"I assume you all know why you were abruptly summoned?"

The entire room fell silent at once. Conversations stopped, and the atmosphere tightened as every expression around the table stiffened.

At the far end, the brown-haired man narrowed his eyes, his calm demeanor sharpening into something far more serious. In a low, steady voice, he spoke.

"He has returned."

"What!?" One of the men shot to his feet, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared ahead, unable to accept what he had just heard. It felt as though his worst nightmare had become reality, as if the end of days had finally arrived.

"No... that’s impossible!" He shouted. "There’s no way he is alive! He was sealed ten thousand years ago, there’s nothing that could have broken the seal, not even the fragment of the three brilliant rulers!"

"Do not speak of our supreme rulers in such a light." The brown-haired man’s eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at the man who had erupted in disbelief. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

The air grew heavy, and an uneasy silence settled over everyone as the weight of the situation sank in.

"F—Forgive me, grand minister." The frightened man bowed, then immediately sat back into his seat, feeling ashamed.

"Grand Minister." The second woman spoke, her voice as clear and angelic as a goddess. "Are you certain that the rejected one has returned? Surely there isn’t anything in existence that could possibly break a seal of such caliber?"

"I am certain." The grand minister said with a firm voice, although he himself refused to believe it. "The events that have unfolded proves it, the fifth level’s collapse, the reported server error in the first level a month ago from today. There’s only one person in existence besides the supreme ruler and that monkey who could have done that."

"However." The grand minister said calmly, like the threat had already been resolved. "It seems he’s not back to full strength, or rather he doesn’t have his true strength right now."

"So what do you suggest we do, grand minister?"

"We take care of him once and for all before he completely recovers his full strength. Naturally, he can’t live in the mortal realm without completely vaporizing it with his presence alone, that’s where Creator 401 comes in."

"Creator 401? What does that human have to do with this grand minister?" One of the other men seated around the table asked.

"The balance of the sanctuary, the laws that bound and governed all races brought here, it all collapsed the moment Creator 401 was summoned here. It’s no coincidence that he appeared when this phenomenon happened, it has become a threat we can no longer ignore anymore."

The brown-haired man rose slowly to his feet, his expression calm and unreadable. Then he lifted his gaze toward the figure cloaked in a black hood seated at the far end of the table on the left side.

"That human will surely ascend, and when he does, I trust you’ll take care of it... Thanatos."

The black-hooded figure slowly raised his head, the shadows shifting beneath the dark cloth. After a moment, his hand lifted as well, and from the darkness a large scythe emerged, its curved blade catching a faint, cold glint in the light.

"Yes, I especially would like to know what has happened to my twin brother."

..

After an hour of following directions, Rentaro finally arrived at the base of the 14th Soul-Squad, located on the outskirts of the Suzana empire in the Starling District.

The Starling district was a remote village at the outskirts of the kingdom, its populace was dominated mostly by individuals belonging to the average class. It was a small but beautiful village compared to the rest of the villages that resided within the kingdom.

Their main source of livelihood was fishing, though they sometimes hunted to supplement their needs. Compared to other villages where average civilians lived, they were quite self-sufficient and capable of fending for themselves. In fact, the villagers living in the Starling district were considered some of the wealthiest among them.

But there was one problem, it was majorly known for the ruffians that lived in it.

"Is this the place?" Rentaro asked as he stood before a large building. Its design was simple yet beautiful, and to the eyes of the villagers, it looked absolutely breathtaking.

The building’s exterior was a sight to behold, standing as a testament to both architectural brilliance and the mastery of essence wielded by its members. Rising proudly against the skyline, the squad building’s structure is a symphony of soaring spires, graceful arches, and intricate carvings that seem to dance in the light of the sun.

The main entrance is a grand portal, framed by towering columns adorned with enchanting runes that pulse with ethereal energy. Massive doors, crafted from ancient oak and reinforced with Soul-Techniques that offered protection, stood open, inviting visitors into the heart of the Soul-Squad. Crafted on the doors of the guild was the number "14" which represented the insignia of the Fourteenth Soul-Squad.

"W-whoa...is this Soul-Squad really owned by one of those ruffians?" He muttered as he stepped into the building. Truly, this was the perfect example of the saying, don’t judge a book by its cover.

However, the moment he opened the front door, he immediately came to realize that the beauty of one’s property does not reflect that of his or her personality, especially in a village that was said to harbor ruffians.

His eyes met with the rugged members of the 14th Soul-Squad, every inch of the building was noisy but there were two individuals who stood out as the star of the drama. "You bastard! You wanna go!?" A voice yelled.

"Bring it on you bastard!" Another voice exclaimed.

"....." Rentaro stood speechless, his eyes locking onto two individuals who were gripping each other by their clothes, as if on the verge of a fight.