The Author's POV

—Clank!

I slid the doors that led to the balcony.

"...how annoying"

After the match with Haris, I left immediatly. With everyone distracted by Kevin's match, I took the opportunity to slip out and go back to my dorm.

Like that, I avoided most reporters.

Furthermore, apart from electives, there were no other lectures today. Therefore, I was naturally free.

Regarding Kevin's match, he naturally won. I wasn't sure about how many times he go challenged, but it was probably more than five.

"Haaa...what should I do now?"

A lot of my plans had changed because of what had happened in the most recent days. My plans of laying low were pretty much scrapped.

"hmm..."

Were they?

Now that I thought about it, although I could no longer remain as hidden as before, nothing prevented me from building my forces secretly.

I guess you could say that I was now operating in both the light and the dark.

In a way this was good.

A lot of my plans would speed up as a result of this. I did not need to be as cautious as before and could be more brazen about it.

'...Should I create an alias?'

By creating an alias I could still operate more secretly. On one hand, I would be this 'talented' individual that studies in the Lock.

On the other hand, I would use my other alias to operate my mercenary group and company.

That would be ideal.

...but who knows. I needed more time to think about this.

After what had happened a couple of days ago, I found my confidence shatter into pieces.

Anytime I came up with a plan, I felt paranoid.

What if this happened? What if that happened? What if a meteorite suddenly fell from the sky and destroyed my company?

With my recent successes piling up, I had become arrogant and complacent. I needed to stop thinking that I had everything in my control.

Nothing was ever in my control.

Just like Everblood, there were things that I couldn't account for. I needed to knock this into my skull.

I was so sure that everything was going according to my plans before...and guess what, Everblood showed up.

Someone who I didn't properly account for.

"...there's that fucker too"

There was also Matthew...

I'd never have expected him to go public with the incident.

If I could have, I would've immediately have told Irene the truth. The truth about the fact that he was a villain.

Sadly, I couldn't.

With Matthew knowing that I had a way to cure the Mindbreaker curse, I knew that I couldn't touch him at the moment.

If such news were to be revealed to the world, not only would I become the number one target of the demons, I would also be targeted by other people who were desperate for the cure.

Fortunately, since I could reveal that he was contracted to a demon, he also couldn't reveal what he knew.

We were currently at a stalemate.

"...Damn it, I need to be stronger"

I clenched my teeth hard and glared at the scenery outside of the balcony.

I had to get stronger quicker.

"I can't let this go on..."

Taking out the diary that contained all of the information about the novel, I quickly flipped through its pages.

—Flip! —Flip!

"Where is it..."

see what I could do to

be the

certain page,

—Flip!

my finger, I flipped to the next page. My eyes constantly moved

for anything in the novel

that

were a problem...if not for Irene being able to detect

could help me with

—Plap!

"Haa..."

after, I closed the book and

what I had

a general idea of my next course of action. Even

I wanted to do was get

—Ding!

my phone

to

vague yet I

[Demon hunter? They agreed?]

[Yes]

[When?]

formal meeting, I needed to prepare in full.

week, a day after the

I'll get

[Okay]

Since I knew her

"Alright, this is good"

take a load off of my

a long-term money system, but create a connection with the demon hunter guild

of this. The more talented

investing in the magic card system, but

what I

sorted for now… Also, there's that

I stared at the bracelet in my

got from Immorra. With everything that had happened recently, I didn't have enough time to properly check my

something interesting

that...guess it's time to

out my phone and quickly typed a

Melissa, about

arm still hurt after

...

the same time, inside

—Clank! —Clank!

machinery moving items to and fro resounded across the white laboratory space. Large metallic arms moved around the asphalt pavement carrying different-sized boxes. Inside of them were

—Booom!

the lab. Inside of a white confined room that could be seen through a rectangular glass, fire spread everywhere as it

a red card held by two pincers was revealed. A cold and mechanical voice

Mana lingering in

opposite to the glass, a beautiful

"Another failure"

Despite the fact that the current magic circle installed in the card was a simple [Fireball], occasionally a couple of other psyons

what am

just started there were a lot of improvements...however, this was

only a 30% efficiency loss. Any more than that

the moment her efficiency loss was

far cry from her

you've got a

out for her from the other side of the room. A cheerful

would message

white lab coat, Melissa took the phone.

about the

"This bastard..."

side of the

and now he wanted him

Fuck that.

order an advanced potion off the

herself, so might as well just order one from the market and pretend that it was from

"An advanced potion?"

"Yes"

"What about the quality?"

make it the highest quality

tempted to just give Ren the lowest quality potion. However, she suddenly realized that it would be

Hall,

Impossible!