Chapter 132: Welcome to the team

When Erick turned toward Jake and Nana, his golden eyes had turned an almost blood-red shade.

The sight sent a chill down Jake’s spine. Even Nana, who was now merely an ordinary S-rank guide after Cien had deprived her of the chance to consume treasures and acquire special abilities, felt her legs begin to tremble.

Neither dared to utter a word.

They stood frozen, watching Erick as he stared back at them with an expression that seemed almost inhuman.

It was only after a long moment that Erick finally drew a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He needed to calm down.

Yes, calm down.

It wasn’t too late. He had remembered everything in time. He still had a chance to carry out what he had originally planned.

He repeated those words to himself again and again, desperately trying to convince himself that everything could still be salvaged.

But when he finally opened his mouth, the first name he called was one neither Nana nor Jake had ever heard before.

"Gaya!"

Silence.

No response came.

Erick stared ahead for a moment before suddenly letting out a cold laugh.

How ridiculous.

Now that he was useless, now that Gaya had set its sights on Zephyr, how could he possibly expect it to answer him? What wishful thinking.

Strangely enough, after laughing, he fell silent. Whether he had genuinely regained his composure or this was merely the calm before another storm, no one could tell.

Turning toward Jake, who was still too frightened to even breathe loudly, Erick asked in a flat voice.

"Where is Zephyr? And..."

He paused, deliberately drawing out the second name.

"Lucien?"

Jake swallowed. He had no idea what had happened to Erick, but the man standing before him looked as though he had crawled straight out of hell. The anger radiating from him earlier had been so overwhelming that Jake had half expected him to attack at any moment.

Nevertheless, Jake was an A-rank Esper. He forced himself to regain his composure before answering.

"Those two..."

His eyes flickered with unease, but under Erick’s terrifying gaze, he knew better than to conceal anything.

"They killed a researcher and disappeared shortly afterward."

A vein throbbed on Erick’s forehead.

"Disappeared? Where?"

"We don’t know."

Jake answered quickly.

"The Association is searching for them, especially Zephyr, who is now considered an S-rank Esper. According to the information I received, Zephyr killed the researcher because Lucien manipulated him. The Association isn’t holding Zephyr responsible. Instead, they want him brought back safely. They’re putting all the blame on Lucien. Right now, every news channel in M City is broadcasting their pictures, hoping someone will recognize them and help the Association locate them. They intend to punish Lucien for what happened."

Erick let out a cold sneer.

The Association.

He should have destroyed this useless institution long ago!

However, he had far more pressing matters to consider at the moment.

Lucien was Cien. And Cien knew the future, or more specifically, the events of the first timeline. That was how he had managed to steal many of the treasures that Erick was originally supposed to discover. In fact, Cien might know even more than Erick, who had ultimately lost his body. After all, Erick still had no idea how, why, or to whom the master of the Gaya System had ultimately lost.

If his guess was correct, then during the Second Disaster-Level Dungeon, Cien had probably obtained the dark mark that connected their realm to the Fallen Realm. After killing the researcher, he had likely taken Zephyr there with him. He knew perfectly well that the Association would never punish Zephyr, who was now considered a valuable S-rank Esper. Instead, they would make Lucien pay for everything.

In other words, Cien had already anticipated their reaction and used it to his advantage.

Within moments, Erick had pieced everything together.

Without sparing another glance at the two people standing before him, he strode toward the door. He needed to find a way into the Fallen Realm! More importantly, he had to warn Zephyr about what was coming!

But just as he crossed the doorway, he suddenly stopped.

Wait.

There was something else.

His original agreement with the Gaya System had been that it would send him back to Earth. It would also find Zephyr and arrange for him to be born as the person Erick had seen on Earth, someone who looked exactly like Zephyr. The two of them would then be able to live ordinary, peaceful lives together.

In exchange, Erick had promised to work hard and eventually surrender his body to the master of the Gaya System.

Even if Gaya had changed its target and now wanted Zephyr’s body instead, wouldn’t the final outcome remain the same? Wouldn’t it still send the two of them to Earth to begin a new life?

Numerous thoughts raced through his mind.

Ultimately, the person who had been so determined to warn Zephyr decided against it.

Zephyr had grown far too attached to Cien. That man was becoming a problem. Erick needed to find a way to separate them.

No, simply separating them wouldn’t be enough.

He had to find a way to kill Cien! That way, Cien would never get the chance to return to his original body. His soul would simply disappear, leaving nothing behind.

As long as Cien was gone, everything would fall back into place.

His steps gradually slowed, and a faint smile began to spread across his lips. By the time he fully stepped outside, he had even regained enough composure to casually nod at Olivia and Nox, the two members of his team who had been waiting outside.

The place was one of the Association’s medical rooms, where injured Espers were brought for treatment. Now that his injuries had healed and he had finally regained consciousness, there was no reason for him to remain there.

However, just as Erick was about to leave, a figure suddenly entered his peripheral vision.

A slender man approached the group. He had a rather timid appearance, and even his expression seemed somewhat hesitant. After glancing at everyone, he cautiously spoke.

"Excuse me. Is this Esper Erick’s team? I’m a new member, an S-rank guide. The Association informed me that I have been assigned to your team."

Olivia and Nox exchanged curious glances. Jake and Nana, who had followed Erick out of the room, also turned toward the newcomer.

Erick, however, narrowed his eyes.

He studied the timid-looking guide for a moment before asking.

"Soyun?"

The newcomer flinched slightly, seemingly surprised that Erick already knew his name. A shy smile soon appeared on his face.

"Yes, that’s me. Have you already received the notification about my joining through your watches?"

Amusement flickered in Erick’s eyes as he examined the man from head to toe.

If he remembered correctly, he knew this person.

No, not from this timeline.

He had met him during his first life, back when he and Nana, along with the others, had constantly been on the run, desperately struggling to survive after their realm had fallen into the hands of the Demons.

The man standing before him was called Soyun.

Or, more precisely, Demon General Soyun.

He was the strongest Demon General under the Demon Lord, a formidable existence whom Erick had encountered while struggling to survive in that doomed timeline.

Back then, Soyun had even joined their team, accompanying them for an entire month while pretending to be nothing more than a timid little rabbit. He had played the part of a harmless guide so convincingly that none of them had suspected a thing.

It was only when Erick and his team were suddenly attacked by Slar and another Demon Servant that Soyun’s identity was exposed. Upon seeing him, Slar had immediately recognized the Demon General.

Soyun, on the other hand, had been thoroughly annoyed.

He had even cursed Slar for ruining his plans, complaining that he had been so close to turning Erick and his entire team into puppets and adding them to his collection.

Slar had immediately apologized, his expression turning fearful at the Demon General’s anger.

After being exposed, Soyun had quickly lost interest in them and left.

But what was he doing here now?

Why was he already pretending to be a guide?

In the first timeline, Soyun hadn’t appeared until years later. So what had caused such a drastic change in the future?

Was it because of Cien?

Or was there another reason?

A multitude of possibilities flashed through Erick’s mind, but he made sure none of his thoughts showed on his face.

He couldn’t afford to expose Soyun’s identity. After all, the man was a Demon General, and an incredibly powerful one at that. He was even stronger than Drak.

And Erick, who had been reduced to his current pitiful state after Cien had deprived him of so many treasures and opportunities, was in no position to provoke such an existence.

If he made even the slightest wrong move, he wouldn’t be the only one to die. Everyone in the Association could end up paying for it.

For the first time, Erick regretted bringing Cien here.

Initially, he had brought that man into this realm because he wanted Cien’s help in accomplishing certain things more quickly. There had also been a selfish reason behind his decision. After seeing Cien, who looked so similar to Lucien, living such a peaceful and carefree life, Erick simply couldn’t stomach it.

But now, he was beginning to realize just how troublesome that decision had been.

Nevertheless, he concealed his thoughts and gave Soyun a casual nod.

"Welcome to the team."

Soyun blinked.

For some reason, he suddenly felt a faint sense of unease. There was something about Erick’s smile that made him uncomfortable, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Still, he didn’t think too much about it.

After all, he already knew what had happened in the first timeline, thanks to the Gaya System.

He had encountered the system when he was on the verge of death after being punished by the Demon Lord. The two had eventually reached an agreement, and although Gaya hadn’t granted him any special powers, it had given him knowledge of the first timeline.

In exchange, Soyun only needed to secretly assist it when the time came, helping eliminate the other Demon Generals and Demon Servants under the Demon Lord.

After all, Gaya couldn’t be bothered with such insignificant nuisances. Its true target was the Demon Lord and the immortal entity behind him.

As for everything else, Soyun was free to do whatever he pleased.

Naturally, he had no idea that Erick possessed knowledge of the previous timeline as well.

So, dismissing the faint unease he felt, Soyun offered Erick a polite and shy smile.

"Thank you."