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

In the heart of the Shadow Sect, right in the temple where it all started,

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

Around a huge table, all key figures gathered, arguing over the world's destiny.

Frey Starlight was there too—likely the top powerhouse in the Shadow Sect right now.

But despite his status, he stayed completely mute during the whole session, like it had nothing to do with him.

The experienced human legends handled the talk on war's upcoming moves, deciding to prioritize getting civilians out and protecting as many lives as they could for the moment.

This stemmed from Thanatos .. and the horrifying chance that demons might unleash an assault erasing all of humanity in a single strike.

Lately, the Shadow Sect welcomed millions of refugees. It felt like the whole Empire was reviving within its borders.

Yet that couldn't hide the harsh reality—tons of folks kept perishing daily. Not even the seasoned human legends could rescue them all.

The human count now safe in the Shadow Sect approached five million.

About that many stayed stuck behind the Empire's leftover defenses.

Meanwhile, almost thirty thousand humans from the Ultras switched sides, trailing the betrayer Mergo and his group, the Black Order.

Mergo attended the gathering and got polite treatment, though the Imperial faction stayed cautious around him.

The thirty thousand followers of his got kept apart on the Shadow Sect's edges, in case they turned risky.

A key topic raised was what to do with specific Ultras captives .. Gavid Lindman and V, still held by them.

Mergo asked to take charge of them, vowing he could sway them to join him.

At first, they turned down the idea—but Frey stepped in and approved it.

He had his motives. V held an incredibly scarce gift, one that once tied him closely to both Frey and Snow.

Regarding Gavid Lindman, Frey couldn't care less if he survived or not, so he handed his outcome to Mergo.

That choice irritated the veteran human legends, particularly Nova Starlight, but it gained Frey thanks from Mergo.

Mergo counted as a hazardous, puzzling figure—but he wasn't one to betray Frey while their aims matched.

Frey grasped that fully, planning to make use of it.

On the other hand, Snow Lionheart vanished after his fight with Nito in the previous clash.

A few suggested dispatching a search team, as Snow dropped somewhere in the southern continent .. the Nightmare Lands.

But Frey shot down the notion.

Actually, he'd already looked into Snow personally via teleportation.

Upon arriving at Snow's spot, he saw no cause for alarm. Snow hadn't jumped into the prior fight without thought.

In the southern Nightmare Lands, Frey spotted an amazing burst of clean, glowing light.

He followed it to the origin—a fiery star-resembling force that burned the nearby terrain with white, holy fires.

Just one look let Frey understand the reality.

Snow caused it.

And beyond that .. Snow neared a breakthrough.

Back in his role as a Pure Vessel, Snow's strength surged wildly. With the second part of the Light Soul now his, his real power finally stirred.

Entering SSS wouldn't challenge him much .. it resembled regaining what he'd lost before, not gaining fresh might.

Noting how well Snow knew his path, Frey felt zero concern. He trusted Snow would come back alone when done.

With Frey and Snow, plus Shadow Sect powerhouses like Fulghor and the seasoned human legends, the main battle team for the ultimate war started forming.

Frey's companions from the younger crowd were tough too, but not tough enough to tackle beasts like High Demons directly.

Since coming back, Frey kept his distance from them. Yet Gehrman shared that they trained without stop, driving themselves to their limits. Each had a real reason to battle.

But in this realm, being weak equaled a crime.

Just strength counted.

With Vex from the Hell Dukes showing up, Gehrman cautioned that Amon would probably dispatch extra Dukes to make up for missing elite fighters.

"At least two more will come," Gehrman declared, his statement tensing up the room.

Each Hell Duke ranked as a warrior at minimum the third phase of SSS. Even the feeblest could beat the top human .. aside from Abraham Starlight.

Two additional Dukes signaled the following fight would face three High Demons:

Rank 11, Amon.

Rank 3, Vayne.

Rank 9, Nito.

And with them, three Hell Dukes—Vex the sole one exposed yet.

Everything indicated a single fact.

The upcoming struggle would prove the toughest so far.

That made sense .. seeing as it marked the last fight on Earth.

The session dragged on for a few more hours while all voiced their views— all but Frey.

Once it wrapped up, Frey raised his head, after staying wordless all along.

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

His manner made it seem more command than plea.

After looks passed around, the rest started exiting gradually.

Quickly, the room quieted down.

Just Frey and Gehrman stayed, facing each other across the table, eyes locked.

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

"Are you certain about this?" Gehrman questioned with a slight grin, still gauging Frey carefully.

"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 responding.

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

"That may be true," Gehrman answered, propping his chin on a 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."

His sight shifted to the dark walls of the Shadow Sect, recollections rising 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."

Hearing that, Gehrman released 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 got his point.

The Void Eyes.

Even Vex, top slayer among the Hell Dukes, couldn't dodge his awareness. Against that, Gehrman—injured and frail—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 subtle smile touched his mouth.

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

"Don't you hate me?"