The Author's POV

Splash! Splash!

My feet eventually came to a stop on a rocky surface, and as they did so, waves crashed against the firm surface of the rocks, spraying saltwater all over me. It was refreshing, and yet, it made me more alert.

As I looked around, I noticed that there were a few people off in the distance. They were encircled by a number of demons and monsters, and with just one look, I could tell that their situation was quite precarious.

"I'll give them a hand."

When I stretched out my hand, the demons that were surrounding the group instantly disappeared, leaving them stunned.

I didn't linger any longer and quickly moved away from the location, continuing my journey further into the interior of the island.

Every time I had the opportunity, I would wipe out all of the demons that were within my line of sight. There were quite a few of them, and the last time I counted them, I discovered that their total number exceeded the tens of thousands.

As I made my way through the island, I couldn't help but think about the world. Why was the location like this? Why did the landscape look like something that came from Earth, and why an island?

"There are a lot of demons..."

I muttered to myself, closing my eyes and feeling the demons that were within the island.

"And if that isn't bad enough, I can sense over a thousand demons that are ranked from Count rank and above... This..."

The odds were overwhelming.

Even I was not confident in handling so many demons, and this was just one pillar... I could only shudder at the number of demons within the other pillars.

Despite the overwhelming odds, I refused to give up.

"This should be a good spot."

I stopped on a large patch of land and waved my hand. A white barrier formed around me, sealing everything around me.

"I've moved far enough... I shouldn't get noticed even if I use this skill now."

As I swept my hand in front of me, a map of some sort materialized in front of me. There were a few red dots on it, and on top of each one was a name. It was Soul Linkage, one of the skills that used to belong to Kevin.

I was able to learn about this ability after gaining access to his powers, and I put it to use right away.

With Soul Linkage, I could find out how everyone was doing and where they were. It was an extremely useful skill that would help me locate those who were in danger and provide them with the help they needed.

I couldn't use it carelessly because of the possibility that it would attract the attention of one of the heads with how unusual the laws were; as a result, I had to look for an ideal location where I could use it before I could do so.

It was also for this reason that I only killed the demons that were within my line of sight. I wanted to check Soul Linkage as fast as possible.

"Let's see if there's anyone that's nea―"

I froze mid-sentence as my gaze paused on a few dots on the screen in front of me.

Ba…Thump! Ba…Thump!

"No... why? What?"

pounded out of my

what? How? Didn't he

Ba…Thump! Ba…Thump!

muttered under

body without any

"No... no... no..."

***

"Get back!"

deep voice echoed through the dense forest, bouncing off the trees and rocks as three figures emerged

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

woman, and a teenage girl ran frantically away from a hulking, menacing figure that was making its way

here! You're not a match

her voice cracking with emotion, as she watched her husband take a defensive stance with a sword in his

"So what!?"

of emotion as he pointed his sword at the looming demon. His body stood firmly before his wife and daughter, his eyes blazing

to find a way to contact Ren… As

words trailed off as he struggled

by it. His sword arm

not going to let anything happen to the people he cared about. Not

way, I'll

was ever since Ren's stunning

His own uselessness.

since Ren came to power, he realized just how much of a burden he was to his own son, and it had been eating him up almost every

Even so...

to himself and did everything he could to keep his

had to

was his duty as

"Go!"

"No, Ronald…"

time now, and

"M,mom…"

she clung to her

Nola's hand tightly, knowing that they had to

go, Nola. We don't have time; we have to

with emotion as she tried to remain calm for her daughter's

"But… but dad."

was barely above a whisper, her eyes fixed on her

know, sweetie. But we have to trust that he knows what

to keep her voice steady, even as her heart was pounding

her as they made their way deeper into the forest. Tears streamed down the side of her face as she forced herself not to look back, not to

We… we just have to run for