THE VILLAIN'S POV

Chapter 786: The Crack in Creation (1)

"I am asking you... Agaroth."

The atmosphere inside the room changed completely.

A suffocating pressure flooded the air.

Out of nothingness, Agaroth seized Ada’s body.

It was the second time the Demon King had stolen Frey’s sister’s body ..

and the third time the two of them faced each other like this.

Agaroth quickly took full control of Ada and smiled at Frey, staring at him for a few seconds with those crimson-red eyes.

"I have many things I wish to say," Agaroth said cheerfully, clapping Ada’s hands together.

"But to begin with..."

"Allow me to applaud you, and your tremendous growth. You deserve praise."

With a single glance, the Demon King realized that the current Frey Starlight had reached a level comparable to the Ten Supreme Demons and even the Dukes of Hell.

All of this had happened in an absurdly short span of time, proving once again that Frey’s talent was anything but ordinary.

Even the Demon King himself acknowledged that Frey’s achievements deserved sincere admiration.

This was their third encounter in this manner ..but it was the first time Frey faced him without fear or hesitation.

Normally, Agaroth’s mere presence was enough to make Frey tremble until he nearly lost consciousness.

But this time was different.

Not only was Frey composed, he had already realized that Agaroth was using possession on Ada ..

and he had detected it through the Void Eyes.

Through those eyes, Frey could see the full truth behind Agaroth’s strange ability.

Frey lifted his gaze toward the space above Ada’s head.

There, something appeared .. something impossible to perceive under normal circumstances.

A bizarre entity, like a dark specter, its features completely hidden beneath filthy black hair.

That specter extended strange threads, resembling the strings of a puppet show.

They wrapped around Ada completely, binding both her body and her soul.

Agaroth’s possession ability only worked on beings below the SSS rank, so it was not truly absolute .. but it still belonged to the domain of life and death.

That aspect had always been one of Agaroth’s weakest fields, yet he could still reach this level despite being inferior to Nameless and Maskith in that law.

Agaroth continued clapping for a while, genuinely pleased by Frey’s progress, which only made Frey’s expression grow colder with each passing second.

"Stop playing around and state your reason for coming, Demon King," Frey said, as his Void Eyes glowed.

At his current level, he was certain he could shatter Agaroth’s possession with ease if he chose to.

The technique Agaroth was using right now was not particularly complex.

But Frey refrained.

He wanted to speak with the Demon King—and now he finally had the chance.

Agaroth was unfazed by the threat hidden in Frey’s tone, but he did stop clapping.

"Of course... There is a reason for my visit today. But first..."

Agaroth spoke through Ada’s body as he surveyed the surroundings.

A simple cabin.

A family atmosphere.

It was not difficult for the Demon King to understand what had been happening here.

"I believe you asked me an important question," Agaroth said with a wide smile—though the sight of those words coming from Ada’s lips was deeply unsettling.

"What is the purpose of power, and what is it meant for... A beautiful question. It may seem complicated at first. People like you tend to seek meaning in your strength—protecting the weak, enforcing your own sense of justice. That is likely how you think."

Frey did not respond.

The Demon King was not wrong.

Power had once been something Frey pursued in order to protect those close to him .. the people dear to his heart.

At least, that was true of his past self.

The current Frey’s true goals were far more unclear.

Agaroth had already noticed this change. His eyes saw far too much.

Frey’s growth had always entertained him.

His struggles, his battles, his suffering—

they were all a tragic play that the imprisoned Demon King of Helmond had enjoyed watching.

Agaroth knew Frey well, which was why he understood that Frey would never truly accept his philosophy of power.

But he presented it anyway.

"The true meaning of power is not complicated.

It is not deep.

It is not noble or grand.

It is far simpler than that."

"Power is not something you use for others," Agaroth said, gesturing to himself.

"Power is something you use for yourself .. and no one else."

Frey’s eyes widened for a moment.

He was not truly surprised.

This was exactly the kind of answer one would expect from the Demon King.

"Life is simple.

If I find a strong enemy, I fight him.

If someone annoys me, I kill him.

If I desire something, I take it—regardless of who stands in my way."

"My power exists to fulfill whatever I wish. That is the path I have walked my entire life .. the road that led me to where I am today."

It was brutally simple.

The way of a beast that devours everything.

He did whatever he wanted, without caring about anyone else.

Every step he had ever taken was for himself alone.

That was why Agaroth was strong ..and why he had nothing to lose.

That path had granted him immense power, placing him at the pinnacle of the world...

but it had also condemned him to absolute solitude.

No rivals.

No friends.

After countless years of doing whatever he pleased, he had begun to feel emptiness—

because no one could reach his level anymore.

Not in this material world.

Frey understood all of that from Agaroth’s words alone.

And that realization led him to something else.

"That selfish way of life..." Frey said calmly, uninterested in continuing the philosophical exchange.

"It truly suits you."

"Why are you here, Demon King? Say what you came to say already .. speaking with you brings me nothing."

In response, Agaroth smiled.

"You already know what I want, don’t you? You’re not stupid," the Demon King said, leaning Ada’s body slightly forward.

"You went to that place..."

At those words, Frey frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Aether World," Agaroth said—making Frey stiffen.

"How did you do it? How did you leave the material world and enter that domain?" Agaroth asked calmly... yet he felt different this time.

The crimson eyes darkened gradually.

A strange hunger surfaced in the Demon King .. as if he would obtain the answer no matter the cost.

Seeing that, a terrifying smile formed on Frey’s face.

"Go to hell, you damned demon. I’m not telling you."

Frey raised his middle finger at Agaroth, who glared at him through Ada’s body.

The glare lasted only a second before Agaroth’s usual smile returned.

"I don’t need you to tell me," he said.

"I will tear the answer out of you by force."

In that instant, the Demon King struck.

Frey leapt backward, summoning his sword as his Void Eyes flared with warning.

From nothingness, dozens of crimson aura waves erupted.

Frey tried to block them .. but they were not physical attacks.

They were spiritual strikes aimed directly at his soul.

Tracing their origin, Frey realized they were being released from the Demon King’s left eye, which had completely changed shape.

"That... isn’t the King Eye," Frey said, realizing Agaroth was using a different ocular ability.

That eye was likely capable of invading Frey’s mind itself .. the strange aura had already flooded his entire being.

Understanding what Agaroth was trying to do, Frey’s body ignited with violet Soulfire, manipulating the Law of Life and Death.

"Don’t you dare underestimate me, you bastard."

In an instant, the flames purified Frey’s body and soul completely of Agaroth’s corruption.

Then he lunged, striking the strange specter hovering above Ada’s body.

With a single blow, Frey destroyed it completely.

The possession threads snapped and scattered.

Yet despite Frey’s swift response, he caught a glimpse of Agaroth smiling in the final moment .. just before Ada returned.

That alone was enough to prove it.

Agaroth had done something.

He had likely gotten what he wanted.

Slowly, the Demon King’s presence dissipated.

The cabin fell silent as Ada slumped into her chair, unconscious.

A few seconds later, her eyes fluttered open.

She looked around, then at Frey standing before her with his sword drawn.

"Frey... what are you doing?" Ada asked innocently.