Lohann looked at the wand on the table in front of him with interest. It was finely crafted, a step above the starter wands. He grabbed it and spun it in his hands, deep in thought. At that moment, a knock was heard from the door to his office. He spoke.

“Come in.”

The door opened and a man stepped inside, bowing. He raised his torso, but kept his eyes low. Lohann spoke.

“So? Why are you here?”

The man blinked hard a few times and steadied himself. He replied.

“…I’m here to report that the Monster hasn’t reacted as expected. As far as we know, none of the hideouts we prepared have been hit. None of the traps seem to have been triggered, as well. It is possible that he made contact with another Village.”

Lohann scratched his chin. His enemy was taking his sweet time coordinating with another Village even though people were being randomly killed? Maybe Michael was a colder man than Lohann thought. Lohann frowned. He was trying to protect humanity exactly from that type of person. If Michael had fumbled to act right after the message about the executions had been delivered, he would have failed to achieve anything and could have died. This was what Lohann thought was going to happen, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have alternative plans. It only meant that his expectations were thwarted.

He cursed in his mind. Michael was a dangerous individual to be left alive, representing a danger to everyone around him. He killed too easily, fought too easily, and always came out on top. Without Lohann’s guidance, the people in the Tutorial Zone would grow to rely on Michael, neglecting their own personal power. It was the worst-case scenario.

I need to save them.

Steeled conviction filled his eyes. For the good of humanity, Michael needed to be eliminated. He spoke.

“If he still won’t act, we merely need to force him to.”

The man in front of his table replied.

“What should we do?”

“Announce everywhere that we will kill another two hundred people due to Michael's inaction.”

The man looked at Lohann for the first time.

“…But we have no grounds for doing such a thing.”

“Grounds?”

Lohann stared at his follower. He continued to speak.

“Do you seriously believe it doesn’t pain me to make this decision? I feel as if my flesh is being melted off my bones. Yet, I do it because it is right.”

The follower hurriedly looked down.

“B-But… I don’t understand.”

“You don’t have to. Nobody has to.”

It was a matter of course. In his quest to save humanity from this insane scenario, he had fully expected to be misunderstood. There was no reason to believe in his followers any more than in the man in front of him.

Humanity must become powerful.

Through the death of the few, the many would improve. The follower spoke.

“…It will be done.”

Somehow, the follower became a bit paler. It was strange. As a rule of thumb, the people in his organization didn’t mind his way of doing things. It seemed that the follower before him was one of the extremely rare few who still had something normal people would call a “conscience.” Lohann related to him. The follower was different from all the madmen in his organization; different from the filth that lived for power over others. Yet, the organization was necessary. It was only through it that he could realize his plan.

“What’s your name?”

“…Peter.”

“I know it might be hard, but never lose your heart, Peter.”

A minute frown crossed Peter’s face. Lohann didn’t miss it. It seemed that Peter couldn’t understand his ideals. That was fine. The thought that his organization of blood-crazed maniacs would get to killing two hundred people was also sickening to him.

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

Peter bowed and stayed still. Lohann walked up to him and placed his hand on the man’s head. A strand of mana left his body, slithering into Peter’s frame. Once he confirmed this, Lohann let go.

“Very well. You may leave.”

Peter quickly left the room. Lohann stood up from his chair. He looked at the ceiling and sighed.

Lord, give me strength.

The weight of the things he’d done threatened to crush him. Lohann looked down at his hands. How much blood had stained them? However righteous his intentions might have been, his death toll was undeniable.

I, too, wish I didn’t have to do this.

At that moment, he reminded himself of his goal. His gaze grew firmer. A blue symbol glowed on the hand that had touched Peter’s hand. It looked as if it had been branded by a hot iron. Lohann felt a response. It was done. Immediately, he felt a large drain in his mana pool. His shoulders sagged, but he took a deep breath. This much was manageable.

He left the room and started making his way towards his destination. The others in the small base didn’t react to his movements at all. He simply walked out and stuck to the shadows. Soon, he reached a large stone circle embedded into a stone wall. He lay his hand on it.

[Would you like to enter the Eagles Peak Dungeon?]

“Yes.”

The circle slid to the side. Lohann stepped into the darkness; it enveloped him completely. The next instant, he found himself at the top of a small mountain. The snow sunk slightly beneath his feet. He looked to his right, beholding what seemed to be a bird’s nest. However, it was over ten meters in diameter. He walked towards it, his feet sinking in the snow. The symbol on his palm glowed. The moment it did, eagles as large as a human flew up from the mountain’s lower levels. They flew around him, not making a sound. On their foreheads, a symbol glowed.

Lohann walked into the nest and sat down at its center. The atmosphere shifted as the sound of wings flapping dominated the space. The strong winds rustled his hair and made bits of snow fall off the peak. He looked up at the same time that a big shadow rose from behind and under the nest. It flew above him, landing on the nest. He looked at the enormous body that had wrapped itself around him.

It belonged to a Griffin.

The creature’s large beak touched his face with affection. Its beady eyes stared at him, a brand glowing between them. Lohann smiled, caressing the beak. The gods had chosen him to fulfill this role, and he would do it.

He couldn’t be defeated.

***

Michael analyzed the map on the table in front of him. Around him, Allison and the other captains did the same. Michael pointed at two spots on the map.

“These are the locations Derek told me.”

At the head of the table, Viktor stood with a doubtful look. He spoke.

“We haven’t tried going to those locations yet, but isn’t it highly likely that they’re traps? Derek’s resentment was completely focused on you. There was no reason for him to provide you with worthwhile information.”

Michael nodded.

“I’ve thought about that too, but it’s better than going around blindly. Since they might be traps, I’ll go alone.”

Allison immediately reacted.

“No! I need to go with you!”

Before she could say anything else, Viktor raised his hand.

“Allison, please. Keep a level head. Michael has proven his power. The burden of having someone else to protect would likely outweigh any possible advantages. If he were to go alongside other people, it would be better to move in a well-structured team.”

Allison’s expression collapsed into a frown.

“Then I’ll be part of that team.”

Michael spoke.

“I move better alone; it’s what I’m used to. It’s also the best way not to risk anyone else’s well-being.”

Allison scoffed but swallowed her words after looking at Michael’s eyes. They were filled with steeled determination.

Lohann is my problem to handle.

The man affected everyone around him, including other Villages, but ever since Michael had first been threatened by Lohann – who had claimed that a life would be lost for every captured flag – he had become personally invested in fighting. Lohann was a mad, rabid dog capable of causing too much harm. Michael felt that it was his duty to put him down.

I’ve been granted power beyond anyone else I’ve seen.

Knowing how and when to use such power was even more important than the power itself. He had great skills, so he should use them well. It wasn’t a burden; it was a natural course of action. If he had power, shouldn’t he use it for his loved ones? Lohann, who threatened their very existence, needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. At that moment, the loud sound of footsteps echoed throughout the room. Viktor turned his gaze to a place behind Michael, who turned around.

A panting young man had entered the room. With his hands on his knees, he breathed as if he had run a marathon as quickly as possible. All of those in the room waited for him to catch his breath, an atmosphere of confusion having taken shape. Finally, the boy spoke.

“It’s Lohann. His followers have announced that another two hundred people will be killed since ‘Michael’ hasn’t done anything.”

The boy glanced at Michael, whose expression had contorted into a terrible frown before the boy had even finished speaking. It was an absurd announcement. Fifty people were going to be killed because Michael had killed Derek, and now two hundred more would perish because he hadn’t done anything else? It was a nonsensical situation. In the first place, there was no logic in punishing him for his inaction. However, Michael knew that there didn’t need to be.

That fucking bastard.

Lohann was simply having fun while knowing that the deaths of others weighed on Michael’s mind. The room went silent as all those present processed the news. Michael was the first one to speak up.

“I’ll be going to the first of the locations discussed. I will attempt to find out about more of them as I go. Ensure that nobody follows me.”

His tone didn’t leave any room for discussion. Nobody protested, not even Allison. Michael decisively turned around before Viktor’s voice was heard.

“I’ll lead another team to the second location. We will catch him through any means necessary.”

The man’s voice boiled with an unusual anger. It was rare for him to lose his composure. Michael nodded without turning around and walked out of the room.

I need to kill him.

The necessity of Lohann’s death grew with every passing moment. It was imperative. Now, Michael was finally ready to start hunting the man down in earnest. It was the first time he trusted another group for a cooperative effort.