Level 7 Difficulty

Elsewhere.

Canon had also left Delan City and arrived at an Underground Palace somewhere outside the city.

Upon entering the Underground Palace, Canon maintained his usual stern expression as he walked through the corridors. Wherever he went, a low-pressure atmosphere spread, and everyone he met lowered their heads without saying a word—not because they were afraid, but because they had no idea what to say to this superior. Under Canon's uniquely stern aura, no one had any desire to make small talk. Even if they truly had something urgent to report, they would keep it as brief as possible.

Thus, Canon encountered no interruptions as he quickly returned to his private office chamber.

The office chamber was quite large, a full fifty or sixty square meters, but the lighting was very dim. There had originally been numerous illumination crystals, but for some reason Canon had removed more than half of them. As a result, nearly half the chamber was shrouded in darkness.

Canon's desk stood precisely at the boundary between light and shadow. When he sat down, the front half of his body was in the light, while his back was wrapped in darkness.

"Whew—"

Canon sat in his chair and let out a breath. He narrowed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought, while his expression remained stern.

Suddenly, faint pattering sounds came from the darkness behind him. Then, a pair of blood-red eyes appeared, like the eyes of a demon from hell—so terrifying that a single glance seemed capable of stealing one's soul.

Hearing the sound, Canon sensed something and turned to look into the darkness behind him.

Those blood-red eyes stared directly at Canon. As if angered at being discovered, they pounced with a "smack."

The creature was incredibly fast, almost impossible to catch with the naked eye.