Time marched on.

With every hideout hit, Michael became more certain of Lohann’s plan. The spiral pattern was now obvious, to the point where he could predict the general location of the next hideout without even questioning his enemies. However, he still made time to try and destroy the brand on the people he felt the same distinct, foreign trace of mana. He failed every time.

Sitting inside one of the hideouts, Michael breathed rhythmically. He had discarded the notion of going through the hideouts one by one. Now, he would head straight towards the center of the spiral after resting. There was no need to go along with Lohann’s plan and exhaust himself. He had already realized that the man wouldn’t be able to carry out his decree. At the same time, Michael’s friends and family were safe inside their Villages. Lohann had no way of threatening their well-being.

I won’t play your game.

Soon, he stood up and left the hideout, running without straining himself. He should take care not to reduce his own fighting ability. It was unclear what awaited him at the center of the spiral pattern, but hopefully, he would be able to remove the brand this time. Easily traversing the terrain, he approached his destination. He took notice of the lack of animals or sound around him.

It was as if his spiritual self had made contact with something new. It was a persistent and periodical feeling that reminded him of a cellphone receiving a call. It took him a few moments to realize that this was the sensation of someone trying to Whisper to him. He accepted it. A floating mouth made of mana took shape next to his head. Viktor’s voice echoed out of it.

“Michael. Are you still fighting?”

His tone was reproaching, as if he were a parent who had caught his child doing something bad. It was a familiar tone that Michael recognized. Viktor didn’t seem like the type of man who would speak like that, at least to Michael, which only meant…

“Did my mom tell you to ask me that?”

“…Yes.”

Michael sighed. As expected. Viktor didn’t care enough about him to be concerned about his well-being, even if it involved hunting an enemy. Only his mother and friends would care about that.

“Tell her that I’m fine. I can keep going. By the way, when did you become able to Whisper?”

“One of our Mages just learned the spell a few hours ago. He transferred the ‘voice’ to me. That isn’t important. It’s been more than thirty-six hours, Michael. You need to rest. From this point forward, battles will only become more dangerous due to your fatigue. I don’t even know how you managed to keep fighting for so long, but you should be reaching your limit.”

This time, Viktor’s tone was stable. Those were his own words, not anyone else’s. Michael replied in an equally firm voice, with a smile.

“There’s no need to worry. I’ve rested enough in-between the hideouts. I’m almost at 100% capacity. I noticed Lohann’s plan; I’m not going to play into it. Which leads me to the next point. Have you noticed that the hideouts form a spiral pattern?”

“Yes.”

“I’m headed to the center of the spiral. There, I might be able to obtain more precise information regarding Lohann’s location. If I do so, I want your people to help me encircle his location. We can’t allow him to escape.”

“It’s a good plan. We’ll follow it as soon as you learn where he is. I’ll transfer the ‘voice’ to Allison now. She wants to speak, as she’s been listening to this conversation.”

The ethereal mouth shut its lips. When they opened, a different voice came out of them.

“Michael. Come home, now.”

Michael’s shoulders shook. It was one thing to be told her words; it was another entirely to hear her speaking. As her voice entered his ears, he feared that he would drop down to the ground and not want to stand up again. It relaxed him, but he knew that letting his guard down was the same as signing a death warrant.

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“…There’s no ‘home,’ mom. Not anymore. I’ll return once I get this done.”

She replied with a shaking voice.

“Michael! You’ve already put yourself in too much danger!”

He shook his head. It wasn’t as if he didn’t understand her point of view. From her perspective, every time he found a hideout would be a source of worry. Would he be able to walk away uninjured? Had he been forced to kill more people? What if the battle was more dangerous than he believed? Countless worries likely haunted her mind. Michael had run around and fought for more than a day and a half. During this entire period, his mother would’ve been worried out of her mind. Her shaky voice and urgent tone were only evidence of that.

“…There’s no need to risk other people’s well-being. I’m powerful and in good condition. It’ll end soon.”

“No! It’s too risky! Let the Challengers handle the rest! You’ve already done too much!”

It was true. Michael readily acknowledged that. He had single-handedly hit tens of hideouts, dealing with hundreds of people. If Viktor’s people had needed to go by them individually, there would have been casualties, no matter how large and powerful the organization was. Michael had indirectly saved the lives of an unknown number of people. Now, he could sit back and let Viktor take the reins. He was certain that the man would eventually find and kill Lohann, as they intended. But, what about the people who would be sacrificed in the process?

“Mother. It’ll be impossible to avoid casualties. I should be the one to see this through. It’s the only way to spare the highest number of people.”

Michael didn’t consider himself a hero or a saint. There was no meaning to risking his life for others. Yet, for some reason that wasn’t clear even to himself, he couldn’t walk away from this. Was it because of his resentment towards Lohann? No, wasn’t it basic human decency? If he had the chance to save more lives, shouldn’t he simply take it? It was a matter of numbers. However…

How many people would have been able to make the choice I did?

This so-called ‘basic human decency’ was something that many people lacked. Self-preservation was the most primordial and important law of survival. It couldn’t even be argued against, given that it was something that all living beings prioritized.

I don’t know anymore.

It didn’t matter whether he was a good person because of this or not. Results mattered. He spoke.

“I’m going to do this, Mom. I’ll return safe and sound, but only after this is all over.”

His tone was unshakable. There were a few long seconds of silence. In the end, the voice coming out of the ethereal mouth took on a defeated edge.

“…I understand. Please, no matter what… Stay safe, Michael. Survive.”

Allison’s voice broke into a sob as she spoke. Michael closed his eyes with a sigh. His heart wavered before finding its footing once more. The floating mouth closed. When it opened, Viktor’s voice resounded.

“…Truthfully, I’m not comfortable with leaving everything up to you. You’ve already done a lot. But, I understand your position won’t change. I can only pray for your success. You can do this, Michael. We’ll keep trying on our end, too. We’ll hit as many hideouts as possible and try to find a clue. Stay strong.”

“Yes. You too.”

The ethereal mouth disappeared. Michael stretched his upper body and kept running. Ironically, his conversation with his mother had given him clarity. His objective was clear.

The non-stop fighting so far had made him realize that he was becoming capable of increasingly larger movements when casting. Dual Casting no longer seemed like a distant dream. His proficiency with casting through Twin Casting kept rising. He wasn’t wounded a single time. His vast mana pool supported all that he was.

***

“I wish to leave the Dungeon.”

Blinding light enveloped Lohann. He opened his eyes to the scenery outside the Dungeon’s entrance. In a location completely removed from the spiral pattern that the hideouts drew, he cast Whisper immediately. A devoted voice echoed out of the floating mouth.

“We estimate that Michael is rapidly approaching the center of the spiral. He rested in between hideouts and didn’t fall for the plan. Reports from survivors describe that he is still as unstoppable as ever.”

Lohann frowned. He had expected the threat of killing two hundred people to cloud Michael’s mind and make him reckless. The best-case scenario would be for him to rush from hideout to hideout without resting. However, he hadn’t taken the bait. He was being careful.

Why are you difficult to kill when you’re a blight?

Michael would make humanity weaker. This firm conviction was what drove Lohann against him. He spoke.

“Start organizing our people. Once he reaches the center of the spiral, send all nearby troops to his location. Make sure to include all the people he injured. It will hinder him.”

“Understood. I’ll spread the orders around.”

The underling replied in a tone of absolute faith. It was as if Lohann’s words were an inviolable, heavenly decree. It should have been unnerving, but Lohann took it as a matter of course. It was what his new Skills and Class were for. He stood up from his chair as the mouth disappeared. He paced in the room slowly. A feeling of satisfaction made its way into his heart, but so did an unsettling feeling. Michael would be at full power once he reached the center of the spiral; would the troops be enough? Lohann had concentrated nearly the entirety of the forces he had built over time on this, but still didn’t know if it would be enough. He no longer had a firm grasp on Michael’s fighting power.

Lohann looked at the Dungeon’s entrance.

No, not the entirety.

His strongest forces were still sealed behind the circular stone door. The ones he had had to push himself beyond his limits to brand.

If Michael survives the center of the spiral…

He needed to be ready to fight himself. For humanity’s sake and his own.

He sighed.