Bathalt's smile grew slightly wider, as if he was amused by my choice. He took a sip from his glass, the crimson liquid swirling like a dark storm in the confines of the crystal.

"Good, good," he murmured, swirling the contents before placing it down on the armrest. "Let us speak without the pesky interruptions of combat and the system."

I studied him warily, trying to gauge his intentions. Despite his calm demeanor, I knew not to underestimate a being who could so casually manipulate the very fabric of the game world.

"So, you're the one who's been causing all this trouble," he began, his voice smooth as velvet. "The system was quite perturbed when it found that it could no longer control you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Trouble? I'm just playing the game."

"Right. You humans who consider themselves Players treat this as a game," Bathalt chuckled, his eyes gleaming with something other than mirth. "But let me tell you a secret, Luquier Vaunt. This game is much more than that. It's a world with its own rules, and I dare say, I've bent quite a few of them."

I stared at him, my curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"

"How much do you know about Matches?" Bathalt countered.

"Not much other than what the Soultaker- er, I guess Thanatos and my Admin have told me." I frowned. "Did you cut off my connection with my Admin?"

The Devil King gave a small smile. "Indeed, I did. I figured it was only fair, considering the nature of our meeting. After all, I'm not bound by the same limitations as the other bosses you've encountered."

He took another sip from his glass. "Regardless, I still have restrictions. It won't be long until the system notices the abnormality and attempts to correct it once again. To answer your second question, yes, I did sever the connection between you and your Admin. Whether or not they are loyal to the system is unimportant, as they are still connected to it. The system would take notice of my actions if I hadn't cut off your communication."

Bathalt's words echoed in my mind as I tried to digest the implications. He had power beyond what the average player would know, and he was choosing to reveal this to me. "Why tell me this?"

"Besides the fact that you're the successor of someone I greatly respect? And the fact that you've already managed to bring the specter of one of my seven strongest subordinates under your control? That goes without saying that you quite literally forced the system to step in and thrust me in, who was residing past the 50th floor mark. Need I say more?"

I nodded, understanding his point. "But what do you want from me?"

"Nothing that you can provide me with directly," Bathalt leaned back in his shadowy chair. "I was just curious on who ******'s successor was, and they could impress me with where they were currently. Needless to say, I'm not quite disappointed, but I'm not thoroughly impressed either."

I felt a strange mix of relief and challenge at his words. He was definitely more talkative than I expected from a boss, and it was surprising that he didn't want to fight. Not that I was complaining, considering that even if my Death Match gamble paid off, there was still a chance he had something hidden in his sleeve that could prevent him from being killed.

"Alas, I digress. Back to what we were talking about: the Matches. Indeed, considering your world has not achieved the 50th floor, some things I say to you may be censored. If that is the case, then I cannot explain it any further." The Devil King raised an eyebrow at me. I nodded, urging him on.

"To put it briefly, the Matches were constructed by two powerful beings, ******, and ******. They were basically the first two beings in existence. However, the Matches themselves were not to be created until further down the universe's life, after humanity had reached the point of self-autonomy."

Bathalt paused, his eyes searching mine as if looking for a reaction. I kept my expression neutral, not knowing who these two figures were or what their significance was.

"At any rate, different species of life were existing around the time of the Great Calamity. The majority of the universe was unaware of the war between the two beings, and thus were unprepared when the Calamity actually happened. Granted, it was more so the result of a minor war between a different party, but regardless, it gave the two beings the idea for Matches," Bathalt glanced at me again. "With the way you remain stoic, it appears that you know somewhat of the history about the Matches."

I nodded slowly. "Just that immortals were brought in to either aid or hinder the Players. I met one named Lucinda."

The Devil King's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of surprise and amusement in his molten gold eyes.

"Lucinda? Is that the name she goes by now?" Bathalt asked thoughtfully. I nodded again, assuming he meant the elderly NPC shopkeeper. Well, I guess she wasn't physically appearing as elderly anymore, but still.

"Well, she's certainly one of the more... hands-on of the bunch," he said with a smirk. "But that's neither here nor there. What you need to understand, Luquier, is that the Matches are not just a game. They're a way to test the mettle of those chosen to participate. To see who is truly worthy of shaping the universe's future."

"Yeah, and with every failed attempt to make it past the 50th floor, the Earth gets reset. Even better, the Players from that round can no longer come back," I replied a bit bitterly.

Bathalt nodded solemnly. "Indeed, it is a harsh mechanism, but it is necessary to maintain the balance of the Matches. Without the fear of failure, the stakes would be meaningless."

"But we weren't given a choice in the matter. Why did these stupid beings choose humanity to participate in their stupid Matches?"

Bathalt's smile grew wider. "Ah, but you see, that is the beauty of it. Humans are the most unpredictable and resilient creatures in the universe. They thrive on challenges and adapt to overcome adversity. Your kind was chosen because of the very fact that you are not aware of your true purpose here. The thrill of the unknown, the desire to conquer, to live... it fuels your growth."

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Shit, he was right, and I was the prime example. It didn't make the situation any better, though.

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"So, what happens if we do win?" I asked quietly, breaking the silence. "What happens when humanity manages to clear all 100 levels of Last Stand?"

Bathalt shrugged. "Even I do not know. Humanity has never gone beyond the 50th."

"Do you know what lies on the 50th floor and beyond?" I pressed.

The Devil King snorted. "I'm sure you're clever enough to know that even if I wanted to tell you that, the system wouldn't allow you to understand the details."

"I thought you weren't easily controlled by the system."

Bathalt's eyes flashed with a hint of amusement and slight arrogance. "I'm not. But the rules of the Matches are ancient and absolute. They're woven into the very fabric of this world. Even I cannot alter them."

I took a deep breath, trying to process everything he was telling me. It was a lot to take in, especially since I was still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this was all real. "What does it matter to you if we win or not? Aren't we technically mortal enemies?"

A low, rumbling laugh bellowed out from the Devil King. He leaned back in his throne, the very air around him shaking with the force of his mirth. "As much as the restriction will allow me to say, it depends on your perspective. You'll see what I mean if you ever clear the 50th floor."

I frowned. "I heard that the level 50 dungeon break was what kept causing the Earth to reset. Are you saying that we could bypass that by clearing the 50th floor of the tower?"

Bathalt made a face. "Not exactly. Upon reaching the 50th floor, the dungeon break will immediately occur. Then, it'd be in your best interest to *******, otherwise you'd–"

The next things coming out of the Devil King's mouth were simply static to me. Bathalt quickly noticed this, sighing deeply.

"Never mind. Just remember," Bathalt leaned forward, his eyes piercing into mine, "that your curiosity could be both your greatest weapon and your ultimate downfall."

"You saying that it might get me killed? Like the cat?" I asked, half-jokingly.

Bathalt's expression grew serious. "Worse, Luquier. Far worse. But fear not, for I have no intention of letting that happen," he assured me. "I have my own reasons for wanting you to succeed, and your... unorthodox approach has piqued my interest."

"Hold on," the Soultaker I had stabbed into the ground interrupted. "What would you need this idiot- this man for? You're the literal current Devil King. You're powerful enough to do things on your own should you choose to do so."

Bathalt chuckled darkly, his eyes never leaving mine. "Ah, the ever-so-faithful blade," he said, a hint of mockery in his tone. "Let's just say I'm intrigued by Luquier's... unconventional approach to the Matches. Plus, it's been quite some time since I've had a decent conversation with someone who isn't a mindless drone of the system."

"You mean someone who wasn't ready to run away or fight you on sight," the sword mumbled back, "even though he was fully prepared to die fighting you."

The Devil King's smile grew wider, almost affectionate, and I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine. "Indeed, Thanatos. That is quite the... refreshing trait for a human."

Bathalt leaned forward, and I suddenly realized that the being I was talking to wasn't simply just the strongest entity I had met so far. I was gazing up into the face of the king of devils, the epitome of evil and malice. No matter how amicable our conversation might be, there was an undercurrent of power that thrummed through the air, hinting at his true nature.

"Let's make a deal, Infinite Immortal," Bathalt began, using my Title. "Even the extent of my powers isn't enough to completely disregard the laws of the system. Therefore, to enact my goals, I require the combined strength of Players and beings of divinity alike."

I raised an eyebrow. "And what do you propose?"

"For now, I want your agreement that you will not become hostile to me after you clear the 50th floor. Of course, when you do, you'll come to find out exactly what you could not understand before," the Devil King grinned as he leaned back in his chair. "That, and the everlasting condition that you will never- and I mean never, utilize me or my specter. In return, I will not kill you right here and now."

Well... that didn't seem like much of a compromise. This guy was basically telling me to form an alliance with him now or he'd just straight-up kill me. But something about his demeanor, his knowledge, and his casualness about the whole situation made me feel like he wasn't going to do it. Not that I could trust him, but it was definitely a tempting offer. If he could provide any insight into what the hell was going on, it'd be worth it.

"That's fine by me," I agreed, standing up and holding out my hand. Bathalt shook it with a devilish grin as he stood as well.

"Wise choice, Luquier," he said, his grip firm and unyielding. "Now, let's proceed to the next phase of your little 'game'. I suspect the system has noticed our little... chat, and is eager to get you back on track."

I swallowed hard. "I hope you don't mean it's going to force you to fight me."

"It does," Bathalt chuckled as he dispersed his throne. "Fortunately for you, I have ways to circumvent that."

With a snap, the world turned off for a moment. Then, I rapidly blinked my eyes as my sight adjusted to the light. I found myself back in the center of the village, facing off against Bathalt.

[Name: Devil King Bathalt | Level: 6300]

[Ascension: 2]

[Health: 1000 | Strength: 550]

[Speed: 450 | Magic: 300]

"Huh?" I glanced at the Devil King, surprised. Did he purposely adjust his stats? But then I noticed the new Ascension tab. I raised an eyebrow. "What's up with that?"

"It seems you were able to pick up on that," Bathalt smirked, holding out a hand. A dark red energy began to gather in his palms and flowed outwards, forming a humanoid shape. "While it seems like I've grown weaker, that is far from the truth. In fact, you'll quickly discover that on the path you've set yourself on."

The red energy finished shaping itself, and I was staring at a smaller, more human-sized version of Bathalt. The clone had the exact same stats as the previous Skalyt, which I suppose I should be grateful for.

[System alert: Emergency quest added.]

[Quest: Defeat Devil King Bathalt's clone.]

[Time Remaining: 00:02:50]

"Simply put, you and others like yourself are still beginners compared to beings like myself or higher," Bathalt grinned as his clone tensed in preparation. "For now, all I can say is that Ascension is another mechanic the system uses to balance itself. I believe your Admin will explain it in detail to you once you finish off my clone."

With that, the miniature Devil King lunged at me, and the battle resumed as if our intermission had never occurred. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement mixed with the fear. This was definitely going to be a challenge, but knowing that I had the actual Devil King's attention, and perhaps even his help, was a strange thrill.

I was far faster than the clone, so all it took was two swings of the Soultaker to cut it down in seconds. Of course, I could've simply punched it, but then the damn sword would complain about giving up precious souls for it.

[Congratulations! Player Luquier Vaunt has cleared Village of the Wicked.]

[No rewards found.]

[You have gained 0.01 (x761,000) experience points.]

[Level up!]

"With that, I believe our time has come to an end," Bathalt chuckled darkly as his clone faded to red ashes. "Don't forget our deal, Luquier. The Devil King does not take betrayal lightly."

****

[Updating…]

[Name: Luquier Vaunt | Level: 1848]

[Title: Infinite Immortal (S)]

[Health: 75,750,000 | Strength: 77,300,000]

[Speed: 76,250,000 | Magic: 76,100,000]

[Risk: 2,000,000 | Stat Points: 301,676,355]

[Experience: 94%]

[Items]

[Soultaker (10,125,704)] +1