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

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

are you speaking

the better of me in

"He..."

and met my sight. He

way for humanity to avoid extinction. We won't be able to

of nonsense

loud these words, but as soon

grew numb when this realization dawned

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

inability to refute my arguments suggests that you are aware that they are not mere

started to

wasn't out of anger, but

His words…

the various regressions that my body underwent, I realized that the demon king was an entity that was simply too strong to be

king would be possible, but it

of different regressions occurred, it

absolute psychopath, but for someone like me, who understood the truth…his words...they didn't sound that wrong.

…and that was worrying.

was a sudden look

to have met his majesty based on the expression on your face. You can't really grasp how hopeless the situation is until you actually meet

Hemlock's words that snapped me out of my

still rambling about the demon king and how powerful

need to tell me to know this much. I already knew and experienced the

know

"Smallsnake?"

times. Seemingly unable

was only after I pointed at his tomb that

"Oh, you mean Brian?"

"Right…"

was indeed his

around to

know until last year. I was too busy trying to break through to notice

the side, he fixed his eyes on

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

stared back at him without saying

wouldn't be strange for them to know my movements. Although I took a series of precautions to ensure that they didn't know all of my movements, it was inevitable for them to hold some information about me, such

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

far off from what I assumed was

to him over the past couple of years because I hoped that he

was too

way he was looking at me, I knew about what he

definitely referring to the 876 incident. Who would have imagined the incident would have, in its own

from the human realm as soon as 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

was outside of the human domain,

his hand to cover his face,

more problems came up. I got totally played by Octavious when he sent me a

a little

his body became extremely overbearing, sealing

low, deep and sinister

one to 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