He was always reminded of it and still couldn't help but be surprised and in awe of it. The Central Palace was too big. It was already a miracle he ran into four people from the get-go. He scavenged through several rooms and long corridors for hours, gathering all the enticing treasures. Yet, he couldn't find another person.

"A few hundred from each faction heading into a place with hundreds of thousands of rooms, encompassing a large area so vast, might as well say it's a city. I can understand your frustration, but it's like finding a needle in a haystack." Gol-4 said.

"Do you ever not have a function to stay quiet?" Oscar chuckled. He got used to Gol-4's blunt and unnecessary words, which only highlighted the negatives all the time. In a way, he enjoyed his little talks and bantered with this wayward golem. "We've wandered quite far with not a single sighting of the token. Do I have to throw myself in danger to find one?"

"Perhaps. The previous token on top of the queen tarantula's head is strong evidence of such." Gol-4 responded.

"Again, not the time to say such things." Oscar turned the corner to another section of the hallway, spotting someone in the distance. The stranger wore the Pavilion's clothes, a deep blue uniform. Oscar stared deeply at the stranger, realizing it was Fabian, the person he had run into when he first arrived at the base of the middle region—the one who was attracted to Serena.

Should he approach him? Oscar was slightly concerned about Fabian since the latter hated him for being so close to Serena. Fabian also turned to Oscar with a scoff. Thinking this was a bad idea, Oscar slowly dragged his feet toward Fabian with a fake smile and a wave.

"Hey! Fabian, right? I haven't seen you much since we met at the base. It's good to see you're alive!" Oscar stuck out his hand, expecting Fabian to shake it. Fabian refused his gesture of goodwill and turned around. Oscar put away his hand. Was Fabian serious?

"You don't seem willing to get along. I'll go back the other way." Oscar sighed and turned around. Fabian's behavior was a risk he didn't want by his side, or he would suffer the consequences. He was in disbelief at Fabian's pettiness. During this time when they should all work together, this idiot decided to be selfish and put his pride over the mission.

'Forget it.' Oscar was about to walk away when he paused. He shuddered at an Ein building up behind him and kicked off with Silver Burst, seeing Fabian's flames fly past him. He clenched his teeth, knowing how close he was to dying. The idiot tried to kill him!

"Are you a traitor?!" Oscar shouted, angered by Fabian's ambush. Out of nowhere, several vials of unknown elixirs broke near his feet, exploding into gas. Oscar felt a haze over his mind; a strong dizziness filled his head. Suddenly exhausted, Oscar looked over Fabian, wanting to tear him apart.

"Just a Grade Four. How dare you reach for things far above your position?" Fabian smirked, walking toward Oscar.

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"Seriously?" Oscar dropped to the floor, circulating his Ein the best he could to counteract the toxin in his system. His fingers struggled and trembled to move toward his space pocket. He kept general antidotes inside, and they could work. Despite his best efforts, Oscar dropped his hand with a grunt, unable to move anymore. "You are unbelievable…."

Fabian's feet drew closer to his sight, and Oscar bit his lips to keep awake. Slowly, he closed his eyes with a thought. Please kill this man!

…….

Fabian started to laugh and reach out toward Oscar, a sense of triumph welling from his heart. With this, Serena would finally notice him. He licked his lips, anticipating the future with such a beautiful and rich woman.

"Piece of trash. What did you expect?" Fabian stomped on Oscar's head, rubbing his foot on him. "I deserve her, not you."

With a thought, flames gathered on his hand. In mere moments, Oscar would be nothing but ashes, and no one would be the wiser to the truth. Fabian narrowed his eyes, seeing Oscar twitch slightly. Was it an involuntary movement? His elixirs should have knocked even the strongest Middle Elite Exalt to sleep in the number of doses he used.

"Have fun in the next life," Fabian said.

"Hurg?" Fabian lost his breath. Oscar was missing. Instead, his chest burst open with a sharp drill piercing through. Impossible! Fabian vomited blood like a river and glanced over his back to see who had stabbed him. Oscar? Impossible! It was impossible….Oscar should have been knocked out. Those elixirs were rare and required much effort to obtain.

"H-how?" His raspy voice spat out more blood.

"Thanks. I didn't think he'd ever let me willingly have control. This is a pleasant surprise. Did I say thanks already?" Oscar's voice was cold, and his eyes struck fear into Fabian. He stared into the dark gaze of Oscar's eyes, shuddering. Despite the words of gratitude from Oscar's mouth, his emotionless expression never changed.

"Y-you–" Fabian couldn't get another word out as the last thing he saw was Oscar's other lance piercing into his face. As the silver metal tore a hole in his brain, Fabian only saw Oscar's demonic eyes, peering at him through the darkness swallowing his vision.

…….

Demon pulled out his lances and tossed Fabian's body to the floor. The procession took place. Fabian's body melted down into the floors in no time as Demon watched. Unlike the disgust his other self exhibited, Demon felt nothing.

"Lad? What's wrong? How did you resist the elixir just now?" Gol-4 asked.

"Right. This is the first time we met, Gol-4….I am Demon. Though, I'd prefer it if you didn't talk. I don't like others keeping secrets from us." Demon ran his bloodied hands through his head, bundled up his obsidian hair, which Oscar let grow to the back of his neck, and tied it into a short ponytail.

Gazing at Fabian's uniform, Demon stomped on them with a scoff. As Fabian had done to Oscar's head, Demon decided to go further and stomped with Silver Burst, tearing the uniform apart. "You don't deserve to wear this. All of this idiocy from jealousy over someone I made sure would never bother us again, though Oscar did put the nail in the coffin for that one. It's laughable; you died due to your own delusions."

"You…." Gol-4 murmured.

"The only thing he was good for is this," Demon looted Fabian's space pocket and fiddled with it in deep thought. Oscar needed time to wake up so he had all the freedom to roam around without Oscar's judgemental self looking down on him.

"Who are you?!" Gol-4 shouted. "What happened to that lad?"

"Tell me the truth behind you, and I'll talk. But for now, I am simply Demon. Go away. You're useless." Demon put Gol-4 away into a space pocket, despite its protests. He wiped his hands and retreated back into the inner world. In there, Oscar's astral body was still, eyes closed in a deep sleep. "Taking the general antidote would only force his awakening sooner. I should let it run its course naturally."

He breathed out slowly and moved forward with a pair of chilly eyes. "I should make the most of the time.