In time, while the people of StoneHaven stayed blind to the Chaos Eaters in their midst, and the guards seemed to savor the citizens' suffering, Halo readied himself to end it.

Training went smoother than he'd anticipated. His body had returned to how it was before the torture, maybe even stronger.

His power had reached its peak. He felt invincible, like he could hoist a mountain without breaking a sweat.

But doubt crept in. Something that made him wonder why he was chasing strength in the first place.

Jihriel Asterion, leader of NeverLight, the supposed hero, had kept his True Ability secret from everyone, even his closest allies. And still he'd become powerful enough to command a cohort.

He didn't know much about cohorts. But judging from what he'd witnessed, that tenth member of Vile of Hawks fighting with incredible stamina and strength despite losing an arm, and the rumors he'd heard, a cohort leader should be significantly stronger.

He definitely wasn't a Knight like Halo. Probably an Assassin or Sovereign. But how? How had he reached such a high rank without revealing his True Ability?

The mystery plagued him throughout his entire training, but he pushed it aside. He needed to focus on what mattered now.

Two days. Longer than they'd planned. But when Light finally returned, the intelligence he'd gathered justified the delay.

With Mika gone, the Chaos Eater production had shifted. The change wasn't major, but it was enough to show them their opponent was mysteriousthan they initially thought.

Despite this, Light explained the guards remained surprisingly unfazed.

What rattled them, though, was losing their comrade, Ren. Especially Spector. Ren was one of their own, his death hit them hard.

Perfect. This gave him exactly what he needed: a reason to draw Spector into single combat.

This wouldn't just test his strength. It would also move them closer to solving the Chaos Eater mystery.

They kept all this from Iris. Light was so enthusiastic about Halo taking on Spector that he'd documented everything in writing for Halo's eyes only.

He even missed the main purpose of his mission.

Master and clone, their combat hunger was stirring once more.

However, this called for thorough and careful planning.

When the sun reached its zenith, Halo and Iris finally discussed Light's mission findings. He conveniently omitted what he'd learned about Spector.

"So they're operating on switches… and they've gathered about twenty adventurers to assist them?"

Light gestured positively.

Curiously, the guards stayed away from the walls, roaming among the buildings instead. Adventurers handled entrance patrol. This made no sense, wall security was the guards' primary duty.

Guards rotated every few hours, alternating patrols that went deeper into StoneHaven. But there was a line they never crossed, some kind of boundary.

"This is strange. Don't you think so?"

"What's your theory? I know you've got one already."

Her head dropped. Words died in her throat before she could speak them. Whatever truth she'd found, it was too heavy to say aloud.

"Uhm… I want us to kidnap them."

Halo's eyebrow shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected that, but he liked the idea.

The guards were obviously expecting them to strike from the shadows. Ironically, after weighing all their options, that was still the best plan.

Fighting in the open would attract overwhelming numbers. But striking from darkness could thin their ranks and potentially yield valuable intel.

A doubt gnawed at him. If the guards and adventurers were kept ignorant like everyone else, what information could they extract? But it didn't change his plans. Spector was his target, regardless.

"The safest route is to drag them out of the shadows and cull them one by one. They're watching for us. If we expose ourselves, it ends badly. So we move outside the land."

Halo recoiled at her suggestion. His expression contorted like she'd said something obscene. The thought had never crossed his mind. But how would they even pull that off?

"Won't that be considered abandoning our Purpose? And even if we go through with it, how do we draw them outside?"

The light in Iris's golden eyes dimmed. It was as if the life in her had depleted. Her fingers flickered against each other.

"We'll spark chaos outside, loud enough and big enough to force their hand. Tough and Light will create a distraction so massive they'll have no choice but to show themselves."

Her eyes widened in a concerning disparagement.

"With my help, we can prepare traps in advance. A confrontation won't even be necessary."

Halo's expression remained deadpan. He wasn't expecting this.

He knew Iris had stopped worrying that he was mad at her. But she was still drowning in guilt over what happened. The last thing she wanted was to put him through anything like that torture again.

But to him, her approach sounded cowardly.

Shadow of Death. That was his title. He might not appear fearsome, but he represented the one thing all people dreaded most. He sure as hell wasn't dying to some nameless guard.

He was a pro.

He'd take the initiative. Prove it was possible. That would break her from this fear. He'd fight Spector. And win.

With a heavy sigh, he rose to his feet.

"I will tell you what I think about this in a bit."

He began walking to his room.

Light shadowed him, quiet but buzzing with anticipation. Halo read him instantly. He was waiting for the command.

He'd never seen Light act this way. Maybe Light mirrored the cold, notorious killer Halo had been in his past life. Now Light was witnessing that side of him returning.

"Write this down and take it to Spector. Tomorrow night, behind these walls, I want to meet him alone. One of us will leave alive. That's all he needs to know."

Light nodded energetically and attended to it.

Clarity struck him. He'd always needed strength. It would bring him to Jihriel's attention. It would carry him through this Purpose and all those to come.

Most importantly, it would help him survive the God of Death, the one being who could end him permanently.

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