"There are no free lunches in this world. What does he want?" William asked without any hesitation.
Ethan’s eyes moved between the parchment and William’s face as he swallowed nervously. He could feel the tension rising, and it made him uneasy.
"I really do not know, William. I think he simply wanted to help," Ethan said, though even he was not fully convinced of his own words. He was worried that William might lose control of his emotions.
William looked at him with sharp eyes. "You are naive."
The words were simple, but the weight behind them made Ethan fall silent.
"Anyway, tell him that I will remember this favor," William said as he stood up. His voice had turned calm again, as if the anger from before had been pushed deep inside.
Ethan quickly stood up as well, panic flashing across his face. "Where are you going?"
William glanced at him briefly. "I am going back to cultivate."
His tone was steady, almost too steady, which made it clear that he had forcefully suppressed whatever he was feeling.
Without waiting for another word, he gave them one last look and walked away.
Maximus watched his back as he disappeared from the rooftop. A deep frown formed on his face as he turned toward Ethan.
"What exactly was written in that letter? I have never seen him react like that."
Ethan took a slow breath before answering. "It was a secret document. My master managed to extract it from the Empire’s classified archives."
Maximus’s eyes widened. "How is that even possible?"
Ethan let out a quiet sigh. "He says he is close to the Emperor and that he sneaked into his office to search the archives. That is what he told me, at least. Though I know it cannot be that simple."
Maximus shook his head slowly. Even members of the royal family would not be able to access such records so easily. The explanation sounded more like a half truth than reality.
"What was in it that made William so angry?" he asked, his voice growing more serious now.
Ethan’s expression turned grim. "William had an elder brother named Nevin Kaiser. He was a knight in the Imperial Guards of Riverdale, a unit directly under the Emperor’s command. According to the records, he died fifteen years ago during a border conflict with the Holy Sun Empire."
"But the classified document suggests that his death was not what it seemed."
Inside the Domain of Infinite, William stood alone.
There was no movement around him, no sound, only a vast silence that stretched endlessly in every direction. Yet inside him, it was anything but quiet.
The words from the document kept repeating in his mind. Each time they surfaced, a wave of anger rose within him, only to be forced down again. The cycle continued again and again, like a storm that refused to settle.
William closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. He steadied himself, forcing his thoughts into order.
He would bring justice to Nevin. That thought remained firm in his mind.
But he would not act recklessly. Not this time. He understood that rushing forward without preparation would only lead to failure. He needed strength, control, and the right moment.
Once his emotions settled, William moved forward through the air and arrived at a separate area within the domain. This place had been prepared for the slaves, far from his personal space.
As soon as he appeared, Grimlock, Amorphous, and the other slaves stepped forward and knelt before him.
"My lord," Amourphous spoke respectfully, "Miss Maris has already collected the evidence against Daniel a few hours ago. I made sure he was drugged properly and believed that he was going to meet Daniel."
William gave a small nod, acknowledging the report.
"Bring Agrath."
His voice was calm, but it carried an unspoken weight.
Amorphous immediately moved toward the demonic pit where he used to live, he had thrown agrath inside it. After a short while, he returned, dragging Agrath’s limp body and throwing him down near William’s feet as if he were nothing more than a sack.
Agrath’s breathing was heavy and uneven. His body barely responded, weakened by the Divine beast’s poison that had been forced into his system.
With a simple wave of his hand, William controlled his spiritual energy and released the chains binding Agrath.
Even then, Agrath remained only half conscious.
William stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach.
The impact forced a loud cough out of Agrath as his body jerked. His eyes slowly opened, unfocused at first, before locking onto William.
Before he could react, William pressed his foot down on Agrath’s face, forcing it into the ground.
A faint glow appeared in William’s hand as stellar fire formed, burning with a terrifying intensity. Without hesitation, he sent it into Agrath’s body.
A sharp scream tore through the air as Agrath’s body convulsed violently. It felt as if something alive had entered him and was devouring him from within. His limbs trembled uncontrollably, and blood began to seep from his eyes.
William lowered himself slightly and grabbed Agrath by the hair, lifting his head so their eyes met.
"You will die in fifteen seconds," he said in a calm voice.
Then he let go and turned away, as if the outcome no longer concerned him.
Agrath lay there, shaking and gasping. With great effort, he raised his hand and grabbed onto William’s foot, stopping him from walking further.
His mouth opened, but no words came out, only blood spilling down his chin. Still, his eyes spoke clearly. They were filled with fear, with desperation, with the raw instinct to survive.
William looked down at him.
"So you want to live."
There was a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Well, if you become my slave, you might survive a little longer."
He paused briefly, then spoke again.
"You have five seconds left."
William raised his hand and began placing the slave mark.
Unlike his previous experience with grimlock and barash, this time there was no resistance.
The process succeeded immediately.
The stellar fire vanished, returning to William’s palm.
Freed from its torment, Agrath gasped for air, coughing violently as his body struggled to recover. However, the poison within him slowed every metabolic function, preventing any real healing.
He looked up at William again, searching for even the smallest sign of mercy yet he found none.
"Answer me," William said, his voice was louder than last time. "Where is the veil?"
Agrath’s eyes widened in shock. The question alone broke whatever resistance he had left. Under the influence of the slave mark, his will collapsed completely.
"No man’s land," he whispered.
William’s expression shifted slightly.
He took out a map of Aris continent and spread it in front of him.
With trembling fingers, Agrath pointed toward a location. It was near the now destroyed Clayman cult’s headquarters. The place was dangerously close, yet William or anyone else had never sensed anything unusual around when they were destroying the cult.
"It is placed at the bottom of a lake," Agrath continued weakly. "There is a key that opens the rift." he said before taking out his storage ring and placing it near William’s feet.
[Ding. Congratulations for completing the Unknown Chain Quest. Sub quest one. Where is the veil?]
[Calculating rewards...]
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[A/N: Last Chapter was named 258: A debt Unpaid - 1, the next part will continue after a few Chapters, it’s not a mistake on my part]