Alex looked away from Cedric and walked closer to the window of the grand room filled with bookshelves, a grand redwood table, and a set of neatly placed chairs around it.

A chandelier above their heads. Blue crystals hung from it and brightened the place.

Alex halted just a step away from the window and turned to Cedric, who was looking at him with a blank expression.

Despite having considerable information on Cedric, Alex wasn’t able to guess his thoughts, so he didn’t waste any more time.

"I am Alex Blade, and I’ve come to bargain."

A faint glimmer passed through Cedric’s eyes. He leaned back in his chair and said, "Me being trapped here does not warrant that I would help a weakling such as you."

Alex nodded. He had expected at least this level of defiance from a man who had once been at the pinnacle of magic in his world.

Based on the quality and quantity of mana, each world had a different stage limit because of heavy mana seeping into Earth through the gates. Earth’s limit was similar to Zyandra’s – SSS, while the limit of Cedric’s world had been S.

"You have built a beautiful city..." Alex mumbled while looking out of the window.

Despite the staggering height, he had no difficulty in seeing the whole expanse of Glemora City.

However, Cedric didn’t join in his excitement – instead, he seemed annoyed by his very presence. Very annoyed. Yet he didn’t show it on his face.

"I’ve never been to a place that has such happiness and companionship," Alex added faintly.

"Then you haven’t been to a lot of places," Cedric responded as he rose from his chair and walked over to Alex.

The two of them continued to stare outside, and suddenly, Alex frowned and asked, "How long do you intend to do this?"

Cedric tilted his head and asked in a slightly confused tone.

"What do you mean?"

Seeing him act so nonchalantly, Alex’s expression darkened, and he growled through gritted teeth.

"Let me be clear then. How long are you going to keep them here?"

Cedric’s face turned pitch black. His lips and fingers twitched uncontrollably, and after a silence that seemed to have lasted for more than a minute, he spoke.

"When I returned to Glemora, a couple walked up to me. Due to the dire circumstances at that time, they were scared of their unborn child, so I blessed them. From that day forth, they were no longer bound by worldly necessity. Food, water, clothes, home, everything became useless."

"A few days later, a shopkeeper came to see me. He was scared for his shop – it was the only thing he had to pass down to his son after all. So I blessed him as well."

"A brother came asking for a cure for his sickly sister, and I blessed both of them."

Cedric continued to recount various moments of his life in Glemora. Hearing them felt as if he was some saint acting on behalf of the lord but deep down, Alex was aware that there was no blessing.

If he had actually done so, why would he be trapped within the Hall of Great Evils? It was total bullshit.

Alex steeled his heart and let out a furious chuckle that tried to force amusement. He failed terribly at hiding his anger, though.

Cedric finally stopped, and Alex muttered.

"Is that what you think you have done? ’Blessing’ the civilians?"

"Don’t make me laugh. All you have done is curse them into forced happiness and immortal servitude."

"All of them are only able to do a single thing."

"A child who gives their toy would never take one because that’s not part of their life. A father who cares for his daughter would never look at anyone else. The parents who expect a child would never get one."

Alex jabbed his finger at Cedric’s heart and growled in pure disgust.

"Even after taking away their freewill. Their life. You dare say that you had blessed them? You should’ve been trapped here earlier... at least these poor souls wouldn’t have to go through this torment."

Throughout this, Cedric didn’t speak a word and only listened.

Once Alex finished. Cedric pushed aside Alex’s hand and mumbled.

"I do not expect a youngling to fathom my decisions. This is a weight I shall bear by myself."

Witnessing him still acting oh so noble, Alex felt spiders crawling inside his body.

The disgust he felt increased several-fold – however, at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of respect.

Alex stayed silent for a few minutes, and then a thought appeared in his mind.

He took out the broken arrowhead from his inventory and hurled it at the window.

Cedric watched it crash into the glass but didn’t say anything.

With a loud noise, the window shattered. Alex muttered while pointing at the bustling Glemora City.

"You blessed them because they wanted it. But have you asked them if they still need it?"

Cedric shook his head. "A blessing is part of one’s soul – it cannot be removed easily."

"Heh," Alex smirked. "Since when did mages stop breaking creation’s laws?"

Hearing those words, Cedric’s eyes widened, and a faint memory resurfaced in his mind.

A girl seemingly in her twenties lay on an opulent bed while holding his hand between her trembling palms. Though he couldn’t see her face, he remembered her very clearly.

"Heslera... It’s not possible to cure that mana disease..." his lips moved on their own, and the girl replied teasingly.

"What~? A grand mage like you is cowering from doing something impossible? Do you still have your mage’s heart?"

The memory ended right after. That day, Cedric had failed to cure that mana disease. The pain, sorrow, and dissatisfaction had led to the creation of a grand magic spell that he called: Heslera’s Final Blessing.

Cedric’s eyes watered, and he let out a heavy breath.

He looked at Alex and said, "Your words remind me of something very precious yet loathsome."

Alex’s heart sank.

Shit!

He cursed inwardly, and his lips parted, but the next moment, Cedric flicked his right hand, and Alex’s body exploded into bits which disappeared right after a snap of his fingers.