The sun.


    Looking at the sun''s rays, which ovepped with the three gold beams heading right at me, I saw something weird.


    The refraction created as the sun''s rays passed through the gold beams was inconsistent throughout all of the beams.


    One handled it normally, while the other had unusual patterns as they interacted with the sunlight, creating an interesting visual effect.


    However, upon closer inspection, the inconsistent beams had different visual effects at the point where the sun''s rays intersected them.


    Weren''t they supposed to be the same?


    ...how were the holograms different?


    Looking at the two suspicious beams heading right at me and to my left, I decided to ignore themfor now.


    Even if the holograms were somehow different from each other, it didn''t change the fact that they were still holograms.


    I had confirmed earlier that the figures, aside from the demon, were holograms when I saw my arrow pass through one of them.


    As I raised my hand to speed up the backup time, I suddenly felt the area around me increase in temperature.


    Normally, a change like this would be unnoticeable to me, but it was to the point where I almost sweat from just standing still.


    Allowing my mana to drain further, I scanned my surroundings, instantly finding the source...


    Behind me, another beam, clearly not holographic, made of pure fire barrelling right at me.


    ...there were two demons, not one...


    The holograms were different because each one was of a different demon


    How could I not have noticed the two demons then?


    There was only one way...


    He must have just arrived.


    Recalling my conversations with the original demon earlier, I realized something.


    It was quite clear I was stalling; who would stop in the middle of a battle to ask some questions... but why had he gone along with it...?


    Was he stalling as well?


    How many demons are here if they can spare two whole ones just to deal with some random exploring the forest like me...?


    If they keep those two demons here instead of using them on the World Tree attack, their confidence in the attack seeding must also be high.


    Reigning back in my thoughts, I realized the situation was dire; I needed to get out of her as fast as possible.


    Deciding to take on the second devil who had just arrived, I sped back up time and ran through one of the holographic beams, avoiding both the real ones and using a dash to appear in front of the source of the fire beam.


    Taking one-on-one battles would be my best chance at winning this battle, so I needed to take care of one of them.


    But as I appeared at my destination... there was nothing there.


    The start of the beam seemed to float above the ground, somehow still going further and further into the forest.


    A magical artifact, shaped like a button and shining bright red, was sitting on the ground below it.


    Hearing the grass rustling behind me, I immediately manifested my two daggers, spreading my mana and corruption around me and creating a small mana cage that only surrounded me before inputting the corruption.


    This shadow cage blended in perfectly with my ck clothes, and due to its small size, it could not be seen by anyone besides me.


    "A true ywright is always prepared for any actor''s mistakes. It appears a mistake was made when you did not die just then."


    Looking down at the button on the floor with my wing ready to p at the sudden movement, I replied to the voice behind me.


    "...What about the holograms...?"


    "Humans tend to believe the first answer they see without considering other options. *sigh* The human brain is such a repetitive and boring thing."


    Out of mana from using Dragon''s Eye for so long earlier, I saw the bright red button on the ground slowly sink, immediately causing me to p my wings.


    But, as I moved forward at an insane speed, I realized that a mana cagepletely encapsted the area around the button, trapping me inside.


    Looking at the mana cage with my eyes, I immediately noticed that itsposition waspletely different from the teacher''s. It used demon attributes, shown by the blood-red dots spread among the blue cage.


    Corrupting that cage would be impossible for me.


    Outside the mana cage stood the demon, staring at me with a wide grin while weighing a simr button in his hand.


    "I would be quite the bad ywright if I didn''t exin the scene to the audience, wouldn''t I?"


    Desperate for any sort of information, I nodded my head.


    "From the start, I had backup ns upon backup ns set up. After all, this was my personalized trap. This cage around you was just one of them. This button in my hand will set off an explosion that can even kill a B-rank hero."


    Holding my two corrupted daggers, I walked toward the edge of the cage, my small shadow cage moving with me.


    The shadow cage was so perfectly sized that it was less than an inch from my clothes and head, surrounded by only me.


    So what if I couldn''t corrupt and take over it?


    Looking at my walking figure, the demon curiously observed me before asking.


    "Shouldn''t an actor narrate their actions? That wing is quite interesting..."


    Shaking my head, I kept my expression indifferent as I replied.


    "This isn''t a first-person-narrative, is it?"


    "You do know I''m the scriptwriter. I have control over what it is."


    ...Is he still going along with this ything act...? It''s getting a bit weird now...


    After activating the dash''s usage period and getting my wing ready to p, I walked right to the edge of the cage... and continued forward.


    Stepping through the barriers of the mana cage like it was nothing, I activated dash while simultaneously pping my wings.


    The demon, who hadn''t even registered that I just casually stepped through his cage, stood still with his mouth open.


    My daggers, already in the perfect spot, stabbed right into the demon''s vital spots as I appeared before him.


    Not just two daggers, though...


    Using ALL of my corruption, I manifested over seven daggers, each immediately appearing in the air before stabbing right into every part of the demon''s body.


    Losing all control over his muscles, the demon stared at me, petrified, blood leaking out of his mouth as he attempted to talk.


    Seeing his body slump to the floor, I dismissed the shadow cage that perfectly surrounded my body and my daggers.


    Giving him onest stare as I headed in the direction of the World Tree, I replied.


    "I''m going to pick up my payment! An actor never goes unpayed, right!?