The evil organization, having taken control of Baphomet Corporation, quickly apprehended the leadership, employees, and demon worshippers, confiscating documents as if they were law enforcement. Under normal circumstances, Baphomet’s forces, empowered by their demonic pacts, would have fought back fiercely. But now, for some unknown reason, they were utterly helpless, displaying a bizarre, almost broken demeanor.

"What the hell? These guys call themselves demon worshippers, but they’re acting like sickly, beaten dogs," one of the executives remarked.

"Maybe it’s because of what Eight did? Could it really be that he neutralized them from such a distance?" another chimed in.

As the executives murmured about the unprecedented achievement, the heroes and police assigned to City B finally arrived on the scene, their faces lighting up with excitement as they prepared to confront the villains.

"That's far enough, you villain scum!" one of the heroes shouted.

"Anyone moving is a villain! Anyone not moving is a well-trained villain!" another added, overly enthusiastic as they began to apprehend the lower-ranking operatives.

Meanwhile, Galm looked over at Lize, who was on a call, trembling with suppressed rage. After a moment, she stepped forward and shouted loudly, interrupting the chaos.

“What’s all this commotion about?”

"The only ones moving are villains, I clearly—" a hero started, before another panicked voice cut him off.

"Wait! Dude, that’s the CEO of Baphomet Corporation!"

"What? Oh, uh, yes, ma’am. We’re here to rescue you."

“I hate repeating myself. What’s going on here?”

Lize’s authoritative tone made the City B heroes scratch their heads in confusion. But she wasn’t done.

“We are in the middle of a villain response training exercise. And you caused this disruption?”

“Excuse me? What are you—”

“I said we’re conducting a training exercise. And now you’ve restrained my valuable employees? Are you out of your minds? I’ll be filing a formal complaint.”

At the mention of a formal complaint, the heroes quickly released the restrained operatives. The villains, rubbing their wrists, glared at the heroes with mock indignation, playing along with the farce. The heroes, clearly unaccustomed to this kind of situation, were left bewildered.

In the end, the heroes and police who had stormed in left quietly, heads bowed.

“Our apologies. We’ll make it up to you later. Please reconsider the complaint—”

“Leave. I don’t want to see any of your faces again.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

As the heroes slunk away, Galm whistled, clearly impressed by Lize’s composure.

“Cool as ice. Maybe that’s what happens when you’ve already devoured a few humans.”

Lize ignored his comment, her face tight with suppressed emotions, as she picked up her phone again. Cautiously, she spoke into the receiver.

“…It’s done. Now, as promised—”

[Yes, Baphomet Corporation is yours now.]

“Thank you…”

[But never forget: you brainwashed one of my subordinates, and you attacked my territory. These are sins you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life.]

“I understand…”

As the call ended, Lize stared at the phone in exhaustion, exhaling heavily. The once-mighty Baphomet Corporation, known for its strength under the influence of demonic forces, had crumbled so easily. It wasn’t even a proper battle. For some reason, they’d been abandoned by their demon allies, leaving them defenseless.

She still couldn’t believe it—the agony in the demon’s scream, the incomprehensible words that had followed.

‘What did it mean by, “What did you touch?”’

Lize cautiously glanced at Galm. As brutish as he looked, he seemed like someone who could be easily manipulated into answering her questions.

With a soft, almost theatrical tone, she approached him.

“…There’s something I’m curious about.”

“What is it?”

“I’m your ally now, aren’t I? A part of your team?”

“If the boss said so, then yeah.”

“Then you can tell me… Who exactly did I cross?”

Galm grinned and replied with a mischievous smile.

“The scientist.”

“…Scientist?”

“That’s right. Our brilliant scientist.”

Lize tilted her head, baffled by the answer. A scientist? Was all of this really happening because she had somehow angered a mere scientist? It didn’t make any sense to her—nothing about this situation did.

Even someone who had once offered her soul to a demon couldn’t wrap her head around it.

Unlike City Z, which was mostly a defunct ruin, City B was a fully functional metropolis, and Baphomet Corporation was a far more formidable opponent than Omega Industries. City B wasn’t something that could be swallowed easily—it was like a feast too rich for anyone to devour in one sitting.

Regalia had explained this to me. If Eblis Corporation were to try to fully take over City B, they would be bloated and sluggish, vulnerable to attacks from other cities.

“We didn’t spare Baphomet because we underestimated you. It’s simply the most rational and efficient course of action to leave them as they are. I hope you understand.”

“Yeah, sure. I don’t really care what happens to Baphomet.”

“…Are you sure? You won’t be upset later, will you?”

“I don’t have time to be upset. I’ve found something far more interesting.”

“Something interesting…? Scientist, what exactly…? Care to share—”

I ignored Regalia’s curiosity and returned to my lab. Inside, floating in formaldehyde, was the severed Devil’s Right Hand.

Ever since I had obtained it from the apostle, it had captured my full attention.

‘Baphomet and their corporation? I couldn’t care less.’

Just look at this hand. While Galm was content with the newfound ability to ignore distance in his attacks, as a scientist, I couldn’t think so simplistically.

I had traced the origins of this hand, and where there was a Devil’s Right Hand, there had to be a devil attached to it.

Following the connection through dimensions, I eventually found the demon, cowering in some obscure corner of the void. Realizing I was coming, the creature squirmed and fled.

─!@$@^#^$%$

‘What in the world are you saying?’

It was another research project. The ecology of demons from another dimension. This was the kind of topic that could produce multiple groundbreaking papers back on Earth. If I played my cards right, this research alone could earn me a doctorate.

Not that a doctorate mattered much to me anymore. The path back to Earth remained elusive, but whether there was a reward or not, the fundamental drive of a scientist never wavered.

Curiosity. The desire to uncover the secrets of the world had never left me, even after coming here.

‘Ah, I see now. This hand doesn’t just ignore distance…’

I couldn’t stop researching. Uncovering something new was always thrilling, and being the first to know a secret gave me a sense of superiority, as if I were standing above the billions of people on Earth.

It was the ultimate form of self-fulfillment. And so, I delved deeper into the mysteries of the demon’s hand. As I continued, a quote from Earth crossed my mind.

─When you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you.

For a brief moment, I worried that by studying demons, I might become one myself. But I quickly shook off the thought.

‘I’m still fine. I can handle this.’

And besides, if it meant uncovering the truth, I didn’t care if I became a demon. That’s what being a scientist was all about.

Early in the morning, after a long night of research, I finally stepped out into the hallway, ready to get some sleep. As I did, I ran into Regalia, who was accompanied by several assistants.

“Scientist. Perfect timing.”

“Boss? What brings you here?”

“I need something. Could you give me some of your stamina elixir?”

Hearing that, I frowned slightly.

“You know that stuff stunts your growth, right?”

“I don’t care about that. I’m too busy to sleep for the next week.”

“…Well, in that case, I guess it can’t be helped.”

The stamina elixir could keep an adult man awake for three days straight, but like everything, it came with side effects. When taken by children, it could draw on energy meant for growth, stunting their development. Even for adults, overuse could lead to serious problems.

But I understood. With victims to console and funerals to attend for those who died in City E, not to mention the headache of absorbing the massive City B, Regalia had her hands full.

“Take care of yourself, Boss.”

“Thanks for the concern. Just try not to cause any more trouble, alright?”

“Hah, me? Trouble? Never.”

I chuckled as I handed her the elixir. Regalia downed it in one gulp and hurried off, clearly pressed for time.

As I watched her leave, Birana muttered quietly beside me.

“Poor girl… Her birthday’s coming up soon, and she won’t even have time to celebrate.”

“…What did you say?”

“I said her birthday’s coming up, and she won’t even get to celebrate. Wait, don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“Of course I didn’t know…”

“Ugh—Eight, you didn’t even get her a present, did you?”

I shook my head, causing Birana to stare at me in disbelief.

But what could I do? No one had told me it was her birthday—not even the boss herself.

‘A birthday present, huh…’

I thought for a moment that it might be too late, but then I took a gulp of the stamina elixir myself and returned to the lab.

Who had time for sleep?

If the boss was working this hard, so could I.

And so, I began preparing the perfect birthday present for her. Something that would truly surprise her.