(Orlax POV)
I sensed the presence of several hidden individuals, so I quickly pulled Riana behind me and waited for them to appear.
Each of them emanated a feeling of danger, and I guessed their level was [Master] level.
"You're Orlax Tirshtain, right? [The Golden One]sends his regards."
'The Golden One? Who is that? I've never heard of someone with that title before.'
As soon as I saw them raising their hands, preparing for an attack, I felt imminent danger.
'This is bad! If this strike hits me, it might kill me instantly.'
I began gathering energy in my body until it was concentrated in one place, draining myself completely of mana.
My entire body felt weak, my vision grew heavy, my breathing quickened, and my heartbeat raced.
This was the first time I truly felt danger since arriving in this world.
This moment made me realize—I am human too. No matter how strong I become, there will always be limits to what I can do alone.
"Riana Elin, can you trust me?"
"What do you want to do?"
"When I count to three—jump off the cliff."
"What?! I'll die if I fall from this height!"
"And you'll die if that attack hits you."
I saw that these people were almost done preparing their attack, and urgency filled my voice.
"Alright."
"Alright. One... Three!"
I swiftly pushed Riana off the cliff and turned to face the individuals standing before me.
"Where is two, you bastard?"
Ignoring Riana's screams, I slowly raised my fist toward the five standing in front of me.
"Tell [The Golden One] to come and greet me himself."
I raised my middle finger at them, then hurled the concentrated mana orb in their direction before jumping off the cliff.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Ignoring the sound of explosions, I plummeted rapidly through the sky.
Rocks tumbled from above due to the explosion, and though I tried to evade them, some hit me.
I gritted my teeth, endured the pain, and used the falling debris as footholds to accelerate downward, aiming to reach Riana, who was falling below me.
"What are we going to do now?!"
Riana screamed loudly against the wind as I approached her altitude.
I could now see the ground below—we would crash into it in mere moments.
'I don't have much mana left... I can use {Control Magic} to slow my fall—but only for one person.'
"Get close to me—NOW!"
An idea struck me, and I shouted towards Riana, urging her to approach.
I wrapped my arms tightly around her body, holding her firmly, and turned myself so I would land on my back.
[Control Magic Activated.]
BOOM!
A loud impact echoed as I hit the ground, and I felt my body completely shatter from the force.
"Ugh."
Blood began to pour from my mouth due to internal injuries. I struggled desperately to remain conscious.
"Phew... We made it."
Riana got off my chest, causing me more pain as she moved.
"You!"
Riana looked at me in shock—blood was flowing from my mouth, and my vision was clouded by pain and exhaustion.
"Wake up! Don't die on me! Hey, wake up! Aren't you the great demon?! How can something like this affect you?! Wake up!"
She slapped my cheek repeatedly, her voice anxious as I failed to respond.
I tried to reply, but the fatigue overwhelmed me—I lost consciousness.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in the middle of Baron Elin's City.
The only thing my gaze was filled with was corpses—lifeless bodies lying on the ground—and the overwhelming scent of blood.
'What's happening? How did I end up here? How did all these people die?'
I stepped forward slowly, walking through the scattered bodies, until I felt a cold touch on my foot.
I immediately jerked my foot back and looked down.
A corpse lying on the ground had raised its hand, staring at me with hollow eyes, blood seeping from all its openings.
"Why didn't you protect us? Why did you leave us to die? Why?"
Hearing these words made guilt surge through me.
"I… I'm sorry. I didn't know a monster wave was going to attack the city."
I cautiously moved closer, wanting to help the person up, but suddenly, they grabbed my collar and screamed in my face.
"Liar! You failed to keep your promise! You're a liar!"
Suddenly, all the corpses began to rise and move toward me.
"Liar!"
"Why didn't you protect us?"
"Liar!"
Panic consumed me as I watched the terrifying sight unfold, forcing me to step back quickly.
I ran and ran until I reached a small alley where a red-haired man was sitting.
He stood up and rushed toward me, allowing me to see his face clearly.
It was Baron Elin himself—the man I had abandoned here when I found him.
A massive hole was carved into his stomach, and his expression was twisted with rage as he glared at me.
"You bastard! Why didn't you protect me? Why didn't you save my city?"
"I... I don't know. I told you—I didn't know! Why won't you listen to me?"
"Then why make a promise you couldn't keep?"
Those words stabbed into me like knives, triggering a sharp pain in my mind.
I couldn't bear staying there—I turned and ran again.
The scenery changed in an instant—I suddenly found myself in the Imperial Palace.
Just like before, corpses littered the ground, and dread gripped me.
I sprinted as fast as I could, heading for my room.
But as I reached the door, someone blocked my path.
"Alex… What's going on? Why are there so many dead bodies?"
I asked Alex, who was standing motionless with his head lowered, waiting for him to respond.
Suddenly, he raised his head, revealing blood streaming from his hollowed-out eyes, and screamed at me.
"You didn't protect us! You left us to die!"
"No, no… I—I…"
I couldn't find the words to respond to this distorted version of Alex.
Overcome by fear, I shoved him aside, forced my door open, and rushed inside—slamming it shut behind me.
Right in front of me, Lira lay on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood.
"Lira! Wake up! Lira!"
I frantically shook her lifeless body, anxiety gripping my heart.
"Where were you? Why didn't you protect us?"
"I... I…"
I could no longer speak, overwhelmed by the chaos unfolding before me. Tears began trickling down my face.
"Papa... Papa..."
A faint, pain-filled voice reached my ears, sending chills through my body.
Slowly, I turned toward the bed, my gaze locking onto the figure lying there.
It was Sera—her beautiful blue hair now soaked in crimson.
"Ah... Sera, no—no!"
I rushed toward her, the tears falling freely now.
"Sera, my dear, don't worry! I'm here. Your father will protect you!"
I whispered between sobs, looking at her fragile form.
"Why? Why didn't you protect me, Daddy?"
Sera's voice was barely audible, her bloodied eyes staring emptily at me.
"No! No! Sera, please don't do this! Please don't!"
I lost all control, clutching her tightly, terrified she might vanish.
Suddenly, the door creaked open.
I turned instinctively to see who had entered.
Stepping inside was a white-haired man—someone I recognized.
But the sight before me made me want to end myself immediately.
He was carrying Alice—lifeless in his arms.
"No! Not Alice! Not her too!"
I screamed like a madman, collapsing to the floor and gripping my head.
"Why didn't you protect us?"
"Daddy, why didn't you save me?"
"Lax, you left me to die. Why didn't you keep your promise and protect me?"
Their words sliced through me like daggers, the pain unbearable—I fled the room, desperate to escape.
"Why are you torturing me like this?! Get me out of here! Please! Someone! Anyone! Get me out of here!"
I couldn't take it anymore—I collapsed onto the ground, burying my face, covering my ears, shutting everything out.
Silence.
It felt like someone had poured cold water over me.
[Cold Blood Activated.]
The moment I heard the notification, my eyes shot open.
"NO!"
I gasped, trying to stabilize my erratic breathing and racing heart, but it was impossible.
[Patience Activated.]
[Cold Blood Activated.]
Even with these traits activated, I couldn't calm down—the panic still gripped me.
"Stop! I don't want to hear any more! Please, just stop!"
I clutched my head, screaming at the empty space around me.
"What's wrong? Are your injuries really that bad?"
A voice pulled me out of my state.
I turned to look immediately.
Standing before me was a girl with long red hair covering the right side of her face.
Her golden eyes made me feel alive again.
She quickly approached and began checking my condition.
"I tried to dress your wounds, but I don't have proper supplies here. Just hold on until we reach the city."
Now that she was in front of me, I noticed that parts of her clothing had been torn and used as makeshift bandages to stop the bleeding in my head.
Without thinking, I reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"You're alive! Riana Elin—you're alive!"
Tears streamed down my face as I held the girl in my arms.
Her warm body and soft scent reassured me—she was real. She was alive.
"Huh? What do you mean? Of course, I'm alive. Otherwise, who's standing here talking to you?"