Michael momentarily stopped as he considered the female captain’s words. Proof? He spoke.

“How am I supposed to prove that? There are no cameras or cellphones and no witnesses. There’s no way for me to come up with that kind of proof.”

Samantha replied.

“Are you suggesting we take your words at face value? You could just be someone pretending to be the Monster for unknown reasons.”

“No, why would anyone pretend to be someone who’s considered a psychopath and a mass murderer?”

“There are all kinds of twisted people in the world, including those who gain pleasure by seeking fame through any method.”

Her gaze seemed to bore into him. Irritation floated up to the surface. If the conversation continued to go down this path, it would lead nowhere. He had no way to prove his identity, while she had no reason to believe anything he said until he did. If those were the circumstances, there was only one alternative left. Michael raised his staff and drew a line in the air in the direction of the wall next to him. The others hurriedly pulled out their weapons once they sensed the movement of the mana, but it was too late.

“Mana Wave.”

The Wave came into being. It tore through the stone’s surface, digging deeply into the wall and crushing through a giant mushroom cap. It kept going and going even deeper into the wall, coming out on the other side and creating a long scar. Michael spoke.

“At the very least, I’m a Mage capable of doing this. This was the Skill I used to kill the eleven men, but I suppose you wouldn’t believe that. Still, isn’t a Mage with this much firepower worthy of your attention?”

Samantha blinked rapidly. Then, as if she were completely unafraid, she walked closer to him, narrowing the distance of ten meters for the first time. Her men spoke up in a cacophony of protests, but she didn’t stop. Leo merely looked at Michael with solemn eyes. The woman approached the damaged wall, touching it. She looked at the scar, marveling at its depth. Seconds ticked by in silence. In the end, she was forced to speak.

“…You pierced through the stone all the way. We certainly can’t discard a Mage who can do this, regardless of whether you’re the Monster or not. I’m glad you sought us out. There are other groups who would literally kill to have someone like you.”

Michael responded, his tone still firm. It seemed that his strategy had worked.

“I know. I haven’t reached out to your organization out of nowhere. There’s an enemy I need to find and deal with.”

Samantha turned away from the scar on the stone while shaking her head, looking at him with curious but wary eyes.

“Who is it? Is it someone we are supposed to know?”

“Yes, I believe you know him quite well. His name is Lohann.”

At the mention of the name, the expressions of Yellowbright’s group visibly hardened. Leo broke his silence after a few seconds, letting the information properly sink into the others.

“…You said he is an enemy?”

Michael replied immediately, without hesitation.

“Yes. I will kill him.”

“…For you to speak of killing someone so lightly, you really must be the Monster of Bluestone Village. No matter. It seems we have a common enemy. The Challengers are also looking for Lohann.”

It no longer mattered whether he was the Monster or not. He had proven his strength and brought up his enemy; the response had been positive. As they were people with a common goal, helping one another was natural. Samantha spoke.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“He is a powerful enemy who has overcome our plans to deal with him so far. We don’t have an accurate guess about his fighting strength, nor are we aware of how many people follow him. We only know that his own hidden organization is comparable to Derek’s in size.”

Michael replied, slightly surprised.

“Do you know where he is?”

“We have found a few hideouts spread all throughout the different Territories, but there’s been no sign of him in two weeks. We believe we’re getting closer to finding him; after all, there are only so many hideouts that he and his followers could have built. The number has already surpassed our expectations, but there is surely a limit.”

Michael inwardly cursed. He had been hoping that the Challengers knew more than he did. At least they had found more hideouts. He still didn’t know whether to trust Derek’s final words regarding Lohann. The man could have used them to send Michael into a trap. On the other hand, if the information was true, it would be much more effective to use it instead of searching around blindly.

“…I understand. I’ll look for him on my own, but I need a way to relay information to you. Do you guys have any Mages capable of using Whisper?”

Samantha nodded.

“We do, but they’ll need your mana signature. We would need to return to Yellowbright Territory while bringing you alongside us. Alternatively, we could ask them to come here, but it would be too risky.”

“Besides,” Leo said with a meaningful gaze, “There is more to coming back with us. There’s someone who might be looking for you.”

Samantha threw Leo a glance. Michael frowned.

“Looking for me?”

He had already found his friends, but there were still more friends out there. It was just unlikely that they would be sent to the same Tutorial Zone under the same Villages. Apart from his friends, the only other person who would look for him was his mother. Michael’s eyes widened as the realization hit him. Maybe…? No, it was hoping for too much. But he hadn’t found her yet, which meant it was possible…

His heartbeat quickened in real-time. Michael felt the blood rushing through him. He tried to hide the rollercoaster of emotions he was experiencing behind a calm and collected façade. Hope only led to disappointment. He should temper his expectations. Yes, finding his mother wouldn’t be so simple. But…

…I have to confirm it.

He continued to speak.

“…Why would someone be looking for me?”

Samantha sighed as she threw another glance at Leo. She explained his words.

“Our greatest Healer has been looking for someone called Michael Gray. You match her description of your appearance. We have been looking for you for quite some time.”

His heart thumped in his chest. ‘Her.’ The person looking for him was a woman. Hope slowly blossomed in the desolate wasteland that his heart had become after killing and injuring so many people. The odds were low, but they seemed to be getting higher. Was it right of him to dream of this situation turning out exactly as he wished?

Please, God. Let it be her.

“What’s her name?”

The two captains glanced at each other before Leo replied.

“Allison Gray.”

Michael made his decision in an instant, almost choking up.

“I’ll go with you. I’ll meet this person.”

His voice was shaky and his vision was getting blurry, but he withstood the onslaught of emotions. He took several deep breaths. Meanwhile, Samantha and Leo were carefully observing his expressions and reactions. They exchanged a few glances, before nodding at virtually the same time. Leo spoke.

“Off we go, then. Are you ready to leave?”

Michael answered a bit too quickly.

“Yes, I’m ready.”

A course of action was decided upon. The others started moving. Their feet shifted in the direction of Yellowbright’s Territory. Two people moved to the rear of the group, while Samantha, Leo, and Michael stayed in the middle. Their steps were firm, but internally, Michael’s situation was anything but. He kept switching between Heaven and Hell, trying to contain his expectations at the same time that he inwardly rejoiced for possibly having found his mother.

Calm down. It might be a trick.

What if the captains had only said that to deceive him into joining them? They could have said the same about any name or appearance.

But, how would they know that I’m looking for a woman called Allison? And why would she be looking for me as well?

Had they been hoping to capture him through mere chance? It was unlikely. A hopeful flame now burned within him. He earnestly prayed to gods he didn’t believe in.

Let her be safe.

Samantha had said that the woman called Allison was their greatest Healer. If she truly turned out to be his mother and not just someone with the same name, it meant that she had occupied a position of power, albeit unknowingly. A small grin made its way to Michael’s face. His mother wasn’t the kind of person to calculate her gains and losses like that. It was far more likely for her to have gotten her position after only thinking about how to best heal and take care of others.

No, I still don’t know if she’s my mother.

He wouldn’t be disappointed no matter the result. It was an impossible wish. From the moment he was told her name, a possibility had sprouted within his mind. He kept repeating the words in his head, trying desperately to contain his expectations not to be disappointed.

It was time for him to meet the leaders of Yellowbright Village and find the woman who was looking for him.