The Author's POV

Calm.

When Malik's eyes stopped on me and our eyes met, I felt completely at ease.

His pressure…

It was terrifying. More than I could've bargained for. Enough to make me feel suffocated with just a single breath.

' rank.'

Although it was unclear to those watching, I, who was close to achieving rank, could discern from a quick glance what level he had attained.

The way the mana around him bent to his will…

The way the world seemed so focused on him…

And the pressure that closely resembled a couple of figures I had met in the past…

Without a single doubt, he had broken through to rank.

"Hm?"

Before I knew it, he was a couple of steps away from me.

"You must be Ren Dover…or should I say, 876?"

His voice echoed out. It sounded crisp and pleasant to the ear, yet, at the same time, felt extremely chilly.

Nevertheless, I didn't get shaken up by his voice or pressure. At this moment, it seemed as though the emotion known as 'fear' had completely dissipated from my body.

My head tilted slightly as I asked in a rather monotonous tone.

At this point, I was starting to doubt whether the one speaking was me or the other me.

"What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

As he said, Malik Alshayatin, or lesser known as Hemlock, took a step to the side and gestured in the direction of Smallsnake's grave.

"...I'm here to pay a visit to my friend."

His remarks would've normally have made me angry, but as I've said before, the emotion known as "anger" vanished from my body. His reply aroused no emotion from within me.

At this point, I realized that something was wrong, yet at the same time, had no time to understand what was going on.

"Friend? Last time I heard, you were the one responsible for killing his own mother? I'm sure no friend would actually do that."

"…So he's still hung up on that."

Hemlock quietly whispered to himself.

The whisper was low, but it was audible enough for me to hear. He then repeatedly pointed toward his chest.

"You see, it was only because I was his friend that I did what I did. I did it to make sure he understood...understood just how serious the situation is. In the end, I did everything for his benefit. I wished to show him the reality of the world!...and the death of his mother was the only way that I could open up his eyes. I wanted him to understand just how feeble human life is."

Without realizing it, my brows knit as I noticed signs of agony on his face.

is he making such a

exactly was he trying to say?...and why did it

are you speaking

the better of

"He..."

and met my sight. He let out

humanity to avoid extinction. We won't be

sort of nonsense

words, but as soon as my mouth opened, I realized

grew numb when this realization dawned on

on the other hand seemed to have noticed my reaction and a thin smile formed on his

the seriousness of our situation. Your inability to refute my arguments suggests that you are aware that they are not mere heresy from a psychopath, as the others appear to make

started

out of anger,

His words…

means to correct them. After observing the various regressions that my body underwent, I realized that

defeating the demon king would be possible, but it didn't seem to be the

after hundreds of different regressions occurred, it always ended with the

they would've perceived Hemlock as an absolute psychopath, but for someone like me, who understood the truth…his words...they

…and that was worrying.

a sudden look of understanding on

You can't really grasp how hopeless the situation is until you actually meet him. It was

was Hemlock's words that snapped me out of my

about the demon king and how

me to know this much. I already knew and experienced the helplessness that came with meeting

know that

"Smallsnake?"

blinked his eyes a couple of times. Seemingly unable to

was only after I pointed at his tomb that he understood who I

"Oh, you mean Brian?"

"Right…"

indeed his

his head. Turning around to look at Smallsnake's tomb,

too busy trying to break through

side, he fixed his eyes on

from someone like you whom we have been keeping a close eye on after it was revealed to us that

back at him without saying

ensure that they

before we parted ways. There was no grand purpose behind it. It was so that I could find him as long as I was nearby. Just by feeling the mana, I would be able to get a general idea of where he was...It was also because

the answer I received was far off from what

never did anything to him over the past couple of years because I hoped that he would

as I was too busy with several problems that occurred due

those last words. From the way he was looking at me, I knew about what he was

Who would have imagined the incident would have, in

I was preparing to approach him again after solving all the issues that you caused, but no matter how hard I looked for him, I was unable to locate him. How astonished was I, do you know?

was outside of the human domain,

his hand to cover his face, Hemlock

I got totally played by Octavious when he sent me a fake corpse of what

inched a little

of his body became extremely overbearing, sealing

low, deep and sinister voice reached

get angry easily...but...you...you've managed to anger me more times than I could've ever imagined. First, with all the troubles, you caused at our headquarters, then when you sent us the fake corpse