The Author's POV

"What the fuck are you guys even thinking!?"

An enraged shout echoed inside of simple office space. Following this, pounding violently on a wooden desk, Monica glared towards the person sitting behind the desk.

"Daphne, just what went through your heads when you decided to sacrifice the person thas singlehandedly saved me, Amon, and the others!"

Monica once again shouted. She was beyond incensed.

Upon being notified by Donna about the bounty on Ren's head, Monica flew into a fit of rage and immediately went towards Daphne's office to get an explanation from her.

"Tell me so that I can understand!"

"Calm down Monica."

Daphne helplessly raised her hand to calm Monica down.

"Calm down my ass. How can I be calm in this situation?"

"Just listen to what I have to say."

Daphne pleaded.

"..."

Without saying anything, Monica stared at Daphne's eyes for a couple of seconds.

"Fine." Crossing her arms, Monica sat down on the seat opposite Daphne and gestured for her to explain. "I really want to know what crossed your minds when you made that decision."

Finally managing to calm Monica down, Daphne breathed a sigh of relief, before leaning back on her chair.

"Where should I begin."

Pondering for a moment, Daphne decided to relay to Monica about everything that went through that meeting. From how they decided to sign a truce, to how they decided to sacrifice 876 for the truce in order to give her and Amon enough time to recuperate.

The more Monica listened to Daphne, the tighter her brows knit.

"This is bullshit!" Eventually, after a while, she stood up and once again smacked the table. "Do you guys not realize that you've wasted a golden opportunity?"

"A golden opportunity?"

"Yes!" Monica cried out."Since they are the ones that proposed the truce, it obviously means that whatever the explosion did, they suffered major losses. If there is a perfect chance to fight back, it is now! Deal a devastating blow to both those demon bastards and the Monolith."

Though Monica wasn't able to fully witness the core explode as she had already left by the time it exploded, what she did witness was the pure destructive power that emanated from the core itself.

It was frightening.

There was no way that they came unscathed from that attack.

Listening to Monica's words, Daphne shook her head.

"If only it was that easy Monica."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think we don't know about what you've said? We've also thought about attacking them, but there are a couple of problems."

"What problems?"

Monica's face showed obvious signs of distrust.

Not minding this, Daphne explained.

"For one, we don't actually know the extent of the injuries from the Monolith's side. For all we know, the truce could be a trap proposed by them to make us think that they are severely weakened. If it truly was that way and we attack, we'd suffer massive losses."

For the Monolith to be the first one to step back, the Union heads were not naive enough to believe that the Monolith was just openly displaying their weakness.

There was a high chance that they were trying to instigate the Union into attacking them.

"If that is also not enough of a reason, Malik Alshayatin alone is enough..."

Deep apprehension flashed across Daphne's eyes.

Recalling him back at the meeting, although she knew that it was just his clone there, his presence was no joke. He was in his own league.

"Malik Alshayatin? The head of the Monolith."

Listening to Daphne's words, Monica's brows knit.

"Mhm, him."

"What about him?"

Shaking her head, Daphne sighed.

"Haa, you weren't there Monica, but the moment he stepped into the room, all of us could tell one thing." Lifting her head and looking at Monica straight in the eyes, Daphne took a deep breath before continuing. "It was that he was on another level."

"Hm? Another level?"

With deep apprehension in her eyes, Daphne explained.

"Yes. After the meeting ended, Octavious himself confirmed it. He was weaker than him."

"Tsss..."

a breath of cold

such a thing, it meant

"Are you serious?"

That is why we were hesitant on attacking them. Furthermore, with the demons behind them,

"But—"

Daphne cut Monica off.

the decision, the other heads all unanimously voted

them enough promise to make them go to war

may have done

was not worth mentioning by the

it's because I know who 876 is that

Monica cried out inside

876, Monica knew that if he really held a grudge against them, things wouldn't really turn out

the Monolith would be the last thing the Union

hope things don't escalate

inwardly prayed inside of her

Monica wasn't sure whose side she

***

old man with a long bray beard and turbid grey

—Shua!

out of thin air, was an

up, the old

"Leader, you have returned."

"Mhm."

just entered, Malik AlShayatin casually swept

air. Then, after a couple of seconds, a

Have they fallen

not." Curtly replied Malik AlShayatin. "The

[A pity.]

felt from

his body slightly, Malik

there anything you would

get into any conflicts for at least a couple of years. Your recent failure has caused quite a few

be felt from the words of the individual whom Malik AlShayatin referred to as your

as the void before them twisted strangely, and a tangible wave of bloodlust

slightly,

apologize for

now,

"Understood."

hope you don't disappoint

in the

disappeared and the void before them shrank, after a brief moment

do we do

where the black void used to be

demons have ordered, and lay

with the three races. The incident where multiple ranks

weakness and have them attack the Monolith. This would've been the perfect chance to ambush them and

they did not

"A pity."

head in disappointment. Glancing towards Mo Jinhao

Jinhao, how are

"My injuries?"

"Mhm."

a bit, Mo

that severe right now. If the Union had gone and attacked

truly lucky in deciding to agree to the truce. Had they not agreed, the only outcome for them was

Tasos's injuries not being that serious anymore, they could've easily have been able to overpower the five heads

was truly a

"I see.."

left. Staring at his

***

2 P.M.

Caissa headquarters.

a while, I looked

how much money do we have

of the

"Around 10 million, why?"

million? Since when did we have

amount honestly

that there would've

rolled his eyes. "Let's exclude Angelica who did pretty much all of the major tasks, but I've been using the information that you had given

"Information?"

tilted my head

me regarding where to

"Ah, that."

finally dawned

a list of companies that would rise in stock in

this was mainly due to the fact that I no longer

were changing, I stopped relying on

tapped on my bracelet and threw something in Smallsnake's

at him with both hands, Smallsnake looked at it and asked. "What is

it and give me the

widened

Did

all, I want you