THE VILLAIN'S POV Chapter 812 AFTER THE FALL OF DEATH (1)

In the midst of wreckage and utter destruction, Frey fully devoured Thanatos' soul right before the intense gazes of nearly all Shadow Sect warriors and their comrades.

Nameless wrapped up the job in a flash and promptly handed back control of the body to Frey.

Frey pulled off his mask, exposing his fatigued features, then pivoted to face the assembled crowd.

"Ah… you're here."

He scanned them all, confronting the diverse emotions shining in their stares.

He witnessed astonishment and shock.

Confusion and disbelief.

Puzzlement… and an obvious hunger for explanations.

"That is truly surprising… and quite contrary to what I was told," declared Kalameet, the Emperor of Dragons, positioned next to Fulghor and the rest.

"I thought you said his level was the first stage, yet this man has already reached the third…"

Kalameet deemed Frey's fame baffling and figured the Shadow Sect had supplied him with faulty details.

Yet Fulghor set him right with composure.

Kalameet lifted an eyebrow.

"You're telling me he jumped two stages in a single night?"

The notion seemed utterly preposterous.

And had he learned that Frey broke through right in the thick of the fight, not prior, it would have appeared downright insane.

From the onlookers, Nova Starlight advanced first toward Frey—pausing briefly, since the natural catastrophe around them hadn't yet bared its full wrath.

That ferocious tempest of lightning and flames continued ravaging the battlefield.

Most SSS-rank heroes pondered the identical question.

What sort of clash… could unleash ruin on this scale?

A confrontation way past the bounds of their understanding or power.

Since Frey triumphed in that insane showdown, his status among them shifted dramatically.

"Frey… what exactly happened here?"

"Why… did you start this battle?"

Nova's fist tightened a bit, resentment etching his features.

"A battle that obliterated the final chance to revive the Empire…"

Such a response was utterly expected.

His homeland lay totally erased.

The whole continent once cradling the Empire now lay fractured into drifting isles, hemmed by surging oceans and swallowed by infernos.

Nova craved just one answer.

But Frey lifted his hand to halt him.

He strode by him while speaking.

"My apologies… I'm a bit tired right now."

"Let's talk later."

He brushed past Nova and every other human champion, silencing their words.

Truthfully, chatting was the last thing he wanted.

He saw zero need to justify his actions either.

He passed everyone until arriving where his father and Gehrman waited.

One regarded him quietly.

The other with tangled feelings.

Frey's form stayed intact.

Still, his pallor seemed eerie.

Bloodstains and injuries lingered on him—hinting at the colossal harm he'd suffered.

Harm masked by his healing.

"I'm sorry for leaving on my own, Father."

"I must have worried you quite a bit."

His gentle smile accompanied the words.

Abraham paused silently before replying—his tone laced with unusual uncertainty.

"No… you don't need to apologize to me."

He squinted faintly while scrutinizing Frey's frame... especially the altered aura radiating from it.

In one look, Abraham grasped the truth.

His son had grown vastly mightier than merely a day prior.

"I have no right to interfere with a decision you made yourself… or a battle you chose to fight alone."

"I'm just glad…"

"That you're safe."

Abraham reined in most of his real sentiments.

Most of what burned to escape his lips.

Frey felt thankful.

"Thank you… for trusting me."

"And I apologize once again."

He murmured as he neared, resting a hand on Abraham's shoulder.

"With this, Father… you are completely free now."

"There is nothing left tying you to that creature."

Frey breathed the words softly by his father's ear.

Abraham's eyes flared wide as realization struck.

"Frey… don't tell me you did this for my sake…"

Joy was absent from his tone.

If Frey waged this war to liberate him—

If his son battled for him and perished today—

Abraham would torment himself eternally.

But Frey denied it with a headshake.

"I did it for myself."

"So don't worry, Father."

"Your freedom was just a side effect."

Exhaustion colored his voice as he pressed on a bit more, halting in front of the Engineer.

Fatigue gripped him.

The fight had sapped him dry.

Thus, he aimed to wrap it up fast.

Gazing into those azure eyes, Frey offered a weak smile.

"It seems you have something you want to say."

Gehrman shut his eyes for a moment before replying.

"In a way… but I won't speak about it now."

His profound voice held gravity as he pressed on.

"But I will ask you just one question."

"Was it you… or was it him… who decided what happened today?"

Frey grasped the question's meaning at once.

Maybe he alone could truly comprehend it.

He responded with a soft chuckle prior to answering.

"Both of us."

That reply caught him off guard—one that mildly stunned Gehrman.

"We both chose this."

"I see…"

"In that case, I have nothing more to say."

"Well done on your victory today."

A faint smile crossed Gehrman's face.

"This new power of yours will make you the strongest on our side in the coming battle."

"I suppose so."

Frey answered with a subdued laugh.

Then abruptly—

His eyes rolled upward.

He crumpled to the ground, his body at last succumbing after hitting its breaking point.

Gehrman seized him mid-fall, stopping him from hitting the earth.

Meanwhile, Abraham dashed over, and the Engineer let him take charge.

Then Gehrman faced the surviving Shadow Sect members assembled nearby.

"All of you—today we have won. So there is no need for the gloomy faces you're wearing now."

His eyes scanned each of them in sequence.

"Thanatos would have become our final enemy if we had defeated the demons. He was an extremely formidable opponent… but Frey eliminated him today."

"The result was the destruction of the Empire, but that is a small price to pay for such a victory."

"Still—do not lower your guard. The enemy may be close."

He revealed a vital reality.

Just as they had shown up here…

The foes could arrive too.

He directed Fulghor and the Pantheon faction to scout the surroundings and stay on maximum alert should a High Demon or a Duchy of Hell emerge without warning.

Fulghor obeyed right away.

Kalameet appeared reluctant, however, as if words burned on his tongue.

Yet seeing Frey passed out, he knew the moment wasn't right and agreed with reluctance.

The rest lifted Frey and rushed him back to the Shadow Sect without delay.

They sped back in haste, anxious that the Sect might face an assault.

Only Snow Lionheart, the guardian statues, and the leftover human warriors guarded the place.

Their worries turned out groundless, though.

The demons displayed no response whatsoever.