Paimon’s gaze shifted back to Daniel.
“We can’t allow you to meet the Monarch.”
“But—”
“This rule cannot be changed. Only the bloodline of the Monarch can step into the palace.”
Daniel frowned.
“What about the World Core?”
“The Monarch will take care of it.”
“He can’t—”
Suddenly, his words caught in his throat as a suffocating pressure surrounded him.
The air thickened, pressing down on his chest.
Paimon’s gaze turned sharp.
Her crimson eyes narrowed.
An oppressive aura spread out from her.
“Choose your next words carefully, Chosen of the Second Prince.
“We won’t tolerate any insult towards Monarch.”
“Huff! Huff!”
Daniel’s body was shivering when Paimon retracted her aura.
The air felt heavy, pressing against his chest as he calmed his breathing and carefully thought of his words before speaking them aloud.
“I’m a regressor. The Angel has come out of the World’s Core over 400 times. It’s clear Monarch needs our help.”
“…”
Paimon’s brows furrowed.
Her expression was unreadable as she processed his words.
As a Grand Duchess of the Underworld, she was privy to a lot of sensitive information, more than most beings could comprehend.
She had known for some time now that many time users were seeing visions of other timelines.
Clearly, the world had entered a time loop, an endless cycle of decay and rebirth.
Still, Paimon shook her head.
“The Monarch has told us to leave the protection of the World’s Core to him.
“Trying to help him when he told us to do otherwise is the same as undermining his authority.
“We won’t do that.”
“But the world will end,” Daniel said.
“If that is Monarch’s wish, then so be it.”
Daniel was stunned.
The weight of her words crushed him more than the oppressive atmosphere.
He couldn’t understand why Paimon, someone who was nigh omnipotent, held such blind devotion for the Monarch.
She was plenty strong herself.
Strong enough to make her own choices.
The world ended once again.
Paimon let the World’s Core be destroyed because the Monarch didn’t ask for help.
The Angel reclaimed the world, leaving Daniel once more adrift in the cycle.
In the next loops, Daniel tried to meet other Grim Reapers.
They had a variety of personalities, some were cold and detached, others were sorrowful and grim, while a few were happy-go-lucky.
But their devotion to Monarch was the same as Paimon’s, if not more.
Daniel had to undergo more loops.
He tried to sneak around the Underworld, hoping to reach the palace of Monarch himself.
It was impossible to achieve with the Grim Reapers serving as the palace’s security.
Even the weakest Grim Reaper was stronger than Typhaon.
It was obvious Daniel couldn’t defeat them or force his way into the palace.
Daniel tried everything for the next 500 loops.
Coaxing, manipulation, blackmailing, bribery.
Nothing worked. Stay connected with empire
To put it nicely, the Grim Reapers were kind people who served the Monarch wholeheartedly.
To put it bluntly, they were hardheaded and would call east west if Monarch told them to do so.
Monarch’s words were absolute.
Neo wanted to try to talk with the Grim Reapers and see if he could help Daniel.
However, it was impossible.
Over the course of centuries, he had exhausted his Intent.
It was barely surviving within Daniel.
Soon, the Intent would disappear from the ‘past.’
He had to use the Intent only when it was necessary.
He stopped talking with Daniel too.
Each word he spoke with Daniel caused the Intent to exhaust itself further.
Neo – in the present – was in a worse condition.
His body had completely crumbled away.
Only a humanoid mass of red lightning was left behind, crackling weakly.
The red lightning was slowly dimming, flickering like a dying flame.
Daniel kept looping.
He saw no chance of breakthrough after centuries.
Exhausted and angry, he decided to go on another break.
His first idea of relaxation was beating the hell out of Typhaon.
…
The battlefield was a shattered wasteland, scorched earth and broken stone spreading in every direction.
Storm clouds loomed overhead, rumbling ominously as streaks of red lightning danced above.
“You know, I hate you to the core,” Daniel said as he sat over the giant body of Typhon, his breath fogging in the cold air.
“Wh… why?” Typhon groaned.
“You activated that portal inside the World’s Core, didn’t you? It’s enough of a reason for me to hate you.”
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Typhon spoke meekly. “It seemed like a good idea back then.”
“Sorry? You think that works? Close that portal. Or I’ll keep beating you.”
“I c-can’t, sir. I created the portal using the knowledge I got from the Child of Mana. I don’t know how to close it.”
The topic of the Child of Mana pissed him off further.
He continued to beat Typhaon, heal him, and beat him again with his fists.
“Wait, sir, I have an idea!”
Typhaon shouted to make Daniel stop.
“What is it?”
Daniel stopped his fists.
His knuckles were bloodied from repeated use.
Sweat dripped from his forehead, staining the cracked floor beneath him.
“If it isn’t a good idea, get ready for another round of beating.”
“The portal opens when I’m killed, sir. It won’t open if I’m alive.”
Daniel’s face stiffened.
It was his first time hearing about this.
“Is that true?”
“Yes.”
“…”
Daniel had no words left.
“Sir—”
“I don’t trust you.”
Without hesitation, Daniel killed Typhaon once more.
His blade sliced cleanly through the silence.
The loop reset.
For the next ten loops, Daniel verified Typhaon’s statement.
Each time, the Angel appeared within one day to one week after Typhaon’s death.
“Damn, the answer was so simple.”
Daniel clenched his fists, pacing the scorched battlefield where corpses had long since turned to ash.
“I just had to keep Typhaon alive.”
The task was seemingly simple.
But it turned out to be a nightmare of highest difficulty.
If Daniel kept Typhaon imprisoned, Typhaon would become depressed and kill himself in despair.
If Daniel gave Typhaon a different continent and let him rule others, Typhaon’s growth speed would soon surpass other Awakeners.
