The Author's POV

Crack—!

A thin fissure materialized out of thin air.

Tok.

A calm and steady footstep echoed throughout a large hall. Two crimson-red eyes shone in the dark hall, as a semi-transparent white-haired figure stepped out of the thin fixture.

The fissure closed up, and the figure walked toward the end of the hall where a throne sat at the top of a flight of stairs.

Stopping next to the flight of stairs, the figure looked up.

It was then that his eyes met with another set of scarlet red eyes. Sitting on the throne with his legs crossed and the side of his face leaning on his arm which was propped up on the throne, the red-eyed figure looked down.

At the exact moment the two eyes met, the white-haired figure beneath the flight of stairs started to disintegrate as bright white lights started coming out from his body.

Slowly, the particles floated in the air and merged into a white ball that flew in the direction of the figure sitting on the throne.

Extending his hand and opening his palm, the white-haired figure sitting on the throne watched as the ball paused and levitated atop the palm of his hand.

He then stared at the orb for a good couple of seconds.

"Heh."

He smiled and squeezed his hand.

Rumble—!

Immediately after he squeezed his hand, the hall started to shake uncontrollably. This persisted for a good minute before the shaking came to an abrupt halt.

Just then, the moment he squeezed the white orb, memories, and images of what had transpired not too long ago began to replay inside of the Demon King's mind.

Leaning his head back, the white-haired figure muttered.

"Not bad."

For someone that had not remembered his past, this was indeed pretty good.

But.

"He's still too weak."

Jezebeth shook his head.

Although the figure was the same as he remembered in the past, he had still not reached the strength of his past.

"Old friend..."

Jezebeth laughed a bit.

This was a bit of a stretch from his end.

They couldn't quite be called friends, after all, their goals clashed. Had they not clashed, then perhaps they might've even joined hands.

Unfortunately, they were fated to stand on the opposite ends of each other.

Such was their fate.

"It's truly a pity..."

Waving his hand the air distorted and a small black portal formed in front of him. Squinting his eyes, he peered through the black portal.

From there, he was able to see a large planet in the distance.

"It's only a matter of time."

Jezebeth ended up mumbling after staring at the planet in the distance.

"...Five years."

Placing his hands on the side-arms of the chair, he gradually stood up.

"That's how long you have left. I hope you don't disappoint me the next time I see you. I can sense it. This will be our last game."

Extending his hand, powerful black energy sprung forth from his body and merged toward the palm of his hand.

Opening his mouth, the edges of his lips curled upwards as amusement flashed across his face.

"Boom."

Seconds after his words came out, cracks started to form on the surface of the planet.

Within seconds the cracks started to expand, before...

Bam.

They shot outwardly throughout the space, leaving nothing but a bright orange nebula.

***

"What do you mean Ren is gone?"

Smallsnake's exasperated voice rang inside a small luxurious room.

"First he breaks a dungeon, then he suddenly runs away without telling us where's he going, and expects us to be fine with the situation."

Pacing around the room, he threw his arms in the air.

"I'm sick of his shit! I'm sick of it!"

Gone was his usual demeanor as he continued ranting nonstop.

Not that anyone else paid him any particular attention. Smallsnake ranting about Ren wasn't exactly a rare sight.

"Do this do that, solve this, solve that, I'll be gone for a bit so take care of the others for me while I'm out."

He threw his middle finger in the air.

"You fucking bastard! Just wait until you come back!"

"...and what are you going to do when he comes back?"

voice echoed throughout the room, and Smallsnake's feet came to a

I

Smallsnake puffed his chest.

check. Let him understand that he can't overwork people like me. There

"Oh?"

curled upwards,

can already imagine what the conversation between the two of you will be

"Hm?"

his head. Before he could

Ren, we need to have

Smallsnake, take a

"Okay."

Leopold, Ava, Ryan, or Hein,

would imagine Smallsnake's confrontation with Ren

"Wha—"

aren't I? Stick-like

weakly turned to

hand,

you going to stop calling me stick-like

feel

and leaned back

ego to

"Hey..."

"What?"

Angelica snappily asked

"Nevermind..."

sat down in the corner

"No one likes me..."

repeatedly mumbled to himself with a lost look on his

Angelica rolled her eyes.

tended to do that from time to time. This was exactly why no one in the room paid him any

Clank—!

a haggard figure walked in. With his shirt untucked and filled with beer stains, Thomas walked into the room. His haggard eyes scanned

he was inevitably unable to

bastard run off

in a groggy and

he was going

*Puff*

in

a wooden tea table, Leopold casually glanced

asking for Ren, then tough luck,

almost fell

"A trip?"

*Puff*

took another puff and

"Yeah."

"Give me that shit."

Thomas snatched his cigarette

*Puff*

"Oy, Oy."

hand he tried to snatch his cigarette

to your

as he took a step back and avoided

Says the

*Puff*

He took another puff.

snatching the cigarette back, Thomas

here to

his words, the atmosphere in the room suddenly started to become more serious

*Puff*

another puff, Thomas looked at Leopold's face scrunch up from the corner of his eyes, but he pretended to feign ignorance and kept a straight

here to thank you on behalf of the black market. Had it not been for you guys, we would've never been able to find

his hand, Thomas scratched the back of

to what happens within the dungeons, times

tapped on the butt

all access to our treasury

everyone's eyes lit up, including

everyone's expression, Thomas already

"Ah, shit..."

to lose a lot of money

***

A few hours later.

yes, Alright, thank you

Click—!

phone, Samantha

couch of the living room, Natasha raised her head

"Is something up?"

sent

"Oh, no, nothing much."

down

her hand, her eyes opened

just heard something

"Funny?"

asked as she scooched her body back a

something funny. Quite the contrary in fact. To Natasha, she looked like someone that was out for

"Very."

lowered her hand and

retaining the smile on her face, her face darkened. Or at least, that was how it seemed to

son has decided to take a

smile on

of

"He what?"

it was Natasha's

going on a six-month

his

leaned back

"No wonder you're ma—"

"I'm not mad."

Samantha sharply cut.

mouth, just as she was about to say something,

I'm a little bit

leaning back on the sofa, Samantha shook