Cracked crystals flickered endlessly in the darkness.
With each pulse of light that flared and died, Kronos's figure became clearer.
A towering body sat firmly upon the throne.
Across that dark red skin, countless long scars overlapped one another.
"Both of you… leave."
Kronos spoke in a low voice.
Immediately, Browne and Blondie stood up.
"Thank you, Lord Kronos! We are grateful!"
The two spoke in unison.
Browne spread his large wings, scattering glowing dust that illuminated Waffle's body—
an orange beetle-like creature with a large horn at the center of its head.
Blondie stomped her long legs down.
In an instant, both of them vanished.
Only Waffle remained, still kneeling.
He slowly lifted his head.
Kronos was still staring straight at him.
Around the Demon King's body, a dark smoke quietly coiled and drifted.
Waffle immediately bowed his head again, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
Far away, beneath a small crack in the ground, a mass of thick black sludge began to rise.
It squirmed, slowly pushing itself upward bit by bit.
"Wait… Lord Kronos."
A familiar voice echoed.
From beneath the crack, a slimy arm thrust straight up through the floor.
"Waffle meant no offense… please spare him."
The arm twitched slightly.
Suddenly, a large eye crawled along the sludge, moving up the arm.
It slid onto the palm—then a grotesque face began to form.
The eye immediately slipped into the mouth, spun once, then fixed its gaze toward Kronos.
Two hollow eye sockets remained—empty, without pupils.
"Envy… it is an honor to stand before you, Demon King Kronos."
Envy fully emerged, his body twisting and stretching out from the black sludge.
He stood upright, bowing respectfully.
"The place Waffle mentioned… was discovered by me, my lord. A city standing on the surface, in the middle of a vast lake."
The dark smoke around Kronos slowly faded.
Envy raised his head.
"I ask of you… please go there yourself. I am certain… the ones who killed Almond and Cashew are also there."
The dark smoke rose once again around Kronos.
"Why should I go? And why should I care about those two useless?"
Envy flinched and immediately lowered his head.
"My lord… if that is where humans are hiding, then this will be our chance to—"
He could not finish his sentence.
Kronos had already raised a finger, pointing straight at Envy.
"A chance..?"
In that instant—
Countless dark spheres appeared, floating throughout the entire corridor.
"Ebony Bezweren! Gwolde Devord!"
A vortex of darkness condensed at the tip of his finger, compressing into a single point.
Then it exploded forward.
A massive stream of darkness shot straight ahead.
It surged with overwhelming force, tearing through everything in its path like a detonation unleashed in a single line.
The ground was obliterated wherever it passed.
The corridor shook violently.
Walls cracked apart.
Massive pillars split and collapsed.
The ceiling shattered and began to fell down in.
Yet Kronos did not move.
Broken pillars were instantly reconnected by solid golden fragments, restoring their form.
Chunks of falling debris that approached him vanished before contact, displaced to another location entirely.
The floor beneath split open.
A massive fissure tore through the hall, widening as the ground broke apart and fell into the abyss below.
The crack was deep, pitch black, as if it had no end.
Envy was split in two by the attack, his body lying on opposite sides of the fissure.
His entire form was charred, smoke rising from it.
Only a small portion remained intact, struggling to reconstruct his head and one arm.
Envy pressed his hand against the ground, still bowing.
"My lord… if you do not wish to go… then please allow the three demons from the Sernik continent to go in your place…"
Kronos remained seated on the throne, unmoving.
"Why should I accept?"
Envy froze.
Kronos raised his finger again.
Envy panicked and shouted,
"If that truly is where humanity hides, we would only lose three worthless demons! After that… we could wipe out all of humanity!"
Kronos slowly lowered his finger.
Envy gasped for breath, continuing,
"If it is not… I will accept any punishment… anything you desire."
Kronos remained silent for a moment, then laughed.
"Very well. I accept."
Envy immediately exclaimed,
"Really!? Thank you, Lord Kronos!"
Kronos raised his hand.
"You have two days."
With a snap of his fingers, Kronos vanished.
The throne was left empty.
Envy let out a long breath.
Then, a voice came from behind him.
"This mission… will be mine."
A figure wearing a steel mask appeared, only his eyes visible.
Behind the mask, long white hair and a beard flowed.
Envy let out a quiet laugh.
"That won't do… Eldren."
Eldren stepped forward, grabbing Envy and lifting him into the air.
"Why not? Do you… want Kronos's approval?"
Envy did not answer, only laughed.
From his sludge arm, a golden scythe slowly emerged.
"And you, Eldren? All you do is steal Brutal's achievements to earn praise."
He swung it.
The blade cut straight toward Eldren.
But just before it could connect, Eldren vanished.
Envy fell to the ground, his head and arm struggling to stabilize.
Eldren was already standing behind him.
Envy laughed again, retracting the scythe.
"Just like in that forest… Brutal killed them all… and you took the credit."
Eldren remained silent.
Envy slowly regenerated a small left arm and pressed it against the ground.
"I told you already… this mission—"
He hurled the scythe toward Eldren.
"You won't steal it this time!"
But this time, the chain connected to the scythe snapped mid-air.
Eldren vanished again.
In his place, a rock shot forward.
It pierced straight through Envy's head, leaving a hollow hole behind.