The Author's POV

The internal structure of the underground cavern was massive. Ryan couldn't count the handful of times he had taken the wrong path and headed toward a dead end.

It was starting to get to him.

"Not this one either."

Staring at probably what seemed to be like the tenth dead end, Ryan sighed in frustration and glanced at his phone.

There was a single red dot displayed on the screen, and that was where Ryan was currently headed to.

That was where Leopold was being held, and while he knew the exact direction of where he was, finding him was starting to prove to be a more difficult task than he had anticipated.

In a maze, just knowing where someone was, wasn't enough.

'If only he was somewhere more open.'

The fact that he was inside a massive underground network made it hard for Ryan to find the correct path, but he wasn't completely hopeless.

When he reached a new one, his phone would trace his steps so that he could see exactly where he was going and the places he had been in the past. Although he did run into a lot of dead ends, this helped him stay on track and stopped him from going to the same places twice.

He was steadily making progress, but still...

"Ugh."

Ryan groaned out loud.

'This is so frustrating.'

Time was of the essence, and he was wasting a lot of time finding the right path.

When he looked at his body, the demonic energy that had been encircling him had practically disappeared, and he no longer felt like a demon.

If he were to meet a demon, he'd instantly be found out.

'How annoying.'

The situation was anything but pleasant.

Despite that, Ryan could only grit his teeth and take out another demon core. This one belonged to the second demon he killed.

Crack!

Crushing it in the palm of his hand, he repeated the process from before and once again trekked on.

'No point in complaining… If I don't hurry up, things might turn for the worst. I need to hurry up.'

*

'Bingo.'

Ryan didn't know for how long he had walked, but after a couple more dead ends, he finally found the correct route, and he was shortly exposed to a large opening that was filled with thousands of metallic doors.

He was still quite a distance away from it, but he was able to see everything properly with the aid of a certain device.

'Well… shit…'

the moment he noticed

demons patrolling the area. They all emitted

were to be

only shudder

fine… It's fine… I

was within his calculations. Scanning around, his eyes paused on a certain door in the distance, and taking a

yet and remained where he was for

couple of hours. During that time, he made a concerted effort to eavesdrop on the conversations that were taking place and to assimilate all of the information that he was

get a better idea of how the system over here worked,

reason they were gathering prisoners, he knew that none of them were going to

what he heard was rather useless, but that didn't concern him as he had heard

prepared to

energy covering me, so I should

body was still stable, he nodded his head

He was ready.

Tap.

moment his foot stepped into the area, he felt countless eyes fall on him,

he continued to move toward where Leopold was being held. He ignored the gazes

to be

there for

Ryan's body froze on the spot. When he turned his head, he almost fell to his knees. Towering over him was a large demon with a

a hard time keeping

understood at that moment that he wasn't dealing with just any regular demon but someone that seemed to be

"Y,yes?"

asked, his composure

you doing

direct question. One which Ryan

coming here from another sector, and I need to meet one of the 'sources' that we've

the terminologies that Ryan picked up while listening in on the demons for the

that the term referred to those that were taken in

"Which one?"

scrutinizing gaze of the demon, Ryan could only

where a

head, Ryan cautiously nodded his head,

where I need

"Hmm, okay then."

demon was quick to agree and

you any further. When you go there, you can just tell them the reason why you're visiting, and

"Thank you."

so smoothly. Things would've been troublesome if

Thankfully, he didn't.

'Okay, this is good.'

over the door where Leopold resided, Ryan

same time he moved, he touched his

***

an eye on him; don't make

The commander said expressionlessly.

head, his gaze fixed on a 'demon'

knew that he didn't belong in this

up in such a location, the fact that the demonic energy that covered its body was rather faint was a great indicator that whoever this "demon"

the demon right then and there was because he wanted

Their goal.