Pitter patter...

Heavy raindrops fell endlessly from the sky, battering against the rooftops of the wooden buildings and producing crisp, brittle sounds.

The surface of the pond before the famous elixir store rippled constantly beneath the rain. Fish swam lively through the water while aquatic plants swayed gently beneath the pond’s surface. The sky remained overcast as a thick curtain of rain obscured the streets stretching into the distance.

Tsk!

Darius clicked his tongue while admiring the luxurious scenery and decorations the famous store had cultivated over several decades, not to mention the countless elixirs displayed within.

’Sooner or later, you’ll disappear.’

A faint smirk appeared on Darius’s face. He knew full well that his pavilion would eventually sell such elixirs as well. As for when that day would arrive, even he had no idea. The system’s methods were far too unpredictable.

Suppressing those thoughts, Darius returned to his pavilion after several minutes of walking through the rain.

Pushing open the wooden door, his gaze immediately shifted toward the mission board located at the back of the pavilion.

As expected, a new mission had already appeared upon it.

[D-Rank Mission]

[Target: Guard Keln]

[Race: Demon Fiend]

[Location: East Gate Patrol Zone – Night Shift]

[Threat Level: Moderate for the True Qi Realm]

[Recommended Cultivation: Fourth Layer of the True Qi Realm or above.]

[Mission: Eliminate the target.]

[Reward: Not yet issued.]

[Mission cannot be accepted until a reward has been established.]

Darius slightly furrowed his brows while reading the mission details. For a brief moment, he felt as though he had somehow become the owner of an adventurer guild.

However, his expression quickly returned to normal.

He already understood the nature of the pavilion, and he would not be surprised if war commissions or assassination missions eventually appeared here as well.

’Wait... isn’t this already an assassination mission?’

Looking at the board once more, Darius merely shrugged.

"Well, as long as innocents aren’t involved."

A trace of killing intent flickered through his eyes as he recalled the crimes committed by the demon fiend, causing a chill to spread through his body.

Only now did Darius truly begin realizing how dangerous the Sanctuary actually was and why only cultivators were permitted entry from Earth.

For the past four days, he had subconsciously treated everything like some kind of game. Yet merely imagining humans being hunted down and devoured by another race caused his blood to boil uncontrollably.

And worse...

Darius forcefully suppressed those disturbing thoughts before focusing on the mission board once again. Moments later, he realized something important was missing.

"...Where’s the reward?"

Silence filled the pavilion briefly before the solemn voice of the system echoed within his mind.

[The Pavilion System is not a charity.]

Darius’s face darkened instantly.

"So you gave me the mission but not the reward?"

[The host is responsible for operating the Pavilion. The system merely provides assistance.]

The corner of Darius’s mouth twitched violently.

"As expected... shameless as always."

However, after calming down slightly, Darius suddenly paused.

He had initially been troubled by the reward issue since he possessed almost no funds whatsoever, but a sudden thought surfaced in his mind.

"Wait... if that thing is truly a demon disguised as a human and committing crimes inside the city..."

A strange light flashed through his eyes.

"Then naturally, there should be people willing to pay for its death."

Without wasting another second, Darius turned around and hurriedly left the pavilion once more.

Dawn had already begun approaching, and faint rays of sunlight pierced through the thick clouds overhead.

The Demon Suppression Office stood near the inner district of the outer city.

Unlike the bustling streets surrounding it, the atmosphere around the building felt cold and oppressive. Guards clad in black armor stood outside the entrance with stern expressions while traces of dried blood could faintly be seen upon several of their weapons.

At a glance, one could tell these were not men who hid safely behind city walls while others fought in their place.

Darius instinctively felt respect toward such people after observing them briefly. In his eyes, risking one’s life to protect innocents was something worthy of admiration. Cowards who watched from safety while others suffered were the type of people he despised the most.

Suppressing his thoughts, Darius calmly entered the office.

The moment he stepped inside, a middle-aged man behind the counter lazily raised his head before speaking in a sleepy voice.

"State your business."

Darius lowered his voice slightly as he approached the counter.

He did not wish for unnecessary attention to fall upon him if the information somehow leaked.

"I wish to report a demon fiend disguised as a human."

The man’s sleepy expression vanished instantly.

Bang!

His palms slammed onto the counter hard enough to crack the wooden surface beneath them.

"What did you just say?"

The middle-aged man had worked within the Demon Suppression Office for over twenty years. During all that time, only official Demon Slayers with powerful cultivation had ever spoken such words before him.

Darius calmly repeated the information once more while stepping even closer.

This time, nearly everyone inside the hall turned to stare at him.

Sigh...

Darius glanced around the room before inwardly shaking his head.

’Why make such a huge scene over it, old man? What if I was lying?’

His favorable impression of the middle-aged man dropped rapidly.

Even so, Darius revealed little emotion on his face despite the pressure faintly spreading from the other party.

The middle-aged man observed Darius carefully for several moments, his brows slightly rising before he finally spoke in a serious tone.