****(POV)

Ever felt like a nobody? Ever felt like your existence served no purpose? Ever felt like nothing more than a stain on the wall?

Well, that's how Markus felt at that moment as he "participated" in the damn conference call. Oh, it wasn't that he lacked self-confidence or that he didn't have self-worth. No, he had a vital role in Metropolis D. 

He was an A-Rank official. In other words, he was the top dog of the Metropolis. As far as their continent went, there was no higher government rank than this. That was because all Metropolises were all equal, in theory anyway. There was the S-Rank too, but that one was reserved for extraordinary circumstances. 

But, this whole call meeting he was currently in was complete and utter bullshit. That's why he hadn't even bothered going to Arcadia. They had incurred the wrath of a god, one called the Greenwood Lord. They didn't know how it had happened. They didn't know what it implied exactly. They knew nothing. 

Some fools were clamoring about creating a temporary alliance between all Metropolises. Sure, but then what? Were they going to sit on their asses, wanking?! That would just create unnecessary expenditures. 

Some were calling for a general roundup of all the Rankers to interrogate them. All that to potentially figure out who was the main curse bearer that would cause their doom once he died. Well, that would 100% antagonize them, and even if they succeeded, it would paint a target on that individual's back.

There were even some proposing that they do absolutely nothing and act as if it had never happened. That one sounded stupid and was, but Markus didn't dislike it too much. 

That's how he was currently not doing anything worthwhile, even wasting his time. Well, that action would help to reassure the civilians hence why he bothered in the first place. He really felt like a potted plant could have taken his place. He was simply smiling and looking pretty. 

Actually, their course of action was already determined. They were simply going to distract the populace and leave the true job to the Rankers. It was just a matter of how and when. Yes, such a simple thing was taking forever too. 

Honestly, that mattered little to him. No, he was in a very different situation, one that was way more urgent. In the area of control of Metropolis-D was a Disaster zone, one that could potentially unleash Hell on this world at any moment. Recently it had shown more activity too. 

At first, Markus had thought this to be a curse as it was a calamity that befell his people. Then, when it was determined to be an instance somehow related to the Tower, he couldn't help but have slight hope. Well, that had been shattered because of the death toll in there and shattered once more because it only dropped trash items. 

Well, even on that one, he was stuck. Being careful and monitoring it all was the best he could do, really. Quite like this shitty godly curse. That's when his UW lit up with a notification. There was a short message. 

"Kasha of Draconic is requesting a meeting. It's concerning the Disaster zone. What should be done?" 

Markus instantly jumped in surprise, his heart beating extremely fast. The various guild leaders noticed his movement and sent him inquisitive glances. Yes, even the man in charge of Metropolis C, Allistair. 

"It's nothing troublesome. I just need to correct something for my internal affairs. I'll excuse myself for a few minutes."

Now, there was something strange going on. Allistair was a very straightforward man, and it seemed he knew nothing about it. Was Dario the one making a move? But why send Kasha? She abhorred politics. Perhaps secrecy? Perhaps it wasn't even related to the guild? 

Over-thinking wouldn't help. He made his way to the VIP guest waiting room, steadied his breathing, and entered with a confident pace. She was there, sitting on the main sofa and eating cookies. On the sidelines were two individuals. One was a girl that looked extremely anxious, and the other was daydreaming peacefully. 

"Hello there, I came as soon as I heard of your arrival. What can I do for you, Kasha."

"Hello, Markus. It has been a while. I'll go straight to the point. I want to get land ownership of D-23. I've heard of how troublesome the Alter Tower is, and I feel it could work quite well for a training-from-Hell course." 

"Is that so? Have you ever checked it out yourself?" He made it sound as casual as possible. 

"I've seen the exterior. The red fog looks very interesting." She answered honestly. 

"Oh? Is that so? What did you have in mind exactly? He offhandedly asked as he was barely listening. 

Her answer had sent alarm signals inside his head. She wouldn't buy something like that without doing her proper research. This whole thing was unrelated to her. Why was she here then? Even if he agreed to a sale, the real party interested would need to come forward for the signature. 

Or maybe that person trusted her very much, her kin perhaps? Not as far as he knew. What about a lover? Ah, that was more likely. That is when he glanced once more at the people in the room. A panicked lady and a young man. One that was still daydreaming. 

At first, Markus had paid him no attention. He wore a cheap grey suit, he didn't look sharp at all, and he was even somewhat dirty. He could have been very handsome with a little more care. What if he was her lover? Was he using her status as a ranker to complete this transaction?

Even as Kasha was still talking, Markus slowly walked right in front of Josh. Perhaps he was wrong, but his instinct was telling him this man was the mastermind. 

"Shall we negotiate directly instead?" He asked, looking the man directly in the eyes. 

"W-what?" the man was clearly lost and wondering what the Hell was happening. 

Looking at the man's current state, Markus felt embarrassed. He had made an error in judgment. The fool in front of him was no mastermind at all. It was just impossible. 

"I'm sorry I—" He couldn't continue. Not with what he was seeing. 

Markus began sweating. He felt his hair rising. He felt fear. What the Hell?! In front of him, the fool had changed into a devil. There had only been a slight change in his expression. He now had the gaze of a predator toying with its prey. 

Then, a second later, he was giving a slight and warm smile. It was as if the fool and the savage monster had been nothing but illusions. It took Markus all his self-control to regain his calm appearance. 

"Hello, I'm Markus. How should I address you?" 

"Josh, Josh Malum"….