11. Who are you?

Inside a luxurious room filled with various antiques and flowers, a grey-haired man who looked out of place with his dirty and bloodied clothes lay on the bed, staring at the white ceiling.

'All of that happened today?' Santiaga thought.

Gaining the power to achieve his dreams was something he had always wanted. Gaining the power to kill heroes, however… he was ready to sell even his body and soul to do it.

Raising his hand to look at his hero's license, which was now a tint of bronze instead of the black color, a smile grazed his face.

'This makes things easier for me,' he thought, sitting up from the bed.

Earlier, the single beast he brought into the agency went for $15,000, which came as a huge shock to him.

That was a lot, considering the meager construction work he used to do before, which earned him $100 a week.

Santiaga looked at his reflection in the mirror. His grey hair was disheveled, and his cyan eyes looked feral.

Overall, he looked different from before. His facial structure was now more chiseled in places, and he was slim—very slim.

With the money he earned, he was able to afford a lodge in a fairly expensive hotel in the city, as well as order a few clothes.

Since his former house had been torn down and destroyed, he didn't have any belongings anymore.

After taking a shower, Santiaga sat on the large bed, looking at the black cloak that lay in the corner.

The egg the church was after was in it.

He brought it out and observed it. It was pitch black, with purple lines running along the surface like cracks.

[Host, the object in your hand is a cage for a powerful creature.]

Santiaga frowned, looking at the words floating in front of him.

He sighed.

"Sometimes you sound like an AI, sometimes you sound like… you," he said, shaking his head and paying attention to the egg in his hands.

[The one that detects and gives information is like a remnant of my consciousness. I can't be active every second—I'm still weak.]

Santiaga frowned at the new string of words in his vision.

"Then how can you grow stronger?" he asked, dropping the egg and walking to the window.

The floor he was on was very high up, so he could see a lot of the city. He could even spot the hero agency from his room.

[Well, you'll have to devour. And also cause misfortune.]

Santiaga didn't react to the new string of words. Instead, he smiled.

'Ohh, a lot of people are going to start mourning soon,' he let out a slight chuckle.

Soon, Ruin got tired and went back to his AI-like self again, and Santiaga returned to the bed, grabbing the egg in his hands.

'What's this?' he thought.

"Kill, kill, kill them all."

"Ah, such strong malice. Is it from the egg?" he wondered, looking at the object in his hands.

Grrrr

The egg suddenly stirred, making Santiaga frown.

It was just like when he was still in the danger zone in the cave. He immediately dropped the egg that time.

[Unknown Egg is reacting to user's mana.]

[Sealed Egg is now breaking.]

A bright, white light enveloped the entire room, making Santiaga close his eyes as it hurt him.

The light suddenly began turning a darker color—going from white to purple in an instant.

Then, the purple light became a sinister black.

Santiaga stood up from the bed. The light was taking shape into something before him.

Bam!

"What the...?" Santiaga felt his head spin.

His body went limp, and he fell to the ground. Before he lost consciousness, he saw two red eyes staring at him from above.

Santiaga's eyes fluttered open. He looked up at the white ceiling only to find that he was still in the hotel.

He sat up quickly, looking around.

His breath caught in his throat—two pairs of beautiful vermillion eyes were staring back at him.

In front of the window stood a beautiful woman with long, silky white hair. The light from the sun reflected off her pearly white skin.

She wasn't wearing anything except a grey shirt stained with blood, which barely covered her lower half, exposing her butt cheeks.

That shirt… it looked exactly like—

Santiaga looked down, realizing he was shirtless. He moved further away from her, observing her.

Her body was that of a seductress—curves that could make a full-grown man stare.

She looked… out of this world.

"You're finally awake," her lips moved, bringing a sweet sound from them.

Santiaga sat up, keeping his distance from her. For some reason, he felt a strong urge to go and hug the woman in front of him, to bow before her.

'What the hell am I thinking?' he immediately snapped out of it.

"Who are you?" he frowned, a black blade materializing in his hand behind his back.

The woman said nothing. She walked toward him, each of her steps looking perfectly coordinated and practiced.

"No need to be so frightened. I'm surprised you can maintain your composure after seeing me," she said, smiling at him.

"Thank you for releasing me, human." She bowed slightly.

Santiaga stood up. She was close to him now, and he couldn't rest at all. She had no holy presence—the kind heroes carried around.

"That doesn't answer my question. Who are you? What are you?" he said, bringing out the blade he had hidden behind him.

The woman looked annoyed by his actions. Her red eyes gazed at him with a hint of anger.

"Tsk, if only I was at full strength, I would've snapped your neck in an instant. Pitiful huma—ah!"

A scream left her mouth as she was pushed back to the wall. Santiaga held a blade at her neck, pinning her there.

"I asked you a question. Don't make me ask again."

His face was very close to hers now. The woman felt the blade on her neck. She knew it would slit her if she moved slightly and begged silently.

"Okay, I'll talk," she whispered.

Santiaga let her go, and she fell to the ground, grabbing her neck as she struggled to catch her breath.

From this angle, he could see her silky white thighs. She staggered, trying to stand up.

"I'm Veyra. That's my name. And I'm… one of the first divine creatures to watch over this world," she said, making Santiaga blink in confusion.

"Eh?" Veyra blinked, stunned by his expression.

Her eyes then turned a bright red, becoming reptilian.

"I am a divine creature—Veyra. Before man was branded, before divine beasts were hunted, there was I, who served the void." She regained her footing, her wounds healing in an instant.

"I sense a power from the void in you—that's why I waited till you woke up. My own question now is… who are you?"

Santiaga took a cautious step back, his mind reeling from what he had just heard.

"A divine creature from the void? Why were you sealed in an egg if you're so powerful?"

Veyra's expression turned grim, her vermillion eyes narrowing. "There was a human... He is as unlike anything I've ever seen. He defeated me."

Santiaga swallowed.

After heroes become S rank, the church always award them with their own companions in form of beautiful divine creatures that are tamed.

He has watched them from the screnmen of the TV, as they hunted down Titanic monsters. But now one of those divine creatures is in front of him.

Before Santiaga could respond, a sudden jolt of pain lanced through his head—like lightning splitting his thoughts apart.

*Bzzt!*

[Warning: Unknown presence detected.]

The room suddenly shook, making Santiaga close his balance.

A circular symbol blazed to life beneath their feet, glowing with divine energy.

Veyra's eyes widened as she saw the circle.

"No... They found me already?!" She panicked, looking out the window.

A golden light shot through the window targeting Santiaga. He was quick, catching the unknown object before it could stab him.

"Shut, they found me." He mumbled, throwing the spear to the ground.

From outside, a thunderous voice boomed:

"Return the egg, heretic! Or burn with the traitor!"

Santiaga turned slowly, only to see armored figures descending from the sky, cloaked in radiant flames.

Veyra's whisper chilled his spine:

"We have to run." She said, her voice laxed with panic.

She grabbed his hand, hugging him tightly. The both of them were then enveloped with a black light and they vanished.