I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 291 [1 words] The Sealed Box, the Demand for Power, a diametrically opposed prophecy, and the silver-white Z-shaped seal.
"Squeak!"

As the door was slowly pushed open, John, who entered the study, saw Trotsky's true face for the first time in reality.

However, what surprised John was that the Demon King was different from the one he remembered in the game, who was equipped with numerous magical artifacts with a lot of special effects and whose lowest level was epic, and who had a lot of terrifying magical phantoms behind him.

The man before him, Trolowski, looked more like a dignified old man, making it impossible to associate him with a magician.

But the moment John's eyes met the other's, after deciphering the incredibly complex magical circuits within those eyes, he knew that those ideas were nothing but fallacies.

“John Maslow, a graduate of the 59th class, met with Principal Trolowski.”

John saluted respectfully at the Demon King who stood at the pinnacle of power.

"...I'm surprised you actually came back."

Trolowski spoke these words meaningfully, and then, before the puzzled John could speak, he did so.

The next second, the sofa appeared out of thin air behind John, and then the tea set on the coffee table floated up on its own, pouring him a steaming cup of black tea in his astonished gaze.

Then, Trolowski's deep voice reached John's ears.

"sit."

"...Thank you, Principal."

John accepted the teacup in front of him with a respectful expression and thanked the other man, but the confusion in his heart was not relieved by Trotsky's courtesy; on the contrary, it grew stronger.

It even made him feel a slight tingling sensation on his scalp.

After all, it depends on both the difference in strength between oneself and the other party, and the difference in social status.

I shouldn't be treated so equally by this old devil.

Adding to what the other party just said, it is clear that the original owner seemed to have had some kind of secret conversation or even an agreement with the other party!

But the most crucial problem is that he was completely unaware of it!

"This is troublesome..."

In an instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through John's mind, but in front of this being who was over a hundred years old and could see through everything, he dared not reveal the slightest bit. He could only take a sip of the tea in his cup, force himself to remain calm, and sit on the sofa, waiting for this Demon King to speak first.

"It seems joining the army has changed you quite a bit. Is your ability to become so worldly-wise also due to experiencing the battles firsthand?"

Trolowski scrutinized John before him, and seeing the look of astonishment on the other's face, he too felt quite puzzled.

After all, based on his impression of John.

Whether it was the other person's demeanor while studying at the academy, the descriptions he heard from Anora, or his own interactions with the other person.

All of these experiences made him realize that the other party was more like a machine without any emotions than a human being.

But now, ever since John stepped into his study, everything about him—from the respect he exuded in his words to the emotions displayed on his face—was so natural that even John himself couldn't detect any trace of pretense.

If it weren't for his magical perception, which allowed him to clearly sense the traces of power remaining within the other party's body that even he himself feared, he would have even suspected that the other party was a fake.

It's no wonder it was born from the forbidden realm; its highly efficient learning ability is simply beyond human comprehension!

Trotsky thought to himself with a sigh.

Become more tactful?

So the original owner was actually a cautious person?

This……

Upon hearing this, John's heart tightened, but after careful consideration, he still feigned composure and slowly spoke:

"...My experiences on the battlefield gradually made me understand the concept of death, and thus I found my own path."

Seeing the surprised look on Trotsky's face, John paused slightly, then told him the 'truth':
"However, to be honest, Principal, since enlisting, I have discovered that a large part of my memory has been missing. Even the magic I once mastered has been forgotten without my realizing it. It wasn't until I was about to die in battle that I regained some of my knowledge."

“This experience has left me very confused, and the reason I am taking the liberty of visiting you today is actually related to this issue.”

"?"

Upon hearing this, Trolowski's gaze immediately paused, and without saying a word, he raised his right hand and lightly pointed in John's direction.

The next second, hundreds of intricate magic runes rapidly bloomed from his fingertips, enveloping John at an extremely fast speed. From his azure eyes, extremely complex magic runes also began to emerge.

At this moment, under the other party's actions, John felt as if his body had fallen into a pool made of slime. A large amount of seemingly materialized magic power was constantly and rapidly enveloping his body from the outside, making it extremely difficult for him to even move a finger.

However, his brain did not experience any discomfort; instead, he felt an extraordinary sense of pleasure, which even made him somewhat drowsy.

"..."

Meanwhile, Trolowski, who had cast the spell 'Spiritual Sanctuary' on John, frowned more and more as the investigation continued, his eyes filled with unprecedented confusion.

Because after he used his spiritual domain to analyze and repair John's mental power, he did not find any memory sealing or mental power restriction techniques.

Based on the feedback from the tests, John's condition seemed perfectly normal to him, and it was impossible for him to have memory loss.

Therefore, if we analyze the results, there are only two answers.

First, John lied about his memory loss.

Secondly, John did lose his memory, but the being who performed the memory stripping was far more skilled in magic than him, which is why John couldn't detect even the slightest trace of the altered memory.

The former is less likely, since it makes no sense for John to lie to himself.

As for the latter, Trolowski, who is recognized as the number one magician in the world, has absolute confidence that as long as he has not died due to the limitation of lifespan, no human can surpass him in magic.

Unless, that being does not exist within the human realm.

"..."

As if he had thought of something, a dark look flashed in Trolowski's eyes, but then he slowly dispelled the mental domain spell and put the suspended John back to the ground.

Only after the other person had fully recovered from their semi-conscious state did he slowly speak:

"I cannot solve your memory loss problem, but based on the test results, those memory losses do not pose any fatal risks to you."

"In fact, after considering what happened back then, I have some vague clues about your amnesia."

Meeting John's tense gaze, Trotsky slowly interlaced his fingers on the table, then uttered words that astonished John:
"John, do you still remember the deal we made back then?"

transaction?

John froze, and Trolowski noticed his reaction instantly. However, Trolowski wasn't surprised; instead, a knowing glint flashed in his eyes as if he had confirmed something.
"It seems that these experiences are also included in your lost memories, but this only reinforces my judgment."

"If I'm not mistaken, the reason you have memory loss is related to the curse we made years ago."

"The whole story would be too long to recount, so I will just give a brief explanation. You originally possessed a peculiar curse, the opposite of the ether, which is the source of magic. It has highly corrosive and corrupting properties and is extremely difficult to control."

"Fortunately, that mysterious curse and the magic within you are highly integrated, and under the influence of an unknown force, they have reached a delicate balance. In this wondrous state, you have made it work for you, forming a unique and unprecedented technique."

"However, due to some unexpected events, this balance was broken, the curse spread, and it also had a significant impact on you."

"Therefore, in order to curb the spread of this mysterious curse and resolve it completely, you entrusted me with the task of helping me further explore the astral plane through the form of a curse, in exchange for allowing me to extract and seal it from your body, along with most of your magic."

"However, due to my misjudgment of the troublesome nature of this curse, as well as the scheming of some people with ulterior motives, the sealing process back then went wrong, and the curse spread outwards during the sealing process. Therefore, I had no choice but to use a complex forbidden spell to forcibly break it apart and then reseal it."

"This incident was later classified as a Level 1 top secret intelligence file in the academy."

Trotsky slowly revealed the inside story of what countless people called the 'forbidden seal' back then, and then, facing John who seemed to have understood, he gave his judgment, with a hint of apology in his tone:
"After I dispersed and resealed that part of your power, you were weakened because of the power's absence and it took you a month to recover. However, you did not exhibit the memory loss you have now."

"However, the large loss of magic power, and the fact that the control of magic power originates from mental power, requires a considerable amount of mental power to repair and refine the large amount of magic power deficit."

"Therefore, I guess the reason you have lost a lot of memories is that a lot of magic power was extracted back then. When you repaired and refined the magic power circuits later, you consumed most of your mental energy, which is why this kind of delayed memory decline occurred."

"I'm sorry that you look like a completely different person now."

No, your judgment is actually correct.

Because right now, I really am a fake.

So I really have completely changed as a person, in the literal sense.

John thought to himself, but he was relieved that Trolowski hadn't noticed the abnormality in his soul or discovered his identity as an extraterrestrial demon.

After listening to Trotsky recount the inside story of the forbidden seal, he was filled with shock and confusion.

Because he never imagined that the original character he created in the game would possess such a secret.

Born with a curse, and the strength and complexity of the curse are so high that even Trolowski, the Demon King, could not eradicate it and could only seal it with a magical spell.

It almost destroyed the entire First Military Academy of the Empire because the seal failed!
wait?

seal?

Doesn't this mean...

As if a certain possibility had occurred to him, John's heart began to race uncontrollably, but outwardly he feigned composure and waved to Trotsky:
"I never expected the inside story to be like this. However, Principal, you don't need to apologize to me for this. After all, although I have lost most of my memories and am not clear about the conditions we reached at the time, in my opinion, since the failure was caused by unexpected factors, the responsibility cannot be attributed to you. Therefore, please don't worry about this matter."

Meeting Trotsky's surprised gaze, John smiled slightly and then added:
"Besides, that part of the curse has already been sealed, and I'm still alive. Since the outcome is good, there's even less need for you, Principal, to worry about this matter, isn't there?"

"...To be honest, John, I'm really surprised by how you've changed, but I'm glad to see that change in you. It means that you might be able to use that power better now."

Looking at John, who could almost be called entirely human, Trotsky couldn't help but express this sentiment from the bottom of his heart.

However, he still had some concerns in his heart.

He was worried that after he handed the sealed black box to John, John, who had reabsorbed that part of the curse, might revert to his original state.

That kind of being could not be called human at all; it was more like a calamity born to devour and dominate everything.

However, if it continues to absorb power and grow stronger in the alternate dimension, it will probably only take twenty years for the power accumulated inside to break through the seal that it reinforced with the power of stars.

Then it swept across the entire empire, and with an expansion that even he could not resist, it covered the whole world.

Therefore, even someone as strong as Trotsky would hesitate under such circumstances.

But seeing the expectation and hope in John's eyes, he immediately understood the other's choice. He sighed inwardly, placed the dragon crystal key he had already taken out on the table, and then slowly said:

“John, I know why you have come. After I extracted the curse and magic from your body, I temporarily sealed it with a sealing box made of meteorite iron. And that sealing box is now in the alternate dimension of this key.”

"However, I need to remind you that after I extracted this power from your body four years ago, it did not go dormant. Instead, it continued to absorb spatial power and grow rapidly within the sealed box. Although I continuously observed the astral plane and used the power of stars to reinforce its seal, its expansion speed still far exceeded my expectations."

"It has now developed to a point where even I find it troublesome. Therefore, I do not recommend that you integrate it into your body immediately, because with your current physical strength, you may not be able to withstand the burden it brings."

"The best approach is to use it as a consumable and reintegrate it in the process, but even so, there may be some unknown risks."

"If you are truly ready to reclaim your power and try to regain everything, then I will open it for you and return the sealed box to you."

"What is your choice in this regard?"

Having said that, Trolowski fell silent, then gazed quietly at John, waiting for a reply from this man whose strength had once astonished even him.

"..."

John did not answer immediately, but instead fell into deep thought.

Since learning the reason for the loss of the original body's power, he had realized that the power stored in the sealed box must be extremely dangerous, otherwise Trolowski would not have used the word "curse" to describe it.

Therefore, for safety's sake, keeping it sealed and staying away from it was a safer and wiser decision for John himself.

But when he thought about how he had faced many crises due to his lack of strength, he realized that if it weren't for Wendy's good and bad luck, he might have been killed on the battlefield long ago.

John was filled with resentment.

This contradiction brought his emotions to a breaking point at that moment.

After much deliberation, he solemnly stated his choice:

"I need this force, Principal!"

John's tone was full of determination and resolve.

The current situation in the empire is about to enter an unprecedented vortex after the peace negotiations. In this vortex, if one does not have enough power, he may be swallowed up by the side effects of regaining power before he even has a chance to do so.

He himself may die completely in the series of assassinations.

Moreover, aside from the current crisis within the Empire, what John cares about most is the pressure he is under from the Allied forces.

He did not know the reasons and purpose behind the Allied proposal for peace talks.

However, having previously obtained the rank of General of the Kingdom of Loran in the game, he knew almost everything about the Allied high command.

The reason why the other side took the initiative to propose peace talks this time could not possibly be because they were panicked by the Empire's indiscriminate bombing and took the initiative to back down and propose peace talks.

More likely, it's because the Allied forces' magical technology has made a leap forward, or because the research and development of Helium alchemy technology has entered a new stage.

This also means that, due to the changes he brought to the Empire, the Allied forces, upon realizing the external crisis, began to frantically upgrade their own technology.

If this situation is allowed to continue, even if he successfully resolves the internal conflicts of the empire in the future, external pressure will still cause his plan to fail completely.

Therefore, whether for personal safety or for future development, we must reclaim this power.

Even if the cost is immeasurable!

"My current situation requires me to regain this power. Only in this way can I survive the upcoming factional struggle. The current state of the empire also requires me, as John von Maslow, to rectify it with unparalleled strength. Only in this way can I break the current situation where treacherous people are in power and the people of the empire are living in misery."

"Therefore, please return my power to me, Your Majesty the Demon King!"

"..."

Trolowski, however, showed no satisfaction. Instead, he looked at John with a strange expression, seemingly not understanding why the other would use such an excuse to begin.

Trolowski himself never imagined that John's return to the First Military Academy of the Empire would bring him so many surprises.

So much so that on this otherwise ordinary day, he repeatedly and uncontrollably revealed his emotions, which was completely different from his usual style.

But he also understood that it wasn't really his fault; the main reason lay with the young man in front of him.

Even someone as intelligent as him could never have imagined that the same person could utter two completely different statements in just four short years.

Moreover, she is a genius whose exploration of the astral plane far surpasses his own!

Thinking of this, Trotsky's gaze suddenly became filled with complex emotions:
"So, John, if I understand correctly, John, have you given up on joining the Allies to destroy the Empire?"

"?!"

John's pupils contracted sharply, and his heart almost stopped beating.

At that moment, he even thought that his identity as a time traveler had been discovered by the other party.

But soon, he sensed the complexity and confusion in the old demon king's eyes.

He instantly realized that Trolowski was not referring to the person he had just transmigrated to, but to the original body that he had replaced.

Therefore, it wasn't just that he was used to fighting within the Allied forces; even the original owner of Dormammu's forces joined Dormammu's ranks with the aim of using the Seventh Legion as a springboard to defect and join the Allied forces.
The hidden identity of the character John Maslow, whom I created in the game, is that he is a war orphan from the Empire, not the Allies.
It was only because I traveled through time prematurely, and due to the tricks of fate, that things have developed to this point?
This……

For a moment, John felt as if countless alpacas were galloping through his mind, but he quickly put this astonishing discovery out of his mind.

He then feigned doubt and asked:
"Why do you say that, Principal? Could it be that before I lost my memory, I had thoughts of betraying the Empire?"

"...On the eve of the formal sealing of power, you used your cursed body to reach the Astral Plane and looked directly at the River of Fate. I do not know what the future you saw was like, but after you returned from the Astral Plane, you told me that the Empire must be destroyed."

Trolowski spoke these words calmly, words that were enough to astound everyone, as if the astral turbulence that could instantly annihilate a Grand Rank powerhouse was nothing more than something that could be wiped out at will by John.

He then added, seeing John's blank expression:
"You didn't explain the specific reasons to me at the time. You only told me the location of the All-Knowing Crown, which could assist the physical body in exploring the astral plane, after giving me the answer, and asked me to strip your power according to the agreed conditions."

"After completing the power seal, you completely abandoned the study of magic and instead began to focus your energy on investigating the Allied countries and exploring the Age of Gods, and maintained this state until graduation."

"That's all I know. As for why you came to that conclusion back then, I still have no idea."

"This……"

John listened with a sense of dread, gaining a clear understanding of the terrifying power of the original body, but feeling mostly confused.

If the original owner had glimpsed the River of Destiny and determined through the future that the Empire was an object that had to be defeated, then wouldn't everything he did after transmigrating have pushed the future toward the worst possible outcome?

What exactly is the other party afraid of that would cause them to act even though they know that their adoptive mother is the eldest princess of the empire, that they themselves have received the favor of the Perus royal family, and that William has high hopes for them?

They were willing to sever all ties completely and resolutely choose to stand on the opposite side of the empire.

John is unaware of this now.

However, after reading the original owner's memories and experiencing those memories firsthand, and clearly perceiving the original owner's emotional fluctuations and experiences, he realized that the scene the other party saw was enough to make the whole world tremble.

Otherwise, the original owner would never have done something so crazy.

"But fate is called unpredictable because it is possible to change."

Now, the reason I have replaced Johann von Maslow and become Johann Maslow is because...

In a sense, it was also a choice of fate.

Therefore, regardless of what the original owner actually saw in the future, after becoming John Maslow and reaching his current level,

The fate of everything had already been changed imperceptibly.

As for why I think this way, it's because...

"The true force that controls destiny is not prophecy, nor is it gods, but rather humanity itself!"

In an instant, all of John's emotions vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of steadfastness and tranquility:

“I understand. Although I don’t know why I made that judgment before, please believe me, Principal, that I no longer think so.”

"If you ask why, my answer is that the empire must be destroyed because I chose the allies in the past."

"But now I have chosen the Empire and I have no doubt about it. Therefore, the fate of the Empire will be rewritten by my choice and will usher in true glory through the future efforts of myself and my companions."

"Because, before this, just like I once was, I also saw the future of another empire in the long river of time, and personally witnessed its rise during that period."

"Therefore, I have no doubt about this decision!"

"..."

Trolowski remained silent in the face of John's arrogant words, simply gazing at him quietly.

Try to discern whether this is a lie deliberately told by the other party to deceive themselves in order to regain power, or the other party's true feelings.

However, it was not just the subtle details revealed in the other person's micro-expressions, but also his perception of John's magical state.

Everything clearly showed that John had not lied to him.

Indeed, as the other party said, they had truly witnessed the rise of another empire in the long river of fate.

Furthermore, compared to the future predictions made by the other party in the past, the confidence they are showing now is much stronger.

It was as if it wasn't a fictitious future, but a reality that was bound to come true!

So, even with most of his power gone, he once again relied on instinct to traverse the astral plane and embark on an exploration in the River of Destiny.
It's truly amazing and enviable!

Trolovsky, who was completely unaware that John's soul had been replaced and that he had been completely replaced, attributed John's change of attitude to John's renewed exploration of the astral plane based on the available information.

After learning that John had successfully overturned the original prophecy of destruction through a new round of astral exploration, he did not pursue the matter further.

Since obtaining the Mythical Magic Tool Crown of Omniscience, crafted by the Star Mage, from the ruins of the Floating City, and using it to explore the Astral Plane over the years.

Having experienced countless dangers within the astral plane, Trolowski understood that for humanity, excessive exploration of destiny and the future would only lead to backlash.

The acquisition of any knowledge or power requires the individual to pay a corresponding price.

Even gods are no exception.

Although this doesn't seem to be evident in John, Trolowski believes that perhaps this price has already been paid, just in a secretive way, without the other party noticing.

As for the future fate of the empire, it was not important to him.

As the strongest mage who has reached the pinnacle of power in the entire world and cannot find a single opponent, most of the emotions that humans should have have been gradually lost and forgotten in the decades after he reached the peak of power and strength.

For him, the concepts of home and country were merely lexical distinctions, rather than something that required excessive attention.

If the person he was talking to today had not been John, but any other worldly being, he would not have displayed those emotions at all.

In enduring torment more painful than death every month, Trotsky realized that most of his existence as a human being was being gradually worn away by pain in this struggle against Death Deschert.

There is only one reason that has kept him alive until now.

That is, to explore the origin of the power of the stars, to deconstruct the secrets of the stars in the process, and then, in human form, to successfully ascend to godhood and reach the next stage of exploring unknown powers.

This is why he was willing to endure hellish pain to persevere!
It was neither a life-giving instinct to resist death, nor an obsession with power from which one could not extricate oneself.

Rather, it stems from a desire to explore the unknown.

To deconstruct magic, to deconstruct the power of stars, to deconstruct ether, and even, to deconstruct the gods!
To achieve this goal, he needs a stable environment; at the very least, the world cannot be destroyed before he completes the Starry Sky Secret Technique and breaks the lifespan limit imposed on mages by the unknown beings.

This is one of the reasons why he did not choose to stop John when he learned that John was trying to destroy the empire.

While it is indeed a bit of a regret, since we have chosen eternity, we must give up everything except power.

This has been evident ever since his daughter was assassinated and his wife committed suicide by poisoning herself in excessive grief.

Trotsky had already prepared himself mentally.

But John's change of heart has brought him a turning point; if the empire can survive, then he would naturally be happy to see it.

Although Trolowski still cannot know what kind of new future John has seen that gives him the confidence to believe that he can overturn the prophecies made by his stronger self in the past.

It must be incredibly exciting!
Trolowski pondered silently, but after confirming John's idea, he did not hesitate any longer. Instead, under John's gaze, he picked up the Dragon Crystal Key and activated it with magic, opening the door to the alternate dimension that had been dormant for four years.

"Buzz!"

With a surge of magical energy, the next second, an oval-shaped spatial portal resembling a vortex appeared in the room. However, unlike the transparent color that appeared when he sealed the Crown of Omniscience, this alternate dimension was entirely a strange black, looking particularly ominous.

Without Trolowski making any move, the gate to the other dimension began to tremble uncontrollably.

At the same time, a chilling aura spread outward from inside the door, and under Trotsky's solemn gaze, it transformed into countless solidified, eerie black liquids, dripping and surging down the door to the ground.

It wasn't until it reached John's side that the black water, which seemed to recognize something, suddenly stopped flowing, like oil.

Immediately afterward, as if they had spotted a cat, they all fled into the alternate dimension without looking back.

It was as if He was trying to escape from a cage that had imprisoned Him for countless years!
However, before the curse could materialize into black water and escape into the alternate dimension, someone else acted even faster.

"Whoosh!"

As a surge of abyssal magical power erupted from Trotsky, this immense power condensed rapidly into a transparent phantom hand beneath his outstretched right hand, which then pressed directly against the black box in the alternate dimension that served as the source of the curse.

Ignoring the other's resistance and biting, he forcefully pulled it out of the alien space where it was rooted, and then threw it directly at John, who was looking puzzled behind the door.

"Clap!"

The black iron box, about the size of a palm, slowly fell into John's arms. The black box, which had originally split into tens of thousands of tentacles covered with sharp teeth like a tentacle monster, quickly closed up and turned into an ordinary iron box before it even touched John's palm.

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion, not reality.

But looking at the phantom of the magic hand, which appeared particularly dilapidated and dull now, as if it would completely dissipate at any moment due to the damage to the magic rune array, as Trolovsky had been cut and peeled away by a large number of sharp teeth.

And after feeling the intense, almost overflowing, sense of rejection emanating from the sealed box.

John then realized that what he had just witnessed was not an illusion, but a real event.

This made him realize that the seemingly ordinary sealed box in his hand was more dangerous than he had expected.

After all, even someone as powerful as Trolowski himself was almost completely devoured by the Casket of Seals in an instant. If it were an ordinary Grand Mage, their magic circuits would probably have been torn apart and they would have died on the spot.

Honestly, do I really have the ability to harness this dangerous power?

Instead of being devoured by this ominous-looking monster?
Holding the sealed box in his hands, John felt as if he had touched a hot potato.

He suddenly regretted taking back this damned power.

"As you can see, since you removed it, this curse has become more powerful and troublesome. If it weren't for the Starry Sky Secret Technique used to expand and reinforce the seal on the interdimensional gate for a long time, this thing might have torn the interdimensional gate apart long ago."

"And I will be forced to reduce my own time exploring the astral plane, and then increase my investment again in its next stage of expansion, ultimately falling into an unsolvable vicious cycle."

"However, now that you, as its owner, have taken it away, this hidden danger has been basically eliminated, at least for me."

Looking at John, who remained motionless like a stone statue, Trolowski, who had successfully resolved a problem, wore a smile.

However, he also noticed John's inner turmoil and nervousness. Considering John's current state of amnesia, Trolowski, after a moment's thought, immediately reassured John:

"Also, John, you don't need to worry too much about the possibility that the power inside the sealed box might spread outwards and go berserk."

"As the source of this power, for some unknown reason, your body seems to have a natural suppressive force against this curse, especially after physical contact, when this suppressive force reaches its peak and forcibly absorbs it."

"However, as I said before, you are not yet able to bear this burden, so I have prepared another method for you in advance."

"Snapped!"

Before John could react, Trolowski raised his hands and clapped them lightly.

The next second, a sequence of countless spatial magic runes surged out from the surface of the sealed box. Before the power inside could begin to devour it, after a flash of white light, John was surprised to find that the black sealed box in his hand had completely disappeared.

Instead, on the back of his right hand, there was a new silver-white magic pattern. The inner shape resembled the letter 'Z', but each of the four outer corners had a sharp point, and a circular pit appeared in the center of the letter. Upon closer inspection, a tiny, almost negligible dot could be seen inside.

This is……

John's eyes were filled with astonishment as he looked at the strange brand that had appeared on his hand.

……

(End of this chapter)