Monday, July 26, 1740
20:55
20th Floor
5 minutes before Garnet's battle with the female hitman.
On top of the connecting corridor between buildings, a woman walked in high heels. Both of her arms were outstretched to maintain her balance against the night wind.
She had a beautiful face, with long dark purple hair flowing in the air. The blackish-purple fur coat she wore swayed along with the wind.
When the distance between her and the building where Claudius was staying grew close, she leaped from the top of the corridor roof.
Tuk!
However, instead of falling, her body floated lightly like a feather. Slowly, she descended and landed on a second-floor window.
This was the ability of the 3-star assassin identity belonging to Iris Riodinida, Father Falling.
From within her coat, Iris took out a small axe, shattered the glass, and unlocked the window.
She entered the building. Ignoring the CCTV, she ran to the end of the corridor and peeked.
A male crow in full uniform, complete with a hat, was patrolling while carrying a black suitcase.
Casually, Iris walked toward him.
"Sorry, miss, but this entire building has been reserved," said the crow.
Iris ignored his warning and continued walking forward. When the distance between them became close enough, she pulled out her small axe from her coat.
Thud!
However, the crow was no fool. He blocked the axe with his right hand while his left hand formed a hand seal.
The crow's shadow began to surge and transformed into a fanged monster that lunged at Iris.
3-star Identity — Shadowgraphy.
Iris leaped swiftly and spun in midair. The shadow failed to catch her.
The crow opened his black suitcase. However, suddenly, his body floated into the air as if gravity had disappeared.
A large shuriken fell out of the suitcase. He tried to grab it but failed.
Not giving up, he pulled out a folding pistol from his uniform and fired.
Bang! Bang!
But instead of aiming at Iris, he shot the ceiling lights.
Darkness.
Iris immediately realized it and ran toward another corridor.
From the darkness, a shadow serpent emerged. Its mouth opened wide, ready to devour Iris whole.
Just as its fangs were about to reach her—
It stopped.
The shadows in the corridor were not long enough.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Iris quickly moved into another corridor—but it was too late.
A large shuriken shot through the hallway, its shadow transforming into a rope that pulled Iris away.
Thud!
She fell, dragged by the shadow shuriken.
The crow walked through the corridor and formed another hand seal. The shuriken's shadow began to surge—
SLASH—
His body split into two.
The upper half fell to the ground, while the lower half sprayed blood.
Iris's eyes widened. A man as large as a bear stepped out from the corridor, holding a machete.
He had dark skin and wore a white shirt now drenched in blood. His sharp gaze locked onto Iris.
Iris froze, then realized.
"Marionettist!"
"Long time no see, Iris," the man greeted.
It turned out that the man Quartz was supposed to kill later was just one of Marionettist's puppets.
"I saw you through the CCTV. What are you doing on the second floor?" Marionettist asked.
The shadow binding Iris began to unravel. She stood up and replied, "Don't you know? The second prince will use the second-floor hall to welcome nobles and important figures of Faulust."
"So, you were planning to hide weapons on the second floor and then blend into the party?"
Iris nodded. "Unfortunately, that plan has already failed. That crow has likely called for others. I need to leave now."
"I see," the Marionettist's puppet turned around, then glanced back slightly. "Ah, if you want to escape, use the elevator. Don't worry, I'm in control of the CCTV room. There's no one inside."
"Alright, I'll take your advice." Iris waved and headed toward the elevator.
However, she was surprised.
Marionettist had lied.
Inside the elevator, Garnet stood there, looking at her calmly. She could only smile bitterly, realizing she had been set up.
"What is Marionettist planning? Why did he trap me?"
•••
09:20
20th Floor
Claudius and Lyxander placed their bags on the table.
Finally, they arrived at Lyxander and Zirkon's room.
"Ahh... my back," Lyxander groaned as he threw himself onto the bed.
"At least take off your shoes first," Claudius said.
"Prince, you really are like my mother..." Lyxander immediately covered his mouth, realizing he had slipped again. "I mean, you're very caring and attentive, just like my mother. I'm really touched by your concern."
Claudius walked over to the sofa and said suspiciously, "I'm starting to think you're doing that on purpose."
Lyxander smiled bitterly and waved his hand. "I just enjoy insulting people. No need to think too much about it, really."
Claudius frowned. "So you are doing it on purpose?"
"Ah!" Lyxander jumped up, rummaged through his bag, and pulled out a novel titled Hell.
"Prince, can I get your autograph?" His eyes sparkled as he looked at Claudius.
Claudius glanced at the book, then took it and smiled faintly. "So you read my work?"
Hell is a novel about Apex, a young man who committed many sins in his life.
The story begins when Apex gets involved in a fight and is killed. When he regains consciousness, he finds himself in hell.
He spends his time enduring endless suffering and torment. Until one day, he reaches the very bottom of hell and sees heaven from below.
This discovery leads him to a grand goal: to reach heaven.
Throughout the novel, Apex experiences countless failures and often falls into despair in his pursuit of escaping the depths of hell.
Overall, the novel is considered boring. However, its ending became extremely famous, causing its popularity to skyrocket.
At the end of the story, Apex nearly reaches heaven—but just as he is one step away, he slips and falls back into the depths of hell.
A major question arises when he begins climbing once again.
"Was Apex truly happy?"
A question that continues to be debated on the internet to this day.
"So, Prince, was Apex actually happy?" Lyxander asked.
"Hmm?" Claudius thought for a moment. Then he smiled warmly and replied, "That depends on your interpretation."
Lyxander frowned. "Just say you don't want to answer."
Hearing his complaint, Claudius simply smiled and explained, "Isn't the most interesting part of reading a novel interpreting it? As long as that interpretation benefits the reader, even if it doesn't match my intention, it doesn't matter."
Lyxander sighed. "Then I'll change my question. Why did you write Hell?"
Claudius kept smiling, but his expression darkened slightly. "You may not know this, but when I was six years old, I once ran away from home."
"This story!" Lyxander recalled what King had told in the group chat.
"While I was on the streets, I met many people and saw how they lived. Lyxander, do you know what the most terrifying thing is?"
Lyxander shook his head.
Claudius gave a bitter smile.
"Despair. That is the most terrifying thing."
He continued.
"At the beginning of my life on the streets, I met an old man drowning in debt. He taught me how to survive. One day, I went out to find food. When I came back, he was already hanging from the ceiling."
"After he died, I went to Cartel, one of the nine capitals of the Infernal Empire. In Cartel, each central city is called a District. In District 26, I met a girl my age. She was kind. When I was starving to death, she gave me a piece of bread. However, Cartel is a dangerous place where mafias gather. During a conflict between mafias, she was shot."
Claudius recalled a fragment of the past—a white-haired girl in the arms of a blond boy.
"Claudius, why is this world so cruel?"
"Why do we have to starve? Why do we have to kill each other? Why does someone have to suffer?"
"Do people like us not deserve to live?"
"Claudius, I can't keep living like this. Please, hold me one last time."
The girl died in Claudius Jahanam's arms.
"I couldn't answer her back then. But now, I have my answer."
"Lyxander, the reason I wrote Hell is so that people won't stop hoping. Even in despair, I want people to keep holding onto hope."
Lyxander fell silent, recalling his memories on Earth.
Thud!
His mother hit him for always looking gloomy. She looked just like Lyxander before his transmigration.
She grabbed his collar and shouted, "So what if you can't fight anymore? You've worked so hard. Instead of enjoying your youth, you kept going to the gym and training endlessly. You stayed up late doing your schoolwork just so you could train again the next day."
"I'm your mother, so I know how hard you've worked. Even if it all ends up meaningless and you can't fight anymore, you've done your best."
She embraced him warmly. "So stop being gloomy. You've worked hard."
Lyxander smiled. Back then, when he was in despair, his mother would hit him and encourage him.
Now, he had no one—but he still smiled.
"Claudius, you really are like my mother."
Claudius was startled.
For the first time, Lyxander called him by his name.