Ben was dying horrible deaths inside this unknown forest where the witch was hiding. After pondering why the witch was this furious, he realized she was being hunted and targeted by countless strong men to gain fame and fortune by killing her when she earned the name ‘Witch.’ Ironically, Ben had been one of those men. He had also been someone who inflicted pain like this on others so that he could make a name for himself.

A thick branch stretched out from somewhere. It pierced Ben’s heart and pinned him to a wall.

Ben awakened from his thoughts. Although he was vomiting blood, his eyes were still filled with determination.

“...This subordinate of yours will be back soon.” Ben chuckled lightly. He could not even remember how many deaths he had experienced in this forest.

The witch could not understand why this man did not even scream once. Was he not scared of her? Anyway, she would not give him what he wanted for this ugly and dirty human being.

When Ben returned to life, hundreds of vines stretched out and wrapped all over his body. The vines tightened their hold on him as if they wanted to choke them to death.

“You see, someone is waiting for me to taste the coffee I want to make with the coffee beans you have in your hands.”

The witch's voice rose, almost reaching a scream. However, a smile appeared on her face when she saw Ben’s face turn red as the veins continued to tighten around his body.

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry. I was one of the greedy humans who called you a witch. I was also one of the dirty humans who declared that they would kill the witch to get a name for themselves.”

Ben tried to console the witch by telling her his story. “I- I was an orphan. I swung my spear to survive and continued on a reckless path so no one would ignore me.”

But at the end of his path, the only thing he could see was blood. He told her how he killed a lot of people so that he could make a name for himself and the tragedy that soon followed it. He also told her about the person that made him want to stand up and move forward once again. He, tied up by the vines, talked for a long time.

“Now, I live for him and him alone.” Ben, who sported a bitter expression, spoke to the witch warmly and gently: “Child, the one that should be punished is not you. It should be me.”

“Why? We were the ones that turned you into a real witch and hurt you, yet you were the one to run away and hide. You are not a witch. And we should be the ones to receive this kind of punishment.”

Ben felt genuinely sorry for her. The ones in the wrong were people like him, yet the one who suffered was her. Why did she have to hide in the dark and become an ugly and dreary witch? They should have paid for that crime.

The vines that had a firm hold on him slowly began to unravel. Ben momentarily looked down at the loose vines hanging on him before stepping out of them and walking slowly. Then, the forest started to open up a path for him. At the end of the path stood the witch, who had a head full of tangled hair that covered her bloody face. The witch held a weird and strange staff as she looked at Ben.

The witch cried as she watched Ben slowly walk toward her. “It- It’s really not my fault…?”

A greedy human being was jealous of her powers and began calling her a witch. Because of that, many people came to kill her. At one point, she became a witch.

Ben continued to walk toward her.

“Those that hurt you,” Ben, who had killed a lot of people in the past, continued, “Those that made you sad.”

Ben had left many people in despair and sadness because of his greed. And the people who were just like him? They were the ones who turned the girl in front of him into a witch. Slowly approaching the crying girl, he bowed until his forehead hit the ground. Then, sobbing, he said, “The true witch is us.”

This image was something he had never shown to anyone. It was also a sort of apology to all the people who have fallen victim to him.

Ben could only cry when he heard the girl ask him if she was not a witch. Then, a small chuckle escaped his lips as he looked up at the girl and said, “Hey, where can you find such a pretty witch in the world, huh?”

A bright light burst out from the girl’s body at that moment. The blood that stained her face and made her look hideous slowly disappeared while her tangled hair straightened itself out. The weird staff in her hands also turned to dust, returning to the earth beneath her feet. Her red clothes, which seemed to have been made from blood, turned into shabby yet ordinary garments.

When the light disappeared, a beautiful and pure girl appeared before Ben. When she flashed a bright smile at him, tens of thousands of red roses bloomed around her. At the same time, a black flower bloomed in front of Ben. Sitting atop this black flower was a ‘coffee bean’ as beautiful as a black gemstone.

Everything that had turned this bright and innocent girl into a ‘witch’ over the hundreds of years that she was persecuted and left in this forest slowly disappeared. The rotten and broken trees became ashes scattered with the wind while the sharp and thorny vines retreated to who knew where. Only the ten thousand blooming red roses and the bright and beautiful girl were left after the dark and dreary forest disappeared.

Ben slowly reached out his hand as he harvested the coffee bean. He held the coffee bean dearly in his hands before slowly turning around. The girl was no longer a witch. Although he was happy that his words had meaning for this girl and allowed her to return to her true self, he knew there was nothing else he could do for her. That was why he was going to leave.

Ben paused in his tracks. When he turned around, he saw the girl with her head lowered and her hands holding tightly on the hem of his shirt. Ben smiled faintly. He patted her head and said, “Alright. Come with this grandpa. I’m sure he will welcome you warmly.”

Then, Ben finally took a step forward. Walking right next to him with her short and quick steps was the girl, whose name was Andrea.

***

Ben and Andrea shared many stories as they went on their merry way. Most of the questions Andrea asked the old man were about him and the man he served.

“He’s the kind of guy that likes to stack his food like a mountain before eating everything in one go.”

“That’s impossible.”“Hoho. But you know, watching him eat like that always makes me smile.”

Andrea listened to Ben, and she could hear his respect and affection for Minhyuk. Because of that, the girl grew ever more curious about the man. At the same time, she also felt terrified. What if she got called a witch again?

“You don’t have to worry. No people like me are in the Beyond the Heavens Empire.”

Ben, smiling as he walked with Andrea, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

“Andrea,” Ben said bitterly as he looked back at the girl. “This is happening because this grandpa did not pay the price of his crimes.”

Andrea hurriedly hid behind Ben as Farraden, the Pinnacle Strong Men, and their thousands of disciples appeared before them.

***

Farraden would never be able to forget that day. He had been cooking soup for Ben, who was left in grief after losing his son and had turned to alcohol. When he opened the door of the room where his friend was sleeping, he saw Ben holding a bloody spear in his hands and his daughter lying on the ground with only a breath left in her.

At that moment, rage devoured Farraden, and his head turned blank, and his vision turned white. He immediately pounced on Ben, who stood silently as if he was still drunk.

–

But Ben remained silent. He raised his spear and parried his attacks. Consumed by his fury, Farraden was able to land an attack on Ben. However, he suffered an injury, ending with a huge cut across his eye. Then, Ben ran away.

“Why did you run?”“...”

Ben did not speak. Honestly, Ben’s memories of that time were hazy and vague. He only remembered Amoure coming to comfort himself, who was already drunk, and giving him a glass. When he opened his eyes, his hands were already stained with blood, and Farraden’s daughter was lying on the ground. After that, he lost his consciousness once again. When he woke up, he was already in front of the sea where his son, whom he missed so much, lived and died.

Should he be honest? Ben had thought he was just being punished for all his wrong actions. And that was not all. He was also scared. The fear made him immobile, so he could not find Farraden and explain himself.

Could he even tell his friend, or Ben had lost his son. That was why he knew better than anybody else how painful it was to lose someone they loved dearly.

So, Ben did not answer him. He just turned around and gave Andrea a return scroll that would bring her straight to the Beyond the Heavens Empire. This scroll could allow the user to get them directly to the empire, kingdom, or wherever it was set, even if they had never been there.

“Andrea. Go there and wait for me.”

“But…”

Ben just smiled kindly at her. Andrea wanted to use her powers, which helped her rule and command the forest, and fight alongside Ben.

“I’m sorry, Farraden.”

Everything happened in a blink of an eye. Three Pinnacle Strong Men were instantly subdued and left rolling around on the ground.

“...!”

“I- I promised not to die.”

Ben could not break the promise that he had made to his emperor.

Meanwhile, Andrea was very shocked by what she saw. Only at this point did she realize that she would only get in the old man’s way if she continued to stay here. So, she chose to leave.

And the moment Andrea disappeared? Ben darted through their midst as he fought against the Pinnacle Strong Men.

The Pinnacle Strong Men had grown a lot stronger than before. Even their disciples had an average level of Level 550. However, they all fell like helpless children before Spear God Ben’s spear. But Ben did not kill them. He did not use his spear’s spearhead and only used its pole when dealing with them.

Farraden looked at the sight in shock.

They were also people who had made a name for themselves on the continent. However, from what Farraden could see, Ben was at a level where he could kill everyone present if he so decided. But the Luvien Empire and the Pinnacle Strong Men weren’t fools. Why did the Luvien Empire come to find the Pinnacle Strong Men? It was because they were aware of the ‘Pinnacle’s Stigma.’ The Pinnacle’s Stigma was a testament to a vow. And this vow was something that even gods could not resist. It was an absolute existence.

“A Pinnacle Strong Man cannot belong to any empire or kingdom.”

Of course, this was just a rule from their ancient days. However, Ben had been branded with the stigma and had to follow whatever rule was set for them. And the one that branded this stigma on all the Pinnacle Strong Men? It was none other than Farraden.

At that moment, the invisible stigma branded on Ben’s back shone with a bright red light. Ben felt the stigma grow hot from the power coursing through it.

In just an instant, the powerful force that was inside Ben’s body began to dissipate. And as if he had been doused with poison, a burning pain began to spread throughout his body.

“Urk!” Ben vomited a mouthful of blood.

The irresistible force made even Ben, who had powerful mental prowess, collapse. But even though he was forced to his knees, Ben endured.

Farraden looked at him and said, “Two hours. You will die in two hours. And I will watch you die a horrible and tragic death.”

“Hoho,” Ben laughed bitterly. He felt like his blood was flowing backward. The once great and mighty Spear God was now helpless. Just one tiny move, and he would stagger and fall. Then, he looked up at Farraden and said, “Farraden, my dear friend.”

“...”

When Farraden’s eyes met with Ben, he felt like the old man had seen through him. Yes, Farraden knew that Ben had killed his daughter because of Amoure. But whenever a person was consumed by their anger, they would always find something to help them quell the burning rage coursing through their bodies. And for Farraden, that was Ben. Farraden had continued to live because he had vowed to kill Ben. But with just one glance, he felt like Ben had seen through his entire being.“I’m sorry.”

In the end, it was his hands that were used to kill Farraden’s daughter. Farraden frowned. Why did he not make an excuse? Why did he not say that Amoure was behind everything?

Ben took something out. It was the bag containing a single coffee bean blooming among ‘ten thousand flowers’ and countless other rare coffee beans that Ben had previously obtained. He also pulled out a coffee bean grinder and began the long and tedious process of grinding and extracting coffee beans.

Then, Ben looked bitterly at Farraden before opening his mouth and saying something absurd. “Will you please deliver this coffee to His Majesty?”

Even until his very last moments, Ben only thought of one person and one person alone.