“Where is Lohann? Truly. Anything would help.”

The man gritted his teeth. Anger joined his desperation to create resentment and hatred. This time, the man spoke clearly.

“Ten kilometers northeast of here. Within Greenwood Territory. There is a Dungeon hidden behind a hill. He often went inside. That’s all I know. He once called me to a base nearby to do… Something I don’t remember.”

Was that when he placed the imprint?

At the same time, Michael frowned. It was possible to enter and leave a Dungeon repeatedly? He hadn’t tried it with Mushroom Grotto or Lizard Labyrinth. Since it was impossible to leave a Dungeon before clearing it, it stood to reason that Lohann had beaten this specific Dungeon.

“Can you lead me there?”

“I could, but… I don’t want to. There’s nothing else to be done. Kill me.”

“…What? No, why would I kill someone who has just freed themselves from Lohann’s control?”

The man held his head in his hands.

“I’ve done so many… Unspeakable things. I don’t know why or how. I don’t deserve to live. Kill me!”

Michael stared deeply into the man’s eyes.

“You were under someone’s influence. Even if your sins are a burden, you now have the opportunity to atone. You can live a good life still. I will kill Lohann.”

“…”

“It’s fine if you don’t want to lead me there. You’ve told me enough. I will find the place. All I ask of you is that if Lohann tries to Whisper to you, tell him that I’m dead. It will slow him down at least a little.”

“…”

“Then, I’ll be going now. Leave this place. The others here are still under his thumb and will likely try to kill you.”

“…Thank you.”

Michael nodded and took a deep breath. He evaluated his own condition; apart from a considerable drain to his mana pool, he was virtually in pristine condition. He walked next to the man as they both left the clearing as Mana Field pressed the others down. Once they were out of the clearing, both started running in different directions. The sudden movement destabilized the Field, making it disappear. The previously subdued fighters came to life with screams of rage, but he paid them no heed. He had a destination in mind. His high physical stats carried him away from the center of the spiral much faster than the enemies. Once he was far away enough, he cast Whisper. Viktor picked up immediately.

“Michael. Did you succeed?”

There was slight anxiety in his tone, which surprised Michael.

“I did. I found out where Lohann is most likely staying: it’s a Dungeon in Greenwood Territory. Ten kilometers northeast of the center of the spiral, hidden behind a hill.”

Viktor spoke in a firm tone.

“I’ll gather all the captains. We’ll surround it and make sure he doesn’t escape. Are you going to head inside on your own?”

“Yes, it’s the safest approach for the others. Believe in me.”

“I do. Good luck. We’ll do our part.”

Michael dismissed the spell.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

There was only one enemy left.

***

Sitting on the Griffin’s back as it lay on the nest, Lohann found himself deep in thought. The idea that Michael was already a corpse by now was unlikely. He cursed in his mind and spoke to himself.

“I should have prepared more thoroughly.”

Of course, his final line of defense and the one in which he had invested the vast majority of his resources still existed. This whole Dungeon was under his control; it was a feat made possible only by pushing his Blessing and Class to their absolute limits.

The Griffin alone consumed a huge amount of power.

He closed his eyes. The “feeling” he got from all the brands still burned bright. It meant that there had been no noticeable decrease in their number. That did not mean, however, that Michael hadn’t fought and defeated the people at the center of the spiral; it only meant that he hadn’t killed them or removed their brands. It was good news; Lohann would get to keep most of his forces after Michael’s death.

Or…

He had been entertaining an idea as he looked at the place where one first appeared in Eagles Peak.

Michael could join me.

The Monster of Bluestone Village had already proven himself to be willing and able to kill for a greater cause. It was a trait that not many people in the Tutorial Zone had, despite the passing of time. Most merely hid in the first Village they found. The emergence of the Territory Wars drew a few out of hiding, but their number was still small compared to the total. Lohann had the distinct feeling that, if he managed to explain his point of view to Michael and explain why he was doing everything he did, he might be able to obtain a powerful ally.

In the end, weren’t their goals similar? Michael wanted to protect humanity, while Lohann wanted it to walk on its own two legs. Both of them fought for humanity’s sake. Of course, Michael’s thinking was misguided. Protecting the people in the Tutorial Zone would do nothing. They needed to grow stronger on their own. What if what came after the Tutorial was even more dangerous? Would Michael protect them forever? No, it was impossible.

That’s why they need to be made strong.

Only by surviving through adversity would they prevail. Those who died on the way were irrelevant; weaklings that wouldn’t have survived anyway. They were sacrifices for the greater good, and Lohann was willing to sacrifice as many as it took. His goal needed to be realized. Even if he ended up being remembered as a madman, he would still know that he had done the right thing. He was certain that he could convince Michael. Yet, should he really try to do so? If he approached Michael, he might be injured before being able to get a word out.

Silently, he thought to himself, his fingers drumming his thigh.

He still remembered the first death he witnessed. It had happened during a hunt outside of Redglow. From afar, he watched a woman be mauled and crushed by the bear she was facing. The rest of their group, after screaming out in righteous fury, intensified their attacks on the bear and managed to bring it down. That was when he realized what needed to be done.

The death of some people pushes the others forward.

There was no way to progress without sacrifice. As such, he would take on that burden. It was his duty as the one who had been blessed by the gods. As his thoughts reached this point, Lohann looked at the brand on his right palm. It started to glow in a pale blue light. Around him, symbols shone on the eagles and Griffin. He clenched his fist. When he evolved his Class, this feeling became even stronger. He instantly realized the possibilities of his powers. Their burden on his mana reserves and body was immense, and the ability was limited in scope, but the Blessing supported and fueled him. After all, he had paid the price. A pained cough left his lips.

Michael’s death or, preferably, recruitment paved the way for supremacy. There would be no considerable resistance from Bluestone anymore, allowing Lohann to fully focus on fighting against Viktor’s organization. By killing all enemies they encountered, Lohann’s people would be able to reduce the enemy’s numbers before the enemy retaliated in kind. By then, the difference in power would have already grown too much.

Even if Viktor is willing to kill my puppets from the get-go, not all of his people will agree with him or be able to do so.

It meant that the Challengers would be forced to sustain heavy damage before properly fighting back. By achieving supremacy, he would be able to help the Villages develop. Not in the way they currently were, but instead, through the correct methods. Once the troops sent to kill Michael returned, it would be time to put the plan in motion. Thankfully, he already knew that the troops had survived the battle.

Creating “puppets” was a tiresome process. He had only been able to create so many because he had formed the First Circle. After spending virtually every waking moment dealing with Derek and creating new puppets for over a month, he had finally reached the current number. Losing too many of them would be a great loss since most of the people in Villages were already wary of him. His only hope would be to infiltrate Greenwood, where he hadn’t acted much.

As his thoughts reached this point, Lohann thought of leaving the Dungeon to be able to cast Whisper and contact one of the soldiers, but he chose not to. If he got caught by Michael while outside, he would die a dog’s death.

Silently, he simply waited.