No More Pain For This Villain.

357  Pyroclasm Elder

**[Ren Hilton POV]**

I know this might be just a shot in the dark, but I think I have an idea of why I was called here. A lot of key components are still missing, though.

Here's how I see it: I was called into this world because I know the storyline—simple. These gods extracted the storyline from me and selected multiple chosen ones to lessen the damage. And now, I'm nothing but an anomaly, waiting to be dealt with by the curse itself.

While the origin of the curse remains hidden, I'm pretty sure it's meant to eliminate me to keep the storyline intact. It's stupid, but anyways... I'm nothing.

Like, literally, I'm just a pawn.

"Blaze... move." I stepped forward as Blaze gave me space to walk. Vexa dashed toward me.

I created a sphere of fire with a core of raw mana and hurled it at her. She slashed down her blade, but when it hit the core, it exploded, pushing her back even further.

"Vexa," I called out.

Vexa seemed a bit shaken but managed to stand on her own. "Why wasn't I—"

"It's already morning. I do not wish to continue this," I interrupted. I don't know why, but I felt like this girl would understand.

"I want us to talk more in a more civil manner." For the first time, I really didn't want to fight. I wanted answers.

'What are you thinking, princess?' Blaze asked in my mind.

There was a prolonged silence on her part as the sun rose behind her on the horizon. She seemed to ponder her next words, which surprisingly weren't bad.

"How do I trust you?" she asked.

"You don't," I nodded, slowly turning my back to her. "I'll keep in touch."

I at least believe she'll keep this interaction a secret between us.

---

**[An Hour Later]**

I sat on my bed in my room, feeling like everything had been sucked out of me. It was eerily silent, too—Blaze hadn't cracked a single joke since we came back.

"What do you think?" I asked.

'It's hard to put into words,' he replied. I felt the same.

It felt like there was a lot more to this than what met the eye. Well, it's always been that way, but now I feel like I'm seeing the layers.

I still remember Vexa saying she thought everyone was a liar—same as what Ignisara told me.

Everyone is a liar.

Gods lie to their chosen ones. Adam Stales isn't the only one; there are more. But they were all contacted, so me being on the list is nowhere near possible.

I was nothing but a map to them.

'You hurt about that?' Smokeball asked.

Hurt? No, not at all. But concerned... What's the fate of a person that doesn't matter or has already fulfilled their purpose? That person is useless.

And useless things get discarded, so they put a curse on me... to discard me from existence, to keep the storyline intact.

"These gods really are... assholes."

'Well, quite hypocritical of you to say that, but yeah, I do agree. We still can't put our finger on it yet,' Blaze replied.

I went silent for a second before muttering, "Hey, I think we should do it now."

'Yeah, I think so too,' Blaze agreed with what I had in mind.

I stood up from the bedside and opened the system panel.

---

**[SYSTEM WINDOW]**

**[Player: Ren Chris Hilton]**

*Age: 17*

**[Level 3: Scorchmaster]**

*[7 Star Mage In Human Terms]*

*Current Progress:*

*Intelligence: 8/10*

*Strength: 100/100*

*Mana: 100/100*

**[Next Level: Pyroclasm Elder]**

*Total Experience Points: 25000/24999*

*(Level up unavailable!)*

*Elemental Attributes: Fire*

*Advancements of Elements: Lightning* Nôv(el)B\\jnn

*Unlock New Advancement: (Open)*

*Contracted Beast: One*

*Spirits: None(!)*

*Skills: [52 skills.]*

*Learn New Skills: [Open]*

*Store: [Open]*

---

I felt a bit glad that I used this system way less than needed, but I figured I should use it more often, especially for things like this. My eyes landed on the experience points, and I was surprised.

"You couldn't complete it?" I asked, noticing that Blaze still needed one more experience point to level up. I'd left it to him, thinking he'd gain that last bit, but he hadn't.

'Oh, fuck off! I had no time since I was busy following you around, and it's just a single point,' he scoffed.

I looked around, then out the window at a bird perched on a nearby tree. I struck it down with a small lightning spark.

That added half a blood point and three experience points. The window popped up in front of me again after a long time.

**Do you want to level up to the next level "Pyroclasm Elder"?**

*Yes/No*

---

"I do."

---

**Warning Note:**

*Passing to the next level will give you an immense increase in your potential and a leap in strength to match, but you'll have to learn how to keep up with that strength.*

---

Okay, that's fine.

"Ren!!" I heard Blaze yell in my mind. I turned to him, then was forced to look at the panel before me.

---

**Ignisara's Barrier Lifted!**

*Freeing from any impurities*

*Store system updated*

*Heart Reformed*

*Access to the bloodline given*

---

That was the last panel I read before my vision went dark, and I fell unconscious.

...Am I, though? I could still think, but my body—it wasn't there.

Every time there's a new experience, the whole leveling up thing isn't new in terms of surprise.

Or so I thought, but—

"What the fuck is this?"

---

**[Reliving a core memory]**

The battlefield stretched endlessly, an expanse of devastation and chaos. The sky was choked with ash, clouds of smoke billowing up from the ground where the flames of war raged. The earth beneath was cracked and scarred.

On the horizon, massive figures dominated the landscape. Gigantic, ornated giants towered above, their weapons—vast axes and swords—swinging with the force to cleave mountains.Their armor, adorned with intricate designs, reflected the flickering flames around them. Their roars echoed, shaking the very ground, as they clashed with serpentine creatures that slithered and coiled with deadly grace. These Serpenthian Abyssalors, enormous serpents with obsidian scales, moved with a lethal elegance, their fanged maws snapping at anything within reach. Their tails, thick and powerful, lashed out, toppling giants and leveling the ground.

Okay...what the fuck is going on....