Damien and Leon reappeared on the arena floor, one standing tall and the other collapsed unconscious.

And the crowd reaction was…mild.

After all, a majority of the fight had taken place outside of their reach. How was the crowd supposed to react when they didn’t even understand what took place?

More than anything else, confusion ran rampant amongst them. Some began angrily shouting demanding their bet money returned due to the nature of the fight.

The magisterial showdown they’d been watching suddenly vanished, and the results came about hours later while they sat in confusion. This was more than just being blue-balled!

Those people who bet on Leon’s win were absolutely furious. A majority of them had bet an insane amount of contribution points on the previous Overlord, considering his indelible record.

Losing those points was one thing, but losing them without even knowing how was another!

Their protests were loud and violent. Many began clashing against the arena barrier in protest, causing a scene amongst the crowd.

But the announcer disregarded their voices.

“Winner: Damien Void! The rising star has defeated the Overlord and officially earned his place in the academy! The question is…will he become the new Overlord, or will he instead choose to become an Emperor?!” He yelled with the same vigor as always.

The announcer was just as confused as anyone else, but it wasn’t his job to complain. He knew the results of the battle were valid regardless of whether he’d actually seen it or not.

After all, he’d received a mental transmission from an esteemed figure that he never should’ve had contact with in his lifetime.

In the air, separated from the masses below, thirteen figures stood. The Director smiled as he stood among them.

“Silcerin, did you enjoy the battle?” He asked.

Silcerin glared into the arena with red eyes. He couldn’t believe it! Even after Leon took the Blood Bursting Pill, he refused to show his full strength! By the time he started fighting to his full capacity, the pill’s duration was already long gone, leading to his easy defeat.

He truly couldn’t believe it. To give Leon the Blood Bursting Pill was already an extreme affront to the academy’s rules. He’d only done so to curry favor with the Bloodlock Clan.

But now that Damien had come out victorious, everything he did was in vain! The only thing he earned himself was the ire of those around him.

As well as…

“You should already be aware, no? Not only did you attempt to kill a rising genius of the academy, but you also almost crippled another. Aside from that, you did so in an attempt to spread the influence of another clan within the academy’s grounds. For your crimes, you will spend the next two years in the Abyssal Prison for disregarding the academy’s rules.”

The Director’s words were like a bolt of lightning. Silcerin had long been expecting punishment. Even if he succeeded in killing Damien, he was still bound to be punished.

However, he didn’t expect it to be so harsh! The Abyssal Prison was Hidden Death Valley’s most terrifying prison. It was built into the ground thousands of kilometers below the surface, a place where Death Emperor Star’s death energy thrived to the point where even Demigods would be harmed.

If Silcerin was sent to the Abyssal Prison, he’d essentially be crippled. Especially with a two-year sentence, the version of him that exited the prison wouldn’t be anywhere near his current self!

“Director, you can’t do this! I am one of the Thirteen Zodiacs! How could you sacrifice me for a mere brat?! I will—”

“Enough!”

The Director’s cold voice forced Silcerin to freeze. He felt an enormous pressure envelop him, limiting his every movement.

The pressure…was predatory. Silcerin felt like he’d been thrown into a freezing pit, the maws of a terrifying beast slowly encapsulating him.

The Zodiac Killer, no, it was more apt to call him the Zodiac Devourer. There was a good reason why the Director was feared by the other Zodiacs.

Silcerin fell silent immediately, but in his mind, he was raging.

‘Damien Void! This is all your fault! I swear upon my family name, when I exit my punishment, I will personally seek you out and kill you!’

“Director, reconsider your decision! I am the academy’s connection to the Bloodlock Clan. If you imprison me, the clan will definitely—”

In the next instant, Silcerin’s body disappeared from the sky.

Without suspense, he’d been transported to and trapped in the Abyssal Prison.

The Director didn’t give him a single chance to speak.

Why would he? The Director didn’t care at all about what Silcerin had to say. From the way he spoke, he was obviously going to use the Bloodlock Clan’s influence to buy his freedom.

But the Bloodlock Clan had no power in the academy.

‘Immortal Blood Asura? If that old fart wants to try me, let him come.’ The Director scoffed.

He swept his gaze across the other 11 Zodiacs. “Any objections?”

He was immediately met with an array of shaken heads. How could they dare object to his decision?

Besides, they had no reason to. Unlike Silcerin, none of the rest had ties to the Bloodlock Clan. They had no reason to care for a fate he brought upon himself.

Instead, their attention was fully focused on Damien. Even if he hadn’t beaten Leon in a true duel of strength, the power he showed in the Dimensional Cage wasn’t light. The conceptual level of his Law usage was astounding.

Each and every one of them had already forgotten about Silcerin’s matter. In their minds, recruiting Damien into their factions was far more important.

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Damien’s stubbornness was one of the first things the Director noticed when he first started investigating the young genius.

If he wanted to, Damien could’ve become a supreme genius of Fallen Star Holy Land upon meeting Atticus in Dawn World, even replacing the latter as the Holy Land’s Holy Son.

But he chose not to.

If even a peak Holy Land influence couldn’t move him, how could they?

Nevertheless, he didn’t hate this characteristic. An untamed Damien was for the best.

After all…

‘If any influence gets their hands on a genius of his caliber, it will break the delicate balance that’s been created in recent times.’

The Director shook his head and stopped thinking about it. The Grand Heavens Boundary’s matters were too twisted, only somewhat calm due to the Nox invasion.

In any case, Damien’s personality made him the perfect mercenary. As long as one offered the right reward, he wouldn’t hesitate to take the quest.

And that was exactly what the Director did.

‘I look forward to seeing how you progress when you leave this birdcage, boy.’

With that final thought, the Director vanished from the sky. The remaining 11 Zodiacs followed immediately after him.

The only ones left in the area were those on the ground, those who remained none the wiser about the former presence of those Deities who once stood above them.