《Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start》


 Chapter 1 Prologue.

    The secluded building of the infamous Darkhand Association, always left untouched by outsiders, loomed like a ghostly monolith.


    Today, it pulsed with a foreboding energy that seemed to seep into the very walls. The hallway stretched endlessly ahead, dimly lit by flickering fluorescent lights. Each flicker cast eerie shadows that danced across the cold, metallic surfaces.


    The sound of footsteps echoed through the silent hall, rhythmic and unnerving.


    Three figures moved forward, their presence magnified by the oppressive stillness. Leading them was Kelvin, the vice president of the association''s information branch.


    His nose scrunched up and his brows creased, contorted by a mix of anxiety and dread as he kept staring ahead.


    He had been to this area some times before but never felt like what he was feeling today¡ªa strange feeling of impending doom.


    It was as if there was something waiting for him¡ªsomething he wouldn''t want to see happening, but he couldn''t quite put a finger on it.


    His palm balled into a fist, clenching as hard as he could. Cold sweat trickled down his spine.


    His dark blue hair clung to his damp forehead, the sweat a testament to the growing unease gnawing at him. He nced at the two men nking him¡ªboth senior members of the organization, their stony expressions betraying no hint of the tension Kelvin felt.


    "Get a grip," he muttered under his breath, clenching his fists harder until his nails dug into his palms.


    As they neared the armored door at the end of the corridor, Kelvin''s breath hitched. A low, guttural moan reached his ears¡ªa sound of pure agony. His heart stuttered, his steps faltering.


    "What''s the holdup?" barked the bald man to his left, his broad shoulders and tattooed scalp casting an intimidating silhouette under the flickering light. He grabbed Kelvin''s arm roughly. "Move it."


    Kelvin jerked his arm free with a growl, his eyes darting toward the heavy door. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his spine. Something¡ªor someone¡ªwas behind that door. Something he wasn''t ready to face.


    The taller man on his right rapped on the iron door, impatience etched into his sharp features. Even that man was unaware of what was going on beyond the gate, all he was told to was bring Kelvin here, and he did.


    Knock. Knock.


    The sound reverberated like a death knell.


    "Hm."


    A calm hum sounded from within the room, making the two men push the door open. They had been doing this for a while now, bringing people here one by one.


    Kelvin, however, was too preupied with his thoughts to hear the hum. All he heard was the door creaking ominously as the heavy bolt shifted, its groan like the wail of a tortured spirit.


    Badump-Badump


    Kelvin''s heart hammered against his ribs violently, his instincts screamed at him to turn and run, but his feet refused to obey. He stood frozen, his wide eyes fixed on the slowly opening door.


    As soon as the door opened, the pungent stench of blood and decay poured out, assaulting his senses. He gagged, the bile rising in his throat.


    And then he saw them.


    Ten men hung from the ceiling like grotesque marites, their bodies battered and broken. Blood dripped from their mangled limbs, pooling on the floor below. Their groans filled the air, each one a haunting symphony of pain. Kelvin''s heart dropped as his gazended on two familiar faces among the condemned.


    "No..." he whispered, his voice barely audible. These were his friends¡ªmen he''d shared drinks andughter with. Now, they were nothing more than bloody husks, dangling like grim trophies.


    Their features were undefinable as their whole body was covered in red. The flickering red light didn''t help with the tension.


    Kelvin tried to think of what was happening. Why it was happening, but he couldn''t understand anything.


    He turned to look at the two people following him, thinking if it was part of their scheme, but all he saw behind him was a closed iron door. They were gone.


    All they were told to do was bring Kelvin here and nothing else, so they did just that.


    "Do you see it now, little brother?"


    Suddenly, a voice, cold, detached, and unyielding, cut through the room like a de, making Kelvin shiver as his gaze finally turned toward the person who had ordered those two senior members to do his bidding.


    It was Alex Matthew, seated on a throne-like sofa at the center of the room. He was the boss of the Darkhand Association, his presence exuded an aura of cold authority. His white shirt was smeared with blood, a stark contrast to his silver-white hair that glimmered under the dim, flickering light. His fists rested on the arms of the sofa, knuckles bruised and bloodied, the evidence of his handiwork.


    Kelvin''s breath hitched. The sheer weight of Alex''s presence crushed him. Alex didn''t need to look up; his very posturemanded respect and fear. The flickering light cast shadows over his piercing blue eyes, making them glow with a chilling intensity.


    "Do you see it now?" Repeated Alex.


    Kelvin''s legs trembled as he stepped forward, his gaze locked on the broken bodies of his friends. His fists clenched, but his strength faltered.


    "Why...?" he croaked, his voice breaking. "Why did you do this? They were my friends!"


    Alex leaned back slightly, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Kelvin.


    "Friends?" He gesturedzily toward the hanging men. "Traitors. They sold us out. They would''ve gotten us all killed."


    "No..." Kelvin shook his head, his voice trembling. "Not them. You''re wrong."


    He could still remember how just yesterday all three of them were ying at his house. Not a single action of theirs was something a traitor would do. There was no way Kelvin would believe it.


    Alex''s expression hardened. He stood, his imposing figure towering over Kelvin. Blood dripped from his fingertips, sttering onto the floor as he took a step forward. "Open your eyes, Kelvin. Why would I lie to you?"


    Before Kelvin could respond, a cold voice cut through the air.


    "Why bother wasting time on this, brother?"


    Kelvin''s head snapped toward the source. A man stepped out of the shadows, his tanned skin and blonde hair catching the faint light. He held a pistol, its barrel glinting ominously.


    He was wearing dark green shorts and Hawaiian t-shirts along with slippers. A red goggle resting on the bridge of his nose that he kept pushing up.


    His overall looks were that of a delinquent, as he stood with his body tilted to the side.


    That man''s words caused even Alex to turn to the guy, and even when he saw the pistol pointed at Kelvin, his expression didn''t change.


    Alex knew that this was what he should do, as death and torture were the only luxuries they had for their enemies and their supporters, but still... the one in front of them was their brother.


    "W-Wait¡ª" Kelvin tried to yell, but...


    Bang


    He didn''t even have time to react as the bullet tore through him. Pain exploded in his chest, and his vision blurred. He copsed to the ground, his blood pooling beneath him.


    The tanned-skinned guy, after shooting down Kelvin, turned to look at Alex, who was just staring at the corpse with an expression portraying regret.


    Tch


    The guy clicked his tongue with a frown. ''You have always been like that¡ªshowing all your care on the younger one.'' He muttered inwardly, irritation clear on his face. ''You were the one who forced me...''


    But just as things seemed to have ended¡­


    Tap-Tap-Tap


    A series of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.


    The heavy door mmed open, revealing Sophie, her blonde hair disheveled and her royal blue eyes wide with urgency.


    "Alex! Kelvin wasn''t the real traitor!" she cried, her voiceced with panic.


    Alex''s eyes turned to her, the tension in the room palpable. Sophie''s gaze darted to the hanging bodies, as she added, "Our information was being tamped with by an unknown organization¡ª"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her words paused as her eyes locked onto Kelvin''s dead body. His eyes colorless as hey over a pool of blood. Her world seemed to have paused as she turned to look at Alex, her eyes watering up as she realized that she was a bit toote.


    It was Sophie, Alex''s girlfriend, and the president of the information department.


    Just a few seconds ago, their cyber team found out that the information they had received was tampered with by an organization that wasn''t even known to this world¡ªmeaning it was stronger than them.


    It was true that there were eleven traitors in their organization. But not all of that information was true.


    It had taken them a while, but Sophie and others were able to decipher the tampered proofs and find out the truth¡ªsomething that Sophie rushed here to warn Alex about.


    But the next second, her eyes widened in horror as she saw something.


    "No!!!!!!!"


    Sophie screamed, rushing toward Alex, but her steps weren''t fast enough.


    Alex, who had his gaze fixed on the despair-filled royal blue eyes of his girlfriend, saw the reflection of the only man standing beside him, pointing his gun at him.


    ''Ah¡­''


    A glint of realization shone in his eyes as things finally made sense, but the next second...


    BANG

 CHAPTER 1 - Betrayal and Bloodshed.

    (Alex''s POV)


    "Nooo!!!"


    ''Ah¡­''


    I couldn''t believe it.


    Sophie''s voice barely registered in my ears as my eyes locked onto the reflection of her eyes¡ªthe reflection of Maurice, the guy I treated like my own brother, standing there with a gun pointed right at me.


    The realization hit like a punch to the gut.


    ''He''s the real traitor¡­''


    It all made sense now.


    Every single clue Maurice found about the potential traitor among us, the way he "discovered" that Kelvin''s friends were spies, and that Kelvin was aware of everything.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    All of it. It was like a fog lifting from my mind, connecting the dots I should''ve seen before.


    But I was blind, or more like there was something obstructing my vision, making it impossible for me to look through it.


    Especially now, with the blood of my brother, who was just a piece manipted by my enemies was pooling under my feet.


    Those ten men were enemies. There was no doubt as they had epted it verbally.


    ''But Kelvin didn''t get a chance, did he?''


    The thought gnawed at me as I stared down at his lifeless body.


    My idiotic younger brother. He never knew when to quit, and now he paid the price for my own ignorance.


    The memories flooded in¡ªpicking him up off the streets, dragging him into this life, thinking I was doing him a favor.


    ''Fuck this!''


    I gritted my teeth, the image of Kelvin''s shocked, horrified face burning into my mind. The second his life slipped away, something snapped inside me. But before I could act¡ª


    *Click.*


    The world paused for a second as I heard the sound of Maurice pulling the trigger; it echoed in my ears.


    My instinct kicked in, and I tilted my head, barely dodging the bullet aimed at my skull.


    Bang


    ''Urgh!''


    I felt a sharp pain tear through my earlobe. The sound was deafening, and the world around me turned into a dull, persistent ringing.


    BEEEEPPPPP!!


    I saw Sophie''s lips moving, but the sound never came. Her frantic gestures tried to tell me something, but I couldn''t focus.


    The only thing I knew was that Maurice was about to fire again and that I couldn''t give him the chance.


    BANG


    Another shot rang out.


    ''Fuck!''


    I jumped sideways without a single thought, but I wasn''t fast enough.


    I felt the bullet tear through my gut, a searing pain exploding through my abdomen.


    ''Fuck! Fuck!''


    Maurice didn''t even flinch. He shot me point-nk, but that bastard didn''t know me well enough or maybe he forgot about it.


    I wasn''t dead yet.


    The time he spent aiming gave me just enough room to act.


    My hand found the gun in my waistband, and I pointed it right at him.


    Bang-Bang


    Two shots, one from his pistol and the other from mine, shot at each other.


    Time seemed to stop as both of us stood in our spots, frozen, and eyes wide.


    Thud


    That was before I fell backward with a thud.


    I had felt the bullet pass through me, burning through flesh and bone.


    My vision now blurred, and I coughed, blood spraying from my lips.


    Cough


    I hit the ground hard, staring at Maurice, who hadn''t moved.


    Finally, he fell to the ground as well, his body hitting the ground face-first with a heavy thud.


    Thud


    A clean hole between his brows.


    ''That''s what you get for betraying me...''


    I could barely think right now, as Iy there, broken.


    I wasn''t a good guy, never imed to be.


    But for the people I cared about, I was everything.


    And now, it was over. I know that it was in no way justice for Kelvin and that I had wronged him, but there was nothing I could do now.


    Kelvin was probably in heaven if there is any, and I''m going to hell. Meeting him and apologizing doesn''t really seem possible...


    Cough-Cough


    More blood poured from my mouth, thick and metallic, as my vision began to fade. But through the haze, I saw her.


    Sophie.


    Her tear-streaked face hovered above me, her red eyes wide with panic, and her nose red from constant sobbing.


    Her features were highlighted as she looked paler with her blood drained out of her face in fear and despair.


    I tried tough, but it only brought more blood to my lips.


    She was saying something, screaming probably, but I couldn''t hear her.


    Her hands desperately pressed against my chest, trying to stop the bleeding, only to worsen it.


    Futile.


    "It''s fine."


    I whispered, my voice barelying out now.


    I grabbed her trembling hands, pulling them away from the gushing wound.


    I didn''t have much time, but there was onest thing I needed.


    "Get me to the throne."


    I had no energy left.


    My chest burned, each breath harder than thest, but I had to do this.


    Sophie, however, resisted, shaking her head, screaming, but I couldn''t hear her.


    Her hands pushed me to the ground, desperate to stop me from moving.


    Cough-Cough


    But as more blood soaked the floor beneath us, I could see her panic growing, her entire body trembling.


    She had no choice.


    She knew that it was almost my time to go, she just wasn''t ready to ept that truth.


    But still, with shaking hands, she helped me back to the throne. My throne.


    I sank into it, gripping the armrests as hard as I could.


    This was it¡ªthe thing that set me apart from everyone else. This was what I fought for. But then I noticed them.


    The men I had tortured but kept alive for more, were free of the ropes that bound them...


    ''That bastard¡­''


    Maurice seemed to have fired one bullet at one of their ropes, freeing that guy, who in turn freed the others.


    ''He won''t let me live, huh?''


    But then, I noticed something again...


    The anger in their eyes morphed into sick lust as their eyes turned to Sophie.


    These fuckers!! Are they eyes my woman, right now?!


    My woman?!?!


    I wanted to scream, to stand up and tear them apart, but my body wouldn''t respond.


    My vision blurred, and my muscles weakened.


    ''NOT RIGHT NOW!''


    I roared in my mind, fighting against the darkness pulling me under. But my strength was fading fast.


    And then I felt her grip tighten around my arm.


    It was Sophie, still holding on to me. Trembling. Vulnerable.


    "I''m sorry, love."


    The words barely escaped my lips. She looked at me, confused, her navy blue eyes wide with worry and panic.


    She just wanted to see me live, I guess.


    Then, before she could react, I raised the gun with all the strength I had left.


    Bang


    She fell to the floor, dead before she even realized what happened.


    ''I wish I had more bullets...''


    That was all I could think, but as if shooting Sophie was thest thing I was supposed to do...


    tter


    My gun fell out of my hand. Weakness started creeping up on me, pulling me into an unending darkness, but I let it be as my body slumped and thest bit of life drained out of me.


    And then, everything went ck.


    (Alex''s POV end)


    Alex was already dead, so he didn''t know what happened after that, but their¡ªAlex''s and Sophie''s¡ªcorporeal bodies, which were supposed to stay lying, suddenly trembled before breaking into particles.


    They disappeared from the spot under the shocked gaze of the guys who were looking at Sophie with lust-filled eyes.

 CHAPTER 2 - In Heaven?

    (When there is no defined POV, it''s the third POV.)


    In a room filled with nothing but white all around, there was a woman with long blonde hair and royal blue eyes resting on the ground with her legs stretched out in front of her.


    Her body, as if the definition of voluptuous, curved elegantly at the right ces. She exuded an aura of innocence and a clumsy big sister; just one look at her might cause a man to fall for her, wanting to take care of her.


    Right now, however, her eyes were focusing on the only man she ever loved.


    Her royal blue eyes, filled with endless love and care, kept staring at the man with long, flowing white hair and a divinely handsome contour.


    The man was resting on herp as she kept caressing his head with the utmost care, as if he were the most delicate thing in the world, until the guy''s eyes trembled a bit, indicating that he was about to wake up.


    That quiver in the eyelids was noticed by the woman as well, and her eyes, which had been looking at the guy with a gentle light, widened a bit in panic.


    But she didn''t have time, and the next moment...


    "Hmmm¡­"


    With afortable groan, the guy''s eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of electric blue eyes.


    For a while, both of them kept staring into each other''s eyes, none saying anything before the guy sighed.


    "Sigh..."


    His body, which had grown tense for a second, rxed as a whisper left his lips.


    "Sophie, are we in heaven?"


    It was Alex, and he thought that they were in heaven; after all, he could vividly remember himself getting killed.


    "No¡ª"


    Sophie, who could understand why Alex would think as such, tried to deny it, but before she could...


    *Rustle*


    "Forget it."


    Alex turned over in a masterful maneuver, pressing Sophie beneath him and staring into her eyes.


    They could be in heaven or hell, for all he cares.


    All he cared about was that Sophie¡ªhis love¡ªwas here, and they were alone.


    Yes, Alex had already scanned the surroundings, and even though he seemed rxed, he had his vignce up, keeping an eye on any change in the surroundings.


    "W-What are you doing...?"


    Sophie, who was pressed under Alex, could feel Alex''s knees pressing against her groin, moving about sensually, and his eyes staring right into her with a hungry light shining within.


    "Apologizing..."


    Alex breathed out as he lowered his head, nting a kiss on Sophie''s neck, causing her body to tremble, even if just a bit.


    "U-Um, a-apologizing¡­?"


    Sophia, who could feel his lips touching her neck, his knees pressing harder against her crotch, and his fingers passionately caressing her waist, bit her lips as she let out those words.


    "Well¡­"


    Alex raised his head and pressed it against Sophie''s before he stared deep into her eyes.


    "I did shoot you in the head."


    Alex chuckled a bit as he muttered those words; his warm and uneven breaths mingled with Sophie''s shuddering breaths.


    But there was not a hint of regret or guilt in his voice; it was as if he knew that Sophie would''ve wanted that as well, and the next second...


    *Smooch*


    Sophie moved her lips forward, taking a sip of Alex''s lips before she moved back, her grudgy eyes looking into Alex''s intrigued ones.


    "... you know that I can''t resist you, yet you..."


    She muttered as she hit Alex on his back, wanting to show that she was angry at him, but instead of moving away, Alex pressed on.


    *Smooch*


    This time, he pressed his lips against her, his palms crawling towards her supple breasts, and Sophie, who felt it had her body rx, her arms hugging Alex''s back, pulling him closer.


    But the next second...


    "Um!"


    Alex pushed his tongue into Sophie''s mouth, causing her to widen her eyes for a second, her grip on Alex''s back tightening, as if not wanting this to continue, but soon...


    *Slurp*


    As Alex kept sucking on her lips and tongue, she gave in¡ªthat is, until Alex parted his lips.


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah..."


    "Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah..."


    Both of them were left with ragged breath, and as Sophie saw Alex licking his lips, about to catch her lips again, she forced herself to speak some words of protest.


    "We... hah... can''t. There''s something... important¡ª"


    She tried to use her hands to push him away, as she knew if they took even a single step ahead, then there was no returning...


    But her words got stuck in her mouth as she saw Alex raising up his body, his leg pinning her down, as he stared at her with a nk look in his eyes.


    *Tremble*


    Sophie, who saw that gaze, trembled.


    "U-Um, Alex, this is r-really important..."


    She shuttered, her voice barely a whisper; she knew what that look meant after all.


    Alex, however, ignored her words; he held her arms, which were trying to force him away a second ago, before he pinned them above Sophie''s head.


    With the same dead look, his other hand moved toward Sophie''s long skirt, entering inside without pause.


    "W-Wha..."


    Sophie''s eyes grew wide as she pressed her plump thighs against each other, trying to stop Alex''s fingers, which brushed against her clean-shaven pussy, only to fail.


    "Ahh~!"


    Her back arched, her head tilted to the side, and her body tensed. A moan left her lips as she felt Alex''s fingers pinching her clitoris, but the next second...


    "W-Why?"


    With a resentful look, she turned to look at Alex, only to find him looking at her with the same dead gaze as he rubbed his fingers, glistening with her love juice.


    "Didn''t you say that we should stop?"


    Alex questioned with a poker face, causing Sophie to bite her lips in frustration, but that just looked seductive to Alex, who was having a hard time keeping his face straight.


    Both of them knew that they wanted each other, it was just that Sophia was trying not to take things forward as it might not be the best thing to do in this ce...


    "I-I¡­"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Sophie hesitated. The temptation of pleasure was a bit too much for her mind, but the thing she had to talk about was important as well¡­


    She kept rubbing her thighs against each other, wanting to make the itch in her groin go away, but she knew it was impossible.


    Only one thing could treat her itch, and it was Alex, so she just looked at him with a teary look.


    She wanted to do it, but there were things that Alex needed to know right now, and they were really important!


    "What? I want an answer. Do you want me to go on? Or stop?"


    Alex questioned Sophie, his knee still grinding against her crotch from beneath her clothes.


    "I-I want to do it!"


    Sophie, unable to take the torture anymore, eximed with a teary look, and Alex who had been holding back with all he had, finally let go.


    *Smooch*


    He jumped right on her, pressing her below his as his arms snaked toward her breasts, sinking into them.


    "Um~~!"


    Sophie, who felt Alex''s palm massaging her breasts, closed her eyes as she moaned into Alex''s mouth, pushing her chest up as if wanting her breasts to be pressed harder, and Alex did just that.


    *Pinch*


    He pinched her hard nipples, causing Sophie to arch her back again and her eyes widened.


    Her legs crossed behind Alex''s back, pulling him closer as if not wanting him to move away, and Alex, who was kissing Sophie''s lips and sucking on her tongue, moved towards her neck.


    "Ah~??!"


    A low yet sensual moan left her lips as she tilted her head, giving Alex full ess to her long nape, and Alex, who saw this, bit her corbone.


    "Hmm~!!!"


    Sophie squirmed under Alex''s assault, wanting to move her arms just so that she could cope with the pleasure, but Alex kept them pinned above her head, not letting her free.


    His lips, on the other hand, kept moving down her neck until he reached the button of her blue-colored shirt...


    Alex''s eyes turned to look at her, and Sophie, who noticed the hungry light in Alex''s eyes, trembled.


    "You have a change of clothes, right?"


    Alex questioned, knowing full well that there was no change of clothes here, but unexpectedly, Sophie gave him a low nod, her pupil quivering as a grin marred Alex''s lips.


    "Good."


    He growled before he bent down and bit the button of the shirt, and the next instant...


    *Tear*


    He tore it apart, leaving Sophie with her navy-blue bra exposed for him to see.


    Alex didn''t say anything; he directly clutched the bra with his teeth, and just like the shirt...


    *Riiipppp*


    "Ah¡­"


    The moment he tore the bra away from Sophie''s body, herrge, perky breasts bounced up, giving him eye candy.


    His lips inched closer to the pink erect nipples, wanting to suck on them inadvertently.


    But just as his lips were about to touch those tempting things, his vision went nk.

 CHAPTER 3 - A New Reality?

    In arge, luxurious room with a king-sized bed lying at the center and a fancy drawer with intricate inscriptions all over it ced right beside it, sat a boy who looked no older than 16 years.


    His features are cute yet sharp at the same time.


    His electric blue eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at a blue-colored screen that floated right in front of him, his palm clutching his forehead along with some of his snow-white, disheveled hair.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    There was a chandelier hanging down from the ceiling, lighting up the room with a dim, cool, aqua color, turning the atmosphere rxing and cool.


    The boy with strikingly captivating looks, however, was far from being calm.


    His life was giving him a lot of shocks today, so much so that it was hard for him to stay calm.


    "So, you''re saying that you met a goddess? Like, a real goddess?"


    The boy sighed in exasperation as he asked that question to someone only he could talk to.


    [Yes! Just how many times are you going to ask the same thing?!]


    The boy received a reply, but the voice was heard in his head, along with the same words getting typed on the blue-colored translucent screen in front of his eyes.


    The voice sounded clearly annoyed, but the boy just frowned.


    "You do know that your words sound absurd, right?"


    The boy questioned with a slightly serious tone, only to get his mouth shut by the question asked by the voice within his head.


    [Alex, just look around, look at me, look at yourself, and look at the memories inside of your head. After all of this, do you still think that the most absurd thing you heard about is the goddess?]


    The voice in the boy, who was called Alex by the voice, sighed in defeat as it just pointed things out.


    Alex kept his mouth shut for a while before he spoke.


    "I just can''t believe that there is someone way more beautiful and enchanting than you."


    The boy muttered as he fell back on the soft mattress with his hands spread wide.


    His words stunned the voice for a second before the blue illusionary screen in the boy''s vision got tinged with pink.


    [W-Wh-What the hell? Was that the only thing you couldn''t believe among every other thing I told you about??]


    The voice in the boy''s head grew a pitch higher. Embarrassed yet incredulous.


    Chuckle


    The boy, however, just chuckled as he lifted his palm up and stared at the ceiling from the gaps within his fingers.


    "So, this is a novel world, huh? Not exactly something I thought I would hear about this world, but oh well."


    He muttered as he clenched his fists hard, determined to not let this life end the same as the previous one.


    [Y-You don''t have any doubt about anything?]


    Sophie, on the other hand, still couldn''t believe how quickly Alex epted the situation.


    She had been living within his body for around 16 years already, and that was more than enough to make her believe in everything that was happening, but Alex just got his memories, yet he didn''t seem to be that affected.


    {Ah...}


    But as soon as she recalled who she was talking about and who she was trying to generalize, she just sighed in resignation.


    This was not just anyone; he was Alex Matthew, a person whose name alone was enough to shake the highest of authorities in the world they used to live in.


    No matter how many times he lives, no matter what kind of world he lives in, and no matter what kind of situation he finds himself in, he will always be the same guy.


    {Well, he did turn flirty, but that is to be expected as he had different circumstances...}


    Sophie thought inwardly as she stared at Alex before she lowered her head with a rosy tint on her cheeks.


    {And I somehow like the flirty side of his...}


    Sophie knew what Alex had been through and what he had to do in order to survive in this world, but no matter what Alex became and how he became, her love for him was never going to change.


    He was her Alex, the only one that could ever be.


    "Your words alone are enough to make me believe in anything¡ªthings that no one would ever want to believe¡ªmy dear Sophie."


    Alex, who had finally regained his memories of his previous life, had the same love for Sophie as he used to do before, as she was his and only his; it was just that he was able to express them better than before.


    [B-But still...]


    Sophie, although feeling ted the more she talked with Alex, was still a bit dissatisfied by theck of questions, as she had prepared a lot of answers for a lot of questions in these past 16 years.


    "Yes, my dear Sophie; I do have some questions."


    Alex, who, for some reason, was able to sense Sophie''s emotions, didn''t reveal it to her, but he still nodded his head, giving her what she wanted.


    [Really?!]


    The sheer amount of happiness he heard from her voice was enough to make him chuckle.


    "Yes, yes, so tell me, why was I not the one to get summoned by this oh-so-beautiful goddess¡ªwho I don''t believe is better than you¡ªinstead of you?"


    Alex asked a question that he had been curious about for a while¡ªhe wasn''t dubious or something like that; he was just curious.


    [W-Well, as I said before, I died before you, and during that short interval, I met the goddess, who is responsible for all of this.]


    Sophie, who was still trying to calm down as she was way too excited to get to talk to her Alex after 16 fucking years that she just couldn''t stay cool, answered Alex.


    Alex, however, just shook his head with a light smile, still lying on the bed.


    "I know that, love. But you still remember that the goddess gave you two options, right?


    One where you will get a supporting role while I get the main role, and the other where only¡ª"


    Alex paused here with a sudden break in his speech, and Sophie...


    [¡ªI will get to have a main role while you go through the cycle of reincarnation.]


    As if in a tendon, continued his line; it was as if she knew that he was going to pause there, but in reality, it was just that she knew Alex so much to know what he might do next.


    Alex just chuckled, as he had expected her to do that before he nodded his head.


    "Yes, and although you selected the first option, thanks to which I''m still here; if you were to select the second option, then I wouldn''t even be here.


    This means that you are the one who was supposed to make the decision, and you were the only one who was supposed to be summoned."


    His words send Sophie into a deep contemtion.


    She had never actually thought about it so deeply, but now that she did, it did seem that way.


    The goddess''s exnation about her being summoned did seem filled with plot holes now.


    "Now, don''t think too much about it; it was just a curious inquiry as it seemed like that goddess was hiding something from you, but oh well, we can''t actually do anything about it, can we?"


    Alex, however, waved it off, seemingly not interested in this topic as he could feel Sophie getting depressed thinking about not being able to find this fault before.


    [... I''m sorry.]


    Sophie, on the other hand, knew her mistake, so she apologized to Alex, causing him to sigh as he jumped out of bed.


    "Sophie, you don''t have to be sorry about anything; you did nothing wrong, you did the right thing instead.


    After all, I''m still alive and with you just because of your decisions."


    Alex uttered as he moved closer to the window in the room, his tone as gentle as it could be, causing Sophie''s mood to lighten a bit.


    Knock-Knock


    But before she could say something, a knock on the room''s door was heard, causing a sharp light to pass through Alex''s eyes before he rushed toward the bed.

 CHAPTER 4 - The Sixteenth Birthday.

    *Knock**Knock*


    The moment Alex heard the knock on the door, he rushed toward his bed.


    It was still early morning, not yet the time for him to wake up, and as an imperial prince, he had a fixed schedule, so it was odd for him to wake up this early.


    Alex had always been someone who followed the routine he had fixed for himself, and everyone knew that even if he were to get sick, the first thing he would usually do after waking up was go for a run.


    So, his being awake yet not doing what he always does might raise some brows, even more so when he had an overprotective mother.


    "Are you up already, Your Highness?"


    The voice of a young boy was heard from the other side of the door, filled with doubt; Alex, however, just covered his head with the soft nket he used to have on his bed.


    [You know, you can just talk to me mentally...]


    Sophie''s voice was heard in Alex''s head, causing him to pop his head out of the nket and stare at the illusionary screen in front of him with a speechless expression.


    "..."


    *Click*


    The one on the other side of the door, however, didn''t say anything else and opened the door directly; he had permission to do it, after all.


    Alex, who heard the click, snapped closed his eyes and slowed his breathing down, pretending to be sound asleep.


    "Please wake up, Your Highness."


    A boy who looked to be around the same age as Alex walked in, wearing a ck and white butler suit, moving toward the window, and...


    *Rustle*


    He drew the window curtain aside with a swipe of his hand.


    "Just a bit longer..."


    Alex, on the other hand, groaned in protest; he pulled the nket up, covering his head under it.


    "Happy birthday, Your Highness."


    The boy, unlike his persistent behaviour, just epted Alex''s words today, but the boy''s words caused Alex''s eyes to widen as he sat up straight on his bed.


    ''I almost forgot!''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He eximed inwardly, as he just realized that it was his 16th birthday today¡ªthe day one bes an adult¡ªmeaning he would finally awaken his talent!


    [Why else did you think I awakened right now, you dumbo?]


    Sophie didn''t let go of a chance to tease Alex as shemented with a giggle, causing Alex to turn speechless again.


    ''You need to be taught who the real boss is, missy...''


    The next second, though, his eyes had a certain gleam pass through them as he grinned inwardly, and Sophie trembled as she knew perfectly well what kind of boss Alex was talking about.


    [Hmph, Pervert! Grow a bit more before you think of things like that!]


    Sophie puffed her cheeks in annoyance, trying to poke the point where Alex wouldn''t even be able to retort, but Alex wasn''t one to lose easily.


    If he can''t retort, then he would just ignore it.


    "Thank you, James!"


    Alex replied with a bright, happy smile, not a hint of lethargy in his eyes; it was as if he had been awake for hours.


    [Hmph!]


    He could hear her huff, but he again ignored it as he jumped out of bed with a swift manoeuvre, rushing to the bathroom to get freshened.


    "Sigh..."


    James, on the other hand, just sighed as he saw this, but then he just shrugged.


    He thought that Alex was just being like any other prince or young master¡ªquick to wake up at the mention of a party or something like that.


    James just moved closer to Alex''s bed and started to fold the nket, engaging in the work he was supposed to do as the personal butler and the shadow of the youngest prince or the second prince of the great empire, Drakathor.


    The guy didn''t know that Alex was not the same child he used to care for; right now he was way more than just that.


    Alex Matthew, the leader of the Darkhand Organization, died around 16 years ago, but his life didn''t end there as he was reincarnated into a world filled with fantasy creatures and magic as a prince of a grand empire.


    A nice life if one would look at it, but...


    This is where some twistse in.


    He wasn''t the only one to reincarnate; his girlfriend Sophie did as well.


    But she was a system or a golden finger for him in this world.


    She, however, wouldn''t get activated until Alex turned 16, the age when the youngsters in this world awakened mana.


    If all of these twists were not enough, the world Alex reincarnated into a novel¡ªa viin-type novel where the MC is transmigrated into the body of a viin.


    Alex learned how to live in this world and how to make the best use of everything he could, but that was until he turned 16.


    That date was today, and just this morning he regained the memories of his past life; the moment he did, he realized that all of his ns for the future needed a bit of editing.


    Especially when the world he reincarnated to was a world from one of the novels his girlfriend used to read a lot.


    It was a wish-fulfilment novel and was still ongoing, which means there was still a lot to be revealed about it¡ªI Shall Dominate My Favorite Novel.


    It had many moments where one would think, ''What the hell just happened?'', but it is what it is.


    The story had nothing but the guy¡ªwho, by chance, transmigrated into the novel he loved the most, as a viin at that¡ªtrying his luck on every single female cast of the novel while trying to keep the original protagonist in the dark.


    With the help of many plot armours and the author''s wish, the guy sessfully imed the hearts of around 20 to 30 girls already.


    But that was all Sophie could read as the novel was still ongoing, yet she chose this when the goddess asked her which world she wanted to go to as this was one of the easiest worlds she could think of.


    This world had no such scenario where the world was ending or anything like that; it was simply a wish-fulfilling world, a ce where Alex could grow without a problem.


    "All right, I''m done!"


    Alex, on the other hand, maintained the same cute act he always does, jumping out of the bathroom in a towel, but just as he did...


    *tter¡ªShatter*


    The sound of a ss te falling to the ground was heard.

 CHAPTER 5 - One of the Main Heroines?

    Alex had always maintained this cute side that made people smile just by looking at him, and everyone liked talking to him.


    But there were some selected few people who knew just how perfect his body was¡ªhis mother and James.


    Alex, who had been training every single sword art or battle art since the age of 5, had a ripped body¡ªsomething that would cause any girl to drool at the sight of it.


    He was said to be cute many times, but that was just because he was still just entering adulthood, and although his features were sharp, there was a hint of sweetness there as well.


    But that was only if one saw his face...


    His height was in no way low, as he was 182 centimeters, that too at the age of 16¡ªsomething people eat supplements to have.


    His body was shredded, much more than those people who work their lives out to get a perfect cut.


    If a woman were to look at him with just a towel covering his lower body, it would probably be like a man seeing a 10/10 type of woman wearing a hot bikini.


    Especially with Alex''s shoulder-length hair dripping water droplets tied in Eren Yeager''s hairstyle.


    What would their reaction be?


    Well...


    *tter¡ªShatter*


    The sound of ss shattering upon getting into contact with the ground was heard, making Alex turn to look at the one who did it.


    ''Oh?''


    He raised a brow inwardly as he saw who it was.


    *Step**Step*...


    With light steps, Alex walked toward the one responsible for the noise before he stood just a meter away from them.


    "You must be Mira, right?"


    His electric blue eyes stared into her frozen, wide crystal blue eyes as he questioned her with a light smile.


    The girl, who looked no older than him, with her eyes fixed on his body, gulped.


    *Nod*


    She nodded her head dumbfoundedly.


    Alex nodded his head as well, still staring into her eyes, causing the girl to start getting a bit fidgety, nervousness gnawing down at her, which was quite rare for her, who never felt anything.


    He scanned her body without making it obvious.


    A very beautiful young girl, but with some childish facial features given by her young age, which give her a doll-like appearance along with her almost impassive demeanor.


    She has a slim build of medium height and fair skin; her face is a little narrow and elongated, withrge blue eyes and thick darkshes.


    Her hair was long enough to reach her hips, but she kept them in a low ponytail tied with a ck ribbon.


    The color of her hair, while still considered blonde, unlike Sophie''s bright shade, was dull, almost cream-colored.


    Her eyes were quivering at the sight of Alex, yet her expression remained the same¡ªindifferent.


    He knew who she was, as he already had every piece of information he could have about the novel he had reincarnated into.


    She was supposed to be one of the main heroines of the novel¡ªI Shall Dominate My Favorite Novel.


    She has a huge backstory and an item¡ªsomething broken enough that even the protagonist was never able to overpower her in a fight¡ªhidden within her.


    As for why she was here...


    "My mom, or your master, lives in the room next to this."


    Alex pointed at the wall to the right.


    Yes, she was his mother''s student¡ªthe only student his mother ever had in the series.


    *Nod*


    The moment his mother was mentioned, the girl''s gaze turned neutral, and her body straightened as she nodded and bowed her head.


    "No need to thank me; just take some new, fresh fruits for my mom."


    Alex, however, just waved his hand and pointed at the ss te shattered on the ground and the fruit scattered around the floor.


    Mira was probably taking this fruit to his mother but entered his room by mistake.


    Mira, who saw Alex easily understanding everything without even her saying anything, stared into his eyes for a while, her expression still nk.


    It was the first time someone other than her master had treated her like this¡ªwithout showing annoyance, frustration, or anger at her inability to speak.


    Alex also stared back into her eyes, a calm smile gracing his lips, but just then.


    "Young master! Cover your body!!"


    A shout was heard as James, who had gone out to iron Alex''s clothes, came rushing in with his eyes wide open.


    He hurriedly picked up a towel and covered Alex''s body before his eyes turned toward Mira.


    "Get out!"


    He growled with a re.


    Mira, however, just nced at the guy for a second before she turned back toward Alex and bowed her head again.


    "You¡ª!"


    James gritted his teeth, but before he could do anything else, such as kick Mira out of the room or something like that, Alex held the guy by his shoulder and nodded at Mira.


    "As I have said, there is no need for thanks; just be sure not to confuse my chamber with hers again."


    Alex smiled at her, and the girl raised her head, nodding again, a light of resolution shing past her eyes before she turned around and left the room.


    It was after she was out of the room that Alex turned toward his shadow, who was trembling in anger as he red at the door that was shut by Mira.


    "For your information, she was my mother''s one and only disciple."


    Alex patted the guy''s shoulder, taking his formal attire off his arms and draping them over his body.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    James, on the other hand, froze in his spot; his head, as if someone had poured cold water over it, cooled down in an instant.


    He knew very well about the hierarchy system.


    He knew that although his position was higher than normal butlers and maids, he wasn''t someone who could speak against the student of an imperial descendant.


    "I-I didn''t know that¡ª"


    His eyes quivered as he realized the implication of his earlier action.


    He was just a child who was about to turn into an adult, and he was just like anyone else in the world¡ªsomeone who easily believed in rumors¡ªso he feared the worst as he thought of his actions, but his words were cut short by Alex.


    "You aware that my mother can see and hear everything, right?"


    Alex''s words echoed throughout James''s head, and his eyes widened, his body tensed with cold sweat pouring out of his forehead. Alex''s next words, however, calmed the guy down.


    "If she had deemed your actions a crime worthy of death, you would already be dead, and the same goes for Mira."


    Alex shrugged while butting his shirt up, only to smile the next second as he saw James''s body rxing visibly.


    James, who heard Alex''s words, didn''t know how this guy could speak of death so easily.


    ''Does he not care about mine, his shadow''s life, at all?''


    Alex''s indifference to the whole situation caused the guy to sigh, but it was pretty normal since Alex had always been like that.


    But the next second...


    "Why are you standing there, lost in thought? Come and help me with my coat and shoes."


    Alex grumbled as he saw the guy still lost in his thoughts, causing James to quickly turn around and help Alex with everything.


    Alex was in a hurry to meet up with his mother and talk to her about certain things, as it was a very important day for him.


    It was the day of his awakening¡ªthe day that he waited a whole 16 years for.


    It was his birthday as well, but he wasn''t much interested in that.


    So, after getting dressed as quickly as he could, he rushed to his mother''s chamber, which was just next to his, knocking on the door.


    *Knock**Knock*

 CHAPTER 6 - Mothers Love.

    The awakening ceremony.


    It was something every young man or woman¡ªonly those who haven''t yet had an awakening ceremony¡ªhad been excited and nervous about.


    Excited as they would be eager to learn real magic and maybe be strong enough to achieve their dreams.


    Nervous, as there was no surety that they would awaken something good if they were talented enough to get themselves up to a certain level. If they would be able to survive in this world. If they would get the respect they wanted, and many such doubts, making them tense.


    But no matter what one thought of, everyone who had reached the age of 16 would have to go through the awakening ceremony.


    It was apulsory thing.


    No matter where you lived or what you did, you would have to get yourself registered under the kingdom that you lived in by the time you turned 16. If you didn''t do it, then you''d get punished ordingly.


    The soldiers and mages of the kingdoms conduct an awakening ceremony every year on a fixed date for those who don''t have money to afford awakening ceremonies at the churches or buy an awakening artifact for themselves.


    Alex, however, was the son of the archduchess of the Drakathor Empire¡ªsomeone who was hailed as the strongest in the empire¡ªso he would just have his mana awakened by their personal artifact.


    Now what was the awakening ceremony actually?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was not something that awakened mana within one''s body, no artifact was powerful enough to awaken mana within one''s body, even if there was, it would be so rare that only one or two people would ever be able to use it.


    All the awakening ceremony did was help one identify the elements they had awakened and the level of talent they had.


    Alex didn''t know anything about what kind of talent he had or which element he was going to awaken.


    He didn''t even have time to get to know the functions of the system he had received, much less open the gift pack that Sophie told him to open.


    He was still busy processing the information about the novel he had received from Sophie.


    But that was all going on in his mind; it didn''t hinder his movements or activities.


    *Knock**Knock*


    He was standing in front of his mother''s chamber, knocking on the door with a face full of smiles.


    "Come in."


    As if waiting for the knock, a voice came from within the moment he was done, causing his smile to widen.


    *Creak*


    He pushed open the door, stepping into the room that gave out a calm natural scent¡ªone that could cause your body to rx¡ªhis eyes scanning the interior of the room.


    It was the same room he used to sleep in some years prior, only stopping when he entered his teenage.


    It was arge room with nothing but bookshelves ced all around.


    Its silver walls brightened the room by reflecting the natural light that came in through the window.


    The room wasn''t decorated with paintings or any other stuff like that, only arge chandelier hanging down the ceiling.


    "Happy birthday, Alex."


    Just then, he heard a voice¡ªcold yet tinged with gentleness¡ªand the next thing he knew was that he had his head stuffed into tworge buns.


    It was hard to breathe, but he just smiled and patted the back of the one who was responsible for this.


    "Thank you, mother."


    Alex had good height, which made him reach higher than the ones around him, yet his head was stuffed between two cushion-like things because his head was forcefully pulled down even before he could move.


    The one who had hugged him finally let go, letting him breathe again as he stood up straight, staring into the frosty blue eyes shining with a gentle light, belonging to the woman he called his mother.


    She was the one whom he got his looks from, as she had the same white hair as his; it was just that he was a bit more inclined toward the silver shade, while hers was snowy white.


    Their eyes were the same, although both of them had blue eyes, Alex''s were electric blue, while his mother had icy blue eyes.


    Her height was around 179 centimeters, not small but not too big as well.


    Her figure was something that could be called voluptuous and perky at the same time, as she was a warrior who had trained since she was 5, just like Alex was doing.


    She wore a light blue gown with dark blue edges and a cor, giving her the perfect appearance of an ice queen, which was her title in the empire.


    "What do you want as a gift, my son?"


    His mother questioned in a caring voice, her cold palm cupping Alex''s cheeks with love, but her face reflected none of it, making it all seem forced.


    Alex, however, knew better than to take things at face value.


    He knew the reason why she was like that, and now that he had the information about the novel, he knew ways to make it go away as well, but that was forter.


    For now, he just smiled at her, his warm palm covering hers as he clutched it, resting his head on it.


    "Just... don''t work too hard, Mom."


    He smiled at her, his eyes serious yet gentle, and it was not fake, his mother knew that as well, and that was why...


    *Swoosh*


    Alex again found himself between his mother''s breasts, causing him to sigh helplessly.


    "I love you, my boy."


    His mother, Vanessa Drakathor, muttered as she hugged him tighter.


    Alex, unlikest time, when he patted her back, telling her to let go in a silent gesture, this time, his arms enveloped her, his head getting pulled out of her mounds, and letting her head rest on his chest as he spoke.


    "I love you too, Mom."


    He could feel his mother''s arms clutching his fancy white shirt¡ªone that he was supposed to wear during the awakening ceremony¡ªcreasing it, but he didn''t care about it, he just hugged her tighter than before.


    He had never experienced familial love in his past life; there was only one person he loved there, and it was Sophie.


    That, however, changed after he was reincarnated.


    It was a fresh new start for him. He had a mother and a father, both trying to dot on him in their own ways.


    But he knew how much his mother had struggled¡ªhow much she tried to show her love to him, only to scare his younger self away.


    She could never show her emotions since she was a child, but she still tried her best to not frighten Alex away when he was just a child¡ªshe tried to smile for him.


    All of that, however, seemed forced.


    People even started saying that Alex was just an unwanted child, causing both Alex and Vanessa to bleed inwardly.


    But Alex, who matured earlier than his peers due to a certain incident, finally realized how much his mother loved him.


    Since then, he had noticed how hard she worked for to find a cure for herself, all so that she could show her child¡ªthe only one in this world she really loved¡ªhow much she cared for him.


    She wanted to tell him howforting it was when he hugged her when he told her that he loved her.


    This was all she ever wanted, and Alex knew that.


    That was why he wanted her to go easy on herself.


    One wouldn''t know how grateful he was that his memories only returned now.


    If they had been there in his mind since the start, then he probably would never have seen his mother''s real side¡ªsomething he feared more than anything.


    His cold and ruthless side, which was honed by the years of struggle he did in the previous world, would''ve just made him push his mother farther and farther away¡ªso far that one day, even if he wanted to, he would never be able to get closer.


    However, nothing like that happened; he had his mother in his arms, and he could feel her love even though all she did was rub her cheek on his chest.


    That was until the sound of the doorknob''s clicking was heard.


    *Click*


    It was the door to the inner chamber, or the bedroom to be precise, and Alex, who could pretty much guess who it was, just sighed...


    ''How bad is your timing...?''

 CHAPTER 7 - Toward the Awakening Hall.

    *Click*


    The moment Alex and Venessa heard the sound of the doorknob clicking, both had a different reaction.


    Alex just sighed.


    ''How bad is your timing...?'' He muttered inwardly with a shake of his head.


    But Venessa...


    *Swoosh*


    With a swift motion, she broke free of Alex''s hug and stood beside him with a regal expression mixed with her cold look.


    *Creak*


    The door was pushed open, revealing Mira, who was sent here by Alex.


    "..."


    No one spoke anything for a while, both Vannesa and Alex staring at Mira, their expressions unreadable.


    The girl, however, just stared back at them with no hint of nervousness or fear in her eyes; it was as if she wasn''t even feeling anything.


    "Mother, is she...?"


    Alex didn''tplete his words, as he knew Vannesa got what he wanted to say.


    "Yes, she has a physique simr to mine."


    Vannesa answered as she gestured for Mira to move closer.


    She didn''t speak further about this topic as she didn''t really pride herself on the physique she had; other than making her powerful, all it did was cause trouble for her.


    "I see."


    Alex also didn''t push her further.


    The question he asked was not actually because he was confused; it was just so that he could still seem curious to his mother.


    He knew all about the novel and the game, so how could he not know about the physiques that one of the main female leads of the game and her master had?


    "I don''t think there is a need for introductions since you have already met, so let us move toward the awakening hall without dy."


    Vannesa added the moment Mira reached close to them; her voice was cold, unlike the previous gentle tone.


    "Yes, mother."


    Alex nodded his head, with his expression turning serious, but if one looked closely, one would notice a hint of excitement hidden deep within them.


    He was finally going to know what kind of talent he had, if he had a physique or not, and what kind of element he had awakened.


    [You could just call out for your status window and take a look at it, you know.]


    Sophie, who knew all too well about Alex''s emotional state,mented, but Alex just shook his head.


    ''It would spoil the fun, I don''t want to show some fake reaction in front of my mother; she is sharp and she might catch on to something.''


    His words were based on his understanding of her as his mother as well as the coldest and mostplicated character of the novel.


    There was a reason why he refrained from touching the system before the awakening ceremony.


    Even if someone¡ªhis mother, of course¡ªwere to notice something odd after that, he could just contribute it to the awakening of some strange element or something like that.


    So, for now, he focused on the path in front of him.


    *Step**Step*...


    *Tip**Top*...N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sound of heels hitting the floor echoed through the hall with some maid and butler passing through them¡ªbowing with respect and reverence until they had passed by them¡ªthat too was a rare sight as this manor belonged to his mother, who only kept a few trusted aids next to her.


    The hallway was in, with not much decoration other than some flower pots and photo frames that gave it a simple yet sober look.


    The walls, just like the room''s walls, were painted with silver, with intricate patterns drawn over them, something only visible if one looked closely.


    As they walked toward the awakening chamber, Alex''s gaze paused as he found Mira ncing at him from time to time, and their gaze just happened to meet.


    ''She is cute.''


    He muttered inwardly as he smiled at her, only to get a nod from her before she turned to look ahead as if she were never stealing nces at him.


    Alex''s gaze then turned to look at his mother''s back as she was walking a foot ahead of them.


    ''Who would''ve thought that I would be the son of the most hyped character in the novel?''


    He muttered inwardly as heughed at the absurdity of the situation.


    He was someone who was never supposed to be in any of the scripts¡ªnot in the novel, and not anywhere else.


    [The goddess did say that she had prepared a new body for you.]


    Sophie chimed in again, not wanting to stay silent as she had been doing that for 16 whole years.


    ''She is a goddess for a reason, I guess.''


    Alex shrugged inwardly, not really bothered about who this goddess was or what she wanted from him.


    He had time to dwell on those matterster; for now, he was just marveling at the power of that goddess to make things that hadn''t even happened possible.


    He, Alex Drakathor, wasn''t a character in the novel.


    Vanessa Drakathor never had a husband in the story, much less a child; all she had was a disciple¡ªMira.


    So, Alex being in this world, that too as Vannesa''s child, was anomalous, but again, he didn''t care about it being strange.


    Alex loved his mother, and he knew that she did the same, so no matter what it was, he would want to keep it like that.


    Also, being Vannesa''s son came with some very unique perks as well.


    First is that he would always be at the center of the ongoing plot as everything revolves around the protagonist of the novel, and his mother, Vanessa, was like a guardian angel for one of the main female leads¡ªone who was involved in almost every major plot.


    That meant that Alex, as the son of that guardian angel, would definitely be pulled into the plot.


    It could change, though; nothing was fixed after all.


    He, as the son of Vannesa, had already taken away the luxury of being loved by Vannesa from the protagonist, Mira, unknowingly.


    But well, with the type of monster Mira was after she awakened her physique, she would be fine unless someone above her level came into question.


    "My Lady." X2


    The head butler and the head maid bowed, greeting Vannesa, as they pushed the door they were waiting next to, causing it to open with a short creak.


    *Creak*


    The door opened, revealing the interior of the room, or better call it a hall due to how big it was.


    The hall, unlike the simple and sober look of the whole manor, was a bit more fancy, with a kaleidoscope of lights brightened at every corner, multiple chandeliers hanging down the ceiling, and several precious antiques ced in an orderly manner.


    There was arge carpet flowing down the mid-path in the hall, several names and images printed all over the carpet, as if trying to remind the people who walked over it about the events drawn on it, giving the hall a bit of a regal touch.


    It was the awakening hall, and although it was for the personal use of Alex, there were some other people¡ªall around the same age as Alex¡ªseated on thefy sofas ced all over the hall for thefort of those who sat over them.


    "It is time, Alex."


    Alex, who was busy observing the hall, turned to look at his mother, who was now staring at him with the same cold eyes, with gentleness hidden deep within them.


    "Um."


    Alex, however, just smiled at her before he, along with Vannesa and Mira, moved forward to start the ceremony.

 CHAPTER 8 - Awakening Ceremony 1.

    The awakening ceremony is supposed to be a very important event as it gives one an idea of what they have within their body.


    The tens of children who were sitting in the hall were supposed to be the children of the maids and butlers who worked in the manor.


    Their children didn''t have the luxury of having a personal awakening artifact, so they had to wait for a particr day when the awakening ceremony would be conducted every year¡ªwhich was Alex''s birthday for this year.


    All of the children in the hall respected Vanessa just like their parents, as she was the strongest warrior of the empire, well known for her powers and heroic tales; she was like a hero to them.


    That was why, the moment their eyes fell on Alex, Vannesa, and Mira walking into the hall, they hurriedly ceased their chatter and stood.


    Vanessa, however, just ignored them and walked toward the stage that had a statue of their goddess situated atop a pedestal.


    "Your grace."


    There was a man who seemed to be in histe 20s standing right next to the statue of the goddess, wearing white priest''s clothing with golden borders, bowing his head, greeting Vannesa, and the woman nodded her head at him.


    He was an archbishop from the church of the goddess they worshiped, or at least the people of this empire worshiped.


    Alex was never a fan of these religious things, so he wasn''t a worshiper of the goddess, but he couldn''t show it out in the open.


    The church would normally send a priest for such events, but this time, it was an archbishop who came here.


    Alex could already sense the temperature of the room getting lowered as his mother''s mood was foiled again.


    The presence of the priest here was probably because they wanted to keep an eye on the awakening ceremony of Alex, the son of the strongest person in the empire.


    "Pay your respects."


    But it was not just Alex who could sense the tension in the air; even the archbishop could tell that Vannesa was not happy with him being here, but what could he do?


    He just hurriedly spoke, gesturing for all three of them to bow toward the goddess, wanting to just run away from here after he was done with his work.


    He himself didn''t want toe here, but he drew the short straw as he was the only archbishop free in the empire.


    Mira, Alex, and Vannesa, who heard the archbishop''s words bowed to the goddess, and the man started to chant some prayer.


    It was only when he was done with the prayer that he turned to look at them.


    "Rise."


    He spoke, but the moment Vennesa''s gaze moved to the guy, the guy''s body trembled before he quickly moved toward the stand made of special crystal ced at the center of the hall.


    The children in the hall, on the other hand, were still standing in their spots, as it was considered disrespectful toward authority if someone with a higher rank was standing while you were sitting.


    The archbishop turned toward them and thenmanded.


    "Pay your respects!"


    His voice reached every corner of the hall, echoing throughout the area, and the children of the maids and butlers of the manor hurriedly bowed their heads in unison.


    The tone of the archbishop''s voice was assertive when he spoke to them; unlike with Vannesa, at that time, his tone was subservient.


    The people from the church were supposed to be arrogant, and they were, but only in front of the people they knew wouldn''t be able to touch them, and Vannesa was not one of them.


    *Rustle*


    The ones in the hall kept their heads bowed until the archbishop ordered them to get up.


    "Rise."


    With that, the archbishop again turned toward Vannesa, but unlikest time, he looked calmer right now, as right now was the moment he needed to be really serious.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Vannesa, who saw the archbishop''s expression, frowned a bit; her always-cold expression turned harder, and although the archbishop seemed to be fine on the outside, he just wanted to run away from here.


    "Your grace, who is the first one to go through the ceremony?"


    The archbishop, whose name was Lucious Ignatius, questioned Vannesa as he looked straight into her eyes with much effort.


    "I can handle the rest of the ceremony. You may take your leave."


    Vannesa, however, waved her hand instead of answering the guy''s question, causing a sharp glint to pass through his eyes.


    "I cannot do that, your grace." Lucious shook his head, his tone unwavering.


    He was sent here to observe the potential of Alex Drakathor and determine if he could be useful or not; he couldn''t go back without doing it.


    Although he didn''t want to get on the bad side of Vannesa, he couldn''t sit back and watch another monster as strong as Vanessa rise without the church''s knowledge.


    They had already made this mistake once; they wouldn''t do it again.


    "Am I to take that as defiance of my words, Archbishop Lucious?"


    Vannesa, however, wasn''t going to take this lightly; her brows frowned as her palm moved toward the reaper she carried around.


    She wasn''t going to risk her child''s safety just because of the empire''s politics.


    If things got out of hand, then she would just make the church vanish from the face of the world.


    "No, Your Grace; I''m simply doing my job, and it is the church''s job to oversee any and every awakening ceremony¡ª"


    Lucious shook his head in a hurry, one of his arms moving behind his back, with a ck-colored stone suddenly appearing in it.


    The stone had a red button-like mark as if one were supposed to press it.


    The archbishop had that piece of stone clenched hard in his hands, as if hesitant to use it.


    His words, however, were cut short, but unlike one would think, it wasn''t Vannesa who interrupted his words; it was Alex.


    "Mother, Archbishop, could you two please listen to my words for a moment?"


    Alex could see that the situation was escting, and from what he knew from the game''s plot, Vannesa would kill the guy, but by the end moment, this guy would turn into a demonic beast, killing everyone in this area.


    Of course, after making sure that Mira was alright, Vannesa would kill it, but by then, it would''ve killed every child in this room.


    This event also caused a lot of political problems for Vannesa, who found it all annoying to deal with.


    Alex had thought of a way to avoid it without causing any problems, so he stepped in, causing both Vannesa and Lucious to turn toward him.


    Vannesa had a frown on her forehead as she looked at Alex questioningly, but Alex just passed her a reassuring smile, causing her frown to disappear before both of them turned to look at Lucious, who was staring at Alex with his eyes squinted.


    "Of course, Master Alex; speak your mind."


    But as soon as he felt their eyes on himself, Lucious gave Alex a friendly smile; inwardly, however, he wore a solemn expression as he recalled the many things he had heard about the little devil called Alex Drakathor.


    "Good! So..."


    Alex, on the other hand, smiled in delight as soon as he got Lucious''s permission before he began.

 CHAPTER 9 - Play of Words.

    The church is a powerful force¡ªstrong enough to contend with the dukes of the empire.


    They don''t have firepower equal to the dukes, as they don''t have arge stream of soldiers lined up in their backyard.


    All they had were healers and some holy knights, who, although strong, weren''t enough to win against the battalions of soldiers a duke could have.


    But they were still considered a formidable force in the empire, all because of their religious followers.


    In a world where the strong decide what to do with the weak, people are quick to turn toward gods, who they hoped would help them.


    If the church were to dere even the empress or the emperor a devil, the people would believe it¡ªthat was how much weight the church carried.


    However, the church had never tried it because it wasn''t strong enough to win against the empire, and it knew it.


    But the pope of the church never lets go of a situation where it could sabotage the empire, nor does the empire.


    So, the line stopping war from breaking out between the church and the empire had always been very thin.


    Alex was aware of all, and he knew that the Drakathor empire, which is considered the strongest empire, would be plunged into a period of war if he let things progress as they were.


    That was why he was stopping that from happening.


    "Good! So what I want to know is the reason for your presence here being so important, Archbishop Lucious."


    Alex, who jumped in delight the moment he got Lucious permission to speak, began; his head tilted in confusion and curiosity.


    His question, however, caused Lucious to frown inwardly.


    ''What is he trying to get at?''


    He thought inwardly, but it was not just him who thought that.


    ''What are you up to, son¡­?''


    Even Vannesa, who, although believed him not to enough to know that he wouldn''t make a bad decision, was still curious about what Alex was nning; her expression, however, didn''t seem interested at all.


    All she had on her face was an indifferent look, as if she didn''t care about what was happening at all.


    But she couldn''t do anything about it as it was something she had stuck with all of her life.


    She wasn''t the only one with that type of expression, though, even Mira had the same expression; hers was just a bit different.


    Mira didn''t seem indifferent to the situation; she rather looked like a puppet standing next to Vannesa, her face marred with a nk expression, making it hard to tell if she was even alive.


    Her thoughts were even more hard to guess.


    "My presence here is the proof that this is all under the supervision of our goddess and to make sure that there is no evil hiding among the children here."


    Lucious, on the other hand, squinted his eyes as he replied to Alex''s question, turning his head toward the children in the hall, who had their bodies tense the moment they felt the scrutinizing gaze of the archbishop.


    "I understand, but there may be those who fear their information being leaked. What should we do about them?"


    Alex nodded his head before he added a question to his words, his head turning to look at the children who still stood frozen in their spots, his expression morphing into one filled with concern.


    If one looked at him, one would instantly think that he really cared about the youths standing a level below him.


    But Lucious frowned as Alex''s words indirectly implied that the guy was worried that he would leak their information to the church.


    He couldn''t say it out loud though, as everyone knew he was going to do that.


    "I would never do such a thing! That would directly go against the rules set by the pope."


    Lucious just widened his eyes in shock as he eximed in disbelief as if Alex''s words were a felony.


    There was a rule saying that although a church official needed to be present during the awakening ceremony for it to be considered valid, they would never disclose the information of anyone unless and until it was something that went against their religion.


    "Can you assure those who are concerned about their information being leaked out, Archbishop?"


    Alex, however, was quick to let out another question, his expression filled with concern and hope.


    Lucious''s eyes sharpened for a bit, and his fist clenched, but feeling the gaze of the young men and women in the hall, along with Vannesa, Mira, and Alex, he nodded his head.


    "Of course, I can assure you all that I, Archbishop Lucious, would resign from my position and give you properpensation if any of your information were to be leaked or found out in the hands of people you do not want to."


    He spoke all of that in a single breath, his expression as sincere as it could be, but Alex, who knew very well how fickle the words of the people from church were, had an indifferent light sh past his eyes before they returned to the same innocence-filled look.


    The children, on the other hand, although never really concerned about anything, were still left assured by Lucious''s words, and their bodies rxed a bit.


    But Alex wasn''t done yet.


    "I know this may sound a bit disrespectful, Archbishop, but my mother cares deeply for her people. When ites to their protection, she takes no chances. So, if you would, please swear a mana oath."


    Alex''s words, loud and clear, made their way toward the ears of every single person present in the room, eliciting a wave of gasps from them.


    *Gasp*


    A mana oath, once taken, couldn''t be broken, as it would take one''s life the moment it was broken.


    Everyone knew this, so they couldn''t believe that Alex would bring something like this up for a matter so small.


    They didn''t know that this matter was not small, and they would realize it soon enough. For now, however, all of them waited for Lucious''s response.


    Even Vannesa, who was confused as to what Alex was trying, had now caught up on what Alex was doing.


    Lucious, on the other hand, just kept looking left and right, he knew that he was stuck now, and his grip around the back stone within his palm tightened a bit.


    If he were to deny Alex''s request, then it would simply mean that he didn''t mean his previous words, and if he were to take a mana oath, then it would simply mean that he wouldn''t be able to speak about anything that he sees here to anyone else.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He was stuck between hard and rock, unable to decide anything before he just sighed and raised his index finger up in the air and stated.


    "I, Archbishop Lucious Ignatius, swear with mana as a witness that if I were to leak any information that does not go against the church''s beliefs to people other than the ones the concerned party wants me to, I shall be punished by death."


    The Archbishop chose his life over his freedom of speech.


    He did fail his mission, but now, at least he could say that he tried, and...


    ''I need to report that this child is not someone to be underestimated...''


    A cold light shed past his eyes as he stared at Alex, who pped his hands in joy the moment he saw Luciouspleting the mana oath.


    This was the first time someone from church had direct contact with Alex, and Lucious was sure as hell that Alex was way more than what the rumors made him out to be, so he decided that this was something worth reporting.


    "Great! This should have alleviated your concern, right mother?"


    Alex, on the other hand, turned toward Vannesa with a smile, pushing everything he did over to Vannesa, as if it was what she wished for, but Vannesa didn''t have any problem with that.


    "Hm."


    She just nodded her head with a low hum, her expression still as hard as ever.


    With that, it was finally the moment of revtion, as this was when the information about their potential, physique, and elemental affinities would be revealed.


    But before that, Alex moved closer to Vannesa and whispered something in her ear, confusing the audience.


    Vannesa, however, had a frosty gleam in her eyes the moment she heard the words Alex had whispered into her ear, but that was all.


    There was no other reaction from her after that.

 CHAPTER 10 - Awakening Ceremony 2.

    After everything is said and done¡ªLucious, the archbishop, takes a mana oath, making it impossible for anything he sees here to leave his lips until it is rted to devils or dark magic¡ªthe ceremony is continued.


    "Young Alex, please step forward."


    Lucious spoke as he gestured for Alex to move toward the transparent b ced above the crystal stand.


    Alex was supposed to be the first one to have his status checked and his secrets revealed, as he was the reason for the ceremony being conducted at an odd time in the first ce.


    Alex, on the other hand, turned to look at his mother, and seeing her nod, he moved toward the transparent b, his heart hammering against his ribs as if wanting to make him rush forward.


    He was finally going to be able to use magic, something he always dreamt of and something that he didn''t even think was possible in his past life.


    But no matter which life we talked about, Alex was always someone who wanted more and more power in his hands, and this was something that could make him so powerful that he could have the entire world within his palm.


    *Step**Step*...


    He was eager to get his awakening ceremony done as soon as possible, but on the outside, he just kept smiling as he walked toward the archbishop.


    He could feel Mira''s gaze fixed on him, making him nce at her, only to see her nod, her expression still nk like before, and Alex returned her nod with a sweet smile.


    "ce your hand on the awakening artifact."


    Lucious spoke as soon as he reached the crystalline stand ss-like device, which the archbishop called an awakening artifact ced on top of it.


    He could feel all eyes on him, especially his mother''s cold, yet deep care and worry¡ªworried about him not being able to awaken something good¡ªhidden within them, and Mira''s, who had the same dead expression as always.


    *Inhale*


    With a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, he lifted his palm, pushing it onto the b.


    The moment his fingers touched the artifact...


    *Shine*


    It shone¡ªa bright, blinding white light shed throughout the room¡ªcausing everyone within the room to squint their eyes.


    "Gah!"


    Many groaned as the light was bright enough to hurt their eyes.


    The only ones who weren''t affected were Vannesa and Archbishop, but the moment their eyesnded on the panel, they were forced to rub their eyes in doubt.


    *Crack*


    A crisp cracking sound¡ªa shallow crack, something that couldn''t even be perceived in normal cases¡ªreverberated throughout the hall, and the shine subsided, causing everyone''s vision to get back to how it used to be.


    "W-What the hell..."


    The archbishop''s voice,ced with utter disbelief and shock, was the only thing that was heard as soon as the panel showing Alex''s information started hovering at the center of the hall.


    It was floating right above Alex''s head, the reflection showing the crack that was supposed to be on the artifact.


    What shocked the people in the hall, however, were the things on the panel.


    Even Vannesa, who always had that cold and distant look on her face, had shock reflecting in those icy blue eyes of hers.


    Everyone in the hall was frozen in their spots except Mira, who still stared at the panel with a dead look in her eyes.


    "A-Am I dreaming...?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The silence was finally broken by the child, who had been continuously rubbing his eyes, unable to believe what he was looking at; his tone filled with incredulity and shock.


    "N-No, I can see the same thing..."


    Another voice answered the guy''s question as all of the children stared at something that they never thought of as a possibility.


    The panel that was hovering above is used to represent the talent, physique, and elemental affinity of those who touch it.


    Or at least that was what they thought until now.


    "T-The artifact must be malfunctioning."


    The archbishop, with his trembling gaze fixed on the multicolored panel in front of Alex, uttered, trying to move toward the artifact ced on the crystal stand.


    But just then...


    *Crack*


    The artifact cracked even more, as if unable to bear the weight of what it was trying to measure.


    [You should pull your palm away from the artifact before it breaks.]


    It was only when Sophie''s warning echoed in his head that Alex, who was unable to look away from the panel, broke out of his thoughts, quickly pulling away his palm as he had already seen the 7 ck stars on the panel going up to 8¡ªwhich was literally not possible.


    He had a feeling that those might increase if he didn''t pull out, but he did it, so it was fine.


    His eyes went back to look at the screen floating above him.


    It was a rectangr sheet shining with a kaleidoscope of colors, making it hard to tell how many colors were there.


    On that sheet, 8 ck stars shone with grandeur and majesty, as if announcing the birth of something never seen before¡ªone of the main reasons for the stupefaction of the audience.


    That 8-star was never supposed to be possible.


    In the history of the world, there had never been a case of that star mark¡ªwhich represented talent¡ªto be more than 7.


    Those stars represented talent.


    Those with 1 star were considered goners¡ªa lot who were never going to be able to reach greater heights.


    Those with 2, 3, and 4 stars were considered average and mostly destined to be soldiers in armies.


    The ones after that were geniuses.


    5 and 6 were considered geniuses with the potential to be nobles in the future.


    After this came the ones with 7 stars.


    Now 7 stars wasn''t just a way to represent the super geniuses, it had categories as well.


    If there was a single pulsating star among the 7 stars, then those guys would be considered the 1st ss 7 star geniuses¡ªhighly valued by the low-ranking academies in the empires.


    Then came the ones with 2, 3, or 4 pulsating stars among the 7 stars, highly sought-out prodigies, not ignored by the high-ranking academies as well.


    The one with 5 or 6 pulsating stars... well, let''s just say that the high-ranking academies would kill for them.


    Then what about the ones with all seven stars pulsating with power?


    They were invited by the biggest academy that connects the entire human domain with the other domains¡ªOriginviel Academy.


    Alex, on the other hand, had 8 stars! All of them were pulsating, releasing waves and waves of energy, sending a cooling sensation through the bodies of everyone in the area.


    Even that, however, failed to calm the people in the area.


    "K-Keep your palm on the cryst¡ª!"


    Lucious, who was still in denial, not wanting to believe that the thing he was looking at was even possible, had his eyes widen in urgency as he saw Alex pulling his palm away; he quickly stepped forward, trying to grab Alex''s wrist.


    He could see the stars in the panel trembling as if wanting to increase in number, so he wanted to know if that was even possible, but before he could even touch Alex...


    *sh*


    *Squelch*


    A silver sh was seen, followed by the sound of flesh and bones being cut through, and the atmosphere of the hall turned still.

 CHAPTER 11 - Shocking Turn of Events 1.

    Vannesa, who knew what kind of feat Alex had just achieved, was equally shocked like the others, but unlike others, she couldn''t express it; all she could do was stare at the panel hovering above Alex with a frozen expression¡ªthat was until...


    "K-Keep your palm on the cryst¡ª!"


    The moment she heard Lucious''s voice, her focus shifted to Alex, only to find the archbishop moving toward Alex with urgency clear in his eyes.


    That was all she needed to see.


    Grip


    Her fingers coiled around the hilt of her rapier before...


    sh


    The de of the reaper shed, and in an instant, she was standing between Alex and Lucious.


    Squelch


    Lucious, who had his arm outstretched toward Alex, froze the moment the sound of flesh being sliced through and bones being cut off was heard.


    Ssh


    Blood sshed in front of the guy, but he just dumbly stared at the blood, unable to make out where it came from.


    Thud


    It was only when he heard a low thud and his gaze found what it was that his eyes widened.


    "ARGHHHHHHHHH!!"


    The pain finally kicked in, causing him to let out a guttural roar of pain.


    The air in the hall froze, and everyone who saw the gruesome scene had their breaths paused.


    The only ones who were still fine were Alex and Mira.


    Mira didn''t even look at the scene happening; she even ignored the scream from the guy. Her eyes kept staring at the panel showing Alex''s talent while sneaking nces at Alex from time to time.


    As for Alex, well, he did spare a fleeting nce at the guy before his attention was focused on the panel again.


    [You can look at itter; you can always check it in a more detailed description in your status window; you should be focusing on the events happening right now.]


    Sophie, however, quickly objected, wanting him to focus on the ongoing event.


    No matter how excited he was, he shouldn''t forget that things were never fixed on stone, and although he had told his mother about the archbishop''s trump card, who knows if he had another one?


    "GAHHHH!"


    Lucious, who was roaring in pain, finally turned to look at Vannesa, ring at her with rage and pain.


    "WHY?!"


    He wanted to question in a normal tone, but the cold burning sensation he felt around his cut-off wrist made it impossible to let out a low voice.


    Vannesa, however, just stared at the guy, and so did Alex, who was standing a step behind her.


    "THERE WAS A CHANCE THAT HE COULD''VE GOTTEN MORE STARS!!"


    He screamed again, clutching down his right hand, which had its wrist cut off yet not bleeding, with his left hand.


    "He didn''t want to do it."


    Vannesa''s words, cold and direct, cut through the chilly atmosphere, sending a chill down the guy''s spine.


    Lucious could feel the warning in her tone, as if she knew what he was thinking of doing.


    The children in the hall, on the other hand, couldn''t even move, they couldn''t even breathe properly with Vannesa''s aura flowing toward them as well, but no one had time to focus on them.


    Lucious, however, was now gritting his teeth, as he knew that he wouldn''t be able to get all of the information he could about Alex, and he wouldn''t be able to report the church about the exact amount of danger Alex was for them.


    Even if he did tell someone about it, would they believe it?


    No.


    ''I will justplete the main task I was sent out for.''


    He closed his eyes, still growling in pain while trying to stop the blood flow of his arm by gripping it tight.


    "You forced me to do it."


    He muttered, his eyes glowing with an eerie light, staring at Vannesa as his palm moved behind his back, trying to retrieve something, but...


    "Huh?"


    A dumbfounded voice left his lips as his gaze caught sight of a ck-colored crystal with a red button-type mark at the center of it held within Vannesa''s palm.


    "Y-You..."


    He stammered, a horrified look marring his face, as it was at that moment that he realized: He had fucked up.


    Alex had told Vannesa about the fact that Lucious might have something suspicious on his body, and although he knew that Vannesa didn''t say anything and yed along, it was only until everything was over.


    She would surely ask him how he knew about itter, but Alex had an answer prepared, and it would be that his spies helped him.


    His mother knew about his connections after all, so she wouldn''t doubt much after he said that, or so he thought.


    Right now, however, the focus was on the ck stone-like item in Vannesa''s palm¡ªan item that Lucious had been hiding for a while now.


    "Devil energy..."


    Vannesa, on the other hand, frowned, her gaze moving toward Alex.


    ''How did he know about this?''


    With a speed fast enough for the archbishop to not notice anything, she did snatch the stone, but she didn''t inspect what it was¡ªshe just grabbed the thing she saw him hiding behind his back.


    It was now that she noticed what it was, especially the devil energy seeping out of that thing like it was bathed in devil blood.


    "What?! Devil energy? That too, is something the archbishop of the holy church had?!"


    Alex, standing a step behind Vannesa, hurriedly spoke in a dramatically shocked voice, his eyes widening in ''fear'', when he saw Vannesa''s frowning gaze moving at him.


    Her questioning look was clearly asking for an answer, which he couldn''t give right now, so he pulled everyone''s attention toward the stone in Vannesa''s hand.


    "WHAT?! It was in the archbishop''s possession?!"


    "I-I feel a bit dizzy..."


    "W-Wasn''t he from the holy church¡­?"


    "W-What is going to happen now?"


    One after another, the children started to panic, unable to understand what to do as they were still young and had yet to know the real world''s functioning.


    They are supposed to go to different academies¡ªa ce that taught them everything¡ªafter awakening their talents; before that, they were still children.


    Alex, on the other hand, ignored those exmations filled with shock as he stepped toward Lucious, who had horror written over his face as he stared at the surroundings.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "You are stuck now, archbishop."


    Alex spoke, before his eyes turned to look at his status panel shown by the artifact, causing Vannesa, Mira, and Lucious, who had their focus shifted at Alex when he spoke, to look at the same thing.


    A sharp light passed through Alex''s eyes, and all who saw it had a strange chill run down their spines, especially Lucious.


    Alex didn''t say anything though; he just turned his eyes toward Vannesa, who had a frosty look in her eyes.


    He didn''t need to tell her what he was referring to, nor did she require something like that from him.


    She had her mind running around something like that as well, but she couldn''t think of a way to not make it all turn annoying¡ªsomething she finally found.


    Sling


    Her reaper shed again, right in front of Lucious''s neck, ready to pierce through, causing the guy to almost jump back in fright, but...


    "Move an inch, and you''ll never have the chance to do so again."


    Vannesa''s voice, dripping with bone-chilling coldness, stopped the guy in his tracks.


    Lucious knew that without that item, he had no hope of defeating Vannesa.


    Everyone in the surroundings tensed as the scene progressed¡ªthe sons and daughters of the maids and butlers of the manor, to be precise.


    Mira was still staring at all of this with her dead eyes, not in the least bothered; the only change was that she was now a bit closer to Alex and Vannesa.


    "W-What do you want?"


    Lucious, who saw the situation, knew that he had no other choice but toply with Vannesa''s wishes, especially now that his cover was broken.


    ''I-I never wanted to be the one to deal with this mission!''


    All he could do was cry about how unlucky he was to get this mission handed down.

 CHAPTER 12 - Shocking Turn of Events 2.

    [Alex, wait.]


    A message from Sophie shed in Alex''s eyes, causing him to stop.


    He was about to call out to his mother to inform her what would be the best move from here on¡ªhe didn''t want things to go awry. He knew that his mother was more than capable of taking care of things, but he didn''t want to take risks.


    But Alex was stopped by Sophie, causing him to frown in confusion.


    ''What''s wrong?''


    He questioned, trying to talk with her mentally, and it worked as she had said it would.


    [You can now use mana.]


    Sophie replied to Alex''s question, making him tilt his head, puzzled more than before.


    ''I know that, but why are you¡ª'' His words, however, got stuck in his mind as the image of the pendant he was wearing shed across his eyes.


    ''Ah, how could I forget it?''


    The pendant had been with him since childhood, and it only had two functions: the first was to protect him in case of life-threatening danger, giving him an extra life, and the second was...


    ''Mother.''


    He called out to Vannesa, causing a sh of surprise to pass through her eyes, but it was just a small sh, her expression didn''t break because of that.


    It didn''t take her long to discover what was happening, as it was pretty easy to perceive Alex''s mana flowing into the pendant she had made him wear every day.


    She knew perfectly well what the functions of the pendant were¡ªshe was the one who gave it to Alex in the first ce.


    That pendant had one of her most powerful attack and defense skill''s power stored within it, making it possible for Alex to get out of any certain death situation.


    But that was just the primary use, the pendant could help her talk with her son by a telepathic link, but for it to work, both parties¡ªthe one whose mana is stored within the pendant and the wearer¡ªneed to know how to use mana.


    ''My son is a genius¡ªway better than me.''


    She muttered inwardly, really happy for her son, but that was all she could do¡ªbe proud on the inside.


    She couldn''t show it out in public; neither was it the right time nor was she capable of doing such a thing.


    Vannesa was never good at showing her emotions, so all she could ask Alex when she heard his voice in her head was, ''What''s wrong, Alex?''.


    Her voice didn''t reflect even the tiniest hint of her real feelings, but this is who she was, so while gritting her teeth, frustrated about her physique''s problem, she waited for her son''s reply.


    ''Try to save at least one of the children secretly.''


    Alex didn''t save much after that, as he knew his mother got what he meant from the way her eyes shed with a chilling light the next instant.


    He and Vannesa had wanted to kill every person in the room from the moment his information was disyed on the screen.


    His description was off the charts, and once that got out, many people would try to recruit him or kill him¡ªwhich was not something either of them wanted.


    ''Alright.''


    Vannesa nodded inwardly, stepping closer to Lucious while snapping her fingers, causing a very thin¡ªso much that one couldn''t even tell it was there¡ªbarrier of ice to form around them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Alex''s words were, ''Try to save at least one of the children secretly.'' Vannesa, who wasn''t just anyone and had a fair share of maniption and trickery, could understand the meaning behind Alex''s words.


    Try to save meant that she shouldn''t kill the children, but save them, and make it look like a struggle, but who would attack the children then?


    Of course, she was able to make that out as well.


    Then she had to save only one child, that too secretly, so she hurriedly made up a scenario where that would be possible.


    She didn''t know why Alex wanted her to save someone from the group of children below, but she was sure that he had his reasons.


    "Kill everyone in this room, and then run away from the main entrance by shooting a dark attack on both Alex and Mira."


    Vannesa began, her voice as cold as it could get, sending shivers down Lucious''s spine, freezing him in his spot.


    "W-What...?"


    The guy stammered, unable toprehend the meaning behind those words, or maybe he was just unwilling to ept it.


    ''W-Wasn''t she worried about the children''s safety a while ago¡­?''


    The scene where Alex made him take an oath by saying that it was due to Vannesa''s deep worry for the children that he was doing it shed past his mind, but the moment he saw the light grin on Alex''s face, his face turned pale.


    ''I-It was his p-n all along?''


    His world seemed to be spinning as he recalled every word spoken by Alex, and things finally started to click.


    ''N-No way... he knew about the devilization stone, right...?''


    He muttered inwardly, not wanting to believe that a small guy, whom he had already rated as a target of elimination, was ying with him from the start.


    Just what kind of person was this guy?!


    This question kept repeating in his head before he heard Vannesa''s voice again,ced with killing intent. "If I see you sitting there with that grim expression after three more seconds, you''ll be dead before the fourth."


    Lucious''s eyes widened as he hurriedly stood up, frantically rushing toward the children in the hall, his fists clenched as he sent a punch toward the children, causing a mass of ck-colored mist, condensed in the shape of a fist, to move past the children.


    BOOM!


    It didn''t stop there though, therge fist made of mist went straight for the gate after it passed through the children, leaving them frozen in their spots and breaking the door into pieces.


    The children, on the other hand, didn''t even know what had happened, as it was all too fast for them to make anything out.


    One second they were staring at the scene ying out in front of them with fear and disbelief, and the next second, they had their lives snuffed out of their bodies the moment Lucious''s attack passed through them.


    "STOP!"


    Vannesa, who had her expression as stoic as ever, was first to notice this, causing her voice to reverberate throughout the castle, shaking it violently, alerting the butlers and maids.


    "TAKE THIS!"


    Lucious, however, just turned around, another volley of fists smashing the air, sending many fists toward both Alex and Mira, causing Vannesa to change her trajectory, and it was then that the head maid and head butler, the strongest after Vanessa came rushing in.


    None of them noticed a certain girl frozen in the corner of the room as they stood, their eyes wide, looking at the surroundings in shock.


    SLASH!


    It was then that a shing sound was heard, causing everyone''s attention to focus on Vannesa, who was standing in front of Alex and Mira, cleaving the fists shot at them.


    Alex wasn''t a bit concerned about the attack.


    He didn''t care if it was potent enough to wipe him of existence or not, as he knew that his mother was stronger.


    Mira, however, had the same dead look on her face, her eyes ncing at Alex and Vannesa simultaneously; she was the only one other than Lucious who could guess what was happening.


    "GO CATCH HIM!"


    It was then that a sharp and cold ordering voice echoed through the hall, breaking the head butler and maid to break out of their thoughts.


    It was Vannesa, and the head butler and maid who saw the look in her eyes hurriedly shifted their attention toward Lucious. The guy had already dashed out of here, but they still followed.


    Their eyes momentarily shifted at their children in the group before they gritted their teeth, rushing out with rage bubbling in their eyes.


    Only after they were gone did Vannesa, who had a frown on her forehead as if she were struggling, rxed. Her eyes turned calm, seemingly unbothered before she waved her sword again.


    Woosh


    This time, however, the attacks from Lucious, which were still as strong as before, shattered like a fragile piece of ss, getting their existence erased.


    Whistle


    Alex, on the other hand, just let out a silent whistle of amazement; his mother was really a bit too strong to be able to wave off an archbishop''s attack as if nothing.


    One thing was sure though: he had sessfully diverted the plot with this.

 CHAPTER 13 - Changes in Mira.

    "Regrettably, mydy, we were unable to apprehend them."


    The head butler of the mansion spoke, his head bowed and his fists clenched; it was clear that he wasn''t satisfied with his performance as well, but what could he do?


    Neither he nor the head maid knew which direction Lucious, the archbishop, had run off to.


    "Very well, you are dismissed."


    As both of them¡ªthe head butler and maid¡ªwaited for their owner, their lord, to reply, they heard those cold words, as if unbothered by anything happening.


    They, however, knew better to believe things as they seemed to be.


    Both of them knew that it was just the way Vannesa, the grand duchess of the Drakathor empire, was.


    So with a nod, they left the room, leaving their master with her traumatized son and student¡ªthey were at the point of such a strong attack after all.


    They had seen Alex Drakathor, their one and only young master, trembling in fright, unable to recover from the shock, even after he was saved by his mother.


    They couldn''t me him though; they knew that it was a bit too much for a child like him.


    *Creak**Thud*


    The butler closed the door, his eyes catching the sight of Alex, who, unlike a second ago, didn''t seem to be trembling; he was grinning instead.


    He frowned his brow in confusion.


    "What''s wrong?"


    The head maid, who saw his expression morphing into confusion, questioned him from the side, causing the guy to shake his head.


    "Nothing," he muttered, not sure if he saw it correctly.


    ''I must be imagining things.''


    With that thought, he left the ce, moving toward the room where all the dead children, including his son, were kept.


    The head maid, who saw this, followed behind him as well; she too had lost her daughter, and no matter how much she grieved or raged about it, she knew he wouldn''te back, but was there anything else she could do?


    "Did you rescue one child from the crowd, Mother?"


    Alex, on the other hand, unaware of the fact that he was almost caught by the butler, questioned Vannesa.


    He had been trying to act terrified, as he didn''t want to be seen as a guy with very strong willpower for now.


    Right now, he wanted to appear as weak as he could, only to reveal his power when he was strong enough to defend himself against some people.


    The awakening artifact was broken by one of Lucious''s first attacks, so it was impossible for anyone to know what had happened and what kind of talent he had¡ªexactly what Alex wanted.


    If he were to y strong and not appear weak, though, then people would grow curious about his abilities.


    How did a child of 16 years not get horrified by that incident? There must be something special about him.


    This is what anyone would think, which would lead to them further investigating this case, and although they won''t be able to get anything, one could never be sure.


    "Yes."


    Vannesa, who heard Alex''s question, replied with a nod.


    "What are your intentions for the one child you wished for me to save?"


    Then she asked Alex for his ns for the girl she had saved a while ago.


    Alex, however, just smiled at her question, not replying to her but questioning back.


    "Where have you kept the one you saved?"


    His mysterious behavior did cause Vannesa to frown for a moment, but in the end, she answered.


    "She is ced with the other dead children, breathing but unconscious."


    "I see, I see..."


    Alex nodded his head, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he thought of what could be the best approach right now.


    He had asked for Vannesa to save one child, but he never said where to take her, so Vannesa did what she thought was best, and honestly, even Alex thought that this was the best solution.


    If they were to take the child away from her or let everyone know that she was saved by Vannesa, then people would start questioning.


    ''If she could save one, then why not all?''


    This type of question will be asked the most.


    But if she were to just make it seem like she never had a hand in the girl''s life getting saved, then none of that would happen.


    The girl was too weak to even notice that her body was frozen by Vannesa''s ice, so there was no such thing as the girl revealing that she was saved by Vannesa.


    "We will be killing her soon."


    He finally replied to Vannesa''s question, looking deep into her eyes, and although her expression remained the same, he knew that she wanted to know why he wanted to do it, as that would make things harder for them.


    "She has no more use to us than working as a distraction; her death would mean that Lucious is still around, making people tense and have their minds focused on finding him."


    Alex added with a smile as if he wasn''t talking about something as big as killing an innocent girl for nothing, answering Vannesa''s unasked question.


    And yes, Alex wanted to kill that girl.


    Why?


    Because she saw everything that had happened in the hall.


    She saw Lucious''s wrist being chopped off, she saw the guy kneeling in front of Vannesa, and she also saw Vannesa saying something to him before everything went nk for her.


    She wouldn''t be able to tell what had happened on her own, but once she became aware of the things that yed out, she might be able to connect the dots¡ªa risk Alex didn''t want to take.


    "...why?"


    Just then, a voice as low as a whisper was heard, causing both Alex and Vannesa to turn to look at Mira, who had been silent since the moment she was picked up by Vannesa, or more like she never spoke anything.


    Her facial expression didn''t change¡ªthey were still lifeless as if she were a robot that was unable to feel any emotion, but her lips were parted, quivering a bit as they were used for the first time ever.


    Alex and Vannesa, on the other hand, had frowns on their heads, both for different reasons.


    But soon they shook their heads, and Alex raised a brow at Mira.


    "Could I have more context, please?"


    Vannesa, who heard Alex''s voice, also had her frown loosened, her eyes, however, kept scrutinizing Mira, observing her body closely, looking at things way differently than Alex or Mira could see.


    "W-Why would the attention shift toward L-Lucious?"


    Her voice was cracked as if she were having a really hard time speaking, but she didn''t stop as she was doing it for the first time, and she wanted to keep going.


    Talking somehow felt good to her.


    Mira''srge blue eyes locked on Alex as a single thought shed through her mind.


    ''I like him.''


    She didn''t know what those words meant, nor did she know how one felt when one liked someone, but those words would sh past her mind the moment she looked at him.


    All she could tell was that it was because of her desire to speak with Alex that she even let out those words.


    What was happening? And what would this development lead to? Only time will tell.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 CHAPTER 14 - Alexs Plan.

    Mira, one of the heroines with no surname, or at least the ones with their surnames yet to be revealed in the ongoing novel that Sophie had read, was supposed to never speak.


    The novel had already progressed to the point when Mira, who was a 16-year-old right now, had turned 21, yet till that moment, she never spoke.


    She wasn''t able to, or it was just that she preferred staying like that was still unknown, as she wasn''t discovered much in the story, but no one had ever heard her voice.


    This inability to speak had brought her many troubles in the novel as a beautiful girl who couldn''t speak wasn''t something anyone would want to ignore, much less the bullies.


    It was all thanks to her special physique, but no one knew that¡ªother than Vannesa, that is.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    In the whole novel, only Vannesa is shown to know some things about Mira, but that is all.


    That, however, changed today.


    On the first day of Alex gaining his memories, he was already seeing a change that was out of his calction¡ªthis was the reason why Alex frowned when he heard Mira speak.


    But he soon waved it off.


    He wasn''t a guy like the protagonist of the novel¡ªone who had transmigrated into this world withplete knowledge of everything¡ªwho would try to not mess with the plot a lot.


    He would destroy the plot if he thought it was a necessary thing to do.


    Vannesa, on the other hand, had her brows creased because she knew Mira''s past, and she knew that the girl had never uttered a word her whole life.


    ''So, why now?''


    This was what she wanted to know.


    Her expression soon returned to normal, seemingly not thinking about it, but her mind was still upied with the same thing.


    Mira was the only one she had seen with a physique somewhat simr to herself, so she wanted to look at every single detail about the changes Mira goes through.


    Unlike the original plot, where Vannesa takes Mira in a discipline and treats her as a daughter, in the changed plot, she picks Mira out of curiosity and hope.


    She did feel sympathy for Mira, and she would protect the girl, but the main focus she was going to have was finding a solution for herself and Mira''s condition with the girl''s help.


    "W-Why would the attention shift toward L-Lucious?"


    So, the moment she heard Mira''s question, she decided to let go of the topic for now and think about itter.


    For now, her cold eyes turned toward Alex, wanting to see what answer he would give.


    She, who had an idea of what he was going to do, didn''t really bother asking him that question, but now that Mira had already let it out, then she might as well listen to what Alex wanted to do.


    Alex, however, instead of answering Mira''s question, just smiled at her, his expression turning a bit yful as he stared at his palm.


    ''I just need to focus?''


    He questioned inwardly, as it was his first time doing it, and although this was the most basic thing, he was somehow really excited to do it.


    [Yes, just focus on what you want to do, and since it''s your first time, try to nk your mind before you do it.]


    Alex''s question was answered by Sophie without a second dy, as she had already seen this questioning.


    As said before, in the past 16 years, she had done nothing but think of questions and their answers.


    She used to make up scenarios where Alex would ask a certain question and then prepare an answer for the said question.


    She did so in order to gain experience working as a system.


    She didn''t want to end up stammering at the moments when Alex needed her the most.


    ''Alright, love; thanks.''


    Alex, who heard Sophie''s words and felt her feelings, smiled sweetly as if sending an arrow with cute written over it straight for Sophie''s heart.


    {Ghhhh!}


    Sophie, inside the system space, wearing the same dress she wore at the time she died, was now sitting in a nk white room with nothing but a bed in it while pressing her chest with a pained expression, as if she were really hit by that arrow.


    Alex, however, remained oblivious to such things.


    He just closed his eyes for a second, removing every single thought from his head, goingpletely nk, and the next second...


    *Woosh*


    A swirling mass of ck energy appeared on top of Alex''s palm; its presence alone turned the atmosphere a bit eerie, as if trying to show the ones in the room that it was evil.


    Unfortunately for the poor dark mass of energy, none of the ones in the room were affected by it.


    Alex opened his eyes, tion clear in his eyes as he stared at the thing in his palm before he turned to look at Mira, whose expression didn''t seem to have faltered even a bit.


    But it was nothing shocking for Alex. Mira was a girl who would keep staring at her death in the same way, much less some meager mass of energy.


    "You see this mass of energy in my palm?"


    So he questioned, eliciting a nod from her.


    "What does this bring to mind for you?"


    Alex, however, went on, asking another question.


    "A-Archbishop''s attack."


    Mira, still a bit rough with her voice, unable to speak perfectly, answered Alex''s question, showing how hard she was trying to speak.


    "Yes, what would others assume if they found this around the girl''s body?"


    Alex smiled brighter as he clenched his fist, making the mass of ck energy, which was the death element, break into particles before vanishing.


    Yes, Alex was using magic, and he was the one who was most delighted by it, almost jumping in glee but somehow controlling himself.


    One of the elements he had awakened was the death element, and yes, ''one of the elements'', which meant that Alex had other elements awakened as well.


    His question, however, caused Mira to go silent for a while, as if contemting something before she spoke.


    "L-Lucious."


    "Yes, Lucious, that will be the first thought that crosses their minds, as he is the one responsible for their sorrow."


    Alex nodded his head at Mira''s attempt to speak, and now it seemed that she had used up all of her fuel already, making it harder for her to speak a single word.


    "So, in summary, we will kill the girl without taking the me for it, eliminate a person who could be potential evidence, and buy ourselves enough time to erase any trace of our previous actions in the hall."


    Alex finally turned to look at his mother, and Vannesa, who knew half of the things Alex was saying, finally understood his intentions, nodding her head lightly.


    ''Erasing traces...''


    This was a very important thing that had slipped her mind.


    But no one could actually me her for that, as she was a mother whose son turned out to be a way bigger monster¡ªin terms of talent¡ªthan her.


    Although she couldn''t show it out in public, she was just too happy to think of anything else right now.


    But as soon as the words ''traces'' registered in her mind, an image of a certain item colored in ck, shaped like a rock, with a red button-like mark over it shed past her eyes, causing them to sharpen.


    Her gaze turned toward Alex, ready to question him about how he knew about the devilization artifact in Lucious''s possession.

 CHAPTER 15 - Resolution.

    *Phew...*


    Alex sighed in relief as he walked down the same hallway that he used to go to his mother''s room.


    Right now, he was walking back to his room after preventing the inevitable for a while.


    [You know she wasn''t satisfied with that answer, right?]


    Just then, an illusionary blue screen materialized in front of him, with those texts written over it while the same thing yed in his head.


    ''I know, but that is the best answer I can give her. I can''t tell her the whole truth for now...''


    Alex muttered, his expression serious, as he knew a better way to tell his mother about everything; now, however, was not the right time for it.


    ''And I wanted to look into you as soon as possible...''


    But then he added, his tone taking a drastic turn, excitement, and desire clear in his voice, causing Sophie, who was sitting on the throne, to almost fall off it.


    [Y-You what¡ª! W-What did you say you want to do again?]


    The suggestive tone in Alex''s voice was clear to her, and that was why her body turned fidgety and her voice turned panicky.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Alex''s words about showing her who the real boss was echoed in her head.


    {H-He won''t, right?}


    It wasn''t that she would hate it; she was fine with it¡ªshe was unbelievably fine with it.


    The problem, however, was that she needed to exin things about the system, and after sex, she wouldn''t be able to do it.


    She could still remember the kind of monster Alex was in bed as if it were yesterday, and just thinking about it made her pussy tingle, but just then...


    ''Hahaha.''


    Alex chuckled, his expression on the outside breaking, almost letting out a chuckle, but he controlled it.


    He didn''t want to let it out in this grim atmosphere; he just walked with his head down.


    The air was still heavy as people were still mourning for their dead children, so Alex, just like any other terrified child who had seen all that go down, walked silently.


    [W-What are youughing at?!]


    Sophie, on the other hand, frowned, stammering as she questioned Alex. The moment she heard Alex''s chuckle, she knew that something was off.


    ''Silly girl, I was talking about looking into the system, which is technically you.''


    Alex shook his head inwardly as if he were not the one who intentionally said it like that to get Sophie riled up.


    Just like Sophie, he didn''t forget his words from before, and he was going to teach her a lesson, but not right now.


    For now, he would make do with just these light teasings.


    [Y-You!!]


    Sophie, who was still wondering what Alex was going to do and how he would do, couldn''t stop her face from letting out smokes of embarrassment as she heard Alex''s words.


    She was left speechless.


    ''Don''t ''y-you!!'' me, I''m not the one to me for your dirty mind, naughty girl.''


    Alex, mimicking her words in the exact same way she spoke, chuckled, enjoying the emotions he could feel from Sophie, at least that would give him the idea of when to stop.


    [You are the smaller one here! Don''t call me girl!]


    Sophie couldn''t take it, so she raised her voice, and Alex, who knew that it was now the time to stop, raised his hand.


    ''Alright, alright, I''ll stop it now.''


    He knew that it was his fault for riling her up, but she deserved that much, so when he heard the frustration in her voice, he stopped.


    [Hmph!]


    Sophie, however, just huffed, as if angry, but in reality, she was just trying to divert her mind from sex, as she knew that thinking about it would just rile her up more.


    "Young master."


    It was then that Alex heard a voice and turned back, only to find James walking toward him, his face stained with tear marks, clear that he had cried a lot. And why would he not? His lover died in that attack from Lucious.


    Only James was lucky enough to survive, and that too because he had to wash Alex''s clothes, causing him to be a bitte for the ceremony.


    "James."


    Alex, who saw the guy''s expression, sighed, and a bit of guilt hit him on the inside.


    Instead of saving the girl, couldn''t he have asked his mother to save James''s lover?


    It had slipped his mind at that time because, in his mind, James''s lover wasn''t really that important; he didn''t think what kind of effect it would have on the guy who had been taking care of all of his needs since childhood.


    "Let me do your bed; you must be tired."


    James spoke before he walked forward, moving toward the door of Alex''s room, not wanting to engage in any conversation right now.


    Alex, on the other hand, just clenched his fists.


    How could he forget such an important thing?


    Was it because of the memories he had gained?


    Did it make him so detached that he didn''t care about those who weren''t connected to him directly?


    He wasn''t really bothered by these memories before, as he could tell that it was for the better, but now he was a bit confused.


    {Alex...}


    Sophie, who could see this, was able to guess what Akex must be thinking, she knew him well enough to understand him.


    Her anger, which she was using to divert her mind from her need for sex, dissipated, reced by worry for Alex.


    *Inhale**Exhale*


    But Alex, feeling Sophie''s emotions, broke out of his thoughts and took a deep breath.


    ''Look at the positive side.''


    He thought to himself, thinking about the things he achieved by doing whatever he did.


    He saved the empire from heading toward its downfall, and he stopped the problems that would''vee his way.


    So, it was all good, he got more than he lost.


    ''Sorry, James.''


    With a mental apology to James, he followed the guy, walking into the room and looking at him as the guy dusted his bed.


    Alex could hear the low sobs that left the guy''s lips from time to time, but he didn''t point it out.


    He could''ve just told the guy to go rest and that he would do it himself, but he didn''t, as he knew that even in this situation, where the guy had yet to ovee his grief¡ªhe couldn''t even stop his tears¡ªhe came here, just to do his bed.


    This showed something.


    James was his shadow, the person who was supposed to take a mortal attack for Alex if need be, so he wanted to show that he was still just that.


    No matter what kind of situation it was, he would always be Alex''s shadow, and that is what he wanted to show Alex.


    ''I see it, James, I see it.''


    Alex spoke again, not out loud, but on the outside, his eyes focused on the guy''s back.


    ''But you should know this: I don''t like seeing my people suffer. This was my fault, and I apologized for it, but it won''t happen again.


    Not again would I let any of my close ones cry tears of grief.''


    With that thought, Alex took a silent vow, staring at James as he bowed his head and walked out of the room.


    He walked to the door, and as James walked out, he locked it from the inside and went to the bed, ready to go through his system interface, wanting to know what it was about.

 CHAPTER 16 - Status Window 1.

    Alex had been in the hall-side room before, talking to his mother about the n he had for Lucious and the girl she had saved, but just then he noticed it¡ªthe way her expression changed.


    He knew whenever that happened¡ªher brows twitching a bit, as if not sure if she should frown or not¡ªit meant that she had some question for him, an important one at that.


    He had seen that many times to not notice it by now, so the moment he saw it, he knew what she wanted to ask.


    She wanted to know how he knew about the devilization stone. That stone was not something just anyone could find out about.


    Alex knew that there was no way to avoid it. He could tell from the look in his mother''s eyes that she wasn''t just going to take the ''I just knew'' type of answers, so he had given her a valid response.


    "My death affinity, which is unusually high, was able to sense the ominous energy from the stone the Archbishop was holding."


    This was his reply, and although Vannesa knew that it wasn''t all and that Alex was hiding something, she let him go for the time being.


    Alex didn''t do something bad¡ªnot like she would care even if he did, but she would still try to tell him what was the right thing.


    His mother surely knew that there was no way that someone who had just awakened elements¡ªmore than one at that¡ªcould be able to perceive such a thing, but one could never be sure of anything when it came to elements.


    Maybe Alex''s other elements helped him in making out which element he had to focus on, or something like that.


    Elements are just that unpredictable.


    So, for now, however, Alex had somehow avoided her questioning.


    Right now, he was lying on his bed, staring at the illusionary blue screen in front of him.


    ''So this is my status screen, huh?''


    He muttered inwardly.


    [Yes. This is your status window.]


    Sophie, who just wanted to speak, answered that question even though she knew that it was not actually a question that Alex wanted an answer to.


    ''Hm.''


    Alex still nodded his head, shifting his focus to the status window in front of him, showing things that he already knew¡ªmost of it, at least.


    [ {Infinite Dream System} (1/2)


    Name: Alex Drakathor.


    Race: Human (White)


    Bloodline: Human (White)


    Physique: Eternal Devourer (ck)


    Talent: ¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï¡ï


    Affinity: Fire (100%), Water (100%), Earth (100%), Wind (100%), Light (100%), Darkness (100%), Lightning (100%), Life (100%), Death (100%), Time (100%), Space (100%), Gravity (100%), Poison (100%).


    Mana: 1 Star (Mid)


    Physical Power: 1 Star (High)


    System Points: 0


    Inventory: Gift Box.


    Skills:


    ¡ú Rising Star Sword Art (Heroic): A sword art created by a once-in-an-era genius, capable of reaching heights that many sword arts can''t.


    ¨C Starway sh: A pathway of twinkling stars forms in the user''s vision, guiding them through the easiest path to kill their enemy.


    ¨C Star Defense: A sword that can work as a shield as well¡ªthis is the base concept of this style. This move lets the user defend themselves by parrying the attack by shifting the momentum of the attack.


    ¨C Star Shatterer: A single-strike attack embued with so much power that could cleave through the enemy''s defenses.


    ¡ú Multipattern Mixed Martial Arts (Heroic): A martial art created by a once-in-an-era genius, capable of reaching heights that many martial arts can''t.


    ¨C Martial Empowerment: By using up your stamina/mana, the user can increase their body''s strength and defense.


    ¨C Blinding Footwork: Enable the user to move in such a way that most of the user''s movements wouldn''t even be noticed by the enemy.


    ¨C Unpredictable Striker: The attacks performed by using this art are various, making various possibilities open in front of the user the moment they try to attack. Those possibilities are what give users a way to even change their attack pattern midway.


    Shop <Click to Open.>


    ]


    ''Fwooo...''


    Alex already knew what his status screen would look like¡ªalmost everything was clear from just looking at the awakening artifact''s results¡ªbut he still couldn''t stop himself from whistling on the inside.


    His race and bloodline weren''t anything special. He was human through and through¡ªa normal human.


    But there were things that made him different from other humans, starting with the physique he had.


    A ck-grade physique.


    It was the highest grade of physique known to living beings; even the indestructible body of the dragon emperor is only Indigo ranked.


    What was this color rating though? How did it work?


    Well, it starts with white being the lowest, followed by a rainbow color sequenced from red to violet, with violet being the strongest among them, only second to ck, which stood at the top of the color ranking.


    There were even people who had a ck-grade physique but were unaware of it, like Alex''s mother.


    Yes, his mother also had a ck-grade body, but she wasn''t aware of it yet. Her physique was rated as an indigo-grade physique when she awakened it.


    She will only ever be able to get it up to ck grade when she unlocks its full power, something Alex was going to help her withter.


    For now, he was more curious about his physique.


    ''Eternal Devourer, huh?''


    He muttered as he clicked at it, causing a tab to open up below the physique''s name.


    [Eternal Devourer (ck): -


    The strongest and most dangerous physique that ever came into existence. Its main function, as its name suggests, is devouring anything and everything.


    Anything you devour will have all of its properties added to you¡ªskills, mana, physical powers, physique, bloodline, race, or anything else¡ªand if you want, you can remove what you think is a waste.


    Right now, you have three devouring slots avable, which would allow you to only carry three devoured things on you. These slots increase as your power increases.]


    ''Hmmm...''


    The description was short, with many things unclear about it and limitations not mentioned, but since those things are not mentioned, it means that they are supposed to be revealed in time, or maybe he''ll have to discover those on his own.


    The physique, however, was worthy of being ck grade.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If he were to kill and devour the dragon emperor, then he could directly take that guy''s bloodline, which would automatically give him everything else.


    But wait¡ª


    ''Devour? How do I devour things? Do I have to just eat them?''


    Alex questioned, as this thing felt a bit strange to him.


    The description said that he could devour anything and everything, which included weapons if he were to have guessed correctly. One could eat flesh, no matter which flesh it was, but what about metal? How was one supposed to devour it?


    [You don''t have to worry about it. You will know what to do when the time arrives.]


    Sophie, who had been waiting for Alex to have doubts, replied without a second''s dy.


    She wasn''t supposed to tell Alex things that he could discover on his own. She was only supposed to tell him the things that he wouldn''t be able to understand.


    ''I see... I guess, I''ll wait.''


    He shrugged, waving off the concern. If Sophie had said so, then she would''ve thought that it was the best for him, so he was just going to trust her like always.


    They had always been like that. Sophie, the leader of the information branch, would give him intel, and Alex would take action based on those intels.


    Up until now, other than the case with Kelvin¡ªtheirst case¡ªwhere things seemed weirdly manipted, Sophie had never been wrong. It was as if she was made for this exact type of work.


    Alex, however, wasn''t done yet. There was this doubt that he had.


    ''What about the slots then? Why is there a limit?''


    He inquired. His physique was graded as ck; shouldn''t it be heaven-defying?


    [Y-You don''t even know how broken this is, do you...?]


    Sophie, who could understand perfectly well what Alex must be thinking, asked, her voice breaking a bit in disbelief.


    She knew it was just who Alex was, but weren''t his standards a bit too high?


    ''What?''


    Alex, on the other hand, realizing that he might have been expecting a bit too much, tried to y dumb, but Sophie wasn''t one to be fooled, so she just sighed before answering his question.


    [The ck-grade physiques are heaven-defying, and yours is as well; you just need to know how to make the best use of it.


    And to answer your question, well, anything you devour is something that you are forcefully making yours, and there is a limit to how many things you can force into your body, especially when it''s not strong enough to take the load of all that force.]


    ''I see, I see...''


    Alex nodded his head repeatedly while stroking his chin in understanding, his eyes finally moving to the other things in his status window.


    The next one is the most absurd thing in the history of the living.

 CHAPTER 17 - Status Window 2.

    On Astralorbis, a world that was a merge of thousands of worlds, there was a thing called affinity.


    Every living being or even the dead had a certain elemental affinity in their body, no matter how low it was. It was there since the birth.


    Some people inherit the affinities, and some be the start of a generation, but one thing is sure: affinities y a major role in how the future of a person would be.


    For example, a young noble who turned out to have awakened two elemental affinities would be hailed as a once-in-a-100-year genius. Everyone would start cing different kinds of hope on those young shoulders.


    But that would only happen if the awakened element affinity is high enough to brighten a dark room.


    Yes, just having affinities wouldn''t mean anything. As said before, everyone has an affinity for many elements in their bodies; it is just so weak that it won''t even let them use magic.


    So, if the young noble were to awaken two elements, but the affinity percentage is lower than 5%, then he would simply be kicked away with disdain.


    10% was eptable; he could be something at least.


    20% was better than before, and the parents, instead of giving the guy a cold shoulder, would at least pass him a smile now and then.


    But things change the moment the affinities pass the 30% mark. That was when people would start calling them geniuses.


    And when the affinity of both of the elements reaches 50%, it''s called the perfect synergy. The best result one could hope for.


    It wasn''t possible to have two elements with 60% affinity each. That would make the total affinity in a person''s body reach 120%, which wasn''t possible.


    So, for dual elementals, the perfect synergy, or the best of the best geniuses, were the ones with 50% affinity with both elements.


    For the tri elementals, it was 30% each; for the quadra, it was 25% each. And then on and on and on.


    There has never really been a case of there being someone with more than 5 elemental affinities.


    But then there is Alex.


    A guy whose affinity section didn''t even make sense.


    The moment his affinity was shown on the awakening artifact, everyone who saw it was already aware of the fact that all of Alex''s elements were higher than 50%, and Alex had more than 5 elemental affinities.


    No one could''ve guessed that Alex had awakened 13 elements, and all of them had 100% affinity, as having 50% affinity wasn''t possible in the first ce, much less 100%.


    ''Why is it like that?''


    That was why Alex had to ask Sophie, who seemed to know everything, about it.


    [I don''t really know the exact answer to it, but I can at least tell you for sure that it is all rted to your physique.]


    ''Hmm¡­''


    Alex hummed inwardly, nodding to himself, as he found another thing that would be left unanswered.


    ''I guess we can''t do much about it since even you don''t know why it''s like that.''


    In the end, he just shrugged his shoulders. None of this would bring harm to him, as the more things he had unanswered, the more unpredictable he would be.


    There''s a saying: Fool yourself first before you try to fool others.


    You, yourself, need to believe your bullsh*t before you can make others believe it. So, wasn''t it better for him to not know about these things?


    They would be an element of surprise for him and his opponent when revealed.


    He needed some things that were hard to predict, as he knew almost everything about this novel, even the personalities of the characters¡ªhe knew some of their likes and dislikes as well.


    With that thought, his attention turned toward the skill section. The other four were pretty much self-exnatory¡ªthey were the rating of his power along with the points he could use in his system and inventory, which was a storage with almost infinite space in it.


    His skills were the things that were taking all of his focus for now.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''How did they turn heroic?''


    This was his first question to Sophie the moment he saw the skills.


    Star Sword Art is an art that was the base of the imperial family of Drakathor. Star Sword Art was said to be very ancient and left by their ancestors to give them a path to progress.


    This art, however, was only for the knights, as the Drakathor family was a knight family, with his mother, Vannesa Drakathor, being the only exception as she was a magic swordswoman.


    This sword art was an art that would give a person a perfect base so that they could make it into a better techniqueter on.


    The best thing about the Star Sword Art was that even though it was a rare ranked skill, it could be learned by those without mana as well, and that was precisely why the children from the imperial family of Drakathor learned this art before anything else.


    Later, after awakening mana, they are supposed to improve the art to what they see as the best fit for them.


    But Alex was different from others.


    He had upgraded the Star Sword Art into Rising Star Sword Art even before he could awaken mana. It was just that before he awakened mana, it drained his stamina; now, it has shifted to his mana.


    The thing to question, however, was how it became a heroic-ranked skill.


    The difference between a rare-ranked skill and a heroic-ranked skill might be just one level, but one should know that heroic-ranked skills were lineages passed down by emperors and such.


    Heroic-ranked skills areparable to the skills of the heroes in the past.


    [Well, the skill you created came out to be stronger than anything you had expected it to be, and just so you know, the skill is strong enough to kill an unawakened person if they tried to use it.


    You are only fine because of your physique¡ªsomething that has been with you since birth.]


    Sophie didn''t keep him waiting, as she replied to his question without thinking much. As said before, she had prepared herself for many such questions, and that was the reason why she added another line before Alex could say anything.


    [And yes, the martial skill of yours is the same. You are just like a monster with no idea of how strong he is.


    So, please try to be mindful of the results before you create anything next time. It was fine until now, as you weren''t ying with mana, but from now on, it is going to be different.


    I am here to prevent you from doing so, but still don''t be careless from now on. I don''t want to see you getting hurt; even your physique has a limit after all.]


    Her words started off smugly as if she were trying to show him that she could answer his question without him even asking, but by the time she reached the end, her tone turned low, filled with worry, causing a soft sigh to escape Alex''s lips.


    ''As you wish, my love.''


    Alex nodded in eptance as he knew that if this world had opportunities, it also had dangers, and as the opportunities could make him reach greater heights, the dangers could make him fall to depths lower than the abyss.


    With that being thest thing on the tab, Alex was done, at least with the status window.


    But soon, he found his eyes getting heavy, causing his brows to crease into a frown.


    ''This is unusual...''


    He muttered as he tried to keep himself conscious. He didn''t understand why he was suddenly feeling sleepy.


    [It''s alright, Alex; sleep for now. You had used your mana a while ago, and as your mana pool is quite small right now, it took a toll on your body. Now it needs rest, so give it a rest.]


    It was then that he heard the soothing voice of Sophie, as if an angel whispering sweet words into his ears, and a warm hand patting his head.


    He soon found himself closing his eyes with a smile tugging on his lips.


    {He looks so cute when he keeps his mouth shut...}


    As Sophie saw him fall asleep, she couldn''t help but mutter those words to herself.


    *Click*


    *Creak*


    It was then that the door of Alex''s room was pushed open as lightly as it could be, causing Sophie, who was inside the system''s space, to smile gently.


    {I thought she wouldn''t being today, but I guess there''s no way she wouldn''t...}


    A silhouette could be seen walking toward Alex with a pair of icy blue eyes shining brightly in the dark room, and soon that figure sat next to Alex''s bed, staring at him as he slept without a care of the world.

 CHAPTER 18 - The Strange Room.

    "Huh..."


    Alex fell asleep quite fast¡ªnot even two minutes, and he was sound asleep.


    But as soon as he thought that he was about to enter the dream world, he found himself lying on the cold floor of apletely white room.


    Not a thing was discernible as he stared at the surroundings. All he saw was white, but he just kept staring at the surroundings without a hint of panic on his face.


    *Rustle*


    He got up slowly, moving toward one of the walls of this space, staring closely at it but not touching it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    He kept staring at it for a while, frowning and mussing along with it, but soon he spoke.


    "So? Where are we, love?"


    His expression remained the same, and his eyes kept staring at the wall in front of him, sure that he could feel something from the other side of the wall calling for him.


    His question, however, was for someone only he could tell was here.


    "H-Huh? How did you know??"


    Then, as if proving his words right, a woman''s shocked voice was heard before one part of the white wall broke into pieces, revealing theplete room.


    There was a throne¡ªa ck throne at the end of the room¡ªand over that throne was Sophie, shocked, unable toprehend how she got discovered.


    She was nning to surprise Alex by using the fact that it was his first time here and that he would be a bit shaken by all the white in the surroundings, but who would''ve thought that he would calmly call out to her?


    He wasn''t yet supposed to know about this ce!


    "That''s a secret, love."


    Alex, however, just made a hushing gesture as he finally turned around, looking straight into Sophie''s eyes with a yful smile on his face.


    From the time he opened his eyes, finding himself in this all-white space, he could feel Sophie''s feelings like he could for a while. She seemed excited and gleeful. It was as if she had nned this for a while.


    That alone was enough to calm Alex. He was 100% sure that Sophie wouldn''t be thrilled to see something bad happening to him, so he let go of the unease he should be feeling and focused more on the curiosity he felt.


    "Mouu...e on, tell me. How did you know I was here?"


    Sophie, on the other hand, hurriedly jumped down the throne, moving toward Alex with her cheeks puffed, pretending to be annoyed.


    "I will tell you, but can I know where we are before that?"


    Alex, hearing Sophie''s question, just chuckled, shaking his head, and inquired about the thing that Sophie was supposed to tell him and also something he was really interested in.


    "Ah, yeah. About that..."


    As soon as his words fell, Sophie''s eyes wentrge in realization. She was dying the real thing! She hurriedly started to exin what was happening, causing Alex to sigh inwardly.


    ''Just how easy are you?''


    He wanted to change the subject, and it happened so fast that Sophie didn''t even notice that she was eagerly waiting for his answer a second ago.


    It was not that he didn''t want to tell Sophie about the fact that he could feel her emotions. He just wasn''t sure how she would react to it. No one would like to have themselves seen through.


    One part of his mind did tell him that she would be fine; she was the girl who decided to be a system, someone who didn''t even have a corporeal body, so why would she care about something like having her emotions seen through by him?


    But there was this small part in his mind that told him that he shouldn''t reveal it to her... yet.


    It was due to the same reason as above; he didn''t want the girl who could go to such lengths for him to feel sad because of something he could just hide from her.


    ''Wait¡ª!''


    It was then that he noticed something; his arms moved towards his face in a hurry.


    "Hm?"


    Even Sophie, who was about to begin her exnation, paused as she noticed Alex inspecting his body, touching his own muscles and face, his turmoil clear on his face; it was as if he was trying to confirm something, and the more he did it, the more his confusion seemed to grow.


    "Is this...?"


    With a frown, he finally looked up at Sophie, frowning in perplexity.


    "Oh, that. Yeah¡ª"


    Sophie, looking at all this, didn''t take long to understand what Alex was trying to ask, so she stepped closer to him, looking up into his eyes with a smile. Her royal blue eyes reflected not his cute yet handsome face but his mature and majestic contour, which Alex could see clearly now.


    "¡ªyou''re in your old body right now."


    Yes, Alex''s body, unlike his younger and more delicate self, was now the mature one. His features were colder and rougher than his younger self, but unlike his younger self, he was wilder than refined.


    Those features, however, were the sole reason that he was called an incubus by many of his female subordinates.


    "Why? And how?"


    Alex, on the other hand, was still confused. It was not like he hated his past self or something like that. Both of them were him, and he was the one and only Alex. Alex was sure that his body right now, once grown up, would look just like this.


    The weird thing was that Alex''s penis size remained the same in both of his lives as well.


    There was this birthmark on his back, just above his hips. it was the same in his new body as well. It was as if he had just turned younger.


    *Tip**Top*...


    As Alex was still in his thoughts, Sophie stepped closer to him, patting his shoulders and answering his question.


    "This is the system space, a ce where you can be whatever you want. And the old you is what you think of yourself as, so you have that body right now, exactly in the same state that youst remember it to be."


    Alex''s confusion got elevated a bit as things seemed a bit clearer, along with the fact that he slowly realized that the one who had made it all possible¡ªthat unknown goddess¡ªwas far more powerful than he had thought her to be.


    But well, it was not his problem for now.


    The most ring problem¡ªsomething he found out just a second ago¡ªright now was that he had a boner!


    He gritted his teeth as he recalled that thest thing he could remember about this body was the time with Sophie before he cked out. At that time, he was hard... he was aroused...

 CHAPTER 19 – Moments Before ‘Disaster.

    There was a ce filled with nothing but white. It was not veryrge, wide, or huge; it was simply about 15¡Á5 meters in size with a throne ced at one end of the room¡ªnothing else.


    Inside that room or hall, whatever you call it, there were two people seated on the ground. One was a boy whose face seemed like a young 15 to 16-year-old boy with stunning features and a body that appeared to have matured faster than his face, standing taller than 180 centimeters.


    It was Alex, and right now, he was sitting on the floor with his eyes closed, frowning as he tried to concentrate on something.


    "Yes, that''s it; you can now open your eyes."


    The other was Sophie, sitting beside Alex with a soft smile, staring at him while instructing him,plimenting his achievement, causing his brows to rx and his eyes to tremble, opening up softly, revealing the electric blue eyes hidden within.


    "Hm..."


    He hummed as if expressing the relief he felt at that moment.


    "All you have to do is think about it, and it will happen."


    Sophie, smiling wider, stood up, extending her hand to Alex, intending to help him get up, but Alex, after staring at her hand for a while, grinned.


    "I get it now."


    He understood what to do and how to do it; Sophie had already exined things enough to make him realize how it worked.


    This was the system space¡ªhis system space¡ªa ce where things would change to whatever he or Sophie wanted them to. All they had to do was imagine it.


    But with how aroused Alex was, he couldn''t really concentrate; that is why he had to sit cross-legged and focus on it, changing his body into who he was right now.


    It wasn''t that Alex hated his old body. If he had to guess, he was sure that the body that he had right now was somehow the same body, just regressed back in time, but the problem was that there was no way to prove it.


    And Alex was he possessive with his things, much less his woman, so although it was him, no matter which him it was, he didn''t like that the old him, who was now dead, got to be this close to Sophie.


    It was a strange feeling, but what can he do about it? It was just his nature.


    So, now, only when he was back into the body that felt like his own, a body that he had been living in for 16 years, he felt at ease.


    The next second, however, he waved his hand, and the ground below him quacked for a second before a throne, simr to the one at the end of the hall, emerged from the ground, pushing him up with it.


    *Rumble*


    There was a rumble, as the next second, apletely new throne materialized in the room, with Alex seated above it, resting his back on it, staring at Sophie, who, despite the disbelief, just smiled at Alex''s new achievement.


    "It is my system ce, after all."


    Alex added, jumping down the throne, standing right in front of Sophie in the body that he felt morefortable in, looking down at her, his palm cupping her cheeks, caressing it with care.


    He hadn''t gotten time to say proper goodbyes to herst time; everything was just too fast for him to get time to do it.


    Even back in the goddess domain, they couldn''t talk for long before they were kicked out of that ce, all because of him.


    It was only now that he got to see her and touch her with all the love he had for her, and this time, there was no life-and-death situation, nor were they about to be kicked from some goddess''s domain.


    "Un."


    Sophie, on the other hand, just closed her eyes, resting her head on his palm¡ªsnuggling closer to him¡ªwho, in response, pulled her into a gentle hug.


    There was nothing but silence after that.


    Their bond was strong enough for them to not have any need to speak to express their feelings.


    All the loneliness Sophie had to endure alone in this area for 16 years¡ªsitting alone, looking at Alex going on with his life but unable to be a part of it¡ªwas now getting washed away with the light hug, which seemed to be getting tighter by every passing second.


    Their breaths grew coordinated as they felt each other''s bodies, the heat of their bodies intermixing with each other, giving them a strange sense offort, making them wish for the moment to pause for eternity.


    *Bad-ump**Bad-ump*


    Sophie had already shifted her head on Alex''s chest, resting her body on her, clinging to him closely as if not wanting to let go, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeats.


    "I love you, Alex."


    She muttered, her eyes closed, and a loving smile on her lips.


    She really loved him. He was the only one she cared for, and there was nothing she wouldn''t do to be next to him.


    She just... couldn''t imagine anything makeing her feel remotely close to the feeling she got when she was in Alex''s arms.


    In his arms, she felt like she could get anything, and that was why she could speak her heart right now...


    "I love you too, Sophie."


    Alex, although a bit surprised by the sudden bluntness of Sophie, just smiled, pushing his head into her hair, whispering those words right next to her ears.


    He wasn''t new to all of this as he had experienced such instances before, but today, it felt way better than ever to him, maybe because it had been a long time since he had been physically able to touch Sophie.


    "H-Huh?"


    But Sophie, who heard Alex''s words, froze for a second.


    ''W-What the? Did he read my thoughts¡ª?''


    Such a thought appeared in her mind, but as she recalled the several instances where something like this had happened before, her eyes snapped open, blinking in surprise before her face started to turn red.


    She tried to pull away, too embarrassed for her own good, but Alex, who had seen thising from a mile away, just chuckled, tightening his grip around her, making her supple mounds deform as they pressed harder against his hard chest.


    "Why are you trying to run away?"


    He bit her ear, which was right next to his lips right now, sending a shiver down poor Sophie''s spine, her back straightening, and her gaze stretched to the extreme.


    "You are not allowed to move anymore. If you try to do it, you will have something worseing for you."


    Alex continued, blowing hot air on her ear, causing her body to tremble as it was too much for her, who was left hanging before and only had the chance to experience the touch of her lover after 16 years of waiting.


    "Uh-uh. You moved, my dear. You better be prepared for the next course of events now."


    The next instant, however, Alex''s words echoed in her head as he whispered those words right next to her ears, causing her fists, which were holding his shirt, to clench harder, creasing his shirt. She was excited, scared, uncertain, and aroused.


    "I-I..."


    She tried to speak as her breathing grew ragged. Her mind was reeling with wild thoughts¡ªsomething she had tried to suppress for 16 years.


    It was hard for her, and Alex, who couldn''t control himself a day after he got the memories of the time in the goddess''s domain, didn''t even need to know what she wanted right now.


    *Smooch*


    So, with a smooth motion, his lips moved toward hers, sealing her lips and cutting off her words. Her eyes went wide as soon as he did it, but she didn''t resist. She really wanted this.


    She would''ve been fine if Alex hadn''t started it, but now that he had done it, she couldn''t stop herself.


    *Woosh*


    Her lips started to suck on Alex''s, and so did his, but unlike Sophie, who seemed to have lost the sense of the surroundings, Alex waved his hand, and the next second, a bed, much like the one in his bedroom, appeared right behind Sophie.


    *Rustle*


    And Alex, without wasting any time, pushed Sophie onto the bed, who, even on the bed, kept staring at Alex''s lips, wanting to get the sweet taste of it until she was satisfied.


    Her thighs were rubbing against each other as she had her hands pushed on herher region, trying to suppress something, her eyes teary, staring at Alex with hope, but her expression filled with desire. Right now, she looked more delicious to Alex than anything he had ever eaten.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Is there something important you want to tell me?"


    But Alex, not wanting to repeat the same mistake again, questioned, trying his best to not give in to his lust, which was quite hard when he saw the way Sophie was biting her lips while rubbing her breasts.


    "I-It can wait..."


    Sophie, still breathing hard, tried her best to let out those words, but even before she could finish her words, she saw Alex jumping over her, ready to devour her whole, making the re of lust in her body burn brighter and brighter.

 CHAPTER 20 – *The ‘Disaster 1.*

    Alex was 16 years old in the world outside. In the novel world that Alex had reincarnated into, 16 years was the age when people awakened their mana, and became adults, but not adults in an actual sense. They were still immature.


    The age of consent in this world wasn''t 16 but 18, and that was why, when Alex wasn''t aware of the system space, he had spoken to Sophie that he would one day teach her a lesson instead of doing it as soon as possible.


    He was hoping to get Sophie a body within the next two years and then teach her a lesson.


    He couldn''t have sex with anyone¡ªnot when he was in that world at the very least...


    In the system space, where his age was 35 years in a way, Alex didn''t have that restriction, and that was why, the moment he heard Sophie''s words, he had already jumped on her.


    *Smooch*


    His lips directly assaulted hers, greedily devouring them, as if starving for ages, reciprocated by Sophie who seemed just as hungry as him.


    "Hah... Hah..."


    Both of their chests heaved, breaths batted, but none moved away, with their eyes locked into each other, they continued eating their lips.


    Alex''s finger traced down her curves, causing Sophie to arch her back, feeling goosebumps. She was very sensitive right now. Even the slightest touch from Alex was making her pussy grow wetter.


    "Hm~!"


    The next second, however, her eyes went wide as she felt Alex''s tongue moving into her mouth, and if that was not enough, his knee was now grinding against her pussy, sending jolts of pleasure directly to her mind.


    *Slurp**Slurp*


    Her palm clenched Alex''s hair, pulling him closer into herself, her tongue moving with equal intensity, trying to overpower Alex, only to lose within a second. Her body tensed, as she tightened her thighs, trying to stop Alex, who seemed to be increasing his speed, bringing her closer to the orgasm that had been dyed for 16 years.


    "Ahmmm~!!"


    She moaned in his mouth, feeling his fingers sinking into her ample breasts, molding them into various shapes before his fingers found her nipple.


    "Nuuuu~??!" She squirmed beneath him as her palm now grabbed his shoulders, gripping it hard enough to leave scratches, but what could she do?


    She was nearing the edge, and she needed something to cope with, especially now, when Alex was pinching her nipples¡ª


    ''Huh...?''


    It was then that she realized something...


    ''When did he...?''


    Without her even realizing it, Alex had already torn her clothes away¡ªno, wait. He didn''t tear it away, it just vanished on its own.


    But neither Sophie nor Alex were in the right mind to notice it. There was only one thing in their minds: Sex. They wanted to get the heat out of their bodies. The itch they felt in their groins was too much.


    *Phuah!*


    Finally, Alex parted his lips, moving a bit away from her, his tongue twirling, breaking the bridge of saliva that formed between them, and sitting on his knees, looking down at her with hungry eyes, ready to devour her.


    "Wha..."


    Sophie stared back at him, but soon, her gaze stretched in shock as she noticed something¡ªAlex was naked, and so was she.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her hands hurriedly moved to cover her body instinctively, but before she could do it...


    *Grab*


    Both of them were grabbed by Alex''s one big hand, pinning both of them above her head.


    "You..."


    Alex''s other palm moved to her lips, brushing past them, going for her hair, tucking them behind her ears before it slithered toward her supple breasts, sensually touching her nipples.


    "Look appetizing."


    He growled, his head lowering, moving closer to her lips, licking them once, leaving Sophie''s mouth open, wanting more than just a lick.


    The smell of hers was too intoxicating for him. The way she looked at him, her eyes clouded with lust, but trying hard to maintain consciousness was just too cute for him.


    Sophie tried to inch closer to his lips, but she was pinned down, unable to do it.


    She frowned, struggling to break free from his grip, wanting nothing more than to jump on him and have him inside her.


    His masculine scent¡ªsomething she could spend her entire life inhaling¡ªhitting her nose, her gaze roaming on his chiseled body, biting her lips as her eyes would inadvertently lock into Alex''s long and hard dick.


    Her breath would grow rapidly just imagining it within her.


    "So much that I can''t think of anything other than eating you right away."


    Alex, oblivious to her train of thoughts, continued, seemingly trying to suppress his urges to directly pierce her with his dick, which was standing proud, resting right above her clean shaved pussy, sending strange shivers down her spine.


    "But for your patience, you deserve a reward."


    His fingers, traced down her curvaceous body, finally reaching her belly button, moving lower, causing Sophie''s body to tremble, fidgeting around, biting her lips, letting out a suppressed moan.


    "Nnnn~!"


    The next instant, however, Alex''s finger reached her pussy, brushing against the wet folds, causing her pupils to dte and her waist to move up, back arching in sudden pleasure.


    "Ohhhhh~!"


    She couldn''t stop moaning anymore, eximing in pleasure. Her pussy tightened as she tried to stop herself from cumming, feeling Alex''s finger moving into her pussy.


    Her folds quivered, the walls of her pussy tightening around his fingers, trying not to let it go, but her lips said otherwise...


    "S-Stop..."


    She muttered with all the courage she could muster, her hand clutching Alex''s, trying to stop him as she gazed at him with her hazy eyes, her body quivering every second, feeling every inch of his thick finger inside her.


    "Hm? What''s wrong?"


    Alex, who saw her reaction, took out his finger, bringing it closer to his lips, giving it a lick before pushing it toward Sophie.


    "Why are you stopping me when your pussy clearly doesn''t want to let it go?"


    His finger moved into her mouth, twirling her tongue, smiling at the way she sucked on his finger. The lust in her eyes was as clear as it could be.


    "I-I vull cuv iv you go on..." (I-I will cum if you go on...)


    She shuttered, her words indiscernible as she spoke with Alex''s finger in her mouth, not wanting to let go.


    She really couldn''t stop her body from thirsting for Alex, even if it was just his finger.


    "Isn''t it good then?"


    Alex, on the other hand, easily understood what she meant, and just grinned, raising a brow. He could understand the meaning behind her moans, much less her broken words.


    He was trying his best not to just start feasting on her body, yet here she was, dying him without a reason.


    ''I swear if it''s not a good reason, she''s getting it.''


    He grumbled inwardly.


    "N-Nwoo... I-I wanv vo cuv...*Slurp* wivv you insive..." (N-No... I-I want to cum... *Slurp* with you inside...)


    Sophie, still sucking on his finger, replied, shaking her head, and tightening her grip around his hand. Her words, however, made Alex''s grin get reced with a surprised expression before a gentle smile graced his lips.


    "Sigh... I love you, Sophie."


    He bent forward, taking his finger out of her mouth, only to kiss her right after.


    *Smooch*


    Only after a minute did he move away, finding Sophie staring at him with hope, lust, and desire in her eyes, causing his smile to turn into a grin again.


    "I will do it if that''s what you want."


    He spoke, and much to Sophie''s tion, went between her legs, positioning his dick right in front of her pussy, rubbing it on her wet folds, lubricating it.


    "Ahh~~??!" Ohh~!"


    But for Sophie, who was already on the edge, it was bad, as it pushed her toward the cliff, almost making her let out without even having Alex inside her.


    Her eyes grew teary, staring at Alex, who was looking at her pussy, licking his lips as he teased her.


    ''I-I am cum¡ª''


    She tried her hardest to stop it, but in the end, she couldn''t, so with tears in her eyes, failing to cum the way she wanted, she let it out, but just then, her eyes expanded in surprise.


    "OHHHHHHH~~~!!!!"


    She felt something big piercing her, entering with a strong, single push, filling her uppletely.

 CHAPTER 21 – *The ‘Disaster 2.*

    Sophie felt like crying even though she was about to cum.


    She wanted Alex inside her when she came, but she couldn''t control herself, and even before Alex could push his throbbing dick inside her, she was cumming, but that was what she thought.


    Alex, who had been looking at the clean-shaved, smooth glistering pussy of Sophie, saw it tremble, rxing and contracting; he knew she was about to cum, and just when her folds seemed to loosen, signaling her release, he pushed his dick with a hard thrust.


    For Sophie, it was sudden; just when she was about to cum, she felt something enter her in a single, merciless thrust, just how she liked it.


    *Phak!*


    The sound of flesh shing echoed through the room; her eyes went sers and her lips parted, only to get out a primal moan of relief and unfiltered pleasure.


    "OHHHHHHH~~~!!!!"


    Her legs and her hands instantly gripped Alex, pulling him closer, making the dick, which had entered her without so much of a warning, go deeper, and her pussy, eagerly devouring it, let out a lot of lubricant.


    Sophie''s breath was stuck in her lungs, and her body was spasming as if it were about to break, but the pleasure she felt right was something she had never felt before.


    The wait for those past 16 years seemed worth it as she felt like she had reached nirvana, and the next second, the thing that had been dyed for so long, finally got released.


    *Squirt*


    Alex, who was hugged hard by Sophie, feeling her luscious breasts pressing against his chest, could perceive his dick getting drenched in a warm liquid, but Sophie''s walls, which should''ve loosened by now, still mped down on his dick, making it hard for him to control himself from ravaging Sophie.


    "Hah... Hah... Hah..."


    Sophie, who was still cumming, was breathing hard as her orgasm had hit her hard, her arms coiled around Alex''s neck, pulling him closer, thirsting for his lips.


    "K-Kiss..."


    She muttered, eyes teary and tongue sticking out, wanting to lick Alex''s lips, which were still some inches away from her lips, causing Alex to take a deep breath in an attempt to calm his nerves.


    Her expressions, movements, breathing, words, touch, scent, her entire being, were inviting him to ravage her, and he knew that she would like it, as he knew about Sophie''s hidden side that no one knew about, but he, for now, listened to her words and bent down.


    *Smooch*


    The moment he did it, Sophie''s lips and tongue assaulted his mouth, to which he replied with equal intensity, his dick throbbing continuously, raring to go on, something Sophie could feel as well, but she needed a second.


    She couldn''t take any more pleasure right now¡ªshe would break if she did.


    *Slurp**Smooch*...


    They kept kissing each other, their bodies glistening with light sweat, heated up, rubbing against each other, making both of them more and more aroused, and finally, after a minute, Sophie paused, her eyes locked into Alex''s.


    Hunger¡ªendless hunger. That was all she could see in his eyes right now, and although she knew that she should be scared, she felt happy¡ªhappy to be with him, happy to be able to see this side of him again.


    "Y-You can move now¡ª"


    She smiled at him, gently stroking his hair, giving him permission to move, but her words got stuck in her throat as the next thing that left her lips was nothing other than a pure, primal, out-of-her-throat moan.


    *Phak!*


    "OHHHHH~~!!!!!"


    Alex had been waiting for her to say those words, so the moment she did, his pelvis moved, striking her hips at a speed that was impossible for a normal human to achieve, his dick reaching the deepest part of Sophie''s pussy, hitting it hard, making her mind go nk for a second.


    "W... Wait¡ª"


    Her gaze trembled as she caught sight of the satisfied grin on Alex''s lips, her eyes still hazy, and her mind stillgging a bit, but she could still voice out her request.


    The next second, however, she found out how useless it was to try to stop him, as again...


    *Phak!*


    "NOHHHHHH~~~??!!"


    The only thing she could do was moan helplessly, as the pleasure was too mind-breaking for her. Alex''s rock-hard dick was hitting the deepest part of the womb with every thrust.


    "Phak!**Phak!**Phak!*...


    "AHHH~!!"


    "GOUHHHH~~!"


    "YESSS~~??!!"


    Soon, the room was filled with the sound of flesh shing against each other and loud moans leaving Sophie''s lips along with the grunts and growls from Alex.


    Sophie, after a bit of struggle, finally gave in to the pleasure, shaking her hips in rhythm with Alex''s, grinding her ass against his pelvis, and taking his dick as deep as she could.


    Her walls clenched around him, giving him the pleasure he desired, making him more excited.


    Sophie''s arms and legs were tightly coiled around Alex''s body, not letting him go. Her lips kissed and tongue licked his shoulder, biting when Alex''s dick hit harder, almost making her mind go nk.


    "Ghhh!"


    Alex, on the other hand, kept ramming his rod in her wet, warm, and tight pussy, enjoying every bit of her insides, trying to push deeper and deeper into her.


    "Y-YES~! H-HARDER!"


    Sophie, feeling the continuous assault from Alex''srge dick, finally couldn''t control herself, and her side, which she tried to keep hidden most of the time, finally came out.


    "F-FUCK ME, ALEX! M-MAKE ME GO MAD~~!!"


    She screamed, her head thrown back, tongue handing out, droll dripping from the corner of her lips.


    "Grrr... As you wish..."


    Alex, hearing her words, grew excited, growling, his fist clenched as he gripped Sophie''s arms, and threw her around.


    "Eeekk!!"


    Sophie, who found herself turned around, with her face toward the bed and her ass toward Alex, shrieked in surprise before question marks appeared above her head.


    Right now, the pleasure was up in her brain, making it hard for her to think straight. The only thing going on in her mind was sex, sex, and sex.


    "Lift your ass up."


    That was why, the moment she heard Alex''smand, his voice barely a whisper, but enough for her to hear it, she couldn''t help but smile lustfully, raising her ass up in a way that Alex could directly see her dripping pussy.


    "F-Fuck me..."


    She shook her ass, spreading it with her hands, gazing at him with her hazy eyes, tears of pleasure pooled up in her eyes, making her face look so erotic that Alex couldn''t hold himself back. He lined his cock with her pussy, and with a single thrust...


    *PHAK!*


    He was deep inside her, filling her uppletely, causing her toes to rise high and her back to arch, her eyes going wide as she gripped the bedsheet in a hurry, looking for something to support, her voice stuck in her throat, noting out.


    *Phak!*


    It was only when Alex''s pelvis hit her ass again, sending the shock of pleasure through her entire body, that her voice returned.


    "OH, FUCK!!! That''s it! YES!!"


    She bit the bedsheet, her legs intervening with Alex''s as he hammered his dick deeper and deeper inside her, letting her think of nothing other than his dick.


    "I-I''LL CUM AT THIS RATE~~??!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sophie, unable to take any more pleasure, roared, letting Alex know that she would cum soon, but just then...


    *p*


    A crisp sound of p echoed through the room.


    "GOUHHHHHH!!!"


    And Sophie, who felt her ass being hit by Alex''s palm, could only moan as she squirmed under Alex, her pussy clenching harder on Alex''s dick, as a new wave of pleasure hit her entire being.


    "Just hold it for a second. I''m almost done as well."


    She heard Alex''s words in the next instant, and a new series of words echoed in her mind.


    ''Cumming with Alex...''


    As soon as she thought of it, she hurriedly clenched harder, almost making Alex lose his momentum.


    "Ghhh!"


    But he didn''t stop, pulling it out and pushing it back in, with one hard thrust, and the moment he did, he came.


    "Ahhh. Yes..."


    She sighed, feeling his balls getting emptied and how Sophie''s pussy was still sucking on his dick, pulling it deeper.


    *Splurt*


    Sophie, on the other hand, feeling the hot baby batter pouring into her, came hard, her body spasming, her eyes rolling, and her tongue hanging out.


    "Ahhh..."


    She couldn''t even let out a moan as her body went limp, falling to the bed, her head stuffed into the pillow she was using to muffle her moans.


    *Pop*


    A popping sound was heard as her ass fell to the bed, making Alex''s dicke out of her pussy, dripping with her juice, and Sophie''s pussy, trembling, convulsed, pouring out the excess cum inside of her.


    "I-I love you..."


    This was all she could mutter as her body and her mind werepletely swept up in pleasure, not being able to think of anything else.


    "I love you more, love, but why do I feel like you are already done?"


    Alex''s words, however, caused her eyes to snap open, widening in shock, her body shivering, and with great effort, her head turned to look at her, only to find him still looking down at her with no hint of fatigue and his dick, still hard as ever, raring to go for another round.


    "Haha... ha..."


    All Sophie could do wasugh nervously as she knew that the night had just started, and her mind, which was feeling the pleasure a lot, was going to break today. More than once.

 CHAPTER 22 – The Dream World 1.

    Inside an all-white room, where nothing other than a throne and a bed could be seen, there were two people on the bed, lying naked with their bodies sticking to each other.


    The guy with white and electric blue eyes was rubbing his chin with one hand, making a thoughtful expression, as if thinking deeply about something. Then there was the girl, her head resting on the guy''s chest as she kept lying on the guy''s other hand, her eyes closed, rxing as her chest heaved in a calm rhythm.


    They were Alex and Sophie, and after a long talk, they were now resting in each other''s embrace. Alex caressed Sophie''s blonde hair with one of his hands, thinking about the things she had just told him about, trying hard to keep his attention away from her bouncy body that was stuck close to him like a ma.


    She had been extra clingy since they were done with their deed, which went on for at least 3 to 4 hours without stopping. Changing positions, being rough, and sometimes being gentle. Licking, biting, and much more, they did everything that came into their minds.


    Sophie, who was broken many times by constant pleasure, was the one who was wilder among them, she screamed, roared, and moaned, sometimes desiring to be on the top sometimes wanting to be crushed beneath Alex.


    But the crazier she was during that time, the more embarrassed she was when she finally regained her mind after resting for around 2 hours.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    At first, she wasn''t even looking at Alex. It was only after he made her look into his eyes, kissed her a lot, and said how much he loved her that she looked into his eyes.


    Alex was pretty used to all this as he had seen this happen every time they had sex. She would first try to control herself, not wanting to let out her real self, but when she does, she would do whateveres to her mind, only to run away in embarrassment when she regains herself.


    It was just that she didn''t have anywhere to run off to today as Alex had his arms wrapped around her the whole time.


    Now, with her ample breasts pressing on his chest, filling its entirety with their volume, and her bouncy ass, which he had pped for hours in his view, although hard to do, he still focused on the things he had been told by Sophie.


    "So, this is the dream world..."


    He mused, nodding to himself, staring at the surroundings.


    ording to what Sophie had said to him, this is supposed to be the dream space, but it can be called system space as well.


    In here, Alex could do anything, something Sophie had told him before as well, but he didn''t understand to what extent. It was only when she snapped her finger and made all of their fatigue go away that Alex realized that anything meant anything he could think of.


    Yeah, things like creating life were still not possible, but even if he could, it would just be a dream person with no influence on the real world.


    No matter what he does in this ce, it will stay in this room, If he were to have his limbs detached in reality and heal them in this space, it would still remain the same in reality.


    But it was not just the reality where it would remain the same...


    His eyes turned to look at the wall he had been staring at when he first arrived in this room¡ªa ce where he felt like something was calling for him.


    "Hey, love?"


    Still staring at that wall, Alex gently called out to Sophie, kissing her forehead. She had fallen asleep some time ago after she was done exining, and Alex, who was absorbing the information, didn''t disturb her much because he knew that even if the physical fatigue was healed, the mental one wasn''t.


    Sophie, who heard Alex''s voice, had her eyshes tremble, slowly opening, revealing her royal blue eyes, clearer than ever, while her arms, which were coiled around Alex, tensed, pulling him closer to herself as if wanting to merge their bodies.


    "Hmmm~"


    She let out afortable moan, smiling sweetly as she felt Alex kiss her forehead again, closing her eyes, letting the sensation sink.


    Alex''s care after every time they had sex was just too addicting for her.


    "What''s wrong, Alex?"


    She finally turned to look up into his eyes, still a bit embarrassed of recalling what she had done, but that didn''t mean she would keep avoiding Alex. He needed her more than ever right now.


    She was the only one who could help him through the start of everything in this world.


    *Smooch*


    Alex, however, looking at her full, red lips, and her cleavage which showed as she lifted her head, couldn''t help but kiss her lips, sucking on them once or twice times, which Sophie epted with her eyes closed before he parted his lips, his forehead resting on hers.


    He stared right into her eyes, a look of care and love¡ªsomething very rare for him to show as those emotions were only reserved for his special, loved ones¡ªshing through his eyes.


    "I love you so much, you know?"


    He uttered, his voice barely a whisper, reaching Sophie''s ears, causing them to twitch as a rosy hue slowly covered her cheeks but she just smiled, she gave the sweetest smile she could, and she replied.


    "I know. And I love you more..."


    She spoke, her eyes clear with love for Alex, not just his body and looks, but for something more eternal¡ªhis soul.


    Both of them, breathing in rhythm, kept staring at each other, forgetting about the thing they were supposed to talk about, until finally, Sophie spoke.


    "So? What was it that you wanted to know, Alex?"


    It was only when Alex heard those words that he recalled the question he wanted to ask Sophie.


    "Should we go out for a while? I want to check out the world."


    He uttered, his gaze returning to the wall¡ªthe wall across which was the world of dreams.


    It was this world that would help Alex grow stronger continuously, and unlike normal people, he didn''t have to waste his time during the day, practicing hard for hours to make a bit of improvement in his power level.


    All he needed to do was sleep, and when he did that, he would be pulled into this dream space, from where he could ess the dream world.


    But other than the fact that he won''t die, the dream world was the same as the real world. It is the ce in his dreams where he could be harmed, and the ce where he couldn''t do whatever he wanted to.


    He couldn''t just heal in the dream world or make impossibles possible in there, as that was a different space from the dream space, and right now, he wanted to go there.


    "We sure can."


    Sophie, listening to his words, smiled brightly, nodding her head as she waved her hand, making clothes appear in front of them, dropping over them without them even doing anything, and the next thing they knew, they were standing in front of the wall, staring right into it.


    "So? What now?"


    Alex, staring at the wall, questioned, and Sophie, standing beside him, extended her palm forward, and it passed right through the wall, much to Alex''s surprise.


    "We just pass through the wall."


    She spoke, pulling Alex along with her, passing through the wall, and in a second, they were standing in the dream world¡ªthe foundation of the infinite dream system.

 CHAPTER 23 – Dream World 2.

    "This looks quite small for a dungeon."


    A cave with cracks on its wall, spreading out like a spider web, could be seen as a male voice echoed through the surroundings.


    The cave''s entrance was around 1.5 meters in length, making it impossible for even an average-sized human to enter without bending their head. From the inside, however, it was around 20 to 30 meters long, or so it seemed from the outside.


    The whole cave looked like it would fall with a slight tremor, enough to make anyone hesitate to even enter it.


    "It is the first and the world''s weakest dungeon. And it''s like a tutorial, so it being small and easy to finish is not uncalled for."


    A female voice was heard after the male''s voice ended, trying to give him a better idea of what was happening.


    "I see. So, I just need to clear this dungeon by killing the monsters inside, right?"


    The male voice questioned again as soon, as some movements could be seen inside the darkness inside the cave.


    There seemed to be some silver shes shining as the sunlight from some cracks on the cave ceiling reflected by some shiny object.


    "Yes."


    The female voice replied again, and soon, an awkward silence descended through the area, which was broken by the male, who questioned in a curious and confused voice.


    "Sophie dear, how do you suggest I fight the monster inside the cave with you hanging onto me like this?"


    The owner of the male voice finally came into view. It was Alex, standing with an expression that clearly made it seem like he was enjoying his time.


    "Hm? Well... J-Just a few more minutes, please?"


    Sophie, on the other hand, was being carried by Alex on his back, her arms around Alex''s neck and her legs coiled around his waist.


    The way she was resting her body on Alex''s, he was perfectly feeling her full breasts, and his arms, which were supporting her body by holding her things were also able to feel her bouncy ass a bit, so he was wearing an expression of bliss as said before, enjoying his time.


    "As you wish, love."


    That was why, when Sophie asked for some more minutes, he let her be, as it wasforting for both of them¡ªto feel the heat of each other''s bodies.


    It had been a while since Sophie had been hanging on Alex''s back. It was when they came out of the dream space that she requested this, and Alex, thinking of it as her random request, epted it as it was not really a problem or a hard task.


    Since then, he had been roaming around in this dream world, which was around 2 kilometers in radius from what Sophie had told him.


    He kept roaming around until he finally found the only thing that seemed to stand out in these all-green surroundings, and after inquiring Sophie about it, he found out that this was the dream dungeon, the main function of the dream infinite system.


    As he progressed in strength, the world grew, spawning more such dungeons, and by killing the monsters or beasts within these dungeons, Alex would be able to amass system points, which could be further used to buy things from the system''s shop.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The dungeon in front of him right now was the tutorial dungeon of a sort¡ªsomething he had to clear in order topletely start the functioning of the dream world.


    He had to wipe out the monsters inside the cave, and from the looks of it, the monsters were already aware of his presence, but they didn''t seem to have any ns ofing out of the cave or maybe they couldn''te out of it.


    If the dungeon in this dream world were like the ones rarely found in the novel world, then the monster would never be able to leave the dungeon, but he wasn''t sure about it, so...


    "Can the monsterse out of the dungeon, love?"


    He did the best thing he could think of¡ªasking the system itself.


    "No, not these ones."


    Sophie''s reply, instantaneous but muffled, reached Alex''s ear, making him tilt his head a bit.


    "Not these ones? So, will there be some like that,ter?"


    Understanding the meaning behind her words, he questioned for confirmation, making Sophie, who had her lips touching Alex''s neck, kissing and licking it from time to time, nod her head in agreement.


    "Yes."


    She spoke, making Alex hum thoughtfully, a curious light shining in his eyes as he stepped closer to the cave. A single step, but that was enough to give him the reaction he wanted.


    "Krrrr..."


    "Kraa..."


    He could hear low growls filled with warning just because of the single step he took toward the cave, making him formte ns to deal with this situation.


    He still didn''t know what monster was in there, waiting for him to step in, or how many there were. Sophie didn''t really tell him that as she nor did he ask.


    It was a tutorial, something that would give him an idea of what he needed to face in the future. So, it would be better if he were to not take any help from Sophie.


    He needed to survive in a world of magic, and although he already had ns for that, he needed to gain experience in fighting with magic and mana, which he could gain a lot in this world¡ªsomething he was going topletely exploit.


    He stared at the entrance of the cave.


    ''Short but wide, so the monsters inside are probably short in size, and they usually move in groups, which means they will probably have good coordination...''


    Alex mused inwardly, tapping his feet on the ground, thinking of what was the best approach until something finally clicked.


    ''Yep! That''s it.''


    He nodded inwardly, but before he could think of something else, he felt Sophie shift on his back.


    "What''s wrong, love?"


    He questioned, feeling Sophie''s movement, and Sophie, hearing his words, just shook her head.


    "Nothing. I was thinking of getting down now. Need to give you some briefing, as well."


    She spoke, kissing his cheek once by extending her neck a bit before she got down, stretching her body, which, although healed, still felt sour.


    "Hmmm~~"


    Only after a bit of stretching, which gave Alex a nice view, did she turn to look back at Alex, nodding inwardly, knowing full well that he wouldn''t want her to help him deal with the monsters, so she would help him in another way.


    "It is time to open your gift."


    She spoke, staring into his eyes, smiling as she saw them lightening up in realization. He seemed to havepletely forgotten about the gifts, but those gifts were something that would give him a big boost to start his journey with.


    It would be the first and the only gift he would ever get from the system, and that was precisely why it wouldn''t be something to scoff at.


    "Status Window."


    So, with a nod, Alex called out to his status window, ready to open his gift.

 CHAPTER 24 – Gifts.

    Alex had a gift box in his inventory. It was there from the moment he had awakened the system, and ording to Sophie, it was supposed to be like a starter pack.


    He had thought of opening itter since he didn''t see any use for it at that moment, and he was tired, but now, looking at the situation, where he needed to fight some beings he had never really seen in either of his lives, he could use some boosts.


    "Status Window."


    So, with his mind made up, he called out for the status window, and ncing at Sophie, who nodded her head, he pushed his hand into the screen, thinking of the inventory, which worked just like Sophie had told him. His hand disappeared into the same system screen that he had never been able to touch.


    But as his hand touched something hard¡ªsomething he couldn''t make out just by touching it¡ªa notification shed in front of his eyes.


    [Are you sure you want to open the gift pack?]


    His gaze lingered on the notification for a second before he nodded, sending his mental acknowledgment, and as soon as he did it, a bright light shed from the system''s illusionary blue screen before the hard thing, which seemed like some sort of barrier stopping his arms from moving in vanished.


    The moment it happened, Alex''s had sunk deeper, finally reaching a spherical item with a cold, solid, but smooth surface.


    ''Hmmm...''


    He tried to guess what it could be as he tried to pull it out of the storage.


    ''Oh?'' Its weight, however, surprised him as it weighed around 10 kilograms or close to it.


    It was a spherical ball with a 10-centimeter diameter, but it weighed 10 kilograms? How could Alex not get curious about such a thing?


    He quickly pulled that thing out, and a void-ck¡ªso dark that it seemed to be sucking in the lights in the surroundings¡ªmetal ball came into his view.


    At first nce, it didn''t look like anything special. Yeah, it weighed more than it should, but maybe it was a weight ball. Who knows? This was a fantasy world, even a pin could weigh more than a ton, much less this ball.


    But only at first nce did it look like that, because the moment he focused his eyes on it, a new window, showing the information rted to the ball popped up in the corner of his eyes.


    ''Hmm, do I have inspection-type ability?''


    Before he looked at the information about the ball, a curious thought shed in his mind. It was normal for him to have that question as he seemed to be able to see the ball''s information, but the problem was that he didn''t remember seeing any ability like that when he checked his status window.


    His eyes turned to look at Sophie, who, for a while, had a sweet smile stered on her face, never leaving it. She was just too happy with how good things had been for the past few hours.


    "It is not your skill if that''s what you''re wondering."


    The next instant, as if reading his mind, she replied to his unasked question, causing a smile to break on Alex''s face as well before he titled his head, and again before he even had to ask the question he had, Sophie''s lips moved.


    "It is a system function. It will show you information about anything you buy or receive from the system."


    Her exnation was short but precise, giving him an idea of what it was, so with a nod of his head, he finally looked at the details of the sphere.


    [Verathian (Star Formation¡ª?) (Growth-type): A shape-changing weapon made of ancient and unknown metal, only one piece to ever exist. This weapon can grow along with the user, evolving as the user reaches a certain limit in power, unlocking abilities as it reads the user''s needs.


    ¨C> Wind sh: A straightforward attack¡ªa de sh made of sharp wind whirling together¡ªgets released when the sword is waved by using mana.]


    "Verathian..."


    Alex muttered, staring at the sphere for a while before he closed his eyes. As soon as he did, as if it was the most natural thing, every bit of information about the weapon flooded his head, making his body still for a while before he clenched his fist with the all of metal in his hand.


    *Woosh*


    But unlike one would think, the ball directly turned soft as if it were a dough of flour, morphing into whatever shape Alex wanted into, and he finally opened his eyes, a ck sh passing past his electric blue eyes.


    "I guess I don''t have to tell you what to do with it."


    The next moment, Sophie spoke up, still smiling, staring at Alex with some pride in her eyes. She had thought that she would''ve to exin what to do, but looking at him closing his eyes, she had stopped to observe, only to see him being able to control the weapon.


    "It''s a good weapon."


    Alex, listening to her words, just smiled, still ying with the ck-colored dough in his palm, already thinking of things he could aplish with such a magnificent weapon.


    As for its rank, he didn''t really think much about it even though it was at the lowest rank right now; it was a growth-type weapon, making it more valuable than any other weapon he had heard of.


    "There''s still one thing left in your gift pack."


    Sophie, on the other hand, seeing him engaged with the weapon, which was a good thing but not something that couldn''t be der, reminded him of the other thing that he had in his gift pack, making him raise a brow.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Why do I feel like you are more excited about the next item than me, who is supposed to receive it??"


    He chuckled as he pushed his hand into the system''s storage again, feeling a thin paper-like texture in his palm, pulling it out with an interested look.


    "Because this is what the real gift is, but as good as it is, itpletely depends on your luck..."


    As soon as he brought the golden paper or more like a ticket, Sophie spoke, a hint of nervousness in her eyes, which she tried to hide, but couldn''t quite do it.


    [Golden Wheel Ticket (Gold): A gold-ranked wheel ticket that would give you no more than one chance to spin the golden wheel which would have ten items, out of which, one would be the best a gold wheel could provide and the 3 would be the worst, the remaining are random items.]


    "A lottery ticket, huh?"


    Alex, listening to Sophie''s words and taking in the information the system provided him, nodded his head thoughtfully.


    "How should I use it?"


    After contemting for a bit, he decided to open it right now, asking Sophie how he could use it.


    He needed as many variables as he could to ensure his unhindered victory in the battle he had to enter in a while.


    "Grrr..."


    "Krrr..."


    The growls from the cave were still perceivable by him, reaching his ears, reminding him of the creatures that he had never seen¡ªcreatures of magical worlds.


    "You just need to tear the ticket, and once you do, you will be able to see a golden wheel in front of you. Justmand it to spin, and it will start spinning."


    Sophie replied to Alex''s words, exining how he had to do it, and as soon as she finished her words, Alex tore the ticket apart, making a wheel with ten divisions, each having a different thing in them, but his eyes got glued to just one of them as he took a deep breath.


    "Let''s do it."


    With his eyes closed, he pulled Sophie closer, holding her in his arms, and the next second...


    ''Spin.''


    Hemanded the wheel to spin, and it did just that.

 CHAPTER 25 – The First Dungeon 1.

    *Click**Click**Click*...


    Alex could hear the sound of the wheel spinning at a very high speed, and Sophie, who was in his arms, with her eyes fixed on the wheel, just clutched Alex''s shirt harder, anxiously waiting for the result.


    She was the system and the wheel was made by her, but even so, she couldn''t manipte the rewards. She had restrictions as well.


    All she could do was hope that Alex''s luck would be enough to get him something good even if it won''t get him the best out of the options.


    Her eyes turned to look at Alex, who, with his eyes closed, tried to keep a straight face even though he was far from calm, and she moved closer to him, pressing her body against him, trying to lower the tension in his body.


    It worked well, making him rx, but he kept his eyes closed. He didn''t open it even when the wheel slowed down.


    *Click**Click**Click*...


    The wheel started to slow down, its ping moving from one section to another, and with each tick, Alex''s eyes, still closed, trembled as he could feel Sophie''s grip on his arm.


    *Click**Click*...


    It slowed down even more, seemingly nearing the end, using thest of its momentum to spin forward, and Sophie, who kept staring at it couldn''t help but tremble, her head shaking in denial as she wished for the wheel to move a bit more.


    The pin was about to stop, and the next section was the worst reward of the wheel¡ªa mana conduction thread that could be used to master one''s control over mana by practice.


    She gritted her teeth, lowering her head as she saw the pin stopping at that exact section, and Alex, who could feel her emotions, although disappointed, just sighed in resignation.


    ''Well, so much for trying my luck.''


    Hemented, opening his eyes, patting Sophie''s head, assuring her that he wasn''t ming her for something as he knew that she would start ming herself for this, only to have his thoughts cut short...


    *Click*


    As if not wanting to see Alex and Sophie disappointed, the wheel, seemingly using thest of its efforts, pushed the pin by a single column, and the moment it did, both Alex and Sophie froze, their gaze quivering, snapping toward the wheel, only to have their eyes widen in shocked disbelief.


    ''Holy fuck!''


    That was the only thought in Alex''s head and without even thinking of anything else, his arms coiled around Sophie, making her turn to look into his eyes before he kissed her¡ªhe kissed her as hard as he could.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Sophie, broken out of her surprise by his kiss, reciprocated with equal intensity, enjoying it to her heart''s content as this event really did call for a celebration.


    Alex drew the best reward possible, after all!


    ...


    ...


    .


    After kissing for who knows how long and calming down, epting the new thing he had drawn from the wheel, Alex now stood in front of the cave with the ck sphere in his hand, staring deep into the cave.


    The moment that everything was going to get decided was now.


    "Alex, be aware that the monsters are supposed to be challenging for you, so even if you are stronger than a normal just-awakened person, the creatures would be the same."


    Sophie, standing some steps behind, her lips a bit swollen from the long kiss some moments ago, warned Alex again.


    She had already told him that, but with his new skill in his arsenal¡ªthe one he got from the golden wheel¡ªAlex was sure of his victory.


    She trusted him to be able to do it¡ªno, she knew that he would be able to do it. But it was her job to warm him so she did it again, and Alex, hearing her words just nodded his head.


    His focus was on the shes of metal he could see inside the cave. It was dark, but Alex could somehow tell that the creatures there were preparing themselves. It was as if they knew that Alex wasing for them.


    *Inhale**Exhale*


    Alex, on the other hand, just took a deep breath, his gaze lingering on the sphere in his hand before he thought of a weapon¡ªa weapon he could use right now. Listening to his wish, soon, the sphere in his hand started to melt, changing into a thin rope that fell to the ground.


    But things didn''t end there, in a sh, the rope suddenly multiplied, getting divided into multiple threads before they started to get interconnected.


    It happened in just a second, but someone with sharp eyes could be able to perceive it happening in real-time.


    The sphere turned into a.


    Yes, a.


    This was the ability of the weapon. It could change into anything Alex considered a weapon or a shield, and right now, Alex was imagining a to be the best weapon, but it was not just a simple.


    If one looked at it closely, one would be able to see the sharpness of the threads, and Alex, while dragging the same, stepped closer to the cave, but unlike before, no growls could be heard, causing his brows to frown.


    ''What are they up to?''


    He wondered, stepping closer and closer until he was right in front of the cave, and when he reached there, he clenched his fist.


    The started to fold, turning into a ball as soon as Alex thought of it like that, and with that done, Alex threw the ball into the cave.


    The instant he did it, the sound of metal shing was heard...


    *nk**Click**ng*...


    It was as if someone was trying to use their weapon to strike another weapon in a frenzy, but not a secondter, something else was heard.


    "Krrraaaa!"


    "Kaaaaaa!"


    "Giyaaahhhh!!"


    Pained screeches, one followed by another made their way to Alex''s ears.


    Taking it as a signal, Alex stepped into the cave, squinting his eyes as it was hard to get used to the darkness aftering from the light outside, but in just a while, his vision turned normal, letting him perceive the surroundings.


    ''Oh, goblins...''


    Alex didn''t even need someone to tell him what the creatures in front of him were as the view of them was enough to make him understand what they were.


    There were rarely any creatures shown as ugly as them in any world out there.


    With green slimy skin andrge bulging eyes, their face looked nightmarish; the big, long nose, filled with ck spots along with their long hairy ears just made it look worse.


    Right now, in front of Alex were 6 such creatures, all trapped under the, struggling to break free of it, yelling in agony as their struggle just made their situation miserable, causing flesh wounds to appear on their bodies.


    But just when Alex was observing the beasts, a pair of bright yellow eyes stared at him from a dark corner of the cave. Those eyes, unlike the frenzied and wild eyes of the goblins trapped under the, seemed to have a certain level of intelligence.


    Maybe it was because of that level of wisdom, that instead of directly lunging at Alex, the owner of those eyes was moving stealthily, creeping up on Alex without making any noise.


    Alex, on the other hand, oblivious to the approaching danger, kept staring at the goblins¡ªthe first creation of his dream world that he had seen.

 CHAPTER 26 – The First Dungeon 2.

    "Kraaaaa!"


    "Kiiiieeekkkk!"


    The Goblins kept screeching in agony as the sharp tore through their skin the more they struggled.


    They were dumb monsters, and probably the weakest of what the dream world could offer, but they weren''t as weak as they seemed to be.


    *Crack*


    Soon, Alex heard a crisp sound of cracking from the, making him squint his eyes.


    ''This is unexpected.''


    He frowned as he could feel his weapon cracking already, but he didn''t seem very panicked because he knew that even if the were to break, it could just mend itself.


    His weapon had an auto-mending ability. No matter how many pieces it broke into, it could just get attached.


    ''Alex, be aware that the monsters are supposed to be challenging for you, so even if you are stronger than a normal just-awakened person, the creatures would be the same.''


    It was then that Sophie''s words echoed through his head, making him realize why this was happening.


    The sword was ranked at start formation level one star, the same as his power level, as he was a star formation level mage and knight with one star formed. The goblins in front of him were probably the same, and with all of them attacking his weapon, it''s cracking was not uncalled for.


    But this was just something that came in unexpectedly for Alex, it didn''t make him concerned about his victory. The weapon was never his main weapon in this battle, he was still not used to the mana abilities of his weapon, so he had wanted to y safe.


    And just when he needed it the most, he got an ability that let him win a fight even without physically engaging with his enemies.


    ''Let''s see how strong this ability is...''


    Alex mused as he raised his palm, as if preparing for something, and the goblins for some reason stopped struggling at that exact moment, making Alex frown, but the next second...


    *Woosh*


    He heard the sound of something moving toward him at a very fast pace, making his eyes go wide as he ducked without a second thought, rolling forward as that was the only ce he could feel safe.


    *Baam*


    In the next instant, as Alex''s eyes snapped sharply toward the attacker, a loud baam was heard, making some debris fly about as a wooden club hit the floor of the cave.


    "GRAAAAAAA!!"


    The sunlight that filtered from the crevices in the cave focused on the monstrosity that attacked Alex, and as he saw the creature, Alex couldn''t help but tense up.


    It was a monster with a height of 1.76 meters, muchrger than the goblins that usually range from 1.2 to 1.3 meters in height.


    The creature was just arger version of a goblin with more defined muscles and a tummy that made it seem pregnant for 8 months. That thing looked uglier due to its features being more defined, and the clothes it wore were just enough to cover itsher region, not at all covering its hideous features.


    "What is this thing?"


    Alex couldn''t help but growl under his breath, only to see a new series of text floating above the monster''s head.


    [Hobgoblin. Star Formation¡ª?(Peak).]


    That was all it said, but just with that, Alex knew that this beast was not something he could just test his theories on.


    It was a beast with one-star peak power, higher than Alex''s, and from the looks of it, the beast looked like the boss monster of this dungeon.


    ''Thank you, love.''


    Alex, on the other hand, thanked Sophie mentally, knowing full well that it was probably her doing that he could see the name of the monster.


    Sophie was trying to help him¡ªsomething he didn''t want her to do¡ªbut he got where she wasing from. He wouldn''t even let her fight a battle where she might have a chance of getting injured, much less stay back and watch.


    Her love for him was just as much as he loved her, so just the fact that she wasn''t making a major move was enough for him.


    [Be careful, Alex. That beast canmand the other goblins!]


    The next moment, however, Alex heard Sophie''s voice in his head, and unlike what he had hoped to receive¡ªa love-filled reply¡ªher words were filled with warning and concern, making Alex''s instincts kick in right in time to roll to the side...


    *Rustle*N?v(el)B\\jnn


    *ng**nk**Tink*...


    The moment he did that, the sound of metal crashing against the cave''s floor was heard, and Alex, with his eyes squinted, saw how the goblins, still trapped within the had thrown their weapons at him.


    He could already see the green gooey stuff on their weapon so he was well aware of how dangerous even a single scratch from those weapons could be, but right now was not the time to think about it.


    This moment was the exact moment where he had the chance to eliminate all of the goblins inside the as they didn''t have their weapons protecting them from beingpletely sliced.


    "GRAAAAAAA!"


    He could already see the hobgoblin rushing toward him with its yellow eyes filled with killing intent, wanting to kill him now that he was some distance away from his weapon. The hobgoblin''s intentions were probably that, but the creature was underestimating Alex a bit too much.


    ''Here goes nothing.''


    With a deep breath, Alex cleared his mind, closing his eyes, imagining himself in a in grassy field with no monster rushing at him and no annoying screeches in the background.


    All he imagined in that ce was him, the air, and a boulder. The next second, he clenched his fist hard, and as soon as he did that...


    *Boom*


    The boulder shattered, making Alex open his eyes, only to see the goblins sliced into pieces of disgusting green meat with puss-like green blood polled around it and the hobgoblin frozen in its spot.


    "Grrrr..."


    It struggled to break free grunting as it found it hard to take a single step, its eyes, however, remained fixed on Alex, ring at him as drool dropped from the corner of its lips but Alex, knowing full well that he didn''t have much time rushed toward the soaked in the disgusting blood of the goblins.


    *Tap**Tap*...


    His steps echoed through the cave, making veins pop up on the hobgoblin''s head as it roared in frenzy.


    "GRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"


    Its body felt heavy, but it clenched its club harder, almost making it crush before it turned toward Alex, wanting to throw the meter-long club at Alex, but the moment it turned...


    *Swish*


    The beast''s eyes caught sight of a line made of stars, blinking in front of its eyes, as one end of the line was somehow attached to its neck, causing it to frown.


    "Grr?"


    It tried to touch the star with its hand, but the moment he did, he saw an ink-ck de, cutting right through its hand which was trying to touch the line, and even before it could scream in pain, it found its world turned upside down.


    Thest thing it saw was Alex, with his sword held in one hand, standing back-to-back with its headless body before its world darkened, coldness embracing its consciousness.

 CHAPTER 27 – Cleared.

    [Gravity Maniption (??): A maniption-type ability that lets one haveplete control over gravitation, but not just anyone can use it. To use it to its full capabilities, one must be strong enough.


    ¡ú Gravity Multiplier ¨C You can use mana to multiply the gravity in your surroundings, making it affect everything other than yourself. (Current multiplier is 3X maximum.)


    {This ability''s evolution depends solely on the user. You can develop whatever skills thate to your mind, and your body can handle.}


    ]


    This was the ability that Alex had received from the wheel, the same ability that Alex had his eyes fixed on before he spun the wheel.


    It was a maniption-type ability¡ªsomething that alone could make him the strongest in this world, yet it had limitations. One couldn''t fire a sniper ammunition with a pistol, after all.


    For him to use this skill to the best efficiency, he needed a strong body¡ªwhich he certainly didn''t have right now.


    With the body he had, only one thing could be done, and it was gravity multiplier, or maybe he could do more things he just hadn''t discovered them yet.


    "Phew..."


    Right now, however, Alex just breathed a sigh of relief. He never thought that the beast could be able to move at 3X gravity, but it was not something he didn''t take into ount.


    He had his n ready and that was why, the moment he had his finger touch Verathian, he deactivated the gravity maniptor skill, and hurriedly used his one and only sword skill¡ªthe rising star sword art¡ªmentallymanding Verathian to turn into a sword, which it did in an instant.


    After that, it was as smooth as it could be.


    The star path made the easiest and the fastest path to kill the beast and with one strike the beast was dead.


    *Thud*


    Its body, after wobbling aimlessly for a while fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and Alex without even sparing it a nce, stepped toward the cave''s opening.


    "Ghh!"


    The moment he did, he had to cover his eyes with his palms as the surroundings were too bright for him, whose eyes had adapted to the cave''s darkness.


    *Woosh*


    But before he could even have his eyes adjust to the brightness, a sweet scent hit his nose, making a smile automatically appear on his face as he spread his arms, his eyes still closed, only to fall back to the ground with a soft, bubbly, huggable body pressing against him.


    "I wouldn''t have died anyway, you know. I can''t die here. So, don''t get worried about me getting hurt a bit. It will teach me lessons."


    He hugged Sophie back, as shey on top of him with her head pressed against his chest, and patter her head,forting her with gentle words.


    He could hear her heartbeats hammering against her ribcage, he could literally feel its vibration, so he knew that she wasn''t just doing this out of worry, she was scared as well. It was clear from the light tremors on her body.


    "I-It will take me a while to get used to seeing you dealing with danger from this close..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Sophie, in reply, just gripped him tighter, letting out those muffled words, not really saying anything about his fighting style.


    She had always known that he would have to fight a lot of battles, and in this dream world, he might go through the hardest ones, he might even die. So, she was preparing herself for all those 16 years, steeling her nerves, training to control herself when the time came, and when it finally came...


    ''I-I just can''t...''


    She realized that it wasn''t as easy as she thought.


    But she wasn''t going to keep doing this forever, she didn''t want to be seen as fragile anymore, and she didn''t want to just stay as the little princess of Alex who never got to see him fight a real battle until thest moment when she did, only for both of them to die.


    In this life, she wanted to see him shine brighter¡ªso bright that the other beings'' majesty would diminish by just standing beside him. And when he reached that point, she wanted to stand by his side and let the world know that she was his.


    So, after hugging him for a while, she sat up straight on his waist, her eyes shining with determination as she stared down into Alex''s eyes.


    *Chuckle*


    But her expression broke and her cheeks flushed as she saw Alex chuckling at her¡ªit was as if he was making fun of her.


    "W-What are youughing abo¡ª"


    She tried to frown, putting up a question, but before she couldplete her words.


    "¡ªWoah!"


    Alex sat up straight as well, with her sitting on hisp and her legs coiled around his waist, making her exim in surprise as she might''ve fallen back if not for her quick movements.


    "You look so cute when you make that face. Can you do that again?"


    Alex, on the other hand, still kept chuckling as he recalled the way she was looking at him before. It was a look that said: Stay right there, mama will look after you.


    It was as if she were a mana duck and was determined to make her duckling learn how to fly.


    His words, however, made Sophie put, her cheeks puffed as she punched Alex''s chest lightly, "I-I was being serious, you know?!"


    "Yes, yes~," Alex raised his arms in surrender,ughing her little outburst off, but Sophie kept pouting, but just then...


    A message shed, but, unlike the ones until now, this one was not in front of his eyes, it was up in the sky. Bold text with the size of 1 meter, outlined with gold started to form out of thin air.


    [Congrattions onpleting the tutorial dungeon.]


    This is what it said, and the next second...


    *Whoop*


    The wind blew, blowing both Sophie and Alex''s hair before they found themselves sitting in the system space or dream space whatever one wanted to call it. They were teleported back to the room.


    "What just happened?"


    Alex, with his hands instinctively enveloping Sophie''s body in order to shield her from any harm, one of them sinking in her bubbly butts, frowned, inquiring what was going on, and Sophie, who, right after getting hugged tight by Alex, had her annoyance blown off, heard those words, she replied immediately.


    "It''s normal, don''t worry. Once youplete the tutorial, the dream is supposed to start getting built up.


    In around 12 hours, there will be a brand-new world for you to explore, and when I say world, I mean a world and not just a piece ofnd like the one you saw just now."


    She raised her head, looking up into his eyes, making Alex loosen up a bit, rxing as he realized that it was nothing dangerous.


    "I see... So, what now?" With his head thrown back, staring at the ceiling and Sophie still sitting on hisp, he questioned, only to feel Sophie''s finger touch his forehead, making his eyes turn to look at her.


    "What''s with that smile?"


    He frowned as he saw Sophie smiling in the way that she does when she''s nning something or hiding something.


    "Well, you asked what now, so I''m telling you what now."


    She shrugged, still smiling, making Alex frown harder.


    "What do you¡ª"


    He tried to ask what she meant, but his words were cut short as Sophie flicked his forehead, making him a bit surprised, closing his eyes.


    "What was that... for...?


    He growled, trying to hold her hand, only to find himself waving his hand in the air, and a familiar ceiling came into his view, making his words turn into a mutter before he wentpletely silent.


    ''...''


    He couldn''t help but speechlessly stare at his outstretched hand before he retracted it, sighing in defeat.


    ''You could''ve just told me instead of doing th¡ª''


    His thoughts, however, were cut short as he felt something in his pants¡ªwet and slimy, not something he would want to have there.


    ''What the fuck...''


    He hurriedly jumped down the bed and rushed to the washroom, ignoring theugh he could hear in his head. Sophie was finally having her revenge, and he was paying the price forughing at her.

 CHAPTER 28 – Training?

    ''You are so dead tonight.''


    Alex, walking down the hallway warned Sophie about the consequences of the prank she had yed on him.


    [W-What? I-It was entirely your fault... how could I know that your body on the outside was getting horny because of what we did on the inside...?]


    Sophie, without a second''s dy, tried to defend herself even though she knew that it was no use.


    ''Swear to me that you didn''t know this would happen and didn''t know a way to prevent it from happening?''


    Alex, however, paused in his tracks, asking her another question, making Sophie go silent. She couldn''t lie to him. She had never been able to. But well, she really did think of it as a prank, she didn''t think Alex would get this serious.


    But once she thought about how embarrassing it must''ve been to realize that he came in his pants while sleeping without even being sexually involved with someone, she could tell that it was not something he could just look away from.


    All he did was have a wet dream, yet he came from that.


    If she had told him about it before, then this wouldn''t have happened, but it happened because he wasn''t aware that his teenage body on the outside was this weak to pleasure.


    No one could actually me him for that, though; he had yet to turn into an adult on the outside, and other than being verbally stimted, nothing had actually happened with his body.


    [I-I am sorry...]


    In the end, she just sighed, stuffing her head between the pillows on the bed Alex had created in the dream space, really regretting her actions.


    ''You should be.''


    Alex, on the other hand, shook his head, seemingly still dissatisfied, but in reality, he wasn''t. He wasn''t really angry at her for what she did. She wanted to pull a little prank on him and that was fine. He did the same from time to time.


    What bothered him was the fact that there was a chance that someone else had seen him. What if James was there and he saw all that? That would''ve been a big hit to his image, so he wanted to prevent a situation like this from happening again.


    So, as he walked through the hallway, moving toward the training ground of this mansion, he kept track of Sophie''s emotions. He wanted her not to do things like this often. His image was one thing, but he wouldn''t be able to forgive himself if he made her cry just for that.


    [System Point: 39.]


    His eyes then moved to the system points, lingering them for a while before shifting to the empty hallway ahead of him as he reached the stairs for the ground floor.


    These system points were something he received when he killed those monsters in the dungeon. The smaller goblins gave him points ranging from 1 to 6 while the hobgoblin gave him a solid ten.


    Those smaller goblins were around star formation one star low, the weakest one could be with mana awakened in their bodies, that was probably why they gave so few coins, and the hobgoblin was the peak of one star, making its worth increase to 10 points.


    In total, he had 39 coins, something that could give him some food to eat at most. Even some cheap potions cost around 100 in the system shop.


    *Click**Thump*


    His attention, however, was soon pulled to the sound of the wooden doll in the training hall being hit by someone, and from the sound, it wasn''t the sound of a weapon but bare hands, making him raise a brow.


    ''Who could it be?''


    He wondered, increasing his speed, but his steps, which were making taping noise for a while turned silent as he didn''t want to disturb the one who was training.


    He had woken up quite early today, around 3:30 am, and the training of the few knights who stayed in this mansion started around 5:30, so whoever was training out there, probably didn''t want to be seen.


    *Thwak**Click**Hut*


    The sound was now clear to his ear as he stepped closer to the door leading to the training ground, peeking into the ground only to have his expression freeze as he saw who it was.


    The area was a bit foggy since it was still winter, and the weather was freezing, but Alex could clearly see that the one who was training in this chilling temperature was none other than James, his shadow.


    His fists kept hammering the wooden mannequin made for swords to hit, and the guy, clearly in pain kept enduring, his eyes zing with determination as every next hit of his was stronger than the one before.


    James had awakened as well, and he had probably awakened some strong ability because even if he was just a supporting character, James was still one of the characters who helped the main character of this novel once.


    James had the potential to be someone way stronger than any of the knights guarding this mansion, and one must know that the ones who were guarding this castle were the best of the best out there¡ªpeople who had graduated from one of the best knights'' academies out there.


    Why knight, though? Why was Alexparing James with the knights and not the mages?


    The answer was simple: James was striving to be an assassin, who, in a way, followed the path of knights, which strengthens their bodies, they just focus more on their speed and stamina than defenses and attack.


    Alex, however, knew very well why James was pushing his body like that. He was probably trying to ovee his grief with an intense workout, hoping that this rigorous training would at least make him forget the pain in his heart by making him feel the pain in his body.


    But Alex could see James failing¡ªthe guy was failing miserably.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    There were traces of tears in those determined eyes of James, but as Alex was staring at James, his eyes caught sight of the bushes some distance away shaking, making him squint his eyes, and soon, a helpless smile formed on his face.


    Inside a bush was someone who had loved James even after she knew that James''s heart already belonged to someone, and now, when he was broken like this, she was probably suffering equally.


    She was one of the few children left alive due to them being underage. They weren''t included in the list of children going through the awakening.


    "Hah..."


    Alex just sighed audibly,ing out from hiding, moving toward the weapon holder, which had various types of weapons, and Alex, after a bit of contemtion, picked up a wooden sword and a wooden dagger and walked toward James.


    He wasn''t suppressing his footsteps anymore, but James, still engrossed in maintaining the intensity of the punches, didn''t notice him.


    "Hey, James. Be quick."


    It was only when he heard Alex''s voice that his eyes snapped toward him, and his body tensed as he quickly took a fighting stance.


    *Whack*


    Only to be hit by the dagger that Alex had thrown at him, making the guy wince in pain, finally realizing what was happening.


    "Y-Your Highness..."


    His eyes widened in panic as if he was caught doing something he shouldn''t have. His pupils kept going round and round, trying toe up with an excuse, but before he could do that...


    *Woosh*


    *Step**Step*...


    Alex had already rushed at him.


    "You have the weapon, James. If you keep standing like that, you will lose this fight."


    Alex, with his sword raised high, ready to cleave downward, making it clear where he was going to strike, spoke with a grin, not even caring to greet the guy.


    It was the training ground, people greeted each other with their weapons.


    "I-I wasn''t training, your highness¡ª"


    James, on the other hand, tried to wave his hand, showing that he didn''t want to fight, but looking at the sword that was descending on him with no intention of stopping, he could only grit his teeth, hurriedly rolling away from the spot, avoiding the sword by an inch.


    *Baam*


    Sand flew as Alex''s sword crashed on the ground, making Alex''s grinning face turn toward James, who was now standing a bit far away, the wooden dagger already in his hand, held in a defensive position.


    "...are you seriously trying to kill me, your highness?"


    With his gaze trembling in nervousness and his heart pounding against his ribs, James questioned.


    "What does it look like to you?"


    *Woosh*


    Alex, however, just rushed at James with the same grin stered on his face. This time, his sword was held to the side, making it hard for James to predict where it was going tond, but looking at the devilish smile on Alex''s face, James knew one thing...


    ''I''m fucked...''


    What none of them knew was that other than the girl who was staring at all of this with worry in her eyes, there was one more person who was observing all of this.


    Her icy blue eyes stared down from the top of the mansion as she sat over the mansion''s top, not wanting to be perceived by her oh-so-sharp son.

 CHAPTER 29 – The People from the Church 1.

    *Huff**Huff*...


    Inside arge room with nothing but a bed and a drawer, filled with intricate royal patterns, a guy with silver-white hair wild on his head, and electric blue eyes filled with contemtion, was doing push-ups.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ''So, no matter how much I work out in the dream world, no matter how many times I die there, I won''t get affected on the outside? Not even a bit?''


    It was Alex, and right now, he was talking with Sophie about some rather serious topic.


    It was about why he felt no hint of tiredness even after the workout with Sophie and the fight with the monsters in the tutorial dungeon, and Sophie''s reply to that was simple.


    [As I said before, no matter what you do in there, it won''t affect your physical body on the outside. For your physical body, you are simply sleeping; all that''s happening is a dream. But as the system''s name suggests, it helps you use those dreams.


    But still, if you were to die a lot of times continuously, then it might affect your mind, making you feel fatigued all day long because even if you are dreaming, dying is scary. So just like how it happened with, um, well, this night, your body would still feel the mental stimtion.]


    She exined it to him, giving him a short and concise exnation, letting Alex understand what she wanted to say. She did shutter a bit at the end because she was still feeling a bit down about the wet dream incident.


    ''I see, so I just don''t have to die.''


    Alex, on the other hand, just shrugged. If he wasn''t going to face any bacsh for all the time, he could spend honing his skills in the dream world then what else could he want?


    Even if he were to not clear the dungeons and just use the dream world to master his abilities, then it was worth it.


    He could have the knowledge of those skills, and how to make better use of them, so it was all good. But since he had the dungeons, those clearing them could help him power up, making him manage his time better.


    With how it was right now, he could use most of his time the day on things that needed him to be awake, for example, gathering more information about several things rted to the plot, and in his dreams, he could fight monsters, clear dungeons, and get stronger.


    *Knock**Knock*


    But just then, breaking him out of his thoughts, two knocks were heard from the door of the room, making Alex, turn to look at it, his body still moving up and doing, counting the number of push-ups, waiting for the person on the other side of the door to speak, and soon...


    "I''ming in, Alex."


    ''Huh? Mom?''


    The voice belonged to his mother, making him stand up straight with a frown as the door creaked, revealing Vanessa, who directly entered the room with Mira following her from behind, only to freeze for a moment.


    Alex was standing bare-chested, with a white towel already draped over his shoulder, covering his sides, but hispact chest muscles and his defined abbs were clear for one to see, and Mira, with her ever-dead eyes, was doing exactly that¡ªstaring at his muscles.


    "Good morning, Mother."


    Alex, however, soon nodded his head, greeting Vanessa, who just stared at him, sighing in her heart, ''He sure has grown.''


    She really couldn''t get over how fast children grew. But all she could do was mutter things on the inside and not on the outside¡ªshe was just incapable of showing it all on the outside.


    "Good morning, Alex."


    But, as she should, she greeted him back, walking closer to him, followed by Mira, who just couldn''t take her eyes off Alex''s toned abdominal muscles. She wanted to touch them for some reason, but she felt like she shouldn''t.


    Just thinking about doing it was enough to make her feel strange tingles in her body¡ªsomething she had never felt before.


    "What brings you here so early?"


    Alex, on the other hand, decided to directly jump to the main topic. Vanessaing to his room like this when she clearly knew that the first thing Alex does after freshening up ising to her, was a concerning matter.


    She probably had something important to tell him.


    As for Mira, he let her be for now. She wasn''t that important to him right now that he would waste time mingling with her when there could be something really pressing his mother wanted to tell him.


    "A candidate pope from the church of Life ising to see you, bearing their concern for your well-being, apanied by a high-ranking healer to heal the mental stress you are feeling."


    Nodding her head, Vanessa also didn''t y with words and directly told Alex why she came in right now, informing him that the matter was rted to the church of Life.


    Alex, hearing it donned a serious expression, not wasting a minute of their time, spoke, "When are they arriving," he waved his hand, gesturing for Vanessa and Mira to sit on the bed, "and when did you receive this information?"


    This matter was not something he could just wave off. Church of Life was one of the main contributors to the plot of the novel, and it was not without a reason, they had that much influence and power, so their making a move was a matter to think about.


    Especially when they were sending a candidate pope was the one who was being moved.


    The candidate pope is the being who is like the crown prince of the empire. The only difference was that there was just one crown prince in an empire, unlike the candidate pope¡ªthere were 5 of them, and if one of them were to die, they could be reced.


    "They will be here in an hour at most, and the message was delivered just now," Venessa, taking a seat on the bed, nodded her head, answering Alex''s question, staring at his back as he walked into the bathroom, nearing the sink to wash his face, only to pause when he heard her words, turning to look at her with a frown.


    "I wished to refuse, but just now, I received a call from Brother, requesting me to wee them into the mansion."


    As if she knew exactly why Alex was frowning, she continued, making Alex''s frown deepen before he turned toward the bathroom again, going ahead and washing his face, his mind reeling with many scenarios of why the emperor would want the candidate pope to be weed.


    *Ssh*


    He, still wearing a frown, sshed some water on his face, thinking of ways in which he could exploit this situation, making the best use of it.


    Vanessa and Mira, on the other hand, sat on the bed, their gaze fixed on Alex, who took the towel off of his shoulder, wiping his face with it, letting them have a look at his ripped back.


    "Which one of them is it?" Still whipping his face, Alex questioned, looking at Vanessa''s reflection in the mirror ahead of him.


    "Vestian Holdstaffen," Vanessa replied, looking into his eyes in the reflection, her expression as cold as ever, not fluctuating during the entire conversation.


    Her words, however, made Alex raise a brow in surprise before a look of realization came over his face.


    Everything suddenly became clear to him, making him turn toward Vanessa with a smile, already having a n prepared in his mind.

 CHAPTER 30 – The People from the Church 2.

    In Vanessa''s room sat Alex, Vanessa, and Mira, patiently waiting for something, with both Vanessa and Alex looking through some documents¡ªit was Vanessa''s work, but Alex was helping with it.


    "Mother, I believe we should cease our trade with the Vermilion Traders."


    As Alex was going through a document that needed to be verified by Vanessa, he found a name that made him frown.


    "..." Vanessa, in reply just stared deep into Alex''s reply, her gaze locked with his for a while, not speaking a word, and finally, when she saw no hint of fluctuation in Alex''s expression, she nodded her head, agreeing to his words.


    No other words were spoken, nor were they needed to be spoken.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Vanessa wasn''t looking at Alex to see if he was sure about his decision or not; what she wanted to know was whether he was going to justify why he wanted that, but his not giving a reason didn''t really make her dissatisfied.


    She knew her son better than anyone else in this world.


    The only reason Vanessa talked with Alex about any big decision or event was because she knew how capable he was. No one had ever spoken of it, but they knew each other''s secrets very well¡ªit was something both Vanessa and Alex were aware of.


    So, she just epted his request, knowing full well that he would, in time, reveal whatever reason he had for his sudden request¡ªshe believed that he would. Not like she really cared about it. Even if it was just a whimsical wish of Alex, could she, as his mother, not grant it to him?


    For Vanessa, even the empire came after her son, much less a tradingpany.


    This, however, wasn''t a simple whimsical wish made by Alex; there was a solid reason why Alex wanted to cut off their link with this organization.


    This tradingpany was one of the contributors to the doom of the Drakathor empire in the future and also the domain of one of the viinesses of the novel.


    Mira, on the other hand, just kept ncing at Alex from time to time, imagining his bare body, his ripped muscles¡ªwondering how they felt. Were they hard? Or were they soft but looked solid?


    She didn''t really understand why this was happening¡ªwhy she was suddenly feeling curious about everything rted to Alex¡ªbut for some reason, she didn''t want to let go of this new feeling. For the first time in her life, she was feeling something.


    ''My heart...''


    Her palm automatically moved to her heart, hearing them beat in a strange pattern, making her wonder if this is what people called living, but just then...


    *Knock**Knock*


    Breaking all three of them out of their thoughts, the door of the room was knocked, followed by a gentle yet subservient voice.


    "Mydy, it is me."


    It was a voice both Vanessa and Alex were pretty familiar with.


    "Come in, Alenia."


    Vanessa nced at Alex, who nodded with a serious glint in his eyes before she called Alenia, her shadow, inside.


    "Excuse me."


    The next second, the door of the room was pushed open, revealing a woman who looked no older than her mid-20s with back-length silver hair that featured a long braid on each side with small blue bows at the ends, while rest was let down, which ends in twin braids and silver eyes.


    She was Alenia Lucifuge, Vanessa''s shadow, and a shadow demon from the demon realm, and right now, as soon as she entered the room, she knelt on the floor, voicing out the reason why she came here.


    "They have arrived, mydy," reverence cleared Alenia''s voice as she said those words with her head bowed, not looking up until asked to.


    Her words, however, made both Alex and Vanessa squint their eyes.


    "Rise," Vanessa, still in her seat, nodded her head, permitting Alenia to get up, and the shadow demon did as she was asked to, her arms folded in front of her, reaching the frills of her maid dress.


    "You know what you have to do now," Vanessa then added, making Alenia nod her head in acknowledgment, turning toward Alex, only to find him smiling at her, almost making her break into a smile, but feeling the gaze of Vanessa on her, she controlled her expression and gave a light bow to Alex.


    "You don''t have to do this every time we meet, Aunt Alenia..."


    Those actions, however, made Alex sigh, helplessness shing past his eyes as he turned to look at Vanessa, hoping that she would stop this, only to see her staring at him with an expressionless look, making him sigh again.


    "Well, Mother, I shall take my leave and go ''meet'' this guest of ours."


    Knowing that staying here any longer wasn''t going to be any good since the people from Church were already here, and the longer those people¡ªwho certainly didn''te here with good intentions¡ªstayed without supervision, the higher the chances of things stray from what Alex had nned, Alex decided to take his leave.


    "Hm," Vanessa, fully aware of the same, just nodded her head, staring at Alenia and Alex leaving the room, mainly focusing on Alenia''s back, her fist clenched as some old memories of the samedy, just a bit younger version of her hoping around shed in front of her eyes before she closed her eyes.


    ''...''


    She just closed her eyes since she didn''t even have anything to say to herself, knowing full well that Alenia was never wrong. But what was done was done, and she couldn''t mend it anymore, making her feel helpless.


    Again, there was nothing she could do...


    Alex and Alenia, on the other hand, walked with an awkward silence between them. Alex had been staring at Alenia, but thedy just kept her head down and walked forward.


    Alex didn''t know what was going on; in the novel, there was never a thing like this. Alenia was the best friend-cum-bodyguard of Vanessa¡ªa person who, in Vanessa''s stead, came to help Mira on many asions.


    So, he knew, at least this much, that he, who was an anomaly in the plot, a person who wasn''t even supposed to be here, was most probably the reason for what was happening, so he had to make it right.


    Especially when the parties involved were the two people he cared about more than anything in this world, his mother and his second mother¡ªthe one who looked after him all the time because Vanessa only scared him.


    Alenia, however, was trying not to look at Alex, as that would make her say something, breaking her promise to her master. It wasn''t that she didn''t want to¡ªshe wanted to talk to Alex, smile at him, show him how much she cared about him, and do many other things to him¡ªshe wanted it more than Alex could know, but well...


    She had done something that had hurt her master in the past, and although she didn''t know to this date how that was her fault, she just kept her head down and epted it. There was a reason why Alex had never seen her around for a while.


    "You know, Aunt Alenia, things between you and Mom would never get better if none of you ever talk about it."


    It was then that Alex spoke, his words making Alenia''s body jerk, her steps pausing mid-step, her expression conflicted as she knew that what he said was true, but she was just a shadow of Vanessa, a ve who had to listen to every word from her master, so how could she voice out her thoughts in front of the same master?


    She just forced a smile, turning her head toward Alex, her conflict clear in her eyes, but she tried her best to keep up the subservient smile that a ve should toward her master''s child.


    "Your Highness, I sense the presence of two individuals¡ªthe ones you wished to monitor¡ªmaking their way toward the medical ward."


    Her words made Alex''s expression contort, but he just sighed, knowing full well that this matter was probably not something he could solve by forcing both of them at each other. He needed to think of something else.


    For now, gritting his teeth, he nodded his head and spoke.


    "We must reach the medical ward before they arrive, so I shall rely on your assistance, Aunt Alenia."


    His words made it clear that even if she was going to treat him distantly, he would still call her like he used to, making Alenia clench the corner of her maid uniform, her smile almost breaking, but before that could happen, she nodded her head, "Excuse me, your highness," and with those words, she ced her hand on Alex''s shoulder.


    *Woosh*


    And with a woosh, they were covered in a nket of shadow, being submerged in the floor as if it were water, vanishing from there.

 CHAPTER 31 – Vestian Holdstaffen.

    "My lord, should we not await Alex Drakathor''s arrival to greet you?"


    A guy with cantaloupe-colored hair and tangerine eyes uttered those words with a confused look in his eyes.


    He seemed to be around the age of 30 or something like that, but his facial features were still sharp and there was an air of freshness around him; it was as if the air around him was getting purified every second.


    He was Thomas Edward, a cardinal of the Holy Church¡ªa person who was just two seats below the pope. He was stationed in the main church of the Drakathor Empire, under the pope in training, or candidate pope, Vestian Holdstaffen.


    He was a cardinal, a person with certain authority and power in the church. Initially, he was supposed to keep an eye on Vestian, one of the candidate popes, but just like every other cardinal, he decided to work under a candidate pope that he thought would win the pope position.


    Fortunately for him, the only one he thought worthy of that position was Vestian.


    "They would not being to meet us so soon."


    Not even a secondter, he received a reply from the boy walking in front of him, looking no older than 17 or 18 years old. The boy tilted his head gracefully, shaking his head with a light smile.


    His emerald eyes filled with a gentle light, and his flowing golden hair just added to his charm, making him look graceful and pure at the same time. His body was thin, with a height of around 179 centimeters¡ªwhich was not exactly a praiseworthy quality, but it suited well with his lithe looks.


    "Huh? Why do you say so, my lord?"


    Thomas, however, didn''t understand why Vestian said that. Thomas was not much of a schemer-type guy. He was the type of guy who would try his best to help anyone in need. And that is precisely why he wanted to stay under Vestianmand.


    Vestian was just like that, after all. Vestian had never let anyone in need pass by him without helping them in the past year that Thomas had been observing him.


    Vestian was so devoted to his work that he dropped out of the university, staying at the church day and night, praying to their goddess, asking for her to give him enough power to help more people.


    "You know that we came here uninvited, right? Not everyone likes that..."


    Vestian, on the other hand, just sighed, his smile turning sad, as he was really not happy with how people would want to ignore him when he came bearing goodwill, but it wasn''t just him who felt bad about it¡ªThomas was displeased more than him. But before Thomas could say something...


    "... and I can understand where theye from. So, all I want to do now is meet the survivor of that tragic incident, which is in a way the fault of our negligence, and give them the best treatment I can."


    Vestian added, his expression turning downcast as Thomas could already see tears forming in his eyes as his hands moved together, clenching hard.


    "My lord..."


    Thomas, looking at this, could only grit his teeth at how hopeless their situation was. He wished he had done a more thorough check on the high-ranked members, starting from priests, to ensure that there were no wizards or witches among them.


    But it was no use thinking about it now.


    He just pumped his fist, his eyes bright with determination and resolution as he eximed, "I-I shall do my utmost to heal the survivor, my lord!"


    Vestain, listening to his words, just smiled, nodding his head in relief, "I know you will. You''re the only one who will, and that''s why I trust you above all others."


    His words changed Thomas''s mood; the guy just smiled like a child beingplemented by his father, but then his face turned serious as he dered, "I will not let you down, my lord."


    "Hm," listening to his words, Vestian just nodded, staring straight ahead as they neared the medical ward, the part of the mansion they were looking for.


    Vestian had already talked with one of the maids passing by, who initially seemed depressed, but after talking to Vestian, was left abashed. She was the one who gave him the location of the medical ward.


    [Medical Ward]


    Looking at the name of the room, or more like a hall written above the room, Vestian and Thomas stepped into the room, unaware of the two pairs of eyes staring at them, observing every move made by them from the moment they stepped into the room.


    It was, of course, Alex and Alenia.


    "Did you meet him like I asked you to?"


    Alex, standing right next to Alenia as she rested her hand on his shoulder, keeping him covered in the shadowy veil, questioned her without taking his eyes off Vestian, who looked exactly like the novel had mentioned.


    "Yes, Your Highness. I ensured no other maid approached them and met with them personally, without revealing my identity."


    Alenia, still as subservient as ever, replied, her eyes, just like Alex fixed on the new entrants of the room, more focused on Thomas since she knew who he was and how strong he was.


    "And?"


    Alex, however, turned toward Alenia as he raised his brow, wanting for her to continue her report, which she did, nodding her head.


    "He did exactly what you said he would, Your Highness."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Her words were the only confirmation Alex needed to know that the n he had made wouldn''t fail, and even if it did fail, he wouldn''t be the one losing in the long run.


    [I told you that he wouldn''t be much different from the novel...]


    In Alex''s head, Sophie''s voice echoed, sounding a bit down as she had yet to recover from the thing that had happened this morning. And if Alex had to guess, only a good cuddle would treat her problem and make her realize what she must be doing instead of sulking like this.


    ''Yes, yes; I know. But it doesn''t hurt to check once, does it?''


    He mentally raised his hands, not wanting to argue, but he still kept his point, making Sophie, inside the system space, let out a ''hm'' after a while, making Alex shake his head in defeat.


    Now he was regretting the fact that he used the forceful approach to make her learn something. Maybe he should''ve just exined it to her.


    But oh well, there was no going back now, so all he could do was not repeat the same thing again.


    They were not in the old world, and Sophie had just been able to talk to him again after 16 years of staying silent. She, at least, deserved some more love than this, and he was going to give her as much as she wanted from now on, but for now, he had to deal with the problem in front of him.

 CHAPTER 32 – Interrogation?

    "You can share anything you want with me."


    Vestian spoke to a girl with ck hair and ck eyes, resting on a bed with her body covered with a nket, her expression pale, and her eyes filled with nothing but tiredness, his emerald eyes shing with a red glint.


    "I am here for you."


    His hands, thin and soft, gently held hers, which were lying atop her chest, sending a jerk through her body as her eyes snapped toward him, a lively light shining within me.


    Thomas standing at the back just smiled as he stared at the things happening.


    ''Divine touch...''


    He muttered inwardly as he saw what Vestian was doing. It was an ability that heals one mentally almost in an instant with a touch of Vestian.


    It was a pretty broken ability if one looked at it from a healer''s perspective because the mental trauma one suffers is the hardest to heal. People never recover from a severe mental injury, but for Vestian, it was an easy feat.


    Right now, they were both in the medical ward, talking to the only girl who survived the attack from Lucious, only surviving due to Vanessa''s help, but recalled nothing of it.


    All she remembered was being attacked by Lucious before everything went ck and cold. In thosest moments, she¡ªa child who had never left her house before¡ªsaw her friends melting and shrinking under the attack of the archbishop, leaving her terrified. Even the mention of that incident made her break down, but Vestian, who could heal almost any mental trauma, knew how to deal with it.


    That is why, instead of Thomas, Vestian was the one healing. Thomas, in the first ce, just came along as a show of power and to protect in case something unforeseen happened.


    "Did you start recording it, Aunt Alenia?"


    Alex, on the other hand, holding a colorless orb that was shining with blue color, standing on the other side of the bed, face-to-face with both Vestian and Thomas, spoke, his gaze fixed on Vestian and the girl, who, with a dazed expression, started speaking.


    "W-What do you want to know...?"


    The girl''s voice broke a bit as she seemed to be struggling to speak for some reason.


    "Yes, Your Highness, I am."


    Alenia, with her eyes squinted, staring at Vestian with a cold glint in her eyes, answered Alex''s question, pointing at another colorless orb, just much smaller than the one Alex had, shing continuously.


    It was a recording device, a costly one at that, which is said to be impossible to be tempered with, taking everything in from the moment Vestian approached the girl.


    "What do you see?"


    Alex, however, noticing the strangeness in her behavior, turned to look at her, his expression serious as he knew that if she had that kind of reaction, she had probably seen something.


    "Your Highness, he''s using the same thing he used on me. The girl, however, is unable to resist it." Alenia replied, gritting her teeth.


    To her, that girl was the only person left alive during the massacre, and although she knew about Vanessa''s personality and knew that Vanessa didn''t care much about this girl, she, as a person with a kind heart, couldn''t see the girl going through something like that.


    She, due to some tension between her and Vanessa, was yet to be made aware of Alex''s n, because if she knew, she wouldn''t be feeling bad for the girl as she was going to die anyway.


    "I see..."


    But Alex, who could pretty much guess that Vanessa had yet to tell Alenia about the girl''s fate, didn''t break the news to her and just nodded his head, his eyes squinting as he saw Vestian frown as he heard the girl''s answer to his question.


    "All I saw was my friends having their bodies sucked dry or cut in pieces before my vision darkened."


    The girl spoke with a smile, but her body for some reason kept trembling.


    If one were to hear her words, one would wonder if she was the same girl who was having strokes just by the mention of that incident. Now she was talking about it with a smile, but Vestian wasn''t satisfied. With a deep red light shining in his eyes, he spoke again.


    "There was nothing strange you saw at that moment? Did Lucious not seem to be forced or something?"


    Vestian''s tone grew forceful, his hold on her hand tightening. He needed something out of this. He came here by calling in one of his favors, as this incident was going to have a grave consequence for him during the election of the next pope.


    "I-I think the archbishop did it willingly. He was showing devilish symptoms from the instant young master Alex''s status was revealed."


    The girl, smiling as she had been for a while, staring at Vestian without blinking, replied to his question without hiding anything. She didn''t seem to care about the pain¡ªsomething that had her body wincing. It was as if she didn''t care about it at all.


    Her words, however, made Vestian shoot up from his seat. With his eyes wide, he gripped her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes, an expression of disbelief painting his face.


    "What did you say?" He questioned hurriedly.


    Vestian couldn''t believe that he would find gold while searching for metal scraps.


    Thomas was the same. He was shocked, as they might really be able to get their hands on something that could help them contribute more than they had lost due to the Lucious incident.


    This girl knew Alex''s stats!! People were willing to pay a hefty price just to know this thing. It didn''t matter whether Alex awakened shit abilities, talent, and other things; just being aware of it was all people wanted.


    The emperor himself was not out of this list because Alex''s name alone carried enough value, or more like his mother''s name.


    *Crack*


    "I-I think the archbishop did it willingly¡ª" the girl replied, her smile faltering a bit as she could feel her shoulder bones cracking; her body was not strong enough to sustain the full strength of a two-star knight.


    Yes, Vestian was a knight, or better said, he wanted to be a pdin, who followed the knight path. He was still looking for a skill that could contribute to pushing him closer to bing a Pdin, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t start his body strengthening.


    The only thing that differentiated the knights and the Pdins was the set of skills; without it, they were both the same, so Vestian was progressing in knight cultivation.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "No, no. I want to know more about thest part¡ª" Vestian, however, shook the girl''s body a bit, his eyes shining with ominous fiery glint, trying to make her understand his point forcefully, ignoring the fact that he was breaking the girl''s body.


    But fortunately for the girl, Vestian wasn''t alone in the room.


    Thomas was there, and although he was a bit confused by the sudden outburst from the same gentle Lord he followed, he soon broke out of it and rushed forward.


    "My lord! Snap out of it. You will kill the girl¡ª" Thomas eximed next to Vestian''s ear, pulling the guy back, breaking him out of his reverie, and making him realize what he had done.


    But suddenly, a strange sense of crisis gripped both of their hearts as the next instant...


    *Step**Step*...


    The sound of steps echoed through the room as Alex walked toward them, making both of their senses re in rm.


    ''When did he arrive?!''


    Neither Thomas nor Vestian could sense Alex''s presence; it was as if he popped out of the air, but it was his next words that made them realize that things were about to get really serious.


    "What is this? I was looking for an individual concerned about my well-being¡ªso much so that they rushed here without dy¡ªyet all I see is someone skulking about another''s home, imposing upon a defenseless girl who has yet to recover from her trauma."

 CHAPTER 33 – Moles.

    The news about there being a survivor among the dead bodies of the children in the Lucious massacre was something that was spread when a girl, Riya Kritya¡ªthe girl that Vanessa had saved¡ªsuddenly woke up with a scream, making the people mourning their dead children shocked.


    They were in disbelief at first, unable to believe that Riya was really alive; they thought that she had turned into an undead, which, although rare, does happen when people die from death energy.


    But as they heard her mumbles and terrified screams, they realized that she was really alive.


    That news, however, wasn''t supposed to be spread out as the girl, who somehow survived, was probably a physique or bloodline holder¡ªsomeone pretty rare to find¡ªbecause they couldn''t think of any other reason for her surviving it otherwise.


    Vanessa showed her desire to keep the girl and maintain confidentiality about any information rted to her.


    Having a physique or a bloodline was a good thing, but the problem here was that this girl probably had a death-rted physique, which the church abhorred, and so did many people who followed the church''s teaching.


    So, until this girl was strong enough to defend herself, Vanessa wanted her to stay hidden.


    But it was then that everyone noticed another problem¡ªthe girl was traumatized by thest incident. By the mention of anything rted to that, she would have strokes, choking on her breaths.


    This news, however, was supposed to stay hidden, yet Vestian, who lived in the imperial capital of the Drakathor Empire, got the news, and he even arrived the next day.


    This had clearly proved one of Alex''s doubts: even among the people handpicked by his mother, there were moles.


    Maybe they were being ckmailed, forced, or controlled, but they were still doing something they weren''t supposed to.


    Alex, however, let those people be for now, as they would bring more people like Vestian¡ªthe ones controlling them¡ªbut the guy Vestian wasn''t going to be let off the hook so easily. He was going to face punishment for sticking his nose where he wasn''t supposed to be.


    ''How dare he make things go a bit awry from what I had thought?!''


    This was the only thing in Alex''s mind as he saw Riya spilling things she wasn''t supposed to. The problem was that this was now within the recording, but Alex didn''t think about it for too long and spoke.


    "Aunt Alenia, move me behind them."


    He spoke hurriedly, and Alenia, who was gritting her teeth as she looked at what was going on, and how Vestian had jumped on the girl, nodded her head and snapped her finger, making Alex jump out of the shadow behind Vestian and Thomas, who couldn''t even sense his presence before that exact moment.


    "My lord! Snap out of it. You will kill the girl¡ª"


    It was the moment when Thomas had tried to snap Vestian away from Riya, not because he was worried about her but because he didn''t want Vestian to get his hand spoiled by the blood of a heretic.


    No matter how kind-hearted Thomas was, he abhorred devils, and Riya, who had awakened a death-rted physique or bloodline, was rted to devils, hence a heretic for him.


    But before both Vestian and Thomas could even stabilize themselves...


    "What is this? I was looking for an individual concerned about my well-being¡ªso much so that they rushed here without dy¡ªyet all I see is someone skulking about another''s home, imposing upon a defenseless girl who has yet to recover from her trauma."


    The moment those words were heard, both Thomas and Vestian froze, their eyes snapping toward the source of the voice, only to find Alex standing right behind them, scrutinizing them, his eyes shing with a cold light.


    "Oh, is this not Alex Drakathor, the child said to be incapable of recovering from mental trauma like others his age? Yet, why does he appear perfectly fine to me?" Vestina soon spoke, straightening his back and dusting his clothes, pretending as if he wasn''t just about to kill a girl, using Alex''s words against him, making Alex squint his eyes.


    He knew that Vestian wasn''t a simple guy; no way a simple guy would be the viin of the novel in the first part of the story, but that didn''t mean Alex didn''t have a way to deal with this guy.


    All Vestian had was a sharp tongue that struck people in a way that would hurt the most, but Alex was not just a normal person.


    So, Alex shot back, "Even someone burdened by trauma like myself couldn''t remain still when I saw what you were doing to that poor girl."


    His words did make Vestian frown, but he soon shrugged it off.


    "I was merely investigating a heretic. Using force against those connected to death magic is necessary, as they are skilled deceivers who know how to manipte others into believing that¡ª" Vestina, unbothered by anything, justified his actions, but his words were cut off by Alex.


    "Are you attempting tobel her as evil when you, unlike the girl who has done nothing wrong, are employing an art as dark as mind control?"


    The moment those words were heard, the expression on the faces of Thomas and Vestian froze, and so did the atmosphere.


    ''W-What the hell is this guy bbering about¡ª?!''


    Thomas, who, after seeing the calm attitude and masterful control of the situation by Vestian, had calmed down, couldn''t believe his ears. His eyes moved toward Vestian, hoping to see his lord frowning or getting ready to retort, only to have his thoughts and his world pause.


    ''W-What...?''


    He wasn''t sure what was happening, but for the first time, he saw killing intent shing in his lord''s eyes, making him fear the worst.


    ''I-Is that guy speaking the tru¡ª''


    But again, before he couldplete his thoughts, Vestian yelled in anger.


    "What sphemy is this?! Why would I, a candidate for the papacy, ever involve myself with such a dark art?! I came here solely out of duty, to make amends for those who suffered due to my negligence. Yet, all I see is the son of a great figure attempting to frame me¡ª"


    Vestian, unable to take the me that Alex was pushing at him, tried to walk out of the room, stomping his feet in anger, only to be cut off by Alex again.


    "You know, Vestian, people tend to raise their voices when they are cornered or when they know they are in the wrong. And they often try to flee, just as you are doing now," Alex began as he moved toward Vestian, closing their distance, leaving Thomas frozen in his spot, unable to absorb what was happening.


    "Should I take your actions as an admission that you, a candidate pope, were indeed using mind control?" Added Alex as he saw Vestian pausing mid-step, and a devilish smile formed on his lips.


    "No, I would never use mind control on anyone. I despise those who practice such dark arts." Vestian spoke without turning back, and having answered Alex''s question, he was about to move forward, calling Thomas with a cold light shing past his eyes.


    ''Alex Drakathor...'' he muttered inwardly, but before he could do any of what he wanted to...


    *Beep**Beep**Beep*...


    A sharp, continuous beeping sound echoed through the room, making his expression freeze in shock. He knew perfectly well what device made that sound. They were used by churches the most after all...


    "My lord..."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Thomas''s voice, filled with horror, shock, and betrayal, only made his doubt certain, making him close his eyes.

 CHAPTER 34 – Unexpected.

    *Beep**Beep**Beep*...


    The moment Vestian''s words were spoken, a beeping sound red, rming both Tomas and Vestian for a while as they knew exactly what made that sound¡ªthey better than anyone else knew it.


    It was the sound of a lie detector, a device that could tell the truth and lie apart just by making a very annoying sound if it heard a lie. It was the very device produced by the church in order to find devil worshipers among themon popce and many other uses.


    But soon, the implication of that beeping sound settled in their minds, making them realize what had just gone down...


    "My lord..." Thomas, in disbelief and shock, let out those words, his gaze shifting between the device held in Alex''s hand and Vestian, unable to believe what was going on.


    The device beeped right after Vestian had spoken those words; Thomas had seen it clearly. He saw Alex take out that device the moment he asked his final question, and at that time, the device was making no noise.


    It made things y in Thomas''s mind¡ªthe events of the past, including the incident with Riya that had just gone down¡ªshing one after another, and slowly, his view on everything started to change.


    He could now understand why everyone would just smile at Vestian no matter what kind of pain they were in.


    "I-I can''t heal people stronger than me for now. I need to practice more to be able to do it..." Vestian''s words, which he had said once, echoed in his head.


    ''Was it because you couldn''t heal them or because you didn''t want to be found out...?'' Sighed Thomas inwardly, his beliefs crashing down slowly, but it was then that another thought shed through his head.


    ''Was I being manipted for a long time as well¡ª''


    But before he could think more about it, as ifing to his rescue, wanting to save him from the mental torture, Vestian''s voice was heard.


    "What are you trying to prove with a defective piece, Alex Drakathor?" Questioned Vestian as he turned around, his expression eerily calm as if he wasn''t concerned about anything.


    "You have been pushing a very serious me on me, a candidate pope, for a while. I can assure you that the church won''t take this lightly." Vestina added, frowning in displeasure, not trying to run away anymore since he knew that it would just backfire.


    ''He''s bluffing.''


    Those serious looks and words, however, weren''t enough to fool Alex, who knew perfectly well about Vestina from the novel''s plot.


    There was one line about Vestian''s behavior in that book: This guy always smiled, even in the most serious situation, but if he is, for some reason, calm, then that means that he knows that he''s fucked.


    "My lord..." Thomas, listening to Vestian''s words, uttered again, but this time there was some relief in his voice. He was utterly purely andpletely relieved, making Alex squint his eyes.


    Alex could tell that the situation wouldn''t go as nned if he didn''t do something so with a serious look on his face, he called out to Sophie, ''Sophie, do it.''


    [...as you wish.]


    Sophie, although not liking the decision Alex had made, stillplied with hismand, giving Alex what he wanted.


    ''I-I knew that he wouldn''t do it¡ª'' Thomas, moving closer to Vestian, thought to himself, heaving a sigh of relief, but as if his emotional struggle¡ªall the tension, confusion, disbelief, and relief¡ªwasn''t something gods wanted to ept...


    *Ting**Ting*Ting*...


    One after another, more lie-detection orbs fell out of Alex''s hand, making tinging sounds as they hit the ground, and the expression on Vestian''s face finally turned grim.


    "I have more of these artifacts with me, so why don''t you repeat what you said earlier? Surely the church isn''t selling entirely defective products... correct?"


    As soon as those words fell, a stiffening silence enveloped the surroundings, and Vestian, who had never been outsmarted, taken by surprise, couldn''t help but clench his fists.


    ''Who is this guy? How does he know what my ability is? What else does he know about me?''


    Such questions ran through his head as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. He couldn''t just walk away from here, as he would be ying right into Alex''s hands if he did that, giving him a chance to pull him deeper into this matter.


    Saying that all of those artifacts were defective also wasn''t possible, as that would imply that the church was selling defective items, making the image of the church go down the drain, and Vestian, who had been losing a lot already, would lose more. He might even lose his candidature.


    He red at Alex, realizing that even if Alex had not awakened a talentparable to his mother''s, which he doubted highly, he was still a factor that needed elimination.


    Thomas, on the other hand, looking at the ongoing scenario and feeling the tension in the air, was left confused. What should he do now?


    ''Should I request my own lord to repeat those words? What if he were proven to be pure? Would that not mean I am betraying my very own beliefs and values?'' He gritted his teeth, almost pulling his hair out in a frenzy.


    This was too much for him.


    Were he to trust a stranger and doubt his lord, he would be wrong, and if he were to trust his lord and he turned out to be wrong then his beliefs and values would be wronged. He didn''t know just what he should do!


    "Why do you remain silent, Vestian Holdstaffen? Could it be that you fear your truth being uncovered?" Alex, at that moment, spoke, his gaze focused on Vestian, who had a vein bulge on his head the moment he heard his question.


    ''This bastard...'' Vestian, however, just clenched his fists harder, turning his knuckles white. The devilish grin on Alex''s face told him that the game still wasn''t over. It was as if he wanted to make another move. It was as if he knew what he was going to do!


    ''You think you know me, huh?'' But as if something inside his head had been flipped, Vestian started grinning as well, making Alex''s expression freeze, a frown making way to his head, and Alenia, who was standing in the shadows, had her body tense.


    She was close, but her worry was not something that could be alleviated until she was right next to Alex, which she couldn''t do as Alex had told her to not move no matter what. She had to keep recording.


    "You believe you can anticipate my moves, don''t you?" Vestina questioned, stepping closer to Alex, chuckling between his words, not ying the good guy role anymore.


    "But you know," when he was just a meter away from Alex, he paused, still grinning, his head titled, and the next second...


    *Woosh*


    A silver sword appeared in his hand, which, without a second dy, was shed at Alex as he continued, "You can never beat power with trickery!"


    His exmation sounded excited and crazed as if the only thing he wanted right now was to kill Alex.


    If he could kill Alex, the only guy who knew about his secret, and escape from here before Vanessa could sense something amiss, he was sure that he would be fine, especially if he told the pope about him sessfully killing Alex, something many expert assassins were scared to even try.


    ''You were a fool toe here alone¡ª'' Vestian sneered inwardly, pushing the sword down as Alex with all of his force, but...


    *ng*


    The sound of his sword hitting another was heard, and before he could even tell what had happened, he found his body moving back with the same speed it was pushed toward Alex. His seven-star, star formation-level sword was pushed away.


    But things didn''t end there as the next instant, Alex, with a cracked ck sword, as if it were about to break at any moment, rushed toward him, and before he could even say anything...


    *Woosh*


    *tter*


    Alex''s sword, which seemed to be breaking any moment, suddenly turned back to how it should look at its prime and shed Vestian''s fingers, making his sword fall to the ground, and so did the guy.


    "GAAAHHHHHHHHH¡ª"


    He yelled in pain, his eyes wide as he went to his knees, gripping his fingers with his other palm, but soon, his agonized scream turned into a burst of madughter.


    "¡ªHAHAHAHAHA! You fool, you fell for it!"


    With his eyes bloodshot, he roared, ring at Alex, who was standing right in front of him, and from the corner of his eyes, Alex saw Thomas, who had been standing still for a while, moving toward him with a dead look in his eyes, as if he were being controlled, but that was not all...N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "ALEX!!!!"


    Even his aunt, whom he had told not to move from her spot, had rushed out of her spot, dashing toward him, trying to save him with a look of panic marring her face, but Alex, even in this situation, just smiled.


    ''Well, at least you called me by my name again...''


    He chuckled a bit, but knowing full well that he didn''t have time and that he was just some inches away from death, he closed his eyes, and then...


    ''Mom.''


    That was all he muttered before everything froze...

 CHAPTER 35 - Alenias Thoughts.

    "Hah... he''s alive..."


    Alex, staring at Thomas, who was frozen into an ice statue a while ago, sighed in relief as he saw the guy''s face aftering out of the ice, gaining a bit more color.


    "You could''ve subdued him without being this serious. You didn''t really need to almost freeze him to death."


    Alex then turned to look at Vanessa, who was walking into the room with a chilly expression marring her face, her eyes fixed on Thomas, who was lying on the ground; the ice on his face had melted off, letting him have some air to breathe, but his teeth kept ttering, with an ufortable look on his face.


    Vanessa, however, walked toward Thomas, lying on the ground half dead, with an attack she did from her room.


    The moment Alex had called out to her using his locket was the moment she had frozen the whole room, including Riya and Vestian.


    It was upon Alex''s request that she unfroze Vestian, as she knew that he shouldn''t be killed; he had a role to y, and she didn''t really have a problem with him because all that guy did was let her see her son''s fantastic performance.


    She was angry at Thomas, who, fully aware of his powers, tried to sneak attack on Alex. That attack could''ve killed Alex. She could ept it if Alex was losing to a guy like Vestian; they were almost the same level, but Thomas? This guy needed to die for what he was trying to do.


    What she didn''t know, or maybe she knew but preferred to ignore, was that Thomas was being controlled by Vestian when he had made that move.


    Yes, Thomas was being controlled by Vestian. It was the final card in Vestian''s hand. He had an option in his ability, and that was to sacrifice his chance at ever influencing anyone with mana higher than his in exchange for getting a chance to have any one person under his control.


    At that time, the person Vestian thought that Thomas was the best option, only to regret itter as he could''ve used it on the pope.


    Now, all he could do was lie on the ground, trembling in fear and defeat as he knew that he had lost.


    ''Father...'' he muttered inwardly as the image of a man with golden hair and green eyes just like him shed past his eyes and a light of hope, which he didn''t even know he had flickered within his eyes.


    There was still a chance that his father could save him. He wouldn''t want to abandon his son, no matter how much he disliked him.


    ''H-He''s the pope after all...'' Vestian added, and by now the me of hope had started brightening.


    Yes, he was the child of the pope, and that was why he was the main viin of the first volume of the novel. In the novel, which started a bitte from this time, Vestian had already be a Pdin and one of the pope''s closest, having a lot of influence in the church, but Alex didn''t want to see that happening.


    He was deviating from the plot, sure, but he wasn''t changing the plot to the point that the main characters would experience changes because of it.


    The main characters wouldn''t even meet this guy until the start of the academy arc, and that was all Alex needed because once they arrive in the academy, they would be in his perceptions, making it quite easy for him to keep an eye on them even if the plot had changedpletely.


    For now, however, Alex moved toward Vanessa, who was ready to kill the unconscious Thomas.


    "Mother, stop. You can''t kill him¡ª" He stood in front of her, stopping her from moving forward, but as he saw the look in her eyes, he hurriedly added, "¡ªyet."


    She had that serious cold look, one that she rarely has when she''s angry, and Alex, who had only seen that look a few times, knew very well that she was brooding right now, so Alex knew better than to just straight out deny her.


    Vanessa looked deep into Alex''s eyes, as if waiting for him to continue, and Alex, understanding what she wanted, spoke without a dy, "Thomas is a valuable asset to the church. With him in our grasp, we canpel the church to relinquish some of its power, especially since its influence has been growing significantly in recent years."


    He really did want to keep Thomas alive for that exact reason. Vestian was a useless son before he became a Pdin; Alex knew that, so although he hoped for the pope to have some fatherly love in his heart, he didn''t want to ce his bets on it, so keeping Thomas alive was the best way to keep them in check.


    The recording was still there, but there were many ways to prove the recordings were fake. With Vestian and Thomas alive, however, they could always make things right.


    Vanessa, on the other hand, although still not satisfied, took a deep breath, and after momentary gazing at Thomas, she left the room, probably going back to her chamber, leaving Alex, Alenia, and Vestian in the room.


    The next instant, however, as if realizing something, Alex''s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly added, but instead of speaking out loud, he spoke mentally as if it wasn''t something he wanted others to hear.


    ''Oh, and mom, it''s fine to let the girl go now. We will make her take a mana oath and let her live. We have better things at hand now, so there''s no need to keep up the Lucious y.''


    Vanessa, pausing mid-step, turned to look back at him before she nodded her head, and...


    *Snap*


    With a snap of her finger, she melted all of the ice in the room, leaving only the ice that was keeping Thomas trapped, and the moment she stepped out of the room, she vanished, leaving nothing but shadow behind.


    Riya fell to the bed, unconscious but alive, and her being unconscious was better as they didn''t want her to see whatever was going on.


    Alenia, however, was in a state of frustration. She once again failed to be there for Alex when he needed her the most. And although she was relieved that Vanessa saved him right on time, she was a bit dissatisfied that she wasn''t the one to do it.


    All of those feelings, though, remained hidden from everyone as she had her gaze fixed on the floor, with the recording device clenched in her palm.


    Her actions and emotions went unnoticed by everyone, including Alex, but she wasn''t just some young girl who needed counseling.


    She just needed time. As for her rtionship with Vanessa, which seemed to be making them grow apart as time passed, she didn''t even know what to do about it. She was just a ve after all.


    ''Hah...''


    She just sighed on the inside, watching as Alex took care of things.


    ''How you''ve grown, Alex...'' A sweet smile tugged at her lips as she saw how Alex dealt with the situation.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    But she could only have this caring feeling for Alex in her mind; she wasn''t permitted to show them out in the open anymore.


    So, while Alex talked with Vestian, she tried to sort her feelings out, not wanting to show this pathetic side of hers to Alex.

 CHAPTER 36 - Invitation.

    "Phew...


    Mothers are really scary when they are angry, you know¡ª"


    Alex, looking at Vanessa vanish, sighed in relief, whipping the imaginary sweat on his forehead, turning to look at Vestian with a shake of his head, only to pause mid-sentence, his palm covering his lips in surprise as he remembered something.


    "¡ªOops... my apologies, I forgot that you don''t have a mother."


    His words made Vestian, who was still in disbelief at how fast everything ended, clench his fists hard enough to make his fingers make cracking sounds, but that was all he could do.


    He just kept staring at the floor, with his teeth gritting and his gums bleeding. He just hoped that his father would want to save him, ''Once it happens, I swear that I will kill you in a way that you will regret ever being born¡ª''


    "Oh, and just so you know, you aren''t getting out of here alive. You are just a piece I''m going to use; after that, your role''s over."


    Vestain''s thought, however, was cut short as Alex''s words were heard, making Vestian''s expression freeze, his gaze turning up to look at Alex, quivering in fear and uncertainty.


    "W-Why do you want to kill me? I-I never did anything to you..." He questioned Alex, his voice breaking and his teeth ttering as the ice that he was covered in was so cold that he could still feel his bones creaking.


    He just wanted to know why Alex was going to such lengths. He knew that he did wrong, and he did try to get information about Alex from Riya, but he was just trying to get to the depth of the case that implicated his church. He couldn''t be called wrong to do that.


    "Well, some guy said to me a while ago that you can never beat power with trickery, so when someone with power has decided something for the weak, shouldn''t they just ept it?"


    Alex, in reply to Vestian''s question, just sneered, repeating the words that the guy had said before, making Vestian lower his head in defeat.


    Alex didn''t feel pity or regret, though. Vestian wasn''t that bad right now, but Alex knew what was going to happen in a while, and he knew just what kind of character this guy was going to be, so he didn''t really care about him.


    "Aunt Alenia, please escort these two to the mana restraining jail." Alex then turned toward Alenia, who, by now, had her emotions shorted out and her fake smile on, making her nod her head.


    "As you wish, Your Highness."


    Hearing those words, although Alex frowned a bit, he still just nodded back to her and moved out of the room.


    He needed to think about his next course of action, as this guy was just one of the first viins or heroes of the story he had faced; there were still many remaining, and to take care of them, he needed to be strong, as he was going to face many strong opponents as well.


    The world was big, and he had yet to discover most of it, so he needed to be way stronger than he was right now. At least strong enough to not run to his mother every time he''s in trouble.


    He moved toward Vanessa''s room, knowing full well that she needed some more exnation to calm her downpletely.


    ''Hah...''


    But a sigh of tiredness couldn''t help but escape his lips as he looked out of the window in the path, staring at the vast blue sky with a weary smile tugging at his lips. The day had just started yet it had been so hectic.


    All he was going to do now was meet with his mother and then hit the bed. Maybe have some fun with Sophie as well since he needed to make up with her as well.


    So, with his hand tucked in his pants pocket, he walked forward, ncing out of another window on the way, only to see Alenia dragging both Vestian and Thomas toward a cave-like structure some distance away from the mansion.


    But after a fleeting nce at them, he went on with whatever he had nned.


    ..................¡­..


    ''Alex...''


    Alex, who, with his eyes closed, was lying in his room, cuddling with Sophie in his dream world, had his eyes flutter, opening up with a snap as he heard his mother''s voice.


    He frowned, as he knew well that his mother wouldn''t do such a thing if it was not something really important. Even Vestian''s case wasn''t important enough for Vanessa to wake him from his sleep. Her cryptic tone just made him frown harder.


    ''What''s wrong, mom¡ª'' He questioned, using his locket, but his words were cut short by a sharp sound.


    "KIIIEEEEEE!!"


    It was a screech of an eagle-like bird, and the moment he heard it, everything fit right in its spot. Why his mother woke him up was now clear. This loud shriek meant something¡ªsomething very important.


    This was something that had shocked everyone present in the area, so it was better to be awake when it was heard.


    *Shatter*


    The next second, the ss door in his room, which led to the balcony, shattered, and something flew right in, which Alex caught with his bare hands.


    "KIIIEEEEEEE!!"N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The sharp cry again rang out in the surroundings, making the ground itself tremble. There were some pping sounds as well, but slowly, they became distant before vanishing altogether, leaving the area covered in a stunned silence.


    Alex did see a sh of shadow going over his balcony from the same shattered door, but that was all he saw before his focus turned to the letter in his hand.


    With bold golden letters, [ORIGINVEIL ACADEMY] was written at the forefront of the ck letter, making it look mysterious and imposing at the same time. But this letter wasn''t just a normal letter.


    Alex knew exactly what it was.


    It was an invitation to the most important, prominent, and prestigious academy in the world, which called for those people who are the best of the best.


    But as said in thest line, it ''called'' for the best of the best, but that didn''t mean there were no cannon fodders in that academy¡ªthere were many of those types.


    The leaders in the academy needed someone to rule over, after all.


    Alex knew that this letter woulde to him, and Alex also knew who sends these types of letters. It was all exined in the novel.


    The principal of the academy was said to have an artifact that could inform her about the broken ability users born in any corner of the world. It helped her track them down so that she could send these letters to them.


    It seemed like Alex''s awakening was picked up by that artifact as well.


    ''I will have to go, Mom. You know the rule.'' Getting off of his bed, Alex spoke, his expression serious as he knew that Vanessa wouldn''t want him going there. Especially when the strongest people of the world reside there, but they don''t have a choice.


    Once you get this letter, you have to go to the academy.


    ''I know, and I will being with you.'' Vanessa''s reply was instantaneous, as she had already thought a lot about it, and Alex, who had expected something like this from her, just chuckled inwardly.


    ''As you wish, Mom.'' He nodded his head, standing on his balcony and staring at the horizon as his mind reeled with many thoughts about his journey ahead.


    His real journey was about to start. The academy was where the real novel started¡ªa ce where the sh between the main characters of the book took ce, a ce where many bonds broke and formed, and a ce where beings from all over the world gathered.


    He was about to start living for real now.


    //// Author Note: There''s going to be a time skip now¡ªa two-year time skip. Just giving you guys a heads up, and from the next chapter is the academy arc. ////

 CHAPTER 37 - Originveil City.

    "You people must''ve used the teleportation portals to reach the Originveil City, but does any of you know where this academy city is situated?"


    In a ss filled with seats arranged like that in an auditorium, elevated from the ground, with each next row of seats being higher than the one before to give the students a better view of the board, stood a teacher¡ªa female teacher, wearing a gray one piece with ck zer draped over and stocking on her legs¡ªquestioned as she pushed the frame of her ss up her nose bridge; it seemed to being down every once in a while.


    Her name is Maleshia Arcman; she had ck hair and ck eyes¡ªa fair, spotless face that could make any man turn to look at her once. She didn''t do any makeup, as her natural glow and looks were already good enough; after all, she was beautiful enough to make the male students not even listen to the lecture and rather ogle her out, which of course made her annoyed, but she just ignored them.


    She would rather focus on the students who were earnestly listening to her rather than focusing on them, and one such student¡ªa student who seemed engrossed in her lesson¡ªwas a guy with ck hair and purple eyes, and as soon as she asked that question, he raised his hand, making her smile gently.


    "Yes, Keryu, please answer the question if you want to."


    She gestured for him to stand up, and as he did, a glint of surprise passed through her eyes as he seemed more handsome than he was told to be. The youngest son of the demon lord, Keryu Ivanovich¡ªsomeone who rose in power suddenly, surprising even the demon lord, who always thought of him as a waste.


    "Thank you, ma''am," Keryu, with a smile on his face, thanked Maleshia, and when he saw her nod, he continued, "Originveil City is the most important city in this world and ys a significant role in the world''s political and power dynamic. But even with its importance being this high, no one knows where it is because it does not have a fixed position."


    "Very good; you can sit down now." Maleshia, nodding with a happy smile, gestured for Keryu to have a seat, wondering why all the students were not like him before, devoted and earnest.


    "As Keryu had answered, Originveil City does not have a fixed position. I can tell that he had seen what the city looks like, but some of you still seem confused, so let me make things clear for you."


    She then pushed the frame of her sses back again, turning toward the board, and she drew a cone, then another, and another. The students, on the other hand, especially the girls, were stealing nces at Keryu, giggling and whispering among themselves.


    Keryu, however, had his gaze fixed on Maleshia, grinning for some reason.


    ''First impression''s made,'' he muttered to himself, and by then Maleshia was done with her drawing, and although not very good, one could still tell that she made several mountains.


    "You see these mountains? These are the peaks of Originveil City, and these peaks keep floating around the world, traveling from one empire to another but remaining unseen as they hover above the clouds, out of the perception of any being."


    Maleshia spoke as she pointed at the mountains, which seemed to be linked by some kind of pathway, and her nose raised higher as she saw the surprised expression on the students'' faces.


    She knew that it was information that would surprise the students, as no one knows about Originveil City until they reach it and hear about it from someone who lives here. It was some strange magic, but it was what it was.


    "You people, the first-year students, live and study in the first peak, also known as the biggest peak, as the number of students in the first year is way more than next year.


    But this is just a ce for you to live; the facilities, such as gyms, swimming pools, parks, and such, are all situated in the fifth peak, which is situated at the center of the four peaks that belong to all four years of the academy."


    Maleshia concluded, putting the chalk down on the table and folding her hands in front of her ample breasts.


    "Now, you can ask me anything you have doubts about," spoke Maleshia as she rested her body on the teacher''s desk.


    "Ma''am, Keryu said before that this ce yed a significant role in politics and power dynamics, but I didn''t understand how it does; could you please exin it to me?"


    A girl, with her orange hair flowing down her waist and her eyes of the same color looking at Melishia with a curious expression, questioned as she stood up on her spot, making everyone turn toward her, some looking at her with disgusted expressions, while some looking at her with pity.


    ''Ah, poor girl...''


    Even Maleshia, who heard the girl''s question, sighed in regret. If she knew that there was amoner in her ss, then she could''ve warned her before about what she should be doing, but now it was toote.


    Now, due to her asking a question that any noble kid could answer, she made it clear that she wasn''t of noble birth but an extra talented girl from amon household¡ªthe type of person who bes the target of bullying most of the time.


    Keryu, however, unlike others, was staring at this girl with his eyes wide open as if unable to believe that she was there as well.


    "That is because the emperor or the leader of every race and every region lives in this very city, along with many children of people with great importance in the world''s politics who also study here.


    These people being here makes this ce the strongest and the most important ce in the world."


    Maeshia answered the girl nheless, knowing that doing this wouldn''t really change anything. The girl, on the other hand, with a hint of realization and surprise in her eyes, nodded her head, taking her seat again, but before she did that, Meleshia added, "Also, please meet me after the ss, child."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    The girl nodded her head, sitting back in her ce, not really sure why the teacher would call her out, wondering if she did something wrong because her ssmates also seemed to be looking at her differently now.


    But no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn''t find what she did wrong.


    "Ma''am, are we not going to talk about magic today?"


    Not long after, another girl with sses stood up, putting forth her question, ignoring the orange-haired girl, who kept looking at everyone with confusion in her eyes, to which Maleshia just shook her head.


    "This is your first day, so I won''t be teaching anything, just this session, and you are free to explore the city."


    As soon as those words were spoken, every student in the ss sighed in relief. They didn''t want to study today as it was a very important day. They were just sent to their sses after a speech from the vice principal to get familiar with their ss teachers and ssmates.


    *Snore*


    But before they could celebrate, they heard a snore from the corner of the room, making them turn to the source of the sound Maleshia included.


    All of them saw a guy with dark blonde hair, with his head buried between his folded hands, sleeping at the cornermost part of the highest row.


    *Snore*


    Another snore was heard, and the guy''s body rose a bit along with it, making some girls giggle and boys snicker at him, but the guy, unbothered by all of this, just kept sleeping like he hadn''t slept for days.


    *Tick*n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Maleshia, who saw this, had a vein bulge on her forehead, gritting her teeth as this was a bit too much.


    She didn''t care if students chatted during her ss, engaging in banter and not listening to her words as they were still active, but this guy... this guy dared to sleep in her ss, and if that was not enough, he had the gals to snore as well.


    *Tip**Top*...


    She, with her anger soaring, moved up the rows, but before she could reach the boy...


    *RIIIIIIINNNNG*


    A bell ran, sharp and loud, echoing through the whole peak, making the students freeze for a second before all of them rose from their seats and rushed out of the ss without bothering to ask the teacher permission, and Maleshia, for some reason, didn''t mind it.


    She knew why they were this excited. Today, on the first day of the first year, the leaders of the first-year students are supposed to be elected, and those leaders would then be part of the student council, helping their seniors govern the academy better.


    But as she turned to look at the guy, who was asleep during her ss, wanting to teach him a lesson, all she saw was an empty seat, making her clench her fist.


    The guy, making use of her shift in attention, had left the ss with the crowd.


    ''See if I let you go the next time I see you!''


    She huffed inwardly, the features of that boy getting printed in her mind, as she really wasn''t going to let him go. She, for some reason, felt particrly annoyed by that boy, even though she had yet to see his face.


    But then she suddenly remembered something...


    ''Isn''t ''he'' supposed to be the referee of this year''s electionpetition?!''


    Her eyes shot open as she, just like the students, hurriedly rushed out of the ss, moving toward the main peak of the academy, hoping to see the same person who had imed many women''s hearts in the past two years, including hers.


    The son of the strongest human and the rising star of the human race¡ªAlex Drakathor.

 CHAPTER 38 - The Colosseum.

    The third-year students lived in the thirdrgest peak of Originveil Academy, and although the academic year had just passed with the third-year students passing the tests and entering the new level, the students had still not adjusted to the peak''s environment.


    The mana density and purity of every next peak students progress to are higher than the ones before, making it hard for them to just start living there without any care of anything.


    It would''ve been fine if they were going to live there for some days, as the high concentration of mana would feel heavenly to them, but it won''t be good for them in the long run, so the students had to meditate and cycle the mana in their bodies for at least a week to get used to it.


    During that week, these students rarelye out of their abodes provided by the academy, staying seated in a spot, meditating, and onlying out to eat and train for a bit. That was the reason why the ranking matches of the second, third, and fourth years were always conductedte.


    But not all students were the same. There were always some exceptions¡ªsome students who weren''t affected by the change in mana at all.


    These students, with nothing to do as their sses are paused as well, volunteer to be the referee of the electionpetition of the newly admitted first-year students.


    This time, however, it was different from every other time because a person who never showed interest in such things put up his name for the referee position.


    That student''s name was Alex Drakathor, and although he was a student, he was estimated to be more powerful than most first-year teachers. But it was just an estimation. No one knew how strong he really was.


    The first-year teachers were not really that strong, with their power being seven-star, star formation level at most.


    Right now, the students, all excited to see the matches, were rushing toward the central peak of the academy¡ªthe entertainment peak. There was a colosseum there, which was used for functions such as these.


    Some challenges among the students, students against teachers, or teachers against teachers were all conducted here as well. The only difference is the number of audiences.


    In the colosseum, where the students were gathering, only one thing kept repeating in the announcement at this moment: "Alex Drakathor, pleasee to the stage!"


    But no one came up the stage, rendering the announcer, who was a girl with purple hair, speechless. She knew Alex, and from what she knew, she was sure that he was sleeping right now. That was all he did in his free time anyway.


    "Hah..."


    With a sigh of defeat, she spoke up again.


    "Due to the absence of the allotted referee, I will be hosting the matches; please take care of me!"


    She beamed, passing a cute smile toward the male audience, quite different from the expression she had a second ago, but it was not surprising as she was quite an expert at manipting her expressions.


    "Lilia! Lilia! Lilia!"


    Soon, roars of cheers rang out from the boys'' side, and although the girls seemed dissatisfied, with some of them booing as well, the boys'' enthusiasm was enough to cover it up.


    The man in question, on the other hand, was right now lying in the garden next to his abode on the third peak of the Originveil Academy, surrounded by three beasts, one of which was a ming horse, and Alex had his back resting on this horse''s fiery fur, which didn''t seem to be doing him any harm.


    All of them seemed to be sleeping, and all of the beasts¡ªa horse, a lion, and a leopard¡ªwere surrounding Alex as if guarding him even while sleeping.


    Alex, who seemed way more mature than at the time of his awakening¡ªtwo years ago¡ªhad his height increased, reaching 195 centimeters; his muscles grew as well, looking more prominent now. His hair was cut short and unkept, giving him a wild look, which was only enhanced due to the beasts in the surroundings.


    That was not all though; there was this small, cute-looking owl-like beast resting on his chest, sleeping peacefully like the rest of them.


    Their peace, however, didn''tst for long as soon...


    *Tap-Tap-Tap*...


    A series of hurried footsteps were heard, and James, who had grown longer as well, reaching the height of 188 centimeters, came into view.


    His ck hair was tied in a man-bun, and his grey eyes filled with panic as he just received a call from one of Alex''s friends, saying that Alex was gettingte for the electionpetition of the first-year students, making him rush out of the mansion Alex was given by the academy, arriving at the garden.


    "Master! Wake up. You are gettingte¡ª"


    Moving closer to Alex, James eximed, trying to wake the guy up, but just as he was around 10 meters away from the beasts and their master, his words paused, and so did his body.


    "¡ªGhhh!"


    ''Fuck! Not again!''


    His body was pushed toward the ground in just a second, making him lie t, unable to move. He, for the umpteenth time, had stepped into this zone that Alex kept around him, multiplying the gravity of the surroundings wherever he slept as a safety precaution.


    "Hm...?"


    Fortunately for James, Alex was woken up by the sudden noise, making his eyes flutter open, revealing his electric blue orbs hidden within them, clearer than ever.


    "Oh? It was just you?"


    His eyes then turned toward James, who, with his head pressed on the ground just like his body, couldn''t even turn to look at Alex.


    "Fweee weee..." (Free me...)


    After waiting for a while and not being able to feel the weight in his body decreasing, James couldn''t help but feel annoyed, voicing out those words with great difficulty, and although they were not clear, they were understandable.


    Alex was always like this. No matter how sharp he was and no matter how good hisprehensive power was, he tended to forget basic things like this, which no one would be able to ignore.


    "Oh, my bad."


    It was then that Alex noticed James''s dilemma, hurriedly snapping his finger and freeing the guy from the gravitational pressure, letting him have a breath of relief.


    James, after staring at Alex for a while, took a deep breath, closing his eyes, before he spoke up, getting to the main topic, making Alex, who was trying not to look into the guy''s eyes, widen his eyes.


    "Master, you arete for the election ceremony."


    "Oh, shit!" Gasped Alex, surprised and shocked at how he had forgotten such an important thing, the moment he heard James''s words, jumping up on his feet.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Hey guys! I''m going ahead; you guys train all you want!"


    He was about to rush forward, wanting to hurry to the Colosseum, when he heard a sharp whistling sound, "Wheeeee!!"


    He turned to look behind, only to see the owl that was lying on his chest a second ago, now standing on the ground; its size increased to two meters, and its features turned from cute to sharp.


    It lowered its wings, covered with ck fur and white star symbols just like its whole body, making Alex raise a brow in surprise.


    "You want to bring me there? Sure! That would be faster."


    But the next second he nodded his head and jumped on the back of the owl, who took off the moment it felt Alex''s weight, zooming toward the central peak where the electionpetition was going on.


    "Hah... just how does his scheming mind forget these minor things?" James, left behind, looking at them disappearing in the distance, couldn''t help but sigh.


    The colosseum, on the other hand, was still filled with cheers of Lilia as the boys kept screaming her name with utmost enthusiasm, making the girl smile proudly, knowing that her charm hadn''t decreased at all, but suddenly, the guys'' voice paused, making her frown, but soon, she realized the reason for it as all of the girls in the stadium shouted in unison.


    "ALEX!!!!!!!!!!!!"


    Excitement and love were clear in their voice, making Lilia sigh, turning her head to look up...


    *p**p*...


    And there he was, the reason for her ever doubting her beauty, the prince of every girl''s dream, the rising star of the humans'' side, and the only guy capable of moving her heart, Alex Drakathor, staring down at her with his signature grin, standing on top of his oh-so-precious new pet.


    "Hey there, Lilia," he said, making her smile, as no matter how annoying he was, she couldn''t deny that it was just another aspect of his charm¡ªa way to make people smile without even realizing it.

 CHAPTER 39 - Start of the Competition 1.

    "ALEX!! ALEX!! ALEX!!"


    The crowd of girls kept cheering for Alex, waving their hands, jumping in their spots, hoping to catch Alex''s eyes, but Alex, looking at Lilia, ignoring his greeting, and shaking her head with a sight, jumped down his owl.


    *Woosh*


    He greeted her again, passing her a charming smile. "How''ve you been?"


    "I''m doing fine, mister, but you''rete."


    Lilia, however, unlike any other girl who would be a blushing mess if they had Alex smile like that, just taunted, crossing her arms, making her medium-sized breasts look a bit more pronounced, and Alex, looking at her, just scratched the back of his head.


    "Yeah, sorry about that," he spoke with an unapologetic grin. "I somehow fell asleep... again." He nced back at the owl, who was still standing on the stage in itsrge, majestic form, making people stare at it in awe, and taking the signal, the bird beast shrank in size, returning to its former cute self, perching on his shoulder.


    "Yeah, I guessed that¡ª" Lilia, shaking her head with a sigh, expecting that response, but before she couldplete her words, a voice rang into her ears.


    "You should focus on your job instead of wasting your time chatting, Lilia."


    Those words were only heard by Lilia as she was the one wearing the earring, but as soon as Alex saw the change in her expression¡ªgoing from a heartfelt smile to a forced and fake smile¡ªhe squinted his eyes, knowing perfectly well what was happening.


    Lilia, who noticed that, hurriedly changed her expression, returning back to a professional demeanor.


    "Shall we start thepetition?" She questioned, not engaging in ideal chitchat anymore, as she knew the consequences of ignoring the one whose words she heard a moment ago. Even more so when she didn''t want Alex to question her about it.


    She knew that Alex was probably aware of who it was and what was happening¡ªAlex always knew everything. But that didn''t mean she would tell him up front. That would simply mean that she was asking for help, and although she knew for sure that Alex wouldn''t hesitate to help her, she didn''t want to involve him in the politics of the demon empire.


    Especially now, when Alex was making a name for himself and was already under the radar of many factions. She didn''t want the demons to start aiming for his life as well.


    "Of course," replied Alex, not asking her anything about what she was trying to hide. He knew what was happening.


    They had been friends for 2 whole years, after all. In those years, he discovered many things about her that were not mentioned in the novel.


    Yes, she was a heroine as well, and although she wasn''t one of the main heroines with potential higher than the hero himself, she wasn''t someone to look down upon as she was the holder of the best subus bloodline in the whole demon empire.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She was strong enough to be able to charm every single student sitting in the crowd and use them as she desired.


    When he joined the sses, she was the first one to try to talk to him, and Alex, who had decided to not pick up just every girl in the novel, decided to treat her as a friend instead of trying anything funny.


    To be honest, he really did appreciate her as a friend, but he knew that soon, her arc was about to start. The protagonist was entering the plot, and her life was about to turn for the worst, but there was still time, so he waited for her to open up about it with him.


    He didn''t want to needlessly help her, only to find out that she didn''t really need his help. He had changed many things in this world, after all.


    Alex wasn''t even sure about how many changes his action would''ve made; maybe one of those changes made it so that Lilia was now strong enough to deal with whatever was happening in her empire.


    She was Lilia Morningstar, the eldest princess of the demon empire, after all. There was no way she didn''t have tricks under her sleeve. She looked easy and outgoing, and that was how she was shown in the novel, but Alex, who knew her very well, was perfectly aware of who she really was.


    But if she was really hard-pressed yet not asking for his help, then he would make a move whether she liked it or not. Alex had promised himself that he wasn''t going to let anyone close to him suffer ever again, and Lilia, in the past two years, had entered the category of ''close ones''.


    That time, however, was still a bit far away. For now, she should''ve only met the supposed fiance her father had decided for her without her consent. Nothing serious should''ve happened by now.


    [You can always use your system points to check whether your guess is right or not...]


    It was then that Sophie''s words echoed in his head, reminding him of the functions of the system that he hadn''t used much even after awakening it. But before his mind could drift further into it, Lilia''s voice echoed through the colosseum.


    "Alright, everyone!" She yelled in the sound amplification artifact in her hand, making her words reverberate throughout the area, making the girls cheer for Alex to go down, but their excitement didn''t die; the same could be said for the boys.


    With a host as hot as Lilia, no boy would want to miss it, especially when the matches would be interesting as well.


    "The referee of the match is here, and guess who it is?!" Gushed Lilia the next instant, a wide smile on her face as she nced at Alex, and in her reply...


    ""ALEX!!!!!""


    Every student in the Colosseum roared in response, boys included. It was not because they liked Alex or something. Many boys respected Alex, but that wasn''t the reason for their enthusiasm; it was solely because the one asking the question was Lilia, and Lilia, listening to their response, smiled wider.


    "That''s right! The one and only..." She took a step back, turning toward Alex, and then she cried out loud, making the whole area tremble. "Alex Drakathor!!"


    ""YEAAAAAHHHHHH!!!""


    The Colosseum was once again filled with ground-shaking cheers as everyone raised their hands high up in the air, eager to see some new talents fighting. There were some powerhouses of the world, such as the leaders of many races present today as well, seated in the topmost row, inside ssedpartments.


    The teachers from the second, third, and fourth years, along with the members of the student council, were all present, hoping to recruit some new talent under them, each having their own intentions.


    There was news in the air that this year there was no shortage of talents, and all who were eligible for the electionpetition were the best of the best, most of them having some kind of terrifying backing.


    "Your turn, mister." Lilia, under the cheers of the crowd, smiled at Alex, winking at him as she passed the sound amplifier to Alex. Screaming out loud like that really helped her let out some frustration and dejection.


    And Alex, who could see a genuine smile on her face, just curved his lips, taking the mic from Lilia''s hand with a chuckle. He knew that the smile on her face right now was not forced but a real one.


    Lilia loved hosting shows like this, after all. She wanted to be the best host out there and even had a dream of holding the biggest concert where she would be the only one singing¡ªa silly dream, yes, but it was what she wanted.


    She was just very good at singing, and she loved to perform.


    "Hmm..." hummed Alex as he held the mic close to his lips, and as soon as he did, the colosseum fell into silence. It was not out of fear or anything like that; it was out of respect.


    The students respected Alex for all that he had achieved, as he had set records all over the academy in the past two years¡ªsomething no one had yet been able to beat in two years.


    That, however, wasn''t enough to make people respect him so despite their racial differences; it was Alex''s personality and demeanor¡ªthe way he helped anyone in need, or his way of not going back from his words no matter how dire the situation looked¡ªthat made people respect him.


    "... thank you for such a ground-shaking wee," continued Alex as he saw the crowd going silent, pausing a bit as his head turned toward Lilia. Smiling, he added, "And thank you for covering up for me, Lilia."


    Those words made Lilia smile, folding her arms again.


    "You better be thankful, mister." She huffed yfully, making Alex chuckle out loud before he went on with the hosting.


    "Now then, without wasting any more of our time, let us invite the participants to the stage!" Jumping down the stage, Alex eximed, and as he did, a group of first-year students stepped out of the backstage, walking to the stage in a line, some excited, some concerned, and some calm, but all of them knew one thing: this was their moment.


    These 10 students were the focus and the reason for this crowd to gather today.


    Soon, as the participants of thepetition settled down, staring at the crowd with various expressions, the crowd erupted with cheers and hollers.


    ""WOOOOOAAHHHHHH!!!""

 CHAPTER 40 - Start of the Competition 2.

    The colosseum, just like before, bubbled up with the thrill and eagerness of the audience, making the participants feel the weight of thepetition more than before.


    It was not just a normalpetition anymore.


    With thisrge audience, they had to give their all as thispetition would be giving their first impression to the people in this Colosseum, including the high-ranking nobles, kings, and emperors who hade to see the match.


    In the group of first-year teachers stood Maleshia, observing the participants, scanning them one by one as she knew that two of them were from her ss already.


    One of them was Keryu Ivanovich, the youngest son of the demon lord¡ªsomeone she had expected to be among the top 10, as only the top 10 students are eligible to participate in the electionpetition.


    But the second person came in as a surprise to her as well.


    ''Isn''t she themoner girl I had called to meet with me after today''s sses ended...?'' Wondered Maleshia, bewildered to see that girl on the stage, as she had thought that this girl was just a little fortunatemoner, turns out she was way more than that.


    It was then that her eyes caught sight of someone else...


    "Huh?"


    Making her eyes widen before she frowned, uncertainty clouding her eyes.


    ''Is he really that guy...?''N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She tried to recall the guy who was snoring in the ss, and she was pretty sure that his hair had the same cut and color, but it was not good to judge the guy with just that alone.


    But what if he really was the same guy? Was he really a top scorer? Maybe she was misjudging him then. Maybe he wasn''t sleeping because he wanted to, but maybe because she was tired...


    "What''s wrong, Maleshia?"


    The next second, however, Maleshia''s body jerked in disgust as she heard the voice and felt the hand on her shoulder, but she held it in and tilted her shoulder with a forced smile.


    "It''s nothing, Sir n." Spoke Maleshia, turning to look at the fancy-dressed second-year teacher who was, for some reason, standing among the first-year teachers, but no one was saying anything to it. And how could they? He wasn''t someone any first-year teacher would want to provoke...


    "Why are you being so distant, Maleshia? I was just inquiring about your well-being." Spoke the guy with a sly smirk on his face, tilting his head, making his long ck hair move aside, his hand going for Maleshia''s shoulder again, making her grit her teeth.


    In the end, even as the guy held her shoulder, groping it with obvious intention, "Thank you for your consideration" was all she could say, lowering her head with drops of tears being held back from falling to the ground.


    The other first-year teachers simply ignored this, apologizing to Maleshia in their hearts, wishing that she just quit the school, as that was the only way she would be able to save herself.


    This little episode, however, wasn''t noticed by anyone other than the first-year teachers. The others were more focused on the students on the stage, cheering for the ones they supported.


    Those 10 were still new, and no one knew their abilities, but unlike what is said in philosophies, books are judged by covers, so the ones that looked tough were gaining more support. Especially the girls.


    But not everyone was looking at all of the participants. There were people who were looking at only some particr ones, scanning them, and observing them; one such person was Alex.


    He had his focus fixed on three people: Keryu Ivanovich, the blonde-haired guy from Maleshia''s ss, who himself was staring at Alex with a serious look in his olive eyes, and thest one...


    ''Hey there,'' smiled Alex, speaking in his mind, staring at Mira, who, unlike how she was supposed to be, was smiling back at Alex, trying her best to not break her smile. Her blue eyes, shining more than ever, fixed on Alex without blinking.


    It was clear that she was happy¡ªvery much so¡ªafter just getting to see Alex.


    It had been a while since she had met Alex after all, and although it was just a month, she felt like it was a very long time.


    As days passed, her dependence on Alex only kept increasing and not decreasing. The more she stayed close to Alex, the more she could feel things she had never felt before, making the strange desire to snuggle close to Alex always fill her mind.


    The problem, however, was that she could never muster enough courage to do it...


    Right now, after not being able to see him for more than a month, she was feeling very jumpy on the inside, as she could finally feel Alex again¡ªshe could finally stay close to him for longer.


    Alex, however, remained oblivious to all of this. He did know that Mira had this strange attachment to him, and she was very clingy, but the reason for that was still unknown. Even Sophie didn''t know what was wrong with Mira.


    [She wasn''t supposed to be like this in the original novel... but well, there was no you in the original novel, so we can''t really be sure as well...]


    This was Sophie''s reply, and since then, both Alex and Sophie had thought of many things, only to shoot down each other''s ideas by some hole in it until they decided to just go with the flow.


    Alex, for now, observed three of the six most broken-power-holding characters in the whole novel until the chapter Sophie had read.


    Just like in the novel, all three of them had joined the academy at the same time.


    Mira and Ben Dover, the guy with blonde hair, were both someone who had special condition rted to their physiques, forcing them to awaken two yearste, but Keryu, the transmigrated viin-type protagonist of the novel, did so just because he wanted to enter the academy at the same time as them.


    The funny thing was that, right now, all three of these people were looking at Alex. One with feelings she herself wasn''t able to discover yet, one with caution, and thest one with confusion and uncertainty.


    Alex, after a while, shook his head, bringing his head back to the moment and moving the mic closer to his lips.


    The strongest ability users or not, they weren''t anything special as of now. All three of them were not much stronger than the other rankers, as none of them were to be looked down upon; all of them were major characters of the novel.


    In the early stage, they would be strong enough to give those three a challenge. So he quickly turned toward the audience and began speaking.


    "Here we have them, the top 10 scorers of the first-year tests this year." His voice was heard, calm and slow, but the moment he started speaking, the colosseum got enveloped in the same silence as before, making some high-ranking nobles and royals wonder if Alex really was just a kid.


    This type of momentum andmanding air surrounding Alex was something even kings rarely have...


    "All of them are going to be fighting for a position in the student council, which would bring them profits, but before we move on to the fight, let me tell you all something about the participants."


    Alex''s voice echoed through the colosseum, and all who heard it listened quietly to him with rapt attention, not wanting to miss a word spoken by him as many didn''t know the names of everyone among the top 10, including the teachers, because Alex had made it so.


    He didn''t want people to know who was who, as he knew that would''ve been bad for some of them¡ªthe ones who were frommon birth. They would be looked down upon by the audience, and that could hit their confidence, which Alex didn''t want.


    Alex wanted them to be seen as strong and dependable people regardless of their race and birth.


    Or so was what Alex''s actions would seem to old schemers sitting in thepartments, but they would never be able to judge Alex''s real motive as it was way too simple to even be a scheme.

 CHAPTER 41 - A new skill and a new game.

    As said before, Alex was the rising star of the human side, with potential simr to Vanessa''s¡ªsomething people discovered quitete to do anything, just like they did with Vanessa.


    Now, with Alex in the academy, they couldn''t kill him. Not because it was forbidden to kill anyone in the academy city¡ªit happens a lot; people just don''t know about it¡ªbut because Alex was an invited student.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Students with invitations are those whoe under the protection of the mysterious academy''s principal. A being with unknown but unfathomable power.


    So, unless Alex was out of the academy city or he had taken part in a life-and-death match, there was no way to kill him in the whole of Originveil City.


    His moves, however, were observed by many people because he was Vanessa''s son and also because he was the holder of a ground-breaking ability called gravity maniption. Yes, Alex had revealed one of his cards¡ªenough to make people see him as a threat but not enough for them to make suicidal moves.


    So, even a move, such as not revealing the names of the top ten rankers of the first year, which, because of him being the referee, was under his control, was seen as a major scheme by the others.


    ''Winning the heart of themoners.''


    That was what they thought, but all Alex was doing was looking out for Mira, nothing else. She was someone he cared about, and although he still wasn''t sure how to treat her, he didn''t want her to suffer, so he didn''t let her identity leak.


    But he couldn''t just do so with her, or she would be the target of many girls for being too close to him while being amoner, so he used the others as a cover for her.


    "In today''s match, which is held under my supervision, we will not see them by their names." Alex began, his voice pulling everyone in as he had used one of the skills he bought from the shop.


    [Commanding Presence (Rare): Your presence bes moremanding and domineering, making people weaker than you feel awe and respect for you just by hearing your voice.


    ¡ú Moral Booster: It boosts the morale of all those under your abilities, but a higher number of people means a higher amount of mana.


    ¡ú Hypno bane: Using this ability, you could lift the effect of some low-ranked mind control skills of those who you talk to.]


    It was a useful ability, but it cost him a considerable amount as it was a mental ability. The good thing about this ability was that it was undetectable and not harmful to anyone, elevating its cost.


    "Today, we will see them by their colors. They all have their colors assigned to them, and they are aware of it, but you guys..." Alex continued to answer the unasked question of the audience, grinning mischievously as he waved his hand, and the moment he did...


    *Flutter*


    The linen clothing that covered arge board¡ªsomething many people were curious about since it was never seen here before today¡ªfluttered, blown away by a wave of wind, making the audience gasp.


    The timing was just that perfect.


    "You guys are going to be the ones choosing the fighters¡ªthe ones who would fight against each other." Alex''s voice pulled their attention back to the match at hand, and the moment hepleted his words, the audience roared again.


    ""WOOOOAAAHHHHHH!!""


    They didn''t understand what Alex was hoping to achieve from this, but having the power to decide the matches sounded exciting, and it had never happened before, so they were really looking forward to it.


    The more intelligent ones, however, were a bit confused now. What did he want to do now? They thought.


    They already knew he was defending themoners, but he made a whole game n for them? Or was there something else he wanted to achieve?


    "He''s trying to pull their attention away from the names and backgrounds of the participants and push it all on a new and interesting game he had invented."


    One of the fourth-year teachersmented, his eyes shing with understanding, and the teachers around him, although not as sure as him, still nodded their heads.


    "But we cannot rule out the possibility of him trying something else..." Another teacher added, making others nod their heads again.


    Just like this group of fourth-year teachers, many were trying to guess what he wanted to achieve, but his words didn''t let them do it for long as all of them, no matter what they did or said, were interested in this new thing.


    "All you have to do is choose a color from the ten colors you see there, and for that, all you will have to do about it is reach under your seats and grab the device ced there."


    Alex, oblivious to the thoughts of the overthinkers, went on, pointing at the ten color bars made on the corner of the board that was just revealed, and the audience, listening to his words, reached under seats, only to find a ck-colored device with ten buttons, one for each color.


    It was a new type of device¡ªsomething even the royals and imperials haven''t seen. Curious, many people started pressing buttons randomly, wondering what it was for, but Alex''s voice, exining what it was, made it all seem new and thrilling.


    "Those devices are what will enable you to vote for your color; for example, people on my left, please press the blue button for me." Alex turned to his left and asked for everyone on his left to press the blue button, and the moment they did...


    *Beep*


    The blue-colored bar started to fill up with some kind of shiny liquid, making everyone realize what was happening.


    No one here was dumb enough to not understand it by now, and even if there were some, they could just ask their neighbors.


    "As you see, the moment you press the button, your vote is registered, and the bar with the highest vote will be the one selected. But only vote when I tell you to."


    With the exnation done, Alex turned toward the participants and said, "I hope you all remember your color, as that is going to be your name in thispetition."


    Seeing his smile, the participants smiled back, reassuring him that they did remember their color; even Ben nodded his head, but Keryu, who was sure that there was no one named Alex in the real novel¡ªat least not this famous¡ªwas still wondering what was happening.


    "Alright then, the voting for the first match of the first round will now begin!" Alex announced, but that was not all, as he added.


    "There would be two votes, one for each participant of the match, and each voting procedure willst for no more than 10 seconds, so be fast with your finger and decide which color you want to vote for before the time runs out as there will be no second chance." With that, Alex paused.


    He let his words get settled in the minds of the audience, and as soon as he saw their eyes filled with anticipation turning toward him, he continued, "The first vote will begin..."


    Alex pulled the begin long, his eyes turning toward the board, his hand raised in the air, and soon, with his hand chopping down, he eximed, "Now!"


    As soon as he did so, the audience, including the nobles, teachers, royals, and imperials present, all pressed a button. Wanting to be part of this new and excitingpetition.

 CHAPTER 42 - First Match.

    ng¡ªChirrr!


    Two des shed and sparks flew, and a momentter, the owner of the des jumped back.


    "YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"


    "Don''t fall back blue! Press on!"


    "White! Show them the power hidden under that bulky body!!"


    "LET''S GO, BLUE!!!"


    "WHITE!!!"


    And as soon as the owner of those des separated, the colosseum erupted with cheers again.


    Two people, elected by the audience, were fighting, and the battle was not in the least boring, as the size difference between the fighters just made this all more interesting.


    On one side was a girl with dull blonde hair and lifeless blue eyes with nothing but determination aze in them; she was blue, and on the other side stood a two-meter-tall guy, holding arge battle axe. He had long ck hair, freely flowing down his back, ubed and wild, and his golden eyes, staring seriously at Mira, who was standing right in front of him.


    "You are strong. I will now be using my bloodline abilities." Spoke Brisk, the ck-haired and golden-eyed guy, gripping his battle axe tighter, closing his eyes, and hisrge body started to pulse.


    "RAAAAA! That''s it!"


    The audience, seeing this, hyped the guy even more.


    Mira and Brisk were the ones who turned up with the highest votes from the audience, making them the first ones toe down the stage and fight.


    Both of them were new faces, unknown to the world, as Mira was someone Vanessa had kept hidden due to her special condition, and Brisk was from the barbarian empire known for being not-so-friendly with anyone, making it impossible for anyone to know their internal affairs.


    Mira, on the other hand, didn''t say anything and just waited for the guy to transform or whatever he was doing. Alex had asked her to put up a nice show, and without even asking why, she agreed to it.


    She just wanted to do it as Alex had asked her to, or she was just going to end this fight with her strongest attack as her master, Vanessa, had taught her to never give her enemy any chance.


    Mira wanted to join the student council as Alex was there, and she wanted to spend more time with him¡ªshe just wanted it. The changes she was feeling by being next to Alex were just too good to let go.


    Brisk, however, didn''t have such desires. He was a barbarian human¡ªanyone could tell that¡ªand if barbarians hated something after trickery and betrayal, then it was losing. Brisk didn''t want to lose, that was all.


    "GRAAA!!"


    Soon, with a beastly growl, red eyes, and a body filled with bulging veins, Brisk red at Mira, "You better not hold back, or this will turn really painful for you."


    His face twisted as if he were in pain as well, but it was bearable, at least for him. He knew that it was due to his lower control over his bloodline that he was feeling this pain, so he let it be, as this would at least motivate him to have better control over his bloodline.


    Mira, listening to his words, didn''t say anything and simply nced at Alex without making it obvious.


    Only when she saw him nod did her expression finally change, growing serious; the little light in her eyes died downpletely, and the air around her changed.


    The moment this happened, the audience went silent¡ªtheir cheers and whoops stopped altogether. They could feel the fight nearing the end, and the next moment, they saw Mira dropping her ymore.


    ng!


    Then, her arms started to crackle with strange white energy, covering thempletely.


    Crackle¡ªWhoop!


    In an instant, even before the audience could guess how it happened, they all saw Mira''s hands turned into des, sharper than any they had seen, their color mixed of white and silver, shing with the same white and silver energy.


    "RAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!"


    The silence in the colosseum was soon broken by an almost beastly yell as Brisk, with his hair standing to their ends, rushed toward Mira with just one thought repeating in his head, ''Dangerous! Dangerous! Dangerous!''


    The moment Mira turned her ability on, Brisk knew that things had turned more serious than he had thought initially, and Mira was not just someone a bit strong¡ªshe was stronger than him even though they were both one star.


    Sling!


    His axe tore through the air, ready to cleave Mira into two, and Mira, who saw that move, hurriedly mped her palms, and the next moment...


    Boom¡ªCrack!


    The ground below her cracked, as the power behind Brisk''s attack was high.


    ''What?!'' Brisk, however, was left stunned as he saw the result of the sh. Mira was holding his axe''s de between her de-like palms, and although her body was trembling, a clear sign of her struggle, he still couldn''t believe it.


    Even two-star barbarians weren''t able to take on his attack head-on without relying on their skills; that was just how strong his bloodline ability was.


    Yet...


    Click¡ªBaam!


    ''Shit!'' Cursed Brisk the next second as he saw Mira using his surprise as a chance to swiftly push his axe to the ground, embedding it into it, and rushing for his neck.


    ng!


    It was out of his instinct that he raised the handle of the axe, blocking the iing attack by chance, making sparks fly into the air.


    ''Ghh!'' His situation, however, wasn''t really good, as the attack made his hands go numb. The strength behind this attack was too much; he knew that if his weapon, instead of being a seven-star weapon, was a normal one-star weapon, it would''ve already shattered.


    Woosh


    Mira, however, didn''t seem to be stopping anytime soon as her hand, after being blocked once, moved again with a speed higher than before, taking Brisk by surprise, and before he could even react, the de-like hands of Mira were already on his neck, touching them.


    Thud


    ''Wha...''


    Brisk, now on his knees, stared nkly at the sword-like hands on his neck in disbelief.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''Did I just lose...?'' He muttered to himself, his eyes turning to look up at Mira, only to see her dead eyes not even looking at him. Following her gaze, he found that she was staring at Alex, the referee of this match, making his mind go nk.


    ''Does she think that she won already?!'' Followed by that shock, however, came rage¡ªbubbling anger for being ignored like a loser.


    For him, who had never lost a single match since his childhood and was treated as the best prodigy, he just couldn''t ept it. He felt like he was being looked down upon.


    So, gritting his teeth, he grabbed Mira''s de-like arms, ignoring the blood that splurted out the moment he did so, and yelled, "DON''T YOU DARE¡ª!"


    Tap


    "¡ªKah!"


    His words, however, were cut short as his eyes nked, as Alex, who was standing at the side, had, in an instant, arrived behind Brisk, delivering a chop to the back of his neck, making him go unconscious.


    "Don''t behave like a sore loser. You will tarnish the name of the barbarians who respect strength more than anything."


    Those were thest words he heard, making him realize just what he was about to do, but before he could be clouded by regret...


    Thud


    His body fell to the ground with a thud, making the colosseum return to its original silence.


    Step-Step-Step-Step


    The surroundings were so quiet that even his footsteps were echoing through the air as he walked toward Mira, standing next to her, holding her de-like hand, which, although still activated, didn''t even scratch his skin, and raised it up high.


    Mira, however, had her mind go nk the moment Alex touched her, and that was why, even now, when she knew that he was holding her hand, she hadn''t deactivated her ability.


    Her heartbeats were raised as she again felt the same thing she had been yearning for, so, ignoring whatever was going on, she just closed her eyes, enjoying Alex''s touch.


    "The winner of the fight is blue!" Alex, on the other hand, announced the result of the match, and after a second of stunned silence, the crowd erupted into cheers.


    ""YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!""


    "Hm?" But soon, Alex, who was holding Mira''s hand up, noticed something...


    ''Did she fall unconscious standing like that..?'' He was left a bit dumbfounded as he found Mira, with her body hanging by the support of his hand, was already unconscious.


    [She overused her mana.]


    And Sophie, like always, answered his question without him even asking, making him sigh at Mira''s carelessness.


    Even after winning the match, she wasn''t able to enjoy the praises...


    That was what Alex thought, but how could he have known that Mira, before going unconscious, had already felt the best she could?

 CHAPTER 43 - Toward the Finals.

    "YEAH!! That''s it, ck! You can do it!"


    "Damn! He''s so handsome!"


    "Go Golden!! Show''em what you got!"


    "I love you, Golden!"


    After the first match ended, Alex called for the medics to take both Mira and Brisk away before he started the next match, the participants being the orange-haired girl from Keryu''s ss and a confident-looking boy with a sleek suit dress and wellbed grey hair matching his eyes.


    Both of them were allotted golden and ck colors, respectively, and now, by the votes of the audience, they were selected to fight against each other.


    Just like thest round with Mira and Brisk, both the participants fought with not-so-powerful attacks, gauging their opponents, making the audience, which mainly consisted of students from the first year, roar in excitement.


    They were all weak, so for them, these matches were very high-level, and for some, it was even hard to follow.


    So, the cheers never died down, and Alex, who was the referee, also kept an eye on the participants. He knew who they were.


    The girl with orange hair and orange eyes was one of the heroines¡ªone could tell that just from how beautiful she was. Like Ben, the original protagonist of the novel, she was also amoner, but she had her parents alive¡ªher mother at least.


    She was way too talented to be left in the mud, so she was also called to the academy by an invitation, and no matter where she went, just showing that invitation was enough to protect her.


    The academy''s invitation worked like that, after all.


    One shouldn''t try to kill any person with the mark of the academy with them, or they would be making the whole academy their enemy¡ªnot something anyone in the world would want.


    The girl''s name was Margaret, just Margaret as she was amoner, andmoners weren''t supposed to have a surname.


    She was the type of girl who wouldugh off anything and thought that the whole world was filled with good people. The concept of bad was not even there in her dictionary, but if things went as the plot had it, then she was soon going to experience the bad, and she was going to have a really hard time.


    "You are pretty strong for amoner," spoke the guy who was her opponent, making her tilt her head before she smiled brightly.


    "My name is Margaret, and thank you! You are pretty strong yourself!" She answered cheerfully, making the guy in front of her pause for a second¡ªhe was stunned at how he received her reply.


    The guy was the youngest son of a king who served under the emperor of the vampire race, Damian Dickensor, and just like any other noble vampire, he was filled with arrogance and pride; his special bloodline, which made him a strong mage, was just something that added to his conceit.


    But the smile of the girl in front of him made something inside of him move¡ªthe guy fell for her. Her purity and unawareness caused his heart to beat faster than ever.


    He had, until now, never felt his heart beat like this, not even the time when he killed his mother with his own hands.


    Woosh¡ªBoom


    He was so upied with his thoughts that he wasn''t even able to see the attackunched by Margaret and was hit by it.


    "Huh?" This course of action surprised Margaret herself. She hadn''t even gotten serious.


    Thud


    With a thud, the guy fell to his back as the attack from Margaret, although not the strongest, was still strong enough to make a one-star go unconscious, especially when he wasn''t prepared for the attack.


    Alex, seeing Damian down, walked up to Margaret, who was still looking around in confusion, "I won? Just like that?" Was all she kept muttering, and the crowd, although expecting an epic fight like thest one, still cheered for Magaret.


    "YEAHHHH! GOLDEN!!"


    Alex, who was walking past Damian, nced at the guy''s face and saw a wide devilish grin on his handsome face, even though the guy was clearly unconscious, and muttered to himself, ''It''s still the same.''


    "Did I really win¡ª" It was then that Margaret, who saw him walking toward her, questioned him, but when he turned toward her, she paused, a bit dazed.


    It was the first time she had seen him this closely, and she had to admit that Alex was really the most handsome man she had ever seen¡ªway better than the guy she just fought.


    "Yes, you won the match."


    But she was soon broken out of her reverie when she heard Alex''s voice, feeling his palm gripping her wrist and raising her hand high, making the audience go silent for a second.


    "The winner of the second match is Golden." And as soon as he dered the result, the Colosseum again burst into cheers.


    Margaret was left a bit disappointed, as she had thought that her fight would also be just like thest fight, but it seemed her luck just wasn''t that good...


    With ast nce at Damian, she went upstage, sitting on one of the five seats made for the winners of the first round.


    And just like that, the rest of the matches went on, none of them making the audience scream their lungs out like the first match, but still satisfying as every participant was strong.


    There were supposed to be 5 matches anyway, and among them, two fights were with the main characters, so of course, they were going to win.


    Yes, Ben, who had yet to be able to control his power, did struggle a bit, but in the end, he won, making his victory seem heroic but still nowhere near the fight between Mira and Brisk.


    Keryu, the transmigrated protagonist, however, ended the fight in just a second, leaving a strong impression on the minds of the audience and the higher-ups as well.


    Thest fight, which was between the mages, both having water as their main element, turned the fight into a battle of attrition. The result was obvious¡ªthe boy with higher mana won.


    All that was left after the five matches were five winners, including Mira, who, after recovering her mana using a mana potion, had returned to the stage, staring at Alex without blinking, as the match looked uninteresting to her with Alex on the field.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Alright, you all! It''s time for another vote! This vote will decide who among these five would move directly to the finals!"


    And finally, it was time for another vote, this time to decide who among the five remaining yers would move to the next level without having to fight.


    Five people couldn''t make pairs, after all.


    The one receiving the safe pass will get to avoid fighting for two rounds, one where the four remaining would fight and the next, which would be conducted right after, making the winners of thest two battles go against each other.


    And finally, whoever wins would fight the one with the safe pass.


    "Start!" Not long after under Alex''smand, the voting started, and the result...


    "YEAHHHHHH!!!! BLUE, WE ARE ROOTING FOR YOU!!"


    Mira turned out to be the one getting the safe pass, making the audience roar happily.

 CHAPTER 44 - The stakes are high.

    The matches continued after that, again decided by votes. But unlike before, everyone''s colors were changed.


    "What would be the fun if you all knew who you were voting for?" This was what Alex had said when he changed the colors.


    If the audience knew who was whom, then it was no different from letting them directly choose who would fight. Alex wanted to leave a bit to the luck as well.


    The audience, although a bit disappointed, as they had already decided who to vote, still happily voted. It was a unique thing, after all. They had never been this actively participating in the matches before.


    Every time, the audience was supposed to just sit back and watch as the contestants were selected by lottery, and then matches were conducted with people with famous names winning. Today, however, no one knew anyone''s name, and without names, it was hard to guess who was who.


    Even the most famous person isn''t known to everyone in the world, especially when the world they live in is as big as Astralorbis. That was why, without knowing the names, it was hard to guess a person, unless, of course, they were entities such as the leaders of races or the strongest entity of a region.


    So, with random yet selected voting, the matches were decided.


    Keryu vs. Julius¡ªthe boy who was the winner of thest match in the previous round.


    Ben vs. Margaret.


    These were the match structures, and unsurprisingly, both Keryu and Ben won the match. Keryu''s match, just like thest one, ended pretty quickly, but during Ben''s match, something unique happened.


    "Ben! Is that really you?!" Margaret, who saw Ben from close, shouted in shock and tion the moment she saw Ben, making him frown, but as soon as he recalled the little girl with orange hair whom he used to y with during his childhood, his eyes widened to the extreme.


    "Orango!" It was then that he realized that the girl he hadn''t seen for more than 8 years¡ªthe one whose name he never got to know¡ªwas Margaret.


    It turned out that Margaret and Ben had known each other during their childhood, being y buddies for 8 years of their childhood, only to be separated as Ben was picked up by a passing powerhouse.


    Ben used to call her Orango, a name he came up with, as Margaret never told him her name, but he never thought that the snotty kid from back then would grow up to be a beauty like this.


    So, after chatting for a while, Ben was about to surrender, wanting to ept defeat, but Margaret was a step ahead.


    "I admit defeat." She dered as she smiled at Alex as if telling him her decision, and Alex, after passing her a reassuring smile, dered Ben the winner.


    "I was never interested in the seat in student council; I only wanted to have fun, so after you win thispetition, let''s have some fun!" This was all she said to Ben before running off backstage, going to get a seat in the audience.


    Alex, who could listen to their conversation, just shook his head. This novel had so many plots and so many things to solve, yet Sophie thought that this novel was the simplest one...


    [I-I never did an in-depth reading, alright! I thought it was romance-based since I only focused on the chapters rted to that!]


    Sophie quickly tried to defend herself, as she could tell what Alex was thinking. It was as if she were a cat with her tail being stepped on.


    She knew that it was her fault for not being an immersive reader, but what could she do? She made a mistake, and now there was no going back from it.


    The moment she got the choice from the goddess, she only remembered the romance and harem part of the novel; shepletely forgot, or more like she never even focused on the other parts. It waster when she became the system, gaining knowledge greater than she could ever hope to; she realized just howplicated andplex the plot of this novel was, but again, they could do nothing about it.


    "ck and White, are you guys ready? Or does any of you want a break to heal your mana and stamina?"


    Soon, with only two participants remaining to fight before the finalist was decided¡ªKeryu and Ben¡ªAlex called them both in and asked the question.


    He knew that they were far from tired, as one of them didn''t even break a sweat, defeating his opponent even before the poor guy could make a move, and the other won without even fighting, but it was his job to ask, so he did.


    "No." X2


    Both of them, listening to Alex''s words, replied in unison, shaking their heads, their eyes fixed on each other, none having any desire to lose the match.


    Ben had just given his word (he didn''t) to Margaret that he would win and then spend some time with her, so he didn''t n on losing. He wasn''t interested in the student council seat as he didn''t know what he could get from it, but due to his promise, he couldn''t lose. No matter what.


    Keryu didn''t want to lose as well. He knew how monstrously impossible it was to defeat the protagonist, as this guy literally had tons of plot armor protecting him, but he just couldn''t lose.


    His first love¡ªhis sister¡ªhad her life at stake here. His father has her as a captive, and the only way to have her released is to win thepetition in the most overbearing way.


    Why would his father do that? Well, although it wasn''t forbidden to have incest among demons, Keryu was a useless son until the real Keryu died and the transmigrated Keryu took over. The transmigrated Keryu retained the feelings the real one had for his sister and confessed to her, only to find out that she loved him just as much, but things weren''t that easy.


    His father had already decided to marry his sister off to some other empire in order to gain more political allies, and Keryu, who heard that, couldn''t sit still; he confronted his father about it, and after a long up and down between them¡ªsomething that almost killed him¡ªhis father came up with a conclusion.


    "You either win thepetition, making the demons seem like the strongest race among this year''s students or forget about ever seeing your sister ever again."


    So, Keryu didn''t have any option but to fight. He still had one Trump card in his arsenal, and if used correctly, he might be able to win the match.


    Both of the participants had their own motives and their own goals, and they were both determined not to lose. Staring into each other''s eyes, they could gauge each other''s intentions.


    They knew that, just like them, their opponent had no intention to lose. If that was not all, both of them were strong.


    One of them wasn''t aware of his own strength, while the other, although fully aware of his strength, knew that the opponent would be hard to deal with, and between them stood another guy¡ªa guy who knew both of their limits.


    The guy, Alex, had a calctive glint pass through his eyes as he stared at both Keryu and Ben simultaneously.


    "Since none of you have any desire to take a break, I will announce the start of this match in three, two..." He raised his hand, feeling the tension in real-time, and so did the audience.


    They could all tell that even if this fight didn''t turn out as epic as Mira and Brisk''s, the stakes here seemed higher for some reason.


    "...one. Start!"


    And with those words, the battle began.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 CHAPTER 45 - The Last Match? 1.

    Woosh¡ªng!


    The moment Alex gave the go for the fight to start, both Keryu and Ben rushed at each other, swords appearing in their hands as they shed, sending a small shockwave into the surroundings.


    Their faces were at most serious, grim even, as they didn''t want to lose.


    They were gritting their teeth, pushing each other with all their force. Their swords caused sparks to fly off, but none of them were able to push the other even a bit.


    ''Tie in strength¡ª'' Keryu noted with a frown, as he had somewhat expected it. No matter how strong the demons were supposed to be whenpared to humans, the protagonist didn''t sit in that category, but his words were cut short and his eyes went wide as the next second...


    "YAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" With a shout, Ben''s right wrist shone for a second, and suddenly, his strength increased, shocking Keryu, making him prepare for retreat, but before he could.


    Baam


    A punchnded straight into his gut, making his eyes almost bulge out of their socket.


    ''Speed as well?!'' Eximed Keryu on the inside as he felt his guts trembling.


    Woosh


    "YAAAA!!" But as soon as he heard the yell from Ben, he hurriedly rolled back, only to see the guy''s sword descending right where he was standing a second ago.


    Baam!


    The floor cracked as the strikended, making Keryu grit his teeth as he knew that if that attack had hit him, he would be out cold by now.


    ''You gotta be shitting me...'' Keryu muttered in disbelief as he saw Ben''s right arm shing again, and before he could even react, the guy was already in front of him, ready to cleave him.


    "I WON''T LOSE!!!!" Yelled Ben as he shed his sword downward, with no intention of stopping, but the next second...


    ng!


    "Hah... Seriously. You had to force me to use this, that too when he''s right here..." Keryu''s voice, deeper than before, made its way to Ben''s ears, sending chills down his spine, and he hurriedly jumped away.


    "There''s no saving you now..." Keryu''s voice, however, still as heavy andidback as it sounded a second ago, went on, making Ben stare at the dust that was setting down, and as the dust settled, his eyes widened.


    "D-Demon..." He muttered involuntarily, as that was the only thing that came to his mind when he saw the form Keryu had right now.


    "Oh?"


    Up in the colosseum, among the highestpartments, a surprised voice echoed as if interested in this new form of Keryu.


    "He didn''t say he had something this interesting up his sleeve." Muttered the voice, each wordced with an undefiable authority and a dangerous charm.


    "Hmm... whatever this bloodline is, it is strong, so I guess you will be meeting him soon..." The room waspletely dark, making it impossible to see anything, but as the voice reached this point, a corner of thepartment brightened with purple mes, revealing a girl who looked like a female counterpart of Keryu, tied up in a very inappropriate way.


    Her eyes, however, were nk, and even after the voice spoke to her, she didn''t seem to show any reaction.


    "Well, since the little man your brother''s facing is a student of ''that'' person, there''s still a chance that there might be another surprise, but let''s see..."


    With that, the voice faded away, making the room eery and chilly again, as if no life was present in that room.


    Alex, on the other hand, raised a brow as he saw Keryu''s looks.


    ''I guess he can say bye to the dashing entrance he wanted to make,'' he chuckled inwardly, knowing full well that Keryu, in the original plot, wanted to make a dashing entrance into the academy, but with his demonic form¡ªwhich looks disgusting, to be honest¡ªrevealed, there was no way it would be possible now.


    His ck hair, which was silky and smooth before, was nowhere to be seen as his head was now covered in gooey ck scales. His handsome face now had a ck, tar-like substance covering them, and his purple eyes, which were enchanting to look at, had turned polychoric, making one repulsed.


    His whole body was covered in the same gooey ck scales that covered his head, and from the looks of it, they were strong, since there was nothing but a scratch where Ben''s attack hadnded, and one must know that thest attack was Ben''s full power attack.


    "Why do you keep saying ''Yaaa!'' every time you attack, huh?" Keryu, feeling the gazes on his, couldn''t help but grit his teeth, ring at Ben, who was the reason he had to turn into this form.


    "You can always attack silently, you know." He growled, wanting to take some of his anger out on Ben, and the next second...


    Woosh


    With a woosh, he was standing right in front of Ben, with his hand raised up and sharp ws extended from his fingers.


    "It takes your enemies by surprise!" He cackled as his ws descended at Ben, who had his eyes wide as Keryu''s speed was a bit too fast for him to react.


    "GRAHHHH!!!" But still, with his instincts ying a crucial role, he quickly sidestepped, avoiding the strike that could''ve torn his arm apart, only to have his skin peeled off.


    "Did you think that was all?"


    Ben, however, didn''t get time to even think of something as he heard Keryu''s voice again, whispered right into his ears, and his hair stood to its end, his senses warning him to move, but it was already toote.


    Baam¡ªCrack


    "ARGHHHH!" With a strong punch on his back, Ben was sent crashing to the ground, falling facefirst, screaming in pain as he heard the bones in his back break.


    "We''re still not done yet!" But Keryu, as if he were a real devil, jumped on top of Ben, punching his broken back again and again, making Ben roar in pain.


    This was a bit too much for him. He might go unconscious if it went on.


    Ben''s eyes moved to Alex, who somehow happened to be staring at him as if waiting for him to admit defeat, but before the guy could even do that.


    Baam


    A punchnded on his face, making his eyes go nk and his brain tremble. He was unconscious. Thatst punch was thest of what he could take, and Alex, seeing this, just sighed, raising his hand, ready to dere Keryu as the winner, but just then...


    Huuuuuu


    The sound of air from a deep breath was heard. It was nothing but a single breath, but every person in the Colosseum heard it, making their backs go cold.


    ''Dangerous!''


    No matter who it was, just had this single thought sh in their heads, including Keryu, who, with his eyes expanded to the limit, quickly jumped away, and with his muscles tensed, he stared at Ben''s body lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious, but he knew better than to believe it.


    ''FUCK!!! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO ME?! Why did I suddenly start torturing him?!'' He roared inwardly, panic and urgency filling his mind, which, due to the fear he felt, had somewhat cleared down.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [It was your fault for your using that bloodline, host.]


    It was then that Keryu saw a message, just like Alex''s system''s, sh in front of his eyes, and he realized that it was the bloodline''s fault.


    ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I pushed him too far¡ª''


    With his wandering around, he clenched his fists, trying to think of a solution to this situation, but before he could even think of something, his senses screamed of danger, and he saw that Ben''s body, which was lying in front of him, had disappeared...


    Huuuuu


    It was when he heard the sound of a deep breath right next to him that he realized where Ben had gone.

 CHAPTER 46 - The Last Match? 2.

    The moment Keryu had transformed was the moment the whole Colosseum had gonepletely still. Many were repulsed by his look¡ªthat was for sure. But more than that, they could feel how strong he had be. They could feel their hair standing to their end.


    Many in the Colosseum were stronger than Keryu. Some were so strong that they could kill him with a snap, but still, the strange sense of crisis they felt wasn''t because of his power; it was something more primal¡ªit was as if their bodies just didn''t want to go against something like that.


    ''Keryu is going to win.''


    This was all of them could think of¡ªno, this is what it looked like. Everyone, with paused breaths, just wanted it to end as Ben looked hard-pressed.


    But it all changed the moment they saw Ben''s body tremble and a single sound¡ªthe sound of someone sucking in a lot of air¡ªwas heard.


    That was the moment that even the air stilled. People couldn''t stop their bodies from trembling as the air seemed to have turned cold.


    "I-Is it really a fight between one-stars..?" Muttered someone from the third-year teachers'' group; no one knew who did it, but right now, no one had the thought of looking away from the battle.


    It was just a fight between two people who had just entered the power system; they were just one-star brats, yet they could make people from way ahead in the power system feel threatened.


    The whole fight was clear in the eyes of those people; they were strong enough to follow the movements of both Keryu and Ben, but still, they couldn''t predict the result of the match.


    ''Hmm, around three-star...'' Alex, on the other hand, standing quite close to the ongoing battle, observed how Ben, with his semi-conscious body moving at an impossible pace, made Keryu lose a chunk of his flesh with every attack and rated the power of the guy to have reached around three-star beginners.


    One must know that he was just a low one-star, star formation realm fighter a second ago, but now he seems to be three-star, all because of the special physique he had.


    "GRAHHHHH!!"


    And that was why, even now, Keryu, who had his power elevated to a peak of two stars, could only helplessly scream in pain as the constant barrage of attacks kept tearing him apart.


    Keryu, due to his instinct kicking in at thest moment, had been able to avoid the first attack Ben did after getting this boost, but now all he could do was make it so that his vitals were avoided.


    He kept ring at Ben, who was now unaware of what was going on, but his attacks relentlessly showered on him, making it seem like he was taking revenge.


    "H-He''s clearly disqualified! He''s a-aiming¡ª" Keryu, titled his body, tried to avoid Ben''s attack as he screamed at Alex, trying to put his point, only to have his words cut short, as again...


    "¡ªGAHHHHHH!!" A part of his waist was chipped away, making him roar in pain.


    BAAM


    But that was not all as he was thrown back by a punch straight to his face, making his already ugly-looking appearance turn worse as some of the scales covering his face broke, making yellow puss-like blood drip out of it.


    Keryu''s mind went nk for a second. He could feel the shock in each and every brain cell in his head, turning the insides of his head around. As for his jaw, well, it had gone numb, or maybe the pain was getting hard for his brain to catch up now.


    However, at this moment, when his head nked, he didn''t see death, nor did he feel fear. No life-shing moment or anything like that. All he saw was a scene with a girl who looked like the female version of himself, just way pure and innocent, smiling at him.


    "I''m waiting for you, Keryu..."


    That was all she spoke, and Keryu, who was about to fall to the ground, had his eyes snap open, revealing his polychronic eyes, which were filled with panic and urgency, clear. It was as if he had all of his doubts cleared.


    He could see Ben rushing straight at him with a shining blue sword, which appeared in his hand the moment he had had his power reach close to three stars. It was something his physique gave him.


    Keryu, however, just stared at the guy, not moving an inch, making people believe that Keryu had given up; even Alex squinted his eyes, but the semi-conscious Ben, who couldn''t even tell what was going on, didn''t stop, and soon...


    Pierce!


    GASP!


    The sickening sound of flesh and bones being pierced echoed through the eerily silent colosseum, followed by the gasps of the audience, who were now standing in their spots in shock.


    Keryu had his heart pierced¡ªit was clear for all to see. The left side of his chest was pierced right through. The sword, pulsating with blue light, covered in red blood, was now protruding out of Keryu''s back, and soon, along with the sword, Keryu fell to his knees.


    Thud


    "..."


    The people just sucked in cold breaths, feeling the tension in the air; their muscles contracted as well. ''Did someone die in an electionpetition?'' This was all they could think of.


    But just then...


    "Heh..."


    A strange chuckle was heard, and the next second, everyone, with their eyes wide, saw how Keryu, who was supposed to be dead, raised his head, staring straight into Ben''s nk eyes, his jaws wide open, and a dangerous purple ball of energy was swirling.


    Looking at that ball of energy, even Ben''s ck eyes constricted in fear, especially when he was about to take that attack at point nk without his sword in his hand. His body trembled as he hurriedly clenched the hilt of the sword plunged into Keryu''s chest, his eyes bright with killing intent as he tried to pull the sword out vertically, hoping to cut off Keryu''s head.


    ''TOO LATE!!!'' But Keryu didn''t feel a bit concerned as his attack was already charged to full power. His eyes, just like Ben''s, were filled with killing intent. Ben''s killing intent was unintentional, but Keryu''s was intentional.


    ''It''s better if I killed him right now. Much better than having a person capable of much greater feats living.''


    That was what he thought. Letting the protagonist of the story grow stronger was thest thing he wanted to do, especially when he was a viin who was supposed to be killed by Ben in the academy arc.


    BOOM!


    The next instant, his mouth opened wide, shooting the beam of purple energy at Ben, and Ben, gritting his teeth, roared, "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" He was using all the strength he could muster to just kill Keryu, even if it was thest thing he did.


    But just then...


    p!N?v(el)B\\jnn


    A crisp sound of someone being pped echoed through the stadium, and Keryu, who saw Ben being pped in slow motion, had his eyes go wide as the next second, his mouth, which had just released the beam of energy, was covered by arge palm, and his body was lifted off.


    Boom!


    With a muffled boom, the beam, which was supposed to explode, got absorbed in that palm, leaving Keryu speechless.


    With his body raised up high in the air, he felt like a doll with its strings cut loose, his limbs hanging down with no power to move, making it impossible to turn down and see the face of the person responsible for his current situation.


    But, just then, from the corner of his eyes, he saw Ben, with his butt raised up, his head embedded in the cracked ground, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.


    ''Who¡ª?!''


    He wanted to know who it was that made them turn into this, but his thoughts were cut short as he heard a voice, as rxed as it could be, making its way into his ears.


    "I hereby disqualify both of you from the electionpetition for using an attack with killing intentced in it."


    ''Alex Drakathor...'' That was thest of his thoughts, as the next instant his body gave out and he fell unconscious. He had pushed his body for way too long.

 CHAPTER 47 - Whos the Winner?

    - Do not attack if the other party surrenders or is unconscious.


    - Do not take external help¡ªpotion, any weapon apart from the one the referee knows of, or any such thing¡ªduring the fight.


    - Do not attack with the intention of killing.


    These were the only rules of thepetition, and Alex had exined them so that there was no doubt left in the minds of the participants or the audience.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    So, although everyone was surprised by Alex''s sudden intervention, after they heard his words, they settled down, their breaths finally returning to them.


    Yeah, many were dissatisfied with Alex''s actions, as it seemed like the fight was about to reach its end and the winner was about to be decided, but he stepped in. They, however, could do nothing about it as Alex''s actions were in no way wrong.


    "Well, the semifinalists are now disqualified, as you all can see."


    The silence in the Colosseum, which was still maintained, was broken only when Alex spoke again.


    What now? Thepetition is cancelled then? What about the finalist? Such questions could be heard among the whispers of the audience, but no one could give a certain answer, as this had never happened before.


    The only one who could do something about it was probably Alex, as he was the host and the referee of thepetition, someone with the power to make a decision, and even if it was biased, no one could do anything against him, so all eyes turned toward him.


    "What now¡ªis what you all are thinking, isn''t it?" Feeling the numerous gazes on himself, Alex smiled, curiously looking at the people in the crowd, and seeing many people nod their heads, he continued.


    "Well, thest fight was one of the best fights I had seen until this day¡ªthere''s no denying it." Alex''s words again made many people smile as they believed his words to be true.


    This battle between Ben and Keryu was really one of the best most of them had seen. They could feel the fight, even though the fight was between two students who had just started their power journey with little to no mana abilities involved.


    It was a battle more epic than Mira and Brisk''s, but...


    "But they had to go ahead and break the rules, destroying all the fun I was having." Alex''s expression turned sore as he said that, and since he was using the Commanding Presence, the audience could feel his dissatisfaction with the result.


    Many couldn''t help but think the same.


    ''Why did they have to do it?! They fucking spoiled the fun!''


    Such thoughts started to settle in the minds of the people, especially the girls, who just didn''t think that anything Alex, the prince of their dreams and thief of their hearts, would be wrong.


    Then, with his finger pointing at Mira, he spoke with as much frustration as he could, "So, all I wanted right now was to dere Mira, the finalist, as the winner since she, unlike those two, fought with honesty, and even when the opponent tried to attack her by surprise, she didn''t fight back because she knew that her opponent had lost the match."


    The next second, however, he sighed, clenching his fist and shaking his head, as if trying to stop himself. "But I won''t do it. I don''t want to go against my own words." He paused for a breath before he turned back to look at the audience. "I gave you the control of making decisions from the start, so I will leave it in your hands again."


    Anyone who met his determined gaze just straightened their backs, feeling the responsibility on their shoulders increasing by folds just by his words alone.


    "Please pick up your voting devices, and once I tell you to do it, please select one among the two colors, green and red." Alex kept his gaze on the audience, his face as serious as it could be as he went on.


    "Pick green if you believe she, who hadn''t done anything wrong instead of ying it fair, should win." He again pointed at Mira, who, even with all this going on, kept staring at Alex''s confident and determined contour.


    He looked even more handsome in her eyes right now.


    "Pick red if you believe we should just cancel thepetition." With those words said, Alex took a deep breath, and the audience, with their fingers hovering over the color they wanted to choose, held their breaths, waiting for Alex''s signal.


    "And, start!"


    Ping!


    The moment Alex signaled for the start of the voting was the moment the gauge of the green bar filledpletely, with there being negligible light in the red bar.


    The results were clear. Almost everyone chose to make Mira the winner. They chose green, and Alex, who had turned to look at the board, finally turned back to the audience, a sincere expression on his face as he spoke, "Thanks to your votes, everyone, the winner has been decided."


    A small smile made its way to his lips as the audience, fully aware of the results, and as happy as Alex was, but they still waited for him to dere it.


    No one said anything as they saw Alex slowly walking up the stage, looking into Mira''s eyes, smiling at her before holding her right hand. To them, he was just doing his job.


    "Good job, Mira." Whispered Alex to Mira, and a rare yet soft smile for the first time appeared on her face.


    She didn''t know why, but right now, her heart felt warm¡ªmore warm than it had ever felt. She didn''t even know that she was smiling, but she was doing it, and swear to god, she looked mesmerizing, so much so that even Alex was stunned for a while, much less the audience.


    Many among the audience thought that they only voted for Mira because of Alex''s words, but it changed now.


    Now, they were just thankful for Alex making them give their votes, as it was the reason for them being able to see such a beautiful smile.


    Alex, however, was quick to break out of his daze, shaking his head and raising Mira''s hand high up, doing what he was supposed to do¡ªannounce the result.


    "The winner of thepetition is Mira." He dered, making the audience, who were waiting for this moment, roar at the top of their lungs.


    ""YEAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!""


    "MIRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"


    Cheers of Mira''s name echoed through the colosseum, making the surroundings rumble, sharing their enthusiasm.


    By tomorrow, everyone in the academy, even those who haven''t attended thepetition, will know the name of the winner, Mira. She would be allotted a seat in the student council, making her eligible for many other benefits, but those things would be discoveredter.


    Right now, under the shouts of Mira''s name, Alex''s gaze turned to Ben and Keryu, who were being transported to the medical ward in a hurry, ignored by the audience. Their bodies were pulsing, bleeding, and cracking from many spots.


    The result of them pushing their bodies more than they should''ve was bing apparent now.


    ''Those wounds are serious enough to make them immobile for at least a month,'' Alex mused, as he knew how severe their wounds were. They were quite close to death, maybe ying UNO with the Grimreaper in their heads.


    But Alex somehow felt that they would be up and jumping in two weeks at most.


    The plot couldn''t go on with the main characters inactive, so maybe by some miracle, they would both receive some kind of elixir from someone, making them get better and maybe stronger as well.


    Suffering makes the protagonists stronger, after all.


    Soon, he just shook his head, not wanting to think too much about those two guys. They won''t die anytime soon, and neither did Alex want them to die. They woulde in handyter on, so he just shifted his gaze toward the voting board, his expression turning serious.


    Someone was waiting for him there, and he had to go meet with them. So, a few momentster, he left the mic with Lilia, who was still backstage, and left themand in her hands. The only thing left to do was let everyone leave in an orderly manner anyway.


    He failed to notice the smile on Mira''s face fading the moment he let go of her hands, or maybe he intentionally ignored it as he felt that talking to the person behind the board was more important.


    But whatever it was, with this, the first-year electionpetition came to an end.

 CHAPTER 48 - Thorin Anvilbrow 1.

    "Hahahahaha. I love this boy!"


    As the spectators were being escorted out of the Colosseum, in one of thepartments at the top, someone wasughing gleefully.


    "He''s such a maniptor," the voice spoke between the giggles.


    The voice was sweet, enchanting, and melodious, making it clear that it belonged to a woman, but just like the otherpartments, this was dark from the inside.


    The only thing perceivable was a pair of golden eyes that seemed like orbs of light floating in the darkness.


    "Who would''ve thought that he would introduce the girl by using those two boys who fought tooth and hard?" The voice giggled again, adding, "It was such precise maniption of people''s minds that even I found it frightening."


    To normal people in the audience who were fully immersed in the match due to their low power level, the words spoken by Alex before were emotion-stirring, but for those who didn''t feel anything other than surprise when they saw the match, Alex''s maniption was clear.


    He had used the match that made people stand from their seats as a base to rile them up emotionally, and when the moment was at its peak, he, instead of calling Mira as Blue, called her by her real name.


    The moment was so perfect that although everyone''s mind registered that Alex had introduced Mira, they didn''t focus much on it, as they were emotionally connected with something else.


    "As a cherry on top, he even made her look like a hero, fully aware that, in doing so, he was damaging the reputations of the other two promising young men with bright futures ahead of them," the voice continued, as though the speaker wasn''t merely talking to herself but recounting those details for someone else.


    Alex had also made Mira look like the one who did best in the performance. His goal from the start was to give Mira an image good enough to not get bullied in the academy like she was in the original plot.


    Now, with what he had done, even if the high-ranking studentster realized that they had actually cheered for amoner¡ªsomething some noble kids like the sons and daughters of kings and high nobles would never want¡ªMira would already be a figure that many would be looking up to.


    "He went as far as taking the risk of offending the demon lord," praised the voice, honestly surprised that he would do it, but he did.


    Yes, Alex was using the demon lord''s name as he saw showing Mira to be better than Keryu. He was using Keryu''s name as the demon lord''s youngest son as a stepping stone; it meant that he was using the demon lord''s name as a stepping stone.


    "I guess having a mother as strong as Vanessi gave him confidence, but not anyone can have resistance to the intimidation of the demon lord," the owner of the voice chuckled to herself, mentioning Vanessa in a term that made them seem quite close, and then...


    Rustle


    "You did a good job."


    The sound of clothes shifting was heard along with the golden orb-like eyes going higher. The owner of the voice was now clearly standing.


    "He''s not naive¡ªway too mature for his age even. He''s not some goody to shoes and seems like the guy who would be evil if necessary. He''s a maniptor. Andst but not least..." The owner of the voice took a deep breath, giggling a bit, her golden eyes forming a crescent as she added, "... he''s one of the most handsome guys I have ever seen. Hehe."


    "Thank you, mydy."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was then that a voice¡ªdistorted and broken¡ªwas heard. It was as if someone was using a walkie-talkie. The gender of the owner wasn''t perceptible due to the static interference of the device, but they sounded happy to receive thepliment from thisdy.


    "Hm, hm, hang up now. I need to meet with Vanessi now!" The owner of the glowing golden eyes spoke; her eyes were always bright, making it seem like she was smiling all the time.


    "As you wish, mydy." The voice on the other side of the walkie-talkie-type device listened to hermand, and with a beep, the call was cut off.


    Even after the call was cut, the owner of the voice still didn''t move; her eyes were staring at Alex, who, after handing the mic to Lilia, was now moving toward the board, a hint of desire shing past her golden eyes but disappearing as soon as it appeared.


    "My god, what was I even thinking? Hehe." She giggled to herself, "Vanessi would kill me if she were to hear about it." She shook her head jokingly before vanishing from the spot.


    The room descended into silence as soon as she was gone, leaving nothing but a golden-colored coin on the table, shining bright like her eyes, but soon, the coin, which was ced on the table, dissolved into it, disappearing just like the woman.


    ...¡­


    Meanwhile, Alex, oblivious to the fact that he was being stared upon by someone, was right now talking with a guy¡ªthe one responsible for the construction of the voting board.


    The guy had short-trimmed, jet-ck hair falling low across his forehead and wore square-framed sses, which made him look more mature than his age. He was wearing a simple beige long-sleeve shirt and ck pants. He didn''t look like a person who cared about his looks at all.


    His ck eyes were focused on Alex as they went through the oath they had taken before, retaking them.


    "Hah... Why did we have to do it again?! This is just a waste of time; I was never going to reveal anything, anyway." The guy, afterpleting the oath, sighed in indignation.


    "You know that I don''t like half-assing things," Alex, however, just shrugged, not really bothered by the guy''s tone, as he knew that although this guy had some anger issues and sometimes spoke more than he was supposed to, he was not really a bad guy.


    He was supposed to be the biggest supporter of Ben, who would identally save this guy, but Alex, not wanting to wait for that plot, just bought the guy with money. This guy loved money, after all.


    He was Thorin Anvilbrow, a dwarf with some special circumstances, and it is due to those circumstances that he, unlike other dwarves, isn''t actually small in height.


    Right now, he might not be much, but in theter part of the story, this guy bes really rich, as he is the best craftsman you can find.


    "Yeah, yeah. Give me the damn contract now!"


    Thorin, however, just waved his hand and demanded something with his other hand extended toward Alex.


    "Here, have it." And Alex, taking the contract paper from his storage ring, handed it to Thorin with a disinterested look. "It would be safer on you, anyway."


    Thorin, who got the contract, didn''t even hear Alex''s second line, as the moment he got the contract, he started reading through it.


    This contract was rted to the voting board. Alex had promised that he would let Thorin sell the voting board under his own name, even though it was Alex who came up with the idea. All Alex wanted was 5% of the total profit.


    It was a pretty loss-inducing offer for Alex, but that was precisely why Thorin agreed because he could see only profit in it.


    Yeah, there was this condition that was not written on the contract but Thorin took an oath of existence for, which was to not reveal anything about what had happened today.


    "Good, I will be taking my leave now."


    Soon, however, Thorin turned around, walking away from there, fearing that Alex might stop him and try to change some conditions since the contract was just like what he had said it to be.


    Thorin was always thinking that Alex was trying to cheat him, but it looked like he wasn''t¡ªwhich, although hard to believe, wasn''t something he should be thinking about right now.


    For now, he just wanted to run away from here, not wanting the worst of his fears toe true, and Alex, who saw the guy almost tripping in a hurry, just chuckled, shaking his head.


    He had settled one more thing with this.

 CHAPTER 49 - Another Heroine?

    Alex kept staring at Thorin''s back, seeing him running farther and farther away. He was clearly in a hurry, and although his movements still seemed funny, Alex wasn''t smiling anymore.


    [Alex...]


    Sophie''s voice was heard in his head; it was as if she was reminding him of something, and he nodded his head.


    ''I know...''


    He could feel the presence of the person who had been listening to his chat with Thornin moving away in panic and hurry. They seemed to have realized that they had heard something they weren''t supposed to hear.


    Alex, who had felt their presence from the start, hadn''t made a move before only because he didn''t want Thorin to know about his real personality just yet. That guy, Thorin, hated violence after all.


    But now, with him gone, Alex didn''t have to control anymore.


    With a cold gleam shing past his eyes, he zoomed in the direction this person had run off to.


    This person had been sneaking around him for a while, but he had ignored them as they had done no harm to him, and his people were still trying to figure out which organization this person belonged to since no one with zero backing would try to sniff things around him.


    But not anymore was he going to let it be. That person might be able to feel it as well since Alex, although just for a second, had shown killing intent when he felt that person trying to take out a recording device.


    If not for Sophie keeping an eye on things and telling him that this person wasn''t trying to record anything now, then Alex would''ve just taken care of this person right in front of Thorin.


    Step-Step-Step-Step


    As Alex neared this person, who, with a lot of effort, tried to rush forward at breakneck speed, moving toward one of the academy''s peaks, which somehow turned out to be the third peak, the one that Alex lived in, making Alex frown.


    ''A person from third year...?'' He slowed down as a certain thought shed in his head, making his eyes widen a bit.


    ''Is it her?'' He questioned Sophie, who, hearing his question, replied instantly.


    [Yes. It is her, and for some reason, she had set her eyes on you...]


    Her voice sounded a bit down as she replied to Alex''s words, and Alex, who felt her emotions turning depressed again, paused in his tracks and sighed.


    ''You know that I love you, right?'' He questioned her again, and Sophie, who heard that question, soon just shook her head, waving off the depressing thoughts about not being of more help, and replied with a smile that Alex could imagine on her face the moment he heard her voice.


    [Yes, and I love you more than that.]


    Alex, chuckling at her words, continued to rush forward, keeping track of the person¡ªwho was revealed to be a woman¡ªhe was following.


    He could clearly guess why Sophie had turned a bit dejected because it happened many times already. All because Sophie, having the power and knowledge, couldn''t use it to help Alex much.


    Sophie knew almost everything, even the tiniest of things going on in the world, but there was a restriction ced on her. No matter how hard or pressing the situation gets, she isn''t supposed to reveal anything until Alex has cracked almost all of it by himself.


    But just as both Alex and Sophie were talking among themselves, Alex had already reached the girl''s ce. Unlike Alex''s mansion, she lived in a simple room created among the many caves on this peak.


    Alex kept his eyes on her as she walked toward her cave''s door, reaching out to it, but just then...


    Woosh


    Alex had to duck down in a hurry as the girl snapped her head toward him, her ck eyes staring into the trees among which he was hiding. Alex, from the bush, peeked out, trying to see what she was doing, only to find out that she had already entered her cave house.


    ''She was probably just looking around to make sure that she wasn''t being followed.'' He muttered to himself as he recalled how cautious she was in the original novel.


    [Probably...]


    Even Sophie thought the same, though not entirely sure.


    She knew everything going around the world, sure. But she wasn''t someone who could read people''s minds. So, right now, just like Alex, she could just shoot an arrow in the air.


    With cautious steps, Alex moved toward her cave, his eyes squinted, ready to counter any traps ced in the surroundings, only to frown as he encountered none.


    ''She''s trying to make me lower my guard.'' Alex concluded that as he saw how things were going, his body, instead of rxing like the girl had hoped for, grew tense.


    He knew that the girl from the story wouldn''t make a mistake as basic as forgetting to activate the traps in the area. This simply meant that she had intentionally let loose, not activating the trap.


    [She knows that she was followed.]


    Sophie, just as cautious as Alex, spoke in his head, making him nod his head.


    ''And she knows that I''m stronger than her.'' Alex added with a serious expression. He knew he was stronger than this girl¡ªway stronger. But this girl had something that could harm him, kill him even if used perfectly; that was the only reason he hadn''t killed her yet.


    If she were not one of the heroines of the novel, he would''ve killed her way before she entered the lodging area.


    Yes, she was a heroine, and although not one that was strong enough or ranked high enough to bepared with Mira, she was still someone who was supposed to be one of the biggest supporters for Ben until he had reached the higher power system.


    Huhhh


    As he reached close to the door, Alex took a deep breath, and with his eyes closed, he touched the wall, trying to sense her presence, using another ability he had bought from the system. It was a sensory ability called earth sense¡ªan ability that sends out vibrations that could sense anything as long as it was directly or indirectly touching the earth.


    But...n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''I expected it, but still, I''m surprised to discover that she has another artifact strong enough to block a heroic-ranked ability.'' Shaking his head in defeat, Alex sighed and moved his hand away from the wall.


    ''Well, I wanted to not make my presence obvious, but I guess I can only risk it now.'' With those words going on in his head, he waved his hand downward, and as he did...


    Boom


    A pressure of 7X gravity descended on anything and everything within the room, and soon...


    "Ghhh!!"


    Alex heard a pained groan, making his expression solemn. Should he believe that the girl was immobilized?


    Boom


    He didn''t believe it. She was one of the heroines; there was no way that much would be enough, making him increase the pressure to 10 times the normal gravity, and the moment he did it...


    "GAHHHHHH!!!"


    He heard an unmistakable agonized scream, one that couldn''t be mimicked, making a smile bloom on his face, ''Now that''s something that I can believe in.''


    With that thought, he finally kicked open the door and entered the room.

 CHAPTER 50 - Never Threaten Alex.

    BAAM!


    The gate, which was supposed to be closed, was open, making it crash right into the wall, shattering into pieces the moment Alex kicked it, but other than raising a brow at that, Alex did nothing else.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t; he couldn''t, as the scene in front of him needed more of his attention.


    Broken beds, chairs, tables, pots, and sses were thest things he was focused on, as the one responsible for himing this far and doing so much as breaking into someone''s house was lying on the ground face-first.


    "Uhh... Urghh..." The poor girl couldn''t even scream properly; the only thing she could do was let out whimpers. The first scream was probably caused by the bones in her legs breaking, as she was still standing when he had increased the gravitation pressure to 10X.


    Alex could see blood pooling below her, flowing out of many ces in her body, especially when the ground had already caved in where she was lying.


    Her legs were turned into an impossible angle with bones protruding out of her skin, broken due to the pressure, and Alex was sure that her front side, which was taking full burn of the 10X gravity, wouldn''t be much better.


    ''Uh...'' With an awkward look on his face, Alex hurriedly waved his hand, lowering the gravitational pressure to 5X, enough to keep her down but nowhere near enough to kill her.


    But as he looked at her almost dead state, he wasn''t sure anymore.


    ''Wasn''t heroines supposed to be strong...?'' He couldn''t help but wonder, doubting if he had really overestimated the heroines of the story.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The protagonist seemed to be strong enough, as he had already seen what Keryu and Ben were capable of, but this...


    [You do know that 10X gravity is something even James can''t withstand, right?]


    Sophie, looking at his expression, questioned with a sigh. She''d wanted to stop him when he was about to use 10X gravity, but she discovered something right at that moment, making her stop.


    ''Oh...'' Hearing her words was an eye-opener for Alex, but then he sighed.


    ''This damn bacsh, just how long is going to go on for...?'' He growled, wanting to pull his hair out as he realized that he had been forgetting a lot of these minor details these days.


    He knew that he had done something that went against the norms, and he wasn''tining about the bacsh, as the boon he had was far greater than anything, but for how long¡ªjust how long does it have to go on for?! There has to be a limit, right?


    This was getting frustrating, after all.


    Cough-Cough!


    Two coughs made Alex snap back to reality as he stared at the girl in front of him, still lying on the ground but now turned around. Alex had seen her struggling when he was talking with Sophie, but feeling no threat, he let her be.


    But now, when her battered body, her bloody face, half-crushed, her venta ck hair, wet with blood, and her supposed-to-be ink-ck eyes, which had now turned red with blood filling them, turned toward him, it was hard to not look at her.


    She was supposed to be a beautiful girl, with a smile every present on her face¡ªa smile so sweet that could make any man melt, only to fall under her de.


    Yet now she looked like the bloody ghosts one would see in their nightmares. The only thing visible on her bloodied body were some tattoos, which didn''t even look anything special.


    ''Urgh...'' Alex grimaced as if he could feel her pain as well. Alex was cold, no doubt about it, and he had already killed some people in this life, much less thest one, but he wasn''t immune to pain. So, looking at her made him imagine how much pain she must be feeling, and to be honest, he didn''t want to imagine it again.


    "Look, I will get straight¡ª" Alex, trying not to be merciless by directly killing her, tried to take it easy on her.


    She was one of the heroines, and she was the key to getting something that Alex really wanted, so he wanted to settle all of this up peacefully. He wanted to torture her before and make her regret spying on him for so long, but... he didn''t think he needed to do it anymore.


    The girl had already suffered a bit too much¡ªthat too in a second. Alex wasn''t even sure if she would survive if he didn''t help her, so he just wanted to end it quickly, but his words were cut short by the girl as her lips moved.


    "Alex... Drakathor..." Her voice, barely a whisper, broken into pieces, made its way to Alex''s ears, making him frown.


    The girl was clearly in pain. If he had to guess, he could tell that she already had her throat crushed, but even with blood pouring out of her mouth. Even with her voice getting muffled and gurgly, choking on her own blood, she still continued.


    "I won''t tell..." Her voice was barelying out, and Alex wanted to just stop her, but the way her bloody eyes looked at him, for some reason, made him feel off.


    Something was not right. But what was it? What was he missing??


    "Anyone about... your secret... but," the girl, however, as if not even feeling the pain in her body, went on. If not for her throat damaged, then she would probably be speaking normally by now¡ªor so was what it seemed.


    "You will... have to... make a deal¡ª" The girl was about to threaten Alex using the fact that she knew something he wanted to hide, but before she could continue with her words...


    sh¡ªSquelch!


    She saw a sh of ck before her arm, which was already broken beyond repair, was cut off. The girl, however, didn''t even flinch; her eyes remained fixed on Alex, staring at him without blinking.


    "Why¡ª" She questioned, not getting why Alex cut her arm off, but she was cut off by Alex.


    "Do not threaten me. And do not think that you have an upper hand, Kaira Strakler." Alex growled, bending his body a bit with his sword''s de right next to her neck as he stared down at her.


    He could see her eyes, which showed no emotions until now, widening a bit at the mention of her name, but Alex didn''t stop. The thing he hated the most was being threatened, as his whole past life, from the moment he was born, he had always been threatened.


    "I prefer not killing people who could be my potential ally, but do not think of my mercy as a weakness. I would hesitate not once if you were to do that once again."


    His message was clear from those words. He didn''t want to be her enemy, but if she wanted it, then he wouldn''t back down. His not killing her was enough to show that he didn''t want her dead, yet she was trying to threaten him¡ªthat too with something that he wasn''t even scared of.


    "If you have this delusion that I am scared of having news of what I have done released, then feel free to let everyone know about it." Alex raised his body, stepping away from her, pulling his sword out of the ground.


    It was as if he was challenging her, giving her a chance to try it.


    "I do not wish to¡ª" The girl tried to speak, wanting to make amends as she didn''t mean to anger Alex, but the next second...


    sh¡ªSlice!


    Alex''s sword shed again, and before the girl could even realize what happened, her world was plunged into darkness.


    "If you get a chance to do it, that is." Alex, staring at the head of the girl, which was now separated from the body, finally finished his line, staring coldly at the girl''s corpse.

 CHAPTER 51 - Unexpected.

    [Alex...]


    Looking at Alex, reminded of his past, clenching his fists, Sophie couldn''t help but feel sad as well. She just couldn''t see Alex down, even more so in situations like this where she couldn''t even say anything.


    She wasn''t there with Alex during his struggle period. She became his girlfriend when he was already part of the higher ranks in the gang¡ªa position where not many dared to provoke Alex, much less threaten.


    She knew that Alex hated it when someone threatened him, but she didn''t know to what extent until today.


    ''Hah...''


    Alex, feeling Sophie''s emotions, sighed. He doesn''t lose control of his emotions like this, but there are some things that he can''t digest no matter what, and Kaira did just that, resulting in her death.


    ''Don''t worry... I''m fine.'' Alex reassured Sophie that he wasn''t as agitated as before, and he really was calming down, regretting a bit as he really didn''t want to kill Kaira.


    She could''ve led him to one of the highest-tier inheritances in this world, but, oh well, there was nothing he could do now.


    The issue wasn''t even that big that Alex would go so far as killing a heroine, but she had to go ahead and threaten him.


    What did she even know? Just the fact that Alex had manipted the votes of the audience?


    He did it, so what? He had the whole colosseum in the palm of his hand from the start, but again, so what?


    Was this something so big that Alex would get scared? Was that how weak people saw him as? Would people even believe it without proof?


    ''Hah...''


    Alex just didn''t get why she was thinking she had the upper hand. No matter what she did, she couldn''t undermine Alex''s image; not just anyone could do that.


    Even if someone was able to do it, Alex would just say that it was more entertaining¡ªhe wanted the audience to feel the thrill that they felt. Only Alex had ever been able to do it, no matter what he did for that.


    Alex had two simple goals from thepetition; one was to make Mira''s start in the academyfortable, and the other was to test the limits of the protagonists.


    He had nned three to four possible oues and handed them all to Thorin, as that guy had the final control in his hands. No matter what the audience voted for, everything was prenned and predicted by Alex.


    The first five matches were very simple. Alex matched up Mira with Brisk as it would be a toughpetition, but because of her speed, Alex knew Mira would win, just like she did.


    Keryu and Ben, as protagonists, were supposed to win no matter what or who they were against; from the remaining two matches, Alex let one be the same as the plot¡ªwhich Margaret won like she was supposed to.


    Thest wasn''t something Alex even focused on, as the winner was supposed to lose the next match.


    Then it was the match between the protagonists; it was a bit of a risky move as Alex didn''t know what the result would be, but in the end, everything turned out for the better.


    He achieved the goal he was hoping for from thepetition, and that was all he cared about.


    The only reason he wanted to kill the one who heard his talk with Thorin was because he didn''t want things to get annoying. If all of this were to get leaked, then his amiable image in the academy''s eyes would be destroyed.


    People would still not cause trouble for him as the fear would still be there, but the respect and awe hemanded wouldn''t be there anymore.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    He started to look around, hoping to find the artifact that he had been cautious of a while ago¡ªthe reason why he hadn''t attacked her before until he had her cornered.


    tter-Shuffle-ng


    Alex went through the broken things, looking for a particr dagger, but much to his frustration, no matter how much he couldn''t find it.


    ''Fuck. Where is it?!''


    He roared inwardly. It had been 10 minutes since the girl had died, and although she lived in a secluded corner, if someone were to pass by and see the situation of the surroundings, they would, of course, notice the strangeness.


    It would be fine if it were some students, as Alex was confident enough to defeat them, but not the teachers¡ªAlex still wasn''t strong enough to be able to defeat all the teachers.


    Murder wasn''t allowed on Originveil City, much less the Academy, but even if you didmit a murder, getting caught was a no-no¡ªit was forbidden to get caught.


    Just as Alex was thinking about this, his gaze paused at Kaira''s body.


    ''Of course! Why would I not search her body first!'' Alex facepalmed himself as he again missed one of the basic points.


    ''Fuck this bacsh!'' With a growl of annoyance, he bent down, his hand moving toward the bloody and battered body of Kaira, but before he could touch it, a voice was heard.


    "It is not very polite to touch the body of a girl without asking for permission, especially when you killed her without mercy. Someone might mistake you with someone who has some weird fetish, Mister Alex."


    Alex froze in his spot, his body tensed before he jumped away from the body, his sword appearing in his hand as he hurriedly used his gravity magic to lighten his body, making it possible for him to move faster, but as his eyes turned at the source of the voice, his expression darkened.


    "A clone..." He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes, trying to think about his next move calmly.


    "Oh, this? Yes, it was supposed to be a clone, and thank you for cutting its neck; now I can speakfortably."


    The one who was speaking was no one other than Kaira; the only problem was that it was the head of Kaira, which was already severed, speaking calmly as if it were normal. All because the body that Alex had killed was actually just a clone¡ªa clone that could move even after it died.


    Of course, it wouldn''t be able to do it for long as it would soon be just an empty husk, but with this, Alex now knew that the real Kaira was actually alive.


    Alex, after a while, opened his eyes, as calm as ake, and spoke, "Hm, I was wondering when you were going to reveal it."


    The way he said those words made the fake Kaira squint her bloody eyes, staring at Alex with some suspicion in her eyes.


    From Alex''s words, it seemed like he was already aware of the fact that it was a clone¡ªwhich of course he wasn''t.


    Alex was trying to bluff, hoping that Kaira would buy it as he added, "But again..."


    Deliberately stopping mid-sentence, Alex slowly walked toward Kaira''s head, standing right in front of her, staring down into her bloodied eyes. "...I don''t want to talk with a fake, so please talk to me when you have your real body. And do not try to threaten me with your real body."


    He paused, pointing the tip of his sword at her forehead, making her look at him with interest as hepleted his words, "I do not wish to kill the real you."


    Pierce!


    With that, he had killed the clonepletely. No matter how high-leveled a clone it was, it won''t survive after its head is pierced after all.


    ''Sigh...''


    Another sigh, but this time it was one filled with relief.


    Alex really didn''t know what to do for a second, but just as he thought that everything was over...


    Shine!


    The tattoos on Kaira''s body, which Alex had ignored before thinking of them as nothing important, suddenly started to shine with a dangerous light, making Alex grumble in frustration.


    "Oh,e one! A self-destruction-type clone? Seriously¡ª"


    BOOM!


    But before his words could even finish, the body of the clone exploded with a loud boom, making the entire area tremble.


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