Everyone froze at Max's words. His cold dismissal struck them harder than any attack could have. For a moment, the leaders of the Middle Domain—all beings who had lived centuries, some even millennia—were left speechless.
It felt almost as if Max was deliberately pushing them away.
President William finally broke the silence. "It's not that we fear you because of the infernal energy…" He paused, then shook his head slowly. "It's just that the current you is very different from the one I knew. You are constantly on edge, with infernal energy spilling from you every second. It doesn't stop. It never rests."
His gaze hardened, but it wasn't anger—it was concern. "If I didn't know you personally, Max… if I hadn't seen you grow with my own eyes… I would've thought you were one of the Ascendants standing here before me. Or worse—some high demon who had slaughtered thousands without blinking. The aura you're giving off right now… is exactly like that."
