The Architect [Solo Leveling]

Using his powers, Steve began to remake the body again to fit and match the type of power his soul now had access to.

"Am I being too lenient because of that boy?" Steve asked as he looked at the two who were watching him.

"He's related to Hunter Sung Jin Woo?" Judy asked almost immediately.

"He's the boy's father, sent by the Rulers to kill him, and possibly me too… You know, those people are very confusing; they seem like saviors at first, but their actions don't follow that trope at all."

"What do you plan to do, sir?" Legia asked.

"Nothing… to him at least," Steve replied as he finally injected the soul back into the body.

Forcing the merger and the acclimatization process, Sung Il-Hwan awakened almost immediately.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?!" the man shouted upon seeing Steve again.

"Let me not lie, the more I think about your family, the more I want to kill you all. But thank your son for being a good person," Steve replied as he sat back and relaxed in his chair.

"What do you want?" Sung Il-Hwan asked.

"From you, nothing; from the chickens behind you, a lot…"

"Like, why Earth of all places? They are celestial beings, aren't they? Why didn't they just fight in space or maybe even on Mars? It's barren and empty, after all," Steve complained.

No matter how he thought about the stupid war going on between the two parties, he only grew angrier.

They were celestial beings, so why make their entire war focused around a small planet?

There was the vastness of space, alternate dimensions, etc. The worst part of it all was that, no matter whose memory he searched or read, humanity was nothing more than cannon fodder.

Collateral damage in the battle.

"You're not a Monarch?" Sung Il-Hwan asked as he knelt upright.

"Have you ever seen a Monarch create another Monarch?"

"That makes sense. So then, whose side are you on?"

"Are you stupid? I'm a human—neither side… The Rulers may do all they can to reduce the casualties, but they are still an enemy of mankind," Steve answered.

"I see."

"Don't 'I see' me. You're useless to me, so I gain nothing by keeping you alive or even pressuring you as I had done… So I hope you use this power wisely," Steve said before snapping his fingers.

Immediately, a large portal appeared within the room, leading to another section of the city.

"Thank you," Sung Il-Hwan replied as he bowed.

Looking at the man, Steve simply smiled. This was an impulsive decision, but one that he bet neither the Rulers nor the Monarchs expected.

To both the Monarchs and the Rulers, he was the variable. But now, Sung Il-Hwan was a bigger variable than he was.

"You never gave up the chance to take in more power, so why allow him to go?" Judy asked as the portal closed.

"I know, right? It's such a waste," Steve replied, laughing.

Truthfully, it did cross his mind while pressuring the man to simply take all the powers the Rulers had granted him, then restore him.

However, he needed the man to be the greatest obstacle to the Monarchs, and besides, he sensed some form of resistance when he killed the man.

He didn't know what that meant yet, but he could at least tell that Sung Il-Hwan was under the protection of some more powerful being.