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.

he making such a

trying to say?...and why did it seem like he genuinely felt

are you

better of me in

"He..."

his head and met my sight. He let

reality that joining the demons is the only way for humanity to avoid extinction. We won't be able to protect

of

out loud these words, but as soon as my mouth opened, I realized that

grew numb when

have noticed my reaction

suggests that you are aware that they are not mere heresy from a psychopath, as the others appear to

started

of anger,

His words…

underwent, I realized that the demon

think that after multiple regressions defeating the demon king would be possible,

of different regressions occurred, it always

for someone like me, who understood the truth…his words...they didn't sound that wrong. Rather, they sounded rather

…and that was worrying.

sudden look of understanding

met his majesty based on the expression on your face. You can't really grasp how hopeless the situation is until you actually meet him. It was from my short meeting with him that I understood just how dire our

Hemlock's words that snapped me

about the demon king and how powerful

didn't need to tell me to know this much. I already knew and experienced the helplessness that came with meeting him. Hence why I

know that Smallsnake was

"Smallsnake?"

blinked his eyes a couple of times. Seemingly unable

at his tomb that he understood

"Oh, you mean Brian?"

"Right…"

was indeed

head. Turning around to look at Smallsnake's

I was too busy trying to break through

hair to the side, he fixed his

hide away from me? Especially from someone like you whom we have been keeping a close eye on after it

at

movements. Although I took a series of precautions to ensure that they didn't know all of

it. It was so that I could find him as long as I was nearby. Just by feeling the mana,

I received was far off from what I assumed was the

of years because I hoped that he would slowly start to

was too busy with several problems that

slight pause ensued after he said those last words. From the way he was

the 876 incident. Who would have imagined the incident

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? I briefly believed that he

that he was outside of the human domain, and waited. Waited

his hand to cover

where more problems came up. I got totally played by Octavious when he

a

that came out of his body became extremely overbearing, sealing

low, deep and sinister voice reached for my

managed to anger me more times than I could've ever imagined. First, with all the troubles, you caused