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…'

moment he noticed the numerous

different demons patrolling the area. They all

he were to

only shudder at

fine… I

through before, and what he was seeing was within his calculations. Scanning around, his eyes paused on a certain door

time was ripe yet and

on the conversations that were taking place and to assimilate all of the information

to get a better idea of how the system over

that none of them were going to be kept there for long

he heard was rather useless, but that didn't

to make a

some demonic energy covering me, so

energy that surrounded his body was still

He was ready.

Tap.

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

a stoic face, he continued to move toward where Leopold was being held. He ignored the gazes and

seems to be

there for

his head, he almost fell to his knees. Towering

a hard time keeping

moment that he wasn't dealing with just any regular demon but someone that seemed to be high up in

"Y,yes?"

asked, his composure almost

are you

direct question. One which Ryan already

here from another sector, and I need to meet one

one of the terminologies that Ryan picked up while listening in on

of what they meant, he knew that the term referred to those that were taken in by the

"Which one?"

of the demon, Ryan could only

that's where a

head, Ryan cautiously nodded his head, trying not to seem

exactly where

"Hmm, okay then."

quick to agree

do, I won't disturb you any further. When you go there, you can just tell them the reason why you're visiting, and

"Thank you."

felt rather relieved that things went so smoothly. Things would've been troublesome if the

Thankfully, he didn't.

'Okay, this is good.'

the door where Leopold resided, Ryan

he touched his wrist and tapped on it

***

an eye on him; don't make a move

The commander said expressionlessly.

head, his gaze fixed on

knew that

the demonic energy that covered its body was rather faint was a

and there was

Their goal.