The Author's POV

"hmmm…"

Jezebeth scowled as he fixed his gaze on Ren, who appeared to have lost his soul.

'…Is this really how he used to be?'

Overlapping his image with the image of the man he knew, Jezebeth only felt disgust.

"To think that the death of someone so insignificant was all it took to reduce you into this state…"

In reality, it most likely wasn't just that. He was currently in this mental condition as a result of discovering the genuine facts about his existence and the death of one his comrades.

The man he knew was someone that closely resembled him. Someone that would do anything to achieve his goals.

It was exactly because he was like this that Jezebeth liked him.

Unfortunately, this version of him that was before him was a far cry from the figure he remembered.

In any case, this didn't concern Jezebeth.

'Should I just kill him?'

In that split moment, he had the sudden urge to end him right here and there. In the first place, the only reason he was keeping him alive was to save himself some trouble as well as time, but it wasn't really necessary.

He had already won. All he needed to do was just wait six years and the Akashic records would be his.

...Just six years.

'No, now is not a good idea.'

It took quite a bit of willpower to stop himself from killing him.

Calming himself down, Jezebeth suddenly noticed that Ren was now glaring in his direction. A powerful and chilling pressure started to expand from out of his body. One that even made Jezebeth's spine tingle.

"Oh?"

His head tilted a little as the edges of his lips curled a little.

"Someone looks a little displeased."

A little would be an exaggeration. Currently, it looked as though wanted to eat him alive. That look…it was not bad.

'Too bad now is not the right time.'

Jezebeth thought while he shook his head.

Focusing his attention toward the portal in the distance, he motioned in the air with his fingers and Ren's figure slowly floated in the air. The previous pressure that was coming out from his body disappeared just like that.

The current Ren was nothing but a bug in his eyes.

"Regrettably, I don't have time to entertain your rage."

Motioning with his finger, Ren's body slowly headed in his direction. Coming to a stop in front of him, Jezebeth scratched his neck a little before his eyes squinted.

"Don't forget the advice I gave you earlier. Everything will vanish if you kill "him." You will have the option of either dying or living, depending on which of you chooses."

He spoke with a hushed voice and an icy tone. One that sounded like a thousands snakes were hissing at the same time in Ren's ears.

Extending his hand, he pressed it against Ren's forehead. A gentle glow enveloped the room.

Feeling Ren's soul, he mumbled.

"Four years."

Removing the palm of his hand away from Ren, Jezebeth took a step back.

Then, staring straight into Ren's eyes, he began to mutter.

will take for your other self to completely fuse with your current self. If by that time the current you has still not killed

vicinity as Jezebeth extended his

a black tattoo resembling a crown began to form on Ren's wrist. His face twisted in pain, but no sound escaped from

of your body or you two come to an agreement. When four years have gone and you haven't passed away, the curse I set in you will automatically come to fruition, and you will pass away in

wasn't someone that believed all

because he was setting Ren free, he understood just how much of a potential problem

then he would always have a couple of backup

his nature

could stop him from

time for us to part. Don't forget

as Ren's body floated slowly towards the direction of the portal in the distance. Throughout the entire time, the only thing he could do was glare in his direction

when he saw

ticking and you don't have much time left. Whether you live or

toward the

last thing that Jezebeth saw was his terrifying glare that was filled with bloodlust.

was only after a couple of seconds passed that the silence

have

Jezebeth started

at the glare, Jezebeth had an

how could he not?

on an equal level with him. There was no way

Additionally, as the akashic holder is the only person

This feeling…

his

'I don't like this.'

was anything but pleasant for Jezebeth. For someone of his caliber to feel this

and right now even his backup plan didn't seem as secure as he

"I need something else.."

quietly murmured to

realized that he needed something else to completely feel in control of the

the tides of the events on the off-chance

"Hmm…"

deeply contemplating the matter, Jezebeth scanned the room with his

At that moment, a startling notion crossed his mind as his

"What if…"

***

him so

vast room full of scars and broken equipment, an immature, borderline childish voice

Ryan looked at the portal with worry in his

had left the planet and he

returning, he discovered his mercenary headquarters in a deplorable state. Nearly everything was damaged, and Ryan believed that the entire warehouse would have been lost in the

else was also back. Everyone apart from

and Ren were also still not

Smallsnake was waiting at

speaking, turned to face Amanda who nodded in response to her query. She

I left, I remember seeing Smallsnake. I told him to keep the portal open for when Ren

"I see…"

Angelica nodded her head.

couple of seconds, she frowned

were with Ren.

lips when

a little, she softly

I didn't want

him get to the top level more quickly, but she soon realized that she would only be getting in the way from that point

conversation she had with him, she couldn't

too suffocating to

"The portal is reacting!"

her thoughts by Ryan's yell

turned to focus their attention on

excited as he looked

they've made