Raon smiled coldly, his eyes on Temas’ astonished face.

Temas was racking his brain the fastest he had ever had in his entire life in order to find a way to escape the situation. Raon was filled with anticipation for what kind of excuses he was about to give.

“Y-You crazy bastard!”

Temas pointed his finger at him while biting his lip. He'd apparently finished thinking.

“What are you doing right now? Why did you even kill my disciple?”

He shouted, pretending he was completely unrelated to the incident, and he was just attacked by him instead.

“Ah, is that how you want to play?”

Raon chuckled, while twirling Heavenly Drive, which had blood flowing down the blade.

“Your excuse is too one-dimensional. If that's all you can give me after I gave you enough time to rack your brain, I'm rather disappointed.”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

“I'm asking you why you are spouting dogshit after you attacked us.”

“Why would I even attack you? We were just waiting here in case patients appeared…”

“Are you still giving me that lame excuse when this flute is right here?”

Raon picked up the silver flute that Temas' disciple had dropped.

“Wh-What about it? It just makes a sound that is similar to a grass whistle…”

“You are underestimating me too much.”

Raon chuckled, pointing at the strange pattern engraved inside the flute.

“This is a Flute of Inscription.”

“Ah…”

“The highest-grade artifact that can activate a formation.”

The Flute of Inscription was a special flute, capable of activating a pre-installed formation from afar. Since the pattern inside the Flute of Inscription needed to be modified according to the formation, he couldn’t make any excuses.

“That was a really lame excuse to give after locking us up in that formation. I guess you didn't expect to be discovered.”

“Wh-What the hell are you…?”

Temas' chin was trembling violently. He looked like half his soul had left his body.

“What the hell are you? How are you shattering all my plans instead of dying? How did you even find out I was here?”

“I have a friend with good perception.”

Raon shrugged, enjoying Temas' astonishment.

Of course. The King of Essence's perception is on a different level from a mere human’s… What are you saying right now? Why would the King of Essence be your friend?

He pushed Wrath—who kept telling him he couldn't be a human's friend—away and took another step towards Temas.

“I wonder what's going to happen if people learn that Sir Temas, famous for his benevolence, was the perpetrator behind the assassins and the poison? Moreover, he did that to a patient he was trying to treat but was denied.”

Temas was extremely sensitive to his reputation and rumors. A cold sweat started flowing down his face at the threat that his fame would plummet through the ground and below.

“Even if you died here, you would be remembered as the worst healer in the continent. Don't you agree?”

“Kuuh!”

Temas clattered his teeth while stepping backward.

As long as Raon had the flute, as long as he had the proof that he was controlling the formation, there was no escape for him. Even if he managed to survive, Derus Robert was going to pretend he didn’t know him.

He not only shattered all of his plans, but he even discovered his location and the proof of Temas’ actions. His head felt so dizzy that he could faint from the ridiculousness of the situation.

“Since many people are waiting for us, let's finish this quickly.”

Raon brandished his sword and approached him.

“W-Wait, listen to me. I'm…hmm?”

In the middle of shaking his hand to stop his approach, Temas narrowed his eyes. Although the concealing formation was broken a long time ago, he couldn't feel any other presence than Raon's.

“No way, did you come here on your own?”

“What do you expect? We don't need two people to catch you.”

Raon nodded, telling him it was obvious.

“Haaa…”

Temas exhaled a deep breath while grasping his chest.

That young bastard still believed that he was a normal doctor. He could escape before the Heavenly Blade leader arrived if he just melted him down in an instant with poison arts.

Whir.

He slowly gathered the poison with his left hand, which was hidden behind his back. He needed to melt Raon's heart or throat while he was still careless.

your

He hid his intentions, waiting for Raon's approach while pretending to be terrified.

“Hmph.”

Raon snorted while looking at Temas, who was biting his lip harshly.

Although his expression looked like he was in despair or afraid, Raon could see his killing intent deep inside his eyes. It was so obvious that his hidden left hand-held poison.

“Let's end this.”

Raon approached Temas with his sword lowered, pretending he didn't notice anything. Once the distance between them became no more than five steps, Temas' eyes sparkled viciously.

“Die!”

Temas suddenly thrust his left hand like lightning. The purple energy in his hand extended like a spear towards Raon's heart.

“Of course you'd do that.”

Raon immediately stomped the ground, incorporating the principles of the quick sword into Heavenly Drive.

Splat!

The 's flame sparked like lightning to sever Temas' poisonous left arm entirely.

“Kuaah!”

As Temas stepped back while screaming, Raon caught up to him and stabbed Heavenly Drive into his right shoulder, slamming him into the ground.

“Kueeh!”

Both of Temas' arms became unusable in an instant, and his whole body trembled as he coughed up blood. Raon immediately put his hand in Temas's mouth to take out the poison pill hidden in his molar.

“Kuh…”

“Your underlings didn't even scream once, yet you are making such a fuss.”

“H-How did you even know about the poison pill? Wh-Who the hell are you?”

Temas' chin was trembling, his face pale.

“Raon Zieghart.”

“I'm not talking about that name. I'm asking what your true identity is! How can you do this when you haven't even reached adulthood, no matter how I look at you?”

“There's no reason for me to satisfy your curiosity.”

Raon placed his right hand on Temas' stomach and created an impact.

“Kuha!”The powerful impact on his heart made his neck bend backward. He wasn't trying to kill him, since it was a temporary treatment to stop the rage worm that might have existed in his heart.

“Wake up.”

Raon immediately slapped Temas’ cheeks to wake him up.

“Kuuh…”

Temas looked up to Raon while swallowing nervously.

“What did you do just now…?”

“It was just in case your master engraved a worm in your heart.”

“Gasp!”

Temas's eyes were trembling violently. It looked like his entire body was locked in terror.

“No way, do you even know about the shadows…?”

“I know more than that. I also know that your master is the ruler of the south.”

“Ah…”

Temas' jaw dropped to the point that his lips were about to tear. He seemed even more shocked than when he lost his arms.

“Since the rage worm should be unconscious by now, you should just answer my questions.”

“Y-You idiot. There's no rage worm inside me.”

“That's a relief, since I can now easily interrogate you.”

Raon smiled coldly and took Temas by his collar to pressure his body.

“Kuh… Hmm? Kuhahaha!”

Even though he used to be scared stiff, he suddenly burst into laughter after taking a look at Raon’s hand.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you are the one who's going to die here, not me!”

“What?”

“My blood is a nasty poison. Even you will end up dead.”

Temas pointed at the red blood on Raon's hand with his eyes. It was scattered there when he severed Temas' arm a moment ago.

“This?”

Raon snickered while looking at the blood.

“Did you really believe I wouldn't know about this?”

Temas' blood contained a powerful poison called Blood Poison.

However, with the evade poison artifact and the protecting his organs and mana circuit, and the burning all of the poison that managed to work its way inside of him, the poison couldn't damage him in the slightest outside of a slight feeling of nausea.

“It's impossible for someone like you to endure my poiso…”

“So, when am I going to die? I got this blood on me a long time ago.”

“Huh…?”

Raon calmly smiled at him, and Temas' eyes widened to a point that they looked like they would pop out.

“E-Even the poison is not working?!”

“If you are done, it's my turn to ask questions.”

Raon slightly lowered his chin while pressing upon Temas.

“I-I don't know what you take me for, but I'll never open my mouth! Kill me!”

“Ah, so your mouth is heavy, huh?”

“Yes. You can't make me speak with mere tortur…”

“That's okay. I've learned what to do in a situation like this.”

Raon raised his chin and smiled coldly.

From you.

* * *

* * *

“Th-The previous factories are still operating the same way as before, and we've also created an additional factory to raise shadows in a village near Balkar. The children can be easily supplied there because there are lots of cities and v-villages nearby…”

Temas' eyes were crushed by pain and fear, twisted like scrap metal. He was disclosing all of the Robert's secrets, unable to endure the torture method that he had once taught Raon.

The factories were the places they raised the shadows and spies. Robert's sins had become even worse in the past twenty years.

“What is your master's objective?”

“I-I don't know either. H-He only said that he had something to do.”

Temas said, his pale lips trembling.

“I guess he's still blabbering about the future while hiding in the House's underground.”

“H-How are you even related to him?!”

“I wonder.”

Raon smiled. He wanted to tell him about his story of reincarnation, but he couldn't tell him because Wrath was enjoying the spectacle too much.

What a nice torture method. The King of Essence wants to learn it as well. I knew you were closer to a demon than a human…

Raon ignored his rambling and looked at Temas again.

“What is your master's current level in terms of might?”

“I-I don't know that, either. I'm sure he's reached the absolute, but I don't know any more than that…”

Since he was still not answering despite the situation he was in, it meant that he really didn't know.

Derus Robert was an extremely cold-hearted man. Even though Temas was his confidant, he wouldn't have told him how strong he was nor what martial arts he had learned.

“Did you come here on your master's order?”

“N-No. It was my own decision…”

“Because of the humiliation you received over your face?”

“Ugh…”

As expected, the reason Temas had attacked him wasn’t because of Derus’s orders, but because he was so angry that his medicine and fame had lost to his face.

“Since I've pretty much heard all the information I needed.”

Raon pulled Heavenly Drive from Temas' shoulder.

“Kuah!”

“You are a captive now. Once we return to Zieghart…”

“Kuh!”

As he was trying to grab Temas, he suddenly had a seizure while coughing out blood.

“Kuaaah!”

Veins appeared on his entire face, and he started screaming in pain, even worse than when he was getting tortured. The veins popped at the same time, and he stopped breathing.

“But of course.”

Raon frowned while looking at dead Temas. Despite what he said, there was a rage worm in his heart.

Derus didn't trust anyone other than himself. Even though Temas was his confidant, it was only natural that he had a rage worm.

Derus must've sensed his emotional state and killed him before he could reveal information.

Temas actually belonged to Robert's faction, but he officially had no affiliation. The reason Derus had been using him without having him join the House must've been in preparation for a situation like the current one.

Raon turned his head, shaking the blood from Heavenly Drive.

Incredibly angry.

Although Derus killed Temas himself, he shouldn't know anything about why his life was endangered and how that situation even happened, so he must have been really frustrated.

Raon was only getting started.

It was the first step towards his revenge against Derus Robert, the devil.

Just as he was about to return while carrying Temas' corpse on his shoulder, a message appeared in front of his eyes.

[You've overcome the Blood Poison by yourself.

All stats have increased by 1.

The Trait has been created.]

The message was telling him that he had gotten an extra stat and poison resistance from resisting the poison in Temas's blood.

Huh? Huuh?

Wrath’s jaw dropped as he looked at the message.

Wh-What kind of nonsense is this? How can you give him stats for resisting a weak poison like that?

He slammed the ground with his hands, saying that it was bullshit.

Such a weak poison can be found everywhere in Devildom! Even in the grass and water!

Awwgh!

Raon clenched his fist while listening to Wrath’s desperate scream...

'

Since he got the latest information about Derus, managed to foil their plan, and even got a poison resistance trait that could prove to be their weakness, he’d killed three birds with one stone.

Who are you trying to thank? You should thank me instead!

* * *

“When did Temas start planning that attack?”

Derus Robert was looking at his butler with a faint smile on his face. It was difficult to believe that the expression and atmosphere came from someone who had just killed one of his precious confidants.

“Th-That's…”

“It's okay. Tell me.”

“I think he did that after he failed to become Encia Yonaan's personal doctor at House Yonaan. It looks like he stopped the network and gathered the shadows at the northern part of the continent to attack Encia Yonaan, who was going to visit Federick.”

The butler quickly told him everything he had investigated.

“Which means that he was defeated when he was trying to make up for his failure.”

“Y-Yes.”

“Well, fine. I'm fine with everything, but why am I getting that information so late?”

Derus was still smiling, but the atmosphere was becoming heavier and heavier.

“Network, branches, factories. I believe all of those places should be sending me their information before anyone else.”

“T-Temas lied and said that it was the master's order to prevent information from leaking.”

The butler continued, looking at the floor because he was unable to look Derus straight in the eyes.

“Moreover, i-it took some time for the information to reach us, b-because the branches and factories near that location were the only ones involved.”

“This is why I shouldn't give them important titles.”

Derus snickered, caressing his hardwood desk.

“Look at the way he believed he wasn't an insect anymore just because he received a name.”

“Hmm…”

“He should've done it properly at least, but he dared attack a carriage escorted by the Heavenly Blade leader. He should've known his place!”

The emotion transferred through Temas' rage worm were fear, shock, pain, and resignation. Since those emotions signified that there was no way for him to survive, he stimulated the rage worm to kill him before the information could leak.

“What an idiot.”

It was so obvious even though he hadn't seen the scene. Temas must've attacked them because he couldn't put up with his pride getting hurt, just to have the Heavenly Blade leader grab him by his collar.

“Cut off all connections between Temas and us.”

Temas was officially unaffiliated. His identity wouldn't be revealed as long as the connections were properly cut off.

“We are doing it right now.”

The butler immediately nodded. Since he knew Derus' personality, he'd started doing that as soon as he obtained that information.

“A tool should live as a tool. It shouldn't try to think by itself.”

“Ah, yes…”

“And a tool shouldn't act without its master's orders. Change all of the leaders of the branches, factories, and network.”

“D-Does that involve the places unrelated to this incident?”

“Yes.”

“I-If we try changing everyone, it would be more than a hundred people…”

The butler swallowed nervously, as Derus's order didn't mean to reelect a new order, but to kill all of those people.

“Is there a problem?”

Derus' eyes were calm despite having given the order to kill his subordinates, who were mostly innocent. That was the scariest part about him.

“N-No!”

“Change the system so that all information comes to me first, no matter how small it is.”

“Understood!”

“One more thing.”

Derus raised his finger.

“Investigate everyone involved in this incident. Including those who were alongside the Heavenly Blade division leader, and who found out our spy. Everything.”

“Shouldn't the Heavenly Blade leader be the one who did all that?”

“That might be the case, but it might not. It could be Ekan's doing, or the Light Wind younglings who are supposed to be with her.”

It looked like he was planning to prepare for the future by perfectly investigating the incident with his fastidious personality.

“You may leave now.”

“Yes! I'll take care of it quickly and give you my report.”

The terrified butler immediately bowed, then left Derus's office.

Whir!

The atmosphere in the office changed the moment the butler disappeared. An unbearable coldness covered the entire space, as if one of the northern ocean's tidal waves were pouring into the room.

“Huhu.”

Derus's mouth rolled up into a smile.

“So, the plan I've been preparing for twenty years has been foiled.”

The plan to take over House Yonaan had started twenty whole years ago.

He was boiling in anger because his entire plan was destroyed by Zieghart and an insect bastard.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how much time and money he needed to recover from it.

Snap.

Probably because he hadn’t gotten that angry in a long time, red blood poured from the scar on the back of his hand and seeped into the desk.

“I'll kill them.”

Derus licked the scar on the back of his hand with a brilliant smile that looked almost terrifying.

“I'll rip the heads off everyone who was involved in this incident.”