Ch 25

Two men in suit stood within the highest floor of a building, overlooking the busy streets below.

One of them spoke. "The mysterious organization, Dream World, has kept spoiling our plans. Ruby guild has fallen, and now the demon rifts are revealed one after another."

"From the looks of it, we might not be able to make it until the Armageddon."

The other man was aged with white hairs, his eyes were black with hints of purple.

"That is not a problem. We shall conquer more worlds to produce more troops. We have also found a solution to turn this world into a barracks."

Footsteps were heard and a young man approached them. He had a black hair and violet colored eyes. A baleful aura was leaking out of his body, but it was suppressed so that it will not spread in the air.

"We are now capable of integrating our Lord's mana into a normal human."

"What about the powerful existence that you have mentioned?"

The old man looked pensive. "We can do nothing about those who can conquer three demon realms single handedly. Besides, I already have a suspect."

"Who would that be?"

"Dream World's founder, Mr Adam."

The young man simply stood in silence as the two discussed. Both of them turned their heads toward him.

"Raul, you're goal this time is to infiltrate the Dream World, find out about Mr Adam."

"Remember to conceal your mana. Every demon generals that have attempted to infiltrate Earth have all died because they failed to conceal themselves. Don't let even a tiny bit leak out."

The young man nodded. The details of his task was already conveyed to him.

At the same time in Flauren, a shadowy figure loomed over a crater spanning several kilometers.

"Vanity has died here." The figure murmured to himself. He then flew towards the forest and stood before the rift leading to Earth. "So it is that mysterious existence huh."

A world was just behind the rift. Despite knowing this, the demon did not dare enter. He alone could turn an entire world into a wasteland, just as the any demon of his level could.

With his strength, it would be difficult to hide his powers.

Suddenly, he noticed that his skin was burning. It was the golden mana trying to corrupt him.

"It won't be long till we fish you out." Said the demon before dissipating his projection.

---

Areth was inside his room, playing with a ball of dark mana, a sample he had collected from his previous battle.

"K-kid, tell me where did you get your hands in such dangerous thing?!"

"I took it myself."

"Nonsense! That thing belongs to a demon!"

"Exactly." Areth replied calmly.

Leyfin was utterly confused. Why did her usually dull student sound different? He seemed more dumb now.

Did he not listen to her when she was emphasizing the terror of demons? She have lost count of her reminding him this, and yet here he was, talking as though it was not a big deal.

"Y-you..." She had no words to say for she was full of indignation.

"Actually, I joined a mysterious organization which hunts demons. By the way, demons have long discovered this world."

Again, Leyfin's soul was not able to cope up with the sudden revelation. She pointed her trembling fingers at him, feeling appalled.

"Y-you..." In the end, she couldn't say anything.

"To be honest, I'm actually a master." Areth looked at the sky from the window, sighing as he spoke.

"Areth..."

"Say no more. I'm sorry for keeping this from you."

"No, I mean...have your 'disease' started acting up again? I noticed that is has started to get worse these days."

Leyfin showed a look of concern on her face.

"Get lost." Aret started fiddling with the dark mana. Infusing it with tiny bits of his own in order to trace its source.

Leyfin watched, lost in her thoughts.

As Areth started tracing the dark mana, he found himself in a familiar place.

It was the land of concepts, filled with infinite strings and endless noise. At the sight of this, his eyes grew serious.

He was correct. It did not seem that his enemies were just some random weaklings, they have a decent backer. The Demon Generals' mana was not concentrated enough to lead to clear result. But it looks like the one he had just encountered was quite different from the rest. A superior being had directly bestowed it the power of a Rule Defying Mage.

The Demon Generals could be considered third generation at most, the last one was probably a second generation who obtained his power directly from the big boss.

In other words, the boss of the demons is at least at the level of 'The Ultimate Being, The Very Powerful and Magnificent.'

"For thousands of years, I hast waited for a rival. At long last, I can finally stop playing house, for heavens hast presented me a worthy opponent. One who can match mine immense power!" After speaking those words, he let out a menacing laughter.

Leyfin who was watching from the side stepped back and and covered her face with her palm, thinking to herself.

'The monster tide has traumatized him so much that he became delusional. His disease have grown worse.'

Still, the matter about the demonic mana was important. She kept asking him but all his answers seem to come from fictions.

Aren't remembered something and conjured a ball of mana.

Sensing the familiar presence, Leyfin was delighted.

"This is..."

"Right, Flauron's mana."

Leyfin stared at Areth's face dubiously.

"Kid, your means are getting more and more mysterious. Just where and how did you get your hands on these things."

Areth smiled. "I have my own means."

"Okay, if you don't want to tell master it is fine. Thanks for the souvenir."

Leyfin reached out her small hands to carry the orb that was almost as large as her current form. However, Areth put it out of her reach. Speechless, she could only glare at him.

"Enough! How dare you bully me!"

Areth ignored her and started working on the blob of mana. Leyfin was about to pursue to matter but she saw the change occurring on the ball.

She watched in silence as the ball changed its shape. It turned into a silhouette was similar to her in size.

"What are you doing?" She asked. "Are you making some kind of perverse toy?"

Areth's eyelids twitched.

"Watch and learn."

Under Leyfin's suspicious gaze, the small figurine made of pure mana hovered in the air. Using his index finger, Areth tapped the forehead of the figurine.

Ripples spread out, blooming into the shape of a flower. Countless magic circles appeared inside, appearing like gears. Some were large, and some could only be seen as dots by the naked eyes. At least thousands of magic circles were deployed in that instant.

Leyfin could not maintain her calm anymore. She could accept the previous things, but this, it was nothing short of a miracle!

Simply godlike, and yet it was done by someone who was about 12 years of age. She felt like she was just in a dream.

The magic circles were activated and they begun to draw mana in the air like hungry beasts.

"No way..."

She felt like her life's perspective were were all shattered like that.

"Mana Body..."

The Philosopher's Stone of Flauron Mages.

Areth admired his work. The figurine was in transparent blue color, and the magic circles inside resembled countless shimmering stars

'I could not create an actual physical body, I but I major in soul studies. Creating a self sustained mana vessel is a piece of cake for someone such as I.'

"Kid, no, Areth, who are you really? Actually, what are you?"

Leyfin murmured absentmindedly.

"Heh, surprised?"

Leyfin simply stared at him with teary eyes. "You deceived me! You were pretending to be weak are you?"

Areth brushed his hair back. He adjusted his glasses and made sure they reflect the light coming from the windows.

"Such is life, my child. Such is life. H-hey, what are you doing! Get off me!"

Leyfin could not contain the resentment in her heart any longer. With maddened eyes, she leaped into the mana figurine and used it to bite his arm viscously.