The Villain part II
Part 3
The sorcerer, whose face was a pale white skull, was shrouded in a dark green cloak from head to toe.
His eyes, glowing green like flames, seemed to dim in the daylight.
The existence of Sandro, a skeleton in a cloak, starkly contrasted with the bright, open area bathed in sunlight.
The spacious, sunlit surroundings did not suit his grim, reaper-like appearance.
“You…
what did you do to the academy…”
Zal wanted to ask with more force, but he felt too drained to push the words out.
Perhaps because a part of him already knew the answer.
Sandro’s words were true.
“…I merely removed the academy’s magical stone…
Since I came here, I wanted to take a souvenir…
I didn’t expect it to be used in constructing this school…
Truly a Peace Keeper, squandering the budget on using magical stones to build a school with ‘Alteration’ magic…
But thinking about it…
To control the environment 100% completely, the only way was to create the school as an open dungeon…”
Modern buildings used both scientific technology and magic as components in their construction to enhance various conveniences.
Particularly, using magic stones as a power source instead of electricity significantly reduced construction costs.
There was no need to set up long-distance electric poles; just using magic stones could provide energy equivalent to having a small personal power plant, which offered a private electricity supply.
The security systems and other facility conveniences in the buildings also entirely relied on magic stone power.
An “open dungeon” referred to a dimensional space superimposed on an actual location.
This type of dungeon did not have dimensional pathways as entrances because the dungeon was already in an open area.
However, the landscape and internal structure would be altered from their original state by the atmosphere created by the magic stones.
Humans had studied the properties of both types of dimensional dungeons and developed a space building magic technology called Alteration.
This technology used magic stones as a core to create boundaries that was similar to a dungeon.
In this area, the controller of the core could create buildings as desired, just like adjusting a dungeon’s structure.
Whether it was buildings or even all the interior furniture, everything could be constructed simultaneously, allowing for the rapid creation of ready-to-use structures on the desired site.
However, this was quite extravagant in terms of cost because larger or more complex constructions required a significant amount of magic stones as an energy source.
Building the entire Ejis Academy would therefore have required an enormous amount of valuable magic stones.
Another drawback of constructions made with Alteration was that if the magic stones providing energy were removed from the core, the entire structure would disintegrate, similar to how a dungeon collapsed.
That was why the Ejis Academy now remained just an empty space.
“Why did it have to be like this…”
Zal, sitting down on the grass, asked wearily, his eyes staring vacantly at the ground.
“…To give you a better life…
or at least to make you feel like you had one…”
“Your words are always so cryptic…”
Sandro’s words remained enigmatic as ever, and Zal no longer had the energy to decipher their meaning.
He lay down and closed his eyes, exhausted both from the journey and the emptiness he felt inside.
“…The environment shapes people’s habits and minds…
at least to some extent…
Those people thought if you grew up in a good environment…
happy and warm…
you would grow up to be good and choose to side with them…”
“Them?…”
“…The Peace Keepers…
the organization that acts as the world’s law enforcers today…
For them, you are a person who must not be allowed to be misled or to join the other side…
That’s why they brought you here, where they could control everything…”
“But…
there was no need to create everything…
even people…”
At this point, tears started to stream down Zal’s face.
He turned away to hide them from Sandro, but his trembling voice could not hide his feelings.
“…Being a descendant of the Doombringer isn’t as easy as you’ve experienced…
For centuries, everyone in this world has been cultivated to hate darkness…
Just being slightly associated with darkness can result in being despised and trampled upon as if you’re a lowly creature deserving of elimination…
Being a descendant of the Doombringer makes it even more pronounced…”
Zal thought of Talis.
Her family was hated by the townspeople simply because they had a relative involved in unconventional matters, ultimately forcing her entire family to flee to another kingdom.
Thinking of Talis made his heart ache even more, as he could not distinguish what was real and what was fabricated.
“…If you were in a normal environment…
it would be difficult for you to be accepted or receive empathy from others…
especially children who do not yet know how to distinguish…
they would only exclude and show hatred…”
Reflecting on this, Zal realized that almost none of the students at this academy had ever shown aversion or prejudice against him being a descendant of the Doombringer, especially not his close group of friends; none had ever mentioned these issues even once.
“…To prevent you from growing up in such an environment and mistakenly choosing the wrong path…
they created everything…
the school, the students…
to completely control the environment…
to ensure you only encountered the good in people…”
Zal had thought that was because everyone was inherently good, adventurous at heart, and the academy’s rules also prohibited discrimination based on someone’s origins.
He believed it was normal for everyone to accept him as just another student without any aversion.
There were only occasional times when some would mention his father or his origins, but those were minor and those people usually did not interact with him again.
So, He did not take it to heart.
“The truth is…
there have been people who showed aversion to me as well…”
“That is the limitation of the Image Summoning…
If we want them to resemble real humans as closely as possible, we must retain the personality traits of the original as much as possible…
Otherwise, there would be unnatural expressions, so some out-of-bounds behavior that’s tolerable slips through because it’s not completely restricted…”
“Shouldn’t avatar only last for a limited time?
But everyone has traveled everywhere with me, into towns or during field test…”
“Some types of avatar can maintain a permanent state, and there are several methods to extend the duration of Image Summoning as needed…
For example, in the school zone, the power from the school area can sustain the avatar…
Or if traveling outside, just carrying an artifact that distributes magical energy to the avatar would be enough…”
Sandro spoke as he tossed Zal’s student wristband back to him, causing Zal to freeze again.
If each student’s wristband had such properties, it could indeed be used as a device to extend the lifespan of avatar without being noticeable.
As Zal pieced the story together, everything seemed to fit, but it only made him more resistant.
“It’s against the rules to make contracts with the youth!
How could they summon the likenesses of underage people!?”
“They are just replicas created from copying identities, not contracts…
But truthfully, they are already lawmakers…
even if they violate a few laws, no one will really hold them accountable…”
Zal knew the answer to this himself but still raised it to argue with Sandro.
In truth, he had already accepted more than half of it.
This was just a desperate attempt to escape the desolate reality.
“Why go to such lengths…
All this was done just to deceive me…”
Zal spoke with a voice filled with pain while still lying with his hands covering his face, as if trying to hide those feelings from anyone who might see.
“The academy wasn’t built specifically for you…
It was created to nurture descendants of those associated with darkness, to bring them up in a direction the Peace Keepers desired…
This academy housed many other descendants of those associated with darkness…
But the most important person was you…”
This made Zal feel somewhat surprised.
He wanted to know who else Sandro was referring to, but more importantly, why he was the most important.
“Why me…
What is so important about me?…
Just because I am the child of the Doombringer?”
“…One reason is certainly that…
But there are other reasons too…
Before your father became the Doombringer, do you know what he was?”
“A Peace Maker…”
Zal replied weakly, and Sandro nodded before continuing,
“Exactly…
And he wasn’t just any Peace Maker…
Zaramoth Halcyon was the top Peace Maker among the Peace Keepers, a skilled warrior known as the ‘War God…’ He successfully stopped the signs of world war, leading the world into a real era of peace…
Before that, while suppressing insurgents, he created many deeds…
But your father wasn’t one to blindly follow orders…”
Sandro sat down next to Zal, making him feel slightly uncomfortable, but he still listened intently,
“…Your father didn’t sweep away everything expecting accolades; he judged people’s guilt by their intentions rather than their actions…
He investigated the reasons before taking drastic measures…
Thus, many people were pardoned or saved…
and I was one of them…”
“It looks like my father made a mistake…
you seem like the ultimate insurgent…”
“…You’re arguing.
I bet you’re feeling better, right?…”
Although Zal intended not to interrupt, the built-up discomfort made it impossible for him not to speak up.
When Sandro countered him like that, all Zal could do was turn his face away in frustration, which Sandro did not mind.
“…Your father saved countless people…
Combined with his past deeds, he was highly influential within the organization, had many allies and friends both inside and outside, and not just limited to this realm or continent, but across three continents…
Just the name Zaramoth Halcyon could rally people to a degree that threatened kingdoms…
This also affected the political standing and credibility of the Peace Keepers…
All this made it impossible for them to lose sight of you…”
Zal wiped the tears smearing his face and looked at Sandro with an expression of incomprehension.
“…Your father was once a symbol of the Peace Keepers’ prosperity, but suddenly he turned into the Doombringer…
This caused turmoil within the organization…
Mainly it was a power struggle among different power groups within the Peace Keepers, which originated from representatives from three continents: Juris, Dominaria, and Terra, forming three power blocs that balanced each other.
The Juris group, as the founders and most accomplished, had always controlled the power over the other two groups…
But when this incident occurred, the other two groups used it as an opportunity to undermine Juris’ credibility to garner more power for themselves…
They questioned the senior leadership for allowing the top Peace Maker to turn into the Doombringer, while on the other hand, they rallied those who supported your father to their sides…
This caused the Juris group to lose significant power within the organization, so they figured out a solution…”
“A solution?”
Zal raised his eyebrows in curiosity.
“…By having the descendants of the family continue the position in the organization…
First, to favor those who supported your father from straying or joining other groups, and second, to strip the legitimacy of those who had broken away from using your father’s name for any actions…
But to do that, they had to mold you into a full-fledged member of the Juris faction first…”
As Zal listened to Sandro’s explanation, he began to grasp some of the points.
“With this academy, right?”
Zal spoke after gazing around at the empty surroundings with a sorrowful look, and Sandro nodded in confirmation.
“…Yes…
They planned to raise you to be loyal and faithful to the organization, completely…
If you ask me, it’s more like brainwashing…
That’s why they invested in all this, to create the perfect environment for you to grow in the direction they wanted…
But that’s still not the whole reason…”
“There is something else?”
Zal turned and asked Sandro with even more suspicion, as he could not believe there would be any other reasons.
Sandro moved a bit closer before speaking again.
“…Do you understand the significance of these eyes…?”
Sandro touched Zal’s cheekbone with his skeletal finger as he asked, causing Zal to shudder slightly and grimace, then shook his head in denial.
“…In some areas, orange eyes are not particularly rare, but eyes that shimmer gold in sunlight are a distinctive trait of those with celestial blood…
They have the right to open gates that connect all three realms…
the mortal world, hell, and heaven…
Therefore, it cannot fall into the hands of others.”
Sandro’s words made Zal’s eyes widen in shock, prompting him to stammer in his reply,
“W…wait a minute!
What do you mean by celestial blood?”
“…Your father never told you this, did he…?
Probably because it wasn’t time yet…
But this matter is very complex…
As a child, you might not understand that the relationship between the world and heaven is not exactly good…
This is why the origins of your mother had to be kept a secret…
And it might be why your father turned into the Doombringer…”
Zal was stunned by what he heard.
There were many things he wanted to ask, but he chose to inquire about what concerned him the most,
“You mean that’s why my father became the Doombringer?”
Sandro nodded before continuing,
“…As I said, the relationship between the world and heaven isn’t great—it’s actually more of a one-sided feeling from the world…
However, this might be why your mother had to return to heaven, and it greatly upset your father.
He then ascended to heaven to bring her back…”
“But my mother disappeared before that, why would my father suddenly…”
“…Your father wasn’t rash…
But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t act on emotion, but he would have planned and prepared to some extent before acting…
both in how he would proceed and the escape routes for you two…”
“Us two?”
Besides himself, Zal had three siblings: two older foster siblings adopted by his father before he got married, and a twin sister who was his blood relative.
“…Actually, I wasn’t the first choice to help you siblings escape from Juris when Zaramoth acted…
But presumably because the person he had originally planned couldn’t follow through…
The Peace Keepers were suspicious and watched everyone associated with him from the beginning, so the escape plan failed…
Only your elder brother and sister made it to the rendezvous point on time…”
Sandro’s words prompted Zal to recall the events of that day.
A large group from the Peace Keepers had come to their home, merely stating that an incident had occurred necessitating their relocation to a safe place.
That day, his two siblings were not at home, leaving only Zal and his younger sister.
No matter what he asked, the Peace Keepers provided no answers.
Although he did not want to follow the strangers, Zal and his sister, who were only six years old at the time, had no choice.
Worst of all, they were separated and placed in different vehicles.
Since that day, he had not seen his sister again.
After arriving at Ejis Academy, Zal occasionally received letters from his sister.
The letters stated that she was under the care of high-ranking officials of the Peace Keepers in a distant city, which is why they could only communicate through letters until they were old enough to travel to see each other.
This made Zal constantly look forward to the day he could reunite with his sister.
But if even Ejis Academy was merely an illusion…
“Lazarus!
Where is my sister now?”
Remembering this suddenly made Zal ask anxiously.
“…I’ve tried to find information, but I never got a clear answer…
I only know that she was taken in by someone in the organization and went to a school in the capital of Juris…
But there’s a possibility she might have been sent somewhere else…
Maybe to a school like this one…”
Hearing this, Zal clenched his fists tight.
He was already angry with what they had done but became even more enraged at the thought that his sister might be facing the same fate.
“And…
what about my older siblings…?”
“…I’ve sent them across to the continent of Dominaria…
Your father had some connections there…
Even though they had to change their names, they should be able to live peacefully…”
Zal said nothing further, and the conversation faltered.
The two sat quietly, gazing at the horizon for a long while.
After some time, Zal spoke again.
“So, because I am both the son of the Doombringer and a celestial being, I am considered a threat to this world, which is why they kept me in this illusionary school…”
“…The real threats to this world are those who choose any means to maintain power…
Whether or not you become a threat depends on your own decisions…
It depends on what you truly desire…”
“What I want…”
Tears welled up in Zal’s eyes before he could finish the sentence.
He continued with a trembling voice and twisted lips.
“I wish none of this had ever happened…”
Although he knew it was impossible, he still wished to express it.
How great it would be, if only all this could be just a nightmare?
Zal still longed to return to the peaceful life with his friends, even if it was just an illusion.
“…Escaping reality to grasp at lost dreams is futile…
I’ll ask you again…
What do you really want…?”
Challenged by Sandro, Zal pondered seriously for a long time.
Although he felt a deep resentment towards the Peace Keepers, he dared not think of revenge because the organization was like a governing body of this world.
Fighting against the Peace Keepers would be akin to suicide.
Zal then dismissed thoughts of revenge and considered what he truly wanted.
“I…
want us all to be together again…
my brothers, my sister…
to be one family again and be complete…”
In his heart, Zal also wished for his parents to rejoin that family, but he knew it was an impossible hope and so he left it unspoken.
“…Not including your parents too?…”
The question, seemingly reading his mind, took Zal by surprise.
It sounded more sarcastic than genuine to him.
“Are you trying to pick a fight?”
“…It’s not impossible…
if you become the Doombringer…”
“What…?
What do you mean?”
Zal looked even more puzzled by that statement.
Was Sandro suggesting that he become a Doombringer?
And what did that have to do with getting everyone back together?
“…A Doombringer is someone who has the backing of Hell.
Making a deal to release your father from Hell isn’t out of the question…
and the story of your father being a Doombringer has been exaggerated by the Peace Keepers…
If you can unmask the Peace Keepers and clear your father’s name, the Halcyon family could be cleared of all charges and live peacefully together once more…”
Hearing Sandro’s explanation, Zal’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait…
a minute!
What do you mean ‘exaggerated’?
My father wasn’t a Doombringer?”
“…In some senses, he is, but if we’re speaking truthfully, your father wasn’t invading the world…”
The answer made Zal furrow his brows in confusion, prompting Sandro to elaborate.
“…Your father led the armies of Hell directly to Heaven.
He did not pass through the Earth or harm humans.
In truth, it wasn’t an invasion of the world at all…
The impact of this event on the world was just the monsters becoming frenzied and causing disturbances in some areas.
Compared to a real invasion, it was nothing major.
…But because it was a threat that people could see with their own eyes, unlike distant war reports, it felt more immediate.
The Peace Keepers used this opportunity to declare it the fourth invasion to gather public support…
The ‘one-day suppression’ of the invasion was because when the armies of Hell were defeated in Heaven, the gates to Hell were closed, and the monsters no longer frenzied as they retreated to the wilds, making it seem like the Peace Keepers managed everything in one day, greatly enhancing their authority and reputation…”
Listening to Sandro’s narrative, Zal grew even more resentful of the Peace Keepers.
He had never thought the organization could be so corrupted.
“So, you’re saying my father didn’t invade the world, and he shouldn’t be called a Doombringer?”
“…Yes…
Based on his actions, your father hardly caused any damage to the world at all, and at least, the effects of his actions weren’t severe enough to label him a Doombringer…
Recording Zaramoth Halcyon as the fourth Doombringer was just so the Peace Keepers could claim success from the fake invasion…
If we can overthrow the Peace Keepers and reveal this truth…
your family could be vindicated…”
Sandro’s words made Zal’s eyes light up momentarily with joy, but soon his expression turned serious again, as he realized there were still many complications.
“Even if he didn’t invade Earth, my father was still an invader of Heaven, right?
This still seems like a serious crime…”
Zal’s doubt was valid, as while Zaramoth’s actions were not a direct invasion of Earth, leading a Hell army to invade Heaven was indeed an indirect threat to the world and not easily forgiven.
“…Modern humans don’t care about Heaven that much anymore.
This is also the result of the Peace Keepers’ actions…
Your father’s crime is putting the world at risk, but if we can prove that his only goal was the invasion of Heaven and the world was not actually at crisis, his guilt could be significantly lessened.
It would at least not be a crime so severe as to warrant punishment for the entire family…
Perhaps if we find a suitable reason for his invasion of Heaven, there might even be people who would support his actions…”
The more Zal listened to Sandro, the more confused he felt.
“Wait, why would that be?”
“…You’re still young, so you haven’t encountered this yet, but as you grow older, you’ll come across anti-Heaven sentiments among people…
It might not be a publicly promoted idea, but it is transmitted and grows among the population.
Some extremists cultivate a hatred for Heaven…”
“Hatred for Heaven?”
Zal asked for confirmation, and Sandro nodded before explaining further.
“…It didn’t start as opposition or hatred outright, but as a desire for humans to stand independently without relying on Heaven, because humans in previous eras were too dependent on Heaven…
Many leaders feared this dependency would weaken humanity, so they had the angels residing on Earth gradually return to Heaven and minimized Heaven’s involvement with the world…
But humans have needed spiritual anchors since ancient times, especially upon knowing Heaven exists.
Faith is hard to eradicate, so people used the strategy of ‘devaluing’ Heaven by spreading various ideas to reduce people’s faith, which eventually evolved into the new belief system that opposes or hates Heaven…”
Zal listened with furrowed brows.
Although he did not understand all the implications of these words, he sensed they were not entirely positive.
“…If you still don’t understand, that’s okay.
When that time comes, you might reconsider…
What I want to say is, this can work to clear your father’s name because if people see that your father was treated unfairly by Heaven, he might gain more sympathy…”
“You mean the fact that they called my mother back?”Zal
Sandro nodded in affirmation.
“But after the commotion my father caused in Heaven, would Heaven really allow my mother to return to Earth?
And you said that my mother being called back to Heaven was what drove my father to become a Doombringer.
So, Heaven didn’t want celestial beings to reside on Earth from the beginning?”
“…That part…
It was humans who didn’t want the celestial beings on Earth…”
Zal’s face filled with confusion again, not knowing how many times during this conversation he had felt as though he understood even though he did not understand.
“…The truth is, the Peace Keepers had been implementing a policy to separate Earth from Heaven since after the third invasion…
They didn’t want Heaven to have too much influence over humans, so they gradually pushed the celestial beings out of the world…
But for Heaven itself, they were just doing what humans wanted.
The angels weren’t forbidden from coming to Earth, they just had to come in human guise and not make any prominent movements…
No matter whether Zaramoth was guilty or what his punishment was, it doesn’t relate to whether your mother can come back to the human world.
That she hasn’t come back is due to the Peace Keepers’ policy of separating Heaven, and that is what you need to change…”
Hearing Sandro’s explanation, Zal had to pause and think again.
To clear his father’s name, he had to expose the Peace Keepers’ exaggeration of the fourth invasion and pinning his father as a Doombringer, which was not a simple task.
It involved actions that could destabilize the organization to the extent of being subversive.
Moreover, if he wanted his mother to return, he had to change the Peace Keepers’ policy of separating Heaven.
In summary, whether he wanted to bring anyone back, he had to confront the Peace Keepers.
But the Peace Keepers were the most influential organization in the world, essentially governing it.
This organization consisted of representatives from three continents and seventeen kingdoms, established to counter the threats of Doombringer and maintain global peace.
They had tens of thousands of members and hundreds of thousands of adventurers in their ranks, including ‘Peacekeepers,’ top warriors selected from the highest-ranking adventurers of each continent.
And if necessary, they could also muster military forces and independent adventurers from various kingdoms since the Peace Keepers’ mission was considered a matter of global security.
Attempting to overthrow the Peace Keepers was akin to being an enemy of the world or trying to conquer it—an improbable goal.
Sandro, seeing the other party pondering seriously for a long time, spoke again.
“…You see the enemy you have to fight now, don’t you?…”
Zal felt hesitant, because he believed that fighting the Peace Keepers was beyond his capabilities, thus he answered Sandro’s question without looking up.
“No matter who I would help, I can’t avoid confronting the Peace Keepers…
But the Peace Keepers…
They’re an organization that governs the world, you know.
For someone like me, there’s just no way…
“…That’s why I suggested you become a Doombringer…”
“What?”
Zal almost forgot that this was the first solution Sandro had offered him.
But since he did not understand the meaning of it, Sandro had to explain everything at length until he forgot about it.
It was funny that even when Sandro brought it up again, he was still not sure what it meant.
“…Even though they are not a foe of Heaven…
if we receive support from Hell, destroying the Peace Keepers is not beyond reach…
After that, you could bring your entire family back together…”
Zal objected to this, sensing something was off in the statement,
“If we don’t count the fourth invasion, Hell has already tried to invade the world three times and has never succeeded.
With such a consistent record of failure, how could it suddenly succeed with me?”
“…The failures were due to two reasons: one, Heaven previously protected the world and resisted Hell; two, Hell only used brute force and never changed tactics…
But now things are different.
The Peace Keepers prevent Heaven from interfering with the world, and the current goal isn’t to attack the world but to strike at the Peace Keepers.
With the right tactics we could succeed.
With support from Hell…
and the plan to gradually undermining their power from inside, even a firmly rooted giant like the Peace Keepers can be eroded and brought down…”
These remarks rekindled Zal’s hope, but no matter how tempting the outcome, he did not intend to harm innocent lives for his fleeting happiness.
“But…
I don’t want to destroy the world.”
“You don’t have to…”
“Aren’t the Doombringer meant to destroy the world?”
“If they really are Doombringers…”
Sandro’s words confused Zal further.
Seeing Sal’s utterly confused face, Sandro continued to explain,
“You can be a Doombringer and receive support from Hell without actually following their orders…
Just pretend to comply…
Actual attacks on the world won’t happen until forces are fully ready…
when and where to strike would be up to the Doombringer, which would be you…”
“You mean I could just stall indefinitely?”
“Yes…
During that time, you can use the support from Hell to bring down the Peace Keepers…
Previous Doombringers were just pawns Hell deceived and used…
But this time, you can turn the tables and use Hell for your own benefits…”
“If I don’t follow Hell’s orders, nothing will really happen?”
“They aren’t as powerful as you think…
That’s why they need a Doombringer…
All you had to do is play the part they need…
Even if you break the contract later, they can’t do much, if you don’t fall into their trap first…”
Sandro’s last words made Zal feel a twinge of unease, but he was beginning to be swayed.
“But taking down the Peace Keepers is like indirectly destroying the world, isn’t it?
If there were no Peace Keepers, the world might become chaotic and that would put people in danger.”
Hearing this, Sandro snorted through his hollow nasal cavity before turning to gaze at the horizon and continued,
“That’s just something they’ve planted in people’s minds…
The era when the world depended on the Peace Keepers is long gone…
Look around, what are the real threats to the world?…
It’s just paranoia they’ve created to feed their own power…
and they’ll do everything to preserve their power…
Just like what they’ve done to you…”
Zal fell silent upon hearing this.
Although he did not know much about the inner workings of the Peace Keepers, his experiences gave him a good idea of how the organization operated.
“They’re just trying to maintain their power and position rather than actually doing something for the world…
They create fear among the people and use it as an excuse to eliminate their enemies…
It’s an organization that only creates problems for the world and needs to be eradicated…”
Sandro’s words were rational and persuasive, but Zal still lacked the confidence to carry out these actions.
“But me…
can I really do something like this…?
I don’t even know where to start…”
“It’s about commitment…
and if you really decide to do it, I will help you…”
Sandro’s words surprised and excited Zal.
Even though he did not believe he was capable of undertaking such a monumental task as toppling the Peace Keepers, if it were Sandro, or with Sandro’s help, it might be another story.
This thought excited him immensely.
Could everything really be possible?
Could everyone really come back together?
Zal felt excited and joyful, barely able to contain himself, but he still had doubts.
“But why…?
Why would you want to help?”
“I owe your father…
and there are personal reasons too…”
“Personal reasons?”
Sandro stood up and gazed out into the distance, as if reminiscing about something before speaking again,
“We scholars of the dark arts aren’t all associated with demons…
Studying the dark arts wasn’t wrong in the past…
But suddenly, it was declared a forbidden science for trivial reasons…
Those who tried to preserve this knowledge were hunted and killed in droves…
Even though many of them hadn’t done anything wrong…”
Although his skull-like face and dry voice conveyed no emotion, Zal could sense that Sandro was speaking with deep sadness,
“…That’s why I want to bring down that evil organization…
to avenge everyone…
and to change the laws, so that studying the dark arts can once again be seen as a legitimate discipline…
That’s what my mentor wanted, and it’s what I want…”
“But us…
Can we really do this?
It’s almost like trying to take over the world, isn’t it?”
“…Taking over the world might be difficult, but bringing down an organization that controls the world isn’t as hard as it sounds…”
Sandro’s reply made Zal think hard once again.
Using Hell to overthrow the organization that governed the world sounded like an unimaginably foolish plan, but for some reason, Zal felt it could be possible.
Perhaps because the one proposing it was Sandro, a sorcerer as formidable as a demon, whom he had witnessed with his own eyes.
If someone like Sandro believed it, then the plan might not be so far-fetched.
Motivated, Zal stood up and asked with a determined look,
“So…
what do I need to do?”
Sandro turned to look at Zal with a semblance of satisfaction.
Despite having a skull for a face with green fiery eyes in empty sockets, Zal felt genuinely that Sandro was looking at him with approval.
“The first step is to become stronger, worthy of the title of Doombringer…
Demons don’t lend their power to just anyone…
I will train you myself…”
After saying this, Sandro brought out a small glass bottle filled with a gray liquid and sprayed it onto Zal’s head.
“Wh…what?
What are you doing!?”
“We need to go into the city to prepare supplies before we set off…
The search has stopped in this area and expanded to other cities…
But someone might recognize you, especially with that hair color…
So, better to disguise yourself…”
Sandro rubbed the liquid into Zal’s hair, and slowly, every strand turned from bright red to gray.
Even his eyebrows, lightly touched by the potion, turned gray.
“And what about you?
Don’t tell me you plan to go into the city like that?”
“Ah…
right…
I almost forgot…”
A cloud of dense white mist then enveloped Sandro.
In moments, it receded back into his form, revealing a new appearance — now human.
“What!?
You!”
The human form of Sandro took Zal by surprise.
The once daunting reaper-like figure was now a beautiful woman with flawless, snow-white skin, long gray hair shimmering silver in the sunlight, and deep green eyes like emeralds.
Though her expression was cool and emotionless, her beauty was so breathtaking that it was hard to look away.
Zal never thought this was what Sandro looked like.
“Are you a woman?!”
“I’ve always been a woman…
Couldn’t you tell?”
“With a skeletal appearance like that, who could tell!?”
With this, the journey of Zal and Sandro, posing as a (fake) Doombringer, began — promising to be an adventure filled with unexpected events.
Read ‘Doombringer the 5th’ before anyone else with more chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en