in silence, his gazepletely nonchnt when looking at the ck Dragon-like beings, the ck Wyverns, and the demons that were flying above him. Then, he released all of the mana in his body, an action that created a huge explosion. Boom!!! At the same time, the mana-sensitive ck Wyverns began to fall on the ground one after the other, their mouths foaming as they lost consciousness. Davey¡¯s only concern was to find the owner of that strange and suspicious gaze. Chapter 402

Chapter 402

The ordinary wyverns and demons seemed to have been a reconnaissance unit. These guys looked like they did not even know of the existence of the curtain that Davey passed by earlier. Well, it wasn¡¯t a simple curtain that blocked someone¡¯s path. It was more like it was a gate to another dimension and Davey was given a ticket to it. As for the reason why the maritime city of Valkass had been deprived ess to the entire sea in this world? Davey still did not know. The dozens of wyverns and demons that came to greet him did not even matter to Davey. Thud!!! Thud!!! ¡°Keheok!!!¡± The ck Wyverns, beings that had extremely good sensing abilities, were the first to be affected. After being exposed to Davey¡¯s overwhelming mana, their mouths started to foam as they fainted and fell on the ground one after another. As a result, more than half of the demons fell with them and started to groan and moan from pain. ¡°Keuaaaack!!!¡± ¡°Kghhk¡­ S-Save me!!!¡± Davey thought that it was fortunate that Aeria was not here to witness this, seeing how terrible they looked after a simple exposure to mana. Then, Davey looked around the sky and silently tracked the suspicious gaze that was looking at him. It was quite easy to track the general location of the source of the gaze with the power that he acquired from the Hall. The only thing that was difficult right now was finding the specific location. The existence that was looking at him right now? Perhaps it had powerparable to the weakest hero-level individuals¡¯bat abilities, maybe a bit more than that. In fact, even Urd, the Abyss Princess that made Davey suffer immensely, was not guaranteed to be able to do something like this. ¡®No. Wait a minute. There¡¯s one existence in this world that can do something like this.¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Davey hummed to himself in thought, stopping in his tracks and turning around when someone shed in his head. Then, he slowly approached one of the demons that were groaning in pain. The demons¡¯ eyes grew wide when they saw Daveying over while releasing his explosive energy, some of them even jumping up to attack him. ¡°Kghhk¡­ urk¡­¡± The demons looked at Davey with both disbelief and fear when they realized that his breathing didn¡¯t even change when dealing with their group. No matter how hard they looked at him, he was still nothing but a mere human being. A pure-blooded human. And even though they were seeing the reality with their eyes, it was still hard for them to ept the fact that a mere human being was showing a power that deviated from the norm. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± the demon spat these words with great difficulty, his breathing turning ragged as the pain he was experiencing intensified from the sudden pressure ced upon him. Davey slowly gathered his explosive energy back and returned to calm. Only after the mana that had dominated and controlled the entire area turned silent were the demons able to breathe. They exhaled heavily as if they were finally given amnesty and allowed to breathe. ¡°Haa¡­ Ha¡­¡± ¡°Hey. What¡¯s your name?¡± The demon looked up at Davey with both trepidation and cautiousness, ¡°How, how dare a human like you¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to get beaten until you¡¯re on the brink of death before you cooperate with me? Or are you going to simply cooperate with me?¡± The demon gulped when he saw the smile on Davey¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m Gorone!¡± The demon was so afraid of Davey that he instinctively turned to polite speech when he spoke. ¡°Alright, Gorone. Let me ask you one thing,¡± Davey said quietly. ¡°What year is it right now?¡± Gorone¡¯s expression turned somber at those words. ¡°You¡¯re not going to answer?¡± ¡°The 312th year of the Demon World calendar¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking the year in your calendar, in the human calendar.¡± Gorone flinched as he slowly opened his mouth again. After listening to the details from Gorone, Davey was able to sort out some facts and piece together some important information. Only a few months had passed since Reina died in this world. Davey thought that this world, which had lost its use, would disappear when Reina disappeared. But that was not the case at all, or at least that was what happened after looking through the passage of time in this world. Davey squatted down and grabbed Gorone by the cor. ¡°Who is currently in charge of the demons?¡± ¡°Grand Duke Astaroth and First Lich Nyx¡­ and¡­¡± The four Grand Dukes were all in attendance. There were quite a few more, but as Reina had mentioned, Nyx was alive in this world. With Nyx''s survival, they had managed to capture Perserque and revive her as they had intended. However, they must have used a different method to bring her back, somethingpletely distinct from what urred in his own world. "Good. Now, the final question." Davey asked quietly, "What happened to this world''s World Tree?" Gorone couldn''t answer Davey''s question quickly and easily, so Davey raised his hand and pped him on the cheek. p!!! "Keheook!!!" Several of Gorone¡¯s teeth fell out from the force of the blow. "Keuaaaaaaaack!!! Spare, spare me!!!" "If you answer me well, then I will spare your life. I don''t really hold much animosity toward the Demon race." Of course, in his world, Davey had destroyed them because they dared to meddle with what was his. However, he didn''t necessarily reject demons as a whole. He treated them simrly to how he dealt with vampires. There were only two things Davey would decisively deal with, regardless of their race: those who caused trouble and colluded with the Abyss, and the lesser demons called Goblets that he eliminated when he first took office in the Heins Territory. "I, I don''t know! I''m, I''m telling the truth! I''m just a lowly and disposable scout¡­" Davey released his hold on Gorone''s cor with a bit of regret as he nodded quietly. Unlike in the Tionis Continent where Davey lived, this world''s Sacred Tree''s Territory did not experience any kind of generational change. In other words, there was a high chance that the previous generation Yggdrasil and the Sacred Tree''s Saint, who had disappeared in front of his eyes, were still in power in this world. Davey could surmise that Yggdrasil had found a way to protect themselves, without the need to cooperate with humans, by residing inside the Sacred Tree''s territory. If the Yggdrasil here was the twisted Yggdrasil, then he could understand why he was being watched like that. However, he had a problem. How could he find the World Tree in this world, especially with different coordinates? It wasn''t that hard for Davey to leave right away. However, he still had to worry about Aeria, who he left behind on the ship. Well, since the area was cordoned off, no one would be able to harm her. "I''ll just have to check it out as soon as possible." Whatever the case, if that crazy World Tree continued to peep at him, even outside of that dimensional rift, then he had to force those eyes to close. "Fire Chicken." Davey summoned the Divine Beast Vermillion Bird Fire Chicken with familiar ease. ¡­ However, there was no way that Fire Chicken could be summoned here. So, he tried to summon the next one in line, Spirit King Gnoass. [Heed my call, Gnoass.] ¡­ The problem was, he also could not summon the spirit. At this point, Davey realized that it was impossible for him to bring beings from another dimension. After all, they had to pass through a dimensional rift. Besides, this world should not exist and was essentially isted. In the end, he was left with no other means of transportation. Most of the ck Wyverns fainted, resulting in their deaths from broken necks after falling to the ground. This meant that no one here could properly fly. If that was the case, then Davey had to summon that one to be his ride. Without any regrets, he pulled out the second card from his card album. This was not the card that carried the three mischievous clowns; it was the card with the image of the great and majestic dragon king. "Come out! Megalodria." At the same time, the card soared into the sky as a huge spark shot out from within it. Crack, crack, crack!!! The card grewrge, and a gigantic being covered in bright white light appeared. After that, the card disappeared. Some of the surviving demons couldn''t help but gulp loudly when they saw the Azure Sky''s Storm Dragon King, Megalodria, majestically appearing above them. Grrrrrrr... Megalodria was someone who boasted a gigantic stature and enormous strength. Even though more than half of his power had been restricted, his title as a grandmaster-level being would not be diminished. Davey silently stretched his hand out after seeing the sh in the rascal''s red eyes. [5th Level Holy Magic] [Purify] Shwaaaaaa!!! Megalodria floated in the air, expressing his hostility toward Davey when he saw a pure white light shooting out of the man¡¯s hands. When they fought before, Davey could tell that Megalodria was still hanging on to his final thread of reason. However, it seemed like it snapped after experiencing the shock of exchanging blows and fighting against Davey. ¡°That doesn¡¯t work? Well, then¡­¡± [7th Level.] [Purify] Davey shot out another round of Purify. However, Megalodria still did not improve, even though Davey increased the level of purification by two. At first, Davey did not think that any magic at this level would fail against Megalodria. However, he considered that there was a possibility since the amount of holy mana he used with the 7th Circle Purify was almost ten times the usual amount needed to cast one. But it still did not work. Davey clicked his tongue after he finished thinking of another method. ¡®Alright. I¡¯ll give you a huge bleeding[1] service this time!¡¯ Then, Davey quickly ced his hands together and began to raise his holy mana. [I am informing you, Goddess Freyja.] [You shouldn¡¯t care even if I create a huge fuss here, right? Don¡¯t you think so too? You threw me here because you wanted something, so I¡¯m going to borrow your grace in return.] [9th Level, Final Holy Magic] [Saint¡¯s Sanctuary] The Saint¡¯s Sanctuary was an area of effect sanctuary magic. In an instant, dozens, if not hundreds, of white feathers fluttered in the sky as a huge and bright light appeared, engulfing the entire area. The warm light also enveloped Davey¡¯s body before covering Megalodria¡¯s gigantic form, which had sustained quite a few severe injuries. Davey had understood the system of the restrictions that Urd had ced upon him to some extent. Urd¡¯s power was rted to erosion. She had the ability to inject her own power into others as long as they touched her. This power would then encroach upon that individual until it devoured everything they had to offer. If that was the case, then didn¡¯t that mean that Davey only had to deal with the erosion that was encroaching upon this guy? Perhaps this was the only opportunity he would have to purify the Storm Dragon King Megalodria. And Davey would not miss such a thing for the world. So, he tightened his grip on his hands and continued to pray. [Requesting urgently for more grace.] [9th Level Holy Barrier] [Deus¡¯ Sanctuary] A holy barrier was erected, followed by an additional 8th ss holy magic, a magic that amplifies the efficiency of the previously cast magic. In just an instant, Daveyid down the Saint¡¯s Sanctuary and the holy barrier, together with threeyers of amplification magic. However, even with all that, he still could not get rid of the erosion in one go. ¡ªRoaaaaaaaar! Davey stared at the guy enduring the pain brought about by the massive holy magic pouring down on him. In the end, Megalodria could not endure and swung his gigantic arms to attack him. Crack, crack, crack!!! It was obviously a life-threatening attack. However, it would be impossible for an attack, which had been greatly weakened, to touch Davey right now. He just raised his hand and grabbed one of Megalodria¡¯s ws, crushing it in the process as he showed him a dark and eerie smile. ¡°In this ce, I have quite a huge advantage over you¡­¡± Megalodria¡¯s red eyes shook at those words. ¡°Come to think of it, how many times did you beat me with your tailst time?¡± Davey could also not forget the fact that Megalodria''s tail had broken his arms dozens of times during their previous fight. ¡®No. F*ck it. Just thinking about it is making me mad! This bastard! I¡¯ll just beat you up for ten minutes.¡¯ Megalodria flinched when he saw Davey¡¯s gruesome smile go wider. However, the three holy magic spells that fell upon him contained an overwhelming amount of holy mana thatpletely restricted his movements. Although Megalodria¡¯s reason had flown out of the window, he could still remember Davey. This fact made it all the more confusing for the mythical beast. He obviously remembered that Davey did not have this much power back when he fought with him. The thought just briefly shed in Megalodria¡¯s head, but Davey saw it. Well, even he did not expect that his body and soul would synchronize here. And he was actually in a state where the power flowing through his body was derived from the power of his soul rather than the power running through his veins. To put it simply, Davey was in a state where he could draw as much power as he wanted to evolve without undergoing aplete metamorphosis. Megalodria, who saw Davey approaching him slowly, anxiously stepped back away from him. He looked very cute like that, like an arrogant cat that was running away. However, Davey was smiling for another reason. ¡®I will never have a chance like this again.¡¯ Megalodria tried to find a gap as he used all of his strength to raise his entire body and run away from Davey. However, it seemed that he had forgotten one thing. He had already been captured inside the card that was made from Davey¡¯s soul. A chain of light stretched out from the ground and wrapped tightly around Megalodria, stopping him from moving away. Davey smiled silently as he made eye contact with the mythical beast. ¡®It¡¯s toote, you bastard.¡¯ 1. I believe this refers to the bleeding terminology in games ?? Chapter 403: The Utterly Twisted Giant Tree

Chapter 403: The Utterly Twisted Giant Tree

¡°Shane¡¯s not here, you know?¡± Boom!!! Megalodria flew out along with the loud sound of something exploding. Obviously, his size was something that not anyone could simply deal with. In fact,pared to Behemoth, which was on an entirely different level in terms of body size, Megalodria was still considerably better. ¡°Without Shane, your powers will start to get lost. You probably only have around half of your original powers, no?¡± It only urred to Davey recently but it seemed like this suspicion was quite true. Davey immediately shut down Megalodria¡¯s mouth, canceling the Breath that he was about to release to resist him, by mming his hand down on his nose. ¡°Oho. Wait, are you actually trying to rebel now? You¡¯re rebelling, right?¡± Bang!!! Bang!!! Shock was now evident in Megalodria¡¯s eyes after enduring several beatings from Davey. From what he could remember, Davey¡¯s punches were not that threatening at all. However, after waking up and escaping from the card that sealed him, Megalodria found out that the human being, whom he thought was a little ways behind him in terms of strength, had suddenly be a monster. Even if Megalodria was the king of the Kings of Mythical Beasts, he would still find such a transformation to be shocking. They were in apletely different Tionis; this was far more than a simple shift in dimensions. They were in the same world that was on the opposite side of the mirror. It was just like how Tionis and the Abyss were on each side of the coin. However, this time, they were in the Tionis that was reflected on the mirror. That was also the reason why Davey could not summon Gnoass or Fire Chicken. Davey had judged that if he wanted to summon them, he would need quite some time to do so. The Spirit King that resided in this world did not sign a contract with Davey, so he could not and would not heed his call. As for the Divine Beast Fire Chicken? He was not born in this world. The concept was not like some simple dimensional shift or whatnot. It was on the level of a world transfer. Davey found it quite amazing that the dimensional key had this power. However, considering Reina¡¯s case, he realized that it truly was possible. The difference might sound simple. However, unlike the dream world or the other dimensions, where he had high chances of existing, this difference should not have appeared in a world where he did not exist. However, the impossible had be possible. Since Davey did not exist in this world, everything about him was being made by copying his soul as it was. In other words, Davey¡¯s abilities were measured andpleted based on the abilities and powers that he had in the Hall the moment he passed through that curtain. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I will take care of the erosion.¡± This also meant that Davey was now capable of eliminating the erosion in Megalodria¡¯s body through sheer force alone. What he needed to do was cast a great purification magic. It did not matter to him if the power of erosion would try to resist or not. Davey just needed to use his overwhelming power to crush it the moment it reared its head out. Davey slowly released the vast amount of mana that was actively circting in his body. ¡®Let¡¯s poke it and pull it out.¡¯ Davey¡¯s n was simple. Of course, Megalodria, who would be subjected to this treatment, would probably feel a bit dizzy and unwell. But that''s none of Davey¡¯s business. ¡ªGraaaaaaaaaa!!! A loud and painful scream was ripped out of Megalodria¡¯s mouth as his body struggled fiercely the moment Davey started his work. However, Davey just used some gravitational magic to pin him down on the ground and continued to remove Urd¡¯s power that she used to erode his rationality and senses. Megalodria must definitely have felt like he was going to die. After all, thebo of being pinned down on the ground and unable to lift even a single finger while someone rummaged through their head would definitely be very, very unpleasant. Despite Megalodria¡¯s desperate resistance, Davey continued with his work and rummaged around in his head. In the end, he was able to remove all traces of the erosion that Urd had hidden in Megalodria. Even though Davey¡¯s body and soul had synchronized, it was still quite a difficult task for him. It would have been easier if his specs were a bit higher. However, upgrading his own hardware took a lot of time and money. So, when presented with an opportunity, Davey had no choice but to use it. After everything was over, Megalodria was left exhausted. His entire figure looked like it was drooping, his eyes blinking slowly as he exhaled heavily. ¡°Have you regained your consciousness now?¡± Megalodria¡¯s red eyes focused on Davey when he heard the question. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Considering that you¡¯re opting to not answer me right now, I can say that you have alreadye back to your senses.¡± [Human¡­ What the hell are you?] The voice that rang in Davey¡¯s ears was not the same guttural and irritating voice but his thick and deep voice, his original voice. Finally free from the voices and the bizarre hallucinations that gued him, Megalodria asked Davey with great difficulty. Unlike Shandra Minea and Behemoth, Megalodria was called the reigning king of the King of Mythical Beasts. Even if he was subjected to Urd¡¯s erosion, his reason and sanity did notpletely disappear. That was why he could not help but ask Davey why his actions and words made it seem like he was very familiar with them. [Human. How in the world do you know about Shane?] And¡­ [And how do you know about the two other Kings of Mythical Beasts¡­] ¡°There are far too many rats listening to our conversation,¡± Davey said calmly, turning his head to look at the demon soldiers who were staring nkly at them. Although the ck Wyverns were dead, there were still a few surviving demons among them. ¡°¡­¡± The demons immediately took several shaky steps back, their eyes filled with fear the moment they saw Megalodria¡¯s own turn to look at them. However, Davey¡¯s hands were faster than them¡­ [Stun] Thud! The demons fainted all at once. ¡°I have some connection with Shane.¡± [Stop joking around, human. Shane died more than a thousand years ago.] Davey just shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to believe me, then why do you have to question me like that?¡± [¡­] ¡°Never mind that. Let¡¯s talk while moving,¡± Davey said as he poured a huge amount of recovery magic on Megalodria¡¯s body. Then, he took out apass, checked the direction and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go west. Go as fast as you can.¡± [¡­Fine. I will cooperate with you now.] Even though Megalodria found Davey¡¯s existence to be suspicious, he judged that he was not an enemy that he should fight against. One, because he did not have the power to go against Davey. And two, because Davey was the one who had removed the erosion that was guing him. [You have my gratitude for helping me get away from that damn woman¡¯s power.] ¡°You¡¯re someone that¡¯s as powerful as someone at the Grandmaster-level. Yet, you still got hit like that?¡± [It¡¯s just like you said. Without Shane, the condition where we grow stronger over time has been restricted and we have grown weaker.] They had grown weaker because they had lost the power of their contractor. However, they were weakened even further after being exposed to Urd¡¯s power. Could even someone at the grandmaster-level be trampled on like that? He must have felt cold all over. He was a very unlucky guy. Megalodria had signed a contract with the Mythical Beast Summoner Shane Scrift. However, Davey knew that there was a way to summon and order such a wise mythical beast like Megalodria even if he wasn¡¯t a Mythical Beast Summoner. In fact, as long as their interests aligned, then everything could be done. However, if they used this method, then¡­ ¡°You won¡¯t be able to use the entirety of your powers.¡± [To be exact, this applies to all mythical beasts including myself, Human.] Davey, who was looking at the scenery that passed by quickly, ced his hands on Megalodria¡¯s neck and said, ¡°What happened to the Lux Continent?¡± [¡­] Megalodria first remained silent, then said, [Human. What do you think would happen if the three King of Mythical Beasts, the ones called thest bastion of the continent, were all overpowered?] ¡°Tch.¡± Davey should have known. After all, Megalodria had mentioned before that Urd hadpletely overturned the Lux Continent. It was not impossible at all considering her strength. [That woman said that her younger sister was in this world. It seems like this world also had the same fate as the Lux Continent¡­] ¡°This is not the Tionis that you have visited before.¡± Megalodria¡¯s speed visibly slowed down when he heard Davey¡¯s words. [What do you mean? The mana distribution, density, and even the flow of the air is the same. Everything is the same¡­ No¡­ No, it seems like it¡¯s not. This terrible ck mana that has spread all over the ce is different.] ¡°I know, right? It would be easier for you if you think of this as a parallel world. Over there. Stop there.¡± Megalodria immediately pulled the brakes by spreading his wings. Then, Davey slowly stepped down from his back. ¡°Yes, think of this as a parallel world. In the world where we were before, I have killed the former World Tree. However, that very same World Tree has awakened once again and is ruling in this world,¡± Davey said as he gathered all of the mana, the mana that he used before his synchronization, on the fingertips of his hands. Basically, he was telling Megalodria that there was a huge difference between the two worlds. Seeing Davey gather the maximum amount of mana that he could muster at this very moment in his palms, Megalodria, who did not know about Davey¡¯s condition, showed an expression as if he could not understand what was happening right now. He asked in both disbelief and confusion¡­ [Human. The power that you possess makes me wonder if you¡¯re truly a human being.] ¡°Well, it¡¯s true that I¡¯m a bit strongerpared to when I fought you before.¡± [A bit? That¡¯s bullshit. Your power is on apletely different level.] ¡°This is why I don¡¯t like quick-witted mythical beasts like you. This is my original power,¡± Davey said calmly as he stretched his palm and pointed it toward the huge and dense forest. If Davey¡¯s predictions were correct, this ce would be under the protection of the World Tree¡¯s barrier magic. If he removed that barrier, then he would be able to see the figure of the World Tree. Davey did not have all the time in the world to search slowly. So, wherever they were, he would have no other choice but to use a bit more strength to find them. ¡®Will it break downpletely or will it only make a hole?¡¯ If the World Tree''s condition is good, Davey''s attack would only create a hole. But if the condition is bad, then it would break apart. Davey took out Blue Ribbon and infused the mana that he had gathered into the de. The moment he saw Blue Ribbon''s power get amplified, he immediately swung the sword down. Hesitation? Worries? Since he had already made up his mind, then he should do what he intended to do. No holds barred. sh!!! A sh of blue cut through the area, which was supposed to be empty, only to be met with a translucent curtain that had a rainbow-colored tint to it. To be exact, Blue Ribbon''s attack forced the hidden curtain to appear in front of the naked eye. sh!!! Since Blue Ribbon had the power to cut down everything that was beyond the physicalws of the world, the barrier, which Davey believed to be erected by the World Tree, was neatly cut down. Bang, bang, bang!!! And just like a chain reaction, the other barriers in existence lost their bnce and copsed on themselves. "The level of the barrier is a mess. This is far worse than the World Tree that I have fought with before." Hearing his words, Megalodria raised one of his huge arms and blocked Davey''s front. Ting, ting, ting, ting! At the same time, dozens of arrows that came from the other side of the forest flew toward Megalodria''s arms. However, the arrows did not meet their target and all fell down helplessly on the ground. [Do not let your guard down, human. I know that you¡¯re strong. However, your body is still made of flesh and blood¡­] Piiiing! Before Megalodria could finish his words, a huge arrow, which flew past his arm and was going to crash into Davey''s forehead. Although it was just a simple attack, the arrow carried tremendous firepower that could allow it to pierce through a thick metal te. However, it did not even graze Davey''s skin. ng, ng, ng!!! Daveyughed, the arrows stopping in the air in front of him. Then, he pped all of them back. "Where do you think most of the mana of someone with the power to pressure a Grandmaster-level mythical beast and deal with a 9th Circle lich would go?" Megalodria''s eyes narrowed at that. That was when he saw the huge amount of manapressed into a thick film that enveloped Davey''s body. After seeing that, he took his arms back and looked away. [It seems like I tried to protect a monster. That amount of mana is something that humans could not have at all.] ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not just some ordinary human being,¡± Davey retorted, his eyes catching sight of people emerging from the depths of the forest. All of them had red hair, red eyes and pale skin. Then, hemented, ¡°It seems like the World Tree here has bepletely corrupted.¡± The elves residing in the Divine Tree''s holynd were all influenced by the state of the Divine Tree. When Davey looked up, he saw that the gigantic World Tree had now be dried up and twisted. The elves had all deviated from their normal appearance with the World Tree, their lord and master, turning corrupted and twisted. They had now be Blood Elves. That meant that there was no way Davey would be able tomunicate with them. In the end, he was left with only one choice. ¡°I have no choice but to send you off as quickly and asfortably as possible¡­¡± [Those words might make someone feel at ease. However, they are no different from you telling them that you will kill them all, human.] ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s much better to kill them than to let them live through something like that,¡± Davey said calmly as he watched the blood elves surround him. Then, he took out the other half of the twin swords, Red Ribbon, and said, ¡°Red Ribbon, can you help daddy?¡± [R, Red Ribbon can hwelp daddy!!! Red Ribbon will do her best!!!] Red Ribbon conveyed her thoughts strongly to Davey. Since the will of his sword had now been transmitted to him, all that was left was¡­ to cut them down. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Davey said briefly as he began to swing Red Ribbon and cut down the blood elves. ¡®Let¡¯s first start with something light.¡¯ [Transcendental Longsword] [Splitting the Mountains] Chapter 404

Chapter 404

"Hurry up and walk!!" Thud! With a rough shout, a boy dressed in rags got pushed onto the ground. "Ugh..." The boy who groaned in pain was still young and full of vigor; however, hecked the courage to resist those tormenting him. Thepletely lifeless expression on his face vividly portrayed the extent of his suffering in a world where humanity had been defeated. The humans never doubted that they would forever be the masters of the continent, never anticipating this situation. They never imagined that they would be treated like ves by something non-human and endure a painful life. It was a horrific existence. Nheless, gritting his teeth, the boy rose up, casting a nce at another boy who followed him with an equally lifeless expression. This boy was smaller than him. The older boy''s name was Roxy Coronel. Nowadays, hisst name held no significance, so people around him simply called him Roxy. However, once upon a time, he had been the promising eldest son of a ducal family, upying the highest position in a kingdom. That is, if he had not spent most of his life swept away by the chaotic war. "Hey! Do you want to die?" p!! A cold voice rang out followed by a sharp sound. "Ugh!!" "B-Brother..." None of the others reacted to Roxy''s painful groans, but his younger brother stared at him with vacant eyes. "Please, don''t look." He recalled instructing his brother not to witness the horrors they encountered during the war, just before they became enved. Back then, aided by thest remaining resistance fighters, they had set fire to a small vige. Roxy had always promised his brother that he would bring an end to the war and present him with a better world. However, the oue had been tragically different. Powerless, he was captured and forced into very, unable to resist even as thest of the human resistance was annihted. Their captors were detestable beings known as Blood Elves, adherents of the twisted World Tree. Their behavior, unlike that of any fairytale fairy, was cruel and merciless. It had been six long months since he was dragged into this wretched ce. Roxy remembered the words of an elderly man, a fellow ve, who imed that the number of humans trapped here and left to perish equaled the stars in the sky. Whack!! Whack!! Roxy, who had gone without a proper meal for days and struggled to move, endured mercilessshes from the Blood Elf. Despite the excruciating pain, hecked the strength even to scream and felt himself slowly breaking down. In this living hell, death might have seemed like a preferable option. He needed to protect his brother, but hope seemed nonexistent. Lying on the ground, enduring theshes, Roxy contemted that if he could endure a little longer, he might find a peaceful release in death. "Bro... Brother..." However, his brother didn''t share the same sentiment. His brother approached slowly and intercepted the whip, enfolding Roxy in his arms. Roxy''s eyes widened in shock. As much as he desired death, he didn''t want to use his brother as a shield. "Guh... Gahhhhhhh!" Summoning unknown strength, Roxy rose to his feet, shielding his brother and gritting his teeth, causing the red-haired Blood Elves to grimace. "How dare you resist?! You filthy ve!" With a fierce shout, the whipping continued relentlessly. Amid the brutal assault, Roxy desperately shielded his brother, enduring blows to his face, back, and legs. Every whip was met with his madman-like grip, refusing to let go. "This bastard!" Consumed by rage, one of the Blood Elves retrieved a dagger from his pocket and raised it high. In a world where humans had been defeated, the killing of a human ve was not umon. Seeing the gleaming metallic light, Roxy instinctively closed his eyes. Boom!!! Had it not been for the massive explosion that ensued, a colossal shockwave reverberated through the area, followed by a tremendous earthquake that shook everything. Panic-stricken screams echoed in all directions. The Blood Elf, who had been about to kill Roxy, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events and looked around in a state of panic. "What the! What''s going on?!" However, there was no one present to answer the bewildered question. Amidst the confusion, a voice resonated from a distance. "Intrusion..." A Blood Elf hurriedly rushed in, shouting, only to freeze in ce. Everyone observed the unfolding scene in stunned silence. The Blood Elf, already distinguished by their red hair and eyes, now appeared drenched in blood, truly living up to their name. Yet, the pitiful sight swiftly faded from memory as a figure emerged from behind the Blood Elf. "Advocates of peace, the forest race? Howughable," muttered a calm voice. The boy, who had firmly grasped the Blood Elf''s frozen head, knelt down and spoke with nonchnce. "In contrast, humans with their tant duplicity are far more honest, don''t you think?" The Blood Elf, held captive by the boy''s rxed demeanor, trembled as if encountering a monstrous being. Thud!! However, as an intangible force burst forth from the figure''s body, the Blood Elf convulsed in fear and foamed at the mouth before copsing. Only the enved humans remained conscious, while all other Blood Elvesy unconscious. "What kind of method was used?" Roxy, standing dumbfounded, slowly uttered as he witnessed the colossal magic circle formed of radiant light expanding in the sky. During the war, when humans were defeated, they lost everything due to the extermination policy enacted by their own kind and other races. This included weapons, power, and magic. The boy before them appeared human, but since the annihtion of thest resistance several years ago, Roxy had never seen a human wield magic. Furthermore, he had never witnessed someone casually employing magic on such a grand scale. Even during the siege when thest resistance provided aid, Roxy had seen firsthand the gathering of dozens of magicians to create a much smaller magic circle. As the boy slowly approached him, Roxy questioned whether he was truly human or some other entity in human guise. If not either, could he be a manifestation of a deity, pitying the plight of the wretched humans? Regardless of the truth, when the boy''s gaze met his, Roxy instinctively embraced his younger brother. There was something hauntingly familiar in the emotions reflected in the boy''s eyes¡ªchilling madness. Sensing that madness, Roxy was overwhelmed by the fear that the boy, with his ck hair and red eyes, might not be a mere savior but something far moreplex. * * * Davey was constantly gued by insanity. After a long period of synchronization, the madness he had managed to control resurfaced, providing a somewhat refreshing feeling. This had urred before when he used the jewel, so the reaction was nothing new to him. He was ustomed to suppressing the madness and gathering his strength. Great power came at a great cost. Ironically, the erosion caused by this half-tamed madness seemed even more dangerous than the erosion power emitted by Urd, as Davey had no knowledge of how far it would spread. . The changes in Davey, having mostly expelled the madness, were evident in the ominousughter that refused to fade from the corners of his mouth. Additionally, his impulsivity had significantly increased. The Blood Elves guarding the sacred ce of the World Tree could not turn back once they underwent this transformation. Exposed to their destructive instincts, they were no different from demons, and Davey swiftly beheaded them without hesitation before entering the forest. The sacred ce of the World Tree was vast, and thus there were likely many Blood Elves remaining. However, they were not his concern. Davey found himself annoyed when the World Tree Yggdrasil, whom he expected to appear in response to his disturbance, remained silent. His primary reason foring here was not to rescue the captured humans or to destroy the World Tree of this world, both of which carried significant risks. Rather, it was to find clues about the unsettling gaze directed at him and to determine if there were any factors that could prevent the erasure of Aeria''s memories. From the start, he knew that time was not on his side in this world. He had a little over three days. What could be aplished in such a short period? It was best not to interfere in matters for which he could not assume full responsibility. ''Actually, I''m viting that.'' There was a nearby beastfolk boy who suffered from unfair treatment, but Davey had no intention of helping him despite the fear evident in the boy''s eyes. Instead, he gathered holy power, resembling a bubble, and carelessly applied it to his own face. "Here, take some healing magic," Davey said, pressing the pure white droplets onto the boy''s face. The boy seemed surprised at first, but soon the droplets, emitting a pure light, were absorbed into his body, swiftly disying their healing effects. The boy''s severe wounds began to gradually heal, which was quite satisfactory given his young age. Without hesitation, Davey also applied the same healing droplets to the small boy he held and walked away, paying no further attention to them. However, he heard a voice calling out to him, "Wait a moment!" Davey paused, weaving through the human ves, as the voice came from behind him. All eyes were fixed on Davey and the boy. Silently, Davey nced at the boy, whose lifeless eyes had now vanished, and asked, "Are you... human?" "Can''t you tell?" Davey gruffly responded, prompting the boy to throw another question at him. "Are you... going to help us...?" "I won''t do anything more." "What?" The color drained from the boy''s face at Davey''s cold response. Davey¡¯s anger and impulsiveness caused his words to be harsher than usual. The boy fell silent, as did the desperate human ves. They must have thought that this powerful being who suddenly appeared was their savior, if only for a moment. However, Davey had no energy to spare for them, let alone save them. "I see..." "Why should I bother saving all of you?" Davey''s words caused confusion to flicker across the boy''s face, followed by a gasp. "Clever humans are the ones who seize opportunities. In this cruel world, it''s the clever ones who survive." The Blood Elves who were supposed to be watching over the ves had all passed out, and some had even died as their mana backfired while hastily casting spells upon seeing Davey. It was an expected oue, considering he had shown no mercy in the first ce. "But we have these shackles on our bodies..." a cautious woman spoke up amidst the chaos. "Who cares about those damn shackles? Figure it out yourselves." With that cold response, Davey reluctantly made his way through the crowd. No one dared to stop him, perhaps due to his intimidating aura. Then, it happened. The metal shackles binding a ve''s arms and legs suddenly shattered. Simultaneously, the shackles on dozens of ves broke, causing them to stare at him with wide eyes, realizing who had caused this. However, Davey had already passed them and was making his way toward the sacred grounds of the Divine Tree. Regardless of the actions taken by the humans, he continued moving forward, unhindered by the Blood Elves. Perhaps because they had witnessed his earlier disy of power, the Blood Elves restrained their violent tendencies and did not dare to confront him directly. Finally, in the heart of the sacred grounds, Daveyid eyes on the immense tree, tainted in a deep crimson hue. Positioned in the expansive square before the tree were three crucifixes. Without uttering a word, Davey drew his sword slowly. "Come out, you wretch." His voice resonated in the surroundings, causing silence to descend. After a brief pause, a man leisurely emerged from among the Blood Elves, capturing the attention of everyone present, regardless of whether the ves had managed to escape or not. "Who are you? You don''t seem like a devil, but I''ve never heard of a human like you," the man remarked in a rxed tone, questioning Davey. Yet, Davey remained silent in response. "Well, I don''t know how you managed to break through Mother''s barrier, but you''re fearless, aren''t you? This ce is protected by our mother''s power, particrly this central sanctuary where her power is at its peak," the man exined unprompted, revealing his identity, which Davey already knew. He was a Blood Elf, although his face had not undergoneplete transformation. He was the Saint of the Divine Tree. He was the one responsible for turning Yuria Helishana and Aina Helishana into their current states, showcasing the despicable depths to which the Elves could sink by aligning with the previous Yggdrasil. Truly an intriguing individual. "Saint of the Divine Tree," the words slowly escaped Davey''s lips. "Hmm? Do you...know me?" "Yes, I do. You don''t know me, but I know you," Davey murmured quietly, slowly lowering and embedding his blue de into the ground before extending his fingers. Then, pointing toward the figures crucified on the crosses, he asked, "Are you enjoying this?" "What?" the man questioned. "I''m asking if you find pleasure in binding and mocking an elf who is not even of age yet." Before he could respond, the man stiffened, and his eyes met Davey''s. Upon encountering Davey''s gaze, his eyes widened, and he began to shudder instinctively. It was the 8th Circle of dark magic, [Fear]. "It would be helpful if you exined what Myuu has to do with your war.¡± The three elves bound to the crosses were individuals whom Davey recognized. Aina Helishana, Myuu, and Madis, Yuria''s teacher. The World Tree sought to achieve something by sacrificing Yuria, aware of the presence of Dark Lord Perserque, in preparation for the war with the demon tribe. Aina, in particr, would have undoubtedly resisted, unwilling to witness her younger sister being sacrificed in vain. ¡®So, I understand why they are hanging there. But what has Myuu done wrong? She''s just an innocent child.¡¯ Although he did not recognize the elf named Madis, the other two were different. Regardless of the differences, witnessing someone with whom Davey had developed a close rtionship being killed and left tied for an extended period without being allowed to return to nature ignited a surge of suppressed rage and madness within him. ¡®Just a little... Let me give in to impulse, just a bit.¡¯ After witnessing this scene, the thought of moving on no longer crossed his mind. Unconcerned by the gazes and gossip surrounding him, Davey was confident in his ability to wlessly portray a cruel persona. With his decision made, he immediately advanced toward the Divine Tree. Simultaneously, the trembling and levitating blue de returned to his hand, and with each step he took, dozens of ovepping circr magic circles formed beneath his feet. Each circle represented aplex and sophisticated magic spell, ovepping to create something colossal. ¡®Be ferocious, not foolish.¡¯ The Blood Elves remained silent, seemingly stunned by his actions. Soon, they could no longer conceal their astonishment as changes unfolded in the sky. The atmosphere darkened, and hundreds of white spheres of light descended rapidly from above, targeting the massive World Tree and the surrounding area, including Davey. Each sphere held the overwhelming power of 8th Circle counter-rotational magic, manifesting as the Heat-ss Fireball, the White Nova. The Blood Elves would have to ept their misfortune, as this was far beyond a mere disy of stepping forward. Chapter 405

Chapter 405

The ellipsoidal spheres of white me, densely packed and numerous like the stars in the sky, descended rapidly with a fierce rotation, transforming everything in their path. Among all skills, magic was the one that readily unleashed the horrors of hell. Whether it was dark magic, necromancy, divine magic, or elemental magic, each with its unique approach, mages consistently achieved effects surpassing those of swordsmen who had spent years honing their skills to split mountains and rocks. Were there drawbacks? Perhaps the extensive preparation time and the need for exceptional talent. It required a significant investment of a lifetime for a human to reach a certain level before their physical body deteriorated with age. However, those who managed to ovee this challenge were rewarded with the guarantee of formidable firepower through magic. Boom... boom!!! The initial onught of white light bombardment rained down, engulfing everything in a vast white inferno, reducing all beings to ashes. Amidst the screams silenced before they even had a chance to escape, Davey locked eyes with the man frozen in ce¡ªthe Saint of the Sacred Tree. This man had previously fled from the battle in Davey''s world and met his demise at the hands of Anabelle. While Davey recognized him, this was their first face-to-face encounter, prompting Davey to withhold immediate execution. "Is the World Tree still merely observing?" Davey questioned, expecting the intervention to ur soon. In this world where the demons had emerged victorious in the war, they had long harbored hatred toward humans and were prepared for this very scenario. The Moon Forest Elves were in dire straits. Without Davey''s assistance, Yuria Helishana and Myuu, whom she had been secretly protecting, would have sumbed to the overwhelming might of Yggdrasil''s powerful guardian. This oue had likely already transpired, considering that they had been crucified on these crosses for approximately a decade without any sign of their bodies being recovered. "Argh!" "Please, save me!" The scene of hell continued to unfold. Boom!! Boom!! The white me spheres continued to rain down upon the Sacred Tree Shrine, reducing everything in their path to ash, including the living Blood Elves. "N... Noo!!" The man, the Saint of the Divine Tree, stared in horror and trembled at Davey''s actions. "What... What are you doing?! Stop this at once... Ack!" There were still those who failed toprehend the situation. Desperately backpedaling away from Davey, the Saint of the Divine Tree tried to gather the guardians, regardless of whether they were dead or alive. However, given the devastation caused by the bombardment of the white fiery spheres, there was no guardian capable of fulfilling such a task. Even if there were survivors among the guardians, they would be unable to halt Davey''s actions. Crunch... "Ah, ah, aaaaaah!!" With a spine-chilling sound of bones being crushed, the Saint of the Divine Tree strained himself, his legs pulverized. His throat was being held tightly, so he could not scream properly, but him being in this state made no difference. "Seven stab wounds on the left side of the abdomen. Four wounds on the left thigh, likely from a spear. Right leg was severed." Davey''s words caused the trembling man to look up at him with bloodshot eyes. "As for Aina Helishana, her throat was severed, and her body bears the marks of brutal whippings and curses. After all that you''ve done, do you expect any understanding between us?" Davey''s smile sent shivers of fear down the Saint of the Divine Tree''s spine. "If you mercilessly killed Myuu, I can do the same to you. I don''t think any further conversation is necessary." Swish! "Di... Die!!" It appeared there was a surviving Blood Elf guardian among them. Perhaps believing that killing Davey would bring an end to the hellish bombardment, the guardian drew his dagger and lunged toward Davey''s neck without hesitation. However, before he could get close, the white ellipsoid falling from the sky vaporized him, leaving no trace behind. "Why... Why are you doing this! Let''s... Let''s negotiate!" The Saint of the Divine Tree, released from Davey''s grip, proposed while trembling. "I don''t know what has angered you so much..." "Did you hear anything I said?" "Y-Yes...?" "You killed Myuu, you killed Aina. Those were your choices." "..." "Now, it''s my choice to ughter every elf here, including you. We have made our choices. Is there any reason for us to interfere with each other?" While Davey may not have beenpletely free from the impulses that currently consumed him, once he gave in to those impulses, there was no room for further conversation. Slowly lifting himself up, maintaining a stoic expression, Davey began to channel his mixed blood magic¡ªa fusion of Heavenly Demon Power and Command Mana¡ªinto himself. "S-Save me..." "You should be grateful. I don''t have much time to keep you alive and torture you repeatedly... I have someone to find..." Hiss¡­ With Davey''s words, dark red lines resembling drought-stricken earth started to manifest all over his body. ¡®Cruel, you say? Not saintly? If Goddess Freyja has bestowed upon me the remnants of the Saint to restrain my actions, then Goddess Freyja has seriously misjudged me.¡¯ "Arrgh, aaaaaaaaah!!!!" As the dark red lines continued to proliferate across the Saint of the Divine Tree¡¯s body, the pain became unbearable, causing him to tremble violently and emit a horrifying scream. And then... Boom!!! With a colossal explosion, his body horrifically disintegrated into pieces. Not a single drop of blood emerged from his shattered form. The blood magic that Davey had infused into his body repulsively consumed and incinerated all the blood within him. The fragments of flesh that were expelled from his body dried up and hardened to the point where they were unrecognizable as remnants of a living being. As the pieces of flesh reached Davey, they evaporated before even making contact with his body, akin to a meteorite burning up upon entering the atmosphere. Amidst the ongoing explosions, Davey silently observed the fragments that were once the man, then slowly shifted his gaze toward the cross that still stood tall amidst the chaos. "Just wait a little longer, Myuu." ¡®I will be back once everything is cleaned up here.¡¯ Davey pressed forward without hesitation, his facial expressions less restrained than before. The Land of the Divine Tree sprawled across vast territory. Even in areas where the World Tree''s barrier had mitigated the impact of the White Nova bombardment, there were survivors. Slowly, the flow of blood magic, a fusion of Davey''s inner power and Command Mana, stirred around his body. He clenched his fists, not even considering drawing his sword. Closing his eyes, he took a deliberate step forward. The Land of the Divine Tree stood as thergest city among the elven settlements across the continent. In fact, the other locations were rather modest in size, almost resembling viges inparison. However, given the elves'' rtively low poption, they were considered cities. The once serene forest now appeared horrific, the hellish scene a stark contrast to what it used to be. The once lush crimson trees had either been reduced to ash or vanished entirely. The forest paths, once adorned with vibrant grass and flowers, now bore a resemnce to andscape ravaged by a bear, dotted with craters. Amidst it all, faint traces of surviving Blood Elves remained. Some bodies had beenpletely incinerated, leaving only a lone hand bereft of its owner. This was somewhat fortunate, as the high-temperature magical bombardment had vaporized most corpses. "Elder Kon, what on earth is happening?!" Transforming into a Blood Elf did not strip them of emotions or their capacity to shed tears. Although the elves'' unique sense of peace had vanished, reced by heightened cruelty and violence, they were still transformed individuals, akin to the ominous Dark Elves. The sacred city of the elves, the Land of the Divine Tree, possessed a sanctuary built by Emilia, the previous generation''s Saint, as a preparation for emergencies. However, most of the elves currently within the sanctuary were of old age. An intruder had arrived, and the problemy in the fact that this intruder had swiftly decimated the scouts and vanguard. That was why he sought refuge in this concealed haven. By blocking mana and concealing his presence, this perfect barrier would undoubtedly prevent the human who ughtered the scouts from finding him. The Saint of the Divine Tree was present, and the Mother of the Divine Tree was on the verge of awakening, so a brief concealment should have resolved everything. How could such an individual discover the elves'' hidden refuge? Everything had been wless for nearly a decade. The primary pir of resistance had crumbled, and the tide of war had turned in favor of the demons. However, due to the presence of a few remaining resistance fighters, the demons were unable toy a hand on the Land of the Divine Tree. As a result of the curse cast upon the Divine Tree by Yuria Helishana as a sacrifice to the Spirit King, the elves of the Divine Tree had transformed into Blood Elves. Yet, if the Mother of the Divine Tree could eradicate the corruption caused by the Dark Lord Perserque, the Divine Tree could revert to its original form. Yes, there was a treacherous Dark Elf who had returned to save her younger sister, but she had long since perished. Everything had been perfect. But now, an unexpected presence had disrupted the seamless order. Overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of unease, he hurried into this refuge, but the loudmotion outside was clear evidence that the grotesque human intruder and the proud elves of the Divine Tree were still locked in battle. Adopting a stern expression, he abandoned the previouslyplex one. He shouted, "Do not fret. The Mother of the Divine Tree is on the brink of awakening from her slumber. I know not from whence this grotesque human emerged, but it is merely one human!" The elder elves facing him remained silent. In the chilling silence, Elder Kon observed the other elders, who fixed their gaze not on him, but behind him. "What''s the matter? Why are you...?" He turned his head and saw. There was a human leisurely entering the hidden refuge, dragging an elf whose head was covered in blood with a single hand. "What... What?!" Elder Kon eximed. "Elder Kon, it''s refreshing to see you again. I haven¡¯t had the pleasure of killing you myself.¡± The human, who was different from any human he had seen before, smiled creepily and uttered unintelligible words. Elder Kon had seen many enemies filled with malice, but the mania in that human''s eyes was that of a top predator. He felt a horrifying fear as if his whole body was shrinking under the gaze that was far beyond the normal range. He had never seen any being give off such a creepy feeling. Not even when the demons, who could not fight the elves, came to this sanctuary of the elves and made an invible treaty. Not even from the Grand Duke called Astaroth and other Grand Duke-ss demons, and the incredibly beautiful woman with void eyes and silver hair. Not even when he faced Dark Lord Perserque himself did he feel such a chilling sensation. Perserque was a being that warned him of a danger greater than any he had ever thought of. The feeling of his blood freezing just by making eye contact¡­ ¡®Yes, she is the Lord of the demons who shook the continent. I can understand if it''s the Dark Lord. But what on earth is this human? Where on earth did hee from to intrude this sacred space in no time?¡¯ "Where, where are the guar-" He could not make a sound. As if his voice had been sealed, he felt like any sound or speech would lead him to a horrifying death. ¡®What are the guards doing?¡® Yelling inwardly, Elder Kon soon noticed the bloodied elf thrown by the grotesque human. The fallen elf was none other than one of the Agent Guards, the elite force of the Divine Tree. Covered in blood, the Agent Guard appeared unharmed. He must have infiltrated alone. As themotion subsided and he turned around, the grotesque human nonchntly discarded the blood-soaked altar of the new god. Paralyzed by the inexplicable situation, Elder Kon quickly realized that the surrounding scenery had undergone a drastic change, faster than the blink of an eye. "I hid because I was afraid, sorry about that. I''ve been in and out of here many times. Actually, I was looking for you. That damn Yggdrasil is obviously somewhere nearby." Startled by the human¡¯s calm voice, Elder Kon¡¯s eyes widened and he slowly surveyed his surroundings. His body had stiffened. It had been a hidden refuge just moments ago, but as he regained his senses, he found himself in the midst of an open ruin. And there, among the ruins, three intact crosses stood out. "You, human..." "Do you have something to say?" He couldn''t utter a sound, overwhelmed by an intense fear of impending death. Behind the speechless boy, something crimson began to take shape. "Seeing the three hanging there seems to have triggered something in you. No regrets, though." The calm voice apanied a transformation. What appeared behind the human boy was the figure of a colossal demon. "I fully intend to be a demon, not a pitiful Saint, in your presence." Davey was going to do so willingly. With these words, a gigantic monster, radiating an almost overwhelming terror, opened its eyes. Simultaneously, Elder Kon''s knees involuntarily bent and shook as he knelt down. This intruder was not ordinary. The madness etched onto the boy''s face, capable of effortlessly massacring countless elves in a short span of time and summoning a demonic entity even more dreadful than the Demon King, was quite literally the embodiment of a malevolent god descending for destruction. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. It''s only fair to treat devils like devils. I''ve cleanly dispatched others, but you''re not the direct culprit who inflicted that fate upon those three individuals." Meanwhile, several lights flickered in the sky, slowly orbiting as if drawing a massive circle. The spectacle was so awe-inspiring that Elder Kon found himself unable to respond, his eyes wide open, simply staring. Then, Elder Kon felt warmth beneath his robe. Unlike the other elders who had lost consciousness, he foamed at the mouth but retained his sanity. He had no choice but to witness the end brought about by the boy, his mouth foaming and even wetting himself. The unidentified demonic figure that emerged behind the boy struck the ground, causing the earth to rupture, and from within, crimson magma surged forth, creating a scene reminiscent of the gates of hell. At that moment, he began to question whether the human boy was truly human, and if he was, what the elves had fearlessly provoked. Thoughts that would never have arisen under normal circumstances tormented his mind, leading to confusion. The power emanating so casually from the boy was profound and weighty, far surpassing the dark aura radiated by the demons. The fear it instilled, epassing death and beyond, was primal and enveloped in pitch darkness. Chapter 406

Chapter 406

"Huff... Ahh." As Davey exhaled briefly, a ck aura began to flow over him like steam. The consequence of using devil mana, whose very nature was madness itself, while half of his body was consumed by rage and impulse. ¡®Kill! Huh? Kill! Kill them all! Quickly use him to kill that bastard!¡¯ The devil mana mored for attention in such a manner. Although Davey did not fully unleash the devil mana with his bare body, the destructive aura he emitted, the Blood Demonic Attack, was indeed a power created by the fusion of Heavenly Destroyer and devil mana. Elder Kon, suppressed by the overwhelming power around him, copsed without making any move. Since there was no intention to engage in conversation with him in the first ce, Davey walked toward Kon without hesitation and slowly drew the dagger hooked on his waist. As the sharp metallic weapon was unsheathed, making a ghastly noise, Kon shivered, and his eyes followed the de. Thrust! "Ugh¡­" Stab! Stab! Madness was in full swing. Davey continued to pierce Kon while bearing a slight smile at the corners of his mouth. "That injury on Myuu''s body showed ack of skill. It was you, wasn''t it?" Thrust! "Ugh..." "You won''t be able to move easily. Elder Kon, the spirit that protects you, has hidden in fear of his Blood Demonic Attack, and the power of the Divine Tree that shields you is probably facing an unexpected enemy now." Slowly raising his finger, the demon behind Davey also lifted its index finger slowly. In the sky above, stars moved in circr orbits, creating trails. "You can''t achieve celestial motion in the same time zone." Thrust! ¡®But do you know why the stars draw tails like that? It''s a field magic that imitates part of that power.¡¯ [9th Circle Transcendent] [Grand Celestial Magic] [Rest of the Stars] There was no need for furtherplicated exnations. The more Davey ruthlessly carved his sword into Kon''s immobilized, still-living body, the broader his smile grew. Usually, Perserque would restrain him, but she remained in Heins territory and could note here. And this time, he had no intention of controlling his impulse. Boom!!! When the demon struck the ground again, cracks spread, and eerie magma spewed out in small amounts. The once lush holy ce of the divine tree, now discolored red, turned into a hellfire. Davey kept carving his sword into Kon''s body until his life force started to drain away. Swoosh! sh! He soon picked up a blunt weapon lying around and began to batter Kon, who was already marked by his sword. Thump!! Thump!! "Urgh! Urgh!" Despite Kon shivering and twitching all over, Davey calmly maintained the Blood Demonic Attack just enough to prevent Kon from losing his mind, and purely by physical strength, he battered the man. Davey knew from personal experience where to hit so Kon would not die but endure longer. There was even the damned hero who insisted that the best way to learn was to personally experience, to the point of beating people until they were at the brink of death. The beating went on for a while, only ending when Kon, who had crossed the limit, foamed at the mouth and cried out. It was a pitiful death, but Davey did not feel the slightest bit of sympathy. To him, showing mercy to the one who brutally killed that child would be a luxury. Boom!! The ground split open once again. Including Kon who had been swept toward him, the Elder Elves were soon sucked into the crevices in the ground, swallowed into the fiercely engulfing magma. The only thing left around was death. The only ones who survived here were the human ves who were caught here. They had headed out of the forest before he started this mayhem. What would happen to them in the future was not certain. But Davey¡¯s involvement was limited to this point. He felt a considerable aversion to having killed everyone, regardless of gender and age. Even after transforming into a Blood Elf, there might have been peaceful elves in the past. ¡®Ahhh¡­¡¯ Eventually, as Davey slowly clenched his fist, the demon that had formed around him also closed its fist gradually. With that, the celestial motion that controlled the surrounding nature at will disappeared, and the environment returned to its original state, with the crevices that had split slowly closing up one by one. The surroundings, which had been spreading a hellish scene, returned to a quiet silence as if nothing had happened. Silently observing the surrounding ruins, Davey soon suppressed his mana sphere slowly, not letting out a single trace of mana and plunging intoplete silence. If he tried hard, it was not impossible to do so. Thud... Thud... Silently, he moved, taking down the three elves that hung on the cross. He walked on without a word. He had no ties to Myuu or Aina of this ce. No remnants of a soul remained in their bodies. Then, he did something unthinkable for someone who had justmitted a mass ughter. He used a small shovel pulled out from the void space and brought them to a quiet forest that had not yet been discolored and untouched by the aftermath of the corrupted Divine Tree''s power. Even though there should have been many natural spirits here, the spirits ovee by fear did not dare to peek out. Yet, he silently shoveled the earth, creating threerge graves. First, he gentlyid Madis down. Next was the now cold Aina Helishana, andstly, he carefully nestled the little girl Myuu, small enough to cradle in his arms, into the grave. "The elves'' funeral is a return to nature," Davey muttered as a peculiarly blurry sensation filled his eyes. "How much did you suffer?" There was no answer to his quiet question. "How unfairly were you treated?" Again, he asked, but still, there was no reply. "Did I...arrive toote?" Davey felt sorry. This ce was the same as Tionis, said to be a ce that had everything, even if thendscape changed. In the quiet forest, he began to hum a quiet tune. "My hometown, where warm spring descends..." Singing with lyrics was something even his music teacher, Muse, had given up on. Hence, he quietly hummed the song about home that Muse, who had simply been his mentor as a minstrel, used to hum asionally, slowly and gently covering the three graves with soil. Without using the power of spirits or magic, he dug and covered the earth with his own hands. The three elves did not show any reaction to his actions, but he continued in silence. After spending a significant amount of time, three mounds were formed, and he slowly approached the trees nearby. "Don''t be scared." At Davey¡¯s words, a very small brown apparition peeked out from within the tree. It was a spirit of the earth living here. The frightened creature soon looked at him and slowly emerged from the tree. Gathering the fallen big trees on the ground, Davey then drew his dagger and carefully carved them, creating wooden tombstones that anyone could be proud of, and ced one in front of each mound. "Be born in a ce without war in your next life. At least, any ce without war is better than here. Well, I''m not sure if the souls on the wheel of reincarnation in this lifetime really go through a proper cycle of reincarnation.¡± After silently caressing the tombstones for half an hour, Davey slowly got up and casually clenched his hand before turning his back. This sacred ce of the Divine Tree in this world would bepletely gone after this time. The decision had been made, and there was no turning back. Boom!! Megalodria, who had following, stood in front of him, unting his massive stature, but Davey passed by Megalodria and quietly said, "Megarodria." "Was it a precious connection?" "Yes, probably not as much as you think of Shane." "..." Megalodria silently kept quiet. "Stay here. After burning all the damned trees, let''s go." ¡®We never had time to stay here for long. I''m not sure if I cane again, but it''s not a sight to behold.¡¯ * * * Even as the elves were dying horribly, the Divine Tree did not reveal itself. There was no need to search for theplex location of Yggdrasil because Davey already knew where the resting ce of Yggdrasil, the Garden of Yggdrasil, known only to the Divine Tree¡¯s saint, was. Creak... Creak... When Davey forcibly opened the door and entered the garden, he began to see red branches growing toward him as if they were alive. The once beautiful garden was a sight of devastation. A pond reddened like blood, and the twisted screams of the spirits were all around. The aftermath of the curse left by Yuria Helishana, who was sacrificed as a tribute to the Spirit King, seemed too vast to be so. Probably, the Divine Tree received the consequence of viting a taboo it should not have vited. Squeak... Squeak... A strange sound could be heard. Without a word, Davey walked, and soon he could see a woman leaning on a small, long chair in the innermost part. He found her to be a familiar entity. "The prophecy..." Eventually, Yggdrasil looked at Davey with a tired expression. "Has the entity of prophecye?" To that question, Davey conjured a me in one hand. "You reap what you sow, Yggdrasil." She stared at Davey, her face lined with creases. She was not cursed with baldness, but her grotesquely altered appearance indicated her condition was far from good. If she were openly twisted, at least she would have seemed normal. Even when breaking taboos, she did not bend her will, bearing the consequences as she died by her own hand. So, the transcendent gaze that had been watching him from the beginning was not hers. Then, the remaining possible entities were not many. Two entities seemed to be duplicated here, but between this ce and the original Tionis continent, there existed only one unique entity. The Goddess Freyja. However, the gaze felt too cold to be hers. "There is a gaze upon me." To Davey¡¯s question, Yggdrasil slowly opened her tired eyes and looked at him. Then, she smirked cynically. "A gaze¡­ Indeed. You are not of this ce. That''s why you attracted the gaze. This may eventually turn into something you deeply regret." At those words, the surroundings started to change. Suddenly¡­ Randomly grown branches started to entwine around Davey¡¯s body. "Did you think I would die so easily?" Davey slowly touched the branches that were wrapping around his whole body. And then, he slowly began to channel a deep, dark power. [Rules are independent.] [What I need to do is total independence from heat.] As a massive force trembled, Davey¡¯s body began to transform. His magic mentor Odin had been a monstrous wizard capable of moving celestial bodies, but she had been distinctly human. Without the burden of taboos, she could never have been entirely free from the rules that humans abided by. ¡®But I am different.¡¯ Eventually, his body began to distort and change like a me. Although the intense heat was unbearable for the body, Davey continued to raise the temperature. ¡®6th Circle Burn Body. I manipte and change the form at will, raising its firepower to the extreme.¡¯ It was dangerous for the caster as well, but if he became massively immune to heat from the outset, it would be the most efficient enhancement method. As the temperature continued to rise¡ª1,000 degrees, 2,000 degrees, 3,000 degrees¡ªit eventually began to emit blue mes, incinerating the branches that had been wrapping around him, even though the power of the Divine Tree should have protected it from any significant impact. As the branches turned to ashes, Yggdrasil smiled with a tired face. "The prophecy... never changes..." "At least where Ie from, you didn''t burn to death. You died with your head in shambles.¡± "I am tired... He thought that by using Yuria''s power as a sacrifice, the Divine Tree could be independent... but..." "The repercussions were more significant, and the price was higher than you expected." "..." As Davey grabbed and incinerated Yggdrasil''s core, she disappeared into ashes without even a scream. ¡®Assuming this world is okay, it will take countless lifetimes until the next Divine Tree is born.¡¯ The sight of the Divine Tree burning and disappearing was not pleasant to look at. However, Davey couldn''t easily erase the smile on his face. ¡®This madness!¡¯ As he recognized this and pped his own cheek, his face gradually returned from smiling to emotionless. After opening and closing his mouth several times, rxing his muscles, Davey turned his body away without hesitation while looking at the trees disintegrating at the atomic level. Then, an arrow suddenly flew in afterward. The arrow, filled with a giant sh of lightning, grazed right next to his face. Davey stood frozen as he discovered three figures that were not there moments ago. He could see a knight dressed in pitch-ck armor wielding a sword, and a Dark Elf with dark skin. And, in between them, a very familiar figure. "I came here to absorb the power of the Divine Tree," a hollow voice echoed. At that moment, the Dark Elf pulled another lightning-filled arrow onto his bowstring, aiming at Davey, while the ck knight drew a massive sword, guarding the rear. But Davey could not move after staring at the figure they seemed to be protecting. He couldn''t say a word. Davey just gaped, his eyes wide open. ¡®The feeling is different. I should be following my instincts.¡¯ "Even if the Divine Tree has weakened, ordinary beings cannot kill a Divine Tree. Who are you?" asked the hollow voice. In response, Davey clenched his fist tightly, so hard that it felt like the skin might rip off, filled with rage and emptiness. Continually ncing at the silver-haired girl, while ignoring the threatening two entities, Davey was in shock. ¡®Why are you here? Why are you in that state?¡¯ Tears blurred his vision. ¡®I should have been prepared for all scenarios.¡¯ Filled with anger, he shouted, "I should have brought the damned Meramong!" ¡®Seeing it in person ispletely different! A golem capable of shape-shifting! Although I couldn''t handle the Abyssal lifeform, the purified core had been quite promising, as it listened well to me. It was a foolish act to miss such an opportunity,¡¯ Davey thought as he despised his past self. Chapter 407: Rules of Parallel Lines

Chapter 407: Rules of Parallel Lines

Chapter 407: Rules of Parallel Lines The atmosphere around Davey twisted strangely at his outcry. However, how they saw him did not concern him at all. If he could go back to the past right now, he would thoroughly plunder the golem researchb when he first encountered Urd. "Why in the world did I create that thing?!" Their expressions were uneasy as they watched Davey crumble in agony. "Your Majesty... This one... seems a bit... human." Vacant-eyed, Perserque looked different. Instead of being dressed in her usual revealing outfit, baring her navel and thighs, she was currently dressed in an attire that resembled the Demon Tribe¡¯s traditional attire. It was not so much that the Demon Tribe enjoyed destruction, but rather that their hatred had been suppressed over a long period of time. Perserque had no option but to take action against Davey. Her threatening power started to flow out as she quietly lowered her eyes at Davey¡¯s outcry, then began to slowly suppress the surroundings. There would not be anyone but the strong-hearted or the powerful who would dare to act in such a peculiar manner as he did. But all one could see in her gaze was the need to somehow avoid this situation. Davey slowly got up, desperately suppressing his bitter emotions. There was no point in mindlessly regretting what should not have happened. Rising slowly, he carefully looked at Perserque from the tip of her toes to the horns sprouting from her head. Then, it happened. sh!! A ck knight d in ck armor drew his sword and swung it at Davey with incredible speed. The speed was truly astonishing, but Davey managed to dodge the attack by stepping back and moving out of the way. "You dodged?" The man''s voice, filled with murderous intent, questioned him coldly. "For the crime of daring to look directly at Her Majesty with those vile eyes, you should have your eyes gouged out..." It was a remarkably sharp attack. The way they aimed for his vitals suggested that they were practiced killers. Davey kept a moderate distance and slowly looked up at the sky. The moment Davey was about to move, a bow was drawn taut, and the arrow was filled with arge amount of magic energy ready to counter him at any moment. "Stop... it." Perserque, who had been supporting her head with one hand, slowly opened her mouth to speak. There was a strange sense of resistance in her voice. "Stop... pointless killing..." . "Your Majesty! We must eradicate all humans!" "Your Majesty, please leave this ce to us and go to the remnants of the Divine Tree..." "Do not kill. If possible, we should capture him alive." It was a briefmand. In response, the man in the ck armor clicked his tongue so quietly that it could not be heard. "Just wait, there''s still more to do." Before Davey finished speaking, another attack swooped in. The problem was not just the two of them, as Dark Elves in ck attire appeared from all sides in an instant. Their murderous intent was palpable. The Dark Elves, seemingly determined not to give him any space, thrust their swords at his vital points, demonstrating that they were reliable direct subordinates of the Dark Lord. "Do not move, human. Her Majesty has graciously allowed us to spare you. If you move, you''ll be killed by the swords targeting your vital points in her name." Davey quietly looked at the Dark Elf speaking. "It''s odd. You don''t seem to have particrly strong mana..." "Given the chaos in the surroundings, you should probably realize something," Davey calmly replied and slowly moved. "Do not move!" the Dark Elf yelled out hastily, noticing his action, but Davey¡¯s hand was faster and caught the dagger flying at his eye. "Step aside. I have a once-in-a-lifetime task to perform here." Crack!! With those words, the dagger in Davey¡¯s hand shattered like a biscuit. Startled, the Dark Elves¡¯ attacks came pouring in, but as Davey lightly moved his hand¡­ Crash!! With a disturbing sound, as if something broke, a Dark Elf in ck attire was flung away, blood spraying. The surprised elves tried to retaliate, but Davey¡¯s hand plunged in faster. Crack!! An assassin crumpled to the ground, apanied by the sound of cracking bones. Their swords, ck as the night, were razor-sharp, capable of ripping through the skin of weaker creatures with ease. Enveloped in an aura, they possessed the keenness to slice through rocks or metal as if it were paper. But to their surprise, he caught those prided des with his bare hands. Fear filled their eyes, which were visible through the slits in their masks. Crack! The sound of bones shattering rang out again. Within an instant, several of them fell. Others with their wits still about them immediately noticed that something was off. Davey caught a lightning-fast arrow aiming for his heart with one hand and fended off an attack from a swordsman, who was shing at his throat, with the other. Slowly, he closed his eyes, staring into the eerie red light emanating from beneath the swordsman¡¯s helmet. Thud! Before the lightning arrow dissipated, the swordsman¡¯s attack poured onto Davey. Abandoning his caught sword, he attempted hand-to-handbat with him. In an instant, his fists dove into Davey¡¯s vitals. Davey recoiled back, lightly riding the force of his attack to gain distance. Boom! Boom! Explosions followed as continuous attacks rained down on Davey. He defended against the swordsman¡¯s onught silently, but from the outside, it appeared that Davey was continuously retreating. "Die!!!" As the swordsman¡¯s fist wreaked havoc on his vitals and aimed to bore into him with deadly precision, Davey was just about to be impaled on the ruined tree nearby. He then withdrew his gaze from Perserque. ¡®Odd.¡¯ Perserque was not the one who had been gazing at Davey either. Boom! When Davey deflected the punch aiming for his head, the shockwave followed his fingertips, causing a massive explosion in the surrounding terrain, sending everything flying. This power was rather interesting, even for the Dark Lord''s guard. "Ugh?!" However, it was not his fault that his opponent was not up to par. All this time, Davey had only been retreating, but soon, he shrugged off the sensation in his hand. ¡®The power was quite heavy, but after all, whether it''s them or me, the level of demons who have not joined hands with the abyss is predictable.¡¯ "Still, you are better than the humans that regressed as time went by." Humans, who had forgotten about the war and became weak due to a peaceful life, were much weakerpared to ancient times. Inparison, the demons, who still harbored resentment against humans while desperately surviving in harsh conditions, were somewhat better. "What are you babbling about¡­?" "There''s a saying in another world, ''Reviewing the old to understand the new.'' Remember it. You can interpret the meaning yourself." With that, there was a sh in Davey¡¯s eyes. The swordsman¡¯s dark helmet flew into thin air, revealing his short, gray hair and a stunned expression. He stood still as if he had seen something unbelievable. Davey''s subsequent actions were simple. Swiftly and precisely, he struck the swordsman. The attack was neither too loud nor too quiet, but it was so natural that it interrupted all his attempts to counter. Thud! With a clear sound, the swordsman staggered back. He had been hit on the upper right side of his chest, right through the armor, but there seemed to be no damage to his flesh. Then, he stopped, not moving an inch. Walking toward the swordsman, looking as if he had turned to stone, Davey casually dusted off his clothes where the swordsman had been aiming earlier and slowly reached out his hand toward the swordsman''s face. "Hmm¡­ Only one transcendent remains." Crack... A short spark arose from Davey¡¯s hand, and then lightning emerged from his hand before anyone could intervene. When the tremendous roar had died down, what everyone saw was the figure of a man, burnt ck in his armor, blown away dozens of meters from Davey. "Melbak!!!" a Dark Elf shrieked in surprise, turning her gaze toward Davey. "Human!!" In her rage, she aimed her arrow at Davey, then froze. As Davey released his suppressed strength in case Perserque tried to escape, others had clearly realized something was off. Thud!! The Dark Elf woman crashed to the ground, vomiting blood and shaking violently. "You''re lucky," Davey said calmly. He then left the Dark Elf woman to her own devices and looked at Perserque. He tried to reach out his hand toward her but stopped himself. "Hmm." Davey never intended to kill her in the first ce. Having handed himself over to impulse and madness after seeing Myuu¡¯s corpse and setting the Divine Tree aze, the consequences in this other world were not something he could take responsibility for. And if he were to kill the Dark Lord, who ruled this world, on top of all that... Ares, who had raised Perserque like his own daughter and had poured out his love for her more than anyone else, had given her up in a bid to end the racial war. Unlike Ares, who had suppressed his sorrow with his devotion to end the war, Davey had no such intentions or reasons. "You... What exactly are you?" Perserque¡¯s question echoed in Davey¡¯s ears as she remained alert, even though her eyes were vacant. "Who am I..." Davey quietly muttered and offered a broad smile. It was a friendly smile that humans and demons could not show each other in this world. And before Perserque could react, he approached her. She had, in her own way, awakened as the abyssal Dark Lord. However, the power she disyed as an awakened Dark Lord was merely on par with the greatest Dark Lord in historypared to the force the abyss showed. So, even though she was strong, it was not enough to affect Davey. Was it because she abhorred the power of the abyss and did not want to use it? Or was it because her position as the Queen had nothing to do with power in the abyss? Surprised by Davey¡¯s sudden actions, Perserque retreated step by step. Having witnessed many humans during the resurgence of the continental war, she probably had not encountered a case like his before. "My abyssal power doesn''t work on you... Who are you, exactly?" "Ah, that." ¡®I remember feeling the same. When I first saw Reina.¡¯ Seeing her on high alert due to the unknown enemy, Davey slowly reached out his hand to her. He had no intention of doing anything to her. Regardless of what happened, he did not n to kill her or take her back to the original world. ¡®The Doppelganger system, was it? A system where if two identical entities exist in one world, one of them must perish. I had already confirmed this once through Reina. Therefore, all I can do, especially since I can¡¯t stay here for a long time, is to slightly loosen the control that dominates her mind.¡¯ ¡®How could a human handle the demon realm? I am a rival to the Dark Lord and also the Dark Lord who has officially inherited the hierarchy once through Belial. Even though I''m not as proficient as she is, it''s clear that I''m slowly getting the hang of mana maniption.¡¯ As he was reaching out his hand, he abruptly stopped at the sound of an elderly, whisper-like voice. [Stop.] He momentarily stopped moving and turned his head. This voice felt the same as the gaze that had been watching him from the beginning. [If youy your hand on her, you will have intervened more than it was prescribed. You already have the blood of the Divine Tree on your hands, so you will not be able to return to your original home if you interfere with this world any further.] "What?" [If you still wish to touch her, then you may.] Davey stopped his action. Chapter 408

Chapter 408

Before Davey could even identify the source of the voice, he became nervous. He squinted slightly, trying to pinpoint its owner. The overwhelming power of the voice made it clear that the speaker was not a typical entity. It wasn''t just the strength of a powerful being; rather, it emitted the sensation of a top-tier entity from a superior race. This feeling reminded Davey of something familiar: the Dragon Tongue, a racial privilege used by dragons, and revtions delivered by gods. The voice had been observing Davey like a voyeuristic patient since the beginning¡ªIt was neither Perserque nor the World Tree¡ªand now it whispered to him in a hushed manner. [Do you need help, great Savior?] "First of all, reveal yourself." [Hmm¡­. You are unafraid.] Just when Davey was about to reply to that calm voice¡­ [It seems oblivion has affected the remaining humans at the edge of the world.] Davey remained silent at those words. [What will you do? If you do me a small favor, I can help the little girl.] "Why should I trust you?" Davey asked. [It¡¯s your choice to trust me or not.] The whispering tone was filled with an unfathomable feeling. From the first conversation, it became evident that it was a transcendent being. However, there were still too few clues to identify the entity. The power of the title given to Davey by the God Freyja required an equivalent exchange. For instance, it demanded a certainpensation to manifest a miracle. Aeria had already paid the price of having her memories erased to save her own life. This implied that everything that had happened since then was not against the will of God. The deal had reached a rightful conclusion. Beyond this point, everything was up to Davey. "Exin in detail." As Davey eased the pressure he had exerted on Perserque, her guards seized the opportunity to escape with her. Nevertheless, Davey did not give chase; there was no reason to attempt anything against an untouchable opponent. * * * Once the demons left, the ruined sanctuary of the Divine Tree was once again filled with silence. Davey did not feel sorry for the demons, as he was too preupied with the voice. "How about showing yourself first?" Davey asked. [I don¡¯t have a form. Ha¡­ha¡­The entire world is my eyes and ears, so there¡¯s no problem with hearing or seeing. Well then, would you please call me Observer?] ¡®Observer? It¡¯s a title I''ve never heard before.¡¯ While thinking so, Davey continued to look around for the origin of the voice. But, as the voice had said, he could not find anything useful. [Look. Even I can''t find myself, so how could someone else find me?] "Observer¡­" [For now, just call me by that title. So, will you consider doing me the favor?] "I can¡¯t trust you." ¡®I can only hear the voice. Hastily making a decision in a conversation with an inscrutable entity often invites trouble.¡¯ [Are you really so cautious?] "Isn''t it even more strange to trust blindly? Moreover, nothing''s free." [As I''ve mentioned earlier, I don''t have a physical form. I have eyes and ears, but there are things I can''t do with those alone. So, I wish you could find something on my behalf.] Davey was silent at the Observer''s words. After a brief contemtion, he called out to Megalodria and climbed onto its back. "Let''s go back. We''ve finished what we had to do here." At Davey¡¯s words, Megalodria, with no apparent reason to refuse, slowly fluttered its four pairs of wings and then soared at a high speed toward the open sky. [Before that, it would be best if I told you what you need to remember about this ce.] The voice was considerably friendly. [You are an outsider here. Moreover, an uninvited guest, not someone who hade with great determination. From that standpoint, the influence you can exert here is clearly limited.] Davey simply listened to the voice quietly. [Because of the things you have done with the Divine Tree, your influence is already at its limit. Meddling with the Dark Lord couldplicate things even more.] "So, I can''t go back?" [Most likely, yes.] "Not entirely sure, though," Davey mumbled, but he knew it himself. After all, he had seen what happened to Reina. She hade from another world to Davey¡¯s world, not by her own intention, but by the will of Goddess Freyja. Nevertheless, her ability to exert influence was limited, and her very existence seemed to fade away. "Don''t get involved..." The world was not in perfect shape to begin with, so it was not impossible for things to take a turn for the worse. "How will you help Princess Aeria regain her memory?" Davey questioned. Flying at an incredible speed through the sky, they had already reached the southern part of the Eastern Continent. They had traversed arge continent diagonally, and Megalodria, known as the Azure Sky¡¯s Storm Dragon King, showed no signs of fatigue despite its high speed. Uponnding in the maritime city of Valkass, where Davey first encountered the demons and the ck dragon, he returned Megalodria to its card and crossed over the rift. [Won¡¯t you swear beforehand? If I help you, you¡¯ll help me in return.] ¡®I think he won¡¯t stab me in the back after telling me how to save her.¡¯ At his suggestion, Davey remained silent for a moment before ascending to the deck of the gigantic ship where Aeria was likely sleeping. From there, he could see Aeria sleeping peacefully, while some guards were busy doing something around her. "Stop what you''re doing," Daveymanded. The guards immediately halted their actions. Slowly and stiffly, like broken machines, they turned their heads toward Davey. "I told you to keep quiet and guard her," Davey reproached them. Startled, two of the guards stepped back, but one of them continued to try and shield Aeria from Davey''s sight. ¡®What had they done while I was gone? Even if they were ves to their desires, they should have some discernment,¡¯ Davey thought as he approached the guard who was desperately hiding Aeria''s face. "Please move aside," Davey asked calmly. "He... hehehehe!" One of them attempted to defuse the situation with a strangeugh. But Davey¡¯s hand had already gripped the guard''s shoulder. His synchronization faded as he crossed the boundary again. However, even with his power returned to its original strength, he was not so weak that he could be pushed around by these guys. Bang! After roughly shaking them off, he frowned at Aeria''s face. [These are some really amusing spirits.] The Observer, who had followed Davey here, burst intoughter, finding the situation very amusing. Despite being a transcendent being, a god-tier entity, the Observer seemed to have a sense of humor, which was unexpected. Regardless, Davey pressed his hand against his throbbing head and muttered, "Get down on your knees." Upon closer examination, Davey noticed bizarre scribbles on Aeria''s face, made with some sort of charcoal, the source of which was unknown. Circles were drawn around her eyes, and her previously pale nose was now pitch ck. On her cheeks, there were markings that made it hard to discern whether they were supposed to be facial hair or something else. * * * "Advance 20 meters," Daveymanded in a stern voice. As he wiped Aeria''s face with a wet cloth, trying to wake her up from her deep slumber, he continued giving orders. The guards, still on their knees, tried to move forward slowly while grunting. "The slowest one will do an additional 40 meters," Davey added, and one of the guards on the far right with a bastard sword squirmed before shoving the others next to him. Thump!! With an unpleasant sound, the betrayed guards looked on in disbelief as the guy with the bastard sword took the opportunity to move quickly ahead. They were all cursed by Davey anyway and were balding as a result: a group of fools. The other two guards, realizing they had been tricked, attempted to catch up, but it was not an easy task to close the distance. As Davey carefully wiped Aeria''s face, keeping an eye on the men''spetition, the voice spoke again. [Is that girl important to you?] ¡°...¡± ¡®We were merely doctor and patient. In fact, we hadn''t had many conversations. But it''s true that I keep thinking about her. It felt like I had a child that I couldn''t leave alone.¡¯ [Tsk tsk, your mind is full of distractions. Where did all the endless power, emptiness, and madness you showed before crossing the boundary go?] ¡°There''s a price to power." At Davey¡¯s words, the Observerughed out loud. ¡°So, I''d like you to tell me how to regain her memory.¡± [Shouldn''t we make a promise first?] ¡°Don''t you know that a verbal promise can be broken anytime? It''s human nature." [I believe you''re different.] The Observer was quick on the uptake. ¡°As long as it doesn''t harm me." [I guarantee it''s not that.] At his words, Davey agreed. ¡°Okay. Let''s try to find it. We have about two days left.¡± At Davey¡¯s words, the Observer fell silent. [Good. That''s enough. It doesn''t matter if you start searching now orter. You''ll be forced out of here in about 48 hours, but since you''ve caught my eye, there will be a way back.] He postponed his demand without hesitation. [The girl''s soul must have settled back in exchange for her memories.] It was the moment the Observer was about to exin quietly. "Hmph¡­" At the short groan from Aeria, the Observer chose to remain silent instead of exining, and as she opened her eyes, Davey slowly embraced her. He asked, "Are you conscious?" . ¡°Kyaa!!"? Her reaction was different than usual. Startled, Aeria slipped out of Davey¡¯s arms and retreated with a frightened face. "W-Who are you?!" Her memory had been gradually disappearing. After fainting, she had paid the price with the memory she treasured the most. She had forgotten everything about Davey. She screamed that she did not want to face this reality. Knowing that fact, it was even more bitter to witness it happen. Just as Davey was about to say something, a clear tear fell from Aeria¡¯s eyes as she looked at Davey. ¡°Huh?¡± An unfamiliar voice of surprise flowed from Aeria¡¯s mouth, as if she herself did not understand what was happening. Chapter 409: Why Are You The Dark Lord?!

Chapter 409: Why Are You The Dark Lord?!

The Princess of the Abyss, Urd, found herself trapped in a gigantic fissure. The overwhelming pressure threatening to disassemble her body at any moment felt suffocating, leaving her no choice but to endure it. The space where she had previously fought with the human did not exert such pressure. But when she deviated from her orbit due to his attack, when she was swept away by the rapidly changing current, and left alone in this ce, she slowly realized that even with her sturdy body, it was bing increasingly difficult to withstand. It was not that she had not resisted. She had released her power fiercely, shaking the entire fissure. However, due to the bacsh, she found herself being pushed even further toward the outskirts of the fissure''s orbit. Herck of knowledge on how to navigate such spaces was a hindrance. Unlike Davey, who had expected that she would soon escape, her situation was severe. In a reality where she had no choice but to sumb, she found herself silently deteriorating. The skin on the back of her hand was cracking like parched earth, and her body was fracturing as if it were a shattered ss bottle. Urd, seemingly on the brink of death, maintained her silence. When the fissure in her body grew to an extreme size, the unexpected happened. With a ripping sound, space tore open, revealing a woman with fiery red hair. "Stupid girl," the woman said, her voice filled with scorn. Urd, however, said nothing, slowly raising her gaze to meet the woman''s. She found herself unable to speak, left weak from the struggle. She had shaken the entire fissure with a simple release of her power, but power released without a clear purpose was nothing more than a waste. The red-haired woman, who had grabbed Urd by her throat, casually opened the space and cast her aside. She sneered, "Get lost, you shameless wench. No wonder you''re at the bottom of the pecking order.¡± "Sleesia..." Urd tried to speak, but was swiftly cut off. "Don''t call me with that lowly mouth of yours, wretch." The red-haired woman watched as Urd disappeared, clicking her tongue in disdain. She went on to mutter, "How ignorant, to make such a mess of the fissure.¡± Although Urd''s experience and intelligence werecking, her power was astonishing. The red-haired woman surveyed the entire fissure before reaching out to open the crevice again. "Even if she is useless, I can''t ignore a fellow species being treated like this," she admitted to herself. A decision was made, to make the human pay in blood for reducing Urd to such a state. "This way it is," she said, before casually opening a portal to the Tionis Continent, where the human was believed to be. The red-haired woman, born with considerable power over dimensional fissures, could move more easily and quickly to the Tionis Continent than anyone else, especially when the influence of the god in the forefront was weakened. With a loud spark, she emerged from the fissure, dusting off her alluring outfit, and slowly looked up at the sky. The two moons, boasting red and blue colors, were faintly visible even in the middle of the day, casting an eerie gloom over thend. "It''s oddly annoying, but since it''s not the world given to me to destroy, I can only endure it," she muttered, her eyes scanning the horizon. Suddenly, something caught her attention. "Move faster!" she heard in the distance. A group of demons was relentlessly whipping humans, who were weakly walking in their shackles. The sight, and the smell that apanied it, stirred something within her. "But first, I need to create a little piece of art," she decided, a sense of anticipation flickering dangerously on her lips. * * * Instinctively, Davey widened his eyes and raised his hands, making desperate efforts to calm her down. "Please, calm down, Princess Aeria." "Who, who are you?! And where is this ce...." Aeria stammered, her eyes brimming with tears. She could notprehend the emotions that were causing the tears to flow incessantly. "Don''t panic. I''m not going to hurt you," Davey reassured her. Despite Davey¡¯s words, Aeria could not erase the wary expression on her face. Having forgotten all her memories of him, she had flown here with Davey, probablypletely forgetting that she had once died. It was only natural that she would be on guard, suddenly finding herself here. Yet, the fact that she did not resist heavily showed how little desire she had had for life when she was ill. Even her desperate cries, clinging to Davey, were all forgotten. If she had forgotten everything about him, it could mean that she was safe from the characteristics of her kind, which might be a relief for Davey. But, as with everything in the world, things did not just roll on understanding andpassion. "S-Stay away! If youe any closer, I''ll kill myself!" Aeria yelled at Davey, not even thinking to wipe away her own tears. The unfamiliar sight of her, different from the usual Aeria who was friendly and relied on Davey, brought a fresh yet bitter feeling. "Huh? What''s that?" Davey pointed to one side with a flustered sound. Aeria followed his hand with her gaze. In that moment, he quickly moved in, lightly knocked away the dagger she had been holding, and snatched it from her. "Ah!" "It''s okay." Before she could widen her eyes in surprise, Davey held her to calm her down. He said, "I''m on your side. I have no other goal than to cure you. Don''t be afraid." At the sound of his voice, Aeria struggled, not knowing what to do. She yelled, "Get, get away from me! Whoever you are, I''m a hideous creature that should not have contact with others!" "What?" "I have... I have a terrible curse on my body! Even with this mask, my face has been transformed hideously... Stay away! If you''re not careful, you too...!" As she cried out, she touched her own face with her hands and froze. "T-The mask!" "Looks like you''vepletely forgotten." The situation was serious. From the time Aeria had recovered, it seemed that most of her life had been rted to Davey. "No, no, no!" Panicked and flustered, she was strongly held by Davey so she could not move, and he whisperedfortingly, "It''s okay. You''re fine. You''re not hideous at all." "Let me go. Please...!" Aeria sobbed, not believing until she saw it for herself. Davey cast a simple mirror magic and showed it to her. "Look for yourself. And listen to what people say." The flustered girl looked at her reflection in the mirror and widened her eyes. Then, she nkly reached out to the mirror. Her turquoise ears flickered and her eyes opened wide. This was because the girl in the mirror reached out and touched the mirror''s surface in the same way. "This, this is me..." "That''s right. There''s no longer anything like a rapid fusion virus in your body." At Davey¡¯s words, Aeria remained silent for a long time, her face confused, as if she did not know what to say. * * * Havingpletely lost her memories of Davey, Aeria reverted to the memories before she had recovered from her illness, and she looked quite crestfallen. The vivacious personality that had somewhat developed over time seemed to have disappeared, leaving her looking gloomy. "Method." Davey gave Aeria, who was confused, some time alone and looked out at the coast of Balkas, where the ship was moored, from the top floor of the cabin of the huge ship. [Haha, as long as you keep your promise with me, it is possible for her to remember.] "..." [But I have a feeling that you''re not going to do it.] "Sometimes it''s good not to remember." Davey did not feel capable of taking responsibility for Aeria. In the Tionis Continent, it wasmon and normal for royal and noble families with great influence to have multiple wives. That was what political marriages were about. But did Davey need to be tied to something like a political marriage? The main person, Perserque, seemed to want him to take care of Aeria, though. [It''s up to you to solve it. I can help the girl, as promised. But there''s something you need to do first.] At the Observer¡¯s words, Davey nodded with a somber face. "Let me hear it for now." [The bnce in the current world is extremely unstable. From the manager''s point of view, neither side can be taken... But bnce is important.] Bit by bit, Davey began to grasp what he was trying to convey in his exnation. [Find the hope that has vanished from the Observer¡¯s eyes.] Davey responded to that proposal with silence. [Regardless of the side, every life is precious. This world, I suspect, has a vastly different atmosphere from the one you know. Am I wrong?] "You''re correct," Davey answered. The Observer¡¯s voice cackled with satisfaction at Davey¡¯s response. "So, you''re telling me to not interfere with this world any longer, but to find hope? The only way I know to bring hope to some of the races in this world, including humans, is just one. Overturn everything. Crush the bnce that is overwhelmingly in favor of demons and remind humans of the word ''hope''. It''s quite a ludicrous proposal.¡± [You''re sharp and quick-witted, yet remarkably stubborn in unexpected areas.] "Thanks for thepliment, but do you have any solutions at all?" Davey retorted, clearly annoyed. [Never underestimate the Observer¡¯s eye. Demons, unlike humans, have a hierarchy ingrained in their blood. If you promise, I''ll dly assist you.] "How do you n to help?" Davey asked. [Firstly, I need to exin the forces that have been exerted on you and the girl from the perspective of the Observer.] His voice, though formless, resonated clearly. As Davey ventured into the serene line, he slowly reached out his hand when he heard a crawling noise, which signaled the presence of a remaining foe. A massive roach, with arge sac on its back, rushed toward him, its sharp jaws gleaming. However, before it could get close, it was hit by an intensely heated fireball, turned pitch ck, and disappeared. "Roaches should be burnt," Daveymented. [The power exerted on the girl in the Observer¡¯s eye is a bit peculiar. It''s neither divine nor transcendental.] "What does that even mean?" [Hmm¡­ Let''s see. What''s your name?] "Davey, Davey O¡¯Rowane." [Ah¡­ so you''re the long-deceased First Prince of the Rowane Kingdom. The presence or absence of a single person can change the future. Most people wouldn¡¯t know that your name is Davey O¡¯Rowane, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you possess that name.] He was referring to the alchemical hypothesis of turning a minuscule influence into reality, or a yet-to-be-proven logic. It seemed far-fetched, but there was one possible way. "The rules of the world..." The world was underpinned by the transcendental will of ''God'' and ''the rules of the world''. In fact, the rules of the world had erased the alien substance, Reina, from its ce. [So, the same rules apply to your world and this mirror-like world, but they also have side effects that can redirect the course. If we find a solution within the boundaries of this world, we can twist the process. Everything that exists in this world is made within the limits allowed by the world''s rules.] Unlike the force that the massive transcendental would forcibly fix, there existed a solution to the penalty. It seemed like the reason why Goddess Freyja granted Davey the power of the title and its rted powers was because of the existence of this detour. The Observer urged Davey with a bitter murmur. [Summon that creature with the massive feathers. As long as you don''t mess with the upper demons, there shouldn''t be a big problem. It''s better to see it for yourself.] The potential to restore Aeria¡¯s condition. If Davey considered her future, it would probably be right to erase her short-term memory of less than a year. However, his pride as a doctor wouldn''t allow it. Instead, he would restore her memories to the fullest extent possible, and then he would make sure she did not face the threat of death due to the limitations of her race. ¡®Cruel? Medical arts are fundamentally cruel.¡¯ [By the way, remember this. The Observer can see the present and fragmented future. Well, not as much as that great Dark Lord who''s rampaging right now.] "Speak clearly, old man." [You know, even for your dear son, breaking your stubbornness could be a noble thing. Or do you want to be the Bride of God, just like the destiny carved into your body? Ha ha ha!] "Nonsense." The World Tree and all-knowing beings had all said such things, and it was utterly infuriating. ¡®This goddamn bride nonsense.¡¯ Davey¡¯s footsteps were markedly heavy. Chapter 410 Chapter 410 Riding on Megalodria, Davey crossed the barrier once again. Only after feeling the peculiar sensation of his physical body and soul resynchronizing did he swiftly fly toward the southern region of the Central Continent. [The Prugrepf royal tomb is a relic that dates back five thousand years. A culture of the distant past that doesn''t even have any records left. No one in the world remembers it, but I, who have seen and felt everything on thisnd over a long time, know that there is one creature who remains awake inside the dungeon where everything else slumbers. Its name is the "Silver Chime."] There were cases when the numerous rules of the world ovepped by chance and created treasures. If his exnation was right, the Silver Chime was one such case. It took thousands to tens of thousands of years to form, and it was a treasure that was created at an extremely low probability over a long time. Mana flowed in a certain direction for a long time, umted, and became a jewel when blocked by an obstacle, forming with the addition of special pressure, heat, and other factors. If what the Observer said was true, it seemed that the Silver Chime had been created only once since his will awoke. Its effect was... immunity. As long as it was not divine power, there was a possibility. If an unknown power was not just deleting Aeria¡¯s memory, butpletely scratching it out and sealing it somewhere, the effect of immunity could erase its efficacy and restore the memory. The Observer¡¯s proposal was quite simple. He would reveal to Davey the hidden location of this treasure. In other words, it was also a suggestion that if there were a Silver Chime, several problems imprinted on Reina¡¯s body could be solved at once: the possibility that she could cause problems by confronting Illyna, another entity like her, and the likelihood that she, the unwanted guest, might disappear. The idea was that a single dewdrop could solve all of these issues. Now it was toote to use it on Reina, and because Aeria was also having her memories deleted ording to the rules of the world due to a simr situation, it seemed that his intention was to use it here. "What exactly are you? There couldn''t be an existence like you in the world where I lived." [Didn''t you say it yourself? This world is unstable. Why is it strange that a bizarre existence like me would appear?] ¡®So, is this entity essentially the embodiment of the world''s will, but one that has been created by chance?¡¯ Woong!!! Having descended from the back of Megalodria, whonded by halting its four pairs of giant wings, Davey stared directly into the red eyes that were looking at him. ¡°If I leave here and return to where I was originally, is there a possibility of being eroded again?¡± "There shouldn''t be any major issues since we''ve dealt with it here. Your Grandmaster-level power will gradually return as well." That would mean that apart from the Abyss Princess in the Tionis Continent where Davey was, there would be no entity that could beat Megalodria. Even Davey would have a hard time battling Megalodria. ¡°I will wait here, Davey. Again, I thank you for restoring my will. But there is a clear limit to what I can help with. As erosion disappears, the time I can exist in the intermediary world, not the dimensional world, is also rapidly decreasing.¡± Megalodria had once exined to Davey about himself, the other King of mythical beasts, and their homnd, the Lux Continent. One day, due to the sudden appearance of the Abyss Princess, that damned "Urd," and the bizarre entities she controlled, a war broke out for several decades, leaving only a handful of humans and mythical beasts on the Lux continent, which eventually perished. ¡®If we leave entities like the Abyss Princess, Urd, or Verdandi as they are, it would be the same for Tionis. I can''t synchronize in the original world of the Tionis Continent where I live. I''d like to meet them here if possible. I can erase them here without leaving any aftermath.¡¯ Davey left Megalodria and held the hand of Aeria, who had quietly followed him to this ce. No one but Davey could cross the boundary, but thanks to the power of the Observer, Aeria was given a very brief right to interfere. "Ah..." She looked at him, surprised. Finding herself holding hands with a strange man she had never seen before, she tried to pull her hand out of his. "Let, let go, please!" "You''ll get hurt if you go alone." At his words, Aeria seemed to realize her situation, her eyes wide open, and slowly bowed her head. "I''m sorry. I''ve been causing trouble for you..." Her mind was inevitably in a chaotic mess. When she came to her senses, she found herself in a strange world, alone with a man she had never seen before, and her previously grotesque face due to illness had vanished entirely, too cleanly forfort. Upon seeing her face and realizing her disease was cured, she wept miserably for nearly an hour. It was as though she was rebelling against the stares and whispers she had endured in the past. This behavior, identical to when she first started, was proof that she was nothing if not consistent. "We must endure here for the remaining two days, whether we live or die. It would be best to find a way to treat the patient." "Prince Davey... you really are considerate..." Aeria stated calmly, managing a faint smile. "The person who marries you will surely live a happy life." "Do you think so?" "Yes." Her response was peculiarly firm. "Did... Did I know you well, Prince?" At her cautious question, Davey fell silent for a long while. Her wary behavior was vastly different from the little girl who used to yearn for him in the past, causing a sense of dissonance and unsettling thoughts. "I... I feel like I know you well, even though it''s strange..." At her statement, Davey responded matter-of-factly, "It''s called Stockholm Syndrome." "St... What''s that?" "It''s when a hostage and a captor be emotionally attached.¡± [I don''t understand the logic of this Stockholm-whatever, but at least I know it''s not that.] ¡°Shut up," Davey whispered to the Observer. As they were moving, a few sharp arrows apanied by a strange smell of sweat flew from the forest toward Aeria. "Eek?!" Without hesitation, Davey reached out and caught the arrows, then he tantly showed his dissatisfaction to the Observer. "In a ce where no one knows?" [Uh, Ahem. I forgot. There were human resistance survivors hiding here.] ¡°Are you trying to kill two birds with one stone?¡± [Ahem! You may be in a hurry, but so am I! What a difficult human! A promise is a promise. There''s no need to go far, just help them a little!] "There should be a sequence in handling tasks." [I don''t know! I don''t know! You promised to help! Do both tasks at the same time! And don¡¯t act so stingy!] The Observer¡¯s voice sounded like a child throwing a tantrum. * * * "Your Majesty!" Loyal subjects gathered around Perserque, who was sitting on her throne with one hand covering her face. "How dare theymit such sphemy against our Majesty!" "The elves havepletely lost their minds! They dare to touch the body of Her Majesty!" a demon of giant stature, enraged, roared out. "Inflicting such harm on the body of Her Majesty... Even with the weakened Divine Tree, it should be impossible, right?" A subus dressed in radical attire slowly voiced her opinion with a cautiously raised hand. Dark Lord Perserque had headed toward the sacred ce of the Divine Tree with her two escorts. The escorts lost consciousness almost immediately upon their return, and Perserque did not speak easily, perhaps due to theplexity of her thoughts. In the end, all they could ascertain was that their Dark Lord had been ambushed by the elves on her way to the Divine Tree. "It is time we show the Divine Tree a taste of bitterness." They did not know that the Divine Tree had been destroyed by Davey''s hand. "But the Divine Tree is the Divine Tree. What are you going to do about it¡­?" "We first need to find out if it really was the Divine Tree that attacked our Majesty..." "No!!" Just then, the silent pce doors opened, and a Dark Elf woman rushed in. She was one of the few survivors who had apanied Perserque. Thud!! All eyes turned toward her. From Archduke Astaroth to several archdukes and First Lich Nyx, who was checking Perserque¡¯s condition, their gaze held immense pressure. "I, who failed to protect the body of Her Majesty, am unworthy! I think I should still tell the truth even if it can''t be repaid in death, so I ran from the sickbed!" "You wench! How dare a sinner who failed to protect Her Majesty''s body..." "Enough. Let''s hear her report first." At Nyx''s resonating words, everyone fell silent. "The Divine Tree... did not attack Her Majesty." The Dark Elf spoke with difficulty, but her words were firm. "It was a human. It was a human who, single handedly, killed the Divine Tree! He¡¯s apletely new enemy who has never shown his face in all the wars so far! He is strong! You must not underestimate him! Carelessly, we could all be wiped out...!" At these words, confusion began to appear on the faces of all the demons in the hall. However, soon the hall erupted into boisterousughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!!! A human? A human, you say?! What a joke! Those human scum who have been washed out in the face of just three legions, what can they possibly do!" The words of the Archdemon Formalion might have been a bit exaggerated, but it seemed like everyone shared the same sentiment. They would not believe it so easily. The Dark Elf woman grew impatient with this dismissive attitude from the demons. A direct confrontation had to be avoided. What could be seen in the eyes of that human boy was a dreadful madness, and an enormous amount of power that could shatter the world. But they were unaware. Their Dark Lord, Perserque, had not even engaged in direct conflict with him. She was a dominant figure among the demons; even simply considering her physical power, she was called the greatest of all time among the demon lords. Of course, her power was not as it had been, but it was amon understanding that once she started to exert her authority, it would be a matter of moments to annihte the humans on this continent. But even she, without being able to exert her authority, was shocked. Just what was that human? An unseen human throughout this long war has appeared, causing such shockwaves. The Dark Elf woman, enveloped in confusion, eventually looked at Nyx, who led the demons. The massive lich, reduced to bones, silently stared at Perserque before slowly opening his mouth. "No matter what, we can''t let the human who daredy a hand on her Majesty go. Majesty, please give yourmand to Grimghast (ck Dragon Troop). They only follow the orders of the one who ascended to the hierarchy of the Dark Lord; they could be a great help." Nyx''s eyes shed once, and Perserque took a short breath. She then slowly opened her mouth, biting her lips lightly as if in pain. "I... Imand in the name of the Dark Lord. Grimghast is to... find him immediately..." It was a subdued voice, almost tired. It was amand given in a state where she could not properly think, but Nyx seemed satisfied. Originally, unlike the other demons, Nyx knew her secret well. Perserque, who had always been strong, was a girl who proimed the importance of life dreadfully. This fact still held true even after more than 3,000 years. That was why Nyx had made a body that controlled most of Perserque¡¯s spirit, and it had now reached this point. Her existence will be a major center for scattered demons or anyone who has teamed up with the demons. Soon, Nyx gave amand as if he had taken the throne in the absence of the Dark Lord. "Find him. And show those foolish ones who dare to oppose the Dark Lord a painful lesson!" At Nyx''s words, the demons bowed their heads together. They did not know. The human who had appeared suddenly was not just a human, but a monster who could sweep away the entire continent single-handedly. And that he was identical to the Dark Lord they pledged their allegiance to. No, rather, he was the one who had inherited all the power of the Dark Lord, unlike Perserque, who was unstable due to her created body. Chapter 411

Chapter 411

Red Alert. Silently, Rinne sat hunched at the top of the castle, overlooking the domain. It felt deserted, even though not a single person was missing. Already two days had passed since he disappeared. The order to sound a red alert throughout the domain if he disappeared and left no trace was deeply etched into her mind. Red Alert. Davey O¡¯Rowane, her owner and master, seemed to have entrusted most of the domain''s management to Amy on the surface. However, he was taking care of the majority of the work that Amy could not handle. He looked afterw enforcement, legal matters, and even civil safety. Among these, the alert system was a system that he prepared silently¡ªgreen, yellow, and red. The red alert was ast resort, using the power to activate arge-scale barrier with the ancient relic, the magic stone, epassing the entire domain. This barrier, whichpletely excluded the invasion of a specific entity, might seem quite loose in some sense, but in other aspects, it was almost perfect. Was that all? As soon as the Heins domain entered the red alert system, Rinne pulled out a manual that only she knew about and handed it over to Amy. Realizing the severity of the situation, Amy used all the authority she had to enter a state of high tension. "Reporting that Davey''s signal ispletely cut off now. But it is analyzed that he is not dead." Those gathered in the giant hall fell silent. "Davey has disappeared...." Archbishop Alice, who was at the front, muttered with a serious expression. She had seen it firsthand. A young boy, not even in his twenties, named Davey O¡¯Rowane, held an incredibly powerful force. He sensed something serious, headed outside the domain alone, and not long after, issued an unexpected order and disappeared. "Isn''t this a really serious issue? If he was in a state where he couldn''t even put up a fight, this is almost a continental-scale issue..." At Alice''s words, some of the professors seemed not to understand, but a few others nodded as if they understood what she was saying. In the midst of this, Alice was able to spot a man crouching and chuckling in a corner. It was the man known as Olman, who was once a Senior Knight of the Pan Empire. He had been a leading candidate as a professor teaching swordsmanship at the academy. She had heard of his reputation to some extent. The Pan Empire, unlike the talent-rich Lyndis Empire, held tremendous prestige due to theplex intery of new technologies and various factors. There exist talents in the Pan Empire that even the Lyndis Empire would envy. One of them was Olman. From a young age, he had demonstrated tremendous talent and became a Swordmaster, and his poprity within the empire was quite extraordinary. He was well-known as the top candidate for a groom in the empire. Skills, appearance, wealth, age¡ªthere was nothing hecked. But now... "Hey, Olman. How long will you keep doing that?" "Hehe... Hahaha." What on earth happened? Olman looked as if he hadn''t slept in days, with dark circles under his eyes. Even though Alice had seen him eating heartily, he looked emaciated. Clutching a potato and giggling, he kept repeating the same words. "This potato is mine... It''s mine, I won''t give it to anyone, it''s mine..." Sometimes he was fine. But when he got like this¡­ It was pitiful. Alice, who snatched away the potato in a sh, kicked him out. "Get a hold of yourself, man! Are potatoes the important thing right now?!" In the end, Alice could not hold back her temper. When had she ever expressed her emotions so openly, revealing her temper like this? It was toofortable. She had not known how good it felt to live as she pleased, dropping all pretense. "Oh, no! My potato!" As he leapt to his feet screaming, Olman¡¯s eyes red as he red at Alice. "Professor Alice! What are you doing! Give it back right now!" "Hah! If you don''te to your senses, I''ll eat all of this, you know?" As she spoke, Alice bit into the potato he had been nibbling on. A fire sprang up in Olman¡¯s eyes. "Oh no! My precious potato! You... You''re ruthless!" Simultaneously, he raised his unarmed hand. His attack was sharp and swift, something unthinkable of the man he had been before. Despite the assault resembling one unleashed on a mortal enemy, Alice reflexively used a holy spell to deflect it. This was a practical skill that strengthened only what was necessary. Such a technique would have been impossible for the Alice of the past. The consequences of everything they were experiencing here had been shaped by that mad prince alone. "If you keep on behaving like this without assessing the situation, you might just end up revealing all your secrets and insanity to the Pan Empire!" she warned. "Uh?!" Olman flinched. Alice sighed, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping off the remnants of the potato on his lips. "What are you doing at this age, really?" "Uh?!" Olman protested, his face turning beet red. But like him, Alice was also a strong person, one who had once received the love of a god. Olman''s tantrum was swiftly suppressed. "So, what are we going to do now?" an elderly wizard eventually asked Rinne. The faculty had made one promise when they arrived here. If there were any unjust intrusions into the Heins territory, including their students, they would lend their strength to preserve the Heins territory and the academy. While the details were many, as long as it was not an issue like a civil war, it was not a bad deal. "We need to maintain the current state of alert," Rinne stated, and everyone else remained silent in response. "Okay. For now, the priests and I will check the condition of those who came from the Lyndis Empire. I wonder what has happened¡­" "Rinne highly appreciates your wise judgment," Rinne said. Were they aware? That a continental cmity, Urd, had appeared and that Davey had grabbed her by the hair and thrown her into another dimension? Simply put, they were wasting their efforts at the moment. However, their hard work was not entirely in vain. It was because a significant ripple had urred in the Heins territory, under the influence of its state of alert. After hearing Davey''s words, the faculty who had stopped their training joined in staying alert and making progress. And, another thing they had forgotten. The silver-haired girl who had realized earlier than anyone else who Davey had collided with had left the territory before the red alert was sounded. * * * "You fool!!" Perserque openly disyed her anger as she looked down at the ruined forest. Though her power was still meager, it was not difficult for her to hover in the air with the unique power she possessed. Nothing remained in the ruins. There were remnants, though. One was the unique power of Davey, and the other was a power familiar to her. It was eerily simr to what the creepy voice that kept her awake every night had shown her. But it was much moreprehensive and vast than that. The thought of confronting that mind-corrupting voice again was horrifying and something she did not wish for. After all, she was currently in a very dangerous state. If she had ascended to the throne of the Dark Lord, the abyss might not have touched her out for fear of divine power. But with Davey usurping the throne and reducing her to an ordinary demon girl, things had gottenplicated. "Stupid thing! I told you I was in danger¡­" Perserque stooped to inspect the signs on the ground. Then, she slowly closed her eyes, manifesting a power unique to her that she had not granted Davey. Regardless of what the abyss turned into, Davey was important to her. At present, their rtionship had evolved to one that she could not live without. She knew better than anyone that she was gradually getting ustomed to Davey''s behavior, threatening her every time with a ring on her ring finger. She blushed slightly as she thought of Davey''s silent, yful smile. "In my name, reveal your entire being to me." As she began to look at the memory of thend with the power of the Abyss, her eyes widened. At the same time, something that had been locked away for a very long time, something that she had forcibly closed when she was the Dark Lord, opened up within her. * * * The forest was thick with palpable tension. This forest was dense enough to deter not only humans and forest-familiar elves, but also beast-kin who made the forest their home. In some ways, it was the safest ce for scoundrels to hide. This was because the demonic beings, who manipted magic, had a somewhat adverse effect on the unique energy of this forest that exuded a serene atmosphere. ¡°Hmph!¡± Regardless of her talent as a spirit mage, Aeria had nobat experience. Naturally, she was startled by an arrow flying toward her. Even though she was trembling, she forced herself to act calm and clench her teeth, and Davey, standing behind her, easily broke the arrow he grabbed from the air and blinked quietly. From their highly cautious perspective, it was expected, but did they have to shoot an arrow right away? Boom!!! Davey exerted his will, and a massive amount of mana brutally spread out, starting to suppress the surrounding area. It looked very simr to the gravity magic, Gravity, but in reality, it was an inefficient act of suppressing the surroundings with mana alone, not magic. "Ugh!" "Urgh." "Agh!" When screams burst out simultaneously from all around, Aeria looked toward the forest in surprise. Then, seeing a few men and women falling from the trees, she turned her gaze toward Davey. "It''s, it''s a person!" she eximed and immediately covered her face. However, she soon remembered that her face was no longer grotesque and slowly removed her hands. They seemed to have mistaken Davey and Aeria for demonic beings. Indeed, there was not much difference between a demon and a human when one wore a robe. "Darn¡­ Melissa! Run! Inform them that they''ve found us and leave this ce!" a man anxiously shouted, brandishing his sword courageously. Then, he charged at Davey, screaming. ¡®This human was thest of the resistance?¡¯?Davey, feeling incredulous, caught his sword barehanded. Cling!!! The sword broke like a straw. He would have to create a new weapon. It was too weak. Davey then slowly clenched his fist toward the man, who stared with wide eyes. "Brace yourself." Thud!!! The man was thrown back like an electrocuted frog. [Now it''s your turn. Reassure them! And get the key to open the vault!] ¡°But you said no one knew where the vault was.¡± [Ugh! Why are we being so nitpicky when we''re working toward the same good cause!] Davey sighed deeply and slowly held Aeria in his arms. "Eek!" "The forest is dangerous, we can''t just walk in. Please behave." Aeria went silent. Her face was flushed, but her expression wasplex. The fallen man? Davey simply ignored him. He was able to spot a group forming a small vige not far away, holding weapons. The state of the resistance, which was now very few in a world where most human groups had been annihted, was shockingly miserable. Even refugees wielding farming tools would have a better situation. Those few who first confronted him were the only ones withbat skills. He heard the voice of the Observer looking at the dreadful situation. [There are still a few resistances left in the wide world. I called you here because my purpose and yours match. It won''t take long.] "We have two days left. Damn it, you idiot." [It seems possible.] Davey sighed at the Observer''s vaguely hopeful voice. Once Davey decided to help, he had to help, that was true. But just using power would not work, which Davey knew well. Helping? It was not hard. Just blowing off the heads of the aggressive demons. It was simple. But it wasplicated because that was not possible in reality. . [For example, you could make a symbolic and outstanding weapon with your skills.] A bitterugh slipped out of Davey''s lips. "Why? Don''t you see that they are weaklings who don''t know how to fight, let alone have weapons? Should I make a railgun for them?" Davey stopped as he was saying that. Railgun? It seemed usible, and he had a feeling that a fun idea was slowlying up. But that thought stopped when he saw a woman slowly walking out from the group. The woman in her early 20s was heavily pregnant. And she was familiar. She had grown unrecognizably over 10 years. Chapter 412

Chapter 412

It was a ragtag group, bearing farming tools and showing less strength than peasants protesting in the countryside. It wasical to consider that they were expected to defeat the demons who could easily defeat sword masters. From Davey''s perspective, these devils, who had ended up killing his loved ones, could be considered a hostile force in this ce, despite their seeming weakness. Sure, an Eighth Circle wizard was a disaster-grade entity on the continent, but there was a clear hierarchy above them, and the gap between each level was immense. The heroes of the Heroes Hall were all powerful individuals who had spent a long time in the hall and had grown exceptionally strong. Topare their strength to their past selves would beughable. The moment one of these entities, unable to interfere with the world, was able to exert their power, the standards of this world would be meaningless. The Abyss wasplex; just as the entities in the Abyss could not fullyprehend Davey, Davey himself could not fullyprehend them either. However, even though the creatures of this world seemed insignificant and weak to Davey, they were significant and powerful to the inhabitants. Just as a max level user could easily kill a field boss at a beginner hunting ground, a newbie who had just started the game might find the same boss a matter of life and death. He could solve everything if he intervened, but the Observer had shouted that any excessive intervention on Davey¡¯s part was absolutely impossible. The problem was not this world; it was that he would not be able to return if he intervened too much. As a consciousness contemting this world, this world should be the priority. But the Observer only wanted to kindle a spark of hope with the minimal assistance and hoped that Davey would leave before his existence had too much of an impact. [Stop!] As Davey, lost in thought, unknowingly took a step toward the woman, he suddenly halted. [Halt! It would be problematic if you reveal your existence to that girl! Not only you but also that anthropomorphic girl beside you!] The Observer seemed to be suggesting that they should not let anyone know about their existence. "You sure have a lot of requests," Davey said. The Observer became silent. ¡°So, the point was that he should not let anyone find out he was Davey O¡¯Rowane, wasn''t it?¡± As Davey asked for confirmation, the Observer remained silent. Then, the Observer said, [A long time ago, a child who received the gaze of God disappeared from this ce. You know who that child was and where they disappeared to, right?] The Observer seemed to faintly sense the existence of Reina, who was connected to Davey. [What happened to that child?] "Due to excessive intervention, her existence was revealed, and she disappeared when her lifespan ran out." [Do you want the same thing to happen to you?] Davey did not answer that question. His current situation was the same as it had been with Reina, only the roles had switched. In Reina''s case, it was in the past. For Davey, it was the present. He could not do the same foolish thing when he had already seen a precedent. With that, Davey nced at Aeria, who was in his arms. ¡®The point was that it should be fine if they don¡¯t know, right?¡¯ "Why, why are you doing this?" At Aeria¡¯s surprised voice, he immediately cast an illusion spell on her entire body, and then on his own. Now, even if he took off the robe he was wearing, she would be the only one who could recognize his face. "Never say my full name," Davey said. "Your name?" "Yes." "...Alright. If you say so, Your Highness, I will follow." Davey advised Aeria in a whisper before moving forward again. He then stepped into the area where everyone was on high alert. He did not care about anything else, but he had to find out who the father of the child in the woman¡¯s womb was. [What will you do once you know?] ''I''ll break his bones.'' Of course, Davey had no intention of revealing who he was, nor did he intend to touch anything from this world casually. His first thought was of Deus Ex Machina, and of Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, who were locked in Surtr''s legacy. There were also various types like the only arrow that could kill Nyx, but he had to rule out a few options. Cases like Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon, or Rinne, for instance. Davey was adamant about leaving this ce, and so was Aeria. Therefore, if he were to wake up Blue Ribbon, Red Ribbon, and Rinne, they would be abandoned by him. Their value was not simply a matter of leaving this ce, but he could not do that after seeing the state of Reina. The rules that make up the world had deceived him once, but he dered they would never fool him again. To seek divine aid in a different way, but to do the same thing twice without divine help? It was a ludicrous notion. And it was not just that. In the case of Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon, he already had two children in his hands. From the iplete state, the ego of Blue Ribbon and Red Ribbon had been asleep in his eyes, so in the current relics of Surtr, their ego would be sleeping. If the same entity became two, the oue was obvious. It would result in one''s extinction. Rinne would rather be asleep, as it would help Davey leave this ce. Despite her usually emotionless appearance, the creature had a tendency to be very possessive of its owner. These people, gripping their weapons with determined expressions, were truly pathetic. Some of them were desperate, and some were trying to fight with their weapons. But no one blocked Davey¡¯s entry outrightly. "Who, who are you?!" "Intruder! It''s a demon!" "Damn it, we''re all dead!" ¡®The gap in strength is so overwhelming that the spark of hope haspletely extinguished.¡¯ Davey could understand what the Observer had said. Davey and Aeria were the only two there against them and were not physically imposing. They were not even carrying weapons. However, the people were extremely afraid of him, not even trying to discern whether he was human or a demon. If they encountered him, they decided it would result in death or a horrifying future. That decision was probably because the will to resist in their hearts had beenpletely broken. The problem was that the Observer did not ask Davey to save these people, but to nt a spark of hope in them. ''Revitalize this situation in two days?'' [Your existence will be a light, and that light will ignite a small spark of resistance in the hearts of humans who are opposing the demons.] Everything gathered in Davey''s mind as he pondered the situation. If the spark of revolution ignited, it might be possible to bring about change. As he let out a sigh of disbelief, the Observer''s voice echoed bitterly. The Observer did not tell Davey to save humanity; he hoped for the bnce of numerous races intertwined with humans and demons to be maintained at a certain level. But right now, the demons were too dominant, and so it was bound to be somewhat dubious. ''Isn''t it overwhelmingly the other way in my world? Although it may seem arrogant, isn¡¯t the current Tionis where demons have to decline and retreat?'' [The only one who destroys the bnce is you, being the antagonist and the Dark Lord. Since both apply, is there a bnce? There''s no golden bnce as you said! Hahaha! It''s aplete mess!] If Davey had been only the antagonist, maybe the Observer of that world would have awakened to bnce it out. However, by taking over the Dark Lord''s position, he had created the possibility of being on both sides. It was a funny situation. Davey slowly approached them, his gaze fixed on the heavily pregnant woman most familiar to him. Despite trembling, the woman didn''t avoid his gaze and continued to clutch her belly with fearful eyes. "Eni!" Eventually, a young man ran over, sheltering the pregnant woman, Aeonitia O¡¯Rowane, and positioned himself protectively in front of her. Among them, he seemed to possess some talent and showed a spark in his eyes. Despite his cowardly appearance, he gave off the aura of a noble or someone with a fairly high rank. In silence, they remained wary of Davey. Without uttering a word, Davey observed them. Slowly, he licked his lips, knowing that not much was needed to reassure people¡ªjust lies they needed and wanted to hear. His tongue was just right for it. "Alright, calm down, and let''s start by putting down the weapons." He opened his mouth to speak with as much respect as possible to soothe their fears, but distrust didn''t easily disappear. "Liar! Are you a demon?! Or a traitor attached to a demon?! We''re not listening to you!" Davey had expected there might be traitors, but apparently, the division and mistrust among the humans had deepened. "I''m neither a demon nor a traitor. I''m just a person who hase to help you," Davey calmly said after exercising further patience. "Don''t make usugh!!! Filthy apostate! Do you think we''ll be fooled again?! What are you doing?! Protect the women and children!" Once more, Davey mustered his patience, trying his best to handle the situation carefully. Shhh... Shhh. Just then, he could sense a group moving at high speed into the woods. Crash!!! At the same time, a loud noise came, and the trees that had shielded the vige fell down. "Kyaaaaah!!" "No, it''s over now!" Amid the desperate screams, everyone fell into despair. Surrounding them in the forest, a considerable number of demonic creatures had appeared, apanied by a legion of monsters under their control. Figures in ck armor approached slowly, wearing sinister smiles. "You rats of humans were hiding here, huh?" The humans, filled with fear, trembled at the demons'' taunting words. "It''s perfect! We were tired from our mission!" The thin demonic figure atop arge wolf at the front of the group shouted, "It''s a raid! Kill the men, ravage the women! The booze and meat are all yours!" Astoundingly, a magical sword¡ªa Master''s symbol called the Aura de¡ªwas drawn from the demon''s sheath. The demons, noticeably stronger on average than their counterparts from the continent, didn''t face any significant resistance. The majority of the forces that could defend this vige were already in front of Davey, leaving no one to stop the intruders. "Sir... Davey..." Aeria, seemingly terrified, tugged at Davey''s clothing. Despite her trembling, she slowly gathered the power of spirits into her hands, attempting to help, albeit weakly. Davey gently held her hand to calm her and then said quietly to the Observer, "You said nobody knew." [...] Clearly, this damned Observer did not have a mouth. "Kyah!!" The demons, who apparently had no intention of killing immediately, approached the vigers with their spears pointed. Some of them pointed their spears at Davey and shouted, "Human! Go inside if you don''t want to get hurt!" "Didn''t they just say they were going to kill them all?" Davey looked at the demon who was threatening him with a nonchnt expression and prodding him in the back. At least he knew one thing, that these demons had note specifically for him. So, it was a coincidence, but the timing was indeed annoying. "Kyah!!" Turning his head toward a terrified scream, Davey saw a young girl, no more than fourteen, being dragged away by a burly demon. "Hehe. This girl is mine! I''ll kill anyone who touches her!" Other demons continued to round up the vigers, seemingly indifferent to his promation. "Kiheeheehee! Look at this! Such a gem was left here!" A high-ranking demon, of at least a Duke''s rank, spotted Aeria and started to approach. The other demons seemed unremarkable, but this one was definitely skilled. Likely, he was one of the hunters the demon army had dispatched to various parts of the continent. Aeria, shivering and clinging to Davey, was clearly terrified. She wanted to ask for his help but could not speak for fear of causing him trouble. As they came closer, Davey clicked his tongue and shot back at the Observer, "You don''t have a mouth, do you? You said no one knew." [...] Ignoring the Observer''s continued silence, Davey took off the hood of his robe from his head. Ignoring the shocked faces of the vigers who realized he was not a demon but a human, he grabbed the hand of the demon reaching for Aeria. Patience was a virtue, it was said. He had already given it three tries; he was not likely to avoid killing now. "I''m really pissed off." Woosh! And as always, in a familiar way, Davey crushed the arm of the demon reaching for Aeria. Not just crushed, but shattered itpletely. It was not easy for him to control his strength. * * * The silencested only a moment. "Ugh?!" A ghastly scream echoed as everyone''s gaze turned toward Davey. The number of vigers was not high, but the number of demons only grewrger. There was no rule that demons had to always oppose humans. Demons were demons, and humans were humans. They were different races, not inherent enemies. However, the situation now was different. "Hey." When the demon shrieked, Davey casually lifted his free hand that had not been gripping the demon''s arm. Whack!!! And then, adjusting his strength appropriately, he swung at the demon''s cheek. ¡°Argh!!¡± Along with a pitiful scream, a white tooth flew out of the demon''s mouth. As everyone was staring nkly, Davey slightly furrowed his brows. Whack!!! This time, it was a bit harder. Two more teeth were sent flying. ¡°Hey, you devil.¡± Whack!!! Another tooth flew out. ¡°Ah, ah¡­¡± With his cheeks and mouth grotesquely swollen, the demon was mumbling something incoherently. Davey let go of the demon, who copsed helplessly before him and curled up into a ball. Amid such an absurd situation, Davey nced around. A Master ss, a demon who was a rank below an archduke, implied that the demon was quite strong. That such a formidable demon would curl up like a frightened child after taking a few ps from a human hiding in this rural area was simply unbelievable. The faces of the other demons were drained of color. Regardless, Davey lifted his foot with the intention of checking whether that thing was a spark of hope or simply a pitiful wisp, as the Observer had suggested. And then, he stepped on the demon at regr intervals, saying, ¡°What do you think this ce is, barging in here. Huh?¡± Thud!! Thud!! Ah, anger was taking over his body. [Crazy, you are a madman¡­] ¡°Where do you think this is, barging in here?¡± Thud! Thud!! ¡°Ah! Stop, stop it!¡± Before assessing the situation, the demon, feeling a threat to his life, stretched out his arms, grabbing Davey''s leg and desperately begging. However, Davey did not stop. Regardless of being a Swordmaster or anything else, the demon was desperately clinging on, trying to escape from this brutal beating. At the sight of such a cruel beating, the demons, who were acting as raiders until a while ago, shivered noticeably. Some of their faces started to turn blue. ¡°Enough? You want me to stop?¡± ¡°P-Please¡­¡± ¡°You can''t even manage your troops properly. What makes you think you can barge in here?¡± Thud Thud!! ¡°Why would you¡­?¡± ¡°You are talking back. You haven''t had enough yet.¡± Thump!!! Davey struck the demon¡¯s abdomen, and somehow another tooth flew out of his mouth. Gasping for breath, the demon, realizing something was wrong, started to beg unconditionally. It seemed like bing a Swordmaster had made the demon a bit arrogant, as if he owned the universe. ¡°I, I''m sorry¡­¡± ¡°Why is the sorry guy making such a pitiful face?¡± Thud!! Thud! ¡°Grrr¡­¡± ¡°Does groaning end a demon''s life?¡± ¡°No, no¡­¡± ¡°If you feel wronged, prove yourself stronger.¡± ¡°Cough! I, I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry! Please¡­spare my life!¡± ¡°Why would someone begging for their life defy me?¡± Thud Thud!!! ¡°Aahhh!¡± The demon was desperately yelling something, but the continued beating pushed him into a state where it was hard to even speak. Bang!! Finally, after knocking out the frothing demon with a kick, Davey wore a satisfied expression. A Swordmaster was considered a strategic weapon, so formidable that even the demons would agree. But reality was ruthlessly harsh. ¡°¡­¡± In the silent tranquility, Davey slowly turned his head. The trembling demons looked at him as if they had seen a ghost. He asked, ¡°Take it easy. Men are to be plundered, and women are to be killed?¡± [It''s the other way around! unting one''s might has truly turned into reckless bravado!] The voice of the Observer did not reach Davey''s ears. Davey slowly approached a rtively short demon youth. Trembling from instinctive fear, the youth looked around. And then, he attempted to escape, throwing away the sword he was holding. Whoosh¡­ "Arghhhhh!!!" But before the youth could even move, Davey, who had been keeping his distance, swiftly approached him. They were close enough to see each other''s faces. "Is it your turn next?" Davey began to slowly crumple the sword the youth had dropped with his bare hands. As the sharp sword turned into a lump of scrap metal in his hand, tears streamed down the demon youth''s face due to fear. A moan of indescribable terror escaped from his mouth. In the end, demons were just another race. The only difference between demon soldiers and human soldiers was their race. Topletely crush their will to fight and instead fuel the morale of Davey¡¯s allies with a sense of pride was simple¡ªjust show the humans that there was nothing to be surprised about the demons. Turning his head toward the trembling demons, Davey slowly tilted his body by 90 degrees. At the same time, everyone who met his gaze flinched. That was when it happened. His body, engulfed in madness and impulse, began to resonate and release a particr power on its own. It was none other than the power of the Dark Lord, which remained in him after he had killed Belial and inherited all the abilities. The Dark Lord''s magic had a dark and intense impact that demons could quickly notice. It was an unintended rebellion of magic. The magic within Davey was suppressed by senior mana, divine power, andmand mana. As a result, the magic caused a wave simr to a novice knight not being able to withstand the bullying from his seniors and resorting to wish-fulfillment to dispatch them. Having never dealt with magic due to innate issues, Davey was not yet able to easily control it. Because of this, the magic that briefly escaped was already enough to aplish its purpose. Davey used the cool-natured mana to suppress the magic momentarily, but the damage was already done. The demons, beasts obeying Davey due to his power, and the corrupted monsters all kneeled and bowed their heads to his power in an instant. "Da... Dark Lord..." "It''s the power of the Dark Lord!" "No... It can''t be! You''re the Dark Lord!!" "Dark Lord! How can you be here?!!" Behind Davey, Aeria, surprised by the sudden turn of events, adorably opened her eyes wide and looked at him. At the end of that very brief silence, Davey proudly puffed out his chest and leaned back. "Yes, I am your Dark Lord." ¡®Let''s take advantage when we can.¡¯ Chapter 413

Chapter 413

In an instant, the demons sprawled before him, and Davey confidently puffed out his chest. Without horns, one could easily differentiate humans from demons, but these creatures had already been overwhelmed by the unique power of the Dark Lord that Davey had emitted earlier. After a moment of hesitation, Davey decisively unleashed his magic. Boom!! "Ugh!" The demons that were lying prostrate trembled even more. "Everyone, disappear. This is my territory. No demon shall step foot here." "But, but humans are in this ce¡­" "Fool," Davey said coldly, slowly approaching. He effortlessly changed his appearance as naturally as one would breathe. After all, no one knew the appearance of Perserque better than him. In an instant, his illusion changed, and to the demons, he now appeared as a silver-haired girl. "Your, Your Majesty!" One of the demons, a Swordmaster who had been groaning in pain, had wide eyes in disbelief. With his level of abilities, he must have encountered Perserque in person before. "Why, why are you here¡­?" "Almost ruined my n because of you. Are you aware of that?" Davey''s words made the demon''s eyes bulge. The demon then dropped to his knees and started banging his head on the ground, uttering in despair and shame. "Please kill me for my disobedience to Your Majesty''s wish!!" Faced with his action, which suggested the demon might kill himself by banging his head on the ground if left alone, Davey quietly stepped closer and ced his hand on the demon''s shoulder. Then, he gave apassionate smile and gestured with his chin. "Lift your head." "But, how could I, a lowly demon¡­?" "I am merciful." "Oh, oh¡­ Your Majesty!" At Davey''s smile, the demon''s face lit up as if he was a priest who had just encountered his god. "What''s your name?" "It, it''s Mozuguz¡­" "Alright, Mozuguz." Davey said in a calm voice, "I will forgive you." "Thank, thank you! Your Majesty!" Mozuguz, along with the other demons, showed extreme reverence at meeting their Dark Lord, who was like a god to them. In contrast, the faces of the humans who heard Davey was the Dark Lord went pale. Mozuguz, who had once again bowed his head, slowly looked up and asked carefully, "But, but why are you here, Your Majesty¡­?" "You dare to ask that question?" "I''m, I''m sorry!" He hurriedly bowed his head, trembling. "Alright, was it Nyx who instructed you?" "Y-Yes, Your Majesty! Chief of Staff Nyx gathered the legion¡¯s divisionmanders and gave orders! He ordered us to capture the humans scattered across the continent¡­" "I see¡­ So, that''s the case." From the beginning, Davey thought that the main culprit behind this situation must have been Nyx, considering that Perserque was just a symbol, a part of the power, and someone to upy a position. If it were as Reina said, the whole situation began with the resurrection of Nyx. "Your Majesty! Please give me yourmand!" "Alright. Where have the others headed, excluding you?" Mozuguz began to spill out all the information he knew without a shred of doubt. The power of the Dark Lord applied the same to everyone, after all. The main driving force that moved them was the power of the Dark Lord that was transferred to Perserque, rather than her unique power. In the end, Mozuguz revealed everything he knew about the demons¡¯ movements. "Alright. I understand." "Then, then, what shall we do with these humans, Your Majesty? If you just give the order¡­" "No, let''s stop oppressing humans." Mozuguz''s eyes widened. "Why¡­?" "A cornered rat will bite a cat. Hasn''t our legion already obtained much? These individuals are necessary for my crucial experiment, so don''t darey a finger on them," Davey said. Mozuguz had a perplexed look before his eyes¡¯ widened in shock. "Understood, sir." "Immediately, take all the soldiers scouring this forest and leave. And gather all the humans who have been enved and are heading toward the central Dark Lord''s castle in one ce." "Collect them in one ce¡­? Sir, there''s a possibility of resistance¡­" "You''re refusing to obey? Who do you think stands before you?" Magic started to flow from Davey''s body. It was the magic of the Dark Lord. "Her Majesty, the Dark Lord!!" "Do you dare to suggest that Nyx''s words carry more weight than mine?" "No, absolutely not! Please forgive me!" Upon hearing Mozuguz¡¯s outcry, Davey felt a sense of satisfaction deep within while thinking they were all simple-minded fools. "Is Nyx daring to pose as the Dark Lord himself while disregarding me?" "That, that is¡­" "How dare you!!!" Magic power exploded vigorously. The demons recognized the magic of the Dark Lord, but the humans merely perceived it as a distinct power emanating from Davey¡¯s body. Nevertheless, they had remarkable loyalty. However, unlike Mozuguz, the other demons appeared somewhat uneasy. "Lord Mozuguz, if we fail to aplish this task, Nyx''s advisor may severely punish us¡­" one of the more intelligent demons logically questioned and contradicted Davey. However, Mozuguz had already fallen for Davey''s ploy. "What? Nyx''s advisor will severely punish us?" Mozuguz¡¯s words made his demon subordinates shudder. Simultaneously, he unsheathed the giant sword carried by a monster subordinate nearby. Mozuguz dered, "Severe punishment?! How dare anyone punish me, who moves under the directmand of the King!" "But, but¡­" "You sphemous creature!!!" Thud!!! Mozuguz was visibly enraged, his entire face a mess. Consequently, his infuriated face appeared even more terrifying. Without even managing to scream, the subordinate copsed, and Mozuguz proceeded to sh his body with the giant sword. Immediately afterward, Mozuguz bowed his head to Davey. "Oh¡­ Your Majesty, I''ve dealt with the disloyal one¡­" "G-Good, well done." At Davey¡¯s hesitant reply, Mozuguz sprang up as if he had received divine revtion. He then turned to Davey for further instructions. "Go, you all informed me of the vital fact that Nyx''s advisor might dare to rebel against me. Mozuguz." "Yes, Your Majesty!" "I have a special mission for you. Continue to lead all forces as they are and monitor the movements of Nyx and those with him. Also, secretly ry my orders to all the divisionmanders of demons scattered across the continent." "I will obey yourmand!!" Upon hearing Davey''smand, Mozuguz sprang up and turned around. His loyalty was impressive, and Davey had fully exploited it. "Move! You worm-like creatures! Are you nning to disobey the King''smand?" The subordinate demons, who had been staring nkly at Mozuguz and their fallenrade, quickly responded to his wild outcry and started to move in an orderly manner. Watching them disappear from where they hade on wolves, Davey then turned his gaze to the trembling humans. Among them, Aeonitia, clutching a slightly peculiar object she had found somewhere, red at Davey with a tense expression. "What are you all doing? Lower your weapons." "Don''t joke around, Dark Lord!" "Enemy of mankind!" The humans¡¯ reactions were understandable. Of course, Davey had exposed himself as the Dark Lord to extract information from the demons, but there was no need to do so with the humans. "Do I look like a demon to you?" A few of the humans hesitated. Indeed, to their eyes, Davey would have appeared as a hornless human since the very beginning. "But, but just now, the demons¡­" "They are merely fools deceived by an illusion." With that, Davey slightly twisted the illusion magic inscribed on his body so anyone could see it. A faint wave of mana distorted his form before it returned to normal. "Ma¡­ Magic!" Such an urrence was enough for any observer to feel the effect of magic. However, some humans still could not trust Davey. How should he deal with them? What was the point of reassuring these vigers, who had no chance of revival? While he was pondering this¡­ "Aaah!!" Aeonitia, who had been staring at Davey with a stern expression, suddenly screamed and copsed. All eyes turned to her. Instinctively, the man presumed to be her husband, or guardian, supported her, but she could not stand easily and clenched her teeth. She was crying out in pain. "Ah, Aeonitia!" "Oh dear! Is she having contractions?" "Urgh¡­ Urgh!" Confused men and women did not know what to do and shuffled about restlessly. "Is there no doctor?!" "There isn''t! Sir Goren was injured badly while foraging for medicinal herbs in the forest not long ago..." "Darn it!" Aeria tugged lightly on Davey''s sleeve amidst the confused crowd. She whispered, "It seems...the baby might being." "Seems so." Davey calmly approached those who were anxiously shuffling about and did not know what to do. At the same time, a few of them threw themselves forward to stop him, but he easily brushed them off and approached Aeonitia. The woman, sweating coldly, had been a genius in her early teens in his world. She was celebrated in the continent as the "Princess of Clocks," making portable clocks, a great achievement, but here, she was merely a powerless woman. Depending on who was around or how the circumstances were, a person''s fate could change. "Stay back, demon!" As Davey approached Aeonitia, she desperately tried to retreat from him, and others blocked his way. "...just leave her to die?" Upon hearing him, the crowd¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. "The twins areing at a bad time, and the ce is swarming with germs. If she gives birth now, either the mother or the babies might die." "What do you know?!" "I certainly know more about medicine than you. Make one more peep, and I''ll tear your mouth apart," Davey said coldly, grabbing Aeonitia''s stomach and pouring out divine energy. He ordered, "We''ll operate before it''s toote. Prepare a clean room and water." "What, what¡­?" "Did you not hear me?! Get moving, you wimps!" At Davey¡¯s roar, the vigers flinched. Then, they started to move hastily. * * * Aeria offered to help with the operation by summoning spirits. However, the only thing she could do in this different world was to utilize the clear spirit mana; summoning spirits was impossible. "Spirit mana is enough." Of course, because spirit mana was sufficient to help him, Davey did not stop Aeria from helping him. "Can you save her?" "Just watch quietly," Davey said calmly andid his hand on the belly of Aeonitia, who was writhing in pain on the floor. Then, he lightly closed his eyes and spread a little mana to quickly grasp the situation. [Pain relief] [Shock immunity] [Sixth ss Purification] Davey poured out two types of magic and one type of divine magic, then quickly started moving with the scalpel in his hand. Watching the human skin being sliced open, Aeria turned pale, but she did not look away and poured the spirit mana into Aeonitia''s body. The spirit mana she had was clearer and stronger than other spirit users. Perhaps it was a trait of her race. "Urgh. Please, please save my baby..." In the midst of her painful struggle, Aeonitia pleaded with Davey to save her child. "Who''s the baby''s father? Where is he? Why can''t he even show his face?" Aeonitia slowly opened her eyes to re at him. Davey did not expect an answer, so he continued the operation silently. The operation he was about to perform was simple. In a situation where the baby could not be born naturally, they had to cut open the belly and take the baby out. This was called a cesarean section in modern medicine. It was a frequently used method. In the past, many people had died because this method was not introduced. ''Aeonitia''s body isn''t suitable for an easy childbirth. I knew that, but actually seeing it, it''s daunting... I have to introduce this method fully before Aeonitia has to give birth in my world...'' The operating conditions were not good. However, that did not matter. He could eradicate the germs quickly with purification magic and handle the burden on Aeonitia¡¯s body with magic. Davey''s hands moved as if they were possessed. The skills taught by Hypocria were being fully disyed. All that could be heard in the suffocating silence was the sharp sound of metal and Aeonitia''s groans of pain. In that breathless situation, Davey quickly cut open Aeonitia¡¯s belly and seeded in taking out the twins struggling to be born. The silent babies let out a loud cry when he lightly pped their bottoms. "Wahhh! Wahhh!" "Wahhh!" At the sound of the two babies crying, some vigers opened their eyes wide and showed relieved expressions. However, when she saw Davey holding the babies and cutting the umbilical cords, Aeria was surprised and cried out. "Davey, sir! Something''s wrong! The baby is crying! Is it, is it hurt?!" "Babies cry when they''re born. It''s normal." "They''re supposed to cry? But they''re crying so sorrowfully..." "Babies can''t express their condition in any other way than crying." "Ah..." Aeria''s face, wide-eyed as if she had realized a profound truth, was so cute that Davey chuckled without realizing it. Chapter 414: In the Name of the Absolute

Chapter 414: In the Name of the Absolute

"Ah, ahh..." Aeonitia gasped for breath in pain, desperately reaching out for Davey. "My... my children..." "Yes, they are here." As Davey calmly showed her the two children nestled within his arms, tears welled up in her eyes. The emotions reflected in her gaze were a mix of awe,plexity, and relief. She asked, "Are they healthy?" "Yes." In fact, these children were more than just healthy; they had been intimately familiar with mana since birth. Subsequently, Davey withdrew the children from her arms. "Ahh..." Aeonitia''s expression darkened with dismay. "You''ll see the kidster! You are in the middle of surgery right now." At Davey''s words, Aeonitia fell silent, seemingly realizing her condition. Davey then gently ced his fingers on the children''s foreheads, infusing them with a light touch of mana before handing them over to Aeria. "I''ll leave them with you for a while." "Yes! Leave it to me!" With her face flushed with excitement, Aeria cuddled the two children and smiled. "They''re so cute." ¡®Come to think of it, these kids are my nephews.¡¯ Davey was struck by a strange feeling. He thought that he was not of age to see his nephews yet. However, considering that this world had moved on by more than a decade, it was perhaps to be expected. Davey did not ask Aeonitia about Winley, Baris, or Tanya. If the Observer was correct, the three of them would not be alive in this ce. In the silence, Davey began the operation once again. Although the children were born safely, Aeonitia was still in a dangerous situation. However, it was a difficult situation, not an impossible one. He had saved people in worse hellish conditions before and had seeded in operations in more severe situations. To Aeonitia, Davey would have appeared as an ordinary man. With a tearful face, she reached out her handboriously and grabbed his, asking the question, "Haah, haah. Can I live? I can''t... I can''t leave the children alone..." Seeing her plead with such effort, Davey couldn''t help but admire the motherly instinct that Aeonitia had grown upon giving birth to these children. He said reassuringly, "Don''t worry about anything else and get some deep sleep..." Aeonitia did not say anything further and slowly rxed her grip on his hand. * * * The twin siblings, who had erupted into a robust cry, seemed to instinctively recognize their mother, and with a cozy expression, snuggled into her bosom and fell soundly asleep. Davey found himself involuntarily smiling at the striking resemnce among the three peacefully asleep, clearly showing they were indeed rted by blood. Thinking about the culture of the Tionis Continent, unlike Earth where names were confirmed upon the registration of birth or deciding of the name, it wasmon here to name a child immediately upon birth. However, Davey did not have the right to name these children. The same was true for everyone else. The only person with that right was their birth mother, Aeonitia alone. Perhaps it was due to Aeonitia''s peaceful expression, seemingly passed out but sleeping soundly, that the vigers seemed somewhat relieved. Some felt relieved by the fact that the children were born naturally, while others were surprised by the unexpected surgical method that had saved both the children and the mother. However, there were those with a gloomy expression upon seeing the children born safely. The reason was evident: they were in a desperate situation. As individuals who had lost hope to the extent that the Observer would assert, they grimly determined andmented that the future the newborn children would face would be cruel. Given that they were already pushed to the edge, their feelings were not iprehensible. The prevailing thought among them was that they could not return to the way things used to be. "Thank you. And I''m sorry. I regret that we could only treat our benefactor this way..." An elderly man handed Davey a few potatoes with a bitter smile. "I''m sorry, this is all I can offer you. Our food situation isn''t very good." At first nce, he appeared to be nothing more than a frail old man, but it seemed he was the head of a noble family from the Central Kingdom. Aeria, who had heard once about the dark future of a worldpletely different from her own, seemed to feel a sense of alienation with every word the old man said. "Just ten years ago, it was a world we couldn''t have imagined. Although it wasn''tpletely peaceful, the frequent wars on the continent ceased when the ban on continental warfare proposed by the emperor of the three empires passed." Davey fell silent. "However, we didn''t anticipate it because we had been soaked in peace for too long. Those who couldn''t sense danger because they were immersed in peace couldn''t properly counter the demons that crept in from the darkness." "Internal division must have urred as well." It was premature to simply assume that humans had been overwhelmingly defeated in the continental war. The reason likely stemmed from internal division. There were those who wanted to align with the demons and those who dreamed of wealth and honor amidst the chaos. With such factions rising, there was no way to effectively oppose the unified demons. "Indeed, you''re correct. Davey, was it? Despite your young appearance, you have deep insight," the old man remarked with a bitter smile. "Here we have former nobles, ves, andmoners. Aeonitia, whom you rescued, was once the youngest princess of a small kingdom." "Is that so?" Davey could not reveal the connection between her and himself. "Poor child. Everyone gathered here is the same. They hold onto their pain, and that''s why they can''t easily trust outsiders." With half-closed eyes, the old man cautiously revealed the story about Aeonitia. The turmoil had begun, and the empire had started to shake. It was only natural that the small kingdoms would be shaken as well. After the Kingdom of Rowane was destroyed in the upheaval, Aeonitia managed to escape the immediate crisis, thanks to the careful ns of Queen Lynesse. She spent a few years as a fugitive, enduring a difficult journey. But how far could she, a royal without any physical training, have really run from the demons? Eventually, she was captured by demon scouts and witnessed her knights being brutally torn apart and killed. This traumatic event left her with a speech disorder, and she endured severe suffering at the age of fourteen while being dragged away by the demons. It was the human resistance that saved her. A youngmander from the guerri squad led by the Grand Duchess Kathryn Carabe of the Lyndis Empire rescued Aeonitia from the underground dungeon of the demon outpost where she had experienced hellish days. At the time, she was neen, and a young nobleman who was smitten with her at first sight brought her back, shared his warmth, and showered her with love. After his tireless efforts, Aeonitia overcame her speech disorder and fell in love with the man who had so affectionately cared for her. A few yearster, she conceived a child with him. Everything was fine until then. However, a disaster urred, and the resistance waspletely destroyed just as she was about to give birth. All hope was lost when the owner of the divine sword, thest hope, was defeated by Nyx, the most powerful force of the demons. In an attempt to allow Aeonitia to escape, her lover gathered the people in the shelter and sent them out of the fortresste at night. From then on, allmunication was cut off. There was no way to know if he had been captured or executed. The only thing left for Aeonitia was the two children in her womb. "A single person like you can make a huge difference. Many humans died, but so did many demons who had families. Many young demons, both male and female, died. They were all precious lives, a tragic situation indeed," the bitter voice of the old man resonated as Davey quietly closed his eyes. "You don''t have the will to drive out the demons and find the light again, do you?" "How could we? Our only hope has crumbled, and all that remains is to hide and live like this. Human survivors are scattered. Most of the remaining humans have probably be ves, with a small number still holding onto futile hopes and resisting." In the old man¡¯s words, Davey could sense the oppressive atmosphere enveloping the entire vige. They survived. While it was a blessing, the future remained unchanged. They hade to humbly ept the extinction of humanity. "And then you appeared. The vigers are honestly confused. They are startled by the emergence of a human with enough power to drive out a demon, especially one with immense strength." "Do you think I''ll be a savior?" The old man gave a bitter smile. "All I''ve gained with age is discernment. You seem to possess immense power. I don''t feel anything from your body. Yes, I''ve heard before that entities that are overwhelmingly powerful often don''t exhibit any noticeable energy." He gave a bitter smile again. "Are you the hope for humanity?" Davey quietly shook his head. "Everyone has to find hope for themselves." "Is that so?" "If humans just wait endlessly for someone to help them, it would be better for them to perish cleanly." At his harsh cynicism, the old man gave a bitterugh. "I suppose so. But we have already lost too much to stand up again. Isn''t it the reality of this world that we don''t even have a pir to lean on?" After a moment of silence, the old man cautiously opened his mouth. "We are a people with nothing, but even if we''ve lost hope, we haven''t forgotten about our sanctuary. Is there something I can do to help you?" Davey quietly held out his hand and said, "Someone here must have something like this." "That is..." What Davey had created with mana was a small ne, which had a peculiarly shaped jewel at the end. "Someone in this vige should have it. It''s quite important. Please hand it over to me. It''s the only way to heal the person who came with me." The old man fell silent and closed his eyes. Then, he put down his teacup and opened his mouth. "Hmm, the pattern does indeed look a bit unusual, I remember it. I''m not sure if it''s the right item, but¡­ Euris,e in here." "Why? Sir." A woman carrying a bow on her back strode in from outside, as if she had been waiting. "Haha, please forgive her rudeness. Despite her harsh words, she''s a kind-hearted girl." "Sir, don''t talk nonsense to an outsider. Did you¡­?" "He says he needs your ne." The woman''s face hardened instantly. "What are you talking about?" Then, she red at Davey and asked with caution in her voice, "Do you need my ne?" "Yes." "This is important to you?" The woman¡¯s question, filled with caution and suspicion, was understandable. However, Davey had no intention ofplicating the situation by exining why he needed it. "Although it may not look like much, it''s quite an important item." At Davey''s calm response, the woman silently red at the Vige Chief. Then, she sighed. "Give it to him. Do you want to die as an ingrate, even though we live in such deprivation?" "Ah! Who said that? I just wear it because it¡¯s pretty. If I can pay off a debt with it, it''s a bargain. Here, take it! Did I say I wouldn''t give it?" Even while grumbling, the woman roughly tore off the ne she was wearing and handed it to Davey. "There you go. I don''t know what you''re going to do with it, but you helped Aeonitia, so I guess I can let it slide..." As the woman grumbled gruffly, Davey did not take the ne and instead remained silent. The woman then approached him and ced the ne in his hand, asking, "But what are you going to use it for?" "It''s a key. The only key to enter the ancient royal vault,¡± Davey said quietly while holding the ne that emanated an odd aura. He rose from his seat. Chapter 415

Chapter 415

Davey did not instill false hope in those who had already lost all hope. He knew he had only one day left in this world. Even if he gave them weapons capable of resisting the demons, there was no telling if it would be significantly effective. Teaching them using his power was impossible, and due to the limitations of his influence, he could not expel the demons on their behalf. Having left the vige with only Aeria, Davey was guided by the Observer as he headed deep into the forest. There, he found a massive mound of earth with a veryrge rock embedded in it. [Here we are. Fill the key with the mana you''re feeling in this forest, and connect it with that stone.] Following his guidance, Davey took off the leather ne he wore and began to gently infuse it with mana. "This ce... is truly peculiar," Davey remarked. Aeria, who had followed him, looked around the vicinity, her arms shivering as she hugged herself. "It feels as though someone is watching us." Davey felt the same eerie sensation of being watched. He then warned, "Stay close to me.¡± "Ah... Yes!" Startled, Aeria quickly moved closer to him. Once he confirmed that Aeria was close by, Davey closed his eyes and began to analyze and memorize the unique flow of mana enveloping the entire forest. [The flow of mana from a forgotten civilization 5,000 years ago is indeed very peculiar. Normally, it would be impossible to discern its patterns, but someone of your caliber might manage in about 5 hours.] Ignoring the Observer''s confident prediction of a five-hour process, Davey skillfully filled the ne with mana and began molding it to his will. The transformation it brought about happened in an instant. Soon, the rock began to glow faintly blue. [Eh?! Is it already done?] ''What''s so difficult about it?'' Davey thought. [Even an 8th Circle magician would need days to figure out these patterns...] Within less than a minute of activation, the glowing stone looked incredibly beautiful. While Aeria gazed at the stone in awe, Davey slowly connected it to the massive rock surface. A low, resonant sound echoed, and the rock, which had appeared ordinary moments ago, began to transform, creating a massive wave of change. "The rock has changed!" Aeria eximed. "Let''s go in," Davey said without hesitation. As he started walking, Aeria¡¯s eyes widened and she hurriedly followed him. * * * Prugrepf Royal Tomb was an archaeological site dating back even further than the era 3,000 years ago when the ck sword Ares had been active. It was a civilization that had beenpletely forgotten in history. Before the Observer mentioned it, even Davey had been unaware of its existence, making it clear that this relic held something secret. The enormous space should have been a dark interior, but it had a soft glow as if bathed in moonlight. Moreover, there were rows of massive stone statues resembling pdins, giving off an aura of a temple dedicated to the gods. The intricate figures, which seemed as though armors had been ced on real giants, disyed an astonishing level of craftsmanship. This level of technique was not as blunt as cksmith or stonemason skills nowadays, but it was on par with those in their heyday. Looking at the forms, which were eerie enough to give off a chilling vibe just from their eye-to-eye contact, Davey began to walk slowly without a word. "Eeek!" Suddenly, Aeria, who was following Davey, was startled and crouched down. Upon seeing her sudden movement, Davey tilted his head and approached her. Aeria, who had been trembling, slowly raised her head. "Are you okay?" he asked. "...Ah, yes." "What happened?" "Well... That''s..." Aeria trailed off, ncing again at the statue, and frowned slightly. "I''m sorry... I just felt something creepy pass by..." Davey looked around quietly, but he could see nothing out of the ordinary. * * * An eerie ambiance had spread throughout the forest. The atmosphere felt damp and heavy rather than serene. Davey turned to the Observer, who seemed to know theyout of the area well, and asked, "Do you know anything about this?" [I cannot say.] "Why not?" [I say this for your sake. Giving you more information could be dangerous. However, the decision toe here will benefit both you and I, that much is certain.] The very existence of a guide like this seemed toe with a bundle of constraints. Because of that, there appeared to be a difference between what he could and could not say. "From the cold air to this strange feeling, it''s creepy..." Aeria cautiously followed Davey, stretching out her words in a fearful manner. "Huh?" Suddenly yful, Davey stopped with widened eyes. This made Aeria look at him with a scared expression. "Why, why are you doing that?" At her cautious question, Davey pointed behind her with a surprised expression, and Aeria responded with a stiff, awkward smile. "Woah, Prince Davey... Are you joking?" Whooosh!!! "Kyaa!!" At that moment, a cold wind blew through the quiet stone corridor. The timing was so sharp that it was no surprise Aeria, who was naturally timid, got startled. Her reaction, with her ears tucked down like a small animal and shivering, was rather cute. As she clung to him in surprise without even looking back, Davey patted her head. "It''s a lie." "Don''t do that..." Aeria murmured with a sad expression and looked at Davey briefly before slowly moving away. Then, she put her hand on her chest and slightly furrowed her brow. "Are you okay?" "Ah... My heart keeps pounding weirdly..." A tear fell from Aeria¡¯s eye as she spoke. "Aww..." Aeria¡¯s expression became troubled due to the unexpected tears. "I''m sorry. I keep showing you such an unsightly side..." "If you''re scared, you can lean on me." "I can''t. I would be a burden to Prince Davey, and..." Aeria felt strange, like she should not carelessly cling to someone. Her voice was so quiet that it was hard to hear, but it reached Davey¡¯s ears clearly. She couldn''t calm down and kept fidgeting. "Don''t worry even if these stone statues move." Aeria gave a faint smile. "When I talk to you, Prince, I strangely feel at ease. But at the same time, I feel a prickling pain..." "Should I check for arrhythmia?" "No, it''s okay!" Aeria retreated in surprise. Then, she silently followed Davey again. How long had they been walking? In the midst of silence, they finally reached arge cave with a huge door. The giant statue that guarded the entrance was here as well. "Wow, it''s creepy but really magnificent." "That''s the charm of an ancient relic untouched by human hands." [By the way, time here flows a bit differently than outside. A day here is about four hours outside.] At this unexpected information, Davey ced his hand on the door at the end of the cave. It was inscribed with mysterious characters. Most ancient characters had been pictographic, but the characters here were clearly advanced. Silently tracing the characters written on the wall, he could feel a faint flow of mana. He reflexively fed in mana to match it, and then something astonishing started. The characters on the door began to glow, transforming into different characters in his vision. "Blessings to the dead......" "Huh?" "And curses to the living." As Davey mumbled the characters written on the wall, Aeria approached him and her eyes widened. Then, she looked at him with wonder and asked, "Can you read these characters?" "The cold flow is their spirit... and the quiet air is their breath." As Davey continued speaking, the characters on the door began to glow slowly. "The name of this ce is the Cradle of the Beginning. You who are born, even now, turn back. When those who are not permitted set foot in here, the spirits of the underworld will aim for your life¡­¡± These words seemed nonsensical, but apparently, deciphering them was the key. Hoooom!!! Soon, the entire door began to absorb a pale green light in its engraved cracks. And then, the light rapidly filled the cracks engraved in the floor, walls, and ceiling. At the sudden change in the environment, Aeria looked around with a tense face and slowly moved closer to Davey. Gggggggg!!!! Then, with a loud noise, the massive door started to open, revealing a dark space. The space beyond the door was a massive cavern. However, in Davey''s view, there were several small spheres of light scattered on the floor. A trap, or a testing room. Silently, Davey stepped into the room and slowly stepped on one of the circles filled with light drawn on the floor. Oooom!!! Simultaneously, the light engraved on the floor went out. As there was no change in the flow of mana, the light began to return as soon as Davey lifted his foot off it. "Hmm¡­ Do they want me to turn all of them off?" After some thought, Davey stepped on another tform to turn it off, then moved his other foot to step on a circle of a different color. Then, the second tform also lost its light and disappeared. There were a total of four circles drawn on the floor. Without a word, Davey reached out his hand and touched the remaining two, and the flow of mana around him began to change. Ping! At the same time, lights began to rise in ces other than where Davey¡¯s hands and feet were. "Are they asking me to match and turn off the lights again?" Davey once again moved his hands and feet, extinguishing all the lights. Continuing to solve this small puzzle, he diligently carried out these tasks in silence. However, Aeria found Davey¡¯s behavior to be strange. * * * Aeria looked at Davey with a hint of confusion as he suddenly entered the cavern and started stepping and touching the empty floor as if afraid. Nothing was reflecting on the floor in her view. However, he started to crouch and move around like a four-legged animal, as if confirming something. ¡®I need to help him!¡¯ Although she didn''t know what it was, he had said that the reason he came here might hold the key to restoring her memories. In the end, he was working so hard for her. What was she doing? The thought that she was a nuisance caused her expression to subtly turn into a gloomy frown. ¡®I¡­ I need to help.¡¯ Was it a matter of dignity? She thought it was not right for her to just stand by and watch this boy she barely knew working so hard for her. Thinking this, Aeria embedded Davey''s figure into her mind. Then she, too, cautiously knelt and ced her hands on the empty floor. And then, like a bug, she began to crawl slowly. Chapter 416

Chapter 416

Aeria herself did not want to admit it, but her movements resembled bugs crawling on a wall. It was embarrassing and shameful, yet she believed there had to be a reason for Davey''s actions. "Princess Aeria..." Then, it happened. A slightly startled voice echoed, and Aeria slowly lifted her head to see a ck-haired boy looking nkly at her. Overwhelmed by a sudden surge of shame and embarrassment, her face flushed bright red. "What... are you doing?" Unable to exin her actions, tears welled up in Aeria''s eyes. * * * When Davey first saw Aeria mimicking his peculiar movements in an attempt to help him, he thought she was cute. Who would abandon their royal demeanor and adopt such an appearance in a situation where they knew nothing, even if they wanted to help? He would certainly bet all his assets on a ''no''. As she tried to quickly rise with her face blushing red, Aeria got tangled in her arms, failed to stand, and fell. "Gah!" Davey suppressed a sudden surge of schadenfreude watching Aeria covering her flushed face with both hands, trying to hide it from him. Unlike Illyna, tormenting this particr princess seemed fun, but he was not sure he could handle the aftermath. Unlike Illyna and Perserque, who would both explode in anger, Aeria seemed like she would just start crying right away. "Well, that''s..." ¡®Don''tugh.¡¯ He knew her feelings, it would be wrong tough! Suppressing hisughter desperately, Davey... "Pff..." He burst outughing anyway. "Kuk... kuh... hahaha!" Laying down andughing loudly, Davey drew the attention of Aeria who was also lying down. She jumped up and red at him with tears welling up in her eyes. "Please, don''tugh..." Seeing Aeria¡¯s tear-streaked face and unable to protest, Davey, who had beenughing for a while, eventually got up when she started to sob. He then knelt down, slid his arms under her armpits to help her up, and grinned at her. "You just need to stay still." "But I have to do something..." "You don''t have to do it yourself." Davey roughly understood what the trial of this ruin wanted. "We just need to press, so why would you need to do it yourself?" [7th Circle] [Control Gravity] Woong... m!! The heavy air pressed down, exerting a powerful pressure on the ground. At the same time, panels of different colors in Davey¡¯s vision began to lose their light and turn off. What difference did it make if the things spread all around could substitute his hands and feet? With a loud sizzling sound, the magic device fully manifested, and the door leading to the next path began to open. Destroying the door could be a good method, but based on his experience, if you carelessly destroy things in such ruins, there was a high chance of losing the target. * * * The ursed ruin demanded various trials afterward. There were de traps with shining des, and there were hellish traps with red mes flickering. These trials were all dangerous andplex, but the strategy was surprisingly simple. He blocked the path with a huge safety wall to avoid the de trap and crossed it, and he forcibly blocked the air in the entire area to prevent thebustion for the hellish fire trap. As a result, it took him only about 30 minutes to reach the final altar, which was very short. "Wow... It''s beautiful..." The final room was a beautiful one, containing a massive pond. Staring at the pond that sparkled as if studded with stars across its entire surface, Aeria seemed to lick her lips with an unexpected desire. "Nobody can see us in here," Davey whispered, to which Aeria looked at him with surprise. He then asked, "Do you not wish to wash yourself?" Since both of them had fallen into this ce, neither had had the opportunity to clean properly. Perhaps Davey was right, for without a word, Aeria sniffed her wrist and then her eyes began to well up. With a sorrowful expression on her face, Aeria said, "I''m... I''m sorry. You must have found my smell unpleasant..." "Not really," Davey answered. Then, he slowly walked in, stopping to read the inscription on a stone b in front of the pond. "Sacred is the soul of the dead. Mortal who has reached this ce, you have sessfully navigated the rooms that test your bravery, rationality, and strategy. All truths lie within the dead. To pay respects to the dead, cleanse your body and mind." At Davey''s murmuring, Aeria''s eyes widened, her face flushing red. His words implied that they needed to clean themselves in this ce if they wanted to proceed to the next room. And who was the subject? Naturally, it was the intruders, including both Aeria and him. "Maybe we can just break through," Davey suggested. [If it were within your power, it could be possible. But it might not be the wisest course of action. You could mess up at the very end.] "Would it copse?" [Most likely, yes. I''m sorry, but even I can''t fully understand this ce. All I know is that Silver Chime is at the final part of this ce.] Considering the time when Davey hade into being, he could not know any more than this. "Hmm..." Without saying a word, Davey dipped his hand into the pond to test the water. It was refreshingly cool, flowing swiftly over his hand and inducing a sense of rity. This subtle feeling seemed familiar... Ah, this was a natural pond rich in mana. At that realization, Davey''s eyes lit up. "Damn it." Aeria looked at Davey in surprise as he suddenly rose. She asked, "What''s... What''s wrong?" "Let''s get in." This was no ordinary water. It was mana holy water! It was water imbued with the blessing of mana. Simply bathing in it could potentially transform an average person into an expert level mana user. It was said to take hundreds of years to produce enough for a single bottle, so absorbing all the power of this pond might stabilize Davey''s currently unstable state. With this realization, there was no reason not to indulge. A human had a clear limit of mana they could absorb, so both Aeria and Davey would benefit the most from entering the pond together. Finishing his calction, Davey''s eyes shone. "Come on." "But... But..." "It''s fine. No need to strip. Just go in as you are." At Davey''s words, Aeria looked terrified, but then took a deep breath. "Alright. I can''t just keep relying on you. If there''s something I can do, then I will do it!" With that, she slowly lifted the hem of her dress and cautiously began to step into the pond. The water made her clothes cling fast to her body, revealing her curves, and all Davey could think of was how he had struck gold. So this was how such treasures were concealed. Considering that this was here... Was it not implying that such a thing would be present in the original world too? This realization excited Davey so much that he quickly turned to the Observer. ''Tell me about every other ce as well. Everything.'' [You, you''re not seriously...] ¡°This isn''t against the rules of the world, right?¡± * * * Maybe it was because of the cold, but Aeria shivered and huddled up. While bathing would typically involve disrobing to some extent, Davey just strode into the pond until he was in the middle of it. "Eek!" Aeria let out a cute scream and staggered a bit. "What''s wrong¡­?" "Don''t look!" she pleaded. Ignoring Aeria¡¯s startled cry, Davey turned his head only to see her shielding her chest with her hands before plunging herself into the pond. Then, she muttered with a gloomy expression. No matter what, revealing the curves of her body in front of a man was an unbearable humiliation for her, who had be extremely introverted. She had decided to trust Davey, but it was different from the time she used to blindly believe in him. Some unconscious part of her was still instinctively favoring him, but originally, this would have been an unthinkable act. In the still silence, Aeria slowly walked up to where Davey was, and they sat back to back in the middle of the pond. The water was about chest-high when they sat down, so they did not submerge. With Aeria in silence behind him, Davey was experiencing a thrill from the massive amount of manaing into his body through the sacred mana water. It was likely that Aeria, too, was feeling this phenomenon. She, who hade in with a shy face, seemed to be fascinated by the mysterious feeling brought by the sacred mana water, staring silently at the glowing pond and smiling, forgetting even that Davey was watching her. "It''s amazing..." Aeria said and without another word, she scooped up the water in her hands and, like a cat grooming, she wiped her ears. It was like something a cat or dog would do. But when she, of all people, did it, it looked quite unique. "Aah, it feels refreshing..." she sighed. Seeing her strangely cute behavior made Davey feel a strange tremor, as if someone was whispering in his head. ¡®Isn''t this the chance I¡¯ve been waiting for? Am I going to ignore the feast that has been set before me? Fool! Cast off the hesitation and be a resolute being!¡¯ As if the devil was whispering, Davey slowly buried his head. Such a whisper in a situation where impulses were momentarily controlling his body... When Davey started to shiver, Aeria cautiously turned her head and her eyes widened. Her gaze fell on his upper body, defined with solid muscles. The water made his clothes cling tightly to him, and with his outer clothes off, his muscles were revealed under the white clothing. "Ah..." she swallowed instinctively and jerkily turned her head away, moving back from him. "Prince Davey? Are, are you alright?" She reached out her hand cautiously to him, and Davey, with wide-open eyes, grabbed her wrist. She eximed, "Eek!" "You started this, princess," he responded. At those words, Aeria¡¯s eyes widened even more, and she blushed, catching the certain desire reflected in his eyes. "D-Don''t do this! I, I have someone I...I..." Suddenly, she stopped. "Huh...?" She seemed taken aback, not even understanding what she was saying herself. Seeing her reaction, Davey tightened his grip on her wrist even more. Chapter 417

Chapter 417

"Ouch... Ah, it hurts," Aeria stammered, flustered by her own behavior. Davey let out a short breath and said, "Princess, you brought this upon yourself." "No, I don''t want this... Don''t do this," she begged. "It''s already toote," he responded, causing tears to well up in Aeria¡¯s eyes. Despite her desperate struggle to get away from him, Davey slowly approached her, stretching out his other hand. The atmosphere between them was undeniablyscivious, with her clothes clinging to her body. In this strangely heated atmosphere, Aeria, unable to contain her fear, tightly shut her eyes. She bit her lips and began to tremble violently. Thud! Contrary to her worry, Davey¡¯s hand grasped her shoulder. She let out a weak moan. Her eyes, which had been fixated on Davey, rolled back. "Ah¡­ Huh?" she eximed, now with her back to him and was seated on the floor. However, Davey had alreadyid both of his hands on her shoulders. Then, with a ''crack'', the sound of stiffened muscles and bones twisting filled the air. "Ah!" A surprised scream escaped Aeria¡¯s mouth. Davey shed the princess a gleeful grin. He savored the taste of victory. His desire to knead tight muscles never seemed to fade, and it was all those damned heroes¡¯ fault! * * * Gasping for breath, Aeria was left lying outside the pond while Davey casually used his mana. [Dry] As he cast the 3rd Circle magic spell, his drenched clothes and Aeria''s dress began to dry. Aeria, her face nk, looked up at him with resentful eyes. Sheined, "You startled me." "I have this habit. When I see tense muscles, I want to loosen them." "If you had mentioned that from the start..." "Well, were you thinking of something else?" Davey teased. "No, not at all!" Aeria shouted in surprise and quickly turned her head away. Struggling to move, she murmured, "You really are horrible.¡± "The door''s open," Davey announced. The mana water had beenpletely absorbed by both their bodies, serving its purpose. It seemed pointless to bathe in it any further. If one or two more people entered, it would turnpletely into ordinary water. Davey hoisted the exhausted and blushing Aeria onto his back, and began to slowly walk toward the door on the other side of the pond. The water in the pond that was knee-deep earlier, now felt as if it had a bottom as soon as his foot touched it. "Ah!" Aeria looked around in surprise from his back and gave a gasp of amazement. The light of the pond grew brighter with each step he took. Carrying Aeria, who was mesmerized by the surroundings, Davey silently crossed the pond and headed toward the slowly opening door. [You''re a strange one. Yes, this is the final room. The Silver Chime should be here.] At these words, Davey spotted a small jewel emitting a bright light at the end of the enormous hollow. The jewel, shaped like a teardrop and emitting a soft light, was filled with an unusual flow of mana. "How strange," he mused. He had seen Philosopher''s Stones and all sorts of machinery, but never anything as peculiar as this. Not even those from the Hall of Heroes had mentioned such an object. It was an object of wonder, yet just as deadly. Its beauty was sopelling that it invoked a primal sense of greed. Davey gradually approached the altar where the chime was ced. He gently set down Aeria, then turned his attention to the altar. Aeria, too, was staring nkly at the chime, her expression awestruck. "It''s beautiful," she murmured. The glow in her eyes started to faintly fade away as she spoke. Seeing the princess¡¯ reaction, Davey halted in his tracks and promptly turned back to tap lightly on Aeria''s forehead. It was not a simple tap; he infused it with divine power and mana to prate her mind. "Ah," she breathed out. As the sudden distortion in her expression from her overwhelming greed returned back to normal, she stammered, "What... What did I¡­?" "Beauty often carries a deadly venom," Davey cautioned her. "be vignt." At his words, she seemed to realize how entranced she had been by the chime. She lowered her head, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Oh..." she muttered, mping her mouth shut and biting down hard on her lower lip. "I''m sorry, I''ll be more careful." Satisfied with her response, Davey resumed his steps. The temptation was so strong that it could easily ensnare any expert, yet Aeria seemed to have resisted it with her unique stubbornness and clear mind. [Once you touch the chime, it will be absorbed instantly. Once it''s absorbed, you''ll be unconscious until you''ve fully felt its effects. Don''t forget, you''ll have to carry her out.] At those words, Davey was about to grab the chime when he paused and reached out his hand toward Aeria. He took her up to the altar with him and held onto her arm. "Prince Davey?" she questioned. "There''s a barrier around the chime. If you reach out carelessly, your hand will evaporate," he exined, and her face paled. "It''s okay. I''ll handle it. Trust me and slowly reach out your hand," he reassured her, to which she silently nodded inpliance. After swallowing hard, Aeria reached out to grab the chime, stopping just before touching it. Woosh!!! A chilling breeze, reminiscent of the one they had felt when they first entered the dungeon, swept over the entire cave, casting a cold pallor over the surroundings. ¡°Hehehehehe¡­¡± ¡°Hahahaha¡­¡± There was eerieughter echoing from all directions. The cavern was significantlyrger than any they had previously encountered, and the sound of theughter filled the entire space. Aeria flinched and looked up at the sudden noise. Then, she saw them. The giant statues that adorned the cavern, their stone eyes were staring at her. . "Ah!" she cried out in surprise. It was understandable. The eyes of the massive statues in the center of the cave had begun to move in unison, all turning toward Aeria and Davey. "How dare you enter here!" one statue bellowed, followed by many others shouting, "Do you even know where you are?! Leave at once!" Their voices were so loud, it was as if hundreds were screaming directly into Aeria''s ears. She couldn''t bear it and curled up, covering her ears with her hands. In response, Davey quickly used a silence spell to block all sound from reaching Aeria and stared at the statues. "So, you won''t give up that easily," he murmured calmly. He watched the massive doors closing, blocking their way out, and the massive y figures that started to rise from the ground, all while sporting a smirk. Among the y figures were humans, beastfolks, and demons. There were elves and dwarves too. All dressed in armor and weapons. Their numbers increased from a handful to hundreds, filling the entire cave and surrounding Davey and Aeria. The massive stone statues that had stood still as if protecting the cave began to move slowly. With the slowly advancing figures pointing their weapons at them, Aeria did not know what to do and looked around frantically. "How dare youe here!" one statue shouted. Then, from among them, a giant y figure wearing a jewel-encrusted crown emerged, shouting, "What do you think you''re doing touching that object?!" As it spoke, the sound of spears shing against the ground echoed around them. It was like metal striking rock, even though it was just y. Seeing the stand-off that had rapidly developed, Davey finally said, "Now that we''ve found the object, it''s okay if we overturn the ce, right?" Surrounded by an overwhelming number of y figures and statues, Davey¡¯s voice was surprisingly as leisurely as ever. [Do as you please. But I believe they are valuable enough to be used.] "I''ll be the judge of that," Davey replied. Even though this world might bring forth something unfamiliar, to him, it was merely a low difficulty challenge. The sted abyss had interfered, causing a tangled ultra-nightmare level of difficulty in his original world. The y soldiers and stone statues were embodiments that certainly harbored souls. In other words, they were different from the deceased controlled by the necromancer. While a typical death mage or a lich trained in necromancy might struggle with this... Davey did not stop there. Eventually, his eyes, which had been closed, glowed with an inky light. Necromantic mana began to leak out little by little. "Soulless wretches sure talk a lot," hemented. "Ha, ha, ha, ha! A death mage dares to control us!" "Insolent!" As their shouts suggested, ordinary necromancers could not handle these high-ranking souls. Whether it be Grell Orphan, the 8th Circle Lich specializing in curses who called himself the absolute immortal, or even Nyx from the 9th Circle, they could not control them. Attempting to forcibly handle high-ranking souls could rip the soul of the caster apart. That was why low-level necromancers could not handle high-level undead, such as Death Knights. "Certainly, they''d be difficult to handle normally." "Do we seem so insignificant that a death mage could control us! Insolent living one!" "Your arrogance will drive you to death! As a price for daring to control us, your soul will be torn to shreds!!!" Upon understanding their words, Aeria looked at Davey with concern. Indeed, they were right. It would be impossible under normal circumstances. However, these wretches had not realized one thing yet. The necromantic mana that had been gradually released began to warp momentarily. It was a power darker and deeper than ordinary necromantic mana, a higher-dimensional power. As it began to oppressively pervade the area, the uproar momentarily ceased. ¡®8th Circle Lich Grell Orphan? 9th Circle Lich Nyx? Don''t dare topare those guys with me. The master who taught me was the unparalleled absolute being who had existed once in all dimensions, the entity that pioneered the end of death alone.¡¯ [Imand in the name of the Imperfection Death Lord.] Although Davey could not wield the power of Rho Aias, as a necromancer who had learned everything from her, Davey had reached a state where he could learn all the magic she used except for one. ¡®Would you dare to fight with necromancy against me, who once worked my soul to the bone to impress my first love?¡¯ Boom!!! Upon hearing Davey¡¯s words, the y soldiers and stone statues approaching him with eerieughter suddenly froze. Just as their expressions froze, amand from the ruler of the dead was issued. [Lower your eyes, insignificant beings.] Davey¡¯s voice echoed ominously once more. Chapter 418

Chapter 418

The massive space, once filled with ridicule, disdain, and criticism, fell eerily quiet in an instant. The y soldiers, the stone statues, andstly, a figure adorned with a crown - whom Davey assumed was their king - all fell silent. Not a single breath could be heard as they began to shrink back. Just a single phrase was all it took. The sight of a vast assembly of y soldiers and stone statues, which dared not meet his eyes and knelt before him, was awe-inspiring in its resolute consistency. Was it because they felt loyalty to him that this had happened? No, that was not it. All he did was step outside their norms and give an order. Typically, the undead would be subjugated on a soul level and would have shown him zealous loyalty, but these undead were subtly different in some way. "Cough, this can¡¯t¡­ this can¡¯t be!" The y soldier wearing the crown tried desperately to lift himself, screaming at Davey. "Five thousand years! For five thousand years, I have ruled this ce as a sovereign! I will not bow to the power of someone like you, who appeared out of nowhere!" [Bow your head.] Unfortunately, his futile defiance was also short-lived. Trembling as if struck by a tremendous shock, he too ultimately crumbled and lowered his head. Beings that were dead but not dead¡ªthat was how Davey perceived them. "Cough¡­ Cough¡­" As Davey approached the resisting figure, the nearby y soldiers bowed even lower, showing their fear of him. The crowned y soldier, perhaps feeling a terror akin to having his soul split apart, held onto the ground as if his hands would shatter. Davey wanted to witness the crowned soldier¡¯s further resistance. Calmly, he waved his hand, relieving the pressure that was specifically targeted at the assumed king of the y soldiers. "In the name of the Prugrepf civilization¡¯s sovereignty, I say! No one can dare to rob my kingdom and people without my permission!!" As soon as the pressure on him disappeared, the crowned soldier rose and charged at Davey. The rough y sword at his waist was drawn out. Although the sword,cking a fixed form, should have crumbled away, some force kept it in the shape of a sword, darkly dyed. His sword came within an inch of Davey''s neck and swung toward him. Kwaang!!!! A shockwave that could vibrate the surroundings burst out. If the y sword had been sharp, if it had contained some peculiar power, it could have left a deep scar on Davey. Indeed, the sword he swung created a powerful sword energy that could cut even y soldiers dozens of meters away in half. However, his sword energy, following the trajectory of the y soldiers, stopped even before it could reach Aeria, who stood behind Davey. The ck current was drawn into Davey¡¯s hands, and he stopped the sword with his bare hands. The fierce energy of the y sword, which cut through everything in its path, was forcibly halted, evaporated, and the y sword lost its power, crumbling away like weathering. "What?! My sword of the kingdom, Kronos, cuts even souls¡­ but how could it?¡± "What do I look like in your eyes?" Davey asked calmly as he approached the y soldier, grasping his neck and pushing him down. Kwoong!! At the same time, a tremendous amount of distorted necromantic mana extended and forced the crowned soldier¡¯s physical body to kneel on the ground. "This, this can¡¯t¡­" "I''ll ask again." Davey inquired, and the y man''s eyes widened in response. . [What do you see me as?] At Davey¡¯s words, the figure that had been shaking in resistance gradually started to freeze. Then, after a brief silence, he slowly said, "King of the Dead, an iplete judge, breaker of the boundary of life and death..." His words trailed off before he finished speaking. "You are the ruler of the dead...." In his voice was the reverence that had reced the hostility from before. * * * The statues froze, and the y soldiers returned to the earth. The crowned y soldier, who called himself the governor of Prugrepf, was the only one left standing. With his head bowed in respect, he said, "To honor the ruler..." His words were subservient, but they contained profound distrust. It wasn''t a mistrust of Davey himself, but of the word ''king''. Curiosity sparked within Davey, but he had no intention of allowing the roles to reverse. As he approached Aeria, who was nkly staring at him, she looked up at Davey with tension in her eyes. Her gaze was filled with fear rather than trust. Davey slowly extended his hand toward her frozen figure. "Eh..." Upon his approach, she reflexively shut her eyes in fear. She was of the beastfolk tribe, with senses sharper than those of humans. More specifically, she was a Nine-Tails, a tribe that possessed unique power unlike other beastfolks. So, it was impossible for her not to notice the phenomena that had urred a while ago. Even if she did not understand, she would have deeply felt it more than anyone else¡ªthe eerie, dark power that had flowed from Davey¡¯s body. Fearful of its influence on herself, she closed her eyes. When nothing happened, she slowly opened her eyes with an expression of wonder. Then, she looked surprised. That was because, in silence, Davey had been patting her head. "It''s okay. I won''t hurt you." Upon hearing his calm voice, Aeria looked up at Davey, and soon, tears began to flow. She had recognized that she had been sending him fearful looks due to an instinctive fear. "I... I''m sorry, I''m sorry." Without saying a word, Davey pulled Aeria into his arms and patted her back. She grabbed his clothes tightly and sobbed bitterly. As expected of the Nine-Tails, unless they broke their tribal limit, they had a close rtionship with spirits. Therefore, the power that Davey disyed, which went beyond controlling mana and interfered with the soul itself, would have been terrifying to her. Once she had calmed down after sobbing for a while, Davey took her hand, opened the barrier, and ced the Silver Chime in her palm. Suddenly, she shivered greatly, and as if she had been waiting, she closed her eyes and fell unconscious. While Davey was slowlyying Aeria¡¯s unconscious body on the ground, the voice of the Observer could be heard. [If what she wants is truly to regain her memory, the chime will respond.] Although he would usually have retorted to the Observer''s words, Davey ignored him and approached the governor. [They are full of distrust. Distrust for the one who broke his promise.] Davey slowly asked the governor, "Tell me. What is the cause of your distrust?" The governor did not answer Davey''s question but simply crouched further. "Speak." His resistance crumbledpletely at the second inquiry as the crowned soldier revealed, "The king... The king who abandoned the kingdom... Consumed by greed, hemitted a taboo he should not have..." Davey quietly closed his eyes. "His arrogance reached the heavens and provoked the wrath of the gods." He had incurred the wrath of the gods, and as a result, he was cursed. What kind of taboo must he have broken to make the gods, who usually do not interfere, turn an entire kingdom into cursed undead? "The king... He abandoned us. The king deceived us, he lied. The curse that he should have received was borne by the people of the kingdom, and for five thousand years, we have been waiting for the king who left the kingdom." There was an evident resentment toward the word ''king'' in his voice. "Five thousand years... The king abandoned us! What remains for the people of the kingdom, who have umted hatred for a long time under the curse of the gods, is only hatred and revenge!" In front of the crowned soldier¡¯s fury, which seemed as if it would spill tears if he were a living creature, Davey quietly closed his eyes. The forgotten civilization of five thousand years ago. In this ce, guided by the Observer, there was nothing but cursed kingdom people and their resentment toward the absent king. "O Absolute Ruler of The Dead, save us." Davey remained silent. The source of their power was abination of the hatred umted over five thousand years, the curse of the gods, and the broken promise of the king. They were neither ordinary undead nor alive; they had be the undead due to the god''s curse. It was natural that they would be this deceptive. The unfocused hatred was being poured out on Davey and Aeria, the intruders of the ruins, so there was no choice but to have such power. Great power, an undead and an absolute being that no one else could handle¡ªa being trapped in these ruins for a time nearing five thousand years. While Davey was deep in thought, he slowly raised his hand. At the same time, the ck magic circle that appeared at his fingertips slowly rose up into the sky, transforming into a giant magic circle. "Imand in the name of the Imperfection Death Lord." Once again, upon hearing the mncholic voices, the soldiers simultaneously unsheathed their weapons and ceremoniously raised their swords to the sky. Since it was a curse cast upon the dead by the divine, only a god could lift such a curse. However, there was one thing that could be done. As everyone stood silent, watching him, Davey slowly continued his words, "I will take upon all the curses inflicted upon you. Even if the curse disappears, the power that remains in your souls won''t be insignificant. Serve me. Follow me. Help me wield the sword." Their influence could only reach this parallel world, but that was sufficient. Along with his words, a dark aura began to pour out from the bodies of all the soldiers and stone statues. It was not just one or two, but the curses of thousands, if not millions or more souls, began to flood into Davey through the magic circle. The content of that curse was simple. It was the eptance of a curse to remain trapped here eternally as the living. At Davey¡¯s choice, not only the Observer, but even the citizens of the Prugrepf Kingdom, who had hoped for salvation, stared at him in surprise. "Lord, the Absolute! Why?!" A curse from the divine could not be undone by anyone other than the divine. Ingesting the curses of the entire kingdom meant Davey could not leave this ce. However, the fact that Goddess Freyja was not intervening in this situation meant her desires aligned with his actions. Even though her influence had weakened, she could not ignore him, who was causing a disturbance, crossing the parallel line. "Ah... Ah!" The mournful voice of the governor kneeling and crying out could be heard, along with the cries of the suffering kingdom''s people. Instinctively, a curse strong enough to shake Davey¡¯s vision engulfed his entire body amidst the jet-ck aura. Davey, who had received the curse through the magic circle, slowly lowered his hand. His entire body had turned pitch ck from the aftermath of the curse, and it med up as if it had turned into fire. The people of the Prugrepf Kingdom, freed from the power that had bound them, trembled. They were unable to leave his side, after he had swallowed all of their curses. "Is this satisfactory?" The King of the Prugrepf civilization, who had promised to save his people but broke his promise and fled, did not answer his call. [Foolish one... There was no need for you to take on that.] "You''re not hiding anymore." [Didn''t you already know who I was? From the moment you first entered these ruins?] "I had a hunch," Davey said quietly with a troubled voice. [It''s not toote. Give it all to me. There''s no reason for you to get wrapped up in this.] "What are you saying?" The Observer fell silent. Yes, the divine curse was indeed dangerous. It couldn¡¯t be undone by anyone but the divine. However, this curse was nothing more than a minor curse issued by the divine. And Davey possessed two powers that could exert influence regarding gods and curses. The taboo of interference that intervened and separated from the power of the gods, and the [Flow Rejection] that had been given by Rho Aias with the effect of curse immunity. As he silently reached out his hand and began to awaken one power within him, everything started to change. The reason the divine curse was powerful was that the divine''s power constantly gave its great willpower to the curse. Therefore, if that link could be severed by any means, the darn curse would be nothing more than a residual without a host. And no matter how much the remnants of such a curse were umted, it did not matter to him. He had another power waiting, which was the curse of Flow Rejection that had been given to him by Rho Aias. Crack... The mass of curse seeping into his body created arge fissure. Not any other being, even his teacher Rho Aias, could mimic this. Only Davey, who had inherited all the powers of the heroes, could handle such aplex operation of power. Before long, it shattered into pieces. Chapter 419

Chapter 419

A forbiddenmand had been imposed on the creatures. From ancient times, it was a realm that should never be vited. [In the name of God, a curse will be cast. Even in death, you will find no rest, forever trapped and suffering.] An arrogant human, driven by a desire to reach the divine, dared to cross a line never meant to be crossed, ultimately invoking the wrath and curse of God. As a result, the living were condemned to istion from the world, forced into the depths of the earth, bing the cursed dead. They were destined to suffer indefinitely, lost and eternally unhealed. The king could only watch helplessly, sighing at the devastating sight. It all began with pure curiosity and the aspiration to propel civilization forward. If the duplication of the Silver Chime seeded, centuries of progress were anticipated. However, the oue left him with a hollow feeling, as it brought nothing but immense pain to his beloved kingdom and its people. Those afflicted by the curse found themselves trapped within the kingdom''s boundaries, enduring ceaseless torment. The king narrowly escaped the curse, but this only deepened his despair. He couldn''t bear the sorrow of knowing that innocent souls had to suffer due to his actions. Yet, amidst his dailymentation, a glimmer of hope appeared. In a dream, he encountered an enigmatic presence... ¡®Leave the kingdom and head east. There, you will find answers.¡¯ Unable to find a way to lift the curse of God, he had made a solemn promise to the suffering people of the kingdom, "I will surely return and save you." With that determination, he embarked on a journey to the east, and 5,000 years psed. In essence, his mission ended in failure. [The east, yes. Where the Holy Kingdom of Valchas is now. There, I received a divine revtion. There is no mercy for those who vite the taboo. Forever be an eye, watching over the world''s flow. All of this was a kind of divine punishment.] As a result, the kingdom of Prugrepf, along with its entire civilization, fell under a curse, and all records of its existence were wiped from the world, turning it into a forgotten civilization that no one knew about. [Time passed and a holy kingdom was built where my body fell. Originally, I could only watch the world flow and the kingdom''s people suffer.] "But it seems to me that you''re talking quite well now." [I don''t know. For some reason, the divine power that blocked my interference has weakened.] So, as Davey manifested the karma of taboo, the weakening of divine influence in the world became an opportunity for the Observer. Originally, the world was not at that level, but in a parallel world, the divine influence weakened unspeakably, and thanks to that, the ancient king was able toe to Davey¡¯s side. "Did you deceive me?" [No, I never thought that someone, who focuses on realistic and practical aspects of life like you, would empathize with their pain and save them.] The problem was that Davey, who hade here to get the Silver Chime,mitted an act that went beyond his expectations. [The curse of God does not disappear unless God withdraws his anger. You shattered that. Can you imagine?] At the voice of the Observer, Davey quietly closed his eyes and murmured, "The one that Princess Aeria absorbed..." [The Silver Chime, the original. The duplicates had all been destroyed under mymand. This is a precious item that can''t be found anywhere else in the world.] It was the only treasure left in the world. [God did not give me the right to approach the dying kingdom people due to the curse, so...] "So?" [I prayed to God, prayed again, and repented for my sins. I prayed desperately, and after about 4,000 years had passed, I was given a chance. I believed that if I could maintain the bnce of this world, God would soothe his anger. Isn''t it ironic? I was asked to bnce when all I could do was watch. It was a deception.] If only he could break the curse, he would do anything, but in reality, he could not interfere beyond being a mere observer. "But recently, an opportunity presented itself." [Indeed, that''s right. Suddenly, as the influence of God weakened, I could at least interfere with my voice. And that''s when I found you, someone from outside the world.] He was willing to use Davey''s power toplete the trade with God, even if it meant giving up the Silver Chime, a treasure of the kingdom. However, he never imagined that the curse could be broken in such a brute way. [But... What are you? How on earth did you break God''s curse...] "There are many things I have hidden. Well, now there''s no need to maintain the bnce and rush." At Davey¡¯s words, the Observer fell silent. [There were many deaths. Weren''t they precious lives too? A tension-filled hell punctuated by hatred and vengeance would have been better.] ". Having watched the world for a long time, he unintentionally came to love it. That was why, even though the curse on the kingdom''s people disappeared and a way to rest was opened to them, he could not easily leave. "Ahh... Ahh... Oh, Sovereign," a y soldier still bearing a crown in its sickly form approached Davey, lowering his head in front of him. "You, unlike the king who betrayed us, are the grand being who has saved us." The kingdom''s people had no idea how desperate their king had been to save them, a secret from the ancient Prugrepf civilization. It was a secret the king himself did not wish to share, considering he was the one who had inflicted long years of suffering upon his people. "Although we obtained the chance to tread the path of reincarnation with the aid of the grand being..." With these words, the statues started to move, bowing their enormous forms to kneel before Davey. The countless y soldiers followed suit, bending their bodies to him as well. "If we cannot repay the grace of the grand being, we are not even worthy of leaving..." His voice, once filled with hatred and madness, had cleared. He continued, "Please... grant us the opportunity to be of service to the grand being." Davey silently closed his eyes. He had already obtained the Silver Chime necessary for Aeria. All that remained was to check her condition during the limited time left and to depart. There was nothing left for him to do in this ce. [Time is short. Stop thinking too much and prepare to leave.] "I was just about to." [If the momentes when you are needed in this world, you will be called upon again. However, now is not that time. Now, it''s just a coincidence.] The deity did not intentionally send Davey to this ce. Instead, upon noticing his arrival, the deity neither reprimanded nor exploited him. Well, it was not a bad oue in retrospect. Due to this encounter, he gained more than he could have expected. "Stop talking nonsense and make your vows. You don''t have much time left." "Ahh... Ahh... Oh, Sovereign." The bowed figures seemed to promise not to hinder his departure. Ignoring them, Davey gently picked up Aeria and exited the dungeon. * * * Aeria showed no signs of waking up. The Silver Chime had the ability to enhance immunity, capable of nullifying any penalties imposed upon her. Carrying a sleeping Aeria on his back, Davey exited the ruins, ignoring the gaze of the governor watching him from the entrance. But he had not gone far before a strange smell filled his nose, the smell of something burning¡­ The first thing he heard was a tremendous boom. Then, he saw a giant ck-scaled creature staring down at him. The massive monster, a ck Dragon, was holding a small pig in its mouth. Upon spotting Davey, it roared furiously, its eyes gleaming. However, the creature''s roar did notst long. Something seemed to distort, and its body copsed on the spot. "A ck Dragon hatchling? Have the demons decided to cause trouble?" Davey muttered, squinting into the empty air. "You told me nobody knew." [Umm¡­] "Given your viewpoint, Observer, you should be able to see clearly what is happening where. Are you still not going to say anything important?" [There are times when ignorance is bliss.] Davey, now stepping into the heart of the vige, could see the ck smoke filling the sky. His baby sister, Aeonitia, who had just given birth not too long ago, must have been there. Even though the Aeonitia of this world had no significant connection to him, that did not mean she had ceased to be Aeonitia. The vige was inplete chaos. Seeing the vige engulfed in mes, Davey quickened his pace and managed to find another survivor, a man. He asked, "What happened?¡± "Attack... From the sky... The demons..." The man, shaking uncontrobly, raised his head. As he finished speaking, the man copsed, seemingly exhausted. "Who told you to die without finishing your sentence?" Woong!!! "Please, bless me with full power, damn Goddess." [9th Level Holy Magic] [High Recovery] "Don''t die on your own ord." Suddenly, arge burst of light began to spread. At the same time, hatchling-ss ck Dragons started to rise and fly in Davey''s direction from all around. These ck Dragons were different from regr hatchlings, as they were affected by magic that prevented them from growing. Despite being young, they were known for their unusual strength, a significant factor in their past fame. They were called the Grimghast, or the ck Dragon Troop, a name of considerable renown. "Ugh...ugh..." The man who had thought he was dead regained consciousness as he was enveloped in the warm light. He stared up at Davey with a nk expression. "What''s going on...?" "Never mind that. What''s the matter? You were dying even before you could speak." At Davey''s words, the man looked at him with a baffled expression, and his eyes widened in surprise. "Answer me." "T-The demons attacked us! They took all the vigers!" Hearing his desperate outcry, Davey nced at the numerous ck Dragons gathering around him as if to encircle him. [Go back to the port city of Valchas. The people here might have been precious to you, but they are from a different world. You have no reason to sacrifice yourself anymore.] Ignoring the Observer¡¯s advice, Davey quietly watched the ck Dragons. Reckless interference would gradually increase the danger. However, hearing that Aeonitia, who had just given birth, had been taken by the demons, something boiled within him. "A human? A human, indeed!" When one of the demons riding on the back of a ck Dragon shouted, another demon pulled out a small piece of paper andpared it to Davey''s face. Due to the magic dispelling upon arriving here, Davey''s current appearance was perfectly identical to his original form. "We found him! This is the human!" The demons would naturally recognize him. The ck Dragons encircled Davey as the shouting demon pointed at him, ready to attack him at any moment. "Where did you take the vigers from here?" At Davey''s question, the demon sneered coldly. "Hah! Human bastard! We''ve got nothing to say to you! Everyone, charge your breaths!" With that shout, the ck Dragons began to gather a cold ck breath in their mouths. It appeared these dragons had evolved from Blue Dragons, known for manipting coldness, into ck Dragons. The surrounding temperature started to plummet. Ten or so ck Dragons surrounded Davey, and dozens more were circling the sky. It was an excessive force to wipe out a small vige. In other words, they were here to find Davey. But how? Before he could ponder that, Davey prioritized protecting Aeria, whom he was holding, from exposure to the cold by spreading a thin veil around her. Seeing him only bow his head without taking any action, the demons seemed to think he had given up and showed a rxed demeanor. "Hah! Are you scared? The chief of staff said to capture you if we can. If you beg for your life right now, we might spare you!" Several ck Dragons thrust their heads forward as if to intimidate and provoke Davey, bellowing loudly. The man who had copsed on the ground began to shudder, seemingly despairing at the sight of the gathering ck Dragons. "It''s over... It''s all over..." It seemed that even though Davey had beaten the Swordmaster as if he were nothing, the survivor thought there was nothing Davey could do now. After a brief consideration, Davey slowly lifted his head and began to gather his magic energy, which was initially suppressed by different forces. "Beg for your life." Upon hearing Davey''s quiet mumble, one of the ck Dragons that locked eyes with him froze. "Imand you in the name of the king." After all, Davey was still the Dark Lord. The Grimghast were ck Dragons that obeyed the Dark Lord''smand absolutely. Which meant, they were all his. "All of you, kneel." Davey¡¯s quiet voice echoed swiftly. Then, after a brief silence, the movements of the ck Dragons began to change. "What, what?! Kaaahh!!!" The ck Dragons, which had thrown off and torn apart the demons on their backs, came down in an orderly manner and started to bow their heads in front of Davey. The remaining demons were left aghast at this absurd situation, their mouths hanging open. They then looked at Davey. "Why are the ck Dragons¡­?" "Why? They''re obeying because their kingmanded them. What could you guys possibly do to refuse?" Confusion started to show on the demons¡¯ faces. Chapter 420

Chapter 420

"Come down." A stern voice that carried a potent magical aura rang out. Boom! The demon, who was struggling to control the resisting ck Dragon, gripped and shook the reins but could not withstand the dragon''s defiance and crashed to the ground. "Argh! Narsha! Why are you doing this... Argh!!" "Snap out of it, Colt! Please, regain your senses, aargh!!" Nevertheless, they were the lucky ones. Those who tried too hard to control the dragon were being bitten and mauled by the enraged beast, losing their lives instantly. Boom!! Soon enough, two, four... eight ck Dragons gathered around him. Watching the ck Dragonsnd before him one after another, as if catching a standard in formation, was a magnificent sight. These ck Dragons were notorious for their ferocity. As they were typically cloned from hatchlings, they tended to rely more on instinct than intelligence, exhibiting a wild animal-like nature. For that reason, Davey had heard from Dark Lord Ares and Thousand-day cksmith Surtr that breeders often got bitten to death. These fierce ck Dragons were precisely the creatures in front of him. "Who said they''re ferocious?" Grrrrr... The ck Dragons, lowly growling and rubbing their snouts against Davey¡¯s hand, were already enamored with him. "Cough..." The demons who had fallen but not died or lost consciousness wore expressions as if they were about to foam at the mouth. Their faces showed disbelief. The very ck Dragons who had bitten their caretakers were now bowing their heads and showing affection to a human boy they were seeing for the first time. To their knowledge, only one being had ever elicited this behavior from ck Dragons¡ªDark Lord Perserque. The ck Dragon Troop only followed the Dark Lord''smands and were structured in such a way that they could not disobey. These mutated hatchling ck Dragons were absolutely loyal to only the Dark Lord, so it was absurd for them to behave this way toward anyone else. There could be only one Dark Lord, especially now with Perserque solidifying her position on the throne. So, from the demons'' perspective, this situation was both perplexing and stifling. [You know, excessive interference won''t benefit you. Please prioritize yourself.] ''How many people care for me as much as I do for myself?''? Briefly thinking, Davey, who had been stroking a dragon''s snout, slowly approached the fallen demon.?"Speak." "Cough... Human..." "Speak. Where did you take the vigers?" At the sh of red in Davey¡¯s eyes, terror filled the demon''s face. "D-Dark Lord..." "Don''t make me ask twice." As Davey asked, spreading his potent magical aura, the fallen demon started trembling and opened his mouth. Despite its weight, the demon had to obey the Dark Lord: it was in their nature. So, this was not a matter of their resistance. "All, all of them were captured... and taken back... to the stronghold. Those who resisted... were killed..." "Enough. I understand. Go to sleep. However, when you wake up, don''t cause any trouble. Just wait as if you''re dead." With that, the demon passed out, overwhelmed by Davey''s magic. And it was not just him: the others were also affected. Considering the low level of their magical capacity, if exposure to this level was enough to make them faint, then Davey did not find it necessary to deal with them. "Wait here." "W-Who are... you?" When the survivor came to his senses, he looked at Davey with a wary gaze. ¡®Oh, right, the illusion magic had worn off.¡¯ "I''m Davey." At the response, the man looked puzzled. But soon after, as Davey covered and then revealed his face with his hand, the man looked startled. "Your face..." "Illusion magic it is. Now you know, you should be hiding like the dead," Davey said calmly as he embraced Aeria and hoisted her onto the back of thergest ck Dragon. He made her sit in front of him, securing her with one arm around her waist to prevent her from falling, then tapped the dragon''s neck. "Alright. Let''s go." He did not specify the destination. However, this ck Dragon, driven only by instincts, seemed to understand Davey¡¯smand. Its wings fluttered, and in no time, it shot up into the sky at an incredible speed. The massive ck Dragon was the lead, followed by dozens of other ck Dragons that also began to take flight. Just after Davey left to find the Silver Chime, the beasts stormed the vige. How did they discover his location? Davey could not tell, but one thing was certain. Those who could not find him were furious, and they had brutally dragged the vigers away, leaving only the Grimghast behind to continue the search for him. So now, he had no choice but to reveal himself, whom they were so desperate to find. * * * Thud!!! "Urgh..." Euris grimaced and fell to the ground under a rough kick. She had been forcibly twisted and bound by her arms, and her face was bruised from several beatings. "Damn it..." Despite her cursing, her eyes did not lose their fiery spirit. Most people had lost hope in this world, wishing for nothing more than to live like the dead. The savior had disappeared, and the gods had forsaken humanity. Now, the ones worshiping gods in the continent were not humans, but demons. The vigers were the same. The people who once had strong wills of resistance had realized reality. They had epted that the continent was no longer for humans, but for demons. They had voluntarily be ves. Euris couldn''t bear it. It all began when a mysterious foreigner appeared. This man suddenly arrived and drove away the demons that threatened their vige. He saved her sister Aeonitia, who was suffering greatly, and expressed a desire for a strange stone that Euris had discovered while scouting the forest. Initially, she was skeptical of his request, but she didn''t want to show ingratitude for his help. So, she gave him the ne containing the stone, and he vanished with the adorable beastfolk who apanied him. Everything seemed fine until the demons invaded and wreaked havoc. These demons, on a relentless search for something, turned out to be the dreaded ck Dragon Squad, the bane of the resistance. With the ck Dragon Squad came a formidable force. The demons rampaged through the forest, growing increasingly frustrated as they failed to find what they sought. In response, they began violently capturing vigers, and many were killed for resisting. Euris was among those who stood up against them. Luckily, she managed to survive. Female prisoners of war served to bolster the morale of the war-weary demons. ''I''d rather bite my tongue and die than be at the mercy of these damned demons!'' she thought. However, choosing suicide wasn''t easy, as she couldn''t bear leaving her weak sister Aeonitia behind, especially after her recent childbirth. Aeonitia was like an older sister to Euris. Despite once being of royal status, she never acted superior, not even withmoners. Instead, she cared for and fretted over everyone, earning their love. Now, she had been forcefully taken away. "Move it!" Thud!! Euris crumpled to the ground once more, her body reeling from the force of a rough kick from behind. She couldn''t help but shoot a defiant re at the demon responsible, but her act of resistance only earned her a severe whipping in return. "You arrogant wench!" "Watch where you''re looking!" Smack! Smack! "Ugh!" Despite enduring the harsh whippings, tears streamed down Euris'' face, a tragic anger welling up within her. The pent-up fury she couldn''t release gnawed at her, causing immense pain. Amidst her suffering, a sudden change in the atmosphere caught her attention. The whipping abruptly ceased, and fear enveloped her as she lifted her head to see a colossal figure standing before her. Her eyes widened in terror, recognizing the dreadful being that had imed the life of thest resistancemander. It was Nyx, the First Lich¡ªa colossal skull that seemed to send shivers through the very souls of those who beheld it. He regarded Euris with his glowing blue eyes and uttered, "A human with a fierce look I like." His words resonated in her mind, unsettling her senses. Struggling to contain her rising nausea, she trembled before the fearsome being. Nyx was the one she feared, the one who had caused such devastation to the resistance. "Speak. What drives you so?" Nyx inquired, but Euris remained silent. "Is it because of them?" He seemed to probe into her mind, gesturing as if unraveling her thoughts. "Kyaa!" Suddenly, another woman appeared, seemingly pulled from elsewhere. "Sister! Master!" The neers were the vige chief and Aeonitia from her vige. The vige chief was badly beaten, with no part of his body spared. Aeonitia, who had recently given birth, was also mistreated, her skirt stained with fresh blood. Seeing them in such a dire state, Euris broke into tears and cursed Nyx. "Damn you, bald-headed creature! I curse you! Even in death, I''ll kill you!" In response to her fear turning into rage, Nyx approached her, intrigued. He gripped her head and said chillingly, "Oveing fear, not bad at all. But you fail to understand one thing." "¡­" "I am the master of the dead, a king. Only the god of the demons, her Majesty, can harm me. Nothing else can." Despite his chilling words, Euris clenched her teeth, tears streaming down her face. "Join me. I''ll grant you power." "Screw you, mad bald-headed skull creature! Why are you doing this? We just want to live quietly in the forest. Why are you doing this to us!!" Hearing her vehement plea, Nyx''s eyes flickered. "The more you resist, the more those you love will suffer." As he spoke, Nyx gestured, and the demons advanced toward the two captives with malevolent grins. They began to brutally attack the vige chief and vite Aeonitia. "No, no!" Triggered by the trauma, Aeonitia screamed in horror, but the demons showed no mercy. "Why are you doing this to us!!!" "Why am I doing this¡­?" Nyx let out a chillingugh as he muttered, "It''s just bad luck. That small vige held no interest for me. But you, you have quite an affinity with mana. If you are stimted a little, you could be very strong." Euris was overwhelmed with anger at his absurd justification. In despair, she wanted to cry, but instead, she reached out and grabbed Nyx''s skull. "Damn you, bald-headed skull creature! Okay! I get it! Just leave those two alone!!" In the end, it was surrender. At Euris'' desperate plea, Nyx raised his hand, and the beatings stopped, along with the demons'' actions toward Aeonitia. "Good. Follow me." "What exactly are you nning to do with me?" "The Unrivaled Angel Project. It was left iplete due to a runaway test subject in the past, but with your participation, it could bepleted." Euris cared little for the Unrivaled Angel Project or anything else. ¡®But if the two are safe for now...¡¯ With that thought, Euris slowly took the hand that Nyx extended to her. . A ck aura coiled like a snake, seeping into her entire body. "The contract isplete." Nyx turned and began to move, and like jesters following a scripted y, the demons resumed their actions, moving along with him. "Ah!!!" "Stay still!!" Pound, pound!! On one side, the beating resumed once more. Seeing this, Euris was shocked and screamed, "Chief!! Sister!! This isn''t what we agreed on! Leave them alone!!" At her desperate scream, Nyx halted his step, turning back to face her. He then clicked his tongue disdainfully. "You have already epted my offer. The erosion of your mind isplete, resistance is pointless." Euris looked at him with a hardened expression. "What do you mean¡­?" "And did you really think that losers like you have any rights? Pathetic human." Nyx''s chilling words cut through the air, mocking her situation. At Nyx''s cold words, tears streamed down Euris''s face. ''Please... Please... Someone, anyone, please...¡¯ She wanted to be saved from this hell. If there really was a god, she wanted to grab him by the cor and beg. ¡®Please, someone, help. ¡® Contrary to her thoughts, as Nyx had said, Euris¡¯ physical body was moving on its own, controlled by a strange power. "I am the king of the dead, the king of golems. I do not grant self-consciousness to my puppets," Nyx proimed. At his words, Euris gasped for breath and bit her lips forcefully. Her body, under Nyx''s control, was pushed to its limit as she clenched her lips in frustration and despair. Suddenly, Euris noticed Nyxing to a halt. He appeared to be blocked by someone¡ªa boy considerably shorter than him. The boy was a stranger with ck hair and eyes that had a reddish tint. Euris wondered where he came from and when he had appeared. The boy''s smile seemed familiar to her. Yes, it was simr to the smile of the man who had suddenly appeared before them earlier. "Quite a chatterbox, aren¡¯t you?" Davey said to Nyx. Nyx grumbled under his breath, taken aback by the boy''s presence. "Hm?" The boy''s smile deepened at the sound of Nyx''s voice. "Agreed. There are no rights for losers." In the demon¡¯s base, a human had appeared out of nowhere. Then, Euris recognized him. He was the same mysterious man who had helped Aeonitia and taken the ne. Somehow, his appearance had changed, but he seemed more natural than before. "A human? Where did youe from?" Nyx questioned, looking down at the boy. He found no one like the boy among the humans the demons had captured. Then, he murmured, "Hmm¡­ You have quite a vessel for mana too. Follow me and then¡­" "To be honest, I am not desperate enough to serve under a bonehead lich like you." Surrounded by demons, in front of his greatest enemy, the boy¡¯s words were bold. The area was already filled with demons who surrounded the boy, and he was facing Nyx, the ultimate power among demons. Yet, the boy seemed so rxed. Even including the rebelmander, many who faced Nyx had perished without inflicting serious damage. Euris wanted to scream that he should run and that the giant skull in front of him was not something he could face alone, but she found herself unable to speak. And, just as Euris feared, Nyx began to emanate a great power, as if he were about to pass judgment on the overly confident human. "Fearless human! I don¡¯t know how you got in, but by my will, you are a creature that is neither alive nor dead¡­" "Geez, you talk too much. You''re just a hollow skull." There was a short silence, then Nyx''s eyes red. Simultaneously, the ground twisted into a massive mouth, as if to swallow the boy whole. Nyx¡¯s instinctively unleashed power hindered movement. In front of the overwhelming power difference, the boy¡¯s future seemed to be nothing but being swallowed by the giant mouth. Was this madman aware of where he is?! Just as Euris was about to scream, she froze due to the unfolding situation. It was not just her, everyone else was the same. The giant mouth in the ground that was about to swallow the boy suddenly halted at a certain distance, as if resisting the will of its conjurer. "You were just unlucky, Nyx," the boy said, echoing Nyx¡¯s own words to Euris. The boy seemed to know Nyx well. "Don¡¯t you recognize me? I¡¯m pretty familiar to you. Just think of it as dying due to bad luck." With those words, everything began to change. From the boy who was not feeling anything at all, a power that seemed to change the world began to emanate along with his smile. Then, Nyx¡¯s giant skeletal body wobbled for a moment, and began to crumble. What was happening was unclear, but one thing was certain. From Nyx''s mouth came a voice that sounded incredulous. "It... can''t... be..." On the other hand, the voice of the boy, who was the cause of the situation, was extremely rxed. "It can be, stupid." Chapter 421: The Monster Synchronized with the Princess of the Abyss

Chapter 421: The Monster Synchronized with the Princess of the Abyss

After a long time, First Lich Nyx resurrected, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he controlled the entire geopoliticalndscape of the continent. Unlike other liches, the source of his immortality lied in his ability to transfer hosts¡ªa power that reached the 8th Circle, or so they said. Although Reina stated that he belonged to the 8th Circle, she was unable to discern the extent of Nyx''s power. ¡®Had he grown in the meantime? Or did he reach the 9th Circle as soon as he woke up from his seal?¡¯ Davey slowly approached Nyx, who had far more mana than could be attributed to a mere 8th Circle ck mage. Of course, it did not matter whether he was in the eighth or 9th Circle. His power was truly an astonishing achievement, but luck was not always on Nyx¡¯s side. "I''m confident in a battle of strength." It was necessary to remind those who relied only on their quantity of devil mana and dared to fight that life was a real battle. "Ugh?!" As Nyx tried to suppress Davey with his magic, he was shocked when his own power was suppressed in a split second, iling wildly as his eyes shook. At the same time, dozens, hundreds of ck spheres began to form around Nyx. "How dare you humiliate me! I will ensure you do not have afortable death!!" Enraged, Nyx moved his hand, sending the ck spheres flying toward Davey. "Danger!!" The warning cry came from Euris, who had been knocked down at a distance. Nevertheless, Davey did not consider avoiding it and instead continued to approach Nyx. Excessive intervention could lead Davey to a situation from which he could not escape. In other words, even with a lot of power, recklessly using it could make it hard to handle the aftermath. Therefore, Davey had been regting his power to a certain extent. However, Nyx was a bit of an exception. As the instigator of this entire war and the link that perpetuated the endless hatred, it was problematic to leave him as he was. Unlike the peace-seeking Perserque, Nyx desired theplete annihtion of one side. ''At least if Perserque is the woman I know, if Nyx dies and his control disappears, she will be able to decide for herself.'' If Nyx died, the restrictions imposed on Perserque would disappear. He had been the one to have the most significant impact on her resurrection. Ultimately, the peace-loving Dark Lord would prefer to stop the war now and maintain the status quo rather than having one side annihted. At least Perserque, whom Davey knew, would put an end to the war. [Dispel] The light wave of magic spread from Davey''s body, causing the ck spheres around Nyx to evaporate as if they were disappearing all at once. "What... What is this?!" "What do you mean what? It''s dispel." Dispel. It was magic that forcibly canceled the opponent''s magic, but usually, it was necessary to have a skill that was at least two circles above the target magic for dispel to be applied without any problem. The problem was that the magic Nyx had just used... was the 8th Circle. In other words, one would need to reach the 9th Circle or above to erase his magic. Davey knew his own limits well, but in general, it was difficult to estimate and ept the limit of the power he held. "Dis...Dispel? You say it''s dispel? Don''t make meugh. How dare you mock me?!" "Mocking or not, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?" "The dispel spell cancels magic that is at least two circles lower! In theory, it''s impossible to dispel 8th Circle magic!" Nyx''s horrified outburst felt like d¨¦j¨¤ vu. In fact, Nyx, who had been utterly destroyed by Davey before, had said the same thing. It was theoretically impossible to dispel 8th Circle magic. Davey had not expected any novelty from him, but the repetition made it seem banal. "Isn''t it a bit arrogant to dere something impossible just because you can''t do it?" Approaching him with a calm demeanor, Davey saw confusion writrge on his face as he let out a roar and started hurling magic at him like a madman. Starting from the 7th Circle Dark Hole, there were even spells from the 8th Circle mixed in. His power to cast multiple spells at once was truly fascinating. However, was what Nyx could do something Davey could not? In total, Davey had tried 13,372 times, battling the illusion created specifically to kill Nyx. Davey had fought to the point where he knew the number of holes in Nyx''s bones, so Davey was familiar with his patterns. Suddenly, the massive ck fissure rising to engulf Davey warped and shattered. It was a dispel of all the numerous spells that he had cast. Considering that it was more difficult to break a spell than to cast one, there was only one answer this result could provide - Davey was now at a level far beyond that of Nyx''s magic. "It''s impossible!!!" Nyx cried out in fury, stretching out one hand. At the same time, a skeletal bone appeared in his hand, and he began to form a sword that resembled a lightsaber. Screaming in disbelief that all his magic had been blocked, he rose and charged at Davey. Then he began swinging his ck sword at Davey. Of course, whether he wielded a sword or magic, it did not matter to Davey. After all, Nyx was going to die here. As the ck sword aimed at Davey''s throat came within reach, Davey''s hand shed. A red afterimage and a blue afterimage engulfed the entire area. It was Blue Ribbon, one of the twin swords, unleashing its power. In an instant, Nyx¡¯s defensive magic shattered, and Red Ribbon¡¯s energy cleanly sliced through Nyx''s body. "You... Bastard." As Nyx crumbled like cleanly cut bamboo sliding down, Davey shook off his swords. "Who... are you¡­?" Nyx stammered. If he was not an idiot, he would know after his battle against Davey that Davey¡¯s power was insurmountable. Nyx''s eyes, once full of distrust and arrogance, were now filled with confusion and fear. Was he, the immortal, feeling fear? While it was aughable thought, the fear he felt was not for his death, but for the potential disruption of all his ns by a single individual. "I have never heard of... a human like you... and you have never appeared before." "It''s natural to be weak when you forget about war and get used to peace," Davey said. Nyx was a being from the era of Sword Lord Ares 3000 years ago. Even in a world filled with overwhelmingly powerful beings, he was infamous, and so he was the one who could understand Davey''s words the best. "In fact, the demons won on this continent, but I have no intention of reversing all of that." Whether the demons won or the humans did, it was all part of the flow. There was no issue with the bnce of the world itself. Did the Goddess Freyja create the Dark Lord and his antagonist for no reason? "We can''t determine the end. Tell me! What are you!" Nyx yelled as if having a seizure. In response, Davey approached him, emitting a dark aura from his hand. Nyx''s life source was his power to transfer hosts. Even if he were cut by Red Ribbon, his soul would escape and cause a dimensional rift before dying from the cut. His tenacity for life was truly astounding. To kill him, Davey would need the arrow that Surtr had created. But Davey did not have that arrow. So how was he to kill Nyx? In his original world, he had used a gem to briefly acquire his current power, but without Surtr''s arrow, there was no way to kill him. If he could not silence himpletely, the only option was to seal him awaypletely so that no one could release him. As Davey was unfolding the magic circle in front of a subdued Nyx, no one could understand or interrupt the situation. The power that Nyx was emitting was certainly enough to suppress the surroundings, but the aura that Davey was emitting was iparably more powerful. "Did Sword Lord Ares have a hard time sealing you away?" "How... do you..." "How do I know? I heard it from you. Is there something special about that?" Even though his words were more boastful than real, Nyx could not blindly deny them anymore. The reality unfolding in front of his eyes felt like a lie, making the lies seem like the truth and the truth feel like lies. Sword Lord Ares could not use magic, so when he sealed Nyx away, he had to weaken Nyx first and then have arge number of high circle mages seal him away. But that was not enough for a perfect seal. There was a limit to each mage''s individual abilities. [9th Circle Grand Barrier] A massive wave of mana, enough to surpass the 9th Circle, began to spill over, spreading outward as if to envelop Nyx. Soon after, dozens of chains emerged from the ground, starting to bind and wrap around his shattered skeleton. "Arrrrgh! I cannot be sealed again! I cannot fall back into that terrifying darkness!" "Do losers have a choice?" Quoting Nyx¡¯s own words back at him, Davey solidified his magic, then released devil mana and divine power simultaneously. [9th Circle Dark Magic] [Soul Shackles] Chains rattled and nged as the devil mana epassed Nyx, including the grand barrier magic circle. "I will surely return! Do you think I can''t escape a second time?" "You talk too much," Daveymented calmly, beginning to draw upon his divine power. If the abyss and the original world were two sides of a coin, the ce Davey now upied was equivalent to the part that was between the two sides. This meant that he was in the central part, which was rted to both sides. The problem was that the influence of the gods in this peculiar world was significantly weaker than in the original world. It was uncertain whether he would see proper results, but giving up was not an option. [Oh Lord, who scrutinizes all, Goddess Freyja. Your humble servant implores you for strength. Please grant it.] As divine power began to spill out, Nyx, who was being dragged into the ground by the shackles, let out a groan. "This is impossible... Absolutely impossible¡­ It can''t be." [9th Circle Holy Magic Barrier] [Deus Sanctuary] Using holy magic, he blocked the inflow of devil mana that would have given strength to Nyx''s resurrection. Completely isted, Nyx let out a desperate voice. "Following magic... dark magic... and now divine power too... How is such a phenomenon possible...?" "I can make it possible. So, shut up. You''re noisy." Holy magic enveloped him. Davey cast a barrier of elemental magic to trap Nyx temporarily andyered the grand barrier with a mix of 9th Circle dark magic and 9th Circle holy magic. He did not stop there. From the void, he summoned a bell branch and sutra streamer, which danced through the air like threads. Hundreds of charms made of light were simultaneouslyunched into the sky, soon raining down and piercing the ground around them with sharp precision. [1st Grade Binding Arts] [The Taiji Yin-Yang Orb] The powers within Davey resonated and trembled all at once, creating the Taiji symbol beneath him. Simultaneously, linked with the charms, it produced a band of light. "No, no... let me go. Human! I cannot be pulled back in again!" Nyx''s voice started to distort as his physical form began to be sucked into the ground. The surroundingndscape warped, and in the ce where Nyx was being sealed, a gigantic stone statue began to form. It was a cross, symbolizing a god, supported by massive pirs. "Rot in there forever." There was only one way for him to break free: either a being stronger than Davey would have to appear and shatter his magic circle, or Blue Ribbon would have to sh through this barrier more than half a dozen times. Davey had already overstepped with his interference to this degree. Any further would be outright recklessness, but having sealed him was enough. All of Nyx''s power in this world had begun to disappear. It was at this moment, while Davey was leisurely wrapping up his magic and Nyx''s spirit was ring at him, not yet fully absorbed, when a shadow filled the sky. Nyx¡¯s gaze met the sky. Then, with a voice full of joy, he eximed, "Grimghast! Oh... It''s Grimghast! The loyal servants of the Dark Lord! Even a monster like you can''t block their attack while casting such powerful magic!!" At Nyx''s shout, Davey elerated his magic while stroking his own chin. "True, I can''t kill you, but I''ve put a lot of effort into making sure you can''t break this seal. I don''t have the capacity to focus elsewhere." "Attack, Grimghast! Attack this monstrous human! Just a small opening is enough! Hurry!" Even the smallest gap would allow Nyx to escape his domain. That was what he was aiming for. Grimghast was a being that followed the Dark Lord''s orders, and would never betray him. But, contrary to what Nyx had expected, he was utterly astonished by what happened next. "What, what is this?!" The ck Dragons, who followed no demons other than the Dark Lord,nded around Davey as if saluting, and began to bow their heads to him. "The ck Dragons... Why would they¡­?" "Why indeed." As Nyx was beingpletely sucked into the ground, Davey gave a sly grin. He patted one of the ck Dragons on the snout, summoning the power most familiar to Nyx. Nyx''s eyes twitched. "The Dark Lord''s... hierarchy..." "Allow me to introduce myself. I''m Davey, the newly appointed Dark Lord from another world." "What..." "Even if we''re not from the same world, as a demon, you cannot simply ignore the Dark Lord''s devil, right?" There could not be two Dark Lords at the same time. But if there were Dark Lords in different worlds, the demons ended up in an ambiguous position where they could not ignore either. Davey''s existence was nothing but a source of confusion for them. Chapter 422

Chapter 422

Being a demon that had served the Dark Lord''s throne all his life, this was the most confusing situation for Nyx. The human, who was at war with the demons, harbored the power of the Dark Lord. Nyx looked more confused and bewildered than ever before. "Are you confused?" Davey asked. Nyx seemed at a loss for words at Davey¡¯s question. "How can a human¡­?" "The demons follow the Dark Lord. Although hismand isn''t absolute, it carries significant influence," Davey exined, to which Nyx fell silent. "If the Dark Lord is not in his right mind, then who would stop him? It''s the demons, above all else, who should stop him.¡± "Dark Lord usurpation," Nyx finally seemed to understand the situation. "But that is a privilege bestowed upon the demons! Unless the Dark Lord has gone mad, he would never agree to such a conflict!" His outcry bore his firm belief in the demons. With a sly smile, Davey touched the structures, the ck pir created from the 1st Grade Binding Arts, and the cross imbued with divine power, pulling Nyx toward the ground. Despite his desperate struggle to escape as he was drawn into the manyfoldbined sealing formation, it was futile resistance. Nyx was just incredibly unlucky, nothing more. "Did you ever consider that there might be other demons who did not agree with your methods?" Davey asked coldly as he pressed down on Nyx¡¯s skull slowly being drawn into the ground. "Times have changed, and there are demons who do not want war." "It''s sophistry, human! The demons must never forget! The tragedy of being defeated by humans and banished to that dreadful ce in the past!" "The war started with you, bastard." At Davey¡¯s words, a sh of realization sparkled in Nyx¡¯s eyes. "Did you think I wouldn''t know? Want me to spell out how disgusting it is that you caused all these atrocities?" "No... No! We demons..." "And yet," Davey cut Nyx off, continuing to press his skull into the ground. "From the standpoint of loyal subjects truly following their king, you are just a usurper manipting the king at will." ¡°¡­¡± "Your former king, Perserque, ascended to the throne dreaming of harmony, but both sides were dragged into war because of you. If you had any conscience, you should have stopped it from happening twice. If you understand, think it over. You should be grateful that there''s not a single hair left on that skull." Here''s the corrected version with proper grammar: Had there been any hair present, Davey would have made him experience the disappearance of those precious roots and the eternal struggle of balding. At Davey¡¯s final words, he was dragged into the ground, speechless. Considering the state of this continent, Nyx probably would never be awakened from the seal. That might change if the magic faded after a long time, but that was another story. The First Lich, Nyx, had the power to sever dimensions when his physical body was destroyed, to free his soul, and to transfer it to another host. To kill him, a Surtr-made arrow was required, but that was not the only option. Self-annihtion might be a choice he would consider, given the torment he had undergone through his interaction with Davey. As Davey silently watched Nyx¡¯s annihtion, he then turned to the ck Dragons awaiting hismand. "Kill all the demons, demonic beasts, and infected monsters. However, don''t chase those who flee." As soon as Davey¡¯s words fell, dozens of mutated dragon hatchlings took flight. The ck Dragons began to rise. The brutal and powerful ones started to destroy anything in their path. Following his orders, they attacked all beings excluding humans. A great massacre had begun. The demons that served Nyx were mostlymon soldiers, making up the majority of the demons. The main force had always been the Grimghast (ck Dragon Squad), and Nyx¡¯s temporary venture here was simply due to an odd suspicion. Walking silently amidst the screams, Davey looked down at the two women who were sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, looking at Davey as if he was death itself. Unlike the vige chief who had lost consciousness due to the beating, Aeonitia was holding back tears, and Euris, who endured the beatings, was still conscious. Pulling out a nket from the pocket ne, Davey wrapped Aeonitia and said quietly, "Hang in there." As a faint light seeped into her body, her wounds began to heal rapidly. It was too cruel a punishment for a woman who had just given birth. As soon as Davey cut the ropes binding Aeonitia''s arms, she clung to him desperately. "My children! They are still held captive!" Davey nodded at her desperate cries. "Wait here." "Please... Please..." In the face of her desperate pleas, he knew she had no one else to ask for help, regardless of who he was or what his identity was. After freeing Euris'' hands from the rope that had bound her, Davey quickly cast a high-level healing magic on the vige chief and her. Then he turned his head. Instantly, his senses heightened, and he began to perceive the entire vast outpost in his vision. Davey was able to locate two newborns, seemingly lifeless, trapped inside a small test tube. [This is an order. Bring the children to me.] No sooner had his will been conveyed to the ck Dragons than a massive explosion sounded from one side. The ck Dragon Troop, flying around and wreaking havoc on the outpost with their breath and rough ws, disyed an almost ghostly power. Whooosh!!! Roaaaar!! The ck Dragons, carryingrge test tubes in their mouths, returned. Davey took the tubes from them, shattered the freezing magic on the test tubes, and extracted the two infants. They were alive but greatly weakened. Although he could revive them fully with his divine power, the coagted blood would remain hardened for their lifetime. After contemting for a while, Davey sighed briefly and immediately ced his hand on the children''s stomach, pulling up his mana or, rather, refined internal energy. "You''ve got a chance," he dered. [Systemic Acupressure Forced Cirction] Almost instantly, the internal energy coursing through the lower body started to prate the middle body. Then, without hesitation, he pushed it further into the upper body, where even a slight mishandling could result in paralysis or instantaneous death. Once they could stand and walk on their own, they would likely be exceptionally talented children. This was a technique that could only be used on newborns who had met certain conditions and could only be performed by Davey in his current state. Whether it was magic, swordsmanship, or any other skill, if they put in the effort, they would be hailed as geniuses in no time. It was almost like a guaranteed talent voucher. If this fact became known on the continent, it would certainly make for an interesting situation. Eventually, as their inner energy started to move quickly toward their upper body, the two children vomited blood. Without dy, Davey carried out first aid to ensure the flowing blood did not block their airways and approached Aeonitia. "Oh, my children, my children..." Aeonitia, sobbing and hugging her children, was uncaring of her own exhausted body and the significant pain it was in from the ordeal. It was motherhood. It was incredibly baffling how this small child could be a mother so devoted to her own children. With a thunderous roar, the cacophony gradually began to subside. Atst, things started to settle down. Looking up at the many ck Dragons soaring in the sky, Davey nced briefly at a fallen demon lying dead. War was not a good thing, especially if it resulted from a dispute over power. "How much longer do we have?" Davey asked. [If you are asking about how much remains, it''s quite abstract. Just know that we''re near the limit. It''s impossible to dismantle any more superior demons. You''ll be okay because you have that unknown dark power, but the girl with you will be bound here and slowly fade away.] ¡®Having been forgotten by everyone around her, she had lost her memory, and only now had it resolved, but now everyone around her forgets her?¡¯ Davey had no such intention. "Seems like we need to explore some intriguing possibilities," Daveymented, lightly pulling out a strand of hair. ¡®Oh, the pity of my hair¡­¡¯ He threw the hair into the air, and with a whoosh, a minor force emanated from his body, creating a being identical to him. It was one of his illusions, a clone technique. Though the power contained within this clone was incredibly insignificant, it did not matter as it was not created to kill an opponent. Silently staring at the clone, Davey lightly linked minds with the figure and moved his hand. His punch and the clone''s punch collided cleanly as if they were synchronized. "Bro, work hard," they both said. Davey''s strength did not only lie in brute force; he was also a master at making use of the situation with quick wit. Watching the clone, who responded with the same voice and tone, Davey seemed satisfied. Ignoring the ridiculous nces from the people around him, he sent his clone off on one of the ck Dragons. "Go to the demon''s home base. From there, proceed to where Dark Lord Perserque is." If Nyx''s power had been cut off, then there was a high likelihood that Perserque had regained her free will. War was not good. If he could not stop the war himself, he could just force the war to stop. He would use the power of the inhabitants of this world, not his own. * * * "Huh?!" The sudden change made the silver-haired girl lying on the bed open her eyes wide. "Huff...Huff..." Perserque struggled painfully to breathe, slowly touching her horns and wiping off the sweat beading on her forehead. "The restraint... it''s gone..." The First Lich, Nyx, was a radical among the radicals, dreaming of a world by demons, for demons. Although the demons had lost the war against humans and were driven to an artificial demon world, that was 3,000 years ago. Having adapted to the artificial demon world, they had returned to the continent of Tionis and won many territories through war. Now, there were those who imed that any more war was pointless. Perserque was against war itself, but Nyx did not leave her will alone. He had manipted her, even if it meant deceiving all the demons, and caused this situation. During her resurrection, Perserque had no choice but to follow Nyx''s words due to some trick he had done to her physical body. She could not shake off the bitter emotions about all the tragedies that had happened since then. Now, at least, she needed to stop the war. Any more sacrifices were meaningless. She did not even need to consider why Nyx''s control had been cut off. Either he was dead, or his power had been sealed to not reach her. The culprit was not hard to guess. It must have been the human who had destroyed the Divine Tree and who possessed that strange power. The fact that such a being still existed among humans, for some reason, brought her relief. "Your Majesty, I beg your pardon." Perserque, who had been grimacing in pain and groaning bitterly, looked at the two subi approaching her as if they had been waiting. Two subi dressed in traditional maiden dresses lifted Perserque emotionlessly, stripped her of her clothing, and dressed her in the neat attire of a Dark Lord. Supporting the clearly exhausted woman, they led her to the battlefield where the demons had gathered. "The Dark Lord has arrived!!" A single demon soldier''s shout drew everyone''s attention. Many beings, including upper demons and Grand Duke Astaroth, could be seen. They were demons who hade en masse from the artificial demon world. On one side, there were also vampires who had remained in the human world and conducted numerous operations. Quietly clenching her fist and sighing, she slowly moved to the throne and sat down, looking at them, and slowly opening her mouth. Chapter 423

Chapter 423

"Thanks for gathering," Perserque mumbled in an exhausted voice. As she spoke, she looked around at the demons, vampires, and all the races that were favorable toward demons. "As expected, it''s only right to attend if Your Majesty calls. Please do not worry about us." Many demons, starting with Grand Duke Astaroth, bowed their heads in respect. Watching the demons, Perserque remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking. "First, we need to receive reports..." "Yes, let''s start with the technical area. We have transported many valuable books, including technical and magical ones, which were hidden in the past human civilization, to our main castle. We expect that these will greatly help improve the quality of life for our kind." A young demon gave the first report, followed by a female demon. "Following your order, we have sessfully captured seven fortresses of the still resisting Orc rebels. Now, they only have three natural fortresses and one Orc king''s castle left. We are ready to attack at any time at yourmand." Various reports followed, covering funds, migration, and the situation of the war. Finally, Astaroth stepped forward to give a report that was bound to throw everyone into confusion. "Your Majesty... we''ve lost contact with Chief of Staff Nyx." "What...?" "Huh..." Despite the surprised murmurs of the demons, Astaroth continued his report with a calm demeanor. "He definitely went to capture the human who had rudely interfered with your body and cut off the lifeline of the dying Divine Tree with Grimghast (ck Dragon Troop)." Perserque nodded. "It seems that something went wrong." Perserque nodded again, her expression unreadable. It seemed quite certain that Nyx was either dead or, at the least, sealed in a manner equivalent to death. The revolting feeling that had been infiltrating her mind and controlling her waspletely gone. "Grand Duke Astaroth." As Perserque¡¯s smooth, beautiful voice flowed, Astaroth respectfully bowed his head. "What does it seem like to you?" "From a cold, calcted viewpoint, there is no one who could kill the chief of staff alone. He, unlike other immortals, is the true immortal itself. Killing him is nearly impossible." Astaroth continued calmly, "So, the only usible exnation is that Chief of Staff Nyx has embarked on a secret mission using the ck Dragon Troop..." Considering that he could not be dead, it could only be interpreted that Nyx was pretending to be dead to carry out some task. "No, Chief of Staff Nyx is dead." ". "What...?" "If not, he has been sealed in a manner equivalent to death." Perserque held her throbbing head with one hand. Although the difort of Nyx''s mental intrusion was gone, she had a nagging headache, probably due to overexertion. "Your Majesty! What is this?! There has been no report yet!" Astaroth shouted in surprise. The other demons seemed to have trouble believing Perserque¡¯s words too. It was understandable because, for the demons, Nyx was an absolute being. "Chief of Staff Nyx is dead? That''s impossible, Your Majesty!" "Indeed!" "Are you servants of Nyx or of me?" Perserque quietly asked them, watching their confusion. Silence fell upon the room. "So, you all blindly trust Nyx instead of me.¡± "That, that is..." In the strictly hierarchical society of demons, this was unthinkable. Amid the chaos, someone moved first. "Your Majesty, please take my life!" Seeing Astaroth clutching his head, begging for mercy, Perserque frowned. Despite her thoughts, she continued to speak. "You don''t know what Chief of Staff Nyx has done to my body when he resurrected me." "What did he...?" "He vited the hierarchy of demons andmitted treason." ¡®If Nyx is dead, I would rather make use of it, even if it''s to end this endless war we will face in the future. We can''t continue like this. If we exterminate humans any further, it will disrupt the rtionship between the Dark Lord and the antagonist. The moment that happens... the monsters would open their eyes,¡¯?Perserque thought as she sighed. "Your Majesty! Treason? What do you mean¡­?" "Isn''t the one who ced chains and constraints on the Dark Lord''s flesh, controlling her to their liking, a traitor?" Perserque asked, her voice chilling. "Impossible." "Can''t you believe the words of your Dark Lord?" The hall fell silent at Perserque¡¯s chilly question. Only for a moment, annoyance could be seen on the face of Gluttony, the leader of the radical vampire faction. ''So it was him,'' Perserque thought. Underplete mind control, she could not exercise any free will. From simple meals to sleep, every aspect of her life had been controlled by Nyx. It was truly infuriating, but since he had already disappeared, Perserque had to consider what woulde next. Nyx did not mastermind all of this wicked scheme alone. The leader of the radical vampires, Gluttony, must have yed his part too. "Lord Vampire Gluttony. You don''t look too pleased." "Not at all, Your Majesty." Perserque, who had been silently ring at his short reply, turned her head away. "Really¡­" "But, Your Majesty, the presence of Chief of Staff Nyx alone strengthened us demons¡­" Gluttony was cut off. Suddenly, the hall door opened, and a subusdy rushed in. If other subi were brimming with sexual charm, she had an unusually pure and innocent beauty among them. "Haa¡­ Haa¡­" "Liline!" Astaroth, surprised by Liline¡¯s sudden arrival, called out and ran to her. Among the demons, Grand Duke Astaroth was known to be extraordinarilyposed. However, he showed a caring side for his daughter-inw, the subus Liline Orlouge. Liline Orlouge, although she had superior power among the subi, was a bit of an oddity, being uncharacteristically gentlepared to others. "Your, Your Majesty, I''m sorry! I have an urgent report¡­" Just as the other demons were about to speak, seeing the visibly cowering Liline, Perserque raised her hand to silence them. Shen then said, "Speak." "It''s¡­ A human has arrived." "What?" The hall fell silent at Liline¡¯s report. "A human who ims to have killed Nyx has appeared here, alone. And he has even brought a brutal ck dragon that listens to no one but your orders." Astonishment crept on everyone''s faces. Perserque herself was silent, not fully grasping the situation. "A human hase?" "Yes, he wants to meet Your Majesty¡­" "Where is he now?" "He epted his arrest without resistance. He is being escorted here, but¡­" At Liline¡¯s words, the demons rose in an uproar. "It''s dangerous, Your Majesty!" "Send me, please! Let me sever the insolent human''s head in one stroke!" When the massive demon general shouted, simr voices echoed from all sides. Most had the same opinion that Nyx had the strongest power among the demons. Despite Perserque possessing great magical skills, her physical condition here could not live up to her past glory. But the reason the demons followed her was that, among the remaining demons, Perserque could still demonstrate overwhelming power. Nheless, if the one who killed even Nyx came in here without resistance and caused a ruckus, they could not predict what could happen. "No, call him in." However, Perserque made a different choice. With the control of Nyx gone, she believed that this incident of a humaning could be a great opportunity¡­to end this pointless war. "Your, Your Majesty!" "Are you afraid of a single human? Were you just scarecrows without the traitor Nyx?" The demons froze as if they had been struck dumb. With a small blow to the demons¡¯ pride, Perserque achieved what she wanted and turned her gaze toward panting Liline. She asked, "Have you confirmed his power?" "That is¡­ We have not been able to confirm¡­" "Let him in." With those words, Liline exited the hall once again. Not long after, a unique presence entered the hall filled with numerous demons. A young human boy casually walked in. Though bound in ck chains, the expression on the boy''s face was surprisingly calm. He was too young. Humans were a species that aged. While metamorphosis was said to halt aging, the boy looked too young to have experienced it; he seemed to be not even in his twenties. ¡°Perserque.¡± Perserque sent aplicated gaze at the boy who was addressing her with a strange sentiment. ¡°Nyx is dead, so there¡¯s no one left to manipte you at their whim. That''s why I came.¡± ¡°You..." ¡°Surrender, Perserque. If you surrender now, I¡¯ll spare your life,¡± he said, as if he knew her very well. The demons began to shout in anger at the boy¡¯s words. * * * ¡°That, that insolent! Daring to... Our queen!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Please kill that insolent human immediately! We cannot believe that Chief of Staff Nyx was killed by such a young human!¡± The shouts were intense. There must have been no mana sensed from Davey in their eyes. He stored only a minimum amount of mana in his clone, so even if they tried to sense it, they would only perceive a trivial amount. Despite the terrible murderous intent pouring out, Davey leisurely moved forward. There was nothing to regret since he had no risk of losing his life. However, he did have a means to casually crush their thoughts. nk!!! Davey nonchntly took out a small wand from his pocket and tossed it to the floor. ¡°That, that is!¡± ¡°The Abyssal Hole!!¡± It was one of Chief of Staff Nyx''s favorite weapons and was his symbol. ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± With a wide grin, Davey took a step forward and said calmly, ignoring the fact that his arms were chained. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you, if you surrender, I¡¯ll spare your life?¡± ¡°Human! How dare you, in this ce!¡± Boom!!!! Responding to Davey, a giant demon rushed over, grabbed Davey¡¯s cor, and hoisted him into the air. ¡°You really have guts, human! How dare you spit such nonsense to the queen! What color is your blood? I will see it right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s red, so don¡¯t be curious.¡± Thud¡­ The demon''s grip was undoubtedly powerful, but Davey broke free just by tapping his arm a few times and then spoke to Perserque. ¡°Nyx wouldn¡¯t have known that this war cannot continue any further.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°But you know, don¡¯t you?¡± Perserque''s face turned pale. Compared to when they first met, she seemed really lively. She was tired due to resignation, but it was different from when she was being controlled by Nyx''s power. ¡°If you don¡¯t want every demon on this continent, and every human, to die, end the war here. Do as you wish with half the continent you have consumed.¡± ¡°You... Who on earth are¡­¡± ¡°Curious about who I am? Or, do you need a realistic alternative?¡± There was a moment of turmoil for the demons who could not follow the conversation between Davey and Perserque. ¡°The war is pointless from here on. You would know that; the Abyssal ones are not ordinary species. If you insist on continuing the war here.¡± Of course, it may not be easy to just convince the demons with words. In that case, Davey would just have to bluff. ¡°I¡¯ll have no choice but to side with the humans and chase all of you back to that artificial demon world.¡± ¡°How dare you!!!¡± Crash!! Unable to suppress his anger, a giant demon drew his sword and tried to swing it. ¡°Stop!!¡± But at Perserque''s shout, his sword stopped just before it reached Davey. If Perserque had been a momentte, the fragile clone Davey would have been shattered. Although he was considering using the one insurance he had in case he died, which would not align with his intentions, thanks to Perserque, he was able to keep it unused. ¡°Your, your Majesty!¡± ¡°He¡¯s right¡­ Continuing the war is too dangerous for both races.¡± Confusion spread across the demons¡¯ faces. ¡°You don¡¯t know. The real enemy is waiting to stick its head in, watching for an opportunity. We should settle the grudges of the past here. Above all¡­¡± Perserque, who had been muttering to herself, looked at Davey with fearful eyes. Despite trying to use the power of the Abyss to see, all she would perceive was a mere grain of noise. Therefore, even if she looked, she wouldn''t understand. However, the fact that she was wary of Davey, despite seeing nothing, was probably because their first encounter had left such a significant impact on her memory, even while she was under mind control. Indeed, the Dark Elf standing next to her as a bodyguard looked terrified as soon as he saw Davey. The hall fell into a chilling silence. Chapter 424

Chapter 424

. "What''s your response?" Davey found there was not much to rebuke. After all, if he and Perserque, who understood the inherent risks well, could agree, they could divert the course of the war. "I must ask, aren''t you outraged, despite the countless human deaths?" Davey offered no response to the inquiry but instead asked a question, "What do you think?" "In my eyes, you''re certainly not someone to be just passed over." "I see that clearly. Honestly, I''d prefer to send you all back to the artificial demon world immediately." Davey¡¯s words, spoken so calmly, caused a wave of anger to wash over the demons'' faces. "But that''s not my role." Reina had journeyed all the way to Davey¡¯s world intending to act, but such was the way of things. If an outside entity interfered and attempted to change the course via unauthorized means, who could predict the oues? That was the harsh reality. In this world, Princess Aeria and he, Davey, were clearly uninvited guests. Listening to his words, Perserque red at Davey. "Your Majesty! We should kill this man now or..." "No, let''s detain him. I''ll ept his proposal. Keep him in custody until we''ve settled the specifics." The reaction of the demons, particrly the radical vampires like Gluttony and Astaroth, was a visible mix of frustration and anger. Yet, a few demons disyed their unwavering loyalty toward Perserque. "Your Highness! This is uneptable! To even suggest peace at thiste stage! When the end is so close!" Despite Gluttony''s desperate plea, Davey turned away without a second thought. This decision was one for Perserque to make, not Gluttony. * * * Davey, the human visitor from another world, found himself in custody after being apprehended. Dark Lord Perserque then briefly mentioned an impending threat and proposed an alternative to the seemingly pointless war: seeking peace instead. "Father, what are your thoughts?" Liline inquired. "Humans are detestable, Liline," replied her father. "Yes..." "But Her Majesty makes a valid point." Astaroth mumbled something softly before tenderly caressing Liline''s cheek. "Haven''t numerous lives already been lost? Not just humans, but also many innocent young demons have fallen due to their futile resistance. It''s a problem we can''t simply overlook." Amidst it all, the suspected demise of his chief advisor, Nyx, brought considerable confusion. "So... Are you suggesting we halt the war now, as per Her Majesty''s wish?" "No, the war will not cease. We must wipe out everyst human." Following Astaroth¡¯s stern promation, Liline silently nestled into his chest. "Father... isn''t it time for you to free yourself from your guilt..." "Liline, my precious child." "Father." "You''re just like my daughter. Please, don''t bring sorrow upon me." "I will... abide by your wish, Father." As Liline slowly retreated, Astaroth exhaled a sigh of exasperation. Bang!!! The firmly shut door swung open, and a vampire walked in bearing a menacing expression. "Gluttony." "Grand Duke Astaroth. What''s the situation?" "What do you wish to say?" "Do you expect us vampires to stand with the demons again in such dire circumstances just to negotiate peace with the humans?!" At his outcry, Astaroth''s expression hardened. He then nced at Liline. "Leave, Liline." "Yes, Father." Upon hismand, Liline, looking apprehensive, cautiously walked out, catching the eye of Gluttony. Her image lingered in his gaze for a brief moment, filled with sexual desires. A chill ran down Liline''s spine, and her hands shook, but she hid it well from Astaroth. "Watch your words. I might not be as proficient as Chief Nyx in battle, but I won''t have any difficulty dealing with you." "Humph... This is a vition of our agreement. You clearly said you would eradicate the humans, enve them, and hand them over to us." Hearing this, Astaroth exhaled a sigh. "So, what are you going to do?" "Pardon?" "The human suspected of assassinating Chief of Staff Nyx. I had doubts at first when he said he killed the dying Divine Tree. But if what he says is true, he''s an extremely dangerous person." "Isn¡¯t he in our hands now? If we assassinate him here-" Astaroth shook his head. "Do you think he''s such a fool that he woulde here without making such a judgment?" "There''s no guarantee that he''s not." "I agree with your opinion. The truce is realistic, but it''s far from our aspiration. This is not right." "That''s correct!" "So, what''s your n? The Dark Lord seems to be considering a truce. That human named Davey, who suddenly appeared, has a strong enough power to change the course of this war. If the war continues, he will appear at the front, and who will bear the countless sacrifices that will result from that?" Gluttony gritted his teeth. "He''s just a human." "Because of that one human, 3,000 years ago, our race was driven from the continent to the artificial demon world." This was due to Sword Lord Ares¡¯ existence. Astaroth hadn¡¯t seen it personally, but the testimonies of Dark Lord Perserque and Chief of Staff Nyx, who had been eyewitnesses of history at the time, matched. "We can still do something about this," said Astaroth. "So..." "Moreover, I''m bothered by that point. The threat mentioned by both him and the Dark Lord. We don''t even know what it is," Astaroth muttered coldly, watching the silent Gluttony. "Let''s say his power is real. Then, we should seize the opportunity." They needed something that did not necessarily vite Perserque''smand but still solved suspicious parts. "I''ll request a truce. Not a ceasefire, but a truce. So we can battle again at any time." A truce was different from a ceasefire. A truce was something that could be fought again at any time without being strange. "Just wait a bit. The rebellion of Nyx, followed by the intentions of Dark Lord Perserque, is too confusing for this old man." "It''s frustrating. I was looking forward to the strongest Dark Lord ever, but she is truly disappointing. No dignity, just a weak girl¡­ Cough!!" Gluttony, who had been shouting like that, groaned in pain as his eyes bulged. Astaroth''s fist had hit his throat in an instant. "Watch your mouth." Astaroth sighed after murmuring briefly. "If we just had a way to remove that human, then there would be no need to worry like this.¡± At that moment... "Kyaaak!!!" The sound of a familiar woman''s scream echoed in Astaroth''s ears. There was only one female demon in this quiet castle¡ªhis beloved daughter-inw, Liline Orlouge. Instinctively, Astaroth jumped up and rushed outside, followed closely by Gluttony. What they witnessed was truly surprising. Before them stood a woman with a tall, slender figure, red hair, and sharp teeth, giving her an unsettling yet strangely attractive appearance. "Oh ho. There are plenty of bugs here," said the woman in a t tone as she held Liline against the wall, gripping her wrist and daringly licked her cheek with a long, thin tongue, reminiscent of a lizard''s. "Uh, uh! Father," Liline pleaded tearfully, her face filled with distress, seeking his help. "You wench! Let go of her!!" Astaroth''s eyes zed with fury at the sight. Simultaneously, a surge of ck magical power burst from his body. As the Grand Duke of demons, his immense magical strength could easily immobilize any ordinary demon. However, despite his overwhelming power pressing down on her, the woman, seemingly driven by desire, continued to stroke and lick Liline''s cheek. "Really, what a delicious-looking girl. The front world has good things." The woman''s tone remained unaffected by Astaroth''s disy of power. "Who are you?¡± Astaroth shouted with a tense face. ¡®She¡¯s dangerous!¡¯ The woman felt dangerously different from the human Astaroth had met earlier. While he had sensed nothing from the boy''s body, her presence exuded a heavy, dark power that sent shivers down his spine. It was the kind of power that instinctively raised goosebumps. "I''ve been wandering around and saw something fun," she said calmly, losing interest in Liline and approaching Astaroth. Astaroth was certainly tall, but she matched him eye to eye in height. "Curious about who I am?" she asked. Astaroth realized his hand was trembling, a reaction driven by fear. This was definitely fear. "Don''t be too scared, old bug. My name is Sleesia," the woman said, shing her sharp teeth with a sly smile. "I, I am Grand Duke Astaroth." As he spoke, Astaroth noticed the woman¡¯s expression showing greater interest. "That''s right. It appears that your kind is having quite the impact in this world. It''s actually a bit of a nuisance, but I came looking for a bug." Astaroth felt a painful pressure in his chest, leaving him breathless. It was a dreadful sense of oppression. Cold sweat poured not just from him, but from the others too. Gluttony, with his eyes wide open, was shaking his head, a clear sign of fear. "A bug, you say¡­" Fortunately, the woman did not appear to be hostile toward the demons yet. The woman who had appeared out of nowhere induced fear akin to that of a destroyer god. She was neither human nor demon, exhibiting a power whose nature was unknown¡ªjust like when Her Majesty, the Dark Lord, would nce over the demons. ¡®Dark Lord?¡¯? Just as he was pondering this thought, Sleesia¡¯s hand sped Astaroth¡¯s chin. "Indeed... Indeed... I quite like that. Imend you for keeping yourposure. Pretty good for a bug," she said calmly and then smirked. "You help me, and then maybe I lend a hand to your bug-like matters." Her grin was eerily unsettling. "My kin was seriously injured by a human. Though she''s useless, she holds the same rank, so what can you do? I, who is far superior to that useless creature, have no choice but to directly discipline that bug. How can a primitive bug dare to challenge the power of the princesses who have crawled up from the abyss? I''ll have to imprint that on the bug directly." Though they did not fully understand her words, Astaroth and Gluttony knew one thing. The woman¡¯s words held no bluff, they were full of sincerity. And yet, they were unable to feel repulsion toward her description of them as bugs. It felt as if they had be pitiful beings groveling before an overpowering predator. ''But¡­ If her power is real, then we can fulfill our desire, no matter what!'' Astaroth looked at the woman, lost in this thought. She was an extremely dangerous entity, not even a demon, but as long as they did not provoke her, she could be a great help. Dark Lord Perserque had shown fear for an unknown threat. So if they could deal with that threat, they would not need such an unpleasant alliance as they had now. As Astaroth was thinking of the woman as an opportunity, Sleesia¡¯s interest in Astaroth seemed to fade as she turned her head. In her gaze was Liline, who was slowly backing away in terror. Her gaze shone dangerously, but only for a moment. Afterward, she turned her head toward Astaroth and grinned again. "So I heard, there is a bug that''s bothering you. Since I need to gather some strength to kill the bug I am looking for, I''ll kill that human as a distraction in the meantime." Her voice was filled with confidence. Chapter 425

Chapter 425

The ce where Davey''s clone resided was truly a scene of vignce. The demons were wary of him, sending hostile nces his way. Even without a direct, personal encounter with humans, demons scorned and loathed them as if demons had been brutally brainwashed. Of course, no one dared to openly scorn Davey due to the fear that they might silently perish. After all, he was presumed to be the monster-like human who had suddenly appeared and killed their Chief of Staff, Nyx. It was only after half a day that the demons called for Davey again. In the meantime, his main body had invested its time in moving human prisoners from the outpost. "Follow us, human," the demon soldiers, brimming with caution, burst into the shabby room where Davey was confined, brandishing their spears at him. "Well, why not undo these chains and keep your watch?" "Shut up!" Under normal circumstances, they would have beaten him, but they were too scared of him to do anything. As proof of this, they could not easily hide their trembling bodies as they watched him. "Her Majesty summons you!" Upon hearing this, Davey slowly moved his steps. He did not need to personally end the war. All he had to do was engrave his existence; he only needed to let them decide without exerting further power. Of course, even this in itself would be an intervention. Fortunately, the Observer had said that he could somehow counteract this level of intervention. And if it went wrong? Davey would have to overthrow everything, even if it meant breaking this world. "Her Majesty! I''ve brought the human!" With the soldier''s shout, the doors to the audience chamber opened, and several demons gazed at Davey. Compared to the initial number when he first entered the chamber, it was only a very few. The demon assumed to be a duke, Gluttony the vampire ruler, and several other demons still filled with vignce and hostility. ¡®Why do you all look frustrated and anxious?¡¯ Davey had nothing to regret or to be scared about, so he disyed the most leisurely expression. ¡®If they are frustrated, let theme at me. In fact, I would die with just one hit! There is virtually no power in the clone.¡¯ The reason he had sent his clone here on the ck dragon was that the loss of dealing with these demons would be greater than the potential benefit he could gain. "Have you made a decision?" In response to Davey''s question, Perserque, who had been silently looking at him, hesitated for a moment. Then, after a short contemtion, she asked, "Will everyone clear the way?" "Your Majesty! He is an unknown entity!" "He could pose a threat to Your Majesty''s body..." "Are you saying that after seeing his physical body?" With that short question, everyone fell silent. "I don''t know how you created it, but it''s a tangible clone. Even when it''s far away from the sorcerer, it moves perfectly in real-time with the sorcerer. But since it''s not the main body, its power is extremely weak." Her response was a fast and urate analysis, just as Davey would expect from her. "You''re quite sharp." At his smile, she looked around at the demons. "It''s an order. Everyone, step back. I have something to discuss with him." "...Yes, Your Majesty." An order is an order, that was all. Although they hadints, they could not express them openly. Leaving her, the other demons began to walk out one by one. In the quiet space where only Perserque and Davey were left, she asked him, "Do you want to stop the war?" "Yes." "Why? You, whom I''ve seen, did not even show half of your power. As if you''re restraining yourself." In response to her words, Davey chose to remain silent. Indeed, she was not wrong. But if he started to show his power here, the consequences and damages to the surroundings would be unbearable. Even now, madness and impulse were running wild in his head, screaming to topple Perserque immediately and get on top of her. "If you have that much power, instead of stopping the war, you could also revive humanity..." "I have my own circumstances. Originally, whether humans or demons, what happens to them doesn''t concern me, but¡­" As he spoke, Davey discreetly nced to the side. The status window that he had activated with the residual abyssal power still lingering in his body now held a carved inscription, even though it had been nk when he first arrived here. - Bnce maintenance with minimal intervention. Once achieved, application of Metamorphosis stacks irrespective of Davey O¡¯Rowane¡¯s physical condition, acquisition of gic information from Shane Scrift. Davey had gathered 100 stacks, and his soul had already epted the divine mana, resulting in a better synchronization with his body. With this, he believed that if he returned to the original world and submerged his physical body in divine mana once more, he might sessfully undergo metamorphosis. The idea of achieving 100 stacks of metamorphosis seemed feasible, at least once. Moreover, he possessed the gic information of Shane Scrift, one of his mentors in mythical beast summoning. Initially overlooked as insignificant, this gic information held immense power, allowing Davey to briefly modify the structure of his physical body. This newfound power meant he could take over the aimless Megalodria and easily handle the three kings of mythical beasts, even the one currently unable to exert much of his power. Davey was determined not to let this opportunity slip away. "Do you desire war?" he inquired. Perserque replied, "Is there even a war left to discuss? The Continental Union Resistance, including humans, has already retreated, and the remaining humans are mere fugitives." She knew the consequences of a severely unbnced situation, understanding the role of the Dark Lord and the antagonist in maintaining bnce. Being the entity most targeted by the cursed power of the other side of the coin, she yearned to stop the war, seeing further meaningless ughter as devoid of any benefit, despite having been under Nyx''s control and sustaining the war thus far. Davey suggested, "Let''s not be greedy. I came here to rmend surrender. You know what that entails, right?" "You n to take on the entire demon race alone?" Perserque questioned. ]. "In matters concerning the demon race, I might hold the upper hand," Davey asserted confidently, being one of their kings and enjoying the benefits of the Dark Lord''s hierarchy. "You just need to make a choice. Continue being greedy and risk the extinction of your entire race, or..." Or, stop shedding more blood. The decision was Perserque¡¯s to make. Of course, she would choose to avoid the war by any means necessary. "Alright. We will stop advancing to the unupiednds. The demon race has already gained enough," Perserque said. "That''s all you need to do. It''s meaningless to have morend when there aren''t many people left. Let''s decide on the specifics with the human who will lead." A demon race that wanted to stop the war and a human who wanted to end it. There was not much more to discuss, as long as their interests aligned. Just then, an unexpected voice interrupted, causing Perserque to shudder slightly. The voice said, "Your Highness, please wait." "Grand Duke Astaroth." Turning his head, Davey saw a man slowly walking into the room. Not just him, but a tall woman in a robe was also present, emanating a scent that felt too familiar. "I expressly asked for no interruptions," Perserque replied, obviously annoyed. "Your Highness, making a pact at this time is untimely," the cold voice of Grand Duke Astaroth echoed, causing Perserque to furrow her brow. Before Perserque could respond, another voice boomed out. "Whyplicate things? In the end, you''re just scared of that human, right? Hahaha! Even a bug-like demon race is nothing more than a cowardly bug." The voice was arrogant. Perserque stared at the robed woman with a cold gaze. "Oh my, the cute bug knows how to stare, huh?" Grinning widely, the woman threw off her robe. Whoosh!!! As a great power burst from Sleesia¡¯s body, both Astaroth and Perserque were pressed down as if they were being crushed. "Ugh?!" After throwing off her cumbersome robepletely, Sleesia brandished her red tail. Her sharp, white teeth glistened, and her thin tongue slightly licked her own lips. "H¡­ Hey!" "Human... That''s very amusing. Coincidentally, the one who humiliated my people was also a human. This is good timing." Laughing wickedly, Sleesia charged toward Davey, who was slightly frowning. What she had just released was an overwhelming mental pressure. Her power was simr to that of the Abyssal Princess, Urd, whom Davey had previously deemed too formidable to handle with his own strength. ¡®Is it a power equivalent to the beings of the Abyss?¡¯ Davey discerned. The issue was the presence of a being that should not be here in this ce. The problem was also that this power was significantly stronger than when it was with Urd. Although Davey had experienced being exposed to such power before and considering his current state as a clone, it would not have a significant effect. Nevertheless, he was surprised by the emergence of another Abyssal Princess. Crack!! A creepy sound reverberated, as if Davey¡¯s neck had snapped. Gripping his flesh, Sleesia lifted it into the air andmented, "What''s this? It''s just an empty shell, isn''t it? Was I deceived by such a worthless shell?" Perserque frowned. "If it was a fool who woulde looking for me with the real body, it wouldn''t have been worth listening to the story." In response, the woman with red hair looked at Davey as if she had lost interest. "Well, it wouldn''t be bad to step on a few more bugs while killing one." As Sleesia¡¯s calm gaze swept over him as if evaluating him, Davey watched her with a cold smile. Even though his neck was broken, his body could be considered a clone. This meant that he could speak even with only a head left. "How did you cross over here from the Abyss?" At his question, Sleesia hesitated. Then, after silently staring at him, she let out a hollowugh. "Oh, was it you? The insignificant bug that made Urd look like that? Surprisingly, I''m quite talented at handling spaces." "I did shove her beyond the dimensional rift, but it seems you liked the look quite a bit, huh?" "Oh my! I barely rescued her when she waspletely crushed." Crunch! With a creepy sound, Davey¡¯s neck bone shattered into dust. At the same time, his neck wobbled. Being a clone implemented with a single hair, his vitality was incredibly weak to the point of being speechless. "I''m not sure what trick you used, but it''s not very fun." Crash!! Sleesia lifted Davey up and mmed him into a nearby pir. Simultaneously, half of his flesh crumpled, and the solid obsidian decorative pir crumbled as if it had been smashed. "This ce is really unique. It doesn''t make me want to stay for a strange feeling. But I came looking because the bug that made Urd look like that is here, right? I found you quite quickly. I never thought I''d see a resident of that filthy world even here. Where did a cockroach-like creature crawl out from?" Upon noticing Sleesia¡¯s existence, Davey had reset all the ns he had thought of in his head. Peace? Negotiation? With this damned woman in front of him, there was no use for such things right now. As Davey silently red at Sleesia, Perserque urgently intervened in the situation. "Stop! I don''t know who you are, but if you cause any more chaos..." Crash!!! Perserque tried to stop the situation, not yet knowing how dangerous the Abyssal Princess was. But this action only provoked the woman even more. "Hmph?!" Perserque, pinned against the wall by the tentacles extending from the woman¡¯s hand, let out a painful groan. Looking at Perserque¡¯s blue face, Davey realized that whether in this world or the other, Perserque did not like to see things that incite disgust, such as bugs and tentacles. "Shut up, bug. If you interfere with my business anymore, I''ll have to dispose of you." "Look here! Sleesia! This is not what we agreed upon!!" Astaroth''s outraged cry echoed in the unexpected situation. "I''ve changed my mind. I thought I''d enjoy the wit of a bug at least for amusement, but..." Davey slowly reached out toward Sleesia, the Abyssal Princess who was holding him. There was a bit of uncertainty about what was inside this unknown creature, but thinking about these creatures'' appearances that merely mimic the exterior of humans, this would definitely work. Thud! Thud! Thud! With a faint sound, his fingers pricked Sleesia¡¯s forearm several times. [Forearm Acupuncture Point] [Disarmament] As her grip weakened and released his flesh, Davey swiftly kicked Sleesia away, creating some distance between them. The attack had depleted most of the mana sustaining his clone body, causing his hands, feet, and part of his head to turn to smoke. Without hesitation, he allowed his strength to fade, making his flesh semi-transparent, as if drained of power. Before vanishing, instead of engaging in further conversation, Davey expressed his disdain by showing her his middle finger. Sleesia, not understanding the gesture''s meaning, looked at him with caution. "What''s... that?" As she folded her arms and inquired about his actions, Davey smiled brightly and replied with a touch of sarcasm, "Go fuck yourself." "What?" "Don''t draw attention. There are others searching for me in this situation." Spang!! In an instant, his consciousness merged back together. Silently, he moved on top of the horse, speaking quickly as his consciousness became one again. "Observer." [Astounding, her existence is extraterrestrial, just like you. Furthermore, she''s an astonishingly chaotic entity... There won''t be any constraints on you in dealing with her.] "d to hear it." [However, considering that she is in the demon''s castle, the situation changes the moment a fight breaks out there.] Despite the many things being pointed out fussily, Davey couldn''t help but feel annoyed. However, he couldn''t deny that the Observer was right. Sleesia, the uninvited guest who hade looking for trouble on her own, was actively wielding the power of the abyss. Though simr to the forbidden act of setting rules independently, there were slight differences in direction and influence. There was no denying that Sleesia posed a formidable threat. She surpassed Urd, who had subdued and eroded three kings of mythical beasts, making her a highly unfavorable opponent for Davey in his current state in the original world. However, this was a parallel world. As an alien entity, his soul''s power was stronger than his body''s, leading to perfect synchronization between the two. "This should be interesting." Confident in his own power, just like Sleesia was in hers, Davey knew there was a significant difference between them. She wielded her power ignorantly, unaware of the depth of his abilities and knowledge. Chapter 426

Chapter 426

Sleesia showed no interest in the rules of this world; her sole fixation was on Davey. Her purpose was clear - to settle the score with him for trapping her kind, the Abyss Princess Urd, in a dimensional rift, causing her slow demise. Armed with the astonishing power of dimensional leap, Sleesia had followed Davey''s trail to this ce, seemingly unconcerned about the nature of the location. She wandered around, searching for Davey and acting on her own whims. Despite her ability to distinguish between dimensions, finding him specifically proved to be a challenging task. [What are you going to do?] "What am I going to do? Her goal is straightforward. If she bes aware of our presence, she''lle after us." For Sleesia, the flow of this world and its power dynamics were of no concern. She blindly sought to kill Davey without understanding the ce she had crossed over to. Once she located him, she would undoubtedlye straight for him. [But she''s not moving at all.] "She''s not moving, you say?" A wry smile crossed Davey''s face. "No, she will undoubtedlye." Indeed, the remaining crucial factors were how long Davey and Aeria could remain in this ce and Sleesia''s current state. Although this world did not follow the same time dynamics as the Yurgian continent, where time was reduced with power exertion, Davey had already experienced instances of extensive time usage. Thus, in this world, such extended time consumption was rtively meaningless. Would Goddess Freyja havemitted such an action without giving it any thought? - Bnce maintenance with minimal intervention. Once achieved, application of Metamorphosis stacks irrespective of Davey O¡¯Rowane¡¯s physical condition, acquisition of gic information from Shane Scrift. Without a word, Davey clicked on that item, and additional elements appeared as if on a notepad. - Under the name of the goddess, extend the stay of Davey O¡¯Rowane and Aeria El Lyndis in the twisted parallel line by a small amount. - Under the name of the goddess, conceal the existence of Davey O¡¯Rowane and Aeria El Lyndis from the inhabitants of the parallel world. That was a solid backup in its way. The fight between the rigid rules of the closed world and the somewhat flexible influence of the gods was quite intriguing. However, even Goddess Freyja was unable to extend the limit of his intervention. This meant the limit of the weakened divine influence was apparent. Thankfully, he no longer had to worry about time or whether anyone would recognize him through illusion magic. Davey wiped Aeria''s sweaty forehead with a soft cloth as shey on a makeshift bed in the barracks left in the demon outpost, slowly lifting her onto his back. He then calmly left the barracks. The vigers who had been captured here had already left. Their presence would not have been helpful. "Megalodria." Eventually, Davey opened the card and summoned the king of mythical beasts, Megalodria. [The erosion of that woman will continue to gnaw at me without a contractor, human.] "I know. That''s why I''ve prepared a solution." It could be assumed that Urd''s power belonged to erosion or domination. The Abyss Princesses each possessed their unique power. If Sleesia had space-rted powers, then Urd had the power of erosion. They each ruled different areas. Sleesia''s space movement was impressive, but Urd''s erosion ability was strong enough to erode Megalodria, even without a contractor. [A solution?] "Yes. I''m going to introduce the gic information of your original contractor into my body, creating the characteristics of a summoner." [You and I... Are we going to make a contract?] "Yes." ¡®You''re from another dimension. There''s no reason or justification for the rules of this world to restrain you, as you are not a parallel line that shouldn''t exist. Especially since summons aren''t entities that freely move around dimensions,¡¯ thought Davey. [...] "What''s with that doubtful look?" As Davey asked Megalodria, whose eyes were filled with suspicion, Megalodria quickly turned his head away. [I don''t understand what you''re saying.] "So, are you going to do it or not? The contract." [Long after Shane''s death, the kings of mythical beasts had each been safeguarding and regting their domains in the world. However, it seems like that''s no longer happening. While it hasn''t reached total ruin, it would take hundreds to thousands of years to regain its former glory.] "So?" [I don¡¯t want that to happen to other ces as well. As far as I know, you are the only being who could oppose those monstrous women. But I can¡¯t understand what you are saying. You talked about inserting genes. And I don¡¯t know about now, but your physical body in the original world was not strong enough to handle my power.] Davey scratched his ear, irritated by his worry. "Ah, I''ll handle that part. So, are you going to do it or not?" The answer was, of course, predetermined. Davey picked up Aeria and handed her over to him. Megalodria, who silently took the unconscious girl, looked down at Aeria in his arms and quietly asked. [What are you going to do?] "I''m going to stir up a scene here. When I''m done, you''ll leave this ce." "I might be needed." At his worry, Davey let out a snicker. "I need your power? Sorry, but I don''t need it at all." As Davey spoke calmly and began to gather momentum, Megalodria fell silent. Sleesia could not urately pinpoint Davey¡¯s location. But what if he told her he was here? [Reversed 9th Circle] [Earthquake] [Great Upheaval] With a deafening boom, a massive wave of power began to engulf the area around Davey. He wanted Sleesia to experience Odin''s special terrain-altering magic firsthand. The ground rumbled as if a snake''s tail moved on its own, and a tremendous crack burst forth, causing red magma to overflow. Even those on the other side of the continent with a sensitive sense of perception would feel the overwhelming mana and realize what he was up to. The splitting ground spewed magma, distorting and changing the terrain rapidly. Davey had reversed a simple earthquake spell, maximizing its effect by infusing an enormous amount of mana. It was like turning a 3rd Circle fireball spell into a catastrophic meteorite on judgment day, transforming into a white nova. And now, with the power of a 5th Circle earthquake, the impact was bound to be even greater. As he watched the once tranquil ins transform into a nightmarishndscape, Davey calmly waited for Sleesia to appear. [This is absurd! What kind of crazy thing are you doing?] "Oh, just wait. She''lle out on her own." There was no doubt in his mind that she would show up. "About 10 seconds." Taking a short breath, Davey began to leisurely count down from 10. ¡®9, 8, 7...¡¯ "3, 2, 1." All that could be heard was the sound of the ground being destroyed. [I''m sorry to tell you this, but that life form called Sleesia isn''t moving. She seems to think of this incident as some sort of amusement.] "That crazy woman?" ¡®She had disyed a readiness to take the bait at any moment, but is she backing off now out of fear?¡¯ The disappointing oue made Davey frown. The Observer who seemed to taunt Davey remarked, [You''ve just destroyed the terrain for nothing, we won''t be able to do anything here for hundreds of years. Ah, what a waste, such a waste. It seems like nothing is happening.] Megalodria, who had been observing from a distance, also looked at Davey questioningly. Silently raking up the ground, Davey suddenly pped his hands. In a sh, the hell-like cracks that had swallowed up hundreds, if not tens of kilometers, began to close simultaneously. With a great rumble, the crevices that had caused destruction disappeared as if they had never existed, and Davey turned around to climb onto Megalodria''s back. He said, "Now that I''ve drawn the aggro here, that stupid woman will think I''m still in this ce. Let''s go. It''s done, it''s natural." [¡­] "What''s the matter?" * * * Davey had expected Sleesia to confront him immediately, considering how she treated the situation like a game. He suspected that Astaroth might be the reason behind Sleesia''s behavior, as once he left, Astaroth seemed eager to use Sleesia''s dominating powers for his own benefit. This made Davey slightly suspicious. He couldn''t help but wonder why the Princess of the Abyss showed no reaction upon seeing Perserque. Unlike the other abyssal entities who approached Perserque with reverence, addressing her as their queen or mother, all of the Abyss Princesses, including Sleesia, Urd, and even Verdandi, appeared indifferent. It was perplexing, especially since Perserque had ascended to the throne of Dark Lord. However, in the original world, Perserque was just a regr demon, not a Dark Lord. "Is there some kind of power struggle happening among them?" he pondered, recalling Urd''s mention of something simr. [What do you n to do?] Davey pondered, deciding there was no need to save his strength in dealing with Sleesia. Given the exceptional circumstances with the demons and Davey¡¯s limit of intervention, Sleesia was basically hiding behind the demons. "If she won''te out, I''ll have to draw her out," Davey said. [She considers this a war game. Because of that, the demons began to be controlled by something she nted... Damn it!] That was when it happened. A sense of urgency crept into the voice of the Observer. [She''s torn space apart. She''s started to use the demons to raid the Western Continent! It''s where the resistance and survivors have gathered!] The official resistance had vanished, leaving only a small guerri warfare group to continue the fight. If this remaining resistance was also wiped out, humanity would faceplete annihtion. This indicated that the efforts to maintain bnce had failed. ¡®Is this happening because she truly considers this a game? Or does she know something?¡¯ "Has she started the march?" Davey asked. [Her spatial transition ability is beyond imagination!! If we''rete, they''ll all die!] If it was the West, that was where the resistance was located, and where Davey had sent the vigers using the ck Dragons. [If we intercept them in the middle, we might be able to stop them. But the moment we use our power to affect the demons...] "What''s the problem?" Davey asked, to which the Observer sighed.