"Come on, come on," Maximus gritted, as blood sprayed from his severed hand, yet he ignored the pain.

He lifted the other hand, but nothing happened. "Where are they?"

He cursed under his breath and started scrambling to escape. He knew he was no match for Selena, so there was no other option.

Managing to get up, he started running. "Where did the D-rank demons go? You don't mean he—" his words were unfinished as he stopped.

In front of him was a fallen tree blocking the escape path.

But that was not the actual problem.

It was the silhouette, squatting on the tree with glowing blue eyes. "So it was your doing?"

Maximus turned around and saw Selena approaching him with nothing but murderous intent. "Where do you think you're going?" she said, her tone a clear takeaway.

Maximus suddenly felt a movement from behind and as he turned, a sickening punch connected to his face, sending him flying towards Selena.

As he approached Selena, she kicked him as hard as she could, causing him to cough out blood as he crashed into a tree with a loud thud.

"Nolan?" Liana whispered as as kjkv him slowly approach Maximus.

Since they had been together here at Clover City, she had never seen Nolan so gabbbfocused before. His eyes were half-lided and there was a glint of deep-seated rage in them.

"Who sent you to do this?" Nolan asked, his tone leveled.

Maximus spat blood, slowly getting to his feet.

Kayra drove her boot into his gut, causing him to groan in pain, falling back down. "Answer his questions before we get to the part where I kill you?"

"What do you want to know?" Maximus snorted, raising his bloodied face to look at Nolan. "What do you not know?"

"…" Nolan's expression never faltered, eyes still locked with Maximus.

"You're trapped! You've been trapped for so long, yet you still believe there is an end? What are you chasing? There is nothing beyond this!" Maximus snapped.

Selena's brows raised slightly. "What—What's he talking about, Nolan?"

Nolan didn't reply, he just kept on looking at Maximus, boiling with rage on the inside. He clenched his fist and spoke again, his tone still low and calm. "Who put you to this?" he asked.

"How does it ma—"

Nolan drew his hand back, before stopping himself, his aura flaring. "Answer. My. Question."

It wasn't something hidden anymore. Selena could feel it—he was so mad right now.

The rest of the team finally cleared off the low-grades and approached Nolan, Selena and Maximus.

Maximus laughed at Nolan's words. "What does it change if you know? You can't fight this one. Stop trying."

"What is he saying?" Liana asked, hand on her injury.

"You're all pawns in this game, and the Chained Regressor is the only player," Maximus said.

Selena instantly kicked his mouth. "Speak sense, snake."

As Maximus tried to get himself up, Selena shot him with two pins, on his neck.

Maximus tried pulling it out, but as his hand got close, an electrifying pain seized his body. "Aaaarghhh!" he shouted.

"Is that a magic tool?" Cedric questioned, a bit fascinated.

"Yes. Punisher pins," Selena replied. "The longer it stays, the more pain he feels all over his body."

Nolan's mind however, had tuned out Maximus's scream and the team's talk. One thing Maximus said kept on replaying in his head: "What does it change?"

Those were The Wisher's words too, when he asked about the loop.

Maximus lay on the ground, back arching up as an excruciating pain went through his entire body. "Talk and I'll consider breaking your legs instead."

Maximus gritted, his hand shakily reaching for his pocket knife. "I… I would… rather die," he said.

Selena frowned. She knew that he was somehow tied to the conspirators from the cave, but he just wouldn't say anything, even in the face of so much pain.

However, Nolan's silence didn't go unnoticed by her. All of Maximus's words seemed to be directed at Nolan, and it was even more suspicious how Nolan didn't seem confused or anything, rather he happened to be familiar with what Maximus was saying.

Maximus soon took out his pocket knife and slit his own throat, setting himself free of the misery.

Finn let out a deep sigh. "What was all this even about? How was a human controlling demons? We need to report to Elite Loretta herself," he said, walking back to Alexander and Kayra who were with Selam.

Liana looked at Maximus's unmoving body. "Why? Why did it have to be like this?" she said, with a calm, almost pitiful tone.

Cedric patted her on the back. "For all we know, he was siding with demons—though it still feels surreal—and he put an end to his own life. It would've been him watching our dead bodies if things went as he planned."

Liana looked away and walked with Cedric to meet Selam and the others.

"You okay?" Selena asked Nolan, leaving him behind as she followed Liana. "Where were you by the way?"

Nolan was taken out of his trance by the flash of his system screen.

[¹Message!

- Yelenãä: What is wrong with you?! I'm not as patient as the others, and I sure will make this a lot harder for you.]

Nolan looked at the message with slight annoyance and curiosity. He was annoyed that this particular Architect was too… prideful? And curious on what exactly she was going to do now.

"Nolan, are you okay?" Liana called out.

Nolan nodded and walked over to meet them. "Yes. Yes I am," he affirmed.

But as they spoke, something strange started to happen behind their eyes.

SNAP!

A twig broke and Nolan heard the sound, but he ignored it, until—

"It's a good thing you let the man die."

They team turned around to see the dead Maximus standing back up sluggishly, eyes completely red and skin pale, a smug grin stretching from ear to ear.

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