Chapter 267: Hell Difficulty Again?
Schneitz and Lana both looked at Daniel. It was true—now their enemy was someone who practically held the power to destroy a continent.
"The ring can only summon it. There is only one person who can actually control that Devourer," the old man replied. Then, after a brief pause, he continued.
"But he’s no longer just your enemy. He’s an enemy to the entire world. If he isn’t stopped, and that creature is summoned, our world will be destroyed. It’s obvious that lunatic wants to take the world down with him," Schneitz growled.
"But what are we supposed to do? Just attack him? If we go at him head-on, he’ll just release that monster," Lana asked with a frown.
"Of course not. First, I have to report this to the Federation, and then to the Guardian Council. Without their help, there’s nothing we can do," Schneitz said.
"Is there any indication of when he plans to strike?" Daniel asked.
"No, but it shouldn’t take long. That bastard has completely lost his mind. He wants revenge—not just against you, but against the one who killed his wife. I doubt he has the patience to wait much longer," Schneitz thought for a moment before answering.
"So we don’t have much time," Daniel muttered with a frown. But realizing that he had no place in this battle, his frown faded.
He was only a B-Rank. Naturally, he had no power to fight against an S-Rank—especially one who could make even a national-rank Awakened like Schneitz feel fear.
So what was he supposed to do? Just sit back and watch? And what about his family? He didn’t even know what condition they were in right now, and that uncertainty alone was driving him mad.
"The best thing the two of you can do right now is hide. The city will probably be ordered to evacuate soon. The situation is far worse than you can imagine," Schneitz said, seeing the looks on their faces.
He knew that look very well—the stubborn determination of people who wanted to act no matter the odds. But he couldn’t allow that.
One was his granddaughter, and the other was a one-in-a-billion prodigy.
"But what about my family? God knows what that bastard has done to them by now," Daniel sighed. He wasn’t stupid enough to try interfering in a fight like this.
If he got involved, he’d just be a weakness and a burden. Naturally, that was the last thing he wanted.
"I’ll assign a full team to track down your family. We have several tracking items, and I’ll try to use them to locate them. Don’t worry," Schneitz reassured him, then turned his gaze toward his granddaughter.
"Not yet, but when things start going bad, I want the two of you to head inside there. Once you’re there, you’ll be safe. Take the rest of the guild members below A-Rank with you."
"Understood, Grandfather," Lana nodded.
"Your father should be returning soon. Their exploration and assessment should be complete. When he returns, if I’m not here, tell him everything," Schneitz added.
She nodded again.
Schneitz gave them a faint smile and then said his goodbyes. He had already requested an emergency meeting, classified as a matter of national security.
He needed to brief the country’s most powerful Awakened as soon as possible and send a formal request for aid to the Guardian Council while there was still time.
After he left, Lana and Daniel were alone again. The atmosphere was heavy and suffocating. Neither of them felt like talking.
Especially Daniel. His worry for his family was growing with each passing moment, and worst of all, he had no power to save them.
And the problem was, he couldn’t even bring himself to blame his own weakness. In just two months, he had climbed to this level of strength, putting in everything he had.
Yet, it still wasn’t enough.
"So what do we do now?" he looked at her and asked.
They couldn’t just sit there the whole day, could they? He needed some kind of distraction, something to calm himself down, even if just a little.
In his current mental state, he couldn’t even think straight enough to make a plan. Maybe, if he distracted himself and calmed his mind, good ideas might come to him.
"Do you want to test the simulation today?" Lana had caught on to what he was thinking. She also felt like she needed a distraction.
As much as she wanted to help her grandfather in this situation, she was too weak. Far too weak to do anything meaningful.
So maybe, for now, the best thing they could do was focus on something else.
"Why not?" Daniel nodded. In fact, fighting was probably the best distraction he could think of.
The two of them got up and made their way to the Guild Building’s 0th Floor, where one of the country’s best training arenas was located—equipped with top-tier technology and a luxurious design.
Upon arriving, they descended the stairs and stepped into the training grounds.
"Pick one of the arenas. Once you step in, a glass barrier will form around you, so you can fight without worry," Lana explained as she looked at Daniel.
"Got it. Are there specific difficulty levels?"
"Of course. Easy, Normal, Hard, and Hell. Your opponents will be in your rank, but naturally, the higher the difficulty, the stronger they’ll be in terms of raw power."
"Got it. Then I’ll pick Hell difficulty," Daniel said with a shrug.
Lana almost warned him at first but, remembering his strength, decided not to and simply nodded.
"Do you want me to simulate only monsters and other types of enemies, or do you want to experience a full dungeon or tower floor?"
"Just the opponents. I’m not in the mood for dungeons or tower floors," Daniel thought for a moment before nodding.
"No problem. Go ahead and step into one of the training arenas," Lana said.
He turned to head toward one of the vacant arenas. The place was massive, divided into neatly squared-off sections.
But before he could move, a voice echoed from behind them.
"Oh, look who we have here. How are you, Lady Lana?"