Chapter 46

Part One.

The man standing in the middle of the lake smiled and turned toward the ice block to his right. His face bore strong, resolute features, his body was muscular, his clothing fine, and his movements smooth.

"Enough hiding. Come here and sit." With a single motion, he created two benches and a table laden with food.

The illusion of ice shattered, and the three figures standing within it merged into one. By the time they reached the bench, the fusion of their bodies was complete.

"Why didn’t you let me talk to him? That was my right! Why drag him straight here through the layers?"

"And what if he had killed the Titans?"

"Killed them? He’s only level one! The Titans can rival gods in strength! Here, they’re level 900—if they entered the human world, they’d jump straight to 9000!"

"Set, how were you even assigned this? You weren’t even monitoring the trial!"

"I was fulfilling my duties—tormenting the worst sinners in the ice, of course. What’s the problem?"

"Oh, just minor things!" The man’s face twisted in anger as he began counting on his fingers. "In the first trial, he hid from the Warden. Then Death herself noticed him. He stumbled upon her throwing spike without even realizing it. That alone answers how he could’ve killed the Titans. And that’s not the only trick he had up his sleeve, despite being level one here. His aura resistance grew stronger the more he pushed. He tracked down the Wardens and tortured them—with help."

"How? They’re stronger."

"He paralyzed them and pinned them down." Another finger curled.

"Kids these days..."

"Have you lost your mind with all that punishment? That’s just the start. He killed Lust’s envoy, then flew over the force fields."

"Is he from a flying race? I haven’t seen any souls like that yet. Pretty sure they’re still locked in their world."

"He made wings." Pausing for effect, the man continued, "And flew! No one else in the trial zone could. The force fields restrict aerial movement—so he exploited it."

"Could’ve just used shields. Easier."

"Their world bans children from using force techniques like that. They only lifted the restriction six months ago—with conditions."

"Fine. What else?"

"That’s two." Another finger bent. "He met Cerberus, jumped straight onto its neck, and started choking it. The hound threw him off, so the boy killed it with a single combined strike—eleven charges at once. Crushed its ribcage."

"How does a level-one trial-taker know advanced force manipulation?"

"You absolute fool! The trial is meant to develop mental prowess. The price is soul annihilation; the reward is enhanced intellect. Did you even read the officer’s manual for this floor? Clearly not, or you’d know!"

"Calm down, calm down." Set tried to placate him. "We’ll revive the hound. He’s not an officer—why get mad?"

"Oh, you’re right. Just petty things, no need to argue. He spent a month swimming in the trial zone—where people usually rot alive. Went deeper, killed another Warden. Brutally. Stabbed spikes into its body first, then beat it to death. Used damned souls to craft semi-sentient tools. Then he made an activatable weapon strong enough to wipe out the entire trial zone—if he’d been stronger. The Keeper noticed and nudged him through the astral plane: ‘Don’t overstep.’ The boy pretended to comply and vanished for two months. Grew a forest you missed. Shattered a force crystal—also unnoticed. Then moved to the next trial. They summoned me, saying the first candidate might’ve appeared. So tell me—who was supposed to oversee the trial’s integrity?"

"Me?"

"You! If not for you, I’d still be resting. Instead, I spent four months tracking you down—and I still had nine years of leave left. Oh, and he drowned the ferryman in the Styx. Made another activatable weapon in the swamps—didn’t even grasp its power. The Keeper intervened, but while crafting an avatar to reason with him, the boy sensed danger and told the Keeper to screw off. That’s when I arrived. Barely negotiated to spare him. In exchange, I confiscated the weapon until it no longer disrupted their world’s balance. Then he vanished again for two months. The Keeper relented, agreeing to a temporary seizure."

"Huh. He’s not from the Workshop, is he? Odd progression for his world."

"No, I checked. But here’s my question: How did you miss two and a half thousand lost souls?"

"I was... philosophizing with a spirit."

"Mmmmm." The man looked physically pained by his companion’s stupidity. "He drowned Wardens in blood, then shot them with arrows. You were so used to monotony, you noticed nothing. He cleared the rest using activatable weapons."

"Then you intercepted him—so he wouldn’t accidentally kill me—and sent him back, confiscating all trial-zone loot?"

"Yes."

"Thanks. What about the Keeper?"

"Let him go. The boy passed. As punishment for violations, we stripped everything he gained or crafted here—even reset his body. He still got his reward."

"Seems this world is stirring, Izumi." Set relaxed, gazing at the snow-laden sky.

"Yes. And you need to stop slacking. The Director didn’t interfere when the boy found his spike—but you could’ve died. Death knew. Take the hint?"

"Yeah."

"Then I won’t say goodbye. We’ll meet again."

Izumi stood and dissolved into a beam of light from above. Lucifer finished his glass and headed to the Director. In this world, there’s a saying: "Death does not like to wait."

End of Part One.

Part Two. Prelude to War.