THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 783 The Heir of the End (1)

Inside the heart of the Shadow Sect, precisely in the temple that served as the origin of all events,

the holy chamber had morphed into a strategic war room, assembling the mightiest human fighters now battling solely for triumph over the demons.

Positioned around a huge table, all key figures were in attendance, deliberating on the world's destiny.

Naturally, Frey Starlight was among them—undoubtedly the most powerful figure in the Shadow Sect currently.

However, despite his status, he hadn't uttered a word during the whole session, as though the matters didn't involve him at all.

The experienced human legends were the ones hashing out the upcoming war strategies, opting temporarily to prioritize evacuations and rescuing as many ordinary people as feasible.

This stemmed from Thanatos... and the horrifying chance that the demonic forces might unleash an assault capable of eradicating all of humanity in a single strike.

Recently, the Shadow Sect had welcomed millions of refugees. It seemed like the whole Empire was starting to revive within its borders.

Yet this couldn't alter the harsh reality—innumerable lives were lost daily. Not even the seasoned human legends could protect every soul.

The count of humans now safeguarded in the Shadow Sect approached five million.

Approximately the same amount remained confined behind the Empire's surviving fortifications.

Conversely, almost thirty thousand humans from the Ultras had turned traitor, joining Mergo and his group, the Black Order.

Mergo was there at the gathering and received polite deference, though the Imperial faction stayed cautious around him.

The thirty thousand followers of his were kept separate on the Shadow Sect's periphery, as a precaution against any potential danger.

A key topic raised was the future of specific Ultras captives... Gavid Lindman and V, who remained under their control.

Mergo asked to take charge of their treatment, assuring he could sway them to join him.

The idea was first turned down—but Frey stepped in and permitted it.

He had his private motives. V held an extraordinarily uncommon gift, one that had drawn him near to both Frey and Snow before.

Regarding Gavid Lindman, Frey was indifferent to his survival, so he handed his outcome over to Mergo.

This choice irritated the veteran human legends, particularly Nova Starlight, yet it gained Frey Mergo's appreciation.

Mergo was a perilous, mysterious individual—but he wasn't one to betray Frey from behind while their objectives matched.

Frey grasped this fully, and he planned to make use of it.

In the meantime, Snow Lionheart had vanished after his confrontation with Nito in the previous fight.

Certain suggestions included dispatching a search team, as Snow had dropped somewhere in the southern continent... the Nightmare Lands.

Frey, though, rejected the notion.

In reality, he had personally investigated Snow's situation through teleportation already.

Upon arriving at Snow's spot, he saw there was no cause for concern. Snow hadn't acted impulsively in the prior conflict.

In the southern Nightmare Lands, Frey beheld a stunning eruption of pristine, glowing radiance.

Trailing it, he found its origin—a fiery, star-resembling entity that burned the nearby terrain with holy white flames.

A single look sufficed for Frey to discern the fact.

Snow stood behind it.

And beyond that... Snow teetered on the edge of a breakthrough.

Restoring his essence as a Pure Vessel, Snow's abilities surged forward explosively. With the remaining portion of the Light Soul under his control, his authentic might had at last stirred to life.

Achieving SSS rank wouldn't prove challenging for him... it resembled recovering strength he'd previously possessed more than attaining a fresh level.

Observing Snow's complete grasp of his actions, Frey felt no anxiety whatsoever. He was certain Snow would come back independently once done.

With Frey and Snow, plus Shadow Sect powerhouses like Fulghor and the seasoned human legends, the primary combat unit for the ultimate war was starting to form.

Frey's companions—from the younger cohort—were formidable too, but not sufficiently to confront beasts like the High Demons directly.

Since coming back, Frey had steered clear of them. Nonetheless, Gehrman informed him they were drilling tirelessly, driving themselves to their limits. Each had a cause worth battling for.

But in this realm, frailty constituted a crime.

Solely strength held importance.

With Vex from the Hell Dukes having emerged, Gehrman cautioned that Amon would probably dispatch additional Dukes to offset the shortage of elite combatants.

'At least two more will come,' Gehrman stated, his remark causing tension in the room.

Each Hell Duke was a warrior who'd attained at minimum the third phase of SSS. Even the feeblest could overcome the mightiest human... aside from Abraham Starlight.

Two additional Dukes implied the forthcoming clash would match them against three High Demons:

Rank 11, Amon.

Rank 3, Vayne.

Rank 9, Nito.

And accompanying them, three Hell Dukes—Vex as the sole one uncovered thus far.

All indicators led to a single certainty.

The impending war would prove the toughest so far.

This was inevitable... since it marked the decisive battle on Earth.

The assembly persisted for a few more hours while all voiced their views— all save for Frey.

Once it wrapped up, Frey raised his head, having stayed mute throughout.

'Since everyone has finished saying what they needed to say,' Frey declared in a chilly, detached tone, 'I'd like you all to leave for a while. Everyone… except Gehrman.'

His manner of speaking rendered it more an command than a plea.

After sharing looks, the rest started departing sequentially.

Quickly, the room grew quiet.

Just Frey and Gehrman lingered, positioned opposite one another, gazing into each other's eyes.

The man with blue eyes broke the silence first this round.

'Are you certain about this?' Gehrman inquired with a subtle grin, still subtly assessing Frey.

'You stayed silent through the entire meeting, not a single word… and now, the moment it ends, you choose to speak—with me of all people. The only non-human in that room.'

Frey paused briefly before replying.

'You're the one who holds the answers I want. Not them.'

'That may be true,' Gehrman responded, propping his chin on one hand, 'but that doesn't mean I'm obligated to give them to you.'

Frey's eyes sharpened.

'I never expected you to give them freely. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here.'

He shifted his sight to the dark walls of the Shadow Sect, recollections awakening inside him.

'To be honest, I didn't think you'd bother showing yourself after the last battle. You always vanish once your schemes are complete.'

Upon hearing that, Gehrman emitted a soft sigh.

'There's no point in that anymore. I can't hide from you now... given your new abilities and the way your power has grown.'

Frey comprehended his implication.

The Void Eyes.

Even Vex, the premier killer among the Hell Dukes, had been unable to evade his awareness. Relative to that, Gehrman— injured and diminished—stood no chance of evading Frey's detection.

'…Come to think of it,' Gehrman murmured gently,

'This is the first time you and I have ever faced each other… with you being the stronger one.'

A slight smile curved his mouth.

'So what do you think? Why not attack me, the way you used to in the past?'

'Don't you hate me?'