The size of the world affected the demons' strength and numbers.
Bigger World = Stronger Demon + More Demons.
It was a simple and deadly equation.
A Tenth Spirit Node rank Exorcist was equal to a Level 10 Demon.
His current world had to have multiple Level 10 Demons.
There was a high chance of an even stronger demon living there.
It was an extremely dangerous demon world.
Had he, after reaching Second Spirit rank, tried to go on a killing spree, he would have encountered a powerful demon easily.
He understood how lucky he had been to encounter a Level 1 Demon for his first encounter.
"I need to change my plans."
He could hunt Level 2 Demons at best with his current strength.
It would take too long for him to collect 20,000 Fate Points.
"I should focus on increasing my rank, so I can fight stronger demons and earn points faster."
For the next week, he focused solely on absorbing Cursed Energy.
He cut down on his sleep hours and did not waste time on unnecessary activities.
Aurora continued to bring him food for free.
It was one Fate Point bread, but he was not picky.
He had more important tasks on hand than earning Fate Points to buy the food that suited his palate.
Fortunately, she did not ask him to do any job.
It was a privilege given only to him.
Exactly one week later, a change occurred in his body.
…
The civilians, busy, moved around the base to complete their jobs.
Cooking, creating furniture, training recruits.
There was no shortage of tasks.
Despite the hustle and bustle, they kept clear of the area near the base's edge.
Aurora was there.
No one wanted to get cursed in the morning.
She bit her nails while pacing around the border of the translucent dome.
"When will that bastard return? It has already been three days beyond the deadline."
There was no news of the base leader, who, along with the best fighters of the base, had gone for the subjugation of Low-rank Level 2 Demon that had been roaming near their base.
Aurora was not worried about their safety.
The base leader, John, was the strongest among all three Exorcist Trainee Academies students.
He was early Second Spirit Node rank and the other members, totaling 20, were early to high First Spirit Node rank.
The problem was Cayden.
He came to the base when all high level fighters were out.
His timing was too suspicious.
Even for her, a mid First Spirit Node rank Exorcist, he was a ticking time bomb that, if exploded, she could not control.
"Come quickly!"
"You called?"
Aurora almost jumped in fright when suddenly heard a voice next to her ear.
Turning around, she saw John.
His clothes were a mess, his golden locks were half-burned and he looked sleep-deprived.
The other fifteen were not much better.
"What about the rest? Blake, Rein, Sara, and Freien aren't with you."
"They fought bravely."
John patted her on the shoulder and passed her towards the inner tents.
Aurora, feeling the loss of her friends, bit her lips hard.
But she knew it was no time for mopping.
She followed behind John, with two other members, to hear his report and tell them about Cayden.
They stepped inside the largest tent.
There were two sofas in the corner, a giant table in the middle with chairs scattered around and three middle-aged hand-cuffed people.
John wanted to lie on the sofa and take a nap until he saw the hand-cuffed people.
He turned to Aurora.
"What did they do?"
"They were instigating others and almost started a riot."
He clicked his tongue.
"Why did you three do that?"
"We did nothing wrong…!"
"Yes! All of you are hogging the better resources! Why are we receiving stale bread when we are working twelve hours a day!"
"We demand justice!"
Listening to them, a sigh left John's lips.
"We are fighting the demons so we deserve that."
He added.
"If you three think our actions are wrong, you can leave the base."
They let out a hidden smirk when they heard John.
After subtly nodding to each other, they shouted,
"This is injustice! You kids are misusing your authorities!"
"Do you think you will always be stronger? We'll show you what you did wrong when we return to the human domain!"
"That's right! You are just kids! Listen to us adults!"
John's eyes glowed.
Another short sigh escaped his lips.
"I'm tired. I'll finish this quickly."
He grabbed his sword.
The silver blade was pulled out of the scabbard with a shing.
The sword sliced through the necks of the prisoners and the sound of three heads hitting the floor reverberated.
Everything was over in an instant.
"Aurora, use the Preservation Talisman on them. We can't have them turning into Evil Spirits or getting possessed by demons."
John swung his blade, leaving an arc of splattered blood on the ground, and returned it to the sheathe.
He went to the sofa to take a nap.
Aurora shuddered when she saw blood pouring out of the severed necks like water.
She paled.
"Y-you could've let them live. It would've been cheaper to feed them bread t-than this…"
"They were seeds that would have grown into troublesome trees. It's better to deal with them when they haven't sprouted yet."
Another voice answered her.
Eris picked the heads and called one of her subordinates.
"Show it to others and then throw it out to demons."
"Hey, isn't that too much…"
"Don't bother with those two murderhobos, Aurora. Let's just start the meeting."
Klein spoke with a calm smile.
The three of them, except John, sat around the table.
After a small discussion, Aurora found that John and the others had encountered three Low-rank Level 2 Demons.
The battle went on for 2 days.
Their group was almost wiped out.
But they were able to survive thanks to John and Eris.
"Eris reached Second Spirit Node rank?"
"She did. That's why we were able to win."
Eris did not react at Aurora's surprise and admiration.
However, it was evident she was proud of her achievement.
"That's it for the report. What has been happening in the base, Aurora?"
Klein asked while Eris listened with an impassive face.
"Four people came to the base by themselves and twenty more were brought by the exploration teams.
"Among them, Leo returned with a Second Spirit Node rank Exorcist."
"What?"
John sprang up.
His neck snapped in her direction.
"A Second Spirit Node rank? For some to reach it so soon… Was it Asuka from the Black Road Exorcist Trainee Academy?"
Aurora shook her head.
John frowned.
It wasn't the first ranked student of Black Road Academy?
"Was it Gale? I never thought he could do it. Guess he was the top ranker of Soaring Skies Exorcist Trainee Academy for a reason."
"It wasn't him."
"...Was it one of the unawakened teachers?"
John felt it was unlikely.
The awakened teachers, who were already Exorcist, must've been sent to another demon world.
Only the unawakened teachers should be in the same demon world as John and others.
Most of these teachers had no talent in exorcism and thus had not been able to become an Exorcist until now.
"No."
"Who is it then?"