“Ah, home sweet home!” I exclaimed joyfully, barely standing upright as I used my new sword like a walking stick.
Yes, I was using the Divine Sword — a treasure that millions of people all around the world would kill to get their hands on — as a walking stick.
Sue me.
We had finally arrived at our destination – the Ascent Isles.
As soon as the plane landed, we disembarked, stretching and sighing in relief at having reached home safely.
Selene was still on the jet as it was being towed to the parking area.
I glanced around the runway. It was empty. Not a plane or a person in sight aside from us.
I frowned in dissatisfaction. “Now, why the hell didn’t my Shadow come to pick me up?”
Alexia, who had exited after me and was passing by, paused at my remark and turned to face me. “Why do you need her to pick you up? You don’t even have any luggage.”
“Still! It’s her duty!” I retorted.
Alexia tilted her head. “Does she even know you’re coming back today?”
I paused. “…No, but she should sense it in her heart. If she wanted to, she would!”
Alexia continued to stare at me — or at least in my general direction — for a few long seconds before nodding. “Understandable. Have a great day.”
On those words, she walked away, followed closely by her own Shadow, Kang, who shot me a sharp glance before continuing on.
What was that guy’s problem?
…Well, I already knew the answer.
In the game, Kang was one of the smartest characters.
I wouldn’t be surprised if he had already put two and two together and figured out that it was me who sold them out to the Overlord.
His deductive skills were insane. He was like a slightly dumber version of Sherlock Holmes.
But even with all that intelligence, he was the least impactful main character in the game.
Why?
Because he only ever reacted to the plot. He never made his own moves to push the story forward.
His sole purpose was to serve Alexia. Her safety above all else was his priority.
So, even though his intelligence rivaled some of the greatest schemers in the game, he never used it. He was too selfless.
A true slave to his master.
What a sad existence, living only to serve someone else.
Juliana would’ve hated a person like that. She valued freedom above everything else, and the very idea of servitude was anathema to her.
She hated slavery. But most importantly, she despised slaves who willingly served. To her, that blind devotion to someone else was the ultimate sin against oneself.
And that was also why I couldn’t care less about Kang. He wouldn’t come after me as long as I didn’t put Alexia in another life-or-death situation.
…And even if he did, it was not like he could do anything to me.
Besides, his role in the story was negligible.
He might be smart, but he had no ambition. No motivation other than to be useful to Alexia. He was of no use to me.
I had people far smarter, more driven, and much stronger than him who I could use in the future. He wasn’t worthy of being my pawn.
“Well, time to go home,” I sighed and started walking.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Michael and Lily standing a few feet away, talking in low voices.
As I walked by, Lily subtly pointed toward me with her chin, and Michael turned to face me.
“Samael,” he called out.
I stopped and turned, frowning slightly. “Yeah, what?”
Lily silently walked away, leaving us alone.
Michael looked like he was trying to find the right words. His mouth opened and closed a few times as if he couldn’t quite decide on what to say.
I tapped my foot impatiently. “Dude, do you have something to say? Because if not, I’d really love to go home and hug my bed like a long-lost lover as I sleep on it?”
Michael blinked, clearly caught off guard. “That’s… weirdly poetic.”
I shrugged. “Sleep and I have an intimate relationship. Now, what is it?”
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, avoiding eye contact.
Then he started stammering like a fool who had forgotten how to frame a proper sentence. “I… I– C-Can I talk to you?”
I gave him a look that practically screamed ‘are you serious?’ and shot back, “Yeah, why the hell else would you stop me here?”
“R-Right,” he groaned nervously and stepped closer.
But as he did, his eyes naturally drifted down to the shiny golden sword in my hand that I was using like a cane to walk properly.
He frowned. “What’s that sword?”
I glanced down. “Ah, this ol’ thing? I got it from an old man on his deathbed. Made him a good offer, and he took it.”
“I see…” Michael muttered, but his frown deepened. Even though he answered me, he seemed completely fixated on the sword.
“You okay?” I asked.
At the sound of my voice, he snapped out of it and slowly shook his head. A solemn expression settled on his face. “No… I’m not.”
I paused, eyeing him for a second before sighing. “Look, man, Alexia told me you couldn’t save a girl. It’s really not that big of a deal. You can’t save everyone on these missions. Even Instructor Selene said the same thing.”
Michael shook his head again, this time slower, like he was trying to convince himself of something. “It’s not just that girl. It’s everyone else too.”
I furrowed my brow. “What do you mean?”
He met my gaze, looking genuinely troubled. “I made a mistake. I should’ve listened to you and investigated the High Priest. You were right about him, and I was wrong to ignore it.”
I watched as guilt settled deep into his expression, but he pushed on:
“It wasn’t even a bad suggestion to investigate him. I only turned it down because it came from you. I let my bitter feelings for you cloud my judgment, and because of that… because of my mistake, so many people… so many innocent lives were lost because I refused to act when I should’ve.”
For a moment, I was genuinely impressed.
This was why I liked Michael in the game.
He was a complex person with realistic and human flaws.
He was a mess — naive, impulsive, and not always thinking things through.
He held onto grudges and let his emotions dictate his decisions.
But he was also someone who could own up to his mistakes, reflect on them, and change for the better.
He didn’t care who the other person was — if he was in the wrong against them, he wasn’t afraid to take accountability.
Take this incident for example.
He hated me — Samael Kaizer Theosbane — because me and my friends had made his life a living hell in school.
He hated me because I used my power to dominate other people and not help them like any good Awakened should.
Yet here he was, apologizing for not listening to me when I was right.
This wasn’t something you saw every day.
It was rare.
And this quality, along with many others, was what made him one of my favorite playable characters.
In my previous life, I used to want to be like him.
Someone strong and reliable, just and kind, but petty and resentful when needed, and — most importantly — someone who admitted his faults and worked to be a better man.
He was actually a nice guy.
“So, I guess what I’m trying to say is…” Michael inhaled sharply, squared his shoulders, and dipped his head slightly. “I’m sorry. I messed up.”
I studied him for a second, then nodded indifferently. “Sure.”
He snapped his eyes up as a frown creased his forehead. “Huh? That’s it? You aren’t going to rub it in my face or make any smug remarks? No insults? No gloating? Nothing?”
I wrinkled my nose in disgust. “Why do you sound almost disappointed? Do you want me to humiliate you? What are you, a masochist?”
“No! I just—” He groaned, raking a hand through his hair. “So, we’re good? We can start fresh?”
I nodded again. “Yeah, sure. You screwed up, I forgive you. It happens. And I’m nothing if not a gracious and understanding person.”
Michael let out a long breath, tension bleeding out of his shoulders.
But before he could say anything else, I slipped a hand into my robe and pulled out three faintly glowing Essence Stones from its inner pocket.
His eyes widened as soon as he saw them.
“In fact,” I said, tossing the glowing jewels toward him, “here’s a token of my goodwill.”
Michael fumbled to catch them, nearly dropping one in his scramble.
He stared at the shimmering stones in his hands, and his expression was torn between disbelief and something akin to fear.
“Are these—?” His voice trembled. “Are these Essence Stones?!”