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

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

are you

better of me

"He..."

and met my sight. He let

to avoid extinction. We won't be able to protect ourselves in

sort of

words, but as soon as my mouth opened,

numb when this realization dawned

hand seemed to have noticed my reaction and a thin smile

suggests that you

started

out of

His words…

my body underwent, I realized that the demon king was an entity

the demon king would be possible, but it didn't seem to be the case as both

after hundreds of different regressions occurred, it

would've perceived Hemlock as an absolute psychopath, but for someone like me, who

…and that was worrying.

was a sudden look of

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

that snapped me out of

was still rambling about the demon king and how powerful

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

you know that

"Smallsnake?"

times.

his tomb that he understood who I was

"Oh, you mean Brian?"

"Right…"

was indeed

Turning around to look at Smallsnake's tomb,

I didn't know until last year. I was too busy trying to

hair to the side, he fixed

you seriously think that Brian could actually hide away from me? Especially from someone like you whom we have been

back at him without saying

powerful as the Monolith, it wouldn't be strange for them to know my movements. Although I took a series of precautions to ensure

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 of this that I knew that he was working

off from what I assumed was

the past couple of years because I hoped that he would slowly start to

but as I was too busy with several problems that occurred due

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

would have imagined the incident would have, in its own way, saved

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? I briefly believed that he

the human domain, and waited. Waited for him to

his hand to cover his face,

Octavious when he sent

a

his body became extremely overbearing, sealing all

and sinister voice reached for

than I could've ever imagined. First, with all the troubles, you caused at our headquarters, then when you sent us the fake corpse in your place..and